The GritHouse Presents…

After months of anticipation, Will (aka Wadrick) has finally (!!!) uploaded The Rookie (Part 2) to The GritHouse – the GritFX YouTube Channel.

The Rookie (Part 2) has been plagued by production setbacks, and some volatile cast members throwing their plastic weight around. However, despite these problems, the concluding film was (in my humble opinion) worth the wait.

You can view the film at The GritHouse, or for those too lazy to visit the channel, below is an embedded file. If you haven’t seen The Rookie (Part 1) or can’t recall what happened (because it’s been so darn long between drinks, Will), visit The GritHouse.

Theodore...

"Theodore..." is this week's "Camera Critters" post. If you want to participate, click on the image above.

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Here's some footage I slapped together of my in-laws' dog "Teddy". Footage was shot a few years ago on rural acreage in northern News South Wales (Australia) - I love how the little guy is watching the sunset at the end. Hope you enjoy this brief little film.

The GritHouse Presents…

GritFX filmmaker and resident movie nut Will Thame (aka Wadrick Jones) has uploaded a new short film to The GritHouse – The GritFX YouTube Channel. Will’s new short animation, entitled “The Rookie – Part One” (Part Two will be complete in a week or two, according to Will), is basically an ode to (or a plagiarism of) every cop film ever made - only this time animated in Lego!

Watch it now at The GritHouse. For all of you lazy bastards who can’t be bothered visiting The GritHouse, here’s an embedded file.



Will has also updated The GritHouse to include playlists associated with Decoy Spoon’s music reviews and Wadrick’s film reviews. If you wish to check out any music videos of the artists Decoy reviews, or watch any trailers/scenes from films reviewed by Wadrick, The GritHouse is your baby.

Jonesy's Wild Ways...

"Jonesy's Wild Ways" is this week's "Camera Critters" post. If you want to participate, click on the image above.

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For those new to the GritBlog, you may not know about Jonesy. He is my eldest of 2 children, and was adopted approximately 5 years ago. I've heard many animal lovers express that "he chose us to be his family", and I have to agree with this sentiment. He was never in a shelter, rather he made friends with another cat that was living in our apartment building - his first steps to being socialised. The moment I saw him, I fell in love and wanted to make sure that he had a decent chance at life.

We got him "fixed"... bye, bye little gonads... and then attempted to find him a home. One plan was to leave him at my folks place while we were away on holidays over summer. This was done with a hope that he would bond with my folks and we would have succeeded in finding him a home. In retrospect, I think he was wise to that, as he would only come back to be fed. Cloaked in darkness, he would creep up to the deck for food (so I was told); that is until we (myself & Dave) arrived to pick him up!

You may be asking, "what does this have to do with this week's camera critters post?" Well, this week I wanted to share some "wild boy" images with you. There's a saying here in Australia "you can take the guy (or girl) out of the west, but you can't take the west out of the guy"... I feel that you could also say that "you can take the cat out of the wild, but you'll never remove the wild within him (or her)" - and these images are my proof.

With respect for all wildlife, I like to keep an eye on him when he's "playing" outside. In doing so, I'm now able to share these images.

This was my pick for "Camera Critters"....I like how you can see his intense stare through the movement of the greenery.

Another shot of him keeping a close eye on the surrounding activity...

And a final photo where you can see his full cheeky face - he had his eye on a bird here also...

Pets on Pedestals...

"Pets on Pedestals" is this weeks "Camera Critters" post. If you want to participate, click on the image above.

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Most pet owners think very highly of their companions, and I'm not exempt. Do you place your pet up on a pedestal? It would seem that the attention our cats receive have gone to their heads, and they are now taking it upon themselves to sit upon that pedestal :)

I don't mind... where some people have statues in their gardens, we have the animated variety.

This was my pick.... Ella catching some zzzzzz's...


And I couldn't pass up the chance to share these...

Hello Neighbour...

I've just come across this blog site called Camera Critters, which asks bloggers to participate each week by posting an image of an animal/critter. Then... "Each week, on Sunday evening/night, a Camera-Critters capture from that week will be randomly selected to be featured in the sidebar of this blog until the next Sunday.

Seeing I have a few animal photos floating around, not to mention I think it's fun to be involved with other bloggers/blogs, I will try to post an image per week.

This is my first Camera Critter submission - hope you all like it.

Hello Neighbour...


Do you have a nosy neighbour? I have to admit that I love my isolation in the country!! When I lived in an apartment building, nosy neighbours were the bane of my existence!

WADRICK'S THIRTY SECOND FILM REVIEWS

Tropic Thunder (2008)
Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson & Nick Nolte.
Written by Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux & Etan Cohen.
Directed by Ben Stiller.

Any film that features Robert Downey Jr as a negro is worth the price of admission. In Tropic Thunder, Downey Jr plays a lauded Australian actor who undergoes a radical medical procedure to alter his skin pigment for his latest role. That role is a stereotyped US Marine sergeant on a location shoot for a Vietnam War epic. Joined by other prima donna actors including a Hollywood action hero with fading celebrity (Stiller) and a drug-addled star of ridiculous comedies (Black), they are thrown into the jungles for a taste of ‘real’ warfare by their fed-up director. This hilarious film is bound to offend some people – yet it is bad taste with taste (if that’s possible!). Filled with wonderful cameos, film references and hilarious faux trailers and adverts, this comedy goes where no comedy has gone before – straight into the heart of darkness. Get some!

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The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)
Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald & Liam Cunningham.
Written by Paul Laverty.
Directed by Ken Loach.

