Guest Post: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Editor's note: In honor of LAMB Acting School, featuring Mr. George Clooney, our occasional guest writer Margarita Soboleva reviews one of the most famous horror B-movies, directed by Robert Rodriguez. From Dusk Till Dawn is far from The Descendents and Ides of March, for which Clooney scored two Oscar nods this year (for acting and writing respectively), but who can forget the horror gem that was penned by Quentin Tarantino himself? Let's recall why this bloody flick is loved by many fans.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

One of the famous films named “From Dusk Till Dawn” was shot about fifteen years ago by Robert Rodriguez but it is still good to watch nowadays. It tells the story of two brothers Seth (George Clooney) and Richie Gecko (Quentin Tarantino) who rob the bank and shoot dead sixteen people. So now they have to go towards Mexico in order to hide from the police. But before reaching the state frontier they take three people hostage, a pastor and his two children, who, as the matter of fact, help the criminals to escape without being caught. Well, after successfully cheating border-guards, five people arrive in Mexico and direct towards the bar “Titty Twister” to spend night there. This is the very interesting and more important part of the whole movie as the signboard of that ordinary bar — as the characters and viewers may think it is — tells it's open “from dusk till dawn”, as the title of the movie is. So scenes inside the bar lay bare the context of the film. From the moment they cross the threshold, the characters unexpectedly have to resist ugly and dangerous vampires. Till the very end the first-watching spectator is kept in suspense waiting for the denouement because of not being sure about what character would survive in the night fight against the monsters.

And now some words about the performance. Against the background of struggle for life, of blood on the floor and of dangerous bites that turn victims into vampires in seconds the actors, play realistically and convincingly. George Clooney portrays Seth in remarkable and realistic way. So he won the MTV Movie Award for the best breakthrough performance and for the best actor. There are other movies in which he also embodied criminals, for example Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen, but Seth stands out to my mind. The Quentin Tarantino's character is unforgettable, especially because he is a homicidal maniac. Then there is Harvey Keitel (Jacob Fuller) who supplements the plot with his lectures and self-control. Juliette Lewis embodies Kate Fuller and is also very good: first of all, her fear of cruel bloodthirsty monsters, then uncertainty of killing vampire bitten visitors and at last overcoming her fears and beginning to struggle for her life in cool blood. And, of course, I can't help saying about the wonderful and splendid dance of Salma Hayek with acid-yellow snake on her shoulders. This scene is the most memorable in the film.

Music does for the action very much. And maybe thanks to this motion picture the viewers got to know the melodic and beautiful song “After Dark”, which accompanies the Salma dance, and its performers Tito & Tarantula.

Talking about its genres, I can say it is a horror action movie. Well, it should be watched by connoisseurs of these genres, otherwise those who don't like such films might not enjoy. As far as I'm concerned, I think “From Dusk Till Dawn” is a great deal better than “Twilight” because, in my opinion, the real vampire essential could be the following: ugly, cruel, bloodthirsty monsters against which should be many means to kill them.

No wonder that in the middle of 90's this terrific motion picture with its special effects created a furore in the society. Years have passed but even now it can strike and amaze its viewers. That is what distinguishes really the best movie.

I estimate it 9/10

Written by Margarita Soboleva

What do you think of From Dusk Till Dawn? Is it among Rodriguez's best?

The 84th Academy Awards: My Predictions

The Oscars are going to greet winners very soon, on Sunday night, February 26, 2012. There were some snubs this year, but it's probably how it's going to be forever. Just because you can't nominate every great performance or film. Anyway, there are a few notable pictures that grace the cinematography with its presence.

Let's get to my predictions now.

winner stands for a film that I think will take this or that trophy on Sunday.

favorite stands for a film I root for and want it to win. Sometimes there are a few.

Note: I judge films by the category, not my overall opinion. Thus, when I say favorite it means I praise this or that aspect of filmmaking that it was nominated for.

