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MOVIES - From THR: Scarlet Johansson drops out of playing trans character after backlash.
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EMMYS - From YahooET: Sandra Oh becomes the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated in a lead actress category, either comedy or drama, at the Emmys. She has been nominated for her role in the series, "Killing Eve." The 70th / 2018 Emmy Award winners will be announced, Monday, Sept. 17th.
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MOVIES - From Variety: Chadwick Boseman will produce and star in STXfilms "17 Bridges."
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MOVIES - From DreadCentral: The bloom has steadily degraded on Neill Blomkamp's rose with each film succeeding his stunning debut, "District 9." After the cancellation of his "Aliens" revival, Blomkamp is now attached to MGM's "Robocop" revival.
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TELEVISION - From YahooTheWrap: Angela Kang, the new showrunner for "The Walking Dead" talks about Season 9.
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SCANDAL - From ThePlaylist: New sexual assault allegations have been levied against French director and filmmaker, Luc Besson.
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CELEBRITY - From TIME: Sarah Palin apparently got punked by Sacha Baron Cohen in an interview.
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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct: Ava DuVernay's Netflix 'Central Park Five' Limited Series Casts Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga And John Leguizamo
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COMICS-FILM - From SlashFilm: Joaquin Phoenix apparently has really agreed to play "The Joker" in a film based on the antics of Batman's arch-villain.
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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap: Shine with Reese Witherspoon.
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DISNEY - From JoBlo: "Indiana Jones 5" has been moved to 2021.
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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap: A source says that Jeremy Renner has joined Blumhouse's film, "Spawn," which will star Jamie Foxx and is being directed by Spawn's creator, Todd McFarlane.
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/6 to 7/8/2018 weekend box office was Disney/Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp" with an estimated take of $76 million.
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CELEBRITY - From Variety: "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot visits a children's hospital dressed as Wonder Woman."
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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool: Margot Robbie confirms that the Warner Bros./DC Comics film, "Birds of Prey," starts shooting in January 2018.
OBITS:
From YahooEntertainment: Nancy Sinatra Sr. has died at the age of 101, Friday, July 13, 2018. Sinatra was the first of legendary singer/actor, the late Frank Sinatra's four wives. Nancy gave birth to Frank's three children, Nancy Jr., Frank Jr. (who died in 2016), and Tina.
From THR: The actor Roger Perry has died at the age of 85, Thursday, July 12, 2018. Perry was a guest star in the first season episode, "Tomorrow is Yesterday" in the original "Star Trek." Perry played a 1960s Air Force pilot who finds himself aboard the USS Enterprise. Discovered by Lucille Ball, Perry appeared as an actor and guest in numerous television series.
From Variety: Actor, singer, and gay icon, Tab Hunter, has died at the age of 86, Sunday, July 8, 2018. One of Hollywood's leading men in the 1950s, Hunter appeared in "Damn Yankees" and "Battle Cry." He had a #1 pop single, "Young Love," in 1957. In the 1980s, he experienced a career revival after appearing in John Water's film, "Polyester" (1981). He came out as gay in the biography, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star" (2005).
From SeattleTimes: Former NBA player, Lonnie Shelton, has died at the age of 62, Sunday, July 8, 2018. Shelton was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1976 out of Oregon State University. In his first season with the Seattle SuperSonics, Shelton was the starting power forward and enforcer on the Sonics 1978-79 NBA World Championship team.
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Showing posts with label Sacha Baron Cohen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sacha Baron Cohen. Show all posts
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 5th to 11th, 2016 - Update #50
Support Leroy on Patreon.
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Mark Ruffalo on the changing dynamic between Hulk and Bruce Banner in "Thor: Ragnarok" (Thor 3).
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COMICS - From JustJared: Set photos from "Wolverine" with bearded Hugh Jackman.
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OBIT/MUSIC - From YahooMusic: 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, who finished third on NBC's singing competition, "The Voice" (in 2014), was shot and killed at a concert venue in Orlando, Florida, Friday, June 10, 2016.
From YahooNews: Christina Grimmie's killer has been identified.
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MOVIES - From THR: Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace are working on a sequel to "The Passion of the Christ."
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SPORTS/CRIME - From YahooNews: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, banned for life by USA Swimming. A competitive swimmer for Stanford, Turner had apparently planned on competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic swimming team.
From YahooNews: Rape friendly judge, Aaron Persky, also was a student-athlete at Stanford - just like Brock Turner to whom Persky gave a slap-on-the-pinky sentence for sexual assault.
From YahooNews: Some jurors have refused to serve Judge Aaron Persky.
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SPORTS - From YahooSports: Trying to be one of the guys, Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic sideline reporter, Emily Austen, dropped some racist comments. It cost her her job.
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MOVIES - From Variety: Angelina Jolie interested in "Murder on the Orient Express" remake.
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COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Sharon Stone drops more clues about her upcoming role in a Marvel movie.
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JAMES BOND - From Forbes: Will Warner Bros. end up as the new distributor of James Bond films, with Christopher Nolan directing at least one Bond feature?
--------------
OBITS - From YahooSports: Legendary professional hockey player, Gordie Howe, "Mr. Hockey," has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 10, 2016. Howe played 26 years in the NHL and six in the WHL. He won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.
From YahooSports: World reacts to the death of Gordie Howe.
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HARRY POTTER - From Deadline: Here is a review of the first preview performance of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
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MOVIES - From Deadline: Universal is making a film adaptation of "Battlestar Galactica," apparently the original 1978 version (and not the 2003-reboot). Director Francis Lawrence is reportedly interested in helming the film.
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MOVIES - From Variety: Jennifer Lawrence joins director Adam McKay (The Big Short) for a drama.
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CRIME - From BuzzFeed: The Stanford rape victim's releases her "Victim Impact Statement."
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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From RSN: Black Lives Matter activist, Jazmine Richards, jailed.
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POLITICS - From YahooNews: Barack Obama endorses Hillary Clinton.
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COMICS - From THR: Michael B. Jordan seems to confirm that he will be in Marvel's "Black Panther."
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MOVIES - From ScreenRant: Word on the cinematic streets is that Chris Nolan will crash a vintage WWII plane during the filming of "Dunkirk."
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MOVIES - From Deadline: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are working on an adaptation of the science fiction novel, "Seveneves," for Skydance.
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PIXAR - From YahooMovies: More new clips from "Finding Dory."
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COMICS - From YahooMovies: Oscar-winner actor, J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) has gotten buffed and shredded for his role in the "Justice League" movie.
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COMICS - From TheWrap: Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad" movie earns a rating of PG-13.
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BOX OFFICE - From FlickeringMyth: "Warcraft" opens huge in China, and passes $100 million worldwide.
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COMICS - From Deadline: Sacha Baron Cohen is apparently interested in playing the lead role in a film adaptation of the newspaper comic strip, "Mandrake the Magician."
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ECO - From Truthout: Two actors associated with the "Star Trek," James Cromwell and John "J.G." Hertzler, are arrested for an anti-fossil fuel protest.
----------------
COMICS - From YahooFinance: Are high-value comic books a better investment than the stock market?
---------------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian: Tom Hiddleston said he doubts that he will succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond.
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MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner teaming up for Netflix mockumentary.
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COMICS - From CinemaBlend: The title of the third Wolverine movie, which is supposed to be the last time Hugh Jacksman plays the characters, is rumored to be titled "Weapon X."
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MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity: Meryl Streep lathers her face in orange, wears a fat suit with a ridiculously long tie and lampoon Donald Trump.
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SPORTS/OBITS: - From ESPN: MMA (mixed martial arts) sensation and legend, Kimbo Slice, has died at the age of 42, Monday, June 6, 2016.
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MOVIES - From Deadline: John Boyega is the lead in the "Pacific Rim" sequel.
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COMICS - From Deadline: The fall-scheduled "Reborn" comic book might be the next hot Hollywood property from comic book writer, Mark Millar.
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MOVIES - From YahooTech: Vin Diesel shows off cast photo from "Fast 8."
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CRIME - From YahooStyle: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, is at the head of a truly awful case. He gets off with a slap on the pinky.
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MUSIC - From YahooMusic: ABBA performs together on stage for the first time in 30 years.
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TELEVISION - From YahooFinance: John Oliver, host of "Last Week Tonight," buys about $15 million dollars of medical debt from besieged people.
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AWARDS - From YahooMovies: At the 10th Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck tease their bromance.
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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficedMojo: The winner at the 6/3 to 6/5/2016 weekend box office is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" with an estimated take of $35.25 million.
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BOOKS - From Truthout: The beloved lesbian vampire returns in a new printing of "The Gilda Stories.
