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July 30 Jerry's Got His Gun Oh come on...let Jerry have a gun:
"Police say they have confiscated a gun belonging to Jerry Lewis that was found in the 82-year-old entertainer's carryon bag as he prepared to fly to Detroit from Las Vegas.
"Las Vegas policeman Bill Cassell said Tuesday that the actor was cited Friday for carrying an unloaded concealed weapon at the Las Vegas airport. "Lewis' manager, Claudia Marghilano, says the handgun is a hollowed-out prop gun that Lewis sometimes twirls during his show. She tells The Associated Press that the gun couldn't fire." Like Bale's righteous rage, I believe Mr. Lewis. And by the way, you never know who is bothering him with their "pride and joy." --posted by Kim
July 28 Comic-Con Dispatch 3: Auto-EroticIt's the last day of Comic-Con, and I think the place is getting to me. Truly. The day's a little nippy and there's a hint of sadness permeating the place with the geeks thinning out, the halls feeling colder and emptier and even (gasp!) the die-hard freaks appearing to grow weary (come on! Where's my Joker-faced girls at? Joker-faced girls!). And yet, I'm still feeling a bit obsessed. After last night's column in which I pondered the difference between Lycans and Werewolves (a smart guy in the production office told me there's no difference; it's some fancy Latin root ... whatever), I actually had a dream about explaining the distinction to, of all people, Benicio Del Toro (which makes sense since I saw him speak on "The Wolfman" panel Friday.) So, yes, indeed, I dreamt that I was arguing with Mr. Del Toro that his Wolfman was in fact, a Lycan (he kept rambling on all Fenster-like about how Lycans can be feline and that I was crazy ... and then we made out. OK, that didn't happen.) Anyway, not a bad reverie with Mr. Del Toro, even if we were arguing, but it only proves that this place is so all-consuming that it's actually seeping into my dream state. Ah yes, the power of movies. Or insanity. Not sure. Regardless, it's been quite a trip, this Comic-Con adventure, and I've grown more charmed every day. The morning of Sunday being no exception, especially when you drink your coffee with the likes of Paul W.S. Anderson, Jason Statham, Natalie Martinez, Tyrese Gibson, Joan Allen and (swoon) Ian McShane (the greatest mother**king actor whose ever appeared on TV -- that's for all you "Deadwood" fans). That's right; I'm talking about a "Death Race" junket.
Auto-Erotic Now, I absolutely venerate the Paul Bartel-directed, Roger Corman-produced, David Carradine-starring cult classic "Death Race 2000," so I was curious to know why director Paul W.S. Anderson decided to change the picture so radically. Instead of a future blood sport in which drivers rack up points for killing innocent bystanders (way more subversive), the "Resident Evil" director set the movie in a futuristic maximum-security prison in which the world watches prisoners (on TV) commit all kinds of creative vehicular manslaughter. It's like "Mad Max" meets "The Truman Show" meets "The Running Man" (without Richard Dawson, regretfully). But Anderson assured me that he loved the original and that this movie serves as a kind of prequel to the Bartel/Corman picture. "It is part of reimagining a property like this. If we're lucky enough to make a sequel, we'll get to the evolution of the points, what was leading up to what Roger Corman's movie represented." Hmmm ... sequel in the works? Nevertheless, the director continued to impress the gear-head in me by discussing his reason for not using CG effects, and then rattled off some of his favorite, great, car movies: "I grew up watching 'Vanishing Point,' 'Two-Lane Blacktop,' 'The Driver,' Sam Peckinpah's 'The Getaway,' 'Bullitt.' When you see movies like 'The Getaway,' those movies gave you a visceral thrill because they were real ... you see those cars crunching into one another, there's no CG sh*t flying off the cars, it's real, and the physics are real, and that's the kind of movie I wanted to make." He went on to discuss some deeper issues, something that the genius named Ian McShane (he went from this movie and did a play by Harold Pinter!) would strongly disagree with. He called "Death Race" a "boy's wet dream movie": "['Death Race'] is a film to make a lot of money. They want a lot of people to watch it and have a good time. These films are written fairly delineated in ways that are black and white and you are meant to be distracted by the sheen ... I'm not dissing the movie at all ... that's what Hollywood films are about -- let's face it, they're not about nuanced problems." Well said, Al Swearengen ... er Mr. McShane. Oh yes, and which actor would he like to most work with in the future? Nick Nolte, he told me. Ian McShane officially rules. But then, to make the morning go to 11, my heart went all auto-erotic when Jason Statham (who drives a white 208 GT2 Porsche) rhapsodized over American muscle cars. When I told him I drove a 1971 