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30 novembre Friday Night At The Movies
--Tamara Jenkins finally makes a new movie (it's been nine years since her great "Slums of Beverly Hills") and for the most part, it's receiving raves. Slant Magazine's Nick Schager is one of the few dissenters, and he has an interesting take on what he finds callous about the picture.
--Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is being called a "masterpiece" by many critics though, Village Voice's Scott Foundas found it "grotesquely calculated."
--Ah, "Teeth." The vagina dentata movie out in limited release. I don't care what critics say about this one (though many liked the picture) -- a young woman grows teeth in her....ahem. I'm there.
--posted by Kim 'Slap' Happy
I’m not entirely sure about this, but since we’re talking sports, I’m going to wager that because “Slap Shot” is a sports picture, and sports pictures (excluding filmdom’s few exceptions, like “Raging Bull,” “Rocky” and “Pride of the Yankees”) are often underappreciated, George Roy Hill's hockey classic isn’t given its full due. And I’m not talking as simply a great sports picture (it is beloved, after all), but as the greatest sports film ever made. Period.
I’m not being hyperbolic; it’s just that perfect. A pure sports film, “Slap Shot” encompasses all aspects of the game: It’s about the team, it's about the coaches, it's about the towns, it's about the politics and, with almost transcendent gusto, it's about the dirt. Down and dirty, hilariously vicious dirt that boasts some of cinema’s most toxic lines — lines I can’t repeat here.
And then there’s star Paul Newman who, in his older, ruggedly handsome visage, carries the picture with an odd sort of foul-mouthed dignity we simply don't see in movies these days. Playing a middle-aged minor league hockey player/coach, he’s a tough, quick-witted guy, but in quieter moments, touchingly doubtful about his future. He’s attempting to save his washed-up team, and that requires, not surprisingly for hockey, a need to amp up the brutality.
Enter the picture’s greatest addition, the Hanson brothers, a trio of Ramones-resembling prodigies who absolutely annihilate on the ice, but end their days playing with toys in their hotel room (they also, quite memorably, speak in bizarre twin talk that no one can understand). No matter if fellow player Michael Ontkean (whose unforgettable wife is so sick of the hockey life, she's become a drunk) isn’t taking to the newer method, the boys get the job done and make the crowds happy.
But their triumphs aren’t simply played for audience gratification, since there’s a lot more to “Slap Shot” than carving, backstabbing and high, hard ones — there’s complicated adult drama (particularly regarding Newman and his ex-wife) and an extra amount of thought regarding all of the violence, as well as where some of these men’s lives are going. All of the characters are quirky, lovable and real, and Paul Newman's performance ranks as one of the most fascinating in his career. Writing about it almost makes me sad — movies aren’t made like this anymore. But then, making anything close to “Slap Shot” is a tall order — it’s a profane, moving masterpiece.
Read the other three choices including "Bull Durham" and "Ali" here. And vote for your favorite.
--posted by Kim 28 novembre Movie Musings
--Oh dear...it's time for Oscar predictions. As a movie writer, you can't help but get swept up in the fever, even if the awards frequently mean so very little. But it's like our Super Bowl. So with that, here's MSN's Gregory Elwood's early Oscar forecast.
--Christian Bale in the upcoming "Terminator 4"? Look: Patrick Bateman, Batman, pro-ana poster boy (that's "The Machinist"), Bob Dylan (or another incarnation of Dylan rather) and now John Conner -- as far as I'm concerned the man can do anything. I'm not even surprised at this point.
--Matthew Perry becomes...Zac Effron. Why? Why, again for chrissakes? Can we all just watch "Freaky Friday" (with Jodie, though I have a soft spot for Lindsay's) and put a fork in this genre?
--posted by Kim 27 novembre Under Normal Circumstances
I'm sorry but I was under the impression that having "the shine," driving a demonic car that kills people, or enduring the power and torment of telekinetic powers while living with a deranged, Jesus freak mother was ir-regular. My bad.
