Having built a career out of playing unconventional characters, probably because he was one himself, Dennis Hopper passed away Saturday at the age of 74. Having fought prostate cancer for a number of years, Hopper succumbed to the disease at his home in Venice, Calif. His acting career, which included a few stints into directing (most notably "Easy Rider" and "Colors"), spanned six decades, with extensive work in both film and television. Although quite ill at the time, Hopper finally was recognized with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March.
It was a career marked with some memorable highs and forgettable lows, and one glance at his body of work shows an actor who clearly was never lacking for employment. It might also show somebody who would have been better served to have said 'No' a little more often to job offers, as his resume is littered with, well, let's just say material that's below his skill level.
That said, there's a lot of memorable roles mixed in there, with villainous performances leaving a particularly indelible mark in cinematic history. Whether it's the Pabst Blue Ribbon-loving psycho Frank Booth from "Blue Velvet" or the devious bomb expert Howard Payne in the action hit "Speed," Hopper knew his way around bad guys.
But for my money, his performance as "Shooter" in the great 1986 sports flick "Hoosiers" was Hopper at his best. As the father of a student at a small town Indiana high school, his character has a brilliant basketball mind, but one that struggles with alcoholism. His battle to redeem himself in the eyes of his son, and for the coach (GeneHackman ) that entrusts him with some responsibility with the team, brings a poignancy to the film that goes beyond any of the accomplishments taking place on the court. It's a great performance, and the only acting Oscar for which he would ever be nominated. The fact that Hopper himself had just recently emerged from drug rehab prior to taking on the role shows a man able to tap into a little of his own personal demons for positive gain.
Regardless of what one thinks of his assorted film choices, Hopper crafted an indelible footprint on Hollywood. Thankfully, he was able to have it permanently left on the streets of the town before passing away. Now that site serves as a shrine for fans to leave flowers and mementos marking the death of a true Hollywood maverick.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Summer Movie Preview: June 2010
After some of the heavy hitters were unleashed in May, June’s movie release schedule is filled with a couple of sure-fire hits, along with several that have the potential to heat up at the box office. The competition for audience attention will likely be brutal.
JUNE
“Killers”
Starring Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Mull, Rob Riggle
Directed by Robert Luketic
A suburban housewife (Heigl) learns that her husband (Kutcher) is an undercover assassin, who himself has been targeted for termination. He must then work to stay alive, with his incredulous wife in tow. The two stars have a spotty track record in films, and while the material is not the freshest, it still has hit potential. Then again, it could bomb big time. (June 4)
Official Web site
“Get Him to the Greek”
Starring Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Colm Meaney and Sean Combs
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
From the makers of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” comes a tale of a lowly intern (Hill) at a record company tasked with transporting an egotistical, hard-partying British rock star (Brand) to a show in L.A. This is a spin-off of sorts from “Sarah Marshall,” with Brand portraying his same character for that film here. However, Hill, who was also in that movie, is not playing the same role. Go figure. (June 4)
Official Web site
“Marmaduke”
Starring Owen Wilson, Lee Pace, Judy Greer and William H. Macy
Directed by Tom Dey
The same studio that brought you the successful “Alvin and the Chipmunks” franchise is dipping into comic strips with a big screen version of the Winslow family and their large and loveable Great Dane, Marmaduke. Wilson provides the voice of the canine, who never spoke in the comic. Fans of the longtime newspaper staple might have trouble wrapping their heads around that decision. (June 4)
Official Web site
“The A-Team”
Starring Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Jessica Biel, Sharlto Copley, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Patrick Wilson
Directed by Joe Carnahan
You can hardly have a summer movie season anymore without a big-budget film version of a popular TV show, and it’s the old 1980s-era NBC show that made Mr. T a star getting the treatment here. T’s nowhere to be seen, but the casting does look pretty good here. Still, will this be able to balance the action and comedy for which the TV show aimed? And how many fans of the show really were clamoring for a movie? (June 11)
Official Web site
“Toy Story 3”
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Michael Keaton, Joan Cusack, Whoopi Goldberg
Directed by Lee Unkrich
With everything that Pixar touching turning into a hit, there’s no doubt that the third edition of this very successful franchise will draw in large numbers. This time, Woody, Buzz and the gang are brought to become playthings in a daycare after their owner, Andy, heads off to college. (June 18)
Official Web site
“Grown Ups”
Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek
Directed by Dennis Dugan
In what looks like a 1990s-era “Saturday Night Live” reunion, Sandler (who is also serving as one of the writers and producers) has brought together some longtime friends for a movie about a reunion of ... well, longtime friends. One look at the trailer and you should know exactly what you’re getting here. The only thing that matters here is whether the movie makes you laugh. (June 25)
Official Web site
“Knight and Day”
Starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Maggie Grace, Paul Dano
Directed by James Mangold
A superspy (Cruise) his employers are claiming has taken a serious mental break from reality enlists the help of woman (Diaz) he met on a blind date to help him. This film looks like it’s mixing in the action, comedy and romance much like the similarly-themed “Killers,” which will be released a mere three weeks before. If ever there’s an example of Hollywood recycling ideas, here it is. This could prove to be a real test of the star power of Cruise and Diaz, who previously appeared together in “Vanilla Sky.” (June 25)
Official Web site
JUNE
“Killers”
Starring Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Mull, Rob Riggle
Directed by Robert Luketic
A suburban housewife (Heigl) learns that her husband (Kutcher) is an undercover assassin, who himself has been targeted for termination. He must then work to stay alive, with his incredulous wife in tow. The two stars have a spotty track record in films, and while the material is not the freshest, it still has hit potential. Then again, it could bomb big time. (June 4)
Official Web site
“Get Him to the Greek”
Starring Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Colm Meaney and Sean Combs
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
From the makers of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” comes a tale of a lowly intern (Hill) at a record company tasked with transporting an egotistical, hard-partying British rock star (Brand) to a show in L.A. This is a spin-off of sorts from “Sarah Marshall,” with Brand portraying his same character for that film here. However, Hill, who was also in that movie, is not playing the same role. Go figure. (June 4)
Official Web site
“Marmaduke”
Starring Owen Wilson, Lee Pace, Judy Greer and William H. Macy
Directed by Tom Dey
The same studio that brought you the successful “Alvin and the Chipmunks” franchise is dipping into comic strips with a big screen version of the Winslow family and their large and loveable Great Dane, Marmaduke. Wilson provides the voice of the canine, who never spoke in the comic. Fans of the longtime newspaper staple might have trouble wrapping their heads around that decision. (June 4)
Official Web site
“The A-Team”
Starring Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Jessica Biel, Sharlto Copley, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Patrick Wilson
Directed by Joe Carnahan
You can hardly have a summer movie season anymore without a big-budget film version of a popular TV show, and it’s the old 1980s-era NBC show that made Mr. T a star getting the treatment here. T’s nowhere to be seen, but the casting does look pretty good here. Still, will this be able to balance the action and comedy for which the TV show aimed? And how many fans of the show really were clamoring for a movie? (June 11)
Official Web site
“Toy Story 3”
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Michael Keaton, Joan Cusack, Whoopi Goldberg
Directed by Lee Unkrich
With everything that Pixar touching turning into a hit, there’s no doubt that the third edition of this very successful franchise will draw in large numbers. This time, Woody, Buzz and the gang are brought to become playthings in a daycare after their owner, Andy, heads off to college. (June 18)
Official Web site
“Grown Ups”
Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek
Directed by Dennis Dugan
In what looks like a 1990s-era “Saturday Night Live” reunion, Sandler (who is also serving as one of the writers and producers) has brought together some longtime friends for a movie about a reunion of ... well, longtime friends. One look at the trailer and you should know exactly what you’re getting here. The only thing that matters here is whether the movie makes you laugh. (June 25)
Official Web site
“Knight and Day”
Starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Maggie Grace, Paul Dano
Directed by James Mangold
A superspy (Cruise) his employers are claiming has taken a serious mental break from reality enlists the help of woman (Diaz) he met on a blind date to help him. This film looks like it’s mixing in the action, comedy and romance much like the similarly-themed “Killers,” which will be released a mere three weeks before. If ever there’s an example of Hollywood recycling ideas, here it is. This could prove to be a real test of the star power of Cruise and Diaz, who previously appeared together in “Vanilla Sky.” (June 25)
Official Web site
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Summer Movie Preview: May 2010
With the arrival of May, the summer movie season officially arrives, with studios regularly unleashing some of their tentpole films before Memorial Day weekend. This year is no exception, as many big guns roll out prior to the holiday, including possibly the season’s biggest movie (“Iron Man 2”) hitting screens Friday.
