Laika Returns Stop-Motion Animated Film, "CORALINE," to Theaters for Halloween

LAIKA Sets Coraline Limited-Time Return Engagement for Halloween Starting October 31st Through Fathom and Trafalgar Releasing

Award-winning studio’s debut film garnered over $53M in Global Box Office in Theatrical Return over the Summer

HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a summertime return to theaters that grossed over $53M in global box office, LAIKA’s acclaimed 2009 stop-motion animated film, Coraline, returns to theaters for a special Halloween engagement starting on October 31st, 2024. In partnership with Fathom in the US and Trafalgar Releasing internationally, the film is offered in stunning, newly remastered 3D as well as 2D formats.

“Everyone at LAIKA is elated by the global success of the Coraline re-release and we’re delighted to offer one more chance to see it this year during Halloween festivities”

In addition to the U.S., the Halloween engagement of Coraline includes the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Austria, and Ecuador with more territories to follow. France and Italy will also begin their Coraline 15th Anniversary engagements this November.

Fans attending Coraline will be treated to an early glimpse of LAIKA’s upcoming film, Wildwood.

The 15th Anniversary theatrical re-release of Coraline this past August was an astonishing success, surpassing all estimates.

Since its re-release on August 15th, 2024, Coraline has brought in over $53M* at the global box office:

Highest lifetime US gross box office of all time for a stop-motion animated feature, beating The Nightmare Before Christmas and Chicken Run.

Highest-grossing re-release in the US in the past decade.

Highest-grossing release (new and re-releases) in Fathom’s 20-year history.

Highest-grossing re-release in the past 25 years in the UK, beating the 25th anniversary of Titanic and the 20th anniversary of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial.

Highest-grossing re-release in Mexico’s history, surpassing the 25th Anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Film surpassed its original 2009 box office throughout Latin America, including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Bolivia.

Tickets go on sale in the US starting Friday, October 4, 2024. For information and to buy tickets, please visit: www.coraline.com.

“Everyone at LAIKA is elated by the global success of the Coraline re-release and we’re delighted to offer one more chance to see it this year during Halloween festivities,” said David Burke, LAIKA’s Chief Marketing & Operations Officer. “In addition to becoming Fathom’s highest-grossing release in the US, Coraline set box office records in multiple international territories, including the UK and Mexico, through our partnership with Trafalgar Releasing. We are humbled by the millions of fans around the world who came out to experience Coraline in dazzling remastered 3D on the big screen this summer, making the 15th anniversary a cultural phenomenon.”

Coraline is a wondrous and thrilling, fun and suspenseful animated adventure. Coraline was written and directed by stop-motion auteur Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wendell & Wild) and stars Dakota Fanning, Ian McShane, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, John Hodgman, and British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The film was nominated for the Oscar® and Golden Globe; won the Cristal Award at Annecy and was named one of the best films of the year by AFI. It won three Annie Awards for Best Music, Character Design and Production Design.

11-year-old Coraline Jones (Fanning) is feisty, curious, and intrepid beyond her years. She and her parents (Hatcher, Hodgman) have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. Missing her friends and finding her parents to be distracted by their work, Coraline tries to find some excitement in her new environment but seriously doubts that her new home can provide anything truly intriguing to her. But when she walks through a secret door in her living room and ventures down an eerie passageway, she discovers an alternate version of her life and existence. On the surface, this parallel reality is similar to her real life – only much better. The adults, including the solicitous Other Mother (Hatcher), seem much more welcoming to her. Even the mysterious Cat (David) now regards her as the center of attention. She begins to think that this Other World might be where she belongs. But when her wondrously off-kilter, fantastical visit turns dangerous and Other Mother schemes to keep her there, Coraline musters all of her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

*Comscore

About LAIKA:

LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon by President & CEO Travis Knight. The studio’s five films Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Missing Link (2019) have all been nominated for the Academy Award® for Outstanding Animated Feature. Kubo and the Two Strings won the BAFTA® Award for Best Animated Film and received an additional Oscar® nomination for Visual Effects. Missing Link was awarded the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Film. LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar® in 2016 for its innovation in 3D printing. LAIKA is currently in production on its next animated film Wildwood. The studio is developing the animated feature films The Night Gardener, from an original idea by Bill Dubuque, creator of the hit series Ozark, and Piranesi, based on the NYT bestselling novel by Susanna Clarke. LAIKA has launched a Live Action subsidiary with a range of projects in development including feature films based on the action thriller novel Seventeen by screenwriter John Brownlow and an original script Crumble, written and directed by Brian Duffield with Phil Lord and Chris Miller producing. Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Dune) will write and make his directorial debut on another original live action film project. www.laika.com

About Fathom Events:

Fathom Events is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit FathomEvents.com.

About Trafalgar Releasing:

Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 15,000 cinemas across 132 countries. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas worldwide led by an international team based in the UK, US and Germany. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, the Royal Opera House and others, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with international distribution for TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR, the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Information about Trafalgar Releasing can be found at www.trafalgar-releasing.com.

