Review: "Sense and Sensibility" is Still a Gem (Happy B'day, Emma Thompson)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 86 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Running time: 136 minutes (2 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Ang Lee
WRITER: Emma Thompson (based upon the novel by Jane Austen)
PRODUCER: Lindsay Doran
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Coulter
EDITOR: Tim Squyres
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Gemma Jones, Greg Wise, Elizabeth Spriggs, Emilie François, Robert Hardy, James Fleet, Harriet Walter, Ian Brimble, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, Imogen Stubbs, and Tom Wilkinson

Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) and her romantically inclined sister, Marianne (Kate Winslet), search for marriage amid 19th century etiquette, ethics, and class. Their troubles begin when their father, Mr. Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson), dies, but by law, their half-brother, John Dashwood (James Fleet), from Mr. Dashwood’s first marriage, inherits the country estate in which the sisters live with their mother, Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones), and younger sister, Margaret (Emilie François). Although he has a home in London, John wants the estate for him and his wife, Fanny (Harriet Walter). Shortly after John and Fanny arrive, they get a visit from Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), Fanny’s older brother. Elinor strikes up a intimate friendship with the aspiring clergyman, but they must part when Elinor and her family have to vacate the estate to John.

The Dashwoods find a small cottage belonging to a distant relative, Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy), who lives nearby with his mother-in-law, the very friendly, but prying Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Spriggs). It is at their new home where Marianne charms two suitors – the staid Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) and the lively and vigorous, John Willoughby (Greg Wise). Marianne prefers the dashing Willoughby over the older Col. Brandon. Meanwhile, Elinor braves the choppy straights of a circuitous courtship with Edward, whose heart has been promised many years prior to another young woman. However, the Dashwoods’ lack of a fortune affects Elinor and Marianne’s ability to find suitable husbands among their social set, so the sisters face heartbreak and triumphant as dark and old secrets are revealed.

Sense and Sensibility is an excellent and splendidly produced costume drama. It is better than most 19th century period dramas produced for film or television (British TV, in particular), although I wouldn’t put it up with the Merchant/Ivory production, Howard’s End. As usual, the technical aspects of the film are good, in particular the costumes and makeup. The sets and locations are a little more grounded in reality than is normal for a 19th century English period piece. This movie isn’t all pristine chambers and lavishly furnished estates. The characters deal with living in poorly heated homes, dirt and dust, and horse manure in the streets.

Critics and fans were shocked that a Chinese director, Ang Lee (up until that time not well known except to art house fans), could direct a British costume drama. However, he simply does, and brings fresh touches to the genre. The film is as natural and as passionate as it is refined and aloof. There is an emotional edge that makes the film engage the audience more than costume dramas normally do. The laughs are heartier; the snobbery is more savage and hurtful; the disappointment more bitter; and the romance more urgent – this is Ang’s touch. One can see that Elinor (expertly played by Emma Thompson, who won an Oscar for adapting Jane Austen’s novel) is as hearty and as resolute as she is reserved. The film’s best performance comes from Kate Winslet, who brings a raw insistence to her pursuit of her man; she’s like a real teenage girl.

The movie’s veracity is the cherry on top that makes Sense and Sensibility a memorable and exceptional costume drama.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1996 Academy Awards: 1 win” “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium” (Emma Thompson); 6 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Emma Thompson), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Kate Winslet), “Best Cinematography” (Michael Coulter), “Best Costume Design” (Jenny Beavan and John Bright), “Best Music, Original Dramatic Score” (Patrick Doyle), and “Best Picture” (Lindsay Doran)

1996 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Best Film” (Lindsay Doran and Ang Lee), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Emma Thompson), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Kate Winslet); 9 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Patrick Doyle), “BAFTA Film Award Best Cinematography” (Michael Coulter), “Best Costume Design” (Jenny Beavan and John Bright), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Morag Ross and Jan Archibald), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Alan Rickman), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Elizabeth Spriggs), “Best Production Design” (Luciana Arrighi), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Emma Thompson), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Ang Lee)

1996 Golden Globes: 2 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Emma Thompson); 4 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Ang Lee), “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Patrick Doyle), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Emma Thompson), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Kate Winslet)

Friday, April 21, 2006

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Sally Field Cast in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln"

Academy Award Winner Sally Field to Star as Mary Todd Lincoln for DreamWorks Studios

 

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field will star as Mary Todd Lincoln, wife to the 16th President of the United States, in DreamWorks Studios’ “Lincoln” to be directed by Steven Spielberg. The announcement was made today by Spielberg and Stacey Snider, Co-Chairman and CEO of DreamWorks Studios.

Sally Field joins Daniel Day-Lewis, who has been cast to play Abraham Lincoln in the Spielberg film.

"I'm excited to be working with Sally for the first time,” said Steven Spielberg. “I've admired her films and she has always been my first choice to portray all the fragility and complexity that was Mary Todd Lincoln."

“To have the opportunity to work with Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis and to play one of the most complicated and colorful women in American history is simply as good as it gets,” said Sally Field.

Based on the best-selling book, Team of Rivals, by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the screenplay has been written by the Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony Award winner, and Academy Award nominated writer Tony Kushner. It will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg.

It is anticipated that the film will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War.

Sally Field is a two-time Academy Award winner as Best Actress in a Leading Role for her roles in “Places in the Heart” and “”Norma Rae.” Field won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special for her role in “Sybil.” She won her second Emmy for her guest starring role on the long-running drama, “E.R.” Her other film credits include “Steel Magnolias,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “Forrest Gump.” Field currently stars in the ABC series “Brothers & Sisters” for which she won an Emmy in 2007.

Doris Kearns Goodwin won her Pulitzer Prize for No Ordinary Time, the story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the home front in World War II. Kushner's prize was for his play Angels in America, which later became an Emmy Award-winning television special. He had previously worked with Spielberg on Munich for which he was nominated for an Oscar in the Adapted Screenplay category.

Filming is expected to begin in the fall of 2011 for release in the fourth quarter of 2012 through Disney’s Touchstone distribution label.


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Upcoming releases include “Cowboys & Aliens,” “The Help,” “Fright Night,” “Real Steel,” and “War Horse.”

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

Review: Wes Craven Makes "Scream 3" Worth the Repetition

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 52 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scream 3 (2000)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong horror violence and language
DIRECTOR: Wes Craven
WRITER: Ehren Kruger (based upon characters created by Kevin Williamson)
PRODUCERS: Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena, and Kevin Williamson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming
EDITOR: Patrick Lussier
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Patrick Dempsey, Parker Posey, Scott Foley, Deon Richmond, Emily Mortimer, Lance Henriksen, Jenny McCarthy, Matt Keeslar, Patrick Warburton, Liev Schreiber, Kelly Rutherford, and Jamie Kennedy

When a series of murders are tied to Stab 3, a movie about the tragic events in her life, the most famous survivor of the Woodsboro massacre, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), leaves her secluded residence in Northern California to visit Stab 3’s Hollywood film set. Of course, the remaining survivors of Woodsboro and of the other Woodsboro-related murders – hot tabloid TV reporter, Gail Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Woodsboro deputy, Dwight “Dewey” Riley (David Arquette), are also on the scene. But they all soon learn that in the third film of a trilogy, all the rules are thrown out the window. The killer could be anyone, and even heroes can die.

Scream 3 is supposedly the closing chapter of the Scream franchise, and it’s a pretty good send off. Ehren Kruger’s script is certainly in the heart and vein of Scream creator Kevin Williamson’s scripts for the first two films. Kruger ably captures the self-referential, meta-lite atmosphere of the earlier films, and Kruger’s is less a satire or homage to horror flicks and more itself a good horror movie.

The cast is good, and the actors really understand their parts. The players who are supposed to be campy murder victims play their parts with relish, while the leads are intense and skillful. But the true hero of Scream 3, as he was for the first two, is horrormeister Wes Craven, who may be the most successful director of horror films in the history of movie making. He’s also skillful and adept at making even the rough spots in this move work, because he helms slasher flicks with the verve of an auteur making art films.

Scream 3 is not great, but it’s scary and funny and hard to stop watching. It’s clever and witty, both in its smart moments and in its lesser scenes. Though it seems to fall apart in some scenes of its last act, the film is worth viewing for its many genuinely creepy moments that keep you on the edge of your seat.

