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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/11627 | Production Report: “Dedication”, “Legit”, “Party”, “Rain”, “The Substance of Things Hoped For”
Production Report: "Dedication", "Legit", "Party", "Rain", "The Substance of Things Hoped For" Jason Guerrasio
Jan 5, 2006 12:34 am Share This Article Pin It
[EDITOR’S NOTE: indieWIRE’s monthly production report looks at independent films in various stages of production. If you’d like to tell us about a film in production for future columns, please contact us.]
In the January edition of indieWIRE’s production column, Jason Guerrasio takes a closer look at five new films that are in production: Justin Theroux’s “Dedication”, James Boinski’s “Legit”, Steven Hahn and Francis Hsueh’s “Party”, Craig DiBona’s “Rain”, and Greg Morgan’s “The Substance of Things Hoped For”.
Actor Justin Theroux (“Mulholland Drive”) prepares what he calls “a slightly dark comedic love story” in his directorial debut, starring friend Billy Crudup (“Stage Beauty”).
Theroux got involved in the project while starring in Plum Pictures‘ “The Baxter” last year. He discussed his interest in directing with Plum principals Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray and Daniela Taplin, the trio passed along the script penned by David Bromberg. Having always been attracted to working behind the camera (he and Ben Stiller co-wrote “Tropic Thunder” which is currently in development at DreamWorks), Theroux sees “Dedication” as a way to gradually slide into the realm of directing. “It’s not overly ambitious,” Theroux says of the film, “still I think it has huge qualities to it.”
Crudup plays Henry, a children’s book writer who’s grieving the death of Rudy (Harvey Keitel), his long-time collaborator. He’s then forced to collaborate with Lucy (Mandy Moore) and the two soon become romantically involved. But Theroux says this won’t be like most love stories. “As most romantic comedies hang on commitment issues, this sort of hangs on mental issues,” he says, describing Henry as mentally ill; often seeking guidance from his deceased partner throughout the film. “It’s not whether [Henry] chooses to be with a girl, it’s really about whether he is mentally capable of being with a girl.” Currently in preproduction, Theroux believes this part of the process is the most difficult. “Having been on enough sets I know the general rhythm at which movies flow,” he says. “I know what every element does, I know what every key department does, I just have never been on the front end of it.”
Filming is scheduled to begin in mid-February around New York City. Theroux is currently scouting locations and hiring key crewmembers. The film also stars Mia Farrow and Bob Balaban and is produced by Plum Pictures. “Legit“
Fed up with his life in the mob, Big Jim tries to cut his ties to the underworld and begin a legitimate career. But will the mob let him go? James Boinski co-writes, directs, produces and stars. A veteran of 60 films in front and behind the camera, Boinski along with producer John Stemberg decided to make a film three years ago. For three months the two transformed Boinski’s kitchen into their production office, writing the script while calling in favors to their friends in the business. But when they were unable to wrangle a director Boinski had to take the reigns. “It was a little hectic planning a shooting schedule and learning your lines at the same time, I wanted to give up the acting part,” Boinski admits, “but more or less everyone said you have to act too.”
We join Big Jim (Boinski) after he takes a bullet in a botched money drop. Considering a career change he starts a nightclub on the side and hopes to sever his mob ties when the time is right. But when the club becomes successful Big Jim’s moonlighting proves to be his downfall and must answer to The Boss. Produced through Boinski’s Kitchen Film Productions, the film is currently in postproduction. Budgeted at around $750,000, the 29-day shoot in Chicago wrapped last April. Shot on DV by Brian Levin, the film stars Chicago-based actors Allen Kalfas, Angelynn Schoofs, Jim Grillo and Norm Boucher.
[For more information, please visit the film website.]
Co-directors Steven Hahn and Francis Hsueh delve into New York City’s Asian-American party scene in their debut feature-length documentary. Every week thousands of e-mails are sent to young Asian-American New Yorkers fed up of the mainstream parties and longing for a social setting where they don’t have to worry about being accepted. They find that acceptance at Koreatown on 32nd Street, where the parties take place. Hahn and Hsueh spent nine months following the partygoers and party planners to find out why people go and what the scene says about Asian-Americans.
Among their subjects is a Korean waitress who’s been a fixture in the party scene since age 13, two Chinese female investment bankers who use the scene as an escape from their racist work environment, and one party promoter who has grand political aspirations. The doc also features Columbia University professor Gary Okihiro who comments on the subjects’ behavior. “It’s not conventional in the sense that we don’t try to spoon feed the audience,” Hsueh says. “We try to lay it out in a way that allows people to take what they want from the film, we don’t give a hard and fast answer.” Recently ending their careers as corporate lawyers, Hahn and Hsueh financed, shot and edited the doc under their company Omerice Works. Budgeted at $25,000 and shot on DV, they showed the doc as a work-in-progress at the New York Asian-American International Film Festival. Currently submitting the final cut to festivals, Hahn says the months of hard work was worth it because the subject matter was close to their hearts. “Asian-Americans are at a crossroads of being model minorities and yet still many of us fell very uncomfortable in this society,” he says. “The party serves as a hook where Asians go and have fun.” [For more information please visit the film website.]
Director Craig DiBona adapts V.C. Andrews‘ best selling novel about a young girl coming of age to find the family she’s been living with isn’t hers.
Penned by Andrew Neiderman (“The Devil’s Advocate“), he and entertainment guru Merv Griffin spent the last two years developing the first of a popular four-book series into a feature. DiBona has known Neiderman since he was the camera operator on “The Devil’s Advocate” nine years ago. Last summer Neiderman asked DiBona to direct “Rain.” “You read the script and so much happens in the first 30 pages it makes your head spin, it’s a great story,” says DiBona who instantly signed on.
The film follows Rain (Brooklyn Sudano), a 17-year-old poor African-American girl who witnesses the murder of her sister by the hands of the neighborhood gang. For her protection her mother tells Rain she must leave the neighborhood, but not before revealing the truth of her origins. Her mother is a wealthy white woman who gave Rain up at birth to the family she’s been living with. Rain is sent to live with her real grandmother (Faye Dunaway) and tries to connect with her real family, but the gang is hot on her tale. Recently wrapped on the 21-day shoot, the film is currently in postproduction. Co-produced by Merv Griffin Entertainment, Big Headz Entertainment and Lexi Dog Entertainment, DiBona shot the film on 35 mm while Bob Reitano (“Sleepless in Seattle“) does the editing. The film also stars Robert Loggia and Janine Turner (TV’s “Northern Exposure“). “The Substance of Things Hoped For“
Exploring faith and family, co-writer-director-producer Greg Morgan follows one girl’s journey to find her father.
In the film Daphne (Vanessa Lengies) suffers from a rare form of schizophrenia and can control the disease by taking medication. Unfortunately the drug will abort her unborn child. She comes to the conclusion that if the disease is hereditary she will have an abortion, if it isn’t she’ll have the child and cope with the disease without medication. Before deciding her parents must take a blood test. Having never known her father (Ray Wise) she goes off to find him and inevitably decides her future as a mother.
Morgan came up with the story five years ago and with the help of co-writer/co-producer Duke Addleman creates a film that’s sure to turn heads with its stance on pro-choice and faith. “Christians may come to the conclusion that she found God, while people like me who are just spiritual will think she found faith within herself,” Morgan says. The subject matter also caused conflict on set. “I had one actress who did make a thing about her beliefs on abortion,” he says, but after speaking her peace acted out the part the way Morgan wanted. Morgan hopes the film will find the kind of audiences who flocked to recent faith-based films like “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” “I anticipate the audience being vocal, and positive,” he says.
Currently in postproduction, shooting wrapped in Los Angeles last September. Produced through Morgan’s Film Punk Films, the film was shot on 16 mm by Jessica Gallant and edited by Morgan.
For more information please visit the film website.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Jason Guerrasio writes the Production Report column for indieWIRE and contributes regularly to Premiere, Filmmaker Magazine, MovieMaker and Time Out.
This Article is related to: Features and tagged In The Works
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Mmm ... Macbeth: Rick Miller channels Mr. Burns.
King for a D'Oh!
In Rick Miller's 'MacHomer,' the Simpsons do Shakespeare the Springfield way
By Richard von Busack
ALL THE world remembers the newspaper headlines the day after Macbeth was persuaded at claymore point to give up his crown. Yet it took the magic of Shakespeare--or maybe Sir Francis Bacon--to turn this grisly page of tabloid history into a play. Macbeth has been filmed more than 20 times. All that was waiting was The Simpsons version. Wait no longer. Rick Miller's one-man show MacHomer casts the Springfield family in the Scottish play. Although the Simpsons had just appeared in a production of Hamlet, Macbeth may seem an odd choice. Let's see, Macbeth was vanquished by Macduff, just as Homer has been vanquished by Duff beer. I am keen to ask Miller who played whom: Selma, Patty and Edna Crabapple as the witches, yes? "That would be the obvious choice," Miller says, calling from his home in Montreal. "There are so many great male characters in The Simpsons, and I had to find a place for them. MacHomer is based on a production of Macbeth in 1994, and we had male witches, so I made the three Principal Skinner, Moe and [sea dog] Captain McAllister."
There must have been dozens of roles for groundskeeper Willy, I say, persisting. How about the Scots captain at the beginning of the play who talks about how he was there when Macbeth took a rebel and "unseam'd him from the nave to th'chops / and fix'd his head upon our battlements." One can imagine Willy applauding. Yes, Willy's in the play, Miller replies. "Everyone has their own suggestions, and there are so many possibilities," he adds diplomatically.
And then there's the problem that Macbeth has no children, though Shakespearean scholars still fret over Lady Macbeth's talks about breast-feeding when there are no kids in sight. "I had to mix the casting," Miller explains. "I had Bart play Fleance, Banquo's son, and then he complains that the play ought to be MacBart. That opens up the way for the voices of the kids. ... Lisa enters, playing the gentlewoman to Lady Macbeth but begins complaining that the play is crass in its commercialism. I had to get around the fact that Bart and Lisa are the hardest voices to do. I've done my best, come very close. I'd love to have to have more Bart in there--his spirit's so destructive, so attuned to the play."
In 1994, Miller was performing Macbeth on stage in the role of Murderer No. 2. "At a cast party, that's where it all began. It was a 10-minute joke with hand puppets." MacHomer became a fringe play, performed on the edge of theater festivals in Canada. Since then, the show has played 1,000-seat theaters, and Miller has expanded its scope to fill the larger spaces. "There's a lot of visual elements, though at its heart it's still a vocal show," he says. As for the noted curse on the Scottish Tragedy, Miller is skeptical. "There have been awful technical difficulties: slides that get stuck, microphones that knock out your front teeth. ... While I respect the older actors' fears and belief, that superstition is still something I don't subscribe to."
Jinxes are one thing, but lawyers are another. No problemo, Miller says. "Fox TV has been very generous, granting me the permission to do the show. They worked around the lawyers to let me do it. I'm especially grateful for Matt Groening and his staff to take the extra steps to help. I approached them and they liked the idea."
MacHomer may not be completely unprecedented. Alfred Jarry's 1896 play Ubu Roi also restaged Macbeth as a puppet show, with a gross Polish glutton in the lead. But Miller has in mind something more than a burlesque, meant for those who can never get enough Shakespeare or enough Simpsons. "I got into theater for more than just acting itself," Miller says. "I hope I don't sound pretentious, but I didn't just want to be an actor but a multidisciplinary artist. Theater can be much more than just theater; it can embrace of two things that don't seem to work together, but they do. The Simpsons characters work in the context of Shakespeare. There's dimension to these characters, so full of foibles and flaws, and deep down there's a heart and nobility to the show. It's natural to throw Homer into the role of the thane who wants to be a king. He's an ambitious but a lazy fellow who goes from wanting to kill a king to wanting a doughnut. And in the end, Marge wears the pants."
MacHomer plays Saturday (May 4) at noon and Sunday (May 5) at 7:30pm at the Villa Montalvo Carriage House, 15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga. Tickets are $30-$35. (408.961.5800. or Ticketmaster)
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From the May 2-8, 2002 issue of Metro, Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/11942 | Submit TipsSend FeedbackTerms of ServicePrivacy PolicyWhy Zachary Quinto Committed to "American Horror Story: Asylum"The actor reveals the secrets behind his willingness to return as compelling new character By
Scott Huver Top Stories 1VideoBolt Gets 9th Olympic Gold; U.S. DQ'd in Men's 4x100m Relay2VideoSam Kendricks Hears National Anthem and Stops Mid-attempt3VideoFrom Belly-Flops to Nose Picks: Funniest Moments From Rio4VideoRelive the Fantastic Finishes of Rio 2016Sponsored NEWSLETTERS Receive the latest television updates in your inboxPrivacy policy | More NewslettersAP"American Horror Story: Asylum" star Zachary Quinto.Zachary Quinto had a secret, and now the world knows – or at least, the legion of fans of “American Horror Story: Asylum” do.[The spoiler-averse beware: If you plan on viewing the second season of producer Ryan Murphy’s macabre TV thriller in one horrific sitting, now would be a good time for you to check out.]Year in Review 2012: Red Carpet Fashion Highs & LowsWhen FX’s hit series revealed its master plan to morph into an anthology with season-long story arcs, Quinto was one of several actors who appeared in the debut season to return in a different – and in his case more expansive – role, this time as the innovative ‘60s era psychiatrist Dr. Oliver Thredson.And in a recent shocking twist, Thredson was revealed to also be “Bloody Face,” a psychotic serial killer terrorizing his victims in both the past and present day. Although more gut-wrenching mysteries and surprises are certain to follow, Quinto reveals when he knew what he needed to know to create his latest evil incarnation.Celebrity Weddings and EngagementsOn when in the production process he knew the true nature of Thredson:"I knew from the very beginning. It was part of the conversation that I had with Ryan [Murphy] about me coming back to the second installment of the show. It very much informed the character that I was building from the beginning. As a result, I felt like my responsibility became to create a character that people could trust, or at least trust initially, and have some hope that perhaps he is actually the one voice of reason and sanity within this chaotic world. So it was actually more exciting for me to know from the beginning. It gave me more to play with and more to hold back and more secrets to keep."On his attraction to returning for as a new and more central character:"Part of the reason that I loved what the opportunity stood for was that I got to know, going in, I got to really build something. With 'Heroes,' that character was built before I was ever attached to it. There were eight episodes of anticipation that were built before you met Gabriel Gray, but I had no participation in that. It was just the character spoken about. So for me, it was really exciting to get to go in and having all the information, and actually be that part of the process of creating a character – that, to me, was a difference. It’s not a six-year commitment as it could be with another show. It’s self-contained and it was an immersion that I’m not going to be repeating or carrying on for an extended period of time. It was something I got to go do and contribute and benefit and grow and learn, and then be on to other creative pursuits and that, I think, is an environment in which I thrive."
On what facets of Thredson’s true persona remain intact despite his conflicted dual nature:"I think he definitely believes in psychiatry. I think part of being a psychopath is an ability to dissociate from one reality and create another one completely. I think he does that expertly. I think his level of training, medical training and intuition instinct—I think he’s very skilled. I mean, that’s what allows him to get away with it as long as he does. So yes, I think he does believe in it, which is kind of another layer of tragedy of the character, is that he could have been something else. He could have made a more significantly positive contribution had he only rechanneled his traumas, his energy."
On finding time in his busy film career to take on a full-time TV role:"When I did it the first time around, the timing of it worked out really well for me because 'Star Trek 2' had gotten pushed, so I ended up having a little bit of a window that I didn’t expect to have, and Ryan called to ask. I just thought it was going to be a couple, and it ended up being four episodes in that first installment. Then it was in the middle of that, that he actually brought up the idea of the second season being entirely different. That was the beginning of the conversations, which really intrigued me, obviously. I had been exploring the possibility of another specific job that would have been a more traditional sort of TV structure, and it was really exciting in its own way but when Ryan presented the plan to me about this, it just seemed like there was no question that it was a little bit more unique and exciting to me because of that, so that made my decision pretty clear."On the potent appeal of the series’ boundary-pushing plot lines:"I think stories that reflect societal fear back at the audience on some level, on some visceral level, is the most compelling kind of horror. I think that’s what this show is doing in a lot of ways. Tackling issues that have relevance to our modern society through another point of view, or another time period, filtered through different perspectives and really getting to the root of what drives us as a society, as a culture, as an audience. I think that can be really scary and I think that that’s what’s really happening in a lot of ways with the characters that we’re all playing this year, and the scenarios in which they find themselves."
On what to look forward to…or dread, as the case may be:"This week’s show is called 'The Origins of Monstrosity' and so it really dives into a lot of the roots of the characters in this world in 'Asylum.' A lot of things will become clearer and probably even more disturbing in the next couple of weeks….I won’t spoil it by being too specific, but it all traces back to one source of trauma that then sort of branches out to include all of these unfortunate women. The storytelling structure of 'Asylum,' I think, is really going to pay off in a really big way. All of the questions that people have, and that the episodes that are airing right now are generating, will definitely be answered. That’s my instinct, at least, having read up through almost the end now."Published at 4:06 PM CST on Nov 20, 2012 Leave Comments NewsWeatherInvestigationsEntertainmentTrafficContact UsConnect With UsFCC Independent Programming ReportFCC News and Information Programming ReportNBC Non-Profit News Partnership ReportsKXAS Public Inspection File21st Century SolutionsSend FeedbackTerms of servicePrivacy policyAdChoices | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/12020 | Director Ti West Talks Slow Horror, 'The Innkeepers'
Claire (Sara Paxton), a 20-something desk clerk at an old New England inn, decides to investigate whether the hotel is haunted in director Ti West's latest film, The Innkeepers.
Magnet Releasing
There's a kind of horror movie you don't have to be a horror fan to enjoy: The Shining and Rosemary's Baby are a couple of examples; but The House of the Devil, a film from three years ago, might belong on that list as well. House, about a seriously unlucky babysitter who reluctantly takes a gig at a shadowy mansion in the middle of nowhere, was directed by 31-year-old Ti West. West is known for making horror movies, and his films stand out: They're slowly paced, with minimal gore and a distinctive look borrowed from classic 1980s fright flicks. In fact, West set House in the '80s, when the news was filled with real-life prosecutions of allegedly devil-worshipping preschool teachers. West tells NPR's Neda Ulaby that he's just old enough to remember that "Satanic panic." "I'm an only child, and I'm a bit of a weirdo — I really kind of absorbed everything around me," West says. "So I do absolutely remember my mother saying, 'You can't go to the park because a van will come along and pick you up and [people will] sacrifice you to the devil.' And she believed it." Ti West, director of The Innkeepers
House established West as a masterful mimic of '80s horror, from the rotary phones to the credits' font. But West dislikes being pegged as the vintage-horror guy. "Everyone said it was an homage to the '80s, and really I was making an '80s period piece," West says. That might be a little disingenuous, says Adam Hart, a film scholar who studies horror. "There's a loving fetishization of clothing and hairstyles [in the film]," Hart says. "I don't think I've seen a Walkman play such a prominent role in any film ever." The babysitter, having taken the job, is alone in the house. She dances on the furniture, pokes through jumbled drawers, peeks into dark closets and explores room after ominous room. "Every time she walks into a room, you think, 'Well, this movie is called House of the Devil, so something's gonna pop out at her and kill her,' " says West. Not so, he explains. As the moments stretch on, with nothing happening, something happens for the audience: "You think, 'It has to happen in this room, because it would be insane to have her go into this room and not have something happen,' " he says. "Then when it doesn't, you kind of have to give up on being ahead of the movie." Suspense In Slowness, In Life And In Film West grew up in King of Prussia, Pa. His mother works at a hospital gift shop, and he sold jeans at Diesel while shooting his first feature film. "I've had every minimum-wage job known to man — and I don't want to go back to minimum-wage jobs, but I have a fondness for that," West says. "So I wanted to make a movie that encapsulated that feeling of being stuck at work, and the apathy that comes with it." The oppressive suspense of House reflects the tedium of low-wage work and how we pass the time, says Hart. "It introduces the horrific and the supernatural into everyday rhythms," he says. In West's new movie, The Innkeepers, he toys with that idea again, even as he explores another favored horror trope — the haunted hotel. Low-wage desk-clerks Claire and Luke (Pat Healy) break up the monotony by hunting for the ghost of a woman rumored to have died in the hotel.
At the Yankee Pedlar Inn, the innkeepers in question aren't the owners but a couple of low-level workers. Claire and Luke, both in their 20s, clean the rooms, answer phones, and pull pranks on each other to stave off the boredom of taking care of the inn and its demanding guests. The only thing that inspires Claire is searching through the hotel after hours for evidence of a ghost. Since this is a haunted hotel in a horror movie, you could speculate on what happens next. But how it happens may be more surprising. Larry Fessenden, a respected independent horror director who produced The Innkeepers, says West's slow, deliberate pacing subverts not only the frenzied rhythms of contemporary horror films but the rhythms of contemporary life. "There's obviously the 'slow food' movement and the 'slow this and that' movement, which is just to say, 'Everyone, take a chill pill,' " Fessenden says. "I feel that, in some way, Ti's doing that in his filmmaking." Fessenden appreciates what he calls West's observational approach to horror and the craftsmanship he brings to a genre that can often feel cheap or over the top. By probing and prolonging the chills, he says, West is making them more meaningful. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/12226 | Home > You've got to have friends
You've got to have friends
Before I drove to Pittsburgh, PA to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends, I thought about all of the songs that have been written on the subject and selected my CDs for the ride with that in mind. Nostalgic to a fault, I prepared myself for the eight-hour drive by choosing the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Road Trippin’” to begin my journey, and headed out in the pouring rain—which stayed with me throughout the 400 miles, door to door.
Janet Jackson’s “Call on me” got me thinking about my mom and the wonderful holidays we shared over the years, while the Rembrandt’s “I’ll be there for you” reminded me that she is gone—but not forgotten. Growing up, my parents had a lot of friends and instilled in me the importance of building deep, meaningful relationships with people outside of my immediate family, setting the groundwork for a lifetime of love, support and good times with a group of close-knit pals, who have stood by me (and vice-versa) through thick and thin. Through the speakers, Dionne Warwick told me “That’s what friends are for.”
According to a study documented in the American Sociological Review (asr.sagepub.com), “Americans are thought to be suffering a loss in the quality and quantity of close friendships since (at least) 1985.” The study states that 25% of Americans have no close confidants, and research has found a link between fewer friendships and psychological regression. The study goes on to postulate that “making friends seems to be trouble to a lot of people and having no friends can be emotionally damaging in some cases.”
Thankful that I have little trouble making new friends and that I cherish those that I’ve kept for years, I listened to Bill Withers’ version of “Lean on Me” and reminisced about my friend Bob (whose home I was headed for) and the 30-odd years we have been best friends. I couldn’t help but think about the pals that we shared (and lost) over the years as Bette Midler’s “Friends” reverberated, taking me back to the ‘80s and the AIDS crisis. Midler’s voice quavered as she sang “I had some friends but they’re gone—someone came and took them away... and from the dusk till the dawn, here is where I’ll stay.”
The gloomy weather and monotonous drive could have sent me down a path of maudlin depression, but I shook it off and decided to accentuate the positive, reliving the parties, holidays and celebrations that have provided so much joy in our lives. Since it was Thanksgiving, I made a mental list of the many things I am grateful for and surprised myself, realizing that my cup runneth over. C.S. Lewis once wrote that “To the ancients, friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it.” I’m not sure that is entirely true, and it’s certainly not my experience, since my circle of close friends consider our kinship intensely important and precious. With the CD player in “shuffle mode,” James Taylor’s voice intensified my reverie as his recording of “You’ve Got a Friend” began. Www.about.com [2] says that “Few other songs come close to this song’s simple poignance of friends helping and supporting each other,” and I heartily agree. Pulling up to the house, Bob and his husband Ron came racing out to greet me, swept me into their arms and held me close just as the last strains of “Thank you for being my friend” faded out from the “Golden Girls” tribute playing in the truck. Hugs and kisses ensued, and the holiday celebration began in earnest, as the house filled with more company, good food and more dogs than I could count. I threw caution to the wind and joined the madness as we lit a fire, played endless games of Aggravation and spent four glorious days staying up late and burning up the phones calling our loved ones who couldn’t be there.
We laughed, we cried and partied like (aging) rock stars and the Thanksgiving feast was peppered with endless toasts to friendships (old and new). I was reminded once again, of how fortunate I am to have such wonderful, loving, caring and supportive relationships and took a moment to remind Bob that he is (IMHO) “the wind beneath my wings.”
Exhausted (and hung over), I heaved myself into the truck to begin the trek homeward, thrilled to have been there, yet happy to be going home, where I have more wonderful friends, a job that I love and (hopefully) new adventures waiting in the wings. I slipped a disc into the player, waved goodbye to my hosts, pumped up the volume and heard the Beatles reminding me that life is good—with a little help from my friends.
Source URL: http://www.riverreporter.com/column/my-humble-opinion/15/2011/11/29/youve-got-have-friends
Links:[1] http://www.riverreporter.com/category/columns/my-humble-opinion
[2] http://Www.about.com
[3] http://riverreporter.disqus.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riverreporter.com%2Fcolumn%2Fmy-humble-opinion%2F15%2F2011%2F11%2F29%2Fyouve-got-have-friends | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/12630 | Bill Hader on His Sundance Hit Skeleton Twins, Lip-Synching With Kristen Wiig, and Breaking Into Drama
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"You have to have some patience."
Bill Hader.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty
You know him as Stefon on SNL and Officer Slater from Superbad, but a dramatic actor? Don’t worry, Bill Hader got great reviews out of Sundance for his warm, hilarious, and often touching performance in The Skeleton Twins. He plays Milo, a gay unemployed actor who reconnects with his estranged twin sister (Kristen Wiig) after a suicide attempt. Director Craig Johnson and Johnson’s writing partner Mark Heyman won the fest’s Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and the film sold to Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions, and Sony Pictures for a reported $3.5 million — the biggest deal of the festival. Jada Yuan spoke to Hader about shaking off SNL, lip-synching with Kristen Wiig, and bonding on the airplane with John Lithgow. Hader: Hello.
Hello!Oh, no, sorry. I was talking to my daughter. She’s cute. She’s walking around going, “Hello. Hello.” She’s 1. It’s a madhouse here; everyone is losing it. Trying to get everyone out the door.
Go for it. So, what was it like getting the news that you’d sold? I was doing a day on The Mindy Project and Chris Messina, we were shooting a scene, and he was looking at his phone and he said, “Oh, congratulations on your movie selling to Lionsgate!” I was like, “It did?” He broke the news while we were rehearsing.
That’s awesome. I’m surprised your character is back on Mindy Project. You’d think she’d learned her lesson. Well, I don’t want to give too much away, but he’s kind of turned a new leaf. I’ll say that.
Ah. So, how did Skeleton Twins come about for you? Well, four years ago, I told my agent and my manager that I’d like to do a drama. They said, “People know you from SNL. We inquire about those things but, totally understandably, people see you as the guy who does impressions.” So they said, “What if you did a dramatic table reading for movies?” If a movie doesn’t even have financing yet, they’ll do a table read for it at a casting director’s office with actors, for the producer and the writer, just to hear if the movie is working. So I went to one with Kate Winslet, Bradley Cooper, Paul Dano, and Greta Gerwig. And I was like, “This is not the usual room that I’m in.” And Avy Kaufman was the casting director. So I did that, and she thought I did a good job and she happened to be casting this movie, Skeleton Twins. Craig [Johnson, the director] even admitted, “You were not on my radar, but Avy said you were good at the table read.” They sent me the script in 2010.
Did you get Kristen Wiig onboard? Craig called me and said “What about Kristen?” And I said, “Oh, duh.” To be honest, when we were doing this was during the time when Bridesmaids came out, when the part of Maggie [Wiig's character] fell through and we had to find another Maggie. I was like, “Kristen is shooting all these other movies, she’s not gonna be available.” It was very sweet, Kristen called me and said, “Hey, I read Skeleton Twins, I really like it. I’d like to do it, but only if you’ll have me.” I was like, “Are you joking? Of course.” It didn’t even dawn on me until later that, oh yeah, we have this brother-sister relationship.
The lip-synching scene [an epic rendition of Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"] is my favorite moment in the movie. You’ve just had a fight with Kristen’s character and are trying to get her to soften up. Did you choreograph that yourself? No, that was all Craig. But I had a lot of ideas. I would listen to that song every day on the way to work because I needed to lip-synch it perfectly. And I would sit at home and think of some moves. Then I came in and we went up in the little house we shot [in] — we were in that house for the majority of the shoot — and I just remember being up there with Craig and Kristen going, “Well, here’s what I was thinking” and then I would do some stuff. Craig was like, “Oh, there’s a piano down there, you should go over and pretend to play.” And I was like, “That’s great. Is it too much for me to crawl over to her?” It was a big collaboration, really.
Were there any scenes where you had trouble keeping it together? I had a scene with Luke Wilson where we were eating — the first time we were eating — and he was talking about swimming with turtles. Luke was improvising a lot of that and I couldn’t really keep it together. I kept looking down a lot.
I noticed when you did Stefon there were lots of moments you had trouble keeping it together. Yeah, it’s a problem. I think it’s on the Superbad DVD, there’s a whole thing where I can’t say, “Sorry, I blocked your cock.” I just couldn’t get through it.
Did you have any worries about playing a gay character given how large Stefon looms, in that he’s how many people know you? Was there any intimidation? We talked about it a little bit. Craig Johnson said the only similarities between Milo and Stefon is that they’re gay. That’s that.
Milo does some drugs, too. Yeah, but they’re totally different people. There’s other stuff going on with Milo, especially. Stefon’s like a giant fake character, a sketch character. Milo’s different.
Were you at all intimidated going into this project given that (a) it’s a drama and (b) you’re playing this nuanced gay character and you’re not gay? Were there nerves you had to get over? Oh, no. My thing was just that I didn’t want to make him being gay the character. There’s much more going on with Milo. He happens to be gay, you know what I mean?
Absolutely. That’s the way I played it and I wanted to make sure with Craig that it wasn’t going into that thing of “straight guy playing gay guy.” It was the only discussion we had about it. The majority of the conversation we had about Milo was, “Why is this guy self-sabotaging himself?” You know, “What’s he trying to get from Rich,” the Ty Burrell character? [Editor's note: A teacher Milo had a relationship with in high school.] It’s the first person he’s ever been in love with and that’s why he lies to him about being a writer and how he’s on a writer retreat because that’s the student-teacher relationship they had. It’s trying to get that out of him, because that acceptance from Rich that he really wants is love. He just needs that. And then it’s sweet because he ends up getting it from his sister in a harsher, real way. He goes there for the ex and he ends up finding his sister. That’s what Craig always said: “I kind of see this as a love story between a brother and a sister.”
What did you think when you read the script and it starts off with Milo trying to commit suicide? I was like, “These are not the kind of scripts I get sent!” That scene was tough. And then that day I had to go back to SNL to rehearse the Martin Short [episode] where I’m Kate Middleton’s gynecologist, for the Christmas episode. I remember rehearsing that scene the morning that I shot the opening of Skeleton Twins and thinking, What world am I in right now?
So you shot this while you were still on SNL? Yeah, I shot the whole movie while I was still on SNL. I shot during the Christmas episodes from last season. I think it was Jamie Foxx and Martin Short.
Did it make you feel like you had a cushion? I can imagine it would be pretty intimidating to leave this job at SNL that you’d had for so long, where you were known for doing a particular thing, and just sort of going out into the greater world of acting. Yeah, I always wanted to do things where it felt like I was trying something different. It was the same thing at SNL. I started SNL and I became the one who did impressions. I did that, but then I wanted to get an original character on, and that took a long time to get one on that stuck. And then I got Vinny Vedecci on — “Oh great” — and then it took a couple more seasons to get Greg the Alien on. You have to have some patience.
What was it like running around Sundance with Craig? It was really nice. It was crazy, though. I’d only been there one other time, with Adventureland, and we were with Kristen Stewart right after Twilight came out, so we couldn’t walk anywhere. There were gawkers. But this was nice because the movie is in competition and people seemed to really like it. It was just a whirlwind. I was on a plane coming back to Los Angeles and John Lithgow was in front of me and the minute the plane took off I saw him just go, [sighs] “Ahhh.” I started laughing and was like “Okay, it’s over.” I hope you understand — not, like, “God I hated that.” It was just like, “Wow, that was nonstop.”
Now you’re just gonna laze about for the day? Yeah. Coming back from the festival and then immediately going to The Mindy Project and then shooting all day — I don’t know what world I’m in right now. I’m gonna go lay face down right now on the floor or something. My wife just came in and said, “The kids are in school.” She’s going to her office. I’m gonna go pass out.
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The Tell-All Diary of a Sundance Producer Watch Anna Kendrick Explain How Hot She Is | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/12661 | FLASHBACK: Jerry verDorn 1981
Roger Newcomb
Jerry verDorn
Tune in Tomorrow
NEW YORK - How could you not trust a sweet-talking man with baby-blue eyes, a baby face, and a flashing smile that reveals baby dimples? Get to know a guy like Ross Marler on GUIDING LIGHT and you'll know the answer.
As Jerry verDorn, who originated the role two years ago, says, "There's nothing more terrifying than a cute little boy who could, conceivably, set fire to your house. On the other hand, I think Ross has become a popular character because he's not totally ruthless. Despite the overwhelming ambitiousness that rules his life, he's capable of being vulnerable and of feeling guilt. Of course, he usually doesn't feel a sense of morality except in retrospect, after his actions have hurt others. And he's also capable of vacillating between the virtues of a 'good' woman like Eve and a destructive woman like Vanessa. The audience loves being kept in suspense whether and how he'll finally see the light."
Jerry was born in Sioux Falls, S.D., the son of a motor company salesman who moved to Fargo, N.D. Jerry's mother passed away a year ago, but was able to brag about her son's success on "GL" before her death. Jerry attended Morehead State University in Minnesota with "a vague idea of becoming an English teacher." But drama caught the young student's fancy and for the next seven years he took undergraduate courses "which never led to a degree because I bounced around from one theatre production to another. I was, perhaps, the oldest living non-graduate," says Jerry.
After studying at Studio 68 in England with Sean Connery and appearing in featured roles at Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C., Jerry came to New York in 1976 with his wife, Beth, a drama student he met while judging a speech contest. "Thank God, I gave her very high marks," laughs Jerry.
In New York, Jerry painted houses and worked for a trucking company while Beth toiled in theater management before switching to teaching English as a second language. After six months in the Big Apple, Jerry was being sought for modeling and commercial assignments. He still makes "extra" bucks with the occasional commercial jobs and could have made a healthy living in that field. Then he was cast in the original off-Broadway production of "Are you Now Or Have You Ever Been?" a dramatized examination of the McCarthy-era witch hunts in the entertainment media. "Everyone else in the show played well-known celebrities and everyone from Liza Minnelli to Peggy Cass 'guest-starred' on a weekly basis in the Lillian Helman role. But I was the investigator, the most difficult part because it consisted entirely of asking questions, a trait that nevertheless came in handing during Ross's recent prosecution of Jennifer on 'GL,' remembers the actor.
While appearing in that off-Broadway play, Jerry understudied George Grizzard and acted matinees in Broadway's "Man and Superman," where he was spotted by a "GL" casting agent.
Jerry is one of those rare actors who is seemingly oblivious of his head-turning good looks, which, fortunately, haven't typecast him in the "pretty boy mold."
"I enjoy the recognition from the soap, even though I had to get a private telephone number after a string of midnight calls from viewers warning me not to 'ruin Eve.' But superstardom is not my goal. The work is what's important and I suppose that comes from the strong Dutch-German work ethic in which I was raised.
Greeneb2March 24, 2010 at 8:44 PMSweet-talking man, baby-blue eyes, baby face, flashing smile that reveals baby dimples? That's our Jerry. 30 years later, he still fits that description! :) Thanks For Posting This Article, Roger! :)ReplyDeletepaulaMarch 25, 2010 at 11:50 AMHe was awesome as Ross Marler. He's good on OLTL too, but I kinda see him as Ross Marler playing the role of Clint Buchanan.ReplyDeleteAdd commentLoad more... | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/12803 | The Ferguson Theater
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Day: February 14, 2013 A Good Day To Die Hard February 14, 2013June 16, 20131 Comment 2013
Directed by John Moore
Produced by Alex Young
Screenplay by Skip Woods
Based on characters created by Roderick Thorp
I come by my love of the “Die Hard” franchise honestly. I saw the original “Die Hard” during its original theatrical run in the summer of 1988 at least half a dozen times. It’s a movie that did a lot of amazing things: it launched the career of Bruce Willis who up until then had been known as the star of a comedic private eye show called “Moonlighting.” It created an entire sub-genre of action movie. For years afterwards movie theaters were flooded with copycat movies about a lone hero, isolated from any help having to fight off an army of well-armed opponents. But “Die Hard” remains at the top of the pyramid. Many people consider it the greatest action movie ever made. For me it’s the second greatest (sorry, folks, but for me nothing beats John Woo’s “Hard Boiled”) and it is certainly one of my favorite Christmas movies.
Naturally a movie as extraordinarily successful as “Die Hard” has to have sequels. “Die Hard 2: Die Harder” is almost as good as the first but for me “Die Hard With A Vengeance” is my favorite and in some ways I think it’s a better movie than the original. “Live Free or Die Hard” came under a lot of heat from fans of the series as well as critics as now John McClane wasn’t just a New York cop with a stubborn streak that can’t be broken. He got elevated to superhero status, saving the entire country from a cyber-terrorist attack. I’m not as hard on “Live Free or Die Hard” as I’m going to be on A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD because the one thing “Live Free or Die Hard” has in common with all the other movies in the series that A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD doesn’t have is that it’s fun to watch.
NYPD detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) learns that his son Jack (Jai Courtney) is imprisoned in Russia for a multitude of crimes, including murder. John heads to Russia to help his son out, despite the fact that they haven’t spoken in years. John arrives at the courthouse just in time to see Jack escape with Yuri Komarov (Sebastian Koch) a whistleblower who has a secret file containing damning evidence against Komarov’s former partner Chagarin (Sergei Kolesnikov) The evidence concerns secret sales of weapon grade plutonium that could put Chagarin behind bars for life. It turns out that Jack McClane is a CIA agent who has been undercover for three years, working to get close to Komarov so that the CIA can get their hands on the file and the plutonium. Jack’s partner is killed and his cover compromised. The only ally he can now rely on is the father he can’t stand. Lucky for him his father has been doing this kind of thing for 25 years. Being outnumbered and outgunned is nothing new for John McClane and his son is a quick learner.
My main problem with A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD is this: John McClane in his previous movies is a regular guy. He’s just a cop who has the misfortune every so often to find himself in opposition against enemies who are better equipped and yes, smarter than he is. The main thing John McClane has going for him is his never-say-die-never-give-up Die Hard spirit that pulls him through his harrowing, bloody adventures. John McClane is a reluctant hero who gets involved in thwarting the grandiose schemes of the bad guys simply because there is nobody else around to do so. Remove that element from the character and there’s something really vital and essential missing from the character’s makeup.
We don’t get that John McClane here. There’s a part in the movie where it’s made pretty clear that there’s nothing left to be done and John can take his son and go home. His decision at that point in the movie is pretty arbitrary to me. But we’ll argue about that after you see the movie.
What else didn’t I like? The “Die Hard” movies all had memorable, entertaining supporting characters and villains. Not so here. In fact the villain’s plan in this movie is so unnecessarily complicated that I get a headache thinking about it. McClane doesn’t have a sidekick anywhere near the level of Sgt. Al Powell, Zeus Carver or Matt Farrell. The relationship with his son didn’t convince me at all. Bruce Willis and Jai Courtney have no chemistry together and certainly they ain’t no Sean Connery and Harrison Ford. I heard that at one point there was consideration that the mother of the Gruber brothers would be the villain in this movie. Anything would be better than the villains we get in A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD. There’s nothing remarkable or flamboyant or memorable about them. But there are a whole lot of ‘em to kill off, I’ll say that for ‘em.
What did I like? There are some really eye-popping action sequences. But they’re so eye-popping that they make the stunts in the original “Die Hard” seem downright realistic. Remember in that one, John McClane ran over broken glass with bare feet and through the rest of the movie they bled? In this movie McClane jumps through at least three plate glass windows without a scratch. If you’re looking for nothing but action, you will be more than satisfied. I got no complaints with that aspect of the movie.
But I just didn’t get the same feeling of fun and excitement from A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD I get when I watch the previous “Die Hard” movies, It’s a solid, professionally made action movie that delivers the goods. But it’s a disappointing “Die Hard” movie.
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Same Time, Next Year February 14, 2013September 28, 2014Leave a comment 1978 Universal Pictures
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Produced by Walter Mirisch and Morton Gottlieb
Written by Bernard Slade based on his play
Romantic comedies are most definitely not my favorite genre of movie when I sit down to be entertained by a movie. I’d rather go get a tooth pulled than have to sit through anything resembling a romantic comedy because when you talk about predictable story and overwrought acting, that’s the genre that specializes in that kinda stuff. But even a stone-hearted boor such as myself has to admit that there have been a couple of movies in the genre that I have managed to sit through mainly because they’re somewhat different from the usual romantic comedy in terms of story and acting I submit for your approval SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR
George (Alan Alda) and Doris (Ellen Burstyn) are staying separately at the same California resort inn on the Monterey coast one weekend in 1951. He’s there on business to do the taxes for a client who owns a winery and she’s there because her husband and her kids are visiting her mother-in-law and the mother-in-law cannot stand Doris who she thinks tricked her son into getting married. So Doris tells her husband she’s going to a Catholic retreat so he won’t worry about her being alone. One night George and Doris are the only ones having dinner in the inn’s main dining room. They look up, their eyes meet, they smile and before they know it, they’re having dessert and coffee and they talk. And talk. And talk. And before they know it, it’s the next day, they’re waking up in each other’s arms and they’re in love.
Neither one of them wants to leave their spouses. They both have responsibilities to their children and the people they have back home. So they hit on a novel arraignment: every year on the same weekend they’ll stay at the same inn in the same room and spend a weekend together. And it’s an arraignment that lasts for 26 years through laughter, tragedy, good times and bad.