-------------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 23rd to 30th, 2023 - Update #20

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Actor Michael J. Fox, 61, tells Jane Pauley of "CBS Sunday Morning" that his battle with Parkinson's disease gets tougher every day. Fox says, "I'm not going to be 80."

STRIKE - From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Director David Borenstein talks about his new documentary film, ""Can't Feel Nothing," which explores the connections between Internet use and emotional disorders.

TELEVISION - From TheNewYorker:  "Why are TV writers so miserable?" by Michael Schulman.

SPORTS/CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Hollywood icon and Oscar-winning actor, Jack Nicholson, attended his first Los Angeles Lakers game since October 2021.  He attended Friday, April 28th's Memphis Grizzles vs. Lakers' Game 6 in this first round of the NBA playoffs.  The Lakers won the game 125-85 and won the series 4 games to 2.

CINEMACON/ANIMATION - From Deadline:  At CinemaCon 2023, Paramount Pictures announces its first "Transformers" animated film, "Transformers One." This isn't the first Transformers animated film. "The Transformers: The Movie" was released to theaters in 1986.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  This profile of 79-year-old actress Valerie Perrine, includes information on her caretaker and on an appeal for financial assistance.

CINEMACON - From BloodyDisgusting:  At CinemaCon, the audience was treated to footage of "The Exorcist: Believer," the first in a new trilogy set in the world of 1973 film, "The Exorcist."  Ellen Burstyn reprises her iconic role as "Chris MacNeil," the mother of a daughter possessed by a demon.

MOVIES - From ScreenTime:  Actress Dakota Fanning talks about reunited with Denzel Washington for the first time since 2004's "Man on Fire." The two will appear together in "The Equalizer 3."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The shape of things to come: Of the 13-member series-regular cast of CBS’ comedy "Bob❤️Abishola," only the two leads, Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku, will remain series regulars next season. The others can recur in as few as five episodes in Season 5.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Walt Disney Company has sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

POLITICS/TELEVISION - From CNN:  Fox News has parted ways with its most popular host, Tucker Carlson.

From RollingStone:  Fox News executives have in their possession a dossier of alleged dirt on Tucker Carlson should he attack the network in the wake of his departure, eight sources at the network and close to it have told "Rolling Stone" magazine.

From CNN:  CNN has parted ways with its most whatever host, Don Lemon.

MOVIES - From People:  Oscar-nominated actress, Terry Moore, reflects on her relationship with ex-husband and eccentric billionaire, Howard Hughes.  Moore is one of the last living performers of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and she is still working.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/21 to 4/23/2023 weekend box office is Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" with an estimated take of 58.2 million dollars.

MUSIC/LGBTQ+ - From Deadline:  The state of Tennessee may have a law banning drag performances, but during her concert in Knoxville, TN, Grammy-winner Lizzo invited several drag performers on stage with her to perform.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Actor Bruce Campbell has joined Peacock's upcoming "Satanic Panic" drama, "Hysteria!"

OBITS:

From Variety:  Politician and television personality, Jerry Springer, has died at the age of 79, Thursday, April 27, 2023.  He was the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio for one year in the 1970s.  However, Springer is known for his long-running daytime talk show, "Jerry Spring" (1991-2018).  At the height of the show's popularity, it was a cultural touchstone, and in 1998, it was more popular "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

From Deadline:  American singer, actor, activist, and Civil Rights icon, Harry Belafonte, has died at the age of 96, Tuesday, April 26, 2023.  The child of Jamaican-born parents, Belafonte was among the most successful Caribbean-American music stars and recording artists of all time.  A three-time Grammy Award winner, he helped popularize Calypso music with international audiences.  As an actor, he was one of the first Black leading men in Hollywood and starred in such films as "Carmen Jones" (1954), "Island in the Sun" (1957), and "Buck and the Preacher" (1972), to name a few. Belafonte also won an Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

From Deadline:  "Harry Belafonte: A Career in Photos."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 12th to 18th, 2022 - Update #16

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Golden State Warriors are the 2022 NBA World Champions.  They beat the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game 6 of the 2021-22 NBA Finals Championship Series to win the best-of-seven series 4 games to 2. This is the Warriors fourth title in eight years.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  Chris Rock and Dwayne Johnson have been approached about hosting this year's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on NBC this Sept. 1st, although neither is expected to accept the offer.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Melissa McCarthy and Amy Schumer are among the stars appearing in Jerry Seinfeld's Netflix comedy film, "Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story."

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Miranda Otto have joined the voice cast of New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation's "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim."

MOVIES - From Deadline:   "Man on Fire" costars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning will reunited on Sony's "The Equalizer 3," which is due September 2023.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Wendell Pierce, and Karen LeBlanc will star in an episode of Fox's anthology crime drama, "Accused," which focuses on defendants on trial.

From Deadline:  The syndicated talk show, "The Wendy Williams Show," will officially end Fri., June 17th, with its final original episode after a 13 year run.  Williams will not be present for the final episode.  In the fall, it will be replaced by a syndicated talk show hosted by Sherri Shepherd.

