The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania Book Review (Matt Hodgson)

Photo courtesy of Titan Books

Hot on the tail of the release of Hotel Transylvania in theatres, a big budget animated movie featuring the voice of Adam Sandler in which audiences get a comedic look at what a hotel exclusively for monsters might look like, Titan Books has released a beautiful book depicting behind the scenes art and ‘making of’ information regarding this early box office success.

Photo courtesy of Titan Books

From the dust jacket: Hotel Transylvania, from Sony Pictures Animation and director Genndy Tartakovsky, resurrects the classic horror monsters, including Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, Werewolf, and Invisible Man, and breaths new life into them.

Discover what happens on one special weekend when Dracula – owner of a lavish five-stake resort hotel for monsters, away from the human world – invites some of the world’s most famous monsters to celebrate his daughter Mavis’s 118th birthday. Catering to monsters is no problem, but Dracula’s world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania examines the spooky spectacle of the making of Hotel Transylvania, with over 400 pieces of concept art, character sketches, storyboards and digital art, along with commentary from key filmmakers and crew. A frighteningly fantastic treat for the eyes!

Tracey Miller-Zarneke does a good job going into descriptions regarding many aspects of the movie. In addition to these helpful descriptions, we also get a variety of quotes and snippets of conversations from those involved with the making of the movie. Miller-Zarneke talked with the director of Hotel Transylvania, Tartakovsky, as well as many individuals with important positions at Sony, but it would have been nice to hear more from the artists, the creative minds behind the movie. However, this complaint is a very minor one as the writing is not the central reason to be interested in this book – the art is beautiful and the book is full of it.

Photo courtesy of Titan Books

Within the 170 or so pages, which are tall and extra wide, are more sketches, paintings, and digital art pieces about Hotel Transylvania than you could ever hope for. The main focus is on character design and production design, which focuses on specific locations in the film and the inanimate objects that decorate them. Of particular interest are the character sketches as they illustrate just how much effort must be put into central characters in an animated feature before the filmmaking team settles on the characters that you see in the final product. For example, 10 pages are dedicated to the conceptualization and design of Dracula, the main character in the movie. It seems as if nearly 10 different artists each submitted different designs for the lead character, many of which are on display in the pages of the book, before a final Dracula was decided on. This work load and drive toward an ideal Dracula character is shocking for someone like myself who has never been involved with the making of an animated feature. The production design pages provide equally illustrative sketches and information regarding the lengthy brainstorming process and boatloads of conceptual artwork that precedes a finished animated product.

Photo courtesy of Titan Books

The market for The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania may be a small one, but if you are a fan of the movie, an aspiring artist or animator, or just an individual who would like to know more about the making of a big budget animated movie from a behind the scenes perspective, then this book is for you. Attractively designed and jam-packed with concept art, Titan Books have put together a great package to complement the movie.

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Pitch Perfect Review (Nadia Sandhu)

Pitch Perfect Hits the High Notes

Starring Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Rebel Wilson

Directed by Jason Moore

Pitch Perfect is what I expected Rock of Ages to be… FUN!  All caps!  This was particularly surprising to me since Glee is not historically a television show that I can stand – I don’t pine for ‘90s RnB, and no one has ever accused me of enjoying a capella anything (aca-anything?).

Anna Kendrick plays against quirky type as Beca, an aspiring music producer who has reluctantly agreed to give University life the old college try after her father promises a fully paid trip to LA if she still feels school life isn’t for her at the end of the year. She volunteers at the campus radio station and makes awesome mash-up after mash-up in the hopes of getting airplay. When prodded by her father to try harder Beca decides to be social by joining The Bellas, a hitherto comely competitive a capella team that was decimated by the shame of their ill fated finals appearance last spring. Enter a motley crew of second tier selections lead by Aubrey, the obligatory uptight senior looking for redemption (a perfectly cast and aptly named Anna Camp), and we’re off.

Pitch Perfect doesn’t take itself too seriously, perhaps a symptom of not being set in high school, and while most of the team is composed of caricatures they are remarkably consistent in their motivations. For the most part the audience buys what the actors are selling.  I do however need to ask why we required so very many reaction shots from designated “lewd yet funny fat girl” Rebel Wilson.  I didn’t make it past the 15-minute mark in Bridesmaids, but apparently it is to that cinematic triumph that I owe this complaint.  While mildly amusing when used sparingly, Chris Farley she is not, and a little less Rebel Wilson would have gone a long way.

Moving on to love. The romantic subplot eschews the tired old love triangle and our love interest Jesse isn’t a nebbish dweeb, nor is he the captain of the football team. Refreshingly, the obstacle to true love is also the most authentic part of the story, with our heroine’s conflicted emotions and frustrations preventing her from seeing the light.

