Ava DuVernay

Guest Contributor

Reel Artsy Outdoors

Woodsman Style.

Reel Artsy Wellness

Holistic Living

Interview with Numa Perrier

Writer / Director

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Showcase Your DVDs! - Pic #3


 Big movie fan? Show off your DVD collection! Send me a photo of you and your favorite movies and I'll post it on my site. Be creative and don't forget to include your name and links to your blog and/or twitter page. Send submissions to karen[at]reelartsy[dot]com - Have fun!

Kevin has loads of DVDs...check out that bin. Nice collection.

Twitter: @KevinRedd

Let's keep the pictures coming!

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Red Cliff


Red Cliff is John Woo's latest effort. The story centers on an epic battle between an underdog rebel army and a mischievous prime minister who wants to rule everything. It's a long movie but fans of action will enjoy the creative ways they kill people during combat, some action sequences are brutally clever.


Outside of martial arts the main appeal is Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers). He plays a war sage who looks quite handsome as he keeps his cool amidst all the chaos.
 


In theaters November 20th.

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Dear John


Nicholas Sparks' latest novel-turned-movie stars Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. If you're a fan of his bittersweet tales then this gives you something to anticipate.

Dear John is a romantic drama about a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while he's home on leave.

Remember when Seyfried was playing the "best friend" in Mean Girls and Veronica Mars? Now she's getting more starring roles, good for her! She makes a likable leading lady.


In theaters February 5th, 2010.

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Friday Night Lights: Jurnee Smollett + Jesse Plemons


In an earlier post I mentioned my delight about Jurnee Smollett's addition to the Friday Night Lights cast. According to FNL Fans via TV Guide here are more details about her character:

When Season 4 kicks off, it will turn out that the town’s redistricting has placed Landry (Jesse Plemons) in Coach Taylor’s East Dillon High. He’ll become involved in a love triangle with an African-American couple, footballer Vince (played by Michael B. Jordan), whose father is in prison, and Jess (Jurnee Smollett), who works with her dad at a local hangout. “It’s good to see mixed couples on TV,” Plemons says. “The last girl I dated [in real life] was mixed race."

Friday Night Lights is one of my favorite TV shows so I'm excited to see how this new coupling turn outs. Landry had some serious awkward cuteness going on last season with Tyra so hopefully the storylines stay compelling as they usually are.

The new season premieres tomorrow night on DirecTV at 9 p.m.
 


If you don't have DirecTV you'll have to wait until it airs on NBC at the beginning of next year.

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Childless


Childless is a story about death, family and the importance of truly connecting with the people in our lives. It's told in somewhat of "The Office" type style where the characters talk directly into the camera, which works effectively for this story because the actors are able to keep you engaged with their monulogues. The standout performance goes to Diane Venora who played the grieving father's ex-girlfriend. She offered some serious comic relief with her offbeat views on life.



Official Site: http://www.childlessmovie.com/

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Favorite End Credit Songs?



They're the songs that set the final tone for a film and if the rest of the soundtrack is great then they're like a cherry on top. A couple of my favorites are "What I've Done" by Linkin Park (Transformers) and "Extreme Ways" by Moby (The Bourne Ultimatium).

What songs did you stay in your seats for?

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It Might Get Loud


In the mood for a rock n' roll documentary? Then check out It Might Get Loud. The film offers a glimpse into the passion behind three famous guitarists: Jack White, The Edge and Jimmy Page.

"We're all attempting to share something with another human being."

So true.


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The Things We Carry



The Things We Carry will be playing at the San Diego Asian American Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival this week. Anyone planning to see it?

When her drug-addict mother dies, Emmie returns home, traveling through the underbelly of suburbia looking for a package her mother has left behind, reconnecting with her estranged sister, Eve, along the way.

It looks good...



