Archive for March, 2008
March 31st, 2008
Yes, that’s Robert Downey Jr. between Ben Stiller and Jack Black.
Heard about TROPIC THUNDER, the upcoming movie written and directed (and starring) Ben Stiller? The plot has great potential — a group of self-obsessed actors filming an APOCALYPSE NOW-type war movie wind up in an actual war zone — but the most intriguing part of the movie is Robert Downey Jr.’s role: He plays a dedicated (white) method actor who undergoes an elaborate physical change to play a black character (in the movie within the movie). Here’s what Downey himself says about the role:
““At the end of the day, it’s always about how well you commit to the character,” he says. “I dove in with both feet. If I didn’t feel it was morally sound, or that it would be easily misinterpreted that I’m just C. Thomas Howell in SOUL MAN, I would’ve stayed home.”
Downey is, of course, referring to the awful 1986 “comedy” where Howell played a student who pretended to be black to get into college. The premise was offensive and, even worse, the movie wasn’t funny. TROPIC THUNDER looks like it’s going to be a lot funnier — and address the racial issue in an intelligent, amusing way. Here’s the trailer…
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March 28th, 2008
John Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall and Darren Harris in SIXTEEN CANDLES.
If you went to high school in the 1980s (like me), there’s a good chance you were a fan of the films of John Hughes. SIXTEEN CANDLES, THE BREAKFAST CLUB and FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF — what I like to think of as his High School Trilogy* — are comedies than manage to be serious, teen movies that manage to be grown up and artifacts of the 1980s that manage to look pretty good today.
If you’re wondering what ever happened to Hughes, The Los Angeles Times has your answer: He’s living just down the road in the suburbs north of Chicago, where most of his movies were set. He doesn’t talk to the press, he doesn’t hang out in Hollywood, and aside from coming up with the original premise for DRILLBIT TAYLOR years ago, he doesn’t make movies.
Of course, his movies are still a big influence today, mostly because the people making movies grew up on SIXTEEN CANDLES and other Hughes epics. As producer Judd Apatow says in the LA Times article, “You see Hughes’ influence on all TV comedy, especially the stylized single-camera comedy. His great film characters, starting with Anthony Michael Hall in ‘Sixteen Candles,’ were big inspirations. When we were growing up, we were all like Hall — the goofy skinny kid who thinks he’s cool, even if nobody else does. ‘Superbad’ has that same attitude, that mix of total cockiness and insecurity.”
Since those mid-80s high school glory days, Hughes wrote and/or directed at least one grown-up classic (PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES), two underrated gems (SHE’S HAVING A BABY and UNCLE BUCK) and a lot of crap (BEETHOVEN’S 4TH, CURLY SUE, MAID IN MANHATTAN and others). He also wrote HOME ALONE, which guaranteed he’d never have to worry about writing or directing anything again. Financially, the guy is set.
But it’s too bad he never returned to that high school setting. I’m as sick of sequels as the next guy, but I’d kill to see a follow-up to THE BREAKFAST CLUB with the same cast, set in the present and stuck in a single room — maybe even that same library. Or a FERRIS BUELLER sequel, with Ferris, Sloan and Cameron as world-weary adults spending the day in Chicago. (In a way, Alexander Payne’s ELECTION is a twisted sequel of FERRIS, with Broderick playing a version of the principal he tormented way back when.)
C’mon, John. It’s time for a reunion.
* No, I’m not counting Hughes’ 1985 movie WEIRD SCIENCE or 1986 movie PRETTY IN PINK. Sorry.
March 27th, 2008
We lost one of the greats this week: Actor Richard Widmark died at the age of 93 Monday at his home in Connecticut. The Minnesota native made more than 70 films in his long career, but his most memorable performance might’ve been in his debut, 1947’s KISS OF DEATH. Widmark (already 33 at the time) played killer Tommy Udo, and his maniacal giggling — most memorably used when he pushed an old woman in a wheelchair down a flight of chairs — turned Udo into a classic screen villain and Widmark into a star. (He also earned an Oscar nomination for the performance.)
Here, in case you’ve never seen it, is the scene:
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Widmark starred in other classics, too, including the film noir gem NIGHT AND THE CITY. One of my favorite Widmark performances was in 1961’s JUDGMENT AT NUREMBURG, where he played the prosecutor of Nazi judges in a military tribunal. Maximilian Schell, as the defense attorney, has the most interesting role, but Widmark practically steals the film with the sheer intensity and anger of his performance.
March 21st, 2008
Today, FUNNY GAMES opens in Rockford (at Colonial Village Art, specifically). It’s a remake of a 1997 Austrian film by the same director (Michael Haneke) and features the same plot (mom, dad and son are tormented by two young men wearing white) and look (most of the violence occurs offscreen). The only difference this time is the presence of a few name actors (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth play mom and dad; Michael Pitt plays one of the young men) and the fact that it’s in English.
