Monday, July 30, 2012

Set List - Fiona Apple, Hollywood Palladium, 7/29/12

Photo courtesy of Sterogum


Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Fiona Apple for the third time, and although normally I don't cover music for ATFG, I can't resist at least putting up her set list because BECAUSE. Only disappointed she didn't sing Never is a Promise, Parting Gift and Hot Knife, but I understand why. Two are incredibly depressing and the last one is three lyrics but DAMNIT three lyrics I wanted to sing with her so badly. Still, wonderful show. I also appreciate the fact that the songs I am currently enjoying/relating to the most are Extraordinary Machine and Anything We Want, as opposed to like, Shadowboxer, Werewolf, Tymps, I Know....pretty much any other song of hers ever....Fiona, you've been through some shit. I love you. The end.

(links to songs courtesy of setlist.fm)
  1. "I may be soft in your palm, but I'll soon grow hungry for a fight and I will not let you win"
  2. "Maybe some faith would do me good"
  3. "Once my lover, now my friend, what a cruel thing to pretend...Ill be sure to stay wary of you, love, to save the pain of once my flame and twice my burn"
  4. "Hunger hurts, but starving works when it costs too much to love"
  5. "I kept touching my neck to guide your eye where I wanted you to kiss me when we find some time alone...and then we can do anything we want."
  6. "I'll idealize, then realize that it's no sacrifice, because the price is paid, and there's nothing left to grieve"
  7. "You say love is a hell you cannot bear, and I say gimmie mine back and then go there...This mind, this body and this voice cannot be stifled by your deviant ways"
  8. "If there was a better way to go, then it would find me....be kind to me or treat me mean, I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine"
  9. "We can still support each other, all we gotta do's avoid each other...nothing's wrong when a song ends in a minor key."
  10. "Why did I kiss him so hard late last Friday night, and keep on letting him change all my plans. I'm either so sick in the head I need to be bled dry, to quit, or I just really used to love him. I sure hope that's it."
  11. "Seek me out, look at me, I'm all the fishes in the sea."
  12. "If it gets too late, for me to wait for you to find you love me and tell me so, it's okay, don't need to say it..."
  13. "That's when the pain comes in, like a second skeleton, trying to fit beneath the skin, I can't fit the feelings in...every single night's a fight with my brain. I just want to feel everything."
  14. "I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand, but I keep living this day like the next will never come."
  15. "All I want is to save you honey, or the strength to walk away."
  16. "Take all of the things that I've said that he stole, put 'em in a sack, swing over my shoulder, turn on my heels, step out of this sight, try to live in a lovelier night...this is not about love, cause I am not in love, in fact I can't stop falling out."
  17. It's Only Make Believe (Conway Twitty cover)

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On The Scene: The 38th Annual Saturn Awards


Cross-posted on Film.com

Last night marked the 38th annual Saturn Awards, the ceremony honoring the best in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. The Sweet Tea Vodka may have been traded in for Korbel and Gordon Biersch, but the chicken dinner, cheesecake dessert Jeff Ross's annual joke that he looks like a cross between Walter Matthau and Rick Moranis stayed the same. Phew. Special award recipients of the night included actor James Remar, writer Robert Kirkman, director Drew Goddard, jack-of-all-awesome Frank Oz, and "The Simpsons" for achieving its milestone as the longest running scripted series of all time. Big winners in regular categories included "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", "Super 8", "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part Two", "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", "Fringe" & "Breaking Bad". Here is our recap of the festivities.


Most Heartfelt Speech
"X-Men: First Class" makeup artist Dave Elsey told us a story about how when we was 15 he sent a letter to Rick Baker, figuring he'd never hear back. Much to his surprise, Baker happened to be in London at the time working on "Greystroke" and not only wrote back, but invited Elsey to set to watch him work. After that, Elsey knew his destiny was to work in film makeup and stressed how much the award meant to him. Honoring Baker's influence even further, Elsey informed the audience, in case they didn't know, that Baker would soon be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In a close second, seminal editor Paul Hirsch, who has edited "Carrie", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off,", and "The Empire Strikes Back," just to name a few, won an award for editing "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", and noted "I first won one of these 34 years ago for "Star Wars [Episode IV]", and I hope to see you back here in another 34 years."