And...I'm from the PNW. One armed men, log ladies, floating spirits named Bob and consuming gallons of delicious coffee isn't really that weird.
Anyway....read what all the fuss is about here.
--posted by Kim
Viva Striptease!
Yes, yes, Entertainment Weekly discussed their 25 entertainers of the year (Clooney, Jolie, LeBeouf, etc.) but this is what we really need to know -- who are their favorite strippers on film?
Here's their list of 16 big screen strippers and it's a good one (love that they satisfied my decades long crush on Diane Lane by including her performance from "The Big Town").
But, um...I'm going to be an annoying picky, list critic here and ask...where's Barbara Stanwyck in "Lady of Burlesque"? Or Lolita Davidovich in "Blaze"? Or Brigitte Bardot in "Plucking the Daisy" also known at "Mademoiselle Striptease"? And what about Bardot and Jean Moreau in "Viva Maria"? This is important!
I know, I know, calm down. Keep your shirt on and all that business.
--posted by Kim
26 novembre The Dylan Experience
"I'm Not There" director Todd Haynes on the what he'd like audiences to experience from his new picture:
"I just want them to have a really rich experience, and an experience that is not dissimilar from a musical experience, like listening to a whole record, listening to all of 'Blonde on Blonde.' Richard Gere told me that he was such a Dylan fan when he was a teenager that when he first got 'Blonde on Blonde' he just lied down on the floor and put the two speakers right next to his ears and just listened to the whole record, all four sides, and that's what I'd like people to do with the film. I'd like them to just feel like their traveling into a world and let it lead you into unexpected places.
"You know, these days we get a CD and we burn it into our iPod and you forget you even have it, and a song comes up three weeks later and you're like, 'Oh yeah. I never even listened to that thing all the way through.' I think we're maybe missing something in that. I mean, I love the iPod. I love the surprise of it. I love the way it almost seems to anticipate your mood sometimes or where you are and play a string of songs. I think that's a wild part of it, but I think that feeling of entering a space and letting the music define it is a little bit lost."
Read the entire interview here.
--posted by Kim DVD Holiday Gift Guide
Sean Axmaker's DVD holiday gift guide for MSN includes a lot of box sets that I want this year (as in to buy, for myself, though a gift would certainly be nice, but I'm not holding my breath). Anyway, here's one that brought me to attention:
INSTANT COLLECTIONS
"Ford at Fox" For the die-hard cinephile on your list, there is no more impressive 2007 release than this sprawling 24-film collection. Collected in an album-sized case of trays holding four discs per page, the 21-disc set includes five silent films (including two versions of director John Ford's first epic "The Iron Horse"), all three of Ford's Will Rogers collaborations, the debuts of the classic "The Prisoner of Shark Island" (1936) and "Tobacco Road" (1941), rarities such as the lively prison-break comedy "Up the River" (1930, with Spencer Tracy and a very young Humphrey Bogart), and the exclusive 2007 documentary "Becoming John Ford." With 18 Ford classics debuting on DVD plus an accompanying hardcover tome, this is the gold standard for DVD director tributes. And there's more. Read all of his picks here.
--posted by Kim Audiences Are 'Enchanted'
Audiences were feeling festive over the Thanksgiving holiday making the family friendly "Enchanted" number one at the box office:
"Audiences fell under the spell of 'Enchanted,' a fairy-tale romance that debuted as the No. 1 movie and led Hollywood out of its recent box-office doldrums with solid business over the Thanksgiving holiday.
"Starring Amy Adams as a cartoon princess exiled to real-world Manhattan by her fiance's wicked stepmother (Susan Sarandon), Disney's "Enchanted" took in $35.3 million over the weekend and $50.05 million since debuting Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"'Enchanted' had the second-best five-day Thanksgiving debut ever, behind the $80.1 million haul of Disney's 'Toy Story 2.' Disney released all five of the top-grossing movie debuts over Thanksgiving, with 'Unbreakable,' 'A Bug's Life' and '101 Dalmatians' trailing 'Toy Story 2' and 'Enchanted.'"
