The PopMatters Summer 2009 Movie Preview

Summer of Same: August 2009

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[30 April 2009]

By Bill Gibron

Short Ends & Leader Editor


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Taking Woodstock

Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Demetri Martin, Jonathan Groff, Eugene Levy, Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

(Focus Features; US theatrical: 14 Aug 2009 (General release); 2009)

Official Site

14 August

Taking Woodstock

Before he became the bane of every Marvel Superhero geek’s existence, Ang Lee made complex films about intriguing people and unique places. Thankfully, he’s returning to said territory with this terrific looking take on the seminal concert experience of the 1960s. Woodstock will forever be known as the moment when the Peace Movement found its final freak flag statement, and looking at what Lee has done with the supposedly true story of a small town motel owner instrumental in getting the festival to upstate New York, he’s apparently hit a home run. While there will always be cynics who see any celebration of the ‘60s as rose-colored revisionist history, the genial spirit wafting through the recently released trailer suggests something magical. If anyone can pull it off, it’s Lee.



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It Might Get Loud

Director: Davis Guggenheim
Cast: Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jack White

(Sony Classics; US theatrical: 14 Aug 2009 (Limited release); 2009)

Official Site

14 August

It Might Get Loud

The rock guitar - the standard bearer for every failed and/or wannabe musicians superstardom dreams. Davis Guggenheim, a TV director turned Oscar winning documentarian (he helmed Al Gore’s global warming exposé An Inconvenient Truth) is turning his attention on the ever-present artist axe and he’s bringing six-string experts The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (The White Stripes) along for the ride. Sounds intriguing, especially for those of us less enamored with the new school of auto-tune technology.



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Paper Heart

Director: Nicholas Jasenovec
Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera

(Overture Films; US theatrical: 14 Aug 2009 (Limited release); 2009)

14 August

Paper Heart

She was the hilarious Jodi, the stoner gal pal of beard bet participant Martin in the classic Knocked Up. Now Charlyne Yi is taking on the post-modern concept of romance in her documentary style comedy co-starring Superbad‘s Michael Cera. Those looking for more Friend of Apatow facets will need to focus elsewhere. This wry, observant take on love was a Sundance smash, and while it does contain a few familiar ex-Freaks and Geeks faces, Yi’s take on this material (with help from director/co-writer Nicholas Jasenovec) is all her own, and it looks really wonderful.


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Summer of Same: The 2009 PopMatters Summer Movie Preview

Since deciding to employ his underdeveloped muse muscles over five years ago, Bill has been a significant staff member and writer for three of the Web’s most influential websites: DVD Talk, DVD Verdict and, of course, PopMatters. He also has expanded his own web presence with Bill Gibron.com a place where he further explores creative options. It is here where you can learn of his love of Swindon’s own XTC, skim a few chapters of his terrifying tome in the making, The Big Book of Evil, and hear samples from the cassette albums he created in his college music studio, The Scream Room.

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