Now some might question the morality of this arraignment and see it as an endorsement of adultery. And certainly George and Doris never even bring up the question of not starting the affair or breaking it up at any time during the movie. And as we never see their spouses (we get to know them through the stories George and Doris tell) we can’t judge how those relationships are. George and Doris appear to be happy and secure in their marriages and they don’t have a reason to be cheating. But I think the movie is trying to show two people who if they had met under the right circumstances could have married and had an extremely happy and satisfying life together. It’s like that old song says: “It’s sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along.”
During the course of the movie we see how the couple grow and develop along with the changing attitudes of the country. Doris goes from being a somewhat naïve suburban housewife to anti-Vietnam War protestor /middle-aged college student to sharp and confident businesswoman. George starts out as a high strung, neurotic accountant who is comically unsure of himself, goes to 70’s therapy addict and finally ends up as a mature adult man who is able to see himself for what he is, deal with it and be happy. It’s quite a range for both of the actors as they’re on screen every minute of the movie. It was based on a play and the movie is virtually like a play since except for a few brief scenes that take place in the inn’s dining room and outside the cabin they stay in, the whole movie takes place indoors with just the two characters talking.
Alan Alda’s performance at the beginning of the movie is the one thing that might make you want to stop watching the movie. He really overacts badly during the scenes where Doris is having a baby and (no, it’s not his) and for a brief few minutes turns the movie from light romantic comedy to almost Jerry Lewis style nuttiness. He’s much better in the later scenes where he’s playing an older, more sedate George, especially during a painful scene where George has to tell Doris why he has changed from a happy-go-lucky liberal democrat to an almost fascist, bitter Republican.
Ellen Burstyn is clearly the better actor of the two and she knows how to play this material for all it’s worth due to her experience in Neil Simon comedies as well as having done this play on Broadway and one of the best things about the movie is watching her character grow and develop. It’s almost a history lesson on the woman’s movement from the 1950’s to the 1970’s watching Doris change fashions and attitudes.
SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR doesn’t have what I would call a conclusion. Instead it has a resolution that some might find unbearably corny but I thought fitted the tone of the movie just right and was the only way that these two characters could have ended up. It’s a sweet little movie that I think is probably closer in realism to how a lot of married people conduct affairs rather than the cutesy-poo convoluted over plotting of most romantic comedies. The actors are good, the characters are likeable and I have to admit that by the ending credits when the theme song by Johnny Mathis and Jane Oliver swelled into full sentimental mode I found myself pretending I had something in my eye.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13057 | Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB
An Evening with Leonard Nimoy at Carpenter Performing Arts Center
6200 Atherton Street
Carpenter Performing Arts Center presents an intimate evening with one of film and television's greatest icons, Leonard Nimoy. Called "the conscience of Star Trek" by that show's creator, Gene Roddenberry, the award-winning actor, director (Three Men and a Baby), poet and photographer shares stories from and insights into his long, varied and creative career, from his 40-year role as Mr. Spock and beyond. The evening includes a Q&A and autograph session.
All offers for An Evening with Leonard Nimoy have expired.
The last date listed for An Evening with Leonard Nimoy was Saturday April 30, 2011 / 8:00pm.
Currently at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB
An Evening With George Takei (Star Trek, Allegiance)
Inspired by actor-director-author-activist George Takei's true-life experience and starring Takei…
Carol MacDonald
Try the Fish Company in Los Alamitos. No reservations but worth the wait.
$5 for the lot in front, but some street park and walk Arturo Sandoval
An Evening with Leonard Nimoy
We are long time fans of Leonard Nimoy, the actor. It was wonderful, however, to get to know him as a poet, writer, photographer, and a compassionate and spiritual human being. It was also interesting to learn just how much he contributed to making Spock such a memorable character. Without his input, Star Treck might have been just a very interesting and idealistic take on life in the future. He made it real. view
Theresa Eggleston
attended Apr 30 2011
The speaker was insightful and witty. He shared several stories accompanied by a slide show of his life and career. I found his stories on how he evolved Spock on Star Trek fascinating and I was surprised to learn that he is an accomplished...continued star this review
The speaker was insightful, engaging, humorous and well prepared with a slide show and anecdotes illustrating his long career including his personal philosophy and motivating factors.
Unfortunately there was no Q&A as described, and it only ran...continued star this review
Wonderful, wonderful, such a great sense of humor, always laughing and smiling. It shows how much he had to exert himself to play Spock. Loved to hear his stories how the show Star Trek evolved and how much he personally contributed to it's...continued star this review
Visit Leonard Nimoy’s official photography website.
Visit the Carpenter Performing Arts Center for an intimate evening of insight into one of film and television’s greatest icons. Called ‘the conscience of Star Trek,’ by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry — the award-winning actor, director, poet and photographer Leonard Nimoy shares his portrayal of the rational and emotionally suppressed Vulcan as part of a remarkable and diverse career that’s left an indelible imprint on American culture!
Nimoy will sign autographs in the lobby after the event.
Also at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB
An Evening With George Takei
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Charles Phoenix: This Is Americana
Peter Gros of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
The Urban Renewal Project | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13058 | For the Record: The Film Music of Robert Zemeckis
The acclaimed live series that brought you the 360-degree theatrical and dining experience based on the soundtracks of famed directors like Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers is going back to the future with the movie music of Robert Zemeckis. Zemeckis, who broke through with that famed time-travel trilogy of the '80s, won an Oscar for Forrest Gump, and has since gone on to create hit films like Death Becomes Her, The Polar Express, Flight and many more. A rotating cast from stage, screen and music is set to perform some of the best-known songs from the director's films, including "California Dreamin'," "All Along the Watchtower," "Blowin' in the Wind," "Power of Love," "Go Your Own Way" and others. The show's talented singers/actors bring the show table-side, so you can order and enjoy the club's delicious cuisine and inventive cocktails while being entertained.
All offers for For the Record: Zemeckis have expired.
The last date listed for For the Record: Zemeckis was Saturday August 10, 2013 / 8:30pm.
"For the Record: Zemeckis"
Featured review from Carlos Alberto
...there's one thing to be said about the Rockwell...having been seen all the different shows at least six or seven times....the performances are getting better and better and "For the Record-Zemickis" was excellent as the performers have that rare combination of fantastic voices and professional acting...the food too also keeps improving...BUT!!!...as there's always a BUT!...the staging is NOT working as I was continuously and relentlessly forced throughout the entire evening to twist myself in every direction to keep track of a show that is moving way too fast in a 360 degree circle around me, behind me or to the sides... view
Always the most fun evening in town....favorite night out...hands down. I have brought 50+ people, from 12-85 years of age, EVERYONE raves and asks to when we are going again. Great performers/musicians and excellent food/drink/service. Easy safe...continued star this review
JonnyG.
I've seen each For The Record version several times...I suppose I'm a groupie.
I must say, as pretty as the space is, I've grown tired of the columns and sketchy site lines. Even in the best of seating circumstances, I end up feeling frustrated....continued star this review
Gracanne
Great show as always! Haven't missed one yet. This show has so many memories of great movies - true classics! star this review
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Check out the great Goldstar member reviews and photos of a recent For the Record show.
The show may contain mature content.
You may be seated with other parties.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13202 | Teller, Eckhart To Star In Vinny Paz Movie
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Actors Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart will play the lead roles in a film about world champion boxer Vinny Paz.
East Greenwich-based Verdi Productions President and CEO Chad Verdi said Monday that Miles Teller will play Paz in "Bleed for This" while Eckhart will play his trainer, Kevin Rooney.
Teller stars in the comedy "That Awkward Moment" and has been in "The Spectacular Now" and "21 & Over." The Golden Globe-nominated Eckhart stars in "I, Frankenstein" and has played in "Olympus Has Fallen" and "The Dark Knight."
Verdi bought the rights in 2009 to make the movie about Paz, the boxing champion who overcame a broken neck suffered in a car accident to again fight for a world title.
Famed director Martin Scorsese is an executive producer on the project. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13551 | Story of ‘Dr. Death’ brought to life in TV movie
Alex Strachan Canwest News Service What is this?
PreviewYou Don’t Know Jack airs tonight on HBO Canada.– – –You don’t know jack about Jack Kevorkian, but screenwriter Adam Mazer wants to change that.When he was writing the screenplay for the HBO biographical TV movie You Don’t Know Jack — about the right-to-die activist who famously, and infamously, championed the right of terminal patients to die by physician-assisted suicide — Mazer says the last thing he wanted to do was fall into the old TV trap of cliches.Mazer wrote his screenplay long before he learned Al Pacino would be cast to play the Michigan pathologist who would earn the nickname “Dr. Death.”Kevorkian famously served eight years in prison for second-degree murder after video of him administering a lethal injection was shown during a 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace in November 1998.“We didn’t set out to do a movie about assisted suicide,” Mazer explained. “It is a movie about Jack Kevorkian.” And Jack Kevorkian is a much more complicated person than the public picture suggests, Mazer said. Story continues below
“What makes him so fascinating is, as flawed as he may have been in some people’s eyes, he was a Renaissance man. He was a painter. He wrote poetry. He was a filmmaker years ago; tried to make a movie 20 some years ago. He composed music, painted, played poker with his buddies once a week. The more we got to sort of understand who the guy was behind the headlines, he became this intriguing figure.”Mazer based his screenplay in part on the book, Between the Dying and the Dead, by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie.The title You Don’t Know Jack is deliberate, but not meant to be facetious, Mazer insisted. He was being literal, not funny.“It’s in the title, literally. Who is this guy? A pathologist in Detroit. Most of us were familiar with the headlines and the news pieces and the media frenzy surrounding him at the time, but who was he really? He was never married, had no children.”Mazer, the writer, jumped at the opportunity to meet Kevorkian in person, unlike Pacino, who played Kevorkian in the film and pointedly chose not to meet Kevorkian ahead of time.“I met him about four days after he was released from prison in June of ’07, and was blown away, beyond everything I thought I knew about him,” Mazer said. “His quirks, his eccentricities, his mannerisms — all that is revealed in the film.”Kevorkian is 81. He has been out of prison for two and a half years, Mazer noted.“I think, when he looks back, I don’t believe he regrets what he did on 60 Minutes, and how that led to his conviction,” Mazer said. “I think the only thing he feels regret about is that no one took up the baton. Everything quietened down while he was away.“You must remember that, in the ’90s, Jack Kevorkian was, arguably, one of the most famous, recognizable people in the country, if not the world, besides maybe the Clintons and Michael Jordan. And, in effect, he was forgotten.” Report an error | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13589 | Dinner Drinks Snacks Ben Gleib
Years ago, Esquire called Ben Gleib one of "six comedians who could be comedy's next big thing." The other 5 were Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Demetri Martin, and Flight of the Conchords. It came true for each of them, and it now seems to be Gleib's time. His first hour special, Ben Gleib: Neurotic Gangster, premiered on Showtime in June. http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a3045/comedians070207/
For 7 years he was one of the stars of Chelsea Lately, and now is Host and Executive Producer of "Idiotest," the Emmy nominated comedy game show in its third season on GSN, as their most watched original show. (For Gleib, EP is not just a title. He helps create all of the show's brain puzzles.)
Gleib is also a regular on "The Today Show" with Kathie Lee and Hoda, and has made multiple appearances on Comedy Central's @midnight. A truly unique voice in comedy, Gleib has been a regular on-air contributor to CNN and NPR (where he won a Golden Mic,) is an accomplished voice over actor (The Book of Life, Ice Age: Continental Drift -the second highest grossing animated movie of all-time internationally,) and this year co-anchored a week of ABC News digital from their world news headquarters in New York. An unusual gig for a comedian, another example of why he is one of the most multi-talented comics working today.
Gleib has been headlining comedy clubs around the globe since 2007 and has toured arenas with Chelsea Handler and Dane Cook. His podcast 'Last Week On Earth,' debuted on iTunes Comedy at #9, was #1 on stitcher for 20 straight weeks, and his online videos have received over 20 million views.
Ben Gleib's Upcoming Events
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Ben Gleib's Videos | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13651 | 'Fast & Furious 7' Production Shut Down Indefinitely
'Fast & Furious 7' production shut down indefinitely Tweet
Posted December 4th, 2013 @ 11:40am by Gossip Cop
Production on Fast & Furious 7 is shutting down indefinitely in the wake of Paul Walker’s death, Universal announced on Wednesday.
As Gossip Cop previously reported, Walker and the cast had been shooting the movie in Atlanta this fall, but filming was temporarily halted after the actor died in a car crash on Saturday.
Now the studio is trying to figure out how to proceed respectfully.
In a statement, the studio says:
Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul’s immediate family and our extended Fast & Furious family of cast, crew and filmmakers.
At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise.
We are committed to keeping Fast & Furious fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it. Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker.
In the days since Walker’s tragic crash, the franchise’s stars and crew have expressed their devastation and paid tribute to their longtime friend and colleague.
Also on Wednesday, the coroner’s office announced Walker died from “traumatic and thermal injuries.” | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13708 | August 25, 2016 home | celeb | music | movie | tv Home > News > Movie Reese Witherspoon Set to Star in Adaptation of 'Wild'
July 17, 2013 (8:35 am) GMT Fox Searchlight Pictures acquires the worldwide rights to distribute the film, and Witherspoon will also be involved in the project as co-producer.
Reese Witherspoon adds another work commitment to her packed schedule. The Oscar-winning actress is secured to produce and star in "Wild", the upcoming adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's best-selling memoir. Fox Searchlight Pictures has nabbed the worldwide rights to distribute the film which is penned by "An Education" scribe Nick Hornby. The story centers on young Strayed, who undertakes a pretty epic hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to Washington State following the death of her mother and the failure of her marriage. Besides being the first selection for Oprah's Book Club 2.0., it reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list. "We are so excited to be working with Fox Searchlight to bring 'Wild' to the screen. It is an extraordinary company that continually strives to bring original, inspirational films to the marketplace. We are thrilled to collaborate with them on 'Wild'," Witherspoon said in a statement. Fox Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley also commented, "We have long been huge fans of this visceral, inspirational and moving personal story with such a strong female perspective." Witherspoon will produce the big-screen version under the banner of her company Pacific Standard alongside Bruna Papandrea and Bill Pohlad of River Road Entertainment. No director has been secured yet. Witherspoon is currently filming "Inherent Vice" for director Paul Thomas Anderson. Also committed to "Gone Girl" as a producer, she will next be seen in crime drama "Devil's Knot". More Wild News
'Wild Cards' by 'Game of Thrones' Author George R.R. Martin Also Coming to Television | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/13781 | New film festival launches in Moab Sept. 20
Sep 19, 2013 | 1349 views | 0 | 25 | | Civil Rights Documentary
A new film festival will be held in Moab this weekend, featuring a diverse mix of full-length and short films. The Moab International Film Festival will present showings Sept. 20-22, and while most screenings will take place at Star Hall, 159 E. Center St., there will also be free screenings at the Moab Backyard Theater on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are available through moabfilmfestival.org, or locally in Moab at The T-Shirt Shop, Sgt. Pepper’s Music and Video, or Back of Beyond Books. Ticket prices are $5 for most screenings, and festival passes are also available for $30. The inaugural film lineup includes several award-winning and highly acclaimed hits, as well as some new finds. Richard Kaplan will introduce “King: A Filmed Record: Montgomery to Memphis,” an Academy Award nominated documentary. The film follows the eight-year period leading up to the 1963 March on Washington, D.C., and King’s legendary “I Have a Dream” speech. Because festival organizers felt the film is of great educational value, an admission-free screening has been arranged for Grand County High School students. A guided question-and-answer session with Kaplan, associate producer in charge of production, will follow. Another documentary selection, “The New Black,” tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. The film documents activists, families and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legalize gay marriage and examines homophobia in the black community’s institutional pillar – the black church. The film is being presented in conjunction with Moab Gay Adventure Week and is one of the events being held in the week leading into the Sept. 28 Moab Pride Festival. War, deception and art come together in a third documentary, “The Ghost Army,” the true story of American G.I.s – many of whom would go on to have illustrious careers in art, design and fashion – who tricked the enemy with rubber tanks, sound effects, and carefully crafted illusions during the Second World War. Their mission was to use bluff, deception, and trickery to save lives. A screening of the documentary “Bidder 70” will conclude with a question-and-answer session with filmmakers Beth and George Gage and Peaceful Uprising founder, Ashley Anderson. Gage and Gage Productions has granted the Moab festival permission to also screen seldom-seen additional footage, which was made after the film’s original release. The film tells the story of University of Utah student Tim DeChristopher, who ignited “the spirit of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice.” Other festival highlights include “We Can’t Eat Gold,” a documentary from Joshua Tucker. The film tells the story of Alaska natives who depend on the land for their livelihood. They defend the world’s largest salmon runs against the impacts of the world’s largest gold mine, the proposed Pebble Mine. The film is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday at Star Hall. In addition to these and other feature-length films, several compilations of short films are scheduled. The festival’s free outdoor screenings will start at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21. The free events will feature family friendly films and will be held at the Backyard Theater, located on 56 West 100 South in Moab. Some of the most obscure and most sought after and rare selections will be shown during the outdoor screenings, film festival officials said. More information is available at moabfilmfestival.org, or by calling 435-261-2393. Copyright 2016 Moab Times-Independent. All rights reserved.
Museum exhibit to feature musical instruments transformed by artists
Event to raise funds for GCHS Marching Band
Moab Pastel Guild featured at Dead Horse Point gallery
Group asks city to help pay for improvements at Anonymous Park BMX track on 500 West | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14021 | "a sorta fairytale" played during the TV show "Nip/Tuck" on FX
Updated Wed, Sep 24, 2003 - 12:20pm ET
Many thanks to Taryn (shadytori), Lindsey, Troy and Joy Downey who were the first to email me about this. Tori's song a sorta fairytale was played at the end of the TV program Nip/Tuck on the FX channel in the U.S. on Tuesday, September 23, 2003. More Details
Here are reports about it:
From Taryn (shadytori):
Tonight I was watching my favorite show Nip/Tuck on FX and they played Tori! It was at the end of the show..they played A Sorta Fairytale with a longer piano intro than usual. I thought it might just be instrumental at first but then I heard her beautiful voice and my heart soared! They played the first verse and the chorus once. It was wonderful to have 2 things I love so much combined.
From Lindsey:
I just finished watching tonight's new episode of Nip/Tuck, entitled "Sophia Lopez II" on FX and was pleasantly surprised to hear Tori's "A Sorta Fairytale" during a montage at the end.
From Troy:
Just wanted to let you know that the FX program Nip/Tuck played the song tonight to close the program. Fit the mood of the show very well.
From Joy Downey:
"A Sorta Fairytale" was played at the end of tonight's episode of Nip/Tuck on F/X. It was interesting because knowing the song and how the story ends, it fit but if you don't know the song, it would seem strange. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14043 | Hump-Day Harangue: Whither the Horror Movie Icon?
Vault dwellers, allow me to take you back to an earlier time in the history of our fair genre. Go ahead and hop in the Delorean--just watch your head on the door, I don't know what genius designed it that way, but what are you gonna do? Anyway, we're headed back to a simpler, more innocent time, when horror was dominated my living legends, by giants who walked among us and filled our minds with delicious nightmares, fusing their very personae with the essence of the genre itself. This is the age of the horror icon.Our first stop is the 1920s, when a brilliant actor and makeup artist by the name of Lon Chaney became horror's first bona fide movie star. After his star faded and the industry entered the age of sound, Universal gave us the likes of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lon's baby boy to continue the tradition, populating the terror landscape with a platoon of unforgettable movie monsters. In later decades, the likes of Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and of course, the one and only Vincent Price ensured that the cult of the horror icon remained undead and well.But then something happened. Something changed with the onset of what we now call the "modern era" of horror. For the benefit of creating a handy cutoff point, let's say that from the 1980s onward, the phenomenon of the horror movie icon suffered a swift decline. Sure, there were still actors making their living in the horror genre. But icons? In the sense of the folks mentioned above? Hardly.Who have we been given over the course of the past 30 years to match the majesty of the likes of Karloff, Price, Cushing, et al? I ask this as an honest question. Am I, as I have sometimes been a accused of being, a horror snob? Forgive me if the Kane Hodders of the world just don't do it for me. I'll never get tired of looking at pictures of him pretending to choke people at horror conventions, but honestly, he's a stuntman in a hockey mask. A buoy with arms could've played Jason Voorhees. Robert Englund? A delight as Freddy Krueger, to be sure, but beyond that? A merely amusing character actor who would've remained best known as the "good alien" on V had it not been for that hat-wearing son of 100 maniacs.Who else do we have? Doug Bradley? Tony Todd? Linda Blair? Maybe Brad Dourif comes close... I may be off-base here, but while these are all actors who have done a fine job crafting specific characters, I think even they would agree that they don't quite belong ranked in the category of the immortal legends of yesteryear mentioned earlier. Quite literally, they don't seem to make 'em like that anymore.So what happened? What is it about modern horror that seems to inherently discourage the notion of the horror icon? Perhaps it is the stress on realism, the need to downplay the more obvious elements of showmanship and bombast that once played a larger role in genre entertainment. I firmly believe that horror films of the golden and silver ages of the 1920s-1960s were more "personality"-driven then they are today. Hell, I'd say that movies in general were more personality-driven back then, for better or for worse. Those larger-than-life figures have a hard time carving out their niches when the funner, "Famous Monsters of Filmland" approach to horror has come to be considered passe.Quite frankly, these days, when we talk about horror film icons, it's easier to use the term to refer to directors than actors. After all, the true visionaries of horror these days, the names and personalities most closely linked to the genre in the minds of fans, are those of the likes of Dario Argento, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, George Romero, et al, rather than the actors who appear in front of the camera. This is a shift that has certainly occurred within the past 40 years, no question about it. But unfortunately, directors are more visionaries than personalities for the most part, so in the end it's a very different dynamic.I'm not trying to say that the supernatural horror film has completely given way in the face of reality-based horror--far from it. There still remains more than enough room for monsters and entities of all shape and form, but whether we're talking serial killer flicks or zombie movies, there's a greater stress on realism, and I feel that realism, while it has its pluses, is decidedly the enemy of the horror film icon. There are standout characters, but for the most part, the actors who play them are linked pretty much 90% to one role alone. For the most part, Gunnar Hansen is Leatherface. Warwick Davis is Leprechaun. Clint Howard is the Ice Cream Man. Ahem, ok that one was a stretch, but you get the point.They may have been before my time for the most part, but I miss those genuine, transcendent icons. Those individuals who literally embodied horror, and who in many ways towered over it. I hope we get to see more rise to that level one day. If they're out there, and I'm just not giving them their due, please put me in my place, by all means...
Hump-Day Harangue,
Kane Hodder,
Lela Richmond
An excellent post. I too miss the true icons of the horror genre, and I fear we'll never see their like again.
Agreed, bring back Bela Lugosi I say. Even though he's dead....maybe one day they could bring him back...
watchweedsonline
Agreed, I have been watching horror since I was a wee babe. The things people can think of to try and scare you!
The Divemistress
I think you might have answered your own question, there. We don't have the same horror icons, or the same kind of horror icons, because of the way film has evolved. And not just filmmaking, I'm talking stories, audiences, culture, celebrity, everything.Horror's always been a money maker but, oddly, it's still a marginalized genre and there are few high-profile actors who are willing to work, if not exclusively, then predominantly in horror. Also, because, as you say the genre today is less "personality-driven" there are fewer opportunities for actors to build and create lasting characters. The more "situational" horror of the present day lends itself to events (the Saw and Final Destination franchises, for example) as opposed to people (Dracula, Frankenstein, and to a lesser degree Freddy, Jason).
I would say the difference is the emphasis is placed on Characters rather than the actors playing them anymore (Freddy, Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees...all Icons, but anyone can play them). We also place a lot of emphasis on the director now. Wes Craven is an icon of horror, as is John Carpenter and George Romero. Actors want to use horror as a stepping stone a "real" acting career now, instead of being happy to do it their entire career. Bruce Campbell is one exception, but we all know it's him playing a version of his famous character in most movies. So, I'd say that's what changed: horror fans care more about the characters and the directors than the actors nowadays, and actors know this so they don't mind just using horror as a stepping stone.
You guys are right, I think I did basically answer my own question, in that the horror genre seems to have largely moved on from an emphasis on "horror icons". And yes, most actors do distance themselves from the genre as soon as they get a little mainstream recognition. I mean, I can hardly even wrap my head around the notion that Bradley Cooper starred in The Midnight Meat Train...
fromhell13
I disagree about Robert Englund. No he is not a star on the level of Lugosi or Karloff or Lee, but in the 1930's horror movies weren't so much "horror movies" as they were just "movies." Filmmaking in America was in it's infancy, and genre distinctions were not as strong as they are today. Theaters generally got 1, maybe 2 films at a time, and people went to see them regardless of genre. Therefore these men weren't "horror icons," they were simply "movie stars." In today's movie industry movies are so classified that very few genres (romcom, action, drama, and comedy) can really be considered "mainstream." This has reduced the horror actors' ability to break out into a true movie star.Secondly, you say that without Freddy, he would have been known as the good alien from V. Iconic Characters make iconic actors in horror. Without Frankenstein's monster opening him up to the horror world, Karloff would have gone down in history as a second rate wannabe leading man. Without Dracula Lee would have been just another British character actor and Lugosi just wouldn't have been known at all. Basically my point is this, take the example of his recent appearance on Bones. That whole episode worked because whether or not people identify him as Freddy Krueger, on a deeper level he brings a certain immediate set of expectations to any character because even to the mainstream audience he REPRESENTS THE HORROR GENRE. If that isn't a horror icon, then I'm not sure what the definition would be.Sorry, you brought out the film school geek in me, I could argue thias one with you all day. Perhaps a response piece on my blog...
davidfullam
The good old days of the Horror Star are over, sadly. I miss when we had an actor or actress who made a mark by playing varied characters in different films.
Glad I culd bring out your inner film geek, FromHell! I also hope this inspired that response post. Let me know if it goes up.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14077 | HomeDigitalFeatures Summer’s money shots
Sequels and remakes soar with upgraded vfx
In visual effects, 2006 is a summer of encores. Most of the season’s tentpoles are either remakes (“The Omen,” “Poseidon”) or sequels (“X-Men: The Last Stand” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”). One of the biggest, “Superman Returns,” is arguably a bit of both, being a sequel to a movie made 25 years ago, with different stars, before the advent of digital vfx. All these present a common challenge to the directors and vfx team: They must top their predecessors while keeping the feel that made the property a hit in the first place. “Superman” helmer Bryan Singer inherited certain rules about Superman — cape, “S” insignia, curl on forehead — and some visual elements from the Christopher Reeve starrers of a quarter-century earlier. “The challenge,” says Singer, “is that the audience’s palette has increased so much and the expectations have increased so much, you have these animated characters living in the real world. And unlike Spider-Man, our character has no mask on. That poses an enormous challenge. But when it works, you can create sequences that are really spectacular.”
Singer’s Metropolis isn’t simply a remonickered Manhattan. Pic shot in Sydney and uses digital set extensions to get a 30s-flavored look. By contrast, “Pirates” comes just two years after the “Curse of the Black Pearl’s” surprise success launched the franchise. Even vfx supervisor John Knoll of Industrial Light & Magic was wondering how the filmmakers would keep things fresh.
But with the same creative team that guided the original, says Knoll, there’s no problem. “I should never have doubted these guys.” Technology has marched on, and budgets have ratcheted up. “Dead Man’s Chest” gets a new villain, Davy Jones, with an all-digital beard of some 46 tentacles. “They’re alive and they’re always writhing around in the shot,” says Knoll, “and they need to respond to his body motion and they hang and sway in realistic ways, and collide against each other.” Want larger tentacles? Pic also features a digital sea monster, the Kraken. Fox’s “X-Men” franchise found itself working with a new helmer, as Bryan Singer ankled to take on the Man of Steel and was replaced by Brett Ratner.
John Bruno, pic’s vfx supervisor, says, “I went for what I called parity with the other two films, to make them look like they were done with the same filmmakers.” That sometimes meant sending shots out to houses that had done the same character in the previous film. One mandate the “X-Men” franchise has is to keep the action as real as possible, given the mutants’ powers. For example, the pic’s new mutant, white-winged Angel, “had to fly like a person would really fly, with known physics. There were things where we said that’s not from this movie.”
“Poseidon,” which didn’t catch fire at the box office, featured an early shot swooping around the boat and up to Josh Lucas that was the most computer-intensive shot in the illustrious history of ILM, says vfx supervisor Kim Libreri. “It was 4,000 frames long, and just to render the boat alone, the render times were between 10 and 25 hours per frame, depending on how close you were to it at the time. Nobody’s ever had renders that took that long for such a long shot.” | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14078 | HomeFilmNews Reitman high on USC honor
Lisa Engelbrektson
'Up in the Air' scribes win Scripter Award
Jason Reitman and the writers behind “Up in the Air” walked away with USC’s 2010 Scripter Award for adapted screenplay on Saturday.
In his acceptance speech, Reitman, an alum of USC, noted that his father, Ivan, used its library to film “Ghostbusters.” The USC Doheny Library stood in for the New York Public Library in that 1984 film.
The Scripter Award goes to both the screenwriter (Reitman and his writing partner, Sheldon Turner) and the author of the book, Walter Kirn.
“Adaptation is collaboration. I’m really glad that you guys do this award, because it really speaks to how many writers work on a film,” Reitman said, acknowledging 25 additional collaborators on the film.
Competing against “Up in the Air” were “Crazy Heart,” “District 9,” “An Education” and “Precious.” Last year’s Scripter winner “Slumdog Millionaire,” and the previous year’s “No Country for Old Men” both went on to win the Oscar for adapted screenplay.
Eric Roth accepted the Literary Achievement Award for his body of work including “Forrest Gump” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” A copy of Roth’s admired book, “Moby Dick,” was given to each guest.
Started in 1988, the USC Libraries Scripter Awards were created to honor “the written word, creative collaboration and the profound results of transforming one artistic medium into another.”
Scripter AwardScripter AwardsUsc Scripter AwardUsc Scripter Awards Want to read more articles like this one? SUBSCRIBE TO VARIETY TODAY. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14220 | News Gundam Unicorn's World Premiere in Hong Kong on 2/6
Preview screening to feature director Kazuhiro Furuhashi, author Harutoshi Fukui
The anime studio Sunrise has announced on Wednesday that it will hold the world premiere of the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn anime series on February 6 in Hong Kong. The preview screening will feature the director Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Harutoshi Fukui (the author of the original Gundam Unicorn novels), and "special Hong Kong guest Ekin Cheng." Application for tickets will be available in the following magazines and newspapers: Ani-Wave, Milk Magazine, Face Magazine, TVB Weekly, Ezone, Game 2000, G-Zone, PC Game Weekly, Gamania.com, CoCo, HK Walker, Apple Daily, Singtao Daily, and HKET.
The first anime episode, "Unicorn no Hi" (The Day of the Unicorn), will start a two-week "premiere review" run in theaters in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo on February 20. Also on February 20, Sony Computer Entertainment will begin distributing the anime on its online PlayStation Store for its PlayStation 3 and PSP consoles in Japan.
Bandai Visual Japan will distribute the first Japanese/English Blu-ray volume of Gundam Unicorn from the Amazon website exclusively for two months starting on March 12. In addition, the Bandai Channel website will offer the first Mobile Suit Gundam series, Mobile Suit Z Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 for free streaming in North America exclusively on Anime News Network, Crunchyroll, and YouTube. More Gundam series will be added later after the first streams are launched on February 1.
The Gundam Unicorn anime adapts Fukui's 10 novel volumes of the same name, which are set in the same Universal Century (UC) timeline as Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise's first Gundam science-fiction television anime series and its sequels. Bandai Visual's first Blu-ray Disc volume for the series will have a simultaneous international release with Japanese and English dubbing, as well as Japanese, English, French, Spanish, and Chinese subtitles. The first of six DVD volumes will ship on the same day with Japanese dubbing as well as Japanese and English subtitles.
Image © Sotsu, Sunrise
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14290 | Beyoncé Talks New Album
Bey says new album is more "sensual" and "empowering" than her earlier albums.
It’s officially Beyoncé season. After performing at the Presidential Inauguration and knocking her Super Bowl halftime show performance out of the park, the superstar singer is getting ready to drop her HBO documentary, Life Is But a Dream, and even better, her fifth solo album. And for the first time, Beyoncé talked in depth about the latter in her gorgeous Vogue cover story on newsstands now. Bey described the new record as a mix of previous albums 4 and I Am ... Sasha Fierce, but said it’s "a lot more sensual" and "empowering" than her earlier work, thanks to motherhood.
"Right now, after giving birth, I really understand the power of my body," she told Vogue. "I just feel my body means something completely different. I feel a lot more confident about it. Even being heavier, thinner, whatever. I feel a lot more like a woman, more feminine, more sensual. And no shame."
Beyoncé recorded the album in the Hamptons, New York, last summer, only a few months after Blue Ivy was born. Collaborators, who included Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, lived and ate with Bey and husband Jay-Z during recording. "We had dinners with the producers every day, like a family," she said. "It was like a camp — weekends off. You could go and jump in the pool and ride bikes ... the ocean and grass and sunshine. ... It was really a safe place."
Beyoncé gal pal Gwyneth Paltrow — wife of Jay-Z’s good friend Chris Martin of Coldplay — chimed in to describe the family vibe of the recording process as well. "Blue was sleeping in her arms, across her body, and B was listening back to what she had been working on," she said. "I thought, 'This is how you do it. You do what you love with who you love included.'"
With a setting like that, best bet is that the album continues the personal, introspective approach hinted at in trailers for Life Is But a Dream. "This movie has healed me in so many ways," Beyoncé says. "It makes me want to cry."
Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and many more. Go here for more details and info on how to buy tickets. BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
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(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
Written by BET-Staff | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14292 | Heroes’ Tim Kring Finds The Touch at FOX
18 January 2011 — by Nix | Touch TV Series, TV News For a while there, Tim Kring was flying high with “Heroes” on NBC. Well, for one season, anyway. After a disastrous Season 2 made worst by the writer’s strike, “Heroes” never regained the momentum it generated in its first season. The show would hobble on for a few more years before finally being mercifully put out of its misery. All that is to say, Tim Kring is now back with a new show called “Touch”, and it’s been given a pilot greenlight by FOX.
“Touch” will take Kring back to the world of people with extraordinary abilities, in that it will “center on a father who discovers that his autistic, mute son can actually predict events before they happen.”
Okay, so it’s not exactly superheroes, but it’ll probably end up being superhero-ish. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14318 | "Sebastian's Voodoo" Short FilmBy Todd on May 12th, 2009With all of the second-rate short films widely available on the Internet, sometimes it takes a bit of digging to uncover those hidden gems you can't wait to share with your friends. "Sebastian's Voodoo," crafted by the immensely talented folks at the UCLA Animation Workshop, is a personal favorite. It's stylish, haunting, darkly humorous, and, beyond enjoyable. Watch "Cheerbleeders" For Free!By Eric N on April 27th, 2009"Cheerbleeders" started out as a thesis short film for Peter Podgursky. When it was finished the reception was so good that he began to think about developing it into a feature, and so now he's making the rounds, trying to get the word out to help raise money for the full film. When Breast Implants AttackBy Joe on March 17th, 2009Every once in a while a film comes along that changes the way we look at the world today. Movies like “Citizen Kane”, “Gandhi”, “The Godfather” and now “BOOB”. The short film now showing at South by Southwest might possibly be the most important film ever made.
Picture if you will a new form of implant that allows women to enlarge their breasts at any given time. Sounds like a wonderland doesn’t it? Now picture what could happen if a surge of electricity accidentally brings that implant to life. What would happen? I'll tell you... all hell breaks loose my friends. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14333 | O Mere Rabba - Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke (2000)
Dhaai Akshar Prem Ki (2000) is a romantic drama by Raj Kanwar starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwariya Rai, Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher, Sushma Seth and others.. The movie is a remake of the Hollywood film 'A Walk in the Clouds (1995)'. Karan (Abhishek Bachchan) is a captain in the Indian army, who has just taken some time off and is delighted to spend the time with his friend Nisha (Sonali Bendre). On the way, he met the nice Sahiba (Aishwarya Rai), that he saves from a group of men, who are trying to kill her. She tells Karan, that there are people who wanted to kill her, because she was witness to a murder. Furthermore, when she was at the college, she aspired to a feeling of freedom and there, she told to her very conservative family while joking on the phone, that she got married. Very flared up by this news, her father Yogi (Amrish Puri) announced to kill her and her husband, once he met them. Karan has decide to help Sahiba to go back at home. So he accompanied her to her family's house. Apart from Yogi, all take a shine to him while being persuaded that he was the husband of Sahiba. Karan can't clarify the misunderstood, for fear that the grandmother (Sushma Seth) suffers a heart attack and dies. And it gets worse: Sahiba falls in love with Karan... The music is by Jatin & Lalit Pandit. The lyrics are by Sameer. Singers: KK & Auradha Paudwal Enjoy it! Raj Kanwar raj kanwar
Raj Kanwar dies, Bolllywood mourns
Director Raj Kanwar who directed films like Deewana, Laddla, Sadiyaan, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, Andaaz, Ab Ke Baras, Farz, Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Badal, Daag: The Fire, Itihaas, Jeet, Jaan, Kartavya, passed away on Friday in Singapore due to kidney ailment Director Raj Kanwar passes away
Famous director Raj Kanwar who directed hit films like ‘Deewana’ and ‘Andaaz’ passed away in Singapore due to kidney ailment on Friday afternoon. Shammi Chhabra, assistant director and close associate of Kanwar family, said: "He was suffering from kidney probl Latest Bollywood News | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14362 | Memphis — Nominee for Best Musical
In 1950s Memphis, a drunk good ole Southern boy stumbles into a Beale Street nightclub, where he is immediately captivated by the gorgeous black soul singer on the stage. Against the wishes of their loved ones, the pair fall hard in love, watch their respective careers rise and make beautiful music together.
Based On:
Although there are figures from the period who have similarities to its characters (including famed DJ Dewey Phillips), Memphis tells a fictional tale based in history.
Show History:
Memphis came to Broadway the old-fashioned way—it was developed in front of audiences over the past decade with a series of regional stagings at the North Shore Music Theatre outside Boston (2003), TheatreWorks in California (2004), La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego (2008) and the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle (2009).
Book by Joe DiPietro; music by David Bryan; lyrics by DiPietro and Bryan
Junkyard Dog Productions, Barbara and Buddy Freitag, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff, Latitude Link, Jim and Susan Blair, Demos Bizar Entertainment, Land Line Productions, Apples and Oranges Productions, Dave Copley, Dancap Productions, Inc., Alex and Katya Lukianov, Tony Ponturo, 2 Guys Productions and Richard Winkler
Other Honors:
—Broadway.com Audience Award nomination for Favorite New Broadway Musical
—Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Musical
—Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Musical
—Drama League nomination for Distinguished Production of a Musical
Composer Bryan, better known as the keyboardist for Bon Jovi, would often collaborate on songs over the phone with librettist/lyricist DiPietro while on the road with the band.
Other Nominees for Best Musical
| Memphis | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14437 | SEAL Team Six Movie? Airing two days before the election, now starring Obama.
On National Geographic.
You've got to be kidding me. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/ar...ilm.html?_r=1&
Editing Bolsters Obama�s Role in SEALs Film
Obama Is Prominent in �SEAL Team Six,� Weinstein Film
By MICHAEL CIEPLY and BRIAN STELTER
Published: October 23, 2012 LOS ANGELES � Thanks to the magic of editing, President Obama will have a starring role in a television drama about one of his biggest accomplishments � the killing of Osama bin Laden � that will be shown just two nights before the presidential election. But the star turn is virtually certain to bolster claims that the approximately 90-minute film amounts to a political stunt. Set for a prime-time debut on Nov. 4 on the National Geographic Channel, and a release the next day on Netflix, the film � �SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden� � is being backed by Harvey Weinstein, a longtime Democratic contributor and one of the Obama campaign�s most vigorous backers. Mr. Weinstein bought the rights to the film for about $2.5 million at the Cannes festival in May. It tells the story of the hunt by intelligence operatives and Navy commandos for Bin Laden, who was killed on May 2, 2011, in Pakistan. But promotional materials and a copy of the movie provided to The New York Times this week also show that the film has been recut, using news and documentary footage to strengthen Mr. Obama�s role and provide a window into decision-making in the White House. In a joint interview on Tuesday Mr. Weinstein; the film�s director, John Stockwell; and others said the changes to the film were not politically motivated but were meant to give the film a stronger sense of realism. Some of the Obama moments were added at the suggestion of Mr. Weinstein, they said, using material gathered by Meghan O�Hara, a producer who worked closely with the documentarian Michael Moore on politically charged projects like �Fahrenheit 9/11� and �Sicko.� But Mr. Stockwell said he had included Mr. Obama as a character in his film from the beginning, and had actually shrunk his screen time somewhat. And Howard T. Owens, the president of the National Geographic Channel, who joined the call, said his company had insisted on removing a scene that showed Mitt Romney appearing to oppose the raid. �We wouldn�t air this if it were propaganda,� he said. The scenes featuring Mr. Obama include an opening with him at the annual White House correspondents� dinner just a day before the raid (which was added by Ms. O�Hara); another that catches him on a long, lonely walk as he presumably deliberates his weighty decision; and � without getting too deeply into spoilers � another that finds him declaring at the end, �Justice has been done.� Mr. Obama and his camp offered no input in the making or timing of the film, Mr. Weinstein and Mr. Owens said. Mr. Weinstein added that he had supported Republican candidates like George E. Pataki, the former New York governor, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York. Representatives of the Obama campaign did not immediately respond to queries about the movie. In an essay that was part of the film�s press kit, �Can a Movie Swing an Election?,� which was posted online last Wednesday at politicsdaily.com, Mr. Stockwell acknowledged that some people were suspicious of the film�s intentions, but he insisted that its origins were not political. Instead, he said, he had been struck, in fact, by �what a terrible �political� decision� Mr. Obama made in authorizing the mission. In the same piece, however, Mr. Stockwell, whose directing credits include the horror film �Turistas� and the surf drama �Blue Crush,� said that Mr. Weinstein, after buying the movie, �came into the edit room� and suggested a revision that �gave the movie context and helped root it in reality.� For the National Geographic Channel, whose majority owner is Rupert Murdoch�s News Corporation, the film is a marketing opportunity � a reason for people who would otherwise never look for the channel on their cable lineup to seek it. The channel is available in 85 million homes in the United States, but it is relatively low rated, ranking 37th among cable channels in prime time. Mr. Owens, of National Geographic, said recently that the pre-election premiere date was selected �to take advantage of our fall schedule� of shows, which will have their premieres in the days and weeks after �SEAL Team Six.� �Other than being commercially opportunistic, we weren�t considering the election,� Mr. Owens said. Asked if he thought the timing of the election would benefit the film, he said, �I think we will benefit by being first to the market,� by beating the bigger-budget feature �Zero Dark Thirty.�
For months Mr. Weinstein�s film has been stuck in the shadow of that film about the Bin Laden raid, which was made by the director Kathryn Bigelow and the writer-producer Mark Boal, who teamed up on the Oscar-winning best picture �The Hurt Locker.� The Boal-Bigelow project is set for theatrical release by Sony Pictures Entertainment on Dec. 19, at the height of the awards season. But that film, too, has repeatedly been snared in questions about its political intent. Originally scheduled to open before the election, it was delayed until December after some suggested it would be used to help Mr. Obama�s prospects by dramatizing one of his signature achievements. Congressional overseers suggested that administration officials overstepped in providing access to information about the Bin Laden raid, and the close cooperation between officials and the filmmakers was chronicled after the watchdog group Judicial Watch used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain documents related to the film. In press materials Mr. Stockwell has said that his sources were �ex-Navy SEALS and sources within the intelligence community� who spoke to him and the film�s writer, Kendall Lampkin. Beyond the political issues, the film may carry the risk of associating Mr. Obama with any backlash in a Muslim world already inflamed by the YouTube trailer for an insulting film portrayal of its prophet. In September riots erupted in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere as Muslim crowds reacted violently to what they perceived as the unforgivable insults of a scratch production, �The Innocence of Muslims,� some of which was posted on YouTube. Nothing in �SEAL Team Six� recalls the anti-Muslim tones of that film. But the new film�s portrayals of the jeopardy to Muslim children during the assault on Bin Laden�s compound, and its graphic references to � but not portrayals of � torture in the war on terror may step toward the risk zone. National Geographic has yet to market the film aggressively, but that will change next week when it starts running ads in print and on other networks. While �SEAL Team Six� will not be seen in theaters, National Geographic and Mr. Weinstein have scheduled splashy movie theater premieres in Washington and New York and regional screenings in Chicago and Philadelphia.