Short Film, Live Action

Pentecost: Peter McDonald - winner

Raju: Max Zähle, Stefan Gieren

The Shore: Terry George, Oorlagh George

Time Freak: Andrew Bowler, Gigi Causey

Tuba Atlantic: Hallvar Witzø

Apparently, shorts and documentaries are my week point, so my guesses are blind. And I don't have favorites.

Short Film, Animated

Dimanche/Sunday: Patrick Doyon

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg

La Luna: Enrico Casarosa - winner

A Morning Stroll: Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

Wild Life: Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby

Documentary Short Subject

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement: Robin Fryday, Gail Dolgin

God Is the Bigger Elvis: Rebecca Cammisa, Julie Anderson

Incident in New Baghdad: James Spione

Saving Face: Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom: Lucy Walker, Kira Carstensen - winner

Documentary Feature

Hell and Back Again: Danfung Dennis, Mike Lerner

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front: Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky - winner

Pina: Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel

Undefeated: TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay, Richard Middlemas

I guess Pina stands a good chance, too, but I'll go for Paradise Lost 3 for this story seems chilling and affecting.

Visual Effects

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson

Hugo: Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning

Real Steel: Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, Swen Gillberg

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Daniel Barrett - favorite, winner

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew E. Butler, John Frazier

Okay, so the Apes film was amazing, and WETA did a fantastic job. Harry Potter might get the Oscar, considering that it won at BAFTA. Yet again, Harry Potter is a British treasure, so the Academy can have a different idea. Hugo was astounding as well, having a fabulous use of 3D.

Sound Editing

Drive: Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis - favorite

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Ren Klyce

Hugo: Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl - winner

War Horse: Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom

I honestly hope I'll be proven wrong but I have a terrible feeling the Academy liked the sound of Michael Bay creation. I'll be happy if any other film takes the award.

Sound Mixing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Bo Persson

Hugo: Tom Fleischman, John Midgley - favorite

Moneyball: Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, Ed Novick

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin - winner

War Horse: Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Stuart Wilson

Same here.

Music, Original Song

The Muppets: Bret McKenzie ("Man or Muppet") - favorite, winner

Rio: Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett ("Real in Rio")

Two nominees. Wow. If The Muppets doesn't win here, I'll be shocked.

Music, Original Score

The Adventures of Tintin: John Williams

The Artist: Ludovic Bource - favorite, winner

Hugo: Howard Shore

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Alberto Iglesias

War Horse: John Williams

Being honest, I was more a fan of Cliff Martinez's score for Contagion and Alberto Iglesias' music for The Skin I Live In. Obviously, the former sounded too cool and the latter, too classic. The Artist can take this one but what bothers me is what if the AMPAS listened to Kim Novak? Many films use scores from other pictures, what's Hazanavicius' sin? They still have their original score.

Makeup

Albert Nobbs: Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, Matthew W. Mungle

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin

The Iron Lady: Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland - favorite, winner

The Iron Lady opens on March 1 here but I already know that I pull for this movie. Harry Potter is also a contender; maybe, it's gonna receive a farewell Oscar.

Costume Design

Anonymous: Lisy Christl

The Artist: Mark Bridges - favorite, winner

Hugo: Sandy Powell

Jane Eyre: Michael O'Connor

W.E.: Arianne Phillips

The Artist is stylish and good-looking in a retro way, and I see only Jane Eyre as its main rival, but once again, isn't the latter too traditional? Films, depicting the era, are released every year. So go The Artist!

Art Direction

The Artist: Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan

Hugo: Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo - favorite, winner

Midnight in Paris: Anne Seibel, Hélène Dubreuil

War Horse: Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

The first minutes of viewing Hugo and I'm already thinking "that's the winner for best art direction for me personally". Its main rival is The Artist because you know some movies love to sweep all awards possible. I won't have problem with that though. Loved this silent movie. But more fair is to give the Art Direction AA for Martin Scorsese's kids film, which is not exactly a kids film. Duh.