TONY AWARDS - From Variety:  Here is complete list of winners at the 2022 / 75th Tony Awards, held Sun., April 12, 2022.  "A Strange Loop" wins "Best Musical" and "The Lehman Trilogy" wins "Best Play."

From Variety:  Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson has become the 17th "EGOT" recipient.  That is a person who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. Hudson won her Tony last night for producing "A Strange Loop."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/10 to 6/12/2022 weekend box office is "Jurassic World: Dominion" with an estimated take of 143.3 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Chris Evans, star of Disney/Pixar's "Lightyear," talks about the intimidation of voicing a character made famous by the voice of actor, Tim Allen.

OBITS:

From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Philip Baker Hall has died at the age of 90, Sunday, June 12, 2022.  Hall was in his late 30s when his prolific film and TV career began with the film "Cowards."  He played numerous character roles on TV series and in television films.  He may be best remembered for his role as the hard-nosed library detective, Lt. Joe Bookman, on Season 3 Episode 5, "The Library," on NBC's former sitcom, "Seinfeld," in which he was hunting down a book that Jerry Seinfeld had borrowed in 1971 and never returned.  Hall was also known for his lead role in Paul Thomas Anderson's 1996 film, "Hard Eight," and for his supporting role in Anderson's 1997 film, "Boogie Nights."

From THR:  Film and television costume designer, May Routh, has died at the age of 87, June 1, 2022.  Routh began as a fashion illustrator for such magazines and "Elle" and "Vogue" before she began working in film and television.  She is best known for her work on such films as "The Man Who Fell to Earth" (1976) and "Being There" (1979).  Routh also received Emmy nominations for her work on the TV films, "Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter" (CBS, 1991) and "Andersonville" (TNT, 1996).

-----------------

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

From YahooAP:  An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.  All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.

From Jacobin:  "The Uvalde Massacre has exposed the lies that once justified police militarization" by Branko Marcetic

From Truthout:  We don’t need more evidence that police can’t be trusted.

From Truthout:   44 percent of GOP voters view mass shootings as part of living in “Free Society”

From ABCNews:  Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher who survived the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, calls the local police "cowards" because of slow response to an active shooter at his school, Robb Elementary.  All of 11 students in his class were killed.

From DallasNews:  Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife.  They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.

From Axios:  Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.

From USAToday:  Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.

From BostonGlobe:  Steve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"

From NBCNews:  A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.

From NBCNews:  The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway.  Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.

From MSN:  Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.

From YahooNews:   Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.

From TheIntercept:  The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.

From RollingStone:  Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.

From Vice:  The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

From TheDailyBeast:  The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.

From TheNewYorker:  Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.

From ABC:  Sources say that Uvalde police and school district no longer cooperating with Texas probe of shooting of the May 24th massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

From RSNWashPost:  Is it time to show the true horror of mass shooting - in pictures?

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mother who rescued her two children from the Robb Elementary shooting massacre, says that a police officer threatened to arrest her if she did not stop telling her story.

From RSNTheAtlantic:  The Uvalde police chose dishonor. Where was there courage?

From RSNWashPost:  Brenda Bell:  I hid from the Texas Tower sniper (Charles Joseph Whitman) in 1966. His successors have found us all.

From RSNTheIntercept:  "AR-15s Were Made to Explode Human Bodies. In Uvalde, the Bodies Belonged to Children" by Murtaza Hussain

From RSNNPR:  The tragic history of police responding too late to active shooters.

From VICE:  There is likely bodycam footage of the school shooting in Uvalde, TX, but the public may never see it.

BLM-BUFFALO:

From ABCNews:  A 18-year-old white MAN shot 13 people, killing 10 at a Buffalo, New York Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2021.

From RSNAP:  The white male suspect in the Buffalo Tops Supermarket shooting, Payton Gendron, was charged with federal hate crimes on Wed., June 15th and could face the death penalty if convicted.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo at the Tops Friendly supermarket was crafted to terrorize us.  We can fight back, and here’s how we fight back.

From WGRZ:  Who are the victims of the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets grocery store shooting. This comes from local station WGRZ Channel 2 and includes video and some victim photos.

From BuffaloNews:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Katherine "Kat" Massey.  She was a leader in her community and civil rights activist and advocate for education.

From NewYorkPost:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Andre Mackniel. He was at TOPS Supermaket to pick up a birthday cake for his son.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo, NY at the Tops supermarket was crafted to terrorize us, so here is how we fight back.

From CNN:  What is known about the 18-year-old MAN, Payton Gendron.

From NPR:  198 mass shooting this year ... so far.

From Truthout:  White supremacist massacre of 10 people in Buffalo, NY shows that the “Alt-Right” ideology leads to murder.

From RollingStone:  Buffalo rampage killing is "Straight Up Racially Motivated Hate Crime."

From InformedComment:  Rene Binet, the originator the "great replacement" was a French Nazi, and he saw all American as "Negroes," an "impure mestizo 'race'."