For the National Geographic Channel, whose majority owner is Rupert Murdoch�s News Corporation
This is insane.
All you need to know is they cut Mitt out of it.
Looks good. __________________
National Geographic SEAL Team 6 Movie Allegedly Tweaked To Make Obama Look Good
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/375455/nati...wsPM6ZjdwRf.99
Oh yes, I know. I've read the same thing. It's hilarious.
Acknowledging the interuption~
Location: In some people's mind~
You should be very proud of what this worthless shitbag is willing to do~
The Trump campaign and Black Lives Matter movement are perfect for each other. Both sides filled with easily led and angry nitwits convinced they are victims~
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By MICHAEL CIEPLY and BRIAN STELTER ... who worked closely with the documentarian Michael Moore on politically charged ... In the same piece, however, Mr. Stockwell, whose directing credits include ... it would be used to help Mr. Obama's prospects by dramatizing one of his signature achievements.
Stockwell and Michael Moore are close but hey he doesn't have a agenda here.
Roy E.
I wonder if they'll show how he delayed the mission 3 times over several months? Will they show the part where he had to be dragged kicking and screaming off the golf course to make the call? Posts: 6,631
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La literatura
Originally Posted by Munson
Will they show the part where he had to be dragged kicking and screaming off the golf course to make the call? Probably not, because it's not true. Unless you can give a link to a reputable source.
Find More Posts by La literatura
Iowanian
Besides, big day tomorrow
Location: Utopia
I'm about done reading "No Easy Day".
There is at least 1 direct quote in that book that during preparations, the Seals were upset that Obama was going to take credit for their work on this mission.
I said I'm an expert dickrider.
Find More Posts by Iowanian
now starring Obama.
Are they going to tell the country the truth that is Obama ? The empty suite ?
Bedroom suite? | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14452 | AFI Fest Tries Something Novel: Free Movies
So you think movie theater tickets are expensive? Try going to a film festival. It's not just paying for the lodging or the airfare to get to Sundance or Cannes, but if you're just a film fan without industry connections, tickets to individual screenings can run up to $18, or even more. Movies that would never even make it to your local multiplex, that you probably wouldn't pay $5 to rent, can cost more than your dinner did just by virtue of being an unknown at an independent film festival.
At the AFI Festival in Los Angeles, though, they decided enough is enough. An LA Weekly article explains the festival's decision to go completely free this year. . “Since last year, the conversation among indie distributors and festival programmers has been, ‘Is the sky falling?” the festival's artistic director Rose Kuo explained. “It was time to turn the conversation around, to do something somewhat audacious, and to get people excited about indie film.”
It's an interesting article in general, about the decision for AFI to include half of the films that already screened at the New York Film Festival as well as mainstream stuff like the upcoming Robert De Niro movie Everybody's Fine. But the decision to make the festival free is what might have the most impact on the industry itself. If festival screenings didn't carry with them their insane price tag, wouldn't they better accomplish the spreading of film love that they claim to be aiming for? Things like discounted rush tickets and midnight screenings are all well and good for reaching out to a young audience, but when it comes to reaching out to a generation more likely to download a movie than to buy a ticket, AFI might have actually figured it out. We have no idea yet if the festival will be a success, but if this bold move pays off, we'll have a lot more to talk about.
The 10 Best Movies Of 2015, According To The AFI
How A Major Awards Group Is Rewriting Its Rules For Star Wars
Fruitvale Station And Gravity Among AFI's Top 10 Of 2013
The Dark Knight Rises Makes AFI's Top 10 List | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14454 | This Week In Home Entertainment: Anchorman 2, Fargo, 47 Ronin And More
By jessica rawden
Fargo Remastered Edition Blu-ray Circa 2014, The Coen Brothers are among the most famous directors in Hollywood. Even during the development stages, their projects are widely regarded as Oscar frontrunners and potential game-changers. They influence their peers. They enrapture their audiences. In short, they’re about as beloved as two dudes can be in Hollywood, but it wasn’t always that way. Once upon a time, they were more known as talented niche filmmakers popular with film snobs, but that all changed with Fargo.
A black comedy about woefully incompetent criminals and a pregnant police chief, the story completely captivated both critics and the general public en route to a sweet score at the box office and a really, really good return on investment. More importantly, it also showcased the Coen Brothers’ distinct directing and writing style to a much wider audience.
What makes Fargo and the rest of the Coen Brothers’ movies so incredible is their ability to invest in a group of characters and a setting and make it all feel completely authentic. Police Chief Marge Gunderson might be a buffoon or a source of cheap laughs in another movie, but here, she is given a chance to be clever, delightful and even heroic, accent and all.
With a wealth of special performances from Frances McDormand (Primal Fear), William H. Macy (The Cooler), Steve Buscemi (Billy Madison), Peter Stormare (Bad Boys 2) and more, Fargo is a special movie that unofficially launched some special filmmakers.
Best Special Feature: The documentary Minnesota Nice takes a look back at the movie through interviews with the cast, but it wasn’t filmed any time recently. So, it’s an utterly bizarre watch because of the time element, but even so, there’s some great factoids in there. Macy (Mystery Men), for example, wasn’t supposed to play Jerry. He came in to read for a small cop role. They asked him if he wanted to read for Jerry. He did. It went pretty well and later, he heard they were testing more people in New York and he flew there on his own dime to try again. In retrospect, it was a good call.
Other Bonus Features: Commentary with Roger A Deakins
Trivia Track
American Cinematographer Article
Every Coen Brothers Movie, Ranked
The 10 Greatest Coen Brothers Characters, Ranked
When Fargo Season 3 Will Take Place
16 Biggest WTF Moments Of The 2015 TV Season
New DVD Releases: When To Buy The Latest Movies In September 2016
Shazam: What We Know So Far | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14455 | Torchwood Miracle Day Preview: The Gathering
There are just two episodes left of Torchwood: Miracle Day and there are a couple of major questions to be answered, like what “The Blessing” is, and who started the Miracle. Both of these mysteries are addressed in the videos we have to share with you for this week’s episode, titled “The Gathering.”
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Torchwood: Miracle Day at this point, to be honest. On one hand, I’m loving the new characters and, having watched the previous seasons, I feel a sense of comfortable familiarity whenever Jack and Gwen are on screen. I also feel like the humor and character development is staying true to the earlier seasons.
As for the story, while it’s ok for the most part, though off-beat in pacing from what we’ve seen in previous seasons of the series, I suspect I’ll end up appreciating the whole thing a lot more once it’s all done and I have the opportunity to watch it from beginning to end either on DVD or Netflix. It’s not so much that I don’t like not knowing what’s going on. Mystery is a big part of the intrigue for a show like this. I’m just not sure it’s found its rhythm, or maybe I’m just not feeling it yet. I expect that it'll be clearer when I inevitably revisit the series later.
On the bright side, as mentioned, Gwen and Jack are better than ever and Rex and Esther are excellent additions to the Torchwood team. With only two episodes left, I certainly plan on tuning in to see how all of this ends. Below is a clip from Episode 9, “The Gathering,” which features an tense, smoking Jilly as she learns what’s next for her. Below that is the preview for Friday’s episode.
Torchwood airs Fridays at 10 PM ET/PT on Starz
Relive The Craziest And Goriest Kills From Ash Vs Evil Dead Season 1
Outlander Season 3: What We Know So Far
Watch Luke Cage Stop A Car With His Bare Hands In Brand New Trailer
Why It's OK That Outlander Was Snubbed By The Emmys, According To Starz's CEO | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14484 | ONGo TO SLIDESHOW show comments By Scott Chitwood ON March 10, 2003SHAREStarring:Johnny Depp as George JungPenelope Cruz as MirthaFranka Potente as BarbaraRachel Griffiths as Mrs. JungPaul Reubens as Derek ForealRay Liotta as Fred JungSummary:Blow chronicles the rise and fall of one of America’s pioneers in cocaine smuggling.Story:Blow is based on the true story of George Jung. George grew up in Massachusetts in the 60’s with a hard working father and a demanding mother. Despite his best efforts, George’s father couldn’t make ends meet. Seeing the problems this put his family through, George was determined to never be poor. As a young adult, he traveled to California with a buddy. They soon fell in with a questionable crowd and began smoking pot. Seeing potential to make money, they decided to become pot dealers. George hooked up with Derek Foreal, a local gay hairdresser and drug dealer. They began to make quite a bit of cash. It then escalated when they started transporting marijuana back to the East Coast and selling it there.George was finally caught with 600 pounds of marijuana and was sent to jail. While there, he became schooled in the trafficking of cocaine from Columbia. When he got out of jail, he made plans to start a cocaine smuggling operation into the U.S.. At one point he was responsible for 85% of the cocaine smuggled into the U.S. in the late 70’s and early 80’s. He made millions of dollars quickly and married Mirtha. They had a daughter, and George’s focus and priorities in his life slowly started to shift.When his smuggler partner eventually betrayed him, George decided to end his involvement in drug smuggling and go straight. However, he kept his ties with his old friends and was eventually busted along with them when the FBI came. While in jail, he realized his daughter was the most important thing to him in the world. George finally gets out of jail, but is broke and can’t support his daughter. He makes one last drug run in order get some quick cash.This film is rated R for pervasive drug content and language, some violence and sexuality.What Worked:I think Johnny Depp is one of the best actors out there, and he continues to deliver in this film. He is totally different in every role and he is utterly convincing in making you believe he’s the character he’s portraying on screen. It’s the same in Blow as he plays George Jung. Depp makes George sympathetic, yet you still want to slap him upside the head for blowing his chances to go straight and put his life in order. Jung had absolutely no marketable skills beyond being a drug smuggler. That’s probably why he kept turning to it over and over. Depp is also effective in making us believe he really cares for his daughter, despite the fact that they have very little screen time together. When they are up there at the same time, it’s very emotional.The supporting cast is really good. Paul Reubens shows he can act beyond Pee Wee Herman. You don’t think of that other role at all while he’s on the screen. Ray Liotta makes an amazing transformation from young father to old man as Jung’s dad. He’s also probably the only honorable character in the film. It’s amazing that he keeps accepting his son no matter what he does, yet still shows his disapproval without saying a word. A great performance.Ted Demme does a great job directing. He plays with the camera and lighting quite a bit to give different moods. The parts of the movie set in the 60’s are filmed with that same cinematic style from the era. Other times he gives the characters rather dramatic lighting at major turning points in their lives. It’s funky, but effective.What Didn’t Work:There’s a lot of drug use shown in this film. How could you not show it considering the subject material? However, what was disturbing to me personally was the fact that it seemed to be glorified. People snort cocaine, they act silly, and that’s it. Only once do they show the consequences of it, but it was an extreme example and didn’t seem to get across the point of the danger of casual use. Even more disturbing was the fact that the audience giggled and laughed as the characters did the drugs. It was obvious to me that a lot of the people in the crowd thought it was funny or cool. They didn’t see it as a step in the process of the destruction of the character’s lives.The movie also doesn’t really show why drug smuggling is bad or illegal. We see poor Columbians make money. We see the smugglers revel in their newfound wealth. We see all the great things about being a drug smuggler and only brief glimpses of why it’s bad. When Jung is finally caught, the only lesson learned seems to be “Don’t get caught next time”. There’s no sense that this guy committed a crime, probably was key in ruining a lot of people’s lives, and got what he deserved. In the end his incarceration almost seems unjustified because you’re sympathetic to the guy. Even some of the FBI agents who bust him feel sorry for doing it.Finally, why tell this man’s story? Yes, he’s a colorful character, but all we see is his rise and fall. In the end he’s just a lazy guy that wanted to make a fast buck. He had chances to put his life in order and blew it every time. In the end he was busted and is currently paying the price. The final lesson is that the quick and easy path isn’t always the best one to take. Plenty of other more worthy people out there can probably drive that home.In the end, Blow is a good film, but it’s not one I would necessarily rush out to see. Consider it rated “R” for “Rental”. SHARE TWEET Show CommentsPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. 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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14650 | Knightriders (US - BD RA)
Gabe revisits George Romero's most challenging and personal film...
Feature The members of a traveling Renaissance Faire, who saddle up on motorcycles instead of horses, ride from town to town to stage medieval jousting tournaments with combatants in suits of armor and wielding lances, battle-axes, maces and broadswords. The spectacle of this violent pageant soon garners national attention, much to the dismay of the current king of this Camelot. A challenger to his throne arises as they try to maintain their fairytale existence in a world wrought with corruption. (From Shout Factory’s official synopsis) George A. Romero is, of course, best known for his invention of the modern zombie myth. His name is synonymous with ironic, gory, politically-motivated horror movies. However, like most filmmakers that have found themselves tethered to the genre over the decades, he never really intended on being a horror-centric filmmaker. His non-horror work has proved problematic on both commercial and critical levels, but movies like Season of the Witch, The Crazies, and There’s Always Vanilla offer a purer, more complete understanding of Romero as an artist. His best non-zombie movie, Martin, blends his genre sensibilities with gritty, emotionally-charged, and very personal drama. He touched upon these skills (in a larger arena) for Dawn of the Dead and much less successfully on Monkey Shines, but has otherwise embraced his pulpy roots for his post Martin work. His only other attempt at straight drama was Knightriders, an utter anomaly released between Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow. Knightriders was, like almost all of Romero’s films, produced independently, but it was well-funded with twice the budget of Dawn of the Dead. In interviews at the time, Romero referred to it as a ‘commercial picture’ and, apparently, intended it to be something of a mainstream crossover. But, Romero being Romero, Knightriders is among the most ironic ‘commercial pictures’ ever made. It’s a straight-faced examination of fringe culture with no major stars, no studio backing, and a nearly two and a half hour long runtime. It’s also ultimately a parable about the dangers and evils of commercialism and, because it’s a George Romero movie, the allegory isn’t exactly subtle. The distribution company didn’t do Romero any favours when they created an ad campaign that implied a lot more action than the film delivers, but then, Romero didn’t do himself any favours, either, when he extended his unusual concept to 145 minutes (it’s the single longest movie in his entire filmography). There’s no mistaking that the runtime is excessive, verging on numbing, but this kind of auteurist, uncompromising storytelling is also what we expect from Romero at his best. Even when trying to appeal to a mainstream market, he can’t help but to poke fun at the establishment. The concept originated when he wanted to make an Arthurian legend flick. After being turned down by AIP head Sam Arkoff, Romero made a joke that he probably could’ve sold it if he put the knights on motorcycles and cut the thing to rock and roll music (on this disc’s special features, he claims it was Arkoff’s idea in the first place). It’s likely no coincidence that Arkoff’s former associate, Roger Corman, ended up producing a post-apocalyptic motorcycle gladiator movie called Deathsport that beat Knightriders to theaters by three years. The comment was made in jest, but Romero mulled the idea over a while, during which time he was made aware of the Society for Creative Anachronism. He coupled these modern ‘knights’ with the motorcycle concept to tell an overloaded dramatic story about the futility of old-fashioned moral codes in the modern era, which is itself a very obvious metaphor for the state of motion picture filmmaking in the post-blockbuster era. In Romero’s defense, he does paint his idealistic character, King Billy (Ed Harris) – a clear stand-in for himself – as an unreasonable man. The character relationships depend on the audience buying into these anachronistic games as something genuinely important, but succeed the most when Romero is capturing moments in time that don’t necessarily move the story forward. Scenes where people are just bein’ folks stand out, like a subplot where the troupe’s MC, Pippin (Warner Shook), and the grease monkey, Julie (Christine Forrest, who married Romero on-set), discuss Pippin’s closeted homosexuality. This generates a unique situation where the sequences that would’ve been the easiest to cut end up being the best in the movie, aside from the extended final battle sequence, which occurs without any dramatic stakes. That speed bump aside, I suppose this explains the excessive runtime. The melodrama is typically over-wrought, because Romero operates on an EC comics-level of subtlety, but, even when he’s slamming us over the head with his message, I can’t help but appreciate his take on Americana more than something as undefined as Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider – a movie he was clearly indebted to. The motorcycle stunts are superbly executed and Romero shoots most of them with his camera firmly cemented in place. The process of creating cinematic action via rapid-fire editing instead of dynamic camera movement is a defining visual trait of the director’s work during this era – something he started experimenting with during The Crazies and perfected during Dawn of the Dead. The compositions, made in conjunction with cinematographer Michael Gornick (who he worked with from Martin through Day of the Dead), are uncomplicated, yet thoughtfully structured. Knightriders is more notable as being Ed Harris’ first leading role, but fans will also appreciate that the cast is brimming with Romero regulars, more than any other film in his repertoire. The troupe’s size makes it easy for the director to parade his friends through the movie as if they’re being fed through an off-screen revolving door. Everyone gets a couple of lines too… well, except John Amplas ( Martin), who plays a mime. Video Thanks to its cult reputation, Knightriders has enjoyed a nice life on DVD in both R1 and R2. Arrow also released a Blu-ray in the UK that included a new HD transfer, one our own Marcus Doidge gave a glowing review. In the past, Shout/Scream Factory has been willing to ‘lease’ solid HD transfers from already available discs (verification has eluded me, but I assume they reused transfers from Odeon Entertainment’s Witchfinder General and Image Entertainment’s Assault on Precinct 13). Whatever the source, this is a gorgeous transfer. The film’s lack of budget and age show in occasional grain uptakes and fuzzy moments, but this usually coincides with purposefully soft focus. Otherwise, grit is minimized without being eliminated and artefacts are limited to odd white flecks and a handful of scenes that flicker with scanning lines (one scene a couple of minutes after the one-hour mark stands out in particular). Details are tight, assisted by Romero and Gornick’s use of wide-angle lenses, which ensures background textures are just as crisp as their foreground counterparts. There are some slight edge haloes during the darkest scenes, leading me to believe that the people behind the transfer got a little heavy-handed with the sharpening and/or contrast (something also apparent during the infrequent bouts with black crush). The colours are mostly natural, plenty vivid, and consistent. A few of the foggier scenes show signs of DNR smoothing on skin tones in particular, but, again, I believe this is more the effect of soft focus than digital tinkering. Audio It’s relatively easy to compare this Blu-ray’s transfer to the UK release, based on Marcus’ screencaps, but I have no way of comparing Scream Factory’s DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack to Arrow’s LPCM 2.0 mono. There's only so much to be done with such a track, so it’s probably safe to assume the two tracks are at least similar. The sound quality is limited by the single channel source (Romero also notes that they had problems with production audio a couple of times throughout the commentary track). If I’m honest, I’m going to have to admit that most of Romero’s earlier films weren’t exactly audio design masterpieces. Some scenes have an effective sense of outdoor ambience, like a scene where a church bell rings in the background without overwhelming the discussion, while others are flattened by the roar of motorcycle engines. At worst the track is muddied enough that several engines sound more like one big one and the noise drowns out some of the more intricate foley effects. Donald Rubinstein’s musical score (possibly the best non-Goblin score to ever accompany a George Romero film) is usually still plenty audible when used in conjunction with action moments and gives some of the dialogue-heavy sequences much-needed texture. Rubinstein also plays a part as the troupe’s singer/songwriter. Extras The extras begin with a group commentary that features Romero, actors Tom Savini, Christine Romero and John Amplas, and is moderated by film historian Chris Stavrakis. This track has been making the rounds since the original Anchor Bay DVD release. Its tone is pleasant, like a storytelling session with old friends, and, though the subject matter is sometimes unfocused, there’s a lot of information about the production that isn’t otherwise available. Amplas doesn’t have a whole lot to say, but everyone else is quite talkative and Stavrakis does a decent job steering the conversation back on track when it flips off the rails. The new interviews start with Conscience of the King with Ed Harris (8:10, HD), This is shorter than the interview he did for Arrow’s release, but is still a charming look back at the actor’s career before he was famous. This is followed by Code of Honor with George Romero (17:20, HD), a nice companion piece to the commentary track and older interviews I had been reading in preparation for this review. It covers early pre-production/distribution deals, trying to cast a young Morgan Freeman in Brother Blue’s part, Savini’s performance, the redneck locals’ reaction to Ken Foree’s blackness, stunts, King Billy as an idealized representation of himself, and original marketing problems. The final new interview is Memories of Morgan with Tom Savini (10:20, HD) in which the actor/stuntman/special effects artist discusses his earliest experiences with Romero, finally landing a lead role in a film, making mischief on and off of the set, and the film’s impact. The extras are wrapped up with Savini’s behind-the-scenes footage of the stunts (8:20, HD encoded, VHS quality), trailers, and TV spots. Overall Knightriders might’ve made a better mini-series than a movie, but its episodic, sub-plot-riddled storytelling is the thing that makes it special. There’s certainly no other film quite like it and, excessive runtime issues aside, it is among Romero’s most well made movies. Prospective viewers just need to be made aware that it isn’t the action movie the poster art has implied for three decades now. Shout Factory’s Blu-ray features a wonderful transfer (likely the same one that adorns Arrow’s UK disc), an effective, uncompressed mono soundtrack, and informative extras that include new interviews and the original DVD’s group commentary track. * Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking the individual images, but due to .jpg compression, they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono English
Director/Stars/Critic Commentary, George Romero Interview, Ed Harris Interview, Tom Savini Interview, Behind-the-Scenes Stunt Footage, Trailers, TV Spots
Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Amy Ingersoll, Patricia Tallman, Scott H. Reiniger
Action, Drama and Romance | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14651 | Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Starring Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers, and Lauren Holly
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki
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Review by Dawn Taylor
Because of his immense popularity in his home country, Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke) is often compared to Walt Disney a compliment, one might suppose, if the comparisons apply to the work pioneered by Disney in the '40s and '50s. But while Disney was a visionary, he was mainly a figurehead, dictating his desires to an army of artists and writers who created films at his command. Miyazaki, by comparison, actually writes and designs and directs his films himself; and they are, arguably, much better films that anything ever turned out by the Mouse Factory.
Such could be attributed, perhaps, to the Japanese appreciation for animation as a major art form what many Americans dismiss as mere entertainment for the kiddies is considered an artistic medium worthy of considerable respect and admiration in Japan. At the forefront of modern Japanese animation is Studio Ghibli formed in 1985 to produce Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky, the studio has developed a reputation for creating some of the finest animation in the world. Studio Ghibli has influenced Western animators with their classics-to-be like Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, as well as the celebrated Grave of the Fireflies. But the studio gained the attention of most American audiences with the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature that was presented to Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
Miyazaki's film tells a simple story with the convoluted dream-logic of a child. The foundation of the story is one Miyazaki's favorite themes, that of a young child on the brink of adolescence dislocated from her home and family, having to find strength within herself to complete a quest. Here, it's Chihiro (voiced in the English language version by Daveigh Chase), who's been uprooted by her parents to a new neighborhood. Peeved about leaving her friends and old school behind, Chihiro is further annoyed when her father gets lost on the way to the family's new home and they end up in what Chihiro's parents believe is an abandoned theme park a temple, empty shops, and a vacant restaurant. When the adults stop to help themselves to the offerings at the suspiciously unattended food kiosk, Chihiro wanders around the "theme park," bumping into a spirit who warns her to leave before sundown; when she returns to her parents, however, Chihiro finds that they've been turned into pigs.
In order to get her parents back, Chihiro must make her way through a bizarre and frightening new world. A boy with magic powers, Haku (Jason Marsden), takes her under his wing and helps her get a job so that she a stinky, unwanted "human" can stay in this world and rescue her folks. But she soon learns that Haku is second-in-command to the greedy witch Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), who runs the bath house where Chihiro now works, tending to the needs of any number of strange, frightening and/or comical spirits who make up Yubaba's customers. As she works hard, solves the various problems that are presented to her, and slowly figures out how to save her porcine parents, Chihiro's whiny childishness disappears and she becomes a stronger, more complete person in the process.
At it's essence, Spirited Away is a film about identity. Chihiro is re-christened by Yubaba when she's hired on at the bath house, her name taken from her to ensure her loyalty but Haku warns her to never forget her real name or she'll lose her identity forever. Haku should know, because he isn't what he seems he's really a dragon, a "water spirit" who has forgotten his own name, so he's unable to return home. A mysterious spirit who follows and helps Chihiro turns out to be a menace to the bath house until Chihiro realizes that he's just unhappy, and helps find him a home. And the sort-of evil Yubaba (none of the characters are really 100% good or evil, a striking difference from American animation) has a kindly identical twin sister who treats Chihiro with such kindness that the girl ends up calling her Grandma.
Pixar's John Lasseter acted as executive producer of the English-language version, and it's hard to tell how much he may have glossed over in the translation to a U.S.-friendly film. The spirits who frequent the bath house are so odd and so precise hopping birds and frog-guys and floaty fellows in Kabuki masks and even a Radish Spirit that one gets the sense that these characters probably make complete sense to non-Western audiences. It feels like we're missing the reference somehow. But it's also possible to experience the film through the eyes of Chihiro as she gamely attempts to fit in and get along it's a fairy tale, for heaven's sake, and are Radish Spirits really any weirder than a cat wearing boots or a giant that smells the blood of Englishmen?
Above all else, this slightly surreal tale is being told by Miyazaki, widely considered to be the greatest animator working today. Having reportedly retired after Princess Mononoke, he was inspired to return to animation when he met the young girl who inspired the character of Chihiro (thankfully, he's currently developing yet another film, based on Diana Wynn Jones' book "Howl's Moving Castle"). In an obvious homage to Alice in Wonderland, Chihiro enters her adventure down a rabbit hole well, through a tunnel, actually, but the effect is much the same. Miyazaki's combination of beautifully painted backgrounds, hand-drawn cels, and computer animation fully realizes the potential of big-screen animation everything from weather (clouds blowing, blades of grass swaying, Haku in dragon form whipping along on the wind) to Chihiro's flight as she's pulled off her feet and yanked, inches off the ground, through the length of Yubaba's chambers, is stunningly realized. And when one of the characters is turned into a hamster (which is far too complicated to explain here), the creature is so funny that it elicits laughs every time it's on the screen.
During its two-hour length, Spirited Away contains more characters, ideas, laughs, thrills, and story elements than the last four Disney films combined which is another area where comparison between Miyazaki and the products of the Mouse House falls apart. The third act of Spirited occasionally drags (just a tiny bit), but it still keeps the viewer wondering what will happen around the next corner right at the same time that most Disney films devolve into predictable chase scenes, sappy song-and-dance numbers, and teary reunions. Never boring and never predictable, Spirited Away is already on its way to classic status, standing as an important achievement in the art of animation and far more importantly a damn entertaining flick.
Buena Vista's DVD release of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away is truly beautiful to look at with a pristine anamorphic transfer (1.85:1) . Colors are rich and vibrant, with an almost palpable warmth throughout (corrections have been made since release of an earlier Region 2 DVD which had an overwhelmingly red tint). The English-language audio is crystal clear in Dolby Digital 5.1; also included are the original Japanese language track in DD 5.1 and a French track in Dolby 2.0 Surround.
Disc One starts with Pixar's John Lasseter lecturing how lucky you are to be able to see Spirited Away and shows himself throwing an arm around his good friend Hayao Miyazaki (who looks as if he'd rather be talking to someone else); in addition to the film, there's the featurette "The Art of Spirited Away," a 15-minute, Disney-produced item with soundbites from Miyazaki, Lasseter, Chase, and various writers, animators, and execs wade through the drivel and there's some fun info here, mostly from Miyazaki, who seems like he'd be a hoot to hang out with. Disc Two offers the featurette "Behind the Microphone" (5 min.) focusing on the voice talent for the English language version; the 40-minute featurette "The Making of Spirited Away," a terrific behind-the-scenes special made for Nippon Television (presented with English subtitles); a storyboard-to-screen comparison of the first ten minutes of the film (accessible using the "angle" button on your remote); and the original Japanese theatrical trailers.
Dawn Taylor
Anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1)
Single-sided, dual-layered disc (SS-DL)
Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, Japanese), Dolby 2.0 Surround (French)
English subtitles
Captioning for hearing impaired (English)
Introduction by John Lasseter
Featurette: "The Art of Spirited Away"
Featurette: Behind the Microphone
Nippon Television special "The Making of Spirited Away"
Original Japanese theatrical trailers
Storyboard-to-screen comparison
Keep-case
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© 2003, The DVD Journal | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14662 | Print Email Font ResizeRazzies put bite on 'Twilight' as worst picture Associated PressPosted:
02/24/2013 10:04:01 AM PSTLOS ANGELES -- The "Twilight" team finally has earned some love -- or loathing -- from Team Razzies. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" was picked as last year's worst picture Saturday by the Razzies, an Academy Awards spoof that hands out prizes for Hollywood's lousiest movies on the eve of the Oscars. The finale to the blockbuster supernatural romance dominated the Razzies with seven awards, including worst actress for Kristen Stewart, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, director for Bill Condon and worst screen couple for Lautner and child co-star Mackenzie Foy. Adam Sandler was named worst actor for the raunchy comedy "That's My Boy," his second-straight win after 2011's "Jack and Jill," which swept all 10 Razzie categories a year ago. Pop singer Rihanna won worst supporting actress for the action dud "Battleship." "Twilight" movies had been well represented in Razzie nominations over the years but had not won any key awards there. Razzie voters joke that as with "The Lord of the Rings" finale winning best picture at the Academy Awards, they were waiting for the last "Twilight" flick on which to heap their scorn. Advertisement
"I have a pet theory, which is that the box office on 'Twilight' films is very impressive, but my theory is that instead of 40 million individual girls going to see it, it's 8 million girls going to see it five times each. People who love those movies just adore them," said Razzies founder John Wilson. "I believe the attitude of people who really love 'Twilight' movies toward this subject is very similar to the pomposity with which the Academy Awards addresses the whole rest of the world. Our whole existence is all about making fun of pompous, so 'Twilight' really is right up our alley." The "Twilight" finale also won for worst screen ensemble and worst remake, rip-off or sequel. For worst picture, it beat out "Battleship," ''That's My Boy," the family flick "The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure" and Eddie Murphy's comedy flop "A Thousand Words." Stewart's worst-actress prize came for both "Twilight" and her fairy-tale update "Snow White and the Huntsman." In the five "Twilight" movies, Stewart stars as sullen teen Bella Swan, who falls for ageless vampire hunk Edward Cullen (worst-actor nominee Robert Pattinson) and finds herself at the center of a love triangle with him and her childhood pal, werewolf stud Jacob Black (Lautner). Stewart set a consistent standard of emotional stoniness throughout the "Twilight" movies, Wilson said. "Acting should involve having an expression on your face, and she is blank, other than the morose kind of half-Goth thing her character does," Wilson said. "I didn't realize Snow White and Bella were soul sisters, because of the very limited range of what she can do. I think it was Dorothy Parker who said about Katharine Hepburn that she runs the 'gamut of emotions from A to B.' Kristen Stewart is so expressionless she might as well be a brick wall." Sandler's "That's My Boy," which also won the worst-screenplay Razzie, flopped at the box office and continues a gradual decline in receipts for the comic actor's movies. "He's an enormous star who is on what I call the 'down-alator' of his career," Wilson said. "He's about to step off the same cliff Eddie Murphy stepped off about 10 years ago. Eddie Murphy has never come back, and Murphy is more talented." Print Email Font ResizeReturn to Top BART: Police investigate 'possible stabbing' at Civic Center stationSan Francisco Giants continue to stumble, are blanked 1-0 by Los Angeles DodgersEarthquakes held to scoreless draw with Revolution • Article commenting rules of the road | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14720 | The Director's Guidance on "Parental Guidance" — Interview with Andy Fickman
Vincent DiCaro
Just before Christmas, we had the pleasure of speaking with Andy Fickman, director of the new film Parental Guidance, in theaters now, starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, and Tom Everett Scott. Crystal and Midler play Tomei’s character’s parents, and are grandparents to her and her husband’s three children. Mom and dad have to go away for the weekend, and they struggle with leaving the kids with their grandparents. Much intergenerational hilarity ensues, driven by the great comedic acting of Crystal and Midler.
The film does a great job of exploring issues around parenting, grandparents, and marriage. Take a look at what the film’s director had to say about it. We are hopeful his wisdom, insights, and humor will inspire you to go see the film this weekend!
On if this film was personal:
Andy Fickman: I’m a father, I have a 15-year-old son, and I think every day on the set you are bringing your personal life into it... It became a very personal journey for me…
On if he was going in trying to make a “fatherhood film”: AF: Billy and I spoke so much in development about fathers… we are a little bit in this weird position because, look what the mother lovingly does. The mother helps carry the child in her womb, she goes through all the physical changes while we sit on the couch, she goes through labor, breastfeeds and has that maternal bond that is so beautiful and so specific that every dad knows the look on a child’s face when the child sees the mother. Every dad knows that moment of lighting up, you know, “The nurturer is coming!” So for dads, we have that weird pace, which is, am I the dad who comes home from my 9 to 5 job, and I’ve got my one hour of story time? So entering [into the movie we wanted to explore] what are [dads] hoping to pass on to our children, and what are they learning that they are then going to pass down to their children?
On how his relationship with his dad affected the themes of the film: AF: My father passed away when I was 16 and I was very lucky that I had an uncle who became a surrogate, and I have three older brothers who became surrogates. But to this day my brothers and I talk about how lucky we were that our father provided such a role model for us, from education to social issues. So our challenge to us is we always feel like our responsibility is we have to pass down to our children what our father probably would have continued passing down to his grandchildren.
On the struggles grandparents sometimes face:
AF: Especially with the stuff in the movie where Billy is really struggling, he has some incredibly personal moments. The hardest thing to admit to anybody is that “I am not comfortable around my grandchildren” or “I don’t know how to talk to them.” I think those are very real things, and what we found throughout promoting the movie how many grandparent or parents have said that just because you have the title of parent or grandparent certainly does not mean you are comfortable with that title or that your relationship with your offspring is always a healthy one.
On helicopter parenting:
AF: That helicopter style of parenting is a very different world. There are whole stores dedicated to just early development of your child, and it’s great. But you also think about the classic line, “I was pretty sure I was just happy with a cardboard box.”
On if things really are better today for parents and kids:
AF: I remember we were talking on set one day about how great people are these days with health. True, I said, but make no mistake, all throughout history and all over the world, there are still kids born in a grass hut… So I definitely feel like it’s hard not to look a little like the marketing sham sometimes in modern society, where if we can come up with something, like the Snuggies commercial. “If putting on a bathrobe is too difficult for you, you need a Snuggies!” They’ll show commercial for things for children, where they’ll be like, “Tired of your child constantly falling off the bed? You need the new Bed Guard 2000!” That’s where we’ve gotten as a society, so when you put those generations together, it’s easy for them to Clint Eastwood squint their eyes at you and wonder, “Really, is that what you need?”
On the importance of strong marriages:
AF: From the very beginning, what we wanted to deal with was reality, and anybody’s who’s in a relationship knows that children can pose challenges. And what the husband and wife are dealing with is, I think, so universal. “What do I do for an hour of intimacy?” One of my favorite moments in the movie is when Tom grabs Marisa and takes her out on the patio and the kids are going crazy in the kitchen and he gives her a kiss, and she says, “Oh, that’s like a mini-date!”
Even his grandparents are talking and it’s very real. You don't get the impression that these are couples on the verge of divorce lawyers and dealing with the nastiness. You get the impression that these are two couples who are dealing with life and not always making great decisions, and just because I’m your spouse doesn’t mean I have to support you, and yet I am supporting you.
On the central importance of the relationship between mom and dad for the well being of kids: AF: Bette has a line that a lot of people have really responded to when Marisa says to her, “You always take dad’s side.” And Bette says, “Yes, because children leave, and I’m gonna be left with him. You hit college and you said goodbye and your father stayed.” And I think that is so relatable to people.
Bette also says to Marisa, “You need to go and show your husband that you support him and believe in him and you want to be with him.” And Marisa’s character is coming up with so many excuses, the children being the entire excuse – the children, the children, the children. And Bette and Billy are saying, you aren’t even giving us a chance; you are assuming we are going to fail with your kids… In those moments, Bette’s trying to point out, especially in a marriage, that the one night away or those two nights away… you really need it. Two people are in love, they are human and sometimes it’s nice to be in that hotel where the phone’s not ringing, the kids aren’t screaming, and I think that’s important for those relationships, because as we all know, happy parents returning home are only going to be that much better for the kids.
On intergenerational parenting challenges:
AF: The three grandchildren are so raised to be a certain way that when they see the behavioral attitude changes that their grandparents bring to the house, it’s confusing for them because then, are they going to get in trouble with mom and dad for eating the cake. I think that’s what a lot of people deal with because there’s always the sense of, when you’re a kid, you always want to be around your grandparents, because they’re like, “Here's $10.” And you’re like, “Yay!”
On what he wants today’s dads to take away from the film:
AF: It’s twofold. One is a reminder to dads that we do play a part, we do have a role, and that role never changes. It’s easy to say, let your mom handle that, but it’s important that we’re handling that as well.
And I think it’s also that we have different experiences that we are bringing to the table, and a child lucky enough to have both a mother and father can give them different pieces of wisdom. There’s that great moment in the movie where Billy’s watching baseball with his daughter and it’s a really sweet scene because you can imagine what it was like when she was 11 years old and he says, and then you got all girly on me… So hopefully that’s the sort of thing that we can not escape but continue in trying to learn their world as much as ours.
Get tickets to the very family-friendly and funny, Parental Guidance, rated PG.
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Photo credits: Phil Caruso - TM and © 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation andWalden Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Not for sale or duplication.
parental guidance,
billy crystal,
andy fickman,
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If you really want to help please just ask Oliver Cyriax' what happened to the NATC EI family law reform project? oliver@cyriax.co.uk The Father Factor Blog > Everything You Need to Serve Fathers. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14882 | Nunsense Jamboree
When: Fridays, Aug. 12, and Aug. 19, and Saturdays, Aug. 13, and Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m.
Where: The Majestic Theatre, Cartier St., Manchester
Tickets: Cost $18 ($15 for seniors and $12 for kids under 17)
More info: Call 669-7469 or visit
www.majestictheatre.net
Fun nuns
Majestic presents the third Nunsense production
08/11/11 For the fifth time in as many years, the Majestic Theatre will perform a show based on the lovable sisters of Nunsense, making the theater one of the few in the state that has performed multiple chapters of a particular show. Nunsense Jamboree, which is the third installment of the musicals written by Dan Goggins, will open on Friday, Aug. 12. The plot of this musical was alluded to in the previous two installments, which tell of Sister Mary Amnesia, who, once she regained her memory, dreamed of becoming a country singer. In this performance, Sister Mary Amnesia’s dream is realized as she headlines a new show promoting her debut album, I Could Have Gone to Nashville. The show features original songs like “We Miss You, Patsy Cline” and “Every Day of the Week is a Saturday.” The musical stars Rebecca Rush as Sister Mary Amnesia. Rush has brought this character to life in other performances and directed the Nunsense Christmas Musical: Nuncrackers, which was performed last December.
“She is really energetic and does her normal excellent job bringing the character to the stage,” said Robert Dionne, director of Nunsense Jamboree and artistic director at the Majestic Theatre.
Dionne said the Majestic has been able to show so many different chapters of Nunsense because the audience really enjoys the shows. “Attendance drives what we do,” Dionne said. He said the Majestic also benefited from the fact that it produces an entire season of shows in-house, so it is able to take a risk on a smaller-cast musical production like Nunsense. Other theater companies, which may only do two or three shows a year, might not take the risk because they’d worry about ticket sales. The Majestic, according to Dionne, has a great subscription base, and people have really enjoyed previous performances of Nunsense.
Dionne said these shows are so popular because in the area, especially Manchester, there is a huge Catholic population that can relate to the outrageous situations the nuns find themselves in. Dionne said while the show is timely now, he wonders how it will play 15 to 20 years from now, as everyday interaction with nuns continues to decline.
“The number of nuns is dwindling and a lot of nuns don’t dress in traditional garb, so you wouldn’t know they were nuns,” Dionne said. “As a result, more and more people aren’t seeing nuns on a regular basis.” Of course, even if that is true, Dionne said the musicals are so much fun there will be always be an audience. He said even people who aren’t religious would enjoy the shows because both the songs and the writing are so comical. He said funny songs sung by nuns are always good for a laugh. And new audience members don’t have to worry: the beginning of Nunsense Jamboree has a brief recap of what happened in the previous shows. Dionne said if you have seen them, your rich background knowledge will only help, but it is not necessary. Lending testament to that is the fact the Majestic hasn’t even presented all the shows in order. While it has previously shown Nunsense I and Nunsense II, it performed the Christmas special and the Nunsense trip to Las Vegas before showing the third in line. “It is great because all of the shows are similar but they all have their own niche,” Dionne said. Since the Majestic has put on so many performances, it has an established list of possible cast members, which ensures the high quality of the shows.
