by A.J.
If you
look at his career as a whole, it appears that Francis Ford Coppola is an indie
director that has also just happened to have made some of the most
groundbreaking and noteworthy movies of all time. The film he directed prior to
The Godfather, was a small scale road movie about a housewife who runs away
from her home and husband called The Rain People. Along the way she picks up a
brain damaged football player. It’s a movie very much in line with the times
(the late 60’s), and also in line some of the smaller movies spread throughout
Coppola’s filmography. Some of those films are good, some not so good. The Rain
People moves at about the same slow-but-steady pace as The Godfather, but
unfortunately has far less interesting subject matter and characters.
Francis
Ford Coppola’s success with his vineyard has afforded him the luxury of making the
films he wants to make, when he wants to make them, with little or no outside
interference. He has made only 3 movies since beginning of this century.
Despite the big name behind the camera, each of those films easily qualifies as
an “indie film.” The most recent of those is Twixt, his first horror movie since
1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Twixt played at film festivals with some
sequences in 3-D; outside of those festivals it fell way under the radar. However, Twixt should not be entirely dismissed.
Twixt
tells the tale of third rate horror novelist Hall Baltimore, played by Val
Kilmer, who, while on a book tour, stops in a small town with a dark past and a recent mysterious
murder. The local sheriff, played by Bruce Dern, thinks
that the young murder victim (Elle Fanning) is tied into the town’s past, the
band of Goth teens that live across the lake, and vampires. He also thinks it’d
be a great idea for a book. Hall reluctantly agrees to co-write the book with
the sheriff.
I’m a
big fan of Coppola’s version of Dracula which was heavy on mood and practical
visual effects. Twixt is also heavy on eerie mood and the visual effects, which
are no doubt digital, but are used in just the right way at just the right time. The big
highlight is the series of dreams Hall has in which he and Edgar Allen Poe
discuss the art of crafting a story and Poe reveals to Hall the town’s past.
Another highlight is Val Kilmer running through a series of impressions while
trying to come up with a first line for his new novel.
Coppola
came up with the idea for this movie after he had a dream not unlike the one
Kilmer’s character has; and this movie does feel like something someone dreamed
up and then threw together over a weekend or two. There is obvious skill and
style from the first shot to the last, but unfortunately the story is only as
thin as a dream and doesn’t quite live up to the craft put into the film.
Nevertheless, Twixt still has enough interesting elements and stunning visuals
to make it worth watching late one night.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Review: Welcome to the Punch
by A.J.
Welcome to the Punch opens with detective Lewinsky, played by James McAvoy, in hot pursuit of elite criminal Jacob Sternwood, played by Mark Strong. Sternwood escapes, Lewinsky is wounded in the knee and spends the next 3 years falling down the ladder of the London police department. When Sternwood’s son is caught up in a heist gone wrong, he comes out of hiding to try to save his son giving Lewinsky another chance to capture his nemesis.
Whether
from the 1960s or the 21st century, I really enjoy gritty British
crime movies. There is enough interesting camerawork and good performances to
keep the first two thirds of this movie from being unbearably dull. Things
finally pick up in time for the final shootout; which is a good one, very
intense and action packed. Welcome to the Punch is gritty in tone more than
visuals and in its better moments reminded me of The French Connection and L.A.
Confidential, but ultimately falls short of being a notable entry in the gritty
British crime genre.
Welcome to the Punch opens with detective Lewinsky, played by James McAvoy, in hot pursuit of elite criminal Jacob Sternwood, played by Mark Strong. Sternwood escapes, Lewinsky is wounded in the knee and spends the next 3 years falling down the ladder of the London police department. When Sternwood’s son is caught up in a heist gone wrong, he comes out of hiding to try to save his son giving Lewinsky another chance to capture his nemesis.
Better
movies have been made with simpler premises, so I’m hesitant to blame the
material. It seems that just not enough was done to keep the story energetic and moving. There
is more behind that heist gone wrong, but the build up to that reveal is a slow
one. Characters at many different levels of the London police department, as
well as criminal underworld are introduced. You might guess that they all intersect;
eventually they do. In the meantime we have a cool blue-tinged London and a
police department that only employs people under 35.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
A Few Highlights of 2013, So Far...
by A.J.
The year 2013 is slightly more than half way done. Though I haven’t been to the movies as much as I would have liked, there have been some highlights and here are three.
