Movies
February 29, 2008
An omission from my recent story on zany comedian Richard Lewis, who appears in Larry David’s terrific HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. If you didn’t catch his show at the Addison Improv, you missed a good one. Make that a great one. He is one funny guy. (His riff on Shaq's anatomy and how a certain aspect of it differs from his was priceless.) But if you’d like to see him up close and personal, he has a DVD you can watch. It’s a documentary put together by his PR person, Michelle Marx, who, when he was releasing his 2000 autobiography, The Other Great Depression, grabbed a handheld camera and began filming her client — backstage at The Today Show and with Regis Philbin, Conan O’Brien, etc. The result is Richard Lewis Naked. It’s priced at $19.95 and is available at www.richardlewisisnaked.com.
Posted by Michael Granberry 
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January 19, 2008
Have you seen Dallas Summer Musicals' Broadway Contemporary Series' stage version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street? You may have heard that there's a little film by the same title currently out as well. Which do you like better — the stage version or the screen version? Why? If you haven't seen both, does one make you want to see the other?
Posted by Christy Robinson at 10:03 PM (E-mail this entry)
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October 17, 2007
For all you Hannah Montana fans who couldn't get tickets to her sold-out Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, Disney is offering a one-week run of a big-screen 3D presentation Feb. 1-7. The concert tour is being shot during the 54-city tour that starts tomorrow. No word yet on the specific movie theaters and if advance tix will be sold, but we'll keep you updated!
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 2:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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October 15, 2007
By now, most of you know that prolific playwright, author and actor Tyler Perry has released his 4th film, 'Why Did I Get Married?', based loosely on the wildly successful play and featuring Jill Scott, Tasha Smith and Janet Jackson (congrats on the #1 slot TP!!!).
It's understood that press must be done, but this interviewer at a CW affiliate station decided to pointedly ignore protocol and grill Janet like a slab of ribs over her 2004 Superbowl incident. Um....THIS HAPPENED 3 YEARS AGO, DID IT NOT??!!?? Does anyone amble up to Justin and say after his performance, "Hey JT....how was that 'wardrobe malfunction' for you?" JEEEEEEEZ!!!
Below is the video clip, and I commend TP for dodging it in the cordial manner that he did. If you think the reporter needs to get put on blast, here's the contact info as well. There's doing your job , and then there's just being a jerk, and the reporter was certainly the latter in this scenario, as I'm sure you'll agree......
http://cbs13.com/entertainment/local_story_285191218.html
Mark S. Allen's direct e-mail....
gooddaymarks@kmaxtv.com
The station's general manager....
generalmgr@kmaxtv.com
Posted by Lorrie Irby Jackson at 8:18 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 17, 2007
I was quite taken aback this week to see an item on our very pages about talented young actress Evan Rachel Wood, who won't turn 20 until September. I spoke with her once on the phone. We talked about her terrific work in the television series Once and Again. I spoke with her co-stars, Jeffrey Nordling (SMU grad, by the way) and Sela Ward, who couldn't stop singing her praises, predicting she would have a long-term career as one of Hollywood's most gifted actresses. And now I see where she's dating -- please say it isn't so! -- Marilyn Manson, who's 38 (as if that were the only problem)!!! Hate to sound like an old fogie here, but to me, this is terribly distressing news. I'm sure her Mom and Dad are absolutely thrilled! Forget Joe Jackson. This is the worst case of "Say it isn't so!!!" I've ever heard of. Sorry to disparage any Manson fans, but I wouldn't want the dude (is it dude?) dating MY daughter. In the piece I saw, she's quoted as saying they made a video together and adds, "We're kissing and it's raining blood -- and for me, that was one of the most romantic moments of my entire life."
Posted by Michael Granberry at 3:25 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 25, 2007
For those of us with kids, Studio Movie Grill is an increasingly cool place to go. And my how it's grown! Studio Movie Grill has had its Addison location (on Belt Line, east of the Tollway) for years and then added one in West Plano. That one has a different demographic, but it too is a huge hit. The other night, I took two of my sons (ages 10 and 13) to the West Plano location to see Hairspray, and it was great. But not just the movie. I love the Black Bean Burger with sweet-potato fries. They also have good margaritas and imported beer. The boys tend to alternate between cheese pizza, chicken nuggets and burgers. It's extremely kid-friendly. And now I see where the chain is expanding. There are new Studio Movie Grill locations open in Arlington and Lewisville, with Frisco opening in 2008. I was also especially impressed by the comfort of the chairs, the size of the screen and the sound (terrific). I thought it would annoy me to have waiters taking or delivering orders during crucial moments of dialogue, but it was no problem. On the other hand, we weren't seeing Citizen Kane.
Posted by Michael Granberry at 4:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 4, 2007
TVGuide.com is reporting that the long-rumored Sex and the City movie is finally a go. According to the site, the four main characters have all agreed and shooting will begin in September. Kim Cattrall is rumored to have been the last domino to finally fall.
By my math, it's been three years since the show went off the air, and if shooting is to being this fall, we're looking at a 2008 release. If The Sopranos follows that same formula, we can all look forward to The Sopranos: The Movie sometime in 2011.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:50 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 27, 2007
Wanna hear Bruce Willis talk about doing stunts and kicking butt at the age of 52? Check out our first movies podcast featuring Mr. Yippie-ki-yay himself.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:13 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 25, 2007
The sixth annual Asian Film Festival of Dallas will unspool Aug. 23-30 at the Magnolia, and the main attraction looks mighty promising. Finishing the Game is a fanciful imagining of the quest to find Bruce Lee's replacement for the unfinished Game of Death (the one where Lee squares off against Kareem). Even better: it's directed by Justin Lin, the guy who flipped Asian male stereotypes upside down in Better Luck Tomorrow. Game had strong buzz out of Sundance, and it's opening night slot is a coup for one of the better programmed and organized festivals in town.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:09 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 19, 2007
This just in from The Hollywood Reporter: Marc Forster, director of Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball, Stranger Than Fiction, and the little-seen, wonderfully creepy Everything Put Together, will direct Daniel Craig in the next James Bond installment (tentatively titled Bond 22). This is good news for those of us like a slightly artier Bond. Forster also just finished shooting The Kite Runner, based on Khaled Hosseini’s novel.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:49 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 15, 2007
The big movie this weekend is Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which by most accounts surfs swiftly into superhero movie mediocrity. So what should you see instead? Why, Crazy Love of course. Director Dan Klores turns an epic, real-life tale of obsessive romance into a doc with twists, turns, gasps, and even a few laughs. Also, our resident sleuther Mario Tarradell gives a qualified thumbs up to Nancy Drew, starring Julia Roberts' fresh faced niece Emma. The butler did it, I tell ya.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:44 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 13, 2007
So I just found out the great Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene passed away this weekend at the tender age of 84. Though not widely known to the casual moviegoer, Sembene was the most significant and groundbreaking filmmaker Africa has produced. His films were elegantly simple, but pointed and quietly angry with events of the world in general and his continent in particular. Two are particularly easy to recommend: Black Girl (1966), a scathing take on colonialism as seen through the eyes of a Senegalese maid to a bourgeois French family; and Moolaade (2004), which dramatizes the issue of female circumcision by focusing on a village torn between tradition and modernity. He was a towering figure of international cinema, and he will be missed.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 12, 2007
Had another talk with Dan Klores, director of the stellar doc Crazy Love (opening Friday). He's still hard at work finishing Black Magic, his massive documentary miniseries that looks at the civil rights era through the prism of historically black college basketball teams. He has four editors on the job, and things are moving apace.
But it seems the Mavs' playoff collapse took away his planned happy ending. The project's main character is Ben Jobe, Avery Johnson's coach at Southern University. Avery is also a featured character, and Klores was hoping to use a Mavs title as a grand dramatic denouement. "It would have been great if Avery had won," he says. "It would have given me my ending. They didn’t cooperate, but he’s still a sweetheart."
Of course, a low post scoring threat would make him even sweeter.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:41 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 11, 2007
I've received a number of emails taking me to task for my enthusiastic review of Knocked Up, the raunchy comedy about a mismatched guy and gal who decide to make like Madonna and keep their unplanned baby. Some people are mad that I didn't mind the language ("decidedly R rated," as I write in the review). Others think I liked it because I'm from the San Francisco area. They might have a point, though I must say I didn't ask any of the other guffawing audience members at my screening if they, too, were from SF. Then again, we do tend to have a highly developed sense of humor out West.
But the most interesting correspondence made a point of asking about my political agenda. Why is this interesting? Because Knocked Up is essentially a subversive/ conservative movie in which abortion is a strict no-no but bad words (or as one emailer cringingly calls it "the F word") flow as freely as the pot smoke.
It seems reasonable to knock Knocked Up's excessive length, its loose plotting, or, for those who fear the sky of Western Civilization is falling, its "crudity" (though that last one seems like a rather crude criteria). But if ever a movie played both sides of the cultural fence, this is it. Just think: You can keep the American family intact and swear up a storm, all at the same time. As the great Yakov Smirnoff once said: What a country.
So why did I like Knocked Up? Because it's funny as hell.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:44 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 7, 2007
Sean Connery says he's not interested in reprising his role as the hero's father for Indiana Jones 4. On the Indiana Jones Web site, the 76-year-old actors says he just likes being retired too much to be bothered. (Can't say I blame him there.)
There are some new details to announce though. First, the film has already planted its flag on May 22, 2008, so hold off on any and all Memorial Day planning you were doing. And Cate Blanchett, John Hurt and the great Ray Winstone have been officially added to the cast, joining Harrison Ford and Shia LeBeouf.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:20 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 6, 2007
Early prognosticators of penguin fatigue (and I confess to being one of them) may want to think again. I was astonished to find 600 eager passholders at a screening of the latest animated penguin flick, Surf's Up, at AMC NorthPark last night. The theater could only accommodate 300 and had to send 300 away (with apologies and passes for one remaining screening before the movie opens Friday). The crowd was so excited, partly due to the appearance of Pete and Penny Penguin -- real penguins! -- from San Antonio SeaWorld plus Radio Disney, Ronald McDonald, music and giveaways. But what says the most about this kid-centric town is that the screening of Ocean's 13 just a few feet away had seats to spare. I didn't notice any of the fans turned away from Surf's Up going in there, though. George Clooney may be cute, but let's face it, he's no penguin.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 8:40 AM (E-mail this entry)
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June 5, 2007
Rave Motion Pictures just announced that it is offering free admission to select G and PG kids movies Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m., starting tomorrow and continuing through July 26.
First up is Flushed Away, to be followed by Barnyard: The Original Party Animals, Over the Hedge, Charlotte's Web, Open Season, Everyone's Hero, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown and Happy Feet.
Refreshments are a deal, too, with a Movie Meal (popcorn, drink, candy) for $3. Contact theater, local director or visit www.movietickets.com.
AMC Summer Moviecamp also offers free movies for the kids. Visit www.amctheatres.com for details.
Cinemark Theatres and Studio Movie Grill are charging all of $1 per ticket (it's 50 cents at Cinemark if you buy a $5 punch card). www.cinemark.com and www.studiomoviegrill.com.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 1:26 PM (E-mail this entry)
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June 1, 2007
Charles Burnett, whose 1977 film Killer of Sheep begins a run today at the Dallas Angelika, is not a man of many words. But he still had plenty to say about his restored gem that didn't make it into today's story. Check the outtakes, and by all means see the film.
On how his old neighborhood of Watts (where Killer of Sheep is set) has changed for the worse: "When I was growing up, if you could box pretty good or run fast, you were OK. Now kids have guns. It’s not the whole community, just a small percentage. But it’s enough. A lot of parents don’t want their kids to play outside anymore because they’re worried about drivebys. You can’t wear certain colors. You go to schools and they look like prisons. It’s like the wild west."
On why he doesn't seek or get many director-for-hire jobs: "You have to feel comfortable with the material. There are certain things I can’t do. I’ve seen some scripts that I’m just amazed they get done. You can take the money and run, but then your name is on it."
On how he became a filmmaker: "I went into electronics [at Los Angeles Community College] then found out that if you took a full load, you could get a deferment from the draft. That’s when education became meaningful. So I somehow or another got into a creative writing class, which I took for three semesters. I got interested in storytelling, and that led to film. So I went to UCLA and majored in film."
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:31 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Calling all penguin-files: SeaWorld San Antonio's popular Pete and Penny penguins will join Ronald McDonald on a walk down the 'Blue Carpet' Tuesday, June 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the AMC Northpark 15. It's all in advance of the Surf's Up animated penguin screening 6:30 p.m. What, you don't have a ticket for the screening? They're available (while supplies last) starting Saturday, June 2nd at 10:00 a.m. at Northpark Mall’s Build-A-Bear Workshop (where they will also be selling a chance to make your very own Surf's Up penguin to take home). The screening (rated PG for mild language and some rude humor) is at AMC Northpark 15, 8687 N. Central Expwy. The film opens June 8.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 1:57 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Speaking of Surf's Up, in anyone else ready to give the whole penguin thing a rest? March of the Penguins was nice, and it made enough money to buy Antarctica. Then came Happy Feet, which, like March, won as Oscar. Now we have yet another animated film about everyone's favorite flightless bird. I mean they're kinda cute and all, but with all due respect to Burgess Meredith, maybe it's time to give someone else a chance. Flight of the Vultures? The Perilous Pigeons?
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:55 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Surf's Up doesn't open until June 8, but they're already selling the merchandise for the latest cuddly penguin film. You can create your own Cody (the star penguin) starting today at Build A Bear. It's $22 (outfits and accessories are extra). Kids can bring down the price by joining the Build A Bear book club. If you read five books you'll get some goodies, including $3 off a purchase of $15 or more.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 10:56 AM (E-mail this entry)
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May 31, 2007
The Dallas Video Festival has been keeping Dallas weird (or trying anyway) for 20 years now. Come out Friday night for a best-of sampling of the Texas Show, the festival subsection that spotlights filmmakers and video artists from the Lone Star state. Admission is free. The vidiocy starts at 8 p.m. at Kettle Art, 2714 Elm Street, next to the venerable Club Dada.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:58 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The Dallas Video Festival has been keeping Dallas weird (or trying anyway) for 20 years now. Come out Friday night for a best-of sampling of the Texas Show, the festival subsection that spotlights filmmakers and video artists from the Lone Star state. Admission is free. The vidiocy starts at 8 p.m. at Kettle Art, 2714 Elm Street, next to the venerable Club Dada.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:58 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 30, 2007
Every time I do an interview my iPod MicroMemo my subject gets distracted. It's just a microphone attachment that hooks up to the bottom of your Pod. But the sound quality is quite good, and apparently the thing is eye catching. David Lynch pronounced it "bitching" when I talked to him at the W in March (you haven't lived until you hear David Lynch say "bitching"). And today, Bruce Willis, in town to promote Live Free or Die Hard (opening June 27), interrupted the interview and asked his assistant to run out to the Apple Store and buy one before they left town. Yes, it's good to be Bruce Willis. More on him as the movie approaches.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:49 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Just thought I would take a minute to toot my own horn here over my box office buzz predictions from last week. Would have been a good time to go to Vegas:
Prediction: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End earns $110 million in its first three days.
Result: $114 million Fri-Sun. But what’s $4 million among friends this rich?
Prediction: No. 2 at $55 million in week two for Shrek the Third.
Result: Even closer than the Pirates prediction! No. 2 at $53 mil.
OK, now I'll go back to my usual practice of throwing darts at a board.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:36 AM (E-mail this entry)
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With Shrek, Pirates and Spiders running amuck in the multiplex, studios are looking to cash in on trilogies as quickly as possible. And if there is quick money to be made, I'm probably not far behind. It was this train of thought that had me buying up the rights to as many films as I could afford that had never had their story arcs completed. Sure, some may question my judgment, but in Hollywood right now, any trifecta will sell. Here are a few of my pitches:
Teen Wolf 3: Let the Fur Fly
Tagline: "In the world of auto sales, you must CLAW your way to the top!"
Plot Outline: Chuck Howard, grandson of Michael J. Fox, finds himself down on his luck. He lands a job at his uncle's used car lot where he seems lost until the family curse comes back. In an odd turn for the series, Chuck decides to end his own life, but as he is searching the city for a silver bullet, he instead finds an open casting call for ABC's new Geico Cavemen sitcom. The day is saved.
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Rated R for nudity, profanity and drug use.
Continue reading "Trilogies to Continue"
Posted by at 9:47 AM (E-mail this entry)
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May 29, 2007
All these times I've gone to Sin City (OK, just once) I've never done hallucinogens - which apparently puts me behind the current pop culture curve. First, Tony Soprano takes Peyote with a pricey call girl at Caesar's and ends up seeing God (or at least a flash of light) in the desert. Then, in Knocked Up, the laugh-out-loud comedy opening this Friday, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen eat some shrooms and end up at a Cirque Du Soleil show. Dude. Bad trip. But funny movie.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 5:16 PM (E-mail this entry)
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It's easy and perhaps accurate to tab Spike Lee as the guiding light of black independent cinema. But you still have to account for Charles Burnett. He made Killer of Sheep, a stark, nonlinear drama about a family getting by in the Watts section of Los Angeles, back in 1977. Loaded with haunting imagery, it has the immediacy and spontaneity of an early Cassavetes film. Enshrined as a national treasure at the Library of Congress, Sheep has been lovingly restored and will begin a run at the Dallas Angelika on Friday. But you can check out a free screening today at 5 p.m. at the same spot. Better yet: Burnett will be in the house to discuss the film after the screening. Just show up at the box office to claim your ticket.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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It's easy and perhaps accurate to tab Spike Lee as the guiding light of black independent cinema. But you still have to account for Charles Burnett. He made Killer of Sheep, a stark, nonlinear drama about a family getting by in the Watts section of Los Angeles, back in 1977. Loaded with haunting imagery, it has the immediacy and spontaneity of an early Cassavetes film. Enshrined as a national treasure at the Library of Congress, Sheep has been lovingly restored and will begin a run at the Dallas Angelika on Friday. But you can check out a free screening today at 5 p.m. at the same spot. Better yet: Burnett will be in the house to discuss the film after the screening. Just show up at the box office to claim your ticket.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 25, 2007
Another thing to consider about Pirates is: It will still be there next week (and the week after that, probably til at least July). Those other movies, particularly Once, will likely only enjoy runs of a few weeks if they are lucky. So you're wise to catch 'em while you can. I missed out on Offside, one of the highest rated movies I've ever seen on rottentomatoes.com, because I didn't go in the first two weeks and now I'm kicking myself.
I do know a movie critic who claims he has a screener copy of it, but said copy has yet to be unearthed from said critic's lair.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:03 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Let's consider the word "booty" as it applies to the new Pirates flick. Many critics, including yours truly, think the film is, well, booty. Which won't stop At World's End from raking in a bountiful booty of cash this weekend. Fandango is reporting that Jack Sparrow's latest accounted for 94 percent of advance ticket sales this week.
