Let’s begin…

3) “West Side Story” — Never has dance/fighting been so cool. This film was and is one of the best adaptations of Romeo and juliet to be told ever.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2) “Singing in the Rain” - If you’re not a fan of Gene Kelly, I don’t know how you could or will ever truly appreciate the art of dance. HE IS THE MAN. If you ever want to study dance, look him up, he’ll change your world.

Gene Kelly + Roller Skates = INCREDIBLE

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is also very neat…

Click here to view the embedded video.

and 1) “The Wizard of Oz” - Perhaps THE film that changed cinema. It has been called the #1 fantasy film of all time and it’s easy to see why. It has everything you want in a movie and more!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I would love to know what you guys consider to be the greats. Any others you believe to be up here in the three? Do you agree with my picks?

–Admiral Eo

Click here to view the embedded video.

3D has finally caught on to the dance world and I have to say that I am very excited. I think that what some of these dancers can do is nothing short of amazing and I can’t wait to see what happens when I put on the DisneyDigital3D glasses. I can remember when my father took me to see Captain-Eo with my older brother…it was incredible and it changed my life forever. Watching Michael Jackson move in 3D was astonishing and I can’t wait to see what these B-Boys have to offer in the world of 3D.

Now…lets talk about the “Step Up” movies for a second…

STEP UP: I never really liked this movie. I thought that the dancing was under-whelming and the directing here didn’t offer anything we haven’t seen already. Channing Tatum was a terrific dancer but he alone could not make the movie worth a second viewing. My opinion.

STEP UP II: New characters. New director. New opinion. When this film came out I was a bit hesitant at first but when I saw the film I was completely shocked at how much better it was than the first. It even had the only highlight from the first movie, Channing Tatum. The way they showcased the dancing in this film was spectacular. They found a way to show us everything we wanted to see without all the fast MTV Music Video cuts to hide any flaws. It felt like you were actually there with the dancers.

How can you not say this is incredible?

Click here to view the embedded video.

STEP UP III-D: I have to say, I think this has potential to be the best in the trilogy. The trailer looks promising with its high paced and multiple styles of dance just in the two and a half minute trailer. I guess we will find out in August…

Keep dancing,

Admiral Eo

The news, as recently reported in The Hollywood Reporter, is that “Fight Club” director David Fincher and dark childhood memory thriller writer Andrew Kevin Walker (both of Se7en and Fight Club fame) will be joining forces yet again, this time for a remake/new adaptation of The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. Story centers on a dude who starts to have visions of one of his past lives, and the dark places these visions lead him. The concept and powerhouse duo got me thinking of some other great film collaborations. I’ve compiled a list below, in no particular order.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Steven Spielberg and John Williams (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List). Spielberg’s always hitting audiences with the semi-fantastical yet always grounded in reality stories of human wonder, whether involving children or hopeful adults. John Williams has composed the musical scores of nearly all of Spielberg’s films (notable exception being “The Color Purple”). Without his melodies and memorable themes we might all still be able to enjoy swimming in the ocean.

Don’t steal his sandwich.

2. Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten (Citizen Kane, The Third Man, The Magnificent Ambersons) A kind of bizarre choice for a filmmaking creative team, but when you look at their films together, Welles and Cotton — both part of the same radio performance group who brought the world to its’ knees when they broadcast War of the Worlds — dominate every scene together, and apart. Welles as Harry Lime has one of the best character introductions, anticipated through the first half of “The Third Man,” and the impact is felt when looking at Cotten’s reaction to seeing his childhood friend alive.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ride the Stache.…

3. Tom Selleck and his Mustache (Quigley Down Under, Mr. Baseball, Three Men and a Baby) Don’t whine how this doesn’t qualify. Sure, it’s a mustache. Sure, it goes where Selleck goes, all the time. This team is inseparable — and unbeatable. Nobody messes with the stache, and, therefore, you do not mess with the Selleck.

It’s the secret ingredient.

4. Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon (The Apartment, Some Like it Hot) In film, Comedies are always hard to make funny. It’s a fact. You have to worry about the shot you’re getting, what you’re going to show the audience, the characters in the scene, and the timing of the actors. Wilder gets it right nearly every time, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have Jack Lemmon, one of film’s greatest physical and verbal comedic actors, every step of the way. Lemmon is believable and sympathetic as an average schlub in love in The Apartment. We root for him to win Shirley MacLaine’s heart, and our own hearts break as she falls for the jerk instead. Despite the tugs on the heartstrings, nothing relieves an audience more than the comfort of Lemmon straining spaghetti through a tennis racket.

The Western’s western makers.

5. John Ford and John Wayne (The Searchers, Stagecoach, The Quiet Man) Men, and Westerns, and women. John Wayne and John Ford collaborated on 20 films (at least), defining an American film genre, and crystallizing the mere idea that our landscape and the stories it tells can be captured and remembered on celluloid.

Click here to view the embedded video.

6. Sylvestor Stallone and Montages (Rocky III, IV, V, and Rocky Balboa) You cannot — and should not — have a Sly film without a montage. It’s a law, I believe.