It’s also one of the strangest movies to come to a Rockford theater in a long, long time. I haven’t seen it, but I know the plot and, more importantly, I know the plot twists. Anyone who strolls into this one thinking they’re going to sit back and see another SAW is in for a surprise. A big one.
So here’s my request: If you see FUNNY GAMES, whether you love it, hate it or are indifferent, stop by this site and post your reaction in the comments. I’m dying to hear what people think. Also, even if you don’t see it, let me know what the strangest movie you’ve ever seen in a Rockford theater is — something miles away from the usual COLLEGE ROAD TRIP, SEMI-PRO, DRILLBIT TAYLOR fare. I remember watching THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER at Colonial Village way back in 1990 and having a hard time believing what I was seeing on the big screen. Good movie, but odd. Darned odd.
March 19th, 2008
… but HBO’s JOHN ADAMS miniseries is an excellent bit of programming. If you’re paying for the premium channel and bemoaning the absence of THE SOPRANOS, THE WIRE, BIG LOVE, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and other shows, be sure to check out this fascinating look back at the birth of a nation.
Paul Giamatti, best known as the star of SIDEWAYS, does a sterling job bringing Adams to vivid life as a cranky, grumbling cuss who manages to give America the kick start it needs. He gets strong support from Laura Linney (as his wife, Abigail), Tom Wilkinson (as Ben Franklin), David Morse (as George Washington) and Danny Huston (as Sam Adams — brewer, patriot).
So far, two parts have aired, and they’re available on HBO On Demand. The next episode, “Don’t Tread on Me,” airs Sunday, with new episodes following each week. There are seven parts total, and if they’re all as interesting (and entertaining) as the first two, this’ll be quite a feather in HBO’s (tri-cornered) cap.
One quibble: Despite all the historical authenticity (and there’s plenty — just wait ’till you see how they prevent smallpox), the founding fathers lack one thing: authentic Colonial-era teeth.
March 17th, 2008
This week’s Movie Man column focuses on the DVD release of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, the Coen brothers movie that nabbed a fistful of Oscars last month, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (for Javier Bardem, the nasty-looking customer seen above).
You can read the full column at this link, but here’s a short excerpt:
“A lot of people didn’t like (the film’s) ending or just didn’t know what to make of it. It took me by surprise — it’s not how you expect a movie featuring an air hammer-toting assassin to end — but I think it works. “No Country for Old Men” starts out like a down-and-dirty pulp adventure, but it deepens as it goes, becoming a thoughtful, intelligent (though still exciting) meditation on justice, fortune and fate.”
So, what did you folks think of it? And while we’re on the subject of the Coen brothers, what’s your favorite Coen film. Mine’s THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, but I know there are bound to be some BIG LEBOWSKI fans lurking out there, right? Speak up in the comments section.
March 12th, 2008
Simone Simon pines for the love she can’t have in CAT PEOPLE.
After much needless (and frankly nerdish) deliberation, I’ve finally narrowed my list of favorite movies down to 10. And, like many of you said, it’s not easy. This list might not have been the same yesterday, and it might not be the same tomorrow, but for his moment, these are my 10 favorite movies. Not, of course, in any order. (That would be damn near impossible!)
1. Goodfellas — Scorsese’s gangster epic is simply one of the most brilliant combinations of script, performance, design, editing and, of course, direction I’ve ever seen.
2. The Apartment — It won a slew of Oscars, and it deserved them. Billy Wilder’s black comedy about love and power in the (then) modern workplace manages to be dark-hearted and heartwarming. And it features a note-perfect, chilling performance by Fred MacMurray.
3. Cat People — A smart, sophisticated horror movie from producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur that might not be a horror movie at all. It might just be the story of a frightened lonely woman (Simone Simon) with a dark secret.
4. The Manchurian Candidate — Forget that remake of a few years ago. This surreal conspiracy thriller is still startling more than 40 years after its initial release. Angela Lansbury — yes, the nice old lady from “Murder, She Wrote” is perfect as the villain.
5. A Face in the Crowd — Think you know Andy Griffith? Watch this satire of media and politics, where good ol’ Andy plays a power hungry madman, then think again.
6. Sweet Smell of Success — Every line of dialogue in this New York drama is more bitter (and tastier) than the last. The beautiful black-and-white cinematography and stark performances by Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis are just the icing on the cookie (full of arsenic).
7. Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb — Stanley Kubrick made a lot of great movies, but this comedy about the end of the world is still the best. Who knew George C. Scott — or the death of most of the planet — could be so funny?
