News

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

From Prada to Nada – Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Kuno Becker (limited)

The Mechanic – Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland

The Rite – Colin O’Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins, Ciarán Hinds

Movie of the Week

The Mechanic

The Stars: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland

The Plot: An elite hit man teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.

The Buzz: Jason Statham is kind of cookie cutter, and this looks to be just another of his many action extravaganzas, but he does turn in some good work from time to time. Death Race, for instance, was good, and I enjoyed the first Transporter too. Ben Foster has been on the rise now for quite some time — I imagine a few years from now he’ll be knocking on the door of the household name. I enjoyed him a lot in Pandorum,...

Reviewed by Erin Talbert-Brust

(January 2011)

Directed/Written by: Ari Gold

Starring: Ari Gold, Adrian Grenier, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Chiu Chi Ling, Shoshannah Stern, Jimmy Jean-Louis and Nick Kroll

Ari Gold’s “Adventures of Power” takes a somewhat original idea and morphs it into a hodgepodge of elements from recent successful indie films: the socioeconomics and familial strife of “Billy Eillot” and the socially awkward lead of “Napoleon Dynamite,” not to mention the musical subculture profiled in “Air Guitar Nation.” Sadly, this strategy isn’t successful: “Adventures of Power” isn’t nearly as entertaining or charming as “Billy Elliot,” and its hero is less inspired by Napoleon Dynamite than a carbon copy of him.

That Gold’s comedy falls short of anything remarkable is too bad considering its all-star supporting cast includes Jane Lynch, Adrian Grenier and Michael McKean. The normally hilarious Lynch plays Power’s hippie aunt but doesn...

Reviewed by Erin Talbert-Brust

(January 2011)

Directed/Written by: Ari Gold

Starring: Ari Gold, Adrian Grenier, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Chiu Chi Ling, Shoshannah Stern, Jimmy Jean-Louis and Nick Kroll

Ari Gold’s “Adventures of Power” takes a somewhat original idea and morphs it into a hodgepodge of elements from recent successful indie films: the socioeconomics and familial strife of “Billy Eillot” and the socially awkward lead of “Napoleon Dynamite,” not to mention the musical subculture profiled in “Air Guitar Nation.” Sadly, this strategy isn’t successful: “Adventures of Power” isn’t nearly as entertaining or charming as “Billy Elliot,” and its hero is less inspired by Napoleon Dynamite than a carbon copy of him.

That Gold’s comedy falls short of anything remarkable is too bad considering its all-star supporting cast includes Jane Lynch, Adrian Grenier and Michael McKean. The normally hilarious Lynch plays Power’s hippie aunt but doesn...

The epic comedy Adventures of Power arrives on DVD January 25th from Phase 4 Films and M&C has posted an exclusive clip from the film! Combining the hilarious satire of Spinal Tap and School of Rock, Adventures of Power is a Sundance Film Festival and audience favorite starring the real Ari Gold, Jane Lynch (Glee), Adrian Grenier (Entourage), Michael McKean (Spinal Tap), Shoshannah Stern (Jericho), and Chi Chiu Ling (Kung Fu Hustle). With a soundtrack filled with 80's hits and hilarious originals, the film follows an air-drummer who saves his hometown by listening to his heartbeat. But when Power's union-leader father calls a strike at the mine, Power discovers an underground subculture of air-drummers who just might hold...

Here’s some fun-yet-confusing movie trivia for you: Ari Gold wrote and directed an air drumming comedy called Adventures Of Power. You’ve heard that name before, especially if you’ve seen HBO’s Entourage. But, the Ari Gold in that show has nothing to do with the Ari Gold who made Power – they just share the same name. To add, the star of Entourage is Adrian Grenier, who co-stars in Adventures Of Power (as a rapping cowboy). Good luck telling your friends about a movie Ari Gold made with Adrian Grenier in it.

Read more on Exclusive: Adventures Of Power DVD clip…...

Last year's Sundance favorite "Adventures of Power" hits DVD on January 25, and Phase 4 Films and Onitsuka Tiger are partnering to give the film one heck of a kick-ass launch.

The DVD launch party will take place on January 27th in Los Angeles, and will feature a live performance by the indie folk-rock band the Honey Bros., a.k.a. the band in which "Entouarge" and "Adventures of Power" star Adrian Grenier plays drums. It will also serve to advertise a concurrent online auction that will benefit VH1's Save the Music Foundation, which ensures that children have access to a musical education and instruments.