“Iron Man 2”
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by Jon Favreau
The huge success of the 2008 superhero film made this sequel a foregone conclusion. With several big name cast additions (Johansson, Rourke and Cheadle, taking over his role from Terrence Howard), the success of the next chapter in the franchise would also seem to be quite assured. This time out, the government is hot after the design secrets of billionaire Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), who refused to give them up, while a formidable adversary (Rourke) seeks a measure of revenge from an incident from his family’s past. (May 7)
Official Web site
“Robin Hood”
Starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins and Max von Sydow
Directed by Ridley Scott
In what would seem to be the umpteenth telling of the story about Robin Hood, frequent collaborators Crowe and Scott (both Oscar winners for “Gladiator”) team up again in this big budget action-adventure set in 13th century England. As the title character, Crowe seeks to undermine the authority of the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham (Macfadyen) while pursuing a romance with the widow, Maid Marion (Blanchett). The story is overly familiar to many, but there’s a reason why it’s told so often – it’s just plain good. (May 14)
Official Web site
“Letters to Juliet”
Starring Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Franco Nero, Gael Garcia Bernal and Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by Gary Winick
A quieter, fairly lower star wattage flick, “Letters to Juliet” has the ability to serve as a nice change of pace from the usual collection of loud, special effects-laden movies from the season. Up-and-coming star Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) stars as a vacationing American in Italy who finds a love letter and sets out to find the writer, kicking off a chain reaction of events. (May 14)
Official Web site
“MacGruber”
Starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph and Val Kilmer
Directed by Jorma Taccone
Having picked up some good buzz on the festival circuit, “MacGruber,” an adaptation of a “Saturday Night Live” skit, could become a bit of a sleeper hit. Obviously, the film has to expand upon the limited premise of the reoccurring “SNL” skits, which always ended with everyone blowing up in a huge explosion. Having the always interesting Kilmer on board as the villain would seem to be a good casting decision. (May 21)
Official Web site
“Shrek Forever After”
Starring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, Walt Dohm, John Cleese
Directed by Mike Mitchell
In what’s being billed as the final installment of the “Shrek” franchise, the big green ogre signs a contract with the sneaky Rumpelstiltskin, in the hopes of having one day to be the fearsome ogre he used to be. But in doing so, Shrek soon realizes he has been tricked, and an alternate universe has been created by his decision, causing all sorts of problems. While the third film didn’t quite live up to its promise, the hope is that the fourth will wrap things up on a good note. (May 21)
Official Web site
“Sex and the City 2”
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, John Corbett
Directed by Michael Patrick King
With the first “Sex and the City” movie becoming a box-office hit, a sequel seemed an inevitability, despite the lack of necessity. Still, that could be said about most movie sequels. Obviously, there’s a built-in audience that loves the exploits of the female quartet, which finds them headed to Morocco for a getaway. While there, Carrie (Parker) runs into a romantic suitor of the past (Corbett), causing her to contemplate her current direction in life. (May 21)
Official Web site
“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterson, Ben Kinglsey, Alfred Molina
Directed by Mike Newell
Quickly becoming a genre unto itself, the latest video game to movie adaptation is of the popular “Prince of Persia” title, with the unexpected casting of Gyllenhaal as a prince teaming up with a princess (Arterton) to stop a power-hungry ruler from unleashing a destructive sandstorm that could have dire consequences on the world. With Gyllenhaal as a largely unproven actor in action films, it would seem this Disney release’s real star is its endless supply of special effects, if its trailer is any accurate indicator. (May 28)
Official Web site
“Iron Man 2”
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by Jon Favreau
The huge success of the 2008 superhero film made this sequel a foregone conclusion. With several big name cast additions (Johansson, Rourke and Cheadle, taking over his role from Terrence Howard), the success of the next chapter in the franchise would also seem to be quite assured. This time out, the government is hot after the design secrets of billionaire Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), who refused to give them up, while a formidable adversary (Rourke) seeks a measure of revenge from an incident from his family’s past. (May 7)
Official Web site
“Robin Hood”
Starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins and Max von Sydow
Directed by Ridley Scott
In what would seem to be the umpteenth telling of the story about Robin Hood, frequent collaborators Crowe and Scott (both Oscar winners for “Gladiator”) team up again in this big budget action-adventure set in 13th century England. As the title character, Crowe seeks to undermine the authority of the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham (Macfadyen) while pursuing a romance with the widow, Maid Marion (Blanchett). The story is overly familiar to many, but there’s a reason why it’s told so often – it’s just plain good. (May 14)
Official Web site
“Letters to Juliet”
Starring Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Franco Nero, Gael Garcia Bernal and Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by Gary Winick
A quieter, fairly lower star wattage flick, “Letters to Juliet” has the ability to serve as a nice change of pace from the usual collection of loud, special effects-laden movies from the season. Up-and-coming star Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) stars as a vacationing American in Italy who finds a love letter and sets out to find the writer, kicking off a chain reaction of events. (May 14)
Official Web site
“MacGruber”
Starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph and Val Kilmer
Directed by Jorma Taccone
Having picked up some good buzz on the festival circuit, “MacGruber,” an adaptation of a “Saturday Night Live” skit, could become a bit of a sleeper hit. Obviously, the film has to expand upon the limited premise of the reoccurring “SNL” skits, which always ended with everyone blowing up in a huge explosion. Having the always interesting Kilmer on board as the villain would seem to be a good casting decision. (May 21)
Official Web site
“Shrek Forever After”
Starring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, Walt Dohm, John Cleese
Directed by Mike Mitchell
In what’s being billed as the final installment of the “Shrek” franchise, the big green ogre signs a contract with the sneaky Rumpelstiltskin, in the hopes of having one day to be the fearsome ogre he used to be. But in doing so, Shrek soon realizes he has been tricked, and an alternate universe has been created by his decision, causing all sorts of problems. While the third film didn’t quite live up to its promise, the hope is that the fourth will wrap things up on a good note. (May 21)
Official Web site
“Sex and the City 2”
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, John Corbett
Directed by Michael Patrick King
With the first “Sex and the City” movie becoming a box-office hit, a sequel seemed an inevitability, despite the lack of necessity. Still, that could be said about most movie sequels. Obviously, there’s a built-in audience that loves the exploits of the female quartet, which finds them headed to Morocco for a getaway. While there, Carrie (Parker) runs into a romantic suitor of the past (Corbett), causing her to contemplate her current direction in life. (May 21)
Official Web site
“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterson, Ben Kinglsey, Alfred Molina
Directed by Mike Newell
Quickly becoming a genre unto itself, the latest video game to movie adaptation is of the popular “Prince of Persia” title, with the unexpected casting of Gyllenhaal as a prince teaming up with a princess (Arterton) to stop a power-hungry ruler from unleashing a destructive sandstorm that could have dire consequences on the world. With Gyllenhaal as a largely unproven actor in action films, it would seem this Disney release’s real star is its endless supply of special effects, if its trailer is any accurate indicator. (May 28)
Official Web site
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
What's New in Blu? (Week of April 27)
“Tombstone” (R)Starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Dana Delany, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Charlton Heston
Directed by George P. Cosmatos
Arguing the factual accuracy of “Tombstone” would be a difficult task, as the western takes a number of liberties with the story of Wyatt Earp and his arrival in the now-historic Arizona town. But if you’re looking for a somewhat cornball, violent action flick, this tale should be right down your alley. Add in entertaining performances from Kurt Russell as Wyatt, and an especially good Val Kilmer as his longtime friend, Doc Holliday, and there’s still quite a bit to like here. Just don’t take the film as a history lesson, but rather as an old-fashioned revenge story that shoots first and pretty much forgets to ask questions.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“Armageddon” (PG-13)
Starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, William Fichtner, Owen Wilson
Directed by Michael Bay
