Larry Ratliff

It's on; Oscar race comes out of 'Hurt Locker'

Jeremy Renner keeps the audience on-edge in "The Hurt Locker."  (Summit Entertainment)

Ready or not, the 2009 Academy Awards season is upon us.

Kathryn Bigelow's explosive Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker" is out of the chute first, picking up wins for top feature and ensemble cast at the Gotham Independent Film Awards Monday night in New York.

Remember, though, the Oscar race is a marathon, not a sprint.  Many (and I don't use that word lightly) awards shows loom ahead before the actual golden statuettes are handed out Sunday, March 7 at Hollywood's Kodak Theater.

(Courtesy:  Abramorama)

Monday was also a big night for one of my favorite documentaries of the year. "Anvil!  The Story of Anvil" was named the best music documentary of 2009 by the International Documentary Association, which announced its winners in advance of ceremonies Friday in Los Angeles.

The award will be especially sweet for "Anvil!" because the little heavy metal band that couldn't for decades but finally can was left off Oscar's short list in the documentary category.  The heart-felt documentary hit DVD and video shelves last month.

Too bad.  Click here to read the Hollywood Reporter Web story about Anvil's well-deserved latest honor.

The Gotham Indie Awards cast trophy for "Hurt Locker" went to Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse and Evangeline Lilly.

Renner heads the strong ensemble cast as Sgt. William James, a fearless, edgy  Army bomb squad device de-activator.  Don't look for "The Hurt Locker" on DVD shelves until Jan. 12 

Click here to read Variety's full report on the Gotham Indie Film Awards.

Guerrilla filmmaking; no, not 'King Kong'

 

Werner Herzog, left, and Christian Bale on location for "Rescue Dawn." (Courtesy:  MGM)

If I had a little over 1400 bucks to spare and a free weekend, I'd sign up right now for Werner Herzog's Rogue Film School.

According to a story by Dave McNary posted on the Variety Web site, Herzog, whose recent credits include "Grizzly Man" and "Rescue Dawn," will teach guerrilla filmmaking Jan. 8-10 in Los Angeles.  The cost:  $1,450.  No laptops, please.

In fact, the German-born filmmaker is cautioning the faint-of-heart to not even bother to sign up.

"'Censorship will be enforced,'" he says. 'There will be no talk of shamans, of yoga classes, nutritional values, herbal teas, discovering your Boundaries, and Inner Growth,'" the article states.

Herzog does have a soft side, however, even if he won't be showing it during his Rogue Film School weekend.  He wept on the telephone when I interviewed the versatile filmmaker about the chilling documentary "Grizzly Man" in 2005.

He had footage of the savage bear attack on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard.  Herzog refused to include it in his film, however, and had trouble even speaking of the horrific footage.

His film school weekend is designed, according to the Variety Web post, "for those who are willing to learn about lock-picking or forging shooting permits in countries not favoring their projects."

He's inviting "those who have a fire burning within.  For those who have a dream."

Any takers?

Taming the wild stallion within

 

(Courtesy:  Zeitgeist Films)

We've all seen a parent struggling with an unruly child throwing an ear-piercing tantrum out in public.

If you see the engrossing, nothing-held-back documentary "The Horse Boy," however, you might just react a little differently next time.

"The Horse Boy," opening Friday in San Antonio at the Santikos Bijou @ Crossroads Theater, is the heart-moving true story of Rowan, a little Elgin, TX boy diagnosed with autism.

Rowan's parents, journalist and former horse trainer Rupert Isaacson and psychology professor Kristin Neff, don't stop with a diagnosis and traditional therapies, however.  Rowan developed a soothing bond with a mare named Betsy next door.

"The Horse Boy," directed and shot by Michel Orion Scott, chronicles an odyssey to a foreign land to soothe the savage beast within a deeply troubled young boy.

Isaacson, who authored the book "The Horse Boy" and narrates the film, will answer questions following the 7 p.m. screening of the documentary Sunday (Sept. 20) at San Antonio's Santikos Bijou Theater.  He'll also sign copies of the book beginning at 6 p.m.  The question and answer session is scheduled to begin about 8:30.

Copies of "The Horse Boy" book will be available for purchase ($24.99) at the theater.  Also, you must purchase a ticket to the 7 p.m. screening to attend the Q&A session.  

Isaacson, who's been traveling the U.S. to talk about his personal family saga, will also appear in Austin Friday and Saturday (Sept. 18-19) at the Regal Arbor Cinemas @ Great Hills 8.  Click here for info.

Mr. Controversy, O. Stone, heads 'South'

Oliver Stone on the set of "Alexander" (Courtesy:  Warner Bros.)

Brace yourselves.  It looks like filmmaker Oliver Stone is about to release a -- gasp! -- controversial film.

