The Film:

Despite the overly graphic DVD cover to your left, Eyes of the Chameleon will test many good fans of schlock cinema. No matter how much blood is shed or how many natural boobies these lower than low budget films throw at us, it’ll always come down to story. Now, with a slasher, we really don’t need much of a story, just something to hinge the over-the-top murders on, and not surprisingly, we really don’t get that here. There’s promise early on, if you’re open to the DYI look of the film, as it starts off kind of interesting with some creative coloring and camera work. But director Ron Adkins loses it all shortly there after.

Mixing Maniac with the aura of Black Swan, but not as good as either title, Eyes of the Chameleon wants to add atmosphere and dementia to the slow-as-snails paced film, and while it tries, it fails. Sara is trying to cope with the recent deaths of her friends, all the while hiding a blossoming madness within, yet so much goes unexplained, we really don’t care.

White trash moodiness aside, what’s really left to enjoy in Eyes of the Chameleon? The gore is minimal, sans one really good bloodbath, and what’s left of interest? The stuff of good movies; proper pacing, decent acting, story is nowhere to be found. I dig the mentality of Troma Entertainment in their support of micro-budgeted horror films, but director Ron Adkins’ idea for this feature would have served him better as a short film. There’s nothing to fill the 80 minute running time outside of filler, and we just don’t have time in our lives for that.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: Given its micro-budget, I’m sure Troma did as best as they could, but when seen on a nice HDTV, the film looks like crap. Overly dark in the night sequences, muddled colors, no real definition, the picture quality is barely passable. The audio is shrill and harsh, but it aids whatever joy one has in the film.

Commentary: Ron Adkins apparently talks about the film, but when one searches for this extra it is no where to be found. Odd, since it’s advertised on the back cover.

We get all of the typical Troma extras, along with some pointless Deleted Scenes and a Slideshow.

The Film Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

From L.A. Times: “XOXO tells of a twentysomething man who meets a female contemporary on Facebook and begins a digital relationship with her, only to find the object of his affections take the relationship to an obsessed and stalker-y place. Think Fatal Attraction (but with Facebook).”

I loved Black Swan, but hated Catfish. What do you think? We all have a little Facebook stalker in each of us…don’t lie, you know you creep up on that girls page…

Suspiria

“I’m hopefully going to get into a horror film, [Suspiria] next. That’s the goal. It’s actually very faithful. I’m gonna put my spin on it, but in terms of a pitch, it’s going to remain quite faithful to [the original]. “I don’t think it will have names, but hopefully it will be at a studio. Because I definitely enjoy having a movie that gets marketed that people go to see.”

Question is: Can he make it interesting enough to be a good remake and that it won’t be compared to Black Swan? Thoughts?

Source: The Playlist

The Film:

A multi-layered retelling of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is the type of film Dario Argento use to make during his supernatural cycle. A common reference is to his Suspiria, but I see traces in Argento’s last great film, The Stendhal Syndrome here and there. But mostly these references are in style and tone, as Aronofsky is given material and a script than Argento has never got. Black Swan is a resounding piece of film, tickling the fine line of arthouse and B-movie intentions. It’s an odd line to walk, especially for Aronofsky who is defined by his themes, instead of genre efforts, but Black Swan is perhaps the best widely received “horror” film since Silence of the Lambs.

The fun trick of the film is given to the audience early on. “We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love, her lustful twin, the black swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated, the white swan leaps off a cliff, killing herself and, in death, finds freedom,” exclaims the ballet director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassell). That’s the idea of Black Swan right there in front of us, yet like attending an Opera as they tell you the story up front, we are treated to a moody, paranoid, psycho-sexual thriller that is one wicked ride, regardless of what we know already.

Natalie Portman’s character of Nina is so innocently damaged. Her seemingly sheltered world explodes as she explores herself sexually and dives nose first into the role of a lifetime. Reality and fantasy merge into one. And yet, here’s another convention Aronofsky uses so well, we don’t mind. It’s the old Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ending, a version of the story we were told, as given to us with a mentally unstable mind. Heavy-handed? Maybe, but we don’t care because Aronofsky comes from a pedigree of being a masterful storyteller.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Understanding the aesthetic of the film stock used (RED, 16mm, and 1080p capable DSLRs), Fox’s transfer is great. Of course, there’s grain and some details aren’t as refined as expected, but the transfer holds up to Aronofsky’s wishes. Colors and blacks are well-treated. The DTS is superb. The creepy sound design is given a lot of rear speaker activity. Deep bass scares us. Everything is perfectly remixed.

Black Swan Metamorphosis: This is the best extra. Running 50-minutes, we’re treated to an in-depth look at the film from all angles. Besides the typical interviews, they show us some fly-on-the-wall set footage that is quite good.

The rest of the extras are tiny, with short running times. Some are in HD, some aren’t.

Profile: Natalie Portman and Profile: Darren Aronofsky features the talent discussing their parts in making of the movie. Conversation: Preparing for the Role and Conversation: Dancing with the Camera are pretty much one featurette split into two, where Portman and Aronofsky talk about the film and the ballet. Ballet is another quick featurette on the title. Production designer Therese DePrez is the subject of Production Design and talks about the design of certain scenes in the film.