“Dune” (PG-13)
Starring Francesca Annis, Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Jose Ferrer, Max von Sydow
Directed by David Lynch
“Elizabeth” (PG-13)
Starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, John Gielgud and Richard Attenborough
Directed by Shekhar Kapur
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (PG-13)
Starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Rhys Ifans, Jordi Molla, Abbie Cornish and Samantha Morton
Directed by Shekhar Kapur
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassas” (PG-13)
Starring Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, Lily Cole and Tom Waits
Directed by Terry Gilliam
“It’s Complicated” (PG-13)
Starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski
Directed by Nancy Meyers
“Ride with the Devil” (R)
Starring Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel, Jeffrey Wright, Simon Baker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Directed by Ang Lee
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of April 20)
“Crazy Heart” (PG-13)
Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell
Directed by Scott Cooper
Having crafted a long and outstanding career, Jeff Bridges finally got his due from the Academy Awards when he took home the Best Actor Oscar in March for his role as Bad Blake, a former country music star working on the fringes of the music business. The script by Scott Cooper (who also makes his directing debut here) doesn’t throw in too many surprises, but does allow its actors moments to shine and the time to let a scene unfold. Bridges and Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal as a small-town reporter smitten with the alcoholic, yet charismatic singer, are particularly good in their many scenes together. T-Bone Burnett’s music in the film is also notable, with a number of songs performed by Bridges and co-star Colin Farrell.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“44 Inch Chest” (R)
Starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, Joanne Whalley
Directed by Malcolm Venville
“Avatar” (PG-13)
Starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang
Directed by James Cameron
“The Lovely Bones” (PG-13)
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Peter Jackson
“Minority Report” (PG-13)
Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow
Directed by Steven Spielberg
“The Young Victoria” (PG)
Starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee
Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell
Directed by Scott Cooper
Having crafted a long and outstanding career, Jeff Bridges finally got his due from the Academy Awards when he took home the Best Actor Oscar in March for his role as Bad Blake, a former country music star working on the fringes of the music business. The script by Scott Cooper (who also makes his directing debut here) doesn’t throw in too many surprises, but does allow its actors moments to shine and the time to let a scene unfold. Bridges and Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal as a small-town reporter smitten with the alcoholic, yet charismatic singer, are particularly good in their many scenes together. T-Bone Burnett’s music in the film is also notable, with a number of songs performed by Bridges and co-star Colin Farrell.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“44 Inch Chest” (R)
Starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, Joanne Whalley
Directed by Malcolm Venville
“Avatar” (PG-13)
Starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang
Directed by James Cameron
“The Lovely Bones” (PG-13)
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Peter Jackson
“Minority Report” (PG-13)
Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow
Directed by Steven Spielberg
“The Young Victoria” (PG)
Starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of April 13)
“Apollo 13” (PG)Starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan
Directed by Ron Howard
Making its debut on Blu-ray 15 years after its theatrical release, and 40 years after the true event that inspired it, “Apollo 13” remains one of the best films in the career of both star Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard. A lot of meticulous work into recreating the time period and particularly the space program of NASA is on display here – and it shows. The film is able to maintain suspense in a story for which many people already know the outcome. Smartly focusing the story on the astronauts stranded in space (Hanks, Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon) and the Mission Control crew (led by Ed Harris) desperate to get them back home, it’s a compelling journey that takes what could have been a massive tragedy and turns into a triumph.
Grade: A-
Other releases:
“Pirate Radio” (R)
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branaugh
Directed by Richard Curtis
“The Slammin’ Salmon” (R)
Starring Michael Clarke Duncan, Kevin Hefferman, Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter
Directed by Kevin Hefferman
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of April 6)
“Dreamscape” (PG-13)
Starring Dennis Quaid, Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert and Kate Capshaw
Directed by Joseph Ruben
While this somewhat flawed hybrid of a thriller with science-fiction at its core hasn’t necessarily aged gracefully, a game cast headed up by Dennis Quaid makes the proceedings a mostly fun affair. The story by David Loughery throws in quite a bit of dark humor, which helps make the fairly farfetched plot go down easier. Quaid is a kind of psychic savant who is brought into a scientific study on dream research, which allows him to enter the minds of subjects as they sleep. Naturally, any study that has good scientific purposes in the movies could also be twisted for evil purposes, and that desire lies in Bob Blair, a slimy government employee who happens to be friends with none other than the President of the United States. If you can’t see where this is going, you probably haven’t seen many thrillers. But the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is all the better for that decision.
Grade: B
Other releases:
“Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” (R)
Starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner
Directed by Werner Herzog
“Cocoon: 25th Anniversary Edition” (PG-13)
Starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Steve Guttenburg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy
Directed by Ron Howard
“The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy” (PG-13)
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis
Directed by Peter Jackson
“The Natural” (PG)
Starring Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey
Directed by Barry Levinson
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (R)
Starring John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Johnny Depp and Robert Englund
Directed by Wes Craven
“Poseidon” (PG-13)
Starring Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum, Mia Maestro, Mike Vogel, Kevin Dillon
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
“The Thomas Crown Affair” (R)
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary
Directed by John McTiernan
Starring Dennis Quaid, Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert and Kate Capshaw
Directed by Joseph Ruben
While this somewhat flawed hybrid of a thriller with science-fiction at its core hasn’t necessarily aged gracefully, a game cast headed up by Dennis Quaid makes the proceedings a mostly fun affair. The story by David Loughery throws in quite a bit of dark humor, which helps make the fairly farfetched plot go down easier. Quaid is a kind of psychic savant who is brought into a scientific study on dream research, which allows him to enter the minds of subjects as they sleep. Naturally, any study that has good scientific purposes in the movies could also be twisted for evil purposes, and that desire lies in Bob Blair, a slimy government employee who happens to be friends with none other than the President of the United States. If you can’t see where this is going, you probably haven’t seen many thrillers. But the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is all the better for that decision.
Grade: B
Other releases:
“Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” (R)
Starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner
Directed by Werner Herzog
“Cocoon: 25th Anniversary Edition” (PG-13)
Starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Steve Guttenburg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy
Directed by Ron Howard
“The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy” (PG-13)
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis
Directed by Peter Jackson
“The Natural” (PG)
Starring Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey
Directed by Barry Levinson
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (R)
Starring John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Johnny Depp and Robert Englund
Directed by Wes Craven
“Poseidon” (PG-13)
Starring Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum, Mia Maestro, Mike Vogel, Kevin Dillon
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
“The Thomas Crown Affair” (R)
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary
Directed by John McTiernan
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Spring 2010 Movie Preview, Part II
As Hollywood seems to have an insatiable desire to revisit its past, remakes of past films seem to be a growing trend. Take April’s movie release schedule as an example. With no fewer than three remakes (including one whose original was a mere three years ago), filling up the month, originality isn’t exactly flowing freely. But that doesn’t mean the films will be bad. They just won’t be fresh. The following is a few of the notable releases for the month.
