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Inside
Theaters
vs. DVDS: Movie
Which is Reviews
p.15

Better? P. 13

In
Best Japanese Theaters
Horror Films p. 5 Soon p. 16

ON DVD p. 17

FREE NEWSLETTER
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Founder’s
Message p. 3

Editor’s Message p. 4
(Left: Elijah Wood; Sean Astin)

What is wrong with LOTR: ‘Never Judge

modern day horror A Movie By Its Plot’
movies? P. 10
p. 6

Entertainer of the Month:

Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett p. 12

Monte Pictures was originally founded by Javier Serrano in San Diego, California on February 4,
2007. Monte Pictures is the subject to the founder’s passion: to establish a film company. At this
time, Monte Pictures runs independently through monthly newsletters composed by the founder
Javier Serrano and his editor-in-chief Julia Wieczorek.

© 2009 Monte Pictures Newsletter. We acknowledge all photographs are subject to their original
owners. Monte Pictures was created to express, entertain and educate members of Monte Pictures
the variety of film selections available. We do not sell our newsletters nor accept donations of any
kind; we are neither a corporation nor non-profit organization. Questions or comments, please
email your inquiries to: montepictures@ymail.com .
 FOUNDER JAVIER
SERRANO

Is It Possible To Live Life Without Regrets?

One of the central elements in the process of spiritual maturation
is the letting go of all that we have become attached. Attachment
is a phenomenon of past tense, a holding on to what no longer
exists. Whenever we dwell in the past we miss life now. This
fundamental truism is especially applicable to the transformation
of regret. Our sense of time is influenced largely by the belief
systems which filter and translate our experiences before they
arrive in our mind's eyes. The world that we know is much smaller
than the world that truly is and when we recognize the existence
of this larger reality it becomes more accessible to us. Not
immediately, necessarily, but progressively.
Arguably, the most notable victim of our shifts in consciousness is the notion that we are free to
live life as we please; that we are responsible for what happens in our lives. Every moment is
perfect and everyone is doing the very best they can in these moments. Regrets lose their hold
and dissolve like dust in the wind. Regret, like fear of the future, is eventually antiquated by our
personal/spiritual growth. Not surprisingly, the last regrets to go are those most tenacious
memories of failures to act in ways that we perceived to be better than what we chose;
experiences loaded with emotion. We hurt a special someone or we missed an opportunity that
would have, we imagine, made our lives better. Life is so large, complex and complete in ways
that we cannot know the full extent of what moves us when we make decisions. As we are
graced by new states of being and awareness’s we begin to realize how integrated we all are in
the overall scheme of things; Creation unfolding, we might say. In these newer next phases of
actualization, we experience love without pain, time without regret.

To the woman who inspired Monte Pictures: My

mother, who recently graduated from
University of Phoenix on September 12, 2009.
 EDITOR jULIA
wIECZOREK

Movies Provide Us Archetypes of People we Know

and Love/Love to Hate
Archetypes are universal thought forms displayed in personalities
that appear in various cultures around the globe, and we can
recognize these predispositions anywhere. When The Lord of the
Rings became the main theme of this issue I instantly thought of all
the different characters the films encompass. LOTR is riddled with
typical common archetypes. Take the main character: Frodo. He
takes on the role as the hero who is the conqueror of enemies and
evil forces while on a quest to complete a task. Then there is (one
of my favorite’s) Gandolf, the wizard, who is the wise old man. He
literally looks the part of a known archetype while also acting the
part.

