Directing
Nominees
Arrival - Denis Villeneuve
Hacksaw Ridge - Mel Gibson
La La Land - Damien Chazelle - WINNER
Manchester by the Sea - Kenneth Lonergan
Moonlight - Barry Jenkins
Showing posts with label Mel Gibson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mel Gibson. Show all posts
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Friday, February 17, 2017
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 12th to 18th, 2017 - Update #24
Support Leroy on Patreon.
CULTURE - From BuzzFlash: NBA champion coach Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs) speaks out on racial and social justice.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Angela Lansbury joins "Mary Poppins Returns" from Disney.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: There will be a fourth entry in "The Purge" film franchise. It's due in 2018.
----------
POLITICS - From YahooNews: In a major survey of historians, President Obama, is ranked the 12th best President of the United States of all time.
----------
TELEVISION - From YahooTV: On "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," Robert Irwin, the son of the late Steve Irwin a.k.a. "The Crocodile Hunter," comes across just like his dad.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: "Extinction," the sci-fi film starring Michael Pena, lands at Universal after a competitive bidding war.
----------
OSCARS - From THR: The stars of "Bonnie and Clyde," Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, will reunite at the Oscars to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film and to present the best picture Oscar... to "La La Land," of course.
----------
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Marvel and Archie enter join publishing venture.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ComicBookMovie: Mel Gibson among the directors being considered to director "Suicide Squad 2."
----------
MUSIC - From TheWrap: Well, if you can have a President Trump... Kid Rock being considered a U.S. Senate candidate...
----------
POLITICS - From RSN: The real reason that Republicans want to repeal Obamacare? Robert Reich says it would put anywhere from $33000 to $197000 worth of tax cuts into the wealthiest 1 percent's hands every year.
----------
OSCARS - From RollingStone: Peter Travers offers his 2017 Oscar predictions.
----------
TELEVISION: Variety: Amazon gets "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" from Bryan Cranston and Ronald D. Moore.
----------
TELEVISION - From Variety: The "S.W.A.T." reboot from CBS will have Bond girl, Stephanie Sigman, in a starring role.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR: If Matt Reeves does become director of "The Batman," will he bring something new to the character.
----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Jeremy Saulnier, director of "Green Room" and "Murder Party," lines up Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgard, and Riley Keough for his next film, "Hold the Dark (from Netflix).
----------
AWARDS - From YahooMusic: Highs and lows of the Grammys. It was mostly all low except for the end when Adele shouts out Beyonce.
From YahooMusic - Adele wins and gives all credit to Beyonce.
From YahooMusic: A complete list of Grammy winners and nominees.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 2/10 to 2/12/2017 weekend box office is "The Lego Batman Movie" with an estimated take of $55.6 million.
----------
AWARDS - From Variety: "La La Land" wins the top prize at the 2017 BAFTAs.
----------
AWARDS - From EOnline: 2017 Image Awards were held last night with "Hidden Figures" and Taraji P. Henson the big winners.
----------
OBIT - From TMZ: The Grammy-winning singer, Al Jarreau, has died at the age of 76, Sunday, February 12, 2017. He may be the only recording artist to win a Grammy in the jazz vocal, pop vocal, and R&B vocal categories. He won a total of 7 Grammys.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Matt Reeves of "Cloverfield" and "War for the Planet of the Apes" in talks to be the director Ben Affleck's "The Batman" movie, which Affleck has previously committed to directing before recently stepping down.
----------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: There are now at least 6 players from the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots will not visit Donald Trump per a tradition of the American championship teams visiting the White House.
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: New "Iron Fist" trailer from Marvel/Netflix.
CULTURE - From BuzzFlash: NBA champion coach Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs) speaks out on racial and social justice.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Angela Lansbury joins "Mary Poppins Returns" from Disney.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: There will be a fourth entry in "The Purge" film franchise. It's due in 2018.
----------
POLITICS - From YahooNews: In a major survey of historians, President Obama, is ranked the 12th best President of the United States of all time.
----------
TELEVISION - From YahooTV: On "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," Robert Irwin, the son of the late Steve Irwin a.k.a. "The Crocodile Hunter," comes across just like his dad.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: "Extinction," the sci-fi film starring Michael Pena, lands at Universal after a competitive bidding war.
----------
OSCARS - From THR: The stars of "Bonnie and Clyde," Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, will reunite at the Oscars to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film and to present the best picture Oscar... to "La La Land," of course.
----------
COMICS - From BleedingCool: Marvel and Archie enter join publishing venture.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ComicBookMovie: Mel Gibson among the directors being considered to director "Suicide Squad 2."
----------
MUSIC - From TheWrap: Well, if you can have a President Trump... Kid Rock being considered a U.S. Senate candidate...
----------
POLITICS - From RSN: The real reason that Republicans want to repeal Obamacare? Robert Reich says it would put anywhere from $33000 to $197000 worth of tax cuts into the wealthiest 1 percent's hands every year.
----------
OSCARS - From RollingStone: Peter Travers offers his 2017 Oscar predictions.
----------
TELEVISION: Variety: Amazon gets "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" from Bryan Cranston and Ronald D. Moore.
----------
TELEVISION - From Variety: The "S.W.A.T." reboot from CBS will have Bond girl, Stephanie Sigman, in a starring role.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR: If Matt Reeves does become director of "The Batman," will he bring something new to the character.
----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Jeremy Saulnier, director of "Green Room" and "Murder Party," lines up Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgard, and Riley Keough for his next film, "Hold the Dark (from Netflix).
----------
AWARDS - From YahooMusic: Highs and lows of the Grammys. It was mostly all low except for the end when Adele shouts out Beyonce.
From YahooMusic - Adele wins and gives all credit to Beyonce.
From YahooMusic: A complete list of Grammy winners and nominees.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 2/10 to 2/12/2017 weekend box office is "The Lego Batman Movie" with an estimated take of $55.6 million.
