Netflix Instant: Cool TV and Movie Picks

Happy Friday everyone! Here are some critically acclaimed suggestions for your weekend to get you in the mood for the awards season:

WINTER'S BONE

The 2010 indie darling that put Jennifer Lawrence on the map. She stars as a young girl trying to keep her family together while going on a trail to find out what happened to her druggie father. The movie is bleak yet so smart, and proves how great Lawrence is on screen.

PAGE ONE

One of the many documentaries I was lucky to see this year at the Dallas International Film Festival. An unprecedented look behind the scenes at the New York Times during the whole "newspaper is dying" epidemic. You can check out my review here!

ELIZABETH

I haven't seen this in years. I am somewhat of a history nerd (it's so dramatic!), so this fits right up my alley. Cate Blanchett is flawless as Elizabeth, and I forgot how gorgeous the movie was. Plus, a young-before-Bond Daniel Craig! 

Tweet

DIFF review PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES- She said

Directed by Andrew Rossi

Written by Andrew Rossi and Kate Novak

The death of the newspaper. A headline that we’ve seen many, many times over the past few years. With the growing digital world, the old black and white is becoming more and more of a nuisance to people than a hot commodity. Why would you go out and get the paper outside when you can easily access it on your computer, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, etc.? It seems that by the time a newspaper grabs hold of a story, a reporter writes it, then it goes to the presses, the mainstream world saw it on Twitter six hours beforehand. So, how does a newspaper not only stay in print and keep their audience, but how do they attract the Millennial Generation?

PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES follows the paper for a year through not only the competition within the paper to land on page one, but the looming threat of bankruptcy that many others have succumbed to. If anyone can be successful, the Times can. Right? The Times has always been synonymous with what a newspaper is. They’ve been pivotal in the history of breaking news from The Pentagon Papers, the recent Wikileaks, and covering the turmoil of the dying paper, all the while wondering if it could happen to them. 



The movie follows reporters and columnists as they go about their work writing stories, finding the big news, keeping their sources secret, and trying to keep this company alive.  David Carr, a veteran with a very roller-coaster history and colorful mouth, is The Times most outspoken reporter who's highlighted.  He believes in the good old-fashioned journalism where you throw yourself into you story, dig deep and produce something memorable and groundbreaking.  He's a treat to follow and is not afraid to hurt anyone's feelings.  However, even with the most dedicated, there's a tension in the air everyday at work.  Will this be the day that I'm let go?  Will my job be here tomorrow?  Even though they still have a job to do, the "dying paper bug" is always looming in the air adding more stress to an already stressful job. 


With this dying art, the documentary delves into answers I never even thought of.  Sure, the printed press is succumbing to the online world, but that's not the only reason.  Papers use to get their finances not only from selling the paper but from advertisers.  However, with the invention of Monster.com, there was no longer a need for the job ads.  Then with the invention of Craigslist, classifieds disappeared.  So, with money to even run the paper was dwindling, many had no choice but to make cuts.  Coupled with the fact their website, where you can read the paper, is no longer offering that luxury for free because the money has to come from somewhere.  Nothing is for free.


The Times has the rich history and status as being the pinnacle for a journalist.  If you wanted to make it, you wanted to end up at The Times.  Even today, The Times still holds a place for the nostalgics of a "simpler" era when reading the news was actually a staple of American culture.  There are still many baby boomers that hold on to that nostalgia, not wanting to see the progression into the blogosphere. 


PAGE ONE is an intellectual look at the other side of the journalism business.  There's much to be discussed whether we really need the printed press anymore since everything is so readily available.  Maybe we just hold on because the paper represents something from the past we're not ready to let go yet.  And if The Times, considered THE American newspaper, ends up going under, what's next?


Tweet

Jonesy's Most Anticipated Movies for DIFF

As my cohort listed what he's looking forward to for the Dallas International Film Festival last week, I'd thought I take this time to tell you what I'm excited about.  (And yes, I'm excited for BEING ELMO as well).

POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD

Director Morgan Spurlock explores the world of product placement, marketing and advertising. The film was fully financed through product placement from various brands, all of which are integrated transparently into the film. Spurlock exploits the phenomenon to new heights, with everything from branded pizza boxes and in-flight film promotions to branded-everything in-film. -- David Courier, Sundance FF

I love Morgan Spurlock.  I think he's funny, witty, and brave.  He's one of the most recognizable documentary film makers working today, which is impressive since most could probably only name one of his movies (SUPER SIZE ME).  Here Spurlock's documentary takes a look at getting a product to finance the film about getting a product to fiance a film.  How meta and fantastic!

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS

Across the USA, high school sports are regularly lavished with funding, publicity and scholarships, while theater departments struggle to put on the school musical hoping for some recognition of their own. Helping to settle the score are the "Freddy Awards," a live television event that celebrates excellence in high school musical theater. Illustrating that arts education encourages the same teamwork, camaraderie and confidence as sports, MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS follows three theater troupes on their creative journeys to the elaborate award ceremony – the "Super Bowl" of high school musical theater.

Being in musical theatre in high school, I have a biased affinity for the art.  So, when I heard there was a whole documentary covering musical theatre and the Freddy Awards, I am there!  A lot of people who don't know what it takes to put on a show have a hard time appreciating the time, talent, and sometimes grueling work that rarely reaps any awards.  By mainstream standards, musical theatre is viewed as cheesy and full of jazz hands and smiles.  Hopefully MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS will bring to light the sweat, tears, and success of these students' hard work. 

 

PAGE ONE

Go inside a year in the world’s premiere news source during a time when the medium itself faces turmoil and possible demise. In an age where 24-hour cable news and Internet blogging dominate the informative landscape, how can traditional newspapers endure? Andrew Rossi’s all-access look into The New York Times combines investigative journalism of headline news with the drama of keeping the paper viable.

We all heard about the death of the newspaper, yet somehow, through the age of the Internet, many are still surviving.  This documentary takes a look at the most formidable papers, The New York Times, and follows the ins-and-outs for a year.  I'm excited to see how someone likes the Times handles the ever changing digital age because if they can't make it work, who could?

 

THE WARD
In a remote mental institution, a beautiful but troubled young woman finds herself trapped in a hellish nightmare.

 Sure, the setting of a mental institution with an attractive young woman seems a little cliche, but I have faith.  Plus, it's director John Carpenter's latest horror film... so need I really say more?  

Now, these are only my most anticipated.  I'm expecting to see close to twenty movies over the festival, and I'm even more excited to find the gems of the festival.  Keep an eye out for our coverage of all things DIFF for the next couple weeks.

The DALLAS International Film Festival will run March 31 – April 10, 2011. Passes and tickets are currently on sale: available via online (www.dallasfilm.org), phone (214.782.9168) and in person at the FAUXCADES Box Office: 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Ste 100, Dallas.

Tweet