Why does this drive me nuts? Because the idea of 94 percent of moviegoers heading out to see the exact same thing seems kind of sheeplike. My advice? Don't be a sheep. Go see Once, the invigorating, gritty pop musical. Or, if you feel like getting creeped out, check out Bug. You'll never look at your teeth quite the same.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:16 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 16, 2007
Look for a little local flavor in the new reality series On the Lot, which bows May 22 on Fox. Dallas freelance producer Brent McCorkle will be among the 50 semifinalists, chosen from 12,000 submissions, to compete for the victory circle in a process that continues on Fox through June 5. The public, of course, will get to help in eliminating contestants as the rounds progress. Future tasks include surviving a Hollywood-style pitch meeting, and a 24-hour film shoot, not unlike the one put on every year by the Video Association of Dallas. Sounds like a cross between Project Greenlight and American Idol. But some big names are involved: Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett are producers, and judges include Brett Ratner and Gary Marshall. Anyway, go Brent McCorkle.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:27 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 15, 2007
Think you have questions about which HD set to buy? Just try making a movie in the format. Then you'll have questions. Luckily, Women in Film.Dallas is presenting a seminar on Sony HD Media and Format Technologies, including HDV, XDCAM HD, HDCAM, and HDCAM SR. As they say in the ads for the sets, I don't know what that means, but it sounds pretty cool. The program begins with a reception at 6 p.m. Thursday at Magic Video, 2424 Lacy Lane in Carrollton, and runs 'til 8 p.m. Free for WIF members, $15 for non-members. For more info, go to www.wifdallas.org.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:27 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 11, 2007
The invite was for lunch on a vintage train car owned by Patron Tequila. Guest chef: Amador Mora of Trece. Also scheduled to attend: Dan Aykroyd, in town for the opening of House of Blues. "Scheduled" is the key word. Mr. Aykroyd peeked into the way-cozy dining room just as we were tucking into tiny glasses of Gran Patron Platinum Tequila ($200 per signed-and-numbered lead-free crystal bottle). He was as charming as a person can be in less than 5 minutes, neither wild nor crazy. He said he was off to do a site visit, but his black leather biker vest ("Mudman") suggested other activities were afoot.
But the train -- 1927 vintage, built by the grandfather of Isaac Tigrett (one of HOB's founders) and renovated during the '90s -- was lovely, and our small group soldiered on, sipping our way through the Patron portfolio.
Here's a bonus for you train buffs: The train will be parked at Union Station downtown until Monday night. Check it out if you get a chance.
Posted by Cathy Barber at 4:45 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Your intrepid correspondent from the world of fantasy is pleased to report that following the February 2008 film release of The Spiderwick Chronicles will be the March film release of Inkheart. Not only should this thrill Cornelia Funke fans in and of itself, but the redoubtable Helen Mirren will star as Aunt Elinor. Brendan Fraser plays Silvertongue, the fellow who can read characters right out of books. And Andy Serkis (Our Favorite Gollum) is bad bad Capricorn, that sinister fictional character that Silvertongue releases from the book of Fenoglio (played by Jim Broadbent). Quite a cast! Quite a book!
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:50 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 10, 2007
So, guess who's starring as BOTH twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace in The Spiderwick Chronicles, due in theaters February? Freddie Highmore of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Meanwhile Elf scribe David Berenbaum (yes, we know, he also wrote Zoom, but we won't hold that against him) adapted the series about three siblings who move into The Spiderwick estate where they discover that magical creatures are very much real. Martin Short seems typecast as the short brownie, Thimbletack, the creature who goads and guides them, as does Nick Nolte as the voice of the fierce ogre Mulgarath. If Mark Waters' direction (yep, he's on board, too) recreates Tony DiTerlizzi's terrific illustrations, we should be in for a great ride.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 10:02 AM (E-mail this entry)
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May 9, 2007
I am jazzed to hear that Chris Columbus has signed on to direct The Lightning Thief (by San Antonio author Rick Riordan) for Fox 2000. Now, Columbus has been slighted by critics for his light hand with the first two Harry Potter movies. But I think he deserves credit for creating a complex magical world on which later directors could expand. Also, that light touch should be perfect for this best-selling series about a boy who discovers that he is the son of a Greek god (we won't say which god for those of you who haven't read the first book yet). How popular is it? The third and latest, The Titan's Curse , came out in May and is already in its third printing. I loved it. I read the opening chapter to a class at Renner Middle School in Plano as part of their Reading Ambassador program and the kids found it a really fun read, too.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 11:07 AM (E-mail this entry)
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May 7, 2007
Three cheers for Paul Verhoeven’s new movie, Black Book. We saw it Saturday night at the Plano Angelika, which is every bit as cool as the Dallas Angelika (maybe more so). Legacy Town Center is a good place to see a movie or just hang out for a while. Mr. Verhoeven made the dreadfully bad Showgirls (he also made Basic Instinct), but he’s credited with Robocop and Total Recall as well. Black Book is a rousingly entertaining, suspenseful, utterly surprising Holocaust movie with so many unpredictable twists and turns they end up being too numerous to count. The performances are terrific.
Posted by Michael Granberry at 3:58 PM (E-mail this entry)
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May 3, 2007
Want to avoid Spider-Man 3 this weekend? Good luck with all that. The bloated threequel will open on 4,252 screens this weekend, besting the previous record held by Shrek 2 (4,223 if you're counting, and if you are counting, get help immediately). This is why per-screen averages matter: If a movie shows everywhere, it means it has a massive built-in audience, and it means ticket sales will add up faster than the details of this movie will leave your memory.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:42 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Department of self promotion department: I will be on a panel discussion tonight following a FREE screening of the documentary The Slanted Screen at 7 p.m. tonight at KERA. The one-hour doc looks at portrayals of Asian men in film - primarily American film - with a focus on the perpetuation of stereotypes. Joining me on the panel will be esteemed DMN Sunday Editor Tom Huang, Dallas Asian Film Festival executive director Chiho Mori, and TCU sociology professor Morrison Wong. The film will also show at 10 p.m. May 10 on KERA (Channel 13).
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:35 PM (E-mail this entry)
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April 30, 2007
The Mavs season may be winding down prematurely, but head coach Avery Johnson may be coming soon to a theater near you. Dan Klores, whose Crazy Love chronicles the too-weird-to-be-true details of an obsessive relationship, is at work on his next doc, called Black Magic. It's about the civil rights movement as seen through the eyes of basketball players and coaches at historical black colleges, including Avery's alma mater, Southern University. Klores was in town to interview Avery, whose college coach, Ben Jobe, is a key character in the film. "I’m rooting for Dallas," said Klores last week. "It would be a great endingfor the film." Good luck with all that.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:34 PM (E-mail this entry)
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April 23, 2007
Want some info on getting grant money for your film or video project? The Austin Film Society's director of artist services Bryan Poyser will present a free informational workshop for the Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund (TFPF), a grant program for film and video artists in the state of Texas. The workshop will be held Wednesday, April 25 at the Magnolia Lounge, 1121 First Avenue, and is presented in partnership with the Video Association of Dallas. For more information, visit www.austinfilm.org
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:12 PM (E-mail this entry)
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April 19, 2007
The Associated Press reports that a Virginia Tech professor alerted authorities that there may be a link between Monday's massacre and the South Korean movie Old Boy.
Paul Harris made the connection based on a photo of Cho Seung-Hui brandishing a hammer that was included in the package sent to NBC. (You can read the story and see the picture here.) In the Park Chan-wook film, the main character seeks revenge on a person who imprisoned him, and he takes out that revenge at times with a hammer.
But the connection between that film and this tragedy is no stronger than any other movie featuring a mass killer. Sure, both the character and the real-life murderer are Asian, and to read Cho's diatribe, it seems like he too had revenge on the brain. But to make the leap that he was inspired by this movie (one that we don't know if he's even seen) is a giant leap to take.
I understand the desire to try and make sense of all of this and to find some reason for unreasonable acts. But that is what makes situations such as this so difficult -- there aren't easy answers, and here I doubt that there will be any answers at all. How can you make sense out of crazy? So we often take the lazy way out by blaming the old standards -- video games, movies, rap lyrics, etc. Someone who is sane can watch a movie like Old Boy and enjoy it for what it is -- a movie. It's people who aren't that can't. And unfortunatly as we've seen, people like that are going to do what they are going to do regardless of some movie.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:28 AM (E-mail this entry)
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April 11, 2007
On your marks. Get set. Shoot. The Video Association of Dallas' 24-Hour Video Race is revving up for its sixth year of sleep-deprived shenanigans. Participants will meet at 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 18 with an assigned theme, prop, line of dialogue, and location. 24 hours later, they will finish with a short film. The winning films will be screened at the 20th Annual Dallas Video Festival (July 31-August 5) and also on Frame of Mind, a television program on KERA Ch. 13 overseen by DVF director Bart Weiss.
To register and get more information, go to www.24hourvideoracedallas.com.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:18 PM (E-mail this entry)
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April 8, 2007
Went to check out Grindhouse Saturday night at the Magnolia - yes, I'm easing my way back from vacation by seeing movies - and was struck by a serious disconnect between theater and film. It seems the movie redolent of missing reels, seedy environs, and other cheap thrills is playing at the nicest movie house in town.
Continue reading "High-class Grindhouse"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:41 PM (E-mail this entry)
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April 1, 2007
A pair of films with strong Texas ties took home the biggest prizes from the inaugural AFI Dallas International Film Festival on Sunday, the final day of festival.
Shut Up and Shoot Me, a dark comedy about two men in need of a killer produced by Arlington native Jefe Brown, won the Target Filmmaker Award for best narrative feature. Former Carrolton resident Socheata Poeuv’s New Year Baby, which traces her parents’ journey from the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge to America, was awarded the Target Filmmaker Award for best documentary. Each award comes with a $25,000 cash prize.
Continue reading "AFI: the awards"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 6:49 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Kate MacMurray, daughter of the late actor Fred MacMurray, has Austin charmed. Saturday night she hosted a showing of The Apartment, 1960's best movie winner starring her dad, Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. It's the story of an insurance company clerk who loans his apartment to assorted philandering executives. Pretty racy stuff for 1960, even though it's all accomplished tastefully. Sort of. Kate called the movie "incredibly amoral."
Fred MacMurray has that nice-guy image from his Disney movies, plus My Three Sons on TV, so fans were shocked by The Apartment. But it was perfect for the food and film buffs who came to see the movie and sample wines from MacMurray Ranch, the winery on land formerly owned by the MacMurray family. Kate poured MacMurray Ranch wines all weekend at the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival.
The menu played with themes from the movie, telling us "don't forget to remove the toothpick" on the appetizer club sandwich. In the movie, Jack Lemmon's neighbor, a doctor, returns home one evening after visiting a patient who forgot to do just that.
The wines included MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, Winemaker's Block, Russian River 2005, a limited production stunner. More available is the MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris, Sonoma Coast, 2005.
Wish list: We want Kate to bring her dinner and a movie gig to Dallas.
Posted by Cathy Barber at 6:39 AM (E-mail this entry)
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March 31, 2007
Modern media mogul Todd Wagner was the main attraction of AFI-Dallas' Saturday talk show slate at the Nasher. While the conversation made frequent forays onto Wagner's high-tech turf, there was also news about some upcoming, old fashioned movie projects coming up from Wagner and Mark Cuban's 2929 Entertainment.
Continue reading "AFI: World of Wagner"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 5:09 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 30, 2007
If: Friday = movies
And: Steve Carrell = comic genius
Then: the Evan Almighty trailer = a prodigious use of your Friday afternoon
(Why couldn't high school math be like that?)
Posted by Holly Warren at 12:40 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 28, 2007
You know you're living large when a multiple Oscar-winning composer serenades you with a piano rendition of "Happy Birthday." That's what happened to AFI-Dallas chairman and founder Liener Temerlin Tuesday night, who got the musical treatment from Star Award winner Marvin Hamlisch at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
We don't have any Oscars. But we, too wish Temerlin a happy 79th.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 8:48 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I walked through Victory Park to check out the filmmaker lounge Tuesday night and was greeted by a familiar furry face. The original King Kong was playing on the massive screens outside American Airlines Center, beating his chest and doing battle with various jungle critters. AFI-Dallas is running movies on the screens all day and evening, a nice touch that reflects the festival's desire to impact the feel of the city during its 11 day run.
Continue reading "AFI: Just loungin'"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 6:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 27, 2007
Here's a rare opportunity to revisit Hollywood's golden age on the big screen. On April 5, the Magnolia is doing an all-day simulcast of Turner Classic Movies programming. Admission is free. On the menu:
11:45 a.m. - The Letter, starring Bette Davis
1:30 p.m. - Little Foxes, starring Bette Davis
3:30 p.m. - Father of the Bride, starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor
5:15 p.m. - Pat and Mike, starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn
7 p.m. - Now Voyager, starring Bette Davis
9 p.m. - A Place in the Sun, starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:58 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Jack Valenti had a good reason for canceling his appearance last Saturday at the Nasher Sculpture Center. He suffered a stroke, and is now resting at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in Baltimore. The Texas native was slated to accept his Star Award from the AFI-Dallas International Film Festival on Saturday. Valenti is best known as the former head of the Motion Picture Association of America, the Hollywood lobbying agency in charge of movie ratings.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:06 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 26, 2007
Just got off the phone with Marvin Hamlisch, who's on his way to Dallas from Los Angeles to pick up is Dallas Star award and lead a discussion about movie music on Tuesday night. A bit of trivia: he's one of nine people to earn a Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Oscar. Can you name the others? If you want to cheat, the list is here.
I asked him if any of his awards held exaulted status over the others on the mantle.
“They sit side-by-side, but the room in which I work in is not the room the awards are in. It helps you not to be lulled into thinking you are the greatest thing ever. So when I sit down to work, I only look up and see other mountains to climb.”
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:57 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 25, 2007
Don't think corporate sponsors are important to AFI-Dallas? Here's Michael Cain introducing himself before Saturday night's centerpiece screening of Inland Empire:
"I'm Michael Cain, artistic director and CEO of the AFI-Dallas International Film Festival presented by Target with founding sponsor Victory Park."
Can that all fit on a business card?
Posted by Chris Vognar at 7:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Billy Mitchell was the Donkey Kong king, a lifelong video game hot shot with the world record. Steve Wiebe was a newcomer, down on his luck and quickly obsessed by the game as an adult. Now they're at the core of the outstanding doc King of Kong, one of the most buzzed about films at AFI-Dallas. Kong showed tonight at the Magnolia, where it will have a repeat screening 9:30 p.m. Monday.
Continue reading "AFI: Smashing barrels"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 6:30 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The U.S. Under-20 men's soccer team was in the house for Saturday night's festival screening of Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait at the Magnolia. They weren't alone: the small theater was packed with fans, including a guy down front sporting a Zidane jersey and quietly chanting the French soccer star's nickname: "Zizou, Zisou."
Continue reading "AFI: Hail Zizou"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 5:31 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Meditation, coffee, and one weird film. David Lynch was the weekend's big fish at the AFI-Dallas International Film Festival. So much for worries about this thing being too mainstream.
Continue reading "AFI: Mr. Lynch goes to Dallas"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 11:46 AM (E-mail this entry)
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March 24, 2007
Saturday afternoon's Wet Deck Conversation was the polar opposite of Friday's initial event. Whereas Friday's was a bit awkward and unorganized, Saturday's discussion with Fort Worth native Bill Paxton was lively and well-produced. Todd Simms of the Dallas Producers Association served as moderator, and the presence of someone charged with advancing the conversation was a welcome feature that Friday's discussion lacked. It also didn't hurt that close to 100 more spectators turned out for Saturday's event.
The discussion was supposed to center on filming in Dallas, but Mr. Paxton's anecdotes from his life in the biz proved the most entertaining. Of note was his suggestion that cerebral actors usually win out over the showy ones.
"The emotion -- it's better to keep a lid on that," he said about the temptation to let the tears flow onscreen. "The cooler actors -- they don't just squirt one out for anyone."
Sounds like solid advice.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:41 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Last week, Fox announced that it had renewed the North Texas-shot Prison Break for Season 3, and Janis Burklund, Director of the Dallas Film Commission, says it looks "probable" that the series will return to the area to film again.
That means more big spending and another year of consistent work for those in the local film industry.
"Series television is the gift that keeps on giving," Ms. Burklund said when I caught up with her inside the festival's social lounge on the second floor of the W Hotel. Before taking the reigns at the Dallas Film Commission, Ms. Burlund worked on the locally shot Walker Texas Ranger for several years and noted that the impact of long-term projects like Walker, and hopefully Prison Break, extends well beyond just those with direct ties to the local film industry.
"Walker put many Dallas police officer's kids through college," she said of the extra work off-duty cops were able to pick up.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:29 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Friday night, the screens in Victory Park were awash in cutting edge video as high-rollers frolicked in a make-shift outdoor night club. By Saturday afternoon, the videos were gone in favor of The Bridge on the River Kwai, one of the classic movies the festival is showing this week on the outdoor screens. Not that anyone seemed to notice, as few in the vicinity stopped to even recognize 1958's best picture winner. Part of that may have been due to the sound, which made it difficult to understand the dialogue. And the fact the most in the area were headed into the American Airlines Center to catch the afternoon performance of Disney on Ice Presents Princess Wishes couldn't have helped either. How's Alec Guiness supposed to compete with that?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:20 PM (E-mail this entry)
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One of the privileges of owning a press pass is access into the Target Filmmakers Lounge in Victory Park, what may be the first ever walk-in advertisement. Inside, you'll sit on a white Target couch, grab some Target-brand snacks and watch a loop of (admittedly kinda cool) Target spots. While there, be sure to grab a martini made with Bombay Sapphire gin. It may be the only thing in there not available at Target, but not to worry -- Bombay is the "official spirit" of the festival. So if you're a traditionalist and shudder at the thought of a vodka martini, you've come to the right place.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:03 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The Nasher Sculpture Center lent a level of sophistication to Saturday's AT&T Talk Show discussion of documentary filmmaking. The 2 p.m. panel was moderated by Dallas native Michael Speier of Daily Variety and consisted of 4 filmmakers showing their docs at AFI: Dallas resident Allen Mondell (A Fair to Remember), Joel Engardio (Knocking), Carla Garapedian (Screamers) and Russell Griffin (Los Tabaqueros). John Kuglin, who works with Scope Seven -- a company that puts together educational materials for docs, rounded out the group.
As expected, it didn't take long for the discussion to turn to the difficulties inherit in making films with limited box-office potential. But like pro athletes who say they'd play their sports for free, these filmmakers were adament that they too are in it for the love of the game.
"There's something much deeper than box office that drives my films," said Mr. Mondell. "I want to make films that say something about the society in which I live."
Which isn't to say that any of them are opposed to the idea of making a buck. And the docs that have made money of late (An Inconvenient Truth, March of the Penguins) eventually became part of the discussion, if only as a connecting point with the 40 or so present.
"Penguins smoking -- that's the sequel!" quipped Mr. Griffin, whose short film follows cigar makers in Miami.
Mr. Engardio provided the best piece of advice of the afternoon, suggesting that directors take their films to what he called the "Jet Blue" festivals -- events that take place just outside major cities like the Trenton Film Festival. Just let the local media create some pub about your film and the big boys will eventually take notice, he says.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 6:39 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 23, 2007
Quality films are obviously crucial to a quality festival, but they don't mean everything. You also need a sense of eventfulness, an impression made on the feel of the city.
It's still early, but so far AFI-Dallas feels pretty good.
Continue reading "AFI: Behind the screens"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 10:45 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Dallas native Amy Talkington's film, The Night of the White Pants, made its North Texas debut Friday night at the Angelika Film Center, and the locals were out to support one of their own. Amy, appropriately dressed in white pants, hosted a party at Spike at Mockingbird Station before the screening and was surrounded by family, friends and well-wishers. If you didn't make the screening, the film will play for an extended run at the Angelika beginning April 6. And if you didn't catch Michael Granberry's story on Amy today in GuideLive, what's wrong with you?!? Just kidding -- you can check it out here.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:20 PM (E-mail this entry)
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This just in: Halle Berry is pretty hot. One of the valet guys at the Crescent Court, where the actress was doing interviews to promote her new thriller Perfect Stranger, told me he wants to pitch her a Monster's Ball sequel. It would take place at a valet stand. Keep dreaming, buddy.
Wearing a very distracting black and white dress, she was very down to earth and un-star-like during a 15-minute interview Friday morning. She made history in becoming the first black woman to win a lead acting Oscar for 2001's Monster's Ball. But as she says here, the acclaim didn't exactly open the doors to Hollywood's kingdom. (Sorry guys, no video).
