One of the best jokes in the film is a running gag about Glover's character's arm being chopped off. When we meet him in 2010, he has one arm and is a miserable prick. However, in 1986 we find that he's very friendly and has both his arms. Over and over the guys watch as Glover looks as if he's about to lose his arm in one ridiculous scenario after another, and Lou cheers for it to happen, only to be disappointed as each time Glover escapes unscathed, and blissfully unaware of his predestination. The "suspense" builds for Lou and us as we anticipate how exactly the limb gets severed. Funny stuff.
Soon, a girl walks into Adam's life, giving him a second chance at a happy marriage. She is such a one-dimensional and unconsidered part that one could say it's a huge step backward for roles for women. The film doesn't bother to make her anything more than a symbol, legs metaphorically spread, giving sage advice to our male lead while patiently waiting around for him to get over his phobias and make a decision. It's a throwaway plotline, dragging the rest of the movie down. The sooner we're done with these scenes the better, and they are mercifully short. The film is decidedly made by, for and about men, and so the lack of any serious consideration of a female point of view is not really a surprise.
There are some serious matters at hand here, and they're handled in a way that isn't preachy and doesn't interfere with the comedy. The movie is really about how one lets his closest friends down consistently through selfish behavior, and about aging's negative effects on one's social life causing overdependence on committed relationships that often turn out to be not as loving as you originally hoped. Lou's desperate antics manage to be both outrageously funny and still very much credible as the manic energy of a man trying desperately to stay one step ahead of his anxieties, and I mean that as a big compliment to Corddry, who is the heart and soul of this film. He sells the genuine desperation of his character in a way that Cusack doesn't even attempt. (Cusack sleepwalks through the picture, as he's been doing for years now.) The movie has a whitewash happy ending, which is both consistent with its genre but also necessary as a tonic for the depressing implications of its more serious undertones. In the end, it locates a justification and a place for these kinds of movies, because adult life can be painful and we need larger-than-life delusions to help keep us sane. Remaking your present by changing the mistakes you made in the past is exactly the kind of fantasy that can provide such relief, so let us (men) take the bait and revel in it.
Maxwell Anderson is an avid film watcher and blo
Monday, May 3, 2010
Movie Rent
As Blockbuster tries to catch up with it's main competition, Netflix. It is making it even easier to rent movies online.
In 2004, Blockbuster started offering customers its own service for online movie rentals. Before that, to rent movies online could only be done through Netflix who was doing much better than bricks and mortar type rental stores.
For example, Hollywood Video, which was once considered a leader in the industry, has seen it's business go down since online movie rentals came along.
Lucky for Blockbuster, they were able to adapt to the changing landscape of the online movie rental business fast enough to stay in business.
What does Blockbuster offer that the others don't? Today, it's Netflix that has to do some catching up to Blockbuster. Blockbuster customers can rent on Blu-Ray at no extra cost. Netflix charges extra for this benefit.
The other major advantage Blockbuster has over Netflix is its brick-and-mortar stores. While traditional retail outlets seemed at first to be an old-fashioned handicap for people looking for movies to rent, today Blockbuster markets their stores as an added perk that Netflix doesn't have.
And it's true: with 7,000 stores in 21 countries, Blockbuster makes it easy to return movies locally.
In 2004, Blockbuster started offering customers its own service for online movie rentals. Before that, to rent movies online could only be done through Netflix who was doing much better than bricks and mortar type rental stores.
For example, Hollywood Video, which was once considered a leader in the industry, has seen it's business go down since online movie rentals came along.
Lucky for Blockbuster, they were able to adapt to the changing landscape of the online movie rental business fast enough to stay in business.
What does Blockbuster offer that the others don't? Today, it's Netflix that has to do some catching up to Blockbuster. Blockbuster customers can rent on Blu-Ray at no extra cost. Netflix charges extra for this benefit.