Make that another controversial film.  Stone, a double best director Academy Award winner for war-related dramas "Platoon" in 1986 and "Born on the Fourth of July" in 1989, has been stirring the political pot lately.

"W.," a sometimes goofy political-drama, took on the life and presidency of former president George W. Bush last year.

Stone's latest effort, a documentary titled "South of the Border," zooms in on Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.

Showing off his latest at the Venice Film Festival this week, Stone is stoking the "Buy my documentary" fire a bit by hinting around that "South of the Border" might struggle to find a distributor back in the States.

According to a Reuters article posted on the Yahoo! Web site:

"South of the Border" "portrays Chavez as a champion of the poor, and includes interviews with the leaders of Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Cuba.

"(Stone) focuses on how a generation of leftist leaders is seeking increasing independence from the International Monetary Fund and, by extension, U.S. economic policy, which Stone criticizes in the movie.

"South of the Border also seeks to demonstrate how Chavez has been unfairly demonized by the U.S. media which has cast him as a dangerous maverick who is a threat to security," the Yahoo! Web post states.

Yeah, but let's get to the nitty-gritty.  Does "South of the Border" feature an absurd sequence (say Chavez wandering around dreamily in a bullfight ring) like Mr. Bush shagging fly balls in the Texas Rangers outfield?

Stay tuned.  More to come on this one, I'm sure.

Make it 'Loud,' 'Soul,' 'Dad' or 'Extract'

 

(Courtesy:  Miramax Films)

The long Labor Day weekend makes for ample movie-viewing time.  Question is, what's worth seeing?

My top choice is "Extract," Mike Judge's witty bundle of blue collar, working man comedy.  Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig and Ben Affleck share the screen in a comedy that'll sneak up on you.

Click here to read the review, or click on the Movie Reviews link. 

I haven't gotten around to the futuristic action-thriller "Gamer," since it wasn't screened in advance for critics.  Gerard Butler ("300") plays a guy named Kable.  That's about all I know so far.  But on a scale of, let's say, 1 to "300," I'm guessing it's about a . . .

That's not fair.  Go see it if you must and report back to this Web site's Citizen Critic page.   First one to weigh in gets a four-jalapeño salute.

As much as I enjoy seeing Sandra Bullock on screen, though, I highly recommend passing on "All About Steve."  It's lame comedy at its best, and tough to take most of the time. 

If you feel like you simply must see it anyway, do yourself a favor and check my "All About Steve" review.

Click here, or navigate over to the Movie Reviews page.

Check your local listings for:

"Soul Power" -- The late James Brown opens and closes this documentary about the 1974 three-day-showcase of African and U.S. R&B talent in Zaire.  Click here for the review, or hop over to the Movie Reviews page.

"World's Greatest Dad" stars Robin Williams as a distraught single dad trying to connect with his lout of a son and hoping against hope that he'll finally be a published author someday.  This one's very bleak and strong, and written/directed by former comedian Bobcat Goldthwait.  Click here for the review, or cruise over to the Movie Reviews page.

"It Might Get Loud" does get loud.  And the documentary from "An Inconvenient Truth" producer/director Davis Guggenheim gets very close to brilliance as it brings together guitar virtuosos Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2) and Jack White (The White Stripes) to talk about their love of music and guitars.

Also, if you're in or near San Antonio, "Lemon Tree," an import from Israel, lights up a screen at the Santikos Bijou Theater.  Click here for the review, or head on over to the Movie Reviews page.

Hard-luck Gilliam saves Ledger's final film

 

Terry Gilliam in "Lost in La Mancha."  (IFC Films)

A few years back (2002 to be exact), when I was watching Terry Gilliam's bad-luck experiences on the set of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" in the documentary "Lost in La Mancha," I thought things couldn't get much worse for the former member of the brilliant comedy troupe "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

Something did, of course.  When Heath Ledger died in January 2008 in New York, the "Dark Knight" future Oscar winner was in the middle of filming Gilliam's fantasy "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

Mairi Mackay has written an extremely interiesting piece about Gilliam's misfortune as a filmmaker and what he did to pull "Doctor Parnassus" from the brink of destruction.  It's posted on the CNN Web site:

"He saved 'Parnassus' by enlisting the help of Ledger's friends, among them Johnny Depp. He has even resurrected 'Don Quixote,' which will start shooting next year," the article states.

Click here to read the entire article.

Take the 'Pelham' train this weekend

 

Anyone who visits this Web site regularly probably knows that I generally detest past movies that have been "re-imagined" for modern-day multiplex consumption.

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," directed in manic style by Tony Scott, is different than most.  It's got a tension-packed updated script by Oscar winner Brian Helgeland.  And the powerful acting by Denzel Washington and John Travolta drive this train all the way to nuance.  That's something we rarely see in a Tony Scott production.

My suggestion:  Grab a tub of popcorn and take the "Pelham" ride.  Click here for my full review or venture over to this site's Movie Reviews page.

