Now that Iron Man 2 has dropped upon us all, is it safe to say that it was not quite the level of awesome that it was hoped to be? Don’t get us wrong, it was a solid film, but it wasn’t exceptional. In fact, compared side by side next to its predecessor, is one really better than the other? Are they really any different, aside from the villains, both of which employ the same tactic (of stealing the “Arc Reactor Technology” embedded within Mr. Tony Stark)?

Hear us out okay. Favreau’s style and in-depth focus is definitely a strong point, however, it loses some of it’s luster when it’s practically repeated in the second film. Both films rely on a lengthy health battle concerning Stark (Arc Reactor Construction/Palladium Blood Poisoning), for the beginning half, if not two-thirds, of the film. We get a glimpse of some action mid-way to keep the normals from falling asleep in the theater (Ten Rings Terrorists/Monaco Grand Prix). Finally we get the main battle at the end, which was a bit more personal the first time around due to the Pepper Potts danger factor. Granted Potts was in danger again this time around, but it was briefly towards the end. Besides, fighting an actual human will garner more emotion from an audience versus stoic drones. Think about it, how many Storm Trooper deaths really hit you in your ticker?

Getting into the rest of the film, can we just say that the whole “Drunk Tony Stark Birthday Party” was just a step above the deplorable Jazz Dance Scene in Spiderman 3. The scene’s only savior was when Stark squared off with Lt. Colonel Rhodes. In a way, it was sloppy. Favreau & company could’ve come up with something better because, in fact, they pride themselves on it.

Our final beef has to do with the length of Sam Jackson’s screen time as Nick Fury. We’ve no problem casting Jackson in the role. The thing with his extended exposure, is that he loses some of his badass credibility. The rapport they had throughout totally took away from Fury’s mysterious, official aura. Had he been a bit more stoic, or short with Stark, things would’ve been a bit more serious and given the Avengers Initiative & S.H.I.E.L.D side-plots more gravitas.

The funny thing about all of this, is that we still dug the film. We won’t get into the specifics of Howard Stark as Walt Disney or the convenient “New Element” invented, as we understand those are parts of fiction that need not be nitpicked. We get that when it comes to sequels, the usual successful mantra is “Same, but different”, however, Iron Man 2 might be a little too formulaic for its own good. To re-iterate, this film is by no means “bad”. It’s just not much better than the first, if at all.

Image Courtesy Jorymon.com

We’re big fans of Chris Milk over here at SRO. We’re also pretty big fans of photography and how the development of the technology is further getting pushed and explored. So don’t be surprised that we’re posting this short by Chris Milk for the 42 Second Dream Film Festival. What’s a “42 Second Dream Film Festival” you ask? We’ll let them describe it to you:

In this spirit, 42Below^TM vodka has commissioned 42 of the top filmmakers in the world today to give us their 42-second visions, 42-second hearts and souls-the dreams that continue to haunt, delight and inspire them. We have assembled a team of some of the most inspiring and resonant voices of our generation to share with us a little piece of their unconscious. It may sound a bit voyeuristic, but that’s ok. A dream is a portal to one’s most inner thoughts, and we don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to see what these legends have to show us. A celebration of the creative impulse, and an excavation of the world of dreams. That, in a nutshell, is ONEDREAMRUSH.

This film festival/experiment, however sponsored by a vodka, is no joke. Here’s a list of other highlighted directors who have created something or are in the process of creating something for the festival: Chan “Cat Power” Marshall, Asia Argento, Michele Civetta, David Lynch, Rinko Kikuchi, Floria Sigismondi, Sean Lennon, Leos Carax, James Franco, & Harmony Korine, just to name a few. You know this shit is real fucked up too, when it’s “Honorary Panel” includes Werner Herzog.

As for Milk’s submission. It’s described as “a man watches his life pass before him”, captured and filmed with a Canon 5D Mark II SLR Camera. Milk covers all the big moments in what you could say is a “normal person’s life”, but what makes this work beyond the visuals, are the simple notes on the piano, and the brief yet strong images that lead your mind to wonder beyond. How the man got into those situations? What happened right before/after them? How did that moment affect him in the long run? All without seeing the man himself, but those he’s surrounded by. One might say, it’s the very essence of real art in general, that Milk creates these questions in our minds out of but a few images. See for yourself.

Yes, you read that right. Jack White’s latest musical incarnation, The Dead Weather, just teamed up with Jonathan Glazer for their first proper video. Shit comes out in two weeks and debuts all day on the Cinemax network. Once again, you read that right. Not Mtv. Cinemax!

