A Small Break

But no stopping!

We have been running Stories in Medium since January and have gone through many, many changes. Some of them you may have noticed and probably a few things you did not. As we shift gears to bring you a bigger range of content, we must take a small break. Now when I say "break", I mean that we are going to work on bringing you new and exciting items, not relax and have a vacation. That is at the end of August!

If you are still looking for new movie reviews, we should still have some coming in August. (500) Days of Summer plus a few other movies that are being released this August will be reviewed. Just giving the staff writers (a new writer will be introduced when we come back!) and myself the time to work on a few things that will enhance your enjoyment later on, I promise! If you still are checking in daily then you may notice a few design changes but don't judge us until September 1st, when Stories in Medium will be debuting fresh new content and an altered design!

Thank you again for reading our site and we hope you stick around for the new, bigger, better Stories in Medium starting in September.

SiM Co-Creator

Colin Enquist

DVD Pick: Standard Operating Procedure

A picture may tell 1000 stories…

BY COLIN ENQUIST

Standard Operating Procedure is a documentary film about the photos taken in Abu Ghraib, the prison in Iraq which became great focus of the media in 2004 and the consequences from the actions of the troops involved. Directed by Errol Morris, who is considered one of the top directors of the documentary film community, whose 2003 documentary The Fog of War won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Morris interviews soldier prison guards from inside the now infamous prison to tell the story of what really happened. He uses re-enactments as well for key moments that have no photographic evidence. The real centerpiece of the film though is the actual photographs taken of all the disturbing events. We even get to observe footage shot by the prison guards during some disturbing events which is downright frightening.

It is very shocking, not only to see what is really happening, but exactly how the soldiers are reacting to what seems like a common place. I understand it is a different world over there but some things just evoke common sense. Most of these soldiers must be blind to the electrical signals in their brains telling them this is wrong.

This documentary proves how photos can be used to distract us of the real truth. Misdirecting us from what is really happening. This distraction, Morris uses himself, and that was my only problem with the documentary which was the choice to make the few people convicted actually seem like it was not there fault. Yes to some extent you do feel sorry for them, you should not though, as they are human beings and have to make choices for themselves, even if it puts them in jail for disobeying a direct order from a superior officer.

Morris’ intent was to show you how the cover-up of the story and he does a good job of that. Making this film like a filmmaker would go about making a big budget movie may have hurt the film even if it was used very eloquently. Morris pulls out all the stops, getting Danny Elfman to make the thunderous score, using the playing cards with Saddam Hussein and his henchmen (that was distributed to the troops in Iraq) as well as using “ghosts” to demonstrate us the invisible forces of the commanding officers letting the torturous events occur. It just seems to fake though, not showing us the dark, ugly nature of the prison itself.

This documentary is about photos that are alarming, surreal, bleak and down right wrong. To see the most infamous of the photos at the end stamped with either Criminal or Standard Operating Procedure across them left me breathless. Yes photos may tell 1000 stories, but they may only tell a part of the story. Factually the film accomplishes nothing, but Morris does question standard operating procedure and criminal punishment in the military, but maybe we can learn a lesson from it.

4 out of 5

Rockwell & Jones Make the Moon More Fascinating Than NASA Ever Could!

In 1969 man first walked on the moon. 40 years later, man makes Moon

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

I've come to the stark realization that the magic of movies doesn't lie within the trickery of a green screen, nor is it camouflaged behind the faces of the movie stars who beckon $20 million per picture. And it's not in the misleading make-up effects or the counterfeit CGI techniques. Instead, it comes from a story, preferably untold before, and one which has the dexterity to grip us from start to finish, guided on camera immaculately by a director with an eye for old-fashioned filmmaking.

As I'm sure you've picked up on, this review isn't about one of the endless big-budget, multi-plex sequels that take over the box office during the summer months (ie. Transformers, Harry Potter, Terminator, Ice Age), but rather an unassertive "indie" film called Moon, which was the directorial debut for Duncan Jones (who also co-wrote the script with Nathan Parker), the son of rock icon David Bowie. So, in the cosy balcony of Edmonton's oldest movie palace, the Princess, I settled into the 97-minute sci-fi thriller with a buddy of mine, who had smuggled in his own snacks in order to avoid doubling our movie budget for the night.

Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon, Choke) is a one-man (kinda) show in Moon, a film scripted specifically as a vehicle for the low-key indie actor. He plays Sam Bell, an astronaut of sorts who is driven to the edge of sanity, it seems, as the end of his 3-year outer space stint nears. He's isolated from the rest of the world--literally--as he's contracted to extract the "safe, clean energy" of Helium-3 from the lunar soil of the moon, stationed on the rock for 36 consecutive months. His only companion is an all-knowing, almost-emotive robot named Gerty, voiced disconcertingly by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, The Usual Suspects), who's main mission is to serve and protect Bell.

Moon reeked of nostalgic sci-fi movie bliss, with an old-school feel entwined with its modern-day look, yet paying homage to the classic films that Jones grew up admiring, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Silent Running (1972), Alien (1979) and Outland (1981). Jones admitted that he "wanted to create something which felt comfortable within that canon of those science fiction films from the sort of late-'70s to early-'80s."

Jones' premiere motion picture, which cost just $5 million to film, is an enigmatic piece that delves into the hysteria that evolves when isolation and desolation take centre stage, and the director found a way to bring Moon's viewers along for the ride. By setting the film 100% in lunar space, the audience gets a small taste of what Bell must've felt as he went through his daily routines with only a talking computer by his side, day in and day out, stumbling upon the unimaginable fate that has been bestowed upon him.

I lost track of time as I admired the spectacular scenery that can't be that far off from the real moon, complimented by the merited score supplied by part-time rock star Clint Mansell (Requeim for a Dream, The Wrestler). Rockwell--who has an uncanny resemblance to Will & Grace's Eric McCormack at times--proved his own worth with every scene, requiring him to sample every basic human emotion in a span of an hour and a half. I've never been prone to Rockwell's work prior to Moon, but will surely recognize his niche from this film on.