Following the fairy-tale was the holiday picture "This Christmas" starring Delroy Lindo, Regina King and Mekhi Phifer. "Beowulf" dropped to number three.
Here's the top five movies over the weekend:
1. "Enchanted" -- $35.3 million.
2. "This Christmas" -- $18.6 million.
3. "Beowulf" -- $16.2 million.
4. "Hitman" -- $13 million.
5. "Bee Movie" -- $12 million.
--posted by Kim
20 novembre My Film Experience
Nathaniel R. is one of my favorite film bloggers. He runs the fantastic Film Experience Blog, a place I visit daily for its snappy writing, classic cinema amour and up-to-date, intelligent reviews of current releases. And (and I love this) he shares many of my obsessions. We both love Michelle Pfeiffer (though he is the official expert -- the man needs to write the ultimate Pfeiffer book), we both revere Montgomery Clift and we both get Josh Brolin, among other film-centric things. So naturally, I was game when he asked for an interview. Talk movies with another movie freak, and a Monty lover at that? You're on Mr. R.
Below is a snippet of our conversation:
"It was high time to have another writer-to-writer chat. There are days in which Kim Morgan wants to be Tuesday Weld. There are days in which I want to be Kim Morgan. Her fine movie prose can be found at Sunset Gun and at MSN's Movie Filter and you may have even seen her on your television sitting in for Roger Ebert once on Ebert & Roeper. Chase any of the links in this article to some of her pieces. We're jumping right in since Kim has a lot to say about cinephilia, actress worship, classic films --I know my rental queue is already reordered after speaking to her....
"10+ Questions with Kim Morgan of Sunset Gun "Nathaniel: How often do you go to the movies and/or watch at home? "Kim: If I'm out of a shut-in spell, I go to the movies about once a week. If there's a great film series going on or screenings I have to attend, more. As for in home viewing...I think (of late anyway, I've been watching movies like crazy) I average three movies a day, sometimes four. If I get anything that says "Film Noir Box Set" or "Women in Peril" I'm in trouble. And I always re-watch a movie I’ve seen a million times before I go to sleep. I go through phases. I used to watch Marnie constantly. And All the President's Men. And then I went through this They Shoot Horses, Don't They? obsession. Baby Doll was another. I'd wake up with Karl Malden screaming "Baby Dooolll" in a continual brain loop. I think that's slightly healthier than Gig Young's depressing, mocking "Yowza, yowza, yowza."
"Nathaniel: I can't fall asleep if a movie is on myself (i need pitch black and silence... so fussy) but i envy you. ... well, not the Gig Young or Karl Malden hauntings.
"Kim: I recently spent time in the desert and became reacquainted with darkness, silence and deep sleep so I really should change my habits. But then I live right off Hollywood Blvd. so it's never exactly quiet.
"Nathaniel: Do you dream about movies too?
"Kim: Unless the movie is bleeding into my sleep, I don't think I've ever had a dream about a specific movie. But since I always take a movie to bed, I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm never getting proper REM sleep. I have had two dreams about Gene Hackman though, those were good dreams. I wish John Garfield would find his way into my slumber."
Read the rest of my interview here.
And check out all of Nathaniel's writing at Film Experience. And thanks to Nathaniel for creating a photo in which Tuesday Weld is hanging on to me like Steve McQueen. If I can't be Tuesday, Steve is just fine with me.
--posted by Kim DVD Tuesday
I love a good DVD week. And some great discs were released today, including Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn" (with the always impressive Christian Bale), "Hairspray" which was surprisingly great, Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes," a special edition of "I Am Cuba," a special edition of "Hearts of Darkness," "Nosferatu" and more.