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:14 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The big party on opening night of the AFI-Dallas International Film Festival was at the downtown Neiman Marcus. Wasn't invited, which is fine; I wasn't dressed for it, and I'm probably not in the right tax bracket. So instead I headed over to the greatness of Double Wide for an unoffical shindig for Amy Talkington's The Night of the White Pants, which shows tonight at 9:30 at the Angelika.
Continue reading "AFI: High and low"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 10:03 AM (E-mail this entry)
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March 22, 2007
Just got in from the red carpet event opening the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. Not to complain too much right out of the shoot, but there was about 100 feet of red carpet for about 150 feet of media types. I suppose if they have that kind of demand for the seats in their theaters the organizers will be in pretty good shape.
Among the luminaries in attendance were Sydney Pollack, dressed in a slick pinstriped suit; Lauren Bacall clutching a little lap dog; Ron Livingston and Melissa George, stars of tonight's opening night film, Music Within; and Texans Bill Paxton and Lou Diamond Phillips. As Livingston was giving a little discourse about the deeper meaning of his film, he got a tug on the arm from a publicist saying he was needed for a photo. As it turned out, his companion in the picture was a white dog with presenting sponsor Target's red logo painted over one eye.
"That dog's got a busy schedule," Livingston dead panned when he returned.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:30 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 12, 2007
Are you a huge PotC* fan? Do you like counting? Are you just really really bored? Are you desperate to mass email a link to your family and friends? Then check out Yahoo! Movies countdown clock to the release of the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End trailer.
No, really. A countdown clock. To a trailer.
(*That's "Pirates of the Caribbean," for the uninitiated.)
Posted by Holly Warren at 4:57 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 11, 2007
Holy Schnikes: 300, the very entertaining tale of Spartan warriors facing off with the Persian army, did $70 million in its opening weekend. I knew it would do well, but not that well. It's a got a potent box office mix, though: graphic violence for the core audience, plus lots of scantily clad body builder dudes for those who like that kind of thing.
It's good news for Warner Bros., which needed a hit. Smart releasing it in the dead zone of March, when legit competition is scarce.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 8:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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March 2, 2007
Mira Nair excels at making films about cross-cultural navigation, usually between India and America. Educated in Dehli and at Harvard, her best films include Salaam Bombay! and Monsoon Wedding. Arts and Letters Live brings her to the Dallas Museum of Art tonight at 7:30 to discuss her adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel The Namesake. Opening in Dallas March 23, the movie tells the story of Gogol, born in New York to Indian parents, caught between two worlds and two identities. He is played by Kal Penn, the UCLA graduate best known for playing Kumar in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Here Nair explains why Penn was the perfect man for the job.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:59 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 27, 2007
The AFI Dallas International Film Festival has announced the lineup for its inaugural shindig, slated to run March 22 through April 1 at various venues around town. Once we stopped scratching our heads at the inclusion of Bad Boys 2 (?!), we noted the following:
Continue reading "AFI Dallas: The list is in"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:45 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 26, 2007
Ok, so I thought of a movie featuring three best-actor winners: The Godfather (Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall). And I suppose Godfather II if you swamp in Robert De Niro for Brando. Still, you don't normally mention Fast Times and The Godfather in the same sentence. They do share another connection though -- Godfather was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, uncle to ... you guessed it, Fast Times star Nic Cage.
Ah, it's a small world.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:31 PM (E-mail this entry)
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A thought crossed my mind as I was trying to squeeze the Oscars out of my brain last night at 1:30 in the morning. With Forest Whittaker's win, that now makes three best-actor winners to come out of 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He joines Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) and Sean Penn (Mystic River). I'm sure there is another movie out there that features three best actors, but I'm sure having a tough time coming up with it.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:44 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Another note on tonight's big winners: the winners of the five big individual categories were all first-time winners. That makes two years in a row that that has happened. Nice to see Oscar spread the love a little.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:48 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Jimmy Kimmel on the Oscars: "What a night for Norbit, huh? It swept every category except makeup."
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:12 AM (E-mail this entry)
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February 25, 2007
Chris, I agree with you regarding Peter O'Toole's loss...again. I really thought he might pull an upset until the last minute. Seeing Alan Arkin win further cemented that possibility for me. I figured, Arkin's 72, O'Toole's 74, so either of their chances for an Oscar win after this is mighty slim. I did not see Forest's winning performance, although I'm sure it was worthy from what I've heard. Still, after reviewing Peter in Venus I was hoping he'd win.
Posted by Mario Tarradell at 11:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Even though Forest Whitaker was a deserving sure thing, I feel kinda bad for Peter O'Toole. This was his eighth defeat, and at 74, chances are slim he'll get another nomination. He had the early-buzz mojo working before the Whitaker express came along. One more piece of evidence that you can be a great actor and never win an Oscar.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 11:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I guess he couldn't go without forever. Hey, I'm pretty stoked. Oddly enough, the year that found me more down on the Oscars than ever also found me happy about the results. I was ready for a Little Miss Sunshine win; my faith in these folks making the right decision has never been very high. The Departed isn't Scorsese's finest, but it was my favorite film of the year (followed very closely by Iwo Jima).
Kudos to Marty. Like Peyton Manning, he finally got that monkey off his back.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 11:27 PM (E-mail this entry)
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And what about all the wondering and handicapping going on around Best Picture. And in the end, it again seems to have been a fait accompli all along that the Departed was going to win. It wasn't the best picture in the bunch -- that would be Letters from Iwo Jima -- but it was a good film by a great filmmaker and that puts a step up from a lot of other more undeserving winners.
Posted by Tom Maurstad at 11:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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They were the favorites going in, and unlike last year, they delivered. The big loser of the night: Babel. The film that everyone thought along with Little Miss Sunshine would give The Departed the biggest challenge only bagged one win in seven nominations. Not a very good batting average.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Just got in from covering Musiq, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO crushed that Eddie didn't get it for best supporting actor. Goodness, that was his performance of a lifetime, his moment. I'm glad J Hud won, but.....I'm just crushed. Forest and Martin deserved theirs, kudos!!!
Posted by Lorrie Irby Jackson at 11:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I didn't know Forest Whitaker, who just gave his Best Actor acceptance speech, was born in East Texas. For those of you who didn't, either, Wikipedia says his hometown is Longview.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 11:05 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Philip Seymour Hoffman kicks all sorts of thespian hiney, but he's been sporting quite the "deranged genius" look of late. I guess he can, though.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 10:52 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Were we in danger of a wardrobe malfunction just there as Beyonce was thrashing about?
Posted by Leslie Snyder at 10:25 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Can't we make her go away, just for one night?
Posted by at 10:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Little Miss Sunshine wins for original screenplay, and it's not looking good for Babel. (It is, however, looking good for those of us who picked Sunshine to win the big one. stay tuned).
Posted by Chris Vognar at 10:14 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Ok, I've picked my No. 1 stunners of the evening: Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Beil, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon. My 'Not So Much' awards go to Jennifer Hudson (whom I love nonetheless), Naomi Watts, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Kirsten Dunst and Anne Hathaway.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 9:59 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Kevin O'Connell, the record holder for most nominations without a win at 19 kept his streak alive as his film, Apocalypto, lost out to Dreamgirls. So if Martin Scorsese somehow manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet again tonight, he still won't be even half way to O'Connell's mark. For a rundown of O'Connell's nominations, click here.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:52 PM (E-mail this entry)
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This just in: Hollywood cares about global warming. Happy Feet wins for animated feature, to the delight of endangered penuins everywhere. And An Inconvenient Truth takes home the documentary feature prize. How not surprising.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 9:48 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, dance writer Margaret Putnam wasn't very high on Pilobolus' performance a few weeks ago at Bass Hall in Fort Worth, but they seem to be doing some pretty cool things behind that screen during the show tonight.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Is anyone else put off, or baffled, by the constant appearance of the text for Dirty Harry's "Well do ya punk?" line onscreen?
Posted by Chris Vognar at 9:43 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Kudos to Jennifer Hudson for giving a shout-out to Jennifer Holliday, the original Effie, who won a Tony for Broadway's Dreamgirls and made "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" a No. 1 R&B hit in the '80s. Holliday has been in the news lately lamenting over being forgotten and even saying that Hudson was threatening her livelihood over the song. Hudson's response in Essence magazine: "First off, don't let that be the only song you're performing. Pursue other things and don't just limit yourself to that. I don't intend to say, I'm going to sing this song for the rest of my life, and this will be the only character that I portrayed. I'm Jennifer, not Effie." Sounds like Hudson's speech was a "let's make up."
Posted by at 9:38 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I was really hoping that Jennifer Hudson was going to walk up to the mic and simply say, "Fantasia, how ya like me now?"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:36 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Jennifer Hudson's speech displayed why I'm glad to see her win: She's genuine, spiritual, humble yet confident and appreciates her roots. Let's hope the machine doesn't change any of that.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 9:36 PM (E-mail this entry)
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So The Lives of Others beats Pan's Labyrinth for best foriegn language film. Color me tickled, and surprised. I liked Pan's, and it's cleaning up so far with three wins. But I was more moved by The Lives of Others, which opened on Friday at the Magnolia and the Plano Angelika, and I find it a great film for these times (as is Pan's). I remember everyone talking about it as a sure thing for a nom at Toronto last year. I guess they were right, and then some.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 9:30 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Nice to see Pan's Labyrinth cinematographer Guillermo Navarro win the Oscar (the visuals were the best part of that movie, IMHO). Mr. Arriaga talked with Mario Tarradell last month. If you missed the interview in GuideLive, you can catch up on it here.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Gotta love that Ellen. Her goofy charm is keeping the show fresh -- enjoyable and entertaining, even. The bit with Eastwood and Spielberg, taking a picture for her MySpace page, was fun. Although ... tick, tick, tick. It's 9:15, and we're still waiting for the biggies.
Posted by Leslie Snyder at 9:15 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm digging the way they are showcasing the sort of non-name nominees so to speak (yes, I realize a real person is behind them). In years past, they've just shown sketches from the costumes paired with footage from the movie, but this year we get to see the real costumes on the stage. Also cool was how they read a few lines from the adapted screenplay scripts and then cut to that same scene from the film. Nice to throw a little innovation in there for good measure.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:07 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If you've ever wondered what the DMN arts department looks like, that writers montage is a pretty good simulation.
Posted by Holly Warren at 8:49 PM (E-mail this entry)
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What's up with Oscar's penguin love? First March of the Penguins, now this. I guess it makes sense that the global warming movie won right after Al Gore's bit.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 8:44 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Alan Arkin's best supporting actor win seems to bode well for a possible Little Miss Sunshine win tonight. I'm glad he won, but I wish Eddie Murphy would have given his acceptance speech.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:26 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Classy speech by Alan Arkin, especially the acting as a team sport part. And I can't help thinking Eddie Murphy was doomed by his prickly rep and by Norbit.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 8:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Thanks, Chris. I thought I'd missed something. This must be the time to get a snack.
Posted by Leslie Snyder at 8:17 PM (E-mail this entry)
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So let me get this straight: Letters from Iwo Jima wins the best sound editing Oscar, but it wasn't nominated in the sound mixing category. Seems odd, considering I couldn't tell you the difference between those two categories.
That being said, you might be interested to know that the only film to win both of those categories since 2000 was King Kong last year. Actually, I doubt you'd be interested to know that, but I figured I'd throw it out there for what it's worth.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:16 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Who's the genius who decided to bury the first supporting acting category til later in the show? It always gave a little bit of meat to the ho-hum early part of the broadcast. And it made writing a lot easier. On behalf of deadline journalists everywhere: Thank you, Academy.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 8:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Jaden Smith seems to have that "thing," that quality that makes your presence and personality work in front of a camera. Abigail Breslin's got it, too. Having kids present seems like it could be a potential trainwreck, but these two handled it like pros.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 8:03 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The shorts aren't glam categories, but both winners are really, really good. And I'm not just saying that because I'm in love with Danish Poet narrator Liv Ullmann - the animated short winner is warm, smart, and tender. The live action victor, West Bank Story, which Ari Sandel made for a USC film school project, is a zany musical about dueling falafel stands. See 'em if you get a chance. (The nominated shorts just finished a run at the Magnolia).
Posted by Chris Vognar at 8:02 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Chris -- I'll agree with that. I especially liked Ferrell's line about how he's going to reread that script for that part for the man with no arms and legs who teaches gangbangers Hamlet.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:00 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Best Oscar musical number ever? Granted, the competition ain't stiff, but that was funny. It even nailed the difficulties of winning for a comedy. Now let's see how Little Miss Sunshine does...
Posted by Chris Vognar at 7:57 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Jack Black, John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell - the cure for the common musical number.
Posted by Holly Warren at 7:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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As if he's not funny already, that Welcome Back Kotter hair just seals the deal.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 7:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I agree, Holly. Ellen's very funny monologue makes up for her wearing those white shoes. What was she thinking. Cute suit though.
Posted by at 7:50 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The scientific and technical achievement lip service is always a bit awkward. "Hey, these folks are really imprortant, but they didn't make the actual awards show." Then again, if it makes the show shorter, I'm all for it.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 7:49 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Second favorite Ellen line: "It's not that we don't have time for long speeches. It's that we don't have time for boring speeches."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:47 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Funniest line from Ellen Degeneres' monologue: "If there were no blacks, Jews or gays, there would BE no Oscars. In fact, there'd be no on NAMED Oscar."
This came after mentioning Steve Carrell among the diverse faces in the crowd.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:45 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Oh, Ellen, it's a good thing you're funny. It's almost enough to detract attention from those shining white shoes under that red crushed velvet suit.
Posted by Holly Warren at 7:41 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Cool minimalist intro by the greatness of Errol Morris. It actually makes these people seem real, which is quite an accomplishment for the Oscars.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 7:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Before we see if any are made tonight, check out movie critic Chris Vognar's top five Oscar misses from the past.
Posted by Christy Robinson at 7:30 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Question: Has anyone ever seen Guillermo Del Toro and Michael Moore in the same room? Slap a Michigan State on Guillermo and he could be Michael for Halloween.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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So Martin Scorcese is no longer the best living director never to win a director's Oscar. It's funny now that's it's over how silly all the debate and speculation leading up to the awards seems -- hindsight's 20/20, but it's clear now that it was always and ever going to be Marty's night. It was impressive how the hall cheered for him, as if celebrating the righting of a long-standing wrong.
Posted by Tom Maurstad at 7:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Funny quote from Eddie Murphy on what his favorite Eddie Murphy film is: "I like 'em all. I even liked Pluto Nash."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:16 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If Jennifer Hudson wins best supporting actress, I sure hopes she takes off those silver wings before she gets onstage. That jacket is so not cute....
Posted by at 7:06 PM (E-mail this entry)
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This promises to be a -- hope, hope -- a wheels-off year for the Oscars, based on the outfits, some of which are garish misfires on par with the glory days of Cher and Bjork. Okay, no one has come in a swan (yet) but check out Jennifer Hudson with that shiny silver high-collared shrug thing she's wearing over her gown. It looks like she's starring in a big screen adaptation of Space: 1999. And then there is the usually flawless Nicole Kidman in a form-fitting red gown with some sort of big, bulbous knot/loopy swirl of fabric over one shoulder. It looks like her gown was designed by Dr. Seuss.
Posted by Tom Maurstad at 7:06 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If you're curious how long you're in for tonight, here's the rundown of the last few Oscar telecasts:
2006: 3 hours, 33 min.
2005: 3 hours, 14 min.
2004: 3 hours, 45 min.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:00 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Seacrest just called Ricky Gervais Ricky Jarvis. Nice.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 6:47 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Watching all the arrivals, the swirl of tuxedoes and gowns and diamonds and sunglasses that cost more than I make in a week, I am swept over by the elation at not being there. I was there last year (my third time in the last several years) and however glamorous it may look on TV, it is an exercise in tedium and frustration to be there on the edge of the red carpet, standing in the press bleachers, screaming for the stars to stop by and dispense some canned soundbite. The oscars are like Mardi Gras, once is fun, but once is also enough.
Posted by Tom Maurstad at 6:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If I hear one more gabby commentator gush about how gorgeous Helen Mirren looks "for her age" -- the platinum-haired fashion vulture on E noted that he loved the loop neckline of her gown, which is revealing but not too revealing, so that it's "appropriate for her age" -- I'm going to ... Helen Mirren is gorgeous, period -- no need for qualifiers.
Posted by Tom Maurstad at 6:25 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, Ryan Seacrest has already fired off the first dumb question on the red carpet. He thought it would be good to ask Babel star Gael Garcia Bernal what it was like to work with Brad Pitt. Gael's response: "I haven't met him." Had Ryan seen the movie, he'd know that Brad and Gael weren't in the movie together and shot their scenes on different continents.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 5:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If you're tuning in this early for Academy Awards coverage ... you're hard core. And probably the type who'll appreciate little nuggets like this:
I read an AP story that pointed out some symbolism about the key locations in Little Miss Sunshine that I hadn't caught. The disjointed family's journey begins from their home base in Albuquerque -- the place Bugs Bunny always wishes he would have taken that left turn in. The destination for their trip -- and the place where the family members eventually get it back together and turn their lives around -- is, appropriately, Redondo Beach (which could translate to "turn around" beach).
Coincidence?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 5:17 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 23, 2007
In case you were wondering who will be the people handing out the little gold guys on sunday, here's a list:
Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey, Jr., Greg Kinnear, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Ken Watanabe, Naomi Watts, Gael Garcia Bernal, Emily Blunt, Catherine Deneuve, former Vice President Al Gore, James McAvoy, Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Affleck, Jessica Biel, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Daniel Craig, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Eva Green, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Diane Keaton, Nicole Kidman, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Tobey Maguire, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, John Travolta, Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 22, 2007
Charles Barkley's analysis of The Departed on tonight's Mavs halftime show was genius. "I liked the Departed," said TNT's Round Mound of NBA Analyst, "Until at the end they just start killing people."
It's still my favorite movie of the year. But you know, he's pretty much right.
Barkley also said he liked the Devil Wears Prada better than The Departed. But we'll let him slide on that.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 10:48 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 21, 2007
It's no secret that critical opinion and Oscar glory don't get along too well. Now the folks at Rotten Tomatoes have come up with a way to measure the great divide.
Continue reading "Oscar Tomatoes"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:07 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 15, 2007
Gurinder Chadha, the proposed director of the big-screen Dallas, announced Thursday that she’s pregnant with twins, throwing the already delayed movie into further delay. “No film experience can compare with this (pregnancy),” Ms. Chadha, 47, told the Associated Press. “In fact, I’ve put my big project Dallas on hold until the babies come.” Here’s betting those tykes will be in high school before the movie actually gets made.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 3:31 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 13, 2007
Memphis denizen Craig Brewer made a big splash with Hustle and Flow, his debut film that reminded us how hard it is out there for a pimp. His follow-up, opening March 2, is called Black Snake Moan. It looks tawdry, and it kind of is - there's something queasy about Samuel L. Jackson's old bluesman chaining a barely clothed Christina Ricci to a radiator. But the film also marks an interesting transition through time for Brewer, from hip-hop to the blues. Hear Brewer talk about his two favorite musical forms here.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:25 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 9, 2007
I would have to go with Roy Orbison's In Dreams, as lip synched by Dean Stockwell in Blue Velvet. But then again, maybe I'm just a candy-colored clown. Heck, that movie could probably claim ownership rights to Pabst Blue Ribbon as well. But please, don't ask for a Heineken.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:15 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Interesting discussion on The Onion about songs that are essentially owned by movies because they are so strongly linked to certain scenes. Standouts on the list are "Stuck in Middle With You" in Reservoir Dogs, "Tiny Dancer" in Almost Famous and "The End" in Apocalypse Now. Might I also add the Dropkick Murphy's "Shipping Up to Boston" from The Departed and Urge Overkill's "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon" from Pulp Fiction to the list. Can't hear that song without picturing a coked-up Uma Thurman dancing in her living room, about 10 minutes away from getting a giant needle to jammed in her chest.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 4:01 PM (E-mail this entry)
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February 8, 2007
Billy Bob Thornton swung through Dallas Thursday to discuss his new movie, The Astronaut Farmer, which opens Feb. 23. It's a quirky family movie, directed by the Polish Brothers, about a guy who wants to launch a rocket from his Texas ranch.