It's hard to pinpoint what I didn't like about this movie, but it becomes more apparent when I think back, sitting at the Princess with my buddy, waiting--perhaps subconsciously--for some huge explosion or physical battle between good and evil, or maybe for some Hollywood star to make a cameo. Perhaps my eyes have become accustomed to these types of corner turns. But Moon laid essentially flat in this sense, refusing to budge from location, blurring my senses with the same pale walls and dark landscapes, and leaving Rockwell to manage the cast on his own. For others this would be draining, but it seemed to filter through me by the end, despite the occasional desire for cinematic normalcy. A mid-movie twist was enough to dribble on under these circumstances though.

Revisiting a threatened genre of moviemaking, Moon left me wanting to go beyond the lunar experience and be a fly on the wall for Bell's audacious adventures once the credits hit the screen. So you can imagine my delight when I heard Jones was already working on an epilogue to Moon, and ultimately wants to direct a third in the series as well. So, 40 years after Neil Armstrong first stepped foot on Earth's closest neighbour, we find ourselves all gitty over the Moon once again!

4/5 stars

The Hurt Locker Is Intense!

Never really letting up

BY COLIN ENQUIST

The Hurt Locker is the newest film by director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break). Mark Boal wrote the script, a freelance writer who was actually over in Iraq with a bomb squad crew. The source for the story comes from Boal’s time embedded in that squad. Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later) leads the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team that consists of two other team members in Anthony Mackie (Eagle Eye) and Brian Geraghty (We Are Marshall). We follow the final 36 days of the EOD team as they defuse bombs, avoid sniper fire and chase insurgents throughout Iraq.

Straight from the get go the adrenaline is pumping at a near breaking point. Bigelow never takes her foot of the accelerator until much later in the film. The clichéd bomb dismantling (you know the one, countdown clock, blue wire/red wire, which one do I cut!?) was thrown out the window and it really feels like you are riding along with the EOD squad, who do not have to tell you that the entire squad could die if Staff Sgt. James (Renner) clips the wrong wire. Thrusting us into 3 situations back to back at the beginning of the film that shows us the dismantling of a bomb(s) and how the team works together was some of the most intense moments I have ever witnessed on screen.

The Hurt Locker's only downside to having the tension ratcheted so high early that when it does down shift, it feels like the film is moving in slow motion but in reality it is just giving us a few minutes to collect ourselves before we are on the edge of our seats again.

Jeremy Renner is truly remarkable as the cocky team leader. His compatriots really are not sure what to make of him, and even at one point consider killing him (as they point out, accidents happen in Iraq), but they must trust him with their lives just as James trusts his with them. Bigelow uses a unique way of progressing each relationship of the EOD squad characters. Yes some of the characterization is based on the dialogue but a lot if it is how they act towards each other during combat missions, making them feel like they are in a bonding moment when in reality they are just doing their jobs. Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce and David Morse all have small parts in the film. The parts are so small that you almost don’t notice them.

James’ psychological state has his squad question him throughout the film and in the end he chooses to return for another tour of duty because he feels his life is meaningless unless he is out diffusing bombs, getting his adrenaline rush. The film does not take any political stance and the use of another war would have made this film no less effective.

I was so drained at the end of this film, being literally on the edge of your seat for almost the entire 2 hours and 11 minutes. You must see this film, if only for the intense first half of the film which will leave your heart pounding in your chest. The film depicts the combat a soldier must face, not only on the ground but from within. It has been a lucky couple of weeks for me when it comes to the movies and this one is right behind Moon in my opinion for the Best Picture of the Year award at the Oscars.

4.5 out of 5

Rapid Fire SDCC News: Part I

Little news, big news and fantastic news!!!


This is only some of the news from the start of San Diego Comic-Con. Really this is the stuff that caught my eye and I felt was worth a quick post. More news to come as SDCC continues!!!

- Posters for The Cabin in the Woods. Great posters laughing at horror films.

- First footage of Kick-Ass was screened and the crowd was impressed.

- Tim Burton announced his next film will star Johnny Depp (shocker!!!) and is based off the 60s spooky soap opera Dark Shadows.


- Milla Jovovich will reprise her role in another Resident Evil film titled Resident Evil: Afterlife. It is being shot in 3D and could be the start of another trilogy. The budget will be the bigger than any of the previous films.


- The Losers poster was released, check below.




- No word if Gore Verbinski will return to direct, but a Pirates of the Caribbean is going to start shooting soon with the hope of a early 2011 release. Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) will be back! The producers want to scale down the movie but still plan on making it into another trilogy.


- Sounds like Wanted 2 is officially a go. The Timur Bekmambetov sequel could be starting pre-production in about 8-10 weeks. James McAvoy will be back as Wesley Gibson.


- Last year at SDCC, the surprise of the show was the announcement of Tron 2 with a rough trailer. This year we get a full clip with the official name, Tron Legacy which is to be released in 2010. Here is the clip below.

- The biggest news (which has been partially back tracked) was by Gary Oldman. During a panel for the Hughes Brothers new film The Book of Eli, Oldman answered a question about when the sequel to The Dark Knight would begin shooting. Shockingly he responded "We start shooting next year. You didn't hear that from me." Since that time, in an interview with Quint from Ain't It Cool News Oldman said "well, I'm sure they want to do another one... it might 2 or 3 years..." This could mean he was telling a lie or the studios gave him an earful for dropping the news.

Really excited if the last news bit is true! Tron looks awesome! What of the news has you most excited?

More From SDCC!

Tron 2 has a title!

And it is Tron Legacy. Really looking forward to this. Tron is one of those films that most people don't know about. Why? I have no idea but most people I come across have never heard of Tron or have not seen it. Click the image below for some set pictures!