The films of Ken Loach are sometimes inflammatory, always intelligent and never compromised. With The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Loach takes us back to the early years of the Irish Republican Army, tracing the years of the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. As a young doctor (Murphy) prepares to leave to work in a London hospital, he witnesses the resistance and beating of a railway official and a conductor by the despicable British soldiers, the Black and Tans. Deciding to stay in Ireland, he joins his brothers’ arm of the IRA and soon becomes a leading figure in the movement. When the Anglo-Irish Treaty is announced, the IRA splits and former friends are soon on opposing sides. Loach tends to let his camera sit at a distance and allow his actors to have the full stage, a method that is used to great effect in this stark, beautifully photographed film. An emotional experience.

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The Ruins (2008)
Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey.
Written by Scott Smith.
Directed by Carter Smith.

Four friends vacationing in Mexico decide to make a day trip to an archaeological site in the jungle, accompanied by the brother of one of the archaeologists. As with any horror film, this proves to be a big mistake. When they arrive at the ancient Mayan temple and proceed to the top, they find the site curiously empty. Trying to leave, they discover the area has been circled by gun-toting locals who refuse to allow the kids to depart. But that is only the beginning of the nightmare. Nicely shot by Darius Khondji, this taut, often ghastly horror film was written by Scott Smith (A Simple Plan) from his own novel. Well-drawn characters, believable situations and some truly frightening moments combine to make The Ruins a cut-above the typical genre fare – not to mention a potent warning to tourists to stay in the hotel and not go traipsing through an unknown jungle.

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RATINGS CHART...

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(Wadrick Jones is a freelance writer for GritFX and will post weekly thirty second film reviews on this blog.)

Our Latest GritCOMPETITION WINNER!!!

Jim - aka "The Movie Whore" was pulled from our 'Barrel of Grit' and is the latest GritFX winner - congratulations Jim!

He won a FREE GritFX T-Shirt of his choosing... I hope to get a photo of him to share with you all!

Check out "The Movie Whore" Blog today...


*****

Our Next Competition...
"Guess the number of Jelly Beans in the Jar"


Details on how to enter will be posted early January 2009. Until then, if you haven't become a member of the GritBlog – go do so now! (only GritBLOG community members and GritFX Facebook Page fans can enter the GritFX competitions.)

*****

One last word from me - THANK YOU AGAIN TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO IS A GritBLOG READER!

Cheers,
Manz
On behalf of the GritFX Team!

WADRICK'S THIRTY SECOND FILM REVIEWS

The Dark Knight (2008)
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal & Morgan Freeman.
Written by Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.

With the release of director Nolan’s Batman Begins, audiences and Batman fans in general were salivating at the re-imagining of a very dark tale. With the sequel, Nolan returns with an equally dark film, yet this time, somewhat more oppressive and less enjoyable. As the Joker (Ledger) revels in a sadistic wave of violence, Batman (Bale) considers a Gotham free of his services. This hope comes from Harvey Dent (Eckhart), a fearless prosecutor who spits in the face of organized crime. Much was said of Ledger’s performance in this film, especially after his death, and his overblown theatrics serve the movie well. But at almost two and half hours, The Dark Knight begins to lose momentum and limps along in the final reel to an expected ending.

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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, Gary Cole & Sacha Baron Cohen.
Written by Adam McKay & Will Ferrell.
Directed by Adam McKay.

Following on the heels of films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights presents Ferrell in all his whacked-out glory. The success of these comedies relies heavily on the characterisations of the performers, and watching these actors do their comedic thing is a true guilty pleasure for some, and a total turn-off for others. It’s all a matter of taste, I guess. In Talladega Nights, Ferrell plays a NASCAR champion humiliated on the track by a French Formula One ace (Cohen). When his career seems over, he is given some encouragement by his estranged, boozehound father (an hilarious Cole). Admittedly, the film has some decidedly flat moments, but overall, Ricky Bobby is utterly infectious.

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Prom Night (2008)
Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jonathan Schaech, Jessica Stroup.
Written by J.S. Cardone.
Directed by Nelson McCormick.

Here’s a good idea – let’s remake a film that was absolute crap the first time around and not do anything to improve it. In the 1980’s, audiences were treated to the original Prom Night and it’s rhyming sequel Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, and then some years later, two more direct-to-video sequels. All four films typified what was wrong with the influx of cheap horror films in the 80’s particularly, and the remake typifies the kind of morally vacant and audience-contempt trash being released by the bucketload today. If you could distinguish a story from this mess, it would involve a group of murder-ripe teens at their high school prom being stalked by a crazed former teacher (played with wooden aplomb by Schaech). A good horror film will have the audience caring about and involved with the characters within the first five minutes, and this film fails miserably in that department thanks to some Amateur Hour writing. Oh yeah…and it’s important to make your horror movie scary too. Watch the rain instead.

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RATINGS CHART...

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(Wadrick Jones is a freelance writer for GritFX and will post weekly thirty second film reviews on this blog.)

"GritFighter" is now showing at The GritHouse

"GritFighter" is a short film by GritFLIX... where Manz - "Warrior Bitch" - battles the entire GritFX staff!
The trailer can be viewed to the side of the blog –>

Visit The GritHouse and subscribe today!

GritFlix – Now Showing

The GritFlix Channel is now broadcasting on YouTube.

GritFX artists Max, Will, Dave & Manz will be uploading short films of their own making over the coming months. GritFX staff will also be listing their favourite videos on the channel for you to check out.

Admission is free - so grab some popcorn, take an aisle seat and enjoy GritFlix.

Our first short film is "An ode to Jonesy and Ella, the gorgeous GritFX cat mascots - set to the wonderful sounds of the Beach Boys."

Bonus shot - not seen in the video...