hype wongie: once

[as posted on my music blog] i have been reading about the irish film once for ages. a critical and fan favorite ever since it premiered at the sundance film festival in january, the story focuses around an irish busker (played by glen hansard, lead singer of the popular irish band the frames) and a czech pianist (played by his friend and sometime collaborator marketa irglova) who find common ground in music and eventually love.

the movie just opened in ireland this week and will make it's way to our US screens sometime in mid may.

i shared the trailer (see below) yesterday, but i'd love to pass on some more bits and pieces i've found since then (can you tell i'm a tad obsessed?).


once - sundance channel profile
[check out this brief profile that features an interview with director john carney and his two leads. there are also a few clips from the film for you to fall in love with.]

though there isn't an official soundtrack of the album released yet, glen and marketa were actually commissioned to write a few songs last year for a czech film beauty in trouble. the sessions were so successful that they recorded a full album under the guise of the swell season. when filmmaker john carney was looking for music for his film, he not only chose three songs from the album, but asked glen and marketa to star in his film. pretty cool eh?

here are some performances to get you even more excited:

glen hansard & marketa irglova - falling slowly (live performance at sundance)
[for an outdoor performance the sound recording is very good! here they are in january performing like buskers on the slopes of salt lake city, utah. lovely!]

glen hansard - when your mind's made up (from the movie ONCE)


glen hansard - sleeping
[taken from swell season, this song was one of the featured tunes for the czech film beauty in trouble; absolutely gorgoeus.]


Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova aka:the swell season - falling slowly
[if you can't get enough of this gorgeous song, here is an indoor version recorded last year in chicago. btw, the frames have also taken on this song as part of their new release the cost.]

watch movies this weekend: the lookout, after the wedding

if you're looking for some movies to watch this weekend that AREN'T your typical hollywood fare, then the lookout and after the wedding are perfect choices.

one is a slow brewing thriller about a young man trying to cope with his mental limitations and then discovers himself in the midst of a bank heist (trust me, the amazing joseph gordon-levitt makes this storyline completely plausible). the other is an amazing family drama that uncovers secrets and missed opportunities in a very simple way.

these films won't change your life, but not only should you help out their opening weekend tally, but they are pretty darn good for this quiet time in cinema (the calm before the crazy summer blockbuster storm).

other great movie choices this weekend:
blades of glory
300
the host
avenue montaigne
the page turner
boy culture

wongie loves: hot fuzz

from the team that brought you the hilarious zom-rom-com shaun of the dead and spaced (one of my favorite tv comedies ever) comes their latest genre tweaking masterpiece hot fuzz.

this time the comedic duo of simon pegg and nick frost get paired up in the seemingly quiet town of sandford. sent to the idyllic town because he was showing up his london co-workers in the police force, over achieving cop nicholas angel (pegg) quickly realizes that the inhabitants of his surroundings have a high level of deathly 'accidents'.

what ensues is a wacky who done it filled with bloody murder, bruckheimer gunplay and funny gags galore. who knew that the suburbs could be so deadly?


hot fuzz - trailer

movie hype: angel-A

[angel-A trailer]


after a directorial hiatus of about seven years, luc besson (professional, the 5th element) finally returns to our screens with a moody b/w love story called angel-A.

actually released last year in a few territories, luc calls this film a return to his low budget roots, shooting the whole thing in sequence and mainly with it's two leads Jamel Debbouze (amelie) and Rie Rasmussen (a victoria's secret model).

i'm a sucker for b/w parisian romances (especially about schlubs who find redemption) so you know where you'll find me opening night!

hot movie buzz: grindhouse

[grindhouse trailer]

i've been buzzing about this film for the past few months and after reading the NY Times article, i'm going in overdrive!

with a cast that includes rose mcgowan, kurt russell, freddy rodruiguez, rosario dawson and even sidney poitier (??), grindhouse is actaually two separate films (full length y'all!) directed by robert rodruiguez and quentin tarantino. separated by four imaginary trailers (directed by eli roth (hostel), rob zombie, rodruiguez and edgar wright (shaun of the dead)), the two movies cover zombies, serial killers and of course the infamous machine gun for a leg.

i'm already foaming for its april release date!