APRIL
“Clash of the Titans”
Starring Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelsen, Alexa Davalos, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson
Directed by Louis Leterrier
The seemingly action- and CGI-packed remake of the 1981 movie with Harry Hamlin and Laurence Olivier gets a big-budget (not to mention 3D) treatment. It follows a classic good vs. evil saga involving the son of Zeus and a bunch of gods arguing over the fate of mortals. Despite its cheesiness factor, the original was fairly entertaining. But can the new version make bigger better? (April 2)
Official Web site
“Why Did I Get Married Too”
Starring Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Sharon Leal, Malik Yoba, Richard T. Jones and Tyler Perry
Directed by Tyler Perry
A group of longtime college friends gather in the Bahamas for a reunion, examining their relationships and marriages over the course of a week. This is a sequel to the 2007 film, which featured much of the same cast. (April 2)
Official Web site
“Date Night”
Starring Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Taraji P. Henson, Common and Mark Wahlberg
Directed by Shawn Levy
The stars of TV’s “The Office” (Carell) and “30 Rock” (Fey) team up for the first time as an average couple that get caught up in a case of mistaken identity, leading them to a night of danger and excitement. The film’s concept is certainly not what could be deemed inspired, but the stars should make the action enjoyable. (April 9)
Official Web site
“Death at a Funeral”
Starring Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Regina Hall, Tracy Morgan, Peter Dinklage, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Luke Wilson
Directed by Neil LaBute
A huge cast filled with familiar faces heads up a movie about about a family gathering at a funeral and all the shocking secrets that get revealed at it. The original film, a British production, was just filmed in 2007 and garnered largely positive reviews. Plus, one of the cast members (Dinklage) is playing the exact same role he played in the original. (April 16)
Official Web site
“Kick-Ass”
Starring Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong and Nicolas Cage
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
A new entry in the burgeoning superhero genre takes a different approach, by following the exploits of a comic book-loving teenager (Johnson), who decides to follow in the footsteps of some his heroes in print and become a superhero himself. His initial success inspires a few others to want to do the same, while also making criminals stand up and take notice. The film, a comic book adaptation, is already starting to pick up positive buzz at film festivals. This has sleeper hit written all over it, with a built-in fanbase that could spawn sequels. (April 16)
Official Web site
“The Back-Up Plan”
Starring Jennifer Lopez, Alex O’Laughlin, Eric Christian Olsen, Anthony Anderson and Linda Lavin
Directed by Alan Poul
Having kept a low-profile in recent years after getting married and having twins, Lopez is back headlining a film, starring as a woman who meets someone who just might be Mr. Right. Thing is, she meets him on the very day she’s artificially inseminated, which is typically an awkward thing to bring up on a first date. If nothing else, this story is a new twist in the overworked romantic comedy genre. It will also place the box-office appeal, or lack thereof, of Lopez, front and center. (April 23)
Official Web site
“A Nightmare on Elm Street”
Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rodney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz
Directed by Samuel Bayer
Horror fans (and even non-fans, for that matter) should have memories of Wes Craven’s original 1984 creepfest that introduced audiences to Freddy Krueger. With the “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween” franchises having been restarted in recent years, it seemed inevitable that “Nightmare” was going to go down the same path eventually. The casting of Haley (“Watchmen,” “Little Children”) as the crafty killer with an endless supply of one-liners was an inspired decision. But whether it can improve on Craven’s original vision remains to be seen. (April 30)
Official Web site
APRIL
“Clash of the Titans”
Starring Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelsen, Alexa Davalos, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson
Directed by Louis Leterrier
The seemingly action- and CGI-packed remake of the 1981 movie with Harry Hamlin and Laurence Olivier gets a big-budget (not to mention 3D) treatment. It follows a classic good vs. evil saga involving the son of Zeus and a bunch of gods arguing over the fate of mortals. Despite its cheesiness factor, the original was fairly entertaining. But can the new version make bigger better? (April 2)
Official Web site
“Why Did I Get Married Too”
Starring Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Sharon Leal, Malik Yoba, Richard T. Jones and Tyler Perry
Directed by Tyler Perry
A group of longtime college friends gather in the Bahamas for a reunion, examining their relationships and marriages over the course of a week. This is a sequel to the 2007 film, which featured much of the same cast. (April 2)
Official Web site
“Date Night”
Starring Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Taraji P. Henson, Common and Mark Wahlberg
Directed by Shawn Levy
The stars of TV’s “The Office” (Carell) and “30 Rock” (Fey) team up for the first time as an average couple that get caught up in a case of mistaken identity, leading them to a night of danger and excitement. The film’s concept is certainly not what could be deemed inspired, but the stars should make the action enjoyable. (April 9)
Official Web site
“Death at a Funeral”
Starring Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Regina Hall, Tracy Morgan, Peter Dinklage, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Luke Wilson
Directed by Neil LaBute
A huge cast filled with familiar faces heads up a movie about about a family gathering at a funeral and all the shocking secrets that get revealed at it. The original film, a British production, was just filmed in 2007 and garnered largely positive reviews. Plus, one of the cast members (Dinklage) is playing the exact same role he played in the original. (April 16)
Official Web site
“Kick-Ass”
Starring Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong and Nicolas Cage
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
A new entry in the burgeoning superhero genre takes a different approach, by following the exploits of a comic book-loving teenager (Johnson), who decides to follow in the footsteps of some his heroes in print and become a superhero himself. His initial success inspires a few others to want to do the same, while also making criminals stand up and take notice. The film, a comic book adaptation, is already starting to pick up positive buzz at film festivals. This has sleeper hit written all over it, with a built-in fanbase that could spawn sequels. (April 16)
Official Web site
“The Back-Up Plan”
Starring Jennifer Lopez, Alex O’Laughlin, Eric Christian Olsen, Anthony Anderson and Linda Lavin
Directed by Alan Poul
Having kept a low-profile in recent years after getting married and having twins, Lopez is back headlining a film, starring as a woman who meets someone who just might be Mr. Right. Thing is, she meets him on the very day she’s artificially inseminated, which is typically an awkward thing to bring up on a first date. If nothing else, this story is a new twist in the overworked romantic comedy genre. It will also place the box-office appeal, or lack thereof, of Lopez, front and center. (April 23)
Official Web site
“A Nightmare on Elm Street”
Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rodney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz
Directed by Samuel Bayer
Horror fans (and even non-fans, for that matter) should have memories of Wes Craven’s original 1984 creepfest that introduced audiences to Freddy Krueger. With the “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween” franchises having been restarted in recent years, it seemed inevitable that “Nightmare” was going to go down the same path eventually. The casting of Haley (“Watchmen,” “Little Children”) as the crafty killer with an endless supply of one-liners was an inspired decision. But whether it can improve on Craven’s original vision remains to be seen. (April 30)
Official Web site
Monday, March 29, 2010
What's New in Blu? (Week of March 30)
“Collateral” (R)Starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Javier Bardem, Bruce McGill, Irma P. Hall
Directed by Michael Mann
Having demonstrated that he has the directing chops to handle action with a little character study on the side in 1995’s great “Heat,” director Michael Mann is equally successful in “Collateral” of finding interesting people working inside and outside the law. Jamie Foxx took advantage of his first real dramatic role (earning an Oscar nomination, to boot) as Max, a cabbie who knows the streets of L.A. like the back of his hand. However, after a chance encounter with an intriguing lawyer (Jada Pinkett Smith), Max’s night becomes an increasingly tense affair as he drives around Vincent (Tom Cruise), a confident, focused and demanding fare. After their first stop reveals what Vincent does for a living, the remainder of the night challenges Max to find a way out of his predicament. Mann primarily films the movie with high definition cameras, providing a visually arresting L.A. as the film’s backdrop. Cruise, who also garnered an Oscar nomination for his performance, provides some layers to his role as a determined contract killer. The film seems to run out of steam a bit by the conclusion, but the ride is worth taking nonetheless.
Grade: A-
Other releases:
“Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” (PG)
Starring Zachary Levi, David Cross, Jason Lee, and the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney
Directed by Betty Thomas
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” (R)
Starring Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Nadja Uhl, Stipe Erceg
Directed by Uli Edel
“An Education” (PG-13)
Starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson
Directed by Lone Scherfig
“The Killer” (R)
Starring Chow Yun Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Chu Kong
Directed by John Woo
“Sherlock Holmes” (PG-13)
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Monday, March 22, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of March 23)
“The Blind Side” (PG-13)
Starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron and Kathy Bates
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Showing the same knack for a true sports-oriented story well told that he did with 2002’s “The Rookie,” director John Lee Hancock crafted another hit with the Oscar-nominated film that focuses on Michael Oher and his adoptive family, the Tuohys. The story in and of itself is pretty compelling, with the physically gifted Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) having hopped around the foster care system, only to find himself taken in by an upper-class Tennessee family, headed up by a take-no-bull woman, Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock, in an Oscar-winning performance). Their love and support of him leads him to football, where he eventually dominates as an offensive lineman and becomes a highly recruited college prospect. The movie was smartly promoted as a Sandra Bullock showcase, and her acting is the real engine for the story. It’s easily her meatiest role yet, and her best performance. The film kind of skims over the more recent years, but does manage to weave in some actual footage of the family at the 2009 NFL draft, where Oher was a first-round pick.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“The African Queen” (NR)
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull
Directed by John Huston
“Brothers” (R)
Starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Sam Shepard, Clifton Collins Jr. and Mare Winningham
Directed by Jim Sheridan
“Days of Heaven” (PG)
Starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz
Directed by Terrence Malick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (PG)
Starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson
Directed by Wes Anderson
“The Men Who Stare at Goats” (R)
Starring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick
Directed by Grant Heslov
“Red Cliff” (R)
Starring Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Chung Lin
Directed by John Woo
“Toy Story” (G)
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenburger, Annie Potts
Directed by John Lasseter
“Toy Story 2” (G)
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenburger, Annie Potts
Directed by John Lasseter
Starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron and Kathy Bates
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Showing the same knack for a true sports-oriented story well told that he did with 2002’s “The Rookie,” director John Lee Hancock crafted another hit with the Oscar-nominated film that focuses on Michael Oher and his adoptive family, the Tuohys. The story in and of itself is pretty compelling, with the physically gifted Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) having hopped around the foster care system, only to find himself taken in by an upper-class Tennessee family, headed up by a take-no-bull woman, Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock, in an Oscar-winning performance). Their love and support of him leads him to football, where he eventually dominates as an offensive lineman and becomes a highly recruited college prospect. The movie was smartly promoted as a Sandra Bullock showcase, and her acting is the real engine for the story. It’s easily her meatiest role yet, and her best performance. The film kind of skims over the more recent years, but does manage to weave in some actual footage of the family at the 2009 NFL draft, where Oher was a first-round pick.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“The African Queen” (NR)
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull
Directed by John Huston
“Brothers” (R)
Starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Sam Shepard, Clifton Collins Jr. and Mare Winningham
Directed by Jim Sheridan
“Days of Heaven” (PG)
Starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz
Directed by Terrence Malick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (PG)
Starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson
Directed by Wes Anderson
“The Men Who Stare at Goats” (R)
Starring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick
Directed by Grant Heslov
“Red Cliff” (R)
Starring Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Chung Lin
Directed by John Woo
“Toy Story” (G)
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenburger, Annie Potts
Directed by John Lasseter
“Toy Story 2” (G)
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenburger, Annie Potts
Directed by John Lasseter
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Lost Boy no more
OK, you might be thinking initially that I’m just getting clued in that actor Corey Haim is dead. But oh no, I knew. I just wanted to kind of sit back, watch and listen to some of the reaction in the days following his death last week of an apparent accidental drug overdose. (Yes, Corey Feldman, I used the overdose word. I’m sorry. But come on dude, you know people are going to go there.)Well, now that the poor guy is dead and buried back home in Toronto, it seemed like as good a time as any to comment. There’s a lot of sadness in a story such as this, but hardly anything too surprising. Drugs among the Hollywood community and the struggles that entertainers have with them are about as old as the entertainment industry itself, it would seem. At times like this, there always seems to be the friends that show up on TV to say that (enter name here) seemed like he/she was in a good place and was starting to turn their life around. So they can’t understand what happened.