Torino with a 351 Cleveland, he leaned closer to me and asked with that distinctive Statham voice: "Where's your keys? You don't want to lend that to me on the weekend." (Uh ... go ahead and take the keys, Mr. Statham, as long as I'm in the passenger seat.) So yeah, this was a pretty damn good morning. Sadly it had to lead to Camp Crystal Lake ... Freaky "Friday" A morning that magnificent cannot last -- of course -- especially when you're next listening to a panel discuss the remake of "Friday the 13th." OK, so it's not as bad as butchering the brilliant horror classic, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but producers Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, star Jared Padalecki and the new Jason Voorhees and Derek Mears were all there, explaining why this version would be better than the original. Right. Michael Bay produced it. After showing us a teaser trailer in which the creepy Jason music played (that's always nice to hear), I was still unconvinced. And then actor Padalecki bragged about how this movie is much more realistic and grittier by saying, "There's a whole new level of scare. It's not just the slow-moving-walking-guy whose out to get us. It's like the difference between fighting a hippo and fighting a lion." Um, did you just compare the original Jason Voorhees to a hippo? Shame on you! And shame on the producers for working with a guy who's remaking not only this movie, but "The Birds" and "Rosemary's Baby" as well. Seriously, I was tempted to walk up to the question microphone and just tell them to STOP with this nonsense already. But then I was encouraged by a legend, God bless him ... Craven Savin' That legend mentioned above was Wes Craven ("The Last House on the Left," "The Hills Have Eyes," "Nightmare on Elm Street, " "Scream," "Red Eye"), who was there to chat up his newest picture, "25/8" -- a serial-killer story about split personalities, a deceased father and grieving, among other things. The clip shown was fantastic, incredibly atmospheric and yes, very, very scary. I can only hope the movie lives up to its teaser. Craven, who comes across as immensely kind and professorial, also wrote the picture. It was something very personal to him as his father died when Craven was 4 years old. When asked if the staunchly political man had any message ladled within the picture regarding the current administration, he said, "No, I wasn't commenting on George Bush. I'd kind of like to not think of him at all." He also discussed the current remake of his notoriously violent '70s classic, "Last House on the Left," which sounds like it may continue the tradition of good Craven remakes (like the brilliant, and yes I did say brilliant, retooling of "The Hills Have Eyes" by Alexandre Aja). Craven's confident with Greek director Dennis Illiadis fronting the task. The relatively unknown Illiadis made an uncompromising picture called "Hardcore" about two young prostitutes that Craven was deeply impressed with, and I trust Mr. Craven. No Michael Bay action here, thank goodness. The panel ended with writer and director David Goyer's newest picture, "Unborn," a demonic-possession/bad-seed movie ("I'm being hunted by someone who was never born!" screams our lead character). The picture looks like it has promise but ... it's a bit F/X heavy (why ruin horror movies with a bunch of silly effects?). Goyer, who's helped pen some major comic book movies, including the highly influential "Blade," "Batman Begins," "Ghost Rider" and "The Dark Knight" and who produced, wrote and directed "Blade" Trinity" (ouch) as well as directed "The Invisible" last year, was clearly excited about this project, though the room felt spiked with Xanax (the crowd's energy was really starting to wane). Citing influences from "The Exorcist" to "Rosemary's Baby" to "The Omen," as well as newer pictures like "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" and "The Mothman Prophecies," the director said these films "Get under your skin in a more realistic way." I supposed he's attempting to achieve the same with his picture, but I'm not so sure as of yet; however, even Goyer said the teaser wasn't entirely complete, so who knows what the end result will be. Though some amusing banter about, of all things, potato bugs (he threw a lot of them on the actors) was thrown about, the affair was particularly lackluster. All I could think was, "Where's Gary Oldman (one of the "Unborn's" stars) when you need him?" If Bill Nighy could show up for the "Underworld" panel, surely Oldman could have popped in for a second. But then, this movie wasn't about Werewolves ... I mean, Lycans. Yes, yes, I'm back to that business again. I told you I was obsessed. And now Comic-Con is over. But the obsessions still remain. Ready for next year and ready to dream again. Maybe this time Jason Statham and I can get in an argument about Ford Mustangs vs. Dodge Challengers. I certainly hope so. --posted by Kim July 27 Comic-Con Dispatch 2: I'm Craving Pineapple...
