Top 7 Tuesday: Favorite Robot Films [James]

Finally getting back into the swing of things with these Top 7 lists, which I was sad to miss last week’s concerning favorite cartoons (which mine would have rocked big time) but instead I’m glad to know my first one is a doozy. Robots in films have always been a favorite theme of mine. No matter how big or small, if a film had a robot of some kind I was in like Flynn and definitely there for the whole ride. So without further adieu, and not putting any Terminator film in the list (I love them, but decided to throw some films that don’t get as much love), here are my top 7 robot films. … Continue Reading

Top 7 Tuesday: Favorite Robot Films [Rufus]

Another week another Top 7 Tuesday! This week we take a look at our shiny metal friends and the films to which they bring their superior ways, impenetrable skin, and laser death ray eyes. Now to be on my list these films must have at least one robot. That is pretty much it. Bonus points if the robot is part of the main plot, extra bonus points if it kills its human meat bag overlords. Like I did last time the pictures above the post will be linked to where you can buy these films. Feel free to rate my list and give me suggestions in the comments below, just keep it classy or the cineAWESOME! bots will use your brains as batteries. And now with out further ado (and in no particular order) my list! … Continue Reading

Sunday Shorts: Two Spirit People

Two Spirit People is a 1991 documentary by Michel Beauchemin, Lory Levy and Gretchen Vogel. This short documentary presents an overview of Native American concepts of gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation focusing on the berdache tradition in Native American culture. This is an individual who embodies both feminine and masculine qualities as well as acting as a conduit between the physical and spiritual plane. Traditionally they may even hold positions of power within the community. While the film is most likely slightly outdated it serves as an interesting glimpse into a culture that often is not spoken of (or thought of) within most discussions of the LGBT community that I have been a part of. However, admittedly, I am far from an expert. Regardless I found it fascinating and a glimpse into a different understanding of sexual roles outside of those that normative society demands we follow. If you enjoy this film I strongly suggest reading Two Spirits, One Purpose an article by Jessica Mayrer.

I found this film on the Vimeo page of Frameline Distribution, a group founded in San Francisco in 1981 as an educational distributor of LGBT related media. Although it has been running the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival since 1976, the oldest LGBT Film Festival in existence. Their website can be found here. Take the 20 minutes out of your day and learn something new, open your eyes, and most of all think outside of yourself. This is what Pride Month is about. As always the film is found after the break. … Continue Reading

Trailer Thursday: No Regret

This weeks Trailer Thursday is themed for the LGBT Blogathon hosted over at YAM Magazine. Leesong Hee-il’s No Regret (2006) is a rarity for Korean film in that it treats gay issues in a mature and normal way. The only one that even came close was 2002′s Road Movie (Kim In-Sik). The story about Su-min and Jae-min is quiet, romantic and sometimes hilarious. Free from the mincing queens that usually grace the Korean screen, the film allows these characters to live and breath and have fun. Leesong Hee-il is also the first openly gay director in mainstream Korean film and talented. He had previously worked on 2004′s Camellia Project and released his second feature Break Away in 2009.

I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to see a Korean film actually freed from stereotypes. To see gay characters who were more representative of my gay Korean friends. Leesong is a director that has room to grow, and I look forward to following his progress. It was released in North America by Here! and can be found on Amazon.

The Korean Trailer:

The American Trailer:

State of the Union

We are coming up on our almost one year anniversary at cineAWESOME! and it is a time of site rebirth. I’ll be honest. I knew that it would be a rough beginning for the site, but James and I had a passion to bring you a site that covered films that we wanted, and didn’t concern itself who the newest cast member of Superman was, or if James Bond had started principal photography or not. Not that we aren’t interested in things like that, but there are better sites for that out there. So we jumped in feet first, right into the deep end. We wanted to bring you films from around the world, indie films, classic films, the lost films from the archives, and the short films people tend to overlook. It’s been a rough year of starts and stops and growth spurts. I am neck-deep in grad school and James was busy writing up a storm over at Criterion Cast.

Well we are back.

We’ve added some great new staff writers: Lisa, Belem and DeAngelo who will be writing weekly articles along with me and James.

We’ve streamlined the site to bring you guys features such as Top 7 Tuesday, Trailer Thursday and Sunday Shorts. James even brought back Netflix-O-Rama the one of a kind article that will tell you what to watch on Netflix and why.

