Tag: Good Will Hunting

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

by MCDave

With over three decades as a filmmaker, Gus Van Sant’s firsthand knowledge of the industry’s highs and lows can’t be questioned. He began as an independent voice in the 80s and early 90s, quickly capturing the attention of critics and artistic devotees, only to blossom into a more mainstream figure following the overwhelmingly successful Good Will Hunting, a personal favorite of mine. And since then, Van Sant has continued to “wow” audiences with celebrated titles such as the Oscar contender Milk and his hypnotic Cannes winner Elephant, while also churning out commercial duds like the 1998 Psycho remake. This time around Van Sant teams with notable talents Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill and Rooney Mara to bring the grueling true story of paraplegic and famed cartoonist, John Callahan, to life in his Sundance selection, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.

Chemically dependent on alcohol from a very young age, John Callahan (Phoenix) becomes even more resentful of the world when a night of insane binge drinking results in a tragic car accident that leaves him confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. John continues to drown his sorrows with copious amounts of alcohol until a profound epiphany sends him to AA where he begins sobering up under the tutelage of Donnie (Jonah Hill), a homosexual sponsor who imparts valuable wisdom on his many “piglets” striving for sobriety. And as John navigates through his emotional baggage with the program’s 12 essential steps, he also discovers a form of catharsis with his darkly comedic cartoon illustrations that eventually grow to become a national hit.

He Won’t Get Far on Foot becomes a showcase for its performers, as the film’s limited scope gives way to vast bouts of dialogue that push the onus onto this skilled crop of actors and actresses to shine bright. The always fantastic Joaquin Phoenix does just that, gifting audiences with another terrific turn which beautifully encapsulates the strange and complex mind behind a true comedic genius. Yet, Phoenix is anything but alone in his conquests. Co-stars Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and Jack Black all provide dynamic supporting work that, in turn, help make this occasionally sluggish viewing experience quite tolerable. A slimmed-down and bearded Jonah Hill is a spiritual Zen-master of sorts, possessing a Jesus-like aura that lights the way for John’s tumultuous path to sobriety. But despite these many exceptional performances, He Won’t Get Far on Foot suffers from many lulls, due in large part to the script’s repetitive nature. Although the film is widely outstretched and only marginally funny, Gus Van Sant still delivers an earnest character study that’s undeniably highlighted by its uber-talented cast.

GRADE: 3.5/5

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Geekscape Concert Review: A Fond Farewell – Tribute to Elliot Smith

by DJAJSantini

A Fond Farewell:  A Tribute to Elliott Smith

Wednesday August 21, 2013

World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA

Here the setlist in AJ’s Latest Mix 

“Some guy in the back said, ‘This is gonna be a depressing night,’” mused Lennon Cantwell of Burned Out Still Glowing from dead center on a desolate stage.  “They’re gonna be playing a bunch of Elliott Smith songs… but we can relate to them.  They make us happy.”

The night's first performer, Christian Bitter.
The night’s first performer, Christian Bitter.

This captured the dichotomy that is being a Smith fan.  Personally, I found it weird to be in a room full of people listening to Elliott’s music.  Normally, if I’m listening to “Needle in the Hay,” I’m alone, intoxicated and curled in a ball on my bathroom floor after my OCD has led me to overanalyze some aspect of a relationship to its inevitable doom.  Or I’m listening to “Say Yes” or “Thirteen” the morning after the most unbelievable night with a young lady I just met, still pinching myself that something that amazing could have just happened to me.  Either/Or… That’s how I envision listening to Elliott Smith.

Being that almost a decade has passed since Smith died of knife wounds to the chest, No Name tribute concerts have been held all over the country.  Not to be outdone, Philadelphia rounded up some of its local artists and paid tribute to the singer/songwriter with proceeds benefitting Horizon House, a resource in the West Philadelphia community to adults with psychiatric or developmental disabilities, drug and alcohol addictions, and/or homelessness by providing a continuum of services and supports and community resource coordination.  We were also encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to benefit Philabundance, a hunger relief organization in the Delaware Valley.