I watch. You read.

7. Humphrey Bogart and John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, Treasure of the Sierra Madre) This duo helped define Film Noir, and if there’s a detective movie out there without at least one reference to The Maltese Falcon, I dare you to show me.

Click here to view the embedded video.

8. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) Male-themed bonding over finger-guns may be the all-time favorite collaboration here. Wright’s slick editing style, along with Pegg’s wit and quick-thinking, make for a perfect team for the not-so-perfect 20s crowd.

Nom-Nom-Noms.

9. Woody Allen and various young women under the age of 35 (including Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow, Mira Sorvino, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz) The Wood-ster is a jack-of-all-trades, leading ten of his actresses to Oscar nominations since the 70s (four of them won).

The dude playin’ a dude.….

10. Robert Downey, Jr., and himself (Tropic Thunder, Chaplin, Iron Man, Zodiac) There is no other actor working today who has as much on-screen chemistry when he is alone as he has when he is acting with other people. Check out this scene for an example.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sound back in the comments below with your preferred filmmaking team, with recommendations.

Until next time,

Sgt. Angle

Click here to view the embedded video.

I know it doesn’t show it too much in the trailer, but the emotional portrayal of the aliens in District 9 is as engrossing as the action is. I’m sure you’ll be hearing much, much more about this film in the next few months.

District 9, a film written and directed by Neill Blomkamp (yes that Neill B. from HALO film fame), is a guaranteed “sleeper hit” for 2009. Blomkamp has almost crafted a new genre in the industry, “docu-action” films. The movie starts as almost a straight up documentary and then seamlessly moves into an action/adventure/sci-fi. The young film maker worked hard under the wing of Peter Jackson throughout the whole process. Peter Jackson felt bad that Neill was unable to get the HALO feature film on its feet so he helped back him in a new venture. (Peter Jackson’s WETA DIGITAL helped in the production of the HALO short films.) While looking through Neill’s older short films (a recommended viewing for sure), he and Mr. Jackson both agreed “Alive in Joburg” (watch before seeing District 9 to see the inspiration) was the strongest and lent itself to a rich universe for storytelling.

District 9 takes place in present day South Africa. Aliens have been living in amongst humans for about 20 years. Over the years the aliens have developed a small community known to the public as, “District 9.” Illegal acts and general hatred towards the “prawns” have surrounded the area.

Once the government decides to move the aliens to a new area outside of Johannesburg, chaos ensues.

I won’t tell much more, for fear of ruining the film for you. If you hate spoilers as much as I do, you’ll appreciate me keeping my mouth shut. The beauty of District 9 is its ability to show just enough for you to enjoy the film. It doesn’t explain the full back stories of the aliens, it doesn’t explain much of the technology, it doesn’t even explain what happens to some of the characters at the end of the film. The great thing is, I don’t think it needs to. The digital effects and story line are woven together so well it’s believable without having to over explain itself. All you know is that these alien creatures, who once had a purpose, are now misguided, confused, and stuck on Earth. There are so many little nuggets of goodness in District 9. The movie is well made in almost every way. The story is well written, the directing is great, the digital and sound effects are amazing, the acting is believable (rare for such an effects heavy film), and the little sprinkles of humor are a delight. There are moments where you actually feel sad for the aliens in their persecution from the humans. Look at the aliens themselves. The locals in Johannesburg give the nickname “prawn” to the insect/crustacean race. “Prawn” is almost a play off the word, “pawn.” Pawns are useless without their king or queen in chess. These aliens are mindless without their leader on Earth. Genius writing!

You would think, “Well, if Peter Jackson if helping produce this then it must be big budget, and it HAS to be good.” Wrong. This film could of been as lame as any of the other independent sci-fi films out there. D-9 was made with a virtually unknown director, a small time actor in a lead role, and only a $30 million budget. (Peanuts my friend, peanuts for Hollywood sci-fi films.) To put it into perspective, Transformers 2 was said to have been made on a budget of over $150 million budget, and all the eye candy of a cast on Gossip Girl. Some of the special effects in D-9 rivaled Transformers 2, I think. The creature effects were fluid and the action never felt like watching a video game.

There really isn’t much more to say except that if you like: Sci-fi’s, documentaries, special effects, Peter Jackson, alien technology, South Africa, “sweeties,” mech’s, pig launching, vomit, baby aliens, or just GOOD MOVIES… GO SEE DISTRICT 9!! Support good indy films and an upcoming director (Neill Blomkamp) and actor (Sharlto Copley)!

-“Ash”

Some sites to check out:

http://www.district9movie.com/
http://www.multinationalunited.com/training/
http://www.d-9.com/
http://www.multinationalunited.com/
http://www.mnuspreadslies.com/
http://www.mathsfromouterspace.com/

P.S. August 21st is AVATAR DAY! Don’t forget to go check out a sneak peak (in glorious IMAX 3D) of one of the most anticipated films from James Cameron since T2!!

–Click here to return to Semantink.com–