----------
AWARDS - From Variety: "La La Land" wins the top prize at the 2017 BAFTAs.
----------
AWARDS - From EOnline: 2017 Image Awards were held last night with "Hidden Figures" and Taraji P. Henson the big winners.
----------
OBIT - From TMZ: The Grammy-winning singer, Al Jarreau, has died at the age of 76, Sunday, February 12, 2017. He may be the only recording artist to win a Grammy in the jazz vocal, pop vocal, and R&B vocal categories. He won a total of 7 Grammys.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Matt Reeves of "Cloverfield" and "War for the Planet of the Apes" in talks to be the director Ben Affleck's "The Batman" movie, which Affleck has previously committed to directing before recently stepping down.
----------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: There are now at least 6 players from the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots will not visit Donald Trump per a tradition of the American championship teams visiting the White House.
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: New "Iron Fist" trailer from Marvel/Netflix.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 9th to 15th, 2016 - Update #28
Support Leroy on Patreon.
MOVIES - From TheWrap: 91-year-old veteran actor defends Nate Parker and "Birth of a Nation." Concerning rape allegatiosn - get over it, he says.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: President Barack Obama lists his all-time favorite science fiction flicks and a few TV show.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Delroy Lindo joins the cast of "The Good Wife" spinoff series, which will air on CBS All Access - a streaming service.
----------
ECO - From Time: Robert Redford - "Climate change affects every issue."
----------
OBIT - From BleedingCool: Michiyo Yasuda, an animator, artist, and colorist for anime films, has died at the age of 77. She worked for Studio Ghibli and worked on such Hayao Miyazaki films as the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away" and "Ponyo."
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" film series will be five film long.
-----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Quentin Tarantino is researching the 1970s for his next project, although that project might not be a film...
----------
MUSIC - From Variety: Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is the first American to win the award since Toni Morrison in 1993.
----------
ECO - From TheGuardian: Climate change deniers should not hold elective office.
----------
COMICS - From TheVillageVoice: "Ms. Marvel Will Save You Now"
----------
CELEBRITY - From THR: Mel Gibson is back - hot and bankable.
----------
OBIT - From TMZ: The actor Tommy Ford has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, October 12, 2016. He was best known for playing "Tommy" on the 1990s Fox television comedy, "Martin" (starring Martin Lawrence).
----------
ECO - From EcoWatch: Shailene Woodley and 26 others are arrest protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).
----------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: The original Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund, has a really good idea for the next installment of "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
----------
MUSIC - From YahooCelebrity: Miley Cyrus is "pansexual."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool: Marvel's "Captain Marvel" movie will be an origin story.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Clint Eastwood has lined up his next film.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: "Chronicle" screenwriter Max Landis thinks "Mighty Morphing Power Rangers" looks like Chronicle.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Uber-talented Michelle Williams in talks to star in a Janis Joplin biopic.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Guy Ritchie is in talks to direct a live-action remake of Walt Disney's "Aladdin."
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 10/7 to 10/9/2016 weekend box office is "The Girl on the Train" with an estimated take of $24.7 million.
From Variety: "Finding Dory" surpasses $1 billion in worldwide box office. This is the third Disney film to do so this calendar year, following "Captain America: Civil War" and "Zootopia."
NEW YORK COMIC CON 2016:
From EW: John Wick goes to NYCC '16 with Keanu Reeves vs. Common sizzle reel.
From ScreenRant: At NYCC '16, Jeph Loeb talks about the FX and Marvel connections in the two studio's FX television series, "Legion."
From YahooTV: At NYCC '16, Marvel introduces "The Defenders," who will appear on Netflix at some point.
From FlickeringMyth: Marvel's animated "Avengers Assemble" became "Avengers: Ultron Revlutions" and will now become "Avengers: Secret Wars." That is where Haley Atwell will reprise her role as "Peggy Carter" in voice form.
COMICS-FILM - From IGN: 2017 will see a new animated Spider-Man series from Disney, entitled "Marvel's Spider-Man." The current series, "Ultimate Spider-Man" ends in January.
----------
TELEVISION - From DemocracyNow: Rosario Dawson and Norman Lear among stars exploring "America Divided."
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: Third official "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" trailer.
From TheVerge: First full trailer for Marvel-Netflix's "Iron Fist" series.
MOVIES - From TheWrap: 91-year-old veteran actor defends Nate Parker and "Birth of a Nation." Concerning rape allegatiosn - get over it, he says.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: President Barack Obama lists his all-time favorite science fiction flicks and a few TV show.
----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Delroy Lindo joins the cast of "The Good Wife" spinoff series, which will air on CBS All Access - a streaming service.
----------
ECO - From Time: Robert Redford - "Climate change affects every issue."
----------
OBIT - From BleedingCool: Michiyo Yasuda, an animator, artist, and colorist for anime films, has died at the age of 77. She worked for Studio Ghibli and worked on such Hayao Miyazaki films as the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away" and "Ponyo."
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" film series will be five film long.
-----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Quentin Tarantino is researching the 1970s for his next project, although that project might not be a film...
----------
MUSIC - From Variety: Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is the first American to win the award since Toni Morrison in 1993.
----------
ECO - From TheGuardian: Climate change deniers should not hold elective office.
----------
COMICS - From TheVillageVoice: "Ms. Marvel Will Save You Now"
----------
CELEBRITY - From THR: Mel Gibson is back - hot and bankable.
----------
OBIT - From TMZ: The actor Tommy Ford has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, October 12, 2016. He was best known for playing "Tommy" on the 1990s Fox television comedy, "Martin" (starring Martin Lawrence).
----------
ECO - From EcoWatch: Shailene Woodley and 26 others are arrest protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).
----------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: The original Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund, has a really good idea for the next installment of "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
----------
MUSIC - From YahooCelebrity: Miley Cyrus is "pansexual."