Film Editing

The Artist: Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants: Kevin Tent

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter - favorite, winner

Hugo: Thelma Schoonmaker

Moneyball: Christopher Tellefsen

I may be crazy for predicting this but I can't see other film taking this award home. Well, there's The Artist. It can take anything home… Ah, I'll take a risk. It bothers me that, mostly, my predictions coincide with my favorites so far. Something's definitely wrong.

Cinematography

The Artist: Guillaume Schiffman

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Jeff Cronenweth

Hugo: Robert Richardson - favorite

The Tree of Life: Emmanuel Lubezki - favorite, winner

War Horse: Janusz Kaminski

Yeah, I root for two films here. Actually, I will be happy for any of them to win in this category. It feels really good.

Foreign Language Film

Bullhead: Michael R. Roskam (Belgium)

Footnote: Joseph Cedar (Israel)

In Darkness: Agnieszka Holland (Poland)

Monsieur Lazhar: Philippe Falardeau (Canada)

A Separation: Asghar Farhadi (Iran) - winner

My favorite would have been The Skin I Live In but that's a snub.

Animated Feature Film

A Cat in Paris: Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli

Chico & Rita: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal

Kung Fu Panda 2: Jennifer Yuh

Puss in Boots: Chris Miller - favorite

Rango: Gore Verbinski - winner

My absolute favorite last year was (and is) The Adventures of Tintin, and this film is breathtaking! Alas, the Academy beg to differ.

Writing, Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Hugo: John Logan - favorite

The Ides of March: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin - winner

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

I'm not sure, if Sorkin has that chance to win twice in a row, but there's nothing impossible at the Oscars.

Writing, Original Screenplay

The Artist: Michel Hazanavicius - favorite, winner

Bridesmaids: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo

Margin Call: J.C. Chandor

Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen

A Separation: Asghar Farhadi

No matter how much I loved Midnight in Paris, The Artist was pure brilliance. I get a little bit annoyed or better say I don't understand people who say that it's a silent film and it shouldn't even be nominated for writing. Huh? Why?! A screenplay is not only a bunch of lines for actors to speak. It's also the description of the action that is going on the screen. It's the story. And The Artist deserves to win.

Directing

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist - favorite, winner

Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne for The Descendants

Martin Scorsese for Hugo - favorite

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo for The Artist - favorite

Jessica Chastain for The Help - favorite

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer for The Help - favorite, winner

I think supporting actor categories are those we can be sure about. And overall, I do like acting nominees this year. So much talent.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn - favorite

Jonah Hill for Moneyball

Nick Nolte for Warrior - favorite

Christopher Plummer for Beginners - favorite, winner

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis for The Help - favorite, winner

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - favorite

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady - favorite

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn - favorite

Gosh, four favorites! I can do nothing about it. This category was particularly difficult to call. Either Viola or Meryl. I'm still not sure.

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir for A Better Life

George Clooney for The Descendants

Jean Dujardin for The Artist - favorite, winner

Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - favorite

Brad Pitt for Moneyball - favorite

This race is close as well. Either Dujardin or Clooney but something tells me that the former is more likely to win.

Best Picture

The Artist: Thomas Langmann - favorite, winner

The Descendants: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: Scott Rudin

The Help: Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan

Hugo: Graham King, Martin Scorsese - favorite

Midnight in Paris: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

Moneyball: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

The Tree of Life: Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill

War Horse: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy

The Artist should win.

Three years in a row, I got 16 wins right. Let's see if I can beat this quasi record.

What do you think of my predictions? Agree/disagree? What films are you rooting for?

Liebster Blog Award

Hi everyone! I hope that you are enjoying your weekend. Recently, I have received a Liebster Blog Award from Andina, who maintains her fabulous Inspired Ground film site. I want to thank Andina one more time (thank you kindly, Andina!), and now I'm going to pass the award to five more bloggers.

“The rules are that the winners have to pay forward to other people whose sites are worth the recognition. If they accept the award, they should: thank the person who nominated them; nominate five other favorite blogs with fewer than 200 followers, and copy/paste the Liebster Blog Icon into their post.”