Perhaps that was the case here with Haim. No one will ever really know for sure, which is another sad facet to his story. By all accounts, he was barely making ends meet and staying with his mom, who is battling cancer. Acting work wasn’t exactly pouring in, at least not in any projects that you or I would have heard of. A glance at his filmography on IMDB.com will give you an idea of what his work has been over the past two decades. I’m a big-time movie buff, but I’d be hard-pressed to tell you anything about the vast majority of them. Several of them over that period were co-starring Feldman, his longtime friend, with whom he seemed to share a bizarre love-hate relationship. Most of them looked god-awful just by their description, but I did manage to see a trailer to “Dream A Little Dream 2.” What’s that, you ask? Well, it just happens to be the sequel to the duo’s cinematic classic from 1989 that was the 137th during the late ‘80s to focus on the body switching concept. And yes, I’ll admit to having seen it. One of them (let’s face it, it doesn’t matter which one) switches bodies with Jason Robards (and is now an older person in a young person’s body). OK, it’s Feldman and he does an unusual amount of Michael Jackson imitating in it. I know he and Jackson were friends and all, but still ...
All right, back to my discussion of Haim. The point is, the guy hasn’t made a good movie since “The Lost Boys,” which was a legitimately entertaining movie. Still is, for that matter. Sure, some of that had to do with the strong overall cast (Dianne Wiest, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Edward Herrman, and heck I’ll even give Jami Gertz and Feldman credit for being good in it). But in the film, Haim showed he had the potential for a decent career, displaying some good comic timing and just the right combination of heroism and fear.
He was also good as a geeky teenager in “Lucas,” which also featured Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder.
Some might be saying, “Wait a minute, he was also good in ‘The Goonies.’ But you’d be wrong, as that was Feldman among the young actors starring in that entertaining ‘80s flick. Haim actually auditioned for the same role that Feldman ended up getting and would star with another “Goonie” cast member, Kerri Green, in “Lucas” the very next year. (How’s that for some useless information?)
After the miserably unfunny and stupid “License to Drive,” which I remember at the time tastelessly had a running gag with a seriously drunk driver in the film, roles in mainstream movies dried up and Haim essentially disappeared from Hollywood’s (and audience) radars. Then, lo and behold, he and Feldman pop up in 2007 on A&E’s reality TV show, “The Two Coreys,” which I will label as one of the worst guilty pleasures I’d have to admit to seeing. I watched most of the episodes, actually, as I saw their friendship as something like a train wreck. It’s something you shouldn’t want to look at, but you can’t help it.
The premise seemed to focus on Haim returning to L.A. to recharge his listless movie career, and reconnecting with Feldman (who was happily married at the time; his wife filed for divorce last fall and is seeing sole custody of their son). The show lasted two seasons (which is probably longer than most would have put money on) and the two even went to couple’s counseling in a few episodes (I’m talking the Coreys, not Feldman and his wife). But like all good things, the show came to an end when it was canceled in 2008, with the Coreys all but fading back into obscurity.
It seems unfortunate and definitely sad that the by far the biggest news that Corey Haim has made since his late ‘80s heyday is pretty much the last news he’ll ever make.
Monday, March 15, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of March 16)
Here’s a rundown on some of the new Blu-ray releases coming out for the week of March 16.
“Did You Hear About the Morgans?” (PG-13)
Starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott, Mary Steenburgen, Elizabeth Moss, Michael Kelly, Wilford Brimley
Directed by Marc Lawrence
“The Fourth Kind” (PG-13)
Starring Milla Jovovich, Will Patton, Elias Koteas
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
“Ninja Assassin” (R)
Starring Rain, Naomie Harris
Directed by James McTeigue
“The Princess and the Frog” (PG)
Starring the voices of Anka Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (PG-13)
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning
Directed by Chris Weitz
“Did You Hear About the Morgans?” (PG-13)
Starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott, Mary Steenburgen, Elizabeth Moss, Michael Kelly, Wilford Brimley
Directed by Marc Lawrence
“The Fourth Kind” (PG-13)
Starring Milla Jovovich, Will Patton, Elias Koteas
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
“Ninja Assassin” (R)
Starring Rain, Naomie Harris
Directed by James McTeigue
“The Princess and the Frog” (PG)
Starring the voices of Anka Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (PG-13)
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning
Directed by Chris Weitz
Monday, March 08, 2010
What's New in Blu? (Week of March 9)
“Up in the Air” (R)Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride
Directed by Jason Reitman
George Clooney has built a solid career on playing confident men, who border on the edge of cocky at times. His latest lead role, as Ryan Bingham, a veritable one-man corporate downsizer, fits comfortably into that list of characters. But naturally, his character’s confidence, even his very way of life, is challenged in “Up in the Air,” a well-crafted comedy-drama from director Jason Reitman (who adapted the screenplay with Sheldon Turner, based on the book of the same name). The current economic times we live in provides an undercurrent of truth to the film’s journey of a man who fires people for a living. He’s aided along the way by a young, new employee (Anna Kendrick) and a potential budding love interest (Vera Farmiga) he crosses paths with on the road. The acting is uniformly great across the board (Clooney, Kendrick and Farmiga all deservedly earned Oscar nominations for their performances) and Reitman, in just his third film (“Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno” are his other two), is crafting quite an impressive start to a career.
Grade: A-
Other releases:
“Capitalism: A Love Story” (R)
Starring Michael Moore
Directed by Michael Moore
“Old Dogs” (PG)
Starring John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Seth Green, Ella Bleu Travolta, Lori Laughlin and Matt Dillon
Directed by Walt Becker
“Planet 51” (PG)
Starring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott and John Cleese
Directed by Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad and Marcos Martinez
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (R)
Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz
Directed by Lee Daniels
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of March 2)
“2012” (PG-13)
Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover
Directed by Roland Emmerich
“Gentlemen Broncos” (PG-13)
Starring Michael Angarano, Jemaine Clement, Jennifer Coolidge, Mike White, Sam Rockwell
Directed by Jared Hess
“The Neverending Story” (PG)
Starring Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway, Tami Stronach, Moses Gunn
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
“Ponyo” (G)
Starring the voices of Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Betty White, Lily Tomlin, Cloris Leachman
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
“Where the Wild Things Are” (PG)
Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Spike Jonze
Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover
Directed by Roland Emmerich
“Gentlemen Broncos” (PG-13)
Starring Michael Angarano, Jemaine Clement, Jennifer Coolidge, Mike White, Sam Rockwell
Directed by Jared Hess
“The Neverending Story” (PG)
Starring Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway, Tami Stronach, Moses Gunn
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
“Ponyo” (G)
Starring the voices of Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Betty White, Lily Tomlin, Cloris Leachman
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
“Where the Wild Things Are” (PG)
Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Spike Jonze
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Spring 2010 Movie Preview, Part 1
With spring just around the corner as the month begins, March usually holds some promise for movie studios to find a few hits in the mix. This month’s releases look to contain some fresh options, along with the overly familiar.