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STAR TREK - From ScreenRant: The CBS "Star Trek" revival adds familiar Trek scribes to its writing staff.
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HARRY POTTER: From People: J.K. Rowling does not care what the racists thinks. She gives her blessing to actress Noma Dumezweni, who is black, playing a grown up Hermoine Granger in the play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
Muhammad Ali:
From Wikipedia: Muhammad Ali's page.
From RSN: Thousands mourn Ali.
From YahooSports: Live streaming and memorable moments from Muhammad Ali's funeral.
From YahooSports: Louisville mourns its native son, Muhammad Ali.
From YahooSports: Ali to be honored at a public funeral on Friday, June 10, 2016.
From TheNewYorker: David Remnick on the outsized life of Ali.
From YahooSports: The "Ali Summit" (in which Ali announced that he would not serve in the Vietnam War) was a transformational moment in U.S. history.
From Variety: Celebrities and athletes pay tribe to Ali.
From CBB: Johnny Bullet webcomic offers an extra episode honoring Muhammad Ali.
From RollingStone: The legacy of Muhammad Ali and his enemies.
From LATimes: There will never be another Muhammad Ali.
From RSN: Ali's biggest win - in the Supreme Court.
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Mark Ruffalo on the changing dynamic between Hulk and Bruce Banner in "Thor: Ragnarok" (Thor 3).
---------------
COMICS - From JustJared: Set photos from "Wolverine" with bearded Hugh Jackman.
---------------
OBIT/MUSIC - From YahooMusic: 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, who finished third on NBC's singing competition, "The Voice" (in 2014), was shot and killed at a concert venue in Orlando, Florida, Friday, June 10, 2016.
From YahooNews: Christina Grimmie's killer has been identified.
---------------
MOVIES - From THR: Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace are working on a sequel to "The Passion of the Christ."
---------------
SPORTS/CRIME - From YahooNews: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, banned for life by USA Swimming. A competitive swimmer for Stanford, Turner had apparently planned on competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic swimming team.
From YahooNews: Rape friendly judge, Aaron Persky, also was a student-athlete at Stanford - just like Brock Turner to whom Persky gave a slap-on-the-pinky sentence for sexual assault.
From YahooNews: Some jurors have refused to serve Judge Aaron Persky.
---------------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: Trying to be one of the guys, Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic sideline reporter, Emily Austen, dropped some racist comments. It cost her her job.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Angelina Jolie interested in "Murder on the Orient Express" remake.
-------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Sharon Stone drops more clues about her upcoming role in a Marvel movie.
---------------
JAMES BOND - From Forbes: Will Warner Bros. end up as the new distributor of James Bond films, with Christopher Nolan directing at least one Bond feature?
--------------
OBITS - From YahooSports: Legendary professional hockey player, Gordie Howe, "Mr. Hockey," has died at the age of 88, Friday, June 10, 2016. Howe played 26 years in the NHL and six in the WHL. He won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.
From YahooSports: World reacts to the death of Gordie Howe.
---------------
HARRY POTTER - From Deadline: Here is a review of the first preview performance of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Universal is making a film adaptation of "Battlestar Galactica," apparently the original 1978 version (and not the 2003-reboot). Director Francis Lawrence is reportedly interested in helming the film.
---------------
MOVIES - From Variety: Jennifer Lawrence joins director Adam McKay (The Big Short) for a drama.
---------------
CRIME - From BuzzFeed: The Stanford rape victim's releases her "Victim Impact Statement."
---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From RSN: Black Lives Matter activist, Jazmine Richards, jailed.
---------------
POLITICS - From YahooNews: Barack Obama endorses Hillary Clinton.
---------------
COMICS - From THR: Michael B. Jordan seems to confirm that he will be in Marvel's "Black Panther."
---------------
MOVIES - From ScreenRant: Word on the cinematic streets is that Chris Nolan will crash a vintage WWII plane during the filming of "Dunkirk."
--------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are working on an adaptation of the science fiction novel, "Seveneves," for Skydance.
---------------
PIXAR - From YahooMovies: More new clips from "Finding Dory."
---------------
COMICS - From YahooMovies: Oscar-winner actor, J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) has gotten buffed and shredded for his role in the "Justice League" movie.
---------------
COMICS - From TheWrap: Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad" movie earns a rating of PG-13.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - From FlickeringMyth: "Warcraft" opens huge in China, and passes $100 million worldwide.
---------------
COMICS - From Deadline: Sacha Baron Cohen is apparently interested in playing the lead role in a film adaptation of the newspaper comic strip, "Mandrake the Magician."
---------------
ECO - From Truthout: Two actors associated with the "Star Trek," James Cromwell and John "J.G." Hertzler, are arrested for an anti-fossil fuel protest.
----------------
COMICS - From YahooFinance: Are high-value comic books a better investment than the stock market?
---------------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian: Tom Hiddleston said he doubts that he will succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond.
---------------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend: Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner teaming up for Netflix mockumentary.
---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend: The title of the third Wolverine movie, which is supposed to be the last time Hugh Jacksman plays the characters, is rumored to be titled "Weapon X."
---------------
MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity: Meryl Streep lathers her face in orange, wears a fat suit with a ridiculously long tie and lampoon Donald Trump.
---------------
SPORTS/OBITS: - From ESPN: MMA (mixed martial arts) sensation and legend, Kimbo Slice, has died at the age of 42, Monday, June 6, 2016.
---------------
MOVIES - From Deadline: John Boyega is the lead in the "Pacific Rim" sequel.
---------------
COMICS - From Deadline: The fall-scheduled "Reborn" comic book might be the next hot Hollywood property from comic book writer, Mark Millar.
---------------
MOVIES - From YahooTech: Vin Diesel shows off cast photo from "Fast 8."
---------------
CRIME - From YahooStyle: Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, is at the head of a truly awful case. He gets off with a slap on the pinky.
---------------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic: ABBA performs together on stage for the first time in 30 years.
---------------
TELEVISION - From YahooFinance: John Oliver, host of "Last Week Tonight," buys about $15 million dollars of medical debt from besieged people.
---------------
AWARDS - From YahooMovies: At the 10th Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck tease their bromance.
---------------
BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficedMojo: The winner at the 6/3 to 6/5/2016 weekend box office is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" with an estimated take of $35.25 million.
---------------
BOOKS - From Truthout: The beloved lesbian vampire returns in a new printing of "The Gilda Stories.
---------------
STAR TREK - From ScreenRant: The CBS "Star Trek" revival adds familiar Trek scribes to its writing staff.
---------------
HARRY POTTER: From People: J.K. Rowling does not care what the racists thinks. She gives her blessing to actress Noma Dumezweni, who is black, playing a grown up Hermoine Granger in the play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."
---------------
Muhammad Ali:
From Wikipedia: Muhammad Ali's page.
From RSN: Thousands mourn Ali.
From YahooSports: Live streaming and memorable moments from Muhammad Ali's funeral.
From YahooSports: Louisville mourns its native son, Muhammad Ali.
From YahooSports: Ali to be honored at a public funeral on Friday, June 10, 2016.
From TheNewYorker: David Remnick on the outsized life of Ali.
From YahooSports: The "Ali Summit" (in which Ali announced that he would not serve in the Vietnam War) was a transformational moment in U.S. history.
From Variety: Celebrities and athletes pay tribe to Ali.
From CBB: Johnny Bullet webcomic offers an extra episode honoring Muhammad Ali.
From RollingStone: The legacy of Muhammad Ali and his enemies.
From LATimes: There will never be another Muhammad Ali.
From RSN: Ali's biggest win - in the Supreme Court.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Morgan Freeman and John Legend Added as Presenters at 2016 Oscars Ceremony
OSCAR WINNERS MORGAN FREEMAN AND JOHN LEGEND ADDED AS PRESENTERS ALONG WITH J.J. ABRAMS, SACHA BARON COHEN AND HENRY CAVILL DAVE GROHL WILL GIVE A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and John Legend have been added to the list of presenters along with J.J. Abrams, Sacha Baron Cohen and Henry Cavill for the 88th Oscars® telecast. Oscar producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin also announced a special performance by Dave Grohl for the 88th annual event, hosted by Chris Rock, airing live Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016, on ABC.
The most recent list of presenters marks the return of Sacha Baron Cohen, Morgan Freeman and John Legend. J.J. Abrams, Henry Cavill and Dave Grohl take to the Oscar stage for the first time.
“We’re thrilled to be joined by a movie icon, a filmmaking dynamo, a larger than life action hero, a master of satire and two world renowned music power-hitters, “said Hill and Hudlin. “This year’s show reflects a commitment to showcase cinematic contributions from a variety of genres and this latest list of presenters reflects just that.”
