We reported all the way back in July that a live action adaptation of Shinichiro Watanabe’s classic anime Cowboy Bebop was in the works and now we know who’s behind it:  Keanu Reeves and his long time producer Erwin Stoff.  Reeves told MTV that he’ll be playing lead character Spike Spiegel in the film with a story built around the Red Eye episode from the beginning of the anime series.  Can Reeves pull off Spiegel’s cool charisma?  I have my doubts but based on the interview linked above it’s at least clear that he’s got a legitimate love and understanding of the show ...

[Twitch-O-Meters will remain at the top of the page for the duration of the day they were published. Please scroll down for today’s film news]
Time flies when you’re having fun, especially if you can’t count.
I expected that shortly we’d have to do a special Twitch-O-Meter because number 100 was coming up. But when I finished counting them all, guess what: I was already too late. Last week was actually the hundredth of these that got published.
Which makes this Twitch-O-Meter number 101.
And that gave me the idea to put up a list with links to all the 100 which had come before. 
Sometimes we do get asked what the Twitch-O-Meter is supposed to be, or what its purpose is. What it is is quickly answered: it’s a weekly column, mostly (but not always) in the form of a list or a countdown.
What the purpose is takes a bit longer to explain, but it basically amounts to this: here at Twitch, most of the time we write about news. New movies, new plans from actors and directors, new DVDs…
But we didn’t become film fans because of news. We started to love films because of specific titles, specific events, specific genre highlights. The Twitch-O-Meter was invented so we had a chance to write about things we love and hate. And to share opinions and other stuff which does not necessarily constitute news.
These are our labors of love, or at least they should be. And what have we done with the freedom this column grants us? Find out after the break!

Continue Reading "What Came Before 101: A Big List Of All Twitch-O-Meters So Far"...

[This post bumped back to the top of the page because a) Cory McAbee is a hugely underappreciated genius, b) this new project looks ten kinds of awesome and c) the trailer is now in the Twitch Player below the break.]

There are several fans around these parts of The Billy Nayer Show frontman Cory McAbee and his delightfully offbeat film projects.  His first feature film, The American Astronaut gets a fair bit of play in the Halfyard household, and has developed tidy cult following that should welcome what looks to be this quasi-sequel of sorts.  Judging by the stills found on the official site, Stingray Sam looks to be a serialized project that is shaping up to a full feature for Sundance 2009 (echoes of Guy Maddin‘s peep-show assembled feature, Cowards Bend the Knee).  There simply are not enough space-western-musicals out there - nice to see that the BNS is looking out for us.

A dangerous mission reunites Stingray Sam with his long lost accomplice, The Quasar Kid. Follow these two space-convicts as they earn their freedom in exchange for the rescue of a young girl who is being held captive by the genetically designed figurehead of a very wealthy planet. This musical space-western miniseries is designed for small screens and perfect for screens of all sizes.

We also anxiously await any movement on Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest (Let the stars align for this, please) and Stingray Sam looks like a very pleasant surprise until that happens.

Continue Reading "American Astronaut fans Looky Here, It’s the STINGRAY SAM Trailer!"...

2008 is the year of the horror-western, apparently, and one that we have been tracking for quite some time here is Swiss director Olivier Beguin’s twenty minute short Dead Bones, which has just premiered at the Sitges Festival.  What do we learn from this film?  There is a reason why people might be inclined to name a town Dead Bones, dammit, and maybe it’d be best if you just went ahead and rode around it.

The film tells the story of a bounty hunter who rides into a remote town in pursuit of a pair of criminals only to discover the town itself is far more dangerous than his quarry.  Shot on location using the still-existing Spanish sets that hosted the large majority of spaghetti westerns through the 1970’s Dead Bones has a remarkably authentic and cinematic quality to it, and full marks go to Beguin for having the good sense to start things off right by going back to the land that made westerns popular in the first place.

As is often the case with a project such as this in which virtually everybody involved is working outside of their first language - it’s shot in English with a multi-ethnic cast and crew - the rhythms of the dialog can feel forced and unnatural in places but Beguin shows his chops in a pair of extended set pieces that crank up the tension nicely:  an underground chase through a series of tunnels with bounty hunter and prey chained together at the wrist and an extended, tightly choreographed outdoor gun battle.  Also very noteworthy are the stellar gore effects, the first gouts of blood splattered on the screen by Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodata, appearing in an extended cameo.

I remember once my Mother expressing fearfulness over her own mortality when one of her favorite movie stars passed away. At the time I thought she was being a bit melodramatic—after all, movie stars are only human beings, right?—and yet with the recent news of the death of Paul Newman, and my 55th birthday right around the corner, I suddenly felt my breath clutch in my chest. Losing one of the true stars in the firmament, the remaining few decades of my own existence now seem irrevocably less illuminated. Sure, there are new actors glittering up the horizon with each new issue of Entertainment Weekly; but, few of them shine consistently like the true stars of yesteryear, let alone guide the way for the rest of us—like torches held aloft to ward off encroaching darkness—icons to emulate.

