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Venice Film Festival: ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO!
Hey folks, Harry here... In the land of Leone, Rodriguez unfurls ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO... there's something really cool about that. When Lucas held is top secret brainwashing session of the top directors in film today up at Skywalker... It wasn't Lucas' work on STAR WARS EPISODE 2 that was convincing filmmakers that perhaps the days of Film Stock were numbered... it was Rodriguez's ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO reel. The difference is... In ATTACK OF THE CLONES, so much of what you are seeing is computer generated, that unless you're just paying attention to the faces... the HD issue really isn't significant. HOWEVER, on ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO - this is the one that looks absolutely cinematic in an untouched way. That lighting, the floating fuzzies in the light... the high speed work, the low light practicals... this thing looks beautiful, and that's what got film traditionalists thinking that the days of emulsion are numbered. From Venice comes the look at how ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO played in the country of Leone!
Hi Harry
long time aicn-ed, first time aicn-er.
Yesterday I had the chance to see "Once upon a time in Mexico" here at
the Venice Film Festival.
Rodriguez, Depp and Hayek are still here (Depp is also promoting
"Pirates", opening on the 5th in Italy) and let me say the most frequent
thing you hear about the movie here is "tribute to Sergio Leone".
The movie looks really good, some people (mostly journalists) in the
audience didn't even know it's been shot in HD and were kind of shocked
to find out. Even if I did know that, it didn't make a difference: it
looks like Lucas was right after all, and digital is now a seriously
valid alternative to film.
I can't go too much into details in reviewing this, 'cause I have to go
to work now and I don't have time, but it seemed to me the movie was
very well received by everyone in the audience. Personally, I loved it,
but I guess it couldn't be different, for I loved the first two movies in
the "mariachi" trilogy.
Most of all, as I wrote before, this movie is a tribute to cinema,
especially Leone. I think any film fanatic will see it at least twice to
spot all the little details that Rodriguez has consciously borrowed from
some of the movies he's fond of, skillfully mixing them with his comic
book kind of direction and style. The acting is very good, the
soundtrack is fabulous, and even though at times you get the feeling of "been
there, shot that", the movie is a really fun ride: ironic, uber-fast,
hyperbolic, exagerated.
Ciao for now, from the wonderful city of Venice
FB
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I don't know if I like the wings or whatever that depp wears.
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he he he...
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turns out you are not first but still an idiot. congratulations. hope that takes you far in life.
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This is going to rock
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for being a moron and trying to first. way to start off a friday you loser.
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If you watched the Once Upon A Time In Mexico preview, imagine Rodriguez making RAMBO IV! Go to this and sign it:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/zachary/petition.html -
I dont get how cheech is back and so is the assasin? what the hell???
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Make that "Madman" adaption you keep pushing off!!!
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Aug 29, 2003 9:31:09 AM CDT
Once Upon a Time in Mexico is going to kick off the greatest Fal
by lost skeleton
Fall/Winter 2003 is going to be what Summer 2003 wasn't! I think we will all look back at 2003 and say it was one of the best years for movies 'cuz it looks like Hollywoood is ending strongly. Even the bad movies look good!
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Or just similar looking people. Danny Trejo seems to be playing a different person, given that he spoke in the trailer. Woulda been nice to have a review with more, well, review, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose. Wish I was in Venice.
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There were a few great moments, but most of the good stuff were shown in the trailer, the rest of the movie was a bore fest. Depp and Banderas were awesome though.
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I havent seen the movie, so obviously I can't judge what I havent seen, but the trailer certainly does not seem "absolutely cinematic in an untouched way". You know, you could grade film to look like that trailer looks, but it really shows some of the problems with 24p (and digibeta, and any video format) - that is, when lights are overexpsed, when they blast out, they CLIP, and that information is gone forever with no possible way to retrieve it. Have a look at the explosions in the trailer - they look TERRIBLE. that's because 24p doesn't have the exposure lattitude to correctly balance such a bright source of light with the rest of the image, and that's why, at this point, 24p is NO competitor for film, despite what a very small group of people are trying to tell you. Ease of use doesn't make film making better, it just makes it easier. They should wait for the technology to develop a bit more and settle down before we all compromise and accept an inferior format.