----------
COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool: Marvel's "Captain Marvel" movie will be an origin story.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Clint Eastwood has lined up his next film.
----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: "Chronicle" screenwriter Max Landis thinks "Mighty Morphing Power Rangers" looks like Chronicle.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Uber-talented Michelle Williams in talks to star in a Janis Joplin biopic.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Guy Ritchie is in talks to direct a live-action remake of Walt Disney's "Aladdin."
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 10/7 to 10/9/2016 weekend box office is "The Girl on the Train" with an estimated take of $24.7 million.
From Variety: "Finding Dory" surpasses $1 billion in worldwide box office. This is the third Disney film to do so this calendar year, following "Captain America: Civil War" and "Zootopia."
NEW YORK COMIC CON 2016:
From EW: John Wick goes to NYCC '16 with Keanu Reeves vs. Common sizzle reel.
From ScreenRant: At NYCC '16, Jeph Loeb talks about the FX and Marvel connections in the two studio's FX television series, "Legion."
From YahooTV: At NYCC '16, Marvel introduces "The Defenders," who will appear on Netflix at some point.
From FlickeringMyth: Marvel's animated "Avengers Assemble" became "Avengers: Ultron Revlutions" and will now become "Avengers: Secret Wars." That is where Haley Atwell will reprise her role as "Peggy Carter" in voice form.
COMICS-FILM - From IGN: 2017 will see a new animated Spider-Man series from Disney, entitled "Marvel's Spider-Man." The current series, "Ultimate Spider-Man" ends in January.
----------
TELEVISION - From DemocracyNow: Rosario Dawson and Norman Lear among stars exploring "America Divided."
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: Third official "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" trailer.
From TheVerge: First full trailer for Marvel-Netflix's "Iron Fist" series.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 17th to 23rd, 2016 - Update #52
Support Leroy on Patreon.
MOVIES - From Variety: The release date for the first of New Line's two-film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "It," is September 18, 2017.
---------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: See the mysterious "Jurassic World 2" teaser poster.
---------------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool: Dwayne Johnson announces that he is in director Jake Kasdan's "Jumanji" remake.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Joaquin Phoenix is currently the leading contender to play Jesus in the film, "Mary Magdalene.
---------------
MOVIES - From EW: Woody Allen and Jesse Eisenberg go "Old Hollywood" in trailer for "Cafe Society."
---------------
MOVIE - From TheWrap: There will be a "Daddy's Home 2," with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
---------------
COMICS - From YahooTV: Marvel Studios pulls the "Inhumans" film again.
---------------
SCIENCE - From BusinessInsider: Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks there's a 'very high' chance the universe is just a simulation.
BOX OFFICE - From MoviesDotCom: "Captain America: Civil War" is outselling all other Marvel movies in early sales.
---------------
MUSIC - From RollingStone: The legendary musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor, filmmaker Prince has died at the age of 57.
From HuffingtonPost: Yeah, this is already the saddest year in music history.
---------------
From CinemaBlend: Robert Downey, Jr. is talking about "Sherlock Holmes 3."
---------------
From TheWrap: Robert Downey, Jr. has signed a deal to appear in next year's "Spider-Man: Homecoming.
---------------
ANIMATION - From TheTrackingBoard: Two-time Oscar nominee, Jacki Weaver, will lend her voice to an upcoming DreamWorks project.
--------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Emilia Clarke, who played Sarah Connor, in "Terminator: Genisys" says that she will not return to the franchise.
---------------
OBIT - From TheGuardian: British comedian, Victoria Wood, died at the age of 62, Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Another day, another remake - 1990s "Flatliners."
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Opinions differ internationally about Scarlett Johansson being cast in "Ghost in the Shell."
---------------
TELEVISION - From ThePlaylist: Idris Elba and John Ridley (writer of "12 Years a Slave") will unit for a Showtime miniseries, "Guerrilla."
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Danish bad boy director, Nicolas Winding Refn, will be the showrunner for a high profile Italian TV series.
---------------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: The former Syracuse college basketball star, Dwayne "Pearl" Washington, has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. A New York City high school basketball legend, Washington was much admired for his exceptional skills and play. He also had a brief NBA career.
---------------
TELEVISION - From YahooMovies: New Line is working on gaining the film rights to turn 1970s-80s iconic TV series, "Three's Company" in order to make a film.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: More cast members added to Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman's "Office Christmas Party."
---------------
COMICS - From TheWrap: Willem Dafoe joins "Justice League" movie.
---------------
CRIME - From TheWeek: How a 26-year-old white woman died a horrible death in an American jail.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: First look at Antoine Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven" with Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.
---------------
TELEVISION - From Variety: "Game of Thrones" reveals Jon Snow's fate.
---------------
STAR WARS - From YahooMovies: Prince William and Prince Harry visit the "Star Wars" set.
--------------
STAGE - From BleedingCool: See new wand designs for the play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Star Wars director J.J. Abrams and lead actress Daisy Ridley ("Rey") reunite for supernatural drama, "Kolma."
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Marvel/Netflix adds two more cast members to "Iron Fist."
---------------
CLOWNS - From THR: Pat Boone says criticism of the Ku Klux Klan is anti-Christian.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Max Landis explains the politics of casting "Ghost in the Shell." Honestly, I don't have that big a problem with Scarlett Johansson as the lead. It's not like they cast Miley Cyrus...
--------------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Mel Gibson will co-write and direct the TV series, "The Barbary Coast." Kate Hudson and Kurt Russell will star, with Gibson making some appearances on the show.
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: The director of "Jurassic World 2" is Juan Antonio Bayona.
---------------
STAGE - From THR: Broadway sensation, "Hamilton," becomes only the ninth musical to win the "Pulitzer Price for Drama."