6 of 10
B

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VIZ Anime to Stream "Blue Exorcist" Anime

PARANORMAL ANIME ADVENTURE BLUE EXORCIST PREMIERES ON VIZANIME.COM THIS MONTH

 

New Aniplex Series About A Teenager And His Infernal Destiny Launches In The U.S. Only Days After Japanese Debut

 

VIZ Media has announced that it will serve as an official distribution partner for Aniplex of America’s domestic debut of the BLUE EXORCIT anime series. VIZ Media will carry the new action series (subtitled) on its VIZAnime website beginning Wednesday, April 20th, just days after its eagerly anticipated debut on Japanese TV on April 17th. New episodes will stream on the site every Wednesday.

In the animated series, Rin, along with his twin brother Yukio Okumura are raised by an eminent priest, Shiro Fujimoto, but one day Rin discovers that their biological father is actually Satan! As the border between “Assiah” (the human world) and “Gehenna” (demon’s world) is intruded upon by evils, Rin vows to become the ultimate exorcist to defeat his own father, Satan. To hone his raw skills, Rin enters True Cross Academy to train with other exorcist candidates. Can Rin fight the demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won't be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

VIZ Media is the official North American publisher of the BLUE EXORCIST manga (graphic novel) series, created Kazue Kato. Volume 1 is on sale now and is published under the company’s Shonen Jump Advanced imprint. BLUE EXORCIST is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

BLUE EXORCIST Volume 1 will also available on April 11th as part of VIZ Media’s expansive digital manga library available exclusively for the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple® iPad™ mobile device. For more information on the VIZ MANGA APP, please visit www.VIZ.com/apps/.

Manga creator, writer and illustrator Kazue Kato won the prestigious Tezuka Award when she was only 19 for her work, Rabbit And I, published in Japan in Akamaru Jump magazine. Her latest manga series, BLUE EXORCIST, debuted in Jump Square magazine in April of 2009.

Review: "Scream 2" Doesn't Sustain Strong Start

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scream 2 (1997)
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – R for language and strong bloody violence
DIRECTOR: Wes Craven
WRITER: Kevin Williamson (based upon characters Kevin Williamson created)
PRODUCERS: Cathy Konrad and Marianne Maddalena
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Patrick Lussier
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Elise Neal, Jerry O’Connell, Timothy Olyphant, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber, Lewis Arquette, Duane Martin, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia de Rossi, Omar Epps, Heather Graham, (voice) Roger L. Jackson, Tori Spelling, and Luke Wilson

Two years after the shocking events in Scream, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and Randy Meeks (Jaime Kennedy), the only surviving teens of the Woodsboro massacre, are attending college. Sidney is trying to get on with her life until a copycat killer begins acting out a real-life sequel, and some of Sidney’s college classmates meet a grisly fate at the hands of a knife-wielding killer. Ambitious reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Woodsboro deputy Dewey (David Arquette) are also back as the new killing spree leaves no one safe and no one above suspicion of being the Woodsboro copycat murderer.

Scream 2 is, for the most part, quiet entertaining. It does not, however, have half the wild and crazy energy of the first, and part of that may be because the original film was full of nutty high school kids running amok and having a good time, although there was a murderer in their midst. There are plenty of party crazy college students in the sequel, but we don’t see much of them because the film really zeroes in on Sidney’s character. Wacky kid characters made the first film fun, not female problems. Beyond Sidney’s small circle of associates, no other characters, not even bit players, come in to add something surprising to the mix.

Scream 2 is worth watching, at least for the first hour. After that there are some good moments, but the film begins to fall apart.

5 of 10
B-

NOTES:
1998 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst New Star” (Tori Spelling)

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Michael Shannon Cast in New Superman Movie, "Man of Steel"

Michael Shannon to Star as General Zod in “Man of Steel” From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures

 

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Michael Shannon will star in the role of General Zod in director Zack Snyder’s new Superman film, titled “Man of Steel.”

 

Snyder stated, “Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”

As General Zod, Shannon will go toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill, who plays the new Clark Kent/Superman in the film. The main cast also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent.

Michael Shannon was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon was most recently seen in the award-winning HBO drama series “Boardwalk Empire,” from executive producer Martin Scorsese. He will next be seen in Sony Pictures Classics', "Take Shelter," from director/writer Jeff Nichols.

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

“Man of Steel” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Review: "Scream" Still a Scream

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scream (1996)
Running time: 111 minutes (1 hour, 51 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong graphic horror violence and gore, and for language
DIRECTOR: Wes Craven
WRITER: Kevin Williamson
PRODUCERS: Cathy Konrad and Cary Woods
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Irwin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Patrick Lussier
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, W. Earl Brown, Drew Barrymore, Joseph Whipp, Lawrence Hecht, Roger Jackson (voice), Liev Schreiber, and Henry Winkler

In the GenX/post-GenX thriller Scream, a psychopathic killer stalks a group of teens just like psychos stalk victims in slasher movie. His primary focus is teenage virgin Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and the killings begin near the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death. A tabloid reporter, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), who covered sensational murder trial of the alleged killer of Sidney’s mom, is determined to uncover the truth because she believes the wrong man was convicted of killing Mrs. Prescott and that the real killer is still at large. Of course, the mystery surrounding the killer culminates during a raucous teen party held at the obligatory isolated farmhouse. Finding out who survives is as fun as learning who the killer is.

Much has been made of how Scream references the many horror films that preceded it, especially 1980’s slasher flicks, but Scream is simply a great horror film and as much a mystery thriller as it is a scary movie. Maybe that’s because the film is a horror movie for the sake of being a horror movie. Any social commentary the film makes is ancillary, and anything it says about other movies is just the nature of the beast. Just about any horror movie will reflect the others that came before it.

While casting young stars from TV shows popular with teens and twenty-somethings in the mid-90’s was a savvy move on the part of the filmmakers (most 80’s slasher movies cast young unknowns), the two elements of that make Scream great are screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven. Williamson’s script is tight, smart, funny, deft, self-referential, and most of all, creates a solid structure of suspense. The characters are mostly throwaways, but Williamson makes us care about them because the situations he puts them in are so precarious, we’d be cruel not to root for them to escape. For all the artful window dressings, Williamson’s script simply tells a scary story.

Wes Craven is one of the greatest horror film directors of all time having helmed A Nightmare of Elm Street and The Last House on the Left. Scream simply cements his position as a master director of the suspense genre. He turns Williamson’s words into palatable fear. He knows when to make the film outright scary, and when slowly increase the level of suspense and fright. Craven knows when to be funny and silly, and he knows when to deliver the deathblow, but most of all when to leave it all hanging on a thin string.

Scream is a film no slasher fan should go without seeing, and certainly it’s a work not to be missed by admirers and students of horror cinema.

8 of 10
A

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"A Matador's Mistress" Debuts on DVD and Video on Demand in June 2011

Penelope Cruz and Adrien Brody Steam Up The Screen In Long-Awaited "A Matador's Mistress"

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Oscar-winning Actress Penelope Cruz unveiled her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Friday as Xenon Pictures and Viva Pictures LLC announced the national DVD and VOD release of the long-awaited romantic saga "A Matador's Mistress." The film stars Penelope Cruz ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tide") and Adrien Brody ("King Kong," "The Pianist") and was written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Menno Meyes ("The Color Purple," "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade"). "A Matador's Mistress" finally gets a highly anticipated U.S. release when it arrives on DVD and Video on Demand on June 7th.

Along with breathtaking international locations, steamy love scenes and stunning bullfighting sequences, "A Matador's Mistress" features deeply moving performances by both the Spanish-born Cruz who took home the Oscar for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and co-star Adrien Brody who won Best Actor for "The Pianist." Menno Meyes who wrote and directed the $28 million production is also an Oscar nominee for writing the screenplay for "The Color Purple."

Set in the 1940's, "A Matador's Mistress" tells the story of the most celebrated bullfighter in Spain, Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez (Adrien Brody), famously known around the world as Manolete.

Manolete's life changes when he becomes obsessed with the beautiful and mysterious Lupe Sino (Penelope Cruz). What unfolds is a passionate and tragic romance that ends with Manolete's death in the bullring in 1947 at the age of 30.