I am going to go ahead and hazard that it isn’t a spoiler to reveal that Beca gets the guy in the end.  Kudos to director Jason Moore and screenwriter Kay Cannon for not falling back into cliché and relying on an overt public spectacle in order to patch our lovers up.  Instead it is a well chosen song and an inside joke that seals the deal… at the finals of course. I will not lie, I melted at that moment and as a result actor Skylar Astin suddenly seemed more subjectively appealing than he had just moments before.

Lest this review become too positive I do have a serious complaint, but it centres on the film going experience rather than the film itself. Film is a visual medium but the sound design is equally important, and my experience at the multiplex really underscored the growing problem of inadequate quality control that has arisen as a result of unqualified staffers replacing professional projectionists.  The bass was non-existent and I’m pretty sure the surround was not even on! I found myself repeatedly thinking a) where can I get Beca’s tracks and b) I need to play this at Projection Booth to hear it in all its surround sound glory.  This of course lead to another epiphany- theatre proprietorship is spoiling me rotten.

Expect more comments about the exhibition of films as the fall progresses – a move to digital exhibition is no excuse for substandard projection.  Bullshit like this at a time when ticket and concession prices have never been higher only serves to drive people out of the cinemas, and no one should want that because film, unlike television, is made to be enjoyed with an audience.

If you haven’t already, get your friends together to see Pitch Perfect and then go for cocktails and maybe even some dancing after! I know I’m headed back for a second go.

BONUS SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

Where are Beca‘s mashups? The production obviously shilled out some serious coin for them and frankly I want them more than the catchy a capellas. Any leads are appreciated.

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The Raven DVD Review (Paolo Kagaoan)

The Raven (2012)

Starring John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson, Pam Ferris and Kevin McNally

Directed by James McTeigue

James McTeigue’s The Raven has two interconnecting premises, the first of which is a fictionalized account of Edgar Allan Poe’s (played by John Cusack) still mysterious and controversial death. The real Poe, on his way to New York City, has made a surprise pit stop at Baltimore. Just like the one in the movie, he was found on a park bench in that city, wearing ill-fitting clothes and incoherently mumbling about a man named Reynolds. Theories about his death vary from different diseases and substances that were plentiful during the Antebellum. This movie’s supposed to tell what happened to Poe that led him to his mysterious death. The second premise is that during his stop, a serial killer has victimized members of the city’s population, while also copying plot points in Poe’s stories. Edgar is the prime suspect but he’s helping with the solving of the cases. So it’s also basically like watching libraries worth of Vincent Price and Hammer material within one movie with a 2012 time stamp. The source material and McTeigue’s glossy, ‘modern’ approach to it unfortunately gives us a pulpy movie.

And since there are murders you can assume that we have a buddy cop movie on our hands – yay! The real Poe had phases on relying on substances during his worst days, this script relies heavily on the account that he was a rabid, a violent drunk, a label disputed by his peers. Other actors considered to play Edgar were Ewan McGregor and Joanquin Phoenix who, as we know, had better things to do with their time. So Cusack’s stuck in this role, an actor who has played midlife crisis roles in better movies than, ahem, Hot Tub Time Machine. The script demands him to abscond others for being Philistines and Cusack decides to yell the word ‘philistine’ which yes, we get the irony but I wish he gave everyone, including me, earplugs before he ruins his vocal chords.

Since Cusack is the loud one in this dynamic, the more quiet one is Baltimore Detective Emmett Fields, played by Luke Evans. Both actors don’t lean back and realize how ridiculous their movie is, and this obliviousness is more pointed with Evans because his performance is mostly humourless. Other characters rounding out the story are Edgar’s love interest played by Alice Eve, an actress too good for most of her movies. But she’s delightful to watch as she recites Poe’s ‘Annabelle Lee’ falls in love, no matter which loudmouth gross person she’s falling in love with. There’s the love interest’s father, Mr. Hamilton, played by Brendan Gleeson, the most Southern of the performances, incorporating twangs within certain parts of his speech without overdoing it (Maryland, although loyal to the Union, is still part of the South). Then there’s Pam Ferris playing one of the Baltimore ladies, and she, just like any Children of Men cast member, gets a pass.

Again, this is trashy, and Lucas Vidal’s ill-fitting electronic musical score and McTeigue’s little visual effects don’t help me in liking whichever effect this movie is trying to instill in me. But that doesn’t mean that McTeigue doesn’t try to insert moments of beauty within it. The CGI used for transforming sets are barely noticeable – the movie doesn’t use what it doesn’t need. There are, at least, some aesthetically pleasing moments in the movie. The first is when Edgar is lecturing the Baltimore ladies about poetry. I don’t want to go on Armond White territory, comparing pulpy movies to classics, but then, I can’t help noticing the medium shots of the ladies remind me of ones in the party scene in Luchino Visconti’s Il Gattopardo, showing these women in various degrees of facial beauty despite coiling themselves in the time’s fashions. There’s something authentic in showing that the upper classes don’t all look like starlets. There’s also another scene where Edgar lunges at a door, cape flying behind him. These beautiful bits come with period movies and I’m a sucker for moments like that, no matter what else comes in between.