Sorry in advance if you had already been given this award and I haven't noticed it. Anyway, another shout-out for your blog will do no wrong. Evidently.

1. Andy Buckle from Andy Buckle's Film Emporium. It's very fortunate that I'm writing this post because I can also bring to your knowledge — if you haven't heard it yet — that Andy changed his domain URL and you just need to follow the link above, if you have trouble searching for his site. And if you never heard of Andy's Film Emporium, you certainly should check it out because his writing is always top quality and he not only writes informative reviews but also shares film news and other features.

2. Raghav Modi from Ticker Talks Film. I give this award to Raghav and encourage you to follow his blog because his site needs more recognition indeed. Raghav's writing style is neat, and his film opinions are interesting. Besides usual reviews, he writes thought-provoking articles on film community and movies in general, sometimes conducts interviews, and he is one of the two co-founders of Twitter #MTOS (aka Movie Talk on Sundays).

3. Brittani Burnham from Rambling Film. I just love this girl's style. And she definitely deserves more followers. Brittani's reviews are pleasant to read and I find it special that she manages to balance between mainstream releases and independent treasures (Indie Gems regular feature). Also, one of the nicest bloggers out there.

4. Ruth from …let's be splendid about this… . First and foremost, the brilliant blog title speaks for itself. It's a classy blog where you find different stuff, from reviews to videos, and what I love about it, it's never boring. I have just seen that she had awarded me with this very honor a week or so ago, but I failed to notice it at that time. Thank you! Anyway, I hope this shout-out will bring Ruth and her blog more followers.

5. Aziza from Aziza's Picks. This blog is relatively young, that's why there is no wonder Aziza needs more readers. I assure you that the blog is wonderfully written and you want to check it out, and when you do, you'll definitely be back.

Have a nice day everyone!

ArcLight Cinemas Presents: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Interviews

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 2011 spy mystery drama that has been getting accolades from both average film enthusiasts and professional critics, and it was nominated for 3 Oscars for a very good reason. You might remember that I pretty much liked the film, especially its elaborate style and a knockout cast.

Today I suggest you watching a few interviews, involving the talented individuals, who made Tinker Tailor what it is. The interviews are conducted by ArcLight Cinemas.

An interview with the leading man of the picture, Gary Oldman, an Academy Award nominee for the George Smiley part.

An interview with Mark Strong; find out how Tinker Tailor role was different from actor's recent work.

An interview with Tomas Alfredson, where he shares his experience on working on his first English film and more.

Enjoy the intreviews!

Terry Gilliam's The Wholly Family

Terry Gilliam has got a new short for you! It's The Wholly Family. Check out the preview or/and rent the film below.

Thoughts on Hugo (2011)

"So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason." (Hugo)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writers: John Logan; based on the book by Brian Selznick

Stars: Asa Buttefield, Ben Kingsley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Christopher Lee, Jude Law

*Usually I try to avoid them but there are spoilers below. If you haven't seen the film, keep clear, and enjoy the movie once you get a chance.

My Hugo experience justified that going to the cinema, knowing almost nothing about the film you're going to see, is the best thing. I knew that the key characters are kids and the titular one has to withstand Sasha Baron Cohen. I knew that the action takes place in a train station. I knew that somehow there is a character representing George Méliès but I thought it might be just a minor part to add something to the story. That was everything I knew. Frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting much for upon its trailer release, I couldn't even watch it to the end. In reality, the film turned out to be one of the best 2011 pictures, and more importantly, the movie itself is a tribute to the art of cinema and one of the real life figures that used to have a preserved spot behind and in front of camera, George Méliès. I happened to know a little bit about the man (and probably, many film buffs were not ignorant either), that's why I had an opportunity to enjoy the film from a bit different perspective.