®2016 Hippo Press. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14884 | Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall
Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson in "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' producers Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen talk Coulson, Joss & more
How involved will Joss be? How many comic book characters will appear?
Alan Sepinwall @Sepinwall | Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 8:40 AM
No new show this fall comes with more hype than “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” It’s a spin-off of the global blockbuster “The Avengers.” It’s the first big push into TV for the current incarnation of Marvel. And it’s co-created by a fellow named Joss Whedon, whose prior TV shows — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly” in particular — have made him like unto a god among certain segments of TV fandom.
Joss will not, however, be the primary showrunner on “S.H.I.E.L.D.” When asked back at press tour how involved he’ll be, Whedon candidly said, "As much as an executive producer can while he's also making a movie ("The Avengers: Age of Ultron")." The day-to-day work will fall to other producers, including TV vet (and former “Angel” producer) Jeffrey Bell, Whedon’s brother Jed Whedon and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen, both of whom worked with Joss on “Dollhouse” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.”
The series is centered around Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson from the Marvel films — and whose presence after seemingly dying in “The Avengers” will be an ongoing mystery — as he assembles a new team to deal with this strange new world, including Ming-Na Wen as reluctant fighter Melinda May, Brett Dalton as tactical specialist Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as hacker Skye, and Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge as Fitz and Simmons, the resident adorable bickering scientists.
At press tour, I spoke with Jed Whedon and Tancharoen about the origins of the TV show (which debuts on Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. on ABC), the layers of bureaucracy involved in making a Marvel TV show for Disney and ABC, how much the show will incorporate pre-existing comic book characters, and a lot more.
So how much did you guys know about S.H.I.E.L.D.? You both have nerd knowledge, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. heyday was mainly in the 60s. Before the movies started, did you have much of a background with them?
Jed Whedon: Not before the movies. We got into it through Coulson. But then as we've been working with Joss and watching the movies, we've learned more about the history of it and how deep it goes.
Maurissa Tancharoen: And now that we’re actually working on the show, we are back in college — Marvel college, I would say.
Jed Whedon: Exactly.
So you're going back and reading (Jim) Steranko and things like that?
Maurissa Tancharoen: Yes.
Jed Whedon: We have a lot of material in our office that we'll never get through all of.
So the movie comes out and is this enormous world-changing hit. It's decided that there's going to be a show. Were you guys brought in before or after it was decided that it was going to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. show? I'm just wondering about that specific decision.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Actually it wasn't specifically a S.H.I.E.L.D. show initially. Joss signed up to do “Avengers 2” and then also there was the whole TV deal. And they said, "We need a show from you." And he said, "Well, how do I do that?"
Jed Whedon: And there was talk about different projects, and he started talking to us at some point about it when he thought about it being a S.H.I.E.L.D. show I don't know exactly where in the process we started talking about it. But then we went to ABC with him.
But were you guys part of the decision? There's so much of the Marvel universe out there that could have been done on a TV budget; why was the was made specifically for S.H.I.E.L.D. as opposed to, say, Power Man and Iron Fist?
Jed Whedon: They've obviously been tossing around lots of different properties and thinking about doing things to do. But I think the thing that appealed to everybody and to (Jeph) Loeb and Joss and us was the idea of real people, and that seemed achievable on television. You don't have all the money that they have in the films so it's hard to have a superhero flying around every week.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Also, the stories they can do with S.H.I.E.L.D. lends itself to more of a procedural model, which I think was appealing for the network and us. And the human face within all of the movies was Coulson, and now we're forming a team around him. People who aren't Marvel fans will come tune into the show because it is about people.
Other then Coulson, who was created for the movies, everyone in here is a new character. You didn't take Jasper Sitwell or Mockingbird or any pre-existing characters with S.H.I.E.L.D. ties. If you'd wanted to pick from actual Marvel S.H.I.E.L.D. characters, could you have, or was the mandate to do new people?
Jed Whedon: That was our decision. Whenever we want to use a Marvel character, there's a process. There are a lot of people involved. We just really wanted to create just a team around Coulson of new faces, and to feel like something new that you were coming to that you could get to know, and flesh out the people that we thought he needed around him. So it just naturally fell that way. And then we always thought that down the road, if there is an opportunity maybe somebody could become someone, or we could bring someone — in that door’s always open.
With a team show, often there's the one point of view character. But you've got at least a couple here. Because Ward is new to working with Coulson and Skye is new to dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Jed Whedon: Well, we always talk about Skye as the audience’s in, because everybody else knows the world of S.H.I.E.L.D., so she's a great character to have because then she can ask what's going on here and we can explain it to her in a natural way while also explain it to the audience.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Each of them are skilled in their own way and we did want to do this thing where we bring this rag tag team together as a family. And Coluson was the perfect centerpiece for these specific people. He has history with May, which is nice. And she's a black ops agent in the way that Ward is, but she's a little bit damaged and she's more of a veteran. And Ward, we were bringing him into the fold where he's never ever worked with people before. And then we have Fitz/Simmons, who were the youngest of the crew. And they're geniuses in their own right. And then of course, yeah, Skye.
Jed Whedon: And one of the things we love about Coulson's character is that he's always been the everyman. He was the guy in a suit in the movie about Iron Man. We think that he's very identifiable for the audience. So I wanted to surround him with normal people like him who were very good at their job.
You said before that whenever you want to use an established character, it's a process; Marvel's this big machine. Working with characters you've created, how much autonomy do you have to make this show? Or are there layers and layers of bureaucracy you're going through to do everything?
Maurissa Tancharoen: There's some rules, yeah.
Jed Whedon: There's some. There are some rules, but part of the process of figuring this out has been finding out what those rules are and where we can live between them. We always talk about how vast the Marvel universe is, so you're not very limited. Obviously if it's a huge name, they'd probably flag it for a feature and we aren't going to get him for one week of television. But there's plenty of characters. We also can work the other way in terms of coming up with stories we want to tell and then asking Marvel, "Do you have a guy who does that thing that we're talking about?" So J. August Richards in the pilot is playing a new character, but we should be expecting to see familiar people from the comics cycling through at various points?
Maurissa Tancharoen: Yes. Absolutely.
Jed Whedon: I think we should.
You've talked before about how ABC and Marvel and you all wanted to do a procedural format. One of the issues with “Dollhouse” was Fox wanted a procedural, and I didn't get the sense that any of you necessarily did. And certainly the best moments of that show were when you abandoned the procedural and went for the dystopia. What did you guys learn from that process that you can apply here? Maurissa Tancharoen: “Dollhouse” was a unique show, in that a procedural model might not have worked for it. But with this, we will have a challenge of the week, a case of the week. And we will do a balance of both. The mythology will be woven throughout. I think with the history within the Marvel universe of S.H.I.E.L.D. and just the entire universe in general, mythology will be nicely weaved in throughout that.
Jed Whedon: There's no escaping the serialized elements of the show, because they have to be there. Marvel's done such a great job with taking all these movies and putting them together.
Maurissa Tancharoen: And a huge question already in the front of all of this is how is Coulson still alive? So that of course is something we're going to answer over time.
And you also have a situation where people who know the comics will have their theories. There are people who have already decided Coulson is a Life Model Decoy, and others who don’t know anything from the comics at all. How do you deal with those expectations, because we don’t know who is necessarily going to be the bulk of your audience?
Jed Whedon: That's true. From the beginning we've talked about how the journey for him of finding that out and for the audience of the finding that out has to be what's exciting. Because someone will guess an answer and whatever it is, it has to be about that journey, so it's not about answering the question — it's about asking more questions and dragging him through it.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Right. I like to think that it's an existential crisis but with a Marvel spin into it. And Coulson's the perfect guy to put through that, I think.
Speaking about expectations, you're aware, based on Joss's track record, that everyone is already assuming one of Fitz or Simmons will be horribly, horribly killed, and soon.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Right.
Jed Whedon: We will… No comment.
The inevitable question is if Joss is doing a million things right now, how available is he on this? And how much is just the two of you?
Jed Whedon: Well, fortunately we're related to him.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Right. So there's no hesitation in calling him if we have a question or if we have a concern. But he's very much involved and we live in the future where we can be in touch with each other within a snap.
Jed Whedon: It's not to say that he doesn't have a lot on his plate, but he also has a very big plate. So he's able to handle a lot of it and he's definitely weighing in a lot on story and making sure that the boat is steered in the right direction. But he is, you know, very busy. He has another small property that he's dealing with.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Yeah. He won't necessarily be there on the day to day but his presence is always there.
Speaking of living in the future, in the 1960s heyday of S.H.I.E.L.D., the whole point was it was future spy tech. The flying car was a much bigger deal; a lot of those gadgets were a huge deal. It was James Bond without a budget. 50 years later, how do you take that concept and make both the tech and what they're doing cool given how many other high-tech crime fighting teams there are on television and in the cinema?
Maurissa Tancharoen: I like to think that, again, it's putting the Marvel spin to what you already expect and just turning it up a notch.
Jed Whedon: And also one of the things that we think about the whole “not all heroes are super” concept is it's not necessarily about the gadget. You're going to see a gadget; you've seen a gadget. But it's about a person using the gadget and what it's like to be that person who gets to use the gadget. And the fun of that is something at play that Bond never reacts when he uses a laser watch. But we have people who can be like, “That's a cool laser watch.” So we think there's fun there.
The Richards character, Mike, gives this big speech at the end of the pilot that gives voice to what it would feel like to be an everyday person in a world where the events of the “Avengers” movie happened. How much of that is going to be a through line of the series?
Maurissa Tancharoen: Well, our tag is "Not all heroes are super." There are lot of expectations with a show about both audiences meeting in the middle: the Marvel audience and ABC audience. I think at its core, the show is about being human. And everybody knows what that feels like and what that's like. I think in our show, we're able to amplify that feeling and that struggle a little bit because it is about being human in a world where people are superhuman. Mike is a perfect example of that in the pilot. And I think that that will continue throughout the series. It is about the little guy; it is about living in a world of feeling less than.
Jed Whedon: It's a relatable mission statement that we think if we can ground stories in that human element, that even when things become inhuman, people will be reacting to it as though it's what it is, which is insane.
Well, some comics deal with it, but for the most part if you're living in the Manhattan of the Marvel universe most people's reaction is just, “Get out of here Spiderman, you bum!” And I feel like if what happened in the Avengers movie happened, people would be freaking out for a really long time.
Jed Whedon: Right. There was an alien invasion and that changes the world. The whole world changes that day. So a lot of it is the fallout of that and dealing with what it's like to live in that world.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Yeah. People's eyes are now open. And it does make S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job a lot harder as far as living in the shadows and keeping everything secret, because everything's exposed.
Jed Whedon: And their job descriptions changed a little bit from keeping everything under wraps to helping people through this and helping them deal with the changing world of superheroes, monsters and gods.
You've talked about trying to have the Marvel audience and ABC audience meet in the middle. This is an “Avenger” spinoff. The Avengers are not in it. Most people remember Coulson but maybe not everybody will see Clark’s face and think “superheroes.” What are your expectations for who's coming, and what they're going to feel when they tune in? The ads are going to be hyping Avengers and they're going to be seeing S.H.I.E.L.D.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Right. We are of course open to any opportunity to have people from the movies come in and out. We can't depend on that. We always joke that maybe we'll have an episode where the entire episode will be like, “Oh my God, you just missed Iron Man!”
Jed Whedon: “Oh, look at the mist trail!” “Oh, Thor was here, and he had his shirt off!” But we worked very hard to make the pilot something that would be exciting despite the expectations. And one of the things that we're trying to do initially is drop you into a world that's fantastic and out of the ordinary but immediately grounded in the characters to keep people coming back. Because we don't have two hundred plus million dollars for every hour of the movie so we have to…
Maurissa Tancharoen: We don’t?
Jed Whedon: It turns out we don't. So we're trying to make sure that we get the hook in with the people that will come back to see. And then we can put them in any situation and hopefully they'll enjoy watching it.
The budget seems like something sustainable, rather than the “Lost” pilot, where it’s so obviously more expensive than you’ll be able to do weekly. Jed Whedon: Yeah. The way we talk about it is if this was a monster movie, we're not going to be with the monster trouncing through the city, we're going to be next to his foot when it lands and dealing with the building that got crushed. And we tried to make the pilot where you're seeing that same world but through a different lens.
And have you had a lot of discussions about what superpowers are cheap and which are not too cheap?
Maurissa Tancharoen: Every day.
Give me examples. What's a cheap superpower to put in a TV show?
Maurissa Tancharoen: Can we even list these examples?
Jed Whedon: Mind control is very cheap.
Maurissa Tancharoen: Dreams and wishes.
Jed Whedon: The ability to swallow quickly. We obviously have to be practical about what we do and the ideas we come up with. But we don't feel limited and if we want to do something that seems crazy it's our job to come up with a creative way to do it where it doesn't break the bank and we can see it from a different angle.
You said before that there are certain rules with Marvel in terms of the property. Which of the rules can you actually tell me about in terms of what you can’t do?
Jed Whedon: Well, just there's a lot of a Marvel characters who originated in different comics and different properties are owned by different studios and all sorts of stuff like that.
Maurissa Tancharoen: There's that, and there's also characters who might be appearing in something else.
Jed Whedon: So that is everything we can say.
Okay. Hypothetically speaking, they give you the rights to Taskmaster. They say, “Taskmaster is yours; we're not going to use him in ‘Avengers,’ we're not going to use him in ‘Iron Man.’” Could you do anything you wanted with Taskmaster or would there still be some limits on it?
Jed Whedon: Well, you want to be true to the comics. One of the things they were very good at in the movies is if they break the rules or break the mythology, they'll at least nod at it. We want to be true to that stuff, but we're also going to be just creative and that's one of the advantages to having all new characters is there are no rules. Maurissa Tancharoen: Yeah, I definitely feel in the Marvel cinematic universe and now ours, Marvel Comics has such a history there is sort of a level of respect throughout all the areas…
Jed Whedon: Respect must be paid.
There are some winks in the pilot, including one to a character that Marvel does not currently have the live-action film rights to. So how carefully do you have to walk that line of throwing in Easter eggs without making the hypothetical ABC audience feeling like they're missing something?
Jed Whedon: It's like in a medical show. You don't know what they're saying ever, but it makes them seem like they're good at their jobs. And if we can make the Easter eggs feel like it's fleshing out the world, then I think we've done our job. But if it's just a word and there's a long beat and the music stops and only half the audience goes, "Yeah" and the other half goes "What does that mean?," then we've failed miserably.
Before this movie, Joss had a lot of success in TV, but it was a cult level of success. With the ratings “Buffy” and “Angel” got, they wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long on ABC. Superhero shows or even superhero-adjacent shows have a mixed track record. What exactly are you guys expecting and what is ABC expecting especially putting you up against “NCIS”?
Maurissa Tancharoen: As far as comparing it with other superhero shows, I think ours is different in that it's about the people living within a superhero world. Hopefully that makes it more accessible and relatable and people will tune in who don't care about superheroes. As far as being up against “NCIS,” that is a question we get a lot. Jed Whedon: We're just trying to make a show we like. If we start thinking about the expectations we'll curl up into a small ball. So we're just trying to make it into something that we would find entertaining. And the opportunity we have is because of the Marvel brand, which has emotion and action but also has humor, which we've really latched onto as sort of the centerpiece that will bring everybody in. You know, the fourth-grader and his mom will both enjoy the show for different reasons but they'll laugh at the same jokes. And while she might be there for the emotional character stuff and he might be there for the gadget, we're hoping they're both there.
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com Related 8 horror movies actually worth being excited for in 2016
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Joss Whedon, Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, The Avengers
HeavyRaines17
Great interview. I love Whedon so I'll definitely be there, but it sounds like Marissa and Jed have a good handle on things.I would love to see them get creative with this model, kind of like how the first X-Files movie was. It would be awesome to see a season finale that leads into the next Marvel movie, then the next season premiere pick up after the events of the movie.
August 29, 2013 at 12:38PM EST
Humnew (guest)
Wait. Agent Coulson isn't dead?This feels a like a spoiler.
August 29, 2013 at 7:32PM EST
carey_adams
Not sure if serious.
Swearin (guest)
I'm calling it now, Coulsen will have been resurrected by Dr. Strange or some magical artifact
- nerd hat off -
September 7, 2013 at 6:09PM EST
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14893 | Samuel L. Jackson worried 12 Years A Slave limits racism to the past GeneralNews Share
Feb 1, 2014 Hollywood icon Samuel L. Jackson is concerned the popularity of historical drama 12 Years A Slave has distracted audiences from the racism that is still prevalent in modern America. Steve McQueen’s film is based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York who was captured and sold into slavery in the 19th century.
The movie has been a critical and commercial hit and is tipped for glory at the 2014 Academy Awards in March (14) after receiving nine nominations.
But while Jackson is pleased at the response to the film, he worries that it limits American racism to the past and allows audiences to avoid confronting the discrimination that plagues the country to this day.
He tells Britain’s The Times, “America is much more willing to acknowledge what happened in the past. We freed the slaves! It’s all good! But to say, ‘We are still unnecessarily killing black men’ – let’s have a conversation about that.”
The Avengers star suggests that last year’s (13) Fruitvale Station, a film about the real-life events that led to the death of young African-American Oscar Grant at the hands of California police in 2009, makes more relevant points about the issues of racism.
He says, “It (Fruitvale Station) explains things like the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the problems with (popular police practice) stop and search, and is much more poignant.”
Florida teen Martin hit headlines in 2012 when the unarmed black youth was shot by Neighbourhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman. The shooter was acquitted of murdering the kid during a high-profile trial last year (13). | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14912 | Jeff Bridges: A Unique American Icon
Jeff 'The Dude' Dowd
Los Angeles-based writer/producer
From Patrick Goldstein's blog, "The Big Picture": I used to be somebody, now I'm somebody else" is a self-pitying lament from Bad Blake, the washed-up country singer who struggles to find his heart and soul, exquisitely portrayed by Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart.
For movie-goers, who have been cinematically blessed watching Jeff Bridges for nearly four decades in 65 movies, "I used to be somebody, now I'm somebody else" is a reminder of how Jeff Bridges has fully inhabited such a wide array of characters and authentically captured their essence with a full palette of shades from light to dark. Bridges has taken us through a mosaic of perspectives of the uniquely American experience.
After four Academy Award nominations, it looks like Jeff Bridges may finally be singing late into the night with his new friend Oscar. Critical acclaim has been unanimous. Awards for his outstanding performance, like the best actor award from his peers in the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globe, have been rolling down Bridges' lane faster than bowling balls. Yet there's something about the appeal of Jeff Bridges and the characters he creates that goes deeper than his engaging performances, good looks, charm, humor, heart, brains and acting chops. That was the mystery that I may have stumbled into figuring out with a little help from my friends. Let's flashback.
I vividly remember the first time I encountered Jeff Bridges in his big screen debut in The Last Picture Show, adapted from Larry McMurtry's small Texas town classic American book by director Peter Bogdanovich. Bridges was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his measured portrayal of Duane Jackson. It was the first time that Jeff didn't come home with an Oscar -- it was awarded to fellow cast member Ben Johnson for playing "Sam the Lion," the mythological local Yoda Texan of his day. Last Picture Show was the first of many movies with Bridges that shed cinematic light on forever-changing America. A new generation of directors recognized Jeff Bridges could shape-shift into exceptional characters while creating iconic Americans the same way directors Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, John Ford and Preston Sturges did in their time with the likes of Jimmy Stewart, Joel McCrea, Henry Fonda and John Wayne -- fellows who you could have a drink with and come away with something.
On Duane's final night in Anarene, Texas, before he heads off for the Korean War, his buddy Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) takes him to the last picture show at the Royal Theatre, which is going out of business. The next morning, Duane dresses in his Army uniform, hands the car keys to his prized Mercury coupe over to Sonny. "Take care of her until I get back," he says as he is about to get on the Trailways bus and innocently ship out to war. Duane's last line is "See you in a year or two if I don't get shot." When asked which of the great characters he has played people like most, Bridges exhales a laugh in B flat and exclaims "The Dude, of course!" The curious nature of Lebowski's laid-back Dude becoming so beloved is what gave me a clue to solve the mystery of a deeper connection Jeff was making with people.
Up until 1998 I was moved and entertained by Jeff Bridge's performances like everyone else. Then I got a phone call. Even though Jeff Bridges and I were both born only two weeks apart in California, it was Joel and Ethan Coen who mischievously crossed our stars while mixing up their "Dude ... or His Dudeness ... Duder ... or El Duderino, if, you know, you're not into the whole brevity thing..." creating an unforeseen stellar Dude cocktail which somehow would continue to burn beyond anyone's imagination, fueled by comedy as highly combustible as silver nitrate in film stock.
The Coens were making The Big Lebowski with John Goodman and Jeff Bridges. But I didn't know who was going to play my persona "The Dude." Size-wise I'm on the cusp -- it could go either way. If it was John Goodman I feared that Joel and Ethan would be taking fully-loaded satirical pot shots at some Hollywood wacko. I'm a big and easy target. But I felt reassured when I learned it was Jeff Bridges who was going to play "The Dude," because he always gets to the soul of a character -- so figuring in two heaping spoonfuls of Joel and Ethan Coen's cynicism and two slices of wry humor with Jeff at the wheel I might get lucky and be portrayed sympathetically as a fun, likable fool, not a total fool (I'm on the cusp on that one, too).
The Dude in The Big Lebowski is not my story. It is Joel and Ethan taking a lot of of liberty with Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain's Los Angeles crime dramas, which they fashioned into a buddy movie where most everything goes wrong while pumping the film full of laughing gas and an occasional acid trip. What remains of me that even my friends were impressed and amused by was how Jeff Bridges' Dude captured my body language, camaraderie, rebellious spirit, hang-loose style, mumbled ironic opinions and even my recurring flying dream. Joel and Ethan, who enjoy stacking the deck against their characters, chose to pan past my active real life and have more fun making the Dude an ill-prepared burnt-out slacker: "Quite possibly the laziest [man] in Los Angeles County, which would place him high in the runnin' for laziest worldwide." How and why did this laid-back Dude become so admired and respected?
Even though Bridges had been doing it on screen for decades, when spending time on the set of The Big Lebowski, I saw how Jeff was always as much of a supporting actor as a supported actor. Bridges' down-home professionalism and desire and ability to connect with other great character actors like John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman are what make so many scenes in The Big Lebowski enjoyable to watch again and again even if you don't watch the whole movie -- you can watch a scene or sequence and get all the laughs you need for the day. That's one reason it has become the default pop-in-and-out movie of choice on many team and band buses and planes, and a fun and familiar rest stop for weary channel surfers.
While doing shows, speaking and hanging out I have met a very diverse group of people who have shared with me a multitude of reasons why they like The Big Lebowski. But what I couldn't figure out for a long time is all the folks who say to me, "Dude. You are an inspiration. You changed my life." Of course by "you," they mean Jeff Bridges' doppelganger Dude in the movie. But I wondered what it was in the Dude, a former activist who has become a pot-smoking, bowling slacker -- not exactly an inspiring role model -- that appeals to not only college students, but professionals of all ages, soldiers and families. Much of that can be attributed to Bridges' performance. Yet when I inquire, the answer goes beyond that and to why they lionize the Dude: "The Dude isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He's his own man." In a world where so many of us are muzzled at home, school or work, we appreciate the Dude "looking out for all us sinners," as Sam Elliott's cowboy says in the film.
It probably all starts with the mystery of Jeff Bridges and his deeper appeal. He has often played an everyman up against all odds "helping us see through the illusions of our world" -- holy fools, who enlighten us frequently while tickling our funny bones. For decades, Bridges has been an ever-changing mythological all-American Holy Fool fulfilling the role for us that every culture in history has created because we need those folks around to make sense of our world and our brief time upon it.
If we give the body of Jeff Bridges' work the old Martian or E.T. test -- what would a space alien's impression be of America and its people be if they only watched Jeff Bridges movies? -- I think it would be a helluva a portrait: emotionally deep, textured, complex and ironic, often burning a mythological flame beneath. The body of Jeff Bridges' America is broad and diverse as well as wonderfully specific in the characters he has played and the world they live in. We may not be at all like most of the characters, but what they need, how they discover and attain it has universal appeal.
Bridges captured the transitional spirit of the '70s in films like John Huston's Fat City, the whimsical Rancho Deluxe and Hearts of the West, Stay Hungry and the conspiratorial Winter Kills, with John Huston playing Bridges' big business father in a cautionary tale about the danger of health care conglomerates made three decades ago. In 1980s, Bridges broad range went from dark in Cutter's Way to light in his lovable Starman. Jeff, his brother Beau and Michelle Pfeiffer were intimate, delightful and delicious in The Fabulous Baker Boys.
In the last decade of the 20th century, Bridges contends with Robin Williams' Holy Fool in Terry Gilliam's wild and extraordinary The Fisher King, does some of the best acting of his career in Peter Weir's Fearless and gets a lot of laughs in The Big Lebowski while telling it like it is. In the new millennium he has played a president in The Contender, Kevin Spacey's shrink in K-Pax and Seabiscuit's dedicated owner, who helps the equine hero restore hope to America during the Great Depression. Crazy Heart ties the room together with Jeff's nuanced and powerful performance, which Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan calls "the capstone role of his career." Even if you are turned off by hard-drinking country musicians, don't miss Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, which will fire up your heart and soul.
I believe that what goes around comes around, and after supporting so many others, I think Oscar may be coming back around your way, Dude! I can't help but wonder how much Jeff's stable relations, starting with his parents and brother and continuing with his wife Susan, have to do with his friendly nature, success and, dare I say, happiness. I can reflect on Bob Dylan's lyrics from "The Man in Me" that the extraordinary songwriter, singer, producer and music supervisor T Bone Burnett chose to put in The Big Lebowski:
"Take a woman like you, to find the man in me. But, oh, what a wonderful feeling."
Jeff Bridges has become an American icon who has played unique characters in film after film that probe deep into the American psyche and condition. He fulfills the sacred function of the artist, saint, jester and the Holy Fool: helping us see through the illusions of the world. Jeff Bridges has helped us remember and realize that all the great things about life and its cast of characters and his films empower us with enough emotional fuel to take on yet another challenging day.
Follow Jeff 'The Dude' Dowd on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/jeffthedudedowd
Careers Movies The Oscars Film Hollywood | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14918 | Alyson Hannnigan Talks About End Of Nearly An Era Posted: Mar 26 2014, 5:48pm CDT | by Susan McGlaun, in News | Other Stuff Frazer Harrison/Getty Images /* Story Top Left 2010 300x250, created 7/15/10 */
The How I Met Your Mother star talks end of show Alyson Hannigan has spent nearly a decade of her life playing the character Lily on the television series How I Met Your Mother.With the series finale quickly approaching, Hannigan sat down with Time to talk about her feelings about the show coming to an end reports the Mirror.Hannigan explained that filming the final season wasn’t as hard as she expected. She, and the other cast members, were very busy during filming so it made it easier for them to get used to not seeing each other every day.“You know, I think I did most of my grieving at the end of the season because now I feel like, ‘Oh, that was great!’ This ninth season was shot around so many different schedules, and it was such a weird season that it was almost like our methadone,” she explained. “It was a nice way of getting used to not seeing everyone every day of the week. So it prepared us for the finality of it all.”The finale is set to air on March 31, and Hannigan informed us that she would be watching the episode from the comfort of her home due to her having to film a pilot that day. She said it was probably best that she stay home because she would probably get very emotional watching the show finally come to its conclusion. “… all the blubbering I’ll do, I should probably stay at home,” Hannigan said. “I shouldn’t be out in public.”Fans are anxiously awaiting to find out if the mother will be revealed. Some believe that she has been dead all along, but Hannigan wouldn’t confirm the rumor. “We could all be dead. Who knows? But I just love that even though it’s only [two] episodes left, people are still trying to figure out the end. As Barney would say, wait for it!” Promoted Stories Advertisement The Author
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14939 | LifestyleFashionNews Look Who's Talking: If I were a rags-to-riches man: Topol
TIM WAPSHOTT
Friday 9 September 1994 23:02 BST
I'VE ALWAYS called myself Chaim Topol, but my stage name became just Topol 30 years ago when I first came to Britain to sing in Fiddler on the Roof. It was difficult for the producers to call me Chaim (pronounced Hame) - they called me Chame or Chime - and asked if I'd mind dropping it. I didn't.For the part of Tevye in the current production of Fiddler I've grown a beard. Over the years I have learnt many lessons about hair. When you suddenly have hair on your face you find your hands around it all the time. After the last show of Fiddler the beard comes off straight away, as one of my joys in life is shaving in the morning.
I've also shaved my head a few times for parts, and when you don't have hair you get 20 heart attacks a day. Hair acts as a radar and tells you when your head is getting close to things. When you have no hair, your head meeting a pillow comes as a shock.
One of the themes of Fiddler is arranged marriages. Obviously it's out of fashion now, but I'm not sure that people were less happy in the old days when their respective spouse was chosen for them. Who knows? It looks very uncivilised today, but isn't it hard on us that our most important decisions have to be made between the ages of 17 and 27? What to study and do with our lives, who to live with and where. Many of us make mistakes. Some are lucky not to make mistakes, but it's pure luck - it's not because we are clever. Arranged marriages mean one less difficult or important decision to make so young.
When I started out with my wife, Galia, we lived in a kibbutz in Israel with the principle of sharing everything. The only possessions I had were my sandals and my hat; all the rest belonged to the group - even the underwear. All our resources went on tilling the earth or buying another cow shed or cow. We developed or borrowed ideologies, like comradeship, to justify that kind of idea - suitable then because we were poor.
In practical terms, it was a very interesting experience. You understand what it means to live with a group and make concessions. My sister still lives in a kibbutz and so do my parents.
We formed a travelling theatre company and as it became successful we found ourselves away from the kibbutz most of the time. Although we brought a lot of money to the kibbutz, whenever we were going to put on a new production we had to go to the kibbutz to ask for the money. Some would say a tractor was more important, which it was for the majority but not for the theatre group.
My three children, aged 36, 32 and 28, are now my best friends. They are all married and I certainly didn't arrange it for them. Luckily we are all in the same profession and they are my most important critics and advisers.
Galia is with me while I'm working in Britain and she comes to see the show when I need her, but otherwise she won't because she cries every time. And now she cries double, as our daughter Adi is in the show playing one of Tevye's daughters. The scenes with Adi are very emotional and Galia can't take them. It's hard for me, too, but I do get paid for it.
I was quite well off even before I first sang 'If I Were A Rich Man'. I did well with a very successful film in Israel, which I produced and starred in. By the time I arrived in London to sing, I knew what I was talking about.
The money from my success has brought me freedom - to sit idle for a couple of months, doing my drawings or reading books or travelling.
I've just compiled and illustrated a book of Jewish humour, with my royalties going to the National Playing Fields Association. The title of the book is To Life Topol, and it's my private joke which not even the publishers know: Chaim means 'life'.
(Photograph omitted) More about:
1980s Cinema | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/14948 | FUTURES: ‘Gimme the Loot’ Writer/Director Adam Leon Brings His New York Love Letter Back Home
FUTURES: 'Gimme the Loot' Writer/Director Adam Leon Brings His New York Love Letter Back Home Nigel M. Smith
Mar 28, 2012 11:10 am @nigelmfs Share This Article Pin It
New York-based writer/director Adam Leon is going to have a tough time topping these past few weeks. At the recently wrapped SXSW film festival in Austin, the first-time feature filmmaker won the event’s Narrative Grand Jury Prize for his debut, “Gimme the Loot.” Shortly after the win, Sundance Selects announced they had acquired US rights to the film. And now, less that two weeks after SXSW, Leon is back in New York screening his film at the New Directors/New Films festival to packed, enthusiastic audiences.
“Gimme the Loot” follows Malcolm (Tysheeb Hickson) and Sofia (Tashiana R. Washington), a pair of scrappy young graffiti artists trying to make their mark on the Bronx scene. “From the first scene, in which the duo awkwardly jack paint canisters from a store and hop into their getaway car, Leon establishes his characters as a pair of lawbreakers living on the fringes of society but remain essentially innocent, giggly children,” wrote Eric Kohn in his review out of SXSW. “Inhabiting the same bubble of hip-hop attitude as ‘Wild Style’ did nearly 30 years earlier, Leon’s movie resurrects the subculture with genre charm and low-budget appeal.”
What’s Next: Leon told Indiewire that he’s working on “something that’s a little different. I’m so passionate about it that I’m paranoid to talk about it.”
You grew up in lower Manhattan, not the Bronx. What inspired you to tell a story that’s not based around the area you’re most familiar with?
I made a short film a few years ago set in the Bronx. It was where most of the cast was from. I like to explore the city as much as possible. I’m familiar with different neighborhoods. It felt like that’s where these characters would be from. I also felt like this area isn’t shown on film that much.
What is it about the Bronx in particular that lends itself to you filmmaking sensibilities?
There is so much activity and vibrancy in that part of the Bronx — Castle Hill, Parkchester area. The streets are alive. You put a camera there and you can capture a lot a flavor.
Given that you’re not from the area, what’s the reaction been like from Bronx folks who have seen “Gimme the Loot”?
So far the reaction hasn’t been negative. There’s been no outcry. There are two African-American main characters, but I don’t think it’s a quote-unquote black film. I think it’s a New York community story. I think that when people watch the movie, they get that. Hopefully we were true to all the characters, not just the two leads.
That’s where the element of surprise comes from; the films has this really authentic vibe, something you can’t fake. How did you achieve that, while being truthful to the characters and their world?
Part of it just being around the city and listening to conversations and being observant of all different kinds of people in the city. Part of it is really collaborating with my cast, and not being shy about needing that authenticity and asking questions.
I think that we all, as a crew, could tell when something felt false. We always made sure we got it right.
Did you encourage your cast to improv, or was it pretty tightly scripted?
It’s pretty tightly scripted. I definitely encouraged them to use their own words, always. I would say that scenes themselves were rarely fully improvised. In general, we would say, “Okay you’re going to ask for this, and you’re going to say no, and you’re going to convince her by saying this.” I scripted everything, but I was willing to let the actors play with it. But some of the actors didn’t like to do that. Some of them had a harder time to do anything that was on the page.Is the graffiti art world something you’re inherently familiar with?
I grew up somewhat involved in that world. I had some very close friends who were very immersed in graffiti. When I did the short, we ended up casting a couple of graffiti writers. I was just very taken with their dedication and the risks they were taking. I thought it was a great jumping off point for a tale set in the city.
For the film, I knew we had to get that right, so we brought in a bunch of people to talk to us, in particular artist Greg Lamarche, who’s sort of a legend. He taught the kids and me a lot about the culture and history, and how to actually do the graffiti itself.
Had you ever done it yourself growing up?
Oh, for like five days when I was 16. I was terrible. I’m not good with a pen. I’m better writing and telling people where to put a camera.
You captured New York in a really fresh and vibrant way. Does this film accurately depict how you see the city?
Yeah. There’s an element of throwback to how we captured the city. There was an early thought to not show any chain stores or banks. I began to abandon that idea to really just capture what I was seeing in the summer of 2011. What I am sort of drawn to is the character of the city, which I think is still very, very vibrant.
A lot of the joy I derived in watching “Gimme the Loot,” came from the bystanders you incorporate into the frame. If you were to go on to do bigger things in the future, would you strive to maintain that ‘on the fly’ style of shooting?
I love working that way. I do think that style can be incorporated in more movies shot in New York. You have to be careful with releases and all that, and we were, but I think there’s something that can be said about having a long lens shot and just capturing the city wide. I definitely like that style a lot. There’s also something to be said for shooting fast in the city, if you’re prepared enough to do that.
Do you see yourself becoming a New York-based director with tales set in the city?
You know, the thing I’m writing right now is not set in New York. I love making movies. If I’m able to continue to make them, then I definitely think that some of those movies would be shot in New York. I think it’s important to expand your horizons, but of course New York is my home. I love to shoot here.
You’re at ND/NF following a win at SXSW where you world premiered. How does your head not grow exponentially over the past few weeks?
I struggle with the answer, because you’re asking me this in the middle of it all. I was talking to my producer the other day. It hasn’t been three weeks yet. I think we’re sort of in a daze. We worked really hard with a great team. It’s the movie we wanted to make. The great things that have happened over the past few weeks have been so fulfilling. There’s still nothing greater that when somebody comes up to me after the movie and tell me they thought it was great. But yeah, it’s been a crazy, mind-blowing few weeks. I think I’m just starting to digest it. I’m very, very thankful. We’re blessed that people are enjoying the film.
Bringing it from SXSW to ND/NF, the experience must be…
Very different.
At ND/NF, the audience was predominantly over the age of 40. Were you wary of how they would receive it?
Before we even made the movie, we sort of felt like a SXSW audience would be ideal. It’s a young, fast, fun movie. In terms of a prestigious dream, we really wanted to play in New York. ND/NF is that. I think we had this advantage at SXSW, where the audience is sort of perfect for the movie. With ND/NF, it’s such a New York movie that I think that New Yorkers respond to it.
I think we’re really lucky that these are the first two festival stops. But they are way, way different experiences. That’s been its own sort of adventure. To be in a rowdy crowd in the Alamo at Austin where they’re eating during the movie, and then play at the Museum of Modern of Art two weeks later — it’s sort of a headtrip.
This Article is related to: Features and tagged Adam Leon, Festivals, Futures, Gimme the Loot-2, Interviews-2, New Directors/New Films-2, South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival (SXSW) | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15144 | The Artist / **** (PG-13)
Posted Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at 5:22 PM
The silent film era returns in the likely Best Picture Oscar winner "The Artist". The Weinstein Company presents a film written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius. Running time: 100 min. Rated PG-13 (for a disturbing image and a crude gesture).
Here it is 2012. Cinema is well into its second century as an art form. Filmmakers today can put anything that comes into their imagination on screen. And yet, the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar this year is a black & white, (mostly) silent movie about the silent movie era in Hollywood. How can this be? Frankly, it's possible because Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" is incredibly well-made, entertaining, heart warming, and even profound.
Don't take my parenthetical allusion to the fact that "The Artist" does utilize sound the wrong way either. The movie is not some cheap gimmick that surprises it's audience by seeming to be a silent movie when it really isn't. Not even silent movies were truly silent. They had scores to accompany them, and I only wish Ludovic Bource's Oscar-nominated score could've been performed by a live orchestra today. Besides the score, there are also two scenes in the movie that cleverly utilize other sound sources; but this is a "silent" movie in spirit from beginning to end.
The movie opens with a movie premiere, hosted by the film's star George Valentin, the biggest star of Kinoscope Studios. After a rousing reception from the premiere crowd, George introduces his dog co-star for some tricks and then his female co-star. His human co-star is not thrilled by the billing order. Afterwards, in the crowds outside the theater, George has a very public Meet Cute with Peppy Miller, a woman who will become known as the mystery lady when the newspapers run a picture of her kissing George on the cheek for the morning editions. This is a billing that George's wife is not thrilled about.
Peppy wants to be in pictures too. She proves she has the gumption to do it at an extras audition where she distinguishes herself from the crowd. Is it a surprise that she is cast in George's next picture? The two meet again on the set and discover a chemistry that has long since vanished from George's marriage. But, George, despite his ego, is too good a man to foul his marriage with an affair. The two go their separate ways again, and Peppy finds herself a rising star at Kinoscope. Jean Dujardin ("OSS 117: Lost in Rio") and B�r�nice Bejo ("A Knight's Tale") play George and Peppy respectively. Their spirit and looks are forged by silent filmmaking. Dujardin's mugging is a perfect reflection of the acting styles employed in the silent era, but he's also able to bring a slight modern element to his delivery that suggests a deeper character than could usually be found in the types of movies that George stars in here. Bejo has a smile wider than the screen, which is also at an early 20th century aspect ratio, rather than today's typical wide screen format. Even the wider screen couldn't have contained her smile, though. Bejo makes the audience fall for her in the instant we meet her. As intended, the dog, played by Uggie, steals every scene he's in.
The direction and screenplay by Oscar-nominee Hazanavicius ("OSS 117" series) shows an acute knowledge of the silent film era. The movie as a whole could've been made 90 years ago. His use of title cards to depict dialogue between the characters is used in the same sparing amount as it was in the silent era. He realizes the audience can figure out much of what is going on by themselves and that too much to read would interrupt the rhythm of the scenes. There is a virtuoso set sequence; the likes haven't been seen since the silent era. In the scene, the set is a large scale cross section of several levels of the studio offices. A scene takes place between George and Peppy as the rest of the office goes about their business on the huge backdrop. The effect is stunning.
Hazanavicius doesn't make the mistake of trapping the action within the style he is replicating, however. The two scenes involving sound are very carefully rendered in the context of the film. The first comes after George has learned that he will be replaced by "fresh meat" at the studio to make way for talkies. Suddenly he begins to hear sounds from everything. The items on his dressing mirror clank. Uggie barks. An extra walking on the lot laughs. Only George's voice is still silent. Hazanavicius also does a good job filling in the supporting roles with familiar actors that also have a knack for the physical expression necessary to pull off silent performances. John Goodman is just as good as when you can hear him as the studio head. James Cromwell's performance as George's butler and driver reminded me of his Oscar-nominated minimal dialogue performance from the movie "Babe".
One might think that "The Artist" has garnered most of its attention from being an anomaly. Really, who makes a silent movie today? Of course, people are going to think it's something amazing. But is it really one of the best movies of the year, or just something unusual? I say "The Artist" is one of the best movies of the year. On top of being a great homage to the silent era of filmmaking, it's a very well told story that is engaging and involves characters for which we care a great deal. Were it made in the silent era, I've no doubt it would've received the same accolades it's receiving today. Perhaps, we'd still be honoring it as one of the silent greats. That is what it is.
"The Artist" won the Academy Award for Best Picture and four other awards. It is currently playing at Galaxy Cinema in Sedalia.
Please visit A Penny in the Well for exclusive movie reviews.