Saturday, July 26: Did I honestly think Christian Bale would make a surprise appearance here? Yes, yes, there was some glimmer of hope inside, even with his latest incident. ("Verbal assault"? What is up with laws in England? Leave Mr. Bale alone. He was having a bad night.). Anyway, I was shocked by how er ... articulate director McG (he of "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" fame) was. After showing the trailer (starring Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard and Common, who did all appear on the panel today) the picture looks a lot grittier than we've seen of Mr. McG, who stated he used no visual effects in order to create a more "tactile feel" and a more "'70s" vibe. Good direction. He was also quite political ("I think if the world would get its head out of its ass & if we actually see a guy like Common running shi* ...") and made some interesting points about the state of the world: "Science fiction is over, we live in a world we can clone a sheep, talk on our blackberries, and if we're depressed, we just take a pill to affect our dopamine levels. The future is here." He also conceded his lack of credible weight by citing others for any artistry the film might have. "We hired Stan Winston, John Nolan is the writer, who you know from a little picture called 'The Dark Knight.'" He continued with "[Audiences are thinking,] I don't know about that McG guy. So I wanted to hire the most credible actor of this generation: Christian Bale. He is John Connor. I can report fairly back to you, he's doing a great, great job." I'm pretty sure he's right. As for the movie itself, we shall see ... Universal's "Mummy," "Race," "Drag Me to Hell" and "Land of the Lost" I find "The Mummy" movies unbearably boring, but I'll admit it -- watching Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Maria Bello saunter out to promote the newest take on the tedious franchise, my heart skipped a beat (OK, maybe half a beat) faster. The newest picture takes place in China, and from the looks at the sneak peek, it would appear Brendan Fraser is battling a group of Yeti in the snow. OK, I'm bored again. Next up was "Death Race," director Paul W.S. Anderson's re-make of Paul Bartel's classic cult film, but I'm not reporting on that movie until tomorrow after I interview the director and cast. One nice surprise was producer Roger Corman taking the stage. He claimed he was cheap enough producing the original picture to do all of his own driving in the film (ah, the good old days). Rolling along, the room significantly perked up with Sam Raimi's entrance. The director gave us a sneak of his return to horror with "Drag Me to Hell," which stars Alison Lohman and Justin Long. All I need to say is: Alison Lohman gets in one hell of a fantastically gross fight with a scary old lady in a car. Nicely done, Mr. Raimi. After the third "Spider-Man," it's nice to see him back in the horror genre. "Land of the Lost" was next on the docket; it's a movie that looks, well....we never saw much of anything to look at except an unfunny bit where Will Ferrell (who wasn't in attendance) plays a banjo and attempts to sing the original theme song and something about a dinosaur. Most interesting bit? The fact that Sid and Marty Kroft (who were present) might not be aware that the picture is making fun of the original TV show. But hey, I could be wrong. And the Sleezstack scared the crap out of me when I was a kid so ... "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," "Quarantine," "Pineapple Express" After watching the trailer for the very Romero-inspired "Quarantine" and listening to "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'" director Patrick Tatopoulos discuss vampires, werewolves and Lycans, I start wondering just what the hell the difference is between a Lycan and a Werewolf. Is there a difference? Am I losing my mind? No, I'm just eagerly awaiting more Judd Apatow, along with the great David Gordon Green, Seth Rogen, Danny Miller and James Franco to discuss a movie I cannot wait to see, "Pineapple Express" (which is directed by Green). Finally, they emerge and the room is energized by not just a bunch of promotional turn and burn, but quick-witted conversation and riotous banter between cast members and the amusing (amusing is a nice way of putting it) audience members asking questions. Apatow leads the panel and is fast to make fun of his looks on the Comic-Con jumbotron (he even flashes his hairy chest to make a nervous, questioning fan feel better about his Chewbacca backpack); then he plays loose and mirthful with his cast and director. I realize this is the third time I've seen Seth Rogen in 24 hours, and I'm not tired of him in the least. I don't think I'll ever tire of the guy. Actually, I'm so eager to see Rogen and Franco in this stoner action movie that I'm annoyed I've just watched three clips from the film. I just want to see it. And that's a good way to end the evening. I can only hope tomorrow holds such promise. Oh, wow ... I'm beginning to sound like a bad science fiction movie based on a comic book. You'd think I was at some sort of convention or something ... --posted by Kim Comic-Con Dispatch 1: I'm A Freak And A Geek...
I'm a Comic-Con virgin. But after three days of this shindig, my er ... "Cherry Darling" (come on, "Planet Terror" fans ... and I saw Rose McGowan on the "Red Sonja" panel so it's relevant) anyway, that thing's been popped. Amid the herds of nerds (and I mean that in the nicest way possible -- mostly) and costumed fan-freaks, the expansive convention floor/field filled with every kind of graphic novel to numerous movie posters to the "Harold & Kumar" unicorn, I am, in the grandest of understatements, a bit overwhelmed. And surprised, too. I'd gone in thinking I'd be annoyed by the geek fest, that my inner high-school-smoking-section Kim Kelly (the "freak" from "Freaks and Geeks") would rage against the onslaught of nerd-dom; instead, I was charmed. I'd see a guy in far too tight spandex Robin outfit and think, "Right on! Do your thing, man!" When spying a girl dressed in the original Princess Leia outfit, I thought, "Good for you! Those cinnamon buns on your head must have been a bitch to apply." And then I took the Comic-Con shuttle. Filled with Comic-Con fans of every stripe, I realized I wasn't far removed from these kids -- and they all seem like kids, even the adults who are older than I am. After speaking to one fellow who asked me what the hell I was doing there (funny -- I'm the weirdo I guess), I told him I just saw, among others, Frank Miller speak. When he asked me who Frank Miller was, I flipped: "What?!" I exclaimed, "You're at Comic-Con and you don't know who Frank Miller is"? That's like saying you don't know who Han Solo is! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Yes I geeked out. And yes, OK, Kim Kelly did emerge, albeit a much nerdier one. I realized my own fan-girl geekdom when my first panel began with ... July 25, 2008 The Visionary Filmmakers I love Frank Miller. I love his graphic novels, I love that he loves film noir, I love that he's staunchly protective of his material and I love that he can actually pull off wearing a pin-striped jacket and a fedora -- not an easy feat, my friends. So I was excited to learn he would be participating in the Visionary Filmmakers panel as part of his promotion of "The Spirit." His fellow panelists were Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead," "300" and the highly anticipated "Watchmen"), Judd Apatow (creator of "Freaks and Geeks," director of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" and producer of "Superbad" and "The Pineapple Express") and Kevin Smith ("Clerks," and you know the rest). Now, I still love Frank Miller, but dammit if Kevin Smith (who received the biggest applause upon entering), a filmmaker I don't revere by any stretch of the imagination, didn't win me over. Discussing the role of geek in cinema, the power they hold both culturally and in the business world (they are taking over), Smith and Apatow dominated the panel with their hilarious, incredibly blue banter. When asked why they made the movies they do, Smith quipped, "I just wanted to get my c** sucked, sir." And then Apatow one upped him with, "I'd still like that to happen ... [Anyway] I was 16/17 years old and I had sex for the first time, and afterwards I asked her, 'Was it good for you too?' She answered, 'I guess it'll get better' & and then I knew." He continued with, "I'm sure none of you have had that experience." Ah, have to love him (and there's more of him to come). Miller and Snyder were silent for most of the panel, with Snyder coming off almost nervous at times (even Smith, who praised "Watchmen" pointed out his lack of verbal skills were made up by such a strong visual sense), but Snyder did make some nice points about the power of watching movies on the big screen: "I'm a fan of the theater, I want to go to the movies, I want the lights to go down and get my brains blown out." Considering his movies, I'm pretty sure he meant that literally. Kevin Smith Makes a PornoThe raunchiness continued with Smith's hour-and-a-half discussion of his newest picture, "Zack & Miri Make a Porno," which stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. Based on the clip he presented, the film looks pretty damn funny. Again, I'm not the world's biggest Smith fan, but with Rogen dominating the screen (and Smith very openly admits this by praising Rogen's improvisational skills), the movie looks like it could be the funniest he's ever made. With, among others, porn icon Traci Lords, Rogen, Jason Mewes and Banks on the panel, the night was highly amusing and I can't repeat nearly any of what was spoken here. Sorry. --posted by Kim July 24 The End Of An EraVery sad that the balcony is finally closed. Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz will take over for Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper.
I must say I'm proud to have been a part of the show, and that in spite of our differences on the air, Mr. Roeper (um, "The Host"? come on Richard!) has been nothing but a Prince to me ever since. I wish him the best. And, here's a nice piece by Ebert about the end of the show. And an end of an era. --posted by Kim At Comic-Con I'm at Comic-Con and yeah...this is crazy.
I'll report more later, but for now check out Gregory Ellwood's coverage.
And pray for me. There's a lot of Klingons running around, and those costumes cannot smell good...
P.S. Stacie Ponder! Where the hell are you? Heeeeeelllllp me!
--posted by Kim Please Respect Mr. Bale's Privacy -- He IS Batman After All...I know I wrote about this, but I was tired. In a lucid state, I say, leave Christian Bale alone. And what in the hell? You can get busted for yelling at someone in England? If so, I would have been arrested many times over.
Here's Mr. Bale asking for some damn privacy:
"Batman star Christian Bale asked for privacy Thursday in his first comments since allegations he assaulted his mother and sister at a London hotel, saying the incident was a "deeply personal matter."
The Welsh-born actor brushed off questions about the alleged family dispute, saying he preferred to focus on the blockbuster movie 'The Dark Knight,' which opened in Spain on Wednesday. "'t's a deeply personal matter,"'Bale told a press conference at a luxury hotel in this northern Spanish city. 'I would ask you to respect my privacy in the matter.' "The 34-year-old actor spent four hours talking to British police Tuesday following allegations he assaulted his mother and one of his three sisters in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel two days earlier. He was released on bail, but not charged. "Bale has said through his lawyers that the assault allegations were false. "British media reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the hotel a day before attending the European premiere of 'The Dark Knight.' The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale and mother Jenny Bale. "The drama unfolded even as the movie broke records and was met with critical acclaim. It set a box-office record with $158.4 million during its opening weekend in the U.S. last week, and is expected to do well in Europe." --posted by Kim July 22 Christian, Are You OK? Christian? We know how method you are (uh..."The Machinist")...so I'm hoping this was research for a new movie role? I do also hope you're OK. And who knows, this might be entirely blown out of proportion (verbal assault?).
In any case, methinks Stepmom Gloria Steinem needs a little sit down with you:
"Batman star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday over allegations of assaulting his mother and sister, police and British media said.
The 34-year-old actor spent four hours at a London police station before being released on bail.
"'British media had reported that Bale's mother and sister complained he had assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before the European premiere of his latest film, 'The Dark Knight.'
"The Sun newspaper said police did not question the actor Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere of the movie."
Read the entire story here.
Update: Bale denies all charges. (I believe him...)
