Items tagged with 'movies'
NY Post gives harsh thumbs down to local kid film critic
You've probably seen Jackson Murphy, a local 11-year-old, do movie reviews on YNN. He goes by the name "Lights Camera Jackson." He started reviewing movies when he was seven.
Murphy's gotten a lot of attention for his reviews. He's won an Emmy. He's interviewed Jane Lynch (you know, from Glee). And in July, he appeared on the CBS Early Show (embedded above).
That CBS appearance set off NY Post film critic Kyle Smith. From his almost-800-word piece:
Leave aside that our latest cultural commentator is too young to see PG-13 movies. Forget the shouty nonsense he thinks equals a movie review. Let's get to the real issue: me. Am I jealous? As Jackson would put it, "Of COURSE!"
Being a movie critic these last five years has been like Act 3 of a slasher flick. What happened to all my friends?
If there are beaming 11-year-old stage monsters who can do my job well enough to be on national television, WHY DIDN'T I GO TO LAW SCHOOL?
Dude. A little touchy, huh.
Smith's piece did include this bit we hadn't known: Jackson Murphy is the son of former WTEN sport anchor Dan Murphy.
[via @Metroland]
EMPAC Fall 2010
The schedule for the upcoming fall season at EMPAC is out. And, as we've come to expect, it includes a bunch of interesting/odd/challenging shows.
Here are a few that caught our eye while scanning the list...
Classic movies at The Palace 2010-2011
The Palace Theater in Albany has released the schedule for its 2010-2011 classic movie series.
It looks like a good slate: North By Northwest, Bonnie and Clyde, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and a bunch other favorites. The full schedule is after the jump.
The films run on Monday nights. They're $5 for adults and $3 for kids. You can buy a season pass for all 18 films for $45 (that's half price).
The Drum Set
Check out this short film by Niskayuna high school student Alexandre Gilmet. There's a twist at the end.
"The Drum Set" won the "best film high school" award at the Ballston Spa Film Festival this past weekend. It also won the "best direction" award at the Rod Serling Video Festival, a statewide competition for high school students.
What about The Other Guys?
A shot from the opening scene of The Other Guys -- the sequence was filmed in downtown Albany.
The Other Guys, the Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg cop comedy that shot a scene in Albany, is in theaters today.
Is it any good? Metacritic gives it a score of 64 (generally favorable reviews). And Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 79 percent (certified fresh).
Here are a few clips from reviews...
Sister Spirit looking for extras
Sister Spirt, the movie that's been shooting in Albany, is looking for "sisters" to be extras in scenes next week.
An email from the casting director is after the jump -- it also includes details about who's starring in the movie (Alicia Silverstone, Vincent D'Onofrio and a few other actors you might recognize).
Oh, and if you play the didgeridoo, here's the chance you've been waiting for...
The Ballston Spa Film Festival
French Roast, last year's animated short winner, was nominated for an Oscar. It's screening again this year.
Move over Cannes. Stand back Sundance.
This weekend short films from around the world will be screened in Ballston Spa.
The third annual Ballston Spa Film Festival gets underway tomorrow night. 45 short films from as far away as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Indonesia and as nearby as -- well -- Ballston Spa, will be screened both outdoors at Wiswall Park in the village and indoors at Ballston Spa High School.
A whole weekend's worth of movies, workshops and panel discussions --for free.
A little preview after the jump.
A chat with the producer of the mysterious Albany movie
On location for Sister Spirit.
OK, so as it turns out, the current working title of the movie currently filming in Albany is, in fact Sister Spirit -- though you'll have more luck finding info online searching for Ass Backwards, the original title.
Molly Conners, a Capital District native is one of the producers of Sister Spirit (she also co-produced the Oscar-nominated Frozen River, filmed in Plattsburgh, starring Melissa Leo). Conners took a few minutes from the set today to answer what she could about the movie, working in Albany, and yesterday's unfortunate Hamilton Street towing incident.
Inside the movie house on Hamilton Street
What, your dining living room doesn't look like this?
Yesterday, while we were on Hamilton Street checking out the set of that movie (whatever it's going to be called) we got a quick look inside the house where they're filming.
Turns out the 140 year old brownstone is kind of interesting on its own, even without a movie crew hanging around.
Details on the mysterious Albany movie shoot
The scene on Hamilton Street this morning.
Updated August 8: a casting email that went out on Friday included more details about who's staring (Alicia Silverstone, Vincent D'Onofrio)
Updated August 4 -- we talked with one of the movie's producers.
The movie that's been filming in various locations around Albany in the last week landed on Hamilton Street in Center Square today.
We checked out the scene and picked up a few details (and photos) about the very hush-hush production.
So, is Salt any good?
Lou got two tickets to see Salt at the Spectrum.
Because Albany makes a cameo -- or, perhaps, even stars as a "supporting character" -- in Salt, we thought it would be fun to have someone do a review. So we asked people to post comments about their favorite movies and we picked one person for the review. That person was Lou. Here's his review...