Most Inspiring Speech
Okay, so it turns out Frank Oz is a genius. I mean, we should all already know this, but just in case, I'll say it again - Frank Oz is a *genius.* After seeing a stellar reel of his work and hearing his praises sung by Mark Hamill and Scott Bakula, with whom he recently finished working on a play, Oz, winner of one of last night's Life Career awards, took to the stage to give a moving, inspiring and riveting speech detailing how important it is not to let low self esteem get you down, as he had terrible confidence in himself until Jim Henson forced him into realizing his talent. He emphasized that he didn't reach where he is today alone, and that it's all about the people you work with and having confidence in their confidence in you. The man who did the voice of Cookie Monster exclusively longer than I've been alive urged the audience to remember, "You may not think you're good enough, but believe me, you are." He concluded his speech by talking about Henson's drive to simply make things good, and how Oz feels a kinship with everyone in that room because he thinks we all feel that way, we just want to create and experience things that are good, no matter who gets the credit or how difficult it might be, Though Oz apologized for the length of his speech, I could have listened to him talk all night.

WAY more after the jump
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Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Ten Most Heart Warming Moments Of Comic-Con 2012

Cross-posted on Film.com


For all of the criticism of this years Comic-Con for being more Hollywood than ever thanks to giant spectacle and the number of parties per night giving the number of panels per day a run for their money, what the Con is truly and still continues to be about is being overlooked - the connection between fan and property or artist. This year I saw more tears than in any year before, and not a single one was shed out of sadness. While this may have on the one hand been a year of bombast, it was also the year of joy and appreciation, and we thought we'd give you a rundown of the best of those sweet moments.






Twilight Does Some Good
The last ever "Twilight" panel managed to have one second that actually for a moment made me appreciate what the franchise has perhaps done for people. A male fan who somewhat resembles Taylor Lautner, took to the mic to have a "bro moment" with Lautner, thanking him for the inspiration to get in shape, losing almost 100 pounds so far. He asked for advice on how to stay in shape and whether or not Lautner cheats on his diet, to which Lautner gave the fan genuine advice. For some reason the positivity of that moment had at least one audience member getting misty eyes (read: me)


Fans Show Some Tim Burton Love
There were multiple moments of overwhelming sweetness during the "Frankenweenie" portion of the Disney panel. First, when a giant group of fans, each dressed as a different Burton movie came to the mic to ask a question, to which Burton exclaimed, "It's like my family came to see me!" Later, a girl at the mic was asking Burton how it felt to finish a project he started working on so many years ago and burst into tears, eliciting awes from the entire hall. Burton empathized with the young fan, "I feel like you do, when I think about it, I start to cry myself."



Firefly - We're All In This Together
Nothing beats the high emotions that took place at the end of the "Firefly" reunion panel. Being in that room for the reunion trumped pretty much anything else that happened during the entire weekend. The intangible energy alone was enough to bring any passer byer (if that was possible at Comic-Con) to tears. Although a few panelists got misty eyed during their entrances (Summer Glau most notably), everyone lost it at the end. When Joss Whedon was talking about what he would have changed about the end of Firefly had he known it was getting canceled, he said "We would have learned about Book and we would have learned about Inara and for some reason that's the question that's gonna make me cry? That's okay, you know what, that is a good last question." As Joss started to tear up, the audience showered him in applause. But it goes beyond that. Jeff Jensen, before wrapping the panel up, posed this question to Whedon, "What do the fans mean to you?" Already fighting back his emotions, Whedon had a hard time mustering up the strength to answer, which immediately cause Nathan Fillion to wipe his own eyes and inspired the audience to collectively scream "We love you!!!" After a few more moments, the audience packed to the brim with 4500 people took to their feet applauding Whedon, letting him know how much he means to us. As Whedon couldn't hold it together any longer, Glau leaned over and kissed his shoulder and the whole cast stood up with the audience, applauding Whedon right along with us. Now fully in tears, along with most of the cast, Whedon gave the following speech to the crowd, who stayed on their feet for the whole conclusion of the panel,
“Only an idiot would actually try to follow that with a sentence. When you come out of a great movie…you feel like you’re in that world. Like you come out of Brazil and suddenly everything is duct piping and…buerocracy and everyone's weird and everything's too much. You know, you come out of these certain things and the world has become that. When you’re telling a story, you are trying to connect to people in a particular way. It's not just about what you want to say, It’s about inviting them into a world and the way in which you guys have inhabited this world, this universe, have made you part of it, part of the story, you are living *in* Firefly, when I see you guys, I don’t think the show is off the air, I don't think there's a show, I think that's what the world is like. I think there’s spaceships, I think there's horses, I think it's going on in all of us — the story is alive.”