San Diego Comic-Con Poster Special

Or at least 3 of the best!

While many posters have been revealed at SDCC, these three stand out above the pack. Another comic book adaptation with Jonah Hex, Ninja Assassin (which I must google because I know nothing about it!) and the new Martin Scoresese film Shutter Island. Check em out below!

DVD Pick: Man on Wire

A mesmerizing, suspenseful tale about stealing glory

BY COLIN ENQUIST

Man on Wire is the Academy Award winning documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film sets out to account Philippe Petit’s daring high wire walk, 1350 feet in the air, between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center. Based on Petit’s book, To Reach the Clouds, that has been re-released with the new title Man on Wire. Using re-enactments, present day interviews with all the participants, still photographs of the walk and rare footage from Petit’s home movies, Marsh crafts the tale into a suspense laden heist film.

Archival footage of Petit training is impressive, not only his feats, but showing his ability to focus on what he wants, to walk between the Twin Towers. Through this footage we see that Petit and his group of friends have managed to build a wire the exact length that will be required for his walk between the towers. As Petit takes his first steps, you can see it is eyes that walking on this wire is not good enough, in rehearsals he gets his friends to pull on the wire in unsystematic ways to recreate the strong wings that will thrash the wire when over 1300 feet in the air. Was it his sheer determination that causes him to stay on the wire, or his talented ability? In his mind, Petit knows, it is not impossible. His only problem now is getting on top of the towers.

Spending months, Petit and his co-conspirators prepared for the walk, casing the tower was only part of what was needed to be done. After they managed to figure all the ins and outs they went about acquiring forged IDs to walk into the building, only then could they smuggle the necessary equipment up to the top of the towers for Petit’s great endeavour. Dramatic recreations of each groups attempt to set the equipment up without being caught was enthralling and were benefited from having Petit re-tell the story like he was really still trapped under the tarp, hiding from security, waiting for his moment.

Petit is so passionate, with his English accent flaunting on screen, that if Marsh chose only to use interview footage it would still be an enthralling film. Now in his 50s, Petit still has the flair of a showman. It is intriguing to see what drove the man, how much focus was needed to complete his masterpiece as he walks, dances and plays on the wire for 45 minutes between the Twin Towers.

I can see why this film is the highest rated film ever on Rotten Tomatoes. The human drama this film creates if unexpectedly emotionally overwhelming. Unforeseen complications create heart pounding moments even though we already know how the story ends. Man on Wire catches the microscopic details essential to pulling off the caper and director James Marsh’s precise direction makes this film a thrilling 95 minutes.

5 out of 5

SiM Poster: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Disney looking for another mega-franchise

With the success of the Pirates of the Carribeen trilogy, Disney is looking for its next cash cow. They are hoping that the Jerry Bruckheimer produced film, based off the Ubisoft video game, is that next big hit. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Sir Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. It is being directed by Mike Newell, who is no stranger to a mega-franchise. He directed the 2005 film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Prince of Persia is about the story of Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a street urchin in 6th century Persia. After showing valor in battle, he is adopted by the king as his heir, so the king's two sons will not fight over the throne. He teams up with Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to rescue the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that controls time, from the hands of the villainous nobleman, Nizam (Sir Ben Kingsley).

Honestly the film does not sound all that intriguing but I am a fan of the game and will give it a shot. Barring it doesn't get terrible reviews and the trailers look decent. Its got Sir Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina and Jake Gyllenhaahl in it, plus it is produced by Bruckheimer, so how bad can it be???

SiM TV Trailer: The Pacific

Hanks, Spielberg reunite for another HBO war series

Director: Carl Franklin, Tim Van Patten, Graham Yost, Jeremy Podeswa, Tony To
Writer: Bruce McKenna, George Pelecanos
Cast: James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joe Mazzello
Distributed By: HBO
Release Date: March 2010 (estimate)

Synopsis: The Pacific is to be based primarily on two memoirs of U.S. Marines: With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie. The series will tell the stories of the two authors and Marine John Basilone, as the war against the Empire of Japan rages. Given the literary sources mentioned above, the series will feature well-known battles involving the 1st Marine Division, such as Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa, as well as Basilone's involvement in the Battle of Iwo Jima. It may look like Band of Brothers, especially with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg producing, but this new series is unrelated to the 2001 story.

Duncan Jones Is Moon-lighting

With a low budget sci-fi film that is the best film this year

BY COLIN ENQUIST

Moon is a science fiction and thriller film that is the feature debut of director Duncan Jones. The very small cast in the film is led by Sam Rockwell (Choke) as the employee being contracted by the Lunar Industries, a company that is extracting helium-3 from the moon, and Kevin Spacey (21) as his robot companion. After being stationed on the lunar base Sarang for almost 3 years, Sam begins to hallucinate. With only two weeks left before completing his assignment, Sam wants nothing more than for his expedition to end so he can return to Earth. Jones co-wrote the script with Nathan Parker.

I have to start with Sam Rockwell (whose character is also named Sam) and his underrated acting ability. Not only does he parlay with a robot for almost the entire film but he is really the only character on screen the entire time! Using his bag of tricks, or acting skills, Sam expresses almost every emotion from sheer anger to tenderness.

This film is sci-fi at its best. Inventive, unique, this is a masterfully intriguing story that uses the lack of dialogue extremely well, giving viewers the faint hints throughout the film to figure it out for themselves. Themes are normally abundant in sci-fi films and this one is no exception. My argument would be the director was playing with the theme of isolation the most but handles many items including disbelief, powerful corporations, environmental issues, moral questions about technology and the advancement we seem to be heading for. The brilliance of Jones script is once you get the actual twist, you are not sure if it is real or just a hallucination of Sam’s.

Gerty, the highly advanced robot voiced by Kevin Spacey, is the comic relief of the film. With no way of the artificial intelligent robot of conveying the emotions of his and Sam’s friendship it would have hurt the film but Jones uses the instant messaging emoticons to not only show his emotions but create slight humour during very serious moments.