We round this all out with some EPK Fox Movie Channel Presents featurettes and some Trailers.

The Film: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Coming Soon has the list of Special Features for each release:

BLACK SWAN DVD Features:
- Metamorphosis: A Three-Part Series
- A behind the scenes look at the filmmaking process from Darren Aronofsky’s visionary directing, to the physically-demanding acting, to the stunning special effects

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner: The King’s Speech – Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Colin Firth for The King’s Speech

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Natalie Portman for Black Swan

Best Achievement in Directing
Winner: Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Winner: Toy Story 3- Randy Newman (“We Belong Together”)

Best Achievement in Editing
Winner: The Social Network – Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Winner: Inception – Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, Pete Bebb, Paul J. Franklin

Best Documentary, Features
Winner: Inside Job – Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs

Best Short Film, Live Action
Winner: God of Love – Luke Matheny

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Winner: Strangers No More – Karen Goodman, Kirk Simon

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Winner: Alice in Wonderland – Colleen Atwood

Best Achievement in Makeup
Winner: The Wolfman – Rick Baker, Dave Elsey

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Winner: Inception – Richard King

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Winner: Inception – Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Winner: The Social Network – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Christian Bale for The Fighter

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Winner: In a Better World – Susanne Bier (Denmark)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Winner: The King’s Speech – David Seidler

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Winner: The Social Network – Aaron Sorkin

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Winner: Toy Story 3 – Lee Unkrich

Best Short Film, Animated
Winner: The Lost Thing – Shaun Tan, Andrew Ruhemann

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Melissa Leo for The Fighter

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Winner: Inception – Wally Pfister

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Winner: Alice in Wonderland – Robert Stromberg, Karen O’Hara

Source: IMBD

So color us excited that not only do we get his Black Swan score on CD, but that he’s working on Mass Effect 3‘s score for the conclusion to Bioware’s action role-playing game series. Here’s a snippet from a recent interview with The Quietus:

“I’m doing a video game this year actually. Mass Effect 3. Funnily enough, talking about Mike, we’ve exchanged emails about the possibility of doing a show featuring the Quartet and people they’ve collaborated with. It’d be a Kronos show, with different rooms for other people to do their thing, then bringing it all together. It’s pretty cool-sounding.”

I bet this might be one great selling score when it’s released. There’s some great video game scores that don’t get the recognition they deserve and I hope with Mansell doing one, that tide will change.

Fans have been comparing the two films for a while, and now via You Tube comes a TV Spot that brings them together. Not sure if it is 100% legit, but it’s great!

Natalie Portman is being considered as an odds-on favorite to win Best Actress, but what awards do you think it’ll nab? The Academy Awards air February 27th. Click here to see the other nominees.

Check it out:

The broadcast for the Academy Awards will air Sunday night on February 27th.

Nominations were announced on January 25th at 8:30am est.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem for Biutiful
Jeff Bridges for True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
Colin Firth for The King’s Speech
James Franco for 127 Hours

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale for The Fighter
John Hawkes for Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner for The Town
Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush for The King’s Speech

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter for The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit
Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom

Best Achievement in Directing
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for True Grit
David Fincher for The Social Network
Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech
David O. Russell for The Fighter

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Another Year: Mike Leigh
The Fighter: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
Inception: Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech: David Seidler

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
127 Hours: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
Toy Story 3: Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
True Grit: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Biutiful: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Mexico)
Dogtooth: Giorgos Lanthimos (Greece)
In a Better World: Susanne Bier (Denmark)
Incendies: Denis Villeneuve (Canada)
Outside the Law: Rachid Bouchareb (Algeria)

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Black Swan: Matthew Libatique
Inception: Wally Pfister
The King’s Speech: Danny Cohen
The Social Network: Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit: Roger Deakins

Best Achievement in Editing
127 Hours: Jon Harris
Black Swan: Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter: Pamela Martin
The King’s Speech: Tariq Anwar
The Social Network: Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland: Stefan Dechant
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1: Andrew Ackland-Snow
Inception: Guy Hendrix Dyas
The King’s Speech: Netty Chapman
True Grit: Stefan Dechant

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland: Colleen Atwood
I Am Love: Antonella Cannarozzi
The King’s Speech: Jenny Beavan
The Tempest: Sandy Powell
True Grit: Mary Zophres

Best Achievement in Makeup
Barney’s Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
127 Hours: A.R. Rahman
How to Train Your Dragon: John Powell
Inception: Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech: Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
127 Hours: A.R. Rahman, Rollo Armstrong, Dido (“If I Rise”)
Country Strong: Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges (“Coming Home”)
Tangled: Alan Menken, Glenn Slater (“I See the Light”)
Toy Story 3: Randy Newman (“We Belong Together”)

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Best Documentary, Features
Exit Through the Gift Shop: Banksy
GasLand: Josh Fox
Inside Job: Charles Ferguson
Restrepo: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger
Waste Land: Lucy Walker