The auction will kick off online on CharityBuzz.com on January 25 and run through February 22. Auction items include celebrity-signed instruments such as an autographed cymbal from Ringo Starr and signed drums from Neil Peart of Rush, Marky Ramone of the Ramones and Lars Ulrich of Metallica.

Inspiring stories are good, but offbeat somewhat nonsensical inspiring comedies are even better. And so we here at JustPressPlay would like to expose you to the amusing tale of Adventures of Power, which will arrive on DVD in stores everywhere on January 25th, 2011. We're giving away a copy, and to find out how to win, just  keep reading.

Adventures of Power is an award-winning comedy about a mine-worker named Power who just wishes he played drums. When Power's union-leader father calls a strike at the mine, Power discovers an underground subculture of air-drummers who may hold the key to changing the world. Power's journey across America brings him face-to-face with his town's greatest enemy, and allows him to discover the beat within his own heart.

For a chance to win, you just have to do two things...

1) "Like" JustPressPlay on Facebook (or click "Like" on the Facebook box in the...

Gatw has teamed up with Phase 4 Films to give our readers a chance at winning Adventures Of Power on DVD. For your chance to win, all you have to do is fill out the form after the break. Deadline ends at 11:59 Pm on January 24th. On January 25th, we will select a winner via a random drawing and notify them by email. Good luck!

Read more on Incredibly Awesome Giveaway: Win Adventures Of Power on DVD…...

Writer/director Ari Gold’s criminally underrated 2008 comedy “Adventures of Power” was easily one of the best indie comedies I had the pleasure of seeing during the year that was 2010. It’s quirky, strange, endearing, and, simply put, utterly fantastic. The film is littered with surprising cameos — Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, and Chinese action vet Chi Ling Chiu all make brief but memorable appearances — and boasts one hell of a soundtrack. In case you were wondering, the story chronicles the misadventures of a young man named Power (Ari Gold) as he embarks on an epic journey to an air drumming competition in New York City. However, in order to snag the first place spot, he’ll have to go toe-to-toe with an arrogant country music singer (Adrian Grenier) who is eager to crawl out from under his father’s judgmental thumb. Trust me — it’s good stuff. In addition to...

Every Tuesday a new slew of titles on DVD and Blu-ray hit your local retailer's shelves, and while many of us will still be starry-eyed enjoying the things we received this holiday season, that doesn't mean we can't still look forward to what's next. It's by no means a complete list, and will see additions as more releases are announced, so for now take it as an incomplete guide for your next few months of potential entertainment. So without further ado, here's a rundown of titles arriving on DVD and Blu-ray in the near future.

Arriving December 21st

The A-Team on DVD and Blu-ray (Fox) Angel (IFC) Futurama: Volume 5 on DVD and Blu-ray (Fox) The Horde on DVD (IFC) Let it Rain on DVD (IFC) Map of the Sounds of Tokyo on DVD (IFC) Soul Kitchen on DVD (IFC) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps on DVD and Blu-ray (Fox)

Arriving...

Charlie Sheen attracted some attention in Twitter-Wood today after police reportedly found him in a poor state of affairs in a New York hotel room, possibly under the influence of some foreign substances. Michael Ian Black spoke up about him today, while Seth Meyers took a moment to remember Paul the psychic octopus and Michael McKean discussed what he wished the epilogue from "The Social Network" would have addressed.

Elsewhere, Paris Hilton took a shot of herself on the "Hard Times of Rj Berger" set, while Frankie Muniz cheered on the beginning of a new NBA season and Aziz Ansari pondered an unlikely Halloween costume. Find out if you think he can pull it off down below.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for October 26, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@ParisHilton On Set Shooting The Hard Times of Rj Berger http://twitpic.com/30w29u

-Paris Hilton, Actress ("House of Wax,...

Word that Tom Bosley passed away at the age of 83 hit Twitter-Wood this afternoon. TV's father from "Happy Days," Father Dowling of "Father Dowling Mysteries" and the voice of David the Gnome, Bosley showed up in the tweets of Neil Patrick Harris, James Gunn and Michael McKean today.

