Disney aquires Lucasfilm

Brian

It’s official. George Lucas will no longer be the creative force behind  the Star Wars franchise.

In a shocking development today, Disney aquired  Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. All of those funds, which include stocks and cash, will go directly  to Lucas himself, since he is the sole owner of the independent company that  never went public. In exchange, Disney now has complete ownership of the  Star Wars franchise.

What does this mean for fans? It means that we might  get a decent Star Wars
film! No longer is the franchise beholden to Lucas’ wooden dialogue and bad creative decisions that he had complete control  over. In a statement today Lucas said, “For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. … It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come.”

While I am  appreciative of the Star Wars films he’s created, I am extremely excited  about the opportunity that another director and writer could have when  bringing their vision of his world to the screen. Stay tuned! This is only the start of could be many Star Wars films to come. I say that because I’m positive Disney didn’t buy it in order to shelve it away!

Who Ya Gonna Call? Bill Murray… But he probably won’t answer

matt

Part of me is annoyed at Bill Murray, and part of me sympathizes with why he’s turned his back on the long-gestating “Ghostbusters 3.”

The latest news, as reported by IGN.com, is that production for the long-talked-about sequel will begin summer 2013 and will do so without Murray.

My inner fanboy is crying out, “Why not do this for the fans, Bill?! We all are dyeing to see you back as Dr. Peter Venkman. We love you, and we love you in this unforgettable role. We are the ones who put all that money in your pocket. We’re the ones who waited in line and spent our hard-earned money to see your movies. We made you who you are, and you owe us — even if you’re not crazy about doing it.”

But  the truth is, we paid our money to see Bill Murray because he’s an incredible talent. I’m a huge fan of his, and I trust him. I believe when he makes a movie, it’s going to be a good one. I’m looking forward to his next movie, “Hyde Park on the Hudson,” in which he plays Franklin D. Roosevelt. There’s already early Oscar buzz surrounding his name. This is a man whose made some amazing movies, has incredible range, and always delivers a good performance — even if the movie isn’t great.

So I have to trust that he’s making the right choice to not take part in Ghostbusters 3. There have been so many prequels, sequels and spin-offs that I’m confident to say I could have lived without a third installment in the franchise. I’m sure it would be much better with Murray back in the cast, but it’s not going to ruin my day.

As a public, we often get the feeling that we’re entitled to the work of an artist. We feel that authors, artists and movie makers owe us their work, but it’s really not true. The greatest creations are those born naturally. It goes back to the old saying that sequels are never as good as the original, and it’s true for the most part. The reason being is that great original works are organic. When a spin-off is born out of request by the public or the demand for more dollars by a studio, it’s usually watered down, forced, and not fresh.

All great artists produce work that satisfies them. Stanley Kubrick never set out to please studios with his films. Pablo Picasso didn’t paint more or pursue surrealism because people demanded it. They created because they were artists, and people enjoyed their work because they were great at it. Bill Murray’s his own man, and I can’t help but respect him for it.

I look forward to the rest of Bill Murray’s career much more than I long for a third Ghostbusters movie.

The Movie Brothers are back

The Movie Brothers have been away for a while, and for that, we apologize.

Extenuating circumstances have kept us away, but we’re coming back in full force.

We thank you for your continued readership, and we can’t wait to share with you what we have coming.

New posts are coming this week!

Top 5 Technologies that Changed Movies Forever

Brian

What will Superman change in now that phonebooths are all gone?

5. The Cell Phone: This isn’t really a technology that was directly made for the cinema but it changed the way movies were written. No longer are characters tied to desks, telephone booths, or home phones. All conversations can take place anywhere at anytime and are untraceable. Stop and think about how many movies in the last 10-15 years could not have been made without a cell phone. Almost every modern crime, action, and horror film completely relies on them. Also, cell phones have to be accounted for somewhere in the story. A character will almost always show that they can’t retrieve signal on their cell phone, lose it, or damage it in order for the plot to progress where they are helpless and alone or the audience’s first question is, “Why don’t they just call for help on their cell phone?”

