Audio Bijou Show Notes 4/17/07

Song: (1)

David Arnold/ Theme from Hot Fuzz

Theme: (2)

Box Office Round Up: (3)

The Score:

If you've listened to the soundtrack to Shaun of the Dead, then you probably know what to expect from the music of Hot Fuzz- a bit of parody, a bit of homage, and a whole mess of Brit pop. Hot Fuzz nixes the Brit Pop in favor of Brit Rock in the form of both some classics like The Kinks and more contemporary acts like The Fratellis. The score also ups the ante for homage by recruiting David Arnold. Best known for his work on the past four James Bond movies, including Casino Royale, David Arnold brings a full out irony free action score. We'll be listening to selections from both the assorted compilation of Brit Rock and Arnold's action scoring.

Screen Test Trivia Question: (4)

Hott Fuzz's Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and Edgar Wright worked together before, of course, on Shaun of the Dead. Before that the threesome created the unique British sitcom Spaced, where their unique style using a pastiche of pop culture icons from action, horror, and science fiction first took root. Another common link between Shaun of the Dead and Spaced is Peter Serafinowicz, who played jerk roommate Pete in Shaun of the Dead and jerk girlfriend stealer Duane Benzie in Spaced. In 1999, in between Spaced's first and second series, he played decidedly different villain in the biggest film of that year. What villain role did Shaun of the Dead and Spaced's Peter Serafinowicz play in 1999?

Song: (5)

Eels/ Souljacker Part I 3:15

New to Theaters (wide release):

Next (6)

Lee Tamahori, the Maori director responsible for The Edge, Die Another Day, and the XXX sequel, directs this incredibly loose interpretation of the Philip K. Dick short story The Golden Man. In Dick's version, humanity is threatened to be replaced by a race of golden skinned mutants, one of whom uses his psychic visions to escape execution. I guess that tested poorly, because this version has Nicholas Cage as a small time con man who uses his ability to see into the near future to cheat in Vegas until he's recruited by the FBI to combat terrorism. He doesn't like the idea of working for the man though and escapes with his girlfriend in tow and the feds on his tail. Costars Jessica Biel as Cage's age inappropriate love interest and Julianne Moore as the intrepid FBI agent. Rated PG-13.

The Invisible (7)

David S. Goyer, the guy who wrote the Blade movies, the Blade series, and co-wrote Batman Begins, among other things, directs this remake of the 2002 Swedish thriller Den Osynlige. In it, a high school senior is mistaken for someone else and beaten, left for dead. As his body lies dying his spirit is trapped in limbo, a ghost wandering through his normal life. As he discovers he's invisible to those around him he soon realizes he has very little time to figure out the mystery of his attack and is powerless to influence those grieving his loss. His only hope lies in a girl who can hear him and may have had a hand in his impending death. Rated PG-13.

Wind Chill (8)

In the latest horror movie of the week, Emily Blunt, who won critical acclaim for her role in The Devil Wears Prada, stars as a college student who hitches a ride home for Christmas with a classmate who's been nursing an anonymous fixation on her from afar. When he decides to take an out of the way route to give them a little bit more alone time they wind stranded on a remote dead man's curve, a place haunted by the ghosts of those who have mysteriously died there year after year. Maybe even Large Marge? Rated R.

The Condemned (9)

From WWE films, starring WWE superstar Stonecold Steve Austin, and ripping off the format of WWE Lockdown Live on Pay Per View, The Condemned is about a death row inmate doing time in Central America until he's purchased by a TV producer and dropped on an island to participate in an illegal reality show where he and nine other condemned killers must compete with winner take all and death for the runners up. Kind of like Survivor, only one person actually survives. Also kind of like The Running Man, except no Richard Dawson. Vinnie Jones costars. Rated R.

Kickin It Old School (10)

In 1986 12 year old Justin Schumacher had it all- radical moves, a funky fresh dance squad, and an awesome girl. Then, a horrible break dancing accident landed him in a coma. He wakes up twenty years later to an era filled with internet porn, American Idol and where no one wears parachute pants anymore. Now, in order to pay off his medical bills and stop his old flame from marrying his old rival, he must gather his old crew to win the ultimate dance off. Jamie Kennedy stars in what looks like the best break dancing movie since Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Is that a compliment? Think about it. Maria Menounos, Bobby Lee, and Michael Rosenbaum costar. Also featuring David Hasselhoff as David Hasselhoff. Rated PG-13.

Song: (11)

Tubthumper/ Kick out the Jams 2:20

New to Theaters (limited release):

Snow Cake (12)

Two things to keep in mind: 1) playing characters with cognitive disabilities is sure fire Oscar bait, and 2) Sigourney Weaver has no Oscar despite multiple nominations. Enter Snow Cake, in which Alan Rickman plays a man overwrought with guilt after he is involved in a fatal car accident on his way to Winnipeg. He seeks out the victim's mother, who turns out to be a high functioning autistic woman played by Sigourney Weaver. As they learn to laugh and love, the carefree woman helps the guilt ridden man come to terms with his remorse and also bag a small town hussy played by Carrie Ann Moss. If this doesn't work, maybe Weaver can play gay or transgendered. Or sing in a biopic. Or both. Rated R.

