The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

As you probably know if you have been following me for a while, I'm not the biggest fan of westerns, which is why I decided to pass The Ballad of Buster Scruggs when it released. Yes, even though the Coen brothers made it. And the cast is stellar. It's been popping out in my Netflix homepage quite often lately so I decided to give it a shot.

It is a western anthology that features six stories taking place in the Old West: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs follows a cheerful and singing gunslinger (Tim Blake Nelson); Near Algodones follows a nameless cowboy (James Franco) who gets caught in a bank robbery; Meal Ticket follows an impresario (Liam Neeson) and his armless and legless young artist (Harry Melling) who travel from town to town to recite classics; All Gold Canyon follows an elderly prospector (Tom Waits) at a remote creek; The Gal Who Got Rattled follows the journey of a young woman (Zoe Kazan) on a westward-bound wagon train; The Mortal Remains follows the five passengers of a stagecoach.

These are six stories that have very little in common as they don't share the plot, characters nor have the same tone —while the first is purely comedic relief, the stories get more serious and darker as the film moves forward. And yet The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is the most compelling, fun and thought-provoking anthology I've seen as each story has its unique take on death, which came in many forms in the Wild West, while dealing with human frailty, morality, vanity, overconfidence, and duplicity.

In addition, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is filled with compelling characters. They don't have a lot of depth nor development as time does not allow that, but they immediately feel real, they are likeable and sympathetic, and interesting to follow around —I found myself invested in all of them.

The acting is also great. Everyone does a wonderful job, from James Franco to Liam Neeson to Zoe Kazan but there are a few standouts: Tim Blake Nelson is brilliant as the titular character, Buster Scruggs; Stephen Root is very mesmerizing as a bank teller in the second story; Tom Waits absolutely nails the role of a gold prospector.

Netflix

The screenplay is also filled with brilliant dialogue, especially in the final vignette as the five characters discuss different philosophical topics. In addition, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs has gorgeous, jaw-dropping cinematography that transports you to the setting of the film, the Old West.  The scenery is also on point and the costumes are great. The score is phenomenal, and the songs from the first story are very catchy and enjoyable.

Ultimately, this is a film that blends action, comedy, drama and romance incredibly well, that keeps you interested and engaged in spite of the stories being completely different from one another. What I would change something about it? Well, maybe as I've liked the characters to connect as they do in Tarantino's movies.

Movie Review: OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL - 9 Stars

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I thoroughly enjoyed OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, much more than I thought I would. You know, James Franco either works or he doesn't work there is little in between and thank goodness he works very well as Raimi's wizard. A good choice in fact. I thought the casting in general was quite well done.

Here's the official storyline:
When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

The 3D is amazing. Right up there with LIFE OF PI, HUGO, THE HOBBIT and AVATAR. Sam Raimi and 3ality Technica sent it soaring. The moment I saw the first trailer with the black and white small screen and the blowing flames I knew that we had the potential of something very good here for 3D. When you use extra black space on the edges it allows you to overplay the 3D when needed - like the flames. And when he widened the shot and brought in color as the balloon emerged from the tornado - pure magic. No wonder Disney was all over this.

I loved, loved Danny Elfman's score throughout this! He deserves to be commended.

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OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL currently sits with $280 million in worldwide box office only 10 days into release. Another 3D blockbuster to say the least.

You really should go see this movie if you haven't already. And bring your family if you have young ones. The finale is especially fun and had me smiling ear to ear. A wonderful story, spectacular scenery and immersion and a satisfying conclusion. Easily 9 stars. Enjoy!

Must Watch: First Clip From Raimi's OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL!

Hmmm. This looks GOOD. Perhaps it's because Franco is not in the scene but this clip looks very, VERY good. Great acting and significant conflict was built up in what, 30 seconds?

This is a Sam Raimi movie after all - we should all know that it's going to be a great time at the cinema. *AND* it's shot in native 3D using 3ality Technica rigs, so the visuals should also be top notch.