4. Panaglide: I’m sure some of you are saying, “What the hell is Panaglide?” Well, Panaglide was a steadicam that attached by harness to a cinematographer to allow them to have isolation between the movement of the camera and the movement of the operator. This allowed them to get shots that were previously considered impossible. In the past, sets had to be created to allow for fluid movement of the camera and space for dolly tracking and cranes so that it wasn’t done handheld with the “shaky cam” effect. Panaglide solved that problem by creating smooth motion with one operator in cramped spaces. A great example of Panaglide is the opening sequence of the horror classic “Halloween”. The technology allowed the Director of Photography (Dean Cundey) to smoothly move from outside the house, inside and through it, have a murder scene, and then exit the house in one continuous shot in cramped space on location without dolly track on a very limited budget. Remember that great shot in Goodfellas where we are introduced to all the mob characters in one shot? Panaglide. Remember that great shot in Boogie Nights at the pool party that kept going for almost three minutes and underwater? Panaglide. It changed how films were made forever.

3. Surround Sound: I remember like it was yesterday the first movie I heard in full Dolby Digital surround sound. It was the terrific film Star Trek: First Contact. I was sitting in the theater and the moment the opening credits started I got goosebumps. The theater was completely alive with sound coming from all directions with crystal clear clarity. Unlike the days of stereo, when a spaceship flew by it felt like it went right over your head and through the theater. It immersed you in the experience of the story in a more complete way. Surround sound also changed the way directors and sound engineers created their movies. Effects and sounds had to be thought of in a 360 degree environment where the audience was just as invested with their ears as their eyes.

2. CGI: Love it or hate it, CGI changed movies forever. A lot of movies in the past were considered unfilmable. The ideas of large creatures, otherworldly locations, or sheer volume of fictional characters on screen at one time required such a huge financial commitment from film financers that many scripts were thrown away. CGI changed all that. For example, Steven Spielberg has said that without CGI, he would have never made Jurassic Park. After George Lucas saw what the technology could do, he decided it was time to start making new Star Wars films. And, James Cameron sat on his Avatar film for years because he knew that he needed CGI in order to achieve his vision. The technology had an even greater effect on the world of animation. The majority of films today are made through the process of computer animation. Pixar, Dreamworks, and Sony are just 3 of the many studios that are computer generated only. It has resulted in billions of dollars of revenue and been a driving force for creative flexibility.

1. Home Video: There is no single technology other than film itself that has changed cinema more than the ability for us to have movie playback in our home. It has gone through several advancements over the years: Beta to VHS to laserdisc to DVD to blu-ray and streaming. But, no matter the method of playback, the technology created new businesses through the home video rental market, movie collectors to buy and own their favorite films, and opened up a second way to get revenue for studios besides box office numbers. But, the most important thing it gave us by far is for us as film lovers to see movies we never got to see before. In the past, films would get re-released in theaters for short periods of time so that we could see films that we missed during their initial theatrical run. But, you would never know which films would come back and for how long. Today, we are so lucky to be able to see almost any film we want through services like Blockbuster, Netflix, Cable on-demand, or streaming boxes like Apple TV. It’s a great age to live in if you’re a film buff and it’s the most important technology added to movies ever!

The Ten Greatest Movies Ever Made

Today marks our one year anniversary. It’s hard to believe it’s gone by so quickly, and it’s even harder to fathom how quickly our site has grown. We never thought when we started that we’d be getting tens of thousands of readers and listeners. We humbly thank you all for reading.

Surprisingly, there is only one film on our list that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. All of them, with the exception of Paths of Glory, were nominated for best picture. We scanned all genres, decades, and nations to pull together a list we’re very happy with. It wasn’t easy, but it sure was fun. We’re not ranking them. Instead, we’re simply naming these The Ten Greatest Movies Ever Made:

Paths of Glory: This is an anti-war film that looks at the true inhumanity we don’t often speak of in war, and that is how we treat our own soldiers. Paths of Glory has a script that is wise without ever wagging a finger in our faces and has some of the best war cinematography ever seen. It gives a sense of gloom and a foreboding destiny for the soldiers. Kirk Douglas was fantastic.

The Wrestler: This is simply a phenomenal film. We’ve heard people say it was nothing but violence and a “dumb guy movie.” They missed the point. This is a father/daughter story. It’s about a man who makes every wrong decision, but always tries to make it right. He has a great heart, but can’t get out of his own way. It’s a heartbreaking story with a performance by Mickey Rourke that is rarely seen. He is the only man that could have been Randy “The Ram.”