Here's MSN's DVD columnist Sean Axmaker on "Nosferatu," directed by F.W. Murnau:
"The first great vampire film, F.W. Murnau's silent classic is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' (it was tied up by the Stoker estate for years) that recreates the famous bloodsucker as a feral ghoul: bald, fanged, clawed, a batlike creature whose bloodlust battles his sexual lust for the virginal Ellen. Count Orlok (played by the spindly, skull-headed Max Schreck) is a veritable force of evil, carrying disease and destruction with him, and Murnau shoots him as an eerie creature of the night, rising like a corpse from his coffin when the sun goes down and skulking in shadow. This early expressionistic masterpiece remains one of the greatest horror films ever made. The two-disc set features separate versions of the film, with newly translated English intertitles or original German intertitles, both newly restored from a 1922 nitrate original and accompanied by Hans Erdmann's original 1922 score. Also features the 52-minute documentary 'The Language of Shadows: The Early Years and Nosferatu,' a three-minute featurette on the digital restoration, lengthy excerpts from eight other Murnau films, a stills gallery, and scene comparisons."
Read Sean's entire, informative column here.
--posted by Kim 19 novembre Curious 'Country' Connection
Wow. In terms of Cormac McCarthy very loosely basing the mysterious killer Anton Chigurh (played by Javier Bardem in The Coen's movie) on a real guy (or at least playing around with his name), this speculative bit of background regarding "No Country For Old Men" is interesting. But when it gets to co-star Woody Harrelson's father, you start to really wonder about such coincidental connections. Blogger K. Bowen dug up some impressive information:
"While watching the movie, something unusual struck me. A weird coincidence. Or perhaps a non-coincidence. In fact, that is what's interesting about it.
"You must understand that I share one big thing in common with the great American author Cormac McCarthy. We both have spent considerable portions of our lives living in El Paso, Texas. I grew up there. He spent most of his adult life there. Which explains why 'No Country for Old Men' revolves around a drug deal gone bad in the arid desert of West Texas about 1980. The hit man sent to recover the drug money, played by Javier Bardem, is named Anton Chigurh. To an El Pasoan, that name can’t help but ring a bell.
"One of the big drug kingpins in the Southwest in the 1970s was allegedly an El Pasoan, Jamiel 'Jimmy' Chagra. He was (and presumably still is) a colorful character. Raised in a Lebanese family who moved up from Mexico, he spent much of his riches gambling in Las Vegas... As an El Pasoan, it’s hard not to notice that the two names – Chagra and Chigurh – share the same consonants.
"Now, I can't say for sure that this is the case, and you would not have seen any member of the Chagra family stalking through West Texas on a killing spree. Whatever was done or not done, it was white-collar. However, if I were a novelist writing a book about drug trafficking in and around El Paso circa 1980, I might be tempted to play around with the name Chagra.
"Now this is where it starts getting really interesting. The most infamous event involving the Chagra family took place in 1979. While walking in a San Antonio parking lot, Federal Judge John Wood was shot and killed by a hidden gunman... Curiously, one who served zero was Jimmy Chagra himself. He would be acquitted of a murder conspiracy charge, but found guilty on a drug trafficking charge and sent to prison until early this decade. (Naturally, someone is writing a film script.)
"Now here’s the big twist that brings it back to the film ….. the man convicted of accepting $250,000 to do the shooting? The late Charles Harrelson. The father of Woody Harrelson. Who appears in this movie. Not only does he appear in the movie. He’s the only person in the movie who is said to be able to recognize the killer.
"So is that coincidence, or casting? I don’t know. Certainly Harrelson has worked for the Coens before. Maybe no one thought about this. But I have my sneaking suspicion."
Read the entire entry at Anti-dis-arts-and-Entertainmentism. And bravo to Bowen's detective work.
--posted by Kim
'Beowulf' Beats Everyone
In not-so-surprising news, "Beowulf" was number one at the box office over the weekend:
"The animated telling of 'Beowulf,' who rids a Danish kingdom of the feared beast Grendel, slew the box office over the weekend, giving a huge boost to 3-D films in the process.