The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. PST. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
---------------------------
Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and John Legend have been added to the list of presenters along with J.J. Abrams, Sacha Baron Cohen and Henry Cavill for the 88th Oscars® telecast. Oscar producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin also announced a special performance by Dave Grohl for the 88th annual event, hosted by Chris Rock, airing live Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016, on ABC.
The most recent list of presenters marks the return of Sacha Baron Cohen, Morgan Freeman and John Legend. J.J. Abrams, Henry Cavill and Dave Grohl take to the Oscar stage for the first time.
“We’re thrilled to be joined by a movie icon, a filmmaking dynamo, a larger than life action hero, a master of satire and two world renowned music power-hitters, “said Hill and Hudlin. “This year’s show reflects a commitment to showcase cinematic contributions from a variety of genres and this latest list of presenters reflects just that.”
The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. PST. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
---------------------------
Friday, September 25, 2015
Amazon Announces Six Pilots for 2015 "Fall Pilot Season"
Amazon Announces Lineup for its 2015 Fall Pilot Season
Following Amazon’s five Primetime Emmy wins, six pilots will launch from acclaimed creators Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3), Louis CK (Louie), Diablo Cody (Juno), Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), Bob Nelson (Nebraska), Tig Notaro (Boyish Girl Interrupted), Christine Vachon (Still Alice), and Nicole Yorkin & Dawn Prestwich (The Killing)
Shows feature noted talent including Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Flea (The Big Lebowski), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Shaquille O’Neal (Blended), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Christina Ricci (Monster), and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum)
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced the lineup for its fall pilot season which is scheduled to debut later this year exclusively on Amazon Video in the US, UK, Germany and Austria. Amazon customers will find a wide-range of genres in this latest slate of pilots ranging from Good Girls Revolt, a powerful story set in 1969 about a group of young women seeking to be treated fairly and ultimately sparking changes that upend marriages, careers, love and friendship; Z, a half-hour bio-series pilot of Lost Generation legend Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald and her passionate love affair with iconic author F. Scott Fitzgerald; Highston, a family comedy about invisible celebrity friendships to Edge, a western set in the post-Civil War era where one cowboy doles out his own savage brand of justice; and more.
“We have something for everyone in this season and I am excited to see which shows spark conversation amongst our customers and what they want to be made into series.”
Amazon customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series for Prime members. All pilots will be available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo.
The new half-hour pilots premiering later this year include Highston from Bob Nelson (Nebraska), Directors Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) and Executive Producer Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator); One Mississippi from Executive Producers Louis CK (Louie), Tig Notaro (Boyish Girl Interrupted), Diablo Cody (Juno) and Executive Producer/Director Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said); and Z from Dawn Prestwich (The Killing) and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), produced by Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon (Still Alice) and directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Anesthesia). The hour-long pilots will include Edge from Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Enterprise); Good Girls Revolt written by Dana Calvo (Made in Jersey); and Patriot (working title) from Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Weather Man).
As well, these pilots feature notable actors including Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Flea (The Big Lebowski), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Shaquille O’Neal (Blended), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Christina Ricci (Monster), and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum).
“Our latest pilot season brings together a diverse group of shows that we think customers will really enjoy,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We have something for everyone in this season and I am excited to see which shows spark conversation amongst our customers and what they want to be made into series.”
Amazon’s fall pilot season includes the following shows:
Edge
Based on George G. Gilman's best-selling book series of the same name, which has been described as “the most violent western in print,” Edge showcases the sly, raw power of the western genre. Set in 1868, Max Martini (Pacific Rim, Captain Phillips) stars as Josiah ‘Edge' Hedges—a Union officer turned cowboy, who prowls the post-Civil War American West doling out his own peculiar (and savage) brand of justice. When we meet Edge in the pilot, his mission is personal and his vengeance hath no fury. Edge also stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) as Merritt Harknett, and Yvonne Strahovski (The Astronaut Wives Club, Chuck) as Beth. Edge was developed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Enterprise), teleplay by Dekker and Black, is directed by Black, and executive produced by Black, Dekker, Barry Josephson (Bones, Turn: Washington Spies), and David Greenblatt (Battle Los Angeles).
Good Girls Revolt
In 1969, while a cultural revolution with a soundtrack to match swept through the free world, there was still one place that refused to change with the times: newsrooms. Good Girls Revolt follows a group of young female researchers at "News of the Week," who simply ask to be treated fairly. Their revolutionary request will spark convulsive changes and upend marriages, careers, sex lives, love lives, and friendships. Good Girls Revolt stars Genevieve Angelson (Backstrom) as Patti, Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) as Jane, Erin Darke (We Need to Talk About Kevin) as Cindy, Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley) as Finn, Hunter Parrish (Weeds) as Doug, Jim Belushi (Show Me a Hero) as Wick McFadden, Joy Bryant (Parenthood) as Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Grace Gummer as Nora Ephron. A co-production with TriStar Television, Good Girls Revolt is written and created by Dana Calvo (Made in Jersey), directed by Liza Johnson (Return), and executive produced by Calvo, Lynda Obst (Interstellar), Darlene Hunt (The Big C), Don Kurt (Justified) and Jeff Okin (Dark Skies, Stanley Park). The pilot is inspired by the landmark sexual discrimination cases chronicled in Lynn Povich's book, The Good Girls Revolt.
Highston
Highston Liggetts (newcomer Lewis Pullman) is a 19-year-old with a wide circle of celebrity friends—that only he can see. His parents, Jean (Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24), and Wilbur (Chris Parnell, Saturday Night Live) force him to get psychiatric help, but his Uncle Billy (Curtis Armstrong, American Dad!) thinks he’s just fine. Highston is a comedy about what it means to be normal in a world that’s anything but. The pilot guest stars Shaquille O’Neal (Thunderstruck) and Flea (The Big Lewbowski), and is written by Oscar-nominee Bob Nelson (Nebraska), directed by Independent Spirit Award winners Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), and executive produced by Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Todd Hoffman (Love Stinks), Nelson, and Todd Schulman (Bruno).
One Mississippi
A dark comedy, loosely inspired by Tig Notaro’s (Boyish Girl Interrupted) life, One Mississippi follows Tig as she deals with the complex reentry into her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, to deal with the unexpected death of her mother, the interminable life of the party, Caroline. Reeling from her own recently declining health, Tig struggles to find her footing with the loss of the one person who actually understood her, with help from her older but not always wiser brother, Remy, played by Noah Harpster (Transparent), and her emotionally distant stepfather, Bill, played by John Rothman (The Devil Wears Prada). A surprise visit from Tig’s girlfriend, Brooke, played by Casey Wilson (Gone Girl) only compounds the reality of how out of place Tig is in a world without her mother. A co-production with FX Productions, One Mississippi is written and executive produced by Notaro and Diablo Cody (Juno), executive produced by Louis CK (Louie), Blair Breard (Louie), and Dave Becky (Everybody Hates Chris), with pilot directed and executive produced by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said).
Patriot
The political thriller Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner (Australian newcomer Michael Dorman, Wonderland). His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous "non-official cover" -- that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence, and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company, cause a barrage of ever-escalating fiascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission. The pilot also stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost) as Tom Tavner, John's State Department Director of Intelligence father, Michael Chernus (Manhattan Project), as John's older brother Edward Tavner, a young Texas congressman, Kathleen Munroe (Call Me Fitz), as John's wife Alice, Aliette Opheim (Sandor slash Ida) as Agathe, a brilliant young homicide detective from Luxembourg hot on John's trail, and Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) as Mr. Claret, John's stickler of a new "boss" at the piping firm. Patriot is written and directed by Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Weather Man), and executive produced by Conrad, Gil Bellows (Temple Grandin), Glen Ficarra (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus), Charlie Gogolak (Focus), and John Requa (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus).