Here is the official storyline:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot – fame and fortune are his for the taking – that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity – and even a bit of wizardry – Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8. 




via Collider

New Trailer For Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

This trailer looks amazing to me. Visually we could be nearing a masterpiece here and if the comparisons to Disney's other recent magicial 3D trip to another realm, ALICE IN WONDERLAND stay true, then it should be a great trip indeed for us. And for Disney's coffers. 

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Official Site: http://www.disney.com/thewizard

Disney's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer...

MUST WATCH: First Trailer For Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL!

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Ok - this looks good. I can see myself totally immersed in this thing even though being transported to another world by a tornado seems a bit of a stretch to accomplish. Suspension of disbelief seems to be working here.

Director Sam Raimi seems to have stepped up to the plate swinging with this effort, his first since DRAG ME TO HELL in 2009. Of course most will remember him for THE EVIL DEAD and the first three movies of the Spider-man franchise.

Note in the black and white beginning to the trailer, flames are shooting outside of the camera frame - this is going to really startle some folks as those flames will be coming right at you (in my estimation) - more so than normal. It's an old technique in 3D from the golden years and it looks like the beginning of the movie may have some of these sights gags. The way it works is that those black bars surrounding the movie hold space in reserve expressly for 3D purposes only. When an object moves into those black areas, the off the screen effect is greatly exaggerated. It should be impressive. I expect once the movie turns to color that the 'comin' at ya' moments fade off dramatically and goes for more immersion.

OZ Panel At Comic-Con 2012

You know, I used to find it hard to believe just about any character that James Franco plays, but he seems to be getting better as an actor. I had wondered why he kept getting such great roles in his career despite not having all the chops of some of his contemporaries, but I am pretty much over that now. 127 HOURS was great. He looks good here as Oz too. I think his best days are ahead of him. We'll see!

Here's the movie's storyline:
Disney's fantastical adventure Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Director: Sam Raimi
Writer: Mitchell Kapner
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz
Release: March 8, 2013

Website and Mobile site: Disney.com/TheWizard
Follow on Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyPictures

Love the potential for 3D here. The visuals - especially of the Oz landscape are going to look outstanding! Can't wait to see the results. For all of our OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL coverage, click here.

MUST WATCH: Behind The Scenes Of Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL - Plus 3D Production Workflow Info!

3ality Technica Rigs With Red Epic Cameras

Ready for a fresh take on THE WIZARD OF OZ? I am. Well it's really a prequel. Moreover, it looks like Sam Raimi's going to deliver with some new perspectives on the famous characters. Plus, there is no singing and dancing - well very little according to Mila Kunis. In fact, due to licensing restrictions Disney has had to avoid some connections to the original movie, but that could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. I don't have any real interest in a total remake of the first Oz.

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One of the cool things about the movie is that it's being shot in native 3D using Red Epics and 3ality Technica's 3D rigs. If you're interested in a technical and in-depth review of the workflow involved with OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, check out this great read found on 695 Quarterly.

James Franco's Oz takes on three witches played by the aforementioned Mila Kunis joined by Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams.

Says Franco: "This Oz is a little different. You get to see a lot more of who this Oz is. The search for (his heart) is one of the main themes of this movie."

Stereoscopic Monitoring Setup

Here's the movie's official storyline:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well. When small-time magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) pulls one flimflam too many, he finds himself hurled into the fantastical Land of Oz where he must somehow transform himself into the great and powerful Wizard—and just maybe into a better man as well.

I would think that Disney will be revealing more OZ during Comic-Con this week - we'll see. 

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013. Click here for all of our coverage of the movie. Click here for the movie's official site.

Check out the behind the scenes ET video:



Original Clip Source: IndieWire
 

James Franco Going Ape In 3D!!

Love this bit of casting. James Franco has confirmed he is in RISE OF THE APES which is the prequel to PLANET OF THE APES.

Apparently many A list actors were vying for the role of a "young, driven scientist who becomes a crucial figure in the war between humans and apes".

RISE OF THE APES starts shooting July 5.

Can't wait for this one! I think the franchise needs a prequel and so far all signs are positive for this effort. Franco is a quality and proven talent.

Source: Variety