If I had to distinguish one movie as “best of the year, so far” it would be:
This is an excellent multi-character, generational family
drama of the kind that you might have seen on a semi-regular basis 20 or maybe
even 10 years ago. It’s becoming a cliché to say that good character based
dramas are rare these days, but it is true; and The Place Beyond the Pines is
this year’s rarity. Spanning 15 years and 4 central characters this movie feels
bigger in scale than I’m sure it’s budget could allow. This movie is
essentially 3 different stories about fathers and sons and criminals and cops
with overlapping characters. Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling are great, as you
might expect, but seeing them work with material that is truly worthy of their
talents is especially satisfying.
The Place Beyond the Pines comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray on August 6th.
The year 2013 is slightly more than half way done. Though I haven’t been to the movies as much as I would have liked, there have been some highlights and here are three.
If I had to distinguish one movie as “best of the year, so far” it would be:
The Place Beyond the Pines comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray on August 6th.
Danny Boyle’s Trance is an excellent example of a “Neo-Noir”
film. Film Noir is the distinction applied to crime dramas from the 1940’s and
50’s that were dark in subject matter and style. They usually concerned
criminals or detectives and unsavory schemes. The definition of a film noir is
as detailed as it is changeable, depending on who you ask. If you ask me, the noir style
goes beyond the classic noir period of the 40’s and 50’s. Plenty of films made
since qualify as noirs since the central elements of a film noir are timeless. Trance
is about a group of art thieves trying to recover their recent theft from their
inside man, an art auctioneer played by James McAvoy, who is unfortunately suffering from
amnesia after double crossing them. The leader of the thieves, Vincent Cassel, goes along with a plan to
have a hypnotherapist, Rosario Dawson, help him recover his lost memories. The plot
twists and turns as memories are recovered and we learn more about the characters
and just exactly why McAvoy’s character decided to double cross his gang in
the first place. There are maybe one too many twists and turns, but this is
still an entertaining noir fueled by the energetic style of director Danny Boyle.
Danny Boyle's Trance comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray July 23rd.
So we’ve seen plenty of mismatched buddy cop comedies, more than
a few of them have been good, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen one
about female buddy cops. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Sandra Bullock in a
decent comedy, too. Luckily, The Heat is a hilarious movie. Bullock plays a
straight-laced FBI agent in pursuit of a drug kingpin who crosses paths with
Melissa McCarthy, playing a wild card Boston cop in pursuit of the same
drug kingpin. They partner up despite their differences and hilarity ensues. I
know, it’s a formula, but all the correct variables were put in the right
places: comedic director Paul Feig, funny actresses Sandra Bullock and Melissa
McCarthy, and a script by Katie Dippold that is more concerned with making sure
the characters are funny people than bashing us over the head with “Hey, look! Women
can be funny!” A quote from Paul Feig, who also directed Bridesmaids, has been
circulating around the internet: “[I want] men to come away from it going,
like, ‘I’m not afraid of two women being funny’… These are just two very funny
people and you’re just going to laugh for almost two hours.” It’s true. You’ll
laugh for about two hours if you watch The Heat.
The Heat is currently in theaters.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Classic Movie Picks: July 2013
by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
7/12, 8 PM - The Bride Wore Black (1968)
This month, TCM is spotlighting the films of French director Francois Truffaut on Friday nights. The Bride Wore Black stars Jeanne Moreau as a woman on a mission of revenge. The film was conceived as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock (Truffaut had recently published his now-classic book of interviews with Hitchcock) and was an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. So, if you like any of those three directors, this film may be worth a look.
BONUS PICK: 7/26, 8 PM - Day for Night (1973) - Truffaut's Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film is about the making of movies, lovingly depicting the contrast between the actual tedious labor of filmmaking and the captivating magic of a finished film.
7/22: Big Band Music on Screen
All day long, 6 AM to 8 PM, enjoy musical movies and shorts featuring Big Band stars of the 30s and 40s. For an added level of fun, try to pick out future A-listers like Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, and Dale Evans in blink-and-you'll-miss-em roles.
In Ship Ahoy (1942), airing at 12:30 PM, dancing dynamo Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton get mixed up in a spy plot to smuggle a magnetic mine on a cruise ship to Puerto Rico. It's got the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, including a young Frank Sinatra, plus Eleanor tapping out messages in Morse code - what more do you need on a summer afternoon?
