DVD of the Week: The TV Set

In another week of lackluster DVD releases (although 3:10 to Yuma was released this week, I have yet to watch my DVD copy and could possibly make the cut next week) I thought I would recommend a disc that came my way earlier this week.

"The TV Set" is an indie-comedy released earlier in 2007, directed by Jake Kasdan who recently directed the totally unsuccessful "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story". This film also failed to ignite any kind of release and pretty much went straight to video, which is somewhat of an irony: a group of TV people alter and change one's original vision to make a successful sitcom on the 9pm slot.

The show's writer (David Duchovny) has an idea for a show that is a personal story; the lead's brother commits suicide and believes in the idea of tragedy becoming comedy. It's a great script, but as the show goes into pilot season it becomes evident that the suits in charge would rather the dead brother to a dead mother, and, oh yeah, there's to be no suicide either.

Watching "The TV Set" made me realize how much I detest TV and all the nonsense that comes with it. The testing, the meetings, the condescending conversations and all the BS associated with the parties are all featured here, and you can tell writer/director Kasdan has been involved in much of this. Perhaps this is why the film never received a wider release; the studios were too ashamed that someone cut to the real problem that it was ignored. Regardless, this is a funny and potent comedy that should find a nice audience in the home.

Available on standard DVD.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

About Us

About Us:

Jason Whyte - The Victoria Cinemaphile himself: Site owner and editor. 28 years old. Based out of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

I have been a long time devotee to film and everything that it implies: the discovery of new films, directors, writers and actors. I am also deeply passionate to the art of moviegoing, film festivals and more recently the home video market and home cinema. I fully support Blu-Ray disc as it is a superior home video format and am upgrading my TV to a full 1080p monitor.

Along with this website I contribute movie reviews, film festival coverage and feature content to efilmcritic.com, one of the largest film review sites on the internet. Fellow writers cover as many new film events and film festivals as possible.

Annually, I attend the Vancouver International Film Festival, South by Southwest in Austin Texas, Whistler Film Festival and Victoria Film Festival and cover these events on my website, efilmcritic.com.

Contributors:

Naomi De Bruyn is the owner and editor of the website Linear Reflections, based out of Victoria, BC, Canada. She reviews films on a regular basis as well as attending the Victoria Film Festival. She also has an adorable dog named Quee'Chee.

Monday Morning Box Office: National Treasure 2 is garbage, but you still wanted to see it.

The numbers:

#1. National Treasure 2 - $20.1m - The third week that this film has topped the charts. I could go on about how this is exactly like the first film, but you all didn't care when Malibu Stacy got her new hat either. And because Diane Kruger is in it, I have posted a picture for you to look at. Enjoy.

#2. Juno - $15.9m -One of the best films of 2007 expanded beautifully into about 1900 screens and is primed to become Fox Searchlight's biggest movie ever. So there, I dropped your name, Fox Searchlight. I would love a Juno T-shirt to add to my collection. Thank you. OR, how's this for an idea: Badass Cinema shirts with preggers Juno on the front?

#3. I am Legend - $15.7m - He is Will Smith, he pulls in the dolla bills. And the movie looks good on the big screen, so that's a bonus.

#4. Alvin & The Chipmunks - $15.5m - Because kids are not into the far superior "The Water Horse", instead money is being thrown away at CG chipmunks. I'm still not getting the success story behind the film, and I don't know whether to blame the kids or the parents allowing them to watch it.

#5. One Missed Call - $12.5m - So I'm guessing after this movie made a miniscule profit in theatres and Blu-Ray, Takashi Miike's "Audition" will be remade, entitled "Deeper", with no chicken wire involved to get a PG-13 rating.

Jason
The Victoria Cinemaphile

My goodness, are moviegoing teenagers annoying.

Where: Capitol 6 in Victoria
When: 6:30pm for the overly talky, overwritten film "P.S. I Love You" (**/****)

So when teenagers arrive late to a busy movie and can't find a seat, what do they do? Why, they sit on the floor of course! Oh, and right next to me. And then, of course, proceed to text on their cell phone, make ignorant and annoying comments throughout and be incredibly oblivious to anything that is occurring on screen.

In the film "P.S. I Love You", we follow the exploits of a woman (Hilary Swank) who has a boyfriend (Gerard Butler) who has a brain tumour and dies, but has written a series of letters to Swank's character pre-death. The death happens off screen and we visit his character through flashbacks which are a part of Hilary Swank's imagination. So the first time this happens, one of the idiot teenagers goes:

"So is like, the guy alive again or something? I don't get it."

The reason this was asked was because they weren't paying attention. They were fiddling around, focusing more on their overpriced popcorn and, oh yeah, sitting on the freaking FLOOR, blocking the aisle for anyone that wanted to get by.

Part of me wanted to do something about this, but since the film was not that good and I didn't feel like picking a fight with teenagers, I instead just watched them out of complete curiosity and wondered if the surrounding crowd would do anything about it. The fact they were sitting IN the aisle (which is illegal as it presents a fire hazard) really added to my curiosity. And the cost for all to get in was nearly $40 plus concessions, and they could sit on the floor at home with a DVD for significantly less than that.

And what did the surrounding moviegoers do? Nothing! A group of three ladies kept shooting them stares thinking that would quiet them down, but nothing happened. There was even a theater check by a staff member about half an hour in, and he did nothing about it.

This reminds me of a book I recently read, "Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler", where the writer went to various cinemas in New York TRYING to anger patrons in the cinema. He talked to himself, he chewed outside food loudly, he even sat directly behind a stranger in an empty cimema. And the patrons did next to nothing to stop him, besides a few requests to quiet down. I know that people by nature wish to avoid conflict, but this is also the reason why a lot of people like to stay home and watch the DVD.