In other posting, the feed got hit with a rush of photos in the last 24 hours. Jessica Alba showed herself getting ready for some "Spy Kids 4" action, while Steve Agee was palling around with Brody Stevens and Aasif Mandvi got in the shower with his clothes on. You'll find them all retweeted after the jump along with evidence that Jim Carrey's face muscles are in the best shape of his life and an idea for a new "Star Wars" film fomr the producer of "Fanboys."

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for October 19, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@JimCarrey Rubics cube...

In case you were wondering how the crew on the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" kicks back between takes, producer Jerry Bruckheimer shared a snapshot in his feed today. It's entirely possible that their lunch breaks are more fun than yours.

Meanwhile in New York, a few posts surfaced from the Jay-z and Kanye West performances this week. Jeremy Piven, as usual, seems to have had a pretty nice view. His post, along with a memory of the late actor Kevin McCarthy, someone who claims not to know what "Halo" is and John Stamos' most recent activities on the "Glee" set appear below.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for September 14, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@BruckheimerJB On lunch break, the crew beating the 90 degree heat with a quick swim. Drinking lots of water, not rum http://yfrog.com/507y6j

-Jerry Bruckheimer, Producer...

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel became a hot topic right after Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced this week that he wouldn't run for re-election next year. Michael McKean, meanwhile, was insightful enough to ask if Emanuel's path would trigger a parallel move on the part of his brother Ari, the inspiration for Jeremy Piven's "Entourage" character.

Elsewhere in Twitter-Wood, movies are being made and released as usual. Tyrese Gibson continued his updates about "Transformers 3," while Brian Lynch looked ahead to the new "Resident Evil" this weekend, and photos of Nina Dobrev on the "Vampire Diaries" set, Denise Richards in a cheerleader outfit and Gary Sinise thanking his Twitter followers showed up.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is a picture-heavy Twitter-Wood for September 9, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@ninadobrev http://twitpic.com/2mse6h - Taylor Kinney and I on set - everyone ready for tonights Premiere of The Vampire Diaries?...

Michael Ian Black may not work for the U.S. government, but if he did, he knows what he would want to name the next hurricane that shows up, and he thinks that Hurricane Earl is far too tame of a title. Marlon Wayans had disasters on his mind, too, and sent some sleepless Twitter love out to Pakistan and the miners trapped in Chile.

In photo tweets, horror ruled today. Eli Roth shared a "Last Exorcism" party picture, and Michael McKean offered up a make-up shot that's not for the faint of heart. Have a look down below where you'll see which "Eclipse" actor scored a ticket to the U.S. Open, what Dane Cook thinks about "Dancing with the Stars" and how Jon Favreau spends his lunch breaks.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for August 31, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@MJMcKean Only a flesh wound... http://twitpic.

Someone had to make the first Twitter-Wood comparison between "The Wire" and the Rod Blagojevich trial, and Seth Meyers was that man. He, along with Roger Ebert and Jeff Katz had reactions to the single guilty verdict in Chicago last night, and they all posted those thoughts on Twitter.

In other tweets, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" has received a lot of love from critics, despite its poor box office performance. Bret Easton Ellis decided to part ways with the pack, however, and declared his dissatisfaction with the movie. Find out how he felt below along with a weird exchange about Target between Michael Ian Black and Dane Cook and insights into Dr. Laura quitting her radio show.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for August 18, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@hodgman Why aren't you calling me? http://twitpic.com/2fwrls

-John Hodgman, Actor ("Baby Mama," "Coraline")

@Kal_Penn...

Just Diablo Cody's pregnancy tweets have come to an end, so have Alanis Morissette's begun. The singer and actress proudly proclaimed her new status today, and seems to have picked up the baton where the Cody left it.

A few posts sneaked out of current entertainment projects as well over the last 24 hours, as Mark Webber showed off a Michael Cera shot that he saved from "Scott Pilgrim vs. The Wold," Robert Rodriguez completed "Machete," and Ice-t discussed Jennifer Love Hewitt's involvement in an upcoming episode of "Law and Order: Svu." Find out more about that, as well as what Stephen Colbert thinks about the girl in the job-quitting whiteboard prank after the jump.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and below you'll see Twitter-Wood for August 11, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@likemark Scott Pilgrim having trouble drinking water. Another still by Stills. http://yfrog.com/5fu2paj

-Mark Webber,...