The DVD comes with French audio, French and English subtitles, and helpful audio commentary from McTeigue and the movie’s different producers. Along with these special features, The Blu-Ray has deleted and extended scenes, various featurettes about shooting the movie, about Poe, the cast, the music, as well as the theatrical trailer.

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Baring his Fangs, Zak Kilberg talks about Midnight Son

Midnight Son Zak Kilberg Interview

Hello everyone, Kirk aka Movie Junkie TO here again with a second interview from the guys involved with Midnight Son. My first interview can be read here. This time I get to sit down with one of the film’s leads, Zak Kilberg, for some one-on-one questioning. Enjoy!

Movie Junkie (MJ) – It’s great to talk to you again Zak, it’s been a while since Toronto After Dark last year. Congrats on the DVD release.

Zak Kilberg (ZK) – Hi Kirk, so happy you’re doing another piece on Midnight Son! Toronto After Dark has been a huge champion of our film and we all love that festival and everyone involved up there. I had a great experience coming up to Toronto for the premiere and meeting everyone!

MJ – Zak, let’s start with how you became aware of the film and eventually landed the role of Jacob.

ZK – An experienced San Francisco actor I know, David Fine, sent me the link to director Scott Leberecht’s website for the film – I was living in LA at the time. On the site Scott had a synopsis and incredible story boards from the film he had drawn. From exploring the site, I felt an immediate connection to Scott and his vision. I also happened to have an uncanny resemblance to the drawings of the main character, Jacob. I immediately emailed Scott a link to a short film I had just directed and starred in. He sent me the script right away and requested an audition tape which I sent. A month or two later I was in San Francisco for a film festival and came to Scott’s house for a call back. It was perfect timing and he offered me the role the next day.

MJ – It’s truly a great performance and as noted in my review I find your portrayal is the strongest in the quieter moments of the film. What were your influences in creating the character?

ZK – Thanks Kirk! My filmmaking influences are definitely more based in docu-drama and indie realism. I am a huge fan of Cassavetes – specifically the performances in A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE. Fleck’s HALF NELSON and Akin’s HEAD ON are two other films that inspire me deeply as a filmmaker and actor. My primary intention was to paint a picture of Jacob that felt real. I knew that realness was what separated this story from so many other vampire stories out there. If I could make the character real and relatable (and the million other filmmaking pieces came together as well) then the film would work.

MJ – Those are some strong influences for sure. You and Maya manage to present one of the more awkward romances on screen, how was it collaborating with her on this, especially since she was listed as an executive producer on the project?

ZK – Maya did an incredible job as Mary. She is an extremely professional and dedicated actress. She was cast as the actress first then became a producer on the film later so I never really saw her in that role – only as my co-star. We were able to rehearse several of our scenes before the filming began so we felt pretty comfortable together once the cameras started rolling. I think we were both just so thrilled to be working on the film that we would have done anything to make it great. We also both had a deep trust and love for Scott. It was an extremely supportive and positive working environment.

MJ – It certainly sounds like you and Maya had a great time together on this, in fact your entire cast and crew seem to be a tight knit bunch. Did you guys feel you had something special while you were making it?

ZK – We all knew from the beginning that we were making something special. Filmmaking is such a drawn out process you never really know what you’ll have by the end, but from the script, viewing Scott’s previous award winning short films and the amazing cast and crew we were able to assemble with a very micro budget, it felt clear to me we were onto something unique that would find an audience.

MJ – With a film like Midnight Son that is almost entirely set in the evening how did the evening shoots affect your sleep patterns?

ZK – I am definitely more of a night owl, so for me it was actually very enjoyable. It was exciting to wake up at 4pm and head to set, which usually consisted of running around downtown LA or Hollywood all night. It was always exciting and a truly wild experience.

MJ – That certainly must have helped! Since the film you have decided to make the leap to more of a behind the scenes role. Can you talk about that decision and is there any chance we see you back in front of the camera at some point in time?

ZK – Yes, that’s correct. Over the past few years I have taken a step back from auditions and been focused on building my production company SOCIAL CONSTRUCT FILMS. I am definitely still interested in acting and have taken some smaller roles in things I am producing, but my main focus now is in developing content and stories I love and building them from the ground up.

We just completed production on our 3rd feature film in 2 1/2 years. We also had a short film at Sundance this year called L TRAIN that was exec produced by Alexander Payne (THE DESCENDANTS) and has qualified for this year’s Academy Award consideration.

