Cinebanter #96 - GET LOW

The mp3 of this show can be found here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula eulogize the acclaimed dramedy GET LOW. In the Last Five®, Michael is pleasantly surprised by a romantic comedy, while Tassoula revisits an 80s classic. Then, in a special bonus segment, Michael and Tassoula remember the impact of AT THE MOVIES and discuss their favorite film critics. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro

• 00:32 Discussion of GET LOW
• Break
• 16:29 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 17:02 The Last Five®
• Break
• 51:03 The Legacy of AT THE MOVIES
• 1:07:45 Credits & Outtake

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: THE INVENTION OF LYING, LILIA FOREVER, A CRUDE AWAKENING: THE OIL CRASH, THE TILLMAN STORY and GOING THE DISTANCE. Tassoula's Last Five were: WALKING AND TALKING, THE SAINT, THE OTHER GUYS, WALL STREET and IF GOD IS WILLING AND DA CREEK DON'T RISE.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!

Book Review - Hollywood Stories

If you've ever journeyed to Hollywood and enjoyed the guilty pleasure of a guided tour, you may have encountered Stephen Schochet. He's been a tour leader for over a decade and also shares 60-second Tinseltown anecdotes on a syndicated radio feature called Hollywood Stories.

The book I'm reviewing today is his work of the same title—a collection of nearly 300 pages of stories much like the ones you'll hear on his tours.

Schochet divides the text into categories such as "Oscar Tales," "Singers and Dancers," and "Moguls and Directors," then offers a brief title before each blurb so you can anticipate what you're getting into. The format works well for the content, but I did find myself wishing certain sections weren't so redundant (he has not one, but two paragraphs referring to Julia Roberts spontaneous laughter during the filming of Pretty Woman).

I also got stuck on minor factual errors. For example, in reference to the filming of Titanic, the author names Kate Winslet as the "twenty-three-year-old" leading lady when really she hadn't even reached that age by the time the film was released. As the actors were promoting the movie, Kate told a story on a talk show about how she turned 21 on the set and her best friend co-star Leo DiCaprio was famously too exhausted and cold to care. While her age being accurate may not make any difference to the enjoyment of the story Stephen tells here, it did make me doubt the validity of other facts throughout the book.

On the topic of age, Schochet also begins many of his paragraphs by stating his subjects' ages. After a while, this becomes a redundant and tired pattern. The stories themselves are typically lively enough to draw the reader in, so it would've been more effective to break up the formula.

The good thing about the book is that it's not completely constructed of stories we've already heard. For example, I knew Steven Spielberg didn't initially like the score for Jaws, but I didn't know that Kirk Douglas desperately wanted to play Jack Nicholson's part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I was also unaware that Margaret Mitchell's first choice for the role of Rhett Butler in the film version of her book Gone With the Wind, was Groucho Marx.

Each story here is like an appetizer: many leave you longing for a larger meal; others satisfy a short-term craving.

Hollywood Stories by Stephen Schochet is published by Hollywood Stories Publishing. To purchase online visit www.hollywoodstories.com.

Cinebanter #95 - MIDDLE MEN

The mp3 of this show can be found here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula unleash hardcore criticism as they review the porn-centric MIDDLE MEN. In the Last Five®, both hosts embrace the HBO documentary series and respond to a Listener Last Five®. Then, in a special bonus segment, Michael and Tassoula discuss the future of film.

The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 Discussion of MIDDLE MEN
• Break
• 12:39 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 13:09 The Last Five®
• Break
• 41:49 Listener Last FIve (Melissa in Ohio)
• Break
• 47:05 The Future of Film
• 1:14:54 Credits & Outtakes

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: TOUCH THE SOUND, HOMELESS: THE MOTEL KIDS OF ORANGE COUNTY, RASHOMON, LUCKY and CITY OF LIGHTS. Tassoula's Last Five were: HOMELESS: THE MOTEL KIDS OF ORANGE COUNTY, SOLITARY MAN, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, SALT and THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!

It's MIDDLE MEN for Show #95

Michael and Tassoula had a really tough time choosing a film this time around mostly because the supposed great stuff hits their respective cities during different weeks.

So, it was decided that the new Luke Wilson flick MIDDLE MEN, "inspired by a true story," would be the one. They figure they can't go wrong with porn (no matter how bad the story may be).

The show will air on August 16.

Cinebanter #94 - INCEPTION

The mp3 of this show can be found here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula infiltrate each other's dreams of what a great film should look like as they disagree about INCEPTION. In the Last Five®, Michael sees the film of the book he read this summer, while Tassoula catches up with the buzz film of 2010.

The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 Discussion of INCEPTION, Part 1
• Break
• 21:30 Discussion of INCEPTION, Part 2
• Break
• 45:34 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 46:09 The Last Five®
• 1:10:09 Credits & Outtake

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: MY MOTHER, THE ROAD, BIG FAN, KISSES and GHOST TOWN. Tassoula's Last Five were: LOVELY AND AMAZING, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, MADE IN HEAVEN, A SIMPLE PLAN and THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!