We Have To Go Back

Just in case anyone has forgotten, tomorrow is the season 4 premiere of LOST and if you as a big a fan as I am, than you can wait another second. This article has no other purpose than to remind everyone of just how bad ass of a show LOST is. Over the way too long break we've had after season 3, I re-watched every season in a matter of three weeks or so. After which I was ready to kill a man to see the new season. If you wonder why I would be the ready to kill another human being, then you obviously don't remember this.

Spoiler Alert


And you certainly haven't seen this.


So, since I know that you are all in awe, I hope that you all enjoy the return of the greatest show ever.

Heath Ledger

Upon hearing the news of Heath Ledger's death from a co-worker while working, I laughed, because it had to be a joke. When assured it wasn't I checked it out online and sure enough, it was not a joke. I was completely shocked that such a young guy, only 9 years older than me, could of died just so suddenly. I was also shocked that it was Heath Ledger, a guy who always seemed so cool and down to earth.

When I tried to express how sad I thought Heath's death was, I was met with a slew of "Brokeback Mountain" jokes, which was of course followed by the ridicule I often receive for even watching "Brokeback Mountain". I think this saddened me even more. Not only did he die, not only did we lose one of our best and most promising actors, but he is also remembered by a large idiotic portion of the public as the butt of a never ending gay joke. People are just so ignorant to laugh at that movie and at the performance Heath gave because it was a truly moving and memorable performance.

I know that some people might think that I am weird to get so saddened over the death of a man I barely knew or a celebrity, but I can't help it. I feel that he did touch me in some way and any sad attempt I have ever made at acting has been influenced by him. I also feel the loss of the great things I know he would have done. He was always concerned with being an actor rather than a star, and he ended up being both. I truly hope, though it is wishful thinking, he gets some sort of Oscar recognition for his last role in "The Dark Knight". If Johnny Depp can be nominated for "Pirates of the Caribbean", then Heath Ledger can most certainly get the same treatment for his performance.

I ask all of you, dear readers, please remember Heath Ledger and remember what a great actor he was. Don't let him become the butt of a joke told by the ignorant masses. Remember him as a great actor and artist, a loving father, and a man who always seemed to be down to earth.

He will be missed.

The Great Movie Round Up

I have been so busy lately that it's been really hard for me to write an article, let alone a review for every movie I've seen, so I've decided to do a round up of all them, giving quick reviews. So here it is folks, a mini-review on pretty much every movie that has played in the last two months.

SAW IV

The fourth outing in the franchise that started the torture porn genre is an obviously shameless attempt at more money. With all the trademarks that make this series so easy to hate or hard to love: ridiculously unnecessary torture scenes, a weak plot, weak characters, a twist for the sake of a twist. Unless you liked the others or feel that you really need to see it since you've already saw the first three, skip it. 4/10

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

A fairly interesting sequel to a well received movie I never bothered watching, that never can become more than fairly interesting. The costumes and set designs are very well done, and the acting is pretty good; the story is just not all that engaging. So unless you feel like throwing down some money to see my boy Clive Owen rock some ass like always, wait for DVD. 5/10

The Game Plane

If you like The Rock enough to spend $6-10 or you have kids, go see it. If you don't, then avoid this, unless you like cliched Disney movies, or want to wait till DVD. 5/10

Dan In Real Life

A pretty funny movie, if not predictable. If you like Steve Carell, then I would recommend going to see it because it's his performance that saves the whole movie. He continues to show that he is a real actor, as well as the adult equivalent of Micheal Cera. 6/10

The Heart Break Kid

Another pretty funny movie but instead of predictability being it's downfall, the fault instead goes to the casting of Carlos Mencia. The movie is generally funny, if not extremely raunchy, but Mencia just leaves too bad a taste in my mouth for it to garner a higher grade. NOT A DATE MOVIE. 6/10

30 Days Of Night

The vampire equivalent of "28 Days Later". This is a good movie that relies more on suspense than horror (the way it should be, IMO) and delivers that very well, along with a lot of gore. It is a little predictable at times and the ending smells of cheese but it is overall a fun movie that you will get caught up in. 7/10

The Kingdom

A tense action movie that is better than you probably think. The action scenes are very well done, enough time is taken for an intriguing investigation and some actual character development, so when the shit hits the fan, you actually care what goes down. All this along with a message on today's society that should actually be heard. 7/10

We Own The Night

A very engaging drama/thriller that was marketed all wrong. It looked like "The Departed" but it was more like "The Godfather" and Mark Wahlberg does not kick all kinds of ass. In spite of all this though, it is a very well done thriller about family, honor, and courage that has a very nice 70's vibe to it. The acting is very good along with some very nice direction. 7/10

Micheal Clayton

Another 70's style thriller that is played out very low-key and quiet. The acting is great and the story is very well thought out. The movie plays more like a drama and starts very slow, which could understandably make it feel slow, but it all pays off in the end when the tension gets turned up. 7/10

