MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): The best of the FEEL GOOD FILM FESTIVAL by COOP
Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):
I got to conduct some great Q & A’s for some terrific films at the FEEL GOOD FILM FESTIVAL this past weekend. I met some truly gifted filmmakers and inspirational people.
I’d like to thank these special guests for affecting me the most: Cheryl Hines for her big intro, Shirley Jones for classing up the joint with her presence, Marty Ingles for reminding us what this festival is really about, Leeza Gibbons for singling me out with a nice compliment, writer/director Lexi Alexander for the lively discussion, producer/actor Googy Gress for his sincere enthusiasm, the League of S.T.E.A.M. for entertaining us all weekend and motivational speaker/actor Nick Vujicic for the sheer inspiration he gave to us all with his fantastic short film The Butterfly Circus (watch here!).
I’d also like to give big high-fives to all of the coordinators and volunteers for making the festival such a fun and engaging experience. I had a great time bonding with you all.
Finally a big congratulations to producer/actor Joe Russell and writer/actress Casey Strand from the short film “Strawberries” whose engagement I helped orchestrate during one of the more memorable Q & A’s.
I wish I had seen them all but of the ones I did see, here are the films that I felt were the best (in no particular order)…
Read more...MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!) TURKEY SHOOT, BOOKIES, RESTORATION, SHELTER, THE GREAT RAID, I SELL THE DEAD…
Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):
Looks like a random video store sampling this time. Sometimes, that’s the way I like it…
TURKEY SHOOT: Bourgeois sadists hunt Aussie political prisoners. Banned in OZ in the 1980’s, but a total exploitation hoot. 3&1/2 out of 5
BOOKIES: 3 college dorks start a gambling operation out of their dorm room and run afoul of the mob. Smug and sloppily written. 2 out of 5
RESTORATION: A disgraced English doctor is forced to marry King Charles II’s mistress, resulting in tragedy and redemption. Epic. 4 out of 5
SHELTER: Shrink meets a schizo man who suffers from a demonic curse. Gimmicky yet stylish thriller from the writer of IDENTITY. 3 out of 5
THE GREAT RAID: True story of WWII rescue of POWs from a Japanese camp in Philippines. Inspiring story yet poorly executed film. 2 out of 5
I SELL THE DEAD: Amusingly well-written tale of cockney graverobbers who specialize in capturing vamps, zombies and aliens. 3&1/2 out of 5
Thy Twitter has spoken.
-Coop
Read more...COOP is introducing movies and conducting Q & A’s at the FEEL GOOD FILM FESTIVAL Aug. 13-15!
Hey folks. Dropping the word that I’ll be in Los Angeles the weekend of Aug. 13 for the Feel Good Film Festival. I’ve been asked to introduce some of the features/short films and run the questions & answers session after each. This will be my first year to attend the festival, so I’m excited to get out there and meet the filmmakers, press and organizers involved with the event which will take place at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theater in downtown Hollywood. The festival, which apparently has grown significantly since its beginnings, has quite an impressive indie film line up.
Come by, check it out and find me on the red carpet!…
Here’s the official Press release with details on each film being screened…
Read more...MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, PECKER, WATCHING THE DETECTIVES, SALVAGE (2006), SALVAGE (2009), 2012, APACHES…
Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):
Nothing brand new here, but I just can’t get the energy up to go see WANTED II… I mean, SALT…
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: Quirky autistic hacker chick fights crime and has a lot of sex in Sweden. High brow yet boring. 2 out of 5
PECKER: Photog’s quick fame ruins lives of loved ones. Semi-autobio of John Waters. Clever allegory for artistic expression. 3&1/2 out of 5
WATCHING THE DETECTIVES: A girl (Lucy Liu) uses wild pranks to woo a nerdy boy (Cillian Murphy). Well-written indie rom-com. 3&1/2 out of 5
SALVAGE (2006): Girl relives her death at the hands of a serial killer over and over. Above par indie horror with a great twist. 3 out of 5
SALVAGE (2009): Mother searches for daughter during invasion by soldiers hunting a murderous mutant. Good tension, lame BBC plot. 2 out of 5
2012: John Cusack tries to save family from the apocalypse. Worst disaster movie ever. Roland Emmerich should take up bowling. 1 out of 5
APACHES: Sinister 1977 British public service film about irresponsible brats dying in farming accidents. Brutal and brilliant. 4 out of 5
Thy Twitter has spoken.
