Pretty In Link: Part I

This is something I haven’t done for a while, but don’t worry, I’ve been storing up some of the funniest, cleverest, juiciest and generally rad links on the net just for you. Some are movie related, many comic related and others art related, but my passions aside . . .some are just fantastic. There are so many links I’ve broken it up into two editions so if you’re an internet voyeur like me, then I hope you enjoy these.

30 Random Movie Titles To Which `That’s What She Said’ Would Be An Appropriate Rejoinder: This really doesn’t need any more explanation. Once again, the guys at Pajiba have outdone themselves. http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/30-random-movie-titles-to-which-thats-what-she-said-would-be-an-appropriate-rejoinder.php

Slinky: The Movie: “It’s a rubber coil.” I never get sick of this. Ever. I rewatch it about once a week and it’s endlessly hilarious because, well, every week brings more freakin’ ridiculous movie projects backed by huge studios based on pre-existing products that sure, may have been popular, but do not make the basis for a film. There has never been a better example of this than the trailer for Hugh Jackman’s Reel Steel. Alternatively, watch this animated conversation between a screenwriter and a Hollywood executive about Slinky: The Movie. Hi-bloody-larious. http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/pitch-for-slinky-the-movie/#

If Rappers Were Marvel Comic Characters: As both a hip hop and Marvel comic fan, this is gold. http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2011/02/if-rappers-were-marvel-comics-characters#page/16

Photos from the 2010 National Geographic Photography Contest: They’re responsible for capturing and publishing some of the most amazing photos. Period. These finalist images are no exception and freeze some of 2010’s incredible moments in time. http://nedhardy.com/2010/11/22/47-incredibly-amazing-photographs-from-the-2010-national-geographic-photography-contest/

Russel Crowe Preparing For A Roll: Filmdrunk in and of itself gets a link of its own, but this particular post is one of Vince Mancini’s best. I dare you not to gut laugh, I dare ya. http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2011/03/russell-crowe-is-preparing-for-a-roll

Pics, Pics, Pics: Comics Alliance have a weekly segment where they trawl file sharing site like deviantART and Tumblr for the best new fan made (often geek orientated) art. Here’s the best three weeks of the past few months. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/03/25/best-art-ever-this-week-03-25-11/ http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/02/18/best-movie-art-ever-this-week-zombie-steve-urkel-ewoks-vs-care-bears/ http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/02/11/best-movie-art-ever-this-week/

Scream 4: Warning: This link is to an extremely violent image from Scream 4. If you don’t care, then click and enjoy deciphering just what the ill-fated victims favourite scary movie was. http://www.movieline.com/2011/03/see-an-incredibly-violent-image-from-scream-4.php

50 Of The Internet’s Greatest Missing Posters: I have no idea where people find this shit, but I’m sure grateful they do. http://www.uproxx.com/feature/2011/03/lost-and-found-50-of-the-internets-greatest-missing-posters/#page/4

Superhero Where’s Wally: Awesome. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/03/09/superhero-wheres-waldo-ulises-farinas/

Joss Whedon Responds: Like a Buffy remake without Joss Whedon wasn’t blasphemous enough, now they’ve hired some 28-year-old extra to write the screenplay. While Buffy fans everywhere were raging over this latest development, Whedon – being the preverbal genius that he is – responded with this hilarious and incredibly witty response. Yeah, like we didn’t love you enough already J-Wheds. http://au.eonline.com/uberblog/detail.jsp?contentId=212644

DC Fan Posters: More fan art, this time French deviantART user Herobaka gives us some flashy and frankly fabulous DC superhero pin-ups. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/01/13/herobaka-dc-fan-posters-gallery/

Inception In Real Time: Thank God there are nerds out there who can make layered clips like this and post them on You Tube for all of us to view. It’s a mind-bogglingly cool look at the different time settings within Inception. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHBlYJ-tKcs&feature=player_embedded