7/22: Fred and Ginger
9 PM - The Gay Divorcee (1934)
11 PM - Top Hat (1935)
1 AM - Follow the Fleet (1936)
3 AM - Swing Time (1936)
5 AM - The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
After a day of Big Band musicals, what's better than more musicals? Tonight's mini-marathon includes some of the best films featuring Hollywood's quintessential dance team: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
7/25: Controversial Teachers
8 PM - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
This film kicks of a night of stories about students and teachers; however, it is not the usual story of an unconventional teacher who is championed by her students and ultimately vindicated (see Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland's Opus, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, etc.). Anchored by an Oscar-winning performance by Maggie Smith as the arrogant, manipulative Miss Brodie, the film also contains strong performances by Celia Johnson as the school principal and Pamela Franklin as one of Brodie's favored students.
10 PM - Dead Poet's Society (1989) - If you haven't seen this "new classic" then seize the day - carpe diem! - or night, as it were.
12:15 AM - These Three (1936) - Lillian Hellman adapted her controversial play The Children's Hour into this film about the power of a lie.
7/24: Tribute to Mel Brooks
8 PM - AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks
9:30 PM - The Twelve Chairs (1970)
11:15 PM - Carson on TCM: Mel Brooks (9/21/83)
11:30 PM - Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man (2012)
2 AM - Young Frankenstein (1974)
4 AM - The Producers (1968)
5:30 AM - The Dick Cavett Show: Mel Brooks
Tonight we celebrate the work of Mel Brooks with a tribute show, three comedies, two talk show clips, and a documentary; take your pick or enjoy them all! I'm looking forward to The Twelve Chairs, which seems to be the Mel Brooks film no one remembers. Set in Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution, it follows a once-wealthy aristocrat, a con man, and a priest in a race to find a fortune of jewels hidden in one of twelve chairs.
7/28, 8 PM: Great Expectations (1946)
John Mills, Jean Simmons, and Alec Guinness star in this Essentials, Jr. installment about poor orphan Pip who is raised up into society by a mysterious benefactor. Though the original story has been greatly pared down to focus on Pip's journey, this film version directed by David Lean remains the definitive screen adaptation of Dickens' novel.
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
7/12, 8 PM - The Bride Wore Black (1968)
This month, TCM is spotlighting the films of French director Francois Truffaut on Friday nights. The Bride Wore Black stars Jeanne Moreau as a woman on a mission of revenge. The film was conceived as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock (Truffaut had recently published his now-classic book of interviews with Hitchcock) and was an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. So, if you like any of those three directors, this film may be worth a look.
BONUS PICK: 7/26, 8 PM - Day for Night (1973) - Truffaut's Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film is about the making of movies, lovingly depicting the contrast between the actual tedious labor of filmmaking and the captivating magic of a finished film.
7/22: Big Band Music on ScreenAll day long, 6 AM to 8 PM, enjoy musical movies and shorts featuring Big Band stars of the 30s and 40s. For an added level of fun, try to pick out future A-listers like Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, and Dale Evans in blink-and-you'll-miss-em roles.
In Ship Ahoy (1942), airing at 12:30 PM, dancing dynamo Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton get mixed up in a spy plot to smuggle a magnetic mine on a cruise ship to Puerto Rico. It's got the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, including a young Frank Sinatra, plus Eleanor tapping out messages in Morse code - what more do you need on a summer afternoon?
7/22: Fred and Ginger
9 PM - The Gay Divorcee (1934)
11 PM - Top Hat (1935)
1 AM - Follow the Fleet (1936)
3 AM - Swing Time (1936)
5 AM - The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
After a day of Big Band musicals, what's better than more musicals? Tonight's mini-marathon includes some of the best films featuring Hollywood's quintessential dance team: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
7/25: Controversial Teachers
8 PM - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
This film kicks of a night of stories about students and teachers; however, it is not the usual story of an unconventional teacher who is championed by her students and ultimately vindicated (see Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland's Opus, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, etc.). Anchored by an Oscar-winning performance by Maggie Smith as the arrogant, manipulative Miss Brodie, the film also contains strong performances by Celia Johnson as the school principal and Pamela Franklin as one of Brodie's favored students.
10 PM - Dead Poet's Society (1989) - If you haven't seen this "new classic" then seize the day - carpe diem! - or night, as it were.
12:15 AM - These Three (1936) - Lillian Hellman adapted her controversial play The Children's Hour into this film about the power of a lie.