Z
Z is a bio-series pilot based on the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the brilliant, beautiful and talented Southern Belle who becomes the original flapper and icon of the wild, flamboyant Jazz Age in the 20s. Starring Christina Ricci (Monster) as Zelda Sayre, Z starts before she meets the unpublished writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (Gavin Stenhouse, Allegiance), and moves through their passionate, turbulent love affair and their marriage—made in heaven, lived out in hell as the celebrity couple of their time. The series travels through the wild parties, the wicked jazz, the dissolute artists of the era, as well as the alcoholism, adultery and struggle with dashed dreams and mental illness that characterizes their later years. Z dives into the fascinating life of a woman ahead of her time, an artist determined to establish her own identity in the tempestuous wake of a world-famous husband. The show pulls back the curtain on her triumphs and dark secrets. It's a modern take on one of the most notorious love stories of all time, played out in salons and speak-easies from Montgomery, Alabama to the Cote D'Azur. Z is written by Dawn Prestwich (The Killing) and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Anesthesia), and executive produced by Pamela Koffler (Still Alice) and Christine Vachon (One Hour Photo) of Killer Films, as well as Ricci. The show also guest stars David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) as Judge Anthony Dickerson Sayre, Kristine Nielsen (Savages) as Minnie Sayre, Maya Kazan (The Knick) as Livye Hart, Sarah Schenkkan (30 Rock) as Eleanor Browder, Jamie Anne Allman (The Killing) as Tootsie Sayre, and Holly Curran (Alpha House) as Tilde Sayre.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes available on Prime Video at no additional charge to Prime members, as well as access to hundreds of thousands of titles to buy or rent. Amazon Video is the only service in the world that brings customers both of these options in one place.
Prime Video, available on Amazon Video, lets Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent, Hand of God, Bosch, Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle as well as hit series like Sex and the City, Veep, Girls, The Sopranos, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Wire. Prime Video also offers members blockbuster movies such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among others. Prime members have access to a collection of kids shows including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues.
Prime members can look forward to several new upcoming original series premiering this year, with the coming-of-age dramedy Red Oaks premiering on October 9, followed by the much anticipated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle on November 20, and season two of Emmy-winning Transparent December 4. Coming in 2016 will be the second seasons of Mozart in the Jungle, Bosch and romantic comedy, Catastrophe, along with the debut season of The New Yorker Presents.
In addition to tens of thousands of titles to instantly stream on Prime Video, the Amazon Prime membership (www.amazon.com/prime) includes more than one million songs, more than a thousand playlists and hundreds of stations through Prime Music, unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, early access to select Lightning Deals, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, and access to borrow from more than 800,000 books for Kindle owners–all for $99 a year.
Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
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Following Amazon’s five Primetime Emmy wins, six pilots will launch from acclaimed creators Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3), Louis CK (Louie), Diablo Cody (Juno), Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), Bob Nelson (Nebraska), Tig Notaro (Boyish Girl Interrupted), Christine Vachon (Still Alice), and Nicole Yorkin & Dawn Prestwich (The Killing)
Shows feature noted talent including Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Flea (The Big Lebowski), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Shaquille O’Neal (Blended), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Christina Ricci (Monster), and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum)
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced the lineup for its fall pilot season which is scheduled to debut later this year exclusively on Amazon Video in the US, UK, Germany and Austria. Amazon customers will find a wide-range of genres in this latest slate of pilots ranging from Good Girls Revolt, a powerful story set in 1969 about a group of young women seeking to be treated fairly and ultimately sparking changes that upend marriages, careers, love and friendship; Z, a half-hour bio-series pilot of Lost Generation legend Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald and her passionate love affair with iconic author F. Scott Fitzgerald; Highston, a family comedy about invisible celebrity friendships to Edge, a western set in the post-Civil War era where one cowboy doles out his own savage brand of justice; and more.
“We have something for everyone in this season and I am excited to see which shows spark conversation amongst our customers and what they want to be made into series.”
Amazon customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series for Prime members. All pilots will be available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo.
The new half-hour pilots premiering later this year include Highston from Bob Nelson (Nebraska), Directors Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) and Executive Producer Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator); One Mississippi from Executive Producers Louis CK (Louie), Tig Notaro (Boyish Girl Interrupted), Diablo Cody (Juno) and Executive Producer/Director Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said); and Z from Dawn Prestwich (The Killing) and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), produced by Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon (Still Alice) and directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Anesthesia). The hour-long pilots will include Edge from Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Enterprise); Good Girls Revolt written by Dana Calvo (Made in Jersey); and Patriot (working title) from Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Weather Man).
As well, these pilots feature notable actors including Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Flea (The Big Lebowski), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Shaquille O’Neal (Blended), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Christina Ricci (Monster), and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum).
“Our latest pilot season brings together a diverse group of shows that we think customers will really enjoy,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We have something for everyone in this season and I am excited to see which shows spark conversation amongst our customers and what they want to be made into series.”
Amazon’s fall pilot season includes the following shows:
Edge
Based on George G. Gilman's best-selling book series of the same name, which has been described as “the most violent western in print,” Edge showcases the sly, raw power of the western genre. Set in 1868, Max Martini (Pacific Rim, Captain Phillips) stars as Josiah ‘Edge' Hedges—a Union officer turned cowboy, who prowls the post-Civil War American West doling out his own peculiar (and savage) brand of justice. When we meet Edge in the pilot, his mission is personal and his vengeance hath no fury. Edge also stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) as Merritt Harknett, and Yvonne Strahovski (The Astronaut Wives Club, Chuck) as Beth. Edge was developed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Enterprise), teleplay by Dekker and Black, is directed by Black, and executive produced by Black, Dekker, Barry Josephson (Bones, Turn: Washington Spies), and David Greenblatt (Battle Los Angeles).
Good Girls Revolt
In 1969, while a cultural revolution with a soundtrack to match swept through the free world, there was still one place that refused to change with the times: newsrooms. Good Girls Revolt follows a group of young female researchers at "News of the Week," who simply ask to be treated fairly. Their revolutionary request will spark convulsive changes and upend marriages, careers, sex lives, love lives, and friendships. Good Girls Revolt stars Genevieve Angelson (Backstrom) as Patti, Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) as Jane, Erin Darke (We Need to Talk About Kevin) as Cindy, Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley) as Finn, Hunter Parrish (Weeds) as Doug, Jim Belushi (Show Me a Hero) as Wick McFadden, Joy Bryant (Parenthood) as Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Grace Gummer as Nora Ephron. A co-production with TriStar Television, Good Girls Revolt is written and created by Dana Calvo (Made in Jersey), directed by Liza Johnson (Return), and executive produced by Calvo, Lynda Obst (Interstellar), Darlene Hunt (The Big C), Don Kurt (Justified) and Jeff Okin (Dark Skies, Stanley Park). The pilot is inspired by the landmark sexual discrimination cases chronicled in Lynn Povich's book, The Good Girls Revolt.
Highston
Highston Liggetts (newcomer Lewis Pullman) is a 19-year-old with a wide circle of celebrity friends—that only he can see. His parents, Jean (Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24), and Wilbur (Chris Parnell, Saturday Night Live) force him to get psychiatric help, but his Uncle Billy (Curtis Armstrong, American Dad!) thinks he’s just fine. Highston is a comedy about what it means to be normal in a world that’s anything but. The pilot guest stars Shaquille O’Neal (Thunderstruck) and Flea (The Big Lewbowski), and is written by Oscar-nominee Bob Nelson (Nebraska), directed by Independent Spirit Award winners Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), and executive produced by Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Todd Hoffman (Love Stinks), Nelson, and Todd Schulman (Bruno).
One Mississippi
A dark comedy, loosely inspired by Tig Notaro’s (Boyish Girl Interrupted) life, One Mississippi follows Tig as she deals with the complex reentry into her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, to deal with the unexpected death of her mother, the interminable life of the party, Caroline. Reeling from her own recently declining health, Tig struggles to find her footing with the loss of the one person who actually understood her, with help from her older but not always wiser brother, Remy, played by Noah Harpster (Transparent), and her emotionally distant stepfather, Bill, played by John Rothman (The Devil Wears Prada). A surprise visit from Tig’s girlfriend, Brooke, played by Casey Wilson (Gone Girl) only compounds the reality of how out of place Tig is in a world without her mother. A co-production with FX Productions, One Mississippi is written and executive produced by Notaro and Diablo Cody (Juno), executive produced by Louis CK (Louie), Blair Breard (Louie), and Dave Becky (Everybody Hates Chris), with pilot directed and executive produced by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said).
Patriot
The political thriller Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner (Australian newcomer Michael Dorman, Wonderland). His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous "non-official cover" -- that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence, and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company, cause a barrage of ever-escalating fiascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission. The pilot also stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost) as Tom Tavner, John's State Department Director of Intelligence father, Michael Chernus (Manhattan Project), as John's older brother Edward Tavner, a young Texas congressman, Kathleen Munroe (Call Me Fitz), as John's wife Alice, Aliette Opheim (Sandor slash Ida) as Agathe, a brilliant young homicide detective from Luxembourg hot on John's trail, and Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) as Mr. Claret, John's stickler of a new "boss" at the piping firm. Patriot is written and directed by Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Weather Man), and executive produced by Conrad, Gil Bellows (Temple Grandin), Glen Ficarra (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus), Charlie Gogolak (Focus), and John Requa (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus).