Be warned, there was some adult content in the Twitter-Wood feed today. As they appear below, Michael Ian Black's feelings about oatmeal and Russell Brand's interaction with Elmo have been made safe for work, but I can't promise anything after you've clicked on through to their Twitter pages.

The big-news topics of discussion today were of course Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston's break-up redux and A-Rod's new home run benchmark, though, and those reactions have not been left out. Find out who you agree with and why Patton Oswalt wants to see "The Expendables" after the jump.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for August 4, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@rustyrockets He started it. He tickled me. http://twitpic.com/2bl6fv

-Russell Brand, Actor ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Get Him to the Greek")

Runner-Up:

@michaelianblack I ate All the m-----f---ing oatmeal. http://twitpic.com/2biuqt

-Michael Ian Black,...

Emmy nominations for "Lost" may have exceeded those by other programs, save "Glee" and "The Pacific," but posts in Twitter-Wood today didn't care about the numbers. Some folks congratulated their friends, and others, like Conan O'Brien and Steve Agee, offered more sarcastic, bittersweet responses.

Feelings about LeBron James' hour-long Espn special and his prolonged decision over which NBA team to play with next season tended to be quite a bit more unanimous, meanwhile. I'll let you click on down and see what Patton Oswalt and Michael Ian Black said, as well as who called James the "Justin Bieber" of the NBA.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for July 8, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@EyeOfJackieChan Happy Birthday to my @KarateKidMovie co-star Jaden Smith. Love You Jaden! http://twitpic.com/23fq7r

-Jackie Chan, Actor ("The Spy Next Door," "Rush Hour")

Emmy Noms pt. 1: @sethmeyers21 Congrats to Kristen Wiig,...

Lee DeWyze fans left "American Idol" in high spirits when he took hope home top honors last night, as Crystal Bowersox's supporters didn't quite give her the push she needed to win. Michael McKean had some advice for her, though. Meanwhile, David Spade thought the evening watched like an episode of "Glee."

Elsewhere, the Bp oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico continues to glug, and both James Urbaniak and Sandra Bernhard had perspectives to offer. Decide who you agree with after the jump, where you'll also see who calls Ken Jeong her son and who may be taking yoga classes with Jessica Biel.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is Twitter-Wood for May 27, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@SofiaVergara 2am,still shooting!!! http://tweetphoto.com/24140482

-Sofia Vergara, Actress ("Madea Goes to Jail," "Modern Family")

"American Idol" pt. 1: @MJMcKean Crystal Bowersox: breathe a sigh of relief, wait a year,...

If you didn't know that a Star Trek movie screenwriter was nominated for a Tony this year, you do now. Brent Spiner pointed out in Twitter-Wood today that "Red" playwright John Logan also wrote the story for "Star Trek: Nemesis." The other big "Star" franchise got some attention too, with numerous posts celebrating Star Wars Day.

Kim Kardashian was happy to hear that a suspect was in custody regarding the attempted Times Square boming in New York, while Tom Hanks was content just to be on his new film's set ten minutes early. Check out all of those tweets after the jump and you'll also find out who works out at Mr. T's gym. That info is part of the all-inclusive retweet package that is Twitter-Wood for May 4, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@BrodyismeFriend Mr. T at the gym! http://twitpic.com/1l0hjk

-Brody Stevens, Actor ("The Hangover,...

At least one voice in the Twitter-Wood feed was happy to Mike Dunleavy depart from his role as head coach of the Los Clippers this week. Most of Tw's citizens veer toward the Lakers in the basketball tweets, so it's always great to get some variety when someone like Danny Masterson speaks up to acknowledge L.A.'s other NBA team.

It was a big day for criticism off the court, too. Michael McKean didn't seem too impressed with "Spartacus: Blood & Sand" on Starz, Tinsel Korey chimed in to weigh in against her "Twilight" co-star Alex Meraz's comments from yesterday about Taylor Lautner's film "Valentine's Day" and Steve Agee shouted back after Rainn Wilson launch a snark bomb at him about "The Sarah Silverman Program." All of those tweets and some Jackie Chan fan artwork await you after the jump in Twitter-Wood for February 5, 2010.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@EyeOfJackieChan http://twitpic.

