Spring Movie Season: A Public Service Announcement from Bad Craziness

A small bit on the spring movie season.  We just installed the new Bad Craziness Central Audio/Audio Department here at the HQ, so now we're seeing how it does!  The picture is the head of the Bad Craziness Central Telepathy & Paranormal Department, Gustaav Smenhoultz.  Happy spring folks!

~Viva amigos

ROLL THE REEL: THE ROATING TWENTIES - 1927

There's a fantastic documentary about the emergence of grunge back in 1991 called 1991: The Year Punk Broke.  This post has nothing to do with that film.

However, 1927 is one of the years where cinema broke so I guess that's why I decided to include that little bit.  Or maybe it was the complaint of one reader that I don't have interesting introductions (pardon me for not having jetpacks like the intro to Thunderball).  Whatever the reason, it's time to get beyond that and step right into 1927 which is by far one of the most important years in movies!

I.     WINGS (AUGUST 12th, 1927)

Directed by William A. Wellman

     I personally find it pretty awesome that the first movie and the last movie to win the Best Picture Oscar are the only two silent films on the list.  Wings is the first big winner at the first Academy Awards and to many it stops there, but this film has a lot more to it than just that.  It's actually good (it's not Slumdog Millionaire or worst of all Titanic).

     With the inception of talkies back in '27, I'm gonna focus on some of the last great silent films from 1927.  This film broke grounds in terms of what you could show on screen and how they were shown.  This movie has Buddy Rogers and Richard Arlen sharing a smooch!  It's got Clara Bow's boobs!  And it won an Oscar?  Controversial subject matter won an Oscar?  1927 must have been some strange, alien world where artistic talent is recognized and not subject to the scrutiny of prude soccer moms whose husbands haven't touched them in years so they take their weird sexual frustration out on us.  ANYWAYS!  This movie also revolutionized the way one could operate a camera.  The fluid, realistic flight sequences made some audiences gasp, gave a few WWI veterans a delusional bout of PTSD, and made a few of the friskier teenagers in the back think they were officially in the mile high club.

     Wings marked the end of true recognition for American silent cinema, but it was a fine note to end on.  Plus, along with It and Mantrap, exhibited Clara Bow during the peak of her career.

II.     METROPOLIS (JANUARY 10th, 1927)

Directed by Fritz Lang

      Fritz Lang is the King of Weird.  In terms of film, this guy's like Klaus Nomi's biological grandfather (his grandmother being David Bowie).  Metropolis is one of Lang's best, one of his weirdest, and perhaps his most important.

      One thing that a lot of moviegoers don't pay much heed to is sets.  Sets are one of the most complicated and important aspects of filmmaking.  Sets determine almost everything about a scene or a shot and Metropolis is one of those movies that defines what a great set is.  Taking a nod from other German Expressionist films, Lang and his set crew built sets (that's right, Fritz Lang was such a total bad ass that he helped build the sets so no one could screw it up) that are nightmarish, angled, and some of the sickest realizations of pre-Jetsons retrofuturism ever put on film.  This wild surrealist dream-like silent film experience is so revered that German techno band Kraftwerk released a new restoration of it with a complete electronica soundtrack.  When I say this film is golden folks, I mean it makes Saddam Hussein's palace look like the dilapidated cardboard box that Clint Eastwood was raised in by rabid wolves.

      The film deals with the then-current rise of fascism in Germany, as well as the pitfalls of capitalism and Soviet communism.  Metropolis is one of the first movies to give some academic/intellectual legitimacy to film, but especially science fiction and horror cinema.  That is why we geeks (like Terry Gilliam of Monty Python, Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, Martin Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, and Stanley Kubrick) love it so much.  When a card-carrying member of the complete nerd community (such as myself) watches this movie, think of it as being akin to a Buddhist watching Siddhartha Gautama strumming out a few verses of WAR's "Why Can't We Be Friends?" on the old keytar.

III.     NAPOLEON (APRIL 7th, 1927)

Directed by Abel Gance

      Abel Gance is the greatest director of the Silent Era.  Rednecks and other racial purists might boast about D. W. Griffith; hippies and hipsters may talk about some weird Indian woman who recorded a Bengal Tiger sleeping for 8 hours and call it art; normal people who aren't easily categorized by wretched, terrible savages like me might say Cecil B. DeMille because they can't think of anyone else; then again they might also say "get away from me with that tape recorder you strange little shell of a man and quit asking me about movies", but that only happened to me once.  Movie people who know movies and love movies as if movies were some weird appendage flying out of their heads know that no one was able to do what Abel Gance did. Napoleon is this brilliant director's magnum opus.

      Napoleon tells the story of this dictator you probably haven't heard of: Genghis Kahn.  No, I'm just kidding it tells the story of everyone's favorite dwarf with a Freudian issue.  It weaves Napoleon's tale dramatically and theatrically, but none of  that would have been possible without two things: 1) A stone cold beast of a lead in Albert Dieudonné and 2) Some of the most innovative technical work to ever be spit out of a projector.  This movie has some of the first fluid moving camera work that wouldn't be seen again until movies like Citizen Kane and Paths of Glory.  Gance employed every handheld, dolly, tracking, and tinting technique that leave audiences in awe and film buffs crying dearly for their sweet, old mothers.  This is another one of those films that I'd love to say more but I'd rather have this beautiful pillar of French/all cinema speak for itself.