7/24: Tribute to Mel Brooks
8 PM - AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks
9:30 PM - The Twelve Chairs (1970)
11:15 PM - Carson on TCM: Mel Brooks (9/21/83)
11:30 PM - Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man (2012)
2 AM - Young Frankenstein (1974)
4 AM - The Producers (1968)
5:30 AM - The Dick Cavett Show: Mel Brooks
Tonight we celebrate the work of Mel Brooks with a tribute show, three comedies, two talk show clips, and a documentary; take your pick or enjoy them all! I'm looking forward to The Twelve Chairs, which seems to be the Mel Brooks film no one remembers. Set in Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution, it follows a once-wealthy aristocrat, a con man, and a priest in a race to find a fortune of jewels hidden in one of twelve chairs.
7/28, 8 PM: Great Expectations (1946)
John Mills, Jean Simmons, and Alec Guinness star in this Essentials, Jr. installment about poor orphan Pip who is raised up into society by a mysterious benefactor. Though the original story has been greatly pared down to focus on Pip's journey, this film version directed by David Lean remains the definitive screen adaptation of Dickens' novel.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Classic Movie Picks: June 2013
by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
6/9: Crime Comedies
8 PM - The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
9:30 PM - A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
The Essentials Jr. series for kids is back this month with host Bill Hader. The second week of the series brings The Lavender Hill Mob, a british caper comedy starring Alec Guinness as the unlikely leader of a gang set on robbing a gold bullion truck. The film won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and the clever ending will prompt some post-movie discussion for kids and parents (such as, what is bullion anyway?).
The official Essentials Jr. entry is followed by another crime comedy in which Edward G. Robinson spoofs his tough gangster persona as a bootlegger determined to go straight after Prohibition ends. However, honest living is not so easy when he discovers his house full of dead thieves and loot.
6/11: Working Women Who Surrender in the End
8 PM - Baby Face (1933)
9:30 PM - Female (1933)
The oddly titled theme for tonight's line-up of 5 films hosted by film critic Molly Haskell pretty much spells it out -- in what was a conventional Hollywood story for decades, an independent career woman is drawn to the domestic life once she finds the right man. Baby Face, starring Barbara Stanwyck, and Female, starring Ruth Chatterton, are notable as two of the most daring films from the Pre-Code era. Stanwyck is a tough orphan who uses men to improve her station in life, literally sleeping her way to the top floor of a company in one memorable sequence. Chatterton is a female CEO, who prefers to "shop around" rather than settle down with a husband. Though today's films discuss sex in a far more open way, films made before the production code can still shock with their frankness. The shock is mostly because we're not used to seeing people in black and white movies being so...forward.
6/18, 8 PM - Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
If you're in the mood for a more conventional romance, one that's staying well within the boundaries of the Production Code, you could do worse than Three Coins in the Fountain. When a film's tagline is "You've never lived until you've loved in Rome!", it's easy to roll your eyes and dismiss it as a mindless chick flick. However, this film about 3 American roommates in Rome wishing for love received several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture! So, enjoy the Italian scenery, 50s fashion, and the title song sung by Frank Sinatra and just except that romantic froth can be sometimes be satisfying.
6/23, 10 PM - The Crimson Pirate (1952)
This one was new to me, perhaps because I've never been a particular Burt Lancaster fan. However, I'm really intrigued by this film which is both a salute to swashbuckling pirate films and a spoof of the genre. Lancaster was an acrobat before coming to Hollywood and here he puts those skills to use alongside his real-life circus partner, Nick Cravat. Lancaster and Cravat use the ship as a jungle gym as the leap, swing, and bounce away from the swords of their enemies, all in service of a plot about a Caribbean island rebellion.
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
6/9: Crime Comedies
8 PM - The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
9:30 PM - A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
The Essentials Jr. series for kids is back this month with host Bill Hader. The second week of the series brings The Lavender Hill Mob, a british caper comedy starring Alec Guinness as the unlikely leader of a gang set on robbing a gold bullion truck. The film won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and the clever ending will prompt some post-movie discussion for kids and parents (such as, what is bullion anyway?).
The official Essentials Jr. entry is followed by another crime comedy in which Edward G. Robinson spoofs his tough gangster persona as a bootlegger determined to go straight after Prohibition ends. However, honest living is not so easy when he discovers his house full of dead thieves and loot.