Z
Z is a bio-series pilot based on the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the brilliant, beautiful and talented Southern Belle who becomes the original flapper and icon of the wild, flamboyant Jazz Age in the 20s. Starring Christina Ricci (Monster) as Zelda Sayre, Z starts before she meets the unpublished writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (Gavin Stenhouse, Allegiance), and moves through their passionate, turbulent love affair and their marriage—made in heaven, lived out in hell as the celebrity couple of their time. The series travels through the wild parties, the wicked jazz, the dissolute artists of the era, as well as the alcoholism, adultery and struggle with dashed dreams and mental illness that characterizes their later years. Z dives into the fascinating life of a woman ahead of her time, an artist determined to establish her own identity in the tempestuous wake of a world-famous husband. The show pulls back the curtain on her triumphs and dark secrets. It's a modern take on one of the most notorious love stories of all time, played out in salons and speak-easies from Montgomery, Alabama to the Cote D'Azur. Z is written by Dawn Prestwich (The Killing) and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Anesthesia), and executive produced by Pamela Koffler (Still Alice) and Christine Vachon (One Hour Photo) of Killer Films, as well as Ricci. The show also guest stars David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) as Judge Anthony Dickerson Sayre, Kristine Nielsen (Savages) as Minnie Sayre, Maya Kazan (The Knick) as Livye Hart, Sarah Schenkkan (30 Rock) as Eleanor Browder, Jamie Anne Allman (The Killing) as Tootsie Sayre, and Holly Curran (Alpha House) as Tilde Sayre.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes available on Prime Video at no additional charge to Prime members, as well as access to hundreds of thousands of titles to buy or rent. Amazon Video is the only service in the world that brings customers both of these options in one place.
Prime Video, available on Amazon Video, lets Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent, Hand of God, Bosch, Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle as well as hit series like Sex and the City, Veep, Girls, The Sopranos, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Wire. Prime Video also offers members blockbuster movies such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among others. Prime members have access to a collection of kids shows including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues.
Prime members can look forward to several new upcoming original series premiering this year, with the coming-of-age dramedy Red Oaks premiering on October 9, followed by the much anticipated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle on November 20, and season two of Emmy-winning Transparent December 4. Coming in 2016 will be the second seasons of Mozart in the Jungle, Bosch and romantic comedy, Catastrophe, along with the debut season of The New Yorker Presents.
In addition to tens of thousands of titles to instantly stream on Prime Video, the Amazon Prime membership (www.amazon.com/prime) includes more than one million songs, more than a thousand playlists and hundreds of stations through Prime Music, unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, early access to select Lightning Deals, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, and access to borrow from more than 800,000 books for Kindle owners–all for $99 a year.
Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
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Monday, October 22, 2012
Review: "Madagascar 3" is DreamWorks Animation's Best to Date
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 79 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild crude humor
DIRECTORS: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, and Conrad Vernon
WRITERS: Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach
PRODUCERS: Mireille Soria and Mark Swift
EDITOR: Nick Fletcher
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
ANIMATION/COMEDY/FANTASY/ACTION/FAMILY
Starring: (voices) Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Tom McGrath, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Martin Short, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, John DiMaggio, Paz Vega, Frank Welker and Vinnie Jones
The subject of this movie review is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, a 2012 3D computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation. It is the third movie in the Madagascar film series, following Madagascar (2005) and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008). Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted finds Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman on the run in Europe and hiding with a traveling circus, which needs their help.
Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) was the king of New York City’s Central Park Zoo. A series of bizarre incidents found Alex and his friends: Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), as well as four crafty Penguins: Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights), and Rico (John DiMaggio), stranded on the exotic island of Madagascar. They make new friends, the Madagascar lemurs: King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen), Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer), and Mort (Andy Richter).
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted finds Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman headed to Monaco, Monte Carlo in search of the penguins and their two chimpanzee companions, Mason and Phil. What they find is trouble in the form of Captain Chantal DuBois (Frances McDormand) of Monaco Animal Control. On the run from DuBois and her cohorts, Alex and company find a safe haven with Zaragoza Circus. The circus, which has seen better days, needs some help, but its animal denizens are suspicious of the newcomers. Alex sets out to reinvent the circus, a miracle that just may get him and his friends home – finally!
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is the best film in the Madagascar franchise. I’d planned on seeing it in a theatre, but I wasn’t really that enthused about it. I rented Madagascar 3 on DVD, and gave the copy to my mother. After watching it, she wanted to know if she could keep the disc to watch it a second time. She rarely watches films a second time, so I knew something was up. After watching the first few minutes of the film, I knew that it was going to be good. By the time the action explodes in the Hotel De Paris sequence, I knew that this movie was going to be something special, and it is. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is the best film DreamWorks Animation has produced to date – even better than the exceptional Kung Fu Panda movies. What’s the difference between Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and the earlier Madagascar films and most other DreamWorks’ cartoons? The difference is the writing/storytelling.
I’ve come across commentary that describes DreamWorks as the tech guys of computer animation and Pixar Animation Studios as the art of storytelling guys. There is some truth to that. DreamWorks is producing computer-animated films in which the quality of the animation in terms of movement of characters and objects is improving by sky-high leaps and bounds. The stories in Pixar’s films have heart and the characters almost seem like real people, as seen in the Toy Story films, Wall-E, and Up. These films captivate adults as much as they capture the imagination of children.
Europe’s Most Wanted has heart. The earlier Madagascar films relied on the personality quirks and the motivation and conflicts of the characters, but the plots and action weren’t as interesting or as funny as the characters. In fact, whenever the characters fell flat in the first two films, the plots could not rise to the level where the characters had been. The first film was interesting, and the second was not quite as good, but had its moments.
Europe’s Most Wanted has one great moment after another; the narrative is entrancing, and the action is exhilarating. This allows the characters, main and supporting, to shine, as excellent performers usually do when they have top-notch material. Of course, the animation is great, some of the best ever; it’s DreamWorks Animation, after all.
This movie also adds three fine new characters: Gia the Italian jaguar (Jessica Chastain), Vitaly the Russian tiger (Bryan Cranston), and Stefano the Italian sea lion (Martin Short). All three of the actors playing these characters give superb voice-acting performances. They help make Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted better than the earlier films – a lavish spectacle of animation brilliance. This story about the meaning of home and friendship is one of the great animated films in recent memory. I want to watch it again.
9 of 10
A+
Sunday, October 21, 2012
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Friday, June 8, 2012
First "Madagascar" a Looney Tune
Madagascar (2005)
Running time: 80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild language, crude humor, and some thematic elements
DIRECTORS: Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
WRITERS: Mark Burton and Billy Frolick and Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
PRODUCER: Mireille Soria
EDITOR: Mark A. Hester
ANIMATION/COMEDY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY/FANTASY
Starring: (voices) Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter
The subject of this movie review is Madagascar, a 2005 computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation. The film focuses on a group of zoo animals accidentally shipped to Africa.
Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) is king of the animal attractions at New York City’s Central Park Zoo. He and his friends: Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) have lived there their entire lives. However, on the day of his tenth birthday, Marty begins to wonder what life outside the zoo – in particular life in the wild, would be like. With the help of four crafty penguins, Marty escapes the zoo for an overnight excursion. When his friends discover him missing, they also leave the zoo to rescue him.
The quartet attracts so much attention, and the sight of Alex the Lion running loose and free scares many New Yorkers. After the quartet is captured, they along with some other animals who escaped (two monkey’s and those darned penguins, again) are put on a cargo ship to be transferred to a zoo in Kenya. Once again, the penguins cause trouble and sabotage the ship, inadvertently causing Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria to be stranded on the exotic island of Madagascar. Now, the quartet has to learn to survive in this lush jungle paradise, but Marty, Melman, and Gloria discover, much to their chagrin, Alex’s wilder side.
Madagascar is the fifth feature-length computer animated film from DreamWorks through their computer animation studio, PDI (DreamWorks Animation). With each film, the art and craft of PDI’s computer graphics and animation markedly improves. In terms of the “drawing” style, this film is closer to the Warner Bros. cartoon shorts of the 1930’s and 40’s, in particular the work of cartoon directors Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Bob Clampett. The characters are designed to look 2D (two-dimensional), like the hand drawn cartoon characters featured in the aforementioned trio’s legendary work, although the Madagascar’s characters exist in the 3D (three-dimensional) world of computer animation.
How did PDI successfully create a computer animated film that looks like classic “cartoony” animated cartoons of yesteryear? What makes this work is that they mastered “squash and stretch,” the process which animators use to deform an object and then snap it back into shape to portray motion or impact. The ability to squash and stretch is essential to cartoon slapstick comedy such as the Road Runner cartoons. While squash and stretch are easy for animators to do with a pencil in hand-drawn/2D animation, it is more difficult for computer animators to do. DreamWorks Animation has successfully moved to the next level in terms of the quality of their work by creating characters that stretch and expand. It’s a film that able captures the manic energy of Avery, Jones, and Clampett’s Warner Bros. cartoons.
