Adam's Showest Finale

Adam with William Friedkin.

Though I'm a bit late getting this posted, there's a lot here for the movie geek in anyone.

HAIRSPRAY

The Hairspray presentation was far and away the most exciting (and entertaining) event I was witness to at ShoWest 2007. It's not often that you see a remake of a remake of a remake, and that's exactly what the upcoming Hairspray is. The original film (a gem of a movie if you ask me) was directed by John Waters (a surprisingly tame film for a director who made his name with movies like Pink Flamingos and Desperate Living), and while it was a modest hit when it was released in the 80's, it wasn't until years later when the movie was adapted as big time stage musical that Hairspray would become a household name. Now, the musical version has been re-adapted as a new movie starring John Travolta (donning a hilariously effective female fat suit), Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, and delightful newcomer Nicole Blonsky. New Line Cinema went all out with this presentation. It was set up in one of the Paris Hotel's massive ballrooms. Upon walking into the gorgeous hall, attendees were treated to amazing food, set up in a 50's theme (hot dogs, sliders, french fries, etc.).

After forty five minutes or so of eating and mingling with various exhibitors and film fans, it was time for the actual presentation to begin. At the front of the ballroom, there was a huge stage with a massive screen just behind it. The house lights dimmed, and the projector rolled. First, we were shown footage of a musical number from the movie, but in the midst of the scene, the actual cast popped up on stage and performed the rest of the song live. Very cool. We were shown five musical numbers, all in this same fashion. Sadly, Travolta opted not to perform, but at the end of the presentation, he did appear on stage with the rest of the all star cast. As for the musical numbers themselves? I was completely and utterly amazed. I really enjoyed the original Hairspray from 1988, but I've never seen the musical. I was sort of indifferent to the idea of it. However, after seeing this presentation, consider me officially excited about this movie. Hairspray takes place in the early 60's and features a tale of integration during turbulent times, but the movie tells its story in an extremely joyful manner. This flick looks to have the spirit and energy of Grease. The witty, infectious songs remind me of the tunes from Little Shop of Horrors. There's been a lot of hoopla surrounding the recent rebirth of the movie musical. Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, and Dreamgirls were all pretty well received (if not financially, than critically), but for my money, Hairspray looks far more entertaining. I really can't wait to see it. It opens this July.

HOT FUZZ

In all, I saw six movies during ShoWest (Talk to Me, Disturbia, The T.V. Set, Mr. Brooks, El Contante, and Hot Fuzz), and of the batch, Hot Fuzz was far and away the strongest. Seeing this movie in advance was all the more entertaining because of the company. We were sitting in a row populated by several internet movie geeks (including Quint of Aint-it-cool-news.com, Robert Sanchez of iesb.net, Judy Thorburn of theflickchicks.com, firstshowing.net, and comingsoon.net). The only disappointment of this particular screening, was that Hot Fuzz creators Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost couldn't be present. I had an opportunity to meet them a couple of years ago at Comic-Con and they are among the most genuine (and hilarious) movie geeks I've ever met. On with the review of their hilarious new movie.

From the guys who watched every action flick ever made and brought you Shaun of the Dead, comes Hot Fuzz, the most deliriously entertaining comedy you're likely to see all year.

Simon Pegg is Sergeant Nicholas Angel, a highly decorated London police officer who's known for getting the job done - no matter what it takes. When the mucky mucks at Angel's precinct decide that Angel's infamous exploits are making the rest of the department look bad, he is unexpectedly shipped off to a new precinct. A precinct so far away from the action that it's the crime equivalent of Siberia.

Angel soon learns that a typical day in his new beat involves rounding up missing geese and sorting out traffic backups due to stray sheep. Making matters all the more frustrating is that he is partnered with an underachieving, nitwit of an officer name Danny Butterman (a hilarious Nick Frost).