6/11: Working Women Who Surrender in the End
8 PM - Baby Face (1933)
9:30 PM - Female (1933)
The oddly titled theme for tonight's line-up of 5 films hosted by film critic Molly Haskell pretty much spells it out -- in what was a conventional Hollywood story for decades, an independent career woman is drawn to the domestic life once she finds the right man. Baby Face, starring Barbara Stanwyck, and Female, starring Ruth Chatterton, are notable as two of the most daring films from the Pre-Code era. Stanwyck is a tough orphan who uses men to improve her station in life, literally sleeping her way to the top floor of a company in one memorable sequence. Chatterton is a female CEO, who prefers to "shop around" rather than settle down with a husband. Though today's films discuss sex in a far more open way, films made before the production code can still shock with their frankness. The shock is mostly because we're not used to seeing people in black and white movies being so...forward.
6/18, 8 PM - Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
If you're in the mood for a more conventional romance, one that's staying well within the boundaries of the Production Code, you could do worse than Three Coins in the Fountain. When a film's tagline is "You've never lived until you've loved in Rome!", it's easy to roll your eyes and dismiss it as a mindless chick flick. However, this film about 3 American roommates in Rome wishing for love received several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture! So, enjoy the Italian scenery, 50s fashion, and the title song sung by Frank Sinatra and just except that romantic froth can be sometimes be satisfying.
6/23, 10 PM - The Crimson Pirate (1952)
This one was new to me, perhaps because I've never been a particular Burt Lancaster fan. However, I'm really intrigued by this film which is both a salute to swashbuckling pirate films and a spoof of the genre. Lancaster was an acrobat before coming to Hollywood and here he puts those skills to use alongside his real-life circus partner, Nick Cravat. Lancaster and Cravat use the ship as a jungle gym as the leap, swing, and bounce away from the swords of their enemies, all in service of a plot about a Caribbean island rebellion.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Summer Movies We Want to See
by AJ and Lani
If the robin is a harbinger of spring, then the first superhero sighting of the year must be a sign that spring has given way to summer. And so, with the arrival of Iron Man 3 in theaters last weekend, summer movie season has officially begun. We've looked at all the films scheduled for release from May through August and picked out a few that we can't wait to see.
Star Trek Into Darkness (May 16)
A.J.: Large chunks of the internet bemoaned the delay of the next "new" Star Trek movie due to script problems, but I would always rather wait and have a good movie. I'm less suspicious and more excited about Star Trek Into Darkness than the 2009 reboot. Into Darkness follows the crew of the Enterprise as they track down a rogue Starfleet officer (that may or may not be Kahn) played by Benedict Cumberbatch. J.J. "lens flare" Abrams is in the director's chair again and with Star Trek and Super 8 he has proven himself to be a solid filmmaker. From the trailers it looks this is sequel has been given the same care as 2009's Star Trek. I suspect that the action sequences and special effects won't upstage the story and characters.
Now You See Me (May 31)
Lani: The story follows an FBI agent and Interpol detective as they struggle to make a case against magician supergroup The Four Horsemen, who carry out elaborate bank heists while performing on stage, then give the loot to needy people in the audience. The assembled cast sounds great: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, and Michael Caine. Plus, director Louis Leterrier, the man behind The Transporter and Transporter 2, knows how to combine action with unabashed foolishness. The moment in the trailer that got me was when Jesse Eisenberg is being interrogated by Mark Ruffalo and Eisenberg magically "throws" his handcuffs onto Ruffalo, then looks at him smugly and says, "First rule of magic, always be the smartest guy in the room." It was so ridiculous that I laughed out loud. I may be alone on this one, but this film looks so silly, so beyond all sense, that I have to believe it will be entertaining.
The Internship (June 7)
Lani: Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn star as salesman who made their careers during the analog age, but find themselves out of job in today's digital landscape. They manage to land internships at Google and find themselves competing with tech-savvy college students for a coveted permanent position. Some of the jokes in the trailer were a bit stale, but it made me laugh, too. Remember Wedding Crashers? Remember Old School? Those were funny movies, right? I'm optimistic that the formula of Vince Vaughn + a Wilson brother will equal comedy once again.
The Bling Ring (June 14)
A.J.: This movie is based on the true story of a group of not-too-bright, fame-obsessed teens that broke into different celebrities' houses and robbed them. The Bling Ring is written and directed by Sofia Coppola; her last film, Somewhere, was big step towards the, unfortunately, dull end of the "art house" movie spectrum. However, The Bling Ring looks like it has more of the lively spirit of Coppola's previous movies. Coppola also brings out the best in the her female leads, so I'm excited to see Emma Watson in this movie, especially after her great performance in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
The Wolverine (July 26)
Lani: I'm fully aware that with each pick my cred as a serious cinephile continues to diminish. However, I will not apologize. X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasn't that good; however, this film has kept what worked about the last one -- Wolverine as a character and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine -- and changed everything else. The setting is modern-day Japan, where Wolverine meets someone from his past who offers him mortality at long last. The trailer has ninjas, katana swords, Yakuzas (maybe?), weird medical equipment, a blond mutant lady, and, of course, Jackman waving his claws around and yelling. I think these are all good things. Maybe I'm just a Jackman fan, maybe I want the X-Men to take back the spotlight from the Avengers; nevertheless, I remain cautiously optimistic.