Read more...MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): PREDATORS, BLOOD AND BONE, THE WHITE RIBBON, THE BROOD, ECLIPSE…
Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):
All I can think about is how jazzed I am about INCEPTION tomorrow…
PREDATORS: Cheesy fun that honors and expands upon the original. Quite satisfying, but does it warrant more sequels? Maybe. 3&1/2 out of 5
BLOOD AND BONE: Michael Jai White plays badass, honorable ex-con fighting in underground circuits. Another Lionheart remake. Bah. 2 out of 3
THE WHITE RIBBON: In a pre-WWI German village, a cruel act reveals an underlying evil. Masterful allegory on the rise of fascism. 5 out of 5
THE BROOD: Shrink invents therapy to manifest rage in flesh of patients. Mediocre Cronenberg film still tops most horror efforts. 3 out of 5
ECLIPSE: Better than the first two due to bigger battles and neat vamp backstories. Romance scenes still terminally cheezy. 3&1/2 out of 5
Thy Twitter has spoken.
-Coop
MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): SPLICE, EXAM, D.E.B.S., DISCTRICT B13: ULTIMATUM, VALHALLA RISING…
Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):
SPLICE: Frankenstein redo with icky scruples, laughably repulsive monster and jerk hipster protagonists. Uncool. 2 out of 5.
EXAM: 8 job hopefuls locked in a room with ticking clock and menacing set of rules. Cool concept, sloppy plot. 3 out of 5.
D.E.B.S.: Lesbian evil mastermind seduces crack agent of an all-girl superspy team. Spoof undermines message. 1 out of 5.
DISTRICT B13: ULTIMATUM… Cliche, low on action. Huge insult to the original which set action standards. 2 out of 5.
VALHALLA RISING: A bloody, trippy, grimy, violent, slow and pretentious allegory for the death of religion. 2 out of 5.
Read more...UP IN THE AIR (2009) ***** movie review by COOP
“Up in the Air” first received a limited release in November to overwhelming critical acclaim. Soon after, it racked up multiple award nominations, including 6 potential Golden Globes. On Christmas Day it released wide to audiences with very little advertising or fanfare, but after finally getting an opportunity to see this film, I can confirm the hype is grossly understated.
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) lives out of a suitcase 322 days out of the year. He travels around the country firing people for a living and…
Read more...INVICTUS (2009) **** movie review by COOP
In 1994, the long-standing South African Apartheid had dissolved; the country held its first multi-racial elections and Nelson Mandela became the first black African president of the nation. Knowing full well the transition of power would cause bitterness and distrust among the country’s affluent and powerful Caucasian minority, Mandela wisely realized that the two cultures must find common ground in order for the shattered country to unite. One unlikely way he chose to achieve this goal was to vocally and fervently support the country’s flagging rugby team. Lead by team captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the South African “Springbok” (antelopes) rugby team was so hated…
Read more...MUD DOG BLUES crew returns to Clarksdale by COOP
On Saturday December 5th, Producers Jay Carl Nelson and Brett Magdovitz returned to Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale to screen the new trailer for their projected feature film “Mud Dog Blues” to the public. “Mud Dog” co-star and 12 year-old son of Nelson, Chase Dean Nelson also accompanied the producers to promote the project. The film will star GregAlan Williams (“Remember the Titans,” “Boston Legal,” “Baywatch” and “The Sopranos”), country music superstar Billy Dean, and Bigg Vinny the “Mac” from the band Trailer Choir. As the film’s promotional literature describes it:
This Project is a heartfelt family film about the “Blues” and the “Mississippi Delta”. Eleven year old Jake Bonham is the son of one of the wealthiest families in all of the South, but Jake…
Read more...PRECIOUS (2009) ***** movie review by COOP
While many moviegoers enjoyed the inspiring, true-life story of Michael Oher in “The Blind Side” over the past few weekends, many skipped the similarly-themed “Precious.” Perhaps they thought it would be a bit of a downer… and they would be right. “Precious” is a melancholy tale in which the main character seems doomed from beginning to end, but this compelling tearjerker delivers some of the…
Read more...THE BLIND SIDE (2009) ***** movie review by COOP
I’ll wager movie theaters in Mississippi and parts of Tennessee are selling out screenings of this movie all opening weekend. Ole Miss fans and South Eastern Conference followers have watched the exceptional football career of Michael Oher and have been touched by his inspiring life story. Those same fans (myself included) have eagerly awaited the release of this film. I had a feeling I’d enjoy the movie regardless of its merits. To my shock, I was completely blown away. “The Blind Side” is indeed THE feel-good movie of the year.
