Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen Review

The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen
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I didn't used to be a fan of the Coen brothers' films, but I appreciated them, as well as good film in general, a lot more after reading this book.
The amount of insight author Rowell has into the Coens' films is amazing. As I read through each chapter, I was stunned by how much in the films I had "missed." Rowell's analysis reveals the numerous layers of meaning that are embodied in the films. She covers subjects as diverse as politics, religion and philosophy, art and music, and race and class. She illuminates the context of the Coens' works in the history of film, and points out the numerous allusions to and borrowings from previous films, including their own. I was truly impressed by the scope of the analysis and the thoroughness of the research conducted.
All this is written in a lively style and well organized format that can engage anyone ranging from a casual moviegoer to a scholar of film. Rowell's clever word play throughout the text add to the delight.
I recommend viewing a film first, and then reading the relevant chapter in the book to be wowed by all the things you missed. Then watch the film again!

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The Brothers Grim examines the inner workings of the Coens' body of work, discussing a movie in terms of its primary themes, social and political contexts, narrative techniques, influences, relationship to their other films, and the Coens' referential modus operandi that retreads cinema, literature, history, philosophy, and art to amplify their films' themes.

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Brunswick Pro Bowling Review

Brunswick Pro Bowling
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I have always been a fan of Sony and had Playstation consoles exclusively. I have never tried a Wii, though I know several people who have them and they all told me how much fun they are. I have been eagerly awaiting the Sony Move for months, and picked it up the first day of it's release. I was amazed at how accurate the controls were! Anyway, when I decided I was getting the Move, the first thing I did was search out a bowling game. I found Brunswick Pro Bowling being previewed everywhere. The graphics looked awesome, and the way the folks demonstrated the game in the videos, it gave me the impression that this would be a pretty realistic experience.
I picked up a copy of the game yesterday. I have to say, I searched everywhere for a review of the game before buying to see what people where saying about it. Of the few reviews I found, almost all were negative. I was surprised. I heard everything from "The controls are bad" to "The graphics aren't great" to "The game is unresponsive" etc. I actually hesitated buying it after reading this stuff.
Well, I have to say that I'm a GLAD that I did NOT listen to the negative reviews. I spent about 3 hours last night playing, and I had a lot of fun doing so. Even the guy in the store told me that most negative reviews come from people who just can't play the game. They stink at it, so automatically the game gets a negative review.
The game is really this simple...You load it up, select the game you want to play (so far I just did the quick game and chose the first character), choose your ally, and you're off. Anytime you need to calibrate the game, you push [select]. Use the "T" button to position your bowler, press the "set" button. Use "T" again to aim, press the "set" button. Hold in T and your bowler starts to walk to the foul line. Here comes the part where people say it sucks. You have to time your throw, just like you would in real bowling. Again, I have never tried a Wii, so I don't know first hand...but I'm told that with Wii bowling, you can really chuck that ball down the lane. This game is designed to be a simulation, that won't fly here. At first, I could throw the ball down at about 9MPH. But with practice I realized that you need to time your release, and now I'm able to consistantly throw the ball at 16-20MPH. Also keep in mind that each character you play has a different level of strength. A "weaker" character might not be able to throw a ball 20MPH.
At any rate, after I played the first game, I just thought to myself "there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with this game." I personally don't feel that it deserves the negative reviews it's getting. I wouldn't tout it as the Game of the Year or anything, but for $30, it's a good bowling simulation that has so far provided a few hours of fun. And as far as realism, I'm bowling exactly the same score on Brunswick Pro Bowling that I would in real bowling...115 baby!!! It just takes practice. The controls DO work, you CAN throw the ball at a good speed, and you ABSOLUTELY CAN hook the ball...there are three different balls to choose from, each one "bites" the ally differently. A "10" barely hooks, a "30" a little more, and the "green monster" (as I call it due to it's neon green color) "50" really bites when you put spin on it. There's a lot more to the game than just "swinging your arm as hard as you can and hoping for the best."


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Brunswick Pro Bowling is a bowling simulation game for PlayStation 3 that utilizes the motion capture and control capabilities of the PlayStation Move system. The result is addictive gameplay that is both realistic and entertaining for the whole family, with the extreme sensitivity of the PlayStation Move motion controller allowing players to roll their ball virtually any way that they could do so in a real bowling alley. Additional features include: detailed environments filled with interesting characters, multiple mode settings, character customization and even bumpers for kids, or others needing help staying out of the gutter.


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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film Review

The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film
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This is a terrific book for anyone interested in the Coen brother's films, or indeed anyone interested in the filmmaking process. While the book is true to its title, other Coen films such as 'Raising Arizona', 'Miller's Crossing' and 'Barton Fink' are also briefly discussed. Along with spotlighting Joel and Ethan's work practises, the book looks in detail at the storyboards, cinematography, set and wardrobe design on 'The Big Lebowski'. Of particular interest is the comparison of still frames with their orginal storyboards during a detailed breakdown of 4 Lebowski scenes. Also appreciated is Robertson's practise of actually explaining many of the film terms used is the book, recognising that not all his reader's are Directors!

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Winners of two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and for Best Actress for their odd and wonderful Fargo, the Coen Brothers present their new film: The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.Ethan and Joel Coen have carved out their niche as America's preeminent independent filmmakers. Their films are quirky, arresting, comic, and intelligent. Not given to talking publicly about their work, they have given access to William Preston Robertson and Tricia Cooke to interview the cast and crew of their latest film, The Big Lebowski. In a prose style that complements the Coens's filmic one, the book discusses the Coens's oeuvre, the themes of their films, their atypical brand of humor, their craft and their artistic vision. Several scenes of The Big Lebowski are examined closely to see how the movie goes from idea to reality, making this an ideal book for fans, filmmakers, and filmmaking students.The Big Lebowski is a razor-sharp comedy thriller of mistaken identity, gangsters, bowling, kidnapping, and money gone astray, written by the Coens, directed by Joel Coen, and produced by Ethan Coen. In addition to Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, the film stars Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Willem DaFoe, Sam Elliot, and Ben Gazzara. 32 full-color photographs and 130 black-and-white photographs and illustrations

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