I got to tell you, visually, 2011 was brilliant, and Hugo is one of its visual treats. The opening was astonishingly beautiful and throughout the film you can find those images of beauty — of magnificent Paris or of some George Méliès' works — that you could freeze those moments and place them on your walls to admire. Another thing is that James Cameron was definitely right praising the 3D technology in the film (like we could doubt his words), and I absolutely enjoyed it, even with those 3D specs on. Snowflakes looked especially good. Cinematography was stunning as well. When I was watching Hugo, I also thought that it obviously has the best art direction of 2011, of course, out of the films that I have seen. All the actors were flawless. I can't think of anyone better for fill in their shoes.

Hugo is also a very emotional film as it deals with sad themes of being alone and being forgotten. It could have been cheesy but Martin Scorsese molded it into a touching but not trivial story, which was told beautifully, and I have to admit I cried my eyes out at several points in the film. As I mentioned earlier, it's a tribute to the filmmaking art and it was the reason why Hugo is even more precious for me. It was pleasant to see bits from various early films, including Le voyage dans la lune (1902) aka A Trip to the Moon. The only downside was the disdainful laughter of some (actually, a lot of) ignorant viewers that thought that all those scenes (like a train arrival) were ridiculous. Well, their ignorance doesn't matter. This filn is what matters.

What I'm writing is not a review actually, so I can sum it up non-traditionally, not like I'm used to end my reviews. I just want to thank Martin Scorsese, the writers, the cast and the crew for making Hugo what it is.

Rating: 5 stars

Did you like Hugo? What did you think of the 3D use? Do you think it's important to make films like this, films that pay tribute to films?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Adventures of Tintin

And I am back. It is strange how sometimes you feel that you can blog a lot but then suddenly circumstances occur that hinder you from spending much time watching films, pondering and writing about them. That's what's happened to me. In January, I saw barely three movies and I hardly wrote a line about any of them. However, I'm up for it now. Note: I saw the two films about two months ago. Shame on me. Also, those are not really reviews. They are much more like scrambled thoughts.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

"I know that Moscow has planted a mole, and I know it is one of five men." (Control)

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Writers: Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan; based on the novel by John le Carré

Stars: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, Mark Strong

First and foremost, this outstanding piece of cinema can boast with a super-talented bunch of actors who create a believable and supportive ensemble, which enhances the significance and strong screen presence of the leading guy, i.e. Gary Oldman's character. All in all, I would not say that supporting players stood out but they all created an image of wholesome artistry, while Mr. Oldman gave a performance that finally earned him a place amongst Academy Awards nominees. Besides acting, another thing about the film that springs up in my mind is its style. You know, sometimes you are wathing a motion picture, and a word to describe it immediately pops out in your mind. And for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, that word is elaborate. I was quite fascinated by the coloring, overall atmosphere, and let's not forget about Alberto Iglesias' score. Hands down, I associate the movie with a beautiful painting, faultless in its visual appearance. The ending was top-notch. It was just perfect. I would watch the film again, not only to admire the style and re-live the story, but mostly to see that impressive "epilogue".

Rating: 4/5

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

"There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin. You can never let it defeat you." (Captain Haddock)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish; based on the comic book series by Hergé

Stars: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig

Steven Spielberg is the Hollywood treasure. I mean it. This animated feature was released here much earlier than in the States but I saw it probably on the week of the US release, and it made me question myself why I haven't gone to see it weeks ago. It is my favorite animation of 2011 and I already indulged in rosy anticipations that it can beat Rango at the Oscars. But you know what happened. Snub. S-n-u-b. For me, it was the biggest snub of this year. I wasn't even so much upset about Michael Fassbender and Drive neglect. Anyway, back to Tintin: the animation techniques were Outstanding (yes, the capital letter is right!). I also thought that it is this year's film of flawless transitions. It could get all global awards just for that. It was fun, dynamic, colorful and simply awesome. Besides, Snowy is one of my favorite characters from last year. Apparently, there is going to be a sequel and I'm very, very excited!

Rating: 4.5/5

What did you think of the two films? Are you happy for Gary Oldman to be finally recognizes by the Academy? And do you share my discontent about Tintin snub?