--posted by Kim
July 21 Batman Through The Ages
From the campy (Pow! Wham! Bang!) 1960s version starring Adam West to the perhaps even campier (pec-tacular rubber suit!) 1997 edition featuring rising heartthrob George Clooney, five past films brought the beloved Bob Kane DC comic to life -- five different visions, of varying quality, that have excited, disappointed and ignited arguments among Batman aficionados everywhere. In 2005, the delightfully dark "Batman Begins" introduced us to an all-new vision, courtesy of director Christopher Nolan ("Memento") and star Christian Bale ("American Psycho"). Now Nolan and Bale return to the depths of superhero drama with "The Dark Knight," which is already garnering raves and buzz. Why all the attention? Batman has long been the favorite superhero of comic-book/graphic-novel fandom, offering a wealth of rich, dark material for a filmmaker to mine. We are inspired/fascinated by traumatized rich boy Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego Batman because he doesn't possess any superpowers -- just a super brain, super gadgets, super car, super rage and a super, devoted butler. He's the brooding film noir-esque antihero whose hometown of Gotham City is so filled with corruption and evil that it has stained his soul. Batman is so deeply troubled and so deeply violent, you're not sure just which side of good or evil he's on. This is just one reason I was especially excited for the return of Nolan and Bale's version. With "Begins," they proved to be the perfect pair to take Batman back to the dark side. Will this outing be as exciting as the first? What snippets we've seen look promising. But before we get to Bale's bat-ting average, we thought we'd fly down memory lane to take a look at the previous Bat-visions that graced or disgraced our big screens. Read on about Batman through the ages... --posted by Kim 'Dark Knight's' Historic Weekend "Mamma Mia!" had no chance. Nothing, even "Titanic 2" or...the second coming would have beat Batman. Audiences were that excited to see "The Dark Knight" -- even selling tickets on eBay.
That being said, the "Xanadu" of 2008 ("Mamma Mia!") came in at number two.
Here's more about this historic box office weekend:
"'The Dark Knight' took in a record $155.34 million in its first weekend, topping the previous best of $151.1 million for 'Spider-Man 3' in May 2007 and pacing Hollywood to its biggest weekend ever, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"'We knew it would be big, but we never expected to dominate the marketplace like we did,' said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released 'The Dark Knight.' The movie should shoot past the $200 million mark by the end of the week, he said. "Hollywood set an overall revenue record of $253 million for a three-day weekend, beating the $218.4 million haul over the weekend of July 7, 2006, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "This weekend is such a juggernaut," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, whose musical "Mamma Mia!" debuted at No. 2 with $27.6 million. Factoring in higher admission prices, "Spider-Man 3" may have sold slightly more tickets than "The Dark Knight." At 2007's average price of $6.88, 'Spider-Man 3' sold 21.96 million tickets over opening weekend. Media By Numbers estimates today's average movie prices at $7.08, which means "The Dark Knight" would have sold 21.94 million tickets. "The movie's release was preceded by months of buzz and speculation over the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, Batman's nemesis. Ledger, who died in January from an accidental prescription-drug overdose, played the Joker as a demonic presence, his performance prompting predictions that the role might earn him a posthumous Academy Award nomination. "'The average opening gross of the last five `Batman' movies is $47 million. This tripled that, and for a reason' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. 'A big part of that was the Heath Ledger mystique and a phenomenal performance that absolutely deserves the excitement surrounding it.'" Here's the top five movies over the weekend:
1. "The Dark Knight," $155.34 million. 2. "Mamma Mia!", $27.6 million. 3. "Hancock," $14 million. 4. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," $11.9 million. 5. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," $10 million. --posted by Kim
July 14 The Dark Knight Soars, The Joker Scores I'm still trying to take in all of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" -- a movie I watched just a few hours ago in IMAX-- and this is a good thing. A very good thing. The movie sticks with you, gets under your skin in ways that surprise you hours later and, even better (or worse, depending on your mood) makes you ponder everything from the hypocritical nature of mankind to current politics to...ah yes, the tragic loss of Heath Ledger. The usual suspects are present of course: a fantastic Christian Bale -- one of the greatest actors working -- as Bruce Wayne, the legendary, sweet Michael Caine, the wonderfully understated Gary Oldman and the always perfect Morgan Freeman (can that man possibly achieve a bad performance?). Also appearing is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal is a vast improvement -- intelligent and slinky -- you totally understand why a guy who can get whatever he wants, wants her). There's also Aaron Eckhart as District Attorney Harvey Dent -- primed to become Two Face and again, a brilliant, crazed and yet, oddly soulful Ledger.
Which brings me to the heart of the, at times, sublime "The Dark Knight" -- as Ledger's Joker shows us (and forces upon Harvey Dent), the world is a place of two faces, of darkness and light, of organization and chaos. Gotham City's criminal underbelly is a reflection of a world we sometimes walk through with willfull ignorance, not realizing we are part of such chaos and destruction. Or, at the very least, we allow it to happen around us -- as long as we're warned. The Joker doesn't want us to be warned -- he thrives on chaos, cannot be bought and has no glorious plan. He's the Tyler Durden of Super-villains and, as such, will become something of a cult figure with this character. His philosophy isn't exactly a new one (watch some film noir for prime examples) but Nolan and Ledger make it fresh and inspired. And since these ideas are universal, it's hard to not understand where The Joker is coming from. At times (and this might be a stretch for some, but not for me) it's even hard to dislike him. He's that great.