From WashPost:  Only 22 people saw the live-stream of a white terrorist kill Black shoppers at the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets supermarket, but millions have seen it since...

From GuardianUK:  Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shooter may have been motivated by "eco-fascism," a focus on overpopulation and environmental degradation.

From RSN:  "What Lessons Have We Learned From the Buffalo Shooting?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

From Truthout:  “Innocent” White People Are Also Complicit in the Anti-Black Murders in Buffalo by George Yancy.

From Truthout:  "Black Lives Matter" cofounder discovered that Alicia Garza has learned that her name is mentioned in the Buffalo Tops supermarket killer's manifesto.

From GuardianUK:   Cornell West says, "Trump isn't out there with a gun, but he's enabled this war against Black people.

From Slate:  From the Tulsa Race Massacre to the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shootings: the legacy of anti-Black violence.

From Truthout:  After mass shootings, Republicans shield white supremacists from scrutiny

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mom who rescued her children from the school shooting at Robb Elementary, says that local police have threatened to have her arrested if she does not stop telling her story.

UKRAINE:

From TheDailyBeast:  Russian soldiers allegedly raped and killed a 1-year-old Ukrainian boy and have reportedly raped or sexually abused children as young as 9 months old.

HATE WATCH:

From NPR:  31 members of the white nationalist Patriot Front arrested near a "Pride Month" event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  They are believed to have been planning to riot held at a local before moving on to rioting downtown.  They were not the only haters trying to sour the "Pride in the Park" event, which included families with children.

From SpokesmanReview:  The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office released the names and photos of all 31 "Patriot Front" members who are suspects in a planned riot at the "Pride Month" event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 1st to 6th, 2021 - Update #13

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

AWARDS - From THR:   Dwayne Johnson delivers an emotional tribute to his late father, pro wrestler Rocky Johnson, during the virtual Hollywood Association Awards.

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:   Actress Emma Meisel joins "Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.," the Disney+ reboot of classic ABC sitcom, "Doogie Howser, M.D."

FILM/TV - From Deadline:  Sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning have launched a film and television production company, Lewellen Pictures.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal has moved the release date for its latest "Fast & Furious" installment, "F9," again.  It's new release date is June 25, 2021.  The "Minions" sequel, "Minions: The Rise of Gru," has been moved from July 2021 to July 2022.

AWARDS - From Deadline:   AARP The Magazine on Thursday unveiled its winners for the annual Movies for Grownups Awards, handing Hulu’s "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" its top prize, Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups.

EMMYS - From Variety:   The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ Sunday, September 19th, 2021.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Hugh Grant will reportedly play the villain in Paramount Pictures and eOne's "Dungeons & Dragons" movie.  Actress Sophia Lillis has also joined the cast.

AWARDS - From THR:   Ahead of the start of Oscar nomination voting on Friday, the Producers Guild of America has determined that Stacey Abrams, who is one of the credited producers of the film, "All In: The Fight for Democracy," merits "the PGA mark" for her contributions to the project (as do directors/producers Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés and producer Dan Cogan). That makes Abrams eligible to receive an Oscar nomination.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Television icon, Tim Allen, talks about being a young drug dealer and his laughably short federal prison sentence.

GOLDEN GLOBES - From Variety:   Here is a complete list of winners at the 2021 / 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

From Variety:  At the 78th Golden Globe Awards, "Nomadland" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama"; "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" wins "Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy"; "The Crown" wins "Best Television Series - Drama"; and "Schitt's Creek" wins "Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 2/26 to 2/28/2021 weekend box office is the animated "Tom & Jerry" with an estimated take of 13.7 million.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress and recording artist Bella Thorne talks about breaking away from being a Disney child star ("Shake It Up," 2010-13).

OBITS:

From CNN:   American Civil Rights activist and business executive, Vernon Jordan, has died at the age of 85, Monday, March 1, 2021.  Jordan is best known for his work with the NAACP and for being a close advisor for the former President Bill Clinton.

From YahooSports:   Former NFL player and sports broadcaster, Irv Cross, has died at the age of 81, Sunday, February 28, 2021.  Cross was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1961 as a corner back, where he played from 1961 to 1965.  He played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1966 to 1968, and returned to the Eagles for the 1969 season before retiring in 1970.  In 1971, he joined CBS Sports as an NFL analyst and became an co-anchor on the network's "The NFL Today."  That made Cross the first Black network sports show anchor.  In 2009, Cross became the first African-American to receive the "Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award" from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Review: "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" is a Sparkling Fairy Tale

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)
Running time:  161 minutes (2 hours, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Quentin Tarantino
PRODUCERS:  Shannon McIntosh, David Heyman, and Quentin Tarantino
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robert Richardson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Fred Raskin
Academy Award winner

COMEDY/DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Julia Butters, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Mike Moh, Luke Perry, Al Pacino, Nicholas Hammond, Samantha Robinson, Rafal Zawierucha, Lorenza Izzo, Costa Ronin, Damon Herriman, Lena Dunham, Zoe Bell, and Kurt Russell

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is a 2019 comedy-drama and historical film from writer-director Quentin Tarantino.  The ninth film from Tarantino, it focuses on a faded television actor striving to maintain fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's “Golden Age” in Los Angeles of 1969, with his TV stunt double at his side.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood opens in February 1969.  Veteran Hollywood television actor, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), fears that his career is rapidly fading to nothing.  Dalton was the star of the 1950s Western television series, NBC and Screen Gems' “Bounty Law” (a fictional show).  He believes that he has now been reduced to appearing as a guest star on TV series featuring new star actors, usually playing the villain.  Casting agent Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) recommends that Dalton move to Italy to make “Spaghetti Westerns,” which Dalton feels are beneath him.