I can't make the same recommendation for "Imagine That."  When Eddie Murphy makes a bad movie, it's usually a real stinker.  Click here for the full review or hit the Movie Reviews link.

"Tyson," the visually congested documentary about brutal and brutally honest former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, is a must-see for boxing fans.  If you're the least bit interested in what drives the man, you'll want to check it out as well.  Click here for the full review, or venture over to the Movie Reviews page.

Also opening in some cities, or already playing this weekend:  

"The Limits of Control" --  Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Gael Garcia Bernal share the screen in Jim Jarmusch's crime-drama set in Spain.

Photo, left to right: The subway driver ( Michael Rispoli), Ryder (John Travolta) and Ramos (Luis Guzman) await their fate in "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3."/Sony Pictures

And many Moore; Mike takes on the economy

I first met Michael Moore in Dallas in early 1990.  He had a different kind of movie to promote.  "Roger & Me" was a based-on-fact documentary about General Motors pulling out of Moore's hometown of Flint, Michigan.

It was funny and poignant and hard-hitting and as clever as anything I had seen in years.  Looking back now, it bode of larger-scale GM doomsday to come.  

"Roger & Me" also became what I call a "carload" movie. It wasn't enough to merely recommend a groundbreaking film like that.  It was different enough and important enough and entertaining enough to actually gather up relatives and friends and escort them into the theater personally, which I did.

Moore, at least meeting a film journalist, was timid back then.  He had strong opinions when asked, but no torch-carrying agenda other than to just allow his significant slice of cinema to speak for itself.

That has changed, of course.  He's no longer shy and afraid of his own spotlight, for one thing.  After taking on gun violence in this country and winning a Best Documentary Academy Award for "Bowling for Columbine" (2002), the second Bush administration with "Fahrenheit 9/11" in 2004 and U.S. health care shortcomings with "Sicko" (2007), Mighty Mike is about to tackle ills of the economy.

According to an item posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site, Moore's still-untitled documentary about the collapse of the world economy will light up U.S. theaters on Oct. 2.

"That's almost a year to the day that Congress passed the first U.S. economic stimulus package, (Overture and Paramount Vantage) officials noted.

"The companies also provided more details about the film, announced at last year's Festival de Cannes. The pic will examine the 'root causes of the economic meltdown,' they said, as well as the 'corporate and political shenanigans' that resulted in the financial crisis," the Hollywood Reporter post says.

(Photo:  Michael Moore, who's overcome his shyness, on the poster of "Sicko."/The Weinstein Company)

Disney goes out on a limb for Mother 'Earth'

 

Sure it's a publicity stunt to promote a movie, but this kind of publicity stunt we can all live with.

In fact, we might just live a little better.

The folks at Walt Disney Studios are keeping their promise to plant a tree in Brazil's endangered Atlantic rain forest for every viewer who planted their behinds in a movie seat to view their nature documentary "Earth" during its first week in theaters.

"According to Disney, the box-office tally hit $16.1 million, which translates to 2.7 million trees.

"The trees are being planted by the Nature Conservancy, which is trying to reforest 2.5 million acres in the rain forest," says an Associated Press item posted on the Variety Web site.

Finally, some good news. 

(Photo:  Sunrise for Mother Earth/BBC Worldwide Ltd./Walt Disney Studios)

Smiley Miley takes on gross-out joker Rogen

 

It surprises me to say this, but given the new movie choices between "Observe and Report," the Seth Rogen bottom-feeder comedy, and "Hannah Montana:  The Movie," I'm going with the teen singing sensation.

Miley Cyrus, already a tween generation superstar on TV and in her concert film, shares the screen with dad Billy Ray and delivers a dozen new tunes in her feature film acting debut.

"Hannah Montana:  The Movie" reminds me of another film event about a half century ago.  A huge singing sensation made the leap to feature films in that one as well.  Head over to the Movie Reviews page to read the review and find out which legendary singer I'm referring to.

Seth Rogen disappoints with "Observe and Report."  There's just no other way to say it.  You'll find the full review on the Movie Reviews page.

And if you've been missing San Antonio's Tommy Lee Jones on screen, especially after "In the Electric Mist" went directly to video store shelves without passing big-screen "Go," I've got good news.

"Harvard Beats Yale 29-29," the documentary about one of the most famous games in college history that features interviews with Jones, opens in Dallas and eight other cities today. 

I'll review Kevin Rafferty's documentary when it arrives in San Antonio.  The good folks over at Santikos Theaters have it penciled in for April 24 at the Bijou @ Crossroads Theater. 

(Photo:  Miley Cyrus is moving in on Seth Rogen and maybe even Vin Diesel's "Fast & Furious" in the weekend box-office sweepstakes beginning today./Disney Enterprises Inc.)