Bale is terrific in "The Dark Knight," but this is Ledger's movie all the way. Watching him watch the world burn, I couldn't help but think (and this will sound bizarre) -- damn if he couldn't have returned to burn it a little more. --posted by Kim Closet Classic: 'Night Moves'Because it’s summer and summer isn’t always happy days, beach frolics and picnics in the park. It's also, often, claustrophobic sunlight and heat, free time to overthink your life (or no free time to think at all), annoying, chipper people playing volleyball or worse, frisbee and my favorite, existential meltdown. But before you think I'm getting way too dramatic here, trust that summer can roll along like (and metaphorically speaking) one of my favorite movies, Arthur Penn’s "Night Moves." Though most '70s film fans regard this picture as a classic of the era, it’s a movie that oddly, took far too long for rediscovery (and a DVD release—finally two years ago, but I’m still keeping my worn VHS copy, for sentimental reasons). But this is a bit curious. The picture was directed by Arthur Penn, the auteur behind a movie that arguably kick-started the changing face of cinema -- "Bonnie and Clyde." It features both a teenage Melanie Griffith (in all her wild child glory) and a very young James Woods. And it stars my beloved Gene Hackman in one of his greatest, most poignant and naturally moody performances. It's also a brilliant movie, a complex, thoughtful and powerfully melancholic neo-noir. Like Bill L. Norton's masterful "Cisco Pike," Jerry Schatzberg's moving "Scarecrow" and Michael Ritchie's great, tough "Prime Cut" (the latter two also featuring Hackman) "Night Moves" (1975) is a distinctly 70s picture, a movie that showcases exactly why so many consider that era a golden period of filmmaking. Hackman plays Harry Moseby, a private detective and former pro football player whose glory days are behind him (one of the picture's most touching moments is simply catching Harry beam while walking into a football stadium). His marriage isn't working out, his wife (Susan Clark) is having an affair (she also likes going to Eric Rohmer films, something Harry famously says is like “watching paint dry.”), and he seems somewhat lost. Hackman plays this melancholia with subtlety and intelligence and his existential dread hangs over the picture with an almost bittersweet pessimism. Hired by a washed up Hollywood glamour-puss (Janet Ward) to find her teenage daughter (the nubile Griffith), Moseby takes the job and tracks down the girl who is crashing with her stepfather (John Crawford) in the Florida Keys. The unusual relationship sees the rebellious daughter in an extremely permissive and disturbingly close situation with her father whose mistress (Jennifer Warren) seems to coolly take it in some kind of stride. Harry falls for the woman, who's unusual herself, with an intelligence and seen-it-all veneer and, yet, interestingly sunny good looks that catches the viewer somewhat off guard. She’s a blonde healthy woman who looks like she smokes about two packs a day—she's got angst, but keeps it in cynical check. In short, she's a mysterious female character one rarely experiences in movies. She's truly interesting and off. But as the plot thickens (and boy does it thicken) we realize just how interesting and off everyone and everything is, how very real to life they are. And with this, everyone and everything is not surprisingly, frustratingly impossible to crack. A revelation does not necessarily lead to closure because a revelation isn't always what it seems in the first place. And then there's Moseby's own mysteries which are really, a lot more interesting and complex. This doggedness of not tying up its mysteries in one tidy bow makes Penn's "Night Moves" all the more meaningful, its pessimism (and amidst all the oppressive sunlight) all the more complicated. Cruising in this beautiful "paradise" Hackman's boat doesn't crash, it goes round and round (if you’ve seen the movie, you know exactly what I’m talking about), literally making the picture's moral ambiguities open ended and curiously, painfully elegant. And again, that boat. In any kind of existential crisis, I often think of Gene Hackman and that damn boat. I don't know if it helps me, but it's nice to relate to, even if that boat only exists in one's mind. July 11 'Hellboy' Is Heaven
Raves for "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" -- reviews that actually make me excited about going to a packed movie house tonight. (I hope it's packed -- more money and more movies from Guillermo de Toro, who is doing things right. Bravo del Toro). From Time: "If the film is just as strange and endearing as its glowing protagonist -- and it is -- that's because the director and co-writer (with Mignola) is Guillermo del Toro, 43, who has the wildest imagination and grandest ambitions of anybody in modern movies."
From Variety:
"Not to disparage the f/x guys, but what's onscreen in Hellboy II is all about the seismic eruptions in del Toro's head. Comparing his work to most fantasy cinema is like comparing cave drawings to the Cathedral of Cologne."
From the Washington Post:
"As he has done in all his movies, from creature features such as 'Mimic' to serious dramas such as 'Pan's Labyrinth,' del Toro creates unforgettable images, filled with color, texture, lyricism and horror."
From Salon:
"Poetic, funny, darkly romantic and beautifully structured -- is a very different picture from 'Pan's Labyrinth.' But there's no doubt that it springs from the same cathedral."
Read more reviews here.