At Dalton's side is his best friend and stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), a World War II veteran who is a stuntman that is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat.  Booth lives out in the boonies in a tiny trailer with his pit bull, “Brandy,” and he drives Dalton around Los Angeles because Dalton's driver's license has been suspended due to a DUI.  Booth is also currently struggling to find stunt work in Hollywood because of rumors that he murdered his wife.

Meanwhile, hot young actress, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and her husband, one of the hottest young directors in Hollywood, Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), have moved next door to Dalton.  Dalton dreams of befriending the couple in a bid to help revive his declining acting career.  Months later, late in the evening of August 8th and in the very early moments of August 9th, 1969, both Dalton and Booth will have a chance to change their own fates and that of Tate and her friends.

Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning, 2009 film, Inglourious Basterds, is a bracing, gripping, hugely entertaining, and brilliantly-made film.  However, I am always put-off by its alternate-history last act, which has some splendid moments and a genius final scene, but also has that kill Hitler thing.

Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is not bracing or gripping for most of first two hours of storytelling.  Rather than being a brilliantly-made film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood has genius level productions values:  cinematography, production design and art direction, costumes, soundtrack, editing, etc.

However, there are two segments towards the end of the film that make Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood a truly great film and one of 2019's very best.  First, there is Cliff Booth's visit to the “Spahn Ranch,” a sequence that is scarier than most entire horror movies and has more tension than most crime thriller films have in their entire story.  The second great segment is the film's final half-hour, which is the kind of film-making that only a genius filmmaker can create.  Without spoiling the film, I can say that this finale, which alters history and which is largely driven by graphic violence, had me cheering and screaming like a madman as I was watching it shortly after one o'clock in the morning.  This last half-hour was the catharsis that I did not realize that I had needed for decades.

Now, that I have praised Tarantino and his artistic and technical collaborators, I need to praise the acting.  Most all of the small performances are quite good.  The three performances that drive Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood are given by Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, and, in a somewhat smaller part, Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate.

DiCaprio fashions a fading TV star in Dalton that is so convincing that I had to convince myself that Dalton is a fictional character and not a real-world actor.  Pitt finally received the acting Oscar he has been long overdue for creating in Booth, a rich character filled charm, pathos, and soul.  Robbie plays Sharon Tate as a happy spirit, embracing her craft and profession with innocence that is not naive and with a joy that dispels at least some of the darkness that was closing in on the last days of the 1960s and on “old Hollywood.”  Robbie gives Tate a love of people that provides this fairy tale of a film with the smattering a fairy dust that it needs.

And that is what Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood really is.  It is a fairy tale, complete with a lurking darkness and edginess, that is an ode to the world in and around a Los Angeles and a Hollywood that existed more in perception than in reality.  And once again, I can say that in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, Tarantino has made a movie that no one else could ever make.

A+
9 out of 10

Friday, May 1, 2020


NOTES:
Academy Awards, USA 2020:  2 wins: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Brad Pitt) and “Best Achievement in Production Design” (Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh); 8 nominations:  “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh, and Quentin Tarantino), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Leonardo DiCaprio), “Best Original Screenplay” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Arianne Phillips), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler, and Mark Ulano), and “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Wylie Stateman)

Golden Globes, USA 2020:  3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Brad Pitt) and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Quentin Tarantino); 2 nominations:  “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Leonardo DiCaprio) and “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Quentin Tarantino)

BAFTA Awards 2020:  1 win: “Best Supporting Actor” (Brad Pitt); 9 nominations:  “Best Film” (David Heyman and Shannon McIntosh), “Best Screenplay-Original” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Leading Actor” (Leonardo DiCaprio), “Best Supporting Actress” (Margot Robbie), “Best Director” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Editing” (Fred Raskin), “Best Production Design” (Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh), “Best Costume Design” (Arianne Phillips), and “Best Casting” (Victoria Thomas)


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees


----------------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 9th, 2018 - Update #16

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CULTURE - From Ozy:  Nigerians are the most successful ethnic group in the United States.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  New cast members, including Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry and Damian Lewis, are added to Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  J.J. Abrams and Zachary Quinto are developing a film about the secret gay love affair between actors Anthony Hopkins and Tab Hunter, two leading men of Hollywood's "golden age."