"A Matador's Mistress" premiered at the Toronto Film Festival under the working title "Manolete" and has been praised for Brody and Cruz's performances as well as the dazzling art direction and cinematography.

Xenon Pictures CEO Leigh Savidge said Xenon acquired U.S. distribution rights for "A Matador's Mistress" in a co-venture with Viva Pictures LLC and the two companies are in talks for a theatrical release.

Xenon Pictures is an independent film and media distribution company specializing in cutting edge urban dramas and popular independent films often over-looked by the mainstream studios. Viva Pictures LLC is a Westwood, Ca. based multi-media distributor of high quality star driven films with award winning casts and talent.

Review: "Fair Game" Got Game... Sorta

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fair Game (2010)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some language
DIRECTOR: Doug Liman
WRITERS: Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth (based on the books The Politics of Truth by Joseph Wilson and Fair Game by Valerie Plame)
PRODUCERS: William Pohlad, Janet Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Jez Butterworth, Akiva Goldsman, and Doug Liman
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Doug Liman (D.o.P.) and Robert Baumgartner
EDITOR: Christopher Tellefsen

DRAMA with elements of a thriller

Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ashley Gerasimovich, Quinn Broggy, David Andrews, Adam LeFevre, Bruce McGill, Ty Burrell, and Sam Shepard

Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson are real people. About four months after the beginning of the Iraq War, Wilson wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times entitled, “What I Didn’t Find in Africa,” which disputed claims President George W. Bush made during the run up to the invasion of Iraq.

In retaliation, operatives within the Bush administration leaked sensitive information to Bush-friendly press toadies. This sensitive information was the disclosure of Valerie Plame’s identity as a United States CIA Operations Officer. This revelation and the subsequent scandal the revelation caused came to be known as “Plamegate” or “the Valerie Plame Affair.” Eventually, the Wilsons would detail their ordeal and experiences in two books, Valerie Plame’s Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House and Joseph Wilson’s The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity: A Diplomat's Memoir.

The 2010 film, Fair Game, directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), is a fictional account of the “Plame affair.” The film’s screenplay is based on both Wilson and Plame’s books.

As the movie begins, Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) travels around the world for the CIA, pursing nuclear nonproliferation – stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and the material and technology used to make them. Soon, her work gets caught up in the White House’s need to prove that President of Iraq Sadam Hussein is pursuing the creation of WMDs (weapons of mass destruction). After the United States leads an invasion of Iraq, Plame’s husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson (Sean Penn), writes an op-ed column for the New York Times, in which he accuses the administration of President George W. Bush of misleading the public to justify invading Iraq. In retaliation, figures inside the administration leak Plame’s status as an agency operative for the CIA. Now, not only is Plame’s career in jeopardy, but also the safety of her family and her marriage to Wilson.

Fair Game seems to want to be either a human drama or a political suspense thriller or both. It is muddled, sometimes being a character drama inside a political thriller and other times being a thriller inside drama. It also has elements of a war movie and of a political melodrama. The narrative struggles to balance a desire to be a fact-based biopic (because this film is about real people and is based on very recent events) and the need to be a taut political thriller, because of box office considerations. Fair Game ends up being all over the place.

This movie is not bad. Actually, some of it is good (Naomi Watts), and some of it is average (Sean Penn’s performance) to a little above average (the last half hour of the movie). Fair Game is not standout material, and if the “Plame affair” is going to be a movie, then that movie needs to be standout – in my (not really) humble opinion. Fair Game is ordinary rather than prominent, but it has its moments.

5 of 10
B-

Sunday, April 10, 2011

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Happy Birthday, Liz

Belated, of course.  Where did the weekend go?!

Pixar's "The Incredibles" On Blu-ray Tuesday

Everyone’s Favorite Family of Undercover Superheroes Bursts Into High-Definition

Academy Award®-Winning Animated Feature Disney•Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES Makes Its Highly-Anticipated Blu-ray™ Debut On April 12th

BURBANK, Calif., February 10, 2011 – THE INCREDIBLES, everyone’s favorite family of undercover superheroes and Disney•Pixar’s two time Academy Award®-winning animated feature film (2004 Best Animated Feature Film and Best Achievement in Sound Editing), makes its highly- anticipated Blu-ray™ debut on April 12, 2011. Releasing as a 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray Discs + 1 DVD + 1 Digital Copy), this superset has something for everyone – from the discerning enthusiast who demands nothing less than the highest-quality home entertainment experience, to the family who enjoys the interactive and engaging bonus features that only Blu-ray can provide – making this a “must add” to every home entertainment collection across the nation.

From the creative minds behind the Toy Story films and Ratatouille, comes the hilarious, action-packed animated adventure about a seemingly ordinary family with an incredible secret. Releasing for the first time ever in high-definition and in its original theatrical wide screen version, THE INCREDIBLES has been packed to include fascinating audio commentary by Academy Award®-winning director Brad Bird and his fellow filmmakers, exclusive new bonus features, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features, hilarious bloopers and much, much more.

An explosion of fun, comedy and action-packed adventure, THE INCREDIBLES 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack will be available at retailers nationwide for the suggested price of $45.99 U.S./$52.99 Canada.

BONUS FEATURES:

Blu-ray:
Includes The Following All-New Bonus Features Plus All The Classic DVD Features:

• The Incredibles Revisited – A roundtable discussion with Writer/Director Brad Bird, Producer John Walker, Story Supervisor Mark Andrews, Supervising Technical Director Rick Sayre, Production Designer Lou Romano, Character Designer Teddy Newton, and Supervising Animator Tony Fucile.

• Paths To Pixar: Story Artists – Continuing the popular bonus feature series that viewers have seen on many other Disney•Pixar releases, this exciting new feature showcases multiple Pixar story artists giving viewers exciting insight into their work, their inspiration and the personal paths that eventually led them to a career at Pixar.

• Studio Stories: Gary’s Birthday – Trying to make a movie when there are not enough work days and too many birthday parties? This feature showcases how The Incredibles crew solved that problem.

• Ending With A Bang: Making The End Credits – Interview with Director of Photography Andy Jimenez and Character Designer Teddy Newton about the process of creating the end credits for the film.

• “The New Nomanisan” Island Redevelopment Plan – A guided tour of Nomanisan Island, post- Syndrome, pitching the island as a vacation resort paradise.

Classic DVD Features:
The DVD in the 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack Includes:
• The Incredibles feature film
• The original short film Jack-Jack Attack
• Pixar’s Academy Award®-nominated short film Boundin’ (2003 Best Animated Short)

BLU-RAY COMBO PACK TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Street Date April 12, 2011
Direct Prebook February 8, 2011
Distributors Prebook February 22, 2011
Suggested Retail Price 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray Discs + 1 DVD + 1 Digital Copy Disc) = $45.99 U.S./$52.99 Canada
Feature Run Time Approximately 115 Minutes
Rated USA: “PG” (For Action Violence); Canada: “G” (For Violence) *Bonus materials not rated
Technical 2.39 (Presentation Size: 16X9)
Sound English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Sound, Eng 2.0 DVS
Languages English, French and Spanish
Subtitles English SDH, French and Spanish


ABOUT THE FILM:
THE INCREDIBLES follows the adventures of a family of former superheroes who are rediscovering the true source of their powers—in one another. Once one of the world’s top masked crime fighters, Bob Parr (a.k.a. Mr. Incredible) fought evil and saved lives on a daily basis. But 15 years later, he and his wife Helen (the former Elastigirl) have been forced to take on civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs.

Today they, and all superheroes, live as mere mortals. Bob and Helen lead all- too-ordinary lives with their children, Violet and Dashiell “Dash” Parr, who go out of their way to appear “normal,” and new baby Jack-Jack As a clock-punching insurance man, the only thing Bob fights these days is boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching for action, the sidelined superhero gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. Now, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the family must come together and once again find the fantastic in their family life.