Next we go to my other favorite character from the films, Smaegol or better known as Gollum.
His archetype is that of the trickster who is animalistic and can be a prankster (betraying the
hobbits on different occasions). There are many other archetypes, such as the great mother
(good/bad mother), shadow (devil within), child-god (the future), and the self (unity of
personalities). These thought forms of personalities are seen in everyday life as well, not just in
the movies and in books. We can literally take the descriptions and assign them to people we
know. It is amusing to discover what we identify ourselves with and what others might identify
us as, as well as trying to identify characters in our favorite movies.
It is probably helpful to the actors playing different parts than is natural for them, to identify the
archetypes and “become” these identities to truly portray the new character.
Next time you are bored, try to identify the type of archetype (make up your own too!) of the
people around you and why you would place them there. Also try to think what part you would
have them play in a movie, whether it be one already out or one not even envisioned yet. What
character would you play, the hero or the trickster? It’s amazing what you might discover! Plus
it’s just fun.

Once again, huge thanks to all of our readers, hope you enjoy and be prepared for our next
issue, OCTOBER, coming in a few weeks!

“All these years, all these memories, there was you...

You pull me through time.”
–Tom Creo in The Fountain
julia wieczorek
editor-in-chief
 Best Japanese Horror Films
By Javier Serrano with her daughter only to find there's water
dripping everywhere. Upon closer investigation it
Ju-on (The Grudge - 2003): Yet another film re-
appears it belongs to the spirit of a dead girl who
made and re-packaged by Hollywood, however
drowned in the containment tank on the roof of the
this wonderful original would never be
building and she's now seeking a replacement
bettered by any kind of re-telling. Told through
mother.
a series of seemingly disparate episodes' that
eventually intertwine together, each tale is a
Ringu (1998): Forget the miserable Hollywood
creepy capsule of scariness and if you like ghost
remake starring Naomi Watts, this is the real deal.
stories, you're in for a treat. Following an old
It's a simple premise told extremely well: There's a
Japanese legend, the movie tells how when a
videotape in which if you watch it, you have exactly
person dies in extreme sorrow or rage, their
one week left to live. How spooky is that? Would
emotions remain and stain the place where
you watch it just to see what happens? “Give over
they died. Anyone coming into contact with
soft lad". But when you do watch it and that lank-
this stain' will suffer the same, twisted fate.
haired, freaky-eyed woman breaks the confines of
her televised incarceration and starts crawling
Dark Water (2002): Another Japanese horror
towards you with assured reality, your hair will go
film ruined by a scandalously bad re-make, is
white, you will start dribbling out of the corners of
worth seeking out if only to see the mess
your mouth and your heart will drop out of the
Hollywood made of it. A recently divorced
bottom of your pants. [END]
woman moves into an eerie apartment block
 The Lord of the Rings
By Javier Serrano
‘Never Judge A Movie By Its Plot’
I have to admit admirably that I was not a Lord
of the Rings fan until recently. For nearly eight
years since the debut of The Lord of the Rings-
The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, I found
hundreds of excuses why I would not watch this
fantasy film. I mean, The Wizard of Oz is
perhaps the greatest fantasy film of all time.
However, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring may be the second greatest fantasy
film of all time, but it is tied for first with 1965,
The Sound of Music as my favorite film of all
time. So it’s true as the saying goes: “Never
judge a film by its plot,” and I should know that
because I am a film critic. The mammoth task of
making Middle Earth a reality was taken up by
director Peter Jackson, normally a director of
bloody horrors. Peter Jackson worked with his
writing team of Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens
who had to turn the epic novel into an epic
movie. The Lord of the Rings (books) by J.R. R.
Tolkien, had been attempted to be turned into
movies. Disney had the rights to make the films
for a staggering ten years without managing to
make anything of it. Original plans were to make
one movie, to shove the entire The Lord of the
Rings trilogy into one gigantic movie! Peter
Jackson and his team soon realized that this
was impossible and understandably so, but their
producers weren't having it. Luckily for them and the
viewing public, New Line Cinema was willing to let the
producers have three separate films rather than one
film. The Fellowship of the Ring follows Frodo Baggins
and his companions through Middle Earth in an
attempt to destroy the one ring that possess strength,
power, and evil by doing so, destroy Sauron, the ring’s
master, and save the free world. Though hobbits seem
like pretty normal creatures there are other more