8. The Black Cat — Boris and Bela in a strange little dark house movie, where the dark house is a gleaming piece of Bauhaus-inspired architecture and Bela, of all people, is the hero. Full of great twisted touches and inspired character moments. As Bela says, “Superstitious? Perhaps. Baloney? Perhaps not.”
9. The Hudsucker Proxy — It doesn’t get a lot of love, but this is — bar none — my favorite movie from the Coen Brothers. Stunning production design that recreates the 1950s (or at least Hollywood’s version) and wonderfully stylized performances from Tim Robbins, Paul Newman and Jennifer Jason Leigh. I could watch the montage sequence charting the development of the Hula Hoop a thousand times and never get tired of it.
10. Slap Shot — A crude, violent, foul-mouthed sports movie, yes, but a great one, too. Speaking of Paul Newman, he does yeoman duty here, wearing tacky clothes and spouting even tackier dialogue. Like many 1970s movies, the laughs barely conceal the drama and desperation lurking just under the surface.
Runners up: Fight Club, Rushmore, Brazil, The Fountainhead, King Kong (the original), Used Cars, American Movie, Videodrome, Zelig and Night of the Hunter — any of which might have made the leap to the top 10 on another day.
Any comments? Any more lists? This topic got a great response, so I’d like to keep it going indefinitely. Feel free to add yours to this post or the previous one, and we can continue to discuss what makes a great movie.
March 6th, 2008
Over at the Web site for Facets Video (which is based just down the road in Chicago), they’ve asked dozens of prominent filmmakers, experts and critics to list their top ten favorite movies. It’s a pretty highbrow assortment, ranging from L.A. TIMES critic Kenneth Turan to social critic Camille Paglia to (a personal favorite) offbeat Canadian director Guy Maddin. (Another favorite, showbiz legend Jerry Lewis, is also included).
CITIZEN KANE turns up on a lot of lists, along with some films noir, French New Wave and obscure stuff even I’ve never heard of. (Directors Michael Moore and Werner Herzog both include THE EMPEROR’S NAKED ARMY MARCHES ON, a 1987 documentary about Japan’s World War II campaign in New Guinea. Ever seen it? Me neither.)
It’s such a good idea, I figured I’d steal it. So here’s the plan: Post your own top 10 lists in the comments field below. If you want to offer a short reason or commentary on the list, that’s fine. If you want to just list ‘em, that’s fine, too. And they don’t have to be in any order — narrowing your favorites down to 10 will be tough enough.
Don’t worry about being as highbrow as the folks over at Facets. If you love a movie, there’s no need to apologize for it or try to justify it. I’ll post my own list in a couple of days (as soon as I narrow it down), and believe me, there will be plenty of goofy personal picks tucked in among the classics. For instance, do you know what movie is pictured at the top of this post? I’m not positive it’s going to make my top 10, but it has a darned good chance.
March 5th, 2008
In the new movie BE KIND, REWIND, Jack Black and Mos Def create their own no-budget remakes of famous films to rent at their struggling video store. Because they claim the movies are from Sweden, these are known as the “Sweded” versions. Because the Internet is full of creative pop-culture nuts looking for an outlet for their moviemaking abilities, genuine homemade Sweded versions of movies have begun to flood You Tube. Here’s a sample, a wonderfully offbeat take on BACK TO THE FUTURE.
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I really like the imaginative way they accomplished the special effect of Marty’s hand disappearing, but I have one question: Where the heck did these guys get their hands on an actual De Lorean?
If you want to see Sweded versions of other classics, including DIE HARD, STAR WARS and LORD OF THE RINGS, just click here.
March 3rd, 2008
KING KONG (the original, not Peter Jackson’s 2005 version or that godawful seventies remake) premiered 75 years ago yesterday in New York. (I realize I’m a day late with these birthday greetings, but he’s a gorilla — is he really going to mind?) It was a huge hit in every sense of the world, blowing the minds of Depression-era audiences, single-handedly rescuing RKO Studios from Depression-era woes and changing the art of special effects — and cinema in general — for ever.
If you have Turner Classic Movies, you can catch if April 7. Or, if you have a DVD player (and I’m guessing you do), you can watch the excellent Warner Bros. disc that came out a few years ago. Remastered and restored, it comes paired with all sorts of behind-the-scenes material that reveals just how hard it was turning an 18-inch model into a giant rampaging gorilla — and a gorilla with personality, too.
If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend giving it a look. The beginning drags a bit, but once the islanders kidnap Fay Wray, it’s nothing but dinosaurs, giant apes, World War II biplanes and just-finished skyscapers ’til the famous final line, “It was beauty killed the beast.”