This week on The Flickcast, Matt and Chris fly solo as they take on Sunday’s Golden Globes. Some surprises, some reliefs, and Matt talks Christina Hendricks while Chris talks Mo’Nique. They also discuss some other stories making waves including Apple’s announcement next week, and what that could mean for users of the iPhone, as well as Marc Webb getting to take on the reboot of Spider-Man.

Since it was just the two of them this week, Chris and Matt both got cocky and opted for two picks. Matt went with The Adventures of Power, an indie comedy starring Ari Gold (not Jeremy Piven) and the silver screen adaptation of Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, which hits DVD on January 26th. Chris also had two picks, as he went with Paul Thoman Anderson’s Magnolia on Blu-ray, which we’ll have a review of next week,...

When Sony announced their plan to reboot their Spider-Man movies, the future of the franchise became last night's unofficial Twitter-Wood topic of discussion among skeptics, fans and even cast members. Elizabeth Banks, for one, said her farewell to playing Betty Brant with a tweet, while "Community" star Donald Glover put his name out as an option to replace Tobey Maguire and Joe Lynch just wonders how long the "Iron Man" films will last before the same fate befalls them.

And speaking of the "Iron Man" films, director Jon Favreau like the "Thor" set so much when he visited that he's now announced he'll be dropping by as frequently as possible. Those posts are all retweeted after the jump where you can also find out which actress says "Youth in Revolt" reminded her of her own life and whether or not Wil Wheaton plans on playing "Star Trek Online." It's all...

I'd originally planned to put together a list of the ten worst films of the decade, before realizing that it was an all but futile endeavor. There are 200 films, easily, that might qualify for the top ten, and there was no way to really put together a list collaboratively, either. We've all seen terrible movies, but usually, only the reviewing critic has seen them, so we could hardly get together and debate the merits of Larry the Cable Guy (for the record, I'd have probably named Captivityas the worst of the decade, on account of the fact that it made me angrier than a Bruce Banner backseat hate fuck).

Instead, I thought it'd be more valuable to look at the decade's most culturally poisonous movies -- those films that shifted the Hollywood landscape for the worst, that established negative trends, or that made people that I don't like happy. Not...

I'm sure someone else has already noticed and publicized this (I'm weeks behind on my web reading... so far behind I have almost no idea what's going on. Where am I?) but I can't get over the fact that there's two Ryan Binghams in the Oscar race this year.

There's "Ryan Bingham", the latest vessel for George Clooneyism in Up in the Air and Ryan Bingham the songwriter/performer who wrote the lovely theme song for Clooney's big Oscar competition "Bad Blake", the latest incarnation of Jeff Bridges. How weird is that?

And which films will find Oscar favor this year in the Original Song category? The category is tinier then usual with stricter rules in place (one of them is that a film can't have more than two song nominated anymore) so all 63 of these songs will have a mighty struggle making it to the short(est) list. I...

A staggering 63 songs have been submitted to the Academy for consideration in the Best Original Song category with a list of artists that span an incredible spectrum. The convoluted, complicated selection process means this number will ultimately be whittled down, however, to anywhere between zero and five nominees. The full rules on the nomination process can be found here.

As usual the list comprises an eclectic mix this year ranging from “Cinema Italiano” from Nine through to songs from the Hannah Montana film and the misfiring “Dove of Peace” from Bruno. Scanning the entrants brings up quite a few pleasant surprises though including, but not limited to, Through The Trees the wonderfully satiric song from Jennifer’s Body and the Jarvis Cocker performed “Petey’s Song” from The Fantastic Mr. Fox (a song which Michael Gambon refers to as “bad songwriting” in the film’s script). The most satisfying nominees...

5…Five!…songs from Hannah Montana The Movie??? Really??? Once again, a category that AMPAS will never take seriously. Then they proceed to leave off the list Mary J. Blige’s song from Precious, “I Can See in Color.” Nevermind that they complete lost me with “The Word Is Love” from “Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!” Please feel free to leave a comment below if you’ve heard of this one. However, I was thrilled to see two songs from one of my favorite films of 2009, An Education, make the cut, “Smoke Without Fire” and “You Got Me Wrapped around Your Little Finger.” A soundtrack I highly recommend.

The Official Press Release from AMPAS:

Beverly Hills, CA —Sixty-three songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures are contending for nominations in the Original Song category for the 82nd Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

The original songs,...