What isn’t Salt? It isn’t about vampires, hasn’t time for quirky characters, and there’s no sex except for what seeps from Angelina Jolie’s pores. Since that’s not her fault, there’s no sex. Technically.
Let’s stop here for a survey.
Dislike modern action pictures? Trouble suspending mild, fast-moving disbelief? Testosterone-intolerant? Live in an arthouse? Salt is not for you. Ignore it. Your Farmville needs tending.
Salt works. If you like the Bourne films, you’ll like Salt — in some ways less, others more.
We want you to review Salt
The U-Haul building, serving as an extra with Angelina.
Update: Lou will be reviewing Salt!
Update: The deadline has passed. We'll contact the winner tonight. Thanks to everyone who entered!
As you know, Salt -- the Angelina Jolie movie -- was partially shot here in Albany (the director would like to thank the citizens). And it opens this Friday.
So, we're looking for someone to review the movie. And that person could be you. Here's the deal:
+ Post a comment telling us what your favorite movie is, and explain why. It doesn't have to be anything long. A few sentences will do.
+ Based on the posted comments, we'll pick a winner to review Salt.
+ That person will get two free tickets to see Salt at the Spectrum this weekend -- so you can bring a friend (it's always good to talk about a movie with someone afterward).
+ The winner then sends us a short review of Salt by Monday at 9 am. The review should be no more than 500 words. And we hope you'll pay special attention to Albany's cameos in the movie (787 apparently makes quite an appearance).
+ We post the review later that day.
So, that's the deal. We think this could be fun.
Important: One entry person. You must answer the question to be considered. Your comment must be posted by 5 pm Wednesday July 21. You must include a working email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified by 11:59 pm on Wednesday and must respond by noon on Thursday July 22.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Lining up for Salt
+ More Angelina and more Albany
+ That's Angelina and that's Albany
+ Angelina Jolie to stop traffic in downtown Albany
screengrab: Sony
The director of Salt would like to thank you
So, a supporting actor nod for 787?
Said Salt director Phillip Noyce of the action scenes shot in Albany, to NBC:
"Due to excessive pork barreling over the years, the capital of New York has built up the most elaborate freeway system you have ever seen," Noyce said at a screening of the film on Monday night.
There was even "one overpass to nowhere which just stopped," he added with a little surprise. While clearly a symbol of taxpayer waste, Noyce had to admit: "It was really convenient to one (movie) sequence," he said. "It's a tragedy (for taxpayers) but great for filming."
The article goes on to mention that Salt "is impressive in its use of the freeway as a supporting character in one memorable action scene."
The movie opens this Friday.
Earlier on AOA:
+ More Angelina and more Albany
+ That's Angelina and that's Albany
screengrab: Sony
Proctors animation festival
Persepolis
If you're looking for something fun (and air conditioned) to do this week, you might want to stop by Proctors' animation festival, which started Sunday and continues through Friday.
The festival is showing a handful of animated flicks each day. The lineup includes 15 films -- among them a few old ones (1939's Gulliver's Travels) and a bunch of newer ones (Coraline). Among the highlights:
+ The Iron Giant (directed by Brad Bird, the guy directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille for Pixar) - Tuesday at noon, Wednesday at 4 pm
+ Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Cheese, Gromit!) - Thursday at 8pm
+ Persepolis (based on Marjane Satrapi's coming of age graphic novel set during the Iranian revolution) - Tuesday at 6 pm, Wednesday at 8 pm
Here's the full schedule.
Tickets are $3 for each film. A week-long pass is $15.
image: Sony Picture Classics
Lining up for Salt
They really want to see Angelina on 787.
Mike sent along this picture of people camped out this morning around 9 am for the last 300 tickets for the Salt premiere at the Palace Theatre.
The tickets were released at 10 am, but the line had formed long before that. Shelley Thomas, the box office manager at the Palace, told us that people started lining up at 6 am this morning. At 10 am, she says they gave out all the remaining tickets to people in the line.
The Albany Salt premiere is July 22. It opens July 23.
Earlier on AOA:
+ More Angelina and more Albany
+ That's Angelina and that's Albany
photo: Mike Wren
Last bunch of Salt premiere tickets released today
Will the U-Haul building and other Albany landmarks make it into the final cut?
Update: @tenacioustij reports that the tickets are all gone -- and were gone before 10 am.
After apparently overwhelming demand, the Palace Theatre is releasing its last bunch of tickets to the July 22 Albany premiere of Salt today. The Palace says it will be giving out 300 of the free tickets at its box office starting at 10 am today.
If you're looking to snag tickets, you should show up early. The first batch of tickets was reportedly snapped up right away on Friday. There's a limit of four tickets per person. [Daily Gazette]
One of the big car chase scenes for Salt was shot in downtown Albany -- and Angelina Jolie was here for some of it. It'll be fun to see how much of the city has made it into the final version. You could see parts of the skyline very clearly in some of the trailers.