The other major advantage Blockbuster has over Netflix is its brick-and-mortar stores. While traditional retail outlets seemed at first to be an old-fashioned handicap for people looking for movies to rent, today Blockbuster markets their stores as an added perk that Netflix doesn't have.
And it's true: with 7,000 stores in 21 countries, Blockbuster makes it easy to return movies locally.
Discount Movie Tickets Sources
Want to see the latest movies today with discount movie tickets? Going to the cinemas is really one of the best past-times for a lot of people. Not only is it relaxing, it's also a great opportunity for friends and families to bond over. However, sometimes going to the movies can get really expensive, especially now that there's IMAX and 3D available.
But that's not a reason to just stay at home and wait for the DVD release. You can get as much as $5 off your ticket if you know how to look for the discount movie tickets. And with these tips, you can surely find your way to watching a cheap movie faster than you can say "I want to watch movies!".
There are a few tricks to getting discount tickets, but not a lot of people are aware of it. First, there are always different third party sites and forums that you can check. You can ask other members to give links to coupons for the tickets, or they can lead you to a site where you can download and print your own coupons. Bottom line is that with all the different communities online, there are people who will be able to help you.
Another trick to getting discount movie tickets is by clipping coupons from different publications, most especially the Sunday paper, which is the ultimate source of savings. You can get any kind of Sunday paper and check for the latest deals on the Entertainment section. With these tips, it will be much easier for you to get coupons and faster for you to enjoy the movie that you want to see.
But that's not a reason to just stay at home and wait for the DVD release. You can get as much as $5 off your ticket if you know how to look for the discount movie tickets. And with these tips, you can surely find your way to watching a cheap movie faster than you can say "I want to watch movies!".
There are a few tricks to getting discount tickets, but not a lot of people are aware of it. First, there are always different third party sites and forums that you can check. You can ask other members to give links to coupons for the tickets, or they can lead you to a site where you can download and print your own coupons. Bottom line is that with all the different communities online, there are people who will be able to help you.
Another trick to getting discount movie tickets is by clipping coupons from different publications, most especially the Sunday paper, which is the ultimate source of savings. You can get any kind of Sunday paper and check for the latest deals on the Entertainment section. With these tips, it will be much easier for you to get coupons and faster for you to enjoy the movie that you want to see.
DVD Giveaways Common Movie Promotion Technique
Ever wonder how movies and upcoming DVD releases are promoted and made popular? Movie studios and distributors typically hire and work with publicists and PR firms that help promote movies gain exposure and interest in a variety of ways. Some of the natural success of a DVD movie release is directed by a successful box office movie theater performance. Movies that are well-promoted in theaters with big name stars are likely going to achieve some DVD release success just by the nature of the box office carryover effect.
Success or failure of a DVD release, however, is often determined by an analysis of actual revenue and profit compared to forecasted revenue and profit. Studios rely on a handful of highly successful new release DVD movies each year to significantly impact their business success. Thus, the job of the DVD publicist is to help push movies through popular communication channels as efficiently as possible. The vast growth of internet DVD movie reviewers has enhanced opportunities for publicists to promote movies for free.
While there are lots of movie review sites spread throughout the web, their usefulness and market effectiveness with upcoming DVD movie releases varies greatly. Movie review sites that offer current, relevant, quality, thorough content are more popular among the legions of online movie buffs looking for a source of great DVD movie entertainment. Movie watchers often rely on the words and recommendations of professional DVD movie reviewers to decide what movies to buy and rent.
Publicists are also looking for movie review websites that are popular with movie audiences. They use these DVD movie sites as a great channel to connect with the best movie audiences - those that are likely to buy and rent their DVD movies. Many movie reviewers also help with the promotion of DVD movies by using social media networks, product review sites, blog marketing, and more to help increase their value to DVD promoters and publicists.
An additional method of DVD movie promotion is for studios to offer contest copies of upcoming new releases through movie websites. This allows the movie promoter the benefit of building excitement for their movie. It also helps popular DVD movie review sites increase their value to movie watchers by offering them free DVDs through the use of free DVD contests and giveaways.