The animation of human characters and the layout, lighting, and set designs of human environments is shocking in how good it looks, but once the narrative moves to Madagascar the character animation really takes off. The characters bend, twist, elongate, and expand in a constant barrage that has the manic energy of classic cartoons. This also helps to sell a limp concept.
The plot is a basic fish-out-of-water tale without much imagination. The characters, except for the penguins, aren’t exceptional or memorable. They are good for some laughs, but they lack the zip, zest, or tang of cast of the Shrek franchise. The buddies of this buddy film, Alex and Marty, have some chemistry, but aren’t that dynamic a duo. Actually, the animals and the actors that give voice to them (Stiller, Rock, Schwimmer, and Ms. Jada) have the best chemistry as either a trio or a quartet. Put three or four together, and the film sparkles and splashes over with slapstick comedy that works. Cut the quartet in half and the narrative loses its energy.
Overall, Madagascar is a pleasant family comedy with some exceptionally strong humor that should appeal to adults; plus, the film references lots of other movies, and that keeps older viewers interested. DreamWorks Animation hasn’t yet reached Pixar, the gold standard in computer animation, but the quality of entertainment in Madagascar proves that the studio can deliver high-quality, if not classic, animated entertainment.
7 of 10
B+
"Madagascar 2" is Kinda like "The Lion King"
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild crude humor
DIRECTORS: Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
WRITERS: Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and Etan Cohen
PRODUCERS: Mireille Soria and Mark Swift
EDITORS: Mark A. Hester and H. Lee Peterson
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
ANIMATION/COMEDY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY/FANTASY
Starring: (voices) Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, John DiMaggio, Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, will.i.am, and Elisa Gabrielli
The subject of this movie review is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, a 2008 computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation and a sequel to the 2005 film, Madagascar. It is also the company’s 10th computer-animated feature film released to theatres. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa finds the zoo animal heroes from the first film now accidentally stranded in Africa.
Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) was the king of New York City. Actually, he was the king of the animal attractions at New York City’s Central Park Zoo. He and his friends: Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), had lived at the zoo practically their entire lives. However, a series of events found them stranded on the exotic island of Madagascar. Four crafty Penguins: Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights), and Rico (John DiMaggio) were also stranded with them.
In Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Alex and friends and the penguins hope a rickety airplane can get them back to New York. The Madagascar lemurs: King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen), Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer), and Mort (Andy Richter) join them on a flight that goes bad quickly. Now, the group is stranded in continental Africa, where Alex (whose birth name is “Alakay”) is reunited with his parents, his father, Zuba the Lion (Bernie Mac), and his mother, Florrie the Lioness (Sherri Shepherd). It is a happy reunion until a rival, Makunga the Lion (Alec Baldwin), hatches a plot to use Alex to unseat Zuba as king of the pride.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is an exceedingly family-friendly film; for a DreamWorks Animation production, it has surprisingly little scatological humor or romantic innuendo. The story is rife with themes built around family and friendship, and it emphasizes that friends can also be another kind of family. Escape 2 Africa is all about love, and in this story, love means understanding and then, acceptance.
I find the last half hour of this film to be much better than the rest. Getting the duet featuring Alex and Zuba makes watching this movie worth the time spent. As was the case with the first film, there is a subplot featuring the Madagascar penguins, who are some of my all-time favorite animated characters. This plot involves some tourists and hundreds of monkeys, and it’s like its own mini-movie – a good mini-movie.
Like the first film, Escape 2 Africa has great production values. The character animation and the overall film design and art direction are beautiful; this is the computer animation equivalent of The Lion King, one of Walt Disney’s most gorgeous and visually striking films. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa won’t have the place in film history that The Lion King has, but I love this movie’s almost-obsession with being about family and friends. It is a movie that has just enough balance to get parents to watch it with their children.
6 of 10
B
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Paramount Pictures Announces Release Date for "The Dictator"
THE DICTATOR, will open on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Review: "Hugo" Captures the Magic of Movies
Hugo (2011)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
WRITER: John Logan (based on Brian Selznick’s book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret)
PRODUCERS: Johnny Depp, Tim Headington, Graham King, and Martin Scorsese
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson
EDITOR: Thelma Schoonmaker
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner
HISTORICAL/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of fantasy
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, and Jude Law
Hugo is a 2011 Oscar-winning historical drama and 3D adventure film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based upon The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a 2007 historical fiction novel by Brian Selznick. The film is about a boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station and how he meets Georges Méliès, the real-life French film pioneer.
It is 1931, and 12-year-old Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) takes care of the clocks at the Gare Montparnasse railway station in Paris. He lives in the walls of the station with his uncle, Claude Cabret (Ray Winstone), an alcoholic watchmaker who is responsible for maintaining the clocks at the station and who teaches the craft to Hugo. After his uncle disappears, Hugo fends for himself, stealing food and maintaining the clocks. Hugo has also taken on a project of his late father (Jude Law), repairing a broken automaton, a mechanical man that is supposed to write after he is wound.
To repair the automaton, Hugo steals mechanical parts from an elderly toy store owner. One day, the owner, Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), catches Hugo and takes the boy’s notebook, which has notes and drawings for fixing the automaton. To get his notebook back, Hugo begins working for Méliès and also befriends the old man’s goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz). The children’s friendship and curiosity lead to a shocking revelation that might restore the spirit of a forgotten artist.
I guess that I should not be surprised that Martin Scorsese could pull off a film like Hugo – what is basically a family movie. I know that not all Scorsese’s films involve mobsters and violence, for instance, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Aviator, but his films are generally edgy adult dramas. With Hugo, however, Scorsese drives this film not only with a child’s sense of wonder and curiosity, but also with a child’s grit and determination to do what they believe is the right thing.
Scorsese’s films are successful because he gets great performances from his actors, and these performances are sometimes what make his films special (Robert De Niro in Raging Bull), or memorable (Joe Pesci in Goodfellas), or legendary (De Niro in Taxi Driver). In Hugo, the actors are so upfront emotionally that their intentions are clear to the audience. This makes the characters honest and vulnerable, in a childlike way that makes them endearing. That is why Chloë Grace Moretz’s Isabelle comes across as refreshing and intriguing rather than just being the girl character intruding in a boy’s tale.
While Ben Kingsley’s name is listed first in the credits, Asa Butterfield is the film’s star and Hugo Cabret is the lead character. Unlike some child actors who pretend more than they act, Butterfield plays Hugo with a veteran movie actor’s chops. He makes Hugo whole and believable, so much so that I lied to myself that Hugo was real boy.
Speaking of Ben Kingsley: after decades of great performances, I should not be surprised at how good he is as Georges Méliès, but I am. Kingsley is shockingly intense, even in the scenes that are relatively quiet and low key. In the scene in which Méliès tells the story of his past, Kingsley’s voice takes on a life of its own and magically transports us to Georges Méliès’ golden age.
And Hugo is magical. It is a trip into our dreams, in which the past comes to life. Most of all, Hugo reminds us of why movies are so special.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 5 wins: “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Francesca Lo Schiavo-set decorator and Dante Ferretti-production designer), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Tom Fleischman and John Midgley), and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning); 6 nominations: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Thelma Schoonmaker), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Howard Shore), “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Graham King and Martin Scorsese), “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (John Logan)
2012 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Production Design” (Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo) and “Best Sound” (Tom Fleischman, Philip Stockton, John Midgley, and Eugene Gearty); 7 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Director” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Editing” (Thelma Schoonmaker), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Morag Ross and Jan Archibald), “Best Original Music” (Howard Shore), “Best Special Visual Effects” (Alex Henning, Robert Legato, Ben Grossmann, and Joss Williams)
2012 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Martin Scorsese); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Howard Shore)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
------------------------
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Review: "Sweeney Todd" is Bloody Good" (Happy B'day, Dante Ferretti)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic bloody violence
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITER: John Logan (based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler; originally stage by Harold Prince)
PRODUCERS: Richard D. Zanuck, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, and John Logan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dariusz Wolski, ASC
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E.
2008 Academy Award winner
MUSICAL/DRAMA/HORROR
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, and Edward Sanders
Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) brings the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim to life in his wonderfully gruesome film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, based on the Tony Award-winning musical by Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. Burton keeps most of the songs from the musical and joins his frequent leading man, Johnny Depp, for the sixth time to make fantastically macabre movie magic, one that demands that the audience accept the gory reality of murder if it’s going to be entertained by bloody revenge.