Jindabyne(13)

The lives of everyone in the small Australian town of Jindabyne are shaken when a group of four men, including an Irishman named Stewart Kane, discover the corpse of an aboriginal girl while fishing. They finish their fishing trip and then go back and tell the town. After the initial shock, several in the town, including Stewart's wife, start to wonder why they so calmly and callously finished fishing instead of rushing back as soon as they found the raped and murdered girl. Stewart justifies himself that the girl wasn't getting any deader or more raped and the fish were still biting, but you know how women are- “Yak yak yak dead body this, murder and rape that.” Jindabyne stars Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne and is based on the Australian short story So Much Water Close to Home. Rated R.

Diggers (14)

A dramedy set in 1976 upstate New York, Diggers is about Hunt, a fourth generation clam digger played by Paul Rudd who must comes to terms with his father's death and the encroachment of corporate interests into his family business. As he wonders whether it's even worth it he must also worry about his three clam digger buddies and deal with his recently divorced sister. Diggers was written by Ken Marino, who you might remember from the old MTV sketch show The State, who also costars as a loudmouth family man named Frankie Lozo. Sarah Paulson, Maura Tierney, and Lauren Ambrose also costar. The film is directed by Katherine Dieckmann, who back in the nineties directed videos for R.E.M. and a couple of episodes of Pete and Pete. The State? Pete and Pete? 70's nostalgia? Is it 1993 all over again? Rated R.

The Hip Hop Project (15)

From Queen Latifa, Russell Simmons, and Bruce Willis (yes, Bruce Willis) comes this doc about a New York rapper named Kharma Kazi who uses hip hop to help troubled teens. Formerly a homeless teenager himself, Kazi encourages kids to put away the guns, drugs, and hos to genuinely reflect on the problems of their lives and look to ways to improve themselves. It's like adding spinning rims. To your soul. Rated R.

Song: (16)

The Fratellis/ Solid Gold Easy Action (cover of T-Rex classic) 2:19

Screen Test Trivia Question: (17)

Hott Fuzz's Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and Edgar Wright worked together before, of course, on Shaun of the Dead. Before that the threesome created the unique British sitcom Spaced, where their unique style using a pastiche of pop culture icons from action, horror, and science fiction first took root. Another common link between Shaun of the Dead and Spaced is Peter Serafinowicz, who played jerk roommate Pete in Shaun of the Dead and jerk girlfriend stealer Duane Benzie in Spaced. In 1999, in between Spaced's first and second series, he played decidedly different villain in the biggest film of that year. What villain role did Shaun of the Dead and Spaced's Peter Serafinowicz play in 1999?

Song: (18)

The Fratellis/ Baby Fratelli 3:53

New to DVD: (19)

Deja Vu

Night at the Museum reg and SE

The Queen

The Cleaner

10 Items or Less

Direct to DVD:

Until Death Van Dammage!

.45 Milla Jovovichiness!

Classic/Reissue DVD:

Harry and the Hendersons SE

Parenthood SE

Author!Author! Pacino!

The Panic in Needle Park More Pacino!

TV on DVD: (20)

NCIS S3

Flipper S1

One Day at a Time S1

WKRP in Cincinnati S1

The Odd Couple S1

The Drew Carey Show S1

Song: (21)

Supergrass/ Caught by the Fuzz 2:16

Cinema Critique of the Week: (22)

Hot Fuzz

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost

Directed by Edgar Wright

Like most businesses today, the film business is globalized. In addition to allowing people all over the world from Argentina to Zimbabwe see the latest Hollywood releases, sometimes, as is the case with Spider-man 3, even before they are released in the States, it has also allowed foreign filmmakers to put their own regional spin on the Hollywood formula and sell it back to us. It's no mistake that this past year's Oscars saw a mix of Spanish, Israeli, Mexican, German, and other international filmmakers among the conventional famous American faces.

Their unique perspective often allows us to see our global influence through another's eyes. Of course the foreign perspective we Americans are most familiar with is the British, with whom we've had a healthy level of cultural exchange since our nation's birth. Representational government, the English language, The Beatles, Monty Python, David Beckham and the Spice Girls are but a few of our shared cultural touchstones. With any luck Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Nick Frost will soon be added to the list of names known as well here as they are across the pond.

First introduced to American audiences with the zombie horror romantic comedy Shaun of the Dead, the trio are back with another comedy that takes affectionate aim at a well worn genre.

Song: (23)

Cozy Powell/ Dance with the Devil 3:15

Cinema Critique of the Week (conclusion): (24)

Hot Fuzz

Song: (25)

John Eric Alexander/ Lethal Fuzz 2:01

Wrap Up/Trivia Answer: (26, 27, 28)

Hott Fuzz's Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and Edgar Wright worked together before, of course, on Shaun of the Dead. Before that the threesome created the unique British sitcom Spaced, where their unique style using a pastiche of pop culture icons from action, horror, and science fiction first took root. Another common link between Shaun of the Dead and Spaced is Peter Serafinowicz, who played jerk roommate Pete in Shaun of the Dead and jerk girlfriend stealer Duane Benzie in Spaced. In 1999, in between Spaced's first and second series, he played decidedly different villain in the biggest film of that year. What villain role did Shaun of the Dead and Spaced's Peter Serafinowicz play in 1999?

Answer:

The number one movie of 1999 was of course Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and the villain is Darth Maul. Ray Park played the Sith Apprentice, but it was Peter Serafinowicz who provided his voice, a role he parodied last year by playing Darth Chef on an episode of South Park. He also sent up the voice during Spaced's second series, in which Simon Pegg's character's disappointment with Episode I was a running gag.

Song: (29)

John Spencer and the Elegant Too/ Here Come the Fuzz 3:52