Hosted by Tri State Indie and Eric Shuman of WXPN in Philadelphia, the night began with Christian Bitto of September Call-Up tackling “Pitseleh” and “Angel in the Snow.”  He sat, played acoustically and then thanked the crowd and walked off quickly.  I assumed the rest of the night would progress similarly, which at this rate would make the evening last about an hour before I hopped the train out of the city and went home to start typing this here review.  But I noticed a full drum set and many amps were already on stage.  That’s when punky power-pop trio Lost Romance took the stage, plugged in and sped through “Speed Trials” and “Bled White.”

Next up, left-handed Angel Ocana took center stage with an acoustic almost as large as his suspender-wearing frame and skinny jeans covering hot dog legs.  Clearly, he connected deeply with the songs he chose, because he stopped in the middle of “Rose Parade” – “I’m sorry… this is emotional for me right now…”  His minimalist approach, which was even more stripped than original Elliott recordings, worked well, especially with his cover of Smith’s cover of Big Star’s “Thirteen” (you know, the song from the two-minute date sequence of “How I Met Your Mother”).

Dan Collins also played acoustic, but was joined by two friends on electric bass and wooden cajón.  A little more talkative than previous acts, he felt comfortable breaking the ice with a stoically, mostly seated crowd by saying “I never got to see Elliott play… This may be as close as we’ll ever get,” after playing fan favorite “Angeles.”  Touché, Dan.  Touché.  I also never got to see Smith live, which was my exact argument with a former radio colleague who, when asked if she was attending, quipped, “I thought about it but I think Elliott is too precious for me to hear a cover. Translation: I’m a snob.”  I think she would’ve been impressed with Dan’s other tribute, “Clementine” off E.S.’s self-titled record.

Lennon Cantwell of Burned Out Still Glowing had quite a lot to say about his enthusiasm for our late friend in memoriam, bragging even of Elliott Smith tattoos.  Since the night was, in fact, running quite ahead of schedule, Lennon took on three tracks with just his voice and an electric guitar: “A Fond Farewell,” “King’s Crossing” and “Happiness,” the latter of which he encouraged the crowd to sing along to an a capella rendering of the final chorus – What I used to be will pass away and then you’ll see/That all I want now is happiness for you and me

Electric quartet Our Griffins were the shocker of the evening.  During a stage break, they sound checked with the opening chords of “Needle in the Hay,” so we knew it was coming.  What we didn’t know was that after the first chorus, it was going to be blown out into a full-on angst rocker that not only redefined the song for me (I’ve heard it a bajillion times since seeing Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums”), but also would’ve made Smith proud.  My only critique was that I couldn’t hear my favorite line at the end: I’m taking the cure so I can be quiet whenever I want/So leave me alone, you oughta be proud that I’m getting good marks

But, I don’t know if that was the singer’s intonation or a sound guy issue or where I was sitting, so I’ll choose to blame no one and just commend them on a well-interpreted reworking of that and their other choice, “Roman Candle.”

Our benevolent host joked that the next performer, Matt Chylak, who is a research assistant at WXPN, could he heard serenading the office with many a Smith song and his performance proved it on his rendition of “Twilight.”  Like many people of a certain generation, he got into Elliott through the Matt Damon-Ben Affleck Oscar winner “Good Will Hunting,” and much else of what he said was muffled, because at this point some half-inebriated ass hats at the other end of the bar decided this would be the perfect time to loudly discuss leasing options, insurance deposits and their wives being “so full of shit.”  Which is a great loud conversation to have at a tribute concert for an artist known to be much more pianissimo than fortissimo.  After discussing the addiction angle behind “Between the Bars,” he launched into it like an N.A. member remembering less-sober times.  Truly stirring.

