Opening this weekend...
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, written and directed by Kevin Smith
Premise: Lifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.
Playing: Everywhere.
Despite all of his faults, I have great admiration for Kevin Smith. Clerks, Mallrats and Dogma were part of my coming of age as a film fan - these were the movies I'd watch, rewatch, and quote with my friends across the middle school lunch table, in the same way Quentin Tarantino helped reshape the way my generation watched movies. Do these guys have the chops that Billy Wilder or Paul Schrader did? No. But, if you were to ask historians in 50 years who had the greatest influence on this generation of young writers, I'm willing to bet you anything it'd be these guys.
I'm extremely guilty of all of their crimes. My screenplays are filled with characters that love to chatter about anything and nothing at all - I'll write entire scenes that are based on non-plot-related dialogue. So many professors and guidebooks will tell you that's against the rules - too often you'll find that those writers haven't sold a script since 1981. (If you can't do, teach.) Well, it was filmmakers like Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino that proved them wrong.
You can see the impact nowadays - Judd Apatow's work, Guy Richie's - even movies like In Bruges reek of those guys. If you're looking for a place where film was impacted in the early 90s, you gotta look at what Miramax was putting out in '93 and '94.
But, I'm not telling any of you guys anything you don't know. It's Kevin Smith. It might suck, but I'm in. I'll see all of his movies just like all of Woody Allen's. Case closed for now, but I'll be back to this in another post.
First Showing has a great, exclusive interview with Kevin Smith about the movie over here. So do Pajiba and the Miami Herald. And in the spirit of the film, Slashfilm has a great list of fictional porno flicks seen in movies. Check it out.
SPLINTER, written by Kai Barry and Ian Shorr, dir. by Toby Wilkins
Premise: Trapped in an isolated gas station by a voracious Splinter parasite that transforms its still living victims into deadly hosts, a young couple and an escaped convict must find a way to work together to survive this primal terror.
Playing: Village East
This movie looks like it could be campy fun, along the lines of what Slither was. I'm in no rush to get to the theater, but my interest is piqued.
TimeOutNY liked it... sorta. New York Magazine definitely did. Hollywood Reporter did not.
MY NAME IS BRUCE, written by Mark Verheiden, dir. by Bruce Campbell
Premise: B Movie Legend Bruce Campbell is mistaken for his character Ash from the Evil Dead trilogy and forced to fight a real monster in a small town in Oregon.
Playing: Landmark Sunshine
I want to see this, but I'm also part of the wacky cult of Bruce. It's gotten terrible buzz so far, but if you've seen Army of Darkness as many times as I have you'll be adding it to your Netflix as well.
What are you doing/seeing this weekend?
2 comments:
There's something about Zack and Miri Make a Porno that doesn't sit well with me. I think it's the premise. I understand it's a comedy, but I can't get over how two "platonic" friends decide to make a porno and get surprised by the fact that have deeper feelings for one another. I just feel like if I suggested to my platonic friend "let's make a porno" , the obvious message would be "I want to get it on with you". There would be no build up and surprise, just awkward silence. But whatever, there's nothing I can do about it.
I don't think Weinstein Co. will find their stride with this one. But hopefully they'll start taking on projects that get them back to the finer form of their Mirimax years.
I agree with Onyx about the premise of Zack and Miri. Seems like a problem. Then again, Kevin Smith knows what he's doing, so I'm sure it's something he addresses.
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