I have four specific images of Paul Newman which wing to mind. The first, him lying flat on his back with the impression of dozens of eggs pushing out from his stomach, projected larger-than-life on a drive-in screen in Twin Falls, Idaho. Such madness! That sequence impressed me so much as a young man. I got as far as six boiled eggs one time; but, never as many as Cool Hand Luke! Could one ever be as cool as Cool Hand Luke? No. But one could try to be.

Then I think of him as Brick Pollitt resisting the advances of “Maggie the Cat”; Elizabeth Taylor at her most voluptuous. Only a star of Paul Newman’s stature could resist the likes of Liz Taylor in a white slip lingering seductively on the edge of a bed full of rocks. She talked about him making love to her with confident aloofness and—as an impressionable young male—that set a standard for masculine behavior. Even later, when I learned that the role had been adapted from Tennessee Williams’ original intent to guise Brick’s insinuated homosexuality, it didn’t matter. Gay or straight, Newman set the bar for provocatively aloof masculinity.

He expressed the flip side of that as well with his portrayal of Hud. Confident, assertive, and hazardously attractive; the epitome of every crash-and-burn type I sought out during my wild years. I completely understood how it took every bit of moral turpitude for Patricia Neal to resist that naturally sleek body and those baby blues. He proved beyond a doubt that beautiful butch men were sheer hell.

And yet the final image I have of Paul Newman is a description I read in an interview with Joanne Woodward. Woodward was asked what it was like to be married to such a simmering beauty? She was quick to stress that it wasn’t his looks that made her devoted to him; but, the fact that he could make her laugh. And with that one statement masculinity was reconfigured all over again for me and the way was lit for me to follow.

I’ve no doubt that I’m going to stumble now and then in the next 20-30 years I have left. It shall have to be the memory of radiance that wards off darkness now. The memory of blue eyes lit up with mirth, sensuality, intelligence, defiance, humanity.

Continue Reading "TCM—PAUL NEWMAN COMMEMORATIVE MARATHON"...

Howdy y’all. Just about to head off to the airport and head back home after a wicked time here in Austin at Fantastic Fest. My thanks and gratitude go out to festival programmers and their staff. I’m going to get this review of the one Secret Screening that I did manage to make it into. All in all it sounds like they were all hit and miss. None of them really seemed to hit it out of the park this year. I questioned my devotion to Todd yesterday afternoon when it appeared that the Secret Screening of Rocknrolla was far from full, but I was committed to finishing my review for Martyrs and adding another vote to our mix.

Two friends, Virgil and Everrett, played by writer/director Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen, are hired to police a small town is suffering under the rule of a ruthless rancher, Randall Bragg. played by Jeremy Irons. Bragg has recently killed the former sheriff and his deputies and these two are called in to restore order to the town of Appaloosa. They soon find things get more complicated by the arrival of a young widow, Allison French, played by Renee Zellweger.

Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest 2008: Appaloosa"...

Nacho Vigolando is an emerging cinematic force that should be revered. Clearly loved by the Alamo crowd Nacho emerged yesterday as a returning champion, as if Caesar were returning to Rome after smiting the Gauls [I don’t care if this isn’t accurate it sounds damn cool]. Last year Nacho’s Time Crimes won the Next Wave Award, a jury prize, here at Fantastic Fest. It has also gone on to dominate pretty much every other festival it has ever been screened at. Yet, somehow I find myself in the enviable position of someone who has never seen it. I have seen more of his short work than I have of his feature work. How the hell does someone in my position manage to pull that off? What the hell, man?

Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest 2008: Nacho Vigalondo Shorts"...

Got stacked up against a wacky internet connection yesterday so I couldn’t bring the good news of Fantastic Fest to all my fans. To the three of you [hey mom] I apologize for the technical difficulties. And then there was that ‘suite’ party with the ex-president that night and things got a little foggy after that.

I caught up with some old friends on Friday, two films that we have talked about extensively around these parts. Why? Well, because they’re just so damn good, that’s why. I’m talking about The Good, The Bad, The Weird and Tokyo Gore Police. Both are very different film from each other but they didn’t make them any less enjoyable and the crowds were loving both of them.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird plays again on Tuesday, September 23rd at 3:30pm and Tokyo Gore Police plays again that same day at 8:50pm.

Continue Reading "Fantastic Fest 2008: ‘The Good, The Bad, The Weird’ and ‘Tokyo Gore Police’"...

While scurrying up Bay Street in Toronto I was hailed by Bruce Fletcher to come join him and friends at an outdoor table to lift “twobeer”; a welcome invitation on a humid afternoon. Bruce introduced me to “Ant” Timpson, Executive Producer of Head Strong, a feature film development company out of New Zealand; Ian Rattray, the Co-Director of London’s Film4 Frightfest; and James Faust, Senior Programmer for the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. After achieving a perfect buzz, we stumbled into a press screening of Sauna, but not before Bruce gave me the heads-up on the line-up for San Francisco’s upcoming Dead Channels: Festival of Fantastic Film to be held October 3rd-9th, 2008 at San Francisco’s Roxie Film Center and on October 9th at Oakland’s Parkway Speakeasy. This year’s Festival will showcase 20 feature films and 20 short films from 10 countries and it includes exclusive world premieres, cutting edge women directors, classic repertory picks, amazing animation and much more, guaranteed to blow your mind!