MJ– That’s great, I’m a big admirer of Payne’s work myself, sounds like you certainly have some exciting things lined up. Good luck getting a date with the “Golden Guy”, can you tell us a bit about what you have coming up next?

ZK – Two genre features I produced will be released next year in Canada, Jay Lee’s ALYCE w/ Tamara Feldman (HATCHET) and David Guy Levy’s WOULD YOU RATHER w/ Brittany Snow. We also just wrapped production last week on Ari Gold’s untitled new feature w/ Rory Culkin (SCREAM 4) and Robert Sheehan (MISFITS), and I am really excited about this one. It’s also happens to be the first non-genre film I’ve produced. You can read more about our productions at socialconstructfilms.com. Thank you, Kirk. It has been a pleasure discussing MIDNIGHT SON with you and all the rest!

MJ – As always the pleasure is mine Zak. MisFits is a personal favorite of mine, especially because of Sheehan’s work on the show, so I’m keen to see what you guys have come up with. Thanks again for this Zak, hopefully we can get you back up to Toronto soon!

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray Review (Kirk Haviland)

Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray 

Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Carol Kane and Billy Crystal

Written by William Goldman

Directed by Rob Reiner

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year is The Princess Bride, a small fairy tale that over time has become a timeless classic spanning generations. Featuring new packaging as well as a brand new 30 minute long special feature on top of all of the features from the 20th anniversary edition, the 25th anniversary edition turns out to be a packed Blu-ray.  The question remains: is this edition worth the upgrade if you already own a copy of this classic yarn?

In case you don’t know the story, when a young boy falls ill his grandfather pops round to visit him. In an attempt to cheer up his grandson (Savage), Grandpa (Falk) has brought a book named The Princess Bride. It’s the tale of the beautiful Buttercup (Wright) and farmhand Westley (Elwes). When Westley takes off to make his fortune to provide for Buttercup, he is cut down at sea by the Dread Pirate Roberts and his crew. Heartbroken, Buttercup, after swearing to never to love again, is betrothed to marry Prince Humperdinck, heir to the throne of Florin. As wedding preparations loom Buttercup is kidnapped by the unlikely trio of Fezzik (Andre the Giant), Inigo Montoya (Patinkin) and Vazzini (Shawn). But the mysterious man in black, who may be a familiar face, chasing them has his own plans for Buttercup and Humperdinck’s own intentions may not be pure. Through Fire Swamps, ROUS (Rodents of Unusual Size), near death and a rumpled miracle maker will true love win the day out, and will Inigo ever find the elusive 6 fingered (Guest) man who took his father’s life while he was a child?

The Princess Bride remains a film I revisit from time to time. It brings back those feelings of childhood and the stories and films I grew up watching. It’s an example of classic storytelling, broad adventure, silly characters and has a well told believable love story at its heart. Framed with the relatable story of a sick boy and his grandfather bonding over a story, the film also works as a love letter to the books we grew up on. The cast is practically flawless here and as much as Elwes and Wright’s characters are the center of the story, it’s Pantinkin’s Inigo that maybe it’s heart. Andre the Giant’s Fezzik is the scene stealer here, the adorable charm of Andre oozes through the screen every time he’s on it. Sarandon and Guest as the villains of the piece remind us of why they are some of the greatest character actors of the last 25 years. Sarandon shines especially when you consider how much he has been criminally underused since this film.  The story is classic and the dialogue reminiscent of the classic tales of old. Rob Reiner brings this tale to life where many other directors, including the genius Francois Truffaut, attempted but were unable to do before – Reiner makes it work.

As mentioned earlier, the Blu-Ray is packed with special features. The new two part featurette, True Love: The Princess Bride Phenomenon features a 15 minute sit down round table discussion between Reiner, Elwes and Wright. And a 15 minute featurette featuring most of the rest of the cast discusses the impact the film has had over the years and examples of how the film has impacted pop culture and the mainstream. Two audio commentaries with Rob Reiner and William Goldman are accompanied by seven other featurettes and Cary Elwes’ video diary from the set. The sit down with Elwes, Reiner and Wright is actually quite charming and hearing Pantikin talk about how he loves to whisper his classic “My Name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die” in kids ears and see the reaction is priceless.

The question as to whether or not to buy this new version of the Blu-ray is debatable. If you own the older Blu-ray, the only addition is the new featurette, and as charming as it is that alone may not be worth the double dip. But if you only own an old copy of the DVD, or if you do not own the film at all, The Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Edition is a must buy.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

Make sure to keep up with what’s going on at Entertainment Maven by liking our Facebook page and having updates delivered right to your Facebook News Feed. It’s the only way to stay on top of all of our articles with the newest blockbusters and all the upcoming films, festivals and film related events in Toronto.

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