Salt opens in theaters July 23. The Other Guys -- the Will Ferrell cop comedy that also shot some scenes downtown -- opens August 6.
Earlier on AOA:
+ More Angelina and more Albany
+ That's Angelina and that's Albany
images: Sony Pictures
Sean Fallon, Charlotte Barrett & Virgin Alexander
Sean Fallon and Charlotte Barrett
When he was 13, Sean Fallon and his buddies were running around Saratoga making movies with a camcorder plugged into a VCR.
This summer, Sean Fallon and his wife and film making partner, Charlotte Barrett, will be running around Saratoga making movies again. Only this time they'll have high-def cameras, a professional crew and a cast that includes Bronson Pinchot (yep, Cousin Balki) , Paige Howard (Adventureland, daughter of actor/director Ron Howard) and Mika Boorem (Dawson's Creek, and a whole bunch of other stuff).
Sean and Charlotte wrote the script for Virgin Alexander -- their first feature film. They took time out from scouring garage sales and scouting locations to talk with AOA about the script, the cast, and shooting in Saratoga.
Virgin Alexander
The location set to play the main character's house -- it's on Crescent Street in Saratoga Springs.
Another movie is set to shoot in the Capital Region this summer. But there's no Angelina this time -- this film's an indie.
The "ultra low budget" romantic comedy Virgin Alexander will be filmed in Saratoga Springs in June. And the current casting rumors include Paige Howard (daughter of Ron and sister of Bryce) and Bronson Pinchot (yes, Cousin Balki himself).
The Other Guys trailer
Check it out: the trailer for The Other Guys, one of the films that shot in downtown Albany last year, is now online:
You can see bits of Albany here and there -- if you look closely and don't blink. A few examples (with matching spectator video) are after the jump.
More Angelina and more Albany
What isn't better with some Egg?
The second trailer for Salt popped up online today -- and it includes more shots of Albany (let's face it, 787 is really the star of this movie). As you can see above, the Egg and ESP get a cameo.
A few more screen grabs are after the jump.
It'll be interesting to see how much of Albany actually makes it into the movie. The first trailer included some shots of local signs -- it looks they've since been fixed with CGI so that they look like they're actually on the Beltway around DC.
Judging from the trailer, Salt looks it could be OK summer movie. Angelina against everybody. Car chases. Stuff blowing up. Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Salt is in theaters July 23. The Other Guys -- the Will Ferrell movie that also shot in downtown Albany last year -- is scheduled to be released August 6.
What your neighbors are watching tonight
According to Netflix, here are the DVDs that people in the Capital Region are currently renting "much more than other Netflix members."
Albany
Ride with the Devil
Schenectady
Snow Buddies
Clifton Park
Edward Scissorhands
Saratoga Springs
Music of the Heart
Troy
Scarface
The top 5 for each city/town is after the jump.
Encounters at the End of the World
From the doc.
EMPAC will be screening Werner Herzog's documentary Encounters at the End of the World this evening. From Manohla Dargis' review in NYT:
Few filmmakers make the end of days seem as hauntingly beautiful as Werner Herzog does, or as inexorable. In his documentary "Encounters at the End of the World," this professional madman and restlessly curious filmmaker travels to the blinding white of the Antarctic, where he meets melancholic scientists, brooding journeymen and various poets of the soul who, ensconced in the American headquarters, McMurdo Station, have traveled so far beyond the familiar coordinates -- so far beyond traditional cities, suburbs and banal existence -- that they might as well be on another planet.
Herzog has directed a whole bunch of films -- including the well-regarded 2005 doc Grizzly Man.
The screening starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5.
Holiday Gift Guide: Spectrum passes
Just add popcorn (with real butter).
'Tis the season and all that, so chances are you're doing a little holiday shopping.
If you're looking for something cool and you want to shop local, the AOA elves have pulled together a few fun holiday gifts that come from right here in the Capital Region.
Day 1: the gift of film
That's Angelina and that's Albany
You can see the State Library in the background on the right.
The trailer for Salt, the Angelina Jolie spy movie that filmed in downtown Albany back in April, was posted online today. And you can make out Albany very clearly in some of the shots. (It looks like they digitally added the Washington Monument and a few other DC buildings to make it look like the Beltway.)
The full trailer is embedded after the jump. Albany's cameos start at about the 1:17 mark.
We also pulled another screengrab of a shot from I-787. It looks like the footage has been flipped horizontally. How can you tell? The interstate signs are backwards. We're guessing they'll fix that before the movie's released next year.
(Thanks, JMc and others!)
Beware! Silent dinosaurs!
Grr. Argh.
The Albany Public Library is starting a silent film series this evening. A screening of the 1925 film adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World will be accompanied by an original score by local electropop band Beware! The Other Head of Science. The APL says the Beware! crew has written "a fittingly unusual score to this dinosaur movie classic."
The screening starts at 7 pm in the large auditorium at the main branch on Washington Ave. It's free.
(Thanks, Jess!)
... said Kaitlin about Viva Kaitlin!