The biggest surprise in store for Angel is that before long a string of bizarre and inexplicable occurrence begin to take place one after another. Is it possible that there's more to this peaceable burg than meets the eye? Not only are these misadventures strange but in many cases fatal.

Hot Fuzz is the brainchild of Spaced creators Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, and once again they knock it out of the park with a film that not only scores as a brilliant bit of fanboy cinematic bliss (this time, taking pokes at Michael Bay era action films), but as a pretty damn cool action film in it's own right. There's also a diabolically wicked mystery going on and Wright and crew are extremely clever in the way they shift suspicion from one character to the next. It all culminates in a hilarious reveal that truly delivers.
At the forefront of this homage to the biggest and baddest of action films, are big time winks at the likes of Point Break and Bad Boys II, but the film also throws in elements of other genres as well including horror (this film is gleefully gory. )

While Shaun of the Dead certainly has its cutting edge comical element, it also had a real sense of horror and a deft dramatic touch. Hot Fuzz, by comparison, is far more broad in terms of its comical approach, but considering the outlandishly over-the-top genre that it's sending up the comic largess that Hot Fuzz revels in is truly spot on and very frequently inspired.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are incredibly adept with this style of comedy, which they proved beyond a doubt with Shaun of the Dead. And here their flair for deadpan dumb-guy delivery is absolutely impeccable. Of course much of the credit here belongs to Wright. Like their director, Pegg and Frost are massive movie geeks at heart, and their pure love of film is evident throughout Hot Fuzz. The jokes come so fast, and furious, that there's no way a single viewing is enough to take it all in. And in fact, Hot Fuzz really emerges as a new breed of comedy. It isn't straight up parody. It's something much, much more, and as I watched the exhaustive antics going on in this film, I was also reminded of watching Airplane! for the first time. I suppose you could say that Wright and crew have invented an entirely new sub genre.

Hot Fuzz is populated with a wide array of top notch veteran talent including an eccentric Jim Broadbent, a dead pan Bill Nighy, and a villainously droll Timothy Dalton, and all are given their moments to shine. Dalton in particular, appears to relish in the role of the dastardly local whom, for all the world, appears to be getting away with murder.

If I have one criticism towards this movie, it would be the editing. Wright loves to do this strange cutting thing in his films. It's a kind of hyper kinetic, quick cut montage technique (something Martin Scorsese has mastered to perfection). He used it in Shaun of the Dead a couple of times as well, but here, I think he resorts to it a little too much. There were a couple of times when I found these cutting choices distracting. A minor quibble towards an otherwise knockout film experience.

I still prefer the unexpected pleasure that is Shaun of the Dead. Maybe it's because I'm such a huge fan of the zombie genre, or perhaps it's because that movie came out of nowhere and blindsided me. Whatever the case may be, Edgar Wright and his mighty pack of movie geeks have avoided the sophomore slump with the gloriously hilarious, ultra violent, extremely well paced Hot Fuzz. I can't imagine there'll be a funnier movie this year.

LIONSGATE
Lionsgate Pictures threw a big press conference and luncheon, and I was quite excited about it because I adore this studio. They've become the premiere distributor for some of the best horror pictures of the last two years (including Hostel and The Descent) so how could I not be excited? The press conference was especially special for me because, in addition to meeting Steve " Stone Cold" Austin, I got to have a lengthy chat with legendary film maker William Friedkin (The Exorcist). He was on hand to promote his new psychological thriller Bug. Just shaking his hand was a huge thrill. Then, not but two minutes later, I got to have a conversation with Eli Roth (Hostel). Roth is one of those "love him or hate him guys". There is no in between. Personally, I love him. He's the Quentin Tarantino of the horror genre. Hostel is widely criticized and often dismissed as nothing but porn, but personally, I think it's a stunning achievement in the world of horror. True, it is sadistic and perverse, but it's also stylish and provocative. The highlight of the afternoon came when both Friedkin and Roth agreed to shoot intro spots for "Film Fanatics". It was so exciting, I could barely contain myself. Bug opens in May, while Hostel II opens in June.