A Penny in the WellANDREW D. WELLS
Andrew is a professionally trained actor and stage director. He was a reporter for the daily newspaper The Marshall Democrat News. He has been critiquing film since Mr. Lucas released the first of his "Star Wars" prequels in 1999. His reviews can also be seen at his blog site.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15385 | Beyond the pajamas, defying description
Shenoah Allen, left, and Mark Chavez, otherwise known as the Pajama Men. Chris JonesTribune critic
If the Compass Players invented improv in the mid-1950s, then I'd argue Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson invented alternative comedy.Mayall (who died this week) and Edmondson performed live as part of a British comedy duo called The Dangerous Brothers. But they found their fame on a TV show titled "The Young Ones," which focused on a house full of whacked-out students; Mayall played a caustic, anti-establishment undergraduate with little in his wallet but plenty to say. If you were at university in the U.K. in the 1980s, as was I, that show was the first time so-called alternative comedy (don't press me for a definition) had actually been seen on U.K. television. The stranglehold of the benign establishment sitcom, it seemed, had been broken. They were the precursors of much to come.
Comedy duos always have been more popular across the pond than stateside. That might explain why a pair of very funny Americans from New Mexico, Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez, otherwise known as the Pajama Men, have been so successful in Britain, becoming sold-out mainstays of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and doing quite nicely in London and elsewhere.I first saw the Pajama Men — who are appearing at Second City's UP Comedy Club through Sunday — back in 2006 in the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre. They were distinctive in several geeky ways: Their comedic characters were fully physicalized, they performed without any technology whatsoever (not even a light cue or a recorded sound) and the whole affair had a deliciously absurdist tinge. Their act, made up of two-character scenes of tenuous narrative connection and a mostly fantastical nature, was otherwise difficult to describe. But they were indeed wearing pajamas, so I could hang my hat there.
Back then, the Pajama Men had just arrived in Chicago from Albuquerque, their unlikely home base. By the following year, they were working on a TV pilot and were back in Chicago, performing this time at the Storefront Theatre. I remember writing that they really should move to Chicago, the mother ship of sketch comedy. I felt we needed them. And move they did.It did not work out so well."Yeah, we moved to Chicago. But we were just too broke," Chavez said. "We could not make ends meet."That is no longer a problem. Where I was wrong back then was in not understanding that their kind of work — absurdist sketch comedy — was just more popular in Britain, Canada and Australia, where they've also been a big hit, especially on the Australian comedy-festival circuit."When we were in Chicago, we were really just learning about comedy," Chavez said. "We've started focusing a whole lot more on comedy and plot."Nonetheless, their current show, "Just the Two of Each of Us," is created through improv. "We improvise around a theme," Chavez said. . "Then we hang our little jokes and stories on that theme. There's still plenty of room for improv in our show, but we do know where we are going now."And they've turned themselves into a business, replete with pilot deals, development projects and all the other good stuff. Second City's Kelly Leonard, a longtime fan and promoter of the PJ dudes, said he has the boys working on a two-man version of "The Three Musketeers."Leonard is moving fast and taking advantage of the Chicago residency. Allen has moved to Britain. In a phone interview, Allen also said the work of the pair has morphed far away from its origins."We still try to create a big, outlandish world with nothing, the one that you saw back then," he said. "But the further we've gotten into our thing, the more cinematic, really, our work has become. We always start with something that is true to us — procrastination, say, or alcoholism. We like dark themes, but we'd never tell out audience we were doing a show about, say, addiction, because we do it in such a silly way. But we always begin with real struggles."That really sums up Mayall's work as well as anything. If you were a fan of the late comedian — and lament his death at so young an age — then watching the Pajama Men is about as apt a tribute as you could find in Chicago this weekend.Through Sunday at the UP Comedy Club at Second City, 230 W. North Ave.; $24-$29 at 312-662-4562 and upcomedyclub.comcjones5@tribune.comTwitter @ChrisJonesTrib
The Three Musketeers (movie, 2011) | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15423 | Picks and Pans: Movies
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Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Max Pirkis
CRITIC'S CHOICE
This seagoing drama puts a viewer so convincingly in the middle of the action on board a British warship in 1805 that you'll swear you can feel the salt spray. The rousing story of how Capt. Jack Aubrey (Crowe), commander of the HMS Surprise, and his crew determinedly pursue a larger, faster, French enemy vessel around Cape Horn is Hollywood filmmaking at its smartest and most satisfying.
Fans of nautical novelist Patrick O'Brian are likely to be enraptured by Master and Commander, given that it has been so adroitly adapted by director-cowriter Peter Weir (The Truman Show) from the 1st and 10th books of O'Brian's 20-volume series. Let me stress, though, that having devoured the books isn't a prerequisite for enjoying the film and its up-close look at what officers and sailors ate, where they slept and how ship-to-ship combat was conducted during the Napoleonic Wars.
At the heart of both the novels and M&C is the warm but occasionally contentious friendship between Captain Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin (Bettany), the ship's sawbones. The captain is a man of action and Maturin a more introspective sort, but each is capable of moving beyond type to surprise the other (and us). And both do much to earn, and keep, the respect of the ship's crew.
Crowe again proves he is that rarity: a major movie star who can actually act. No firebrand, his Captain Aubrey shoulders the heavy mantle of leadership with a hard-won knowledge of its weight. Bettany, if less charismatic, is equally effective. (PG-13)
Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman
That wascally wabbit is having a caweeah cwisis: How can aging cartoon icon Bugs Bunny, whose résumé sparkles with great, trailblazing shorts, compete with fresh, feature-length wonders like Shrek and Finding Nemo? Action is not the answer: Like 1996's Space Jam, which teamed Bugs with Michael Jordan, Action scrambles live actors and animation, and dishes up something with all the appeal of a cold omelette. Bugs and Daffy Duck race from a Hollywood backlot to Vegas to Paris to the jungle in a jumble of a plot that has something to do with a studio executive (Elfman), a security guard (Fraser) and the villainous chairman of the Acme Co. (Steve Martin), which supplied Wile E. Coyote with all that TNT over the years. The animation is unexceptional—no significant advance over the 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit?—and the acting by the humans is pretty bad. Martin, in a foppish wig, hisses his lines and swivels his hips. He looks like a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy makeover gone wrong. (PG)
Tupac: Resurrection Very strange—a vanity project from the dead. This film about slain rapper Tupac Shakur is narrated entirely by the deceased, thanks to clever use of interviews he gave before he was shot and killed in 1996 at age 25. We first hear his voice narrating as if from eternity, with images of racing clouds. (You expect Kevin Spacey to join him in a duet from his own high-floating repose in American Beauty.) This perspective works well enough as Shakur, a charming interviewee, recalls his childhood with his mother, Black Panther Afeni Shakur (who coproduced the film with MTV). But once he arrives at his brief, messy adulthood—tangled up in gangsta fame and crime—he has little to say. Which means that the movie dies before he does. (R)
Vancouver, B.C.-born Hayden Christensen, 22, shifts from Star Wars to newsroom battles as a fraudulent journalist in Shattered Glass, which he produced with brother Tove, 30.
ON PLAYING A LIAR "Playing a con is an actor's dream, because a small part of us always feels like we're getting away with something. But it's tough to lie through your teeth with a strong sense of confidence."
ON BONDING WITH COSTAR PETER SARSGAARD "We played a lot of Ping-Pong. It sounds silly, but in theater classes you play games like tossing an imaginary ball back and forth. I beat Peter at Ping-Pong; he beat me at chess."
ON STAR WARS "I wasn't really a fan as a kid. I wasn't even born when the first one came out. [In the next film] there's a spectacular light-saber fight at the end, which will put all other swordfights to shame."
ON (NOT) BEING PUNK'D "I met Ashton Kutcher, and we were like, 'Yeah, let's hang out.' The next night I saw his show and got really paranoid. I totally blew him off."
Looking to increase your hipness quotient? Check out three ultra-cool new DVDS, released under the umbrella title of the Directors Label, that showcase the influential music videos and short films of three innovative young directors.
The Work of Director Spike Jonze (Palm Pictures, $19.99)
Jonze, who directed the quirky Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, first gained attention in the mid-'90s for making weirdly watchable music videos such as having the Beastie Boys parody '70s cop shows for "Sabotage" and Christopher Walken gliding through a hotel lobby to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice." Viewing these plus 14 others, one sees Jonze grow exponentially in the sophistication of his ideas and execution.
Extras: Short films (the deceptively breezy How They Got There is a hoot) and documentaries, mostly music-themed. (Not rated)
The Work of Director Michel Gondry (Palm Pictures, $19.99)
The French-born Gondry (Human Relations) dolefully claims he opted for quantity rather than quality here, but his Lego-licious video for the White Stripes' "Fell In Love with a Girl" and 26 others are striking in their conceptual integrity. (Not rated)
The Work of Director Chris Cunningham (Palm pictures, $19.99)
London-based Cunningham's mind-searing imagery (check out what he does to Björk in "All Is Full of Love" and Madonna in "Frozen") have deservedly earned him a shot at directing the forthcoming movie version of William Gibson's cult novel Neuromancer. (Not rated)
Contributors: Leah Rozen, Tom Gliatto, Anna David. More in the Archive | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15472 | There may be love blossoming at Seattle Grace.Ringer alum Justin Bruening has landed a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy, TVGuide.com has learned.Bruening will play Matt, a paramedic at Seattle Grace. Rumor has it he's a love interest for one of the Seattle Grace docs, but who he's romancing is being kept under wraps. You'll have to hit the comments with your guesses, but remember that April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams), and Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) did just break up.First Look: Scream's Never Campbell checks into Grey's AnatomyBruening's casting follows that of Neve Campbell, who will play Derek's sister Lizzie Shepherd, and Constance Zimmer as a new doctor at Seattle Grace. Bruening, whose credits also include the short-lived Knight Rider remake and All My Children, will first appear in an episode slated for late January or early February.Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.View original Grey's Anatomy Scoop: Ringer's Justin Bruening Heads to Seattle Grace at TVGuide.comRelated Articles on TVGuide.com First Look: Scream's Never Campbell checks into Grey's AnatomyOther Links From TVGuide.com Kevin McKiddNeve CampbellSandra OhConstance ZimmerGrey's AnatomySarah DrewAll My ChildrenJustin BrueningKnight RiderJesse WilliamsRinger | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15584 | Browse All Categories Why Big Bollywood Stars are flocking to television
Tuesday, July 30, 2013 12:04 IST
Television has been seeing a number of new players venturing into the field of production, with established filmmakers and actors, too, showing a keen interest. Deepali Dhingra takes a look at this growing trend
Amitabh Bachchan had already taken the plunge. Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan had also done it. So it was only a matter of time that Aamir Khan too, succumbed to the lure of the small screen. But when the intellectual actor stepped into television, he took it one step further -- by producing the show himself. Satyamev Jayate was not just Khan's launch vehicle for being in front of the camera on the small screen, but the first television show for his production company Aamir Khan Productions as well. The first season received a positive response from critics and audience alike, and work on the second season of the show is already underway.
This year, a number of new players are expected to join the expanding world of television. Big B, who has successfully hosted quite a few seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati and is all set to host another season, is joining hands with Endemol India to co-produce a fiction series to be aired on Sony Entertainment Television. With this show, he will revive his television production company Saraswati Creations that has earlier produced shows like Dekh Bhai Dekh. The creative director of the show will be Anurag Kashyap. Anil Kapoor has acquired the rights of the American series 24, of which he was a part and is producing its Indian version for Colors. With Satyamev Jayate, Aamir Khan made his foray into small screen as a producer last year
And while Bachchan and Kapoor are still in the process of bringing out their television shows, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has already made his television debut with the serial Saraswatichandra that airs on Star Plus. There were rumours that Anurag Basu will be making an Indian adaptation of the hit American series Prison Break, but the director recently denied it. But he did admit to a leading daily that he is working on two ideas for the small screen.
Anurag Kashyap will be the creative director of the show that Amitabh Bachchan is co-producing with Endemol India Anurag Batra, media entrepreneur and observer, comments, `There is intense competition between broadcasters today. The business model of broadcasting is increasingly being led more by subscription revenue and demand for quality content is going up.` According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the linesbetween television and films are blurring. `If you notice, a lot of talent from television is coming to movies and talent from movies is diversifying to television as well,` he says, adding it's a great move on the part of actors, most of whom already own production houses, to diversify into television production. `TV is not small today. It is a huge medium to reach out to many people,` he observes.
The show Saraswatichandra marked director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut in television production this year
Initially, when actors turned to the small screen, it was for hosting game shows or reality shows. And while nearly all the big stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Madhuri Dixit, Ajay Devgn among others, made an impact on the idiot box, it was Amitabh Bachchan's larger-than-life presence on Kaun Banega Crorepati as its host, which paved the way for many Bollywood actors to make their foray into the world of television. These stars were able to create a fanbase for themselves, that may not have existed for them earlier. And now, it is TV's far reaching impact, that is prompting filmmakers and actors to take their stories even farther. Bhansali, who made his debut in television production with the love story Saraswatichandra, based upon the Gujarati novel by the same name by Govardhanram Tripathi, believes that the small screen is no longer small. `The small screen is actually bigger than the big screen,` he said at the press conference of his show, held a few months back. `Its audience is double or triple of that of cinema. So I felt, that if I have to reach out to people in their homes with my dreams and stories I want to tell, then TV is the right medium. Working for television is as important as is for cinema,` he said.
One of India's most talented actors, Anil Kapoor has gone a step further to acquire the India rights of American series 24, in which he played Kamistanian President Omar Hassan during Season 8 of the show. And for him, it was the prospect of telling a great story that prompted him to acquire the rights from Fox and 24 producer Howard Gordon.
`For me, it's all about storytelling,` says Kapoor, `I loved the story, the writing and the scale of the show and I felt that this story should be told here as well.` The actor admits that he was initially apprehensive, as his work here in India has always been related to films. `But I really enjoyed the experience of working for the show and ultimately, I have to act. It might be any platform. I felt that it's as good or better than any film I've done,` he adds.
Moolah matters
The prospect of reaching out to a large audience is definitely one factor that has worked as an incentive for these players to venture into production. But the importance of the economics cannot be ignored. The fast-paced growth of the Indian television and broadcast industry is ensuring that it's a lucrative business for those who want to venture in it.
Anil Wanvari, founder and CEO of indiantelevision.com says, `If one goes by figures, you're looking at a television industry that is about Rs 30,000 crore, whereas cinema is around Rs 8,000 crore to 10,000 crore.
Cinema is a dwarf compared to television.` Bachchan himself, on the press conference of his new show on Sony, admitted tothe fact. `From what I know, and maybe I'm wrong, but commercially the turnover of television is much more than cinema. We have 460 channels and I think there are some 800 applications for more channels pending with the government. So you can imagine how big TV has become,` he had said. Although Wanvari is not sure whether the quality of content will go up with the entry of these big players, it definitely means more investment into the medium.
`Even the productions they are doing require that kind of investment. Balaji and other production houses have been doing a good job but now, these people are coming with big picture ideas. Take the example of 24, it requires that kind of investment and Anil Kapoor's vision. The point is, we will get to know how they fare in the long term, but since there is more money going into the medium, there should be better products.` he says. And while Kapoor admits that commerce is important, it is not a priority for him. `I have never followed commerce; commerce has followed me,` says the actor. Kapoor says that his decisions have been purely based on instinct.
`Even when I have done films, I have done them because I have liked the story, the role and the people I'm working with. I'm fortunate that the movies I have done and the characters I have played became successful. Commerce has never been on my mind while considering them,` he says. Whether or not it's the lure of the big bucks that's attracting new players into the market, the fact that established filmmakers and actors are looking at television as a medium to feature their content, spells good news for the audience. The idiot box, may no longer be that idiotic!
Filmi folk and their TV connect
Anurag Basu worked as an assistant director on Tara and later, directed shows like Saturday Suspense, Koshish...Ek Asha and Love Story.
>> Leena Yadav of Teen Patti and Shabd fame has produced and directed shows for Star Bestsellers. She has also directed shows such as This Week That Year, Say Na Something to Anupam Uncle, and Kahin Na Kahi Koi Hai
>> Shah Rukh Khan's production house Red Chillies Entertainment has a television programmes division under the name of Red Chillies Idiot Box. They co-produced Living with a Superstar-Shah Rukh Khan with Discovery Travel and Living, popular teen drama Ishaan, celebrity-based chat show Up Close & Personal with PZ with actress Preity Zinta as host, Tere Mere Beach Mein with Farah Khan as the host and many others.
>> During the '90s, Tigmanshu Dhulia directed and produced many television programmes, including Krishna's Dream for UK Channel Four, Kahani Ek Kanya Ki for Doordarshan, and Hum Bambai Nahin Jayenge for BI Television. He also helmed Just Mohabbat and Naya Daur.
Hollywood too has experimented with tv...
Steven Spielberg acted as executive producer for the television series seaQuest DSV; a science fiction series starring Roy Scheider. Other major television series Spielberg produced include Band of Brothers, Taken and The Pacific.
>> Ridley Scott and his brother have produced CBS series Numb3rs, a crime drama and The Good Wife. According to some reports, Scott has teamed up with Discovery Channel for a new scripted drama based on The Wallace and The Bruce books by late Scottish historian Nigel Tranter. By arrangement with Mid-Day.com
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15645 | Home News Your Letters All My Children vs. Two Vintage Soaps
All My Children vs. Two Vintage Soaps Friday, 14 September 2007 05:25 Your Letters User Rating: / 0
PoorBest Fan has bet about the debuts of The Best of Everything, A World Apart, and All My Children
Dear Soapdom,I wanted to know when the soaps, "The Best of Everything" and "A World Apart" debuted. I have a bet with a friend that these two soaps debuted the same year that "All My Children" debuted. I have searched everywhere to no avail looking for this information. Your help is greatly appreciated. I know that Susan Sarandon was in "The Best of Everything" and that it aired on ABC.Thank you,Michellevia emailDear Michelle, Thank you for contacting Soapdom. "The Best of Everything" debuted on March 30, 1970. It was based on a 1959 feature film of the same name, which was based on a novel of the same name. It featured three young career girls who found friendship at their place of employment, a high powered publishing house. Although the action took place in New York City, the show was taped at 20th Century Fox Studios, on Pico Blvd in West Los Angeles. Creator and award-winning host of the Actor's Studio, James Lipton, was the head writer. It remained on the air for about a year."A World Apart" also debuted in 1970. It was the last soap opera created by Irna Phillips. Susan Sarandon starred in this soap for the ABC Broadcasting Company. It aired in the morning and only remained on the air for about two years. Yet, in it's short lifetime it dealt with such topical issues as racial prejudice, teenage pregnancy, and cults."All My Children" also debuted in 1970! The Daytime Emmy Award winning soap opera celebrated it's 37th anniversary last January. Looks like you win the bet. :o)The Editors
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15721 | Pixar's secret ingredient? Quality
wall-e Disney / PIXAR Animation via Bloomberg News WALL-E: Pixars latest critical and box-office success pays homage to its sci-fi forebears. WALL-E: Pixars latest critical and box-office success pays homage to its sci-fi forebears. (Disney / PIXAR Animation via Bloomberg News) Patrick GoldsteinLos Angeles Times Staff Writer
IVIVIDLY remember two things about having breakfast with Pixar guru John Lasseter earlier this year. One was that my back was out, so unable to sit comfortably, I had to take notes either standing up or lying down on the carpet of his hotel suite. The second was that when I asked him how Pixar had managed to rack up such an astounding streak of hit films, he said simply, "Quality is the best business plan of all."It's such a simple formula, yet one that has managed to elude every other studio in town. As you may have noticed, the business plan at other studios is to find a sequel or a TV remake or a video game that can be transformed into an action film and then drain it of any freshness or verve that might possibly alienate the most timid, risk-averse moviegoer. Pixar is all about originality. Of the studio's nine releases, only one, "Toy Story 2," has been a sequel. Pixar's new film, "Wall-E," is not only strikingly original but, dare I say it, artistically daring -- and yet here it is, in the middle of a sequel-laden summer, earning rave reviews and making $62.5 million in its opening weekend, the third best Pixar opening ever.
The critics have been rapturous. In fact, for all the talk that critics are out of touch with mainstream moviegoers, critics and audiences are in agreement on one key thing: Nobody makes better movies than Pixar. The company has six films in Metacritic's Top 100 movies of all, with "Ratatouille" at No. 7 (higher than "Schindler's List"), "Wall-E" at No. 21 (a notch above "Raging Bull") and "Toy Story" at No. 31, right up there with Oscar winner "No Country for Old Men." The amazing thing isn't just that Pixar has so many films in the critical pantheon but that its films have made tons more money than almost every other picture on the list. Pixar is a total anomaly in modern-day Hollywood: It makes art movies that have mass appeal. Its films are often populated with dark, pessimistic themes, but they still somehow feel spiritually engaging and uplifting.This stratospheric level of quality has turned Pixar into movieland's most reliable family brand. The company's movies seem exotic and unfamiliar at first glance -- every year I see box-office reporters scratching their heads before a new Pixar release, wondering if this time the company has gone too far. Surely parents wouldn't possibly subject their kids to a sci-fi film with nearly half an hour of zero dialogue or an ode to a rat that wants to be a chef in Paris. But the movies always end up triumphing over industry cynicism and timidity because Pixar's artistry has earned our trust.When I talk to rival studio executives, they scoff. Come on, they say -- Warner has to have three movies in the summer and two at Christmas. Of course, they're not all going to be good. Pixar only has to make one movie a year. Fair enough. Maybe making one movie a year is easier. But does that really explain why Pixar's one movie is better than all of Fox's 20 movies? Or 18 of Sony's or Paramount's films? But I think the other studios are embarrassed because Pixar's amazing track record stands as a rebuke to a system that is dominated by mindless test marketing and arid group think. There's no way a film as original as "Wall-E" could emerge from today's risk-averse studios, who refuse to greenlight a project that is "execution dependent" -- studio lingo for a movie that people actually have to like to be successful.What is the secret to Pixar's success?First off, Lasseter says success doesn't just breed success -- it breeds autonomy, which in turn nurtures creativity. "At Pixar, we've surrounded ourselves with each other, so when we've had success, we've been left alone," he says. "One of the key things we do is we get comments, but from other filmmakers. Our creative brain trust is our own minds. So we know that we're getting a reaction that comes out of total support, not ego. We have a rule: No note is mandatory, which allows you to be more open to criticism. We only use the notes that help us step back and look at the film through fresh eyes."Pixar is also unusual because of its origins. Today's studios are four generations removed from their original immigrant entrepreneurs. They're more like banks than movie companies, made up of employees all surrounded by constant reminders that they work for a mega-conglomerate always worried about making back its investment. Though owned by Disney, Pixar is still, creatively, the construct of Steve Jobs, a first-generation technological entrepreneur and visionary."We're a studio of pioneers who, if you look at it technically, were the ones who invented much of computer animation," says Lasseter. "Everything we've done no one had done before -- it was all new. So that creates a group of people who strive to break new ground. It's addicting. When someone comes in and says, 'This is something no one has ever done before, we all get excited. We have a company culture that celebrates being pioneers."He adds: "Because we're a culture of inventors, nothing is standard operating procedure for us. We constantly reevaluate and reexamine everything we do. We go back and study what works and what didn't work, and we get excited about what didn't work because, for us, that's a challenging new problem to solve."
Pixar has one other arrow in its quiver that other studios lack -- an R&D department. Many of Pixar's best films were inspired by or originated as short films. "It's our key place to experiment," says Lasseter. "In the world of features, the budgets are so high that people get nervous about experimenting. In a short, you can see what works and what doesn't and hammer it out. It has allowed our filmmakers to gain experience, both as animators and as storytellers, but without the pressure of a $150-million feature looming over their head.""Wall-E's" Andrew Stanton started as an animator on Pixar shorts before graduating to directing. As a number of critics have noted, "Wall-E" pays homage to a host of films before it -- the movie is Stanton's valentine to the sci-fi films that mesmerized him growing up in the 1970s ("2001," "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," to name a few).
If we're lucky, some future filmmaker will make a movie that's a love letter to the Pixar films of today, since their invention and artistry remind us of what made us excited about movies in the first place.patrick.goldstein@latimes.comPatrick Goldstein's Big Picture column is also a blog on the L.A. Times' website. This item and others can be found on the Big Picture blog (latimes.com/thebigpicture).
Wall-E (movie)
No Country for Old Men (movie) | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15750 | The Long Dark Hall
By 1950, Rex Harrison's Hollywood career was considered, in the words of Hedda Hopper, "dead as a mackerel." His last film, Unfaithfully Yours (1948) from writer/director Preston Sturges, was well reviewed but a box-office disappointment. He was married to Lilli Palmer but had an affair with actress Carole Landis, which became a public scandal after her suicide. He compounded it all by telling the New York press that "he didn't give a damn what illiterate alcoholics like Louella Parsons and her ilk wrote about us," as Palmer related in her biography, a comment that set the entire Hollywood press against him. He ended his contract with 20th Century Fox and returned to the New York stage, where he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in Anne of a Thousand Days, but in Hollywood he was persona non grata. It would be three years until his next film, and it would be back home in Britain. Harrison and Palmer had fallen in love with Italy and bought a plot of land on the Italian coast, gambling on a role in an Italian film that Harrison was being considered for. "The film fell through, but by a stroke of luck was replaced by another, and the lovely house that I built still stands there on the hill above Portofino." The new film was The Long Dark Hall, with Harrison and Palmer in the leading roles, he as a married man having an affair with a showgirl, she as his loyal wife. The story, a wrong man murder mystery turned courtroom drama, is framed by a reporter narrating the tale to a writer who needs a true story of a man convicted of a crime he did not commit. Our reporter has just the thing. Harrison is proper English gentleman Arthur Groome, a husband and father driven to obsession in his affair, and he provides the police with all the circumstantial evidence they need after she is murdered by a shadowy serial killer. Palmer never falters in her support when he goes to trial for her murder, playing the dutiful wife who loves him unconditionally despite his affair. Anthony Dawson brings weird menace to the role of "The Man," as the nameless killer is identified in the credits, as he plays mind games with Palmer during the trial. Dawson was later utilized by Hitchcock as a more mercenary would-be murderer in Dial M for Murder (1954). "I must say, to my shame, I hardly asked to see the script," Harrison recalls in his autobiography, and he remembers being taken aback by the part. "Not the sort of role I'm accustomed to playing." The part does, however, offer plenty of actor showcase scenes: breaking down on the stand, confessing his obsession, finally facing his sin and apologizing to his wife as all seems lost. Nunnally Johnson originally wrote the script, adapted from British crime novelist Edgar Lustgarten's first book "A Case to Answer," for Universal Studios, which it subsequently sold. Johnson gets screenplay credit with "additional scenes and dialogue" by British screenwriter W.E. Fairchild, who gives the script a decidedly British cultural flavor, both on the streets and in the courtroom. The direction is credited to two men: Reginald Beck, a longtime editor in the British film industry who went on to a long collaboration with Joseph Losey, and Anthony Bushell, an actor and assistant director to Laurence Olivier on Hamlet (1948). By Sean Axmaker
SOURCES: "Change Lobsters and Dance," Lilli Palmer. Macmillan Publishing Co., 1975. "Rex: An Autobiography," Rex Harrison. William Morrow and Co., 1974. "Screenwriter: Nunnally Johnson," Tom Stempel. A.S. Barnes and Co., 1980.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15760 | Home > Autographs > Autographs - Star Wars« Back
James Earl Jones the Voice of Darth Vader # 8
James Earl Jones the Voice of Darth Vader
Other voiceover work
His other voice roles include Mufasa in the 1994 film Disney animated blockbuster The Lion King, and its sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. Archived audio from the former was later used for the Square Enix and Disney crossover game Kingdom Hearts II, as Jones himself was unavailable to reprise the role. He also voiced the Emperor of the Night in Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night. He also has done the CNN tagline, "This is CNN," and the Bell Atlantic tagline, "Bell Atlantic: The heart of communication" ; the opening for NBC's coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics; "the Big PI in the Sky" (God) in the computer gameUnder a Killing Moon; a Claymation film about The Creation; and several guest spots on The Simpsons.
Notable film roles
Jones played the older version of author Alex Haley, in the television mini-series Roots: The Next Generations; the villain Thulsa Doom, in Conan the Barbarian; the character Terence Mann, in the baseball film Field of Dreams; the feared neighbor and owner of the dog Hercules in The Sandlot; King Jaffe Joffer, in Coming to America; Reverend Stephen Kumalo, in Cry, the Beloved Country; and Vice Admiral James Greer, in The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger. He also made a cameo appearance in a penultimate episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15827 | Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as a leading man
For about two decades, there wasn�t anyone much bigger in Hollywood than Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although to be fair, the hits in his resume � the �Conan� films, the �Terminator� films, �Twins,� �True Lies� � were accompanied by some real duds � �Last Action Hero� and �Jingle all the Way.� But the Austrian muscleman persevered, becoming an international box office star. Then, in 2003, he left acting for politics, with a two-term run as governor of California, which ended in 2011. He made one cameo, in �The Expendables,� during his time in office. But his new film, �The Last Stand,� in which he plays a small-town sheriff trying to hold off a small army of bad guys, marks his return to leading man status. Last week in Los Angeles, he spoke about acting, politics and what kind of shape he�s in.Why did you leave acting, and why did you return to it?When I got into the governorship in 2003 I said I would only run the state for seven years, and then I would be back in the movie business. So now I�m back again. The only thing is that when you�ve left the movie business for seven years, it�s kind of scary to come back because you don�t know if you�ll be accepted. So I was very pleasantly surprise when I did the cameo in �The Expendables� that there was such a positive reaction to my appearance, and that there was an even bigger reaction when I did the second one.You look great. How do you feel about aging and doing action scenes?I�m no different than you. We all go through the same traumas. We look in the mirror and see what happened (laughs). But the great thing is that if you work out every day, you stay in shape. This movie required a lot of stunts and action and physical work. The director was a fanatic about seeing as much as possible done by me and the other actors, unless it got really dangerous. We all practiced and rehearsed our stunts, but when you�re 65 it�s different than when you�re 35.First you were a bodybuilder, and you�ve always done at least some stunts. Does it hurt to get up in the morning?I feel good right now, but I think that when you lift as many tons of weights as I have, inevitably there�s wear and tear, and you have injuries. When you do stunts you have your share of injuries there, and I�ve been stitched up in movies and had broken or dislocated shoulders. I�ve had a lot of surgeries and a lot of things that had to be fixed on my body. But the medical technology has really advanced, and I�m sitting here today and can do everything.Page 2 of 2 - What is your strategy going forward in making films?A lot of it has to do with timing. I would have chosen to do another �Conan� first if it would have been ready. And that will probably be ready later this year. The same thing with �Triplets,� a sequel to �Twins.� I�ve been trying to get that made for 10 years. Now the new leadership at Universal sees the value of it, so they�ve hired writers and are going full blast ahead. I would say in general, decisions are based on what movie would be interesting for people to see, what does the audience out there want to see me do. That�s how I make decisions.�The Last Stand� opens on Jan. 18.Ed Symkus is a movie writer for GateHouse Media. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15888 | » Now Showing at Home
Now Showing at Home By Bob Grimm
King Kong: 2-Disc Special Edition
Movie A
Special Features A-
DVD Geek Factor 8.5 (out of 10)
Last year's best movie gets its first DVD treatment, and it's a good one. The picture and sound are incredible, so if you opted to wait for the video on this one (Shame on you if you did!), you are getting a nice presentation. If you haven't seen it yet, have patience with the first hour, because it will all make sense in the end. Some have complained that director Peter Jackson got a little carried away with this remake. I say more directors need to get carried away like this, because it makes for spectacular, blockbuster entertainment. Occupying the Fay Wray role is Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, one of last year's finest and most underappreciated performances. Jack Black hits a couple of odd notes as Carl Denham (played by Robert Armstrong in the 1933 original), but his overall work is first-rate. Andy Serkis continues his wonderful streak of CGI acting as Kong. In a recent poll appearing in Premiere magazine, all of the film ratings were tallied, and the top 100 films of 2005 according to critics were chosen. King Kong came in tied for 10th. Crash, the Best Picture Oscar winner, came in 58th, just below Jimmy Fallon's Fever Pitch. Our own James DiGiovanna called King Kong one of the year's worst, further establishing himself as an outcast. Special Features: The two-disc set is a nice companion piece to last year's DVD of the production diaries. Jackson has included the post-production diaries, showing all of the work done after the final day of shooting, as well as documentaries on Skull Island and the film's version of New York City. While it's probably contingent upon this disc's sales performance, an ultimate edition possibly featuring a longer edition of the film is expected later this year. Peter Jackson did not include a commentary on this one, so another edition is assured. Capote
Special Features B
Philip Seymour Hoffman got an Oscar for playing Truman Capote in what is essentially a film about the making of one of the greatest literary achievements, In Cold Blood. The film does a nice job conveying Capote's torment and his relationship with one of the infamous killers, played by Clifton Collins Jr. (Robert Blake portrayed Perry Smith the original film of In Cold Blood). Hoffman is one of our best actors, and this film is proof. Big credit to director Bennett Miller for the look and feel of the movie. Special Features: A couple of short documentaries, one on Capote himself and one on the making of the movie, are serviceable. Miller provides two commentaries, including one with Hoffman. Paradise Now
Movie B+
Special Features F
DVD Geek Factor 6 (out of 10)
Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, this chilling film about two Palestinians recruited for a suicide bombing is about as brutal a film as possible regarding this subject. It shows the thinking of two men, who come to different conclusions, as they set out to perform a mission their society has taught them is just. Said and Khaled (Kais Nashef and Ali Suliman) are a couple of Palestinians working as mechanics and sucking on hookahs at day's end for relaxation. When they are informed that their time has come, Said seems more reluctant than Khaled, who seems hungry for his chance at heroic glory. The two are shaved and put into suits covering up powerful bombs. They must crossover into Israel and take out as many soldiers as possible. This is a controversial film open to many different interpretations. I don't think it's a movie glorifying suicide bombers, but it doesn't demonize them, either. The film actually does a good job of not only humanizing them, but illustrating just how tragic their actions are on the simplest levels (loss of innocent lives, families left behind). Both sides of the argument are presented, and the argument against suicide bombing is put forth by the film's most intelligent and sympathetic character. This is a movie that forces you to think. Special Features: None. Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Movie B-
Special Features B-
DVD Geek Factor 5.25 (out of 10)
Singer-songwriter Jim White takes you on a tour of the South, and some of what he finds (actually, most of what he finds) is pretty frightening. The film's sole purpose seems to be to illustrate how fucked up the South is, and on that basis, it succeeds. Most memorable are stops at a roadside bar where everybody is out of their minds, and a Pentecostal church where some folks are clearly taken by the Lord. There's music interspersed into the picture, and if you're a fan of bayou blues (I'm not), you'll probably like the film. It's interesting, but not a must-see. Special Features: A director commentary, some more music and a moonshine recipe.
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Jason Bourne is the latest in a franchise that needs to end immediately … please | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/15964 | When Mark Wahlberg takes on a role in a film, he becomes that character. Not in any method way of acting. Rather, he preps for the part, then infuses any relatable pieces of himself into whoever he�s playing. In the case of the darkly comic, based-on-fact �Pain & Gain,� he plays Daniel Lugo, the not-very-bright bodybuilding mastermind of an absurd plot to get a wealthy client�s money in order to start living his version of the American dream. Suffice it to say, things go very wrong. Wahlberg spoke recently in Miami, where the movie was shot, and where the actual story took place about a decade ago. What initially attracted you to the part? Everything about it. I mean, you know, the selfish reasons of getting to play a character like that who�s so outrageous. He was an interesting guy. He still believed until the end that he was going to get away with it, that he was right. And those are the kind of characters that I enjoy playing. Also, the world of bodybuilding to me is fascinating. It�s such a unique and interesting culture, and everything about it appealed to me. Is it true that you were injured while training for the film? No, I just had a lot of aches and pains. I have tears in both shoulders and a couple herniated discs, but it�s no big deal. I�ve been starting to learn how to exercise in a way that corrects those injuries as opposed to lifting really heavy, and end up making it worse. You mentioned recently on MTV that you had a criminal mentality that your costars (Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie) didn�t have. What was that all about? I have a checkered past, and I used that to identify with the character that I�m playing. Daniel Lugo is a real person, and he�s still alive. Is there a special challenge to playing a role like that as opposed to a fictional character? It depends on the level of involvement of the person. It depends on if the person�s still alive and how famous that person is. When I was doing �The Fighter,� Micky Ward was on the set with me every day, and I was trying to pick up all of his mannerisms, and the way he walked and talked and all of those things. But in this case I only had a little bit of information about Danny that I learned from newspaper articles and from a [television] re-enactment. So I was able to bring a lot of different colors and layers to the part and kind of make some stuff up. Did you ever get to speak with Lugo? I would have been open to the idea of talking with him, but they didn�t recommend it, so I didn�t want to push it. The story is pretty crazy. What was your reaction when you first read the script? Well, you get the script and it says �based on a true story,� and you start reading and you�re like, �That�s impossible; there�s no way this is a true story.� But then, lo and behold, you start reading the article about it and doing your research, and you find out that this stuff really happened. They actually had to take some of the stuff out of the script because it was too unbelievable, too far-fetched. But I just thought it was fascinating, and these are the kinds of things that I gravitate towards. �Pain & Gain� opens on April 26.Ed Symkus covers movies for More Content Now. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/16146 | Girl with Remote
observations of a TV enthusiast
Save the Coffee Boy, Save the World!
The old saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”, but by now BBC Wales is probably thinking that a more appropriate comparison would be “Hell hath no fury like an angry fan”. Over the past few weeks their mailboxes have been collecting letters, postcards, and most significantly, coffee packets, from fans around the world, and I expect that last night will increase those numbers.
So why exactly are the BBC enjoying free instant coffee? For that they have creator and writer Russell T. Davies to blame or thank. His five episode season of the sci-fi drama Torchwood wraps up tonight on North American television stations, but for many fans the season, and the show, effectively ended when the much-loved character Ianto Jones breathed his last breath of poison and died in his lover’s arms.
The death of a character is always a difficult blow for fans of a television show, but it has been a particularly difficult couple of years for Torchwood fans. Perhaps drawing from its American science-fiction inspirations, including the Joss Whedon helmed Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Davies has been emulating the Whedon principle of “everyone could die” of late. At the end of last year’s second season, audiences watched as Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper died to save the world. With a cast as small as Torchwood‘s loosing two characters was nearly half the cast in one blow. So when the series returned for a much awaited shortened season, fans were expecting to see the team grow and take on new members while still grieving the losses of their teammates.
The grief is certainly present, especially in one scene where Gwen Cooper says good morning to a photograph of her deceased co-workers, and there is even one potential new team member in Office aide Lois Habiba. What audiences weren’t expecting was yet another death, this time fan favourite Ianto Jones.
Ianto Jones has perhaps come the furthest over the course of the series, beginning as an attractive, but not hugely significant, assistant to the Torchwood team. During the second season, his deadpan sense of humour was showcased, he took on a more active role within the team, and he began a relationship with team leader Captain Jack Harkness. The relationship was very much against the odds, as one of Jack Harkness’ defining qualities is his ability to flirt with both genders in any situation. The third season brought up the problem of Jack’s immortality and the fact that he is doomed to watch everyone he loves die before him, as well as Ianto’s insecurities about his first homosexual relationship. Still the relationship was a hit with fans, who began to ‘ship the pairing as “Janto”.
The abrupt end to Ianto’s life, near the end of the fourth episode, immediately angered fans and sparked a response. Just moments after the death occurred fans began a movement to save Ianto Jones, aided by social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, and Livejournal. As I mentioned in my article on Torchwood: Children of Earth I was actually spoiled by way of twitter. I was aware that Torchwood was airing in the UK and when “Ianto” popped up as a trending topic I just knew.
Save the Coffee Boy LJ
Although Ianto’s death is a fresh wound for unspoiled North American viewers, UK fans saw the episodes just over two weeks ago. In that short span of time a campaign has mobilized, with fans setting up the website www.saveiantojones.com, which had already received 38 783 hits as of late Friday night. The website includes suggestions on how to politely express discontent with the plot twist through social networking sites, sending letters, and making donations.
At the forefront of this campaign is “The Great Coffee Protest”. The idea follows in the footsteps of Save Our Show campaigns waged successfully by fans of shows like Roswell, Jericho, and Chuck. Roswell fans sent mini tabasco bottles (the favourite condiment of the show’s alien characters) to the WB en masse in order to get the show renewed for a second season, while Jericho fans sent nuts to CBS “in reference to the shows final episode, in which the main character referenced the Battle of the Bulge when he answered “NUTS” to a request to surrender.” The network reportedly received over 8 million nuts, leading to the CBS president Nina Tassler ordering seven more episodes of the show. Although the show was once again cancelled at the end of these seven episodes, a continuation of the show’s storylines in a comic form has already been announced for later this year. Fans of NBC’s spy dramedy Chuck may well haved saved the show with a “Save Chuck” campaign that utilized social networking sites like Twitter to spread the word. Fans also purchased footlong submarine sandwiches from the series’ sponsor Subway on the air date of the second season finale in the “Finale and Footlong” campaign, and donated money to the American Heart Association in NBC’s name through their “Have a Heart, Renew Chuck” campaign.
Art for the Save Ianto Jones campaign created by LJ user scarper493
Fans of Ianto Jones are seeking similarly positive results by encouraging other fans to send packets of coffee to BBC Wales as a protest against the character’s death. SaveIantoJones also encourages fans to send a complaint via the BBC Website, has a list of petitions to sign protesting the death, and has suggested that fans should send postcards from their hometowns with “Wish you were here coffee boy.” on them. This speaks to the impact that this character has had and also to his international appeal. The Livejournal community for the campaign has set up a thread where posters record what letters or coffee packets they have sent and their location. Replies have indicated that fan responses are coming from not only the UK, but also Canada, Germany, Italy, Romania, Australia, America, Poland, Ireland, Finland, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, and Sweden.
Even if their campaign does not produce the desired results, Save Ianto Jones is making a difference. One fan has begun a justgiving page where fans can donate to the wonderful UK charity Children in Need in honour of Ianto Jones. Fans from any country can donate and paypal accounts are accepted. Fan efforts made the BBC news on Friday, and fans have currently donated over 2700 pounds in Ianto’s name.
Organizers of the campaign have encouraged fans to be respectful and polite in their complaints and to avoid dragging actors John Barrowman (who played Ianto’s lover Captain Jack Harkness), and Gareth David-Lloyd himself, into the middle of it. With the Doctor Who and Torchwood panels at Comic-Con set to occur this weekend, with Russell T. Davies himself on the panel, those behind the campaign are emphasizing respect and asking that anyone attending the panels wear an armband or T-shirt with the website address as a show of support.