"The Paramount Pictures release earned $28.1 million in its opening weekend — 40 percent of which came from special 3-D showings in regular theaters and on Imax screens.
"The film did $8 million in ticket sales on 638 screens equipped with technology from RealD, which uses a special reflective screen and polarized lens glasses that moviegoers can take as a souvenir."
Why is this so uninteresting to me? Why would I rather watch 3-D Vincent Price screaming in a spider web over Beowulf slaying dragons and contending with Grendel? My old Norton Anthology of literature should be coming to life right now, excited the ancient poem is all gussied up via a ripped Ray Winstone and a slinky, tailed Angelina Jolie but, alas and alack...
I just keep thinking of "Annie Hall" wherein Woody Allen tells the adult education learning Diane Keaton: "Just don't take any course where you have to read 'Beowulf."'
Here's the top five movies over the weekend:
1. "Beowulf" -- $28.1M
2. "Bee Movie" -- $14.3M
3. "American Gangster" -- $13.2M
4. "Fred Claus" -- $12M
5. "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" -- $10M
--posted by Kim 16 novembre Barbara In 'Jeopardy'
You must rent or buy the Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection DVD Box set but make sure to see "Jeopardy." The John Sturges directed daylight noir thriller is not only a tense, daring ride, but a deliciously good time. Here's the predicament: While vacationing in Mexico with hubby Barry Sullivan and their young son, Stanywck is put to the test after Sullivan is trapped in the surf and she must find anyone (anyone) to help her. Aid arrives in smarmy Ralph Meeker (read more on Meeker here) a fugitive who has a few other things on his mind. And off it goes. The repartee between Stanwyck and Meeker is absolutely priceless with standouts involving the triple slap Meeker lays on tough Babs, or Meeker’s proud preference for cheap perfume: “it doesn’t last as long,” or my favorite moment – when Stanwyck realizes she must make the ultimate sacrifice. She faces Meeker all hard and seductive to say, “I’ll do anything for my husband. ANYTHING.” And she does. Hardcore Babs. Don't miss it. For a more in depth review, check out the always insightful Noir of the Week. --posted by Kim Movies Filter On Reelz Check me out today at 3 PM (6 PM ET) on the TV Show Dailies (on the Reelz channel) where I will be discussing "Bee Movie," "Fred Claus," "Beowulf" and Baio (well, my co- guest, Eric Campos brings up Scott B).
And nice try "Beowulf," you’re not "300." Though, in my world, Ray Winstone is welcome anywhere – even while trapped in an unrecognizable hybrid of live action and animation. Anyway, watch if you like. And can anyone pronounce that Mr. Mag...movie? --posted by Kim What Mr. Jones Is Watching
What's in Tommy Lee Jones' DVD player? Sean Axmaker found out:
MSN Movies: What's in your DVD player?
Tommy Lee Jones: "Pierrot le fou." Jean-Luc Godard, [1965]. It was two nights ago.
MSN Movies: Sam Fuller has that great answer to the question "What is cinema?" "Film is a battleground. Love, hate, violence, action, death ... In a word, emotion." I always wondered whether Fuller wrote that line himself or whether Godard wrote it?
Tommy Lee Jones: It would surprise me if anyone other than Sam wrote it. I imagine Godard telling him: "Belmondo's going to come in and ask you what cinema is and you tell him, and that's the setup. OK? Action."
MSN Movies: What do you think of Fuller's answer?
Tommy Lee Jones: It's about as deep as a coat of paint. But it's fun.
MSN Movies: Do you have an answer to that question?
Tommy Lee Jones: No.
Read more with Mr. Jones here. And go see "No Country For Old Men" -- now!
--posted by Kim
15 novembre Terrible Titles
With "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (I just had to check spelling on that like five times) opening tomorrow, MSN's Sean Nelson looks at some of cinema's worst. titles. ever.