--posted by Kim July 09 The Mighty (And Not So Mighty) Murphy MSN's Frank Paiva on the best and worst of Eddie Murphy. A special right-on for including the underrated "Bowfinger" -- that's the movie he should have been nominatd for.
Here's a look at such talented ups and downs: Eddie Murphy recently became the most profitable star in cinema history. According to tracking Web site BoxOfficeMojo.com, Murphy's 33 films have grossed a combined $3.4 billion. That's an average of $104.5 million per movie, which is certainly nothing to mock. Yet, for all his financial success, the star has become infamous as of late for truly terrible comedies that tarnish his brilliant past work. For every "Trading Places," there's a "Golden Child." For every "Nutty Professor," a "Showtime." The wildly divergent quality of Murphy's filmography is second only to Woody Allen. When he's good, he's painfully hilarious. When he's bad, he's just a pain. Murphy has been making people laugh since first appearing on "Saturday Night Live" in 1980. His parody of "Our Gang" child star Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas was an audience favorite, as were his impersonations of famous soul singers James Brown and Stevie Wonder. His television success led to a pair of highly successful concert films, which established the comedian as an incendiary successor to Richard Pryor's throne. Soon Murphy hit the big time. He appeared in hit after Hollywood hit. His comedy album won a Grammy Award. His trio of R&B albums were detested by critics but cautiously embraced by the public. Yet the masses were only so forgiving. Murphy's career stalled in the early '90s with a series of failed and forgettable movies that were exacerbated by his poor public image. But it wasn't too long before he was back on top. In the past decade, the notoriously lewd comedian has cleaned up his act and focused on family-oriented comedies. He has also expanded into animated features. His voice-over roles as Mushu the dragon in "Mulan" and Donkey in the "Shrek" trifecta are among his best work. After he completes all of his contractually obligated upcoming projects, he has expressed interest in returning to the stand-up circuit and leaving Tinseltown behind forever. Murphy has become famous for playing multiple characters in his movies. His latest release, "Meet Dave," is no different. In the film, Murphy plays an alien captain exploring Earth as a human replica robot, also played by Murphy. In celebration of the movie's release, here are the best and worst of its star's multiple personalities: The Yeah! "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984) Eddie catapulted to stardom in this classic fish-out-of-water comedy. He plays tough Detroit cop Axel Foley, who travels to ritzy Beverly Hills, Calif., to investigate the death of his friend. The movie laid the groundwork for the character the comedian would play for the rest of the '80s: a fast-talking outsider who's constantly at odds with his environment. This was the first and the best incarnation of this stock role. The movie received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The soundtrack went No. 1 on the Billboard charts and won a Grammy Award. Two critically reviled sequels soon followed. Even the star himself admits they weren't any good. Murphy plans to make amends with a fourth installment in 2010 that will close out the series on a high note. "Bowfinger" (1999) This shamefully overlooked comedy had the unfortunate timing of opening a week after "The Sixth Sense," which stole publicity from every other movie in the marketplace for months. The title character is a desperate two-bit movie director (played by Steve Martin) who needs the world's biggest movie star (played by Murphy) to appear in his film for financing. When the actor disagrees, Bowfinger decides to shoot the movie around him anyway and fill in the rest of the scenes with a nerdy look-alike stunt double (also played by Murphy). Both comedians are at the top of their game here in this decidedly adult departure from their career resurgence kiddie streaks. The scene in which Murphy crosses the freeway (the movie's production budget is too small for stunt drivers or special effects) is one of the funnier moments in recent film memory. Read his entire list here. --posted by Kim July 07 Big Box-Office For 'Hancock' Myself, I don't get this "Hancock" movie (though I do love those tagged billboards).
Anyway, Will Smith looks like a pothead mountain climber to me, not a homeless person...which isn't a bad thing necessarily. I'm just trying to figure it out. As was the entire country, who made the picture number one at the box office:
"Will Smith's box-office superpowers remain intact. Smith's 'Hancock' — the story of a boozing, foul-mouthed superhero who dresses like a street bum — led the Fourth of July weekend with a $66 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"That raised the total for Sony's 'Hancock' to $107.3 million since it opened Tuesday night to get a jump on the holiday.
"It was a familiar place for Smith, one of Hollywood's most-consistent draws. "Hancock" is his fifth movie to open at No. 1 over the Fourth of July. The others were 'Men in Black' and its sequel, 'Independence Day' and 'Wild Wild West.' "'Will Smith, Mom, apple pie and the Fourth of July. It doesn't get any better,' said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. 'People just so relate to him and the characters that he plays. They totally embraced it as something different, something fresh.'"
Anyway, here's the top five movies over the weekend: 1. "Hancock," $66 million. 2. "WALL-E," $33.4 million. 3. "Wanted," $20.6 million. 4. "Get Smart," $11.1 million. 5. "Kung Fu Panda," $7.5 million. --posted by Kim July 03 Batman-Mania Gregory Elwood on his "Dark Knight" set visit has fueled my excitement for the movie:
"Almost a year ago, I gathered with a small band of journalists outside a former Chicago post office where the sequel to 'Batman Begins,' this summer's expected blockbuster 'The Dark Knight,' had set up production. The Warner Bros. representative warned us days before not to expect much during our set visit. Director Christopher Nolan liked to keep plot details secret, so chances were good that we wouldn't get to talk to him or the big stars from the cast. Oh, how wrong that representative was.