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It's funny how when one one of the most powerful men in entertainment backs a format change Harry says nobody cares. Now, his buddy from Austin is doing it too, and _that's_ what's changing peoples mind? Harry, I love your site, I agree with many things you put up here, but this blind ass-kissing and hyping of your buddies has to stop. It makes it too easy to disregard it when you have _good points_ about the industry.
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You are so right
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Jeez, that Rambo IV idea is not only NEVER going to happen, it's just a plain BAD idea. Rodriguez and Rambo? Yeah, goes together like flannel shirts and summer.
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Tantalizing.
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Whoops! Anyway...why not?! If it was like the first one, hell yeah. Especially with all the crap going on in the world today. R&S could reach deep and put out a really thoughtful TOTALLY anti-hollywood style political/war/action type film. Something that actually made people think a little. They could also do it fast and inexpensively - which is the only way it would ever get made. Of course - their politics are probably totally different than mine - so maybe I should write it...LOL. Anyway, if they could put out a Rambo with the budget of a Spy Kids film - I think it would do the action genre some good. And I'd be interested in seeing it.
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I got nothing against Rodriguez, i like most of his films, but Once Upon a Time trailers just don't do it for me. I'll defintely rent this on DVD though. -
Aug 29, 2003 2:14:14 PM CDT
HD/film doesn't matter the compromises tend to even out
by watashiwadare
most film originated pics get fed to the computer for grading as digital intermediate anyway, at a resolution of 2K, whereas 35mm film has resolution of as much as 6K. that soft artifacty look is not supposed to be noticed./ lucas insists HD is superior resolution to film, but when American Cinematographer asked why we're not seeing the better than 65mm resolution james cameron touted for HD, lucas snapped back that they don't get caught in arcane technical trivia when it's about lighting and creating art and whatnot-- never actually answering the question. personally i'm sure the resolution is good but questioning is absolutely valid. photochemical shaping of images is in the human area involving timing and emotionally intuition and all the intangible things film responds to, whereas HD is still a technical tool that just does what it is engineered to do mathematically. the eye senses this, more than the frame rate, more than added fake grain. uh oh this is to much typing for the Shrill Bill fansite.
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ok the movie looks good i am going to watch it but dosn't it look like desporado
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Aug 29, 2003 3:54:30 PM CDT
Prepare for COLD CREEK MANOR to slaughter this at the box office
by charles grady
Despite the fact that COLD CREEK MANOR looks like one of Touchstone's cheeseball mid 90s domestic thrillers a la TIE THAT BINDS, RICH MAN'S WIFE, or HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, somehow I just sense it will wipe the floor with OUATIM at the box office. The only thing that MIGHT draw the masses is Depp, who's hot at the moment, but ONCE UPON... is too fanboy, too violent, too niche for the date crowd....think FIGHT CLUB'S lame theatrical performance -- another made-to-order fanboy classic that seemed like the second coming on AICN, but doesn't really play to middle of the road couples out for a good time at the cineplex on a friday night in Duluth or Cheyenne or Pittsburgh. MATCHSTICK MEN also comes out that day, and I get the sense it will be one of those quirky adult movies like WONDER BOYS that just won't find an audience, because teenagers won't have any point of reference on it, and the adult crowd takes FOREVER to get around to seeing something in theatres, and by then it'll be gone.
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That's a first, better than pro-active. If for no other reason than it's an actual word.
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that for $7000 dollars Robert Rodrigez made "El", a great film story and all, but with millions of dollars to spend, he can't buy himself the state of mind to write another good script. Desperado was good until the last 20 minutes, the ending was horrible and please don't get me started on the spy kids series.And lets all thank God quentin tarantino didnt direct From Dusk till Dawn. Come on he already has to deal with writing that garbage. By the way george clooney sux. OUATIM looks great (salma hayek) but I hope the story can keep up.
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Rambo would be dealt with a little differently today. In the hands of an action master like Rodriguez and Sly writing the screenplay, the movie would ROCK!!! How the fuck don't some of you people see that! Rambo is like BOND! Plain and simple. His adventures could go on for years if only Sly was a little younger!
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stay on you knees and open your mouth you artsy fartsy wannabe.