ABOUT THE CAST & CREW:
THE INCREDIBLES, features a top-notch list of voice cast talent that includes Craig T. Nelson (TV’s “Parenthood,” “Coach”) as Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible, Holly Hunter (TV’s “Saving Grace,” 1993 Academy Award®-winning Best Actress for The Piano) as Helen Parr/Elastigirl, Samuel L. Jackson (The Other Guys, Iron Man 2) as Lucius Best/Frozone, Jason Lee (TV’s “My Name is Earl,” Almost Famous) as Buddy Pine/Syndrome, Spencer Fox (The Groomsmen, and the voice of Mudbud in Air Buddies) as Dashiell Parr (Dash), Sarah Vowell (author and noted radio show commentator on public radio’s “This American Life”) as Violet Parr, Jean Sincere (TV’s “Glee,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Frasier”) as Mrs. Hogenson, John Ratzenberger (TV’s “Cheers,” the Toy Story films) as the Underminer, Wallace Shawn (TV’s “Gossip Girl,” The Princess Bride) as Gilbert Huph and many more.

THE INCREDIBLES is produced by John Walker (The Iron Giant) and executive produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter (The Toy Story films, Cars, Monsters, Inc.). Kori Rae is associate producer, and Katherine Sarafian is production manager. Written and directed by Academy Award®-winning Brad Bird (Ratatouille, The Iron Giant, TV’s “The Simpsons”). And playing a major role in creating the film’s retro-futuristic style and exuberant mood is Academy Award®-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up, Ratatouille and TV’s “Lost”).

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms.

Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE! For more information, please visit http://www.disney.com/.

VIZ Media Offers More Anime for Streaming Through Netflix

VIZ MEDIA EXPANDS RELATIONSHIP WITH NETFLIX TO OFFER POPULAR ANIME TITLES AVAILABLE TO WATCH INSTANTLY FROM NETFLIX

Popular Series BLEACH, NARUTO, INUYASHA and More Become Available Starting April

San Francisco, CA, April 4, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that several of its most popular anime series will be offered to U.S. audiences by Netflix, Inc., the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. Starting in April, BLEACH, NARUTO, and INUYASHA are among the popular titles which can be instantly streamed from Netflix. More titles will be announced shortly.

VIZ Media series (Uncut and Subtitled) to be offered by Netflix include:

BLEACH: Episodes 1-109 (Seasons 1-2; Rated TV-14)

NARUTO: Episodes 1-104 (Seasons 1-2; Rated TV-14)

HIKARU NO GO: Episodes 1-75 (Complete Series; Rated TV-G)

HONEY AND CLOVER: Episodes 1-36 (Complete Series; Rated TV-14)

NANA: Episodes 1-47 (Complete Series; Rated TV-MA)

INUYASHA: Episodes 1 – 167 (Seasons 1 – 7; Rated TV-14)

“VIZ Media is excited to bring some of our bestselling animated properties to its Netflix subscribers in the U.S.,” says Brian Ige, Senior Director, Animation. “Netflix is the market leader and the availability of these new VIZ Media titles through the service will give fans the flexibility to choose how and when they want to consume their favorite anime. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Netflix to include additional titles in the near future.”

“We are pleased to partner with VIZ Media as a means to offer popular anime series to our members,” said Lisa Nishimura, VP of Content Acquisition. “It is our goal to add a wide variety of content to our growing library of movies and TV shows, and building relationships like this, helps us move forward in our efforts.”

Review: "Heavy Metal" Still a Fantastic Movie (30 Years Later - 1981)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Heavy Metal (1981)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour 26 minutes)
Rating:  MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Gerald Potterton
WRITERS: Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum, from stories by Dan O’Bannon, Richard Corben, Juan Gimenez, Angus McKie, Thomas Warkentin, and Berni Wrightson
PRODUCER: Ivan Reitman
EDITORS: Janice Brown, Ian Llande, Mick Manning, and Gerald Tripp
COMPOSER: Elmer Bernstein

ANIMATION/SCI-FI with elements of action and horror

Starring: (voices) John Candy, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, and Percy Rodrigues

Originally released in 1981, Heavy Metal is an animated science fiction film named after a magazine of the same title. It is an anthology film made of several animated short films, with each short film connected to the others by an overall storyline. That storyline involves the quest for a mysterious, powerful object.

Some of the animated short films in Heavy Metal were adapted from science fiction, fantasy, and horror comics that appeared in Heavy Metal magazine in the 1970s. A few of the other animated short films appearing in this movie were original stories done in the spirit of the kind of comics found in Heavy Metal (which is still published today).

Heavy Metal the movie begins with an astronaut returning home to his young daughter. He shows her something he brought back, a glowing, green crystalline ball, which kills him as soon as he removes it from a carry case. Calling itself “the sum of all evils,” the green orb begins to tell the terrified daughter a series of stories about how it has influenced people and societies throughout time and space.

The audience learns that the green orb is called the Loc-Nar and also watches as people try to control it or as it controls people. A sweeping story of the battle of good against evil is told through this anthology that follows several characters over 8 short films. These include Harry Canyon, a cabbie in futuristic New York City. There is Dan, a nerdy teenager. The Loc-Nar transforms Dan into Den, a muscular barbarian (with a huge “dork”), and transports him to the world of Neverwhere. The final short film focuses on Taarna, a beautiful warrior woman who takes on a band of vicious, murderous men and monsters created by the Loc-Nar.

As an animated film, Heavy Metal is a wonder. Sure, the character animation in a few of the short films is awkward, but it is quite good in others, like the Taarna story. Heavy Metal’s designers and animators grabbed the art and graphics from Heavy Metal magazine and brought them to motion picture life with vivid, stirring animation. I cannot call Heavy Metal great, but this visually striking animated film is one-of-a-kind and an absolute delight to watch – especially if you are a comic book or science fiction fan.

7 of 10
A-

Friday, April 08, 2011

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Comic Books Take "Black Dynamite" to Slave Island

Some of you may remember the film Black Dynamite, the Michael Jai White send-up of black exploitation films.  I reviewed it last year.  Ape Entertainment is publishing a comic book sequel entitled, Black Dynamite: Slave Island, which I review at my other blog, I Reads You.

There are several online retailers that may carry the comic book, including mycomicshop.com, milehighcomics.com, and tfaw.com (Things from Another World).

The Beau Garrett TRON: Legacy Q&A

After playing lots of supporting roles, actress Beau Garrett now has a main role on the CBS television series, "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior."  She also appears in TRON: Legacy as "Gem."

AN INTERVIEW WITH BEAU GARRETT FOR TRON: LEGACY

How does it feel to be part of TRON: Legacy?

BEAU: It feels amazing to be part of the TRON universe. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I first signed up for this role because I hadn’t seen the original TRON movie. I was born in 1982, which is the year that the first movie was released, but I’d never heard about it until I signed up for TRON: Legacy. I didn’t know anything about this amazing, futuristic world. It was completely new to me.

How would you describe the movie?

BEAU: TRON: Legacy is a classic adventure where a guy called Sam Flynn gets transported to a world we don’t know anything about. The new world is very seductive and dream-like – and it’s filled with danger.

Does the audience have to know much about TRON to enjoy the sequel?

BEAU: No, and that’s why it’s such a great movie. This movie stands alone, so you don’t have to know anything about TRON to understand the story of the sequel.

What attracted you to the role of Gem?

BEAU: I was shown loads of wonderful pictures of the TRON world when I first met with the director [Joseph Kosinski] and producer [Steven Lisberger]. The pictures depicted how they wanted this amazing, futuristic lair to look – and I was blown away by the imagery. I jumped at the chance to work on the project. This has been such an exciting experience for me. I’d never done anything like this before with all the special effects, crazy wardrobe and fantastic makeup. It was really fun to step into this futuristic world and play something completely different.

What can you tell us about your character?

BEAU: When I first met the movie’s director, he described Gem as a half-robot, half-woman character. She is emotionless and curious. She is sensual in a lot of ways and she’s very aware, but she’s a little robotic in her movements. She’s a program in the futuristic world of TRON.

What went through your mind when you saw the finished film for the first time?

BEAU: I was overwhelmed. I was blown away. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was so proud to be part of something so amazing. It took them a year and a half to finish the film after we shot it because they had so much CG work to do. It took my breath away when I finally saw it.

What was your biggest challenge on the set of the movie?