peculiar species out there that help the Hobbits on
this difficult journey. The Fellowship of the Ring is
selected at the Elven Council to protect the ring from
the Black Riders. The ring can only be destroyed by
throwing the ring into the fire from whence it came,
which is the fire of the volcano in Mount Doom in the
middle of Mordor, home of Sauron and his army. The
special effects in this film are absolutely outstanding
and stunning. The timing was absolutely perfect to
make this film, nearly a year and a half to film all three
films simultaneously. In my opinion, the film itself is
an absolute masterpiece. I do recommend that you
purchase the first DVD of The Lord of the Rings
because it makes you appreciate all the hard work that
everyone that was part of the filmmaking process put
into it.
Next page
The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers: The second
film in Peter Jackson's vision of bringing Tolkien's
epic story to the screen is the real test for the
viewer. After a light beginning and an easy storyline,
the saga fractures into three separate interwoven
tales, it is slower going and the dark shadows of a
world shattering war begin to hang over the land. It
is the heaviest part of the tale in many ways but is
only a reflection of the book. Any good story
requires a beginning, middle and an end, and that is
the simplest way to look at the three films.
Fellowship of the Ring sets up the overall themes
and introduces the characters. The Return of The
King is the epic finale, heroes are made, dramatic
victories are achieved and like all good tales
everyone gets their just desserts. The Two Towers is
the vehicle between the two. That may be doing it a
disservice as it is, in its own right, a masterpiece of
grand storytelling and majestic film techniques and
contains nothing that is filler, as well as introducing
a number of brilliant new characters, the infamous
Gollum amongst them. But it is the hardest part of
the film to get through and has proven the
stumbling block for many, both in film and book
form. But the rewards of staying with the tale are
many. After the dissolution of the fellowship the
story gets more complex. Frodo, bearer of the ring
and his trusted companion, Sam, head off into the
wilderness for Mordor and the destruction of the
ring that they have committed themselves to.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas head off on
the trail of Merry and Pippin who have been
captured by Saruman's evil hordes which leads
them towards the land of Rohan. As I said before a
good fantasy film will contain elements that are
familiar as well as the things it needs to make it
seem a world away. Rohan is both, looking very
much like a Viking or Saxon Dark Age civilization, it
contains threads that are both distantly familiar and
alien to our modern world. It is the world of the
mythology of Beowulf and King Arthur and the
realities of the Sutton Hoo findings and the
inspiration and sources for it litter our own history
books. Rohan is also land on the edge of war, the
Dark Lord’s ally, Saruman the turncoat wizard is set
to unleash his unnatural armies to engulf the land of
the noble horse lords. Merry and Pippin escape
their captors and flee to the ancient forest of
Fangorn, where they are taken under the wing of a
Next page
race of talking, moving trees who are reluctant to books to begin with, but it is a rewarding film and
get involved in the war about to break on their leaves the story poised for an epic ending that is to
peaceful forest shores. Aragorn, Gimli and be found in the next film, The Return of The King.
Legolas, a one man league of nations (Human,
Dwarf and Elf, a rare combination) are reunited The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King is the
with a friend they thought dead, but in terms of third movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and is by
spoiling the film I won't dwell on that, and after far one of the best movies to ever be made. Each
being assured that the two hobbits that they are scene in the movie was built to perfection combining
searching for are now safe head off to give the great acting, beautiful scenery, wonderful music, and
news of impending invasion to king Theoden of great photography. It is hardly negotiable that this
Rohan. At the capital, Edoras, they find Theoden movie was created by the best and truly deserved all
a man possessed. His advisor, the Dickensian of the recognition that it was given. The film starts
named, Grima Wormtongue has him under his where it left off in The Two Towers. Frodo and Sam
control and it turns out that Grima is not all that are on their way to Mount Doom, accompanied by
he seems. After a magical the grotesque Gollum. The trio continues on,
battle Theoden is returned climbing a huge set of
to health and informed of make-shift stairs up
the storm about to break around the gate into
over his land. The people Mordor. When they
under his protection are reach the top, they are
evacuated to the ancient confronted by Shelob, a
stronghold of Helms Deep giant spider who tries
and from here the film to kill Frodo. Sam
begins its apocalyptic comes to the rescue
march through mass battles and the two hobbits,