The score that Clint Mansell created for this film could probably go down as another classic like his “Lux Aterna” score for Requiem for a Dream. Background music is so important in films without much dialogue and Mansell intensified the emotion for every scene. Using pianos to convey most of the score but still having his sharp pangs and tones makes the score ingenious and unlike any score made in recent years.

This film reminded me of the Steven Soderbergh film, Solaris, while having a similar tone it was not examining the same emotions. Moon is based on ideas, not big special effects, and that is why it works so well. The unhurried pace does not falter the story and the film seems tailor made for sci-fi fans. I think this is a movie that examines the human condition better than any film has since Vanilla Sky or A Beautiful Mind.

5 out of 5

Sixth Potter Film The Best?

I think not, but it wasn't the worst

BY COLIN ENQUIST

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the 6th film in the Harry Potter series. I am just going to assume you have heard it is adapted from the J.K. Rowling novel of the same name! This sequel is directed by David Yates, the director of the fifth film as well. Steve Kloves, who wrote the first four films, has returned to script yet again. The usual cast of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter and many, many others return to their usual characters. Jim Broadbent is the newest cast member as Professor Horace Slughorn. After finding a mysterious book with the inscription “property of the Half-Blood Prince” inside, Harry begin to learn more about Lord Voldemort and his dark past.

Right from the beginning of the film, Yates does not even give you false hope that this is going to end well. The opening credits bring you into the darkness and never let go of you until the end credits roll. Albeit there are a few flashes when brief happiness in splashed across the screen, only to be taken away rather quickly.

The opening sequence where the Death Eaters travel through and tear up London was a demonstration that showed how Yates makes excellent choices for his camera angles. Yates clearly has a handle on how Hogwarts and the rest of the Harry Potter world should look. The visuals effects of this film are utterly breathtaking. Not to mention the superb cinematography thanks to Bruno Delbonnel. The improvement of acting is easily noticeable and makes this film far superior to the other Harry Potter films in that aspect.

Mainly failings are hanging with this film though as all the character development for minor characters in the first 5 films is just completely forgotten about with a few minor characters barely even seeing screen time. One of, if not the biggest, moments in all the Harry Potter films was utterly wasted. I could not believe that once it happened it was just brushed over, almost like it never actually happened. We also are given a faceless enemy in Lord Voldemort, who is not heard from for the entire 153 minute film. Making you wonder who the enemy really was in this film.

Lacking the story build up for whatever happened next caused this film, which was slow moving in the first place, to burn slowly right until the end. The inconsistent narrative hurts the film entirely more than anything has in all the other Harry Potter films. Sadly this film feels like a complete set up for the final foray. I guess I will be waiting for the next two films patiently, hoping they are much better than this one.

3 out of 5

DVD Pick: Fanboys

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far...well actually ours.

BY COLIN ENQUIST

I was told that fanboys would be the only people that enjoy this film which has a premise that is very simple, a group of friends who happen to be Star Wars geeks decide to drive across the country to break into Skywalker Ranch to steal a viewing of the rough cut of Episode I before it is released upon the world. Kyle Newman (The Hollow) directs the cast of Sam Huntington (Superman Returns), Chris Marquette (Alpha Dog), Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury), Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up), and Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).

Early on in the film, gay bars, mistaken hookers and meeting internet girlfriends that turn out to be not who they say they are, many clichés made this look like a run of the mill comedy cranked out every 6 months by studios. After you get past the first 40 minutes though it starts to kick into lightspeed (sorry, I could not resist). Big laughs come but I found more small laughs caused by items only fanboys will pick up on which always made me have a smile on my face.

Originally this film was to be released in 2007 and but do too many minor problems it was delayed until 2009. Harvey Weinstein wanted the subplot of Chris Marquette’s character having cancer cut completely from the film and was going to insert raunchier, vulgar humour. A cut was made without it but after “fanboys” rallied on the internet to keep the cancer subplot in. The Weinstein Company caved and gave director Kyle Newman 2 days to re-edit the film. I applaud Newman who never wanted to cut it out of the film, I even wonder what the film would have been like if Newman was given more time to edit the film as he saw fit which maybe would have made the cancer ploy take more meaning instead of a way to progress the story.

This film is laced with actors who appeared in at least one of the Star Wars movies including Ray Park, Billy Dee Williams and most notably Carrie Fisher. Other cameos were from Star Wars fanboy Kevin Smith and his usual partner in crime, Jason Mewes. Sticking with space related cameos; William Shatner plays a pivotal role in the film by getting the gang into Skywalker Ranch. Seth Rogen also joins the cast for a few scenes as different characters, one as a Trekkie and the other as a pimp who loves Star Wars.

This film plays off the Star Wars mythology and you must have some knowledge of that to enjoy this movie. You probably will not have much fun with this film if you don’t consider yourself a Star Wars fan. I was pleasantly surprised when the film finished at how emotionally invested in the film I was. The movie may not have been great but the ending is near-perfect. Friendship themes and wit carry this film to the finale with grandeur that merit’s a viewing. So I guess this makes me a fanboy.

3 out of 5

SiM Focus: Clint Mansell

Former Pop Will Eat Itself lead makes new living

BY COLIN ENQUIST

Clint Mansell has become a cult icon for movie-goers who take pleasure in listening to soundtracks or enjoy the way a score can take over a film.. Always in love with music, Mansell started his career as a lead-singer and guitarist in the British band Pop Will Eat Itself. Early in 1986 Mansell and crew recruited Richard March and Graham Crabb to join the band currently known as Wild and Wandering. After switching names to Pop Will Eat Itself, the group recorded their first single “Poppies Say Grrr!” which was released in 1986. Their first album Box Frenzy was released in 1987. The band's most famous song is arguably either "Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies" or "X Y & Zee", which are their two highest ranked songs on the U.K. singles chart (#9 and #15 respectively). If you want to include worldwide success then "Def. Con. One" would have to be mentioned ("X Y & Zee" was also popular outside the U.K.) got the most airplay on the U.S. singles chart. In 1995 the band started to disband when Crabb left to start a side project. Ultimately in 1996, the band was finished. This left Mansell free to find other work, which his good friend Darren Aronofsky was willing to supply.