Note: this post is in no way articulating that all teenagers are out of control in cinemas. Your mileage my vary, but this is certainly one of the annoying aspects of moviegoing. Seniors are bad, children are bad, and even those regular adults are awful too. Future articles on the Cinemaphile will be covering all the bases in the hopes that something can be done about it.

Jason

What if a great movie opened in Victoria no one was there to show it?

As noted in my last post, I really want you to venture forth and see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly at the Vic Theater in Victoria. I really do. I want you to put on your shoes, get in your car/bus/taxi and make foot for Nootka Court, the place to view said film.

Which is exactly what a friend and myself intended to do this Saturday afternoon, to get another helping of Julian Schnabel's awesome new picture (we both saw it at the Vancouver Film Festival where it received rave reviews). And just when we arrived at the small art house cinema, we came across a large group of people huddled around the entrance with confused looks on their faces.

No one was there. Lights out, doors locked, as if we all entered on a monday afternoon in March thinking there was a matinee to be found. 1:00pm, the time of the show, came and went with no staff or management anywhere near. What's bizarre is that no staff were on duty to inform customers of what was happening, or even a note on the door explaining what's up. My friend and I even returned for the 3:15 screening to no avail.

I'm leading to believe there was some sort of technical malfunction with the equipment, or they were so short staffed they were unable to open the cinema, but with no explanation taped to the door, it confused and disappointed many people there to see this film. Worse, the Vic lost money today, and these days they seem like a cinema that sorely needs profit.

If you're still planning to see the film, I recommend calling the cinema (250-381-1822) ahead of time to ensure the schedule. And I really hope that you do, because the film is definitely worth the effort to see.

UPDATE: I received an email from a staff member at the Vic informing me that there was a projector malfunction and he had to drive to the Landmark Avalon 8 to get a replacement part. Still, no note or reason on the door still confused a lot of customers, and it looks bad either way.

Download: Diving Bell Trailer

The Weekend in Movies: Juno Happens

Every Thursday on the Cinemaphile brings you listings of the new cinema in Victoria, what you should be seeing and mention of notable screenings in the city.

Currently we are in the thick of the Christmas releases, platform openings and yet another new horror remake. Without further ado...

What's New:

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (****) - One of the 2007's most beautiful and important films, this is director/painter Julian Schnabel's newest masterpiece about Elle Magazine editor Jean Dominique Bauby and his struggle with "Locked-In Syndrome" which resulted in his only communication through his left eye. The film follows his progress of writing a book about his experiences, blinking away to a nurse (Marie Josee Croze)

Features some of the best "shots" I've seen in a film all year. A long, painting like shot of Bauby is his wheelchair outside of his loft in his coastal home. A simple but beautiful scene of Bauby giving his ailing father (Max Von Sydow) a shave. The music of U2 set to a beautiful woman's blowing hair. And in one of the film's final moments, we witness a flashback of Bauby's last drive in the country and the truth about his "breakdown". Add to all of this, the lead performance by legendary Mathew Almaric and the cinematography by Spielberg's regular Janusz Kaminski are quite award worthy.

Note: The first half hour of the film is told entirely through Bauby's single eye point of view and is intentionally problematic with focus, framing and sound. Don't think this is the Vic Theater's business per usual, this is intentional by Schnabel and Kaminski. (Vic)

One Missed Call - Whoopity do, a remake of a Takashi Miike film is upon us. At last, it's been made in English by a major studio so people don't have to read subtitles! And about four gallons of water have been poured on it, so everything is easy to follow and no thinking is required to "enjoy". Oddly enough, the Australian title is "Don't Pick Up The Cell Phone!". How apt.

Also, if you're stupid enough to pay to see this crap, stay away from the opening night shows which no doubt will be filled with natty teenagers running around with their cell phones glowing to their ear. Again, how apt. (Capitol)

What You Should Be Seeing:

Besides Diving Bell, Juno is one of the best films of 2007 featuring a winning Ellen Page and a fantastic screenplay by Diablo Cody. The sharp, multi-layered Atonement is an awards hopeful, as well as the Coen's great No Country For Old Men, all raging on at the Odeon.

If you find yourself out at the Silvercity (I'm sorry to hear that, by the way) and suddenly change your mind about watching National Treasure 2, why not give the wickedly cool musical Sweeney Todd a try? Leave the kids at home and give the throat-slitting, meat pies and Johnny Depp crooning a shot. I think you'll be glad you did.

Screenings:

Michael Clayton & In The Valley of Elah at Cinecenta on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The former is Tony Gilroy's excellent directoral debut featuring George Clooney as a conflicted lawyer, and the latter is Paul Haggis' Iraq war drama.

Watch next week for when The Bucket List and 27 Dresses open.

Showtimes available at tribute.ca

DVD of the Week: Viggo Mortensen says you're picking up Eastern Promises.

Every tuesday brings my DVD of the week pick. Since this is a rather flat month for DVD releases, I will be working a bit harder than usual to provide the weekly DVD release for the Cinemaphile.

Released on the 26th just in time for boxing day sales is David Cronenberg's wickedly awesome Eastern Promises which had a fairly successful release back in September. It is Cronenberg's followup to his A History of Violence, yet I found this one a more fluent and superior work, following the Russian mafia, a dead prostitute's baby, and an English nurse (Naomi Watts, luminously photographed) who has the dead girl's diary which traces it back to a driver (Mortensen) who can't seem to keep his mafioso friend (Vincent Cassel) at bay.

The film has wise pacing, a fully structured narrative and just enough Cronenberg moments to satisfy any fan of his work. The film also works tremendously on the small screen as well, bringing one closer to the characters and direction.

Also available on HD-DVD Combo format (although a bit pricey at $40).