Here's one from the list:
"Hope Floats" (1998)
I can't help loving Sandra Bullock, but whoever is in charge of picking titles for her Lifetime-esque/woman's issue films should be reprimanded for letting this one through the gates. First, the phrase "hope floats" is stupid. It doesn't float. It can't. It has no physical properties. It is an abstract condition, and though it can float metaphorically, it's still a stupid image to build a movie around, no matter how Lifetime-y it might be. Second, did it really occur to not one person involved in this production that there is another thing that floats, one with plenty of physical properties (none of them pleasant) and also spelled with four letters? One with which you really don't want your movie associated? Read all of the terrible titles here. And, for the record, I so disagree with him on the inclusion of "Octopussy."
--posted by Kim 13 novembre Reasons To Be Thankful
Though 2007 isn't over yet, there's already plenty to be thankful for when it comes to movies, music and television. So, in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, MSN lists 19 reasons to be thankful.
Here's one:
Resurrecting the Western:
Who said Westerns were dead? 2007 proved that the classic American genre, repeatedly buried and left for dead by studios and journalists, is like a zombie: You simply can't kill them! Fans of Westerns can thank HBO's successful "Deadwood" for getting oaters back on Hollywood's map. And with the commercial success of "3:10 to Yuma" and critical successes of "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and "Seraphim Falls" expect to see more Westerns in a theater near you -- including the Coen brothers' acclaimed "No Country for Old Men."
Read all reasons here.
--posted by Kim
09 novembre Oscar, Where Art Thou?
From Richard T. Jameson's take on the Coen Brothers ("Oscar, Where Art Thou?") at MSN Movies:
"There are hundreds of things thrillingly right with 'No Country for Old Men,' the new film from Joel and Ethan Coen, and the temptation to describe a few dozen of them must be resisted at this time. But let's allow ourselves just one, from early in the movie.
"A Texan named Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) has left his trailer-park home in the middle of the night, climbed into his pickup, and driven to a remote area where, the previous day, he happened upon a grisly scene. Moss pulls his truck right up onto the rim overlooking the place, gets out, and starts walking down into the gully where the bad thing happened.
"Never mind what he's up to, especially since he may not be entirely sure himself. He's come to a lonely and dangerous location where a shocking number of people got themselves killed, and as he descends, somehow it matters that the filmmakers keep his truck in view behind him, crisply silhouetted on the rim. It's a small thing, but so satisfying. It means that whatever happens down below, Moss still has a way out, a way back to the rest of the world.
"But it also means more, is more."
Read that more here.
--posted by Kim Friday Night At The Movies
Here's the deal: Though "Lions for Lambs" and "Fred Claus" open today, there's only one movie you have to see: The Coen Brother's "No Country For Old Men."
I just saw it (at midnight) and well, the picture is a masterpiece. As much as I love Robert Redford and as much as I'll see Vince Vaughn in anything, even a movie that looks pretty damn terrible like "Claus," it's all about "No Country For Old Men." I think I might even see it again today.
It's 4 AM right now so I'm too exhausted to discuss further but you don't need to hear anything else -- just go to the movie. You don't even need to read all of the rave reviews. Just go.
Oh yes, though everyone in the picture is terrific (Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem are brilliant) I think that right at this very moment, Josh Brolin is my favorite actor currently working in the movies. He's an entirely distinct leading man/character actor, and his '70s looking, young Nick Nolte/Charles Bronson thing is exactly what cinema needs.
--posted by Kim 08 novembre Where Would The Governator Be Without Writers?
You know, I'm not the world's biggest Ray Romano fan but he makes a very nice, obvious, somewhat clever point here. And he also provided bagels:
"In Los Angeles, Ray Romano brought bagels, fruit and orange juice for strikers outside the landmark gate at Paramount Studios.
"He said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who relied on writers for memorable lines during his movie career, should help get stalled contract talks restarted.
"'I'll be back' — somebody wrote that. He didn't make that up,' Romano said."
Read lots more about the WGA Strike at the Huffington Post.
--posted by Kim |
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