---------------
OBIT - From THR: The actress, Doris Roberts, has died at the age of 90 (Sunday, April 17, 2016). Roberts was best known for playing "Marie Barone" on the CBS TV series, "Everybody Loves Raymond." For playing the mother of the title character, "Raymond Barone" (Ray Romano), Roberts won 4 of the 5 Emmy Awards she received. She won an Emmy for her stint on the NBC series, "St. Elsewhere."
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: How Spider-Man's inclusion in "Captain America: Civil War" changed Black Panther's role in the film.
---------------
DIGITAL - From YahooFinance: Can Netflix remain undisputed king of original streaming content.
From ScreenDaily: Amazon takes aim at Netflix.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 4/15 to 4/17/2016 weekend box office is Disney's live-action "Jungle Book," with an estimated take of $103.5 million.
---------------
POLITICS - From the NYDailyNews: Rosario Dawson was arrested during a protest.
--------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From GuardianUK: Yeah, Bill Clinton's signature on crime bills did destroy Black lives.
---------------
POLITICS - From Deadline: Hilary Clinton raised $15 million from two fundraisers that George Clooney and his wife hosted for her.
---------------
From EW: Disney is going to release the film, "The Queen of Katwe" this September. The film is directed by Mira Nair, and stars Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo.
---------------
From Truthout: The enemy of the 99% is not the 1%, but the 0.1%.
---------------
WEBCOMICS - From CBB: New episode of "Johnny Bullet."
From CBB: Johnny Bullet Episode 69 in French.
---------------
COMICS - From USGamer: Everything you need to know about DC Comics' "Rebirth."
---------------
COMICS - From FlickeringMyth: "Spider-Man: Homecoming" adds two new cast members, including Tony Revolori of "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Samuel Jackson talks about the next time we might see Nick Fury in a Marvel movie.
COMICS - From FlickeringMyth: Kevin Feige teases the future of Marvel Studios' films.
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: New trailer for "The Magnificent Seven" remake.
From YouTube: Red band trailer for "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates."
From YouTube: New "Earth Day" trailer for "Independence Day: Resurgence."
MOVIES - From Variety: The release date for the first of New Line's two-film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "It," is September 18, 2017.
---------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: See the mysterious "Jurassic World 2" teaser poster.
---------------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool: Dwayne Johnson announces that he is in director Jake Kasdan's "Jumanji" remake.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Joaquin Phoenix is currently the leading contender to play Jesus in the film, "Mary Magdalene.
---------------
MOVIES - From EW: Woody Allen and Jesse Eisenberg go "Old Hollywood" in trailer for "Cafe Society."
---------------
MOVIE - From TheWrap: There will be a "Daddy's Home 2," with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
---------------
COMICS - From YahooTV: Marvel Studios pulls the "Inhumans" film again.
---------------
SCIENCE - From BusinessInsider: Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks there's a 'very high' chance the universe is just a simulation.
BOX OFFICE - From MoviesDotCom: "Captain America: Civil War" is outselling all other Marvel movies in early sales.
---------------
MUSIC - From RollingStone: The legendary musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor, filmmaker Prince has died at the age of 57.
From HuffingtonPost: Yeah, this is already the saddest year in music history.
---------------
From CinemaBlend: Robert Downey, Jr. is talking about "Sherlock Holmes 3."
---------------
From TheWrap: Robert Downey, Jr. has signed a deal to appear in next year's "Spider-Man: Homecoming.
---------------
ANIMATION - From TheTrackingBoard: Two-time Oscar nominee, Jacki Weaver, will lend her voice to an upcoming DreamWorks project.
--------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Emilia Clarke, who played Sarah Connor, in "Terminator: Genisys" says that she will not return to the franchise.
---------------
OBIT - From TheGuardian: British comedian, Victoria Wood, died at the age of 62, Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Another day, another remake - 1990s "Flatliners."
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Opinions differ internationally about Scarlett Johansson being cast in "Ghost in the Shell."
---------------
TELEVISION - From ThePlaylist: Idris Elba and John Ridley (writer of "12 Years a Slave") will unit for a Showtime miniseries, "Guerrilla."
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Danish bad boy director, Nicolas Winding Refn, will be the showrunner for a high profile Italian TV series.
---------------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: The former Syracuse college basketball star, Dwayne "Pearl" Washington, has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. A New York City high school basketball legend, Washington was much admired for his exceptional skills and play. He also had a brief NBA career.
---------------
TELEVISION - From YahooMovies: New Line is working on gaining the film rights to turn 1970s-80s iconic TV series, "Three's Company" in order to make a film.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: More cast members added to Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman's "Office Christmas Party."
---------------
COMICS - From TheWrap: Willem Dafoe joins "Justice League" movie.
---------------
CRIME - From TheWeek: How a 26-year-old white woman died a horrible death in an American jail.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: First look at Antoine Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven" with Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.
---------------
TELEVISION - From Variety: "Game of Thrones" reveals Jon Snow's fate.
---------------
STAR WARS - From YahooMovies: Prince William and Prince Harry visit the "Star Wars" set.
--------------
STAGE - From BleedingCool: See new wand designs for the play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Star Wars director J.J. Abrams and lead actress Daisy Ridley ("Rey") reunite for supernatural drama, "Kolma."
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Marvel/Netflix adds two more cast members to "Iron Fist."
---------------
CLOWNS - From THR: Pat Boone says criticism of the Ku Klux Klan is anti-Christian.
---------------
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Max Landis explains the politics of casting "Ghost in the Shell." Honestly, I don't have that big a problem with Scarlett Johansson as the lead. It's not like they cast Miley Cyrus...
--------------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Mel Gibson will co-write and direct the TV series, "The Barbary Coast." Kate Hudson and Kurt Russell will star, with Gibson making some appearances on the show.
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: The director of "Jurassic World 2" is Juan Antonio Bayona.
---------------
STAGE - From THR: Broadway sensation, "Hamilton," becomes only the ninth musical to win the "Pulitzer Price for Drama."