and heroic deeds, clash of leaving Gollum for
armies and the near end of dead, travel deep into
the world. A fantastic siege the evil country,
by Saruman’s army of orcs (Left: Sir Ian McKellen; Elijah Wood) disguised as orcs.
on Theodens entrapped troops and the Eventually, they reach
destruction of Saruman's stronghold form the Mount Doom, where the final struggle between the
dramatic conclusion to this film. Dispersed within One Ring, Frodo, and Gollum takes place. On the
these themes are Frodo and Sam's onward march other side of the plot, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and
towards their goal and their meeting with the rest are in Rohan, just after the Battle of Helm's
Gollum. Gollum is a former owner of the ring, Deep, anxiously awaiting their next move into
sent mad by its burden and having evolved into a Gondor. Gandalf takes Pippin the hobbit ahead and
troglodyte by hiding in underground caves, he rides into Gondor to meet the steward, who is
acts as their guide through the wild places but his "watching" the thrown until the return of the rightful
motives are held in suspicion by the two hobbits, king, Aragorn. While they are there, the battle of
it's a needs must situation. Like all good films, it Minas Tirith begins as an army of orcs and trolls try to
can be dissected and examined until the hobbits siege the mountain city. Both armies clash with the
come home, but this brooding masterpiece drives orcs and the city of Minas Tirith is saved just in the
the story on to the Armageddon-like conclusions nick of time. After this battle, Aragorn takes the
that are dealt with in the final film. It is a fantastic remaining men to the Black Gates for one last stand
piece of storytelling, and Jackson has brought it against Sauron's forces. It looks grim for them,
to the screen in a way that I'm sure Tolkien would however, as an army or orcs completely surrounds
have approved of. It may be hard work at times, them. When it looks like all hope is lost, the Ring is
especially if you are not acquainted with the destroyed, and all evil is rendered helpless,
guaranteeing victory. When they return home,
(Top Left: Viggo Mortensen; Sir Ian McKellen; Orlando Bloom; Sean Bean; Bottom; Sean Astin, Elijah Wood;
Dominic Monahgan; Billy Boyd; Jonathan Davies-Ryes )
Aragorn is crowned king, and the hobbits
return to the Shire. A few years later, Gandalf,
Frodo, and Bilbo, Frodo's uncle who first
discovered the Ring, are taken on the last ship
out of Middle-Earth. This is their reward for all
of their hard work in destroying the burdening
Ring. All of the actors that were chosen fit both
the descriptions and the personalities of the
characters that were created by J.R.R. Tolkien
in the books. Elijah Wood (Frodo) plays his role
very well. Throughout the film he has to act
constantly tired out and burdened. He plays
this very well by breathing hard, pausing when
he talks, running into things. He actually looks
as if he has given it his all and has nothing left
to give. This is exactly what Tolkien would have
wanted for this character. Orlando Bloom plays
Legolas, the carefree elf, and John Rhys-Davies
plays Gimli, the hot-headed dwarf. Both of
them remain serious to the film and the plot
while adding a bit of humor which greatly
enhances the movie. Viggo Mortensen
(Aragorn) and Ian McKellen (Gandalf) are the
best actors in the film. Aragorn and Gandalf are
both leaders in the books who always remain
strong even when it seems that all hope is lost.
Both of the actors remain true to that
character trait in the movies. They project their
voices to show who's in charge and they are
constantly running around helping the others.
They remain serious and adamant in their
decisions. Just by watching them interact with the
other characters, you can tell they are people to be
admired and liked by all, but also respected for their
positions. The camera work for the film accentuated
the importance of each scene and also how the
characters in the scene must be feeling. For
instance, when a character is in disbelief, is injured,
or all seems lost, the scene will be in slow motion.
This lets the viewer take the time to see everything
going on and really feel for the character. During
struggles between two characters, such as the brawl
that Frodo and Gollum have, the camera starts to
bounce around and shake. This makes the viewer
feel like he is actually in the scene, wrestling with
Gollum just like Frodo is. Also, the camera will
sometimes follow the feet of a character, rather
than his/her upper body. This is used several times
for Frodo and Sam. The city of Wellington was
decorated and literally transformed into a Middle-
Earth for the huge event. In 2004, it won all 11
Oscars that it was nominated for. Every scene flows
perfectly and the movie was incredible. The last few
scenes leave the viewer appalled as it all unfolds.
This is truly a must-see movie that combines all of
movie-making's greatest techniques into one
remarkable piece of work. Don't let the fact that it's
a fantasy movie stop you from seeing this film.
Anyone could enjoy these movies regardless of your
personal preferences. The Return of the King has
made movie making history and is a must-see.
[END]
 1975, Jaws