Official Site: www.thethingswecarry.com

[H/T Angry Asian Man]

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TV Tonight: CNN's Latino in America


Soledad O'Brien begins her special report on the Latino experience spotlighting stories from across the country including interviews with George Lopez, Eva Longoria and Edward James Olmos.  The two part coverage kicks off tonight and finishes tomorrow on CNN at 9 p.m.



Hopefully CNN continues this series with Asian American, Arab American and Native American focuses (as well as other ethnic groups).

After you watch the show, share your thoughts!

Official Site: www.cnn.com

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Bella


Bella offers raw simple storytelling, the kind that tugs at your heart. Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard do a fantastic job portraying two characters with a brokenness of the soul.

The film features an extremely beautiful song by Rachael Yamagata "Meet Me By The Water" and original music by Stephan Altman that completes the tone of the film quite nicely.

 
 
Official Site: www.bellamoviesite.com
 

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Showcase Your DVDs! - Pic #2


 Big movie fan? Show off your DVD collection! Send me a photo of you and your favorite movies and I'll post it on my site. Be creative and don't forget to include your name and links to your blog and/or twitter page. Send submissions to karen[at]reelartsy[dot]com - Have fun!

Dain shows off his collection, impressive. 

Twitter: @FilmCritiques
Blog: www.dainsmoviereviews.com

Keep the pictures coming!

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Rashida Jones Graphic Novel 'Frenemy of the State' Gets Film Adaptation


Rashida Jones' comic book about an heiress turned spy is set for a big screen adaptation. Variety reported that "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have acquired screen rights." Jones and her writing partner (Will McCormack) will pen the screenplay. Yay!
"Frenemy of the State" wasn't conceived by Jones as an acting vehicle for herself, she said. "It's intended for a girl much younger than me, about age 20, an interesting age for girls as they make that scary jump to adulthood. She has lived a life of privilege, attended the best schools and learned every language, but her obsession with spying on exes gets her into trouble and she is recruited to be a spy in exchange for not going to prison. There is a comic element to it, this girl who is so conscious of social standing and wearing the right shoes, suddenly becoming responsible for these dangerous, life-threatening missions."
Who should play the lead role in Frenemy of the State



My vote is for Alia Shawkat (Whip It, Amreeka). As you can see from the picture above she already looks the girl on the cover and she's around the age that Jones mentioned. Plus, she's funny. If you saw her in Whip It then you know she has the right amount of comedic timing to be a cool spy.



Other possible candidates include... Alexa Vega (Ruby & the Rockits, Spy Kids) and Jessica Parker Kennedy (Soul, Smallville).

So who would you choose?

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Magazine Round-Up: Megan Fox on Nylon



Megan Fox chats Jennifer's Body, video games and career aspirations in the latest edition of Nylon magazine. I enjoyed the interview and the hipster clothes, but I pretty much enjoy every issue they put out! Here's the video from the cover shoot:


What kind of role would you like to see Fox play in next?

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Cold Comfort Farm


Long before Kate Beckinsale killed werewolves in Underworld and she was in Cold Comfort Farm, an offbeat comedy about a city girl from London who stirs up mischief in the countryside. It's a fun light-hearted movie that offers one of my favorite lines: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed." Watch the movie and you'll understand just how hilarious that is.

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Saawariya


Saawariya is a little over two hours of visually stunning film. It's full of vibrant colors and beautiful shots. The cinematographer and the set designers are the real stars, so if you appreciate lavish dream-like sequences then you'll be impressed. Sanjay Leela Bhansali makes pretty films so if you like Saawariya then check out Devdas with Aishwarya Rai. 


Official Site: www.saawariyafilm.com

For fans of... Moulin Rouge and Edward Scissorhands

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The Valet (La doublure)


In the mood for a fun French film? Check out The Valet. It's a romantic comedy about an average guy who gets pulled into an elaborate scheme to help a rich man and a model avoid tabloid scandal. It's cute where it needs to be cute and silly when it needs to be silly. Plus Kristin Thomas Scott has a small part.


