Don't say it is the truth? Okay, an independent health study says that movie theater popcorn is unhealthy for me. As summarized rather simplistically in a recent article published in the Los Angles Times...

"A medium-sized popcorn and medium soda at the nation's largest movie chain pack the nutritional equivalent of three Quarter Pounders topped with 12 pats of butter, according to a report released today by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest."

Stryker, no! This cannot be true. Sadly, it must be true, because it does sound reasonably logical. However, I do not want to believe, because I want to enjoy my popcorn and soda. Mainly it would be the cooking oil, the excessive sugar, and the crap load of additives that are too be blamed for the unreasonably unhealthy selection of snack items to munch on during the course of watching a movie. I am sad to hear the news, but I will continue to enjoy my junk food none the less when watching a movie.

Here is the COTD: Clip(s) of the Day for November 15, 2009. Penelope Cruz is current my favorite hottie from Spain. She is co-starring in Rob Marshall's new film adaptation of the Broadway musical Nine (2009). If you may remember he directed the Oscar award winning adaptation of Chicago (2002) which stars Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. Here is the first video which offers a twenty-second snippet of Penelope performing a song from the upcoming musical film.

And here is an interview she did with David Poland of The Hot Button in which she talks about her nervous fear of singing and dancing in the movie.


And here is a direct link to the trailer for the film if you have not seen it yet.

My review for the Michael Jackson concert film will be a rather brief article. I must say that the documentary concert film This Is It (2009) might possibly contain a small amount of monetary motivation by Sony Pictures who might possibly be greedy enough to want to make a profit from his death. I am not saying that it is an actual fact, but a mere speculation. Also, I do not want to discount the idea that the film is an honorable tribute to an iconic figure in the modern era of contemporary American music. Michael Jackson is a talented musician who can sing and dance with no equal comparison. To watch the footage of him rehearsing for the final concert tour that he was planning to do is utterly amazing. I will gladly admit that I have garnered a new amount of respect for him, because I could not have imagined the amount of dedication he had to be the ultimate performer. Not only did he know how to produce a song that the world could really enjoy listening to every day, but he was able to perform the song live in front of an audience with such style and flair that would blow their socks right off. Even watching the rehearsal footage of a stripped down to the basics of a performance could give almost anyone the chills. When people have asked me for an opinion about the movie I usually describe it as watching a set of home movies with an amazing soundtrack. It may be an understatement to describe the film in such a way, because the response I have heard from other people who have already seen the film mention it to be an amazing documentary of his career. In addition to being surprised by how impressed I was of seeing Jackson’s valuable work ethics there was another unexpected gem seen in the documentary. His lead guitarist for the concert is 24-year-old Australian blonde by the name of Orianthi Panagaris who has the guitarist fingers of Carlos Santana and the looks of a young supermodel. With her sidekick performance in the film I have a gut feeling that her career is going to skyrocket overnight. As a little bonus feature to the review I have embedded a video reel of her previous performances.

The Fifth of November
English folk verse
circa 1870.

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes and his companions
Did the scheme contrive,
To blow the King and Parliament
All up alive.
Threescore barrels, laid below,
To prove old England's overthrow.
But, by God's providence, him they catch,
With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
A stick and a stake
For King James's sake!
If you won't give me one,
I'll take two,
The better for me,
And the worse for you.
A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,
A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,
A pint of beer to wash it down,
And a jolly good fire to burn him.
Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!
Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Once in awhile there is a story that has been produced for the cinematic screen that enraptures my entire attention until the very last moment. Sometimes the film is based upon previously created material that was encapsulated in another format such as the printed text (also known as a book or an article in a periodical). Maybe it is the way in which the story is portrayed; the way the actors have brought the characters to life in such a way that I have forgotten they are merely playing a part; possibly, it is the way in which the scene was beautifully photographed. Frankly, it may be a glorious culmination of all the right pieces of a puzzle that hits a personal soft spot for me. The action film V for Vendetta (2005) is one of those stories that hold a special place in my nostalgic memory of movie watching. I would have to indulge the assumption that I conjure up feelings of nostalgia because of what was going on in my life at the time that I had first watched the film, but setting aside that premise I would still like to say that the film is a very entertaining and emotional film.

