Spencer vs. Chase

83rd Academy Awards Picks!

Terror — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:43:45 +0000

Spencer and Chase’s 83rd Oscar Predictions for the 2010 film year. The Academy Awards airs Sunday, February 27 on ABC.

RED = Who we think WILL win.

BLUE = Who we think SHOULD win

If a film or category is marked in only RED, it denotes that the film should and will win.

Chase:

Best Picture:
Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone

Actor in a Leading Role:
Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), James Franco (127 Hours)

Actor in a Supporting Role:
Christian Bale (The Fighter), John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Actress in a Leading Role:
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Actress in a Supporting Role:
Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Directing:
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David O. Russell (The Fighter), Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), David Fincher (The Social Network), Joen Coen and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Best Original Screenplay:
Another Year (Mike Leigh), The Fighter (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson), Inception (Christopher Nolan), The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg), The King’s Speech (David Seidler)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
127 Hours (Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy), The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin), Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt; John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich), True Grit (Joen Coen, Ethan Coen), Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini)

Animated Feature Film:
How to Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3

Documentary Feature:
Exit Through the Gift Shop, Gasland, Inside Job, Restrepo, Waste Land

Foreign Language Film:
Biutiful (Mexico in Spanish), Dogtooth (Greece in Greek), In a Better World (Denmark in Danish), Incendies (Canada in French and Arabic), Outside the Law (Algeria in French and Arabic)

Original Score:
How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell), Inception (Hans Zimmer), The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat), 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman), The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Inception, The King’s Speech, True Grit

Cinematography:
Black Swan, Inception, The King’s Speech, The Social Network, True Grit

Film Editing:
Black Swan, The Fighter, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network

Visual Effects:
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Hereafter, Inception, Iron Man 2

Spencer:

Best Picture:
Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone

Actor in a Leading Role:
Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), James Franco (127 Hours)

Actress in a Leading Role:
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Actress in a Supporting Role:
Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Directing:
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David O. Russell (The Fighter), Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), David Fincher (The Social Network), Joen Coen and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Best Original Screenplay:
Another Year (Mike Leigh), The Fighter (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson), Inception (Christopher Nolan), The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg), The King’s Speech (David Seidler)

Animated Feature Film:
How to Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3

Documentary Feature:
Exit Through the Gift Shop, Gasland, Inside Job, Restrepo, Waste Land

Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Inception, The King’s Speech, True Grit

Cinematography:
Black Swan, Inception, The King’s Speech, The Social Network, True Grit

Film Editing:
Black Swan, The Fighter, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network

Visual Effects:
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Hereafter, Inception, Iron Man 2

Films to Look Forward to in 2011

Terror — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 11:50:59 +0000

We’re back! Yes, it has been quite a while since Spencer and Chase have graced your computer browsers with the presence of our sub-par writing. It’s likely that you missed us, and we missed you too (in an obligatory sort of way). But don’t worry, little one, we won’t leave you again.

It is only appropriate of course to rejoin you at the start of the new year and get you acquainted with what 2011 will bring to the big screen. Both of us have compiled lists of what we are excited for in the upcoming year, so here you go. Leave us feedback!

Chase:

10. Sucker Punch – – March 25, 2011 – “Alice in Wonderland with machine guns.” After having fun with owls, director Zack Snyder is back to doing what he does best. Starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Scott Glenn.

9. X-Men: First Class – – June 3, 2011 – - From what I understand, it’s a prequel AND a reboot that’s distancing itself from X-Men 3 and Wolverine. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick-Ass). Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, January Jones, Kevin Bacon.

8. Captain America: The First Avenger – – July 22, 2011 - - The last Marvel production before next year’s The Avengers. Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, who joins the Super Soldier program and joins the war effort in 1940s Europe. Directed by Joe Johnston. Starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones.

7. A Dangerous Method – – TBA 2011 – - After the critical success of A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, director David Cronenberg teams up with Viggo Mortenson once again. This time, the latter plays Sigmund Freud. Starring Viggo Mortenson, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – July 15, 2011 – - Yep, it’s time for the most successful film franchise in history to come to an end. I’m ready for a remake! Starring… well, you should know by now.

5. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – – December 23 – 2011 – - The Belgian comic strip is brought to life by the motion capture team at Weta Digital (they gave us the CGI characters in The Lord of the Rings and Avatar). Steven Spielberg directs his first animated film while Peter Jackson produces. Starring Jaime Bell, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Andy Serkis.

4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – December 21, 2011 – - The best-selling book series has already inspired a Swedish film trilogy (which I highly recommend), but apparently we Americans are too lazy to read subtitles or to care what other countries have to offer. If there is one man who can pull off an American film of this story, it’s David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club, Se7en). Starring Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright Penn.

