News from Rope Of Silicon

10 articles

6 October 2008 8:50 PM, PDT

When I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in theaters I was completely unafraid to say just how much adored and loved the first two-thirds and was moderately okay with the final climactic sequences. While I was not alone in that assessment (this film sits at 77-percent to the positive at Rotten Tomatoes), you'd think in the time after it was released I was bona fide insane, so many people willing to give you an earful on just how underwhelming they felt this action-adventure was. Watching it again on DVD I say phooey to all the naysayers and stick to my guns on the picture itself. This, almost two-decades in coming, sequel to George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford's last outing bringing globe-trotting archaeologist Indiana Jones to the screen is one heck of a lot of fun, and as far as old-fashioned Saturday matinee

Sara Michelle Fetters

6 October 2008 4:51 AM, PDT

(Above) Shirley Eaton as victim Jill Masterson in the 1964 Bond movie Goldfinger

(Below) Gemma Arterton is covered with liquid during Quantum of Solace

Photo: MGM and Sony Pictures courtesy Daily Mail The Daily Mail has a fantastic new article showing how Quantum of Solace (11.14) pays a direct homage to 1964's Goldfinger as new bond girl Gemma Arterton's character is drowned in crude oil and her lifeless body is left draped over a bed in a scene deliberately reminiscent of the 1964 Bond classic Goldfinger. Arterton tells the Mail, "I couldn't move. I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe or hear because it went in my ears. It was unpleasant, but it's something I'll always remember and it will be an iconic part of the film." An oily Arterton blows a kiss to the camera after filming

Photo: Sony Pictures courtesy Daily Mail Arterton (pictured above and below) was quoted saying, "Kissing

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:51 AM, PDT

Almost as soon as I hit "publish" on my Changeling piece earlier saying a negative review had come in a new commentor challenged the article saying I was ignoring all the positive buzz for the film that came out of Cannes back in May. Admittedly I only linked to one positive review and not others (here are one, two and three more), but I also didn't link to three more negative reviews (the only three new Nyff reviews I could find), which I will do right now along with a little paraphrasing: The Playlist: In attempts to portray the injustices of L.A., the film becomes aggravating (the increasing difficulties are relentless and bordering on improbably). And in the effort to reveal mystery of what happened to her son later on in the picture, the film just becomes excessively long and a little exhausting. That's not to say there aren't any profound and powerful scenes.

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:51 AM, PDT

Paramount Vantage: "For Your Consideration" Paramount Vantage has launched their 2008 For Your Consideration website and along with it comes their plan of attack for their three major Oscar contenders; The Duchess, Defiance and Revolutionary Road. As of right now you can download the scripts for The Duchess (direct Pdf link here) and Defiance (direct Pdf link here) with the script for Revolutionary Road in the offing. You can also listen to the entire Rachel Portman score from The Duchess, which Paramount Vantage recently sent me and I can't get enough of it, as well as get a teaser of James Newton Howard's score from Defiance while an official track-by-track preview is not yet available. The section for The Duchess is certainly geared more toward emphasizing the costumes, production design and score while the specific focus for Defiance (deep link) and Revolutionary Road (deep link) is yet to be seen.

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:50 AM, PDT

The Psycho toilet... You scared yet?

Photo: Universal Home Video This last weekend saw the release of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and it came in third at the box-office so I am assuming some of you saw it and for those that didn't there is a scene where Norah's drunk friend, Caroline (Ari Graynor), is seen in a public restroom where she first vomits and then accidentally drops her cell phone and chewing gum in the very same toilet she just vacated her stomach. The toilet looks like it hasn't been flushed or cleaned in about ten years but is still regularly used. Caroline proceeds to fish out not only her cell phone, but the gum as well. The gum is then passed on from character to character throughout the film. Obviously, the Nick and Norah example was an attempt at drastic gross-out/potty humor. Sh!t, vomit, farts

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:48 AM, PDT

Photo: HBO Unfortunately it appears the fourth episode of "True Blood" was not much of a sign of what was to come. Just as the show started to get interesting it devolves into the most boring episode to date in episode five "Sparks Fly Out", a title dedicated more to the show's focus on the use of vampire blood as a drug rather than what it was truly about. I hardly even took any notes as I watched because there wasn't much to talk about. This episode does, however, give us more insight into how Bill came to be who he is, including the scene of his vampire birth. The episode begins with Sookie and Bill getting in a fight following the altercation Bill had with the police officer toward the end of the fourth episode. The fight ends with Bill saying, "I won't call on you again." If television

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:45 AM, PDT

I'm not going to feel bad about underestimating Chihuahua. That just means I still have hope. #1 movie predicted correctly: 3 Week In A Row 1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua It made $29m, but it's hard to say what that means as no production budget has been released. I don't think CGI costs what it used to though, so they've probably got a modest financial winner here. Result: 29.0 million (My rank: #1, $5.5m off) 2. Eagle Eye It sits at nearly $60m worldwide on a budget of $80m. D.J. Caruso's reign of terror might be coming to an end. Result: 17.7 million (My rank: #2, $2.7m off) 3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist I do wish this would have done a little better. Not because it's an amazing film, it's not, but because I'd like to see more films like it. I think that makes sense if you think about it long enough. Result: 12.0 million (My rank: #3, $0.5m off) 4. Nights in Rodanthe Wait,

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:33 AM, PDT

Kate Winslet in The Reader

Photo: The Weinstein Co. courtesy of Awards Daily Sasha at Awards Daily has come across the first still for the Weinstein Co.'s The Reader starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. The film has drummed up some controversy lately, but an agreed upon release of December 12 was decided and Kate will now compete against herself for some Oscar recognition between Reader and Revolutionary Road. The Reader is based on the Bernhard Schlink novel of the same name and directed by Stephen Daldry who directed Nicole Kidman to an Oscar for The Hours in 2002. The film is a romantic drama set against the landscape of post-war Germany involving a 15 year-old boy and a 30-year-old woman. The affair suddenly ends only to have the two meet again eight years later under completely different circumstances. For a slightly larger look at the pic above click here or visit

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:24 AM, PDT

Angelina Jolie in Changeling

Photo: Universal Pictures One of the reasons my "The Contenders" section on the site is taking a look at real buzz and not just perceived expectations based on pedigree. Of course I will add the movies from previous Oscar winners such as Clint Eastwood, but while folks want to point to his upcoming film Changeling as some sort of serious Oscar contender I couldn't help but remember a small bit of negative buzz coming out of Cannes despite some overwhelmingly positive reviews. Devin Faraci over at Chud points out a new review from Spout's Karina Longworth in which she pointed out how bad the film is by using a drinking game analogy: We drink every time Angelina hysterically proclaims, "He's not my son!" We get very drunk, and this may be why we can't figure out why Clint Eastwood made a cheap-looking Lifetime movie that eventually

Brad Brevet

6 October 2008 4:22 AM, PDT

As I prep my list of upcoming actresses that could become the next Julia Roberts in response to my query earlier this week asking Who is the Next Will Smith? one of the names certainly on the list is Isla Fisher and today we receive the first look at the poster for her new film Confessions of a Shopaholic as well as seven new images which can be found in the gallery here. In Confessions of a Shopaholic Fisher stars as Rebecca Bloomwood who is hopelessly addicted to shopping and drowning in a sea of debt. While Rebecca has dreams of working for a top fashion magazine, she can't quite get her foot in the door - that is, until she snags a job as an advice columnist for a new financial magazine published by the same company. Overnight, her column becomes hugely popular, turning her into an overnight celebrity.

Brad Brevet

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