The story is rather simplistic, of sorts, which we have all seen before, especially for anyone who has watched a film noir story from the 1940s. The main character is a hard working production assistant at a major television broadcast station. On a late night stroll to visit a prominent figure at her work she is attacked by a couple of wayward government employed cops who are hoping for a little bit of sexual deviancy only to find themselves bruised up rather harshly by the anti hero of the story. V is an underground terrorist who idolizes the courage of historical icon Guy Fawkes. Evey is the damsel in distress who is pulled under his wing as an apprentice. Over the course of the next year, she falls in love with him as he teaches her about courage, self-esteem, and the moral responsibility of holding the government accountable to their civic duty.

It is not to meager to say the story is too plain, the heroine is ideal figure who emerges from a cocoon to reveal a beautiful butterfly, or even the simplistic correlation the anti-hero maybe viewed to be a reincarnation of a worn out gangster from a James Cagney film. Despite the simplicity of the film, there is still a sense of sparkle and magic within it that woos my imagination to another dimension of fun and excitement. The production design of the film was created to absorb our contemporary lifestyle that we are well accustomed to living and transcend across several years into the future when the international affairs have crumbled into moral chaos and ludicrous control by the government. The citizens of England, which is the location of where the story takes place, have somewhat turned a blind eye toward the oppression that government has placed upon them. Several of the government officials are corrupt figures and the Supreme Chancellor of England is a fanatic with over-the-top behavior that is comparable to Adolf Hitler.

In culmination, the movie has the perfect amount of drama, conflict, very entertaining action sequences, strong characters, an amazing amount of creativity with the production design, and just the right amount of an emotional story to create the perfect recipe for an entertaining film. It is my own personal vendetta to watch this film at least once every year during the fall as a bit of an honor to remember the fifth of November.

On a completely random end note I must proclaim that a couple of weeks ago I had made an attempt at cooking up the idea of producing a "Guy Fawkes blogging event" with a group of my fellow LAMB Associates. I had asked several of them if they would care to join together on November 5, 2009 and publish a review or editorial article about the film V for Vendetta on each one of our own websites. I had asked them to send me a link to their published articles so that I may include them here. Overall, I must offer a huge amount of thanks to the one person who actually did send me a link to an article. For your enjoyment, I would like to suggest that you visit Insight into Entertainment to read this review of the film that was written by Jess.

It must be said that my favorite play ever written by William Shakespeare is the Scottish play that you are never allowed to mention its name in a performance theater unless it was successfully produced at some point in the history of the aforementioned theater. I am talking about none other than Macbeth! The story is about a power hungry man who is pushed over the edge of insanity by his wife who convinces him to murder the local king. Only once the murder has been committed the couple goes insane with guilt as they collect upon their new found power and glory. It is always a point of interest for me to watch a movie that is based upon the material from the classic tale. It has been adapted by several different production companies, screenwriters and directors; such films titles include: The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), Scotland, Pa. (2001), and Macbeth 3000 (2005). Despite the range of adaptations that cover a direct translation to a loose interpretation of the story it appears that no one is immune to wanting to adapt the material. Critically acclaimed Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa even adapted the story into his own samurai version of the story with his film Throne of Blood (1957).

Japanese director Akira Kurosawa has directed several films over the course of his professional career, in fact, I have viewed many of them, and I must admit that of all his films that I enjoy the most are the ones in which samurai warriors have been prominently placed within the story. The period film Throne of Blood centers upon a single samurai warrior who rises to power after hearing a prophecy that is foretold to him and a fellow warrior as they are traveling through a haunted forest. Every time the fortuneteller would appear in the film, whether it was during the first act or the third act, I must admit that it was one of the eeriest of moments of the entire film. Several scenes in the film were beautifully shot with strong lighting and heavy use of natural fog and artificial mist. This photographic technique came in handy to produced confusion for the characters and for those who are viewing the film. The misty glow surround the fortuneteller is highlighted with an intense amount of key lighting that prominently pushes the figure of the old man right off the screen. The intense glow of the light creates an aura about the person that refuses to allow anyone to remove his or her eyes away from the mysterious figure.

It must be emphasized repeatedly that the cinematography for the film is wonderfully amazing to watch. I cannot help but mention that I am willing to watch this film several more times just for the sheer power of the visual design of every camera shot. Even the climactic battle scene toward the end of the film is a remarkable sight to observe as a forest of trees is walking toward a Japanese fort. There is even a jaw dropping surprise for the audience to see how the main character meets his ultimate demise. The moment of the fatal blow had to have been a slight twist of visual trickery in order to pull the visual stunt off successfully.

Throne of Blood is an instant classic in my book of favorite films to watch. I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in the story of Macbeth or has an interest upon viewing a beautifully photographed film. It would make for a nice afternoon pairing with Kurosawa’s other period film Hidden Fortress (1958).