For fans of... Notting Hill and The Seat Filler

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Interview


Interview is a movie about journalists and the people they well, interview. More specifically it's about a political journalist who thinks he's too good to chat with an actress. Steve Buscemi plays the grumpy newspaper man and Sienna Miller the starlet.

What I like about this film is its simplicity, you stick two very different people in a room together and see what happens.

Two things you should know: 1. It's a remake of a Dutch film of the same name and 2. That Buscemi directed it  (it was somewhat of a passion project for him).



I haven't see the Dutch version yet so I can't compare the two but if it's as enjoyable as this one then I'll be pleased.

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Showcase Your DVDs!

 
Big movie fan? Show off your DVD collection! Send me a photo of you and your favorite movies and I'll post it on my site. Be creative and don't forget to include your name and links to your blog and/or twitter page. Send submissions to karen[at]reelartsy[dot]com - Have fun!

DVD hugging courtesy of Benjamin 

Twitter: @BenKrispy

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Wake Up Sid


Wake Up Sid is a quirky Bollywood film. It's about a guy who's having a quarter-life crisis and if you've seen Ranbir Kapoor in Saawariya then you know that this role is a perfect fit. I've watched lots of Bollywood movies and I'm glad to see offbeat twenty-something stories emerge.


The trailer is mostly in Hindi but you'll get the point. Wake Up Sid is currently in theaters (limited release).


Official Site: www.wakeupsidthefilm.com

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Peter and Vandy


Peter and Vandy looks cutesy and the soundtrack adds to the appeal. One of the best things about indie films are the soundtracks and this one includes music from Animal Collective and The National. Peter and Vandy is billed as a "a love story told out of order" and when done well this style is refreshing.

In theaters Oct. 9th (NYC & L.A.)


Official Site: www.peterandvandy.com

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Soundtrack: "Feeling Good" by Muse


I watched Seven Pounds again (I saw it twice in theaters). This time I fast-forwarded to my favorite scenes. One of them is where Muse's "Feeling Good" plays. Without giving away the plot, I'll just say that it fits the mood precisely.


If you haven't seen Seven Pounds yet give it a try. The cinematography is impressive (I like Philippe Le Sourd's style) and the lead actors, Will Smith and Rosario Dawson, have good onscreen chemistry. If you're into reading screenplays it will make you appreciate the story even more.

Other notable songs from the soundtrack include "The Crisis" by Ennio Morricone and "One of These Things First" by Nick Drake.

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Zombieland


Zombieland opens this weekend! Now you can watch Woody Harrelson kick some serious zombie butt. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) and Emma Stone (The House Bunny) bring their awkward coolness, so I expect fun. After you watch Zombieland share your favorite lines!


UPDATE: Check out Action Flick Chick's review of Zombieland.

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Felicia Day on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon


Because this interview is too awesome not to post...


Felicia Day also recently chatted with Wired.com - Here's a snippet from that:

Wired.com: Do you think geek culture gets a little bit watered down when it makes it to the mainstream? You were on Undeclared, which has really good geek credentials.

Day: I think there are some people out there who do get it. I think Big Bang Theory is actually a great show. And The Office — you could consider that a geeky, because they’re real people. You believe them. But in general, there’s nothing more frustrating than that stereotypical gamer — the teenager in the basement with his mom getting him Hot Pockets. That’s why I wrote the show as well; because that stereotype is not accurate. Every quirky girl doesn’t have to be the best-friend character. It’s a very limiting and self-fulfilling prophecy. People only write things that will get green-lit so they write to those stereotypes. And that’s why I think that the audience is crumbling. Because the things they perceive that the audience wants aren’t necessarily what the audience wants. I don’t identify with a lot of the things I see on TV nowadays. I’d probably rather be gaming, to be honest with you.

For more info on the current queen of the web visit:


[photo via WoW Meetup]

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