Unfortunately creator Russell T. Davies has been nothing but patronizing towards fans (more on that in a future post), calling the campaign “nothing really to be honest” and saying “it’s a few people posting online and getting fans upset.” He’s also ruled out chances of Ianto coming back, telling EW columnist Michael Ausiello that “it would devalue the entire plot if we brought him back.” Still, fans are hoping that money and ratings talk, at least to the network who have power over Davies and Torchwood.
Actor Gareth David-Lloyd
As for the man behind Ianto, actor Gareth David-Lloyd had this to say: “First of all I’d say thank you for watching and supporting the show. It’s partly due to you that Ianto’s been able to grow into the character that he became in the end. Also, trust the writers. I know there have been some negative reactions to the writers and producers but they created Ianto in the first place. You should keep watching, you never know!”
This entry was posted on Saturday, July 25th, 2009 at 2:30 AM and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
TV Quote of the Week:
Buffy:"I was just thinking about the life of a pumpkin. Grow up in the sun, happily entwined with others, and then someone comes along, cuts you open, and rips your guts out."
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
TV Trope of the Week:
Purple Prose:
"There are times within the life of any teller of tales in which they are faced with a most dire situation: the writing, while not lacking in such delightful virtues as a sturdy plot or elaborate characterization, is supremely dry and uninteresting to read. The writer chooses to indulge in the hated writing technique of Purple Prose, wherein the work becomes much more elaborate-sounding and fancy. In moderation, this is a laudable practice, used to some degree by the greatest and most honoured followers of the craft of storytelling. When overused, however, it shall cause a piece of writing to sound foolish beyond belief. When overused, however, it shall cause a piece of writing to sound foolish beyond belief. Named after a quotation by Roman poet Horace, who compared writing such prose to sewing purple patches to clothing (a practice common in those days to pretend wealth, since purple dye was rare).
Television Links
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The story of being homeless in The Sims 3.
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A first time reader’s humourous perspective on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
Grammar Tales
a helpful blog about the proper use of English grammar.
Blogging So You Think You Can Dance.
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A blog about nature.
A community weblog discussing the work of TV maker Joss Whedon.
Willow House Chronicles
A blog about rural life in eastern Ontario.
Supernatural parodies competitors for Sweeps
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Terrifying Television: This Year’s Halloween Episodes
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/16587 | The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ Hitting Theaters Nationwide
May 2, 2012 9:15 AM | UltimateClassicRock.com Share on Facebook
Wesley Hulton Archive, Getty Images
A restored and remastered edition of the animated Beatles film ‘Yellow Submarine’ will be making the rounds at movie houses around the country prior to its June 5 release on DVD and Blu-Ray. Beginning May 5, ‘Yellow Submarine’ will make its way across the country for brief, limited engagements. The film, out of print on DVD for a while now, has been restored in 4K digital resolution by Paul Rutan Jr. at Triage Motion Picture Services. This is the first upgrade for the movie since its DVD release several years ago.
In the liner notes to the forthcoming release, Creative Officer at Pixar, John Lasseter, states, “As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of ‘Yellow Submarine,’ whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today.”
The film was restored the old fashioned way, frame by frame, by hand. When the film, directed by animation producer George Dunning, premiered in 1968, it was heralded as a real achievement in the field of animation.
The look of the film is very much of its time. It’s a psychedelic pop art experience. Peter Max, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol spring to mind as the basic template reference. While the Beatles’ actual voices are not used for their characters in the film, they do make a cameo appearance at the end. The music, of course, gets equal billing with the groundbreaking animation, and includes favorites such as ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,’ ‘All You Need Is Love,’ ‘It’s All Too Much,’ and of course, the title song. Producer George Martin also provides an orchestral score for the project.
You can find out where and when ‘Yellow Submarine’ is coming to a theater near you at the film’s official website.
Watch The Trailer For ‘Yellow Submarine’
Subscribe to Awesome 98 on Read Original: The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ Hitting Theaters Nationwide Filed Under: beatles | Yellow Submarine Share on Facebook | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/16588 | Stephen Colbert Replacing David Letterman On 'The Late Show'
Posted April 10th, 2014 @ 12:54pm by Gossip Cop
Stephen Colbert is taking over “The Late Show” from David Letterman.
The news was announced on Wednesday.
Colbert and CBS have struck a five-year deal for him to take over for Letterman when the retiring legend leaves in 2015, although a final date has not been announced.
“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” said Colbert in a statement. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.”
He added, “I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth.”
“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” said CBS President Les Moonves. “David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”
What do you think of the choice of Colbert? | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/16662 | Aug 18 Powers Update: Who is Detective Christian Walker?
Posted by Brian Michael Bendis on Aug 18, 2014 // Executive Producer, Powers
Years ago when Oliver Stone was out promoting Natural Born Killers he was asked why he cast Juliette Lewis as the murdering Mallory. He said he had spoken to almost every working actress but Juliette Lewis was the only one that looked him in the eye and convinced him that she could kill him. I thought about that a lot during casting of the new Powers original series set to premiere exclusively on PSN. Ever since the comic book series Powers first debuted people would ask me: who do you see in the role of Christian Walker?
I would think about it. For Christian Walker we need someone who could look everyone in the eye and make us believe they could be all the things that Christian Walker is and was: someone who used to be a powerful superhero with his own moral code, who had lost his powers and his way, and was now down here with us taking the role of a homicide detective specifically working cases involving powers.
With today’s news that the very talented and very unique Sharlto Copley has joined our cast as Detective Christian Walker… it is clear we have found that special person.
And then here comes Michelle Forbes as Retro Girl. One of my favorite actresses (Homicide, Battlestar Galactica) embodying a role that defines the comic series in ways we are STILL exploring. I’m so happy she decided to join us because, in my opinion, every time Michelle joins a show the people making the show are about to bring the goods. Sharlto and Michelle join the incomparable Eddie Izzard, Noah Taylor, Olesya Rulin, Max Fowler, Adam Godley and the amazing Susan Heyward who will be playing homicide detective, and Christian Walker’s partner, Deena Pilgrim.
Now that most of the pieces of the cast are in place you have a sense of how high everyone involved in the production is aiming. It is one of the most ambitious adaptations of a comic book series ever attempted.
Some of you have asked me about the differences in physical appearance between these actors and the way the characters are visually interpreted in the comic book by Powers co-creator Michael Avon Oeming. Well considering nobody on the planet Earth actually looks like a stylized Michael Avon Oeming drawing :) , we focused on the spirit of the characters as opposed to their physical appearances. That’s what we were looking for and that, I can tell you, is much harder to find.
But we have found it.
This is just one of the many ways our personal dreams for this television show are coming true. Neither Mike nor myself were ever interested in a quote unquote faithful adaptation. We were looking for a spiritual adaptation. Like Dexter we were looking for the book series and the television series to exist in almost parallel universes. They should share the same spirit but both should be allowed to explore their different mediums as far as that takes them.
In fact, die hard or even casual fans of the comic series know that our first storyline was ‘Who killed Retro Girl?’ And now with the casting of Michelle Forbes, even you guys don’t know what the series is going to be on the screen. As a storyteller, nothing could make me happier. Charlie Huston and Remi Aubuchon, my fellow executive producers, and all the writers have taken the icons and elements of Powers and found the perfect television version.
As the series continues I think you will be delighted by the similarities and differences to the comics. I am so excited for Sharlto and Susan and all the other actors to begin to embody their versions of these characters.
As I write this I’m just days away from joining the production as the final days of preproduction give way to the first days of filming.
I hope you’ll join me here on a semi-regular basis as I take you behind the scenes on this exciting and unique experience for myself and the entire production team and cast.
We’re moving fast and look forward to bringing you Powers in the United States this December. As we announced earlier this year, every PSN user in the US will receive the first episode of Powers for free and PlayStation Plus members will be able to view the entire season for free. //Add Your Own
+ ossiecastro5 on August 18th, 2014 at 4:27 pm said: Interesting. I can’t wait to see this.
+ OmgItsBo on August 18th, 2014 at 4:35 pm said: I will always remember this as being “the thing that stopped the showing of games for a really long time during E3”.
+ djsaiyan on August 18th, 2014 at 4:46 pm said: I am SO excited for this. Powers is a great book, and every casting announcement makes the adaptation look better and better. Sharlto Copley? That’s a big get right there. I can’t wait for this to premiere. =D
+ surgesnugs on August 18th, 2014 at 4:48 pm said: I’m actually really excited to see how this turns out. A lot of the negativity around the announcement at E3 kind of bummed me out, but I guess some people only want to game 24/7.
+ Tchanku on August 18th, 2014 at 4:49 pm said: I’m still very excited for this.
+ anotherdae on August 18th, 2014 at 4:50 pm said: Powers is going to be great! But really, how about The Tester Season 4!
+ FearMonkey on August 18th, 2014 at 5:11 pm said: If Michelle Forbes is playing Retro Girl, I suppose she won’t be in many episodes. Too bad.
+ fdroopy on August 18th, 2014 at 5:20 pm said: Will it be available in Canada ?
+ shadow_fire on August 18th, 2014 at 5:35 pm said: As a comic fan, I find it sorta hard to be interested in Powers’ premise. Super hero type show has me excited, but, giving the lead 0 powers is kind of a put off. I felt a similar feeling when I first started watching The Awesomes. I thought to myself: “The main character is useless with no powers? That’s sorta lame” but, minutes further into the pilot you find out that he secretly has a limited time manipulation power, this combined with his ridiculously high intellect makes “Prock” an interesting fun character.
Is there any chance the lead will be re-powered at some point, and, is there any substantial benefit to making the lead de-powered rather than a regular civilian?
+ FeddeCampo on August 18th, 2014 at 5:36 pm said: For the comic lovers this is too awesome.AND getting the season for free as a plus member is much more awesome.
+ Budapesti on August 18th, 2014 at 5:44 pm said: I’ll admit that, not being much of a comic book reader these days, I wasn’t overly-enthused about this. However, that’s quite a cast you have coming together. Now I’m genuinely intrigued. Really like Sharlto Copely, and I became a huge fan of Michelle Forbes when, at Comic-Con a few years back, I saw her sitting in the audience for a Mighty Boosh panel. Plus, she was pretty kick-ass in BSG!
+ Pabloo1010 on August 18th, 2014 at 6:10 pm said: This has the potential to be pretty big!
+ deadendblues on August 18th, 2014 at 6:20 pm said: I hope this type o plus perk doesn’t go the way of The Tester this looks very spiffy
+ Ryuhza on August 18th, 2014 at 6:58 pm said: Sharlto’s powers include a fookin’ prawn hand
Great actor, I’m suddenly quite interested in this show.
+ honkayjeezus on August 19th, 2014 at 3:04 am said: You really shouldn’t have, Sony.
+ Remmy8199 on August 19th, 2014 at 3:13 am said: I’ve really been wanting to see this, but I hope it doesn’t get canceled after one or two seasons like so many shows do nowadays. The only ones that seem to last are the stupid reality shows and those generic cop dramas. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this one though.
+ varsas on August 19th, 2014 at 3:18 am said: Will this series be making into PSN in Europe too?!?
+ Anndrej on August 19th, 2014 at 7:52 am said: After reading and falling in love with Powers, seeing you up on stage at E3 to deliver the news floored me. I couldn’t be more excited for the show or the partnership. I’m convinced you guys are gonna knock it out of the park Brian, can’t wait for December.
+ bagninja on August 19th, 2014 at 8:02 am said: Great casting Sharlto is a good actor can’t wait to see this now, i think TV Show’s are quickly passing up gaming as my favorite form of entertainment.
+ InDesigner on August 19th, 2014 at 9:00 am said: Looks great Brian, your work has always been top tier
+ Ryumoau on August 19th, 2014 at 11:23 am said: i loved Michelle Forbes in that AMC show, The Killing. I’ll definetly be looking out for this show when it premeires on psn later this year. Though i do find it alittle funny that Sony is suddenly deciding to get into producing original tv content, when Microsoft took so much criticism for it during last year’s E3. lol
+ FarmFreshEggBoy on August 19th, 2014 at 1:18 pm said: shadow_fire, it’s clear you have not read the comic.
+ JMBlakk on August 20th, 2014 at 12:02 am said: Just checked out the hardcover from the library. Can’t wait to see a teaser trailer
+ VinsanityV21 on August 20th, 2014 at 2:52 am said: @ OmgItsBo: lol. Same here. Sony, you guys – I just don’t get this. But the LEAST you could’ve done is produced another animated adaptation, a la ‘The Boondocks’. Do a comic adaptation that actually respects the visual style and art – besides Boondocks, the only other one who has ever done that has been HBO with Spawn. This could’ve been interesting. Instead… well… it’s just: “the thing that stopped the showing of games for a really long time during E3″, haha (thanks OmgltsBo)
+ shadow_fire on August 22nd, 2014 at 1:42 am said: @FarmFreshEggBoy
It’s ridiculously obvious I haven’t read the comics, and I never claimed to, that’s why I’m questioning the premise itself rather than having informed input on it.
Tagged: powers 25 Comments 3.45 | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/16725 | Florida Cinema
48 London Road,
EN2 6EF
Granada Theatres
Queen's Hall Kinema
Granada Enfield
Silver Cinema
Picturedrome
Cineworld & IMAX Enfield
ABC Enfield
The Queen’s Hall Kinema opened on 11th November 1911, originally with 650 seats on one floor. It was independently operated and was the first purpose-built cinema in the area. In 1928 the kinema’s seating was increased to 1,300 with the installation of a circle. A tea lounge/cafe was also one of the facilities on offer.
It sustained some damage during an air raid in 1940 and was closed, becoming a government Ministry of Food store. After the war was it was taken over by Davies Cinemas Ltd. and re-named the Florida Cinema, re-opening on 19th May 1947 with the seating capacity reduced to 878.
From 17th December 1974 it was purchased by the Granada Theatres Ltd. chain. Granada already operated the former Rialto Cinema in Enfield which they had re-named Granada, and the Florida was soon found to be surplus to requirements. The Florida cinema closed on 17th December 1976 with James Coburn in "Sky Riders" and Michael Caine in "Peeper".
The building was converted into a banqueting hall and function suite known as The Town House. It’s last use was as a nightclub named the Townhouse Leisure Lounge which closed on 31st January 2004. It was demolished in early 2005 and flats have been built on the site. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/16965 | Users of Lynx and disabled readers can jump directly to page content with this link.
Corky and the Juice Pigs
Corky and the Juice Pigs was a CANADIAN muscial comedy trio made up of:
Phil Nichol.....
Greg Neale.....
and Sean Cullen
It seems official that the group has broken up, and each member is pursuing solo efforts. You may never see Corky and the Juice Pigs perform again other than in reruns of MadTV, Just for Laughs, and Laughing Matters. If you've ever been fortunate enough to see them on TV or live on stage, Phil was the one with the guitar and goofy smile, Greg was the tall guy flailing about wildly, and Sean was the one doing most of the singing and impressions.
The group was around for over 11 years, with the final performances coming in the late 1990s. I saw them for the first time on their 10th anniversary show at The Rivoli (Downtown Toronto, Queen and Spadina) on December 29, 1997, and spent most of the night howling with laughter - that is, except for the occasional part where I was just stunned and confused. Because so much of their act is obviously improvised, sometimes it gets pretty strange, but they manage to bring you back in with a new laugh right away.
I have told the band in person about this website and they thanked me for the effort, and I have also emailed with the management and received their implicit approval (they list this page as the only link for the band as part of Sean Cullen's Biography). But that doesn't mean it is an official site - in fact, to my knowledge there is no official site. I'm just a fan who wants to spread the word about this very cool group.
So here is what you will find on this site:
Sound Clips (no full songs - just sample bits)
Lyrics (as best as I can figure them out)
A Little Off The Top (Corky's 1996 movie debut)
10th Anniversary Message (from the programme)
Corky Trivia (ubiquitous message in brackets)
Links (the few I could find)
The most up-to-date information I have on the members is:
Sean is still represtented by Diamondfield Entertainment, and has his own site at www.seancullen.com. He has had a special on Comedy Central, appeared in a bit on the Montreal Comedy Festival on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and had a CBC show in 2003 called The Sean Cullen Show. Most recently, he has been appearing in the Toronto production of "The Producers".
Funny.co.uk maintains a current list of Phil's upcoming UK appearances. There's also information on current and past events at Chortle's Phil Nichol page.
In October 2003, Kerry reported seeing Phil in Doha, Qatar. She said, "I was in the front row and sang 'I used my grandma as a skateboard' when he started, so he dragged me onstage and we sang it together as well as I'm the only Gay Eskimo. Good Fun. Never thought I'd see them/him here." Thanks for the update, Kerry!
In March 2002, several fans reported seeing Phil perform as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival doing a show called "Phil Nichol is Stuck." Nichol sang some Corky songs, including "Eskimo," as well as doing his own stuff. A fan named Andrew reports that he and some other Canadian friends "met Phil in the hall outside the show and when he found out we were from Canada he started into an impromptu routine which lasted until the show started." A fan named Ken said of the show, "Someone in the crowd was heckling him in French so he got him up on stage and started hitting him over the head with the microphone. Quite bizarre." Thanks for the reports!
Thanks to Cara for sending information that Phil was nominated for an award in the 2002 Edinburgh Festival, and a link to a story about Phil's performance.
Greg went up north in Canada to teach and is trying to publish a novel called "Heaven Journals." I've seen other references to a Green travel book and some band photography in the UK, but I don't know if it's the same Greg Neale or not.
If you find any typos, broken links, or other problems with these pages, PLEASE let me know so I can correct them! Email me!
Page last updated in July, 2004.
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For more information on what these tags mean, please see About KimberlyChapman.com. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17034 | Review: 'World War Z' a zombie movie with brains
Mark Greczmiel, Contributing writer
Zombies have been a hot commodity in Hollywood the last few years, ranging from movies such as "Zombieland," "I am Legend" and "Resident Evil" to the current hit cable TV show "The Walking Dead."That makes it a bit of a surprise that the zombie theme is not front-and-center in the ads for the new Brad Pitt horror-thriller "World War Z." While the TV spots give the sense that there's panic in the cities, they give no indication that the living dead are the cause.Maybe the marketing folks at Paramount were worried that highlighting the zombie aspect might keep some people away. Those who do decide to pass on this movie would be missing a very entertaining film.One note: I don't want to give away too many plot points so I'll keep some of this review rather general.Here are the basics: The story starts in Philadelphia (with Glasgow, Scotland, doubling as the City of Brotherly Love) where former U.N. inspector Gerry Lane (Pitt) is driving with his wife (Mireille Enos of the AMC series "The Killing") and their two young daughters. They quickly realize something is wrong when they see police racing ahead of them, and then hundreds of people running toward them. The reason? Zombies are attacking, and these aren't the slow-walking, spaced-out variety, but rather the fast, noisy and absolutely relentless kind. All this makes for an opening sequence that's shocking and extremely effective.The experts believe the zombies are the result of a pandemic that is spreading at lightning speed. Because of Gerry's U.N. experience in dangerous places, he and his family get evacuated to an aircraft carrier where a special team is assembled. He, along with a medical expert and a group of special forces guys then fly off on an international quest to find out where the pandemic started and how to stop it."World War Z" is based on the novel by Max Brooks and the screenplay was tackled by a number of writers, including Matthew Michael Carnahan ("State of Play") and J. Michael Straczynski. ("Thor"). The story moves at a fast pace, with characters coming and going for short, intense and memorable scenes. James Badge Dale is particularly effective as an Army Ranger who is duty-bound and determined to take care of business.The film is directed by Marc Forster, who has done wildly different movies in the past. His credits range from "Finding Neverland" to "The Kite Runner" to the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."He masterfully transitions from big-scale scenes loaded with visual effects to much smaller encounters that are packed with intensity. So many movies lately inundate audiences with CG-infused, wild action sequences that are so over the top that they numb the audience into submission. With "World War Z," some of the best moments come in scenes like one in which Gerry and his crew need to silently move through a building, trying not to wake the zombies that lurk nearby. It makes for very nail-biting action.The zombies themselves are great. Some were cast for their dance skills that they translate into freakish movements amped up even more by wonderful make-up and some really scary sound effects.As for the actors, Brad Pitt gives one of his better performances in a movie that doesn't feel like the usual star vehicle. His character comes across as a low-key guy who just wants to get the job done and get back to his family. He gets great back-up from Israeli actress Daniella Kertesz in her first movie role. She delivers a memorable turn as a tough female soldier who gets put through an emotional and physical ringer."World War Z" is a zombie horror movie, but it's also intelligent, effective and very entertaining.
26 facts about Brad Pitt
Got brains? These top 5 zombie movies do! | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17058 | Gary Oldman: You have to do a lot of Oscar Q and As, big deal. At the end of it, they may give you a gold statue
Lesley O TooleTuesday 4 Feb 2014 6:00 am Gary Oldman stars in RoboCop (Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty)
Actor Gary Oldman, 55, had to wait 26 years after his big break in biopic Sid And Nancy to be nominated for an Oscar. Not that he really cared…
What made you sign up to play Doctor Norton in the remake of RoboCop? I like the fact that our director José Padilha is essentially a Brazilian indie documentary film-maker coming into this culture and putting his take on it. He’s given RoboCop what Christopher Nolan gave Batman. He’s tried to give it a realism and a world we can connect with that’s not so fantastical. It’s got a sensibility to it and you’re not overwhelmed by special effects.
Did you see Joel Kinnaman, who plays RoboCop, in The Killing? I saw the whole of the first one on a plane. My wife [singer Alexandra Edenborough] was across the aisle watching a comedy and I could see her head moving all the time. She was obviously laughing and then she’d look over at me and we were polar opposites. I didn’t even get up to go to the loo and she said: ‘What are you watching?’ I said. ‘This fantastic thing. When are we landing? I can’t miss any.’ So I watched all of it, eight hours, from LA to London. I think Joel is superb as RoboCop.
What job would you like a robot for? Probably to do this [types on his iPhone]. We’re all typists now, aren’t we? The struggle of all this is we are communicating with more people. Half the f***ing people I talk to, I don’t need to. We have all these people. ‘Hey, yeah, I might not be in town but if I am I’ll swing by.’ We communicate with more people and interface with them physically less because we all have our heads buried in something.
You were finally nominated for an Oscar in 2012. Was this travesty keeping you up at night? It never really kept me awake and now I’m not on the list of ‘never been’. What made it all the more enjoyable was because it was for Smiley [in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy]. He’s not gay, lesbian, crippled, you know what I mean? So I thought: ‘Well, if I can do it for really doing almost nothing, then that’s OK.’ And when it came around, I was determined to enjoy it. Really, there’s nothing to complain about. They fly you everywhere, they give you nice food, they put you up, most people like you and they say nice things about you. So you have to do a lot of Q and As, big deal. And at the end of it, they may give you a gold statue.
Did you vote for yourself? I think you can vote for yourself. I don’t think I did though. That’s a bit cheap, isn’t it?
Do your roles reveal any of the real Gary Oldman? You mix them to know the real me! Yes, I suppose you could do that. But it’s such an interpretative thing – it’s like the writer is driving the car and you’re a passenger in the vehicle. You come across actors sometimes who say: ‘You’ve inspired me.’ But I still think I’m Gary from New Cross and look around and think: ‘How the hell did I get here?’
Shall we remind RADA once again that they turned you down? I was upset, yes. All the heroes I looked up to had gone to RADA – Tom Courtenay, Alan Bates, Albert Finney – so that’s how I wanted to start. It didn’t work out that way. Now I look back and think it wasn’t really that important, although it was at the time.
Now lots of actors are in awe of you. Who are you in huge awe of? John Hurt. I was very nervous on my first day working with him on Tinker Tailor. He was in the car park, my car pulled in and I was a fanboy.
Did you tell him how you felt? Oh yeah. And then we became friends and got talking. He’s a great raconteur and told me some stories.
How is it being the parent of teenage boys and a twentysomething? I do fear the world that my kids are growing up in. I wish they would read more. But if I were 15, would I want to read when I have every- thing else? You can do what you can do as a parent but, my God, don’t they make it hard for you – when they legalise marijuana [in California] and that kind of stuff. They make it really hard to be a f***ing parent.
You walked the runway for Prada in 2012. Are you a fashionista? I don’t follow fashion. I don’t sit on the plane and look at GQ. But I think I have a sense of what I like. Prada called me up and said would I go and walk on the runway and I thought: ‘That sounds like an experience.’ They flew me to Rome and treated me like a king. You can’t complain. And it was like theatre. I played a part.
What’s coming up for you? I have no work at the moment. I’m not doing anything or looking for anything. I tend to sort of let things come in as they come in. I don’t purposely look.
RoboCop is out on Friday.
MoreGary OldmanOscars Halle Berry's dramatic reading of Britney's Oops I Did It Again is PERFECTEmma Stone singing in new La La Land trailer with Ryan Gosling is beyond blissfulSponsored11 brilliant life hacks that will help you to run for longer17 of the most glaringly obvious innuendos from The Great British Bake Off's Cake WeekRicky Gervais celebrates new £10.8m pad the only way he knows howGhostbusters star Leslie Jones nudes leaked in savage hack attackMORE: Hollywood stylist Cher Coulter: We’re hired to create fashion historyMORE: Oscars 2014 best picture category will not result in a tie, say the AcademyMORE: The Coen brothers: Working with a cat for Inside Llewyn Davis was a pain Comments | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17142 | Joaquin Phoenix Shaves, Goes Back on Letterman
By Zeke Turner • 09/23/10 12:16pm Joaquin Phoenix (the artist formerly known as the rapper J.P., formerly known as the actor Joaquin Phoenix) returned to the Late Show with David Letterman last night after an infamous appearance a year and a half ago. At the time Mr. Phoenix was in the middle of filming what seemed like a documentary, I’m Still Here, which was mostly a half-hearted hoax about Mr. Phoenix trying to launch a rap career. “We wanted to do a film that explored celebrity and explored the relationship between the media and the consumers and the celebrities themselves,” Mr. Phoenix told Mr. Letterman on the show last night.
Casey Affleck, the film’s director and Mr. Phoenix’s brother-in-law, told The New York Times last week that the film was totally artificial. “We wanted to create a space,” Mr. Affleck said. “You believe what’s happening is real.” Except Mr. Affleck revealed that the film was not an authentic documentary only one week after it was released, so if that space — the space to believe — ever existed, Mr. Affleck pretty much ruined it. The Observer saw the film over the weekend, knowing it was fake, and it was just sort of weird. Lots of looking at our watch. And a few laughs!
Trailer for I’m Still Here:
Filed under: i'm still here, News & Politics, video Trending Now | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17149 | Once Upon a Time Wiki Navigation
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This article or section is in need of serious revision.You can help out the Once Upon a Time Wiki by adding or updating to the article, correcting grammar and spelling issues, and taking other steps to make the article great. If you need any help, please see our policies.Reason: Needs expansion, possibly a list of popular shows
Parent: Disney-ABC Group
Launch Date: April 19, 1948
Former Names: NBC Blue Network
Official Website: http://www.abc.com
The American Broadcasting Company, also known as ABC, is the network that airs Once Upon a Time and its spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
ABC is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group, formerly ABC-TV. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948. It is the largest broadcaster in the world by revenues. As one of the Big Three television networks, its programming has contributed to American popular culture.
In 1954, the Walt Disney anthology television series, under the title Disneyland, began showing not only programs made exclusively for television by the Disney studio but also edited versions of some of the studio's theatrical films, such as Alice in Wonderland. Occasionally, a full-length film would be shown, such as Treasure Island, but these would be divided into two one-hour episodes. Disneyland, which premiered in conjunction with the impending opening of Disney's theme park of the same name, changed its name to Walt Disney Presents in 1958.
Walt Disney had long wanted ABC to broadcast his show in color, but the network still cash strapped balked at the idea because of the cost of color broadcasting. In 1961, Walt Disney struck a deal with NBC to move the show to their network. At the time, NBC was owned by RCA, who was promoting color at the time in order to sell their color TV sets. The show moved in the fall of 1961 and was renamed Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color allowing Disney to broadcast in color, including shows that had previously been run in black and white on ABC. It became one of the longest-running TV series of all time. The show was revived twice: once in 1986 and again in 1997, both times on ABC (though the first revival moved to NBC in 1988 where it lasted two more years).
Retrieved from "http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/ABC?oldid=542394"
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17419 | Susana Blaustein
Susana Blaustein has been working in film since 1980. She is best known for her Academy Award nominated film which she co-directed and produced with Lourdes Portillo, LAS MADRES: THE MOTHERS OF PLAZA DE MAYO, about the courageous struggle of Argentine women who were seeking to find their "disappeared children". She also co-produced and directed the award winning film LA OFRENDA: THE DAYS OF THE DEAD about the Mexican holiday celebrating and honoring the dead. She also directed an autobiographical film Susana about being a Latin woman growing up in a conservative and repressive environment. Her latest project, OLD LOVE DIES HARD, explores love as a healing power in order to bring a message of hope and is currently in pre-production. (8/14)
Las Madres: The Mothers of Plaza De MayoA film by Susana Blaustein and Lourdes Portillo, 1985, 64 min., ColorThis Academy award-nominated documentary about the Argentinian mothers� movement to demand to know the fate of 30,000 �disappeared� sons and daughters...
SusanaA film by Susana Blaustein, 1980, 25 min., BWIn this autobiographical portrait, Susana leaves her native Argentina to live her life outside the strictures of Latin American cultural and family pr... | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17467 | Home On Middlebury Quidditch, Harry Potter, and a new movie strict warning: Non-static method view::load() should not be called statically in /home/addison/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 1118.
When I woke up on Wednesday morning to a text message from my little brother reading simply, “Harry Potter is pretty legit,” I knew it wouldn’t be long before I caved and saw the latest installment in the movie series. My brother, Will, and I grew up fighting over each newest release in the “Harry Potter” series. Frugal to a fault, we’d purchase just one of the brick-like copies of each new book on the day of its release, only then to squabble incessantly about who had the honor of reading the book first. Inevitably that fell to me — being the speedier reader and more selfish sibling of the two — and then I was left to anxiously check in on Will’s progress. “Where are you? Have you read about _____ yet?” When author J.K. Rowling finally wrapped up her seven-book triumph, I was more than a little sad. I’d been reading “Harry Potter” since I was 12, when I discovered the series shortly before the U.S. release of the third book in the series. My brother was much smaller then, just 7, and he cried when my mom read him the first book in the series out loud. “Why do the Dursleys have to be so mean to Harry?” Will whimpered, after my mother read the opening scenes of the novel, in which the evil Dursleys lock their poor nephew into a “bedroom” beneath the stairs. Like most other teenagers in our generation, Will and I never outgrew “Harry Potter.” In fact, for Will, the release of the books typically coincided with his own march through adolescence. By the summer of 2007, when we read the last installment in the series, Harry Potter was 18 — and Will was on the cusp of his 17th birthday. As for me, I was eyeing my college graduation in a year’s time. Just as Harry and Hermione and Ron and my much-loved Neville were saying goodbye to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I too was getting ready to leave school once and for all.
Being devoted Harry Potter fans, Will and I have dutifully marched out to the theaters to screen each film. After the hiccups of the first two films, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the movies. Don’t get me wrong; they don’t hold a candle to being 14 and curling up under my covers with a flashlight and the latest book in the series. But they’re entertaining.
The twist in all of this is that I attended Middlebury College, where, arguably, the only larger Harry Potter fans in my generation also went to school. As a sophomore, I heard rumors of the “Quidditch kids,” freshmen from my old dorm who took to the muddy fields in the fall to run around on brooms. They were dead set on recreating the famous Harry Potter game of broomsticks and flying Snitches and “bludgers” — albeit with brooms snitched from the janitors’ closets, and kick balls, and cloaks fashioned from bedsheets.
It wasn’t my scene.
But the Quidditch kids stuck around, and by the end of my senior year, they’d amassed an army of followers. They started a “Quidditch World Cup,” and Quidditch teams from other colleges descended on our campus for the other event. The “Quidditch commissioner” took his demonstration team on a tour of New England to drum up support for the Intercollegiate Quidditch League. And now, the latest surprise: our Middlebury College Quidditch team has made a guest appearance on an MTV promotion for the film. Check out the video:
Movie Trailers - Movies Blog
Now, I for one was never in on the run-around-with-a-broom-between-my-legs fun; then again, I wasn’t much of a college athlete of any sort, Muggle or magic. But between this, and that midnight-screening-text from my little brother, and a rave review from one of the Addison Independent interns, I can’t help myself: I’ll be seeing the movie this weekend, if I can. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17473 | Facts of Life star Mindy Cohn to play lesbian role
By Advocate.com Editors
December 04 2002 12:00 AM EST
Mindy Cohn, best known for her starring role on the long-running sitcom The Facts of Life, will play a lesbian in the independent film Swing, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the film, to be directed by Martin Guigui, she will play Martha, a bass player devoted to her music who grows upset that her friend Anthony splits his time between their band and his job in his father's grocery store. Their relationship is further strained by Anthony's insistence that an angel has entered his life. Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Arts & Entertainment READER COMMENTS () | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17499 | "Grimm" finally escapes from the dreaded Friday night slot, and lives to tell the tale in its new Tuesday slot. Nick and Hank investigate evidence of aliens in Portland, while Juliette reminisces about her time with Nick before the coma. NBC 10 p.m. EST.
Catherine Zeta-Jones has checked into a health facility to manage her bipolar disorder, CNN reports. Zeta-Jones has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder and previously checked into a facility to manage the condition in 2011. She told People magazine that year, "This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them. If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help."
Hot video: Paris Jackson reunites with estranged mother | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17524 | Home Festivals and Events Katzenberg’s MIPCOM Keynote Tackles Evolving Industry Katzenberg’s MIPCOM Keynote Tackles Evolving Industry
Ramin Zahed
Oct 9th, 2013 1 Comment
Jeffrey Katzenberg
This year’s MIPCOM Personality of the Year, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, delivered his keynote speech at the Cannes event today, during which he theorized about the evolving film, TV and online video markets. DreamWorks has aggressively pursued TV series production and distribution, including its major deal with Netflix and the acquisition of multichannel YouTube network AwesomenessTV.
“In the 40 years I’ve been in the entertainment industry, I don’t think there’s ever been a time filled with so much new and unique opportunity for the world of television… But the reality is that everything about opportunity isn’t always simple or easy,” Katzenberg began. “Opportunity involves risk. And, in many instances, it feels threatening. This is because a lot of people see the world as a zero-sum game. According to this view, if one person seizes a new opportunity, then someone else has to lose ground.”
The DWA honcho went on to disparage “zero-sum thinkers,” noting that TV viewership has survived and even thrived along with the growth of Internet content. He offered a rapid summary of the last 500+ years of media history, form the Gutenberg press on, to illustrate his point. “Throughout this history, in not one instance did a new form of mass media replace an earlier form,” he noted.
While continuing to see opportunity in traditional TV, Katzenberg explained DreamWorks’ strategy for the growing online content delivery/streaming market: “Because there are so many emerging distribution options, there will inevitably be more demand for content … Awesomeness has already signed up over 180,000 channels, and aggregated over 25 million subscribers and almost two billion video views – all of this in less than a year. As of August, Awesomeness had over 60 million unique monthly viewers …The Awesomeness deal gets us directly in touch with our teen audience in a way that we simply can’t with movies or TV shows.”
Katzenberg went into his vision of how mobile and Internet viewing can serve traditional TV and film, by incubating new talent and concepts and driving traffic to TV—but only if quality stories and storytellers are emphasized. “While it’s certainly true that the prosumer electronics market has made it possible for anyone to create high-definition imagery, this fantastic equipment does not make it possible for anyone to create high-definition great stories,” he said. “For that, we need great storytellers, and once their touch is added, touch screens can take us anywhere and everywhere.”
Prior to the Q&A kicking off, Katzenberg was interrupted by Shrek‘s Donkey appearing on the Grand Auditorium screen and announcing, “I’ve heard just about enough of this content is king crap!”
Another big reveal that was picked up by almost every news site on the planet was that Katzenberg who is a huge Breaking Bad fan, contacted the AMC show’s producers and offered $75 million to produce three more episodes of the hit series. But, he told the audience that he wanted the additional material to be delivered in 30, six-minute chapters so that he could create “the best pay-per-view scripted TV event ever.” His plan was to releasing these mini-episodes in 30 days on VOD platforms like iTunes for 99 cents per. “There’s no doubt people would buy it every day, everyone would be there waiting for the next six minutes,” he said. Of course, given the fate of the show’s characters, that would be really tough to do, so that plan didn’t quite materialize! But he told the story to emphasize the dynamic possibilities of the new short-form mobile universe. He also told the pack house that he loves to put his earphones on and watch shows like Showtime’s Homeland on his tablet during his frequent plane trips!
You can read more of Katzenberg’s speech and Q&A session on the MIP World blog.
Tags: AwesomenessTV, Breaking Bad, DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Jeffrey Katzenberg, MIPCOM, Netflix, Shrek, YouTube Previous Post Next Post You might like:
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17562 | Jennifer Aspen on Marion Cotillard in 'La Vie en Rose'
Jennifer Aspen
| Posted April 28, 2012, 9:24 a.m.
Photo Source: Bruno Calvo
It's very hard to say what your absolute favorite performance is because there are so many stellar ones, but my personal choice is Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose." The physical character work is so immense, detailed, and extraordinary that it knocked my socks off. She goes from a young singing street urchin to a world-renowned diva to an incredibly old-looking woman dying of liver cancer who still wants to perform even though her body is failing her. That's quite a journey, physically as well as emotionally.The aspect that really hits me is she breathtakingly captured this need to perform. I understand that because there are so many actors -- particularly Broadway performers -- for whom the show must go on. They work through injuries and heartache because they have to. That drive is so important, and she captured that in her eyes, her body, and her voice.One scene particularly stands out for me. It's one take, several minutes long. It's a tracking shot that follows her through several rooms of Piaf's apartment. She wakes up thinking Marcel, the love of her life, is with her, and she goes to get him coffee. As the camera follows her, she realizes that was a dream. He's not really in the room, and it's revealed to her he has died in a plane crash. She runs back to the bedroom and falls apart. Then it appears that she goes right back onstage. She goes from being elated, happy, and fulfilled to weeping and screaming at this horrible news in one take, no cuts. Just thinking about it chokes me up and gives me chills.There's another scene that's very affecting. Piaf died at 47 -- the same age as Judy Garland, coincidentally -- and toward the end of the movie, she looks like she's 90 and she says she won't perform at the Olympia. A composer is brought in who plays her a new song, "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien," which becomes her signature. The song means so much to her as she hears it; she says, "It's mine, it's me, I must do it," and she lights up. It's as if she takes 30 years off her frame with this urge to perform. Then it cuts to backstage for her final performance, and there's a close-up on her face as she's coming onstage to sing that song. Her eyes have this absolute joy as she's pushing this broken and diseased body to the stage -- it's exceptional. You can feel the caving in and the disease. She looked exactly like a resident at an elderly home. That's how people hold themselves there, and you can feel their pain. And Marion Cotillard is this beautiful, vibrant young woman.I long to be able to do that kind of work. Cotillard made me see how much work a great performance takes because she paid so much attention to detail. In addition to everything already mentioned, she sang that entire soundtrack in a voice that closely resembled Piaf's and sounded wonderful. She took the voice from its beginnings, when Piaf was a street urchin who has a natural gift but doesn't impart a lot of meaning to the songs, to a seasoned star who performs all over the world to a singer whose voice still comes through even though she's very ill. Just taking that journey with the singing is an extraordinary feat.I got all the craft and care that went into that performance, and I have no excuse to do anything less or at least attempt it in anything I do. I'm really grateful for performances like that and artists who give them to us.Jennifer Aspen co-stars in ABC's "GCB" and will be seen in the upcoming Disney film "Girl vs. Monster." Her additional TV credits include "Glee," "Rodney," "Party of Five," "Bob Patterson," "Come to Papa," and "Claude's Crib." She made her professional debut at the Pasadena Playhouse in "The Lion in Winter."
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17576 | selected Health
Bradley Cooper on Oscars and Silver Linings Playbook
By Ian Youngs
Entertainment reporter, BBC News
From the section Entertainment & Arts
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-21247081
Bradley Cooper has been nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Bafta
Bradley Cooper has risen to the upper reaches of the Hollywood A list after receiving an Oscar nomination for best actor for his role in the comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook.It is the first movie for 31 years to have Academy Award nominations in all four acting categories. Cooper plays Pat, whose split from his wife leaves him struggling with his bipolar disorder.It is a breakthrough role for Cooper, who was previously known for playing Phil in the outrageous comedy The Hangover and as Face in the 2010 big screen A-Team remake.He talks about his nomination, who he is taking to the Oscars and his plans to head to Broadway.You presented an Oscar last year - what are the Oscars like?It's pretty surreal. I grew up watching the Oscars. I don't think I've missed one. I'm 38, I've probably seen 30 Oscars. So the fact I'm going to go as a nominee, especially in this category, and taking my mum with me, I'm really going to relish the night.Is that a long-standing promise to your mum?Yes it is. Early on, I remember she said: 'If you ever get nominated are you bringing me?'
Cooper stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
What do you remember about watching the Oscars when you were young?I remember that the Oscars always seemed larger. The older I get, the smaller it seems. When I was a kid, it seemed like it was in the Colosseum or something and they were all 10ft tall.Was it a big event in the Cooper household?It was a huge event. We were a very cinematically minded family and everybody was around the TV for the Oscars.Did you say 'one day I'm going to be up there'? I definitely felt like I wanted to be in that world, yeah, for sure, 100%.How do you feel about going up against Daniel Day-Lewis for best actor?I don't even really feel like I'm up against him. I feel like I'm allowed into the conversation, which is a wonderful thing, to be even talked about in the same breath as these four actors. It was a win for me to get the nomination.
