The American, which was released this past week, is a fantastic ode to spaghetti westerns and one film in particular. Once Upon a Time in the West was obviously a huge inspiration on director Anton Corbijn as the film has many references to Sergio Leone’s masterpiece. Once Upon a Time in the West is my favorite western for many reasons, such as: Henry Fonda’s diabolic turn, the spaghetti western using vast western iconography, the magnolia plot weaving to Charles Bronson’s ultimate reveal, but the one that matters here is Ennio Morricone’s score. Morricone is responsible for some really great work throughout the years (The Thing, The Untouchables, Mission to Mars,  State of Grace), but it is with Leone that he created some to the most iconic movie music of all time.
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Mark Romanek’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel Never Let Me Go opens in limited release on September 15th, and judging from the film’s trailer Romanek seems to have crafted a very unique dramatic film. Fox Searchlight has recently released three character posters for the film, and although they are merely the actors faces there is something very haunting and poetic about them. Never Let Me Go stars Carey Mulligan (An Education, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Spider-Man Reboot), Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess), and is directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo). Continue on to check out the posters for the film, as well as the trailers for Never Let Me Go and Romanek’s underrated directorial debut One Hour Photo.
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geek
Slang.
1. A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.

2. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.

3. A carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

Red Letter Media’s angry, sexually offensive, and Sci-fi obsessed character Mr. Plinkett is back with another epic film review for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. Unlike his extremely negative and now famous reviews of the first two Star Wars prequel’s it’s mainly positive. His enjoyment of the movie doesn’t make the review any less entertaining though.
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In this edition of the Filmdogs double feature, Mr. Holt and myself will be recommending two films from an extremely supreme filmmaker. The man in question is Joon-ho Bong. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Bong is an expert in his field and only has four feature films under his belt. The two we will be recommending are the monster movie extravaganza The Host, and the maternal revenge flick Mother.
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When thinking of movies from my childhood Disney pictures are usually the first thing to pop into my mind. That early 90s run of flicks like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and my personal favorite The Lion King were all fantastic. A huge part of these movies successes of course was their music, mainly the original songs written by people like Alan Menken. Yet, the the original scores for these movies are also top notch. I personally have The Lion King to thank for giving me my first exposure to one of my favorite composers, Hans Zimmer.
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Canada 1941. A Nazi U-Boat in Hudson Bay sends out a seven man team to capture a nearby depot and bring back fuel and supplies. Shortly after going ashore the team’s U-boat is destroyed by Canadian fighters. The Nazi’s must then make their way, by any means necessary to the 49th Parallel (the U.S. Canadian border) for safe passage in the still neutral United States.

If the plot described above doesn’t sound exciting to you, I suggest you check your pulse, because the film is a fascinating look into the minds of a people in the midst of a terrifying war. (more…)

This is a column that will focus on little known films, directors, writers, and actors. The column does not exist to tell you what to watch, but to simply help raise interest in the great art and talent that goes unseen year by year. So let’s begin. In this edition I will be spotlighting River Phoenix.

On August 23, River Phoenix would have been forty years old with a list of film credits a mile long. Unfortunately his life had another path and although he left the world to soon, after an accidental overdoes on Halloween in 1993, he crafted a legacy of an actor whose film choices dared to be courageous. His talent showed both the brilliant actor he was and the charismatic movie star he would have become. Continue on for six films I recommend you see in honor of River Phoenix. (more…)

I caught the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers on TCM a few years back, and enjoyed it as much as casual musical fan would. The picture is one of those rock solid entries into it’s genre that is seemingly flawless, but falls just short of being remembered as one of the best. Although it’s amazing it doesn’t get more credit, especially considering the man who directed it, Stanley Donen. If the name doesn’t sound familiar to you it should, considering he helmed films like: Audrey Hepburn’s Funny Face, Gene Kelly’s On the Town, and Cary Grant’s thriller Charade. However, he will always be remembered for directing one of the greatest musicals of all time Singin’ in the Rain.
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Apple just released the trailer for Danny Boyle’s new film 127 Hours which tells the true story of Aron Ralston, who had to amputate his own arm after a hiking accident. The movie is another re-teaming of Boyle and his screenwriter Simon Beaufoy. Both having recently won Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire.
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At the beginning of the week here at Filmdogs, a member of the pack will be offering a recommendation for a soundtrack to help you speed up those never ending work days and (if possible) inspire you.

One of my most fulfilling cinematic moments of 2010 was watching the bone white text appear one last time at the end of my favorite show, LOST. It was an astonishing moment for me to look back at six years with these characters and their journey, and finally find closure. Luckily I will be able to relive what I could consider to be my favorite film of 2010 once again, as the final season hits dvd this Tuesday. In honor of this fantastic week I will be spotlighting one of the most important characters of Lost, Michael Giacchino’s music. Giacchino has produced some of the best and most interesting scores of late including Star Trek, Fringe, The Incredibles, and his oscar winning score for Up, but it is with Lost that he really made his mark. From screeching horns to piano ballads, Giacchino helped usher along every emotion that the show had to offer.

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