---------------
OBIT - From THR: The actress, Doris Roberts, has died at the age of 90 (Sunday, April 17, 2016). Roberts was best known for playing "Marie Barone" on the CBS TV series, "Everybody Loves Raymond." For playing the mother of the title character, "Raymond Barone" (Ray Romano), Roberts won 4 of the 5 Emmy Awards she received. She won an Emmy for her stint on the NBC series, "St. Elsewhere."
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: How Spider-Man's inclusion in "Captain America: Civil War" changed Black Panther's role in the film.
---------------
DIGITAL - From YahooFinance: Can Netflix remain undisputed king of original streaming content.
From ScreenDaily: Amazon takes aim at Netflix.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 4/15 to 4/17/2016 weekend box office is Disney's live-action "Jungle Book," with an estimated take of $103.5 million.
---------------
POLITICS - From the NYDailyNews: Rosario Dawson was arrested during a protest.
--------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From GuardianUK: Yeah, Bill Clinton's signature on crime bills did destroy Black lives.
---------------
POLITICS - From Deadline: Hilary Clinton raised $15 million from two fundraisers that George Clooney and his wife hosted for her.
---------------
From EW: Disney is going to release the film, "The Queen of Katwe" this September. The film is directed by Mira Nair, and stars Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo.
---------------
From Truthout: The enemy of the 99% is not the 1%, but the 0.1%.
---------------
WEBCOMICS - From CBB: New episode of "Johnny Bullet."
From CBB: Johnny Bullet Episode 69 in French.
---------------
COMICS - From USGamer: Everything you need to know about DC Comics' "Rebirth."
---------------
COMICS - From FlickeringMyth: "Spider-Man: Homecoming" adds two new cast members, including Tony Revolori of "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Samuel Jackson talks about the next time we might see Nick Fury in a Marvel movie.
COMICS - From FlickeringMyth: Kevin Feige teases the future of Marvel Studios' films.
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: New trailer for "The Magnificent Seven" remake.
From YouTube: Red band trailer for "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates."
From YouTube: New "Earth Day" trailer for "Independence Day: Resurgence."
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Review: Original "Mad Max" Still Motoring
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux
Mad Max (1979)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Australia
Running: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: George Miller
WRITERS: James McCausland and George Miller
PRODUCER: Byron Kennedy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Eggby (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Cliff Hayes and Tony Paterson
COMPOSER: Brian May
ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, Roger Ward, Geoff Parry, Vince Gil, John Ley, and Brendan Heath
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian near-future action movie and crime thriller from director George Miller and starring a young Mel Gibson. Mad Max was the first movie in what is, to date, a four-film franchise. This movie's story was originally conceived by the film's director (George Miller) and producer (Byron Kennedy). Mad Max focuses on an Australian police officer who must eventually avenge the lives of his wife and toddler son and also the cop who was his partner.
Mad Max opens in a dystopian future that takes place “a few years from now.” The roads of Australia are plagued by motorcycle gangs and other high-speed drivers. Trying to keep the roads safe are the police officers of the MFP – Main Force Patrol – who pursue reckless road criminals. The top pursuit-man is Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson).
Max has an encounter with a gang member known as the “Nightrider” (Vincent Gil), in which Nightrider is killed. The vicious and cruel Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) leads “The Acolytes,” Nightrider's motorcycle gang, and the gang seeks payback against the MFP. Their actions against Max's family and colleagues sets Max on a mission of vengeance against Toecutter. In his supercharged Police Special, Max goes on hot pursuit with killing on his mind.
Mad Max is one of those rare films that has the misfortune living in the shadow of a better-known and more popular sequel. 1981's Mad Max 2 (known in the United States simply as The Road Warrior) was a huge hit when it was originally released in the U.S. in 1982. The second film had an influence on American pop culture and references from and homages to the film continue to appear decades after its initial release.
Still, the first Mad Max remains both a unique and an exceptional film. It is also darn-good fun to watch, and I wish that at least one of the Mad Max sequels was more like it. Max Max seems to blend 1950s Film-Noir crime films (especially those about street cops) and 1970s action-movies about cars and motorcycles with the kind of dystopian science fiction films that defined the 1970s.
The result is a fast and efficient film with power that belies its size. Mad Max is cool without being slick and pretty. It is one of the few science fiction films that are entirely plausible or close to it. Mad Max is also timeless, although its future scenario originally took place only “a few years” from 1979.
Director George Miller has apparently stated that the filming of Mad Max was unpleasant for him. From his suffering came cinematic art, and a movie star was born. Yes, Mad Max introduced the world to Mel Gibson, who would go on to be a fine actor, a worldwide movie star, and an award-winning filmmaker before his public behavior and private comments seemed to derail his career (at least as of this writing). Before that however, the legend of Mad Max carried us deep into the Outback, and we were in the passenger seat with rising star.
8 of 10
A
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Monday, July 13, 2015
Review: "The Expendables 3" is Best When the Old Dogs Run
The Expendables 3 (2014)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence including intense sustained gun battles and fight scenes, and for language
DIRECTOR: Patrick Hughes
WRITERS: Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, and Sylvester Stallone; from a story by Sylvester Stallone (based on characters created by David Callaham)
PRODUCERS: Les Weldon, Avi Lerner, Danny Lerner, Kevin King-Templeton, and John Thompson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Menzies, Jr.
EDITORS: Sean Albertson and Paul Harb
COMPOSER: Brian Tyler
ACTION with some elements of drama
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelsey Grammer, Antonio Banderas, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz, Terry Crews, Jet Li, and Robert Davi
The Expendables 3 is a 2014 action movie from director Patrick Hughes. It is the second sequel to the 2010 film, The Expendables, and the third movie in the The Expendables film franchise. In The Expendables 3, team leader, Barney Ross, replaces his old teammates with some new blood for a showdown against a former friend turned arms dealer.