Finally, after a quick stage break, Jonah Delso discussed stealing his sister’s CDs and discovering the “Thumbsucker” soundtrack, which contained Elliott’s cover of Cat Steven’s “Trouble,” which he performed solo acoustic.  Then he was joined by Philly indie rock quintet Goodnight Lights for the finale, a B-side off the Baby Britain single, “Some Song,” which is about struggling with addiction as well.

All in all, as skeptical as I could have been, or as critical as some might have been (anal retentive bastard I am, I was really disappointed at the lack of sliding noise this night… you know that screeching noise your fingers make on guitar strings when you slide up or down the neck that are so prevalent on Elliott Smith tunes?  Yeah, they weren’t there…) , this was a night to celebrate the works, impact and mental scarring that Elliott Smith has left on his fans.  He may bring joy to some, sadness to others, both to many… Either/Or it was a fond farewell to a friend.

photo

Interesting post-script to that story:

As I was walking to the train station, which is only about two city blocks from the venue, I saw my train was running late, so I stepped outside to have a smoke.  I was approached by a young man who asked for a cigarette.  He, like most people who can strike up a conversation at the same time as their match, proceeded to regale me with his story.  He had just been kicked out of rehab up in Shippensburg because the security camera caught him in a girl’s room.  I told him not to worry, that there were plenty of rehab facilities in the area, even one close to where I was heading.  His parents were furious, he was probably going to have to sell his new sneakers to pay for a room.  He was a recovering heroin addict on his way back to (you guessed it…) Baltimore.  It struck me as odd that I was meeting up with a junkie on the mend after literally just listening to the lyrics:

It’s a junky dream makes you so uptight/Yeah, it’s Halloween tonight and every night/Hear you scratch your skin/Your sandpaper throat/You’re a symphony, man, with one fucking note

After trying to relate my own struggles with alcohol (“the only other substance with a withdrawal as fatal as heroin,” I said), I gave him another cigarette, wished him the best of luck, and urged him not to give up on his rehab.

You better call your mom, she’s out looking for you/In the jail and the army and the hospital too/But those people there couldn’t do anything for you/Help me kill my time/Because I’ll never be fine

If you need somewhere to start or a refresher course on Elliott Smith, check out this collection and if you’ve been to one of the other No Name concert tributes across the country this summer, share your own experiences below.

 

A.J. Santini has been an audiophile since pre-natal care. Having 15+ years DJ experience, a brief stint in terrestrial radio and an extensively diverse collection of books, vinyl, cassettes, VHSs CDs, DVDs and MP3s (plus one Led Zeppelin 8-track) qualifies him to rant nonsensically and wax poetically about popular culture. He also hosts QUIZZO trivia nights to feel superior to the masses of the population. Check out some of his DJ mixes.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Promised Land

by MCDave

Whenever Academy Award winning screenwriter Matt Damon develops a script, there’s only one director he’s taking it to, Gus Van Sant. The pair first matched wits with the 1998 Best Picture Nominee Good Will Hunting. In 2002 the duo teamed up for a second effort, Gerry, that turned out to be an under-seen and admirable piece of work. A decade later and Damon is at it again, partnering with actor John Krasinski and penning another screenplay.  This time, the result is a highly controversial drama called Promised Land. Expecting to make his directorial debut but forced to step down, Damon went to none other than Gus Van Sant to helm the feature.

Matt Damon stars as Steve Butler, a fast-rising corporate salesman who visits a rural town facing a huge economic decline. Butler and his sales partner Sue Thomason (played by Frances McDormand) seek drilling rights from local farmers in order to drill for natural gas, a safe and clean energy source of the future. Promising lucrative returns to the entire town, the corporate team’s plans are threatened when an environmentalist named Dustin Noble (played by John Krasinski) shows up to educate the locals on the dangers of such drilling (AKA “fracking”).

