A Movie Inside a Movie

James Franco and Seth Rogen come together yet again on another film project and I can practically hear the cheering. This time, Franco will be directing The Disaster Artist, which will tell the story of the making of The Room (2003), considered to be one the worst drama films of all time. Franco will not only direct the movie, but will also star as Tommy Wiseau, the director of The Room. After The Room was pulled from many theaters due to lack of audiences, Wiseau began to get requests for the film to be shown. Celebrities like Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd began to show up to watch the film and soon it became ritual for movie goers. This cult classic tells the story of a love triangle between a man, his fiancé and his best friend. Tom Bissel and an actor from the The Room, Greg Sestero, wrote a book together about the making of The Room and named it The Disaster Artist. The book explains life on set with a director who had no filmmaking experience when he decided to write, direct and produce this famously bad movie.

We can expect to see some other big names in The Disaster Artist. Dave Franco is already set to play Greg Sestero. Rogen will undoubtedly have a part in the movie, and will possibly feature Evan Goldberg and Vince Jolivette as well. Franco and Rogen have had a fairly successful past collaborating together, with projects including The Interview, This Is The End, Pineapple Express, and Freaks and Geeks. With such an interesting premise for their new movie, I look forward to this project which will start production in December.

Why That 70's Show Beat Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks is a comedy/drama from 1999-2000 that takes a look at the lives of an “average” family in 1980.

Starring Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks has a cast of secondary characters that would go on to become some of the biggest names in television in movies. The crew of “Freaks”, the high school kids who party and break all the rules, features James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.

While 1999 may have been before these big name actors really broke out, it’s surprising that the show only aired one season and did not get picked up for another. The main reason for this was probably the show’s competition with That 70’s Show, which started around the same time. The two shows are very similar; both show a group of high school kids that are a mix between news and rule breakers. Both shows featured high school aged kids smoking weed, and both shows had characters who would freak out over all the developments in the “nerd community”.

 While Freaks and Geeks had many characters who would go on to be well known actors, they didn’t gain any advantage over That 70’s Show because of this. That 70’s Show featured Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and many more successful actors.

Probably the biggest reason That 70’s Show was picked up for 8 seasons and Freaks and Geeks only got 1 was because of the length of the shows. That 70’s Show consisted of quick, 22 minutes episodes full of cheap laughs and minimal overarching storylines. Freaks and Geeks, however, took more of the “dramedy” route, requiring viewers to watch each episode in order to really understand what’s going on. Following a series of hour long episodes before the era of online streaming was difficult, and thus it was easier for That 70’s Show’s viewers to follow along. Even still, Freaks and Geeks is an entertaining show with likable characters that deserved more than the one season it got.

Freaks and Geeks: The Best Cancelled Television Show in History

Freaks and Geeks is probably one of the best, well scripted television shows that our generation has had the pleasure to see. It was THE show that launched a lot of their cast into fame: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, John Daley, Linda Cardellini, and Martin Starr, just to name a few. And if the cast wasn't enough to prove why this show was great, here's just some other reasons.

1. You can relate to it and it's realistic. 

One of the reasons why the show got cancelled was because Garth Ancier (former NBC executive who cancelled the show) thought that the problem with the show was that neither the freaks or geeks win. But that's what made the show amazing. The freaks are the outcast in the schools, the nobodies, the kids who probably won't go to college. The geeks were the kids that got bullied, all the girls were at least a foot taller than them, and they sometimes tried to hard to fit in. The issues that the show dealt with were issues that everyone could relate to, or know someone that went through that experience: being picked last for a team in gym, crushes, puberty questions, cheating on a test, and even being too old to go trick or treating on Halloween.

The dialogue in the show is another reason why it's so good. Everyone that was in the show were teenagers to begin with, and they spoke like actual teenagers. None of the lines ever felt forced. And all the characters have flaws, like REAL flaws. And they deal with those flaws realistically, which means sometimes you can't have what you want. There weren't any miracles in the show to save them, and that's why I think as an audience, we were okay that the freaks and geeks didn't win.

2. The cast & cameo appearances are great.

You can't really have a better cast than the ones that are already in the show. And it's no surprise, almost everyone in the show has gone off to do big things in the film industry. The actors all fit their characters spot on, and they're all unique in their own way. Linda Cardellini plays the sweetheart, stuck between the freaks and geeks Lindsay Weir. She struggles in high school with not knowing what she wants to do, balancing life between being smarter than everyone else but choosing to be friends with the kids who struggle themselves with grades. Her dorky brother Sam Weir played by John Francis Daley is the subject of bullying in high school and gets asked a lot, "Are you a middle schooler?" James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, and Busy Philipps are considered the 'freaks' in the high school, and even though they may look like they don't care about their grades, they still have real feelings and emotions we can relate to. There's even some pretty cool cameo appearances like Ben Stiller who plays Agent Meara, Shia LaBeouf who plays Herbert or the high school's mascot, and Jason Shwartzman. 