The Expendables 3 opens with the Expendables: Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) the leader; his right-hand man, Lee Christmas (Jason Statham); Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren); Toll Road (Randy Couture); and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), on a new mission. They seek to rescue Doc (Wesley Snipes), one of the original Expendables.
With Doc in tow, the Expendables head to Mogadishu, Somalia to capture billionaire arms dealer, Victor Minns. However, Minns turns out to really be Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who co-founded the Expendables before going rogue. After the Expendables' mission goes horrible wrong, Barney dismisses his current team. When he faces Stonebanks again, Ross plans on having a younger team that is also not connected to him in any personal or emotional way. But are the new Expendables: Thorn (Glen Powell), Luna (Ronda Rousey), Marlito (Victor Ortiz), and John Smilee (Kellan Lutz), really ready to take on an Expendables mission?
Released in the late summer of 2010, The Expendables was a surprising gem, an explosive action film that was a throwback to the old macho, testosterone-fueled action films of the 1980s. However, The Expendables was not some homage, parody, or sentimental recollection of action movie days gone by. As I said in my review of the first film, it was “an authentic ass-kicking, ass-stabbing, cap-popped-in-ass action movie...”
The Expendables 3 is full of old relic-type actors from the 1980s and 90s – stars who dominated the movie box office and one television star. The story toys with the idea that the old folks must make way for the new stars, but ultimately, it only plays with such a notion. Honestly, I want to see Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger more than I want to see Ronda Rousey and Kellan Lutz (nothing against them).
I can't quite express how much I enjoyed seeing Kelsey Grammer (as Bonaparte), an actor about whom I have always had mixed feelings, and Harrison Ford (as Max Drummer). Ford is really showing his seven decades, but he's still cool. The Expendables 3 is at its best when it showed the old dogs in action, which is what made the original film such a treat. So, if there is a fourth film in this franchise, I want more aged beef and less fresh meat.
6 of 10
B
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
NOTES:
2015 Razzie Awards: 1 win: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Kelsey Grammer, also for Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return; Think Like a Man Too; Transformers: Age of Extinction); 2 nominations: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Mel Gibson) and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Review: "Apocalypto" was One of 2006's Best Films
Apocalypto (2006)
COUNTRY OF ORGIN: USA; Language: Maya
Running time: 139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
MPAA – R for sequences of graphic violence and disturbing images
DIRECTOR: Mel Gibson
WRITERS: Farhad Safinia and Mel Gibson
PRODUCERS: Bruce Davey and Mel Gibson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Semler, ASC, ACS (director of photography)
EDITOR: John Wright
Academy Award nominee
ACTION/ADVENTURE/HISTORICAL/THRILLER
Starring: Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo, Dalia Hernandez, Jonathan Brewer, Morris Bird, Carlos Emilio Baez, Amilcar Ramirez, Israel Contreras Vasquez, Israel Rios, Isabel Diaz, and Gerardo Taracena
It is the end times of the once-great Mayan Civilization (early 16th century). Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is the son of Flint Sky (Morris Bird), the chief of their village, which is deep in the jungle, but no that far away from a large Maya city. Jaguar Paw is a young family man with a wife, Seven (Dalia Hernandez), and a son, Turtles Run (Carlos Emilio Baez), and he has another child on the way.
His idyllic life is shattered when an invading force razes his village, killing many and enslaving the remaining adults. Jaguar Paw manages to hide the pregnant Seven and little Turtles Run before the invaders take him captive. Through a twist of fate, Jaguar Paw manages to escape death, and he makes a desperate break both to save his life and to return home to his wife and son. On his trail, however, is a small band of warriors led by the vengeful Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo), and they will chase him through the jungle to the bitter end.
Mel Gibson’s new film, Apocalypto, proves that The Passion of the Christ and his Oscar-winning turn as director for Braveheart are no fluke. Gibson is the consummate director skilled at making bold, visceral, thrilling, and thought-provoking movies, and he is as good as any of the elite directors. That includes directors who were making exhilarating blockbusters before Gibson began directing (Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron) and filmmakers who became mega-hit makers after Gibson’s began directing (Peter Jackson, The Wachowski Brothers).
Gibson begins Apocalypto by immersing his audience is a lush, abundant jungle world that quickly becomes a harsh geography of struggle and survival. From brutal village raids to torturous jungle tracks; from a decaying city where mind-numbing human sacrifices take place to a bracing and spine-tingling jungle race for survival: Gibson keeps the viewer on edge and sometimes takes them with him over the abyss where death is quick and relentless and only the stubbornly strong and strongly stubborn can survive.
Gibson achieves this with a cast of novice actors and little known performers – all speaking Maya, yet he gets his cast to make us believe in them. We understand them beyond the language they speak because the actors’ physical performances are so rich and textured. I bought into the idea that I was peeking into an ancient world and that these actors were really the people they were portraying. Rudy Youngblood is all youthful determination as Jaguar Paw, and Raoul Trujillo is riveting as the stout leader and gentle, proud father.
With a highly skilled and brilliant creative team (director of photographer, costume designer, set builders, etc.), Gibson gives his cast a convincingly real ancient world in which to play out their small but compelling drama. This team takes all their skills and talents, and instead of resting on their laurels brings a fictional world to life – a setting fit for a drama that is far beyond the ordinary. As the ringleader, Gibson once again dances with perfection and in Apocalypto makes a film in which any flaws are lost in a damn good time of great cinema and dazzling filmmaking. Some have already called Apocalypto “basically an adventure movie,” and that’s like calling Casablanca basically just a love story, when both are something more.