BEAU: I would definitely say that my costume was a huge challenge because it was extremely constraining. It’s a beautiful costume that lights up and it was an amazing feeling to walk onto the set wearing something like that. It was such a strange and powerful feeling, but it was also incredibly constricting at times. At first, I struggled just walking around in the suit. It even gave me bunions and my feet hurt because the shoes were incredibly high. I couldn’t take the outfit off all day, so it was a physical challenge that became a mental challenge, too. It was tough to focus in the beginning, but it became awesome. It looks stunning on screen, so it was worth the pain.

Did the costume help you get into character?

BEAU: As soon as the suit was on, I became Gem. A lot of the other actors on the movie had to work on green screen, but I was lucky because most of my scenes were in the club and they’d built a practical set for those sequences. The club set amazing and there was a crazy attention to detail. We had hundreds of extras on the set and Daft Punk were playing in the DJ booth. It immediately took everyone away to this modern, high-tech world. It blew everyone away.

How long did it take you to get ready for Gem every day?

BEAU: Getting into the costume was a hugely detailed process that took about six hours every day. Some days we’d get it down to five hours, but usually it was more like six hours in hair, makeup and wardrobe.

Can you take us through your daily routine?

BEAU: The first step to creating Gem involved her wig. They would spend an hour working on my hair. Then I’d head over to the Makeup Department where they would ‘white out’ my skin so that you couldn’t see any lines on my face. After that, it was back to the Hair Department to finish the wig. That whole process would take two and a half hours and I wasn’t even in costume yet.

When did you get into costume?

BEAU: The costume would come next. Well, part of the costume anyway. I’d get into the base of Gem’s suit, but then I would head back to Makeup for more touch ups. It took so much patience to get into the costume every day, and that’s something I struggled with. It was also painful. The wig was extremely heavy and there were bobby pins sticking into my skin. It was tough.

Was it easy to get out of the suit at the end of the day?

BEAU: It was easier to take it all off, but it still took a long time. The suit had four layers, including a corset and various other parts. I hung out in it a lot because once I was in it; I was in it for the whole day. They actually redesigned it at one point because it became too much. Originally, the shoes were attached to the rest of the costume. It was a huge one-piece, but they ended up separating the shoes so that I could take them off and relieve my feet during the breaks in filming. That was a huge relief.

What was the atmosphere like on the set of the movie?

BEAU: The atmosphere was electric. Everybody on the set was extremely excited and they gave 110 per cent. There were people who were willing to say, “Yes, take off my eyebrow for the character. Do whatever you want!” It was amazing.

What was it like to work with Jeff Bridges on the movie?

BEAU: Working with Jeff Bridges was fantastic. I only had to do a few scenes with him, but he is such a doll. He’s the easiest of people to work with. It never felt intimidating to work with him; it was easy and fun.

And what was it like to work with the director, Joseph Kosinski?

BEAU: Joe has created a film that will blow people away. He is a genius. He had a great vision for this movie and he gave us loads of freedom to play around with our characters, so it was a really collaborative process. This is Joe’s first movie and he’s nailed it. He’s got a quiet, strong presence about him, but he’s created an incredibly detailed and mysterious world. I was overwhelmed when I saw the first finished shots. The music takes you away and the visuals are amazing. You’re going to love it!

TRON: LEGACY is now available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download.

Will Smith Joins Son Jaden on New M. Night Shyamalan Project

I don't know if you know, dear reader, but I'm something of a Will Smith fan.  So I'm excited about this exclusive news from Deadline.

Will Smith will join son Jaden Smith on an untitled futuristic science fiction adventure film that will be directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who gave us The Sixth Sense, but also The Last Airbender. Shymalan wrote the script with Gary Whitta, and the project went under the title "One Thousand A.E."  Jada Pinkett Smith will produce the film with Shyamalan.  Go to the Deadline posting for more.

Bruce Boxleitner Talks His TRON Legacy, Part Two

In the original TRON, Bruce Boxleitner played two roles, Alan Bradley and the security program named Tron. Boxleitner reprises the roles in TRON: Legacy and plays two new parts. Disney has provided this interview with the actor:

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE BOXLEITNER FOR TRON: LEGACY

What can you tell us about TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: TRON: Legacy is a father/son story. It’s the sequel to TRON and the story follows a guy called Sam Flynn who is in search of the father he never really knew. Sam feels abandoned by his father, who went missing 15 years ago, so the story has an element of classical mythology to it. Sam learns about himself as he sets out on this journey of discovery. He soon finds himself, as well as his father.

Hoes does it feel to see people excited about the TRON universe again?

BRUCE: It feels great, although I’m amazed because when we shot the original movie, we had no idea that it was going to become a cult classic. We knew we were working on something cutting edge, but the film didn’t have a ton of success when it was first released. However, as the years passed, I kept seeing it pop up on Top 10 lists of fan favorites and cult favorites. I would say that 85 per cent of the autographs I have signed over the years have involved a piece of TRON memorabilia. Even when I worked on the TV show, Babylon 5, I was still signing TRON merchandise – especially overseas. There were always huge lines of people waiting with TRON memorabilia when I visited countries like Australia and the UK, and I was always surprised because I never believed that it would come to that.

What attracted you to the sequel?

BRUCE: The idea of working with Jeff Bridges again was a big plus point for me, but I was also intrigued to find out what had happened to these characters. It’s been 28 years since the first film was released and I wanted to know where they went during that time. When I first read the script, I was thrilled by it because I had no idea that Alan Bradley would become such a lost soul. It was such a great idea that it was a no brainer to sign up for the sequel. I was thrilled to be asked to return.

What do you think of TRON: Legacy cast members Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, who play Sam Flynn and Quorra in the movie?

BRUCE: I’m very proud to say that I started on the movie earlier than everybody else. I was hired to screen test all of the young talent fighting for the roles that were eventually won by Olivia and Garrett. I screen tested all of the Sam Flynns and all of the Quorras – and it was a lot of fun because I got to work with a lot of young, new, talented people. It feels really good that these two made the cut because they were my personal picks. I was really impressed with their work. They are both going to go far in their careers.

In what way did the filmmaking process differ between the original TRON and TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: The two movies are both cutting edge and they’re both years ahead of their time, but they were shot completely differently. On the original movie, we were running around in tights with a Frisbee taped to our backs. We were wearing hockey helmets with motocross shoulder pads and armguards, along with high boots. If you had to go to the bathroom, someone had to unzip you and you’d have to take everything off just to go for a pee. We were promised the movie was going to look good, but we had no idea what was going on when we shot it. We were blown away by the results, though. It looked amazing.

How does today’s filmmaking compare?

BRUCE: Today, filmmaking is still a long process – but everything is much more sophisticated and technologically advanced. There are no tights and no Frisbees. The costumes are incredible and the motion capture used in TRON: Legacy blows me away. The bulk of my time on the set of the movie was spent in the real world, so I didn’t experience the technical side of filming as much as Garrett Hedlund and Jeff Bridges. However, I was extremely impressed with everything I saw.

What do you think of the light suits used in TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: I think they are fantastic. They have lights incorporated into the actual suit, so they’re very different to the tights we wore back in 1982. The new suits are spectacular. There was this wonderful moment on the set of TRON: Legacy where the director would yell, “Light them up.” This happened just before he called “Action” and it was amazing because all of a sudden, all of these people on the sound stage would literally light up. It was amazing to watch.

How do you think the younger generation will react to TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: How will the younger generation react to the movie? Well, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback so far. Personally, I hope that a whole new generation falls in love with the movie and this cutting-edge world we created – and I hope it spurs them on to watch the original TRON movie, too. We have the original film being released on Blu-Ray, so it’s going to be out there for them. However, they don’t need to know anything about the original film to enjoy TRON: Legacy. It’s my character’s job in the movie to reveal the past mythology and to familiarize the audience with the story, so it’s all explained clearly at the start of the sequel. You know what? If kids today don’t like this movie, then I quit! Personally, I think this new generation is going to love it. They are going to be blown away. I can’t wait for them to see it.


TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5th!