Forrest Gump: Is one of those rare films that touch on every aspect of our lives: love, loss, hope, fear, humor, confusion, growth and being lost before you find your way. This film was brilliantly directed and acted and had incredible waves of emotion, from complete hilarity to disbelief, heartbreak and fear. It’s a masterpiece.

Dr. Strangelove: It’s hard to believe that someone could make the Cold War funny, but that’s exactly what Stanley Kubrick did in this dark, smart comedy he co-wrote and directed. He took something that gripped two nations with fear and had the intelligence to make a script with absolute levity. We couldn’t be happier to have this film on the list.

Raging Bull: Which film won best picture at the Oscars the year Raging Bull was nominated? Anyone? Anyone? Exactly. It was “Ordinary People,” a good but forgettable film. Raging Bull will always stand the test of time. It’s unforgettable. As the great Roger Ebert said: “(Raging Bull) is a movie about brute force, anger, and grief. It is also, like several of Scorsese’s other movies, about a man’s inability to understand a woman except in terms of the only two roles he knows how to assign her: virgin or whore.”

Jaws: The perfect action thriller.  Amazing acting, tight and suspenseful directing, and an antagonist that lived up to the hype.  Each time we watch it, we think it’s even more than the last.  It put Steven Spielberg on the map and ushered in the first summer blockbuster.

The Shawshank Redemption: It takes an amazing story to grip you for three hours with little or no action.  Stop and think about it.  What was Shawshank’s big action scene? There wasn’t one.  Even the jail break at the end was told in flashback. And yet, we cannot remember a film that gripped us more than this one did.  The dialogue is thought provoking and honest and the acting of the entire collaborative cast gets you hooked right from the beginning.  This is the kind of movie that people can relate to and understand 100 years from now.  A gem.

Seven Samurai: Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece is a triumph of the human spirit.  It shows what can happen when a group of people decide to rise up against all odds and defend the life and people they love.  We are introduced to a foreign land in a foreign time spoken in a foreign tongue and yet there’s not a person on earth that can’t relate.  That’s a testament to not only Kurosawa the filmmaker but also Kurosawa the writer.  A true artist and genius.

The Exorcist: The most unnerving and frightening film ever made.  Why did it end up on this list?  Because it’s about more than pea soup vomit and curses thrown at holy men from a foul demon.  It’s about good winning over evil when it feels like all hope is lost.  It’s also about a faith challenged man, who despite his questioning of God, still finds his heart when he needs it most.  William Friedkin’s work here is stupendous and timeless.

Pulp Fiction: The greatest and most important independent film ever made.  It not only made Quentin Tarantino a household name, it also put Miramax on the map and opened doors for so many indepedent filmmakers.  Not only is the movie historically important but it is also amazing entertainment wrapped in possibly the greatest script ever written for the silver screen.  The dialogue is spot on perfect, the casting is perfect, the progression is perfect, and his direction is flawless.  You see where I’m going with this?  Perfect.

The Ten Greatest Movies Ever Made Part 4

Every day we’re cutting ten movies from our original list of 45 of the Greatest Movies Ever Made until we’re down to ten. Brian gets to chop five, then Matt

Here are the movies that didn’t make the grade.

Matt’s Vetoes:

Goodfellas – This is an amazing movie. All the movies on this list are. But, it’s often pushed to the back of the line with gangster movies because there are so many. It’s lost in the shuffle, and it’s unfortunate, because it’s so much better than movies like Godfather that get all the love.

Taxi Driver – Great performances, gritty realism, excellent direction, but this is not Martin Scorcese’s best. There are a handful I like better.

Up – This is Pixar’s best film, hands down, and probably better than any Disney movie. It has heart, drama, and it surprised me how amazing it was. Breaks my heart to take it off the list, but we’re talking ten best ever, and it doesn’t make the grade.

Boogie Nights – Mark Wahlberg’s performance always seemed lame to me, which was the one thing that held this back. All the films have to be flawless, or really damn close. Excellent film, though.

Citizen Kane – It’s unfortunate, but this film has been dated. Newspapers are dead. The story is relevant, but the industry isn’t.

Brian’s vetoes:

Passion of the Christ — Moving, spiritual, and one of the most powerful films ever made. But, if you’re not Christian, it’s a two hour blood orgy.