9 of 10
A+
Friday, December 15, 2006
NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Achievement in Makeup” (Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Sean McCormack and Kami Asgar), and “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, and Fernando Cámara)
2007 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Film not in the English Language” (Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey)
2007 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film”
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Friday, April 22, 2011
Review: Crucifixion Ain't No Fiction in "The Passion of the Christ"
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew with English subtitles
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPAA – R for sequences of graphic violence
DIRECTOR: Mel Gibson
WRITERS: Benedict Fitzgerald and Mel Gibson
PRODUCERS: Bruce Davey, Mel Gibson, and Stephen McEveety
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Caleb Deschanel (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John Wright
COMPOSER: John Debney
Academy Award nominee
DRAMA/RELIGION
Starring: James Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Jarreth Merz, Rosalinda Celentano, Francesco De Vito, Luca Lionello, Hristo Naumov Shopov, Mattia Sbragia, Claudia Gerini, Giovanni Capalbo, Fabio Sartor, Giacinto Ferro, and Pietro Sarubbi
The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s film about the last 12 hours in the earthly life of Jesus Christ as he is captured, tried, scourged, and crucified, reaffirms that Gibson is indeed an excellent filmmaker. His greatest gift as a director is his ability to arouse strong emotions and passions in his audience, as he has also shown in two prior films Man Without a Face and Braveheart, the latter for which he won an Oscar® as Best Director.
The film begins in the Garden of Olives as Jesus (James Caviezel) prays for God to relieve him of the burden that is to come his way – his suffering and death for the sins of humanity, a death that would redeem humanity. A disciple, Judas Iscariot (Lucia Lionello), betrays Jesus, who is then arrested taken to the city walls of Jerusalem where he is accused of blasphemy. Although he wishes that Jesus be only punished, Pontius Pilate (Hristo Shopov), the head of the local Roman authority, releases Jesus to the Pharisees, and they condemn him to the most horrible form of execution at the time – crucifixion.
Mel Gibson wanted the audience to see and to feel something like how much Jesus suffered at the hands of his tormentors, suffering he accepted for humanity, and in that Gibson succeeds. The film’s representation of torture and murder is palatable; it is almost a living and breathing thing. Gibson, however, doesn’t handle the violence and suffering in a heavy-handed or even glossy fashion, nor does he portray violence as consequence free. In fact, Gibson handles nothing in the film in a cavalier fashion, including the portrayal of the Pharisees and Jews who hated Jesus. Gibson deals with that in a straightforward manner: Jesus’ adversaries saw him as a blasphemer who consorted with devils to perform magic, so they wanted him dead. There is no ethnic blame game going on in The Passion of the Christ.
The film is beautifully shot on sets and locations that spring to miraculous life; it’s as if Gibson has transported us to another time. The costumes are both lavish and practical; in a sense, they do recall the spectacular Biblical epics of Hollywood of yesteryear.
The actors are great, and they style their performances as if they were in a silent film – exaggerating emotion, facial expression, and body movement in a way that conveys the story visually. Caviezel could have lost his Jesus in the splattering of gore and makeup that covered him, but he radiates his character through all the representational horror, making us believe in his performance as Jesus. There are a number of excellent supporting performances, especially Maia Morgenstern as Jesus’ mother Mary. However, Monica Bellucci, Jarreth Merz, Hristo Shopov are also quite good.
I heartily recommend The Passion of the Christ to Christians, lapsed Christians, and anyone who wants to see exceptional filmmaking.
10 of 10
NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Caleb Deschanel), “Best Achievement in Makeup” (Keith VanderLaan and Christien Tinsley), and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (John Debney)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew with English subtitles
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPAA – R for sequences of graphic violence
DIRECTOR: Mel Gibson
WRITERS: Benedict Fitzgerald and Mel Gibson
PRODUCERS: Bruce Davey, Mel Gibson, and Stephen McEveety
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Caleb Deschanel (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John Wright
COMPOSER: John Debney
Academy Award nominee
DRAMA/RELIGION
Starring: James Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Jarreth Merz, Rosalinda Celentano, Francesco De Vito, Luca Lionello, Hristo Naumov Shopov, Mattia Sbragia, Claudia Gerini, Giovanni Capalbo, Fabio Sartor, Giacinto Ferro, and Pietro Sarubbi
The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s film about the last 12 hours in the earthly life of Jesus Christ as he is captured, tried, scourged, and crucified, reaffirms that Gibson is indeed an excellent filmmaker. His greatest gift as a director is his ability to arouse strong emotions and passions in his audience, as he has also shown in two prior films Man Without a Face and Braveheart, the latter for which he won an Oscar® as Best Director.
The film begins in the Garden of Olives as Jesus (James Caviezel) prays for God to relieve him of the burden that is to come his way – his suffering and death for the sins of humanity, a death that would redeem humanity. A disciple, Judas Iscariot (Lucia Lionello), betrays Jesus, who is then arrested taken to the city walls of Jerusalem where he is accused of blasphemy. Although he wishes that Jesus be only punished, Pontius Pilate (Hristo Shopov), the head of the local Roman authority, releases Jesus to the Pharisees, and they condemn him to the most horrible form of execution at the time – crucifixion.
Mel Gibson wanted the audience to see and to feel something like how much Jesus suffered at the hands of his tormentors, suffering he accepted for humanity, and in that Gibson succeeds. The film’s representation of torture and murder is palatable; it is almost a living and breathing thing. Gibson, however, doesn’t handle the violence and suffering in a heavy-handed or even glossy fashion, nor does he portray violence as consequence free. In fact, Gibson handles nothing in the film in a cavalier fashion, including the portrayal of the Pharisees and Jews who hated Jesus. Gibson deals with that in a straightforward manner: Jesus’ adversaries saw him as a blasphemer who consorted with devils to perform magic, so they wanted him dead. There is no ethnic blame game going on in The Passion of the Christ.
The film is beautifully shot on sets and locations that spring to miraculous life; it’s as if Gibson has transported us to another time. The costumes are both lavish and practical; in a sense, they do recall the spectacular Biblical epics of Hollywood of yesteryear.