By Steve Pond

The Academy has announced the 63 contenders in the Best Song category for the 82nd Oscars show.

Among the films represented by multiple entries are "Hannah Montana the Movie" with five, "The Princess and the Frog" with, and "Nine," "Crazy Heart," "Where the Wild Things Are," "An Education," "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus," "My One and Only," "Skin," "Adventures of Power" and "Invictus" (two each).  Artists include U2 ("Winter"), Jarvis Cocker ("Pet...

It's always great to see "Twilight" cast members getting along off-screen, and there were a couple of shout-outs bouncing around the Twitter-Wood feed today. Edi Gathegi wished Christian Serratos could be with him on a plane ride, but he had to settle for her advice on candy shenanigans. Elsewhere, Tinsel Korey sought Chaske Spencer's glitter skills in some Advent calendar construction.

In non-"Twilight" tweets "I'm on a Boat" seems to be a popular pick among the Grammy nominations this year, and Seth Meyers was among the first to back it. Michael McKean, meanwhile, will be pulling for Bela Fleck and Loudon Wainwright. Check out those posts after the jump, along with Richard Kelly's new prospective "Donnie Darko 3" premise and Danny DeVito's Thanksgiving Troll Foot costume. It's all in the Twitter-Wood report for December 3, 2009.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@Danny_DeVito Trollfoot with turkey head orniment NY December http://yfrog.

Tiger Woods was a hot topic on Twitter this weekend, and that meant he became a trending topic in Twitter-Wood. Somehow his Cadillac Escalade has become a subject of interest too, particularly with one "Harper's Island" actor who pointed out that the golfer wasn't driving a Buick.

"Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich, meanwhile, retweeted some great shots of homemade models based on the Disney-Pixar series, they're mighty impressive. Also impressive has been the performance by "New Moon" in theaters this month, but Jim Carrey took note of the movie's rabid fans and issues a warning in response. Check out those tweets along with sad news from Emmy Rossum, how to get to Sesame Street and Sarah Silverman's reaction to "Precious." It's all waiting after the jump in the Twitter-Wood report for November 30, 2009.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@rainnwilson Rt @m4zdaman @rainnwilson Rainn Wilson's high school photo http://twitpic.

Writer/director Ari Gold also stars as the title character Power in this underdog/rock n' roll/road comedy. The story is as simple as it's protagonist: Power is a full-on loser, who works at the local energy plant with his gruff union leader dad Harlan (Michael McKean) and lives in a tent on the front lawn of his eccentric hippy aunt  Joni (Jane Lynch) while persuing his dream of being a respected "air drummer". You see, Power never got to have a real drum set growing up, so he has done the next best thing, he's learned to mimic his heroes in the empty space in front of his face.

After a mishap at work, when Power accidentally pulls a lever and covers one of the big bosses in raw oil while getting his groove on, he is given his walking papers. This happens right before his dear old...

Yankees supporters were out in force last night, and a few Twitter-Wood citizens were right by the field uploading pics. Brody Stevens may have shot the most enviable of the day, apparently getting soon-to-be-mvp Hideki Matsui in the dugout before the game. Jeremy Piven caught another high-quality photo-op, though, standing with his fellow Chicagoan Brian Urlacher.

Poor John Favreau was stuck in the editing room for "Iron Man 2," though, which he noted on his account. Larry King, Eliza Dushku and other added their thoughts after Phillies finally went down. Check out all of their tweets, along with Brett Ratner's pic with Mariah Carey after wrapping her video and Andy Milonakis. They're all in the Twitter-Wood report for November 5, 2009.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@jeremypiven on the field before last nights game...amazing http://yfrog.com/05worldser...

-Jeremy Piven, Actor ("The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," "Entourage")

Runner-Up:

@AndyMilonakis http://twitpic.

First off I need to apologize for the tardiness of this entry. I was infected with the swine pandemic and was unable to do anything but utter “Bbbbraaaiiinsssss…” feebly from my bed. Now I’m up and about again, so here we go.

One of the first things to do when making your movie is figure out who your main character is going to be. Now, you may pick your plot first and then figure what kind of protagonist you want or you may pick your characters and write about what they do – it all depends on your style of writing. In either case, understanding your protagonist(s) is very important since these are the people whom the plot revolves around, who we will come to know and love and who we will follow for the next 120 minutes. They will be our tour guides through your movie so you have...