But Billy Bob also took time to talk some NFL football: his fan allegiances, a surprise trip to the Super Bowl, and his ulterior motive for visiting Big D. Listen to him here. (That's his costar, Virginia Madsen, cracking up in the background).
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:22 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The South by Southwest Film Festival announced its complete lineup of features this week for the event, to be held March 9-17 in Austin.
Over the nine-day run, the festival will screen 110 features, including 61 world premieres, nine North American Premieres and seven U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, the festival will open with the world premiere of The Lookout, a crime drama starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Isla Fisher and Jeff Daniels.
Other films of note include:
n What Would Jesus Buy – The Mogan Spurlock-produced film looks at the commercialization of Christmas.
n Knocked Up – Director Judd Apatow follows up 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin with this story about a man (Seth Rogan) who impregnated his one night stand (Katherine Heigl).
n The Ten – Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba, Gretchen Mol and Famke Janssen provide comical new interpretations of The Ten Commandments in a series of vignettes.
For the complete lineup, go to sxsw.com
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:21 AM (E-mail this entry)
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January 31, 2007
The Sci Fi Channel - not just for BSG fans anymore. www.scifi.com is pretty furiously embracing the World Wide Web. It's newest toy? Sci Fi Drive-In, which offers full-length serials and movies from days gone by. So while your boss thinks you're working on your TPS reports, you can catch all 50 gloriously weird minutes of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or Metropolis or Le Voyage Dans La Lune (for you Smashing Pumpkins fans).
They aren't exactly Criterion quality, but its definitely worth a look for fans of (very) old Hollywood and the origins of cinematic science fiction.
Posted by Holly Warren at 3:25 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 30, 2007
A shameless plug for a fine Texas doc: Be Here to Love Me, the haunting documentary about the brilliant and self-destructive singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, plays at the AllGood Cafe Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. It's part of the Rock n Reel series put on by the AllGood and the Video Association of Dallas. The director is Austin's own Margaret Brown. $5 at the door; proceeds go to the VAD. And do try the meat loaf.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:30 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 23, 2007
Stephen, five down, but she's still young. Kate's just got to keep plugging at her plucky proletariats. Helen will run out of Queens sometime, especially with back to back Elizabeths this year alone.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:34 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Two other bits from today's nominations:
The Bad News Bears (1976) is turning into a real Oscar magnet. Walter Matheau had already won for 1967's The Fortune Cookie when he starred in Bears, and the same year he earned a nomination for The Sunshine Boys. Also starring in Bad News Bears was Tatum O'Neal, three years off of her win for Paper Moon at 10 years old. And now we have Jackie Earle Haley, the third member of the Bears up for an Oscar.
On another note, Kate Winslet seems well on her way to becoming a modern day Peter O'Toole. At 31, she's easily the youngest actress to have five nominations to her name. Unfortunately, she's also soon to be the youngest actress to have five losses to her name as she faces the beast that is Helen Mirren. Still, there are worse positions for an actor to be in.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 3:20 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Mario, he would be hands down the most gloriously unpredictable speech maker ever. Well, even having the camera pan to him should be fun. If we're lucky, maybe they'll let him hand out an award.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:17 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Mario, I'd love to see O'Toole win if only to hear his acceptance speech. He was on one of the late night talk shows recently, talking about Venus and he was so funny. He was going on at one point about the night he and Finchy (as he calls Peter Finch) were drinking in a bar and the bartender told them to go home and they didn't want to so they bought the bar. They were in a bit of a panic the next morning heading back to the bar to see if they could reclaim the checks they wrote for the place. It was cool, too, to catch a Peter O'Toole reference in a new children's book I was reading: Children of the Lamp. The kids and their uncle were riding in the sky in a whirlwind (as the djinn do in this book) and the uncle magically conjured up a screen to play what he called "the greatest movie ever made." It was Lawrence of Arabia of course.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 2:55 PM (E-mail this entry)
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On another note, it's a real pleasure to see three of the five Best Actress spots filled by older actresses like Judy Dench, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep. Granted none of them are romantic roles (which men continue to get long into their careers, Jack Nicholson anyone?). But I'm always happy to be reminded that older actresses can not only still find meaty roles, they can do it without resorting to plastic surgery (and sorry if I'm wrong, but these women look like the real thing to me).
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 2:07 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Chris, a very compelling case for The Departed! Still, haven't we seen that blurry line between officers and criminals before? L.A. Confidential? Prince of the City?Donnie Brasco? Is that concept really that fresh? Has Scorcese really done it so much better?
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 1:29 PM (E-mail this entry)
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A few predictable salvos in defense of The Departed, which I picked as the No. 1 movie of 2006:
I think it is very much about something. It's about loyalty, the thin line that often separates cops and criminals, tribal warfare, racism, men being men (at the expense of their women), and I could go on for a while. I'll take a visceral experience that explores these themes so confidently over yet another self-important message movie any day of the week.
The Departed is a grand narrative Hollywood movie with a bold and witty mean streak, made with the highest level of craft and a stable of great performances. I didn't care for Gangs of New York, and I thought The Aviator was OK. I didn't think Scorsese deserved an Oscar for either. This is his best movie since GoodFellas, which was arguably the best movie of the '90s. There's a reason why critics like Scorsese so much: when he's in full command of the material, as he is here, few filmmakers can touch his vision, energy, or mastery of the medium.
I liked Infernal Affairs; it's a solid Hong Kong crime movie with some finely executed ideas and a pair of dynamite performances. I just don't think its scale matches The Departed, which excels at making the original's themes and idioms its own. But even as I indulge in such comparisons, and we all do, I tend to find them irrelevant. Great movies need to stand on their own, regardless of what came first, or what comes next. I think this one passes that test.
As Meryl Streep said in The Devil Wears Prada: That's all.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:36 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Some movies you might be surprised to learn earned nominations today:
Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Click, Poseidon and The Black Dahlia. Of course, they were all in the categories that no one pays attention to, but an Oscar's an Oscar.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:28 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Mark Wahlberg's reaction to his nominations (courtesty of the AP):
“I wasn't expecting it at all. I can't believe it. I was sound asleep. My agent called and was screaming. I thought the house was on fire or something.”
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:37 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Tracy, I was thinking: Wouldn't it be cool if the Academy teamed up with the producers of the Annie Awards which are given for Animation? Then they could give out more subcategories like best voice over for animation (you're right, Julia Roberts was wonderful as Charlotte). They could run it a half hour earlier than the main show so the kids would have something fun to watch. OR they could host our KidsDay Movie Awards... (Not much for the kids in THIS main show, although I maintain that Little Miss Sunshine is the best R-rated family film I've ever seen...).
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 10:06 AM (E-mail this entry)
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As much as I liked Dreamgirls, I don't believie the movie got snubbed. Eddie was great; Jennifer was fantastic, and the singing was awesome, but I didn't come away feeling like I'd just seen the best movie of the year.
Posted by at 9:58 AM (E-mail this entry)
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O.K., here's a contrary entry that should get you guys hollering at me. I know everyone loves The Departed, especially because everyone wants Martin Scorcese to FINALLY take home that Oscar, but I'm sorry, I'll take a cliche-ridden movie like Blood Diamond or Pursuit of Happyness (another snub) that is ABOUT something over a movie that's just there to thrill. Yes, yes, yes, The Departed has great performances and deft storytelling twists and turns, but when the roller coaster ends, it is so over. It just didn't do it for me.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:57 AM (E-mail this entry)
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O.K., O.K. I know I'm asking for it, but...I don't get all this sturm and drang about Dreamgirls not getting nominated for Best Picture. Listen, I LOVE musicals. I enjoyed Dreamgirls. (Then again, the other night I had fun watching the film version of The Producers -- and that was a TERRIBLE adaptation.) But is everyone forgetting that nearly all the critics (all the ones I read anyway) trashed Dreamgirls? They all loved Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy, both of whom got nominations, but why does anyone expect the Academy to vote so differently from the critics?
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:49 AM (E-mail this entry)
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For anyone who cares (hi mom!) I went a respectable 26-for-30 on my nomination picks yesterday. That's good for 87 percent -- I'd take that if I were say, shooting free throws. The misses:
I had Dreamgirls for best pic, not Letters from Iwo Jima (though I'm happy to be wrong there)
I had the wrong Departed actor (Nicholson, not Wahlberg) and Brad Pitt instead of Jackie Earle Haley in the supporting actor field
And I had Bill Condon instead of Paul Greengrass for director.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:39 AM (E-mail this entry)
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How about United 93 and Blood Diamond? They didn't get much either. Did the Academy just forget about United 93 because it was released too soon? I was really wondering if Blood Diamond hit it big, how it would affect the glitter on the glitterati at the Oscar party...
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:28 AM (E-mail this entry)
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One animated gripe: WHEN are they going to start nominating best voice talent???? I would love to see Owen Wilson get a nod for this one -- and Savion Glover's feet!!!!
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:22 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Tom -- I agree that Little Miss Sunshine probably wasn't one of the five best movies this year. I think the thing that carried it into the field is the feel good factor. People like a movie they can rally around, and this seems to be it this year.
But I think the nomination is the reward here. Of the five in the category, this one will come in fifth in the voting I would guess (though those guys holding the brief cases at the Oscars will be the only ones who know for sure. And they ain't sayin'.)
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:21 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm fearing for a heavy boredom factor at the telecast next month. Deserving as they might be, Golden Globe winners Mirren, Whitaker, Murphy and Hudson seem like big faves for Oscars. At least it will give them a chance to polish those speeches.
Posted by Leslie Snyder at 9:19 AM (E-mail this entry)
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The issues tackled by the nominated documentary features include the war in Iraq (My Country, My Country and Iraq in Fragments), global warming (An Inconvenient Truth) and pedophile priests (Deliver Us from Evil). And to top it off, Jesus Camp has managed to reconfirm the beliefs of Evangelicals and non-Evangelicals alike.
Definitely not popcorn material, but fare that will get you thinking, if you're into that sort of thing.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:15 AM (E-mail this entry)
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While everybody is excited about the originality of Happy Feet and Monster House I still have amazing respect for what John Lasseter did with Cars -- a very personal movie for him, inspired by a cross country trip with his wife and his boys. And don't forget, Dallas' Owen Wilson stars as the flashy race car opposite Paul Newman as the old race car with a mysterious past. The casting and animation couldn't have been better, the voice talent is tremendous, the message touching -- it's about the journey and how you run the race, not who wins it. What Lasseter does with Pixar movies is so consistently good that I hope we don't take that high bar he sets for granted. I think Academy momentum may be tilting in favor of (the very worthy) Happy Feet, but a win sure would be a nice way for Lasseter to start off his new leadership role in Disney animation. Then again, if he DOESN'T win, he can always take the message of Cars to heart and take satisfaction in the journey...With Lasseter, even if he doesn't add another piece of glitter to his mantel this time, there will surely be many other opportunities down the line.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:12 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Another interesting aspect to the animated nominations is that two of the three (Happy Feet and Monster House) used motion capture animation -- filming the actors and animating them afterwards. A lot of people weren't sure what to make of it in The Polar Express (although I liked it, especially in IMAX 3D!). But with this big stamp of approval -- look for more motion capture to come. In any case, it's hard to see how director George Miller could have pulled off the dancing magic without filming Savion Glover tapping for our favorite penguin.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:05 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I wasn't surprised by the Cars or Happy Feet noms, but I thought that was very cool that Monster House made the top three! That's a big nomination for first time film director Gil Kenan fresh out of film school. And there's a Texas twang in the house, too, with Garland-born Mitchel Musso voicing the lead, DJ, in the story about a scary house that comes to life. Mitchel spends most of his time in L.A. these days, but he came back to Dallas recently to introduce Hannah Montana in the Radio Disney 10th Anniversary celebration (and to visit his grandmother for her birthday)...
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:00 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Ok, early-rising OTTers -- time to catch that DART train downtown to the office. I'll try and make sense of all of this on the way in.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:14 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Meant to note earlier: Seems like Salma Hayek violated the "no cheering in the pressbox" rule a few times. Everytime Pan's Labyrinth (from her native Mexico) grabbed a nomination, she made her happiness known. And when buddy Penelope Cruz landed her actress nomination, Salma was positively giddy! Oh well -- who knows what time she got up to read those names at 5:38 a.m. PST, I suppose I'll cut her some slack.
In a side note -- what's with those bangs all the sudden?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:10 AM (E-mail this entry)
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How could I forget Jack? There was a time earlier this fall when Nicholson was thought to be the frontrunner in the supporting actor field for his showy, scene-chewing role as an Irish mobster in The Departed. But the Academy has robbed us this year of one of the true joys of Oscar night -- seeing Jack in the front row, wondering what kind of mischief he's capable of.
He'll have to console himself by staring at the mantel at his three statuetes, wondering where it all went wrong...
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:04 AM (E-mail this entry)
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At least Dreamgirls can claim to be the leading nomination-getter with eight. I'll have to look up when the last time the nomination leader failed to grab a best-picture nom. Babel is hot on its tracks with seven, and you've got to think the best-picture race is a two-man race between it and The Departed at this point.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:00 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Besides the biggest one (Dreamgirls), two really jump out to me. One is the husband-and-wife directing team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris behind Little Miss Sunshine. They weren't considered heavy favorites to make it into the field, but when your film is nominated for best picture, you have to ask the question, "Um, who's the one who made that film?"
The other is Volver. Pedro Almodovar's dramedy from Spain was thought to be a lock for the foreign language category (along with nominee Pan's Labyrinth), and there was an outside chance he could have landed a directing nod. Instead, the only thing the film as to show for itself in the biggies is Penelope Cruz's actress nominations. Not that box office figures = nominations, but this is a film that's made more than $70 mil worldwide, including $7.5 million in the U.S. -- not a bad sum at all for a non-Hollywood made film.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:53 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Mark Wahlberg's inclusion in the supporting actor field was a welcome surprise (call him this year's William Hurt nominee). His role was largely a comedic one used to break up all the Departed tension, but you can argue he had the best lines in the movie.
Also, Paul Greengrass grabbing a directing nod for United 93 (likely edging out Bill Condon from Dreamgirls) is a nice tip of the cap to that film. He probably had one of the tougher jobs of any director this year, because if he didn't get that film exactly right (using nobody actors, btw) then he would have heard it from a load of people rightfully invested in that film. That we didn't hear those criticisms is a testament to the job he did.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:47 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, leave it to the Academy to throw us at least a few curveballs. And if you're a producer of Dreamgirls, you probably feel like you just got popped by a fastball in the mouth.
Dreamgirls' omission from the best-picture race is easily the biggest surprise of the morning -- the Golden Globe winner for best picture (comedy of musical) was thought to maybe even be a front-runner for the best picture prize. But Letters from Iwo Jima seems to have bumped it from the field, which includes The Departed, Babel, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:43 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Good morning, all. In just a few minutes, Salma and Sid should be headed up to the podium. As soon as they're done, it'll be go time for us.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:34 AM (E-mail this entry)
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January 22, 2007
This time tomorrow, the wait will be over and we'll know the five names in each of the Oscar categories. By why wait until tomorrow when we can speculate today? So for what they are worth, here are my picks for the major categories. I'll be sure to log on tomorrow to calculate my batting average:
Continue reading "Oscar noms"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:36 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 16, 2007
In honor of Sacha Baron Cohen's best actor, comedy win last night at the Golden Globes, enjoy this 30-second re-enactment of Borat, as performed by cartoon bunnies.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:22 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 15, 2007
Another round of applause for our Shopping Blog. If you missed them in action Monday night, click here for the last word on all that sparkled at the Golden Golbes.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:13 PM (E-mail this entry)
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And the Governator wraps up the night by awarding Babel best picture - drama.
But the real news here is that Becker ends the night at a ridiculous 6-for-6. I feel like I really should make an acceptance speech here. I mean, really, when else do you see this kind of perfection? But -- I will follow my own "end-zone celebration" rule of speech-making spelled out a few hours ago and just say, "I'd like to thank my agent and my lawyer. Good night."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:01 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Forest Whitaker takes the award for best actor, drama for The Last King of Scotland. In other news, that pushes Becker to a stunning 5-for-5, with one biggie left.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:53 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Dreamgirls takes the best comedy or musical award, and Becker remains on fire, 3-for-3. I should take this act to the sports books...
Now comes the tough ones -- the drama categories.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:37 PM (E-mail this entry)
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And Becker goes 2-for-2 with Sacha Baron Cohen's win for best actor, comedy.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:28 PM (E-mail this entry)
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And Becker goes 2-for-2 with Sacha Baron Cohen's win for best actor, comedy.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:28 PM (E-mail this entry)
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America Ferrera's heartfelt, if rambling, acceptance speech for best actress in a comedy violated what I like to call the "end-zone celebration" rule. Which is to say, I view long, rambling acceptance speeches like I do long, rambling end-zone celebrations. Award winners and touchdown scorerers should act like they've been at the podium or in the end zone before.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:52 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, it's about time that woman won something! And she finally did, with the best actress in a musical or comedy.
In other news -- Becker and Vognar each 1-for-1 on the major awards.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:47 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Raise your hand if you've seen one episode of The Closer.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:17 PM (E-mail this entry)
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No problem with that selection (though you can argue her character was the leading role in the film. But that's not her fault). She pretty much blew away the rest of the cast in that one.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 7:06 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Now's your chance to get those picks on record. I'll go with:
DRAMA
Movie: Babel*
Actress: Helen Mirren
Actor: Forest Whitaker
COMEDY or DRAMA
Movie: Dreamgirls
Actress: Meryl Streep
Actor: Sasha Baron Cohen
*I hated this movie. But it takes place all over the world, and this is the Hollywood Foreign Press voting...
Posted by Stephen Becker at 6:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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It appears that they have left their budding United Nations reps at home.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 6:33 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Mark Wahlberg's arrival reminds me of the best line from The Departed, when he responds to a guy's, "Who are you???" with, "I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy."
genius.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 6:26 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Is Jessica Biel the first celeb ever to mention "volleyball" as part of her fitness routine?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 6:02 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm pretty sure Penelope Cruz could take down Seacrest with one hand tied behind her back.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 5:50 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I find it kind of interesting that David Spade, who could be argued isn't really on television or in movies either, is taking shots at those who aren't. I'm just saying. (And yes, I know he's on a show that premieres in a few weeks. My advice: watch it now before the plug is pulled).
