Truth Collective

From Twitch: ONEDREAMRUSH is a series of short films from forty two directors, each of them forty two seconds long and based on dreams the director has had.

Chris Chen showed this to me today and I have no idea why I haven’t seen it before.

Back in December, zee posted a trailer of the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. Needless to say, zee peed his pants with excitement. And now, continuing our thrilling addiction to Hugh Jackman’s amazing facial hair and adventures as Wolverine in this upcoming movie, we have more to report!

The movie is scheduled to be released April 29, 2009 in the UK and May 1, 2009 here in the States, but some film ninja managed to sneak an early and far-from-final-cut copy of the film out for distribution. You can still see actors hanging from wires and there are many special effects and sound bits missing. Thousands downloaded copies Tuesday, March 31, 2009, but authorities have since removed the movie from the Internet realm. A story over at BBC reports the latest findings, but beware, the FBI has even been called in, because it’s just that important!

You really have to ask, though, why is the FBI involved? I mean, what is the FBI’s purpose, really? I suppose chasing film is a valuable use of taxpayer money, and maybe terrorists were involved in some plot to take over Hollywood. I think it all comes down to the fact that Hollywood is a billion dollar industry that owns the world, and because money drives just about everything, the FBI has to be involved to ensure the security of Hollywood and, therefore, the well-being of the world.

BATON! trailer.

World’s Most Unexpected Crime Waves

Waltz with Bashir Review

Photo Essay: Spring Break Gone Wrong

Okay, I know its old news. Steven Spielberg and the Fresh Prince are going to remake Old Boy. But don’t worry, it won’t be an adaptation of Park Chan-wook’s classic, it will be an adaptation of the translation of the original manga? (isn’t that what Park did?). Whatever.

“For those of you who are wondering what the American remake of the South Korean classic “Old Boy” is going to be like, here you go: soft, comfortable, with loads of product placement.”

Old Big Boy.  Thanks, Dutch Southern.

The world would (probably?) be a better place if people stopped watching lame crap and spent that time instead watching things that actually make them think, or at least try to think.  After Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly, Paprika, and Bashir, I must say I’m pretty stoked for Metropia.

from Twitch:

Dark, gloomy, and riddled with existential angst and questions about the nature of reality, this thing has an incredible voice cast – Juliette Lewis, Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Stellan Skarsgaard – couple with a unique animation technique developed specifically for this film that gives the characters an eerie, unsettling sort of realism.  Could we be fortunate enough to find that Waltz With Bashir and $9.99 were just the beginning of a coming wave of intelligent, not-for-children animation?  It looks that way.

I recently saw a film called Waltz with Bashir, directed by Ari Folman.  The animation was a provocative visual and audio experience that I was excited about for awhile; however, I was unprepared for the intensity of its message.  It reveals something of the Israeli political consciousness–which may be relevant to the current state of affairs there–while neither placing blame on nor apologizing for Israel’s actions at Sabra and Shatila.

From an interview with the director over at Twitch:

It took four years for Israeli director Ari Folman to complete his animated documentary Waltz With Bashir, which was entered in the competition for the Palme d’Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Though—despite predictions—it did not win that honor, Waltz With Bashir went on to win six awards from the Israeli Film Academy, including Best Picture. It had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and its US premiere at the 46th New York Film Festival. The film has been submitted as Israel’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, as well as for Best Animated Feature. Concerned with the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, the film came highly praised at its Cannes premiere as one that would “leave its mark forever on the ethics of war films in general” (Screen Daily). Variety hailed it as “something special, strange and peculiarly potent.” Time magazine asserted that “the message of the futility of war has rarely been painted with such bold strokes.”

I just saw the new theatrical trailer for the upcoming film Tokyo!, which is actually a collection of three films by directors Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-ho.  Apple has high-def versions of the trailer available for download.  From the official site:

“In the tradition of such films as NEW YORK STORIES, NIGHT ON EARTH, PARIS JE T’AIME and its forthcoming sequel NEW YORK JE T’AIME, TOKYO! addresses the timeless question of whether we shape cities, or if cities shape us – in the process revealing the rich humanity at the heart of modern urban life.”

The question raised is more relevant than ever, as researchers estimate more than half of the global population now lives in urban cities.   And, if you haven’t been to Tokyo, let me tell you… it’s like going to the future.

Craaaazy props to the guy that made this one.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I walked into the Tysons Corner AMC with assorted junk food and a six-pack of Coors Light packed away in my jacket. The only thing I knew about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was that it was about some Brad Pitt-looking character who’s born as an old dude and ages in reverse, maybe until he becomes a fetus and his vital organs withered away or something grotesque like that. Three hours later, I walked out of the theater a little buzzed, but absolutely stunned by this film. The style of storytelling in Benjamin Button was reminiscent of Forrest Gump, making for a plot that your great-grandmother would appreciate. This movie made me laugh, it made me think, it made me nod my head in appreciation of the universal human themes which were so poignantly conveyed. There was no feel-good happily-ever-after moment when the credits started rolling (cue Slumdog Millionaire); instead, I left the theater pondering themes such as the ephemerality of life, the fleeting fulfillment of happiness, the cyclical nature of existence. Be sure to check this movie out if you want to watch something both thought-provoking and entertaining. And if you don’t have the attention span for that.. well, best of luck to you, fucktard.