MARCH
“Alice in Wonderland”
Starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas and Mia Wasikowska
Directed by Tim Burton
Director Burton has long been a very visual director, so his taking on the Lewis Carroll classic seems a no-brainer. Reteaming with his frequent star Depp (playing the Mad Hatter), coming out in 3D, “Alice” has hit written all over it. This film picks up several years after Alice’s first visit through the looking glass, as she teams up with her friends to try to take down the Red Queen (Carter). (March 5)
Official Web site
“Brooklyn’s Finest”
Starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and Wesley Snipes
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
This crime drama follows three policemen (Gere, Cheadle and Hawke) as they arrive at pivotal moments in their careers and lives. The cast and the director are certainly good here, but they’ve all certainly been down this road before. In fact, Hawke has played a cop before with Fuqua behind the camera, to great results (“Training Day”). (March 5)
Official Web site
“Green Zone”
Starring Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Khalid Abdalla and Jason Isaacs
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Following the huge success of the “Bourne Identity” series, Damon and Greengrass team up once again in an action-thriller about a U.S. Army warrant officer looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, prior to the U.S. surge into the country. The film, while not crowd-pleasing subject matter, could be helped by the success of another Iraq-based film, “The Hurt Locker.” (March 12)
Official Web site
“The Bounty Hunter”
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Jason Sudeikis, Dorian Missick
Directed by Andy Tennant
An ex-couple, one a bounty hunter (Butler), the other a bail-jumping reporter (Aniston) looking into a murder case, are forced to depend on each other when their lives are threatened. But can the constantly bickering duo find that being on the run together might rekindle their romance? If you don’t know the answer to that question, you obviously haven’t seen many romantic comedies. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, by the way. (March 19)
Official Web site
“Season of the Witch”
Starring Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Foy and Christopher Lee
Directed by Dominic Sena
The seemingly always working Cage stars as a 14th century knight looking to bring in a suspected witch to a monastery. The monks there believe she is responsible for the Black Plague and wish to put an end to their country’s misery. A movie set during the Black Plague probably isn’t going to generate much laughter, and it remains to be seen if this part is just another paycheck for Cage. He’s certainly been guilty of selecting quantity over quality in recent years. (March 19)
Official Web site
“Hot Tub Time Machine”
Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Lizzy Caplan and Chevy Chase
Directed by Steve Pink
This certainly is no high-concept movie, with the story of four guys unhappy with their lives finding themselves transported via a hot tub back to 1986 with the chance to rewrite history. But for those who grew up in the 1980s, there is some undeniable appeal here. Cusack himself starred in several comedies from the ‘80s, so it’s interesting to see him in another as an adult. Hopefully, this isn’t a case of the trailer revealing all the best jokes. (March 26)
Official Web site
“How to Train Your Dragon”
Starring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill
Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
DreamWorks Animation has had a good track record, and the makers of “Lilo and Stitch” are on board for a tale of an awkward teenage Viking who befriends a dragon that leads he and his village to reexamine their adversarial relationship with the winged creatures. Heavy publicity for this 3D movie will begin during the Winter Olympics, which should build anticipation. (March 26)
Official Web site
MARCH
“Alice in Wonderland”
Starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas and Mia Wasikowska
Directed by Tim Burton
Director Burton has long been a very visual director, so his taking on the Lewis Carroll classic seems a no-brainer. Reteaming with his frequent star Depp (playing the Mad Hatter), coming out in 3D, “Alice” has hit written all over it. This film picks up several years after Alice’s first visit through the looking glass, as she teams up with her friends to try to take down the Red Queen (Carter). (March 5)
Official Web site
“Brooklyn’s Finest”
Starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and Wesley Snipes
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
This crime drama follows three policemen (Gere, Cheadle and Hawke) as they arrive at pivotal moments in their careers and lives. The cast and the director are certainly good here, but they’ve all certainly been down this road before. In fact, Hawke has played a cop before with Fuqua behind the camera, to great results (“Training Day”). (March 5)
Official Web site
“Green Zone”
Starring Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Khalid Abdalla and Jason Isaacs
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Following the huge success of the “Bourne Identity” series, Damon and Greengrass team up once again in an action-thriller about a U.S. Army warrant officer looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, prior to the U.S. surge into the country. The film, while not crowd-pleasing subject matter, could be helped by the success of another Iraq-based film, “The Hurt Locker.” (March 12)
Official Web site
“The Bounty Hunter”
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Jason Sudeikis, Dorian Missick
Directed by Andy Tennant
An ex-couple, one a bounty hunter (Butler), the other a bail-jumping reporter (Aniston) looking into a murder case, are forced to depend on each other when their lives are threatened. But can the constantly bickering duo find that being on the run together might rekindle their romance? If you don’t know the answer to that question, you obviously haven’t seen many romantic comedies. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, by the way. (March 19)
Official Web site
“Season of the Witch”
Starring Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Foy and Christopher Lee
Directed by Dominic Sena
The seemingly always working Cage stars as a 14th century knight looking to bring in a suspected witch to a monastery. The monks there believe she is responsible for the Black Plague and wish to put an end to their country’s misery. A movie set during the Black Plague probably isn’t going to generate much laughter, and it remains to be seen if this part is just another paycheck for Cage. He’s certainly been guilty of selecting quantity over quality in recent years. (March 19)
Official Web site
“Hot Tub Time Machine”
Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Lizzy Caplan and Chevy Chase
Directed by Steve Pink
This certainly is no high-concept movie, with the story of four guys unhappy with their lives finding themselves transported via a hot tub back to 1986 with the chance to rewrite history. But for those who grew up in the 1980s, there is some undeniable appeal here. Cusack himself starred in several comedies from the ‘80s, so it’s interesting to see him in another as an adult. Hopefully, this isn’t a case of the trailer revealing all the best jokes. (March 26)
Official Web site
“How to Train Your Dragon”
Starring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill
Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
DreamWorks Animation has had a good track record, and the makers of “Lilo and Stitch” are on board for a tale of an awkward teenage Viking who befriends a dragon that leads he and his village to reexamine their adversarial relationship with the winged creatures. Heavy publicity for this 3D movie will begin during the Winter Olympics, which should build anticipation. (March 26)
Official Web site
Sunday, February 07, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of Feb. 9)
“The Running Man” (R)Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura
Directed by Paul Michael Glazer
OK, this 1987 Schwarzenegger flick is packed full of cheesy dialogue (some of it intentional), and certainly wouldn’t fall into the category of an action classic. But it has a likability to it, and some truly wild casting, including musicians Mick Fleetwood and Dweezil Zappa. As an unjustly imprisoned inmate, Arnie’s forced to compete in a highly-rated live “game show,” where the contestants are pursued by hunters out to kill. Loosely based on a short story by Richard Bachman (a pseudonym of Stephen King), some of the action seems fairly dated today, but the casting of an entertaining Richard Dawson (“Family Feud”) as the show’s host (and movie’s villain) was an inspired decision.
Grade: B
Other releases:
“Bronson” (R)
Starring Tom Hardy, Matt King, Amanda Burton, James Lance
Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn
“Couples Retreat” (PG-13)
Starring Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman, Malin Akerman, Kristen Davis, Jon Favreau
Directed by Peter Billingsley
“I Hate Valentine’s Day” (PG-13)
Starring Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Judah Friedlander, Zoe Kazan
Directed by Nia Vardalos
“The Phantom” (PG)
Starring Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta Jones, James Remar
Directed by Simon Wincer
“A Serious Man” (R)
Starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Aaron Wolf
Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“Serious Moonlight” (R)
Starring Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell, Justin Long
Directed by Cheryl Hines
“The Stepfather” (PG-13)
Starring Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley, Amber Heard and Jon Tenney
Directed by Nelson McCormick
“The Time Traveler’s Wife” (PG-13)
Starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Arliss Howard, Ron Livingston
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
And The Nominees Are
With television ratings always playing a consideration into its annual telecast, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the decision that its field of contenders for Best Picture would expand from five to 10 for the 2010 Academy Awards. This marks the first time since 1943 that so many contenders will vie for the top prize at the award show, set for March 7 on ABC.
Academy President Sid Ganis said last summer when the decision was made that expanding the field would allow Academy voters to recognize great movies that get nominated in other categories, but get squeezed out of the most prestigious category. But don’t think for a second that TV ratings weren’t on the Academy’s mind, as well.