Escaping two decades of false imprisonment in Australia, Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) returns to London and vows to kill the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and his nefarious henchman, Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), who framed him on trumped-up criminal charge in order to steal his wife. However, Barker has learned that his wife, Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly), poisoned herself, and his now grown daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), is Turpin’s ward.
Adopting the guise of Sweeney Todd, Barker resumes his trade as a barber. He sets up his business in his old Barber Shop above the pie-making premises of Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who falls for the mad barber. After killing a rival who threatens to expose Sweeney’s real identity, Todd devises with Mrs. Lovett an inhuman scheme that will both get rid of the body and save Mrs. Lovett’s ailing meat pie business. Todd begins to murder his customers, cutting their throats, and Mrs. Lovett uses their flesh as the filling for her pies.
Meanwhile, Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), the young sailor who rescued Sweeney from the sea, has fallen madly in love with Johanna and becomes the target of Turpin’s ire, for Turpin wants to marry his young ward. Mrs. Lovett’s pies soon become the talk of London, and as business booms, she dreams of respectability and a life at the seaside with Sweeney as her husband and her young charge, Toby (Edward Sanders), alongside as her adopted son. Sweeney Todd has only one thing on his mind – cutting Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford’s throats so severely that their arterial sprays will paint his walls.
While it may be true that Johnny Depp doesn’t have a quality singing voice, he is a great actor, and his frequent collaborator Tim Burton is a great director. In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the two of them make a splendid film musical, as good, and in some ways better, than recent screen musicals Chicago, Dreamgirls, and Moulin Rouge.
Depp, all brooding, smoldering, and quite mad, as Sweeney Todd is mesmerizing on screen. His Todd is a rich character capable of so many moods and so very capable of feigning civility and humanity when there is never a moment in this movie when Todd isn’t at heart, a freaking homicidal maniac. It’s no wonder that Depp earned his third Oscar nomination as a lead actor. His colleagues in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can see how wonderfully fertile this character is, simply because this amazing actor can create a profound character, almost out of thin air.
Burton, often criticized for focusing on whimsical, macabre, and almost pop gothic films instead of “serious” subject matter, seems to distill everything he has done thus far in cinema into this one gruesome, luminous jewel. Burton’s creative and technical collaborators have fashioned some of the most imaginative and decorative costumes and sets. His cinematographers, editors, and lighting crews have made inventive uses of the tools and equipment of their trades and crafts. Burton is not only able to get the best of his technical staff, he is also able to get them to go out of the ordinary when it comes to creating visual splendor. Sweeney Todd is the movie where everything he has done has come together to produce the epitome of his visual style. It’s like an astonishing colorful ode to Italian filmmaker, Mario Bava, an influence on Burton.
That’s not to say that this is the Burton/Depp show alone. Stephen Sondheim’s music is not only divine, but is also excellent at storytelling, character defining, and mood making. Helena Bonham Carter, a thoroughly underrated and underutilized actress, is a surprisingly spry singer with a beautiful voice. She’s a scene stealer here, and one can argue that the film is as much her Mrs. Lovett’s as it is Depp’s murderous Todd. To put it simply, the people who made this movie made a great movie, a deliciously demented great movie.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 1 winner for “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Dante Ferretti-art director and Francesca Lo Schiavo-set decorator) and 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Johnny Depp) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood)
2008 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood) and “Best Make Up and Hair” (Ivana Primorac)
2008 Golden Globes: 2 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Johnny Depp); 2 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Tim Burton) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Helena Bonham Carter)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic bloody violence
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITER: John Logan (based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler; originally stage by Harold Prince)
PRODUCERS: Richard D. Zanuck, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, and John Logan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dariusz Wolski, ASC
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E.
2008 Academy Award winner
MUSICAL/DRAMA/HORROR
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, and Edward Sanders
Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) brings the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim to life in his wonderfully gruesome film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, based on the Tony Award-winning musical by Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. Burton keeps most of the songs from the musical and joins his frequent leading man, Johnny Depp, for the sixth time to make fantastically macabre movie magic, one that demands that the audience accept the gory reality of murder if it’s going to be entertained by bloody revenge.
Escaping two decades of false imprisonment in Australia, Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) returns to London and vows to kill the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and his nefarious henchman, Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), who framed him on trumped-up criminal charge in order to steal his wife. However, Barker has learned that his wife, Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly), poisoned herself, and his now grown daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), is Turpin’s ward.
Adopting the guise of Sweeney Todd, Barker resumes his trade as a barber. He sets up his business in his old Barber Shop above the pie-making premises of Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who falls for the mad barber. After killing a rival who threatens to expose Sweeney’s real identity, Todd devises with Mrs. Lovett an inhuman scheme that will both get rid of the body and save Mrs. Lovett’s ailing meat pie business. Todd begins to murder his customers, cutting their throats, and Mrs. Lovett uses their flesh as the filling for her pies.
Meanwhile, Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), the young sailor who rescued Sweeney from the sea, has fallen madly in love with Johanna and becomes the target of Turpin’s ire, for Turpin wants to marry his young ward. Mrs. Lovett’s pies soon become the talk of London, and as business booms, she dreams of respectability and a life at the seaside with Sweeney as her husband and her young charge, Toby (Edward Sanders), alongside as her adopted son. Sweeney Todd has only one thing on his mind – cutting Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford’s throats so severely that their arterial sprays will paint his walls.
While it may be true that Johnny Depp doesn’t have a quality singing voice, he is a great actor, and his frequent collaborator Tim Burton is a great director. In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the two of them make a splendid film musical, as good, and in some ways better, than recent screen musicals Chicago, Dreamgirls, and Moulin Rouge.
Depp, all brooding, smoldering, and quite mad, as Sweeney Todd is mesmerizing on screen. His Todd is a rich character capable of so many moods and so very capable of feigning civility and humanity when there is never a moment in this movie when Todd isn’t at heart, a freaking homicidal maniac. It’s no wonder that Depp earned his third Oscar nomination as a lead actor. His colleagues in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can see how wonderfully fertile this character is, simply because this amazing actor can create a profound character, almost out of thin air.
Burton, often criticized for focusing on whimsical, macabre, and almost pop gothic films instead of “serious” subject matter, seems to distill everything he has done thus far in cinema into this one gruesome, luminous jewel. Burton’s creative and technical collaborators have fashioned some of the most imaginative and decorative costumes and sets. His cinematographers, editors, and lighting crews have made inventive uses of the tools and equipment of their trades and crafts. Burton is not only able to get the best of his technical staff, he is also able to get them to go out of the ordinary when it comes to creating visual splendor. Sweeney Todd is the movie where everything he has done has come together to produce the epitome of his visual style. It’s like an astonishing colorful ode to Italian filmmaker, Mario Bava, an influence on Burton.
That’s not to say that this is the Burton/Depp show alone. Stephen Sondheim’s music is not only divine, but is also excellent at storytelling, character defining, and mood making. Helena Bonham Carter, a thoroughly underrated and underutilized actress, is a surprisingly spry singer with a beautiful voice. She’s a scene stealer here, and one can argue that the film is as much her Mrs. Lovett’s as it is Depp’s murderous Todd. To put it simply, the people who made this movie made a great movie, a deliciously demented great movie.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 1 winner for “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Dante Ferretti-art director and Francesca Lo Schiavo-set decorator) and 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Johnny Depp) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood)
2008 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood) and “Best Make Up and Hair” (Ivana Primorac)
2008 Golden Globes: 2 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Johnny Depp); 2 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Tim Burton) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Helena Bonham Carter)
Friday, April 25, 2008
-------------------
Monday, January 24, 2011
Saddam Hussein Novel Inspires Upcoming Sacha Baron Cohen Film
SACHA BARON COHEN’S NEXT COMEDY “THE DICTATOR” TO OPEN WORLDWIDE ON MAY 11, 2012
Larry Charles Comes Aboard To Direct, And Scott Rudin To Produce
HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 20, 2011) - Paramount Pictures announced today that Sacha Baron Cohen’s new comedy The Dictator will be released worldwide on May 11, 2012. The studio also announced that Larry Charles (“Borat”, “Bruno”) has come aboard to direct.
The film tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. It is inspired by the best selling novel "Zabibah and The King" by Saddam Hussein.
