Put another name down on the remake list. Deadline reported on Friday that Fox is planning a television remake of the cult classic, Rocky Horror Picture Show, with Gail Berman and Lou Adler attached to produce and Kenny Ortega to direct. The 1975 film starred Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick. According to the …
20. Dead Man Walking Directed by: Tim Robbins Susan Sarandon earned herself an Oscar for her work in “Dead Man Walking,” a film directed by her then husband, Tim Robbins. She plays Sister Prejean, a nun who befriends a death row inmate named Matthew (Oscar nominated Sean Penn) as they confide in one another and …
The Calling Written by Scott Abramovitch Directed by Jason Stone USA, 2014 Canadian culture has long been a topic of discussion among intellectuals simply because there are those who argue that it doesn’t really exist. Obviously there is a culture that those of us living in Canada experience, but it is difficult to ascribe a …
If all the world’s stage, then surely some players crave the spotlight more than others. And if ever there was a player, it was Errol Flynn. The Last of Robin Hood tells the twisted story of three people who will do almost anything for fame. That each must settle for infamy is one of the juicy, yet unexplored ironies in a movie that doesn’t know which story it wants to tell. By taking an evenhanded and humanistic approach to such salacious subject matter, the filmmakers have effectively squashed any possibility for tawdry fun. Instead, we get a bone-dry historical drama that skimps on the history and bypasses the drama entirely.
The Last of Robin Hood depicts the last romance of Errol Flynn’s life from the not-so-tender age of 48 until his death. Who was the lucky girl? Beverly Aadland. One person’s definition of luck is most people’s definition of statutory rape—something that Flynn had some trouble with before—as Miss Aadland was under 18 at the time. This is the crux of the conundrum behind this story and what would regularly confound a filmmaker in bringing it to the screen—even Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita screenplay was rejected and reworked by Stanley Kubrick. Fortunately for the audience, Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland are no regular filmmakers (see Grief, The Fluffer, Quinceanera). They have written and directed a film about three protagonists (Beverly Aadland, her mother Florence, and Errol Flynn) with a vague outward antagonist—society, perhaps? And somehow, through the grace of such strong characters and writing, it works.
Many professional wrestlers have attempted to make the jump from the ring to the big screen, but have met with limited success. Swayne Johnson stands as a notable recent exception to the rule, successfully shedding his wrestling persona of The Rock to steadily build himself up through leading roles in action films such as The …
I have rarely seen a movie as undeserving of its lead performance as I have with Enchanted and Amy Adams. And I want to reiterate, in this column, what I said on the podcast: I think Adams’ work in this film is one of the best lead performances in any American film in a long time. It is a monumentally difficult, brave, and daring role to play. Whatever opinion people have of Enchanted is first informed by their opinion of Adams’ performance as Giselle. If she’s not so sparkling and lively and entertaining in this film, we would not be thinking of it fondly in any form. It’s not just that this is a character-driven film, it’s that it’s so singularly performance-driven, to the overall film’s detriment.
Cloud Atlas Directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy and Lana Wachowski Written by Tom Tykwer, Andy and Lana Wachowski Germany/USA/ Hong Kong/Singapore, 2012 Beyond its unparalleled ambition, Cloud Atlas is a film that carries too little emotional heft to truly resonate. In what will easily go down as the most divisive film-going experience of the year, and potentially live on …
Arbitrage Directed by Nicolas Jarecki Written by Nicolas Jarecki USA and Poland, 2012 If Arbitrage has a theme, it’s desperation. The CEO of a trading firm is desperate to remain solvent and not go to jail for the rest of his life for committing massive fraud. A young black man with ties to the CEO …
Arbitrage Directed by Nicholas Jarecki Written by Nicholas Jarecki USA/Poland, 2012 It’s starting to look like you need an Economics degree to watch movies. Last year, there was a small gem of film called Margin Call that, despite its incredibly legalese name, managed to be a gripping and insightful look into the backstabbing and ass-covering …
Arbitrage Directed by Nicholas Jarecki Screenplay by Nicholas Jarecki 2012, USA / Poland Filled with adulterous sex, betrayal and bribery Arbitrage along with its all star cast should not fail to entertain as it does. All the flash associated with it doesn’t produce a film that’s outrageous or compelling enough to keep the audience from …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 10, “Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky” Written by John Riggi Directed by Michael Slovis Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC “Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky” isn’t a great episode, but given the way the season began, average 30 Rock is nothing …
Jeff, Who Lives at Home Written and directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass USA, 2011 The Duplass brothers’ fourth feature length effort opens with its protagonist Jeff (Jason Segel), wielding a voice recorder, discussing how rewarding he finds M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs. Heavily relating to that film’s themes of fate and purpose, Jeff also …
The saying goes: If Hollywood is really the movie capital of the world, then Oscar night is the world’s biggest wrap party, and like all parties, each event comes with unwelcome guests, embarrassing situations, strange fashions and controversial moments. In fact, controversy and the Oscars seem to go hand in hand and despite the fact …
New cast in Kervorkian film: The cast of the new film about the high profile doctor, Dr. Jack Kervorkian, who fought “…to establish the right to die for terminally ill patients…” has announced an expansion of its cast. The made-for-TV film is entitled “You Don’t Know Jack,” and it will be directed by Barry Levinson. …