The Aronofsky film π was released in 1998, subsequently launching Mansell’s new career. The soundtrack was very well received in the electronica community even though the general public did not notice him or his score at all. After receiving such a high praise for his score, Aronofsky brought Mansell back to work on his 2000 film Requiem For a Dream. This film score, “Lux Aeterna”, brought him his cult status. The title is Latin for “the eternal light.” Many films have used this song in their movie trailer including Babylon A.D., Sunshine, The Da Vinci Code and most famously The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Not only was “Lux Aeterna” used in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trailer, it was completely re-orchestrated by a choir and full orchestra. A rabid Mansell and Lord of the Rings fan base wanted a release of this version which they never intended to release, aptly titled “Requiem for a Tower.” This score alone has been in many commercials, TV shows, video games and is also commonly used at sporting events as the song for the team’s entrance videos.

Not just a one hit wonder though; Mansell has created some other superb soundtracks. As his new career begin to blossom, Mansell was becoming much busier. Scoring seven films in 2001 and 2002, not big films but large enough to get him more recognition for good work. Aronofsky and Mansell reunited yet again in 2006 for The Fountain. Mansell garnered more critical acclaim for this soundtrack. The Golden Globes ended up giving him a nomination for Best Original Score. Even though Mansell ended up losing to Alexandre Desplat for his score in The Painted Veil, this nomination helped raise his status in the industry. In 2007 he created the Smokin’ Aces soundtrack which in my opinion was the only thing worthwhile about the film. Aces director Joe Carnahan even admits to receiving blatant threats upon the release of the soundtrack because it was missing much of Mansell’s score. Eventually Carnahan released a “platinum edition” of the soundtrack with all of Mansell’s music. Not surprisingly Mansell returned to work with Aronofsky yet again for his 2008 film The Wrestler. Mansell chose to bring in Slash (from Guns N Roses) to play the guitars in the score. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for numerous awards. Sadly Mansell’s score was one of the few awards that The Wrestler didn’t get nominated for.

So far 2009 has brought Mansell back to his home country to score the Duncan Jones film Moon. The film saw a limited release in the U.S.A. on June 12th with the film expanding north into Canada on July 3rd and having a wide release in the U.K. on July 17th. Mansell was also traveled to the land of the “land of the rising sun” to work on the adaptation of Blood: The Last Vampire. The film has been released in Japan and most of the Asian cinema hotbeds but we won’t get to see this film until July 10th (limited release) and that is if you are lucky enough to be in one of the cities that gets it! This musician and composer should still have many years of work left in him since he is only 46. Ten years from now we could be talking about Clint Mansell alongside some of the greatest musical composers that the industry has even seen, such as: Max Steiner, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Danny Elfman, John Williams and Hans Zimmer.

SiM Poster: Let Me In

A remake from a director that respects the source material

In 2004 Let the Right One In was released to the world as a novel by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. Then in 2008 we got the fantastic (says Emil here) Swedish movie adaptation. Now, on January 15th, 2010 we will get the Hollywood remake of the story. Matt Reeves is directing the remake and is currently working on the second draft of the script. No word yet on how much of the story from the movie or book will make it into the film. All we know is that Reeves plans on keeping the horror aspect and feels it could be terrifying. Hopefully to do that he does not pass on any of the love story that caused the first film to get so much praise. The film has been renamed, it is now known as Let Me In.

Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen stars as Bruno, his latest film where he totally becomes a different character and runs with it, his follow up to Borat.  In this movie he plays Bruno, an openly gay fashion host of a tv show back in Austria.  Things are going great for Bruno, as he is a top celebrity, gets to sit in the front rows for the fashion shows, interviews all the models,etc.  Following a disaster where he totally destroys a fashion show, he becomes black listed in Austria and is unable to work there anymore in the fashion field.  He then decides that he must go to Los Angeles to become a movie star, being followed to L.A. by the assistant to his assistant, Lutz, played by Gustaf Hammersten.  Lutz does his best to land Bruno acting parts, and when those don't go well, tries to get him into any field he possibly can to make Bruno famous again.  An attempt to make a sex tape with an older politician goes wrong, he feels he is running out of options.  The film kind of slows down with the scenes where Bruno adopts an african baby, even getting the kid to wear a gayby top, and infuriates a talk show audience.  The movie does pick up speed again when Bruno does his thing again when he attempts to go get himself to become straight, and the minister sends him to places where he is supposedly going to get straight. That takes him to places such as a self defense place, military, swingers night, hanging out with show hunters.  These attempts all fail with comic results.  Along his way he has fired his assistant Lutz because Lutz has told him of his love for Bruno.   The film does kind of come to some kind of climax with Lutz outing Bruno's straight Dave at a kind of UFC style event, and them making out right there, enraging a red neck audience.  Sacha has gone to great lengths to entertain people, and at certain moments you wonder if he's gone to far, nearly getting hit by chairs, getting whipped, and chased by angry people in the middle east. All in the name of entertainment for him I guess.  All in all, there were many laughs here, and if you aren't weirded out by a bunch of male frontal nudity, you just might enjoy this film.  One of the funniest scenes near the beginning of the film with Bruno and his boyfriend and the sexual things that they do to each other, makes me wonder how they passed the ratings board.  But, all in all, I found this film quite entertaining.

3.5 out of 5

Goran Savic

SiM Classic Trailer: Seven Samurai (1954)

Kurosawa inspired generations of filmmakers with his breathtaking epic!