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Short Film, Animated
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, a Journey Diary

Best Short Film, Live Action
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Source: Oscar

Little Black Swan-ish, huh? Hmm…

Source: DVDTown

My list is fun, a list of 10 films that will be etched into what 2010 was, so let’s get cracking:

10 – A Serbian Film (Full review here)

My friend recently asked me: “Jonny (I hate that nickname, by the way), what would 2010 be for you without talking about A Serbian Film?” True, no other film this year had me analyzing, discussing, agreeing, arguing than this film. Besides the controversial elements and violence, it’s a rare film that has what no other horror film had this year: intensity and balls. While I can’t fully recommend this to all, it’s a vicious ride into Hell, that’s unlike anything else in cinema.

9 – Batman: Under the Red Hood (Full review here)

If Christopher Nolan never signed onto to do The Dark Knight Rises, this animated film would have fit the bill. It’s knee deep in tone, themes, and look of the Nolan films, but it’s also a one-off film that didn’t have the luxury of years of developed story arcs like Mask of the Phantasm did, for which, I’ll go on record saying, this bests that film.

8 – Ong Bak 2 (Full review here)

Too bad Tony Jaa had a falling out with Ong Bak 3 producers (review pending), because watching him develop Muay Thai in the film, which serves as a historical look at the fighting style, just amazes. There’s no one else in film doing the in-camera stuff he does. Hopefully, he tires of being a monk (here), and comes back to film.

7 – Kick-Ass (Full review here)

Sharp, witty, action-packed, the superhero satire has two marvelous performances from Chloe Moretz, who scene stole the year with her Hit-Girl and Nic Cage’s deliciously campy Adam West-ish Big Daddy. Few films deliver their promise, but Kick-Ass is just that: kick-ass.

6 – RED (Full review here)

What a great year for action films. I mean, the old school, all in-camera stunts, action films. This comic adaptation feels like a real 1980s action film and if you need further proof, just watch the office room fight between Bruce Willis and Karl Urban. This film is great for action junkies, yet it also has a good story as its backbone.

5 – When You’re Strange (Full review here)

The Doors are one of music’s best bands. People seem like they can’t get past Light My Fire or Hello, I Love You, but their music was funky, bluesy, and mind-altering, much like this documentary. Morrison and the band have never been so candidly exposed in marvelous rare footage. A prime example as to why Jim Morrison is a rock god.

4 – Inception (Full review here)

Nolan is a mainstream, summer movie version of Kubrick. His films aren’t the be-all-end-all of cinema, but they’re still superb, as is apparent with his dream sci-fi drama. Epic, interesting, we are seeing a film maker in his prime before he even knows he is in his prime.

3 – The Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; The Girl Who Played with Fire; The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest) (Full review here and here)

Noomi Rapace’s Lisbeth Salander is the definitive female character in the 21st Century’s first decade. Raw, real, captivating, this trilogy is as strong as any. All three films are thrilling in a genre, who’s “thrillers” are anything but.

2 – Let Me In

A remake that’s equal/better than the original? Is that blasphemy? No, I liken these to Howard Hawkes and John Carpenter’s version of The Thing. Same story, different takes and styles. I love this film. Dark, original, and I love how Matt Reeves treated the parents: blurred, always in shadows or off-camera. It’s subtle at times, morbid, dark, you know, the things that’s missing from most modern horror films. Welcome back, Hammer Films.

And before we get to my number one of 2010, here’s a few highly recommended films, my Honorable Mentions of 2010: Machete (here); Frozen (here); How to Train Your Dragon (here); Tron: Legacy (here); and Universal Soldier: Regeneration (here).

1 – Black Swan

Aronofsky’s most allegorical film, is a lot like his film Pi, where’s it’s complex and odd, but nonetheless great and interesting. Did I get all of the symbolism on first viewing? Maybe not, but that’s what repeated viewings are for. So why is this my number one of the other nine? The swirling descent of Nina’s psychosis is riveting, making it must watch cinema. Perverse, morbid, and erotic, sure, but it won’t leave your mind, nor do I wish it too.

That’s my 2010. What are yours? Thoughts? See you all in 2011!

Donny:

10 - Splice

9 -Piranha 3D

8 -The Runaways

7 -Buried

6 – The Expendables

5 - I Spit on your Grave

4 -Kick-Ass

3 - Black Swan

2 – Monsters

1 - Let Me In

Jon:

10 – A Nightmare on Elm Street

9 – The Crazies

8 – Clash of the Titans

7 – Bitch Slap

6 – Best Worst Movie

5 – Kick-Ass

4 – The Human Centipede

3 – Machete

2 – The Last Exorcism

1 – The Wolfman

Agree? Disagree? Comment below with your favorites!

So awesome. I’m loving the campaign for this flick.

Love Bousman’s work and I’m totally stoked for this one.

Creepy.

Looks interesting.

Hell yes.

Nice.

Love this. If the flick sucks at least we have something pretty to look at.