Continue Reading "DEAD CHANNELS 2008—Lineup"...

[This review originally appeared as part of my festival coverage at Showcase.  Thanks to the Goat-Boy for allowing us to reprint it here.]

Over the course of his career Kim Ji Woon has become one of the most unique voices in South Korea. Sure, he doesn’t have the name recognition here of Oldboy’s Park Chan Wook, but has Park ever told the tale of a bland businessman turned masked wrestler? Told a twisty ghost story? Gone for gangster revenge?

Okay he’s done the gangster thing - sort of - but Kim has a much more diverse resume and has earned himself a reputation as one of the most technically skilled directors in the world the good old fashioned way: by actually being exactly that. Kim’s a wizard with a camera as proven by the atmospheric world of A Tale of Two Sisters and the jaw dropping action of A Bittersweet Life. So the reaction to news that Kim was taking a stab at a straight up western? Glee!

Continue Reading "TIFF Review: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD"...

The premiere of JT Petty’s horror western at the Toronto International film festival is mere hours away and yesterday I had the chance to sit down and chat with Petty about his creation,  The interview was arranged for one of my other writing gigs so I can’t reprint it here but if you want to hear his thoughts on the Old West and what it takes to frighten people, then hit the link below to check it out.

While Toronto is in the throes of Festival fever it seems suitable that a past festival favorite appear on screen[s] in this city once again. Takashi Miike’s SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO opens in cinema[s] here in Toronto this Friday, September 19th. Didn’t catch it the first time around? Here’s your chance. No word if other cities in Canada will be screening Miike’s film. The full press release is after the jump. Be sure to check your local listings this Friday.

Continue Reading "‘SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO’ Opens in Toronto Friday, September 19th"...

The Burrowers tells the story of Coffey, an Irish immigrant wants the hand of MaryAnne in marriage. One night her family’s isolated ranch is attacked. But by who? Or what? All that is left in her homestead are the bodies of her family and she is nowhere to be found. Coffey sets out with a pair of aging Indian-fighters [Clancy Brown and William Mapother], a teenage boy and an ex-slave to find his beloved MaryAnne. Expecting the offenders to be a band of fierce natives, the group prepares for a routine battle.  But they soon discover that the real enemy stalks them from below and they must unravel the mystery, ‘Who are the Burrowers’?

Mmmm ... Mack got to have an early look at JT Petty’s The Burrowers back in early June and posted his thoughts on it here.  I’ve been anxious to see it ever since - an itch I’ll get to scratch next week at the Toronto International Film Festival - but in the short term I can at least get a feel for it by checking out the just-released trailer. Tasty. You’ll find it below the break in the Twitch Player.

Continue Reading "Trailer Arrives For JT Petty’s THE BURROWERS"...

Because there just aren’t enough technicolored westerns about vegetarian cowboys sworn to protect the interests of cattle in India we have been very pleased to provide a steady stream of images and trailers from one such film:  the upcoming Indian western Quick Gun Murugan.  We posted the first trailer for the film back on my birthday - so happy birthday to me - and now we’ve got a second trailer in which our hero gets killed, goes to heaven, is reincarnated to do battle with the evil purveyors of meat-based McDosa’s and sprouts an octet of arms, a six gun in each and every one of them.  Yes, I’m excited to finally see this one.

Quick Gun Murugan is a western spoof with attitude, featuring outlandish songs, outrageous melodrama and crazy action sequences including a classic duel in a traffic jam.  The film tells the story of Quick Gun Murugan - a South Indian karmic cowboy whose duty is to protect vegetarianism and cows.  When faced with a world-conquering arch-villain restaurant owner who wants to create the ultimate McDosa chain using beef, Quick Gun enters into an epic battle of vegetarianism vs. non-vegetarianism that spans time and space, from a small South Indian village to an Indian heaven and then finally to a cosmopolitan Mumbai across 15 years.

These trailers are essentially the film’s international sales reel split into two parts, which means that you get some quirks in the pacing and narration as these things are generally put together fast while the film is still in production.  So the presentation’s a little bit odd but the actual film itself looks absolutely insane in the best possible way.  Both trailers in the Twitch Player below the break.

Continue Reading "The Karmic Cowboy Sprouts Eight Arms of Death!  It’s The Second Trailer For QUICK GUN MURUGAN!"...

While a major round of searching for freshly released trailers for films involved in the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival lies in my near future today saw a trio of big titles added to our growing library of TIFF-related trailers.  How big?  How about Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married, one of the festival’s Gala presentations?  Not enough?  How about Ed Harris’ western Appaloosa?  Still not enough?  Well then, how about the Michael Cera starring rom-com Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist?  That last one got the longest look from me not just because I’m a sucker for Cera but also because it plays in a lot of ways - and I mean a LOT of ways - like a dry run for Cera’s upcoming role in the lead of Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life. 

You’ll find all three trailers below the break, or hit the link below to launch the full Trailer Park.

Continue Reading "Three More In The TIFF Trailer Park!  APPALOOSA! RACHEL GETTING MARRIED! NICK AND NORAH!"...