Posted by Stephen Becker at 5:44 PM (E-mail this entry)
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We've got the GuideLive crew in tonight monitoring the Golden Globes, which commence in T-minus 93 minutes. Check in with us all night to help find order in the GG universe. And if you are looking for commentary on what the stars are wearing, head on over to our sister blog here.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 5:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 10, 2007
Wanna find out how the Nazis pilfered some of the world's most treasured art during World War II, and how it was recovered? Well, unless you have a ticket to Thursday night's screening of The Rape of Europa at the Dallas Museum of Art, you'll have to wait, 'cause it's sold out. Co-produced by Dallas' own Robert Edsel, the film starts at 6 p.m. in the Horchow Auditorium. The good news: plans are in the works to show the film again in Dallas at a later date.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:03 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 9, 2007
The biggest Studio Movie Grill to date is set for a Jan. 15 opening in Arlington. Measuring in at 40,000 square feet, the fourth SMG location in Texas will occupy the new Arlington Highlands Shopping Center, which is supposed to be the largest non-mall retail shopping center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area once it's completed. Because nothing says "movies" like a massive Bed Bath & Beyond.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:20 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 8, 2007
Next week's big horror-fest, The Hitcher, has a unique tie-in going. Slasher fans can go to www.neverpickupstrangers.com to enter the “Win a Chance to Get Killed on Film” sweepstakes. Yep -- it's just what it sounds like. If you win, you can get hacked to tiny bits in an upcoming Rogue Pictures film. All of those drama classes will have finally paid off.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:09 PM (E-mail this entry)
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January 3, 2007
South By Southwest announced today that it will open the film portion of the festival with the world premiere of The Lookout. The film is written and directed by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight) and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a small-town athlete who becomes the unlikely addition to a bank heist. Isla Fisher and Jeff Daniels also star. The premiere will be Friday, March 10 at the Paramount Theater. The full schedule of feature films will be announced Feb. 6.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:31 AM (E-mail this entry)
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January 2, 2007
If you want to watch a great American movie and munch on a hearty meal, get thee to the AllGood Cafe this Wednesday at 9 p.m. The Video Association of Dallas and the AllGood will kick off their weekly Rock N Reel series with a screening of Nashville, the late Robert Altman's epic 1975 tapestry of lost souls in the country music capital of America. Recommended donation is $5, which goes to the VAD and local radio stalwart KNON-FM. If you're lucky, AllGood honcho Mike Snider might even bend your ear with news of the latest Americana acts he's bringing to town.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 11:54 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Chris -- I totally agree with you about Army of Shadows. The point of top 10 lists is to show what 2006 was all about in movies -- what were we interested in this year, what were the trends, etc. Army of Shadows may be a great movie, but I don't think it says much about the culture in 2006. And when people look back at the top 10 lists from this year and see it on there, it will really be more confusing than revealing.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:53 AM (E-mail this entry)
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The bulk of the movie top ten lists are in (here's ours in case you missed it), so it's time to pick a bone. List after list includes Army of Shadows, Jean-Pierre Melville's superb French Resistance thriller...from 1969. The thinking goes like this: It was made in '69, but hey, it didn't get released here until 2006. So it's a 2006 movie, right?
To which we say: If you really can't find ten great movies from 2006, you aren't looking very hard. Either that or you're a little too eager to show readers how sophisticated you are.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 10:52 AM (E-mail this entry)
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December 26, 2006
You probably won't hear their names called on Oscar night. If you did, you wouldn't even know most of them. But we're still gonna show 'em some love. Here are some of the countless actors who did memorable work under the radar in 2006.
Continue reading "Movie Role Call: 2006"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:58 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 20, 2006
Wanna get your film shown at the AFI-Dallas International Film Festival? First you have to submit it. The festival is now accepting submissions to inaugural run, scheduled for March 22-April 1. Get all the info at www.afidallas.com.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 6:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 19, 2006
Sylvester Stallone is 60 now, but that didn't stop him from entering the ring (for one last time?) in Rocky Balboa. In fact, he sees the new movie, which he also directed, as an ode to aging boomers and empty nesters everywhere.
Continue reading "Rocky road to old age"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 6:07 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 18, 2006
The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association has selected United 93 as the best film of 2006. The 9/11 drama was also tabbed by the New York Film Critics Circle as the year's best, and it's considered a strong contender for a best-picture Oscar nod.
The rest of the local critics' top ten:
2. The Departed
3. Little Miss Sunshine
4. The Queen
5. Babel
6. Letters From Iwo Jima
7. Dreamgirls
8. Blood Diamond
9. Little Children
10.Flags of Our Fathers
The group chose Forest Whitaker as best actor for The Last King of Scotland, and Helen Mirren as best actress for The Queen. Martin Scorsese was named best director for The Departed.
The Dallas Morning News critics do not participate in critics' group voting.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:39 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 13, 2006
If the blood, guts and brains of Apocalypto left you hankering for further knowledge of Mayan culture, here's an opportunity for you. SMU anthropology professor David Freidel will lead a panel discussion entitled Apocalypto: Mayan Fact or Fiction? Thursday night at the Dallas Angelika. Movie at 7, discussion immediately after.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:00 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 8, 2006
Apropos of absolutely nothing but mind wandering, I keep thinking about the fact that Mel Gibson (of Passion of the Christ) and The Nativity are out in the theaters at the same time. What if Mel had done The Nativity instead of Apocalypto? Would we have had gruesome close-ups of Herod's guys killing babies? Would that have helped the box office? Did The Nativity lose out for being sweet, non-controversial and performed in English?
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If watching ancient Maya lop each others' heads off doesn't sound appealing to you, this past Tuesday was a big DVD release day if you'd rather stay in. Among the choices that may or may not still be on the shelf at Blockbuster by the time you leave work:
Idlewild (the OutKast musical)
Miami Vice (with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs, respectively)
and
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (I'm pretty sure you already saw that one)
If you're shopping for keeps, you might consider:
Saturday Night Live: Season 1
A new collector's edition of Rocky (whatever that means)
New sets of Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain
or
The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (which includes Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It Happened One Night, You Can't Take it With You, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and American Madness).
I'm just saying, you have options.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:55 AM (E-mail this entry)
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It may be a decent-to-good movie, but I have yet to hear from anyone headed out to see Apocalytpo this weekend. Maybe it's the constant blood spurting? Maybe it's the foreign language factor? Or maybe it's Mel. But I'm really wondering if anyone is going to go see this movie, which is opening on 2,500 screens. I'm not necessarily predicting it will be a flop. But let's just say that we found out Sunday that it only did like $5 million and finished in the bottom half of the top 10. At that point, wouldn't we all think, "Hmm, foreign-language film about a culture few people know about by a director no one seems to like anymore...sounds about right?"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:31 AM (E-mail this entry)
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December 7, 2006
Just got a full-color book in the mail talking about The Golden Compass and how great it is. And then I thought, "How could I not have heard of this film that's starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig???" So I looked it up on the Web and learned that it doesn't open until Dec. 2007. So I'd say we've got some eager beavers on our hands with this one.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:52 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 4, 2006
Lawson, you're totally right. That's what usually happens. I just wish it wouldn't and I'm glad that in this case the actress' personal life didn't become the story. Of course Keisha is nowhere near the star that Ingrid Bergman was, so that may in part account for the lack of attention to her pregnancy. And so far the movie -- which I liked a lot -- hasn't exactly set the box office on fire so maybe not too many people at this point care one way or the other.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:19 PM (E-mail this entry)
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December 1, 2006
FMMB: Stephen, I'm glad that not too many people are talking about Keisha Castle-Hughes and her pregnancy. Personally I get really tired of all the gossip about actors -- it's nice when people just focus on the film. Maybe it would be different if she were one of those big stars with her picture (and pregnancy) slathered all over People magazine. Most of the performers in the film are not "name" actors (despite a couple of Academy Award nominations in the cast). And I think that helps them blend into their roles better. Keisha Castle-Hughes is very good in the part. And it's not as if she's committed a crime. I think it's great that people aren't jumping all over her for not being Mary in real life.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 11:12 PM (E-mail this entry)
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One interesting storyline that has not received much play is that of the movie's star, Keisha Castle-Hughes. The 16-year-old announced this fall that she is pregnant with the child of her 19-year-old BF. Of course that happens all the time, but it doesn't happen very often to people portraying the Virgin Mary on film. With that bit of personal news out in the open, it's not surprising that we haven't seen Keisha at the movie's U.S. premiere or at the much ballyhooed premiere held at the Vatican (I would imagine she and the pope would have lots to talk about). Looks like someone involved with the movie is doing their best to keep her out of the publicity opportunities leading up to the movie. If she's not available to be interviewed, etc., it was probably reasoned that that storyline would die. And, in effect, it appears that it has.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:45 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Every Friday in December has something interesting to offer, beginning today with The Nativity Story. Our own Nancy Churnin gave it an A- today, and I think this one has the potential to be box-office gold. The way I look at it is: The Passion of the Christ was the last real wide-release movie about Jesus, and that cashed in to the tune of $370 million. And just think -- that was rated R, keeping a lot of kids away. Nativity is rated PG, and if all those adults who went to Passion now go see this film with kids in tow, we could have a juggernaut on our hands.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:35 AM (E-mail this entry)
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November 21, 2006
A 7-foot-tall Darth Vader and more than a dozen Storm Troopers will march through the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History at 4 p.m. Friday to the tune of "The Imperial March" (that's the theme that plays whenever Darth Vader appears). Part of the museum's Free Family Fridays event, the appearance is an early promotion of the exhibit, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, which opens next summer.
Posted by Shannon Sutlief at 5:45 PM (E-mail this entry)
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November 17, 2006
Picture this: Bond walks in from the side of the screen, pivots on a dime and fires that iconic shot toward the audience. And the first thing you hear after the pistol is fired is "Duh-duh, duh, duh, duh -- dat dat! Green Acres is the place to be..."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:47 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I actually prefer the Green Acres theme to either Bond or MI. But if forced to pick, I'd go with Bond. For the past few days, I've had Bond running through my head, set to the image of someone - me, perhaps? - leaping from a massive explosion. This might have more to do with my desire to leap from a massive explosion than anything else, but hey, there you have it.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 10:40 AM (E-mail this entry)
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A note to anyone headed out to Casino Royale expecting the usual silly one-liners and double entendres they've come to expect during the Pierce Brosnan years: those days are gone.
Daniel Craig's Bond doesn't joke around the way Brosnan did. Where Brosnan seemed like he didn't have a care in the world, Craig acts like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Will audiences like the change? My guess is that this Bond will have a little less mass appeal. But the hard-core Bond fan might enjoy the change.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:40 AM (E-mail this entry)
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The release of Casino Royale has had me wondering this week: Who has the better theme, the James Bond series or Mission: Impossible?
I think the Bond theme is more 60s cool, befitting of a man in a tux. But the M:I theme doesn't seem the least bit dated to me, and I think does a really good job of clueing in the viewer that something exciting is about to happen.
I love them both, but if forced to pick, i'd take the M:I theme.
Am I wrong?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:34 AM (E-mail this entry)
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November 16, 2006
Richard Linklater's adaptation of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation opens Friday, and it's not likely to make you hungry. But for Linklater, the fast food biz isn't just about calories and grease. It's also a matter of cold, hard cash.
"There's a lot of money to be made off a lot of us eating really unhealhty stuff, and then there's of money to be made when they hand you off to the medical-industrial complex to have your symptoms treated," the Austin filmmaker said during a recent a stop in Dallas. "The new form of civil disobedience is to actually be healthy."
So does he think health is a class issue? As sure as a Big Mac has two patties.
"Oh, it's a huge class thing," he says. "If you've got money, you're pretty healthy. Your kid's chubbing out? Send him to a nutritionist. Go to a public school in the lowest income neighborhood, and you'll see little chldren who are very obese. Go to the private school in the best neighborhood and you won't see that kind of obesity."
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:18 PM (E-mail this entry)
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November 13, 2006
The recent reports of impending doom for the Dallas movie - cast jumping ship, new, unimpressive script, vacillation between comedy and drama - indicates a production in turmoil. It also means the end-of-October deadline for the city to raise cash and resources to shoot locally has been extended indefinitely. It seems Dallas isn't ready to start shooting anywhere in the near future. So technically, that means if and when it does get underway, it could still happen here. Dallas Film Commission head Janis Burklund said Monday she thinks the film will still be made, and that Dallas, the city still has a good shot at landing Dallas, the movie.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:36 PM (E-mail this entry)
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November 10, 2006
The esteeemd Swami is on the money picking Borat for another big weekend. That's a huge expansion in screen numbers: from 837 to 2,566. Smart distribution strategy by Fox: Build the buzz, expand the market, and watch the cash role in. It's worked for smaller "word of mouth" type films for years.
As for the frat boys suing: I feel bad for a number of people in that film. Those guys are not among them. Sorry, when you start calling for a return to slavery and express your disrespect for women like that, all sympathy goes out the window. I wish them very little great success.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Dallas' Norah Jones is headed to the big screen, and unlike other singers from North Texas (Jessica, Kelly) she's going meaty from the outset. The Hollywood Reporter reports that she will star in My Blueberry nights, the first English language film from Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai. Mr. Wong's latest big skin on the wall is serving as president of the jury for the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival.
Blueberry will star Norah as a woman on a road trip searching for love. Along the way she meets some kookie characters, played by big-timers Jude Law, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz, Tim Roth and Natalie Portman.
Sounds like a good start for Ms. Jones.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:17 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm very curious to see how Stranger than Fiction does at the box office this weekend. It's opening on 2,500 screens, and it's received positive reviews (Our own Chris Vognar gave it an A-). And, it's got Will Ferrell, who is normally box office gold. But this isn't the typical Will Ferrell movie, and I wonder if his frat-humor fans are going to make it out to this one. My prediction: This one might not have a big opening weekend, but if word-of-mouth is strong like I think it will be, it could be a slow grower that does well in the end. That is if it doesn't get swallowed up by the upcoming landslide of big releases.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:59 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Could the producers of Shut Up & Sing, the new Dixie Chicks movie, have picked a better release date than today? The first weekend after the Democrats retake both houses of Congress, a movie is released in which the main focus is more presidential bashing. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those Democrat voters headed out to a celebratory screening of Shut Up this weekend.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:22 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, you knew it was bound to happen, and today it finally has: Someone featured in Borat has sued the movie. The first to act: those moron frat boys who pick Borat up on their bus and proceed utter a litany of racist and sexist remarks with their new Kazakh friend. The lawsuit states that the guys, “engaged in behavior that they otherwise would not have engaged in.”
Otherwise would not have engaged in if what? If they would have known that everyone in America could see what idiots they are? You can argue that some of Borat's schemes border on entrapment. But at some point, don't you have to take responsibility for your own actions?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:13 AM (E-mail this entry)
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November 9, 2006
Voiceover narration is usually a sign of desperation for a movie, a narrative band-aid applied to mask holes in a script. But in Stranger Than Fiction, opening Friday, the voiceover is both a crucial plot element and a character of sorts. It got us to thinking (always a dangerous activity): what other movies have benefited from the voiceover gambit? Two nominees for your consideration:
Continue reading "Hearing voices"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 11:42 AM (E-mail this entry)
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November 6, 2006
So what's happening with Tim Allen? The Home Improvement turned Buzz Lightyear movie star has opened in two consecutive movies not screened for critics: Zoom and Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. The main reason movies are not screened for critics is because they're terrible and the studios know they're going to get bad reviews which will only hurt them. Predictably, Zoom zoomed downwards, but Santa Clause did open at No. 2, behind Borat. I have to admit that I haven't seen #3 yet, but my younger boys made me promise to take them this weekend. So is the studio right?IsTim Allen in a fat suit critic proof? I'll let you know after I see it.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 12:25 PM (E-mail this entry)
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It's been reported that a record of 16 full-length animated films will compete for the nomination for Best Animated Film at the upcoming Academy Awards. That means that for the first time, the Academy could nominate as many as five on Jan. 23. If they go for five, the most deserving are: Cars (the front runner in every sense of the word), Flushed Away (the Academy loves Aardman and justifiably so), Over the Hedge, Open Season, The Ant Bully (worthwhile despite lackluster box office)
If they stick with the short (three nominee list), I would go with: Cars, Flushed Away and a Film To Be Named Later, after the movies from my Wild Card list are released.
Wild cards: The still to be released Arthur and the Invisibles and Happy Feet (sounds silly, but it's all about penguins and it is written and directed by George Miller who wrote and produced the beloved Babe and wrote, produced and directed Babe: Pig in the City).
Maybe: Everyone's Hero, Barnyard, Monster House, Curious George, Ice Age: The Meltdown (yes, I know it crushed The Ant Bully at the box office, but I still liked The Ant Bully better.)
And no way, no how: The Wild . Disney actually deserves to lose points for this one.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 11:59 AM (E-mail this entry)
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November 3, 2006
If you can't wait for Richard Linklater's film version of Fast Food Nation to open Nov. 17, you can can get a little cartoon fix now. Sustainable Table and Participant Productions (FFN's distributor) have teamed up to bring you The Meatrix II1/2, an amusing and appropriately gross movie tie-in featuring farm animals doing the Matrix thing in a meat factory (not to be confused with a meet market). As the title indicates, it's part of an ongoing series designed to get you off the cow chow.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:39 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Morgan Fairchild, step up to the podium. The Dallas native and star of such movies as Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge is among the honorees this Sunday night at Women in Films Dallas' annual Topaz Awards at the Dallas Museum of Art's Horchow Theatre. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for a Cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres. The awards presentation will begin at 8:00 p.m. Scholarship Awards will also be presented. For ticket infomation, visit WIF Dallas Website at www.wifdallas.org.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:15 PM (E-mail this entry)
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November 2, 2006
Dallas is among the cities punk'd by Borat, the Kazakhstan journalist played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the mockumentary opening Friday. Borat swings into the Adolphus, where he spits some hip-hop lingo and antagonizes the hotel's PR director, David Davis, and he stops by a yard sale, which he pretends to mistake for a gypsy encampment. To his credit, Mr. Davis, who politely refused to comment on his role, comes off better than most of the other real people ensnared in Borat's web.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:45 PM (E-mail this entry)
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October 27, 2006
Okay, I don't expect this one to gather too much notice, but I really recommend Driving Lessons. Rupert Grint, better known as Harry's best bud Ron, stars, and but while he's surprisingly affecting, that's not the main draw. It's just one of those touching coming of age films inspired by writer/director Jeremy Brock's own experiences. (Brock, by the way, wrote the screenplay for The Last King of Scotland.) , which is just a wee bit different in tone. Julie Walters is great and who knew Laura Linney could play British so well? Linney's mom rivals Mary Tyler Moore's in Ordinary People. Actually, I'd like to see this one in a double bill with Ordinary People , although that could be a rather depressing evening!
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 9:09 AM (E-mail this entry)
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October 26, 2006
Augusten Burroughs knows from memoir troubles. The Turcotte family, on which he based the crazy Finch clan in Running With Scissors , recently settled its lawsuit with Fox, the company that releases the film version on Friday. The family claimed its fictional identity was too thinly disguised. The Turcottes are still suing Burroughsand his publisher, St. Martins.
Continue reading "Memoir ethics"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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October 19, 2006
The Prestige and The Illusionist have made it a banner season for magic in the movies. They've also pulled some classic tricks out of their hats, stuff that was popular near the turn of the century, when the movies take place. Don't try these at home (especially not the first one).
Continue reading "Magical lineage"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:51 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Clint Eastwood is famous for being an actors' director who gives his cast room to explore and create. He's not a micro manager. Adam Beach, who stars in Clint's new movie Flags of Our Fathers, explains how the former Dirty Harry gets the most with a soft touch.
Continue reading "Go ahead. Make his day."
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:44 PM (E-mail this entry)
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October 6, 2006
Stephen, I know it's not animated -- except for the spider -- but before you give up on this year's kiddie films, keep an open mind for Charlotte's Web. It's not a new story, but it's a classic for a reason. The cast looks amazing, too.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 7:10 PM (E-mail this entry)
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this item, from the AP, needs no commentary:
NEW YORK — Keisha Castle-Hughes is growing up fast.
The 16-year-old actress, who was nominated for a best-actress Oscar for her role in 2002’s Whale Rider, is expecting a baby in the spring, the agency that represents her confirmed Friday.
The father is her boyfriend of three years, Bradley Hull, 19.
Ms. Castle-Hughes, who was born in Australia, played the Queen of Naboo in last year’s Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. She will be seen next as Mary in The Nativity Story, set for release Dec. 1.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 5:34 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Jumping in to the conversation here: I have yet to see Hollywoodland, but I'll admit I'm happy to hear that Affleck has finally remembered that he's an actor, rather than just a celebrity. I liked Damon and Affleck when GWH came out, but I got sick of them pretty quick (Zach Braff currently earns my "I'm-so-indie-it-hurts" enmity). But Matt Damon really earned back my love and respect, taking on good roles and acting the heck out of them. His buddy Ben, on the other hand, seemed much more interested in just being Mr. Hollywood. I'd like to see him actually earn some of that celebrity he fights so hard to have.