The 10 Most Absurd Lyrics From Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: The album has been out for a while now and I had high hopes for it. Her mixtape was pretty good, but it’s her guest spots on tracks for everyone from Kanye West to Mariah Carey that had me thinking Nicki Minaj was one of the most exciting and unpredictable female MC’s in the game. Turns out, her debut album proves she’s just like very other `meh’ pop star. Hip hop blog The Smoking Section put together this hilarious and, as they called it, absurd slideshow featuring the most lazy and ridiculous lyrics from the album. An amusing analysis. http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2010/11/barbie-recall-the-10-most-absurd-lyrics-from-nicki-minajs-pink-friday

Dilbert Is Sexist: Scott Adams, it turns out, is a massive douche. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/03/25/scott-adam-sexist-mens-rights/

How Bane Will Fit Into The Dark Knight Rises: While the interwebs is still alight with debate, rumour, speculation about who Joseph Gordon Levitt will play, whether Marion Cotillard will be Tahlia Al Ghul and so on and so on . . .at least we have the assurance of two new characters: Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Bane. For me, I think Bane is the more interesting of the two because he’s a rarely explored characters and this exploration from Screen Rant looks at a few of the storyline possiblities. It’s all speculation at this stage, but it’s still an interesting read. http://screenrant.com/batman-dark-knight-rises-bane-robf-97315/all/1/ Stay tuned for Part 2 . . .

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Time to get Tropfesty

(Above) The 2009 Tropfest in Sydney

And no, unfortunately that isn't as dirty as it sounds.

The world's largest short film festival, the Movie Extra Tropfest, is on again this weekend and by some beautiful sign from the Gods, it's coming to the Gold Coast. I know what you're thinking; `so what? I don't live on the Gold Coast.' But for those of us who call the cultural vacuum home, having an event like this each year is a glorious reminder that yes, there is artistic expression and free-thinking individuals somewhere. Rejoice!

The festival is one of Australia's most iconic cultural events and has grown from humble beginnings in the early nineties at the Tropicana Café in Sydney, to what is now the largest outdoor short film festival globally. Out of thousands of films that entered, the 16 finalists will be screened on Sunday night with the 14 finalists in the Trop Jr category playing in the afternoon.

The finalists are broadcast nationally to a live audience of more than 150,000 via simultaneous satellite broadcast in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth. A fantastic opportunity for up and coming filmmakers, the top entrants compete for prizes worth $150,000 across several categories.

(Above) Tropfest festival director John Polson, who also directed the Russel Crowe-starring film Tenderness (for those of you playing at home)

Festival director and founder John Polson says watching the entries is the best part of his job, but choosing the final 16 is the "the toughest''.
"This year's line-up encompasses an incredible, entertaining and thought-provoking mix of comedy, drama, animation, documentary and even mocumentary,'' he says.
"There are some familiar faces amongst the 16 finalists, including some past Tropfest finalists, but it's also great to be able to showcase some of Australia's best, new filmmaking talent.''

The flick I'm, er, rooting for is Testicle, an animated short film from a duo in Queensland about a baby born with one testicle. You've got to admit, it's pretty ballsy *insert face slap here*.

The festival highlights will also be broadcast live on the Movie Extra Channel.

If you feel like you're missing out, never fear because Tropfest is a global event and the New York leg is one of the biggest so I suggest check out the website here for all the details on a Tropfest near you.

(Above) Vintage Tropfest action

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Don't hate the player, hate the game