----------
MOVIES-MUSIC - From Deadline:  Ziggy Marley is joining forces with Paramount Pictures for a biopic about his dad, legendary musician and recording artist, Bob Marley.

----------
ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Will Smith and Tom Holland ("Spider-Man: Homecoming") are "Spies in Disguise" for Blue Sky Studios.

----------
TOLKIEN - From TheGuardian:  How JRR Tolkien created Middle-earth

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/2 to 6/4/2018 weekend box office is "Solo: A Star Wars Story" with an estimated total of $29.29 million.

----------
STREAMING - From YahooFinance:  Netflix spending $2 billion this year alone(!) on original content.

----------
CELEBRITY - From TheGuardian:  Jane Fonda still raising hell at age 80.

----------
CULTURE-POLITICS - From Truthout:  Roseanne Barr the Bigot: How Racism Exposes the Authoritarian Strain

----------
MOVIES - From Collider:  Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo will star in the fantasy adventure, "Come Away," which is being directed by Brenda Chapman, who won an Oscar for her work on Disney/Pixar's "Brave."  The film will be Chapman's live-action debut.

TRAILERS/VIDEO:

From BuzzFeed:  First full trailer for the Halloween reboot/sequel starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

From THR:  There is a cool new trailer for the animated film, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The film is due in theaters December 2018.


OBITS:

From YahooUK:  The actress, Eunice Gayson, has died at the age of 90, Friday, June 8, 2018.  Gayson was the first "Bond girl," appearing in the first James Bond film, "Dr. No." (1962).  Her character, "Sylvia Trench," would also appear in "From Russia With Love" (1963).

From TheWrap:  Celebrity chef and TV host, Anthony Bourdain, has died at the age of 61, Friday, June 8, 2018.  He died of an apparent suicide in Strasbourg, France.  He won the Peabody Award and several Emmy Awards for his work.  His most recent TV series was CNN's "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown."

From THR:  The actor Jerry Maren died at the age of 98, sometime in May 2018.  Maren was the last surviving "adult Munchkin" from the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz."  Maren was also one of the Munchkins that sang "the Lollipop Guild song."   He appeared in numerous films and TV programs, including the Marx Bros. film, "At the Circus."

From ESPN:  Former NFL player, Dwight Clark, has died at the age of 61, Monday, June 4, 2018.  Clark died after a battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).  Clark was a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers for his entire 9-year career and is best known for being on the receiving end of one of the most famous plays in NFL history, "The Catch," which spurred the 49ers to their first Super Bowl victory.

-----

2017 Austin Film Festival Announces First Films and Television Line-Up

Austin Film Festival Reveals First Slate of Films and TV for 24th Annual Line-up, Including Season Finale of "The Deuce" and Marquee Titles "Permanent," "Please Stand By," and "An Ordinary Man"

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writers’ and filmmakers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today the first wave of films included in their 2017 film slate.

October 26 - November 2 - AFF will premiere the season finale of HBO’s new drama "The Deuce." Other titles include Permanent, Please Stand By, 24 Hours to Live and romantic comedy Amanda and Jack Go Glamping.

The complete list of programming will be announced in late September.

AFF FIRST WAVE:
*indicates in attendance

24 Hours to Live
Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita
Director: Brian Smrz
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Liam Cunningham

Amanda & Jack Go Glamping
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson*
Starring: David Arquette*, Amy Acker, Adan Canto, June Squibb

Confessions of a Serial Killer – 1985 Retrospective
Writer/Director: Mark Blair*
Starring: Robert Burns, Dennis Hill

The Deuce-Season Finale
World Premiere
Creators: David Simon*, George Pelecanos*
Starring: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan

Flock of Four
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Gregory Caruso*
Starring: Braeden Lemasters, Shane Harper, Reg E. Cathey

Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End
World Premiere
Director: Pablo Bryant*

An Ordinary Man
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar, Peter Serafinowicz

The Outdoorsman
US Premiere
Writer: Ryan Gilmour*
Director: David Haskell*
Starring: Brent Morin*, Sasheer Zamata*, Spencer Grammer

Permanent
Writer/Director: Colette Burson
Starring: Kira McClean, Rainn Wilson, Patricia Arquette

Please Stand By
Writer: Michael Golamco
Director: Ben Lewin
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette

Touched
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne
Starring: Hugh Thompson, Lola Flanery


ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. For media credentials, complete the application. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.

----------------------

Cinedigm Acquires "Night Moves" Starring Jessie Eisenberg

(The above image is a scene from the film, "Night Moves," copyright Tipping Point Productions and courtesy of Business Wire)

Cinedigm Acquires Kelly Reichardt’s “Night Moves,” Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard

Cinedigm takes all North American rights to eco-terrorism thriller, with U.S. theatrical release planned for 2014 

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has acquired all North American rights to NIGHT MOVES, directed by acclaimed American independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt. The film, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard, made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month followed by a North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival and was recently awarded the Grand Prize at the Deauville Film Festival. Cinedigm will release the film in Spring of 2014.