What is wrong with modern day horror movies?

By Javier Serrano
It left thousands of people "afraid to go in water" and
The music is ominous, suggesting gave sharks a bad reputation for decades. Jaws made you
something bad is about to happen. A realize that even more frightening than seeing what was
woman is swimming in inky black water lurking beneath the surface, was not seeing it at all.
on a poorly lit night and even though we
know it's coming, we still jump when she
is suddenly yanked across the water with
an ear-piercing shriek. Her screaming
continues as she struggles against an
unseen force. She is pulled under the
water for a moment and then breaks the
surface gasping for air while begging for
help from a higher power. On the edge of
our seats we watch her slowly fail in her 2006, Pulse
battle for survival. She is pulled below
the surface for a final time, and the only Horror movies were usually the least funded movies for
sign of the heart pounding battle is a a studio. As a result of small budgets, directors had to
slight rippling of the water. Perhaps one come up with creative ways to induce terror in their
of the most remarkable things about this audiences. For Jaws it was largely done by an intricate
scene, as well as large portions of the system of pulleys and wires that would drag the actors
movie, is that the scariest moments were across the water to simulate a violent shark attack.
created without the focus of our terror There were minor splashes of blood and quick shots of
ever being seen. Jaws was a true horror severed limbs in order to convince the viewer that they
movie. The audience was filled with fear were seeing a mutilated body, but never so much and
by the thought that when it came to the not for so long that the audience could question the
ocean, man was not the top of the food authenticity of the props. Although they had small
chain.
budgets, directors knew that less was more when it came to the willing suspension of disbelief
in the audience. In contrast, modern horror movies are more than willing to show you what is
hiding in your closet and reveal it in a wash of body fluids. It is almost like there is a secret
competition taking place between production companies to see which movie can use the most
blood, mutilate the most bodies, and create the most sickening displays of twisted human
behavior. Unfortunately "Horror" has become synonymous with "Blood and Gore". While
blood, gore and twisted human behavior have their place in horror movies, the overwhelming
amounts in the modern horror movies have led to the desensitization of the audience.

At a certain point, blood splattered

excessively on the wall just becomes
poorly applied red paint to the mind's
eye. Instead of being terror inspiring, the
special effects have become laughable.
After all, does the human body really
contain ten gallons of blood?