A whole lot more after the jump!

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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Film Lovers Guide to Comic-Con 2012

Cross-posted on and commissioned by Film.com

It's that time of year again! The week in July when 130,000 fans descend on to San Diego to celebrate all that is Geek. We've decided to take a look at the film related panels making at appearance at Comic-Con 2012 to aid you attendees in knowing when to line up, or you non attendees in knowing when to take to Twitter to search for real time reactions. Whether you like big budget - high anticipation studio panels, fun to discover indie panels, or lively discussions about film in general, here is the guide that directs you to them all.

Thursday

The Big Guns

If you have never experienced a Twilight panel, folks, now is your last chance. Start your morning off right with all the squealing and shrieking you could ever wish for (and fingers crossed a look at Warm Bodies too?), then follow it up with some healthy nostalgia courtesy of Disney, Tim Burton, L. Frank Baum and old school video games - and don't be surprised if the wonderful looking Wreck it Ralph steals Thursday completely - then finish up with the MOST testosterone as every famous man with muscles ever takes the stage to talk Expendables. The big question on lots of people's minds - will Lionsgate show a clip from Dredd (I think yes) or announce the casting of Finnick Odair (I think no) - show up or stay tuned to find out.

12:45-1:45 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek at the highly anticipated conclusion of The Twilight Saga films. This is a must-see for fans interested in the story's final chapter. You will be shown exclusive footage from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 and be treated to a cast and filmmaker Q&A session providing details on the epic finale. Hall H 


2:05-3:05 Walt Disney Studios: Frankenweenie, Oz The Great and Powerful, and Wreck-it Ralph Walt Disney Studios hosts a Q&A panel featuring the imaginative director of FrankenweenieTim Burton (Alice in Wonderland); a special look at the world of Oz The Great and Powerful with director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy); and the illustrious voice cast of Walt Disney Animation Studios' Wreck-It Ralph, including John C. Reilly (Step Brothers) and Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program), and director Rich Moore (Futurama). Hall H

4:45-5:45 The Expendables 2-Real American Heroes Sylvester Stallone and the legendary cast of the sequel to 2010's smash hit film preview the real-deal muscles, weapons, skills, and explosions that went into making a film even bigger and badder than the original. Terry CrewsRandy CoutureDolph LundgrenJean Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger will join the panel discussion.Hall H 


Discover Me!

A whole slew of movies you might not have heard of will be making their case to the fan community on Thursday. Although Jackie Chan's latest is in Hall H, it still remains a bit of a mystery, and those are always a delightful time (remember Twixt last year? Anyone?) and returning for its second year is the Virtual Drive In, which takes a look at smaller genre films and hosts a discussion with their filmmakers. Plus, the panel will kick off with trailers, clips and intros from indie films other than the three featured, so make a point to get there right at 6:15 to maximize your ability to discover and brag a year from now that you knew a movie would be awesome first (see: Tucker and Dale vs Evil.)

11:00-12:00 Twisted Twins: American Mary— Jen and Sylvia Soska (of Twisted Twins Productions and the makers of Dead Hooker in a Trunk) and Todd Masters (of MASTERSFX and make-up effects producer on True Blood) will discuss the use of prosthetics in horror. The Soskas will also address the challenges of working in a male-dominated genre. They will unveil a sizzle reel from their new film American MaryPaula Lindberg (Ruby in American Mary) will also be on the panel, which is moderated by Beth Accomando (author of the KPBS blog Cinema Junkie). Room 5AB 





3:00-4:00 Hotel TransylvaniaAnimation superstar and 12-time Emmy nominee Genndy Tartakovsky, who previously created Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Sym-Bionic Titan and Star Wars: Clone Wars, makes his directorial debut this year with Sony Pictures Animation's Hotel Transylvania. Join Genndy for an exclusive sneak peek at footage from Hotel Transylvania and an exciting look behind the scenes of this very unique project, which boasts a hilarious voice cast.
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of his best friends -- Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf family, and more -- to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but everything could change for the overprotectiv e dad when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront 


3:25-4:25 CZ12 Jackie Chan & JJ Productions Limited are happy to bring you Jackie Chan's upcoming classical full-action feature movie CZ12, which is produced and directed by Jackie Chan. The movie stars Jackie Chan, Kwone Sang Woo and with a special guest appearance by Oliver Platt. It is filmed in multi-territories including China, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vanuatu, Australia, and  Latvia. Trailers will be presented and a Q&A will be held for the film. Hall H 