Based on a true-life story, large and good-hearted African American teen Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) lives a solitary life of poverty and hopelessness on the streets of Memphis. A twist of fate…
Read more...NEW MOON (2009) **1/2 movie review by COOP
I gave last year’s “Twilight” a fair pass because it pulled off some original and compelling storytelling despite the backlash by non-fans who found the whole phenomenon silly and far too juvenile for mainstream audiences. I went so far as to read the New Moon novel and while I found it uneven, soapy and poorly structured, I understood and enjoyed the way it made a cliché subject readable. I also respected the direction it was heading and was looking forward to seeing the film adaptation and the next sequel (“Eclipse”). That good will has expired because…
Read more...SLEEP DEALER (2009) ****1/2 ain’t snooze-worthy. In fact, It’s great sci-fi! by COOP
Whew, back from a relaxing vacation to bring you an indie film that needs more exposure.
Set in the future where fears of terrorism have made travel across the border between America and Mexico nearly impossible, native Mexicans find a new, high-tech method of illegal immigration. Luis Fernando Pena plays Memo, a young man who reads “Hacking for Beginners” books and tinkers with his own surveillance equipment at his father’s struggling farm in Mexico. The U.S. Government has…
Read more...THE INFORMANT! (2009) *** movie review by COOP
I didn’t laugh until about 40 minutes into this artsy, awkwardly-styled independent film. There, if that didn’t scare you off, then you might enjoy this light and quirky story by Steven Soderbergh. You won’t be rolling in the aisles, but if you can wait for the tension to build, the laughs will come. It’s too bad Soderbergh couldn’t kick the humor off to an early start because a less patient audience would either fall asleep or walk out…
Read more...THE MUD DOG BLUES movie shoot at Ground Zero Blues Club, by COOP
One very welcome side effect to blues music tourism in Clarksdale, Mississippi is that it attracts filmmakers to the area. Locals may have noticed an increasing amount of camera jockeys and boom mics wandering around downtown and the nearby tourist attractions. Get used to it, because if Tuesday night’s filming of “The Mud Dog Blues” feature promo trailer at Ground Zero Blues Club is any indication, Clarksdale may become one of the most filmed cities in the state.
Read more...Revenge fantasies never looked so good. Awesome new trailer for LAW ABIDING CITIZEN. by COOP
Gerard Butler, once a D-list guy who once played Dracula 2000, soared to the status of ultra-badass status after playing the mythic King Leonidas in 300. Then he fumbled his new found success as an action star by starring in a couple of romantic comedies and a Guy Ritchie movie.
Now he’s poised to finally take his rightful place as a Hollywood star… at least for the rest of this year. His sci-fi action film Gamer releases next month. On October 16, a more promising film starring Butler releases…
Read more...INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) **** movie review by COOP
Quentin Tarantino is a bona fide oddity in the modern film industry. The bulletproof director stays independent and non-union but he still manages to find the budget to fulfill his every whim. He takes his sweet time getting there, but what he creates often gains a massive amount critical/public scrutiny and acclaim. A long-gestating vanity project for Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds” achieves some cinematic feats that rank it in the highest categories of cinema. For Tarantino fans, this is an admirable achievement. Unfortunately for…
Read more...GRACE (2009) *** movie review by DARK SIDE
The much-lauded indie horror movie about a motherhood nightmare has gotten a lot of attention as of late. Some critics have called it the greatest and most disturbing horror film of the new millennium. I went far out of my way to check it out based on the enigmatic reviews and praise.
Madeline (Jordan Ladd), a vegan and new-age nut, desperately wishes to conceive a child with her husband (Steven Park) after 2 previous miscarriages. Her doctor/midwife – and secret former lesbian lover – Dr. Patricia Lang (Samantha Ferris) promises to help her…
Read more...FUNNY PEOPLE (2009) ***1/2 movie review by COOP
First and foremost, “Funny People” is not a comedy so don’t let the ad campaign fool you. It’s actually a drama about comedians. Judd Apatow has crossed the border from his usual raucous and raunchy laugh-fests into more sincere territory. With an all-star cast including Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann and Aziz Ansari; audiences will no doubt find plenty to laugh at, but…
Read more...THE BLIND SIDE movie trailer will bring tears to the eyes of Ole Miss fans and non-believers alike. by COOP
Michael Oher, former star offensive lineman for the Ole Miss football team, could become a household name across America on November 20th. Less than a month after he begins his first regular season game in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens, Oher’s life story will premiere in movie theaters across the country. For all of us Ole Miss fans who’ve been cheering for Oher since 2004, this film will mark yet another victorious event…
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