Translation: Matt Damon gets my $8.75 this weekend. Ben Affleck gets knocked down on my contempt scale.
Posted by Holly Warren at 4:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Nancy -- I will preface this by saying I haven't seen Open Season, but part of the reason I haven't seen it is because I FEEL like I already have. I am just looking forward to an animated movie that even attempts the highs that The Incredibles and Wallace and Grommit hit. And I don't think it's coming this year.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 3:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Chris -- I agree with you, especially on Affleck. I think he was the perfect choice for that part, because in a nutshell, he IS George Reeves (minus all the death and all). It wasn't much of a stretch for him to play an actor who thinks he's hot stuff but is forced to take on smaller projects. And I always felt like he was winking at the audience just a bit when he was onscreen. That guy has had one of the most interesting career arcs. He went from being Mr. Indie -- couldn't have any more cred than he had -- to being Mr. Sellout and the butt of everyone's jokes. Now it appears he's righting the ship again.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 3:21 PM (E-mail this entry)
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So what does everyone think about Open Season opening at #1? I have to say that after watching so many animated animal buddy flicks get shot down at the box office, I was more than a tad surprised. But my kids weren't. They LOVED it and took me to task severely for giving it a B. (They don't buy the "but B is good!" premise, either).
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 2:53 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won a screenwriting Oscar in 1997 for Good Will Hunting, then became a sort of pop culture punchline. Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers even wrote a stage comedy about the buddy duo, in which their Oscar-winning screenplay falls into their laps from the sky. The Bennifer fiasco didn't help matters. Nor did Gigli.
But both actors have given the performances of their careers in the last month. And it might be "last laugh" time.
Continue reading "Matt and Ben's revenge"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:29 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Too bad the Bush Library isn't built yet. They could show Al Gore's movie there as an irony. Anyway, Southern Methodist University will present the Issues of Global Importance Film Festival at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Oct.12-13. Thursday’s film will be Al Gore’s production about global warming An Inconvenient Truth. And on Friday, catch Invisible Children (produced by Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole) about child soldiers in Uganda. Admission is free at Dallas Hall McCord auditorium (3rd floor), 3225 University Blvd. 214-768-4397.
Posted by Nancy Moore at 1:55 PM (E-mail this entry)
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If anyone doubts that there is an audience for Christian-themed movies, check out the comments section for last week's Facing the Giants. Just click here and click on the Everyone's a critic link. I can't remember the last time we got that many comments on a movie. This week there is another entry into the Christian-movie fold, Love's Abiding Joy. Sounds like a real stinker, and that is too bad. This section of the moviegoing public is huge, and it's been underserved for a while. Fox's new Fox Faith division aims to fix that, but it doesn't sound like it got off to a good start with Joy.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:58 AM (E-mail this entry)
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The Departed, as I'm sure you've already heard, showcases an embarrasment of riches when it comes to its male stars. Nicholson, Damon, DiCaprio, Sheen, Baldwin -- all heavyweights in their own right. But Mark Wahlberg threatens to steal the show every time he's on screen. And as a cop with a type A personality looking to pick a fight at any moment, he delivers maybe the best line in the movie. When a lower-level cop from another department asks him who he is, he zings back, "I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy."
Look for that one to be repeated around the office next week.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:47 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, after a couple of misses, we finally have a fall hit with The Departed. The highly anticipated Black Dahlia and All the King's Men before it failed to get the fall movie season off to a good start. But Martin Scorsese's tail of rats hunting rats in the Boston police department and Irish mob delivers the goods. It's nice to see Scorsese back to doing what he does best.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 8:42 AM (E-mail this entry)
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October 5, 2006
Two other expertly used songs in The Departed: The Allman Brothers "One Way Out," with its propulsive slide guitar riff guiding a beer mug upside a hood's head; and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" performed by Roger Waters, Van Morrison, and The Band. Scorsese matches music to action like no other filmmaker (Tarantino isn't bad either). Although Marty repeats himself sometimes: The underrated Casino also features "Gimme Shelter."
He definitely digs the Stones' catalogue. De Niro struts onto the screen in Mean Streets to "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "Monkey Man" is among the songs that fuel Ray Liotta's coke fiend freakout in GoodFellas.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 2:43 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Well, one more day until 'The Departed' is here. I was lucky enough to see it on Monday, and one thing I can tell you is that you will have two songs stuck in your head for the next week after seeing it. In fact, I think Scorsese only uses these two songs, which actually works brilliantly as a shorthand for the audience. One is "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," by the Dropkick Murphys. That pretty much plays during all the big action, and you'll be tapping out the percussion part on your keyboard the next day. You can download it on iTunes. The other is "Gimmie Shelter," which I know you already have on about five different CDs. It made me pull out the ol' Hot Rocks double disc this morning. Please don't throw sticks at me for not owning Let it Bleed.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:27 AM (E-mail this entry)
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October 4, 2006
Have you ever noticed the similarities between X-Men: The Last Stand and the Harry Potter franchise? The good mutants vs. bad mutants parallels the good wizards vs. bad wizards and notice how the good mutants like the good wizards protect ordinary people, while the bad mutants and bad wizards want the ordinary people dead? In the last movie, like the last Harry Potter book, you even have the death of the wise father figure. Hmm, I've either identified the grand mythological hero journey that both these tales draw their inspiration from or I'm revealing my desperation for a Harry fix in between the books. Hurry up, J.K. -- we want to know where those horcruxes are!
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Two notes on upcoming local film happenings:
Channel 8 Movie Critic Gary Cogill is once again calling for entries for his “3 Minute Movie” contest. Mr. Cogill and a panel of movie experts will pick the three finalists, which will air on Good Morning Texas in late October. To enter, go to www.wfaa.com/garycogill.
and
Women in Film.Dallas will present its 5th Annual Chick Flicks festival of short films tonight at 7 p.m. at the Dallas Angelika. Following the screening, those in attendance will award the Audience Choice Award; a Special Jury Award and a Student Filmmaker Award will also be handed out. Proceeds benefit the Women in Film.Dallas scholarship fund. For more information, go to www.wifdallas.org.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:53 AM (E-mail this entry)
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September 30, 2006
If you rushed out to see The U.S. vs. John Lennon, you’ll probably want to keep your eyes peeled for Read the Beatles, due out in late October from Penguin. Among the tidbits therein: a young Gloria Steinem’s 1964 interview with John Lennon and Philip Glass’ obituary for George Harrison.
Continue reading "Hey, Beatlemaniacs"
Posted by Michael Merschel at 12:48 PM (E-mail this entry)
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September 29, 2006
How badly does Ryan Kegley want to attend film school? He's auctioning off a supporting role in his hypothetical first feature to someone willing to pony up 60 large for his tuition. Ah, the wonders of eBay. Who knows? Maybe the kid's gonna be the next Spielberg. Or not.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:53 PM (E-mail this entry)
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D.O.A.P., the dopey acronym name for the faux-documentary Death of a President, is actually gonna make it to U.S. theaters. The British film, which mixes doc footage and dramatic speculation to imagine President Bush's assassination and the ugly aftermath, caused a Stateside ruckus when it showed at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. It is set for U.S. release Oct. 27, courtesy of Bob Berney's former outfit, Newmarket. Here's hoping they change the name.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 1:42 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I know we're supposed to be focusing on this week's movies, but I just can't help looking ahead to next week's The Departed. How can you go wrong with Martin Scorsese getting back to his gangster roots after a brief hiatus for The Aviator. And while this year's other all-star cast crashed and burned in All the King's Men, I have more faith in Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. If you're looking forward to it too, I highly recommend you check out Infernal Affairs, the 2002 Hong Kong movie that Departed is adapted from. I only watched it by chance because it played at last year's Asian Film Festival, and it was maybe the best movie I saw last year. Last I checked, Blockbuster even carries it, so I say get over to one this weekend before they are all checked out and get a leg up on next week's Big Movie.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:34 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Another Friday, another animated movie with silly animals. This week's edition is Open Season, which follows Over the Hedge, Barnyard, The Wild and others this year with the same, tired formula. They are all some variation on the "head out into the big, big world and spread your wings" story, and I have to think kids, even with their 5-year-old brains, have even got to be getting tired of it. Last year we got the great Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The year before that was the incredible The Incredibles. Time's running out for this year's great animated feature. Still left on the schedule are Flushed Away, about a rat who has to (wait for it...) learn a new way of life and Happy Feet, aka, the animated March of the Penguins.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:21 AM (E-mail this entry)
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September 22, 2006
So now, you may be asking yourself, "If the movies I thought I wanted to see aren't worth seeing, what should I see instead?" Well, glad you asked. If you don't mind reading a few subtitles, the Vistas Film Festival has got you covered this weekend. Head out to the Dallas Angelika to catch Inconscientes at 7:45 tonight. It's about a woman trying to figure out why her psychiatrist husband has abruptly dumped her. As she searches for him, she learns a lot not only about him but about others close to her. A reviewer with impeccable taste reviewed it here. And as long as you're at the Angelika, you may as well stay for the 10 p.m. showing of Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education, part of the monthlong "Viva Pedro" series. Gael Garcia Bernal makes a pretty drag queen.
See -- I told you there was still plenty to see. And that's just tonight.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:32 AM (E-mail this entry)
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For the second week in a row, it appears we have a star-studded stinker on our hands. Last week big names like Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank and Josh Hartnett had pulses pounding for The Black Dahlia. As of last Friday, it was the most disappointing movie of the year. But another candidate has emerged for that title this week: All the King's Men. I've been properly warned to stay away from this one by several sources. Still, it's hard to imagine how a movie with Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and James Gandolfini, based on a classic novel, could go wrong. But apparently, it did.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:24 AM (E-mail this entry)
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September 15, 2006
The Zagat Survey has released its misnamed 2007 Movie Guide, a great tool if you really want to get caught up on the best movies of 2005. (For the best of THIS year, dear reader, you know you can always go here.) Toping the charts is March of the Penguins and Capote, which each received 26 out of 30 points. The rest of the top 10 includes:
3. Walk The Line (25)
4. Cinderella Man (25)
5. Good Night, & Good Luck (25)
6.Murderball (25)
7. Harry Potter/Goblet of Fire (24)
8. Wallace & Gromit/Were Rabbit (24)
9. TransAmerica (24)
10. Brokeback Mountain (24)
Good to see Murderball and Wallace & Gromit receive some belated props.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:50 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Lots to get to on the FMMB today, but highest on the priority list is this: Bond is now a Heineken man. The Dutch brewer has signed a deal with Sony to have some Heineken presence in the new Bond movie, November's Casino Royale. And new Bond girl Eva Green will be featured in an ad that was shot on the film's set. Exactly what will be in the movie is not yet known (perhaps James will have a neon Heineken beer sign in his apartment?). But if Bond orders a beer "shaken, not stirred," he's gonna be taking that tux to the dry cleaners.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:40 AM (E-mail this entry)
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September 13, 2006
Starting next week, you can claim your spot along the red carpet at the 2007 Academy Awards. Beginning Monday at 10 a.m., fans can enter a random drawing for one of the 300 bleacher seats available outside of the Kodak Theatre for the Feb. 25 event. To enter, go here. You'll be notified by Oct. 2 if you got picked. Last year 25,000 fans applied, so that gives you about a 1 percent chance of winning. So good luck with all that.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:35 PM (E-mail this entry)
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September 12, 2006
As someone who only recently extoled the virtues of video on your iPod, I'm not exactly on board with this movies thing. A three-minute music video is the same price as a 42-minute TV show... but a 90-minute movie costs $10??
On top of that, the music store was down most of the day, when I had serious shopping to do.
Posted by Holly Warren at 4:27 PM (E-mail this entry)
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September 8, 2006
People.com has a pic of John Travolta on the set of Hairspray, where he's taking on the role of Edna Turnblad. Seeing that chin on a woman is alarming.
Posted by Ann Pinson at 11:23 AM (E-mail this entry)
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David's right: Ellen was Dory, not Nemo. Either way, I don't want a fish hosting the Oscars. Give me the star of Death to Smoochy.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:26 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Two weeks, two movies looking at Hollywood's seedy side. This week's is Hollywoodland, which has two of the better performances in it that I've seen this year. One is from an unlikely source: Ben Affleck. The other is from a most likely source: Diane Lane. They play TV Superman George Reeves and his mistress, MGM studio head Eddie Mannix's wife, Toni, and there was definite chemistry in every scene they shared. The loving moments seem real, and the fights are good and nasty.
It'll be interesting to see if moviegoers are interested in this type of movie two weeks in a row with The Black Dahlia on deck. I'll leave it to Mr. Wuntch to provide the full review in next Friday's GuideLive: Movies. I saw it on Wednesday, and I'm doing my best to erase it from my memory.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:40 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I knew Jon Stewart was too good to be true last year. So it comes with little surprise that the Academy has tapped Ellen DeGeneres to host this year's Oscars. I've got nothing against Ellen, and that's part of the problem. I'm afraid that she's going to play it too safe as host. And that's not her fault -- that's just who she is. Even when she was doing standup, she never really was a comedian into making anyone uncomfortable. Which is what the public deserves from its Oscar host. Oscar night is the night we build up our stars, and someone needs to be there to make sure they don't get too full of themselves. Jon Stewart performed well in that role; I'm not so sure how the voice of Nemo is going to be able to follow.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:20 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Which new releases appeal to you? See the trailers and reviews, then vote here and see others' comments.
Posted by Jennifer Okamoto at 9:15 AM (E-mail this entry)
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September 7, 2006
The 10th annual Jewish Film Festival doesn't officially open until Saturday. But for those who can't wait, the festival will have a special pre-opening-night screening of Don't Hang Up at 8 p.m. at the Angelika Plano. The French film tells of a man who gives away his dead father's coat, only to be haunted by Pops from the grave to get his coat back. $9. More info: jccdallas.org. Look for a full preview of the festival Saturday in GuideLive.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:43 PM (E-mail this entry)
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September 5, 2006
Much has been made of the rock soundtrack that will accompany Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, in theaters Oct. 20. A little insight into the movie can be gained from looking at the track listing for the soundtrack, which Billboard released today. It's safe to say that it will be the only movie soundtrack this year featuring three songs from Bow Wow Wow:
Disc one:
“Hong Kong Garden,” Siouxsie and the Banshees
“Aphrodisiac,” Bow Wow Wow
“What Ever Happened,” the Strokes
“Pulling Our Weight,” the Radio Dept.
“Ceremony,” New Order
“Natural’s Not in It,” Gang Of Four
“I Want Candy” (Kevin Shields remix), Bow Wow Wow
“Kings of the Wild Frontier,” Adam & the Ants
“Concerto in G,” Antonio Vivaldi/Brian Reitzell
“The Melody of a Fallen Tree,” Windsor For The Derby
“I Don’t Like It Like This,” the Radio Dept.
“Plainsong,” the Cure
Disc two:
“Intro Versailles,” Reitzell/Beggs
“Jynweythek Ylow,” Aphex Twin
“Opus 17,” Dustin O’Halloran
“Il Secondo Giorno,” Air
“Keen on Boys,” the Radio Dept.
“Opus 23,” Dustin O’Halloran
“Les Baricades Misterieuses,” Francois Couperin/Reitzell
“Fools Rush In” (Kevin Shields remix), Bow Wow Wow
“Avril 14th,” Aphex Twin
“K. 213,” Domenico Scarlatti/Reitzell
“Tommib Help Buss,” Squarepusher
“Tristes Apprets,” Jean Philippe Rameau/W. Christie
“Opus 36,” Dustin O’Halloran
“All Cat’s Are Grey,” the Cure
Posted by Stephen Becker at 3:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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September 1, 2006
Oh great -- I can get started on the preview for Fall 2008. Columbia Pictures announced that Bond 22 -- the unnamed James Bond movie that will follow this fall's Casino Royale -- will hit theaters in Nov. 2008, not the previously rumored May 2008. Daniel Craig has already signed on to star in the next one.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:31 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Nancy -- I think all your possible reasons for people staying away from the family stuff are valid. But I also think that it's the kids that drive the parents to go see those movies. And if those movies aren't advertising where the kids are watching, not many parents are going to ask their kid if they can go sit through a 90 minute movie aimed at someone on a third-grade reading level.
Plus, I think we would all be surprised at how quickly kids get interested in movies aimed for adults. When I spoke to a class of fourth and fifth graders in the spring, all they wanted to see were these slasher movies coming out. In fourth grade?!? Ultimately, I think the audience for kids movies is really young kids, and that can only mean so much at the box office.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:10 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm also kinda intrigued by Infamous, out Oct. 13. It's the dueling Truman Capote biopic, which essentially covers the same ground that Capote did. I feel for Toby Jones. All he has to live up to is Philip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance. No matter how good he is, can he possibly top Hoffman? Also, I thought Clifton Collins Jr. deserved a supporting-actor nomination as condemned killer Perry Smith. In his place in Infamous will be Daniel Craig, working to wrack up some acting cred before jumping into the tux full-time. Craig's a good actor though, and I think he might surprise some people in this one.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:18 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Rick -- You would think that all the elements would be there: All-star cast, classic book, and a storyline about politcal corruption in a time when the public is especially distrustful of politicos. Seems like a can't miss. I think some people were worried because it was originally supposed to be released last Christmas and was bumped back because it wasn't quite ready. That always sounds off alarms. And it does have an acclaimed original to be held up to -- one that won three Oscars.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:36 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I don't care what Philip says in the preview: All the King's Men can't be bad, can it? Sean Penn as a fictionalized Huey Long sounds a little loony, but if anybody's got the acting chops to pull it off, he does. And Patricia Clarkson, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo and James Gandolfini co-starring? Sounds like a dead-bolt lock.
Posted by at 10:21 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Stephen -- I'm really eager to see Jack Nicholson play something other than a caricature of himself. Tho a mob-boss role is rife for chewy scenery, and Jack's never been one to pass up that kind of tasty buffet...
Posted by at 9:39 AM (E-mail this entry)
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We've been knee-deep in our Fall Movie Preview -- which is probably a good thing, given that three of this weekend's biggies weren't even screened in advance for critics. I know Mr. Dallas is eagerly awaiting the high-octane Crank, with Jason Statham kicking bad-guy butt. Nobody's eagerly awaiting the awash-in-bad-buzz Nic Cage remake The Wicker Man. And Garland native Mike Judge's Idiocracy is only opening on 130 screens -- so it's essentially a direct-to-video bust.
Good weekend to go high-brow with Little Miss Sunshine...
Posted by at 9:30 AM (E-mail this entry)
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So, after reading today's fall preview, anyone have any movies they are particularly excited about? I've been looking forward to The Departed ever since I heard that Martin Scorsese was remaking one of my favorite movies, Infernal Affairs. If you haven't see Affairs, you really should rent it before going to see Departed. It's a Hong Kong movie, but I actually found it at Blockbuster. Well worth the effort spent reading all those subtitles.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:26 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 30, 2006
Know any good magic tricks? If so, you could be featured on The Illusionist DVD when it comes out, probably early next year. All you have to do is go here to learn how to post your trick on YouTube. Good luck.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:55 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 25, 2006
After the disappointing box office for The Ant Bully and Barnyard, I hope audiences will be kinder to How To Eat Fried Worms. I really liked this movie -- and so did the half dozen kid testers I brought with me. It's actually more about bullying than anything else -- interesting that it comes out so soon after The Ant Bully. Bullying must be a topic on filmmakers' minds...
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 3:29 PM (E-mail this entry)
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OTTer Chuck is already excited about Orlando Cepeda coming to town...