6:15-8:15 The Virtual Drive-In— Come with us again to those thrilling days of yesteryear where one of the few places you could see offbeat genre films was at your local drive-in, huddled safely in your car as the summer sky darkened around you. At least that was the germ of an idea that gave birth to this panel last year, and the reception by those fans who attended was so positive they're doing it again. So, welcome to the second edition of the Virtual Drive-In, where you will preview three twisted tales by some talented filmmakers who will all be appearing on the panel to discuss their work and take your questions. Moderated by Robert Meyer Burnett. The featured films are:
Branded -- A dark and mind-bending journey into a surreal, dystopian society where mega-corporations have unleashed a monstrous global conspiracy to get inside our minds and keep the population deluded, dependent and passive. One man's quest to unlock the truth behind the conspiracy will lead to an epic battle with the hidden forces that really control our world. Appearing on stage is director Jamie Bradshaw.

Crave -- Aiden (Josh Lawson) fantasizes about a better life away from his gruesome job as a crime scene photographer working alongside his detective friend Pete (Ron Perlman)-a heroic life where he falls in love with the perfect woman and dispenses justice on the hard streets of Detroit. When he meets the alluring young Virginia (Emma Lung) and steals a gun from a crime scene, the line between his darkest fantasies and reality begins to blur, with deadly consequences. This visually arresting psychological noir begins its festival run with its world premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival and continues on to other festivals around the world. Appearing on stage: Josh Lawson (House of Lies) and director Charles de Lauzirika, with other guests to be announced.

Coldwater -- "Make sure the past isn't watching you." Andre agrees to help out his friend Robert by taking over a housesitting job at an unusual house nestled in the heart of Coldwater Canyon. As the day turns into night, Andre experiences strange things that lead him to believe he is not alone and that someone or something is watching him. Appearing in person are writer/director Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red) and star Ivan Djurovic (24).
Hall H 


8:00-9:00 The Image Revolution Documentary— Twenty years ago, the seven biggest artists in comics created a company that revolutionized comics. Now, director Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods) and producer Jordan Rennert (Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts) are telling the company's story in a new documentary produced by Sequart and Respect Films. Get a first look at the film, and talk about the highs and lows of Image history with a couple of special guests. Moderated by F. J. De Santo (The Spirit). Room 32AB 

Let's Discuss

Thursdays opportunities for discussion range from fan gabbing about one property, to multiple artists with something in common discussing their work, to professionals remisicing about one golden year in science fiction, to advice on low budget filmmaking, to movie bloggers having a blast talking about what they love and hate and why, to the process of creating a blu-ray. If you can't make it into any of the giant panels, there is still plenty to whet the whistle of a major film fan.

10:15-11:15 TheOneRing.net: The Truth About The Hobbit The Hobbit movie is imminent just at the book turns 75. With on-set visits, intrepid reporting, and the pulse of fans worldwide, the TORn staff shred rumors, answer questions, share New Zealand images-but not as part of the official publicity machine. Also featuring a special visual presentation from Weta Workshop and an account of Fandalf traveling the world and (all that is the tip of the iceberg!). Featuring Cliff Broadway (Ringers: Lord of the Fans) and Larry D. Curtis (Hobbit embedded reporter) and additional staff and guests. Room 6DE 


11:15-12:00 DreamWorks Animation— DreamWorks Animation's chief creative officer Bill Damaschke anchors a diverse group of filmmakers to demo and discuss the artistic ambition and technical innovation that goes into moviemaking at DreamWorks Animation. Moderated byAnthony Breznican from Entertainment Weekly.Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront 



3:00-4:00 1982: It was 30 Years Ago Today-Greatest Geek Year Ever!— It's time to stand up and cheer the greatest geek year ever-three decades later-and the editors of Geek Magazine and guests are here to tell you all about it on this nostalgic trip down memory lane in which they go back to the future. Geek editors Jeff Bond andDavid E. Williams are joined by screenwriter Ashley E. Miller (Thor, X-Men: First Class), director Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, The Hills Run Red), writerSteve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers: The Series), Steve Kriozere(V.I.P., Elvis Van Helsing), Bill HuntTodd Doogan and Dr. Adam Jahnke (The Digital Bits, Geek), and Mark A. Altman (Free Enterprise, Femme Fatales, Castle) to discuss the year that gave us Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanBlade RunnerE.T., Tron, Poltergeist, Conan: The Barbarian, The Road Warrior, The Thing, Liquid Sky (Liquid Sky? Really?!?),The Sword and the Sorcerer, Diner, 48 Hours, Dexy's Midnight Runner's "Come On Eileen" and many more. What's your favorite? And can 2012 possibly compare? You be the judge. On second thought, they'll be the judge. Moderated by Geek Magazine(geekexchange.com). Room 5AB 