Bruce Boxleitner Talks His TRON Legacy, Part 1

Actor Bruce Boxleitner has one of my favorite last names.  He has had a long career and appeared in several television series, including one of my favorite, the Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired Bring 'Em Back Alive.  In the original TRON, Boxleitner played two roles, Alan Bradley and the security program named Tron.  Boxleitner reprises the roles in TRON: Legacy and plays two new parts.  Disney has provided this interview with the actor:

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE BOXLEITNER FOR TRON: LEGACY

How would you describe the story of TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: TRON: Legacy is the sequel to TRON. The story of the sequel is set in real time, 28 years after the first movie. We revisit some of the characters from the original movie, including Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley, and we revisit the world of Encom. We also meet Kevin Flynn’s son, Sam. Ultimately, the story takes us back down into the world of TRON where much of the action was set in the 1982 movie. However, it’s a different world now. It’s a darker, more violent and dangerous world down there.

What can you tell us about your character in the movie?

BRUCE: I return to play Alan Bradley in the sequel. Alan is the storyteller who bridges the past to the present. There’s a lot of history that needs to be told about the world of TRON and not everyone watching the movie knows that story, so Alan does that at the beginning of the sequel. He passes the torch onto Sam Flynn, who is the new hero of the movie. I guess Alan is the Alfred to Sam’s Batman.

What makes you choose that analogy?

BRUCE: Well, Batman always needs Alfred to remind him of who he is and where he came from. Alfred is also Batman’s conscience. Alan is similar because he’s the surrogate father to Sam Flynn. Alan’s best friend and creative partner – Kevin Flynn – has been missing for 15 years, so Alan has looked after Sam and has always kept an eye on him. Both of these guys, Sam and Alan, are wounded people because of the disappearance of Kevin. They’ve had no closure on Kevin’s story. They don’t know where he is; they don’t what happened to him. Is he alive? Is he dead? They have no idea. Both of their lives were altered seriously because of his disappearance.

How has Alan Bradley changed since the first movie?

BRUCE: Over the years, Alan has been a very successful man. He is currently the CEO of Encom, but he’s not respected within the company. His colleagues tolerate him in the boardroom, but he has no say because Encom has turned into something that neither Flynn nor Bradley envisioned. It’s a shocking change to where Alan was 28 years ago. He’s now a broken man; he’s a lost soul. He wanders the corridors of Encom wearing nice suits, he drives a great car and he makes a great paycheck. However, he has absolutely nothing to do with the company. That frustrates him. He’s nothing like the nerdy tech you saw in the original film.

What’s your favorite scene in TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: Shooting the seminal scene between Alan and Sam at the beginning of the movie really stands out for me. We filmed that scene in Vancouver and we spent all night outside a really cool freighter container house, which is where Sam lives. I think every young guy is going to want to have a home like that. It was amazing. I love this scene in particular because this is where the human side of the story really comes to light. It’s the human story that makes the movie stand out. TRON: Legacy is not just about special effects and computer wizardry; it’s got a heart.

Was it easy to play the father figure to Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn?

BRUCE: It was very easy because Garrett is a wonderful actor. I have three sons myself, so it was very natural to act out those scenes and relive being a father. In fact, I have a Sam Boxleitner. He’s a couple years older than Garrett, but that’s why it felt especially real. It felt like I was talking to my own kid and Garrett looked at me like I was his daffy uncle. That’s the way it struck me anyway.

What was your biggest challenge in working on TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: Portraying Alan Bradley again after 28 years was one of the challenges. What is this man now? What’s happened to him in this interim? I was fascinated by where these wonderful writers had taken these characters. However, I guess my biggest challenge involved the motion capture work on TRON: Legacy.

Can you take us through the motion capture process?

BRUCE: It was very technical. I had hundreds of dots placed over my face and I wore a helmet with cameras pointing at my head. The extras had no idea what was going on, but the dots were used as reference points for the amazing artists on the movie. They created a younger version of my face from 30 years ago. In fact, the same crew who worked on The Strange Case Of Benjamin Button worked on TRON: Legacy and you get to see Jeff Bridges in his 30s again, too. The work they did was amazing.

What else did you have to do for the motion capture process?

BRUCE: After filming finished in Vancouver, I had to go and have my face scanned in Los Angeles. The rig was immense. It was like walking into a UFO. I pulled every kind of facial expression you can possibly think of for the special camera set-up. The cameras captured every angle and every aspect of my face. They captured every aspect of my muscle movement. It was astonishing.

Was it very different to the special effects work on the first movie?

BRUCE: You know what? I look at how far effects have come since we shot the first TRON, but it’s not like we were in the Stone Age back then. We were state of the art at that time. We’re still state of the art with TRON: Legacy. It’s just moved forward a great deal.

What advances in technology did you notice on the set of TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE: Well, the suits are much cooler in the new TRON movie. For the first film, I wore tights with magic marker drawings on them, as well as a hockey helmet and motor cross armor. I was also throwing an actual Frisbee. I didn’t have that cool-looking rainbow disk that they throw around in TRON: Legacy. However, I’m sure that the thoughts going through the minds of the cast on both TRON movies was exactly the same, especially when shooting the scenes set on the grid. Everyone has the feeling that they are making something different and something cutting edge. Everyone feels that they are working on something state of the art. That feeling remains unchanged.


TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5th!

Lily Collins is Snow White

Lily Collins is the Fairest of Them All

Actress to play title role in Relativity’s Snow White

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Media has closed a deal with The Blind Side breakthrough actress Lily Collins to play Snow White in its upcoming untitled Snow White feature, based on the Brothers Grimm story, directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Cell).

Collins will star opposite Armie Hammer (The Social Network) who will play Prince Andrew Alcott and Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts who will play the Queen. Pre-production has begun, and principal photography will start in May. The theatrical release date is set for June 29, 2012.

Relativity's Snow White, a retelling of one of the most beloved fables of all-time, will eschew the traditional story in favor of a more modern tale full of comedy and adventure. After her evil stepmother kills her father and destroys the kingdom, Snow White bands together with a gang of seven quarrelsome dwarfs to reclaim what is rightly hers.

The film's producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Bernie Goldmann (300) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise). The script was written by Melissa Wallack (Meet Bill) and Jason Keller (Machine Gun Preacher).

Relativity recently had Golden Globe®-winner and seven-time Oscar®-nominee The Fighter in theatres, via Paramount Pictures, starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams as well as Golden Globe®-winner and eight-time Oscar®-nominee The Social Network via its partnership with Sony Pictures. Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011, followed by the highly-anticipated Immortals on November 11th, 2011, starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke.

Collins, daughter of Grammy®-winning artist, Phil Collins, and named “The One to Watch” at the 2008 Young Hollywood Awards, will be seen next in Priest, with Paul Bettany releasing May 13, 2011 and will head into production on Screen Gems’ Mortal Instruments, in which she will play the lead role of Clary Fray, after wrapping Snow White. Both films are directed by Scott Charles Stewart. She will also be starring in John Singleton’s Abduction opposite Taylor Lautner, slated to release September 23, 2011.


ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA, LLC
Relativity Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company that focuses on creating, financing and distributing entertainment content and intellectual property across multiple platforms, as well as making strategic partnerships with, and opportunistic investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets. Relativity owns and operates Rogue, a company that specializes in the production and distribution of films targeted to the 13-25 year old audience. Building upon its foundation of financing and producing films, Relativity has grown to include music, sports and television divisions and the next-generation social network iamrogue.com. Relativity also owns and operates RelativityREAL, Relativity’s television arm, which has become one of the leading suppliers of reality television with more than 20 shows in episodic or pilot.

To date, Relativity has committed to, produced and/or financed more than 200 motion pictures. Released films have accumulated more than $15.0 billion in worldwide box office revenue. Relativity’s recent films include Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Charlie St. Cloud, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Zombieland, Couples Retreat, Get Him to the Greek, Robin Hood, and, most recently, The Fighter, Little Fockers, James Cameron's Sanctum in 3D, Season of the Witch, Take Me Home Tonight, Limitless, and The Social Network. Upcoming films for Relativity include Immortals, Shark Night 3D, Hop, Bridesmaids, and Cowboys & Aliens. 35 of the company’s films have opened at No. 1 at the box office. Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for Nine, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma, The Wolfman, The Social Network and The Fighter. 53 of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts.

Joseph Kosinski Talks TRON: Legacy

Walt Disney provided this interview with Joseph Kosinski, the director of TRON: Legacy:

AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSEPH KOSINSKI FOR TRON: LEGACY

How did you get involved with TRON: Legacy?

