Monkey Butler Ninja

Lloyd Kaufman has had his hands in hundreds of movies in his lifetime. Directing, producing, even staring in them, he has a very long imdb page. His cup of tea seems to be mainly focused on Independant / B-Movie films. Working on big studio films turned him off to the ‘corporate’ side of things so he started Troma Studios.

With all his listed experience, I feel robbed. In this short SHORT book there is very little about directing. There are maybe two things that I took from this book that would help me in my “director’s” life. Maybe. It is entertaining at times. I certainly laughed out loud more than once. (The footnote guy is great!). Just a heads up, the language and humor is extremely vulgar. If you can stomach that kind of stuff, you too will probably chuckle.

Every form of entertainment has it’s own audience however, and I am sure Kaufman has a huge following. If you have heard of Troma Studios, or enjoyed the movie Poultrygeist: night of the Chicken Dead, or just want a funny book to read because you are tired of reading lighting equipment manuals, then this book is for you.

Everyone else, sadly can skip this book.

As a book about directing, I give this a single Ninja star and a moldy banana.

To all who don’t know me, THIS MONKEY LOVE MOVIES. So on occasion I will use this blog to share my thoughts about some films… so here we go!

This review is on two different subjects, David Fincher (film Director) and on his latest movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which is what I will start off with.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Block off a big chunk of time folks, but DO IT and go to your local theater and see this film! If all great stories are meant to be told, then this is exactly how to tell it. This film is based off a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (author of the Great Gatsby). You can gather what the movie is about by watching a single preview; a man whose body ages in reverse. The character development of Benjamin (played by Brad Pitt) and nearly every character in this film is fantastic. I found myself caring about these people on screen and curious about what was going to happen next. This is such a personal movie that I constantly found myself recalling on my own life experiences and relating them to the story. It reminded me heartbreaks, falling in love, the good that is in the human spirit, along with the bad. I laughed and cried. And leaving this theater something in the movie made me realize how deeply in love with my wife I am. Our relationship is as strong as any bond can get, but seeing things on the big screen that recalls shared experiences it amplifies the emotion. Best Picture of the year.

Now, if you aren’t blessed with an amazing spouse I will tell you this… you will leave the theater with that strong of a feeling about someone in your life that had a similar type character portrayed in this film.

If this does not win a handful of Oscars I will be thoroughly disappointed. I’m writing this before the official list is announced but here are my predictions:

Best Film – Drama, It’s up against a couple REALLY good looking movies thought, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and The Wrestler all look to be big time contenders.

Best Director – So yeah, it should be obvious I’m rooting for this one.

Best Actor – Brad Pitt, You know, I said this after seeing the film that he impressed me. My wife made the point that his role of a child wasn’t a huge call for talent, and while I am glad he got the nomination, I agree with her. The winner should be Heath Ledger (Hollywood do NOT put Heath in ‘supporting’ role).

Best Original Score – The score set a fantastic mood, but blended with the outstanding cinematography and storytelling, it didn’t really pop out at me. It’s like the perfect amount of flavor in a complex dish not just one overbearing taste but a wonderful blend of quality parts that make the taste.

Best Screenplay – This is a tough one for me… it’s based on a short story so I knock the nomination a little there however from what I gather, it changes a lot in the film version so good on you Eric Roth.

Best Cinematography – The emotion that this film creates in you is amazing. The overall look, sound, and feel are outstanding. That all being said… I have to say I would lean towards Batman The Dark Knight taking home this Oscar.

Best Supporting Actriss Taraji P. Henson While her performance was probably not strong enough to win the category not nominating her was disappointment. I am certain she will earn a golden globe in the future.

The special effects are getting rave reviews but honestly, they are not ‘ground breaking’ I’m more impressed with the makeup artist. The length of the film is VERY long and I do think maybe, MAYBE 10-15 minutes could be trimmed out (which would in turn make it just a ‘long movie’).

In the end I do think the length of this movie will hurt it, but just a little. Personally I will watch a great movie over and over, but if it is over the 2hr mark I find I’ll watch it once.

And now, David Fincher

Here is a list of his features: Alien 3, Se7en, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I have not seen Zodiac so have no comment. Panic Room even he admits wasn’t anything more than a ‘good B movie.’ But let’s just say Fight Club and Se7en are in my top movies of all time! If Alien 3 was your first attempt a feature (with a budget) then congratulations Fincher, you are doing what you were born to do! Now, also looking at this list I see something pretty common… GOOD TALENT. Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Kevin Spacey, Michal Douglas and the up and coming Taraji P. Henson (mark my words; she will shine brighter than MANY Hollywood legends). So Fincher, you are in my top directors of all time list but be careful. From your list, it is apparent that you must surround yourself with talent! Keep up the good work.

I rate The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 5 out of 5 ninja stars and a field of banana trees!