The Oscars have seen relatively meager ratings for a number of years – hitting a record-low in 2008 – that getting more popular films competing for Best Picture seemed an easy decision. After all, “The Dark Knight” was shut out of the race last year, but would have certainly garnered a nomination if 10 candidates were allowed. As a huge box-office hit, its inclusion likely would have led to more viewers.
It’s a situation that the Academy won’t have to worry about this year, as it would appear to be in a similar position as it was heading into the 1998 Oscar telecast. In that one, “Titanic,” directed by James Cameron, had already become the highest-grossing film in history, and received an armful of nominations (14). That translated to record-high ratings (57 million people), with viewers witnessing the film take 11 Oscars home.
This year, “Avatar,” also directed by Cameron, has already surpassed “Titanic” as the highest-grossing movie ever, and received nine Oscar nominations, tying it for the most with “The Hurt Locker.” Ratings should be huge, and could possibly surpass 1998’s numbers, with the expanded field of Best Picture nominees including the hit films, “Up” and “The Blind Side.”
The following is a roundup of some of the major categories and a peek at the prospects for some of the nominees when the awards are announced March 7.
Best Picture
• “A Serious Man”
• “An Education”
• “Avatar”
• “The Blind Side”
• “District 9”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “Precious”
• “Up”
• “Up in the Air”
With so many nominees, it would seem possible that a dark horse might be lurking, but “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” are generally considered the top possibilities.
Best Director
• Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
• James Cameron, “Avatar”
• Lee Daniels, “Precious”
• Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
• Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Cameron has won in this category before (“Titanic”), but Bigelow has had a lot of film critics and people within the movie industry rooting for her. She could make history here as the first female winner.
Best Actress
• Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
• Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”
An Oscar would cap off the best year of Bullock’s career, but she’s got some stiff competition, most notably from Streep (with her truly impressive 16th Oscar nomination).
Best Actor
• Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
With a career that has spanned four decades, Bridges has been pulling in a lot of awards leading up to the Oscars for his performance as a down-on-his-luck country singer. But, like in the Best Actress category, the competition is strong.
Best Supporting Actress
• Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Portraying a bitter, abusive mother of a pregnant teen in “Precious,” Mo’Nique has been cleaning up at pretty much every award show. This might be the best shot for the drama to pick up an Oscar in a major category.
Best Supporting Actor
• Matt Damon, “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Like Mo’Nique, Waltz has been getting a lot of awards for his supporting work in the World War II film, making him the odds-on favorite. Anybody else getting the award in this category might serve as the biggest upset of the night.
Academy President Sid Ganis said last summer when the decision was made that expanding the field would allow Academy voters to recognize great movies that get nominated in other categories, but get squeezed out of the most prestigious category. But don’t think for a second that TV ratings weren’t on the Academy’s mind, as well.
The Oscars have seen relatively meager ratings for a number of years – hitting a record-low in 2008 – that getting more popular films competing for Best Picture seemed an easy decision. After all, “The Dark Knight” was shut out of the race last year, but would have certainly garnered a nomination if 10 candidates were allowed. As a huge box-office hit, its inclusion likely would have led to more viewers.
It’s a situation that the Academy won’t have to worry about this year, as it would appear to be in a similar position as it was heading into the 1998 Oscar telecast. In that one, “Titanic,” directed by James Cameron, had already become the highest-grossing film in history, and received an armful of nominations (14). That translated to record-high ratings (57 million people), with viewers witnessing the film take 11 Oscars home.
This year, “Avatar,” also directed by Cameron, has already surpassed “Titanic” as the highest-grossing movie ever, and received nine Oscar nominations, tying it for the most with “The Hurt Locker.” Ratings should be huge, and could possibly surpass 1998’s numbers, with the expanded field of Best Picture nominees including the hit films, “Up” and “The Blind Side.”
The following is a roundup of some of the major categories and a peek at the prospects for some of the nominees when the awards are announced March 7.
Best Picture
• “A Serious Man”
• “An Education”
• “Avatar”
• “The Blind Side”
• “District 9”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “Precious”
• “Up”
• “Up in the Air”
With so many nominees, it would seem possible that a dark horse might be lurking, but “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” are generally considered the top possibilities.
Best Director
• Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
• James Cameron, “Avatar”
• Lee Daniels, “Precious”
• Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
• Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Cameron has won in this category before (“Titanic”), but Bigelow has had a lot of film critics and people within the movie industry rooting for her. She could make history here as the first female winner.
Best Actress
• Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
• Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”
An Oscar would cap off the best year of Bullock’s career, but she’s got some stiff competition, most notably from Streep (with her truly impressive 16th Oscar nomination).
Best Actor
• Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
With a career that has spanned four decades, Bridges has been pulling in a lot of awards leading up to the Oscars for his performance as a down-on-his-luck country singer. But, like in the Best Actress category, the competition is strong.
Best Supporting Actress
• Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Portraying a bitter, abusive mother of a pregnant teen in “Precious,” Mo’Nique has been cleaning up at pretty much every award show. This might be the best shot for the drama to pick up an Oscar in a major category.
Best Supporting Actor
• Matt Damon, “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Like Mo’Nique, Waltz has been getting a lot of awards for his supporting work in the World War II film, making him the odds-on favorite. Anybody else getting the award in this category might serve as the biggest upset of the night.
Monday, February 01, 2010
What's New In Blu? (Week of Feb. 2)
“The Music Man” (G)
Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford
Directed by Morton DaCosta
Although it’s certainly old-fashioned by today’s standards, the big screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical is a thoroughly entertaining affair. Robert Preston (by no means the studio’s top choice – the thought was to go with a more recognizable name) recreates his onstage leading role as Prof. Harold Hill, a smooth-talking con man who arrives with his associate in River City, Iowa, with the intent of swindling the townsfolk out of money. But his plan is complicated when he falls for the town’s librarian. This is clearly Preston’s most memorable film role and Shirley Jones matches him scene for scene here. Look for a small, yet memorable supporting performance from a young Ron Howard.
Grade: A-
“Walk the Line” (PG-13)
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Directed by James Mangold
It would be hard to not emerge a bit of a fan of the music of Johnny Cash, after watching this bio-pic about the Man in Black. The movie doesn’t really focus on the later years of his life, instead choosing to center on the beginning of his music career and his dogged determination to win the heart of fellow musical performer June Carter. Director James Mangold does a very good job capturing the music in the film (no doubt assisted in no small part by musician T-Bone Burnett). But it’s the performances of stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (who won an Oscar for Best Actress) that really distinguishes “Walk the Line” from the run-of-the-mill biography.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“Amelia” (PG-13)
Starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson
Directed by Mira Nair
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (R)
Starring Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro
Directed by Terry Gilliam
“The House of the Devil” (R)
Starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen and Dee Wallace
Directed by Ti West
“The Last King of Scotland” (R)
Starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney and Gillian Anderson
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
“Love Happens” (PG-13)
Starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer, John Carroll Lynch and Martin Sheen
Directed by Brandon Camp
“Mystic River” (R)
Starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney
Directed by Clint Eastwood
“Ong Bak 2: The Beginning” (R)
Starring Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree, Sarunyu Wongkrachang
Directed by Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai
“Zombieland” (R)
Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford
Directed by Morton DaCosta
Although it’s certainly old-fashioned by today’s standards, the big screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical is a thoroughly entertaining affair. Robert Preston (by no means the studio’s top choice – the thought was to go with a more recognizable name) recreates his onstage leading role as Prof. Harold Hill, a smooth-talking con man who arrives with his associate in River City, Iowa, with the intent of swindling the townsfolk out of money. But his plan is complicated when he falls for the town’s librarian. This is clearly Preston’s most memorable film role and Shirley Jones matches him scene for scene here. Look for a small, yet memorable supporting performance from a young Ron Howard.
Grade: A-
“Walk the Line” (PG-13)
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Directed by James Mangold
It would be hard to not emerge a bit of a fan of the music of Johnny Cash, after watching this bio-pic about the Man in Black. The movie doesn’t really focus on the later years of his life, instead choosing to center on the beginning of his music career and his dogged determination to win the heart of fellow musical performer June Carter. Director James Mangold does a very good job capturing the music in the film (no doubt assisted in no small part by musician T-Bone Burnett). But it’s the performances of stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (who won an Oscar for Best Actress) that really distinguishes “Walk the Line” from the run-of-the-mill biography.
