Rating: 7/10

Director, Writer: Michael Traeger
Cast: Jeff Bridges, William Fichtner, Ted Danson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Studio: First Look International

The reason why I have come to love and enjoy independent filmmaking so much is because risks are taken. No one is there for the money or to get famous. They simply want to take a wicked idea, make it into an solid film, and get it out to the public. THE AMATEURS is one of many examples that goes to show when someone is driven about a project, it'll eventually have it's 15 minutes.

Jeff Bridges stars as Andy Sargentee, a guy who is down on his luck, broke, and desperate to make money fast. We learn early in the film that Andy's wife has left him because he can't keep a stable job. He lives in the small town of Butterface Field, where boredom is a staple of daily life. Andy is known to come up with get rich quick schemes, and now he thinks he found the easiest way: "I'm gonna make a porno film!" he claims and everything that could possibly go wrong with making this film happen does. (more...)

Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Movie Tavern
City/Town: Denton, TX

Gordon and the Whale Dot Com will be hosting a FREE screening of the movie Walk Hard on December 12 at 7:30pm at the Movie Tavern in Denton.

The screening is free but you must pick up a pass and arrive early in order to get a seat.

Pick up your pass at the Movie Tavern in Denton or be on the look out next week for us passing them around the UNT campus. If you can't seem to get a hold of any, contact us!

Also, the Movie Tavern will have $1.50 Domestic Drafts, so come have some fun with us!

Directions to the Movie Tavern here.

Walk Hard official trailer here.

Thanks to Kevin Simon, Ryan Manchester, Markus Diffee, Micah Newsom, Drew O'Rear, Wicky and Cameron Sanderson for taking the time to help us with this.

Hey Sonic Youth fans, look for Kim Gordon's cameo!

Jeff Bridges will be at the Angelika Dallas at Mockingbird Station on Friday, December 7th to participate in a Q&A immediately after the 7:30PM showing of THE AMATEURS. Tickets must be purchased through the Angelika Film Center. Only ticket holders for the 7:30PM showing of THE AMATEURS will be able to remain in the theatre for the Jeff Bridges Q&A.

In THE AMATEURS, down-and-out divorcee Andy Sargentee (Bridges), with the help of his five motley friends, brainstorms a genius idea to make their dreams come true. They are going to rally their small town to produce an amateur film! They think they’ve found the road to fame and fortune, but their fantasy quickly turns into a hilarious misadventure as they encounter more than a few bumps in the road. THE AMATEURS is rated R and also stars Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, Lauren Graham, Glenne Headly, Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Isaiah Washington and Judy Greer.

We are promoting this film heavily for several reasons. Most important is the onscreen chemistry with the cast, which made this a lovable film. Our review, including the interview with William Fichtner, will be posted the day the film opens, December 7th.

Ps. I would like everyone to know that when googling the poster for this movie, I had to scroll through several amateur pornography pictures. Vomit almost followed.

We are judging a film festival on December 9. Come out to the Denton Movie Tavern to view the films. An all day pass is only $5.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FILMMAKERS!

We were lucky enough to get in on an interview session with William Fichtner who is in town promoting his new film THE AMATEURS. His interview, followed by our review (which is a very positive one), will be posted when the movie opens December 7th. Here is a clip (filmed with a macbook) of one of the most down to earth actors giving us a shout-out.

PS Please disregard my double chin and bad hair. I apparently forgot to brush before the interview.

PSS Today is William Fichtner's birthday. Send him some e-flowers!

Watch the trailer for The Amateurs here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May you be in Heaven for half an hour before the Devil knows you’re dead.

This sentence flashes on the screen early on in Before the Devil Knows you're Dead letting you know the reason for the title and setting the tone of this bleak but compelling film.

Before the Devil Knows you're Dead examines what seemingly average moral people will do or think of when they see no other way out. This desperation is the driving force that allows two brothers Andy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke) to decide to rob their parent’s jewelry store. As you would expect the robbery doesn't go well. What is left is an unbelievable mess for two brothers already dealing with severe monetary and family problems. Also, created out of the wake of the disaster is a father whose overcoming grief soon turns into a consuming desire for revenge.

This isn't a pleasant film, but is still a very entertaining and well-made one. The audience will be fascinated by what these ill-fated characters will think of and do next. The characters are made even more captivating by the quality of actors playing them. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Andy, the big husky brother, whose pride will never let him admit when he is beaten. A pride that drives Andy to commit one unbelievably stupid act after another. Mr. Hoffman expertly balances the right amount of sleaze and vulnerability to create a character that the audience is never quite sure if they should root for. Ethan Hawke’s likeable loser, Hank, is never over powered or out matched by Mr. Hoffman’s Andy.
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Rating: 8.5/10

Director, Writer: Roy Andersson
Cast: Jessika Lundberg, Elisabet Helander, Bjorn Englund
Studio: 9.5/10

I've been sitting here for the last twenty minutes trying to think of clever ways to write about and explain YOU, THE LIVING, but I just can't. This is one of those movies that's that good, that I'm coming up blank with how to start off. The next few paragraphs are collected thoughts on how I feel about this film.

Roy Andersson successfully broke every mainstream rule and carefully lead his cast into a well-crafted film. YOU, THE LIVING doesn't need much explaining. None of that, "you have to think outside the box" bullshit. There is no central plot, everything is completely random, and without main characters. It's just a series of vignettes that focus on people's everyday lives. Some are tragic, some are hilarious and some are quite depressing. The pasty dry colors influence the audiences' reaction to each actor's bad luck. Everyone can relate to this because everyone dreams big and everyone lives these types of lives.

My favorite thing about this movie is the camera work. It's nothing spectacular, but the camera is stationary so the only movement we get are the actors. That's also saying something about the acting as well. There needs to be some pretty damn good acting to keep the viewers attention - YOU, THE LIVING has achieves this without flaw. Each scene seemed right out of a play, perfectly rehearsed. With some longer than others, the only cuts are the ones that introduce a new one. One can appreciate the time and effort the director and actors put into this.

YOU, THE LIVING is an experience. I'm not too sure which genre this fits in. It isn't a comedy. It isn't a drama. It is comedic. It is dramatic. It is something you need to see.

Rating: 5.5/10

Director: Xavier Gens
Writer: Skip Woods
Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scoot
Studio:Twentieth Century Fox

Synopsis: Adapted from the hit video game, HITMAN stars Timothy Olyphant as the asexual, bald, and well-dressed assassin named Agent 47 bred from childhood to do one thing-- kill. We soon learn he is framed by his employers. Agent 47 gets mad, and lots of bullets are thrown in the mix. John Woo would be proud.

Review:
Production for this movie was shortly delayed due to the fact that they couldn’t decide who was going to play Agent 47. Vin Diesel was the primary choice for the role, and I was a bit bummed when I found out Timothy Olyphant would lead the movie, I just didn’t see him as a bald killer. But after seeing this, I have no complaints. (Side note: Vin would have stuck out like a sore thumb in this because the other hitmen looked around 5’9’’ and weighed about a buck fifty.) Timothy did a fine job playing a guy who is supposed to appear without feeling or emotions. He does however, pull off a one liner that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger very happy. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
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Gordonandthewhale.com's video review of Finishing the Game.

Watch the official trailer here. Look for MC HAMMER.