Director: Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon, Ikiru)
Cast: Takashi Shimura (Rashomon), Yoshio Inaba (Smaurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple), Daisuke Kato (Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji), Minoru Chiaki (Ikiru), Isao Kimura (Stray Dog), Seiji Miyaguchi (Kwaidan), Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo)
Distributor: Toho Company

Synopsis: A poor village is under attack by a group of bandits looking to steak their crops. To stop the bandits the villagers recruit seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai) to help them defend them and their village. Seven Samurai is often described as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. The film spawned a 1960 Western remake titled The Magnificent Seven. In 1989 Kurosawa was awarded the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Many directors have cited Kurosawa as having a big influence on them and their films. George Lucas references Kurosawa's film The Hidden Fortress throughout his Star Wars trilogy. Francis Ford Coppola has stated "One thing that distinguishes Akira Kurosawa is that he didn't make a masterpiece or two masterpieces, he made, you know, eight masterpieces." There are rumours that another Hollywood remake could be coming down the pipeline soon.

Top 10 Directors of the Last 25 Years (Emil's Picks)

Who makes the short list of the best of the best in modern filmmaking?

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

I guess I'm left with only one option now, and that's to put Colin, my delusional friend, in his place. Yes, it is true that I challenged him to come up with a list of who he thinks are the rightful Top 10 movie directors of the last quarter-century (see his choices here)--and to do it within the span of about six hours--but what I didn't tell him to do was get it all wrong!

Spielberg at the top of the list is a given. Anyone who can bring dinosaurs back to life so realisticly and mimic the brutalism of The Holocaust on film, in the same year mind you, deserves to take the crown, so I won't hassle him for that. But that's where I start to have some issues. To put Michael Mann as the runner-up is unforgiveable, considering there's no place for him on such a list...at least not with his current rèsumè (which includes a movie adaptation of Miami Vice!).

Then there's Colin's inclusions of Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke), Sofia Coppola (Lick the Star) and Christopher Nolan (Insomnia), all fine directors, but all of whom should've been part of his omissions list rather than Top 10 contenders. I think Colin had mistaken Coppola for her father (Francis Ford Coppola) or even her husband (Spike Jonze), or perhaps he thought he had a quota that had required him to submit at least one lady on his fumbled list.

Before I trash my good friend's selections any further, I must confess that I have not seen every movie of the last 25 years (gasp)! I know, sounds crazy, but Roger Ebert I am not. With that said though, I've seen a decent chunk of the so-called "great" ones, and I've read about and/or researched many of the others, and I have non-bias friends and acquaintances who have sat through some that I've never even heard of, opinions in tow.

Of course, being a compilation of cinema of the past 25 years, I've had to leave out most of the all-time most influential directors, including Alfred Hitchcock (pictured above), Stanley Kubrick, D.W. Griffith, Orson Welles, George Lucas (pictured left), John Ford, Ingmar Bergman, Billy Wilder and Francis Ford Coppola. Some of who haven't worked on a film in decades, and other who have but barely enough to compete with modern filmmakers. Then again, my list also includes some names who have contributed some iconic titles before the year 1984 (25 years ago), but have continued putting out classics beyond the mid-'80s.

Now remember, any of these directors' work before '84 will not be taken into consideration, and neither will the films in which they only wrote and/or produced (Spielberg has a prolific list of movies he's served as producer, but left the director's chair for another). Acting credits are also not acknowledged, given the ever-growing tally of Thespians who have tried their hand behind the camera, including Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ), Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), Robert Redford (Quiz Show), Warren Beatty (Dick Tracy), Kenneth Branagh (Henry V), Tim Robbins (Dead Man Walking), Sean Penn (Into the Wild), George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck) and Sarah Polley (Away from Her).

So, sitting at my cluttered desk in my cluttered apartment, I considered all that I had to consider and thunk up my own list of the best of the best...of the last 25 years! I'm looking forward to your complaints!

1. Steven Spielberg (1946-)
Post-1984 Highlight: Schindler's List (1993)
Upcoming Feature: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)
Misstep: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Declared "the most influential person of his generation" (Life), "the most powerful & influential figure in the motion picture industry" (Premiere) and "one of the 100 most important people of the century" (Time), Mr. Spielberg, 62, has left a legacy unlike any other in the world of filmmaking. Even without the uneligible classics like Jaws (1975) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), the Ohio-born billionaire ($3.1 billion to be exact) has a rèsumè that would make anyone blush with envy. In 1993 alone Spielberg helmed one of the biggest box office ventures of all-time (Jurassic Park) and won the Best Director Oscar for his take on The Holocaust (Schindler's List), before co-founding the DreamWorks studio a year later. He accepted his second directing Academy Award for 1998's Saving Private Ryan, though we can't overlook his other efforts since 1984, including the Indiana Jones films (1984, 1989, 2008), The Color Purple (1985), Empire of the Sun (1987), Hook (1991), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War of the Worlds (2005) and Munich (2005). Also an accomplished and copious executive producer (Transformers, Men In Black, Twister), Spielberg has been nominated for well-over 100 major film awards, and his features--as director--have earned more than $8.5 billion worldwide! If the #1 spot on this list was a throne, it would be perfectly moulded to fit Spielberg's billionaire ass!

2. Martin Scorsese (1942-)
Post-1984 Highlight: The Departed (2006)
Upcoming Feature: Shutter Island (2009)
Misstep: Michael Jackson's "Bad" video (1987)
Like Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, 66, had a stellar body of work pre-1984, including landmarks like Taxi Driver (1976), The Last Waltz (1978) and Raging Bull (1980), but has managed to accumulate an impressive collection of projects post-1984. Founder of the World Cinema Foundation and an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, the New Yorker became synonymous with machismo and violent concepts in his films, as well as his professional relationships with top-notch actors Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. He was nominated as Best Director at the Academy Awards five times (including 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ, 1990's GoodFellas, 2002's Gangs of New York, and 2004's The Aviator), before he was finally able to walk onstage to collect the Oscar for 2006's The Departed, which was presented to him by Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Spielberg. Scorsese, who has also worked on various documentaries (No Direction Home, Shine a Light) and short films (New York Stories), has addressed many of the themes of Italian America through his lens, which has also become part of the identity of his craft. Also a part-time actor (Quiz Show), Scorsese's other films have included After Hours (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Cape Fear (1991), The Age of Innocence (1993), Casino (1995) and 1999's Bringing Out the Dead.