TRANSFORMERS
Transformers is one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer. I just can't seem to get all that excited about it. I think it has to do with my not being a very big fan of Michael Bay. Sure, some of his movies are fun (I have a soft spot for The Rock), but for the most part, I usually find his flicks pretty mediocre (most notably, Pearl Harbor). Big explosions and state of the art special effects will only get you so far. Before a special screening of Distubia (entertaining but derivative), special surprise guest Michael Bay hit the stage and presented us fifteen minutes of Transformers. What can I say? This movie looks big and loud. I'm still not holding my breath for a masterpiece, but the footage we saw was very entertaining, most notably a hilarious sequence featuring a manic Shia LaBeouf desperately trying to hide two Transformers (Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee) from his concerned parents. It isn't easy keeping two five story tall robots hidden in the burbs. There was also a pretty cool action sequence featuring a massive robotic scorpion engaging in a battle with a squad of angry marines. All in all, the movie looks fun. If the cheers coming from the audience in screening room were any indication, the movie is going to be a massive hit.

On a side note, a special thanks to Paramount and Dreamworks Pictures. Not only did they allow us to shoot inside their amazing Trade Show Transformers display (we got amazing footage of actual props from the film), but one of their marketing reps was kind enough to hook us up with gift bags. What was in the bags? Optimus Prime action figures. I'm not talking a cheap piece of plastic either. These stellar toys retail nearly $100 a pop. Again, a big thanks to Paramount and Dreamworks.

MEETING QUENTIN TARANTINO AND ROBERT RODRIGUEZ
Meeting Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez was a movie geek's dream. The two maverick film makers were on hand to receive awards for co-directors of the year. They discussed their soon to be released epic Grindhouse and even touched a bit on upcoming projects (Rodriguez is planning Sin City 2 while Tarantino is prepping a World War II film called Inglorious Bastards). I could have listened to these two talk for hours. As it stood, the Q & A was only about ten minutes. Still, it was an incredibly informative ten minutes (if you've ever heard Tarantino speak, than you know what I'm talking about).

SONY PICTURES PRESENTS A SPECIAL LOOK AT SURF'S UP

When it was announced that Sony would be on hand with a special presentation, it was automatically assumed by most in attendance (myself included) that the presentation would include Spider Man 3 footage. We were wrong. No new look at Peter Parker's upcoming epic adventure. On the other hand, Sony has been so good about releasing footage from that movie (you can see ten minutes worth of the flick on line), they decided to showcase something else. In this case, they decided to give us a glimpse at their new computer animated film Surf's Up. I adore the trailer for this movie, a joyful send up of that killer surfing documentary Riding Giants. If you haven't seen it, check it out over at quicktime.com. What we got at this presentation was a little something extra. Not only were we treated to unlimited Mai Tais and fresh fruit cocktails. We were also lucky enough to see the first twenty minutes (or thereabouts) of the movie. The film tells the story of a penguin who leaves his home in an attempt to become a professional surfer. The animation is stunning, and much of the early parts of the film resemble the documentary style of the trailer. There's a sort of carefree, improvisational feel to the dialogue and the vocal work (headed by Shia LaBeouf) is picture perfect. While Surf's Up doesn't look to have the same epic tone as, say, Happy Feet (a decent movie, but not deserving of the Oscar win if you ask me), it has a lively quality about it that should certainly appeal to folks of all ages. Between this and Pixar's Ratatoulie, it looks to be a stellar summer for animated features.

This marks the end of our coverage of ShoWest 2007. Sorry it took so damn long to get it all done. Watch for photos. We should have them up soon. We'd like to offer up a special thanks to Heather in the press department for her courtesy and assistance and we're extremely excited about 2008's convention. With Indy 4, The Dark Knight, and the next Star Trek adventure all on tap for next year, ShoWest 2008 will, no doubt, go down in history as one of the best NATO conventions ever. I can't wait.