With the advent of CGI and better special

effects, horror movies have been able to
push the limits of the genre. Audiences
are drawn to the theaters to see the
ghostly girl who crawls through the
television to get you, to see just how far
movie magic can scare them. However,
crafting a truly terror inspiring horror
movie is an art form. There needs to be a
balance between telling the story and
painting the picture on the big screen. If
the story is lost in a river of blood, then
the overall movie suffers and if there
isn't a good story then no amount of
blood or brain matter can create one.
Unfortunately, most modern horror
movies have come to rely on these
special effects and have lost the art of

2009, Friday the 13th

storytelling. Who's afraid of the big, bad
CGI wolf? Not I. [END]
Academy Award Winner ®

Cate Blanchett

If there could be one other actress that can be

comparable to the legendary Meryl Streep it
would be Cate Blanchett. Cate has won
multiple acting awards, most notably two
SAGs, two Golden Globes Awards, two BAFTAs,
an Academy Award for Best Actress in a
Supporting Role, which by winning the Oscar
for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn, she
became the first person to give an Oscar-
winning portrayal of a previous Oscar winner,
as well as the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the
64th Venice International Film Festival.
Blanchett came to international attention in
the 1998 film Elizabeth, in which she played
Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Theaters vs. DVDS:
Which is Better?
By Javier Serrano
I would strongly argue that for any movie you are
really interested in, viewing at a theater is
absolutely imperative. Watching a movie in a
theater can be a magical experience, the sense of
occasion, the feeling that you are going on a journey
with other theater goers and the opportunity to
meet up with friends all combine to make this the
optimum way to view a film. This is especially
apparent with big blockbusters where special effects
can only really be appreciated on the big screen and
there is often too thin a story line to really enjoy the
movie on DVD. If you imagine watching Indiana
Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean or Transformers on a
normal, family sized television it's clear that these
movies would lose their spectacle and become
boring pretty quickly! It is true that more
independent movies that are based on well written
scripts, great acting performances and intriguing
plot translate better to the small screen and can
provide an enjoyable experience should you miss
them at theatres. However even with these types of
films a large part of the viewing experience is the
opportunity to discuss the nuances of the plot with
friends and dissect the movie after it has finished
and it's just not practical to huddle a large group
around a TV. I truly believe that a movie should be a
social experience and you get so much more out of
it when you are able to share it with friends, finding
new levels of understanding as you take on board
one another’s views and perspectives. This even
helps to make up for the more expensive price of a
movie ticket as you are able to turn the experience
into a full evening out with friends, taking in a drink
after the movie as you discuss it. The social aspect is
particularly important for dates, it would probably
be considered a little strange to invite a first date
round to your place to watch a DVD, right? Theaters
provide a much fuller immersion in the movie and
allow the viewer to suspend belief and really feel
that they are involved in the action along with the
characters. People rarely wander in front of the
screen to get a snack or start chatting about their
day at work. Theaters allow the movie-goer to relax,
surrender their full attention and go on a two hour
adventure. Movie makers intend their work to be
seen in theatres and therefore to watch on DVD is
to lose the intended experience, at the theatre you
have the satisfaction of seeing the filmmaker’s
vision come to life.
However, if there is a plus to the theater it has to
be the ambiance-big screen and awesome sound
with the smell of hot buttered popcorn floating in
the air. Besides that, the theater just can't beat the
comfort of home. Home offers so much more
flexibility. A movie can be watched with friends,
family, both, or alone. Any parent who has taken a
small child to a movie knows these words - "I have
to potty." It is so much easier to push pause than
to stumble out of the dark theater to the restroom
and back again. If you are lucky and it's a short film
once may be enough but if it's Harry Potter then
there will probably be a repeat performance.
There are other handy functions on that remote:
to-rewind, volume, etc. The ability to lounge in
pajamas and eat whatever is desired is not a bad
benefit to home movie watching either. The cost
to take a family of four to see a movie is enough to
frighten many away. If you are disciplined and can
steer the family away from the concessions then
the cost isn't totally unbearable for a special
occasion especially if you can catch a matinee.
With libraries renting DVDs for free and companies
like Netflix, several movies can be watched for the
price of one trip to the theater. A great deal if the
movie you thought would be good turns out to be
a real stinker or you have a limited budget. As if
comfort and saving money weren't enough, add
the benefit of not having to endure the rudeness
or inconsideration of others who destroy the great
theater experience. The biggest interruptions
used to be people talking to their companion and
seat kicking. But thanks to technology, we now
have people talking on cell phones, cell phones
ringing and the lights from people texting to
distract us. [END]