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Aug 29, 2003 7:11:07 PM CDT
I still got wood after watching Salma's tits on Frida
by super cucaracha
Good Lord!!!
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mindless motherfucker. I bet you are wearing a red headband right now. rambo sucks, stallone is too old.
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i can not deny you that fact you mindless piece of shit.
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Aug 29, 2003 7:20:17 PM CDT
One mans tribute (robert rodrigez), to another mans plagerism, (
by kill
for all of the idiots!
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You caught me on a good mood today. You think Stallone sucks and that's your opinion. Why do you have to attack me on a personal level? Say it ain't so!!! Go finish jerking off to Fried Green Tomatoes while sucking on your mom's tities.
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Aug 30, 2003 5:21:26 AM CDT
this movie has been the target of every kind of insult in Venice
by cuervojones
but i don
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Great Anerican Herrroooooo
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Aug 30, 2003 9:15:31 AM CDT
I could make a 4th Rambo movie that would win Best Picture if St
by fluffyunbound
First, he would have to kick the 'roids and stay out of the gym for a few months so he could actually look his own age. Then we would film a story about an ageing, broken killing machine abandoned and forgotten by his handlers in some ramshackle VA hospital somewhere. When Sly asked for his motivation, for scenes where he is lamenting the fact that none of his ward mates believe his stories of his former barbaric glory, I would tell him, "Picture how you feel about your own career" and I would get a performance out of him not seen since the first Rocky. The plot would center around the doctors' attempt to reconcile John Rambo to his new physical and existential circumstances. The only mention of Bin Laden would be in a climactic diatribe where Sly asserts his desire to go out and fight Al Qaeda single handedly, but the other patients just laugh at him and try to get him to hold a kitten as part of therapeutic pet time.
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The Once Upon A Time in Mexico trailer looks great on Quicktime, and the commercials on TV look fine, but the 35 mm blow-up looks like crap. The trailer played before S.W.A.T., and I cringed when the trailer hit the screen. The explosions especially looked bad. I feel that digital video has a long way to go. I am a little disappointed that Rodriguez made this film on video, and I'm worried that the theatrical experience of seeing this for the first time will be ruined. I hope people notice the difference between 35mm and video. There is still a HUGE difference. And BTW - FILM FOREVER!
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Aug 30, 2003 11:47:12 AM CDT
Some said T3 wasn't going to get made! Rambo IV will be made!!!
by abking
I remember the same IDIOTS saying how T3 will NEVER happen! Guess what, T3 got made and it has grossed an impressive 150 million in the U.S. for a franchise that hasn't been out for 10 years. RAMBO IV is owned by Dimension Films --the same people who just made Spy Kids 3D with Stallone. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together. RAMBO IV will be out by Summer 2005. Mark my words!!! And it will be a BLOCKBUSTER!
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In case you haven't figured it out by now. Having the same actors show up even though their "characters" died is pretty much a staple of Rodriquez's films. It's another homage to Leone who had Lee Van Cleef show up in two DOLLARS movies even though he didn't play the same character. Hell, it's been even said that Eastwood's characters in the DOLLARS series aren't the same person. In the case of Cheech it's kinda like Kenny in South Park. In these movies he's always dead by the half way mark. Same with Danny Trejo. Remember, just cause it's the same actor doesn't mean it's same character. That's a little something we've forgotten about Hollywood since the collapse of the studio system.
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That actually could make for a really great and clever movie. While I doubt that Stallone will "cooperate" with you, good luck all the same. Maybe Harry will whisper into Rodriguez's ear, I dunno.
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Is both blessing and curse, as is so many things in this world. As a cinematographer (albeit a very novice one), I get very defensive when my medium of choice (film) gets threatened. But I also know that, for some reason, it's a logical choice. I'm pretty sure that once 24p and HD gets perfected, it'll have usable colors that film cannot touch. And who knows, maybe it'll be able to mimic that natural feel that 16, 35 and 8 have to them. However, we are going to have to wait a long, long time for this to happen. Oh, and my theater is getting OUATIM in sweet, glorious digital! So we get to see it exactly as Rodriguez planned. Hells yeah!
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how many times can one director remake one of his own movies? If I see that lame shot of someone swinging across a charging bus, I'll scream.