3:15-4:15 Low Budget/Big Genre: Making it Fun— Script developers, producers, writers, and actors discuss lower-budget genre movies and some of the tools they use to make them so much fun that people keep coming back for more. Panelists include writer/director Eric Forsberg (Syfy, The Asylum, Active Entertainment), Micho Rutare(development executive, The Asylum), actress Gabriel Womack (Triassic Attack, Copperhead), Mark Beltzman (Re-Animator, the Musical), Karen Goodman Forsberg (producer and co-founder, Big Bear Horror Film Festival), and Bill Lundy (writer, Silent Warning, Alien Siege on SyFy; head of Scriptwriters Network).Marriott Hall 2, Marriott Marquis & Marina 


4:30-5:30 Masters of the Web— The annual gathering of some of the most prominent and influential film pundits on the web discuss the film industry, writing for film online, film fandom, and a whole lot more. Moderated by star of the new Lionsgate film DreddKarl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King), with special surprise cast members from the film. Panelists include Mike Sampson(ScreenCrush.com), Jen Yamato (MovieLine.com), Mali Elfman (ScreenCrave.com),Erik Davis (Movies.com), Steve "Frosty" Weintraub (Collider.com), Grae Drake(Fandango.com), Jenna Busch (Cocktails with Stan Lee), and Edward Douglas(ComingSoon.net), and hosted by John Campea (AMC Theatres). AMC is generously providing free movies passes to all attendees of the panel this year! Room 24ABC 


5:00-6:00 Blu-ray Producers 2012— Bill HuntTodd Doogan, and Dr. Adam Jahnke ofThe Digital Bits.com and Geek Monthly discuss the process of making great Blu-ray special editions with producers Charles de Lauzirika (PrometheusThe Amazing Spider-Man), Cliff Stephenson (The Hunger GamesThe Expendables 2), and Robert Meyer Burnett (Star Trek: The Next Generation-Seasons One and Two), as well as Warner Home Video's senior VP of theatrical catalog marketing George Feltenstein. Audience participation is encouraged. Room 5AB 



Your Daily Trailer Park

What's Comic-Con without a trailer park?

11:30-12:30 Trailer Park— A Comic-Con tradition comes home to Hall H! See the latest in trailers from your upcoming soon-to-be-favorite films, including some in that new-fangled 3D contraption (glasses provided, but please give them back as you exit the hall).Hall H 

The rest of the week after the jump!


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Sunday, July 1, 2012

July at the Movies

Cross-posted on and commissioned by Film.com


Now smack dab in the middle of the Summer movie season, July gives us the last two giant superhero flicks of the year, along with raunchy comedies, adult dramas, and two giant handfuls of festival darlings. Plus the biggest box office war of all time begins when 'The Dark Knight Rises' steps in to challenge Avengers for the all time throne. So what do we have to look forward to?


Marvel vs DC

"The Amazing Spiderman" - Tuesday, July 3rd
Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.
Marc Webb's sadly mostly unnecessary reboot of the Spider-Man franchise finally hits theaters on Tuesday. While Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone make a stellar Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, and the film's fight and flight sequences are fantastic, the story falls a little flat, as it feels way too well tread already, not rebooting the series truly from the ground up the way Batman did or to a certain extent, X-Men did with 'First Class'. Still, the ingredients are there and I feel positive that an origin-less sequel, will bring out the best in the new series.

"The Dark Knight Rises" - Friday July 20th
Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
If any movie this summer has the potential to break the 'Avengers' 600 million worldwide record, it's the final installment in Chris Nolan's Batman franchise. I've tried my damnedest to know nothing about this film as I want to see everything for the first time when I plop down in my cushy IMAX chair, but I can tell you this - early world is that the film is a masterpiece and even better than 'The Dark Knight'. If it meets these expectations, maybe Oscar will finally give this series the Oscar nod it so richly deserved the last time around.

More after the jump!

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