3. Super 8 – – June 10, 2011 – - Much like 2008’s Cloverfield, potential summer blockbuster Super 8 is shrouded in secrecy. The film is about Area 51 and an escaped creature…or aliens…I think? J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III) directs.

2. Cowboys and Aliens – – July 29, 2011 – - The film’s title explains it all. After Iron Man and Iron Man 2, I think it’s clear that director Jon Favreau will deliver a solid action blockbuster. Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell.

1. The Tree of Life – – May 27, 2011 – - Although he hasn’t won an Academy Award and his filmography is quite short, Terrence Malick is one of the most highly respected directors in the industry. His latest film is the story of a man reflecting on his childhood and the memories of his strict father. Starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt.

Spencer:

10. The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made – - November 23, 2011 – - I’m a little bit sceptical when Jason Segel is involved in anything; I still contend that he is the worst part of How I Met Your Mother. Nonetheless, I will count on him not to crush the last of my childhood memories as Hollywood has already done with Yogi Bear (2010) and the upcoming The Smurfs (August 3, 2011).

9. Sucker Punch – – March 25, 2011 – - The line “Alice in Wonderland with machine guns,” keeps getting passed around when referring to this one, and frankly that sounds like something to be excited about. Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Watchmen, brings back the angry digital film noir look.

8. The Conspirator – – April TBA, 2011 – – Robert Redford directs this film dealing with the trial of co-conspirators of the assassination of President Lincoln. Period piece courtroom drama perhaps?

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II – – July 15, 2011 – – C’mon, you’ve already committed 17.5 hours of your life to this series. Don’t you want to see the conclusion?

6. Super 8 – – June 10, 2011 – – I can’t lie and tell you that I’m not somewhat excited for this. The people have the J.J. Abrams bug and we all need to get our fix. This time he’ll take you to Area 51 and the Cloverfield monster will be an escaped alien. Sadly we will probably have to see a lot of painful 8mm footage.

5. The Hangover 2 – – May 26, 2011 – – Anyone who has ever enjoyed an alcoholic beverage or spent a night out on the town with the boys loved the original film. The gang takes their debauchery to Thailand this time, and rumour has it that an incriminating tattoo will be the subject of their post-party recovery time.

4. The Human Centipede II – – TBA 2011 – – You wont find this at your local theatre, but fans of the cult classic original will be trying hard to track it down. The concept is too dastardly to put into words, but the direction and cinematography of Tom Six in the original was more than impressive. Feel queasy and disturbed… again!

3. Water for Elephants – – April 22, 2011 – - If you ever read the incredible bestselling book by Sara Gruen (yes, yes I read a book; shhh, don’t tell anyone) then you knew this film was inevitable. Lets just hope the charming writing style translates well to the screen in this coming-of-age tale. Amazing Austrian actor, Christoph Waltz returns from an Oscar win to join the supporting cast. And look for Francis Lawrence, director of I am Legend and Constantine, to put a dark spin on the film.

2. Paul – – March 18, 2011 – – Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back (sans director Edgar Wright) and this time they are supported by Seth Rogan and Jason Bateman. The plot entails the friends’ discovery of a cheeky alien (think Roger in American Dad) during their trip to Area 51. Lets hope it doesn’t get too silly because it has the cast to make it brilliant.

1. Cowboys and Aliens – – July 29, 2011 – – Why didn’t anyone think to combine them earlier?! Jon Favreau has Ironman experience and with the likes of Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Sam Rockwell in the cast I’ll be looking for a serious take on what has the potential to be one of the more interesting films of 2011.

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Other Things to Look Out For:

The Wicker Tree – – The extension of the classic 1973 Wicker Man from director Robin Hardy. Release date was originally set for 2011 but no news yet.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams – – Latest documentary from Werner Herzog has something to do with cave paintings. April 2011.
Contagion – – The latest from native Atlantan, Steven Soderbergh. October 21, 2011.

-Spencer and Chase

Things You Should Be Watching – - They Live (1988)

Terror — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:33:03 +0000

John Carpenter’s classic action/horror/dark comedy about an average joe (Roddy Piper) that finds a pair of sunglasses that wakes him up to the fact that aliens have taken over the world. He discovers that the elite societal classes are actually aliens in disguise, enterprising earth and controlling the population through subliminal messaging in mass media.

If you can get past the outdated special effects there is a lot of gold hidden in this film. The cheesy one-liners and action scenes are hilarious, but the concept has solid science fiction roots.

This film definitely demands a remake and is supposedly getting one, but there’s not much more information aside from this old article. Tell me what you think!

The entire film can be found on YouTube (be sure to thank user CreepShowMovie for that) and is divided into nine parts. I posted the first video here, and the rest can be found linked on YouTube.

-Spencer

Things You Should Be Watching – - Spaced

Terror — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:42:47 +0000

This is the first five episodes of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s cult classic British television series, Spaced, released in 1999.