Movie Reviews
The Fountain
2006
Dir. Darren Aronofsky;
Starring Hugh Jackman and
Rachel Weisz
This film encompasses three
visually stunning stories into one,
with the main characters
traveling through time
(unbeknownst to them) and
facing similar failures. The past is
about a conquistador who must
find the tree of life to free the
queen he loves. The present day
shows a man who must find a
cure from a special tree to save
his wife from the cancer she is
dying from. The future story tells
of a man traveling through space
with a dying tree, trying to reach
a dying star wrapped in a nebula,
all in hopes he can spend eternity
with his love. The parallels tell of
two people who would spend
their lives together but keep
being interrupted by death, and
no matter what the man does he
will never be able to save his love
and it takes lifetimes for him to
realize he must cherish the time
he does have with her. Will he
ever find a way to live forever
with his beloved?
Children of Men
2006
Dir. Alfonso Cuaron;
Starring Clive Owen, Michael Cain
and Julianne Moore
What is a movie about the future
without an overbearing
government that is falling to
pieces, people disillusioned with
their lives and so much chaos that
literally causes the human race to
face extinction. Children of Men is
set in 2027 and takes the usual
grim look into our future as one
man must protect and save one
young woman who is the last
known human to be pregnant.
After the youngest person has died
(at the age of 18) the people of
earth begin to believe there is no
hope left. While war ravages
aboveground, a secret
underground war reeks havoc on
the only people that can protect
that last pregnant human and
Theo (Clive Owen) may be
her/mankind’s only hope. He must
take her to the mysterious Human
Project located at sea but first get
her through the dangers this
totalitarian society has evolved
into. Can he save our species from
itself?
By julia wieczorek
City of Ember
2008
Dir. Gil Kenan;
Starring Tim Robbins, Bill
Murray, Harry Treadaway,
Saoirse Ronan
Another movie set to the
future but with a better
outlook (slightly). In this film
the earth as we know it has
come to an end but a group
of scientists have created a
city underground full of
artificial light. They construct
it to last for 200 years and
leave instructions for how to
return to the earth’s surface.
Over time and corrupt new
mayors the instructions get
lost and the idea of the
surface world becomes
confused. As the 200 years is
almost up and the generators
fail, two teens discover the
secrets and set off to see
once and for all if there is real
light brighter than the
artificial glow of their city.
Will they be able to save their
city from darkness and is
there really a brighter light on
the other side?