If the robin is a harbinger of spring, then the first superhero sighting of the year must be a sign that spring has given way to summer. And so, with the arrival of Iron Man 3 in theaters last weekend, summer movie season has officially begun. We've looked at all the films scheduled for release from May through August and picked out a few that we can't wait to see.
Star Trek Into Darkness (May 16)
A.J.: Large chunks of the internet bemoaned the delay of the next "new" Star Trek movie due to script problems, but I would always rather wait and have a good movie. I'm less suspicious and more excited about Star Trek Into Darkness than the 2009 reboot. Into Darkness follows the crew of the Enterprise as they track down a rogue Starfleet officer (that may or may not be Kahn) played by Benedict Cumberbatch. J.J. "lens flare" Abrams is in the director's chair again and with Star Trek and Super 8 he has proven himself to be a solid filmmaker. From the trailers it looks this is sequel has been given the same care as 2009's Star Trek. I suspect that the action sequences and special effects won't upstage the story and characters. Now You See Me (May 31)
Lani: The story follows an FBI agent and Interpol detective as they struggle to make a case against magician supergroup The Four Horsemen, who carry out elaborate bank heists while performing on stage, then give the loot to needy people in the audience. The assembled cast sounds great: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, and Michael Caine. Plus, director Louis Leterrier, the man behind The Transporter and Transporter 2, knows how to combine action with unabashed foolishness. The moment in the trailer that got me was when Jesse Eisenberg is being interrogated by Mark Ruffalo and Eisenberg magically "throws" his handcuffs onto Ruffalo, then looks at him smugly and says, "First rule of magic, always be the smartest guy in the room." It was so ridiculous that I laughed out loud. I may be alone on this one, but this film looks so silly, so beyond all sense, that I have to believe it will be entertaining.
The Internship (June 7)
Lani: Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn star as salesman who made their careers during the analog age, but find themselves out of job in today's digital landscape. They manage to land internships at Google and find themselves competing with tech-savvy college students for a coveted permanent position. Some of the jokes in the trailer were a bit stale, but it made me laugh, too. Remember Wedding Crashers? Remember Old School? Those were funny movies, right? I'm optimistic that the formula of Vince Vaughn + a Wilson brother will equal comedy once again.
The Bling Ring (June 14)
A.J.: This movie is based on the true story of a group of not-too-bright, fame-obsessed teens that broke into different celebrities' houses and robbed them. The Bling Ring is written and directed by Sofia Coppola; her last film, Somewhere, was big step towards the, unfortunately, dull end of the "art house" movie spectrum. However, The Bling Ring looks like it has more of the lively spirit of Coppola's previous movies. Coppola also brings out the best in the her female leads, so I'm excited to see Emma Watson in this movie, especially after her great performance in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
The Lone Ranger (July 3)
A.J.: Despite the dubious casting of Johnny Depp as Tonto and way, way over-the-top action sequences in the trailers, I'm still interested enough to give Disney's big budget, big screen adaptation of The Lone Ranger a watch. I'm interested in seeing Armie Hammer in his first leading role in a major movie. He definitely has the screen presence to carry a movie, and I hope that the material doesn't let him, or the audience, down. It's the summer, so big action-packed movies can't be avoided, but with any luck this will be the right kind of summer action movie: pleasant to look at and listen to, and entertaining.
The Wolverine (July 26)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Classic Movie Picks: May 2013
by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
5/8, 8 PM & 11:30 PM - Don't Say No Until I've Finished Talking: The Story of Richard Zanuck (2013)
The latest TCM original documentary takes on producer Richard Zanuck, son of 20th Century Fox studio mogul Darryl F. Zanuck. The younger Zanuck was Fox studio president in the 1960, and well-regarded producer in his own right. Under Richard's tenure the studio produced Best Picture winners The Sound of Music, Patton, and The French Connection; it also turned out legendary flops like Dr. Doolittle and Star!, which led to his being fired...by his father Darryl. Richard was an independent producer from the 1970s until his death in 2012, bringing to the screen Jaws, The Sting, Cocoon, and Driving Miss Daisy. With such a distinguished career to cover, not to mention Zanuck's family legacy in Hollywood, this doc should have some interesting tidbits about "the biz".