3. It's hilarious.

With witty lines and character flaws, the show is guaranteed laughs. If you don't believe me, just take a look at this clip:

 

James Franco Scandal

Now I'm usually not one for celebrity gossip, but occasionally I stumble upon something that I think is absolutely hysterical. This week was James Franco's 17 year old girl scandle from Buzzfeed. So according to the site James Franco messaged some girl from scotland via instagram because she was staying in New York for the week. The only problem was she was with her mother, and oh yeah, she is 17. I first read the messages and said "no way," but what forced me to believe that it was actually James Franco was the pictures he sent the girl. There was literally a picture of him with a letter of something she asked him to write for proof. What I think is humorous about this whole thing is I can totally see Franco being a little creepy when not in front of a camera. But what tops this entire thing off is that yesterday on the Kelly & Michael show Franco was interviewed and asked about this exact issue. When asked Franco's response was actually kind of respectful and intelligent. "I was just feeling awkward, I didn't want to come on the show and feel awkward. Yeah, I'm embarrassed and I uhhh… I guess Im just a model of how social media is tricky. It's a way of how people meet each other today.. But what Ive learned, I guess cause Im new to it, is that you don't know who's on the other end. You get a feel for them, but you don't know who your talking to. So, I used bad judgment, and I learned my lesson." So I guess the message of this blog is that stay away from James Franco if your an underage girl.

Intriguing Superbowl ADs

Although the game itself wasn't much, I really liked the new advertisements that aired during the Superbowl. One surprise was GoDaddy not going their usual racy and inappropriate approach to their ads. After last year's ad with Bar Rafaeli, I felt like GoDaddy would have tried to top it this year but they went a more cleaner route and I would say it was a pretty successful campaign.

Another surprise was the back-to-back Ford Fusion commercials.

This has never been done before in the history of aired commercials. Back to back commercials that are directly connected to each other. Ford has done something never done before and I thought it was a very good ad campaign.


There were other great commercials that aired like Budlight's and the new Maserati commercial. Also the sneak previews for the new Transformers and the return of 24 had me very riled up. More so than the game itself.

TAR

Based on C.K. Williams and his Pulitzer Prize winning poems, his beautiful words have paved way of an incredible story, and now an incredible film.  However, it wasn’t the topic of the story, or the meaning of the story itself that amazed me when I found out about the creation of this movie.  It was actually the story behind the making of story that still has me in awe.

With a big name cast including James Franco from 127 Hours, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and This Is The End, Mila Kunis  known for Friends With Benefits, Black Swan, and That 70’s Show, and Jessica Chastain  known for her work in The Help, Zero Dark Thrity, and Mama, you would have been waiting  for the mention of a well known director and writer as well,  and the fact that there isn’t is the craziest part to me. 

Written and directed by 12 New York University film students—yes 12, and yes students—I am flabbergasted, not only by the fact that they were able to book a cast of actors with such prestigious credentials, but the fact that it is looks so professional you never would have known it was made by a small group of students who many would deem as inexperienced. As an aspiring filmmaker, and one with great appreciation of film itself, I am both envious and determined.  I am envious that I was not a part of that team of twelve, and even more determined to reach the quality and ability that they were able to do and gain the knowledge I need to become in a position like that.  They have raised the bar for young filmmakers and have made a beautiful piece worthy of recognition.

The story takes us back to 1940’s Detroit where we meet William’s mother (Chastain), then through his tough years as a teenager, to the time where his writing career began on its journey to its peak in the 1990’s.

I cant wait to see it!

Freaks & Geeks

Well yet again I watched another TV series. This week I decided to watch Freaks and Geeks. I had always heard how great this show was from many of my friends so I went ahead and watched it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good of a show it was. If you haven't watched this show already you can find it on Netflix. It stars many actors that we see today that have become very popular. Stars like James  Franco and Jason Segal are some of those actors.

This show took me down memory lane and back to high school. Even though it is a show made in 1999 based off of high school in the 80's, it is still completely relatable. The characters are hysterical and they play the perfect cast of high school misfits. They are nerdy and weird and quirky and they all have their own personalities.

I was really bummed to see that this show was only on for less than a season. The acting and the character development are fantastic and the show had a lot of potential. The show left off very open ended because it was only on episode 18 when it got canceled. Lots of potential, but I guess the rest is just left up to the imagination.

This Is The End

Finally after way too long, I got around to seeing This Is The End written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. There was so much hype about it that I had to see it. Unfortunately hype leads to unrealistic expectations. Even though it didn't quite reach my expectations, I was laughing the whole time. I thought it was a fantastic idea having all of these actors together because their personal lives are something people are interested in seeing. Then adding in the whole apocalypse theme into it was hilarious. The party scene at James Franco's house was so perfect. Michael Cera slapping Rhianna's butt, Emma Watson and Craig Robinson joking around, and James Franco showing off all of his art. The dynamic of that party was unheard of. Then when all hell let's loose (literally) it just keeps getting more and more absurd. Actors fighting actors to not fall into the fiery pit. Then when they all get back in the house all of the different actors and character dynamics just lets loose.

