Archive for February, 2008
February 14th, 2008
Of course you do! So just click here, then come back and tell me what you think.
Here are a few observations after an initial viewing:
1. At first, I was worried they were focusing too much on Indy as an icon, getting overly serious in recapping the previous three films. Then the footage from the new one started and the fun kicked in almost immediately. Nice to see Indy’s seat-of-the-pants style and deadpan sense of humor remains intact.
2. I don’t know if the stuntwork got a CGI boost, but it looks real, and that’s what counts. And that looks like Harrison Ford swinging from the whip, which counts even more.
3. I like how Shia LaBeouf is amazed Indy is, in fact, a teacher. Those scenes of him actually in front of a classroom at the beginning of RAIDERS are a great counterpoint to the craziness that follows.
4. No signs of Karen Allen (playing Marion) that I could see, but plenty of Cate Blanchett as the villain.
5. Did I see the words “Roswell, New Mexico”? – guess we know what that means.
6. I can’t imagine any film fan watching this trailer and not having a smile on his face when it’s over. This sort of thing is the reason I love movies.
February 13th, 2008
Here’s the official announcement from the Writer’s Guild of America:
“On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.”
I know for the last several days it was pretty much over, but now the strike is definitely, absolutely, positively over. Writers are back to work today, pounding out new episodes of ACCORDING TO JIM, ‘TIL DEATH and other brilliant TV fare. Thank god for that.
On the plus side, A DAILY SHOW will be THE DAILY SHOW again, and programs like THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK might return again before the summer rerun season hits. Best of all, LOST might actually deliver more than the meager eight episodes we were going to get if the strike had continued. According to executive producer Carlton Cuse, the goal is to produce five more episodes for season 4 (the current one). That’s not a full season, but it’s better than nothing. And apparently seasons 4 through 6 will still have 48 episodes total, meaning we’ll get more shows in seasons 5 and 6. So, to sum up, we eventually get the same amount of LOST we would’ve gotten without the strike, but we’ll have to wait a bit. I can live with that.
Plus, the writers got at least some of what they wanted, and the giant corporations had to fork over a tiny bit of their colossal profits. That might mean a few less solid-gold backscratchers for the CEOs this Christmas, and that’s a victory in my book.
Not a movie-related post, but there’s more to life than movies — there’s TV!
(And the strike, had it continued much longer, would’ve had a bit impact on the 2009 movie season. But it looks like that bullet has been dodged. Now the writers can start working on GOOD LUCK CHUCK II: BETTER LUCK CHUCK!
February 11th, 2008
Roy Scheider (left) and Gene Hackman in a rare quiet scene from “The French Connection.”
Take a moment today to remember actor Roy Scheider, who died Sunday at the age of 1975. According to the New York Times obit, Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years and died of complications from a staph infection.
Scheider’s best known for JAWS, of course, where he played Martin Brody, a cop who hated the water but had to battle a great white shark. But I always liked him best in his other 1970s cop role, Det. Buddy Russo in THE FRENCH CONNECTION. His co-star Gene Hackman gets all the attention in that movie (and don’t get me wrong, he’s very good as loose cannon cop Popeye Doyle), but Scheider is the guy who grounds the story, bringing Doyle’s over-the-top methods down to Earth. It’s the best illustration I’ve ever seen of the old “good cop, bad cop” cliche.
Scheider earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for FRENCH CONNECTION, and he nabbed a Best Actor nod for playing a fictionalized version of Bob Fosse in ALL THAT JAZZ. Here, Scheider was the center of attraction in a movie that only occasionally remembered reality, but he still manages to connect with the audience, giving a crazy, over-the-top movie a much-needed human element.
One of my favorite Scheider performances is also one of his strangest. He plays the notorious Dr. Benway in David Cronenberg’s 1991 movie NAKED LUNCH, based on William Burrough’s infamously non-filmable novel. I’m not sure if Cronenberg succeeds or not, but after a whole lot of strangeness, Scheider’s appearance is both startling and funny. In other words, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
February 8th, 2008
For its annual movie issue, Vanity Fair magazine is recreating famous scenes from Hitchcock movies using current actors. I question the choice of some of the actors. (I love Seth Rogen, but even he’d admit he’s no Cary Grant). Still, it’s pretty funny to see him racing across the cornfield ala NORTH BY NORTHWEST…
Here’s Naomi Watts as Tippi Hendren in MARNIE. Unlike Seth and Cary, the resemblance is pretty strong here. I’d say if Hitch came back from the dead and wanted to make a starring one of his trademark blonde ice queens, Watts would be his best bet.