Since I did a rhyming post on both of these movies last week, I figure it’s only right I share my verdict. I’ll try to keep this brief. Firstly . . .
State of PlayOne word to sum up my description of State of Play is wow. Considering I’ve worked at a newspaper since I was 17, it’s rare I see a movie which actually has a realistic depiction of journalists. Usually Hollywood tends to adhere to the cliché of either an obnoxious, overly ambitious reporter who will tread on anyone and anything to get the story or the heroic, righteous reporter with the publics best interests at heart. Both are extreme generalisations and seldom found in a real newsroom. There are only a handful of films I think faithfully portray journalists and the nature of the profession (sections of All The Presidents Men, Hotel Rwanda, Shattered Glass and Good Night and Good Luck are a few that spring to mind). State of Play can now be added to that list. From Helen Mirrren’s turn as the newspapers strained editor to Rachel McAdams’ role as the papers young and exuberant blogger, everything about the characters in State of Play reeks of authenticity. None more so then Russel Crowe’s superbly believable performance as seasoned crime reporter Cal McAffrey. From his diet of Cheetos and tinned soup, to his unkempt appearance and questionable reporting methods, he feels like someone plucked straight out of any western newsroom. Thankfully these characters aren’t put up on the high-horse journalists often are in Hollywood movies, it’s their flaws and at times lack of ethics that give them substance. I haven’t seen the six-part BBC miniseries on which this film is based so I’m not sure how much credit they deserve for character development etc. However, the three dimensional personalities in the film are one of its key strengths. Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman also deliver strong performances in supporting roles. The other pros include a brilliantly paced movie which knows exactly what it is; a meaty thriller rife with corruption, assassins, murder, political conspiracies and great reporting. On top of this it touches on the current dying state of newspapers and the increasingly rare species of hardened reporters such as Cal. The plot twists and action are as frequents as Crowe’s consumption of junk food and overall State of Play makes for an excellent thriller which will be treasured by movie goers, particularly those with an insight in to the newspaper industry. In a nutshell I would describe it as a tense action-thriller which provides a refreshing look at the nature of modern journalism.
Adventureland

Sometimes I truly hate living in this cosmetically enhanced hell-hole known as the Gold Coast. One of the keys reasons behind this train of thought is the limited selection of movies released here. Sure, it could be worse. I could live in Boonah where I hear you’re more likely to see a two-headed man named Frank than see a movie within a year of its release date. Moving on, after great difficulty I was finally able to see the teen comedy Adventureland which was playing in limited release (sigh). Set in 1987 it evolves around recent college graduate James (Jesse Eisenberg) who has to take a dead end job at a local amusement park. I’m not a huge fan of teen comedies but the positive feedback from critics and the presence of Kristen Stewart and Ryan Reynolds sparked my interest. Directed and written by Greg Mottola, the guy behind Superbad, the film is a semi-autobiographical account of his stint working at an amusement park in the 80s. Not as crude as Superbad it still manages to tick all the right comedic boxes while accurately portraying the often awkward, painful time for teens about to hit their early twenties. It's a refreshing change to see a teenage movie with intelligent characters, after all they're not all dumb-fucks who get their hands glued to their penis (I'm talking to you American Pie franchise). Mottola doesn't throw his characters into the dorky or popular cliches, instead they have substance. They discuss Moby Dick, Russian philosophy, tertiary education, Lou Reed and Charles Dickens. At the same time they like to go out, have sex, get drunk and smoke pot. The characters feel real and the performances are perfect. A notable mention has to go to Bill Hader who is terrific in yet another supporting role and his Saturday Night Live sidekick Kristen Wigg. Martin Starr as Joel and Matt Bush as Frigo are also great. If you get a chance to see this movie before it stops screening I highly recommend it. Adventureland competently treads the ground between Napoleon Dynamite and Superbad, teenagers and adults alike will embrace it. For those still questioning whether to see the film or not, pillars of Australian movie criticism Margaret and David both loved Adventureland and Margy gave it four stars (which is pretty darn impressive).

Remember how I said I would keep this brief? I lied.