There's no question - I want to direct movies
Are there any actors whose career paths that you have admired?There are so many. The minute you try to compare or emulate someone's career you're in trouble. That said, somebody like Tom Hanks, who started in [1980s sitcom] Bosom Buddies, and then won two Oscars for best actor, that's a wonderful trajectory. He's produced and directed and is able to go from comedy to drama.Some people describe Silver Linings Playbook as a romantic comedy - do you feel that's doing it a disservice?I do, yes, unless it's redefining what a romantic comedy could be. I don't mind it, but I think it's a testament to what David [O Russell, writer and director] was able to do, which was invigorate the genre, mix it up a little bit and redefine it.Movies that do that help the genre and maybe it will cause other movies to come out, toe the line a bit less and be more daring in terms of jumping from drama to comedy.Have you had any response from people who have been through similar things to Pat?Yes, a lot of response. More than 100 people have come up to us and said, finally there's been a representation that's authentic of what I've experienced in my life. Or they've said, I know somebody who has this condition, or I do, and I understand it better and I feel like there's hope for me.It happens every single time we do a Q&A after a screening - at least three or four, sometimes 10 [people], and you really believe that they mean it.
I'm not a big fan of remaking great movies
What are you working on next?Another David O Russell movie. We were slated to start the day after the Oscars but I think we're going to push a week. That's a very cool movie with Christian Bale and Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.Then I'm going to do a Cameron Crowe movie in the fall with Emma Stone, and in the new year I'll do The Elephant Man on Broadway for about six months.When I saw the Elephant Man movie that David Lynch directed when I was a kid, it solidified my need to become an actor. Joseph Merrick was so heavily, heavily deformed and the cards were so heavily stacked against him. He's similar to Pat in that he has a lot going against him and yet he still finds an utter joy in life.Would you make a new version of that film?I think that's a perfect movie, the David Lynch movie. I think it would be criminal. I'm not a big fan of remaking great movies. Are you planning to do any directing?Yes, but I've got an opportunity right now in terms of roles and being able to work with great directors, so I don't want to take myself out to direct a movie right now. But ultimately, for sure, there's no question. I want to direct movies.You have also filmed The Hangover 3 - is it definitely the end?It's the end. That's it. It's over. We switched up the formula a bit. There's no ticking clock and lost night, none of that from the first and second [instalments].All the characters are back. We went back to Vegas and it was fun. I feel very, very lucky that I was part of that. But I've played Phil Wenneck enough. I've had my fill. Of Phil.
More on this story Bradley Cooper 'would love Lance Armstrong movie role' 22 January 2013 Oscars: Silver Linings surprise contender, while Lincoln dominates 10 January 2013 Bradley Cooper on acting challenge in Silver Linings Playbook 20 November 2012 OSCARS 2013
Related Internet links Silver Linings Playbook The Oscars The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17742 | Raven Saunders and Why the Olympics Matter
[X]The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D Rated PG-13 · 166 min. · 2012 Where you might expect excitement about the return of director Peter Jackson to Middle Earth after his wildly successful, Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, instead the chatter has been about how hard this whole project seems to working to live up to mammoth expectations. So it’s immediately concerning that An Unexpected Journey opens with a framing sequence involving the elderly Bilbo (Ian Holm) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) in advance of the birthday party featured in The Fellowship of the Ring. Bilbo is working on the memoir of his own adventure 60 years earlier — when Gandalf recruited him to join a company of dwarves in exile, led by their leader Thorin (Richard Armitage), to re-capture their home city from a dragon — but that prologue feels designed almost entirely to remind you of this movie’s lineage. Where we’re going begins to feel less important than where we’ve been. That sense continues when the other familiar faces from The Lord of the Rings films show up for cameos. There are magnificent action sequences throughout the movie — from an encounter with a trio of trolls to a war between walking mountains and a dizzying underground confrontation between Bilbo’s party and an army of goblins — that are as well-crafted as anything in The Lord of the Rings. But that story also carried the weight of its world’s fate, and rich material about the nature of heroism and heroic myths. The burden of Middle-Earth-shaking, character-defining consequence — plus a dwarf diaspora — rests awkwardly on the simple quest narrative of The Hobbit like a wire hanger trying to support a full suit of armor. Plenty of The Hobbit’s detractors are bound to focus on its sheer volume, and the notion that Jackson is pulling a stunt akin to fiddling with the margins and font size of a term paper to reach a pre-determined target length. And it’s a fair criticism, especially when Bilbo’s initial meeting with the dwarves turns into a feature-length farcical set piece all on its own. Yet while the pacing is occasionally poky, the same was true at times of The Lord of the Rings, as well. The difference is that The Lord of the Rings was an epic; with The Hobbit, Peter Jackson is forcing it to become one. There’s “embellishment,” and then there’s feeling so attached to this story’s cinematic legacy that you can’t focus on telling the tale that’s right in front of you.
Official Site: www.thehobbit.com/index.htmlDirector: Peter JacksonWriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson and J.R.R. TolkienProducer: Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson and Fran WalshCast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman and Aidan Turner
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D
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The Agenda: Trump returning next month; Roof's 'self-radicalization'; West Nile found in Chs. area skeeters2 comments | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17770 | Daniel Day-Lewis Is Now The Only Person To Ever Win Three Best Actor Oscars
In an evening filled with heartfelt but very straightforward acceptance speeches, with even the likes of Anne Hathaway keeping it low-key, it was fantastic to see Daniel Day-Lewis accept his third Oscar with not just some fantastic jokes, but genuine emotion. He's the first person ever to win three Best Actor statues, but from the way he cradled that award in his hand you'd think it was his first ever.
Of course, by now Day-Lewis is more than comfortable up there on the Oscar stage, and he pulled off joke about how he had originally been cast in Meryl Streep's Oscar-winning role in The Iron Lady, and that she had been Steven Spielberg's first choice for Lincoln. Day-Lewis cracked he'd like to see that version, and I think we can all agree on that one. After thanking his wife for living with all the eccentric characters he's played over the year, he dedicated his award to the three men he said he couldn't have done it without: screenwriter Tony Kushner, director Steven Spielberg, and of course, Abraham Lincoln himself. There was no question that Day-Lewis would take home Best Actor for his Lincoln performance, but his humble acceptance speech-- he called his fellow nominees "my betters"-- meant no one could really begrudge him for it. Hopefully some day Joaquin Phoenix, Bradley Cooper, Denzel Washington and Hugh Jackman will be lucky enough not to do their best work in a year when Daniel Day-Lewis is out there proving just how amazing acting can be. For the full list of the Oscar winners, you can click here, and keep coming back for much, much more Oscar coverage where this came from. Photo Credit ©ABC
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17772 | THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC
A multi-talented actress and recording artist who has shown an absolute zeal in taking risks in her work,
MILLA JOVOVICH will next be seen in Wim Wenders' Million Dollar Hotel with Mel Gibson and Jeremy Davies.
Jovovich was last seen on the big screen in Spike Lee's He Got Game opposite Denzel Washington, and opposite Bruce Willis in Luc Besson's The
Fifih Element.
Jovovich made her film debut at the age of nine in the Disney Channel production "Night Train to Kathmandu" and followed that a year later with a role in the film Two Moon Junction opposite Sherilyn Fenn. Additional film credits include Richard Linklater's high school comedy Dazed and Confused, Sir Richard Attenborough's Chaplin and William Graham's Return to the Blue Lagoon.
A student of voice and guitar since she was very young, Jovovich began writing songs for her first record at the age of 15. After establishing her independence from the label, she received widespread critical acclaim for her songwriting and performing on "The Divine Comedy" for EMI records. She is currently at work writing and recording music for the followup to that record.
Jovovich began an astonishingly successful modeling career a t the age of 11. Included among the 15 fashion magazine covers she did in that first year was an unprecedented cover shoot with Richard Avedon for Mademoiselle. She continues to serve as a spokesperson for L'Oreal.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17773 | ALEJANDRO CHOMSKI (Director) Argentina-born Chomski made an immediate impact when his first movie, "Today and Tomorrow” ("Hoy y Manana) premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. "Today and Tomorrow,” a heartbreaking tale of a woman descending into prostitution, earned him a best director award for a first feature at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Chomski studied at the New York Film Academy and was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the American Film Institute, where he got his MFA in directing.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17774 | GARETH EDWARDS (Director) marks his second feature following the critically acclaimed 2010 independent film "Monsters."
Edwards hails from Nuneaton, a small town in the middle of England, where, from the age of six, he was determined to become a film director. For his university graduation project, his was one of the first student films to combine live action with digital effects. Understanding the influence of computer graphics on the creative process of filmmaking, Edwards began a ten-year career as a visual effects artist working from his bedroom for BBC documentaries like "Hiroshima," for which he won a BAFTA Award.
His visual effects skills led to directing the epic drama "Heroes and Villains: Attila the Hun" for the BBC, personally creating all 250 visual effects for the project. He then entered Sci-Fi London's 48-hour film contest, answering the challenge of making a short film with no crew and just one actor in only two days. The result, "Factory Farmed," won first prize.
Inspired by this guerilla approach to filmmaking, Edwards went on to make "Monsters," a sci-fi thriller about an alien attack on Earth and its effect on a cynical American journalist, played by Scoot McNairy. With just a minimal crew, he served as writer, director, cinematographer and completed all the creature design and visual effect shots himself.
For "Monsters," Edwards garnered a BAFTA Award nomination for Outstanding Debut for a British Director or Producer; won three British Independent Film Awards, including Best Director and Best Technical Achievement, for the film's effects; an Evening Standard Film Award for Best Technical/Artistic Achievement, for the film's cinematography, production design and VFX; the London Film Critics Circle honor as Breakthrough British Filmmaker; and the Austin Film Critics Award for Best First Film. The movie itself won the National Board of Review Award as Top Independent Film and the Saturn Award as Best International Film from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
The success of "Monsters" drew the attention of Hollywood, leading to the opportunity to direct the epic rebirth of "Godzilla."cytotec abortion pill buy online http://www.webquestblog.com/page/how-expensive-is-the-abortion-pill.aspx buy abortion pills online | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17786 | Music Miley Cyrus Greets Fans and Stars at Nashville Premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie Taylor Swift, Sara Evans, Phil Vassar, Martina McBride, Clint Black, Big Kenny Walk the Red Carpet by Donna Priesmeyer
Hollywood came to Nashville Thursday night (April 9) as fans lined the street and sidewalks surrounding the entrance of the Regal Green Hills Theater for the local premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie. Throngs of young fans waited patiently near the red carpet hoping to get a glimpse of stars Miley Cyrus, father Billy Ray Cyrus and their famous friends.
Those friends included Taylor Swift, who wrote and performed one of the songs in the film. Also on the red carpet were Sara Evans, Phil Vassar, Martina McBride, Clint Black and Big & Rich‘s Big Kenny, who all attended with their families.
After an exciting entrance into the red carpet area, Miley and Billy Ray entered the packed theater to a welcome-home greeting and a few hugs for Miley from young autograph seekers. She graciously accommodated before the father-daughter team turned their attention to thanking fans for coming to see the Nashville VIP screening of the film.
They offered praise for the professionalism of the Tennessee Film Commission and local crew members while sharing their hope that the film will help bring more projects like this to the Nashville area. They spoke of their love for the beauty of the rural Tennessee countryside, which Miley touted as an additional star of the film. And indeed it was. Shot last summer when foliage was at its lush best, the farm country of middle Tennessee appeared so gorgeous on the big screen that any rock star would want to come home to it.
Billy Ray said he was pleased Disney has created a film that the whole family can watch and enjoy together. He said he and Miley were excited about sharing their hometown with the rest of the world and promised the show would be filled with music, including songs penned and performed by him and his talented daughter.
The plot of the film, a spinoff of Disney’s highly popular television series, was much like the story of the Cyrus family. The famous rock star daughter, Miley Stewart, is brought home against her will by her dad, Robbie Ray. Her arrival places her right in the midst of a musical family celebration which provides the chance to once again embrace her small town values and country roots. Rascal Flatts also contributed a cameo appearance in the film.
Music City moviegoers were not disappointed as they left the theater humming the new songs. After picking up movie posters, a few young fans attempted to recreate dance steps from the “Hoedown Throwdown” dance sequence on their way to the parking lot. The dance featured Miley showing off her ability to deliver a not-so-simple choreographed routine with a whole set of extras following along stepping in time to the catchy tune. Miley showcased her vocal and acting ability in the dramatic climax of the film with a stirring performance of her new single, “The Climb.”
Throughout the film, she proved herself to be quite the well-rounded performer and actor.
Earlier on Thursday, Miley signed copies of her new book, Miles to Go, at Davis-Kidd Booksellers, an independent bookstore located at the nearby Green Hills Mall. Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus ended the day at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville for a private concert attended by fans who won tickets through local radio stations.
View photos from the Nashville premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie.
Donna Priesmeyer
Tags: Sara Evans, Rascal Flatts, Phil Vassar, Clint Black, Martina McBride, Billy Ray Cyrus, Big & Rich, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus Related Posts: | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17923 | Home > Gaming > Everybody hates Aquaman: Justice League movie… Everybody hates Aquaman: Justice League movie roster drops to five heroes By
This morning, the good (and, more importantly, extremely reliable) people at Latino Review published a report which claims that when Warner Bros.’ film adaptation of DC Comics’ Justice League superhero team hits theaters in the Summer of 2015, the film will be primarily populated by a mere five of DC’s classic heroes. Those who made the cut are, in no particular order: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and The Green Lantern.
Surprising? Not really. Those five are undoubtedly DC’s most popular heroes, and if the Justice League roster were to be expanded you’d next need to include characters like Hawkman, the Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman. Latino Review believes its possible that these three might appear in the film in either cameo or supporting roles, but beyond winking in the direction of his existence in DC canon, does anyone have any desire to see Aquaman on the silver screen? Hawkman and the Martian Manhunter are little-known to people outside of comic book readers, but Aquaman is notable thanks to his role in the Superfriends cartoon from the 1970s. Even at that time though kids always opted to look up to Superman and Batman, and we doubt anyone grew especially fond of the blonde guy who fights crime by discussing it with nearby trout.
Granted, Aquaman is more notable than Hawkman and as Latino Review points out, it’s more likely that we’ll see the former in a cameo. Then, if the Justice League film is a success – and Warner Bros. seems to be doing everything in its power to ensure this – it’s much more likely that Aquaman and any other lesser heroes would have prominent appearances in the inevitable sequel.
We’re still waiting to hear who might be cast for the Justice League movie adaptation, and we still require an official release date for the flick. Expect us to bring you all of that information as soon as Warner Bros. makes it known to the public. In the meantime, feel free to express your hatred of Aquaman in the comments below. We’re convinced that the man must permanently reek of brine and rotted aquatic life, so that’s a nice, productive place to start. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17925 | Home > Home Theater > Top 10 Blu-ray scenes to show off your home… Top 10 Blu-ray scenes to show off your home theater By
Cliff Heyne
When you’ve got a hot home theater rig, it’s natural to want to show it off. But for those times that you don’t want to throw a full-on movie night, it’s nice to have some go-to demo material that will give your system a workout while impressing your friends and family in the process. To help you zero in on movie scenes that deliver some big wow factor, we have assembled 10 of our favorite Blu-ray movie scenes. While our selections are chosen primarily based on audio performance, most of them feature reference-level video as well. Alright, let’s have some fun!
U-571 – U-571 was a classic demo disc in the DVDs heyday, and it still holds up well today in its DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray release. Like many of the films featured on our list, there are multiple scenes in this flick that promise to impress. About 28 minutes into the film, the sound of crashing waves flood every speaker channel around you as a small boat of sailors approaches an enemy submarine. Even a scene as simple as the crew eating in Chapter 5 offers an enveloping soundscape thanks to silverware sliding around as the submarine rocks in the water. However, the coup de grâce in this movie comes in chapter 15, when a German ship drops depth charges in the water during a fight against the submarine U-571. And because it isn’t a new movie, the Blu-ray can be had for $10 bucks (or less). We think that’s $10 well spent.
Image Source: Blu-ray.com
The Incredible Hulk – A movie centered around a nearly invincible (and very angry) giant versus the military and another raging giant is a recipe for some home theater magic, if you ask us. Chapter 11 happens to be on of our favorite sound system demo scenes. The realistic crunch of bones and pounding thud as a soldier is thrown against a tree is sure to make you cringe. Also, pay attention toward the end of the battle where two vehicle-mounted Sonic Cannons (courtesy of Stark Industries, of course) are used to battle the Hulk (good luck with that, guys!). The soundtrack is powerful and enveloping. It’s a real treat to listen to this movie and, as a bonus, this version of the film much better than the 2003 attempt.
Star Wars Episode 1 – Don’t worry, the scenes we like in Episode 1 don’t involve Jar Jar Binks flapping his annoying yapper. The pod racing scenes in chapters 19 through 22 (about 7 minutes total) are sure to test the composure of every speaker in your system. As the racers ram into each other, run into obstacles, and push their vehicles to the limit, listeners are sure to be dazzled.
Image source: The Cinematic Art Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Gun shots, Angelina Jolie, explosions, breaking glass, fist fights, Angelina Jolie, car chases, rocket launchers, Angelina Jolie – this movie has it all. There are a number of short fight scenes throughout the movie that can showcase your home theater, and the film itself isn’t half-bad either. The three most impressive action sequences are in chapters 18, 20, and 24. Oh, and Brad Pitt is in there too… as is Vince Vaughn, but don’t let that detour you.
Image source: Moviescreenshots Terminator Salvation – Terminator Salvation is the latest in the Terminator franchise and though not our favorite from the series (T2 all the way!), it’s still worth your time. In this most recent film, you’ll find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world where the machines have already taken over. (Note to self: do not invest in “Skynet”) Chapter 9 starts a long action sequence which barrels all the way through chapter 11. Through those three chapters you are treated to a firefight on foot, on the road in a tow truck, and in the air with fighter jets. As the scenes progress, so does the sound. And by the end of the battle you’ll be hooked into watching the movie to its completion. And no, Edward Furlong isn’t in this sequel either – tear.
Image source: Blu-ray.com Master and Commander – Master and Commander has been a favorite of home theater enthusiasts ever since it was released, and it still has one of the best mixes of any movie to date. Creaking wood and crashing waves put you right in the middle of Chapter 4. Once you are drawn in, canon fire lights up every speaker and punishes your subwoofer with powerful low frequency effects. Though you may not agree with some on this list, Master and Commander should be in everyone’s top 10 for sound quality.
Image source: Mubi Inception – Inception is what we consider a movie trifecta because it packs in an amazing plot, sound, and picture. The majority of the movie takes place in a dream world, which gave the director freedom to create over-the-top visual effects. There isn’t one specific scene that we think is best; rather, we recommend watching the entire movie and paying particular attention to the music score conducted by the legendary Hans Zimmer. What was that? You demand a “best scene”? Fine. Try chapter 3 (at 26 minutes in) where an entire street self-combusts. Or there’s always chapter 7, wherin a train comes out of nowhere and plows through the middle of a busy street.
Image source: Blu-ray.com Brave – The Disney/Pixar movie Brave is a great choice for showing off your home theater because everyone in the family will love it. You won’t hear the typical explosions and gun shots; instead you hear the roar of a bear, clang of a sword, and ambient effects that put you right in the scene. Start out at chapter 14 as the queen transforms into a bear and comically trashes her bedroom just before she attempts to escape the castle, lest she be discovered. Then, try jumping forward to scene 24 and watch through the end of the movie to see an epic battle between two mythically giant bears and a mob of angry Scots. Fact: you just can’t go wrong with angry Scots.
The Matrix – The movie that redefined the action/sci-fi genre brought us a leap ahead in sound effects as well. Before you start the movie, make sure to set the soundtrack to Dolby TrueHD from the discs menu because it defaults to Dolby Digital. In chapter 31, Neo and Trinity attempt to rescue Morpheus from Mr. Smith and his cronies. During the scene, the building’s sprinkler system goes off and splashes of water are heard from each speaker. Meanwhile, Trinity is flying a helicopter outside the window of the skyscraper as Neo unleashes a fury of a .50 caliber machine gun rounds on the agents. You can hear the ping of the empty shell casings as they fall to the floor and the impact of each bullet as they tear up the building. As slow motion kicks in, the spinning of helicopter blades will definitely push your sub. And remember these wise words, courtesy of Keanu: “I know Kung Fu.”
The Incredibles – This hit from Disney/Pixar (and a personal favorite) features a soundtrack that is as incredible as the superhero family it follows (yeah, we went there). Not only are this film’s sound effects impressive, so too is its musical score. Highlights from this film include: the car transformation scene (Chapter 1 at 2:11), the sequence that has Mr. Incredible going after Bomb Voyage (Chapter 1 at 6:20) and any scene that involves an evil robot (try Chapter 9 at 37:30 and again in Chapter 27). Really, the entire movie is a rock and roll show for the senses. Good luck watching just one scene. Image source: Blu-ray.com | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17954 | Monsters vs. Aliens (US - BD)
Gabe expected a gritty documentary on the Neo-Cons' war on immigration...
Feature On her wedding day Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is smacked with a radioactive meteor, and her nuptials are ruined by the resulting mutation. Now fifty feet tall, Susan is captured by a secret government agency headed by General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland). In her new metal prison Susan, now dubbed ‘Ginormica’, meets her fellow monsters: B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie), the Missing Link (Will Arnett), and Insectosaurus. Meanwhile an alien overlord named Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) detects quantonium radiation emanating from Earth, and dispatches a gigantic robot to collect it. The government strikes a deal with Monger, and the monsters are dispatched to fight the alien force in return for their freedom. In brief, I found Monsters vs. Aliens just as forgettable in the long term as most of Dreamworks Animation’s lacklustre catalogue, but it’s about equal to the studio’s best in terms of pure entertainment value and a good follow-up to the studio’s first genuinely great film (arguably ever), Kung Fu Panda. The protagonists are again generally likable (unlike the increasingly difficult curmudgeons and self-centred brats of so many of the studio’s most popular films), the pacing is breathlessly speedy, the design is colourful and somewhat original, and the action is just as rousing as that found in most big budget, live-action summer fair. The film was massively overshadowed by the following month’s genuinely affecting Up, and it didn’t quite equal the creative beauty of Coraline, but it was a good stop-gap in a solid year for animation lovers. Film lovers have seen plenty of successful and unsuccessful satirical takes on ’50s Red Scare sci-fi and horror ( Mars Attacks, Iron Giant, Fido), so Monsters vs. Aliens doesn’t score on concept originality points, but the filmmakers definitely know the era genre, and obviously hold it high regard. Half the fun here is in discovering all the in-jokes, references, and screen analogues. The lead characters are a good place to start. Insectosaurus represents Mothra, the Missing Link represents the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dr. Cockroach represents the Fly (right down to his Vincent Price moustache), B.O.B represents the Blob, and Ginormica, or Susan, is an obvious analogue take on the Fifty Foot Woman. Any semblance of plot takes a back seat to fulfilling sugar-fuelled boyhood dreams of old-school monsters fighting saucer-flying aliens, but there is fun to be found in this anticipation in this rare case (usually I hate that kind of thing). Deep down MvA is just another morality tale on being oneself, which is kind of a bummer, but for throw-away entertainment we could do much worse. Viewers looking for a heartfelt exploration of anachronism caked in analogy should probably just watch The Iron Giant again. What it lacks in story smarts MvA mostly makes up for in clever design aesthetics. Everything looks familiar, and at times almost realistic in the fine details, but everything from the organic to the inorganic has been deformed into rounder shapes. It’s not as if bubbly versions of real life objects are a new concept (to the contrary they’re kind of the norm for animation throughout the ages), but MvA finds an uncanny balance between cartoony and realistic that most computer animated films cannot. I can’t picture the film finding a lasting place in the historical pantheon of animation, but the human character designs are definitely a big step for CG humans in animation. The humans are cartoony and as deformed as the stuff around them, far from realistic renderings, but their skin and hair details are almost photo-real, in so much as extremely hydrocephalic head textures can be. I’ll have to re-watch Up to recall for certain, but I remember the filmmakers using the same plasticine skin Pixar has used since The Incredibles. Much of MvA’s action is based in three separate scales: that of normal humans, that of Susan, and that of Insectosaurus. The scale works in most cases, and aside from broadening the scope the differentiation amps the action scenes to epic levels. Kung Fu Panda and TMNT both featured fantastic martial arts animation, The Incredibles featured some of the best super-hero fisticuffs in film history, and the vast majority of Pixar movies feature knee-jangling chase scenes, but I can’t recall any American made CG cartoon with mayhem this massive. Much of this Godzilla sized action is created with the theatrical 3D format in mind, but it works just fine in 2D as well, especially high definition 2D, thanks to clever camera angles and movement. The animators also manage to give the characters proper weight and physical limitations, without dulling their more cartoony aspects. The speedy, shoot ‘em up, big bang last act never quite lives up to the promise of the high bar setting San Francisco robot take-down, which is a nearly perfect, child friendly homage to Toho’s best Kaiju. The film’s humour is largely of the cheap variety, but the writers don’t only default to the studio’s usual lazy shot of mimicking pop-culture. The film regularly reference pop-culture, but it’s usually half century old pop-culture. On the whole the film is face-paced and light-hearted enough that even the more obvious jokes are at least nominally funny. The scene where a couple of stereotypical teenagers partake in major gender role reversal when confronted with a UFO has probably been done before, but still garners a hardy giggle. The sequences featuring Stephen Colbert’s President’s dealings with government types are usually predictable in a disappointingly un-funny way, but these (which made up most of the trailers) are relatively few and far between (it’s too bad because I’m a Colbert fan otherwise). Like Kung Fu Panda, and the mostly superior Pixar films, a lot of the best gags are character driven, and the one-off gags pretty consistently disappoint in comparison. I wish I could say that I was above the super-simple charms of Seth Rogan as B.O.B., but he’s the highlight of every scene. The physical comedy is quick as lightning, and pretty old-school as well, featuring obvious nods to The Three Stooges, and Chuck Jones’ best work. Video I saw Monsters vs. Aliens in digital 3D in theatres and the 3D effect, while working pretty well, depleted the fine details. Polarized 3D is not an option on the home video (for some reason), and unlike the recent Coraline release, Dreamworks doesn’t even offer a red/blue version. It’s kind of a bummer to not be offered the option, but the 2D version looks so damn perfect in 1080p it’s hard to realistically complain. This is very much a reference level transfer in details, contrast, clarity, and colour. I’m immediately shocked at the minor skin textures, which were entirely unclear on the big screen thanks to the smoothing caused by the 3D effect. The human characters are, from this standpoint, a huge improvement over the plastic-looking humans found in most computer animated films. Other details follow suit. Check out the hairs on Insectosaurous, the tiny shiny bubbles on B.O.B., the veins in Dr. Cockroach’s eyes, and the scales on the Missing Link, which appear almost hand painted. On top of details are colours, another element that was lost a bit in 3D thanks to the dark tint of the polarized lenses. The bright hues are solid and pure in the way only animated films can produce. The direct digital transfer means there are no compression issues, and the lack of filmed elements means there are no artefacts. The incredible resolution also gives way to a slightly uncanny frame rate, which would possibly look even more uncanny if I had one of those really, really expensive sets, like the one I always see at Best Buy playing Bee Movie. In closing, I think Monsters vs. Aliens might be the only movie in history where a character breaks out of the 2.35:1 frame to address the audience. It worked better in 3D, but is still a fun little addition in 2D. Audio Monsters vs. Aliens is at least half high octane action movie, and it’s entirely animated, which means the sound effects work is big, loud, and constructed completely from scratch. This Dolby TrueHD track is just as ready for your next reference party as the HD video. Directional effects are all the hell over the place. It’s actually difficult to find a scene without impressive directional effects. The rear effects are often an important element in many of the better sight gags, like when the President shouts ‘Eat lead!’ and shoots at the alien robot, and the sound of the robot swallowing his bullet is heard in the rear right speaker. My favourite funny effect element is the constant suction-cup sound of Galaxar and his clones. When the clones move en-masse I couldn’t help but pretty much constantly chuckle. The musical score accounts for the ’50s/’60s era well, along with expectations that come with the genre, including both Hermann-esque Theremin, early rock, and plenty of John Williams swipes. The credit music is a good reason to sit through the rolling names. Wilhelm Alert: B.O.B. tosses a Galaxar clone over a bridge in the giant spaceship, as he falls the clone lets out a healthy right channel Wilhelm. Extras The extras start with a few in-film experiences, including a filmmaker’s commentary, an ‘Animator’s Corner’ PiP option, and a trivia track. The commentary track features directors Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon, and producer Lisa Stewart. The most surprising thing I learned from the whole track was how tight the film’s budget apparently was. It certainly looks like price was no object given the film’s incredible scope and detail. A lot of time is wasted congratulating the cast and crew (which is sometimes important because the cast is appropriately credited with some of the better jokes), but the vast majority of the track is about the huge changes in script. It unfortunately appears that the thin plot that made the final cut was at the risk of some really good stuff. Though the film itself isn’t presented with a 3D option, there’s a whole section of extras devoted to the tradition red/blue style 3D, and four sets of glasses with the set. Even the menu in this section is 3D. There are two options: ‘B.O.B.’s big break’ and ‘Operation: Paddle Ball’. ‘B.O.B.’s Big Break’ is a short prequel adventure featuring the monsters trying to escape using B.O.B.’s briefly acquired ability to read thoughts. It’s cute, the 3D works pretty well (though the colours don’t work, of course), and the crew scored the original film’s A-list voice cast. ‘Operation: Paddle Ball’ is a 3D game, which is about as intuitive and fun as most Blu-ray games. Under the ‘Out-of-This-World 2D Fun’ one can find a 2D version of the short, and three Karaoke Music Party segments. ‘Modern Monster Movie Making’ (17:50, HD) is a sort of general look at the making of the film with a slant towards the technical developments like RealD, and the casting process. The behind the scenes on the actors is fun, but the footage of crew members watching test footage with polarized lenses on regular HD sets kind of pisses me off because I’d heard it was impossible. Why are we doing red/blue for the home video releases? The disc also features three deleted scenes (05:30, HD), two presented in storyboard form, with temp dialogue, and one in semi-complete animation. Overall Monsters vs. Aliens is one of Dreamworks Animation’s better features, but is still a bit of a throw-away, existing rather strongly in the moment, but quickly fading from memory. The comedy and action aspects are strong, and the nostalgia factor sets the film apart, but there isn’t a whole lot of story or analogy to deepen the pool. The stylistic elements of the film’s human characters may mark an important step for CG animation, but otherwise this one is just for fun. The disc itself is reference level stuff, featuring perfect and dynamic A/V. Extras aren’t incredible, but relatively entertaining, including some fun 3D pieces. * Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release.
I would have thought that they would have tried to match the colours better to the glasses for Bob's Big Break knowing the lense colours for the 3D.... Oh and I think you will find they will more than likely not used the polarization 3D on DVD and BD due to the way that it affects LCD TVs - grab a pair of polarised sunglasses then look at a LVCD TV then turn your head on your side..... Pixarfan517
I thought the movie was okay. Certainly wasn't my favorite of the DWA bunch. I personally prefer "Up" instead.
I liked this movie. It was funny!
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish
English SDH, French and Spanish
Director and Producer Commentary, Trivia Track, Animator's Corner, B.O.B.’s Big Break, Operation: Paddle Ball, Karaoke Music Party, Modern Monster Movie Making, Deleted Scenes
Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert
Action, Adventure, Animation and Comedy | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17955 | For: Reviews » DVD Video Reviews » Gunsmoke - The First Season
Gunsmoke - The First Season
Paramount // Unrated // July 17, 2007
Review by Stuart Galbraith IV | posted July 21, 2007 | E-mail the Author
First things first: Yes, CBS / Paramount did somehow, some way manage to pack all 39 half-hour episodes of Gunsmoke - The First Season into that standard size DVD case. In a marvel of engineering, all six single-sided discs are crammed rather comfortably, actually, into its see-through case, which enables synopses of all the episodes on the flip-side of the DVD sleeve. A good thing, too, considering that Gunsmoke is one of the longest-running series in the history of the medium, anywhere in the world. The show ran for 20 years - some 635 episodes (!) - so I guess they had to do something; with the kind of complete season boxed sets labels once used, Gunsmoke's long run would fill up a small garage. Gunsmoke had been one of radio's last hurrahs, a highly-regarded drama that ran from 1952 to 1961. Starring William Conrad as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard "Floyd the Barber" McNear as Doc Adams, Georgia Ellis as prostitute Kitty, and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant (not deputy) Chester, it nudged the Western genre into a new age of maturity - just as the movie Westerns of Anthony Mann, Delmer Daves, Budd Boetticher, and others were doing simultaneously. When, like almost all the most-popular radio shows of the era, the decision was made to adapt Gunsmoke for television, a similarly adult approach was decided upon.
It was almost a revolutionary move. Just a few years before, the B-Western had essentially staked a claim on television's airwaves. When the medium was still in its infancy, B-Western stars like William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers, as well as radio star/B-Western fixture The Lone Ranger, all pretty much gave up making 60-70 minute programmers and joined what turned out to be the incredibly lucrative world of TV. These shows were basically half-hour versions of the same kind of unpretentious B-Westerns these stars and characters had been making for years. These shows were hugely popular with the kids but adults generally tuned out. Gunsmoke was heralded as TV's first "adult Western" - by no less an expert than John Wayne, who introduces the first episode. Star James Arness had been a protegee of Wayne's, though reportedly Arness had no idea his friend had filmed the intro until the episode aired. Arness had won the role of Matt Dillon from William Conrad, who even in 1955 was already too beefy and balding to be seriously considered. (Conrad's steely blue-gray eyes couldn't have helped, either; until his detective series Cannon, the actor usually played villains in the movies.) Another actor heretofore associated with villainous parts, Milburn Stone, was cast as crusty Doc Adams, and Amanda Blake, a very minor actress until Gunsmoke, played barely-coded prostitute Miss Kitty (Russell). Dennis Weaver, who had been cutting his teeth in smallish supporting roles in Universal's high-end B-Westerns, was cast as Deputy Chester B. Goode. The half-hour, black and white series expanded to an hour in 1962 (going color in 1966); these later, longer shows expanded Dodge City's community considerably, adding familiar faces like Sam the bartender (played by perennial B-Western villain and sometime Frankenstein monster Glenn Strange) and half-breed Quint Asper (Burt Reynolds). In this first season, however, Gunsmoke has its hands full keeping its original foursome busy; except for few minor continuing characters (e.g., Dabbs Greer as storekeeper Wilbur Jonas), the shows stick to developing those characters. And therein lay the key to Gunsmoke's early success. It doesn't attempt the kind of grandeur of widescreen movie Westerns. The show is at its best tackling intimate drama, in simple but compelling situations confined to a handful of characters. (Doc and Miss Kitty especially frequently do not appear at all in some episodes.) One good, early example is "Home Surgery," in which Matt and Chester, returning from a job, help a young woman (cult actress Gloria Talbott) whose father (Joe de Santis) is in bed with a gangrenous leg. Miles from the nearest town, Matt makes the unenviable decision to amputate the leg himself lest the man die of blood poisoning. (Mild Spoilers) Somewhat unusual by television's standards, for all of Matt's efforts, the man dies anyway, and the Marshal faces a new problem: the man responsible for the father's injury is his daughter's no-good boyfriend (Wright King), who may have deliberately been trying to murder the old man. Other shows similarly keep their dramatic situations tight and compact. In one of his very first writing jobs, Sam Peckinpah penned a taut little episode called "Yorky," about a white boy (Jeffrey Silver) raised by Indians and rescued by Matt after he's been shot by horse rancher Abe Brant (Howard Petrie), a friend of the marshal's. The show somewhat flips expectations about victimized ranchers and marauding Indians, and offers Arness with another commanding teleplay. In more ways than one, 6' 7" Arness towers over Gunsmoke. Already craggy-faced at 32 (when the show began), the actor has a handsome worldliness that fits the character well. More importantly, Matt Dillon is a poker-faced man of relatively few words who intriguingly keeps his emotions and opinions close to his chest. At a time when confessional characterizations in teleplays by Paddy Chayefsky and Rod Serling were all the rage, Arness's low-key, watchful and circumspect marshal is eminently watchable. Doc and Kitty are more standard Western characterizations, with the radio Doc's alcoholism and Kitty's profession rendered much less colorful by Standards & Practices. Chester might have slipped into another Western movie stereotype, the Comedy Relief, but Weaver (no shrimp at 6' 3") infuses it with an eccentric but very naturalistic humanism that's an excellent counterpoint to Arness's Matt Dillon. Incredibly, the first 26 shows were all directed by one man, Charles Marquis Warren, who also wrote or co-scripted many of the shows. (Warren later produced and directed many other famous TV Westerns.) Late in the season, directors Robert Stevenson (later famously associated with Walt Disney) and Ted Post alternated helming chores. Though Peckinpah was the most famous writer to emerge from Gunsmoke's first year, probably more than anyone else writer John Meston helped shape the direction of the series. He reportedly wrote 183 Gunsmoke radio scripts and 196 episodes - nearly a third - of the TV series. Understandably, he didn't have much time to do anything else. The show's first season guest stars reads like a Who's Who of great TV character actors and future stars: Paul Richards, Malcolm Atterbury, John Dehner (a frequent Gunsmoke radio villain, and later the star of radio's Have Gun Will Travel), James Westerfield, Claude Akins, Royal Dano, John Larch, Edward Platt, Keye Luke, Sebastian Cabot, Robert Easton, John Carradine, John Abbott, Strother Martin, William Hopper, Brett Halsey, DeForest Kelley, Howard McNear (from the radio series), Leo Gordon, George Wallace, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, Chuck Connors, Aaron Spelling, and Dan Blocker.
The back of the DVD ominously warns that "some episodes may be edited from their original network versions." However, the shows all seem complete and not-time-compressed, each running about 26-and-a-half minutes. Possibly CBS / Paramount is referring to the "brought to you by..." plugs for the show's sponsor that immediately followed Matt's opening titles gunfight, which here have the same abrupt fade-out as seen in syndication. But even the show's ads are included as an Extra Feature: On disc one, Matt and Doc extol the virtues of L&M cigarettes. (Mmmm. Smooth.) Each single-sided disc features six-seven shows, all of which look just great, up to the high standards of other CBS / Paramount titles like Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible and Hawaii Five-O. The Dolby Digital mono is clean and clear, and the show is closed-captioned. Parting Thoughts
The intimate, confined dramatics of Gunsmoke's above average teleplays and the commanding performance of star James Arness and Dennis Weaver's humanistic one makes this a Western series a sure bet for genre and classic television fans. Highly Recommended. Film historian Stuart Galbraith IV's most recent essays appear in Criterion's new three-disc Seven Samurai DVD and BCI Eclipse's The Quiet Duel. His audio commentary for Invasion of Astro Monster is now available. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/17969 | Print Email Font ResizeJames Franco, Melissa Leo look in Fremont to cast Afghan lead roleBy Chris De BenedettiThe ArgusPosted:
02/12/2014 06:09:38 AM PSTFREMONT -- Hollywood comes to Little Kabul. Perhaps that's how a golden age movie exec would have hyped a casting call Sunday in Fremont, where a film with a A-list stars and a Bay Area-raised director will look to cast an Afghan-American in its lead role."The Fixer" will feature box-office star James Franco and Academy Award winner Melissa Leo, but its producers still must cast Osman, an Afghan journalist who leaves his war-torn country to become a crime reporter in a small, mysterious Northern California town.That search has led the production to Fremont, home to the nation's largest Afghan-American community. Finding the right actor is paramount, the filmmakers say, as they want their story to capture the Afghan-American experience with authenticity and integrity.An Afghan man in his late 20s or early 30s would be the ideal candidate, and professional acting experience is not required, said producer Caroline von Kuhn. "The whole film is built around this character's journey, seen through his eyes and from his perspective," von Kuhn said. "The idea of casting an Afghan-American is important, and we want to exhaust that search." To reach that goal, the production has partnered with the Afghan Coalition, a Fremont nonprofit group that helps Afghan immigrants and will host the casting call. "I'm a big proponent of having an Afghan play an Afghan because that proper representation is the best way to own your own image, via the media" said Aisha Wahab, an Afghan Coalition board member and the production's Fremont contact. "We're often portrayed in TV and movies as very negative people, but we know that's not true."Advertisement
Filmmaker Ian Olds, raised in Sonoma County, will direct the independent, small-budget movie set in a fictional community based partly on his hometown, Sebastopol, and its region. The script was inspired by harrowing real-life events Olds witnessed while making "The Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi," his Emmy-nominated documentary about the war in Afghanistan. A "fixer" there is someone hired by foreign journalists to translate languages and gain access for their stories.That experience helped Olds shape the Osman character, which he created after Afghan friends said they were tired of being pitied in movies that portrayed them as victims of combat. "To repeatedly tell the stories of Afghans through the lens of war and its trauma is too reductive; it cheapens humanity and denies the fullness of living," Olds wrote on the film's website. "We wanted to create ... our main character as a full, conflicted human being and not simply as a symbolic victim of history."Olds' past screen successes include "Occupation: Dreamland," an Iraq War documentary that won an Independent Spirit Award in 2005, and a 14-minute short, "Bomb," which screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. He since has collaborated on several projects with the Palo Alto-raised Franco, editing two of the actor's films. The sensitivity of Olds' work has earned the trust of East Bay Afghan-Americans, spurring local interest in the project, Wahab said. "I'm getting a lot of emails (from Afghan men), and a lot of women are asking if there's a role for females, too," she said. The casting call will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Afghan Coalition, located in the Fremont Family Resource Center, 39155 Liberty Street. Prospective actors should bring a résumé detailing their acting experience and a current photograph -- a 3-by-5-inch color photo is best, the film's producers said. Those interested but unable to attend can email producers at thefixermoviecasting@gmail.com.Contact Chris De Benedetti at 510-353-7011. Follow him at Twitter.com/cdebenedetti.Fremont Casting callIt will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Afghan Coalition, located in the Fremont Family Resource Center, 39155 Liberty St., Fremont. Prospective actors should bring a résumé detailing acting experience and a current photograph. Print Email Font ResizeReturn to Top • Article commenting rules of the road | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18007 | Who Is the Real Ronald D. Moore?
Adam K. Raymond
This week, Starz gave the thumbs up to an adaptation of the Outlander book series written and executive produced by Ronald D. Moore. To some sci-fi fans, that's very exciting news. To the rest, it should be. Moore was a writer on three different Star Treks (Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation, and Voyager) before developing his magnum opus: Battlestar Galactica. Those who know his name, know he's a sci-fi genius. And they know he'll make something spectacular out of Diana Gabaldon's story of a WWII nurse mysteriously transported back in time. What they likely don't know is much else about the guy. That's why we've produced this D. Moore dossier.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowName: Ronald Dowl MooreDOB: Juy 5, 1964Education: Cornell University dropoutFamily: Married to Terry Dresbach and has three childrenSmoker?: Only sociallyJob before TV writing: Receptionist at an animal hospitalBig break: On a tour of The Next Generation's set he handed a spec script to the tour guide, who happened to be Gene Roddenberry's assistant. After a series of fortunate events, the script was read, turned into a season-three episode, and Moore was given the chance to write another. Over the next six years, he was hired as a script editor and promoted all the way up to producer.