5/20: Spy Spoofs
From a 21st century filmgoer's perspective, the early James Bond films can sometimes seem like a parody of 1960s culture all on their own. However, at the time, Bond was definitely more cool than kitsch. Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond, hit theatres in 1963 and almost immediately inspired a new genre of secret agent comedies which served their martinis with a wink and tongue planted firmly in cheek.
8 PM - Our Man Flint (1965) - Probably the best-remembered film in the genre, this one stars James Coburn as American secret agent Derek Flink.
10 PM - The Silencers (1965) - Dean Martin had his own franchise starring as suave super-spy Matt Helm which included this film and Murderer's Row.
11:45 PM - Murderer's Row (1966)
1:45 AM - Carry on Spying (1964) - This entry in the British Carry On... series of B-movies may have contained the first Bond parody.
3:30 AM - Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) - The Goldfoot films are mash-ups of three 1960s genres -- beach party movie, spy parody, and horror-comedy -- starring Vincent Price as the super-villain of the title. Frankie Avalon plays Price's secret agent foil in the first film, while Fabian fills the role in the sequel.
5:15 AM - Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966)
5/22, 12:30 AM - True Confessions (1981)
I'm curious about this neo-noir based on the infamous Black Dahlia murder case. Not because of the mystery -- the Black Dahlia case remains unsolved, after all -- but because it was the first time Robert Duvall and Robert DeNiro shared the screen (The Godfather: Part II doesn't count because they had zero scenes together). Duvall plays a police detective investigating the murder of a prostitute with ties to prominent Los Angeles businessmen, as well as to his own brother, played by DeNiro, a monsignor supervising several generously funded church building projects. Both actors were at the top of their careers -- DeNiro had just won the Best Actor Oscar for Raging Bull and Duvall would soon win for 1983's Tender Mercies -- so why have I never heard of this movie? We'll see...
5/28, 8 PM - Hard Times (1975)
There was only one Jimmy Stewart, but at the same time there was also Henry Fonda and Gary Cooper. There was only one William Powell, too, but then you also had Melvyn Douglas and Don Ameche. Charles Bronson, though, was a singular presence in his era. I can't think of any contemporary who had quite the same quality. He certainly didn't have the look of a leading man, like co-stars Steve McQueen or Yul Brynner. With his round head, exceedingly lined face, and eyes hidden by a perpetual squint, Bronson sort of resembled a compressed Clark Gable. Then there was his athletic body. Sporting the sort of extreme muscle tone that was not yet de rigueur for all male action stars, Bronson often played the heavy or strong-man type. After notable performances in the ensembles of The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen, and The Magnificent Seven, he achieved worldwide stardom in the 70s with a string of violent, though simplistic, thrillers including The Mechanic and Death Wish. In the midst of those films, however, he got the chance to play a more complex character in Hard Times, the first feature by writer-director Walter Hill. Here Bronson plays a drifter during the Great Depression who gets by as a bare-knuckle boxer. He's surrounded by a strong supporting cast which includes James Coburn, Strother Martin, and Bronson's real-life wife Jill Ireland. TCM is showing the film as part of its Tuesday night spotlight of classic "tough guys" on film and I agree that Bronson deserves his place among other tough guy icons like Robert Mitchum and John Garfield. (Today, an actor who reminds me a bit of Bronson is Daniel Craig in a film like Munich or Defiance; however, it's an indicator of how much times have changed that someone with Bronson-like grit and physicality is now also portraying James Bond. Can you imagine Roger Moore as a street fighter?)
BONUS: 5/14, 3:15 AM - The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
This thriller set on the NYC subway is scheduled late night after the Tuesday "tough guys" programming in prime time and I think it fits the evening's theme, too. Though I'm not sure who's tougher -- Walter Matthau as a veteran transit officer or Robert Shaw as the leader of a gang of train hijackers.
Friday Night Spotlight: Second Looks
This month-long series programmed by actress & filmmaker Ileana Douglas features movies which weren't enthusiastically received at time of their release, but warrant a revisit for one reason or another. I'm interested to see Top Banana (1954) starring Phil Silvers on 5/17 and The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) starring Jack Benny on 5/10; Silvers and Benny were two extremely popular comics who conquered just about every other medium -- radio, stage, TV -- but neither had much of a film career despite their talent.