On the verge of the July 13th (UK/Europe)/July 14th (North America) release of their debut album Horehound, The Dead Weather announce the uncensored Cinemax debut of the short “Treat Me Like Your Mother.” The groundbreaking film was directed by Jonathan Glazer, whose credits range from such highly-acclaimed feature films as Sexy Beast and Birth to award-winning music videos for Radiohead. In a rare event, the film will premiere in full in the US on Cinemax on July 11th at 9:55 pm and continue to air on all of the Cinemax multiplex channels for the following five weeks. The short will premiere in the UK on Channel 4 on July 13th at 00:10.

“It was overwhelmingly electric working with Jonathan Glazer on this project, which feels more short film than video,” said White. “I’ve never felt an intensity like I did on the set of this shoot. Absolutely violent, explosive, and poetic.”

“Theirs was a beautiful energy to tap in to,” explained Glazer. “You can’t ask for anything more.”

Just before the all out war that was the San Diego Comic-Con this year, Team SRO was able to kick things off right with the screening of another war. That being Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder. Now the film doesn’t come out for another 2 weeks, but you know we couldn’t keep our mouths tight about it. And let’s just say, that this may be Stiller’s project, but we’ll give you one good guess as to who owns this movie. We’ll give you a hint: RDJ.

Just about everything that has to do with Downey Jr.’s character is fucking solid. His tirades, his reactions, his monologues…shit, even when the man goes serious for 1.5 seconds in the film, he owns that as well. Now remember, we’re talking the best part of the movie filled with actors like Stiller himself, Jack Black, Bill Hader, Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte, Matty McConaughey, and Tom Cruise. That’s how good this motherfucker is.

Oh you noticed a few names on that list you didn’t know about? Those last two especially i’d assume. If you’ve seen anything Stiller has directed recently, you should be well equipped with the knowledge of his use of cameos and stars who want to cut loose on film. Cruise’s character is like nothing we’ve seen him do before, and as outlandish as it is, it’s good to see him actually have fun on screen for once. And as for McConaughey, well, let’s just say Tivo put its marketing budget in the right place.

So what we’re saying is, go see the fuckin’ movie. Bring a lady. Bring a friend. Grab some popcorn. And leave your problems at home for this. In all seriousness, it’s everything you’d expect from seeing the previews. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a good time with your best friends Stiller and Downey Jr.

Note: Last week, we crashed the L.A. Film Fest and got away with it. As is usually the case, we took to partying it up over writing about the films. So this week, we tell you what we saw, and why you need to get on each movie we recommend. Which is basically everything we attended, as we have impeccable taste, but you knew that.

One of the films that has stayed with us since hitting up the LAFF is the rabble rouser Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe. A story close to where our hearts would be if we hadn’t already sold them to the devil. It’s your average documentary about a struggling artist that robs, steals, vandalizes, causes pain, and is an all around son-of-a-bitch, and yet gets paid mad money for his genius. Don’t believe us? Check out the description from the movie’s myspace page:

Choe devises numerous criminal schemes that afford him to hitchhike across the globe via trains, planes and automobiles. By skirting the legal constraints of society, he is allowed to “freely” create his art. Eventually, his nonchalant law-breaking style lands him in serious trouble. After a series of arrests, he finds himself in solitary confinement in a Tokyo prison, totally broken down and uncharacteristically still. During these dark times, he finds himself reflecting on his own selfish history, one riddled with heartache caused to his friends, family and his long-term girlfriend. Upon release from prison, a radically religious Choe, returns home with the hope that he can overcome his criminal temptations and repair the damage caused to loved ones.

We see Choe’s unwillingness to grow up, his struggle to make it as an artist and his fight to hold on to his sanity. Faced with an ever-growing appetite for destruction, Choe realizes that in the end he must make sense of the chaos that echoes in his head, face his demons and learn how to harness them for the good of his life and burgeoning art career.

From the beginning of the movie, you get that sink-or-swim introduction. It’s guerilla style filming starting back from 2000 and on to the present day. What you see isn’t just a boy fucking around, but the growth of a boy to a man who continues to fuck around and take his chances despite all the shit that’s happened to him as a result of his recklessness. Choe is one of those people who’s life is so intense that at it’s best, you can’t help feeling happy for the guy. And at it’s worst, makes you feel a hell of a lot better about yourself and your problems.

The documentary just premiered at the LAFF and features tunes from Ratatat and Justice.We’re pretty sure they didn’t have official permission to use some of their music, but in our eyes, that compliments the doc perfectly. Be on the lookout for it at an indie theater near you or in stores on DVD sometime in the future. Trust us yo, this shit is worth it.

Note: Last week, we crashed the L.A. Film Fest and got away with it. As is usually the case, we took to partying it up over writing about the films. So this week, we tell you what we saw, and why you need to get on each movie we recommend. Which is basically everything we attended, as we have impeccable taste, but you knew that.