Producing alongside Baron Cohen are Scott Rudin, Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, and David Mandel. The project marks the first collaboration for Rudin (“The Social Network,” “True Grit”) and Baron Cohen, while Berg, Schaffer and Mandel (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) join him as screenwriters on the movie. The movie is the latest collaboration between Baron Cohen and Charles, who previously worked together on “Borat” as well as “Bruno”. Dan Mazer (“Borat” “Bruno”), Ant Hines ("Borat" "Bruno") and Peter Baynham (“Borat”) will serve as executive producers, reuniting the rest of the Academy Award®-nominated and Golden Globe winning “Borat” team. Todd Schulman ("Borat" “Bruno”) is co-producing under Baron Cohen’s Four By Two Films banner.
Larry Charles, Sacha Baron Cohen and David Mandel are repped by WME. Dan Mazer, Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer are repped by UTA.
About Paramount Pictures CorporationParamount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
Larry Charles Comes Aboard To Direct, And Scott Rudin To Produce
HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 20, 2011) - Paramount Pictures announced today that Sacha Baron Cohen’s new comedy The Dictator will be released worldwide on May 11, 2012. The studio also announced that Larry Charles (“Borat”, “Bruno”) has come aboard to direct.
The film tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. It is inspired by the best selling novel "Zabibah and The King" by Saddam Hussein.
Producing alongside Baron Cohen are Scott Rudin, Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, and David Mandel. The project marks the first collaboration for Rudin (“The Social Network,” “True Grit”) and Baron Cohen, while Berg, Schaffer and Mandel (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) join him as screenwriters on the movie. The movie is the latest collaboration between Baron Cohen and Charles, who previously worked together on “Borat” as well as “Bruno”. Dan Mazer (“Borat” “Bruno”), Ant Hines ("Borat" "Bruno") and Peter Baynham (“Borat”) will serve as executive producers, reuniting the rest of the Academy Award®-nominated and Golden Globe winning “Borat” team. Todd Schulman ("Borat" “Bruno”) is co-producing under Baron Cohen’s Four By Two Films banner.
Larry Charles, Sacha Baron Cohen and David Mandel are repped by WME. Dan Mazer, Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer are repped by UTA.
About Paramount Pictures CorporationParamount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Review: "Talladega Nights" is a Ferrell-McKay Gem
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 167 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes:
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, drug references, and brief comic violence
DIRECTOR: Adam McKay
WRITERS: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay
PRODUCERS: Jimmy Miller and Judd Apatow
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Oliver Wood
EDITOR: Brent White
COMEDY/SPORTS/ACTION
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, Houston Tumlin, Grayson Russell, Amy Adams, Greg Germann, Molly Shannon, Andy Richter, David Koechner, and Pat Hingle with Elvis Costello, Mos Def, Darrell Waltrip, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
In 2004, co-writer/director Adam McKay and co-writer/star Will Ferrell gave us Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, about a dense, arrogant, but very popular local news anchor. This month the same duo gives us Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, about a dense, arrogant, but very popular and successful NASCAR race driver. This time Ferrell and McCay have refined their process, and while Ricky Bobby is every bit as funny as Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights simply works better as a film. Talladega Nights is funny, but it’s more than just a joke fest. It has an insane comic premise, but with heart, and the cast makes the characters believable as Ricky Bobby’s family, friends, and rivals
Talladega Nights tells the story of the rise of Ricky Bobby, from a 10-year old boy (Luke Bigham) abandoned by his father, Reese Bobby (Gary Cole), to a win-at-all-cost stock car driver. At the peak of his success, Bobby has a loyal racing partner in his childhood friend, Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly), and a veteran racing crew chief in Lucius Washington (Michael Clarke Duncan). He has a “red-hot” wife, Carley Bobby (Leslie Bibb) and two sons, Walker (Houston Tumlin) and Texas Ranger (Grayson Russell). However, Larry Dennit, Jr. (Greg Germann), the owner of the racing team to which Ricky Bobby belongs adds a pompous and conceited French Formula One racer named Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) to the Dennit racing team, and Girard is gunning for Ricky Bobby. Soon, Ricky Bobby’s career crashes and burns, but with the help of his negligent and immature dad and his loving mom, Lucy Bobby (Jane Lynch), Ricky Bobby might just return to the front of the pack.
Ricky Bobby could have been some paper-thin character Will Ferrell created during his tenure on “Saturday Night Live,” but he gives the characters such depth. He’s not a caricature – this arrogant dim-wit who makes you laugh – he has humanity. In fact, the Ricky Bobby of the movie is much deeper, a much richer character than what the advertisements for Talladega Nights suggests. That’s a testament to Ferrell’s skill as a great comic actor, with an emphasis on actor. However, while Ricky Bobby is a wonderful character, having an outstanding supporting cast of characters makes Ricky Bobby even better.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is impeccably cast and performed in terms of supporting players. The actors embody their roles, such as John C. Reilly’s Cal Naughton, Jr., Gary Cole’s Reese Bobby, and Jane Lynch’s Lucy Bobby. The caricatures also work to comic perfection, including Leslie Bibb as Ricky Bobby’s wife, Carley, and Sacha Baron Cohen (“Ali G”) as Ricky Bobby’s rival, Jean Girard. Carley is the perfect send-up as the greedy, camera-hogging, ambitious celebrity wife, and Girard gives the movie a flavor of the bizarre. Michael Clarke Duncan’s Lucius Washington is the steadying center and the fatherly guide to the wacky and childish racing team, and he creates a balance between the farce and satire with the characters on one hand, and the seriousness with which the film has to take NASCAR racing on the other.
Although Talladega Nights pokes fun as NASCAR and its brawny emphasis on and robust relationship with its advertising sponsors, the film doesn’t make fun of NASCAR, its culture, or fans. The brilliance of McKay and Ferrell’s screenplay is that it is a memorable comic creation filled with the kind of eccentric and harebrained characters that make a comedy actually funny. However, they also give the comedy dramatic tension and conflict, and the characters have convincing motivation. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a farce, a comic romp, and a dramatic narrative, and not just a bag of jokes and sketch comedy scenes. But it was up to the cast to make this nice scenario work, and they certainly worked it.
8 of 10
A
Saturday, August 5, 2006
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Saturday, May 8, 2010
Review: "Borat" is a National Treasure from Another Nation
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Running time: 84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Larry Charles
WRITERS: Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer; from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips (based upon a character created by Sacha Baron Cohen)
PRODUCERS: Sacha Baron Cohen and Jay Roach
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Luke Geissbuhler (director of photography) and Anthony Hardwick (director of photography)
EDITORS: Craig Alpert, Peter Teschner, and James Thomas
2007 Academy Awards nominee
COMEDY
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, and Luenell
In the film: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, writer/actor/comedian Sacha Baron Cohen takes one his most popular characters from his HBO comedy series, “Da Ali G Show,” the Kazakhstani reporter Borat, and sends him on a road trip across America. Cohen-as-Borat then engages real Americans in this faux documentary prompting them with seemingly innocent questions and his outrageous (and sometimes boorish) behavior into revealing their worst prejudices and attitudes. Along the way, Borat even runs naked through a hotel.
Borat Sagdiyev (played by Cohen in a role that won him a 2007 Golden Globe) is Kazakhstan’s sixth most famous man and a leading journalist for the State run TV network. Borat wants to travel to the U.S., what he calls “greatest country in the world,” and learn things that might benefit Kazakhstan. Camera and film crew in tow and joined by his cameraman/sidekick, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), Borat lands in New York City and heads south encountering the fruit of American citizenry. However, another quest subsumes Borat’s original purpose for coming to America. He is determined to travel to California where he will find and marry Pamela Anderson.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan lives partially in that esteemed sub-genre of film comedies, the mock documentary or “mockumentary,” the most famous example being This is…Spinal Tap. This is, however, firmly a fake documentary in which the documentary filmmakers mean to fool the subjects of the documentary. As Borat, Cohen is relentless and doesn’t give a sucker an even break when dealing with his clueless American subjects. These people apparently have no shame in displaying their petty bigotries and silly prejudices on camera. Were these people not ashamed to show their ugly sides because they assumed Borat was a just a dumb foreigner and his film would only be seen in another country?
Cohen shrewdly picks his targets, discerning the ones who would make great theatre – an example being the rich, Southern white suburbanites who lived in a neighborhood where one street was named “Succession Lane.” The fraternity boys who appear towards the end of the film are a hoot, and they’re carbon copies of the ones I knew when I attended a major, formerly segregated, Southern state flagship university.
Borat is certainly a lout, and his loutish behavior occasionally grates on the nerves, but the vast majority of the time, his encounters with people lead to double-side-splitting comedy. With Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen proves once again that he is a genius when it comes to revealing the just plain awful, ugly, vain, and intolerant side of people – a side they’re all too willing to display for the camera. Lovers of movie comedy shouldn’t miss this comic social commentary that is worth watching at least twice.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer; from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips)
2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy (Sacha Baron Cohen) and 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
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