Dapples from the Movies - Beginnings and Endings
Movies are a hobby of mine, I guess you could say. I'm not a film school geek, but I can turn a phrase here or there (The color timing on Traffic was great because it helped separate the 3 different storylines throughout the movie). And I watch a lot of movies and television, movies about television, TV shows about movies, etc. A lot. To put it simply, I enjoy watching the picture shows. Plus, my job pretty much centers around it and TV, so it surrounds me all day. Which is great.
Anyway, every now and then, I'll have a few observations from the movies or TV shows that I have been watching. Hence, my new series "Dapples from the Movies (or TV)". Just little blogs about what's going on and what I think about them. We'll see how it goes...
p.s. I'm just one lady with an opinion, so you know, take it with a grain of salt.
Beginnings and Endings
Given that we just ended the summer rush of high priced blockbusters and have just begun to get into "Award Season", we have been experiencing the weird anomaly that is August/September. Studios dump bad films in hopes that students, trying desperately not to think about going back to school, flock to the movie theatre to see the new Catherine Zeta-Jones vehicle No Reservations, or the Jason Statham/Jet Li action film, War. Or, worse yet, The Nanny Diaries.
Lately though, studios have often started releasing movies that they think are solid, but yet aren't strong enough to stand up against the third Spiderman or Transformers. Movies like Superbad or 2006's Invincible, starring Mr. Marky Mark. They are smaller, but still might do well before the kiddies get shipped off to school. Some studios also start releasing films that they feel are "Oscar-worthy", or at least feature actors/performances that will get some critical notice. See Half-Nelson, or The Illusionist.
Today, I want to call attention to the opening and closing credits of both of these types of films. First up is Shoot 'Em Up, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti. The movie was okay - I really liked the idea of it, but the execution kinda disappointed me. The final credit sequence, however, rocked. If they had made the 90 minute movie more like the closing sequence, I would have been much more into it. It features a good/cheesy 80's rock song that everyone knows, as well as some great graphics and animation. It kinda feels like one of those old Saul Bass sequences as well. Unfortunately, the only place that I found it so far was on the website for the company that produced it, PictureMill. Just go there, and then click on the Shoot 'Em Up clip.
The other movie is The Kingdom, starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner. I did not see this film yet, but I heard that the opening sequence took your breath away. Thanks to the power of the Internet, I saw it and so should you. It is quite cool. Again, lots of great graphics and animation, but this time, the sequence fills you in on the history of the U.S./Middle East relationship. Well, at least the basics anyway. See it, or download it in all it's HD glory, here.
So, that's it. A great beginning and ending to tide you over until the award season fully gets underway. Next time, I'll tackle the surefire way to market a comedy to the nation.
Anyway, every now and then, I'll have a few observations from the movies or TV shows that I have been watching. Hence, my new series "Dapples from the Movies (or TV)". Just little blogs about what's going on and what I think about them. We'll see how it goes...
p.s. I'm just one lady with an opinion, so you know, take it with a grain of salt.
Beginnings and Endings
Given that we just ended the summer rush of high priced blockbusters and have just begun to get into "Award Season", we have been experiencing the weird anomaly that is August/September. Studios dump bad films in hopes that students, trying desperately not to think about going back to school, flock to the movie theatre to see the new Catherine Zeta-Jones vehicle No Reservations, or the Jason Statham/Jet Li action film, War. Or, worse yet, The Nanny Diaries.
Lately though, studios have often started releasing movies that they think are solid, but yet aren't strong enough to stand up against the third Spiderman or Transformers. Movies like Superbad or 2006's Invincible, starring Mr. Marky Mark. They are smaller, but still might do well before the kiddies get shipped off to school. Some studios also start releasing films that they feel are "Oscar-worthy", or at least feature actors/performances that will get some critical notice. See Half-Nelson, or The Illusionist.
Today, I want to call attention to the opening and closing credits of both of these types of films. First up is Shoot 'Em Up, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti. The movie was okay - I really liked the idea of it, but the execution kinda disappointed me. The final credit sequence, however, rocked. If they had made the 90 minute movie more like the closing sequence, I would have been much more into it. It features a good/cheesy 80's rock song that everyone knows, as well as some great graphics and animation. It kinda feels like one of those old Saul Bass sequences as well. Unfortunately, the only place that I found it so far was on the website for the company that produced it, PictureMill. Just go there, and then click on the Shoot 'Em Up clip.The other movie is The Kingdom, starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner. I did not see this film yet, but I heard that the opening sequence took your breath away. Thanks to the power of the Internet, I saw it and so should you. It is quite cool. Again, lots of great graphics and animation, but this time, the sequence fills you in on the history of the U.S./Middle East relationship. Well, at least the basics anyway. See it, or download it in all it's HD glory, here.So, that's it. A great beginning and ending to tide you over until the award season fully gets underway. Next time, I'll tackle the surefire way to market a comedy to the nation.
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