FS #170: Talk To Me / Hairspray / Top 5 Movies of the Year (So Far)

July 27 (Chicago Public Radio Edition): Once you've seen Kasi Lemmons's new film "Talk To Me," you'll understand why it's nearly impossible to sound articulate talking about it. As played by Don Cheadle, the film's subject, the late, great Washington, D.C.-based DJ Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene makes everyone on the radio sound bad. Cheadle and co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor turn in inspired performances as Greene and producer/mentor Dewey Hughes, but is the movie worthy of their efforts?

Adam couldn't have been less interested in seeing the new adaptation of the Broadway musical adaptation of John Waters's 1988 film "Hairspray" ... that is, until the film opened to enthusiastic reviews and it was too late for Sam to get to a screening. Adam spends a couple of minutes sharing his thoughts.

Also on the show: Afraid of arriving at some dull consensus on their Top 5 Movies of 2007 (So Far), Adam and Sam invite two of their favorite movie critics to join them: Scott Tobias from The Onion A/V Club and Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune. As it turns out, only one film appeared on all four lists.

Music by Nora O'Connor courtesy of Bloodshot Records.

Filmspotting is presented by Spout, a gathering place for people who love movies. Sign up for free and discuss this episode!

And by Toyota... Calling all aspiring deejays and sneaker-heads! Think you’ve got skills? Then check out yarisversusyaris.com for the Yaris vs. Yaris Live Event Series.



Filmspotting #170
:31-8:17 - Review: "Talk To Me"
8:18-12:18 - Review: "Hairspray"
Music: Nora O'Connor, "Two Way Action"
12:39-16:04 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Ken Stachnik)
16:05-18:50 - Poll Questions
18:51-26:35 - Listener Feedback (Best Performances So Far)
Music: Nora O'Connor, "My Backyard"
27:06-32:28 - New DVDs, Podcast Awards, Donations
32:29-45:39 - Top 5: Movies of the Year (So Far)
Music: Nora O'Connor, "That's Alright"
46:17-1:04:50 - Top 5: Movies of the Year cont.
1:04:51-1:07:04 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- Vote daily for Filmspotting in Movies/Films and Best Produced between July 28 and August 11 at podcastawards.com.

- Congrats to all three Filmspotting Photography Competition winners. 1st Prize was an engraved iPod Nano; 2nd and 3rd place winners received a $25 Amazon gift certificate.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

FS #169: Rescue Dawn / Sunshine / Danny Boyle / Top 5 Performances of 2007 (So Far)

July 20: Steve Prokopy (aka Capone) from Ain't It Cool News joins Adam this week for a review of "Rescue Dawn," Werner Herzog's dramatic re-telling of his 1997 documentary "Little Dieter Needs To Fly." Not surprisingly, Herzog eschews political grandstanding and melodrama, focusing on the details of Dieter Dengler's (Christian Bale) incredible, obsessive quest to escape from a Laotian prison camp.

Depending on your definition, "Sunshine" marks director Danny Boyle's ("28 Days Later") first foray into science-fiction. Along for the philosophical space ride are Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne and the crew of the Icarus 2. Their mission: deliver a nuclear device to re-ignite the sun and save mankind. Also along for the ride... Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky and every heavyweight who has boldly gone before Boyle. Does "Sunshine" belong in the same conversation with classics such as "2001" and "Solaris"? Adam and Steve discuss... Plus, hear Adam's interview with Boyle, in which the "Trainspotting" director praises the acting chops of Chris "The Human Torch" Evans and vows to never make another sci-fi film.

Also on the show: Massacre Theatre and our Top 5 Performances of the Year (So Far).

Music by The Rewinds courtesy of Livewire Recordings.

Filmspotting is presented by Spout, a gathering place for people who love movies. Sign up for free and discuss this episode!

And by Toyota... Calling all aspiring deejays and sneaker-heads! Think you’ve got skills? Then check out yarisversusyaris.com for the Yaris vs. Yaris Live Event Series.