"Within minutes of walking into an air-conditioned tent, I sat within a foot of Batman's new suit (touch, touch). The Joker's punk-inspired costume was on a dummy less than a yard away, and production designs of everything from the new batpod to Batman's new Gotham City bat cave adorned the wall. "In the center of the room, typical of most film sets, was a flat-screen TV piping in footage shot earlier. Before I could come to terms with what I was seeing, a fellow reporter shouted out: 'Man in bat suit!' Yes, star Christian Bale was in his full Batman regalia shooting a scene with Gary Oldman, who returns as police commissioner James Gordon. "It was going to be a good day." Indeed... Read his entire take here. --posted by Kim Hal Ashby: It's All In The Last Details
Hal Ashby (he of "Harold and Maude," "The Last Detail," "Shampoo" and "Being There") is one of my favorite filmmakers. I'm happy that my love for him is shared by such illustrious company. Also, I always suspected Wes Anderson (whom I also revere) was highly influenced by him: From Good Magazine: "Hal Ashby's movies captured a messy, post-1960s America in alternately hilarious and poignant ways. Here, Wes Anderson, Judd Apatow, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, and Jason Schwartzman talk about their favorites." Read the entire, intriguing and touching piece here. --posted by Kim July 01 Trumbo ComingSoon discussing a movie I can't wait to see:
"In the late '40s and early '50s, Hollywood was hit by something even worse than all of the recent and impending guild strikes, as the government started taking a serious look at subversive screenwriters who may be instilling alternative political agendas (translation: communist ideals) into their work, and one of the men targeted was Dalton Trumbo, a prolific and respected screenwriter under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Because of his outspoken politics, Trumbo was put before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 along with nine others, all declared to be communist sympathizers, put in jail and ultimately blacklisted in Hollywood, to the point where Trumbo was forced to write films like Spartacus, Roman Holiday and The Brave One under assumed names.
"Decades after his death, his son Christopher Trumbo wrote the touring play Trumbo, based on his father's personal letters from that era of turmoil, letters so beautifully written that it enticed a who's who of award-winning actors to recite them as monologues in Peter Askin's film of the same name. The documentary features the likes of Michael Douglas, Paul Giamatti, Liam Neeson, Donald Sutherland, Michael Douglas, Nathan Lane, Brian Dennehy, David Strathairn, Joan Allen and Josh Lucas reading Trumbo's stirring and amusing letters, interspersed with archival interviews with Trumbo himself, footage of the HUAC hearings and interviews with Trumbo's direct family and those who knew the man, making it an intriguing and memorable film."
Read the entire piece here.
--posted by Kim Skin Jobs, Tin Cans And Spare Parts
MSN's Kathleen Murphy on Robot movies... Who doesn't want to play god? Maybe that's why the perils and pleasures of creating machines in our own image fuel so many sci-fi movie plotlines. It's only human to dream of worry-free maid service and garbage collection, ambulatory weapons and ultrasmart computers, lover-'bots and supertoys -- a Stepford underclass obedient to our every whim and directive. And who wouldn't want to live forever, replacing worn-out organic parts with bionic spares, eventually downloading our memories into a brand-new and improved android body? Too bad our machine-made paradise almost always short circuits. Electric sheep suddenly and inexplicably upgrade, growing human emotions and dreams of their own. What's more scary than android Adams and Eves who outstrip their creators in smarts, muscle, morals, even the capacity to love? In "Westworld," "Star Wars," "The Terminator," "Hardware," "Eve of Destruction," "I, Robot," and "Transformers," malevolent Mechas attack humankind, out of simple revenge or the desire to be No. 1. Even Dr. Strangelove's bionic hand can't be trusted -- and beware of Kubrick's HAL, that paragon of artificial intelligence turned stone-cold killer in "2001"! What do we do with machines that suddenly grow souls? How do we define human, if 'bots and 'droids perfectly mirror us? Think back to the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz," questing for a heart, or Data of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," nicknamed Pinocchio for his passionate wish to become "real." Big Philosophical Questions aside, the movies teem with just plain lovable robots like Huey, Dewey and Louie ("Silent Running"), C-3PO and R2-D2 ("Star Wars"), and Robby the Robot ("Forbidden Planet"). And now Disney/Pixar powers up "WALL-E" (Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class), the last, ultra-lonely robot stuck on Earth, after humans fled centuries ago. This animated adventure promises to warm the cockles of every heart -- or motherboard! To welcome "WALL-E," we activate 10 of his cinematic kin. 10. "Short Circuit" (1986) 9. "Making Mr. Right" (1987) Read her entire list here. --posted by Kim |
Whatever. Maybe that's his version of the Fourth of July. It's all about Dad, cherry pie and the ludicrously entertaining violence of "Wanted" for my fourth (well, except for the Dad part, maybe illegal fireworks, which is sort of like my Dad but that's another story).
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