"Orlando Cepeda, 1B, San Francisco and St. Louis (appeared in 1968 World Series vs. Detroit). His nickname? Cha-Cha. Or Baby Bull.
The man could HIT!"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:14 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Toni -- I wonder if at any point, an actor will pull Ralph aside in the movie and tell him, "Man walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Stumble down middle of road after pounding beer, sooner or later, get squished like grape."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:09 PM (E-mail this entry)
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So there are two beer movies coming out within a month of each other. First up today’s Beerfest about a beer-drinking contest. And then next up is Artie Lange’s, one of Howard Stern’s sidekicks, who went into depression, while making his movie Beer League about softball and beer. But besides Lange it also stars Ralph Macchio, who I swear hasn’t aged in 20 years from his heyday.
Posted by at 12:46 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Looking ahead a bit, I went to a media preview of this year's Vistas Film Festival yesterday, and the lineup looks good. The festival will run Sept. 20-24 at the Angelika, and one of the highlights is a Roberto Clemente doc showing on Saturday the 23rd. Clemente fans have had plenty of priming lately with David Maraniss' highly rated biography of the baseball legend. And now with the film at Vistas, baseball historians should be well-pleased, especially since fellow Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda will attend the screening and take part in a question-and-answer session. Cepeda knew Clemente well and came from a similar experience as a fellow early Latin ballplayer. Should be a highlight of the festival. For more info, go here.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:05 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The FMMB is getting off to a late start this Friday. Might be more like the Friday Afternoon Move Blog today. Anyway, it looks as if we have another entry into that hallowed category of movies that make guys weep. Invincible, the true story of a down-on-his-luck guy who rises above it to earn a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles looks to have touches of Rudy in it. And it's gotten mostly positive reviews from what I've seen.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:59 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 21, 2006
Will box office lightning strike again for New Line Cinema as it embarks upon The Golden Compass, the first in an ambitious fantasy trilogy adapted from Philip Pullman's bestselling His Dark Materials? (You may remember New Line defied the odds -- and then-conventional film-making wisdom -- when it committed to a little trilogy called The Lord of the Rings. ) Of course when you embark on something dangerous, it never hurts to have James Bond on board. So New Line has hired the man who will be Bond (in Casino Royale) -- Daniel Craig -- to play ruthless Lord Asriel alongside Nicole Kidman under the direction of Chris (Antz, About A Boy) Weitz. The film starts shooting Sept. 4 for a Nov. 16, 2007 release date.
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 11:33 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 20, 2006
For a movie that was on the tips of everyone's tongues on Friday, Snakes on a Plane sure didn't deliver on the hype. It managed the top spot at the box office this weekend, but $15.3 million was south of expectations. Normally buzz = dollars, but the formula seems to have failed in this case.
Still the film only cost $30 million to make, so there won't be any red ink on the page when this one's done.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:50 PM (E-mail this entry)
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August 18, 2006
The reviews are starting to come in for Material Girls, the Haylie and Hilary Duff starrer that unbelievably wasn't screened for critics. Early word isn't good (I know, you're shocked). Christy Lemire of the AP gives it one star out of four. The rest of us thank her for taking this one for the team.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:13 PM (E-mail this entry)
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For those of you looking for a bit of counterprogramming this weekend, you may want to head over to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for its "Tutto Fellini" series, which begins tonight at 6 p.m. DMNer Chris Vognar will open the series with a discussion, followed by screenings of Variety Lights, Matrimonial Agency and The White Sheik. For a complete schedule of the festival, which runs through Sept. 3, go here.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:36 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Its Restaurant Week so I'm going to a movie. See you at The Illusionist.
Posted by at 8:30 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I am happy to say I'm not as nuts as these kids, who camped out for tickets. Ah, to be 14 and have nothing better to do than campout for tickets...
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:32 AM (E-mail this entry)
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The Friday Morning Movie Blog gets going early this Friday with a report from the first area screening of the much-anticipated SOAP. Early verdict: Pretty bad, not quite horrendous. In the bizarro, upside-down world of movie grading that this movie calls for, I guess that equates to about a B.
The showing I went to at Loews Cityplace had about 50 people in it, but it was clear they were SOAP diehards who had been counting down the days for this one. And there were plenty of opportunities for them to laugh, point at the screen and generally have a good time.
With everyone fully clued in to the plot, etc., there was only one question remaining to keep the audience engaged: Will he, or won't he?
Those who have been following close know what I'm talking about. Each time Samuel L. Jackson would begin to simmer, butts moved to the edges of seats in anticipation of that precious line of dialogue everyone had paid $8 to hear.
So did he say it?
Did Superman defeat Lex Luther? Did Tom Cruise save the day in MI:3? What do you think?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:06 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 17, 2006
If you're headed out tonight to catch one of the late night showings of Snakes on a Plane, as I am, Fandango has a listing of the theaters playing it and their showtimes here.
For the rest of you who will be watching Letterman at that point, we'll be blogging about the movie Friday morning during or Friday Morning Movie Blog. If any of you venture out to see it tonight, feel free to join the discussion.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:43 PM (E-mail this entry)
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August 16, 2006
The Fort Worth Modern kicks off its Tutto Fellini series this Friday at 6 p.m. with screenings of the early films Variety Lights and The White Shiek, plus the short Matrimonial Agency (in which we learn the romantic downside of being a werewolf). The opening night speaker is some hack named Chris Vognar. But the rest of the series, which continues through Sept. 3, includes some first-rate talent. One to watch for: On Aug. 24, Italian film scholar Peter Bondanella will do a presentation on Fellini and fantasy. If you've been intimidated by Fellini, or just never had a chance to dive into his work, this series is the ideal chance to get your feet wet. And if you want to explore further, a poster exhibit featuring the collection of Fort Worth Fellini fanatic Don Young is up at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center through Aug. 31.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:20 PM (E-mail this entry)
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August 15, 2006
HOOT, starring Lewisville teen Cody Linley is out on DVD today and that's not all, reports his proud mom, local acting teacher Cathryn Sullivan. "His first episode on HANNAH MONTANA shows this Friday night on the Disney Channel. It's called "New Kid in School". His movie from two years ago (REBOUND) is on HBO this week...AND for those of you who care at all about this kind of stuff, Cody's got an 8x10 in POP STAR magazine, September issue. It's a teen magazine. Not a bad week for the Code-man."
Posted by Nancy Churnin
Posted by Nancy Churnin at 6:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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August 11, 2006
I don't know about you, Stephen, but I'm hoping rather desperately that God, in fact, had nothing to do with Pulse or Zoom. Oh, Veronica Mars - is this really how you spent your summer vacation?
Posted by Holly Warren at 2:33 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Chris -- Yes, God, in His infinite wisdom, DID create other movies. And three of them just won't go away.
I just got a big press packet in the mail trumpeting "For the first time ever on DVD, the movies of the Star Wars Trilogy will be available ... INDIVIDUALLY." Oh happy day.
One question: At this point, is there any Star Wars nerd out there who doesn't already own these movies in at least two forms?
That being said, I bet advanced orders are being placed as we speak.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:02 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I think I am officially sick of the whole "too soon" debate surrounding 9/11 movies. I reported the hell out of it when United 93 (a far better film than World Trade Center) came out in the spring, and it seemed somewhat valid then, especially connected to such an excruciating movie. But at this point, it seems like just another media talking point. Bottom line: If you're up for a 9/11 movie, then see WTC. If not, well, that's why God created other movies. He did create other movies, didn't he?
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:38 PM (E-mail this entry)
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From Nancy Churnin:
Stephen, if Ant Bully and Barnyard are dead in the water as you are predicting, doesn't that make Disney look even smarter for acquiring Pixar? People were wondering how smart it was for Disney to pay that much money for Pixar just as every other studio was getting into the CGI (computer animated) game. But now it looks as if Cars has left all its competitors in the dust. Could that (along with Pirates) be one of the reasons Disney stock is riding so high right now?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:31 AM (E-mail this entry)
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From Nancy Churnin:
Stephen, I agree Abigail Breslin is a real cutie. She's the sister of Spencer Breslin -- they both have those cute round faces, don't they? Abigail was also good in Signs, although I have to admit that she didn't make as much of an impression of me then as she does now in Little Miss Sunshine. It will be interesting to see what she does next.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:59 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Nancy -- Unless word-of-mouth has just been tremendous for those two, I think they're probably dead in the water at this point. It seems like kids movies are all about marketing, and I just wonder if these weren't marketed enough (or if they didn't have the budget to market themselves that aggressively).
The big Disney movies obviously are able to get that recognition from kids, and I just wonder if these two just didn't have the firepower.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:50 AM (E-mail this entry)
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From Nancy Churnin:
I'm wondering if families will find The Ant Bully and Barnyard this weekend or if these films will fall off the map. Is the back-to-school timing wrong? Is it the marketing? The high price of taking a family to the movies? Or is it the films themselves? Barnyard was at least No. 2 (even it wasn't strong) last weekend. I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong with The Ant Bully at the box office. Any theories?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:50 AM (E-mail this entry)
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From Nancy Churnin:
I loved Little Miss Sunshine and it kills me that I can't recommend it to the family audience because of its R rating. It reminds me of those famous sabra fruits -- prickly (and in this case, R-rated) on the outside, sweet on the inside. It could freak out kids (it does after all deal with drugs, suicide, etc.), but it's more talked about than seen. My 15-year-old totally loved it, but I wouldn't go younger than that. The family may look utterly dysfunctional but the way they pull together for the little girl in the end is uplifting. I'd say it's a family movie, but for OLDER family members. I hope it does well.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:34 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Tom -- Man, that's a good point. In a sense, WTC is as timely as ever, and that's exactly what I think will keep people from seeing it. The funny thing is: It's actually a very uplifting movie that focuses on heroism.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:23 AM (E-mail this entry)
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A lot of Hollywood fortunes have been made -- oh wait, no they haven't, I was thinking of Las Vegas suicides. I think Ricky Bobby is going to streak to another box office pole position (see, I know my NASCAR analogies). I think the timing on WTC is so perfect-storm wrong -- hey, the world's coming apart at the seams, why not spend two hours under a pile of rubble. Also, Stephen, to second your Dakota Fanning pronouncement, I quote Patti (or Selma) in the Simpsons -- "the older they are, the cuter they ain't."
Posted by at 10:10 AM (E-mail this entry)
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If reliving national tragedies isn't your thing, Little Miss Sunshine might be the movie for you. Our own Chris Vognar gave it a B+ today, and it was the darling of this year's Sundance Film Festival.
See it for no other reason than to get an early glimpse at Abigail Breslin, my pick to replace the now elderly Dakota Fanning as the Cute Kid Who's In Every Movie.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:54 AM (E-mail this entry)
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It seems to early too tell if audiences are willing to shell out $8 to relive 9-11. Oliver Stone's World Trade Center made a respectible $4 million on opening day Wednesday, but the real test will come this weekend. There aren't any other new major releases standing in its way, with the best competition coming from last week's Talladega Nights and this week's new teen dance movie Step Up.
But if this poll conducted on boxofficemojo.com is any indication, it doesn't look good. When asked "When will you see World Trade Center?" the most people (24.8%) said "On DVD" and the second most people (23.1%) said "Never."
That doesn't sound real promising.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:28 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 7, 2006
Nice to see Talladega Nights in the box office winner's circle this weekend. But, as Stan from South Park would say, I learned something today.
That something: I like these kinds of comedies a lot better when they're rated R. The stupid-smart humor just has a lot more bite when it can get a little outrageous and naughty and veer away from the Saturday Night Live style. Probably why my favorite brat pack comedies are still Old School and The Wedding Crashers. They use the R license well by lacing the occasional "they did not just do that" moment into the usual shenanigans. They feel just a little dangerous. Talladega is good, silly fun, but it's only dangerous when Ricky Bobby puts the pedal to the metal.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:19 PM (E-mail this entry)
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August 4, 2006
Troy Aikman's induction into the Hall of Fame, along with the equally well-deserved Rayfield Wright, got me to thinking about North Dallas Forty, which I re-watched via On Demand recently.
Aikman's multiple concussions were among the reasons he retired early. But to get an even more visceral feel for how football wreaks havoc on the body, check out the opening scene in North Dallas . Nick Nolte's veteran, renegade wide receiver, Phil Elliott, is first shown laying in bed with blood on his pillow from a leaky nose. Then he very slowly gets up, all but crippled from some of the monster hits he took in the previous day's game. He feels his ribs while we see a defender drive his helmet into them. And his neck is sore as hell from another vicious hit that's reprised for the viewer.
It's a great, starkly sad open to a 1979 movie that the Cowboys organization hated at the time for its dark depiction of the game, its coaches and their hired beef on the hoof. So congratulations, Troy and Rayfield. You've earned your spots.
Posted by at 3:24 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Nancy, my only response to the idea that cows are funnier than bulls: It'd be funnier still if their udders were on their heads and they had just one eye. But nobody's done that movie yet...
Posted by at 2:15 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Rick: Nancy responds:
Rick, I actually asked Sam Elliott about the cow-as-boy thing. It threw him at first, too. But when he asked director Steve Oedekerk about it and bottom line for Steve was that cows are funnier than bulls. So, do you think it's true that some animals or some genders of animals are funnier than others? If this works, will we be seeing more cross-gendered animated animals in the future?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:57 AM (E-mail this entry)
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If you really want to freak out your friends, go to snakesonaplane.com and send them a personalized message from Samuel L. Jackson telling them to go see Snakes on a Plane on Aug. 18. You fill in all the details and then Sam does the rest, calling your buddy and egging him on to go see the movie.
While I am at it, I may send one to Chris Vognar, who's reviewing the movie for us. It will serve as a good reminder to him that he can't see the movie until opening day since they aren't holding any advance screenings. sigh.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:16 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Nancy Churnin, who reviewed Barnyard, has this to say:
So will Barnyard show the animal magic that The Ant Bully lacked in its debut last weekend? It should be an interesting face-off between former Jimmy Neutron collaborators Steve Oedekerk for Barnyard and John A. Davis for Ant Bully. I wish Barnyard well (and it certainly made me and the kids laugh), but I have a soft spot for Ant Bully and its message about transforming enemies to friends. It's a nice message to hear in these fractious times...
Posted by Stephen Becker at 10:32 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Normally, I'm a big fan of LATimes critic Ken Turan, who also reviews movies for NPR. But then I heard this.
Posted by at 10:00 AM (E-mail this entry)
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My earlier post got myself thinking: How have R-Rated comedies done at the box office? So I headed over to boxofficemojo.com to check it out. As expected, Wedding Crashers is the No. 1 R-rated comedy of all-time with $209 mil in the bank. But after it, only eight other rated-R comedies have cracked the $100-million mark. They are: There's Something About Mary ($176), Scary Movie ($157), American Pie 2 ($152), Animal House ($141), Porky's ($111), 40-Year-Old Virgin ($109), American Wedding ($104) and American Pie ($102).
In case anyone was wondering.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:37 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Rick -- I agree all the way. Most of the critics I've read seem to like it pretty well (Our Chris Vognar gave it a B+). I've seen it (twice) and for my money, it's by far the funniest movie this year. I think it's a notch behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin and a step above Wedding Crashers. Pretty good company I'd say. The one difference between Talladega and those two is Talladega manages to keep all of its laughs in the PG-13 range. Some might consider that holding it back from its potential, but Will Ferrell and co-writer Adam McKay know you can make a LOT more money with a PG-13 than you can with an R.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:21 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Let it be said here and now: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the funniest flick this year. And maybe even funnier than last year's chuckle co-champs, Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Note that I didn't say "best": Talladega is kinda rough, kinda ragged and kinda runs off the road at times. But its best bits -- especially the dinner-table scene with Will Ferrell saying grace to "sweet baby Jesus" that includes a contractually required mention of PowerAde, just before his foul-mouthed pre-teens launch a profanity-laced attack on their hapless grandpa -- measure up to and even exceed Crashers' Vince Vaughan-Isla Fisher sparring or Virgin's chest-waxing.
Whatever its faults, this one's got a laughs-per-joke ratio that's through the roof.
Posted by at 9:13 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 3, 2006
Well, it's early, but next summer's movie showdowns are already materializing. The first battle royale appears to be June 29 (aka the Friday before July 4) when 20th Century Fox will release the fourth Die Hard movie: Live Free or Die Hard. That pits it squarely against Pixar's Ratatouille, directed by Incredibles director Brad Bird.
If anyone's taking futures on this one, give me Ratatouille, which follows an animated rat who lives in a Parisian restaurant run by a crazy chef. I think audiences will be more fired up to see what new magic Bird can cook up rather than how Bruce Willis can star in the same movie for the fourth time.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:44 AM (E-mail this entry)
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August 1, 2006
Otter Jeff writes:
"It doesn't add up to me that so many people think that Mel Gibson's apologies are based on his worry about future career goals. Mel Gibson has so much money that he funds his own pictures and he only works when he wants to. Has anyone thought that these words of his are authentic and that he is truly sorry for what he said? Bill Clinton denied a mistress for 8 months and the media said "it's over" when he finally came clean. At least give Mr. Gibson the benefit of any doubt and let the man dry out. Alcohol is a tough thing to beat. I know first hand."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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OTTer Chuck chimes in:
"How sweet! It makes me want to cry (but so did the movie where he grew old and lost Jamie Lee Curtis to time).
It would be nice to meet with the Jewish leaders, perhaps, not over drinks. And let's keep the sacramental wine away from Mad Max in the future."
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:19 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Mel Gibson released another statement today. Here's the full text if you are interested:
Continue reading "Mel: The saga continues"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:02 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 31, 2006
OTTer Chuck Bloom says:
To quote the great Jay Leno, from a prior interview:
"What in the hell were YOU thinking?"
And booze as an excuse/alibi doesn't fly here. It was inner soul yelling back. He believes these things.
So now it's boycott time. Let's see all his "Passion" supporters, who thought Mel was a saint, justify this.
Posted by at 9:06 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I agree with Philip's posting completely. Mel can apologize after the fact, but what he said had to be in his subconscious, or he wouldn't have said it. How sad that he can so easily demonize entire groups of people, without understanding that there are vastly different individuals in every group. He probably has enough money to continue operating as an outsider in movie circles, but he's clearly got bigger problems than money issues.
Posted by at 3:44 PM (E-mail this entry)
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And the press-release-with-the-most-ridiculous-timing award goes to... Wynonna, who announces today -- in JULY -- her upcoming holiday album.
Continue reading "Christmas in July!"
Posted by at 11:14 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Everybody knew The Ant Bully would be a kidflick bomb, right? Right? Um, no. This guy actually predicted a $39 million weekend! He was only off by $31 million. Oof!
Gotta wonder about Dallas and the movie biz: Three weeks, three wide Hollywood releases. One disappointment (You, Me and Dupree with homeboy Owen Wilson) and two out-and-out disasters (My Super Ex-Girlfriend with Owen's bro Luke and now The Ant Bully from Dallas-based animators DNA Productions). What the heck is going on here?
Posted by at 9:50 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 28, 2006
OK so I'm one of the only smart people I know who doesn't like Woody Allen. But Scoop may get me into a theater to see one of his movies. Girl reporter, mystery, not too much Woody (I hope). This has possibilities.
Posted by at 12:41 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The most anticipated movie experience in our family this weekend: Monster House. I’ve seen the preview about 15 times, but I’m hoping the recent trailer trend I’ve noticed holds true: If it’s a kid’s animation film, it will have nothing to do with the movie.
I dreaded seeing Cars and Over the Hedge, because I had seen the trailers so many times that I could recite all the catch-phrases. Then I saw the movies, and was pleased that the plots had been completely ignored in the build-up.
But one movie I’ve vowed to skip because of the trailers is How to Eat Fried Worms. The previews are so gross, I gag on my popcorn.