There are plenty more on the site including Jodie Foster as Tippi Hendren in a scene from THE BIRDS, Javier Bardem and Scarlett Johannson as Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in REAR WINDOW and a whole lot of people (including Eva Marie Saint, who really did act for Hitchcock) as the cast of LIFEBOAT. If you want to see them all, pick up the magazine. If you want to see them all but are too cheap to pick up the magazine, just click here.
February 7th, 2008
Larry David (right) and his buddy Jeff (Jeff Garlin) share a laugh on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Here’s an interesting bit of casting news: According to Entertainment Weekly, Larry David (co-creator of SEINFELD and creator and star of HBO’s CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM) is going to star in Woody Allen’s next movie. As the site says:
“How much neurosis can one movie channel? We’re about find out. Larry David, the mind behind Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, is set to be the lead in Woody Allen’s next, as-yet-untitled feature, which is scheduled to shoot in New York City in the spring. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but David will act alongside Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe). The movie marks Allen’s return home after he made three films in London and one, the upcoming Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in Spain.”
It will be very interesting to see how Larry fits into the world of Woody. Sure, they’re both neurotic, but Larry is a much more aggressive, in-your-face sort of neurotic, and I can’t imagine him having deep intelluctual conversations about Ingmar Bergman or e.e. cummings. (This is the guy who, after all, watched a “Girls Gone Wild” tape on an episode of his sitcom.) Maybe that conflict will lend some much needed tension and energy to whatever Woody’s next movie is.
Sure hope it doesn’t disrupt plans for another season of CURB, though. The last one — which just arrived on DVD (look for a review soon) was one of the best, with some truly classic episodes. Rent it now!
February 6th, 2008
Edward Copeland, who runs the Edward Copeland on Film movie blog, conducts a survey each year asking readers to pick the best and worst Oscar winners in various categories. One year it was movies (the best list, with “Casablanca” in the top spot, can be found here; worst list, with “Crash” in the top spot, is here); one year it was actresses (best list, with Vivien Leigh from “Gone With the Wind,” is here; worst list, with Helen Hunt from “As Good As It Gets,” is here); and this year, it’s actors. Marlon Brando takes the top spot on the “best” list for his performance in “On the Waterfront,” and Roberto Benigni takes the top spot on the “worst” list for “Life Is Beautiful.”
Confession: I’ve never seen “Life Is Beautiful” in its entirety, mostly because the scenes I have caught during various stetches of channel surfing made me want to avoid seeing more. But Benigni must be truly awful in “Life Is Beautiful” to beat out the actor who ranked No. 2 on the worst list …
… Mr. Al Pacino, for “Scent of a Woman.”
To me, this is the worst acting performance I’ve ever seen take the statue. Don’t get me wrong — Pacino can be a great actor. Watch him in “The Godfather” or “The Godfather, Part II” (but not “Godfather Part III,” for god’s sake) and you’ll see a sensitive, talented actor disappearing into a role and finding power in the quiet moments of a performance. Pacino is still capable of that sort of acting — just watch him in “Donnie Brasco” and you’ll catch one of the best performances of the 1990s. But at some point in his career, Al apparently decided to play most of his roles part like they were the “Attica! Attica!” scene from “Dog Day Afternoon” or the “I’m out of order? You’re out of order! This whole court’s out of order!” scene from “And Justice for All.” He became louder, brasher and a much, much worse.
This decline hit rock bottom in 1992’s “Scent of a Woman.” The role — a former soldier who refuses to let his blindness stop him from driving or dancing the tango — would tempt any actor to chew some scenery. With Pacino playing it, it’s a wonder any of Hollywood is still standing.
And, naturally, it won him the Oscar. A week or so ago, I said on this blog that the academy rarely rewards the most worthy performances/movies. Here’s my proof. A respected actor playing a blind man in a feel-good movie that ended with a big, life-affirming speech (probably the worst scene in the entire film) was just what the Oscar ordered.
If you want to see who else made Copeland’s list, check out his site. There are some interesting choices in all the categories and smart comments to go with them. And if you want to see a good Al Pacino performance, watch any of the movies I mentioned above. Or “The Insider.” Or “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Or even “The Devil’s Advocate,” which uses Al’s overacting to good effect.
But not “Scent of a Woman. ” Please. Anything but that.
February 5th, 2008
This week’s column focuses on a fascinating bit of competition involving the classic video game Donkey Kong (it’s where that fellow Mario made his first appearance).
Here, like the say on the late-night talk shows, is a clip:
“It has heroes and villains, victory and defeat, joy and pathos. It’s funny, it’s sad and, believe it or not, it says something — maybe even something profound — about the human condition. And yes, it has plenty of scenes of guys playing Donkey Kong.”
Want to read the whole thing? Just click here.