3:10 To Yuma

A great western with great action sequences, great acting, a great story, and some great direction. The cinematography is very well done and the acting is exactly what you would expect from Bale and Crowe, amazing. Even if you don't like westerns, this is a great movie about sacrifice and courage that has some awesome action scenes as well. A movie I am definitely considering for my top 10 at the end of the year. 8/10

Gone Baby Gone

Whatever bad things you can say about Ben Affleck, this movie completely makes up for it. Affleck has done a great job, as both the director and the co-writer, in creating a story that is incredibly involving and filled with suspense. His brother, Casey Affleck, gives a great performance as the private eye on the case of a missing girl. This is a great movie that you have to see, whether you think you like Affleck or not. 8/10

Rendition

A beautifully dark movie about political torture and the extreme measures the government takes to secure our safety. Wonderful acting, a great script, and nice direction makes this more than just a movie about how the government is scary. It is a movie about big and small choices, as well as how those choices can affect your life and the lives of others. 8/10

Goodluck to everyone out there in your movie watching. Try to avoid shit. Like Tyler Perry.

Review: In Defense Of The Genre

I'm having trouble writing a review for this album, more than likely because I cant stop listening to it long enough to concentrate, so I will make this short. Say Anything's follow up to the great "...Is A Real Boy", is an amazing album that continues the musical tradition of defying limitations as well as expectations. "In Defense of the Genre", a double disc concept album, tells the story of singer/lyricist Max Bemis falling in love for the first time and ultimately losing that love. The story is split up between two CD's and makes for a completely different experience for each CD. The first CD is a great display of the musical range of Say Anything, with more musical style packed into the first four songs than most bands have in an entire album. While the second CD is more of a straightforward approach to music, with a less upbeat mood than the previous. While the second CD is a very good, it comes up just short of being as great as the first. Bemis provides great vocals, showing off great range in songs such as "That Is Why", along with some extremely well written and diverse lyrics. This is the album that will more than likely end up at the top of my list at then end of the year; it is an amazing album that has at the very least equaled the great album that preceded it.

Noteable Songs:
Skinny, Mean Man
No Soul
That Is Why
This Is Fucking Ecstacy
Shiska (Girlfriend)
Died A Jew
Vexed
About Falling

Ratings
First CD: 9/10
Second CD: 8/10
Entire Album: 9/10

Holy Kubrick!

Today, for those of you who don't know, was the release of a new Kubrick box set. It featured 2-disc editions of "2001: A Space Odyssey", "A Clockwork Orange", "The Shining", "Eyes Wide Shut" and a single disc deluxe edition of "Full Metal Jacket"; plus the feature length documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures". Now, for those of you who don't know, Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director and obviously this DVD set is like a landmark event for me. There really is no point to this article other than sharing my immense excitement over the fact that I finally have this DVD, evident from the picture featured to the left. I urge all of you to buy or rent this set and see what the art of film really can be. Keep a lookout for I will be writing an article on every movie in this set as I watch them.

"Open the pod bay doors HAL!"

Movie Pick Of The Week #2

Children Of Men

Written By Alfonso Cuaron & Timothy J. Sexton

Directed By Alfonso Cuaron

Let me start by saying how embarrassed I am about this being my first movie pick in about 2 months, and only my second since the start of Gabazooba. I've just been so busy with school that when I do get a chance to see a movie, it's usually not good enough to make me want to write about it. That is until I decided to pop "Children Of Men" in my DVD player the other night. I know that I said that I wanted to write about movies that most of the people I know haven't seen before, but I just can't resist writing about this movie.

This is movie that I remembered greatly after seeing the first time. It stayed with me for weeks after my first viewing. I had it in my top 5 movies of 2006 and I have the poster on my wall. When I bought the DVD though, I just never got around to watching it again. It wasn't that I didn't want to watch it, I just had other things come up. The more I thought about it though, the more I felt compelled to watch it. So I finally watched it for the second time and I have to say, it was much better than I even remembered.

This is a movie that commands your attention and will ultimately get it. The story is fairly simple but deeply layered. The year is 2027 and the world has become infertile. No babies have been born for 18 years and most of the world has fallen to chaos. Britain appears to be the sole standing society, but is teetering on the brink of chaos itself. Theo, played by Clive Owen, is contacted by his ex-wife Julian, played by Julian Moore, and asked to get some transit papers to transfer a young girl named Kee across the country. Julian is a leader of a rebel group that is fighting for immigration rights, for in the Britain all immigrants are hunted down and deported, jailed or killed. Hence the need for the transit papers, for Kee herslef is an immigrant herself.

Theo agrees to help and joins them on their journey, for the only transit papers he could get were joint papers in his name. After a sudden attack, Julian is killed, leaving Theo and Kee alone with the rebel group. They are taken to a safe house, where Theo discovers that Kee is pregnant and is trying to reach the Human Project, an alleged team of scientist that are searching for a cure to infertility. Theo also discovers that the attack that killed Julian was actually orchestrated by the rebel group in an attempt to keep Kee with them, so that they can use her baby as a political figure to aid them in their fight. Theo helps Kee escape and the two set off to meet the Human Project, while being hunted by the rebel group.