KOSINSKI: I had a general meeting with [producer] Sean Bailey a few years ago when he asked me the question, “In the world after The Matrix, how do we go back to the world of TRON?” My initial idea was to embrace everything that Steven Lisberger had done with the first film. I wanted to embrace that aesthetic rather than try to create a new virtual world that felt like our own. When the first image comes on screen, I wanted people to say, “That’s TRON.”

How has the world of TRON changed since we last saw it?

KOSINSKI: The world has evolved and it looks more realistic, but I wanted people to realize straight away that we were back in that world. The idea for the setting of our film to be this server sitting undisturbed for 20 years was one of the initial directions I was interested in – and it all stemmed from there.

What happened after your first meeting with Sean Bailey?

KOSINSKI: I come from a background in commercials and the technique I use to pitch ideas within that field is to propose a two or three minute short film that allows me to show people the look and feel of a project. That’s what I did with TRON: Legacy. I created a short that highlighted the tone and vibe of the world, as well as a hint of the narrative. I built the short in a way that it could be used as a trailer. This was before we even had a script, but Disney agreed to give us a little bit of funding to create that short piece and we showed it at Comic-Con a few years ago. Once we showed the short there, the response from the fans gave us that extra push that we needed to get the movie into production.

What were your inspirations behind TRON: Legacy?

KOSINSKI: My inspirations are a combination of all my favorite films growing up, including the original TRON. When I first sat down with Steven Lisberger, he took me through some of the early sketches and concepts by [concept artist] Syd Mead. We looked at all of the concepts that they weren’t able to use in 1982, when the first film was released, so it was fun to find all this fresh material to draw inspiration from.

What else inspired you?

KOSINSKI: Just like every other kid of my generation, I was a huge Star Wars fan. I was also a big fan of Stanley Kubrick, so that influenced me greatly. I think the overall style of TRON: Legacy is a combination of a lot of different influences of mine. Personally, I studied engineering, architecture, industrial design and music, so all of these things have certainly what influenced me in my life. I was even going to be a jazz saxophonist at one point, so there’s a little of that in me as well.

How did your background in architecture help with the movie-making process of TRON: Legacy?

KOSINSKI: Beyond wanting to build beautiful sets, I think the way that I was taught to think in architecture school was a really interesting preparation for filming. You learn how to be self-critical, you learn how to critique your work and you learn how to take critique on your work. Having the awareness of what’s going on out there in the world of design and architecture – and being able to pull an amazing art department together – was a lot of fun. My background in architecture certainly helped that process.

How would you describe the story of TRON: Legacy?

KOSINSKI: The relationship between Sam Flynn and his father, Kevin Flynn, is what drives the entire film. That’s the core of the film and, believe it or not, that’s what we spent most of our time working on. We spent much more time on the story and the characters rather than on the visuals and the design of the film. To me, that is the most important aspect of the movie that everything else supports.

Can you talk about the casting of Sam Flynn, played by Garrett Hedlund?

KOSINSKI: The casting of Sam Flynn was an incredibly tough challenge. It was hard to find an actor that embodies all of those amazing qualities that Kevin Flynn’s character has and that Jeff Bridges brings as an actor. Jeff’s got that combination of brilliance and humor and looks – and a very laid-back style. Those are all really unique characteristics.

How many actors auditioned for the role of Sam Flynn?

KOSINSKI: We looked at hundreds of candidates for the role of Sam Flynn. It was a long process with lots of screen tests. We rang Bruce Boxleitner [who plays Alan Bradley in both TRON movies] and had him test with a lot of guys, but we finally settled with Garrett Hedlund and we’re extremely happy with the choice. He had the impossible task of carrying a movie like this on his shoulders and he’s only 25 years old. He had to play scenes with Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen and all of these incredible actors, but he did an incredible job. I am really excited about his career. In fact, I think it’s just about to take off in a big way.

Was your work on the movie everything you expected it to be?

KOSINSKI: That’s a tough question. I worked on this project for a number of years and during that time I had a son, which made the father-son theme of the movie resonate in a very different way. I had a blast working on TRON: Legacy. I think one of the best things I’ve done in the movie is assemble such a great team. Everybody that worked on the film was incredibly passionate about the project and very excited to take part, even though it was a tremendous amount of work. We got an incredible amount of support from the studio and Disney – and it was a real pleasure to work with all of these incredible people. As much as I was looking forward to finishing the movie, I knew that when it was all over, it was going to be tough to return to life after TRON.

Can you talk about the theme of technology in TRON: Legacy?

KOSINSKI: I think that technology is definitely an overarching theme of the film. Technology is so pervasive in our world today, but what’s good about it? What’s bad about it? What’s important? I think it’s important to pay attention to the human connections that you have and not get lost in the digital world. I wanted that idea to be part of our movie.

How did technology assist in the making of the movie?

KOSINSKI: A film like this is all about collaboration and human connection – and technology helped us all the way through the process of making the film. You couldn’t make a movie like this by yourself. There were literally thousands of people working on the movie all over the world, including artists in places like India, Mexico City and Vancouver. I worked with a lot of the people through a purely digital connection over a conference call or cell phone connection or a video phone connection. Even though it’s a very high-tech film, my day to day work was all about communication with the people around me. I had to make sure everyone was working together and I had to keep the boat pointed in the right direction.

What new technologies or techniques were created to make the film?

KOSINSKI: We created cutting-edge suits, digital characters and we had the use of advanced 3D cameras for the making of the movie. We took three leading-edge technologies and combined them in one film in order to serve this story. When everything works together, you can make stunning images. It was a very challenging shoot, but I think it was worth it. I think we made the right choices to push the boundaries. I’m proud of everything we’ve done.

TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5th!

First Official Trailer for "TRON: Legacy"

Here is the first official trailer for Walt Disney Pictures' "TRON: Legacy""

2011 Kansas City FilmFest Begins Wednesday, April 6th

A Five-Day Feast of Films Kicks off at the AMC Theatres® Kansas City FilmFest

AMC Mainstreet 6 Hosts the 15th Annual Film Festival from April 6-10

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMC Theatres (AMC), a leading theatrical exhibition and entertainment company headquartered in Kansas City, and the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee proudly announce the details about the AMC Theatres Kansas City FilmFest, where you can see 135 diverse short and feature films by both local international filmmakers from 33 countries, including 13 feature-length films, all at AMC Mainstreet 6 from April 6-10.

Opening Night Double Feature: (Wednesday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. for $20 at AMC Mainstreet 6)

HAPPY NEW YEAR – Stars Michael Cuomo and showed at South by Southwest® Film Conference and Festival

THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE – Latest from Director Lee Tamahori, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival

Special Outdoor Benefit Screening: (Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m. for $5 at the Kansas City Power & Light District)

COST OF A SOUL – Winner of the Big Break Movie Contest sponsored by AMC independent™ and Relativity Media’s Rogue, with Director Sean Kirkpatrick in attendance and the $5 ticket price benefiting Variety – The Children’s Charity of Kansas City

Special Benefit Screening: (Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. for $20 at AMC Mainstreet 6)

THE RIDE – Documentary of Phil Keoghan’s cross-continent bicycle trek to raise awareness of and funds for multiple sclerosis; half of the proceeds from the screening will benefit multiple sclerosis

Celebrities in Attendance:
Michael Biehn – Actor in THE TERMINATOR, THE VICTIM
Jennifer Blanc Biehn – Producer/Actress in THE VICTIM
Michael Cuomo – Producer/Actor in HAPPY NEW YEAR
Lorrel Manning – Writer/Director of HAPPY NEW YEAR
Phil Keoghan – Director of THE RIDE and Creator of “The Amazing Race”
Andy Anderson – Writer/Director of DETENTION
Michael Almereyda – Writer/Director of HAMLET and PARADISE

Film Journalists in Attendance:
Elvis Mitchell – Film Critic for Movieline.com and host of “The Treatment”
Jeff Goldsmith – Producer of “The Q&A” and former Senior Editor at Creative Screenwriting
Mark Bell – Owner/Publisher of FilmThreat

The AMC Theatres Kansas City FilmFest also offers a variety of educational seminars, each with a $5 admission charge, so that aspiring filmmakers can learn from the experts about how to finance, produce and exhibit their films. Tickets and schedules for the festival are available at http://www.kcfilmfest.org/. Individual tickets are $10 and festival-long passes are $60.