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.

Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

Away We Go - Giveaway

I appreciate this film as a quiet examination into the lives of two people who are surrounded by chaos.

What’s most fascinating about Away We Go is that Sam Mendes went from Revolutionary Road to this. From a depressing portrait on suburban life to a picture that dabbles in a little drama and a little comedy the movie works because of co-writers Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and the upcoming film Where The Wild Things Are) and his wife Vendela Vida.

If the rights to the balloon boy story haven't been swiped up yet, they may have a buyer in "Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly. He tweeted his questionable interest today even as balloon boy mania continued to occupy posts all over Twitter-Wood. Someone has apparently even started up a fake @BoyInTheBalloon account, which reached out to Andy Milonakis.

In other tweetage, Frankie Muniz survived a run-in with a dangerous snake, which may have come closer to killing him than any race he's driven in. Read all of those tweets along with pics from a couple "Twilight" actors, Fred Durst's anti-Facebook stance and the film that even Jesus apparently supports. They're all after the jump in the Twitter-Wood report for October 16, 2009.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@AriGoldFilms Jesus joined our street team last night on the Sunset Strip! http://bit.ly/3ydHv3

-Ari Gold, Writer/Actor/Director ("Adventures of Power,...

Director Ari Gold’s comedy “Adventures of Power” revolves around a small copper town that has hit hard times. Mineworker, Power, only wishes one thing - that he’d learned to play drums. But his father could never afford to buy him a set, so Power has embraced the next best thing - air drumming. Tired of the constant ridicule from his father and the other mine workers and with nothing but a …...

Director Ari Gold’s comedy “Adventures of Power” revolves around a small copper town that has hit hard times. Mineworker, Power, only wishes one thing - that he’d learned to play drums. But his father could never afford to buy him a set, so Power has embraced the next best thing - air drumming. Tired of the constant ridicule from his father and the other mine workers and with nothing but a …...

Director Ari Gold’s comedy “Adventures of Power” revolves around a small copper town that has hit hard times. Mineworker, Power, only wishes one thing - that he’d learned to play drums. But his father could never afford to buy him a set, so Power has embraced the next best thing - air drumming. Tired of the constant ridicule from his father and the other mine workers and with nothing but a …...

Director Ari Gold’s comedy “Adventures of Power” revolves around a small copper town that has hit hard times. Mineworker, Power, only wishes one thing - that he’d learned to play drums. But his father could never afford to buy him a set, so Power has embraced the next best thing - air drumming. Tired of the constant ridicule from his father and the other mine workers and with nothing but a …...

Rating: 7/10 Writer/Director: Ari Gold Cast: Ari Gold, Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, Shoshannah Stern, Adrian Grenier Studio: Variance Films If you’re reading this review, you’re either a rabid Ari Gold fan or you have absolutely no idea what Adventures Of Power is and you just like the way I turn a phrase. Good news! You’ll all be happy when [...]...

See an exclusive clip as well as the trailer from Variance Films' "Adventures of Power," starring Ari Gold, Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, Chiu Chi Ling, Shoshannah Stern and Adrian Grenier. Ari Gold directs the comedy which finds limited venues on October 9th. When hard times hit a small mining town, Power (writer-director Gold) doesn’t wish for riches; he only wishes that he’d learned to play drums. But his father (McKean) could never afford to buy him a drum set, so Power has embraced the next best thing: air drumming. Tired of the constant ridicule, and with nothing but a few dollars, some breakfast cereal, and the support of his Aunt Joanie (Lynch), Power sets off across the country to the “paradise”...

When hard times hit a small mining town, Power (writer-director Ari Gold) doesn’t wish for riches; he only wishes that he’d learned to play drums. But his father (Michael McKean) could never afford to buy him a drum set, so Power has embraced the next best thing: air drumming. Tired of the constant ridicule, and with nothing but a few dollars, some breakfast cereal, and the support of his Aunt Joanie (Jane Lynch), Power sets off across the country to the “paradise” of Newark, where an underground air drumming crew has invited him to join their team. But as the big air drumming competition looms, so does a rival—multi-millionaire drummer Dallas H. (Adrien Grenier), who thinks air drumming is an abomination and seeks to destroy Power and his crew. It sounds absurd -- and it is. I know that I had my differences with this film when I reviewed it at Sundance two years...