It might be described as very quirky 90s British comedy. The rest of the episodes can be found on Veoh and other places online.

A Tribute to the Ultimate British Trilogy

Terror — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:01:03 +0000

There is no doubt in my mind that the filmmaking marriage between Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost is one of the most brilliant collaborations of minds in modern cinema today. I could rack off a list a mile long of all the things I love about their work, but I will instead try tell you a little about their résumé. I’ll mostly refer a bit to the two pieces that we know the best—two of my favourite films—Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007).

Director, Edgar Wright first began working with Simon and Nick in the early nineties but the first really memorable work was the offbeat British television series, Spaced. Written by Simon Pegg, Spaced is a quirky comedy about two strangers that move into a flat together. As an example of style, Spaced contains the same out of the ordinary satirical comedic styles that their later works would soon make famous. The brilliance of it, as with any of the group’s films and television episodes, is that it is so committed to being utterly different from anything you’ve ever seen. I’ll be sure to post some episodes from Spaced up here in a little while.

Shaun of the Dead was a hit in 2004 and 2005, and certainly an instant cult classic. As a satire of the zombie/horror genre, its comedic elements are almost exclusively based from subtlety and irony. I attribute much of this to the nature of British comedy itself, which is not as in-your-face as American comedy, which tends to drown you in its own bravado.

The sheer fact that Shaun of the Dead so entirely avoids this common pitfall makes it successful as any kind of satire or parody. Neglecting humour, the film is actually equally successful simply as a zombie movie.

Just as in Hot Fuzz, a satire of cop/action films (such as Bad Boys II, which it consistently pokes fun at), the beauty of the writing is that it is wholly dedicated to its story. The films do not merely use the story and setting as a backdrop or stepping stone for future jokes, but remains fully committed to delivering a well-developed and well-designed narrative. Hot Fuzz, for example, has a very entertaining murder mystery folded around its intensely snappy direction and action scenes. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright were of course responsible for all of the writing.

Edgar Wright has a film coming out in August called Scott Pilgrim vs. the World starring Michael Cera (ugh, I know I know), and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have written and will be featured in a film called Paul, directed by Superbad director Greg Mottola, that might find its release date squeezed into 2010.

However, rumours continue to flop around the Internet about the film that will end the so-called Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy (the series apparently intended to ironically mirror Kieslowski’s famous Three Colour series). It will be called The World’s End. It has no release date as of yet. In fact, it hasn’t even a released synopsis. Judging by the title though it would be safe to say that it will be a bloody doomsday satire, that I for one am shaking in my desk chair to set my eyes on.

In the final film of the trilogy I will expect the same extreme professionalism and dedication that went into Shaun and Hot Fuzz. I will also expect the same addictive personalities and acting talents of Pegg and Frost as they do what they do best. And maybe, just maybe, we will be graced by another Bill Nighy cameo.

If you haven’t seen any of the films—it’s about time you do. Its important to remember of course, that the style of humour may be different from what you’re familiar with, but that doesn’t mean that you should try to take it too seriously. If you’ve already watched both, treat yourself to another view, because you will notice something new every time.

-Spencer

What do you think?

Terror — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:14:35 +0000

Have you ever had a really great conversation and thought to yourself, “Damn, I wish I could formulate all that into paragraph form.” Does that ever happen on a regular basis… until you forget what you were even talking about to begin with?

Well, we here at SpencervsChase.com have been thinking for a long time about broadcasting our [intelligent] conversations for the world to see. So tell us what you think.

Keep in mind that this will not limit our writing.

View This Poll

Bronson – - Review

Terror — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:08:37 +0000

Bronson (2009)

“I am Charlie Bronson. I am Britain’s most violent prisoner.”

You must get tired of reading about film festival movies. Goodness knows I watch enough of them and only a few are really worth writing home about. This one found a Sundance nomination in January of 2009 and was released at a limited capacity last October. After Sweet-Balls told me about it, claiming it was a modern day A Clockwork Orange, I was finally able to get my hands on it. He’s been excited to see it, so we can only hope that he doesn’t read this before he does.

Bronson documents the life of the eccentric madman and self-proclaimed “world’s most violent criminal,” Charles Bronson. The story is narrated by Bronson himself through the form of a one-man stage performance, but follows very loosely any kind of chronological storytelling format, at least in the conventional sense, and is mostly set as a series of events. The story jumps quickly from his early life to his stints in prison, where he was known for persistently assaulting anyone that came too close to him. Without a doubt he looks like a 1930s pugilist, but is more a brawler that anything, using brute strength to defeat more skilled opponents. The problem is that the story is rather uninteresting and repetitive. Fight, punishment, fight, punishment, fight again. However, this film’s claim to fame really has little to do with the story, but more with its highly stylized cinematography and the incredible performance of Tom Hardy as Charles Bronson. As mentioned, there are some Kubrick-esque elements, one of which being the use of various styles of music as a tool of contrast. Like Kubrick, classical is key and the film includes pieces of Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini. It does not do well to compare to the classic A Clockwork Orange, of which it is always thrown in the same category, except perhaps as a similarity of British hooliganism. I didn’t find these methods quite as effectual as they could have been and the film came off more as a Kubrick wannabe than as the piece of artwork it had aspired for.