On the Waterfront — Great story and contains Brando’s greatest performance on screen, but not top 10 ever.

8 1/2 — I vetoed this only because I don’t think it’s Fellini’s best film. That goes to La Dolce Vita.

Unforgiven — A powerful statement about old west violence and loss. But, again, I have to narrow the list down.

The Bridge On The River Kwai — This was the hardest film to veto on my list. Again, it’s a numbers game. Can I make this #11?

Movies remaining on our list:

Forest Gump
Seven Samurai
Wizard of Oz
Paths of Glory
Jaws
Pulp Fiction
M
Raging Bull
Casablanca
The Exorcist
The Shawnshank Redemption
The Wrestler
It’s a Wonderful Life
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Psycho

The Ten Greatest Movies Ever Made Part 3

Every day we’re cutting ten movies from our original list of 45 of the Greatest Movies Ever Made until we’re down to ten. Brian and Matt will each chop five from the list.

Here are the movies that didn’t make the grade.

Matt’s vetoes:

Apocalypse Now – There are far better films in the war genre. This one gets a little too out there and away from what the message it should have had.

2001: A Space Odyssey – I love Stanley Kubrick, and I know this is a controversial pick. However, I think for a Top 10 film of all time, it has to appeal to everyone, and this one doesn’t. A lot of people don’t like or get this movie.

Blade Runner – I just didn’t enjoy this movie. It’s one of those movies you’re supposed to like. I often don’t like those films.

Saving Private Ryan – This is another excellent Spielberg movie, but in the broad spectrum, there are far better war films. This is a beautifully shot film that feels more like war than, perhaps, any film I’ve seen, but the dialogue isn’t the best.

Dumbo – Those crows are totally racist. Hence, not a timeless film. Can’t make the list.

Brian’s vetoes:

Born into Brothels — Great film but nowhere near my favorite documentary. I’d put “Man on Wire” ahead of it.

Black Swan — A brilliant film but it’s not even my favorite film of this year.

Singin’ in the Rain — Brilliant, wonderful, and great dancing and singing. But, the plot is pretty thin at the end of the day.

Spirited Away — Visionary and wonderful even to people that don’t like animation. However, not a top 10 film ever.

Rashomon — One of my favorite Kurosawa films but not as good as other finalists on the list.

Movies remaining on our list:

Forest Gump
Seven Samurai
Wizard of Oz
Paths of Glory
Jaws
Pulp Fiction
M
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull
Goodfellas
Casablanca
The Exorcist
Unforgiven
The Shawnshank Redemption
The Wrestler
Up
On the Waterfront
8 1/2
Boogie Nights
Passion of the Christ
Citizen Kane
It’s a Wonderful Life
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Psycho
The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Ten Greatest Movies Ever Made Part 2

Every day we’re cutting ten movies from our original list of 45 of the Greatest Movies Ever Made until we’re down to ten. Brian and Matt will each chop five from the list.

Here are the movies that didn’t make the grade.

Brian’s vetoes

Life is Beautiful — A comedy about the Holocaust where a father tries to convince his son that he’s having a game with the Nazis? Wayyyy too overly sentimental to even be considered.

The Kid — Brilliant but dated and Chaplin has better films, namely “City Lights” and “The Gold Rush.”

Gone With The Wind — A classic film that really comes down to being a 3 1/2 hour soap opera. She loves him but he doesn’t love her and he loves her but she doesn’t love him until later when he decides he doesn’t love her but then she decides she really loves him….boring!!

Duck Soup — Funny but forgettable. Yes, the Marx brothers were great but hardly enough to be considered a top 10 film ever.

Rear Window — A great, classic suspense film that I love but it’s not even Hitchcock’s best.

Matt’s Vetoes

Braveheart – Too sentimental, the directing wasn’t that great, and the dialogue isn’t as strong as the movies that did make the cut.

Star Wars – It’s one of my favorite movie series of all time. I love it, and hold it close to my heart. But let’s be honest, these movies have wooden dialogue, stiff acting and the series was killed by the prequels (namely Jar Jar).

Inception – Great movie. The second best of 2011. It’s original, brilliantly directed, and I love it. However, the character development was held up by too much explanation of the complex story.