What makes this movie so amazing is how atmospheric the world created by director Alfonso Cuaron really is, and his ability to draw you into it. His direction in this movie is some of the best that I have ever seen. The attention to detail that is given in this movie is astounding. If you pay attention to the background during the movies multiple long takes, you will notice the world behind the characters is just as much alive as they are. Along with the great direction, this movie has some of the most astounding cinematography, and certainly the best use of the steady cam since "Saving Private Ryan".

Whats great about the long takes in this film is not only how long they go on but also how they are never boring. Everything that is fit into these long takes is done so perfectly well that it grabs you and never lets go. This is thanks not only to the great direction by Cuaron but also the the great performances given by the actors. Clive Owen gives a brilliant performance as Theo, and I say brilliant because it is a real portrayal of a character. Owen plays Theo in a way that makes him real, nothing more. It's not a flashy or commanding performance, that makes you feel you are watching a great actor rather than a character, but one that you can truly believe is a real person.

Many people think that this movie is political in nature and that the backdrop of immigration is truly the message of the film. I believe that Cuaron's aim was much broader than politics but rather humanity in a global sense. I feel that his story deals more with the selfishness of man and his choices. The issue of immigration in the film is more of a device to show how selfish the world has become. The last remaining society has decided that they are only going to help themselves and any outsiders will be left to fend for themselves. The rebel group who fights for immigrant rights would rather use Kee's baby for their own gain, rather than help her reach the Human Project where her baby could be delivered safely.

Notice how the Human Project itself is questioned throughout the entire film, because nobody has actually seen them or knows if they are even real. In a world that is at war and every side thinks only of themselves, the thought of a group of people that are actually doing something to better the whole world cant really be believed. It's also to note that every person that is good in nature in the film, and tries to help Theo and Kee, lives in hiding. The last bit of good and selflessness in the world has been forced into hiding. Cuaron paints a picture of a world that has been consumed by selfishness and evil, where good people have to hide and are always in danger of losing their lives. But he leaves his world not without hope.

There are many symbols in this movie, such as the fact that Theo goes most of the movie without shoes and every animal he comes into contact loves him; but the most obvious symbol is of course Kee's baby, as a symbol of hope. Notice the wonderful scene towards the end of the film when Theo and Kee carry her baby out of a building in the middle of a battle. Everyone puts their guns down at the sight of the child and for a brief moment, there is peace. The soldiers and rebels think not about themselves or their war, but are awestruck by the sight of the baby and the hope that it brings. It is only once they pass through the group of soldiers that the war begins again. It is a beautiful moment, capable of sending chills through my body every time I see it. It is this moment that I feel embodies everything Cuaron is trying to say. The world needs hope and a world without hope is not a world worth living in. People must be willing to fight but for hope and for the betterment of the world, rather than selfish reasons.

I urge you all to go and see this movie. Even if you've already seen it or you didn't like it, go watch it again. It is a movie that grows on you and stands above most films being produced these days. It deals with issues bigger than itself and succeeds in everything it tries to do. It will draw you in and and entertain you, as well as give you more than enough to talk about. I urge you to watch it and discuss it; there is certainly something there to be found by everyone.

9/10

How To Be A Movie Snob

Have you ever wanted to shove your vast knowledge of the art of cinema in your friends faces? Have you ever wanted to have everyone hate you because of your pompous views? If so, then you'd probably make a great movie snob. In the first part of an ongoing series, I, the greatest movie snob on Gabazooba, will show you all the steps you need to follow how to be that most hated of all movie lovers. These are in no particular order.

1. It's all about language my potential movie snobs. To be a true movie snob you must move past words like "Awesome" and "Great". Turn those childish Micheal Bay loving words into true movie snob language with phrases like "Bergmanesque" and "Self Indulgent". If you really want to succeed at being a movie snob, I would suggest investing in a thesaurus. Use it to change all of the words with 1 0r 2 syllables, into wards with at least 4.



2. Be outward with you opinion. If it seems like someone doesn't want to hear what you have to say, it's only because you haven't let them know how right you are yet. Don't be afraid to but in either, even if you don't know the person. They'll thank you later. Also, if you are standing in line for a movie line, that's the perfect time to speak very loudly so that everyone can hear you opinion, just like in Annie Hall. If they were real movie snobs, they'd thank you for the reference.



3. Don't forget to be subtle about your opinions either. I for instance have two T-shirts that express my movie snobbery. The first has the logo for Janus Films (if people ask what it is, I laugh) and the other features the logo for the Criterion Collection (if people ask what it is, I also laugh). Find ways to be subtle about it, i suggest ordering merchandise from places such as criterion.com. This lets everyone know that you not only know more than them about film, but you love it so much that you'll wear it on your body.



4. If the movie has explosions and the director has never even been nominated for an Oscar, you HATE it. Especially Micheal Bay.



5. If the movie even looks like Uwe Boll was apart of it, then you have to laugh like Tom Hulce in Amadeus. If you don't get the reference, just give up, you'll never be a real movie snob.

Well that's all for now. Start by putting these guidelines into effect and doing some research into various films. To be continued.