The actors are great, and they style their performances as if they were in a silent film – exaggerating emotion, facial expression, and body movement in a way that conveys the story visually. Caviezel could have lost his Jesus in the splattering of gore and makeup that covered him, but he radiates his character through all the representational horror, making us believe in his performance as Jesus. There are a number of excellent supporting performances, especially Maia Morgenstern as Jesus’ mother Mary. However, Monica Bellucci, Jarreth Merz, Hristo Shopov are also quite good.
I heartily recommend The Passion of the Christ to Christians, lapsed Christians, and anyone who wants to see exceptional filmmaking.
10 of 10
NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Caleb Deschanel), “Best Achievement in Makeup” (Keith VanderLaan and Christien Tinsley), and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (John Debney)
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Friday, July 2, 2010
Review: Creepy "Signs" Dances with Fate and Faith
Signs (2002)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some frightening moments
WRITER/DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan
PRODUCERS: Frank Marshall, Sam Mercer, and M. Night Shyamalan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tak Fujimoto
EDITOR: Barbara Tulliver
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
DRAMA/SCI-FI/THRILLER with elements of horror
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, M. Night Shyamalan, and Patricia Kalember
Farmer and pastor Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) lost his faith when his wife Colleen (Patricia Kalember) was killed in an auto accident, but when he discovers intricate patterns of circles carved into his corn fields (called “crop circles”), he embarks on an path that will alter his life. The mysterious markings cause a media storm and worldwide panic; trapped in his farmhouse with his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and his son (Rory Culkin) and daughter (Abigail Breslin), Graham must discover if the crop circles are the signs of an impending invasion or are they part of a larger pattern of fate and predestination.
Signs was hit-making director M. Night Shyamalan’s third big-time studio film, and it was a huge theatrical hit. It’s a very entertaining film, although it is also a bit too serious and moody. In fact, Signs is so somber that it’s almost a chamber music version of solemnity. Still, like Shyamalan’s other best-known films (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), Signs is a superbly creepy suspense thriller, a brilliant stroke of quiet, edge-of-your-seat thrills.
The performances and the mood of the film go a long way in dictating how an individual viewer will feel about Signs; those two elements decide the “fate” of the film, as it is. Gibson and Phoenix’s performance are too low-key, so much so that it seems as if they’re stuck in the mud. The children, however, are very good in the film, and young Ms. Breslin manages to be super cute and precious without being annoying; she delivers each of her lines and gives each one maximum impact on both the film and audience reaction. Signs is also an excellent rumination on fate and faith and on how often people mistake the “signs” and the important incidents in life as coincidences. If the film wasn’t so stiff, stuck in the mud, and so deathly deliberate and formal, I’d call it brilliant.
7 of 10
B+
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Saturday, June 12, 2010
Mel Gibson Returns in Average "Edge of Darkness"
Edge of Darkness (2010)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence and language
DIRECTOR: Martin Campbell
WRITERS: William Monahan and Andrew Bovell (based upon the television series created by Troy Kennedy-Martin
PRODUCERS: Tim Headington, Graham King, and Michael Wearing
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Phil Meheux (director of photography)
EDITOR: Stuart Baird
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
CRIME/MYSTERY with elements of drama and thriller
Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic, Shawn Roberts, Jay O. Sanders, Damian Young, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Gabrielle Popa
Mel Gibson’s most recent star vehicle is the film, Edge of Darkness, which is actually a remake of a 1980s British television serial (or miniseries). This film, Gibson’s first movie as an actor since 2002, is ostensibly some kind of crime thriller, but Edge of Darkness is only truly thrilling in the scenes that feature brutal violence, usually in the form of gunfire.
The story focuses on Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson), a veteran homicide detective and a single father. Early in the movie, Craven watches as his only child, 24-year-old Emma (Bojana Novakovic), is murdered on the steps of his home by a masked gunman. His colleagues in the Boston Police Department assume that Craven was the target, and it seems as if everyone else also thinks so. Craven insists that he be part of the investigation, but he soon realizes that he can find no credible evidence that he was really the shooter’s target.
Craven embarks on a mission that slowly reveals parts of his daughter’s life to which he wasn’t privy (such as a boyfriend), but his investigation also leads him into the shadowy world of his daughter’s employer, Northmoor, and creepy company head, John “Jack” Bennett (Danny Huston). Shrouded in mystery, Northmoor has ties to an influential senator, and the corporation’s activities have apparently drawn the attention of Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), a mysterious operative and “cleaner” of some sort. As Craven gets closer to the truth, dark forces begin to align against him, and Craven seems headed for the same fate as his daughter.
The advertisements for this film would lead the viewer to believe that Edge of Darkness is primarily about a determined father relentlessly on the path of his daughter’s killer. It is actually a little more complicated than that and involves government conspiracies, political cover-ups, and international intrigue. This is mildly entertaining, but it really lacks the energy and dramatic tension one would expect of a cop-out-for-revenge drama.
Edge of Darkness does have its shocking moments and a few scenes that provide the kind of edge-of-your-seat suspense a thriller will general supply. However, much of the film is hollow. The complicated, bittersweet relationship between Thomas Craven and his daughter comes across as shallow in most scenes, although the flashback scenes featuring Emma as a child (played by Gabrielle Popa) are genuinely father/daughter sentimental.
Edge of Darkness’ biggest problem is that the characters are more like character types and stereotypes than fully realized characters. The only thing Ray Winstone’s Jedburgh seems to be doing in this story is looking mysterious. Even Mel Gibson’s Thomas Craven is listless, and there are only a few moments when Gibson seems passionate about this character (such as the moment when he asks a thug tailing him, “Did you shoot my daughter?”).
The screenwriters may have tried to pretend that this movie was ultimately the story of a lonely old cop’s search for answers about his daughter’s death as way to both avenge her and to somehow redeem their relationship. Edge of Darkness is really an uninspired, though occasionally pleasurable movie, and it is also nothing special in the exceptional career of Mel Gibson.
5 of 10
C+
Friday, June 11, 2010
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