Posted by Larry Bleiberg at 11:25 AM (E-mail this entry)
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More from Nancy Churnin:
I took my boys, including my nine-year-old's ever-present best friend Matthew, to Ant Bully at the IMAX at Cinemark at Webb Chapel and they loved it! I know we've already had Antz and A Bug's Life, but those released back in 1998 when Josh and Matthew were all of one-year-old -- a reminder that childhood is fleeting like the life of an ant. Besides, I like the Ant Bully better for kids.
Continue reading "FMMB: Ant Bully"
Posted by Anne Bothwell at 11:12 AM (E-mail this entry)
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This from Nancy Churnin:
I'm not writing to defend Lady in the Water, but I like M. Night Shyamalan's courage in trying new things, even if they fail. Everyone's giving this director a hard time now that Lady seems Dead in the Water. But I like the way he tries to bring something different and otherworldly to the table. I loved The Sixth Sense and Signs. Unbreakable was almost Unwatchable, but I found The Village touching (though flawed). His work reminds me a lot of what Rod Serling tried to do with The Twilight Zone -- tweaking reality to reveal what's going on in our hearts and minds. Granted, Serling was more consistent, but not every Twilight Zone was a home run -- or they wouldn't have been if he tried to do each one on a big screen. Besides, what is it we want Shyamalan to do? Stop trying to fly high and instead embrace the formulaic Hollywood movie so he'll end up with something that isn't bad, but isn't great either?
Posted by Anne Bothwell at 11:08 AM (E-mail this entry)
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My 8-year-old has a borderline phobia of ants — the lingering trauma, I'm sure, of sitting in an ant hill at the ripe old age of 1. (Don't ask me where I was.) But that hasn't stopped him from enjoying movies with characters such as Flik (A Bug's Life) and Z (Antz). I'm betting my last nickel Ant Bully's Lucas Nickle and gang will hit it big with the pint-sized crowd.
Posted by Bindu Varghese at 9:53 AM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm sure Ant Bully will be big, but I was looking forward to Scoop, the new Woody Allen movie. I had been hoping that it would continue a return to form for the Woodsman, especially after the success with Match Point, but I'm beginning to wonder. Lots of wire reviews have dissed it as being lightweight..... Still, I'm willing to give it a shot.
Posted by at 9:25 AM (E-mail this entry)
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The most intriguing movie of the weekend has gotta be Miami Vice. We've been reminiscing about the TV original already: Chris Vognar, Mr. Dallas and yours truly. Philip Wuntch certainly enjoyed the movie version, to the tune of B.
Most interesting -- and disturbing -- factlet of the day is this, from A.O. Scott's stellar New York Times review:
The actual operating budget for the Miami police department in fiscal year 2005 was around $100 million, a good $50 million less than the reported production costs of “Miami Vice.”
Yow!
Posted by at 9:20 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Welcome to our Friday festivities. Stephen, your usual host, is whitewater-rafting in Maine. (Insert favorite expletive here...) So you'll have to make do with the rest of us.
The Ant Bully is this week's sure thing -- a crowd-pleasing cartoon kidflick that was born and raised right here in Big D. Check out Chris Vognar's review here and look forward to his profile in Sunday's GuideLive of director John Davis, who's bringing animation, Hollywood-style, to Dallas. Philip Wuntch also explores the burgeoning (and profitable) world of 3D animation.
Posted by at 9:04 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 27, 2006
I find it kind of creepy that Brad and Angelina are showing off baby Shiloh at a New York City wax museum. A wax baby? Both Brad and Angelina are dressed casual in black t-shirts. But the other kids, Zahara and Maddox are not even in the display. There should no favorites in the family household.
What do you think of the waxy look? At the shopping blog, they're voting on Angie and Brad's sense of style.
Posted by at 5:18 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 26, 2006
Was never a giant fan of TV's Vice, especially in the later years. But you gotta admit that it captured a moment. I can remember tooling down the highway in the wee hours in Florida (St. Petersburg, not Miami), convertible top down (Suzuki Samurai, not cool sportster), blasting "You Belong to the City" and fantasizing about the scads of bimbettes about to greet me at my beachfront home.
When I reached the dumpy rental, my Golden Retriever puppy, Max, had gnawed through six layers of Linoleum in the kitchen to the base floorboards.
Crockett and Tubbs never had to deal with THAT!
Posted by at 3:38 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Watched the original Miami Vice pilot episode last night (Seasons 1 and 2 were released in a DVD twofer package on Tuesday), and I gotta say, it's still pretty good. The story, about Crockett and Tubbs collaborating in their quest to bring down the Colombian drug lord Calderone, is nicely paced, even if the dialogue is a little ripe. What really struck me is the dual use of flashbacks and pop music. I forgot how the series played with chronology and memory like a chic English crime movie, or a French New Wave film. The cinematography is also first-rate. It was fun being reminded how stylish and new it seemed back in '84. Sure, it's an '80s punchline now. But it got me stoked to see the new movie, which I hear is nothing like the show.
Easy trivia question: What future TV star played Crockett's slain partner?
Posted by Chris Vognar at 12:11 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 25, 2006
The word is that Nicolas Cage will produce and star in a biography of Liberace. And all this time, we thought Nic Cage was obsessed with Elvis! Actually, Cage as Liberace could be a good idea. Cage has never shied away from unconventional roles, and playing the piano-playing '50s icon who died of AIDS might be a smart career move for the actor. He would probably wear Liberace's rhinestone-and-sequins outfits with applomb.
Continue reading "Liberace lives!"
Posted by at 6:23 PM (E-mail this entry)
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The Dallas Video Festival is still two weeks away, but two upcoming events require an advance look: “Guts and Glory” and the Albert Maysles master class.
Continue reading "Dallas Video Festival"
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:08 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 24, 2006
First off, Philip, congrats: You're a playa hata!
And I'm with Chris here. Night still has big upside. Directors often stumble a bit after the big debut. Still, you hope he doesn't follow the lead of Ken Branagh, who after that amazing debut duo of Henry V and Dead Again has pretty much laid back into comfortable, non-challenging supporting-actordom. (Sure, he's won three Emmys for leads in cable movies, but that doesn't count.)
I'm still bitter about the way he stiffed Emma...
Posted by at 8:48 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I'm hardly the head of the M. Night fan club, and I don't think I'll be reading the hagiographic new tome about his Lady in the Water struggles. But here are a couple of contrarian arguments in his favor:
Unbreakable is as underrated as The Sixth Sense is overrated. I actually think it's a better overall movie. And The Village, though flawed, is way better than its reputation.
That American Express ad was the best thing that aired during this year's Oscar telecast, on show or off. Yeah, he could use some more skins on the wall. But he'll be back.
Posted by Chris Vognar at 4:17 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I think it's two things for M. Night. The first is being overpraised for The Sixth Sense, as you mentioned. Unfortunately, good movies are so few and far between that we latch on to one like its an endangered species and turn the filmmaker into the voice of a generation, instead of just saying he shows promise. Two, M. Night is a victim of his own celebrity. For the most part, directors should stay behind the camera and not star in pretentious TV commercials about finding time to dream, unless you've got all the street cred in the world to back you up (like Scorsese, when he is humorously unhappy with the pics of his nephew's birthday party.) M. Night just needs to go back to basics.
Posted by OTTer Kelli Renfrow
Posted by at 4:07 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Just got a press release trumpeting this no-doubt highly anticipated Lord of the Rings news: "For the First-Time Ever (editor's note: not sure why First-Time is capitalized or hyphenated), the Theatrical and Extended Versions of the Award Winning Motion Picture Trilogy Will Be Featured on One Disc in Three Separate Collectors Editions"
LOTR is seriously challenging Star Wars for the title of Franchise with the Most Unnecessary DVD Releases. And the bigger point here is: Why do movie studios so heartlessly take advantage of completist nerds? It's just not fair. Anyway, the trio hits stores on Aug. 29.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:53 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 23, 2006
Wow! My Super Ex-Girlfriend absolutely tanked over its opening weekend, making just $8.7 mil and finishing a divorce-court-worthy No. 7. This is up there with Poseidon as summer's biggest bomb. (And it's shamed Swami, who had this gal pegged at a $28 million No. 1. Ooof!)
One guy who's happy about Girlfriend's dive? M. Night Shyamalan, whose Lady in the Water seriously underperformed with 18 mil a No. 3 -- but that's not even the weekend's headline disappointment. Nice timing, Night!
Posted by at 2:47 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 21, 2006
Kevin Smith likes his donkeys. Clerks 2, opening today, features a decidedly adults-only sequence involving a man and his pet ass. How does Smith feel about this donkey business? Keep reading.
Continue reading "Kevin Smith, donkey lover"
Posted by Chris Vognar at 3:54 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I wouldn't be surprised at all if Pirates three-peated (ooh, maybe I shouldn't use that term; I think if I do I owe Pat Riley money since he owns the copyright on it). I haven't talked to anyone who is real fired up about any of this week's selections, and I have a feeling that Lady in the Water is going to be a real dog. Could be good night for M. Night.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 12:16 PM (E-mail this entry)
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This may be the toughest weekend to pick all summer, as the Swami shared with his faithful readers. Four real contenders for the top spot:
* Lady in the Water would seem a lock, given M. Night Shyamalan's track record ($50 million and $60 million for his last two opening weekends. But as Philip recounts, reviews and word-of-mouth has been foul.
* Monster House has the kid vote and big-name exec. producers in Spielberg and Landis. But somethin' don't feel right.
* My Super Ex-Girlfriend is Swami's selection -- cute stars, cute concept, the best of what passes for a romantic comedy these days in Hollywood.
* But don't forget Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which just might pull off a three-fer atop the charts.
Posted by at 10:19 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Dotty, I'm with you. Nothing out this week really grabs me. I might see Clerks II, not because it looks particularly good, but mostly because the first movie was such a part of my college days. So I'm kinda interested to see what happened to the guys, though from reading the reviews, it sounds like not much has changed. Lady in the Water sounds pretty bad, and looks like the first misstep for Paul Giamatti, who's made nothing but good choices up until now.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:27 AM (E-mail this entry)
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A question for the OTTer Nation: Has Uma Thurman made some...ummm...adjustments? You be the judge. Here are photos of her taken (from left) this month, 2003 and 2000. Click on the comments button below and let us know whether you think she's visited the Nip Tuck docs.
Posted by at 8:56 AM (E-mail this entry)
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This weekend's new movies make me want to see An Inconvenient Truth again.
Posted by at 8:28 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 20, 2006
M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water has been blasted with deadly reviews. The director's last movie, The Village, opened solid and then tanked, and it's been a long seven years since The Sixth Sense. Signs was popular due to its cast and subject matter, but most audiences were disappointed. Unbreakable has a few staunch devotees, but only a few. Most of you haven't seen Lady in the Water yet, but you've probably got some thoughts about Night. Is he following the John Hughes/Kevin Costner route of letting his ego rule all decisions? Is he a one-trick pony? Was he overpraised for The Sixth Sense in the first place? Tell us how you feel about Night and his movies.
Posted by at 6:43 PM (E-mail this entry)
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July 19, 2006
Bad news as the buzz builds for Snakes on a Plane: New Line has decided not to screen it in advance. At first thought, that makes complete sense: that's what studios do with bad movies. But the more i think about it, the worse it sounds because what this probably means is that Snakes is just "bad" and not truly "terrible". If they really had a Gigli-level stinker on their hands, I think they would happily let critics torch it, racking up as many F grades as they could get their hands on and turning it into one of those movies you have to see to be in on the pop-culture dog pile. My fear is that Snakes is really only a D+, which probably means very bad, but not so bad it's good.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:47 PM (E-mail this entry)
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OTTer Chuck is thinking about "An Inconvenient Truth" and Plano:
As a resident of Plano who has been to the local Angelika, I can attest that since the marquee is filled with less-than-usual fare (at most times), it tends to draw an audience that reflects what is being shown.
"Red staters" head to the Cinemark Legacy where they can watch pirates, talk on their cell phones during movies and otherwise act like rude idiots in their living rooms. And the movies there reflect that. "Blue staters" go see what entices them.
I agree with you, in DFW, driving 30-45 minutes to do something is like going down the block to the neighborhood tavern or something.
People seem to forget one major fact - Plano is a city of 250,000 people - one of the 10 largest in Texas. It is NOT simply another burgh.
Posted by at 9:58 AM (E-mail this entry)
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Slate's Mickey Kaus continues the debate on Plano as a "conservative bastion" embracing Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" here (roll down to his Sunday post).
One quibble: In his back-and-forth with Dallas' own Virginia Postrel, she claims that Plano is too far from anywhere else, specifically Dallas, to draw lefty moviegoers.
That's just a another example of silly SoMo (south of Mockingbird) thinking. I drove the excruciating 20 minutes from Valley Ranch. The Plano Angelika is not even a half-hour from downtown on a weekend. A half-hour drive in this town is nothing -- LA or DC denizens, for example, only DREAM of a half-hour drive.
Posted by at 6:45 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 18, 2006
Stephen, it's not a political issue at all. Because of that movie - I also saw it at the Magnolia and it wasn't crowded that night either - I have an entirely different view of summer and 100-plus degree weather. When I hear of a potentially deadly heatwave in, say, Chicago I shudder for brand new reasons. There is a bigger picture here, and it's only getting worse. I agree with Rick that Al Gore's "personal" moments in the film smacked of political publicity, but that didn't detract from his intelligent, passionate, humorous and sensitive presentation of an environmental danger sure to affect everybody, no matter the politics.
Posted by Mario Tarradell at 3:35 PM (E-mail this entry)
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HELL'S KITCHEN
PASADENA, Calif. -- Temperatures here are Dallas-esque, with the mercury hitting 100 degrees the past few days. It seems at least twice that hot, though, at Jimmy Kimmel's outdoor barbecue grill, where the red-eyed ABC latenight host is battling smoke and sweat while preparing lunchtime burgers for TV critics. "This is good, high-quality Costco beef," he boasts.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
"I'll put the cheese on the ones that are burnt, so then nobody can tell," says Jimmy, who came up with this idea himself. "I like my steaks rare and my burgers well-done." Co-stars from his show, including bandleader Cleto, Cousin Sal and an out-of-uniform Uncle Frank, are serving sides within close proximity of Jimmy's inferno.
NOW HE'S COOKING
"By the way, this is not like Paul Newman and his stupid popcorn," Jimmy says. "This is my own recipe for burgers." ABC bills it as the "first annual 'Kimmel-Que,' " but the star already has reconsidered. "It's the last annual," he decides while flipping a few more burgers onto the fire.
Posted by at 3:30 PM (E-mail this entry)
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You might be interested to know too that Al Gore says in this week's Entertainment Weekly that he is thinking of franchising out his slide show so that others can help him spread the warming word. That may be the answer to delivering it to schools. That being said, there will be those who only see politics when a politician is involved, and I could see some districts not wanting anything to do with the presentation because of its origins. Which would be sad, because anyone who sees the movie I think would agree that the Earth's inhabitability isn't really a political issue so much.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 2:12 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Finally saw "Truth" this weekend, Stephen and Nancy. And we saw it in that "conservative bastion of Plano, Texas" -- so dubbed recently by the San Francisco Chronicle. Coupla thoughts:
* On Plano as "conservative bastion": Even in the crimson heart of a red state, there's a lot of blue (or at least lavender). Plano has 200,000+ residents -- is it really that eye-popping that a couple thousand are seeing "Truth" every week? Our Sunday afternoon screening was sold out -- albeit with a much grayer crowd than the others at the Plano Angelika. And yes, there was some applause at the end.
* On the movie: A powerful, powerful message, skillfully delivered by Al Gore. Really made you look at your own life. (And the 104-degree heat outside REALLY brought the warming message home.) But...
* On Al Gore: Seems to me the movie undercut its power by its near-deification of its chief spokesman. Hey, even if he was jobbed in 2000, what's that have to do with global warming? The "up close and personal" Gore moments pushed this toward a political tract and away from the wider audience it could have had in schools, civics courses, etc.
Posted by at 1:41 PM (E-mail this entry)
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Wow -- Nancy, it sounds like your experience was very different but just as meaningful. I really won't be surprised to see An Inconvenient Truth as one of the documentary Oscar nominees, if for no other reason than it will resonate with the largely crunchy Academy voters. And I really don't think it matters that much if it wins (for that matter, it's not as good as The Heart of the Game, also in theaters now). Just being nominated would allow the global-warming discussion to continue for another few months through Oscar season.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 1:16 PM (E-mail this entry)
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My experience seeing Inconvenient Truth at the Magnolia (July 8) was way different than yours, Stephen.
The showing I went to had only about 10 people in the theater. I can't imagine why such a big difference in audience size from when you went? Maybe because I went on the weekend after Fourth of July and I caught the latest showtime?
Whatever the case, I didn't clap at the end. I cried. I didn't cry out of despair but because of feeling empowered: What really got me was the text that flashes across the screen while Melissa Etheridge is singing. - Something about "Write to your congressmen. And if your congressmen won't listen ... run for congress."
I would really like to hear someday, from an elected official, that that moment changed their life.
Posted by Nancy Moore at 12:18 PM (E-mail this entry)
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One leftover note from the weekend -- I went and saw Al Gore's global warming doc An Inconvenient Truth, and two things struck me as interesting. One: the movie has been out here since June 2, and yet the showing I went to Saturday night at the Magnolia was packed. And two: the crowd heartily clapped at the end. And it made me wonder what was the last movie I went to where the audience actually applauded at the end? Anyone been in that situation lately?
Posted by Stephen Becker at 9:36 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 17, 2006
You, Me and Dupree pulled in a respectable $21 mil this weekend, good for third behind Pirates and Little Man. But I wonder if it would have done better if this was what the movie was really about.
Posted by Stephen Becker at 11:52 AM (E-mail this entry)
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July 14, 2006
Indeed, USA Today says, more men did go to see Prada this week. Why? Either because their significant others dragged them, they were gay, or Howard Stern told them to, McPaper reports.
Posted by Crayton Harrison at 7:10 PM (E-mail this entry)
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I liked The Devil Wears Prada. I agree with Rick, it's not a great movie, but Meryl's performance was incredible. She could have so easily gone the easy way and made Miranda Priestley an over-the-top, bitchy caricature. Instead, she goes the other way, turning the role into a more menacing, delicious terror. I thought Anne Hathaway was weak, though. But I loved Stanley Tucci.
Posted by Mario Tarradell
I saw both, the stage version leaves a lot to the imagination, the sets are very sparse. The note that was blown at every death was annoying. It was quite fun seeing the actors play the instruments. Mrs. Lovett playing a Tuba was priceless. The movie of course was a lot slicker.
I liked both, but if I had to choose, I would go with the stage version.
Posted by: Mike Greb | January 20, 2008 11:35 AM
My husband and I saw the movie version of "Sweeney Todd: . . . " the weekend it opened. A bit too gory for my taste, but not as bad as it could have been considering Tim Burton's previous movies -- the previews kept me from seeing most of them. We saw the stage version at yesterday's (Saturday 01/19) matinee. Of the two versions, I'll take Mr. Burton's and no one is more surprised that I'm saying that than me.
The voices in the stage version were superior to the movie; some of the words could actually be understood by a "Sweeney Todd" novice. My husband knows just about every word in every song by heart having seen the stage show with Angela Lansbury as a youngster and his parents own a copy of the soundtrack. "ST" is his favorite of all the plays and musicals he's seen and he's seen a lot of them.
He, too, enjoyed the movie more than the Dallas Summer Musical's version. We both found the fact that the characters are playing the instruments and the lack of a real scenery change rather distracting. And, we both want to know what was used to make the coffin aka counter aka judge's bench aka . . . whatever else it became. It was definitely sturdy. I kept expecting to see it bow when it was stood on, sat on, or otherwise bearing the weight of one or multiple actors.
Still, it was a good afternoon and the theater is beautiful!
Posted by: M Weibel | January 20, 2008 7:10 PM