There's a great little comedy coming out in a limited release this week, a Sundance 2008 favorite of mine called "Adventures of Power," from director Ari Gold. I know the cut that I saw in January 2008 has changed somewhat, and from what I hear it's for the better. Since I already enjoyed the movie the first time around, I'm not too worried.

"Power" follows a young man with a dream... a dream of becoming the greatest air drummer who ever lived. Power (Gold) leaves his small town behind to head east for a national air drumming competition in New York City. Although he's quite accomplished as a self-taught air musician, it's not until Power connects with a team in New Jersey that his training truly begins. It all culminates in a showdown between Power and his hometown rival, played by "Entourage" star Adrian Grenier, who you can see in our exclusive music video above!

I'm going to be honest with you. There are strangers I've never met in my life who want me dead. I could never have predicted, when I started making the best comedy about air-drummers in cinema history, that there would be folks publicly declaring this wish. But at Sundance, that's exactly what happened. Fortunately, there were thousands of other folks who wrote me emails, begging me to pick myself off the floor and get my movie into theaters. Because, they told me, Adventures of Power wasn't really a movie about air-drummers. In all seriousness: Adventures of Power was a movie about America. The genesis of the movie was simple: air-drumming looks sublimely ridiculous. Yes, you've seen that guy at the concert, hitting his fists in the air, in perfect time with Judas Priest....

This week's releases arrive draped in a pervasive air of dissatisfaction -- Chris Rock's daughter is unhappy with her hair, a '70s feminist movement is unhappy with their options, and Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler are unhappy with each other. Elsewhere, British cultural icons are talked up while global corporate interests are torn down.

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"After The Storm"

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Oscar-winning filmmaker and activist James Lecesne's decision to bring a production of the Off-Broadway musical "Once on This Island" to the storm-ravaged city of New Orleans was both obvious and inspired, with an extra layer of resonance provided in the casting of local kids affected firsthand by the disaster. Captured by director Hilla Medalia, this documentary takes us behind the scenes of the production to follow 12 young actors...

Anyone with a passing interest in rock music has spontaneously busted into air guitar at some point in their lives. Don’t deny what you know is true, my friend. Director Ari Gold’s like-minded comedy “Adventures of Power” is, perhaps, the first of its kind: a film devoted to the awe-inspiring, all-American pastime known as “air drumming.” How anyone could base an entire motion picture around this goofy concept is beyond me, though Ari — not to be confused with Jeremy Piven’s character on “Entourage” — seems to have done an admirable job. These opinions, of course, are based on the trailer posted below. The finished product could be the equivalent of the stuff currently stuck to the bottom of your overpriced shoes. You never can tell. Synopsis, if case you care: Adventures of Power is an epic comedy about a mine-worker named Power whose love of drums and...

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

Adventures Of Power - Exclusive

Those who march to the beat a different drummer never met Power, air drummer savant.

I reviewed this film months ago and have been interested with the film’s goings on since then. I have an interview with Ari Gold that will be going up in the coming weeks and I’ve got lots more to share about this film. In the mean time, though, I am debuting a new comic strip that will be appearing on Adventures Of Power’s website next week but I’ve got the sneak peek. Thanks...

Though this may not be a first look for many, The Adventures of Power is a brand new independent film sneaking up on us next month that proves to look quite good. From relative unknown director Ari Gold, who once won a student Oscar for his film Helicopter, the film is about a boy’s dream to become the world’s best air drummer.

With the same aesthetic as Napoleon Dynamite, the film looks like it will find it’s youth audience. The movie stars Gold in the lead as Power, alongside Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, and Entourage’s Adrian Grenier, who is also in the band The Honey Brothers with Gold.

The movie first debuted at Sundance last year and went home as the Official Selection of the show. With that and a series of other selections from dozens of film festivals, Adventures of Power looks to be one...

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right Here for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

Item #1 - Ice Cream!!!

I’m acutely sensitive to those who ask for what little help I can provide.

I’ve never purported to actually have any ability to sway people to do things, Lord knows that losing 50k in that McDonald’s contest that was based on votes didn’t work out real well for me, but I am always eager to do what I can for those who have taken a chance on me.

Dennis Widmyer is such a guy and he deserves your vote.

The short of it is that you need to go...