3. Woody Allen (1935-)
Post-1985 Highlight: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Current Feature: Whatever Works (2009)
Misstep: Celebrity (1998)
The former Allen Stewart Konigsberg is not just a director, but moonlights as a producer, screenwriter, actor, playwright, comedian, musician, and offbeat pervert, but we're here to concentrate just on his directing talents. 32 years ago Allen won a Best Director Oscar Award for Annie Hall. 31 years ago he earned another nod for helming Interiors. And ever since, Allen, 73, has been on a streak of applauded dramas and comedies that has him amongst the world's most respected filmmakers of his time. Known for touching base with subjects of sexuality, philosophy and his own Jewish background, Allen tends to tread off the beaten path with his screwball comedies and sometimes provocative dramatic features, which have earned him four more Best Director Oscar nods since '84 (1984's Broadway Danny Rose, 1986's Hannah and Her Sisters, 1989's Crimes and Misdemeanors, and 1994's Bullets Over Broadway). The profuse legend, who hails from Brooklyn, has been making movies since the mid-'60s, with countless "recent" highlights that include Radio Days (1987), Alice (1990), Shadows and Fog (1991), Husbands and Wives (1992), Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), Mighty Aphrodite (1995), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Deconstructing Harry (1997), Small Time Crooks (2000) and last year's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Too bad he's such a pervert in his spare time.

4. Oliver Stone (1946-)
Post-1984 Highlight: Platoon (1986)
Upcoming Feature: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
Misstep: Alexander (2004)
Accused of glorifying violence and promoting conspiracy theories through his visionary films, Oliver Stone's prominent and controversial career has included three Oscar wins and a screenwriting credit for the iconic Scarface feature (1983). In 1986 he was named Best Director at the Academy Awards for helming one of the best war films of all-time, Platoon. He followed that up with a look into corporate America in Wall Street (1987), and then examined the talk radio industry in...uh...Talk Radio (1988). He garnered a second Best Director Oscar for his star-studded Vietnam epic Born on the Fourth of July (1989). In 1991 he delved into the real-life accounts of The Doors (The Doors) and JFK (JFK), the latter of which earned Stone another nomination as Best Director at the Academy Awards. Then came the bizarre Natural Born Killers (1994), the biopic Nixon (1995), the distinctive U Turn (1997) and one of the best football movies to date, Any Given Sunday (1999), which reunited him with Al Pacino (Scarface). Stone fell short with his Alexander epic in '04, before tackling the 9/11 attacks in World Trade Center (2006), and the story behind George W. Bush in W. (2008). He's currently underway on another film set during the Vietnam War, titled Pinkville.

5. Clint Eastwood (1930-)
Post-1984 Highlight: Unforgiven (1992)
Upcoming Feature: Invictus (2009)
Misstep: Absolute Power (1997)
In the same fashion as Woody Allen, 79-year-old Clint Eastwood has starred in most of the films he's also directed, a trend of his since the early-'70s. Five Golden Globes, four Oscars and five People's Choice Awards later, Eastwood remains one of Hollywood's most sought-after filmmakers. Eastwood first got into the business as a B-movie actor in the mid-'50s, which led to his career in television (Rawhide) and numerous spaghetti westerns (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). By the mid-'80s Eastwood had gotten behind the camera almost a dozen times, and continued this course with applauded efforts like Pale Rider (1985), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), Bird (1988) and The Rookie (1990). Known for his enduring masculine roles and iconic one-liners, Eastwood finally gained respect as a director when he won Best Director at the Academy Awards for 1992's Unforgiven. It took another 12 years before Eastwood won the award again, this time for his "girl boxer" drama Million Dollar Baby, which--like Unforgiven--was named Best Picture. In addition to a couple more Best Director Oscar nods (2003's Mystic River and 2006's Letters from Iwo Jima), the former Carmel-by-the-Sea mayor (yes, mayor!) has also helmed The Bridges of Madison County (1995), True Crime (1999), Space Cowboys (2000), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Changeling (2008) and Gran Torino (2008).

6. Ron Howard (1954-)
Career Highlight: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Current Feature: Angels & Demons (2009)
Misstep: The Da Vinci Code (2006)
First known for his extensive TV work (including as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, and Richie on Happy Days), Ron Howard, 55, reinvented himself as a major motion picture director, rising to prominence with 1984's Splash, which also introduced us to Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. The decade also included Howard contributions like Cocoon (1985), Willow (1988) and Parenthood (1989). The hits continued into the '90s via Backdraft (1991), Far and Away (1992) and Apollo 13 (1995), the latter of which reunited him with Hanks. Howard took a turn at directing many of Hollywood's top leading men, such as Michael Keaton (1994's The Paper), Mel Gibson (1996's Ransom), Matthew McConaughey (1999's Edtv) and Jim Carrey (2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas). Finally, in 2001, Howard got the respect of his peers, taking home the Academy Award as Best Director for A Beautiful Mind (starring Russell Crowe), which was also named Best Picture. After The Missing (2003) and Cinderella Man (2005), Howard recieved mixed reviews for his blockbuster epic The Da Vinci Code (2006), starring Hanks. Two years later he was up for Best Director again for Frost/Nixon (2008), before working with Hanks for a fourth time in Angels & Demons (2009). He also co-founded major player Imagine Entertainment in 1986, with partner Brian Grazer.