“Kelly is one of the most original and distinctive voices in American cinema today. An expansion on her previous work, NIGHT MOVES maintains that unique Kelly stamp that long ago made us huge fans,” said Vincent Scordino, Senior Vice President of Theatrical Releasing, for Cinedigm.

"We couldn't be happier to be working with Cinedigm," said the filmmakers. "Their enthusiasm for the film was amazing, and we're thrilled to be collaborating with them on its release."

Reichardt’s award-winning films include RIVER OF GRASS, OLD JOY, WENDY AND LUCY and the acclaimed Michelle Williams-starring Western MEEK’S CUTOFF. NIGHT MOVES is her fifth feature film and tells the story of three radical environmentalists plotting the explosion of a hydroelectric dam—the symbol of the energy-sucking, resource-devouring industrial culture they despise. The suspense-filled film adds a “noir-thriller” to Reichardt’s already impressive and diverse body of work.

The film is a production of Maybach Film Productions, RT Features and filmscience. It was produced by Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Chris Maybach, Saemi Kim and Rodrigo Teixeira. The deal was negotiated by Cinedigm’s Director of Acquisitions Emily Rothschild with UTA representing the filmmakers.

TWITTER: @NightMovesFilm
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/NightMovesFilm
CLIP FOR DOWNLOAD: http://youtu.be/WG-pkXN4s60

ABOUT CINEDIGM:
Over the past decade, Cinedigm has led the digital distribution revolution that continues to transform the media landscape. In addition to its pioneering role in transitioning movie theatres from traditional film prints to digital distribution, Cinedigm continues to advance worldwide cinema modernization with its suite of software products allowing exhibitors and distributors to manage their newly digital businesses with efficiency, insight and certainty. And, as the leading distributor of independent content in the world, Cinedigm collaborates with producers and the exhibition community with unequalled transparency to market, source, curate and distribute quality content across all digital platforms to targeted and profitable audiences. The company’s library of over 5,000 titles includes award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen indies from Flatiron Film Company® and acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Film. Cinedigm is proud to distribute many Oscar®-nominated films including THE INVISIBLE WAR, HELL AND BACK AGAIN, GASLAND, WASTE LAND and PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY.

Current and upcoming Cinedigm releases include Destin Daniel Cretton’s SHORT TERM 12, Godfrey Reggio’s VISITORS, Penny Lane’s OUR NIXON and Shaul Schwarz’s NARCO CULTURA.

Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-G] 

Review: "My Neighbor Totoro" is Pure Magic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Tonari no Totoro – original title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – G
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki
PRODUCERS: Toru Hara with Ned Lott (2005 Disney version)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Henley (Disney version)
EDITOR: Takeshi Seyama
COMPOSER: Joe Hisaishi

ANIMATION/FANTASY

Starring: (voices) Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly, Lea Salonga, Frank Welker, Pat Carroll, and Paul Butcher; (original Japanese): Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, Tanie Kitabayashi, Toshiyuki Amagasa, and Naoki Tatsuta

The subject of this movie review is My Neighbor Totoro, a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film from writer-director, Hayao Miyazaki, and produced by Studio Ghibli. Originally titled, Tonari no Totoro, the film focuses on two sisters who move to the country where they encounter the forest spirits who live nearby.

My Neighbor Totoro was released in English in the United States beginning in 1990s. After acquiring the rights, Walt Disney Pictures released their English dub of the film in 2005, featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly, and Lea Salonga. The subject of this review is the Disney version of My Neighbor Totoro, which has just been released on Blu-ray for the first time (as of this writing).

My Neighbor Totoro opens in Japan, 1958. Professor Tatsuo Kusakabe (Tim Daly) and his daughters, the elder Satsuki (Dakota Fanning) and four-year-old Mei (Elle Fanning), move into an old house in Matsugo. There, Kusakabe will be closer to his wife and his daughters’ mother, Yasuko (Lea Salonga), who is recovering from a long-term illness.

Not long after moving into their new home, the girls soon encounter small, dark, dust-like spirits called soot gremlins (or soot sprites), moving from light to dark places in the house. That’s just the sisters’ first encounter with the fantastic. One day, Mei spies a small magical creature and follows it to a large camphor tree near the old house, where she enters a world of magic and adventure. That leads to both Satsuki and Mei discovering a wondrous creature they call “Totoro” (Frank Welker).

In 1989, the release of Walt Disney’s animated musical film, Little Mermaid, was (and still is) seen as a renaissance for Disney animated feature films. A year before that, Japanese animation (or “anime”) did not need a renaissance thanks to films like Studio Ghibli’s 1988 release, My Neighbor Totoro.

As with other Miyazaki films, My Neighbor Totoro looks like it was lovingly crafted by the hands of human artists and animators. They drew and painted until they created a beautiful animated film that really has the illusion of life. Like many films from Studio Ghibli, My Neighbor Totoro loves people and nature equally. Thus, the film is about the Kusakabe sisters exploring nature and the magic found within it, rather than being about a conflict with nature and the girls being threatened by the magic they find there.