The first film we had the pleasure of kicking things off with, was the animated wonder that is Fear(s) of the Dark. Yes it is in all black-and-whiteNot unlike the high quality release Persepolis. Watch that shit post haste if you haven’t already!, but you and I know that most French films in b/w are for the most part an unstoppable force. Fear(s) of the Dark is no exception either. And if you check out the list of contributors, it’s no surprise that we’ve got a quality product.

• Blutch
• Charles Burns
• Marie Caillou
• Pierre di Sciullo
• Jerry Kramsky
• Lorenzo Mattotti
• Richard McGuire
• Michel Pirus
• Romain Slocombe

If there’s any one name you should take careful note of, it’s Mr. Charles Burns. As his graphic novel, Black Hole is the next project in line for David Fincher.

As for the film itself, it’s a study on fear if you haven’t derived that from the title already. And with each story, it’s not that one is better than the next, what gets you is that all are equally badass. Whether it be about insects, murderers, attack dogs, or a giant “monster” each style serves their respective story so well, that you are truly left wanting more. These artists basically put on a clinic in storytelling and art that we’re ultra glad we caught on the big screen. Seek this gem out and thank us when you’ve had the pleasure.

Since we’re heading into the weekend, I thought I’d hook you kids up with a treat to get you by until next week. Our boy, Victor Solomon has gone and done a series of shorts to further show off his rather superior cinematic skills and hone his craft like a real pro does. Inspired by writer, Dan Rhodes, each short is narrated to the tune of one of his short stories off his second work, Anthropology: 101 True Love Stories. Here’s the official synopsis via the book’s official site:

Although he started it third and finished it second, this was Dan Rhodes’ first book to be published. While glamorously begun on a Vietnamese public bus from Kon Tum to Danang (the story ‘Milestones’), it was mainly written between October 1997 and November 1998, while he was working on Cherry Gardens Farm in Kent/Sussex border country in the south of England. Rhodes would devise and draft the stories while tying in rows of raspberries or picking gooseberries, often in the driving rain. The book consists of 101 very short pieces about the ins and outs of the modern romance.

We gotta say, we’re pretty impressed with Vic’s industrious choice to make this project happen and even more surprised (in a good way) at the text to which he set his work to. If you’ve never seen V’s work before, you should be aware of his picture and cinematography, especially his work on Faux Fox’s “Nothing Gold” . It’s for guys like him that HD and LCD screens were invented.

We’ve linked each episode here, but you can also hit up his official site and navigate them as well. My favorite would be “Bulletin”, it has a certain aspect of being kind to others, yet with a smart ass touch. “Pieces” is a close second if for nothing else, than for it’s closing line. Watch ‘em all and holla back with your faves.

We don’t know anyone (including ourselves) who can say they watched the Mtv Movie Awards on Sunday. Needless to say, everyone is talking about this viral video clip for Tropic Thunder, and fuck it, why not us. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Stiller this funny, but of course RDJ is gold. If you want a preview of what it will be like when the SRO crew hits Comic-Con this year, well, here you go. Too bad it’s an Mtv embed, it hurts everytime.

So many people are talking mad shit on the upcoming release of this movie. I’m wondering who of you out there realize this is the Wachowski’s we’re talking about. Let alone a children’s film directed by the Wachowskis. It’s crazy and ridiculous, but then again, everyone said that about the Matrix. Look what happened there.

I’m not saying that this will be the next greatest thing ever. But have you seen those colors? I can imagine how many of you will own this movie just so you can see those colors shine bright on those nifty LCD screens.

Get over yourselves kids. Right now i’d rather see a crazy colorful psycho Speed Racer film, than another drag ass indie film about a dysfunctional family and/or person (Squid and the Whale, Me You and Everyone We Know, Junebug) that should really be a made-for-tv film.

Hate on this scraped together music video if you’d like. I’ll admit, you get the picture that its all about racing and whatnot about 30 seconds into the video. But I can’t wait to see this shit anyways! Who’s got opinions?

The Nite Owl

I was going to regulate this to the notables section this week, but I quickly realized how foolish that would be. If you haven’t been paying attention, we’ve been following the production of The Watchmen ever since we heard that Zack “300” Snyder was going to be the man in charge of taking the impossible and making it a reality. We even had the minerals to call it out as the next HUGE movie a whole year and a half before it comes out.

If you had even a shred of doubt about my prediction, consider it gone. After these photos and even more QUALITY work have surfaced over at The Watchmen Official Site, I doubt any of you could muster up a decent argument as to why a formidable movie of this caliber would not be awe-inspiring. I’ll hold my “I Fucking Told You So” until after the movie kills, but just know, that I’ve got 16 in the clip and one in the hole.

Note: More photos after the jump. Hit up The Watchmen Blog for larger Hi-Res Images, or just click on each image.

The Comedian

The Silk Spectre

Rorschach

Ozymandias