      Napoleon didn't gain the recognition it deserved back in the day because its technical beauty was beyond comprehension in these early, golden days of cinema.  Yet today in the modern world, it is revered and respected as one of the greatest pieces of all time.

     Well fair readers, we have to leave the Jazz Age in favor of the Great Depression (which makes this sound a lot worse than it is), but the effect of these early days will stay with us forever.  Especially with The Artist winning Best Picture, these movies are gaining more notice than ever before and deservedly so.  But now, with a tear in our eyes, a song in our hearts, and excitement in our unmentionables, we leave the Roaring Twenties for the 1930's: The Cinema Dust Bowl.  Next time here on Bad Craziness it's

1932!

     For a better look at the cinema of 1927 be sure to check out these movies folks OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES:

It

The Jazz Singer (the first talkie!)

My Best Girl

The End of St. Petersburg

     That's all from Bad Craziness!  Follow me on Twitter and like the Facebook Page for literally TOO MUCH information on movies!  Dancing Days are here again hombres and remember as always,

~Viva amigos,

      ~D. Merrick

Roll the Reel: Merrick's March Movie Madness

THE PROLOGUE:

Alright folks, I've been in a pretty movie-related mood lately and am trying to ween myself off my Oscar addiction as soon as I can.  So, in lieu of all this, I've decided to use the next month (The month of March) to go through my favorite years in cinema, aside from your normal programming.  These are the years that make film students cry (because the movies are so mainstream), film critics smile (because they can keep their jobs), and normal people go "why do I care?" (because they have other far more important things to worry about like mortgages and stuff).

So stay tuned folks it's gonna be a fun time, Johnny and I will be kicking it off and rolling the reels... in STYLE!

The name's Bond, James Bond, and I love Merrick's March Movie Madness.

So sit down in your seat right in the middle of the front row, chow down on some popcorn, and get ready for so Merrick's March Movie Madness!

"I'd love to stay here and chat baby," said James Dean,
"but it's time for MERRICK'S MARCH MOVIE MADNESS."

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!



~Viva amigos,
   ~D. Merrick

After Hours: 84th Academy Awards Wrap-Up

Ah folks, the champagne bottles are finished, Billy Crystal has finally realized he should just go back to working two-bit nightclubs, and maybe Jack Nicholson is realizing that he's too old at last because he hasn't gone home with the waitress.  You know what that means kids, the 84th Oscars are over and they were a pretty decent success. 

Big pimpin'.

The Artist cleared out the top noms while Hugo ate up the technical side.  I'm mad that The Descendants and Drive didn't get all the recognition they deserved but hell, the Academy is a bunch of old white film elitists who love watching movies about movies (and the Holocaust).  I'm sure if it was run by lonely, middle aged housewives, The Descendants would have sweeped and Clooney would have been forced to accept every award.
I personally got 21 out 24 predictions right so it was a good night for me.  I'm gonna wrap up the entire spectacle for you guys so that way you'll actually have something to say at work tomorrow and not feel like a total loser, standing there sipping your coffee with a dazed look on your face because you missed the Academy Awards.  ROLL THE REEL JOHNNY!

BEST PICTURE: THE ARTIST
The Descendants
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
War Horse
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Tree of Life
The Help


BEST DIRECTOR: MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS (THE ARTIST)
*Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Terrance Malick (The Tree of Life)
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)


BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: JEAN DUJARDIN (THE ARTIST)
*George Clooney (The Descendants)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Demian Bichir (A Better Life)


ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: MERYL STREEP (THE IRON LADY)
*Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)
Viola Davis (The Help)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER (BEGINNERS)
*Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Nick Nolte (Warrior)
Max von Sydown (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS- OCTAVIA SPENCER (THE HELP)
Berenice Bejo (The Artist)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY- WOODY ALLEN (MIDNIGHT IN PARIS)
Michel Hazanavicius The Descendants
Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi A Separation


BEDT ADAPTED SCREENPLAY- ALEXANDER PAYNE, NAT FAXON & JIM RASH (THE DESCENDANTS)
John Logan Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, & Beau Willimon The Ides of March
Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, & Stan Chervin Moneyball
Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: IRAN, A SEPARATION
Belgium, Bullhead
Canada, Monsieur Lazhar
Israel, Footnote
Poland, In Darkness


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: RANGO (GORE VERBINSKI)
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda II
Puss in Boots


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: LUDOVIC BOURCE (THE ARTIST)
John Williams The Adventures of Tin Tin
Howard Shore Hugo
John Williams War Horse
Alberto Iglesias Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy


BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "MAN OR MUPPET"-BRET MCKENZIE
"Real in Rio"-Sergio Mendez, Carlinhos, Siedah Garrett


BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE
Dimache/Sunday
La Luna
Wild Life
A Morning Stroll


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: THE SHORE
*Pentacost
Raju
Time Freak
Tube Atlantic


BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY: UNDEFEATED
*Pina
If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Hell and Back Again


BEST SHORT DOCUMNETARY: SAVING FACE
*God is the Bigger Elvis
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
Incident in New Baghdad
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: ROBERT RICHARDSON (HUGO)
Guillame Schiffman (The Artist)
Jeff Cronenworth (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life)
Janusz Kaminski (War Horse)


BEST EDITING: KIRK BAXTER AND ANGUS WALL (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO)
*Kevin Tent (The Descendants)
Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Thelma Schoonmaker (Hugo)
Christopher Tellefsen (Moneyball)


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: ROB LEGATO, JOSS WILLIAMS, BEN GROSSMAN, & ALEX HENNING (HUGO)
*Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, & Daniel Burret (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, & John Richardson (Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II)
Eric Nash, John Rosengart, Dan Taylor, & Swen Gillberg (Real Steel)
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler, & John Frazier (Transformers: Dark of the Moon)


BEST ART DIRECTION: DANTE FERRETTI & FRANCESCA LO SCHIAVO (HUGO)
*Laurence Bennett & Robert Gould (The Artist)
Anne Seibel & Helene Dubreuil (Midnight in Paris)
Stuart Craig & Stephanie McMillan (Harry Potter and the eathly Hallows Part II)
Rick Cart & Lee Sandales (War Horse)


BEST SOUND EDITING: PHILIP STOCKTON & EUGENE GEATRY (HUGO)
*Lou Bender & Victor Ray Ennis (Drive)
Ren Kiyce (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Richard Hymns & Gary Rydstrom (War Horse)
Ethan Van der Ryn & Erik Aadahl (Transformers: Dark of the Moon)


BEST SOUND MIXING: TOM FLEISCHMAN & JOHN MIDGLEY (HUGO)
*David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, & Bo Persson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, & Ed Novick (Moneyball)
Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, & Stuart Wilson (War Horse)
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin (Transformers: Dark of the Moon)


BEST COSTUME DESIGN: MARK BRIDGES (THE ARTIST)
Arianne Philips (W.E.)
Sandy Powell (Hugo)
Lisy Christi (Anonymous)
Michael O'Connor (Jane Eyre)


BEST MAKE UP: Mark Coulier & J. Roy Helland (The Iron Lady)
*Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston, & Matthew W. Mungle (Albert Nobbs)
Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, & Lisa Tomblin (Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II)


So now that the night has drawn to a close and the wild after parties have also drawn to a close (except at Brad and Angelina's house, where 7 of the estimated 207 children are still doing the night shift chores) we can look back and say this was a pretty successful 84th Academy Awards.  For more thoughts and news on all the upcoming awards shows this year and beyond, follow me on Twitter: @DylanMerrick6. Until next time...


~Viva amigos,
   ~D. Merrick


PS- The asterisks next to certain names are the nominess I believe should have won :P

Merrick's Movies: 84th Academy Awards Predictions

‘Tis the season folks!

Ah, Oscar season, the one time a year when film nerds can talk to pretty girls for more than 30 seconds without crying or getting sweaty palms.  Yes, it is a beautiful time of year.  The film school junkies are angry that “Captain Wes Anderson and the Obscure Case of Obscurity” didn’t get nominated and Frat Boys are wondering why The Rock (who will forever remain The Rock, NOT Dwayne Johnson) has STILL yet to get a nomination for Best Actor.  But for us film critics, we must subdue our embarrassing glee for a month and get right to work!  The public looks to us for what/who WE think the winners will be (as if the Academy actually takes what we lonely, delusional souls think into consideration).  Well fair readers, go buy some Mike & Ike’s, slurp a Slurpee, and kick the seat of the fat guy in front of you, here are my predictions for the winners of the big awards at the 84^th Oscars (let’s hope I flog Roger Ebert and Peter Travers, maybe then I’ll get a real job!) ROLL THE REEL, JOHNNY:

BEST PICTURE:   The Artist (Thomas Langmann)

BEST DIRECTOR:  Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

BEST ACTOR:     George Clooney (The Descendants)

Target locked...
MAN THE TORPEDOES!

BEST ACTRESS:   Viola Davis (The Help)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:     Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:   Octavia Spencer (The Help)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris

Sadly, Owen Wilson did not get
a nomination for his role as Woody Allen.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:   Alexander Payne, Matt Faxon, Jim Rash – The Descendants

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:     Rango (Gore Verbinski)

Am I doing it right?

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:     A Separation (Iran)

Cinema’s big night is fast approaching folks and I’m excited as hell.  To all the nominees in every category (including the ones I didn’t list here) I say hats off to you compadres, best of luck and I hope it’s a good show!

The Oscars will also be blowing up my Twitter like a Hydrogen Bomb, so for your tweeting pleasure and up to the minute news follow me: @DylanMerrick6

HUZZAH!

~Viva amigos,

   ~D. Merrick