Maybe Bronson is intended more as a character study in nature but I found this also to be ineffectual. The only real bit of information I learned about Charlie Bronson was that he liked to fight. Perhaps even more he desired to attain fame in the only way he understood how, through brutal violence, but this certainly does not make him the hero that the film portrays him as. Nonetheless, Tom Hardy (whom I only remember from Layer Cake) has a phenomenal performance. He is believable, and does well to embody the persona of the real Charlie Bronson. He echoed the performance of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight in terms of truly becoming an evil character. There is no argument that Charlie Bronson himself is a far more complex character than the film lets on, but Hardy expresses inner workings like an Intel processor.

There are commendations to be made for this film; it isn’t bad by any means but is certainly no more than mediocre. Overall it seemed about halfway there and was merely kept afloat by a great performance. It was cheeky at times and intense in others, but really it came off as underdeveloped, over-stylized, and unimpressive. I should like to think that if writer and director Nicolas Refn had another shot at this one then there would be a lot of ground to work from, but of course this can’t happen. His only fault really is that Charlie Bronson is simply not a strong enough character to warrant a film. In the scheme of things, he hasn’t quite done much in life. At either rate, I wouldn’t recommend this film unless Charlie Bronson is someone that you are determined to collect some info on. Otherwise there are a lot of better films to be found in this genre.

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Average Critics’ Rating: 71/100

IMDb Rating: 6.7/10

Spencer’s Rating: 6.5/10

Things You Should Be Watching – - Logorama

Terror — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:13:32 +0000

Logorama (2009)

If you haven’t already forgotten, Logorama took home this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Deservedly so, I’d say. Although I haven’t seen the other ones, this really is something else. With its entertaining story and crooked sense of humor submerged in computer animation, you might have to keep an eye out for detail.

Its purpose? To explore the effect of logos and basic marketing on our daily lives. In the end, however, the logo world is conquered and natural life prevails.

-Spencer

Things You Should Be Watching – - Death in Gaza

Terror — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:08:02 +0000

Death in Gaza (2004)

This documentary takes an unbiased approach to examining the conflict between Israel and the territory of Palestine. It does not as much examine the conflict itself, as the people involved in it.

James Miller is known for making documentaries about children lost in the fray of an international conflict bigger than they can understand. In Death in Gaza he intended on addressing children in both Palestine and Israel. He only made it as far as Rafah in the south Gaza Strip before being killed during the making of this documentary.

What follows is incredibly emotional and intense and will allow the audience to form their own opinions about what they are seeing. Made its debut on HBO and later won 3 Emmys.

-Spencer

Things You Should Be Watching – - Tehran Has No More Pomegranates!

Terror — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 02:18:59 +0000

Tehran Has No More Pomegranates! (2006)

“Director Massoud Bakhshi and crew are on a mission to make a film about their hometown, Tehran, but have hit a wall and must explain to their overseers at the Documentary Film Center why their project cannot be completed. They decide to investigate the city’s past in order to better understand the present. What follows is a sarcastic and comic narrative about Tehran’s transformation from a small village into a mega-city of increasing urban mess, pollution, inadequate housing, class gaps and the fatal destiny of its delicious pomegranates. Using an energetic mix of rare archival footage from the past 150 years, unconventional photography, mock interviews and a playful soundtrack, the aesthetic and cultural values of old and new Tehran are brought to life. In the process, director and crew embark on a self-discovery, realizing that while they belong to a drastically tansformed Tehran, being a “Tehrani” is a timeless state of mind.”

Click Here to Watch Tehran Has No More Pomegranates!

Ok, I didn’t actually write that but I thought it sounded perfect. This documentary is something you should not miss out on. It will bring you back to the nostalgic days of educational documentaries with a satirical twist that makes it all the more enjoyable. I couldn’t post the video here, but the picture or the link above will direct you to a secure web-page where the documentary can be watched.

The title comes from the following quote:

“Tehran is a large village near the city of Rey, full of gardens and fruit trees. Its inhabitants live in anthill-like underground holes. The village’s several districts are constantly at war. Tehranis’ main occupations are theft and crime, though the king pretends they are subject to him. They grow excellent fruits, notably an excellent pomegranate, which is found only in Tehran.”

- Asar-al-Bilad, 1241 A.D

-Spencer