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The best day in May

Since my title is ace and I’m going to boast, I’ve decided to keep up the rhyming pace for the rest of this post. The best day in May is not today of course, even though I did contemplate poking a horse. I’m talking about Thursday, the best day of the week (as that’s when all the new movies are released). This Thursday in particular, the last of the month, has given me great cause to squeal and jump. After what feels like years of waiting, State of Play is finally opening. Russ and his mates can crack open a Tooheys, because going off overseas reviews, no one is booing. In fact, the journalism thriller is getting all sorts of applause from the people that count and studio execs are hoping box-office dollars will start to mount. On my must-see movies in 2009 list, State Of Play is one not to be missed. Another flick to get a mention is Adventureland, a slice of indie-comedy heaven. With that chick from Twilight, Kristen Stewart and a guy who looks like Michael Cera, the target market couldn’t be any clearer. Yet with the presence of Ryan Reynolds this awkward, teenage love story has become something to peddle. Sitting at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, Adventureland is looking as tasty as chocolate gelato. With two movies highly anticipated by Movie Mazzupial released on the same day, it’s no wonder the 28th is my favourite in May. In conclusion, I can’t wait to digest the above flicks and hopefully when leaving the movies I won’t be impaled on a stick.

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Get played

Yeah, yeah I know everyone is frothing at the mouth for the new Star Trek movie (courtesy of JJ Abrams) which comes out tomorrow. However, I’m amped for this time in three weeks when one of the top five movies I’m most looking forward to in `09 is released. Which one is that you ask? And why do I continue to make such superfluous lists? The flick is called State Of Play and no doubt you’ve heard a bit about it since Russel Crowe has made the bold move of playing a journalist on screen, even though he despises them in real life. Adapted from the BBC mini-series of the same name, Brad Pitt was originally cast in the lead role but politely dropped out due to creative differences. Luckily major up and coming director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King Of Scotland, Touching The Void) had his heart set on Crowe for the role and just days after sending him the script and flying to Oz for a chat, Macdonald was able to secure the deal. State Of Play is about Washington Globe reporter Cal McAffrey who works alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress. The always admirable Ben Affleck plays said congressman and Rachel McAdams makes another strong career move as an online reporter working with McAffrey on the story. Throw in dramatic heavy weights Helen Mirren as Washington Globe editor and Robin Wright Penn as the congressman’s wife (plus Jason Bateman for good measure) and you have a hell of a cast. And the plot! Developing the critically applauded mini-series in to a feature film was said to be impossible given the intricate plot turns, conspiracies and outright complicated nature but Crowe himself said the script is nothing short of brilliant. In an interview with The Weekend Australian, Crowe said this about the script and why he choose to do the movie; “I have a basic rule: if I read something and I have a physical reaction to it – goosebumps, or a tear in my eye – then I do that film.” Script brilliance? Check. Stellar cast? Check check. I have my own basic rule and that’s if I see a trailer and I have a physical reaction to it – goosebumps, or a tear in my eye, spontaneously self-combusting – then I see that film. End of discussion. Let me just say, the State Of Play trailer gave me major goosebumps (like, blind people could read them braille-style goosebumps). View the trailer here. Films about journalism are few and far between yet most of them are superb. State Of Play looks no different and you can bet you’re bottom dollar I will be at the front of the queue come May 28. Plus, you have to dig the tagline (find the truth) and All The Presidents Men-esque poster.

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Two Crowes with one stone

If you think the bro-mance between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is only two more collaborations away from a full on Brokeback Mountain moment, then Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe must be feeling each other up in the metaphorical back seat. On the press trail for their latest project Body Of Lies, a political thriller also starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Scott revealed he wants Crowe to play two major characters in his adaptation of Robin Hood. No, you didn’t just drink the Kool-Aid. Ridley Scott ACTUALLY wants Crowe in a dual role as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Speaking to MTV's Movie Blog, Scott said:
"He's playing both. [Crowe's dual roles would be] "a good old clever adjustment of characters. One becomes the other. It changes."
The film will be called Nottingham and to be frank, I can’t picture Crowe playing either roles let alone both. Okay, I can maybe see him as the Sheriff but I don’t think anyone wants to see the Crowe-man in tights. Ever.

Below: A very possible version of what Crowe could look like as Robin Hood. Anyone smell an Oscar?

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