Filmspotting #169
:22-15:56 - Review: "Rescue Dawn"
Music: The Rewinds, "Ghostriders"
16:26-20:07 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Ann Zimo)
20:08-34:56 - Review: "Sunshine"
Music: The Rewinds, "Killing Me"
35:14-37:24 - New DVDs
37:25-53:57 - Interview: Danny Boyle
Music: The Rewinds, "New Shade of Red"
54:35-57:02 - Poll Question
57:04-1:13:28 - Top 5: Performances of the Year (So Far)
1:13:30-1:14:58 - Close/Next Show

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- OK! I got it... I pronounced "nuclear" wrong. Fine. For the record, I know how to say it correctly. It just didn't come out that way. And frankly, a mispronunciation is the least of my worries in a 60-75 minute show that requires you to sound at least halfway intelligent all the time.
- Play the Ultimate Search for Bourne from Universal Pictures and Google.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Filmspotting #168: Harry Potter / Ratatouille / Kasi Lemmons / Asphalt Jungle / Top 5 Misfits

July 13: When Adam and Sam announced earlier this Spring that they were going to skip "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (as they had every Potter film since the series' debut back in 2001), Filmspotting listeners started a campaign of sorts to convince the hosts that the series, starting with the Alfonso Cuaron-directed third film "Prisoner of Azkaban," was worth catching up with. Adam dutifully brought himself up to speed; Sam remained in the dark. Both treaded skeptically into "Phoenix," but at least one of them was greatly rewarded for his efforts.

Filmspotting listeners also had a hand in convincing Adam and Sam to check out "Ratatouille." As fans of Brad Bird's "The Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles," they didn't need much coaxing, but will they fall into line with both listeners and critics that the latest Pixar film is nothing short of a masterpiece?

Also on the show: Adam's conversation with Kasi Lemmons, director of the new movie "Talk To Me" with Don Cheadle ... Massacre Theatre ... the fifth entry in our Film Noir Marathon, "The Asphalt Jungle" ... and our Top 5 Movie Misfits.

Music by Spoon from the new album "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" courtesy of Merge Records.

Filmspotting is presented by Spout, a gathering place for people who love movies. Sign up for free and discuss this episode!



Filmspotting #168
:22-13:21 - Review: "Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix"
13:22-21:56 - Review: "Ratatouille"
Music: Spoon, "The Underdog"
22:31-36:06 - Interview: Kasi Lemmons
Music: Spoon, "Rhthm & Soul"
36:30-39:09 - New DVDs, Donations
39:10-42:13 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Connie Slattery)
42:14-45:18 - Poll Questions
45:19-54:42 - Noir #5: The Asphalt Jungle
Music: Spoon, "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
55:16-1:08:43 - Top 5: Movie Misfits
1:08:44-1:10:38 - Close/Next Show

CORRECTIONS/NOTES

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Filmspotting #167: Sicko / Transformers / Top 5 'Fight The Power' Movies

July 6: Michael Moore and Michael Bay are about as different as two directors can be. One traffics in left-wing propaganda, hoping to affect change or, at the very least, provoke outrage; the other traffics in big-budget, effects-driven spectacles, hoping to entertain or, at the very least, provoke massive headaches. But despite their obvious differences, including their respective platforms (non-fiction vs. narrative), the two Mikes arguably share the distinction of being the two least subtle filmmakers in cinema today, wielding their cameras as blunt instruments aimed at bludgeoning their audiences into submission. The always controversial Moore doesn't appear on screen in his latest effort, "Sicko," a two-hour tirade against the U.S. health care system, until almost 50 minutes into the film. Adam and Time Out Chicago's Scott Smith discuss Moore's (slightly) less confrontational approach and rate "Sicko" against his previous films.

In Kevin Smith's hilarious "Clerks II," Randal Graves denounces the "Transformers" as "an unholy curse from the beast we call the Desolate One." Randal surely wasn't offering an early review of Bay's new film based on the popular '80s animated TV series and line of Hasbro toys. Or was he? Adam and Scott weigh in... and wind up feeling really old.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, and our Top 5 'Fight The Power' Movies.

Music by Jon Rauhouse courtesy of Bloodshot Records.

Filmspotting is presented by Spout, a gathering place for people who love movies. Sign up for free and discuss this episode!



Filmspotting #167
:22-17:10 - Review: "Sicko"
Music: Jon Rauhouse w/ Neko Case, "East of the Sun"
18:10-31:10 - Review: "Transformers"
Music: Jon Rauhouse w/ Rachel Flotard, "Harbor Lights"
31:41-33:58 - New DVDs, Donations
33:59-36:41 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Stan Bell)
36:42-40:40 - Poll Questions
40:41-46:51 - Listener Feedback (Top 5 Actors We'd Cast)
Music: Jon Rauhouse w/ Kelly Hogan, "Big Iron"
47:19-1:02:58 - Top 5: 'Fight The Power' Movies
1:02:59-1:04:30 - Close/Next Show

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- The couple I referred to as having six daughters during the "Sicko" review had six children -- but not all daughters.
- "Tauzin switches sides from drug industry overseer to lobbyist"
- Joe Schmidt correctly points out that Lee J. Cobb was the original juror #3 in "12 Angry Men," not George C. Scott who was in the Showtime Channel remake. My bad.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.