Schindler’s List – It’s the kind of movie you watch once, say, “It’s great.” Then don’t go back to it again. To be in the ten best ever, it has to be a movie I can watch over and over.

Clockwork Orange – LOVE LOVE LOVE Stanley Kubrick. Favorite director ever. However, this was not his best and there are movies I hold closer to my heart on this list. Tough choice to veto.

Movies remaining on our list:

Forest Gump
Seven Samurai
Wizard of Oz
Paths of Glory
Jaws
Pulp Fiction
M
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull
Goodfellas
Casablanca
The Exorcist
Unforgiven
The Shawnshank Redemption
The Wrestler
Born Into Brothels
Up
Spirited Away
On the Waterfront
8 1/2
Boogie Nights
Passion of the Christ
Singin’ in the Rain
Black Swan
Citizen Kane
Rashoman
It’s a Wonderful Life
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Psycho
Dumbo
Saving Private Ryan
Blade Runner
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Apocalypse Now

The Ten Greatest Movies Ever Made Part 1

Our one year anniversary is upon us, and we wanted to do something fun, and a little epic, so we’re picking the ten greatest films ever made. Brian and I carefully picked this list of 45 films we wanted to consider for the ten best ever. Each day until our anniversary on Thursday, we will remove ten films from the list and explanation why. The Movie Brothers, Brian and Matt, each picked five films to cut from the list each day.

Here are the list of 45 films, in no particular order, we will consider for the ten greatest movies ever made. Let us know which ones you think should stay, and which should go — and maybe some films you thought should have been in the mix. The top ten will be revealed on our one year anniversary this Thursday, March 17, 2011.

Forest Gump
Seven Samurai
Wizard of Oz
Paths of Glory
Jaws
Pulp Fiction
M
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull
Goodfellas
Casablanca
The Exorcist
Unforgiven
The Shawnshank Redemption
The Wrestler
Life is Beautiful
Born Into Brothels
Up
Spirited Away
On the Waterfront
8 1/2
Boogie Nights
Passion of the Christ
Singin’ in the Rain
Black Swan
Citizen Kane
Rashoman
It’s a Wonderful Life
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Psycho
The Kid
Rear Window
Clockwork Orange
Gone With The Wind
Duck Soup
Braveheart
Star Wars
Inception
Schindler’s List
Dumbo
Saving Private Ryan
Blade Runner
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Apocalypse Now

Here’s someone’s video on 100 great movies:

2011, The Year of the Sequel

Matt

It’s official: Hollywood is tapped for any fresh ideas. One in five films released this year will either be a sequel, prequel, or spin-off. Not that this should come as a huge shock to anyone.

According to a report by Box Office Mojo, Hollywood will rely on former glories in 2011 to a greater degree than ever before. Sequels, prequels, and spin-offs comprise over a fifth of the currently scheduled nationwide releases, tallying 27 — including the third installment of the Big Momma series, “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.” Last year, there were 19 sequels, prequels and spin-offs, and the previous high was 24 in 2003.

I’ve complained about adaptations and remakes, especially with TV. In general, I’m not totally opposed to sequels. I hope they make Ghostbusters 3, expect Scream 4 to be a blast, and can’t wait for the next Iron Man and Batman films. But we don’t need a third Big Mamma, a third Alvin and the Chipmunks, a fourth Mission Impossible and Pirates of the Caribbean. And we certainly don’t need a fifth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise. I’m pretty sure we’ll all survive without it.

And some of the titles to these are just precious. The next Piranha 3-D film will be called…. wait for it…. Piranha 3DD. I can see the movie poster taglilne: “Piranha 3DD — The extra ‘D’ is for Dumb.”

Hollywood can do better. It’s up to the consumer to show them that we’re not willing to spend our money on bad movies.

Here’s the complete list of all the sequels set for release this year:

Second films: Cars 2, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, The Hangover Part II, Happy Feet 2, Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil, Johnny English Reborn, Kung Fu Panda 2, Piranha 3DD, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows.

Third films: Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, Madea’s Big Happy Family, Paranormal Activity 3, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon.

Fourth films: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Scream 4, Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part One).

Fifth films: Fast Five, Final Destination 5, Puss In Boots, X-Men: First Class, Winnie The Pooh.

Seventh films: The Muppets and Rise Of The Apes.

Eighth film: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two.