Promised Land is an agenda-motivated drama that glimmers rather than shines. Capped off by a strong third act, director Gus Van Sant’s latest project is a rewarding piece of filmmaking no matter what debatable topic serves as its primary back-story. While Krasinski and Damon demonstrate almost no difficulty in conjuring up a collection of affable characters, the writers ride the wave of an adequate opening and barely survive a lifeless mid-section to the feature. But in typical Matt Damon-style, a closing series of personal reflection and self betterment leads to a familiar, yet never diluted, finale of redemption. Even more so than the script itself, Damon’s strongest collaborative efforts to the film come in the form of his perfectly executed acting chops. Although Damon’s only Academy Award comes from the writing side of his career, he continually delivers strong performance after strong performance to reiterate where his greatest talents truly reside. As for his sales partner in crime, they couldn’t have cast anyone better than Frances McDormand. Never overbearing or too flashy, McDormand has benefited from a lengthy career of genuine and honest portrayals. In Promised Land, she once again sticks to the game plan and gives a quietly effective performance. Beyond its talented cast and satisfying conclusion, Promised Land emerges from a weak second act with a surprising turn of events. Without this carefully calculated and imperative “twist” to the story, Promised Land would never recover from an otherwise pedestrian script.

During Gus Van Sant’s newest feature, there’s a pivotal moment where the audience is on the fringe of closing the door on Promised Land. While any truly “great” piece of filmmaking clearly avoids such crossroads, Damon’s and Krasinski’s paper-thin plot holds the movie hostage and creates a lengthy standstill that inevitably tests the patience of the audience. Caught in a downturn and desperate to go anywhere, Promised Land eventually takes a drastic 180-degree turn that sets the film on a new course and salvages the final project. Even the slightest change to this vital new direction that the feature takes could have proved fatal, but Damon and Krasinski come through when they are most needed. In addition to a mostly bland script, Promised Land becomes a combative source for political debate. While I attempt to view any film with a clean and unbiased slate, many moviegoers don’t. Therefore, movie’s centering around controversial issues such as fracking tend to polarize and turn off a wide spectrum of audiences. Hence, Promised Land is a faulty release that is undoubtedly open to a multitude of criticisms.

For as objective as Promised Land attempts to be, unfortunately the film is forced to take a side on the highly debated issue of fracking. However, by simply labeling Promised Land as “anti-fracking” propaganda, you’re missing a more prominent message. Bigger topics such as corporate foul play and personal ethics become the resonating themes throughout the picture. No matter what side of the issue you stand on, Promised Land is a film that should be savored for its character development and gratifying resolution. We should all aim to become better people by continually doing what’s right. Promised Land gives us a lead character who constantly claims “I’m not a bad guy” and, by the end of the film, he proves it. For that alone, we should all be grateful for Matt Damon, John Krasinski and Gus Van Sant’s latest collaboration, Promised Land.

Grade: 3.5/5

Check out other work from MCDave like his Top Ten Films of 2012 and frequent Oscar updates at Movie Reviews By Dave

Check Out The Trailer For Gus Van Sant’s ‘Promised Land’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Gus Vant Sant (Good Will Hunting) and Matt Damon are pairing up again for what looks to be another touching drama.

The film is called Promised Land, and will be available for your viewing pleasure on January 11th, 2013). It features a pretty stellar cast with the likes of Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt, Titus Welliver, and more.

Take a peek at the trailer, and let us know what you think! The plot synopsis is as follows:

Promised Land is the new contemporary drama directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk). Matt Damon plays Steve Butler, an ace corporate salesman who is sent along with his partner, Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), to close a key rural town in his company’s expansion plans.  With the town having been hit hard by the economic decline of recent years, the two outsiders see the local citizens as likely to accept their company’s offer, for drilling rights to their properties, as much-needed relief. What seems like an easy job for the duo becomes complicated by the objection of a respected schoolteacher (Hal Holbrook) with support from a grassroots campaign led by another man (John Krasinski), as well as the interest of a local woman (Rosemarie DeWitt). Promised Land explores America at the crossroads where big business and the strength of small-town community converge.

The trailer is very effective, and the films looks pretty powerful from this short glimpse. It’s great to see another team up between Van Sant and Damon. Here’s hoping for another Good Will Hunting!