Michael Sheen on TRON: Legacy

Welsh actor Michael Sheen has appeared in such films as Underworld, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Twilight Saga: New Moon.  He also appeared in TRON: Legacy as Castor/Zuse.  Walt Disney provided this interview with Sheen:
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL SHEEN FOR TRON: LEGACY

What was the initial inspiration for your character in TRON: Legacy?

SHEEN: When I first talked to the director – Joseph Kosinski – about my character, he showed me lots of art work to illustrate what they were looking for. They wanted a character that would be able to bring a completely different energy to the world of TRON. They wanted someone who was larger than life and a real showman. Castor is a guy who runs a nightclub, so he’s an entertainer and a host. He knows everything and he’s ambiguous in lots of ways. Joseph talked about characters like the MC from Cabaret, which got me thinking about Bob Fosse and All That Jazz. All of these things inspired Castor.

How did the character develop?

SHEEN: Slowly, I started to think about the idea that all these beings on the grid in the TRON world are computer programs, so I wondered what sort of program my character would be. He’s someone that would be able to adapt to anything that comes along. He’s a survivor, he’s a circus showman, he’s adaptable, and he’s a comedian. It made me think about people I knew in pop culture who are chameleon-like and take on different personalities at different times. David Bowie is exactly that person, so I came up with a Ziggy Stardust look and feel to Castor. I ended up regretting it when I found myself walking around in 6-inch heels for days on end. However, it was a great character to play.

Apart from the heels, was it fun to wear Castor’s costume?

SHEEN: The days of going to the bathroom were long gone in that costume. Once it was on, that was it. I couldn’t sit down, and I had to have a special bicycle contraption on poles to lean against when the cameras stopped rolling. It was tough and it took me hours to get into that costume, but there was a lot of enthusiasm on the set that kept the energy levels high. There was a great atmosphere on the set. We could’ve complained all day long about the uncomfortable nature of the outfits or we could get on with it, so we choose to get on with it. To be honest, I think this attitude trickles down from the top. Garrett Hedlund [who plays Sam Flynn in TRON: Legacy] had to wear an amazingly constrictive outfit, but he was so enthusiastic about everything and he was so eager to work that it rubbed off on us all. He loved meeting everyone involved in the project and he loved being a part of this monumental movie, so it made us all realize how grateful and excited we should be.

Did you ever get close to complaining about your 6-inch heels?

SHEEN: No, I was fine. I think it also helped that most of my scenes were with the actress, Beau Garrett. It helped a lot to have Beau standing near me in her crazy outfit for most of the day. An outfit like that can get you through anything.

What are your memories of the original TRON movie?

SHEEN: I watched the first film in Wales when I was 11 years old. A friend of mine took me to cinema and I remember it blowing my mind. I was the perfect audience member because I remember the movie having an effect on my life as soon as I left the cinema. I was taken into another world while watching the movie, but when I walked outside, the world looked completely different. You know what? It’s mind blowing to think that I’m starring in the sequel 28 years later. It’s crazy.

What attracted you to the sequel?

SHEEN: When I read the script, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘This is really good.’ It’s such a classic story about a son who goes looking for his father. It’s a human story and I think that’s really important in the high-tech world of TRON. As a fan of the original movie, I knew it was going to be a futuristic adventure and I knew the amazing effects were going to blow everyone away, but I also knew that it had to have an emotional story. I think it delivers that and so much more.

What went through your mind the first time you saw footage from the finished film?

SHEEN: I loved it. I was blown away by the special effects and I would get excited about each new bit of design that I hadn’t seen before. However, the footage that had the biggest impact on me was the scene where Kevin Flynn meets Sam. I love watching Jeff Bridges act. He’s brilliant. But to see him there with Garrett really hit me in the heart. I really believed that this was a father and son meeting up again. It’s an amazing scene.

Did you enjoy working with the special effects in the movie?

SHEEN: I didn’t have to work with too many special effects, although I worked on a scene where Jeff Bridges portrays a younger version of himself. That was pretty amazing. I had to act against Jeff, who was wearing a helmet with cameras pointing at his face. They would then replace Jeff’s face with a younger version in post production. How incredible is that? It was like a dream come true to work on something like that. This film really pushes the envelope in terms of what you can do with technology. The motion-capture, the costumes, the special effects… It all blew me away.

Did you have any green screen scenes?

SHEEN: Not really. Most of my scenes were in the nightclub, which was a real set. Everyone else had spent weeks in front of green screens, but I went old school on a proper set with hundreds of extras. It helped my character a lot because he’s very energetic and dynamic, and walking onto a set is very similar to walking onto a stage. He’s a showman, so the stage is his home.

How do you think the new generation of children will react to the world of TRON?

SHEEN: I honestly believe that this film delivers everything you could possibly want to see as a kid. I don’t think I’d be sitting here talking to you now if I didn’t believe that. This movie takes you on a classic journey to a magical world and it delivers on so many levels. It has incredible special effects and it has a human, emotional tale. The minute Sam Flynn puts that coin into the arcade machine and heads through that door you think, ‘Wow!’ It opens up a whole new world to the audience; a whole new world everybody is going to love.

Tron: Legacy (Two-Disc BD Blu-ray/DVD Combo) is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5th!

Disney's "Tangled" is Nappy Goodness

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 29 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tangled (2010)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG for brief mild violence
DIRECTORS: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
WRITER: Dan Fogelman (based on the fairy tale by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm)
PRODUCER: Roy Conli
EDITOR: Tim Mertens
COMPOSER: Alan Menken
SONGS: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL/COMEDY/FAMILY with elements of an action movie

Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins, and Richard Kiel

The 3D animated film Tangled is the 50th full-length animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Based upon the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel, Tangled is, to date, the most expensive animated film ever made, and the money is well spent. Tangled simply surprised me with how enjoyable and, quite frankly, how wonderful it is.

The story focuses Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a young woman whose parents are a king and queen, but Rapunzel has not seen them since she was an infant. The only parent she knows is Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), a centuries-old woman who stole Rapunzel because of her hair’s magical properties. Gothel keeps Rapunzel isolated in a tower and harnesses the power of Rapunzel ever-growing hair to keep herself young. On her 18th birthday, Rapunzel asks Gothel to allow her to briefly leave the tower. Rapunzel wants to see in person the release of the thousands of sky lanterns that just so happens every year on her birthday. Gothel vehemently refuses.

While Gothel is away, fate steps in when a young, fugitive thief named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) arrives at the tower. Rapunzel makes a deal with Rider for him to escort her to the festival of the sky lanterns. With the help of Maximus, a palace guard’s horse, and Pascal, her pet chameleon, Rapunzel and Flynn battle obstacles, including Gothel and Flynn’s former partners, the Stabbington Brothers (Ron Perlman), as their adventure begins to unravel the truth about Rapunzel.

Tangled is like neither Pixar’s computer-animated films nor Disney’s other 3D animated films (like Chicken Little or Meet the Robinsons). Tangled recalls Disney’s animated musical fantasies of two decades ago, especially Beauty and the Beast (1991). This film finds its spirit in songs, anachronistic gags, and the usual mayhem of comic adventure. The animation, however, is old-fashioned Disney. This time technology and software create character drawn in soft lines and shapes, as if they were hand drawn. The production design invents landscapes, cityscapes, scenery, interiors and sets that make the movie look like an oil painting on canvas. The colors are dazzling, and the “sky lantern” sequence (“I See the Light”) evokes magic.

The character animation is surprisingly fluid for a computer-animated film. The characters move with grace, and the vivid facial movement of the characters draw attention to their expressive eyes. The voice performances are quite good, especially Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as Flynn. They give their characters complexity and depth, which makes everything about Rapunzel and Flynn seem genuine – from Rapunzel’s wide-eyed curiosity and innocence to Flynn’s rascally nature and his good heart.

Tangled is the new-look 3D animation with the old school, hand drawn charm. It proves that sometimes the classic Disney style is still the best.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2011 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater for "I See the Light")

2011 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Animated Film” and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” ("I See the Light")

Saturday, April 02, 2011

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