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Dudes I was at the Santa Monica Promnade on Friday just walking around and who should I bumb into but Danny Trejo the man was very very decent and warm I told him how great his work was and how I looked forward to Once in Mexico. He seems like a great guy.
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You know you may be right. If your standards are low then it may not be a really big deal. Maybe people won't care that bit by bit the acceptable image quality of motion pictures continues to decline. I'd love someone try and fucking shoot Baraka on 24p and tell me with a straight face it looks as good as film. Bull fucking shit. I accept that there are lots and lots of advantages to using 24p but superior image quality is NOT one of those. Yet.
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Of course, I was drunk. I was hoping the mother would get reallllll nekkid.
And speaking of Rambo, what the hell ever happend to Ted Kotcheff? -
In response to your Michael Bay question: "I'm good at masturbating, but I don't ejaculate movies."
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Dude I think you have a point look at Kane Hodder AKA Jason I have seen clips of him at Cons and he just warms up to fans.
and no Im not Dicaprio I blame Chinese PArents for my fucked up spelling -
To be honest, I don't know. The teacher of a friend of a movie critic, for what it's worth.
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I'm pissed Depp gets his eyes gouged out. More accuratley, I'm pissed I KNOW he gets his eyes gouged out. Now when I watch it, all I'll be able to think about is "Wow, that was cool, but he gets his eyes gouged out, so he still sucks."
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The guy will be cool even with his eyes gouged out. Why? Because it's Johnny Depp, that's why.
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DUDE FUCKING SPOILERS I HAVENT SEEN THE MOVIE YET!!!!!!!
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Just imagine that instead of those seizure-inducing fight scenes we got, a Daredevil kicking ass in a very similar fashion to Antonio Banderas in the bar during "Desperado"?
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I think a lot of Rodriguez's specific weaknesses as a director would have made him a poor fit for 'Daredevil,' although the fight scenes would have been muy better.
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only a fixing of the script could have saved daredevil. If Rodriguez directed AND wrote, maybe it couldve been good. In fact, there's a chance it could've been amazing.
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Hello all. I am a Procuder and Director of Films. And I willl say this about 24p... its not perfect, but its not bad either. I still use 35mm to an extent. The problem with it is that #1: Too Expensive ($100,000 for 12 hours of good film), were as HD is about $1,200.00 for 12 hours.
And also, Resolution. This is a battle that will be taken to the grave with most people. but it is true. Even the worst 35mm film is at least 4k, were as 24p is 2k. However, it is simple to take the 2k and blow it up to 8k with good resolution. IMAX DMR is made for this. even though they are not allowing people to just "Blow up there film" with there systems yet. someone will make a system that scans the 2k and blows it up to at least 8k with beter than film resolution. (Hey, it works for IMAX films?!?).
Personally, Im working on a 8.6 Million Dollar film. Which is to come out in Spring of next year. Im shooting ALL 24p HD with a Sony HDW-F900 camera. Modified with Panavision and Arri Lenses and accesories.
I am currently talking with IMAx to let them allow me to use there DMR on my film. I offered them $400,000.00 to do this.
Now, you might say, $400,000? Why not just shoot film?
Its not the money. Its ease of use. I like 2 things about HD over Film. #1: On set dailies. (So you dont have to waist millions in film that did not turn out or did not come out for some reason). #2: Ease to work with. I hate loading 1,000' Mags every 10 minutes. Its nervracking. Surem digital has a Long time to catch up with film. But hey, Its the story that counts. Personally, OUATIM woud have been "GRAND" if it had a story and somthing to go on. But without that. 24p or film, either way it still sucked do to lake of Story, and an overall meaning.
Thank you,
Landon Parks
Producer / Director
New Deminsion Film
Indiana
HD 24p and 35mm Cinematography. -
P.S: I forgot to say in my other post that the Arriflex Corperation is under development of a new 6k CCD imager chip for a Digital camera, which they say could come out in as little as 6 months.
Once this happens. Film is almost outbeat on Resolution, and 6k is so close to Film that it would not be tellable with the resolution.
They are also into designing a new 12k 3 CCD sensor.. although im not sure when they plan to bring it out?
Sincerely,
Landon Parks
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