Although it was nonstop comedy and absurdity I thought it was pretty nice to have the whole "work your way to heaven" aspect. That gave it a nice goal and reason for the actors to stay alive and work towards something. Through that goal, the actors were able develop into better human beings or die from their selfishness. For example, James Franco sacrifices himself for the other two, getting him into heaven. But then while he's being beamed up, he's being a bad winner about it and shows that he hasn't really changed from the experience and gets dropped back down into the group of cannibals. I think that's an amazing scene because one, it's hilarious having James Franco being a dick, and two, it sticks to the moral of the story.

I thought the production was amazing. Robert Caban, Kevin Harris, Durk Tyndall, Craig Barnett, Eric Frazier, and Brad manis did an incredible job with special effects. Everything looked so cool and really brought that whole apocalyptic feel to life. I also thought William Ladd Skinner did such a good job as art direction. The cannibal van, destroyed LA, and Franco's house all looked fantastic.

There were so many scenes that I loved from EmmaWatson robbing them, Michael Cera being a dick, everything about Craig Robinson, and the awkward relationship between Jay and Jonah. I will most definitely be watching this again soon and recommending it to just about everyone who hasn't seen it yet.

This Is the End

This Is the End just came out on DVD this week and has been selling off the shelves. When I first saw the trailer for this movie I expected the worst: just another poorly written comedy with a stacked cast all fighting for the spotlight. However, my thoughts changed when I saw that the critics voted it a "Must go" on fandango! I was in disbelief, since critics rarely vote for crude and raunchy humor. Once everyone started to talk about how funny it was I decided it was worth my money to go check out. In the end I was pleasantly surprised by the film, I enjoyed it and it made me laugh. The cast is full of great, and hilarious people playing as themselves. The main cast includes James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson. There are also countless more popular actors featured in the film. The apocalypse begins and the six main characters are forced to figure out how to survive the end of the world, and how to survive being stuck in the same house together. With only limited supplies, shenanigans ensue, and tensions rise. Once the group figures out it is the end of the world, they begin to figure out how they can possibly repent for all of their past sins in attempts of getting to the promised land of heaven. With laughs all the way through the movie, it finishes off with a heavenly performance of Everybody (Backstreet's Back) by the Backstreet Boys. If you are a fan of any of the main characters, I would definitely see this movie.

Thoughts on OZ The Great And The Powerful

"Oz The Great And The Powerful" is a prequel film to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The star of the film James Franco is a magician who ends up in the this mystical land, complicating the lives of several witches, Evanora, Glinda, and Theodora, played by Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis. As the troubled magician tries to cope with his struggles with the women, he soon finds himself heading down a path that exposes him to his prominent destiny.

Director, Sam Raimi seems to have created a colorful and vibrant style of the land of Oz for all types of audiences to experience with a great sense of familiarity and new astonishment. The colors are so beautiful and practically pop out of the big screen. Disney used this similar approach of bright colors and outstanding effects for their fantastic film, "Alice In Wonderland". I think anyone could be excited about the release of this film.


For me, the most outstanding part of the HD trailer is the clearly the opening. We (the audience) are brought back to a Kansas in a dilapidated state, in all black and white footage. Those scenes immediately bring back direct memories of the original Oz movie, which was created by King Vidor. With the drastic difference between the black and white scenes and then the magnificent rainbow, and then the vibrant colors of the main plot, creates even more drastic contrast.When it comes to the for three leading female actresses, Weisz is certainly not the most evil of witches we’ve ever seen but has the potential, and Mila Kunis seems to be a little out of place. But, Michelle Williams seems to have effortlessly slipped into her role as Glinda the “good” witch who would go on to, as we all know, give a girl named Dorothy some very important ruby slippers.

I really think everyone should go out and see this film. I doubt Raimi is going to upset anyone.







Enjoy!

The new Wizard of Oz!?!

  Walt Disney Pictures recently announced that they will be coming out with a new film called "Oz the Great and Powerful" a prequel to the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."  The story is that of a man named Oscar Diggs a struggling magician for Kansas who is transported to Land of Oz.  Once there Oscar, played by James Franco, is told he has been prophesied to take down the evil witch and must use his powers of illusion and "magic" to defeat her.

  This new film pay homage to the original and directly incorporates aspects and even characters in order to give a fuller understanding of how the Land of Oz from "The Wizard of Oz" came to be.  I personally think that this film has a very interesting storyline and will cleverly tie together the story of "the man behind the curtain" aka Oz, a character who was super important in the original but was very mysterious and never fully developed.  The potential for a solid plot combined with Disney's excellence in special effects and most recently 3D advances are all aspects that could make this movie very good in its own right.  However there is another aspect of this to consider.  Even if this movie is terrible, and I mean awful, I will still make a substantial amount of money primarily because it is tied to the original.

  I think that this movie in all likelihood will be pretty good and enjoyable, although I'm not entirely sure how I like the idea of trying to add to a great and well known film that has stood alone for over 60 years. Regardless of how I feel about this, I will go and see it to check on how it matches up in comparison…something I think almost anyone who has seen the original "Wizard of Oz" will do.  So although I do not know for sure if this movie will actually be good or not I am certain that it will be a box office hit.