February 4th, 2008
There are lots of great movies about newspapers, mostly because the characters are colorful and the plots are fast-paced and suspenseful. (Oh, if only Hollywood knew the grim truth!) CITIZEN KANE, classic status aside, is a film about journalism, following Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) as he builds a media empire on hype, warmongering, scandal and semi-truths. DEADLINE USA (which unfortunately isn’t on DVD) casts Humphrey Bogart as a tough-as-nails publisher trying to bring down a gangster before his paper falls under corporate control. THE FOUNTAINHEAD brings Ayn Rand’s hyperbolic novel to life, with the newspaper’s all-powerful architecture critic (wha?) trying to destroy the noblest man in the world. And ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN takes a story that could be boring — reporters make phone calls and wait around, trying to bring down Nixon – and instead makes it fascinating. In fact, if you like ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN, check out last year’s ZODIAC, which manages a similar trick but replaces Nixon with a serial killer.
But of all the movies about newspapers (and there are plenty more, including THE FRONT PAGE, MEET JOHN DOE, HIS GIRL FRIDAY and THE PAPER), my prize for wildest goes to FIVE-STAR FINAL, a 1931 melodrama starring Edward G. Robinson. This, my friends, is when the newspaper business was a thrilling, scandalous, death-defying profession. Robinson plays a managing editor who — under his bosses’ orders — destroys a family on the eve of their daughter’s wedding by dredging up an old scandal. The characters are frantic, the plot is frenzied and the dialogue is surprisingly spicy for a 77-year-old film. (It was released during the glory days of early sound movies, before Hollywood’s restrictive Production Code strangled the life out of American film.) As a bonus, it co-stars Boris Karloff (the same year he starred in FRANKENSTEIN) as a sleazy, drunken reporter who masquerades as a priest to get a story. Ah, the ethics of ’30s journalism!
Unfortunately, FIVE STAR FINAL is unavailable on DVD, and doesn’t look like it’s going to become available anytime soon. So why am I telling you about a movie you can’t see? Because you actually do have a rare chance to see it Wednesday morning. Turner Classic Movies (the film lover’s best friend) is airing FIVE STAR FINAL at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6/ Tape it, Tivo it , DVR it or get up early and just plain watch it, but don’t miss this movie. It’s amazing.
February 1st, 2008
REPO MAN, with Tracy Walter (left) and Emilio Estevez: definitely worth seeing more than once.
Following up on this week’s post about repeat viewings of movies in theaters…
Naturally home video changed all the rules. It’s hard to remember now, with VCRs a part of our lives for a quarter-century or more, but the idea that you could watch a movie over and over whenever you wanted was fairly mind-blowing back in early ’80s, especially for a budding film fan like me, who was just beginning to realize how many movies were out there.
In high school, my friends and I watched mostly horror movies — DAWN OF THE DEAD, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, RE-ANIMATOR — with a few oddball classics like PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and REEFER MADNESS tossed in. Once I got to college and picked up a book called CULT MOVIES (highly recommended, by the way), I tried to see every classic movie I could, and repeat viewings of CITIZEN KANE, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, SUNSET BLVD. and other black-and-white gems were common. I watched A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and BLADE RUNNER repeatedly (and still do, on DVD) and I remember the 1984 punk comedy REPO MAN getting more than a few spins in the VCR. Monty Python movies were popular, of course (we were college-aged guys, after all) and a roommate of mine watched MONTY PYTHON’S MEANING OF LIFE so many times we eventually had to hide the tape from him for the sake of our own sanity.
With the arrival of DVDs in the last 1990s, you didn’t even have to waste time rewinding a movie to watch it again. The first disc I got (before I even got a player, in fact) was GOODFELLAS, and I watched it repeatedly, studying director Martin Scorsese’s technique like a film student. FIGHT CLUB, a movie I actually saw three times during its theatrical run, was a favorite for weeks. (With four commentary tracks on the DVD, I had to watch it four times just to hear everyone have their say.) Strangely enough, though, the movie I seem to watch more than anything is VANILLA SKY, a film I disliked in the theater and disliked even more on DVD (especially after hearing director Cameron Crowe’s oh-so-precious commentary track). Still, for some reason, I end up watching it at least once a year — it infuriates me and fascinates me at the same time, but it never bores me. I’m about due to watch it again in a month or so, and I’ll let you know if I have any fascinating new obversations.
I have two questions for you: One, obviously, is which movies have you seen the most on home video, and why do you return to them again and again. And two, why is it that when I have more classic movies than ever, and easy access to virtually any movie ever made, I don’t have any time to enjoy them. Is it cruel fate, or just repeat viewings of the Disney library with my daughter?
Actually, I think I know the answer to that one. And I have to go — it’s time for another showing of CARS.
Next Posts