We launched our long awaited cineAWESOME! cast and the first episode has out preformed what James and I expected and that is just from everyone spreading the word! We aren’t even on iTunes yet!

We cohosted the Korean Film Blogathon with New Korean Cinema and are going to be participating in the LGBT Blogathon hosted by YAM Magazine to celebrate Pride Month.

We are just getting started. On behalf of James and everyone else working hard behind the scenes I want to thank everyone for their patience as we found our feet! As always keep spreading the word, sharing our articles, and most importantly let us know what you think and what you want to see!

Thank you!

Top 7 Tuesday: Favorite Animated Films

That’s right sports fans! Top 7 Tuesdays is back. Originally a feature over at Paper Spaceships, we have given it a new home over here at cineAWESOME! This is the first of the Top 7 Tuesday and we decided (well I decided) to choose favorite animated films. Now like most of my top 7 lists these are just how I feel at the moment and are subject to change. If you are interested in any of the films the images are links to the Amazon pages of the items. As always feel free to disagree in the comments (keep it civil!) or let us know what kind of lists you, the readers, want to see us tackle! … Continue Reading

Netflix-o-rama: It Came From Kuchar

It’s back! The series that became a sensation (I think) when it was started by myself over a year ago. Even though I’ve been watching tons of films on Netflix Instant Watch, but I haven’t had the time/been extremely lazy in the last few months to bring Netflix-o-rama back from the grave. But because Rufus and I have come out with the first episode of the podcast (which you can download right here) and have gotten some great writers on board with more to come, I decided to resurrect one of my favorite series of articles, mainly because it’s an excuse to watch something I’ve never had the pleasure to before.

Which brings me to tonight’s choice, which is the 2009 documentary It Came From Kuchar directed by Jennifer M. Kroot. The film is about the underground film making twins George and Mike Kuchar. They are filmmakers I’ve seen talked about for years by other avant garde and indie filmmakers, such as Guy Maddin and John Waters (who are featured in this documentary to share their love for the twins) and have sadly never gotten the chance to see one of their bizarre films. Growing up in the Bronx in the 1950′s, they had a love for melodramas from the get go, such as Butterfield 8 and Imitation of Life and replicated these stories with their friends and themselves via an 8mm video camera from their aunt. … Continue Reading

Sunday Shorts: Apricot by Ben Briand

Sunday Shorts is a new feature where we scour the intertubes to bring you the best of the amazing short films the world has to offer. My first pick is from the talented Ben Briand. Apricot (2010) features the digital aesthetic that I love. Great focal lengths, beautiful lighting, amazing bokeh, and setting makes this wonderful script even better. The actors are wonderful, and the flashbacks remind me of my own summers as a kid playing in the woods. The film one the Community Choice Award and Best Narrative at the Vimeo Film Festival and was also selected for the 32nd Moscow International Film Festival. It was the Best Film runner up in the Australian Film Festival and The St. Kilda film Festival chose it for their opening night.

Briand has also directed other shorts and has worked on commercials, music videos and video installations. His short films form a trilogy of sorts around the topics of memory and identity. I for one look forward to seeing what he does next. Watch the video after the break. … Continue Reading

Trailer Thursday: Them!

My Trailer Thursday pick is Gordon Douglas’Them! (1954) which is not only a great example of old B-Movie Trailer awesomeness, but one of my favorite films as well. Sure the giant ants are impossible (nerd alert I do know about the Square-Cube Law) but this movie creeped me out as a kid and I still love it to this day. The special effects are fun, the sound design is creepy, and giant ants in LA sewers is full of win. Watching James Arness and Joan Weldon battle the ants is a treat.

Trailer Thursday: Bruno Mattei’s Strike Commando

JAKODA!!!!!!

Ahh Reb Brown. An actor unlike any other. Famous for plenty of amazing B-movies such as Yor, the Hunter From the Future, Space Mutiny and Robowar, he is known for his amazing way to scream about half his lines throughout his films. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This week’s trailer is 1987′s Strike Commando, directed by Bruno Mattei and co-written by Mr. Troll 2 himself, Claudio Fragasso. I can’t explain how much I love this film, so check out the trailer below and let’s wish for an actual DVD release. There is a sequel too, but sadly Reb Brown wasn’t in that one.