However, the real story here is that A New Leaf is finally being shown on TCM! Sure, Ileana picked it, but I like to think that my consistent mentions of this 1971 film by writer-director Elaine May made a difference, too. Consider this: in a July 2010 post about Walter Matthau's hilarious performance as a spoiled golddigger, I complained that A New Leaf was not available on DVD; then, a mere 2 years and 2 months later, the film came out on DVD (which I celebrated alongside the September 2012 classic movie picks)! Of course, it still hadn't been shown on TCM. And so I began my imaginary letter-writing campaign (it works sort of like The Secret) to get this darkly comic romance into its rightful place in the TCM rotation. Now, seven months after my first victory, I've done it again! So, on 5/31 at 8 PM, I'll be toasting the TCM premiere of A New Leaf!
Cheers!
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)
5/8, 8 PM & 11:30 PM - Don't Say No Until I've Finished Talking: The Story of Richard Zanuck (2013)
The latest TCM original documentary takes on producer Richard Zanuck, son of 20th Century Fox studio mogul Darryl F. Zanuck. The younger Zanuck was Fox studio president in the 1960, and well-regarded producer in his own right. Under Richard's tenure the studio produced Best Picture winners The Sound of Music, Patton, and The French Connection; it also turned out legendary flops like Dr. Doolittle and Star!, which led to his being fired...by his father Darryl. Richard was an independent producer from the 1970s until his death in 2012, bringing to the screen Jaws, The Sting, Cocoon, and Driving Miss Daisy. With such a distinguished career to cover, not to mention Zanuck's family legacy in Hollywood, this doc should have some interesting tidbits about "the biz".
5/20: Spy Spoofs
From a 21st century filmgoer's perspective, the early James Bond films can sometimes seem like a parody of 1960s culture all on their own. However, at the time, Bond was definitely more cool than kitsch. Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond, hit theatres in 1963 and almost immediately inspired a new genre of secret agent comedies which served their martinis with a wink and tongue planted firmly in cheek.
8 PM - Our Man Flint (1965) - Probably the best-remembered film in the genre, this one stars James Coburn as American secret agent Derek Flink.
10 PM - The Silencers (1965) - Dean Martin had his own franchise starring as suave super-spy Matt Helm which included this film and Murderer's Row.
11:45 PM - Murderer's Row (1966)
1:45 AM - Carry on Spying (1964) - This entry in the British Carry On... series of B-movies may have contained the first Bond parody.
3:30 AM - Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) - The Goldfoot films are mash-ups of three 1960s genres -- beach party movie, spy parody, and horror-comedy -- starring Vincent Price as the super-villain of the title. Frankie Avalon plays Price's secret agent foil in the first film, while Fabian fills the role in the sequel.
5:15 AM - Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966)
5/22, 12:30 AM - True Confessions (1981)
I'm curious about this neo-noir based on the infamous Black Dahlia murder case. Not because of the mystery -- the Black Dahlia case remains unsolved, after all -- but because it was the first time Robert Duvall and Robert DeNiro shared the screen (The Godfather: Part II doesn't count because they had zero scenes together). Duvall plays a police detective investigating the murder of a prostitute with ties to prominent Los Angeles businessmen, as well as to his own brother, played by DeNiro, a monsignor supervising several generously funded church building projects. Both actors were at the top of their careers -- DeNiro had just won the Best Actor Oscar for Raging Bull and Duvall would soon win for 1983's Tender Mercies -- so why have I never heard of this movie? We'll see...
5/28, 8 PM - Hard Times (1975)
BONUS: 5/14, 3:15 AM - The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
This thriller set on the NYC subway is scheduled late night after the Tuesday "tough guys" programming in prime time and I think it fits the evening's theme, too. Though I'm not sure who's tougher -- Walter Matthau as a veteran transit officer or Robert Shaw as the leader of a gang of train hijackers.
Friday Night Spotlight: Second Looks
This month-long series programmed by actress & filmmaker Ileana Douglas features movies which weren't enthusiastically received at time of their release, but warrant a revisit for one reason or another. I'm interested to see Top Banana (1954) starring Phil Silvers on 5/17 and The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) starring Jack Benny on 5/10; Silvers and Benny were two extremely popular comics who conquered just about every other medium -- radio, stage, TV -- but neither had much of a film career despite their talent.
Cheers!
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