In Theaters Soon
Whip it!
Dir. Drew Barrymore; Starring
Ellen Page; Opens October 2nd.
It is a remarkable feat from her
directorial debut, Drew
Barrymore seems less concerned
with crafting a riveting cinematic
experience as she is in creating a
good time. On that reason, she
has succeeded : Whip it! Greatly
benefits from Barrymore’s breezy
approach and her large female
cast, which Barrymore clearly
wants the film to be a salute to
female empowerment about a
misfit teen finding her
independence by joining a
women’s roller-derby team, in
this coming-of-age story. Bored
and aimless in her Texas small
town, 17-year-old Bliss, played by
Academy Award nominee Ellen
Page, finds her purpose when she
hears about a female roller-derby
league in a nearby city. Soon she
joins a team called the Hurl
Scouts and becomes involved
with an aspiring rock musician, all
of which she has to keep hidden
from her disapproving mother.
Grade: A -
By Javier Serrano
Anitchrist
Dir. Lars von Trier; Starring Willem
Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg; Opens
October 23rd.
Grief, death, and rusty scissors collide
in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist. A
metaphysical rest with cinema’s
loudest spoilsport, the picture stuns
and sickens, almost daring viewers to
keep watching as it articulates the
ravages of the unwound mind, filling
the frame with demented acts of
unspeakable violence. For Fans of
Trier, which I am not, Antichrist is a
return to his once irresistible
provocative appetites, shamelessly
exploiting suffering and hatred to
generate the outrage that fuels his
daydream. Reeling over the death of
their toddler son, estranged couple
HE (Dafoe) and SHE (Gainsbourg) are
devastated to learn that their sexual
appetites contributed to the loss of
their one and only son. In order for
He to recluse his wife from the pain
of their son, they both head to a
remote cabin in the dense forest of
Eden to confront her fears. Though,
unexpected occurrences plead their
environment.
Grade: A +
Trick r’ Treat
Dir. Michael Dougherty;
Starring Anna Paquin; Opens
October 6th.
Surprisingly scary, this film is
set entirely on one
particularly spooking
Halloween night, the film
weaves together three
interconnecting stories. In
the first, greedy
troublemaker Charlie picks
the wrong house to steal
candy from. The owner, it
turns out, is Steven, a
principal who serial kills on
the side. Meanwhile, across
town, Maria and her sister
Laurie head with two other
sexy friends to the local
parade, in hopes of bagging
Laurie a date. The third tale
involves a group of trick-or-
treaters who decide to play a
nasty trick on a nerdy
classmate. Before the night
is out, they will learn more
than they bargained for
about the town’s infamous
school bus accident urban
legend.
Grade: A
On DVD NOW
Wolverine: X-
Men Origins
Dir. Gavin Hood; Starring
Hugh Jackman
My induction into the world
of X-Men mythology came
courtesy of Bryan Singer’s X-
Men and X2, which remains
on my short list of the most
brilliantly realized comic-book
adaptation ever made.
However, Wolverine: X-Men
Origins is a fast-paced and
often confusing adventure
that unfolds on screen.
Though, I actually may
consider this film to be more
entertaining enough to
outshine Brett Ratner’s
X-Men: The Las Stand. What
we learn is, Wolverine
(Jackman), a mutant with
superhuman strength and
healing powers to
complement his razor-sharp
retractable claws, escaped a
troubled childhood and
enlisted in the military.
Grade: C+
By Javier Serrano
Miss Pettigrew
Lives for a Day
Dir. Bharat Nalluri; Starring Francis
McDormand, Amy Adams
People often complain, “they don’t
make movies like they used to.” But on
occasion a film is made for that
audience. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
is such a film. Set in London in 1939,
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is about
middle-aged Guinevere Pettigrew
(McDormand, surprisingly performing
with an English accent), who has been
discharged many times from her
employment as a governess for her
eccentric behavior. She becomes
jobless with no prospects. She is
bedraggled and penniless, relegated to
eating at a soup kitchen. Totally
rebuffed by an employment agency,
Miss Pettigrew pilfers the address of a
prospective job and goes to meet the
would-be client. At the appointed
address she encounters Delysia Lafosse
(Adams), a man-crazy singer and actress
who lives in a posh flat owned by one
of her three boyfriends. Miss Pettigrew
rescues the young woman from several
crises and becomes her “social
secretary.” Grade: A ++
Sunshine
Cleaning
Dir. Christine Jeffs; Starring
Amy Adams
On paper, Sunshine Cleaning
sounds almost as cheery as
director Christine Jeffs’
previous film in 2003, Sylvia.
Amy Adams plays Nora, a
high school princess turned
down-at-heel single mother
whose son has recently
taken to licking pencil
sharpeners at school. Emily
Blunt is her Goth anti-sister
Rose, all eyeliner and
attitude. They unite to clean
up crime scenes in an
attempt to earn school fees
for the little licker. But far
from being a tragic grind,
Sunshine Cleaning is one
long, wonderful irony. This
isn’t an action-packed film,
but it seems everything
Amy Adams touches turns to
gold.
Grade: B-