Success or failure of a DVD release, however, is often determined by an analysis of actual revenue and profit compared to forecasted revenue and profit. Studios rely on a handful of highly successful new release DVD movies each year to significantly impact their business success. Thus, the job of the DVD publicist is to help push movies through popular communication channels as efficiently as possible. The vast growth of internet DVD movie reviewers has enhanced opportunities for publicists to promote movies for free.
While there are lots of movie review sites spread throughout the web, their usefulness and market effectiveness with upcoming DVD movie releases varies greatly. Movie review sites that offer current, relevant, quality, thorough content are more popular among the legions of online movie buffs looking for a source of great DVD movie entertainment. Movie watchers often rely on the words and recommendations of professional DVD movie reviewers to decide what movies to buy and rent.
Publicists are also looking for movie review websites that are popular with movie audiences. They use these DVD movie sites as a great channel to connect with the best movie audiences - those that are likely to buy and rent their DVD movies. Many movie reviewers also help with the promotion of DVD movies by using social media networks, product review sites, blog marketing, and more to help increase their value to DVD promoters and publicists.
An additional method of DVD movie promotion is for studios to offer contest copies of upcoming new releases through movie websites. This allows the movie promoter the benefit of building excitement for their movie. It also helps popular DVD movie review sites increase their value to movie watchers by offering them free DVDs through the use of free DVD contests and giveaways.
Movie Review - THE LAST WORD
Presented at Sundance 2008 film festival, the movie, directed by Geoffrey Haley is an impressive drama with a dark subject and some brilliant acting, especially from the part of Ray Romano (used here, effectively, in contre-emploi).
The director worked as camera operator for American Beauty (he shot the dance of the paper bag in the wind) and for Six Feet Under and it shows throughout the movie (the dark subject, brilliant black humor).
In short, the subject is as follows: Evan (Wes Bentley, perfect choice for the part) is a freelancer dealing with people who lost their last hope and who are trying to commit suicide. He writes for them their last goodbye note, in an artistic and poetic way. At the funeral of one of his clients, he meets Charlotte (Winona Ryder), the sister of the deceased and they begin a curious relationship. The most interesting part, in my opinion, is that of Abel, played by Ray Romano, a composer of "waiting music" and one of Evan's clients. He also has the most hilarious lines in the entire movie (for example, talking about small babies, he states "Just because they are short and chubby, doesn't mean they are not assholes").
The movie is brilliant up to the last 5 minutes. Unfortunately the ending is a disaster, it is like totally another movie. A bad one. I think it is typical for the Americans to come up with such lame endings. Had the movie been made in Europe, the story had been different. Please don't watch the last minutes and press STOP after Winona leaves with the giraffe. You won't regret it if you enjoy great endings.
The director worked as camera operator for American Beauty (he shot the dance of the paper bag in the wind) and for Six Feet Under and it shows throughout the movie (the dark subject, brilliant black humor).
In short, the subject is as follows: Evan (Wes Bentley, perfect choice for the part) is a freelancer dealing with people who lost their last hope and who are trying to commit suicide. He writes for them their last goodbye note, in an artistic and poetic way. At the funeral of one of his clients, he meets Charlotte (Winona Ryder), the sister of the deceased and they begin a curious relationship. The most interesting part, in my opinion, is that of Abel, played by Ray Romano, a composer of "waiting music" and one of Evan's clients. He also has the most hilarious lines in the entire movie (for example, talking about small babies, he states "Just because they are short and chubby, doesn't mean they are not assholes").
The movie is brilliant up to the last 5 minutes. Unfortunately the ending is a disaster, it is like totally another movie. A bad one. I think it is typical for the Americans to come up with such lame endings. Had the movie been made in Europe, the story had been different. Please don't watch the last minutes and press STOP after Winona leaves with the giraffe. You won't regret it if you enjoy great endings.
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