7. Ridley Scott (1937-)
Post-1984 Highlight: Thelma & Louise (1991)
Upcoming Feature: Robin Hood (2010)
Misstep: 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
Stylistic, visionary and persistant director Ridley Scott, 71, is an Emmy-winning, Golden Globe-winning, BAFTA-winning English-born filmmaker who first gained national attention as the man behind the sci-fi classic Alien (1979), which he followed up with another cult hit, Blade Runner (1982). But it's what he's done since that we're here to celebrate, including Legend (1985), Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) and Black Rain (1989). In 1991 Scott--the older brother of fellow director Tony Scott (Top Gun, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3)--won praise for his exemplary road film Thelma & Louise, which was nominated for six Oscars (including Best Director). Reviews were mixed for his next three ventures (1992's 1492: Conquest of Paradise, 1996's White Squall, 1997's G.I. Jane), but he redeemed himself with another Best Director nod, this time for Gladiator (2000), which was hailed Best Picture. During 2001 Scott had box office hits in Hannibal and Black Hawk Down, the latter of which had him up for the Best Director Oscar for the third time in his career. Scott's subsequent features have included Matchstick Men (2003), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), American Gangster (2007) and the upcoming Robin Hood (2010).

8. Quentin Tarantino (1963-)
Career Highlight: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Upcoming Feature: Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Misstep: N/A
He writes, he produces and he acts, but 46-year-old Quentin Tarantino is most renowned as a director of captivatingly innovative pieces of cinematic art. The Knoxville, Tennessee native first struck gold when he directed, wrote and acted in Reservoir Dogs (1992), about a botched jewelry heist, with an ensemble cast that included Harvey Keitel and Michael Madsen. Known for casting forgotten or overlooked actors for his pictures, Tarantino revelled in the critical acclaim of the indie cult hit, which was beckoned "Greatest Independent Film of All-Time" by Empire magazine. But Tarantino raised the bar when he reignited John Travolta's fizzled career in the eclectic and electric Pulp Fiction (1994), which had him up as Best Director at the Oscars. The pop culture phenom was adored for its stylistic image and wide appeal, primed as a post-modern "neo-noir" instant classic. He contributed partially to 1995's Four Rooms before reunited with Fiction's Uma Thurman in the two Kill Bill films (2003 & 2004), which paid homage to Italian spaghetti westerns and Japanese samurai flicks. Tarantino, who won an Oscar for writing Fiction, was credited as a guest director for Sin City (2005), and then took on full-length projects Death Proof (2007) and this year's Inglourious Basterds.

9. James Cameron (1954-)
Career Highlight: Titanic (1997)
Upcoming Feature: Avatar (2009)
Misstep: N/A
The only Canadian on the list is not David Cronenberg or Norman Jewison, but rather Ontario native James Cameron, the man behind the most successful film of all-time, 1997's Titanic. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, as the notoriously demanding perfectionist first sat in the director's seat in 1984, helming Arnold Schwarzenegger and his own future wife Linda Hamilton in The Terminator. In between the sci-fi classic and his next feature, Cameron scripted Rambo: First Blood II (1985), but left others in charge. His next endeavor was Aliens (1986), the well-received sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien, becoming a major box office success story. This allowed the Canuck more artictic freedom, which came in handy for the cutting-edge sci-fi feature, The Abyss (1989), which had a lukewarm critical response. Cameron then formed Lightstorm Entertainment, which produced his subsequent film Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), an Oscar-winning record-breaker that led us to 1994's True Lies, both of which starred Schwarzenegger. Then, in 1997, Cameron took his record budget and surpassed all expectations for Titanic, the ultimate cinematic epic that grossed $1.8 billion worldwide and won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Director. Cameron focused on a couple of documentaries before finally returning to the big screen with the upcoming Avatar (2009).

10. Joel & Ethan Coen (1954-/ 1957-)
Career Highlight: No Country for Old Men (2007)
Upcoming Feature: Hail Caesar (2009)
Misstep: The Ladykillers (2004)
Minnesota-born brothers Joel & Ethan Coen have been working as a team--known simply as the Coen brothers--for 25 years now, writing, producing and directing more than a dozen feature films together. They kicked it off with 1984's Blood Simple (with Frances McDormand), but kicked it into high hear with the black comedy Raising Arizona (1987) (also with McDormand). Following Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991) and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), the Coen's again recruited McDormand for their neo-noir thriller Fargo (1996), which won Oscars for the Coen's (Best Original Screenplay, and a Best Director nod) & McDormand (Best Actress), and catapulted the brothers into the spotlight. Sibling rivalry seemed an undaunting obstacle with Joel & Ethan, as the creative relatives continued carving a niche for themselves in the movie industry, including The Big Lebowski (1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) and Intolerable Cruelty (2003). In '07 they gave Hollywood a run for their money when they captured three more Oscars (Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay) for No Country for Old Men. Last year they returned with George Clooney (O Brother, Intolerable) and McDormand in Burn After Reading (2008).

So there you have it, the 10 directors that made the greatest impact on film over the last 25 years, in my insignificant opinion. The hardest part about compiling this list wasn't deciding who would reign supreme (that was the easiest part, actually), but rather who I'd have to leave off the final draft.

There are plenty of candidates who could place just beyond the elite Top 10, from the visionary Tim Burton (Batman) (pictured left) and the daring Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) to the sentimental Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and the authentic Steven Soderbergh (Traffic). But there's just no room for them and other prime candidates, an impressive list that could easily include Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Robert Altman (Short Cuts), David Lynch (Mulholland Drive), Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and the overrated Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing).

As for my friend Colin, it seems that we're on par when it comes to Spielberg, Scorsese, Cameron and Scott, but we'll just have to agree to disagree on the rest of his mistakes (ha!). Who knows, maybe he'll come to his senses and we'll see eye to eye once and for all...until then, go ahead and tell me where I may have gone wrong. Cheers.