Grade: B+
Other releases:
“Amelia” (PG-13)
Starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson
Directed by Mira Nair
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (R)
Starring Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro
Directed by Terry Gilliam
“The House of the Devil” (R)
Starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen and Dee Wallace
Directed by Ti West
“The Last King of Scotland” (R)
Starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney and Gillian Anderson
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
“Love Happens” (PG-13)
Starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer, John Carroll Lynch and Martin Sheen
Directed by Brandon Camp
“Mystic River” (R)
Starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney
Directed by Clint Eastwood
“Ong Bak 2: The Beginning” (R)
Starring Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree, Sarunyu Wongkrachang
Directed by Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai
“Zombieland” (R)
Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Winter 2010 Movie Preview (Part II)
Movie releases in February are typically a mixed lot, as big hits rarely emerge from the month. But the quality of this year’s offerings for the month (at least at first glance) appears promising.
FEBRUARY
“From Paris with Love”
Starring John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden
Directed by Pierre Morel
After the critically-panned “Old Dogs” limped into theaters late last year, it’s good to see Travolta back doing something with at least some edge – and sporting a new look, to boot. He’s sans hair in this action pic from the director of “Taken,” playing an aggressive FBI agent on the hunt for terrorists in Paris. “Taken” was a surprise hit last year, and some of the same elements that made that film successful seem to be in place here. (Feb. 5)
Official Web site
“The Wolfman”
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving
Directed by Joe Johnston
The 1941 horror classic gets a remake, retaining a similar storyline of a man (Del Toro) reuniting with his estranged father (Hopkins) in England following the disappearance of his brother. A vicious creature is discovered to be behind the deaths of a number of villagers and a Scotland Yard detective (Weaving) arrives to investigate. Despite having its release date moved around several times, Universal has been aggressively marketing the film in recent weeks. (Feb. 12)
Official Web site
“Valentine’s Day”
Starring Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift
Directed by Garry Marshall
An all-star cast assembles for a comedy looking at relationships and love for a group of people in Los Angeles. With such a gigantic cast fighting for screen time, it’ll be interesting to see how director Marshall (“Pretty Woman”) can juggle the multiple story arcs. This would seem to be this year’s “He Just Not That Into You,” which also featured a relatively young and attractive cast dealing with love. (Feb. 12)
Official Web site
“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”
Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman
Directed by Chris Columbus
Based on the popular book by Rick Riordan, “Percy Jackson” involves a teenager (Lerman) finding out that the gods of Mount Olympus truly exist and are now a very real part of his life. They battle over Zeus’ missing lightning bolt, while Percy looks to find his missing mother. Columbus has generated big hits from youth-oriented material before (the first two “Harry Potter” movies, “Home Alone”), so this potential film franchise might be in trustworthy hands. (Feb. 12)
Official Web site
“Shutter Island”
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson and Max Van Sydow
Directed by Martin Scorsese
This thriller was bumped from its fall release date, presumably because of the lack of availability of DiCaprio to do publicity for it. It would be hard to imagine the studio feels they have a bomb on their hand. It can’t be with these stars and a director who is among the most consistently good in Hollywood. DiCaprio (in his fourth film with Scorsese) and Ruffalo are federal marshals who visit a mental institution to investigate the mysterious disappearance of one of the residents. (Feb. 19)
Official Web site
“Cop Out”
Starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Adam Brody, Kevin Pollak, Guillermo Diaz and Seann William Scott
Directed by Kevin Smith
For the first time in his career, Smith is directing a script that he didn’t write. This is the tried and true (some would say tired) buddy cop genre at work here, with Willis and Morgan (“30 Rock”) as the mismatched partners on the beat. Based on his background, it would stand to reason that Smith won’t be making the standard issue cop movie. Still, the trailer isn’t an instant confidence booster. (Feb. 26)
Official Web site
FEBRUARY
“From Paris with Love”
Starring John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden
Directed by Pierre Morel
After the critically-panned “Old Dogs” limped into theaters late last year, it’s good to see Travolta back doing something with at least some edge – and sporting a new look, to boot. He’s sans hair in this action pic from the director of “Taken,” playing an aggressive FBI agent on the hunt for terrorists in Paris. “Taken” was a surprise hit last year, and some of the same elements that made that film successful seem to be in place here. (Feb. 5)
Official Web site
“The Wolfman”
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving
Directed by Joe Johnston
The 1941 horror classic gets a remake, retaining a similar storyline of a man (Del Toro) reuniting with his estranged father (Hopkins) in England following the disappearance of his brother. A vicious creature is discovered to be behind the deaths of a number of villagers and a Scotland Yard detective (Weaving) arrives to investigate. Despite having its release date moved around several times, Universal has been aggressively marketing the film in recent weeks. (Feb. 12)
Official Web site
“Valentine’s Day”
Starring Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift
Directed by Garry Marshall
An all-star cast assembles for a comedy looking at relationships and love for a group of people in Los Angeles. With such a gigantic cast fighting for screen time, it’ll be interesting to see how director Marshall (“Pretty Woman”) can juggle the multiple story arcs. This would seem to be this year’s “He Just Not That Into You,” which also featured a relatively young and attractive cast dealing with love. (Feb. 12)
Official Web site
“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”
Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman
Directed by Chris Columbus
Based on the popular book by Rick Riordan, “Percy Jackson” involves a teenager (Lerman) finding out that the gods of Mount Olympus truly exist and are now a very real part of his life. They battle over Zeus’ missing lightning bolt, while Percy looks to find his missing mother. Columbus has generated big hits from youth-oriented material before (the first two “Harry Potter” movies, “Home Alone”), so this potential film franchise might be in trustworthy hands. (Feb. 12)
Official Web site
“Shutter Island”
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson and Max Van Sydow
Directed by Martin Scorsese
This thriller was bumped from its fall release date, presumably because of the lack of availability of DiCaprio to do publicity for it. It would be hard to imagine the studio feels they have a bomb on their hand. It can’t be with these stars and a director who is among the most consistently good in Hollywood. DiCaprio (in his fourth film with Scorsese) and Ruffalo are federal marshals who visit a mental institution to investigate the mysterious disappearance of one of the residents. (Feb. 19)
Official Web site
“Cop Out”
Starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Adam Brody, Kevin Pollak, Guillermo Diaz and Seann William Scott
Directed by Kevin Smith
For the first time in his career, Smith is directing a script that he didn’t write. This is the tried and true (some would say tired) buddy cop genre at work here, with Willis and Morgan (“30 Rock”) as the mismatched partners on the beat. Based on his background, it would stand to reason that Smith won’t be making the standard issue cop movie. Still, the trailer isn’t an instant confidence booster. (Feb. 26)
Official Web site
Sunday, January 24, 2010
What's New in Blu? (Week of Jan. 26)
Here’s a look at some of the Blu-ray releases coming for the week of Jan. 26.
“Atonement” (R)
Starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romala Garai, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by Joe Wright
“Fame” (R)
Starring Irene Cara, Eddie Barth, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Paul McCrane, Barry Miller, Gene Anthony Ray
Directed by Alan Parker
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” (PG)
Directed by Kenny Ortega
“Paris, Texas” (R)
Starring Harry Dean Stanton, Natassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Aurore Clement, Hunter Carson
Directed by Wim Wenders
“Pride and Prejudice” (PG)
Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfayden, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Judi Dench
Directed by Joe Wright
“Saw VI” (R)
Starring Costas Mandylor, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell
Directed by Kevin Greutert
“Soul Power” (PG-13)
Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
“Surrogates” (PG-13)
Starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Francis Ginty, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames
Directed by Jonathan Mostow
“Whip It” (PG-13)
Starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern
Directed by Drew Barrymore
“Atonement” (R)
Starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romala Garai, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by Joe Wright
“Fame” (R)
Starring Irene Cara, Eddie Barth, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Paul McCrane, Barry Miller, Gene Anthony Ray
Directed by Alan Parker
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” (PG)
Directed by Kenny Ortega
“Paris, Texas” (R)
Starring Harry Dean Stanton, Natassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Aurore Clement, Hunter Carson
Directed by Wim Wenders
“Pride and Prejudice” (PG)
Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfayden, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Judi Dench
Directed by Joe Wright
“Saw VI” (R)
Starring Costas Mandylor, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell
Directed by Kevin Greutert
“Soul Power” (PG-13)
Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
“Surrogates” (PG-13)
Starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Francis Ginty, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames
Directed by Jonathan Mostow
“Whip It” (PG-13)
Starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern
Directed by Drew Barrymore
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