Tragedy And The Award Tour AKA Dartflix Edition #29

The past month has been chock full of odd occurrences in the world of television in film (not to mention a bunch of writers being laid off by film studios). Not only is it the awards season in which the Golden Globes and SAG Awards are given out, but the Sundance Film Festival takes place in Park City, Utah.

The Sundance Film Festival and Slamdance are followed by the Independent Spirit Awards where new independent films can find audiences and studios to purchase and distribute them. The films that gained the most awards were No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly and Away From Her (I haven’t even thought of seeing the last two of the aforementioned films)

The films that premiered at this past Sundance Film Festival that I’m looking forward to seeing on DVD/in theaters are “Choke”, the adaptation of the Chuck Palaniuk (Fight Club) novel, “Trouble The Water”, “Sleep Dealer”, “The Wackness”, “Where In The World Is Osama?”, “American Teen”, “Hamlet 2”, “Ballast” and “American Son”.

There weren’t as many films being bought early on in this year’s festival but I expect more films to get bought as time goes on. It sucks that the WGA strike is still going on and people are just given out awards in short, borderline terse ceremonies. At least the Independent Spirit Awards still exist...too bad they wont air until February. The final major show of the awards season is the Academy Awards, the Oscars will occur on February 24th without any pomp and circumstance (which might be a good thing).

The tragedy of this past few week is that Heath Ledger, one of the best young actors in Hollywood has passed away very recently of what’s been called an accidental overdose on January 22nd. He had just recently finished filming the new Batman film “The Dark Knight” and he was so immersed in the role of The Joker that he was having trouble sleeping, he took too many Ambien (because two only helped him sleep for an hour) and he never woke up.

The loss of Heath Ledger (pictured above) stung because he was only 28 and he wasn’t afraid of taking risks and doing films that weren’t considered mainstream such as Lords Of Dogtown, Brokeback Mountain and I’m Not There. This loss is made all the more sadder by the fact that exactly one week prior (January 15th) troubled former child actor Brad Renfro (Sleepers, Bully, Ghost World, The Jacket, 10th & Wolf & The Informer also pictured below) passed away as well at the age of 25. Both of them will be missed by film fans the world over. Rest In Eternal Peace, Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro.


Top 5 Apple Trailers Of The Rest Of January (1.16-08-1.31.08)

88 Minutes
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/88minutes/

Never Back Down
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/neverbackdown/trailer/

Spiral
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/spiral/trailer/

The Air I Breathe
http://www.apple.com/trailers/thinkfilm/theairibreathe/trailer/

Cassandra’s Dream
http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/cassandrasdream/trailer1/


Top 5 ImDb Trailers Of The Rest Of January (1.16.08-1.31.08)

The Bank Job
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200465/trailers

Doomsday
http://www.imdb.com/video/editorial/me700229551/

Drillbit Taylor
http://www.imdb.com/video/trailer/me703447451/

21
http://www.imdb.com/video/trailer/me60109348/

Vantage Point
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443274/trailers-me706536451

Movies to consider renting from either Netflix or Redbox (or purchasing):
The Nines
The Hunting Party
3:10 To Yuma
Trade
Right At Your Door
He Was A Quiet Man
Death Sentence
Zodiac: The Director’s Cut
Man On Fire (Blu-Ray)
Killing Machine/Shogun’s Ninja (Blu-Ray)
Sister Street Fighter/Sister Street Fighter II (Blu-Ray)
Saw IV (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Joshua
Rocket Science
Mr. Untouchable
The Hustle (series)
Confessions Of A Superhero
Ladron Que Roba A Ladron
Ten Til Noon
Played
Loaded
Eye In The Sky
The Invasion
King Of California

Day Zero
The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters
Born To Fight
A Knight’s Tale
The Patriot
10 Things I Hate About You
Lords Of Dogtown
The Order
Candy
10th & Wolf
American Girl
The Jacket
Ghost World
Bully
Sleepers
Red Eye (2005 Korean one)

Broken Saints (animated series)
The All New Superfriends Hour: Season One
The Vietnam War (History Channel)
Torchwood-The Complete First Season
Damages-The Complete First Season
The Riches-Season One
Sunshine
Zodiac: The Director’s Cut
Dragon Heat
Family Guy- Blue Harvest
Groundhog Day (15th Anniversary Edition)
Only The Ball Was White
Aquarium

Dart’s Picks:
The Nines- This joint is not for everybody. If you’re into experimental/cult film that do great things with their narratives then see this now.

The Hunting Party- This joint flew under the radar, rent it and watch it.

Trade-I saw it online and it was pretty damn good. I can’t wait to see a better quality version of this powerful film about the ills of human trafficking.

He Was A Quiet Man-I didn’t even realize that it came out on DVD already. I’ve got to see this, now.

Right At Your Door-Independent as fuck...I dug it.


Dart’s WTF?/Watch This Bullshit At Your Own Risk Awards:
Mr. Woodcock-Fuck this movie.

The Comebacks-Fuck this movie, too.

Meet The Spartans-Fuck..this..movie! *Kicks it into a huge pit*

Strange Wilderness-Fuck everyone at Happy Madison...and then fuck this movie.

One.