Most PopularFrom there: After the end of The Next Generation, Moore joined the production staff of Deep Space Nine, where he wrote many episodes that focused on Kilngons. When DS9 ended in 1999, Moore migrated over the Voyager. After writing only two episodes, he left.Before Battlestar: After his Star Trek stints, Moore worked on the Syfy show Good vs. Evil, the WB show Roswell, the HBO show Carnivàle.Battlerstar: In 2002 Moore began working on an update of the old Battlestar Galactica series. The plan was for a four-hour mini-series with hopes of turning it into more. Those hopes became reality in Ocotober 2005, when the BSG series debuted in the United Kingdom. Over the next five years Moore won a Hugo Award and a Peabody award for writing on the show. He was also nominated for an Emmy.Since Battlestar: Moore's work since the end of BSG has included the show's spin-off Caprica, a failed Fox pilot called Virtually, a scrapped script for The Thing, a remake of Wild Wild West for CBS, a show described as "Harry Potter for adults," and a TV version of the 2001 Heath Ledger film A Knight's Tale.Uncredited cameos: Holodeck Nightclub Patron in Star Trek: First Contact; Patron in Vic's Lounge in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Man with Magazine in Battlestar Galactica.Credited cameo: Ken Reynolds in an episode of Portlandia that was about finding the real Ronald D. Moore.Read Next:
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18021 | DVD Patrol: Movie spotlight � Paul Walker By: Todd Campbell, Correspondent Published: December 27th, 2013
It's often said that a life of the celebrity can be classified as a moment in time. When that person has a body of work that people have liked, you could say that it could be looked at as a regular photo album. For a number of years, actor Paul Walker has entertained people with quite a body of work that propelled him to stardom. Everyone knows that the hit movie "The Fast And The Furious" did that for him in a big way. Walker also did a lot of other movies over the years as well. The Patrol thought we would honor his body of work with some honorable mentions of some other films he's done over the years. These are all available on DVD in stores now.
Taker � Being part of a team is never a bad thing. Even when you're bank robbers. John (Walker), AJ (Hayden Christiansen), Jake (Micheal Ealy), and Gordon (Idris Elba) all play their parts and have been a great team pulling off successful robberies. Now their old friend Ghost (TI Harris) has gotten out of jail and wants to come back in with a job that might be right up their alley. Not everybody is glad to see Ghost and they just don't want to take the job on. The team knows it may be a bad idea but this might be their way to get out of the business once and for all. Making things even more complicated is Detective Jack Welles (Matt Dillon) who has been on their trail for a few years now. Will they be able to pull off the job or is the last one? Into The Blue � Finding what you want is never an easy thing to do. Jared (Walker) knew that there was a ship that contained riches that sank on the bottom of the ocean floor. He just had to find the right way to go about it. He never was very good at picking friends. When his friend Bryce (Scott Caan) arrives with his girlfriend Amanda (Ashley Scott), he knows something is up. Jared's girl Samantha (Jessica Alba) warned him this might be a bad idea. Bryce knows that Jared always has something he's looking for. An old adversary of Jared's named Bates (Josh Brolin) is also looking for the same ship. It's just a matter of who finds it first. Can Sam and Jared find a way to get themselves out of trouble?
Timeline � Going to college is a time full of adventure and uncertainty. Professor Johnston (Billy Connolly) has been on a dig in France studying an old french castle. His son Chris (Walker), Assistant Professor Andre Marek (Gerard Butler), and some of his other students have been assisting the Professor with the Dig. The Professor has found out some things about the International Technology Corporation. They have funding his project and now must find just what they are up to. Back in France, the students start looking through the Castle and find some things like a set of glasses from the 20th Century and a handwritten note from the Professor asking for help. They go to ITC Headquarters and find out that their mentor has been sent into the past with a malfunctioning time travel device. Can Chris and the rest of them find the Professor and make it back home?
Fast Five � The Patrol had to throw at least one Fast and Furious movie in for good measure. Brian O'connor (Walker) and Mia Torretto (Jordana Brewster) have been on the run since freeing her brother Dominic (Vin Diesel) from prison. They find their way to Brazil where they meet with their old friend Vince (Matt Schultze) who has a job for them so they can make some fast cash. Things go wrong for them after Dom arrives and they try to steal some cars from the DEA. Brian and Dom find out that the biggest drug dealer has something hidden in the cars. Now to get out of the business for good, they have to bring a team of old friends together so they can steal $100 Million dollars. Also, at the same time, they are being pursued by a federal agent named Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) who has a reputation for always getting his man. Can they pull the job off and escape in the process?
Walker was in the process of filming the latest installment of the Fast and Furious series with Number #7. Along with Vin Diesel, the studio is trying to come up with the best way to finish filming because they weren't done. It's never easy losing a person who was considered a friend to his fans as well as a family man. Walker will be missed by many fan and friend alike. Today's Other Stories
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DVD Patrol: Movie spotlight � Paul Walker | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18243 | Tina Fey wins top US comedy award
Story by Jack Foley
30 ROCK creator and star Tina Fey is to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour.
The annual accolade is one of the highest comedy honours in the US but Fey is only the third woman to have won the award in 13 years, and will therefore follow in the footsteps of Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg.
Fey, 40, has already won six Emmys and two Golden Globes for 30 Rock, which she writes, produces and stars in… but she has also branched successfully into movies and was recently part of the box office hit Date Night alongside Steve Carrell.
Fey also appeared in the movies Mean Girls and Baby Mama – but is widely known for her impersonations of Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, which shot her into the limelight during the Presidential elections in 2008.
The Mark Twain Prize was established in 1998 to honour people who have had an impact on society comparable to the 19th Century satirist and writer of novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Other past winners include Bill Cosby, Steve Martin and playwright Neil Simon.
Fey will be presented with the award on November 13, 2010, at the Kennedy Centre in New York. Read our Date Night interview with Tina Fey
TV Archives | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18246 | Archives | Hannah Fierman / By Indiewire Team V/H/S
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. The world will be watching.
/ By Indiewire Team The Unwanted
Carmilla comes to a rural town where her mother mysteriously disappeared years earlier. She is aided in her quest by an emotionally troubled local girl, with whom she becomes romantically involved. Their relationship ignites the wrath of the girl’s father, who holds the key to the dreadful truth Carmilla is seeking. Inspired by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s famed Gothic novella. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18247 | Archives | IndieWire / By Indiewire Team THE GO-GO BOYS: The Inside Story of Cannon
THE GO-GO BOYS: The Inside Story of Cannon films is a documentary that tells the inside story of two Israeli-born cousins, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who in pursuit of the American Dream turned the Hollywood power structure upside down, producing over 300 films and becoming the most powerful independent film company in the world. Up close and personal, the film examines the complex relationship between two contradictory personalities whose combined force fueled their success and eventual collapse. Celebrated, condemned, loved and loathed, Cannon’s cultural impact and legacy is undeniable, wielding a kind of pop-cultural power that continues to seep into modern life today. [Synopsis courtesy of Cannes Film Festival]
/ By Indiewire Team Dancing in Jaffa
Renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulain stars in this charming documentary that offers a unique perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Three diverse Jaffa-based schools host Dulain’s Dancing Classrooms program. Ballroom basics are taught to an ethnically mixed group of children, the most passionate members of which are trained for a citywide competition. What results is a sweet and incredibly moving tale filled with moments of truth, poignancy and hope. In Arabic, English, Hebrew with subtitles. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18270 | One Direction wisdom: Top ten Niall Horan quotes
We have found some of Niall Horan’s best quotes to keep his devoted fans entertained. The only Irish member of the hit boy band, the Mullingar teenager was picked from thousands of lucky hopefuls during the 2010 X-Factor auditions in Dublin. Here are just a few of his quality one liners.
1. On his over excited female fans: he told Digital Spy: “You can see girls getting too excited and they start crying or worse. In a lot of these countries they don't get a lot of gigs to go to, so when they get to see their favorite artist they take full advantage of it. Obviously the excitement builds up too much for some on the night and they get a bit...crazy."2. On his political influences: “I was starstruck by Michelle Obama. She's an amazing-looking lady, and I'm a massive Barack Obama fan anyway.”
3. On his crush on Katy Perry: “Katy Perry still gets me every time. She's very funny in person! We met at the Teen Choice Awards and she pulled my cheeks apart and told me how cute I was. My life was literally flashing before my eyes!"4. On dating: “I'm an emotional guy, so I don't have to worry about a girl trying to get me to open up.”5. On his rise to stardom his told Metro Lyrics: “Every now and then you have like a realization moment where you get goosebumps and think, “I am literally the luckiest person in the world.”6. On playing music growing up: “I played the guitar since I was like 11, 12, so I’m big on the guitar. I like to write music on it.”7. On his musical influences: “When I was growing up, I was a big Swing [music] fan, so I’m big into Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and nowadays it’s [Michael] Buble. Buble is a big inspiration for me because he has a great voice, can write a song, has a great ear for music, and demands your attention when he’s performing.”8. On what it’s like being compared to Take That, N’Sync and The Backstreet Boys: “It’s absolutely incredible to even be put in the same sentence as these guys. These guys have sold an endless amount of albums. Hopefully we can emulate a tiny bit of their success because if we were to get anywhere near that it would be a very big achievement.”
9. On One Direction fans: “I think our fans are a bit like us — they’re very fun, like to have a laugh, like to party. I think that’s what comes across on our album as well. It’s very fun. It’s music that you could play at a party, but it also deals with teenage relationships.”10. On collaborating with Ed Sheeran: “We’re quite good friends with Ed. We always hang out with him. If you listen to Ed’s album, you’ll know that he is one of the best lyricists I’ve ever heard in my life. He knows how to string words together like you wouldn’t imagine. We were very lucky to work with him.” | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18288 | Browse MusicRon White
Biography Read More Ronald "Ron" White (born December 19, 1956) is an American stand up comedian who has had two Grammy Award-nominations, and is RIAA certified 10x Platinum for CD and DVD sales of over 10 million units. He is a charter member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and has written the book "I Had the Right to Remain Silent But I Didn't Have the Ability" which appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List. White is well-known for his famous punchline, "...You can't fix stupid."... Biography from Wikipedia
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18456 | MHS Band to hold March-a-thon on Saturday ... A Prairie Haven ... League of Women Voters to host forum, register voters ... MHS Band to hold March-a-thon on Saturday ... A Prairie Haven ... League of Women Voters to host forum, register voters ... Idris Elba on playing Nelson Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom’
When �Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,� the warts-and-all dramatic look at the life of Nelson Mandela, premiered earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, the charismatic British actor Idris Elba (Stringer Bell on �The Wire�), who stars as Mandela (also known as Madiba), was there with the film, talking about how he went about portraying the early days of the South African president.The film is currently scheduled to open across the U.S. on Christmas Day (though the release date might be moved up). Due to the death of Mandela last week, it was decided to run the interview, which was conducted on Sept. 10, now.You never got to meet Nelson Mandela because of his health problems during production. How did you go about capturing the essence of the man for the role?We built Orlando (where Mandela and his family lived in Soweto) on a stage, from every single detail. So Idris stepping into the shoes of Mandela was aided by the fact that I was completely surrounded. It was a 360 set. My early preparations involved me actually going to South Africa and staying there and understanding and just being an observer. I began to feed off that. Everywhere you turned, anybody you talked to could talk about Mandela in some way or form. So I would really just soak that up. We were working with people there who had been through the struggle. But there were also people who were younger than the struggle, and had just heard, and their reference of Mandela is a different reference. So it was an energy thing. I just plugged into the energy of Mandela and the way people respect him. And I think that helped me craft my performance.Were you at all nervous about playing such an iconic person?When I traveled into communities to speak, and just sit down and observe, especially in Joberg (Johannesburg), where there�s a young sort of energy, some of the people there knew who I was and knew what I�ve done. And they would look me in the eye and say, �Do you understand the responsibility that you have here, pal?� Although it was very much accepting of me doing it, they wanted me to understand that responsibility. And that speaks about the culture, about the way they hold the story dear to their hearts. I wasn�t expecting to be completely accepted as Madiba immediately, for various reasons, but there was certainly a willingness for us to go for it. But we knew we had only one chance. There was no messing about with this character and this story. That was made very apparent to me in the beginning.In the early parts of the film, Nelson Mandela is shown as no saint, particularly in terms of his first marriage, to Evelyn Mase. Did you have any qualms about including those aspects of his character?Page 2 of 2 - We were very keen to portray Mandela as a man, as a human being, and that included some parts of his life that might not be as flattering as we might think. That was an important part of the performance for me. We�ve seen the saintly Mandela that we all know and love, but I think it was important for us to explore and take the audience on a journey prior to that. I�m 41, and it was around that age that he became an activist, but he�d lived a very full life prior to that. And when you understand that, you understand how long of a walk that freedom is. For me, as an actor, that was a challenge. I didn�t want to deface Mr. Mandela in any way, but I didn�t want to portray him in a way that wasn�t honest. I think we achieved it gracefully and honestly. It was important that we had both sides of the character, the good and the bad. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18530 | James Cameron on Writing Three 'Avatar' Movies and How He Influenced the New 'Terminator' Sequels
Making a sequel to the highest grossing film of all time can be a daunting task – so just imagine the challenges facing James Cameron as he tries to craft three sequels to Avatar all at the same time.
The director discussed the topic at the L.A. Times’ Hero Complex Film Festival over the weekend, and revealed how his experience in the writer’s room of his Fox TV series Dark Angel helped him break down the daunting task of coming up with three interconnected screenplays all at once.
Cameron starts off by saying he spent the first year writing an astonishing 1,500 pages of notes about the world and the expanded story. Realizing that he couldn’t possibly write all these screenplays in a timely fashion that would allow him to shoot three films at once, he brought in other writers. He describes the experience like this:
“So we put together three teams, one for each script. The teams consist of me and another writer on each one of the three [films]. So I’m across all the films and then each one of them would have their own individual script they were responsible for. But what we did that was unique was we sat in the writing room for five months, eight hours a day, and we worked out every beat of the story across all three films so it all connects as one, sort of, three-film saga. And I didn’t tell them which one was going to be theirs individually to write until the last day. So everyone was equally invested, storywise, in all three films.”
With everyone intimately involved with each story, the writers have a better understanding of what happens both before and after the script they’re writing. It’s sort of a committee approach to screenwriting, which is often a very solitary profession, but Cameron believes it will work. With his track record and intimate involvement, he’s probably right. [via /Film]
Since Avatar sequels are front and center in the filmmaker’s mind, you probably wouldn’t expect to hear that Cameron is also involved with the new Terminator films as well. The filmmaker sold the rights to the universe to help launch his directorial career years ago, but he reveals that he’s had some input on the upcoming films.
When Megan Ellison asked Cameron if he wanted to be involved with new sequels, this was his response:
“I said ‘Well look. I don’t mind standing behind the curtain and whispering like some court advisor in 15th century Italy or something.’ My goal in that was not to insinuate myself artistically but to try to make sure they stayed true to the Terminator character and the idea of Arnold being in it. Because he’s a friend of mine and we’ve been through all the wars together and everything. And I wanted them to see the possibilities I saw for what they could do with this character."
Cameron adds that Schwarzenegger is “front and center” in the new films, thanks to some of his suggestions, but continues on to say that he doesn’t deserve much in the way of credit (or, one would assume, potential blame) for how these new entries turn out. [via /Film]
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James Cameron, Avatar, Avatar 2, Avatar 3, Avatar 4, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Which one of these people is in the movie The Brothers Grimsby? | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18560 | Submit TipsSend FeedbackTerms of ServicePrivacy PolicyAll Eyes on Frank Ocean as Grammy Awards ApproachHe is up for the major awards best new artist, album of the year and record of the year By
CHRIS TALBOTT NEWSLETTERS Receive the latest entertainment-news updates in your inboxPrivacy policy | More NewslettersJohn Shearer/Invision/APA recent altercation in a parking lot with Chris Brown only focused more attention on Frank Ocean.Everybody's thinkin' about Frank Ocean.Ocean is a cause celebre and the man with the momentum as Sunday's Grammy Awards approach. One of six top nominees with six nominations apiece, the 25-year-old R&B singer turned cultural talking point will have the music world's attention.Celebrity InkIt remains to be seen if it will be the "Thinkin Bout You" singer's night, but there's no question he's dominated the discussion so far. Already a budding star with a gift for building buzz as well as crafting songs, Ocean was swept up by something more profound when he told fans his first love was a man last fall as he prepared to release his major-label debut, "channel ORANGE."It was a bold move and one that could have submarined his career before it really even got started. Instead, everyone from Beyonce to the often-homophobic R&B and rap communities showed public support. It was a remarkable moment.Supermodels: Then and Now"It speaks to the advancements of our culture," renowned producer Rick Rubin said. "It feels like the culture's moving forward and he's a representative of the new acceptance in the world for different ideas, which just broadens (our experience), makes the world a better place."A recent altercation in a parking lot with Chris Brown only focused more attention on Ocean. Ocean says Brown was the aggressor; both are competing against each other in one of the Grammy categories.Ocean is up for the major awards best new artist, album of the year and record of the year when the show airs live on CBS at 8 p.m. EST from the Staples Center, sharing top-nominee billing with fun., Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Jay-Z and Kanye West.Don't hand Ocean those trophies just yet, though. R&B and hip-hop performers (Ocean is part of the Odd Future collective) have had a spotty history at the Grammys recently when it comes to major awards.Only one R&B act has won album of the year this century, and it's hard to even call him just an R&B act given his legend, artistic scope and material: Ray Charles for his "Genius & Friends," an all-star collaboration that was honored posthumously.Also limiting Ocean's chances for a clean sweep are his fellow top nominees. Most are riding waves of their own.Fun. became just the second act to sweep nominations in all four major categories with a debut album, equaling Christopher Cross' 1981 feat. Like Cross' "Sailing," the New York-based pop-rock band has ridden along on the crest of an inescapable song: "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monae.Cross won five Grammys, sweeping the major awards. Fun. likely will have a much harder time piling up that number of victories because of the buzz surrounding the group's competitors. It's not just Ocean who has people talking.London-based folk-rockers Mumford & Sons had one of the top-selling albums of the year with "Babel" and already has a history with The Recording Academy's thousands of voters, having been nominated for major awards the year prior. Also, The Black Keys have a winning track record at the Grammys.And don't count out West and Jay-Z, who were shut out of the major categories but remain very much in voters' minds.Jack White's "Blunderbuss" competes with fun.'s "Some Nights," Ocean's "channel ORANGE," Mumford's "Babel" and The Keys' "El Camino" for the night's top award, album of the year.Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know," featuring Kimbra, Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" join the fun., Ocean and Black Keys entries in record of the year.Fun. and Clarkson also are nominated for song of the year along with Ed Sheeran's "The A Team," Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and Miguel's "Adorn."And rounding out the major categories, fun., Ocean, Alabama Shakes, Hunter Hayes and The Lumineers are up for best new artist.Those major nominees figure prominently on the 3 1/2-hour telecast, broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. EST.Swift will kick things off with a show-opening performance. Fun. and Ocean will take the stage. Others scheduled to perform include Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, Clarkson, White and Juanes.There will be no shortage of mashups the Grammys have become famous for, either. Elton John, Mavis Staples, Mumford, Brittany Howard, T Bone Burnett and Zac Brown are saluting the late Levon Helm, who won the Americana Grammy last year a few months before his death. The Keys will join Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on stage. Sting, Rihanna and Bruno Mars will perform together. Other team-ups include Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley, and Alicia Keys and Maroon 5.Published at 12:12 PM PST on Feb 10, 2013
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18595 | On TVIn the season premiere of "Psych," the show has taken on a darker tone as Shawn's dad is in critical condition in a hospital after being shot in last season's finale. Shawn decides to track down the dirty cops he was investigating with his dad, with help from Gus. USA 10 p.m. EST.Trending topic"How I Met Your Mother" star Jason Segal and "Oz the Great and Powerful" star Michelle Williams have ended their relationship, People reports. The couple had dated for about a year, and had begun living together this past fall. Sources close to the couple say long distance was a major factor in the break-up, as Segal was based in Los Angeles while Williams resided in New York City. Williams has a 7-year-old daughter, Matilda, from a prior relationship with the late Heath Ledger, who was frequenlty seen with the couple.Hot video: Madonna warned her pics are too racy for InstagramGateHouse News Service | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18651 | Jack Ryan Gets A Makeover, And A Quick Trip To Moscow
Chris Pine and Keira Knightley anchor Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, opposite Kevin Costner as a CIA veteran and Kenneth Branagh as the story's big bad.
Larry Horricks/Paramount Pictures
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Director: Kenneth Branagh Genre: Spy thriller, Drama Running Time: 105 minutes Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language With: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh
A franchise is what we used to call a Burger King or a Shell station, but nowadays the word appears more often in relation to movies: the Star Wars franchise, the Hunger Games franchise, the Jack Ryan franchise — or in the case of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the Jack Ryan franchise reboot. I don't know what's more depressing: that what fires up studio execs is the hunt for a new franchise or that critics have adopted this business lingo uncritically. Maybe a business reporter would be the best person to talk about Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. From an artistic standpoint, I found it competent, moderately suspenseful and without a single surprise — apart from the fact that its director is Kenneth Branagh, who has come a long, grim way from his film directing debut in the late '80s, Shakespeare's Henry V. Come to think of it, that was a remake, and the Henry character appeared in two other plays — though I'm confident Shakespeare never referred to "the Henry franchise." And Jack Ryan is no Henry. Created by the late novelist Tom Clancy, he's a Wall Street guy turned CIA agent turned action hero. He has appeared in four big movies: The Hunt for Red October starred Alec Baldwin, who gave up Ryan and was replaced by Harrison Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Then came an attempted reboot called The Sum of All Fears with Ben Affleck, which did pretty well but didn't lead to more movies. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit launches a new storyline, with a young Jack played by Chris Pine, who's also the young Captain Kirk in the reboot of the Star Trek franchise for the same studio, Paramount. He's the go-to franchise guy, I guess, though I'm not sure why. He's a good enough actor — he seethes credibly and moves well, but there's nothing funky or idiosyncratic about him. He's just a guy. The movie begins with Ryan as a student at the London School of Economics when the planes hit the World Trade Center. So he joins the Marines and gets shot down in Afghanistan. As he's rolled into the emergency room, a Marine says Ryan personally dragged two survivors out of the plane. "With a broken back?" asks the doctor. The message is: This guy isn't just an economics wonk. He's the man. As Ryan struggles to walk at Walter Reed Medical Center, Kevin Costner shows up and offers him a CIA job — undercover in a Wall Street firm. Fast-forward to 10 years later, when he uncovers a Russian plot to destroy the U.S economy. In no time he's dispatched to Moscow to confront the likely mastermind, played by Branagh himself. The movie is slow and plodding until an attempt on Ryan's life and the first brutal gun-and-fisticuffs scene, shot mostly in jangly close-ups. Then Ryan's doctor girlfriend, played by Keira Knightley, shows up in Moscow because she doesn't know he's CIA and thinks he's having an affair. She's quickly embroiled in the cloak-and-dagger stuff, leading to a quarrel that's the only memorable scene in the picture, thanks in part to Costner's expert underplaying. That scene is the start of a long and clever third act that begins in a fancy Moscow restaurant and ends in the Hudson River, involving decent fights, noisy car chases and the usual ticking time bomb. I found a lot of holes in the plot, though to point them out here would spoil too much. But espionage movies are often fun — it's the brainy popcorn genre — and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit hits its marks. The problem is the marks themselves. They're too low. Mission: Impossible, the Bourne series, TV's 24 — they're all more gripping, and the last Mission: Impossible movie, Brad Bird's Ghost Protocol, was sensational. Branagh brings no style to Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and no heart. For once that business word franchise seems all too apt.
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Dreamlike 'Kubo And The Two Strings' Offers A Gorgeous, Richly Textured Adventure | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18704 | Goose Creek tattoo artist competes on Spike TV’s Ink Master’
Monica Kreber/Gazette
Emily Elegado works on the intricate roots of a tree on customer Matt Felton's leg.
Emily Elegado and Aaron �Is� Michalowski are rivals on the upcoming fifth season of �Ink Masters.� Goose Creek resident Emily Elegado has been �on vacation� for much of the summer ...
She did not announce where exactly she was going, however, and simply told friends she would be back home around August.Elegado�s actual reason for leaving was to shoot the upcoming season of �Ink Master� in New York.Elegado was one of 18 contestants vying for a $100,000 cash prize, an editorial feature in �Inked� magazine and the bragging rights title of �Ink Master.� The show, now in its fifth season, airs on Spike TV. The upcoming season starts Sept. 2 at 10 p.m.The format of the show is like �Top Chef,� except for some of the country�s top and up and coming tattoo artists. However, season five of �Ink Master� comes with a twist: each contestant is coming into the competition with a personal tattoo rival.For Elegado, that rival is Aaron �Is� Michalowski, a tattoo artist from Tampa, Fla. He did guest spots at a tattoo shop she worked at in Panama City, Fla.�He always just kind of rubbed me the wrong way, and I didn�t really appreciate the way he treated the industry,� Elegado said. �He kind of made a joke out of a lot of things.�In April Elegado received a phone call from the producers of �Ink Master,� who said Michalowski had called her out as a rival of his, and the producers asked if she would be up for the challenge on the show.�I consider myself a very talented tattoo artist, so I was very willing to prove that on a national competition,� she said.Elegado has been a tattoo artist for six years. She works as a tattoo artist at Roses & Ruins Tattoo in Summerville, where she has been for 18 months. She previously worked at a tattoo shop in Charleston, and before that she was in Florida.Because the show hasn�t aired, Elegado is not allowed to reveal too much about the competition, but said the experience was intense.�No doubt about it � the most stress, the most insanity,� she said. �It was 18 people including myself living in a two-bedroom loft with two and a half bathrooms. We all had beds and everything but it was like living in a hostel, for sure.�On the show contestants go head-to-head with their rivals, but the goal is to be the last tattoo artist standing so all the contestants are essentially pitted against each other � thus there is a lot of fighting.�Competition makes you crazy,� Elegado said. �I�m a very nice person, I think you can ask anybody; I�m very easy to get along with, but when it comes down to $100,000 I can fight like an angry bear, and I fought as hard as I could on that competition, and I think people are going to definitely see that.�Contestants participated in challenges that tested the artists� technical skills as well as their creativity. They faced a panel of judges that consisted of Dave Navarro from �Jane�s Addiction,� tattoo artist Chris Nunez from �Miami Ink� and tattoo artist Oliver Peck from Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, TX.All Elegado has seen of the footage is what has been posted online.�I look pretty mean,� she said with a laugh. �There weren�t a whole lot of friendships to be made � that�s not what I was there for, I was there to win a competition. I went in there, guns blazing, ready to rattle.�I guess when you get into people�s faces and tell them things they are not used to hearing you don�t make a whole lot of friends. No one was really safe.�A contestant will be eliminated on every episode. There are a total of 16 episodes including the live finale that takes place in December.�I was fighting for my career, for $100 grand that I could probably use,� she said.Regardless of the outcome Elegado feels she grew from the experience. Looking back, if Elegado had a chance she would do the show all over again.�I definitely learned a lot about tattooing,� she said. �Tattooing is one of those industries where if you don�t learn something new every day, you�re not putting the effort into it that you should be.�I learned a lot about people, and who you can trust and who you can�t,� she said. �I learned a lot about what I was capable of as a person � because, five years ago, I never would have thought I would be able to go through that stressful of a situation. It definitely made me grow as a person.�Elegado sports a lot of tattoos, including a sleeve on her left arm and more art on her right arm, neck, feet and knuckles.�When I first started tattooing I was really excited that I could turn people into walking private museums of my work,� she said. �The further I get in my career, it�s more making people happy. So many people come in with heartache stories or tattoos that they absolutely hate and want gone. Being able to cover something, or to memorialize something, or just to make someone feel good about themselves � that�s way more rewarding than people knowing I�m a tattoo artist.� Latest Videos | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18796 | 'Glee' star Dianna Agron enjoyed her spin through Pittsburgh for 'I Am Number Four'
John BramleyDianna Agron plays Sarah in "I Am Number Four."
By Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PASADENA, Calif. -- "Glee" star Dianna Agron left Pittsburgh last summer with more than memories -- she also took along four boxes of records purchased at Jerry's Records in Squirrel Hill.
Ms. Agron, who plays Quinn on the Fox musical/comedy/drama, made multiple visits to the shop after stumbling upon it when she was in town filming the movie "I Am Number Four."
"I had to find a way to bring back the hundreds of records I bought there," she said, noting her choices ranged from jazz and blues to rock and classical music. "I have a couple of record players, and Jerry's has the best selection I've ever seen."
In "I Am Number Four," Ms. Agron doesn't escape from high school, but she plays a different kind of teenager from Quinn, a cheerleader who got pregnant in the first season of "Glee."
"She's very insightful and very artsy and excited to get out of her small town," Ms. Agron said during a Fox party in January. Eventually her character, Sarah, becomes fascinated with the new boy in school, who turns out to be an alien on the run played by Alex Pettyfer.
"He's unlike any boy she has ever known, so open and honest, and then she discovers that he's quite different in other ways. He's got some people after him and he can move things and defy gravity."
Ms. Agron did some defying gravity of her own while filming "I Am Number Four," including a stunt that required her to plummet five stories into a crash pad.
"They hook you up to these harnesses, and you're flying through the air, and in some ways you get to be a bird for a little while," she said, clearly eager to do more stunts. "I got such a bug for it. Hopefully there will be more of that somewhere in my future."
During her time in Pittsburgh, Ms. Agron said she and other cast members stayed at the Renaissance Hotel with rooms overlooking PNC Park, but she didn't get to enjoy the view that often.
"I made sure to keep my blinds closed as tightly as possible because we were shooting at night and you have to sleep sometime," she said.
Filming could be a challenge, too, because of weather conditions. "One minute it was sunny and the next moment there was torrential rain. Producers would be on their iPhones looking at a weather app to see where the clouds were and saying, 'OK, it's going to hit us in five minutes, so take cover for five, and then it will be gone for 15, and then it returns in an hour.'"
Ms. Agron said roaming around different Pittsburgh neighborhoods offered new discoveries at every turn.
"It's not like you can keep walking like it's New York," she said. "When we went out on the weekend we'd say, we haven't been to Squirrel Hill yet, so let's go there. We haven't been on a campus yet, let's go there. We went canoeing on the river and spent a lot of our down time just palling around."
And, of course, there were all those trips to Jerry's Records.
"It was my 'I Am Number Four' gift to myself," she said. "When you've booked a movie, you can buy some records."
TV writer Rob Owen: rowen@post-gazette.com
or 412-263-2582. Read the Tuned In Journal blog at post-gazette.com/tv. Follow RobOwenTV on Twitter or Facebook.
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18951 | ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’ will spend one night in theaters
Batman: The Killing Joke will be available in theaters for one night next month ahead of its Digital HD release. The theatrical release will be made in conjunction with Fathom Events, and will involve two showings at various theaters across the country. The showings will take place at 7:30 PM and 10 PM local time. The movie is animated and will be rated R, and is an adaption of a graphic novel with the same name by Alan Moore.
Netflix is making its first India-based original series
Netflix has announced plans to create an original series based on Indian author Vikram Chandra’s “Sacred Games” novel. The show will be shot in India, and will be made in partnership with Indian production house Phantom Films. Netflix describes the show as being a “Hindi-English series,” and as with the company's other original productions, the show will be available to all Netflix subscribers across the globe.
Google Fiber TV Box gets Google Cast support
Google has announced that its Fiber TV Box is getting Google Cast, the tech that most people are familiar with via Chromecast. Google Cast has already made its way into some smart TVs, among other devices; the inclusion in Google’s own Fiber TV box isn’t at all surprising and certainly welcomed. With it, owners will be able to cast content from their mobile device to their TV without a separate casting dongle.
Mirror’s Edge is getting a TV adaptation
Adam Westlake | May 29, 2016
The original Mirror's Edge game was released in 2008 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and it went on to earn good reviews from critics and praise from fans. Now, eight years later, we're only a week away from developer EA releasing the sequel/reboot, Mirror's Edge Catalyst. However, we may be getting even more of Mirror's Edge, its future dystopian world, and freerunning parkour hero Faith in the future, except in the form of a TV show.
Apple TV gets SyFy Now, E! Now, and Bravo Now apps
Brittany A. Roston | May 26, 2016
NBCUniversal’s TV Everywhere service has expanded via a trio of new apps being made available on Apple TV. The company has released E! Now, SyFy Now, and Bravo Now apps for Apple's set-top-box, but they're not cord-cutting options -- you'll need to have an applicable pay TV subscription to gain access to the content. Those with such a subscription will get access to full episodes, current seasons and more.
HBO may put ‘True Detective’ on the chopping block
The first season of True Detective was great, and it looked like the newest drama hit on HBO’s hands. That notion promptly disappeared with the second season, a notable flop that certainly didn’t follow in the first season’s footsteps. Now it’s looking pretty likely that HBO will cancel the series rather than try and alter the course. The change would follow then-head of programming Michael Lombardo’s departure.
Amazon will release 8 new pilot episodes on June 17
Amazon has taken the wraps off its next roster of pilots, and as before, it is hoping its members will watch them and give their feedback. The new shows will be available starting on June 17, and they’re mostly composed of kids shows, though there are a couple hour-long pilots for adults. Those latter two offerings will be made available in 4K UHD HDR, as well, assuming you have devices with applicable support.
New Game of Thrones episode leaked online (by HBO)
An episode of Game of Thrones — already recognized as the world's most pirated show — getting leaked online early isn't exactly news anymore, especially after network HBO has taken great lengths to end such practices and only found partial success. However, in this case, where the latest episode of season six turned up online over 24 hours before its scheduled air date, it's the fact that it was HBO that leaked it in the first place that's interesting.
After ten years of cord-cutting, I’ve signed up for cable TV
If you'll forgive the hipster-ish-ness of it all, I was a cord-cutter before cord-cutting was a thing. Not because I wanted to be, but rather due to a childhood in which we didn't have cable and, later on, the habit of living without it. I had an old Dell laptop connected to the TV and a ton of DVDs ripped to its hard drive. The arrangement became more sophisticated over time, it was joined by Netflix and Hulu subscriptions, and I'd say my satisfaction with the arrangement had been increasing every year. Why, then, did I subscribe to cable TV this month?
‘Orange is the New Black’ trailer teases a dark fourth season
The fourth season of Netflix's Orange is the New Black arrives next month, and that mean it's time for a trailer. Netflix bestowed us with a long look at the upcoming season today, and it's a doozy. New inmates have arrived at Litchfield, old inmates are at each other's throats, and the days of lackadaisical enforcement appear to be long, long gone.
Stallone’s ‘Ultimate Beastmaster’, a global competition, heading to Netflix
Brittany A. Roston | May 9, 2016
Netflix is on board for what it says is the first ‘global on-demand competition series,’ and it’s called Ultimate Beastmaster. The series comes from Sylvester Stallone and Dave Broome, and will feature hosts/contestants from the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Germany, and South Korea to compete with each other to complete “The Beast” — something Netflix describes as ‘the most physically demanding obstacle courses ever devised.”
YouTube Unplugged live TV service tipped for 2017
YouTube is the latest company working on a live streaming television service, according to a new report, and it’ll be called ‘Unplugged.’ As with Hulu’s newly confirmed service, Dish Network’s Sling TV, Sony’s PlayStation Vue, and more, the service will reportedly allow subscribers to stream from a bundle of cable channels over the Internet. YouTube is said to have “already overhauled its technical architecture” in preparation of the service. | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18992 | OlympicsSport
Going OutFilm Holy smoke! The Fathers 4 Justice film
John Higginson, Metro
Friday 20 January 2006 00:00 BST
Matt O'Conner founded the group. Hollywood is to tell the story of the caped crusaders - not Batman and Robin this time, but Fathers 4 Justice.After two years of fighting between film companies, Disney-owned Miramax has bought the rights to turn the campaign group's story into a blockbuster.
It will be a Full Monty-style tragi-comic take on the story of Matt O'Connor, 38, who founded the group to campaign for the rights of divorced fathers. Produced by Harbour Pictures, the team behind Calendar Girls, it will follow Mr O'Connor's battle for the custody of his children after splitting from his ex-partner. Along the way, it will take in high-profile stunts, such as the flour bombing of Tony Blair in the House of Commons and the scaling of such landmarks as Buckingham Palace in superhero costumes. The movie will also tell how Fathers 4 Justice was hijacked by an extremist element, infiltrated by undercover police SO19 specialist firearms branch and exposed by a journalist masquerading as a group member.
The story ends with the group's demise - Fathers 4 Justice split this week after news of an alleged plot by a splinter group to kidnap Mr Blair's youngest son Leo. Mr O'Connor, who is now looking after his four-week-old baby, said: 'I want people to be able to see what has been going on behind the tabloid headlines with police chasing us and how hard it has been to hold it all together some times. 'There will be tragedy but it is going to be very funny.' A cast has yet to be chosen but Mr O'Connor joked that his role would be best played by 'Shrek or Johnny Vegas'. The father-of-three is now working on his autobiography. More about: | 影视 |
2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/18995 | Hal Sparks: Meet One of Entertainment's Most Dynamic Personalities
Hal Sparks may be one of the most versatile personalities in the entertainment industry. He’s an actor who currently stars in the Disney XD series Lab Rats, a successful stand-up comedian and the front man for the band Zero 1 – and on top of all that, he’s an outspoken guy who’s actively working to leave an impact off-stage, too. BFTV recently caught up with the multitalented Hal during a break in shooting the second season of Lab Rats to shine some light on an underappreciated star.
With such a diverse resume, it’s hard to pick where to start when discussing the Kentucky native, even if you ask Hal himself. The coolest thing about him is “Probably the volume of things I get to do,” he said. “I’m constantly barraged by voices of ‘You can’t do more than one thing and if you can, you’re not going to do them well.’ And I’ve been able to have success in all these areas with nary a ruffle.”
He’s best known as a television personality, with his breakout role coming when he played Michael Novotny in Showtime’s American adaptation of Queer as Folk from 2000-2005, a part he’s still most associated with today. Yet he’s far from a one-character actor. Comedy fans likely remember him as Zoltan in 2000′s Dude, Where’s My Car? and he’s been seen in guest spots on NBC’s Las Vegas and CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. More recently, he’s been a fixture in more family-friendly fare, voicing the title character in Nickelodeon’s animated series Tak and the Power of Juju and now as genius scientist Donald Davenport in Disney XD’s action-comedy Lab Rats (which also stars Kelli Berglund).
“These days I’m picking things that are closer in line with what kind of characters I would like to be playing,” said Hal, who explained that when selecting a next project, “Whether the show lasts is sort of immaterial, it’s about whether it’s worthwhile. This show Lab Rats is fun and it’s sci-fi, and we’re a mixed-race family. That’s a really great part of the show.”
Which other line on his acting resume would he recommend to people who want to see more of him? “You can certainly see quite a lot of me on Queer as Folk,” he quipped. “Lab Rats has new episodes every week which is terrific, and certainly more comedy in it. The nice thing is, you don’t have to pick one. Google me and pick something up. I’m completely confident in anything I’ve done.” The confidence is justified: this is the man who made an cameo as “Elevator Passenger” in Spider-Man 3 memorable.
#queer as folk #lab rats #hal sparks Show Comments ()
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2016-36/0815/en_head.json.gz/19012 | Share: A Day Out With Sons of Anarchy's Katey Sagal
A Day Out With Sons of Anarchy's Katey Sagal
TV Guide - Posted Dec 4, 2012 at 8:50 AM
Hell hath no fury like a biker chick scorned. On Season 5 of FX's hit Shakespearean motorcycle drama Sons of Anarchy - skidding to its high-octane finale tonight - that betrayal has been brought to vivid life by Katey Sagal as SAMCRO matriarch Gemma. We made tracks to Kim's Video & Music in NYC to catch up with Sagal.TV Guide Magazine: It's appropriate we're meeting at a record store today, since you started out in show business as a singer...Sagal: I had bands and record deals, some pretty good shots - then I started feeling tired of the struggle and decided I'd better open up my venues. But music is my first love.TV Guide Magazine: This season, Gemma went off the rails with drugs and alcohol. You've been sober for decades. Was that tough to play?Sagal: I have a lot of history with some of it, though I certainly never had a car crash like Gemma where I hurt somebody. It's not a scary place for me to go back to because it only strengthens my gratitude that I'm not there.TV Guide Magazine: SOA has a history of major cliff-hangers. What's in store?Sagal: The ending is pretty shocking - fans will not be disappointed. This season's theme has been secrets and lies, and there will be more. I can tell you nobody's gonna die.TV Guide Magazine: You're married to creator Kurt Sutter, who also plays inmate Otto. Are you two as fiery as Gemma and Clay in real life?Sagal: We're so not them! He's a very sweet man. I know he writes a dark and violent show, but he's really smart and wonderful. It's definitely a balancing act being married to the boss. I am straddling both worlds.TV Guide Magazine: Ever sass him about show-related issues?Sagal: Well, I have to do it very carefully, because I've done it all the wrong ways. So I ask questions much more sparingly now than I did at the beginning. It's like with anything in marriage: You gotta say it at the right time.TV Guide Magazine: Gemma's hair is practically a character of its own. Are those actual highlights?Sagal: This is the first year they're clipped in, because my hair was starting to fall out. I had bald spots on the top of my head. This season, because she's kind of a mess, the streaks look like a mess. As we've evolved toward the end, we've worked on the hair so it starts to look better.TV Guide Magazine: Season 7 will likely be SOA's last. Where do you think these characters will end up?Sagal: Ha! Well, I haven't thought much about it. In Hamlet, they all die. It's an option.Sons of Anarchy airs Tuesday at 10/9c on FX.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!View original A Day Out With Sons of Anarchy's Katey Sagal at TVGuide.comOther Links From TVGuide.com Katey SagalKurt SutterSons of Anarchy | 影视 |