The Matsuga countryside, as depicted by this film’s artists, is a pastoral ideal, with verdant forests and fields. There is so much fertility and the water is so crystal clear and cool-seeming that you might believe that magic could not help but exist here. In fact, a sense of wonder about nature and their resourceful imaginations are what help the Kusakabe girls discover magic in a strong breeze or in the music they hear at night.

My Neighbor Totoro is blessed with a few truly great characters. Satsuki and Mei are remarkably convincing as little girls. It is said that there is magic in a child’s laughter and heartbreak in a child’s cries. Dakota Fanning as Satsuki and her sister, Elle Fanning, as Mei personify that by giving life-like performances. I believed in the Kusakabe girls because everything about them – their actions, conversations, desires, etc. – ring with authenticity – thanks to the Fanning sisters.

Of course, the film’s signature character is Totoro, one of the finest characters ever to appear in an animated film. He is a force of nature, doing more by communicating through growls, roars, and facial expressions than many actors do even with dialogue composed by the best writers. He’s pure enchantment; you can’t take your eyes off Totoro. After seeing Totoro when he first appears in the film, I felt that I never saw enough of him afterwards. Then, there is Catbus – that crazy mind-bending Catbus. The first time I saw him in this movie, I felt something that I only experience while watching the best of the best movies, something I can’t put into words.

I have previously seen four films by Hayao Miyazaki, including the superb Spirited Away. I think My Neighbor Totoro is the one that has wowed me the most… so far.

10 of 10

Monday, May 20, 2013

Review: "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is a Wonderful Finale

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 89 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sensuality and partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Bill Condon
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt, and Stephenie Meyer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro
EDITOR: Virginia Katz
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell

FANTASY/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Mackenzie Foy, Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Alex Rice, Cameron Bright, and Maggie Grace, with Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is the fifth film in The Twilight Saga film franchise. Like the previous films: Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is based upon the wildly popular Twilight book series by author, Stephenie Meyer. Each of the first three films is based upon one of the first three books in the series; however, the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, has been adapted into two movies.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 continues the love story a young human woman, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who were married in the previous film. The story begins as Bella opens her eyes to find her senses sharpened. The transformation is complete; she is now a vampire. Still, all is not perfect.

Bella is shocked to learn that her recently born infant daughter has imprinted on her friend and former love interest, Native American werewolf, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Bella must also find a way to explain her new situation to her worried father, Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke). Meanwhile, Bella and Edward’s daughter does not stay an orphan for long. Renesmee Cullen (Mackenzie Foy) is undergoing a tremendous growth spurt, which leads to a bigger problem. When a false allegation puts their family in front of the Volturi to likely face a death sentence, the Cullens gather other vampire clans and old allies in order to protect Renesmee.

I enjoyed Breaking Dawn – Part 1, but I found the film to be mostly joyless, even dour and morbid. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is quite the opposite. It is joyful and celebratory. Like Renesmee, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is fresh and new and curious about the world. It almost seems like a brand new thing, unconnected to the other films, although it is.

I think this is the result of having a director like Bill Condon, who is not just good with character drama. He is also a standout, and he did not get enough credit for what he did with Dreamgirls, getting so much more out of the material than it offered. Here, in his second Twilight movie, he gives all the supernatural characters mortality, not just Edward and Bella (who have seemed forever on the edge of demise in this series). Mortality for the immortals means that not only do their actions have real consequences, but also that those consequences can mean the end of them. When everyone has “skin in the game,” conflict is rich and complicated.

However, the sense of death does not dampen this movie’s themes of hope and happiness. Who knows how many days lie ahead for each character? There may be many days (or not), but they will be happy days, with family and friends. There will also be dark days, as in any human’s life. In fact, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is about loving family, close friends, and new friends and allies made.

For Twilight as a whole, the franchise gets something that escapes even the best franchises, a superior ending. Compared to The Dark Knight Rises, the end of Christopher Nolan’s so-called “The Dark Knight trilogy,” Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is Oscar-worthy.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, November 25, 2012

-------------------------

Review: "Man on Fire," the Second Tony Scott-Denzel Washington Joint

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 58 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Man on Fire (2004)
Running time: 146 minutes (2 hours, 26 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and strong violence
DIRECTOR: Tony Scott
WRITER: Brian Helgeland (from the novel by A.J. Quinnell)
PRODCUERS: Lucas Foster, Arnon Milchan, Tony Scott
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Paul Cameron (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Christian Wagner
Image Award nominee

DRAMA/CRIME/THRILLER with elements of action

Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Gianni, Rachel Ticotin, Jesús Ochoa, Mickey Rourke, and Angelina Peláez

The new Tony Scott-directed Denzel Washington-starrer, Man on Fire, is not two movies disguised as one film, nor is it simply a revenge film, as many have said early in the film’s release. It’s as much a drama about a man fighting for something and someone he loves as it is a pay-back-the-bastards flick.

Washington is John Creasy, a burnt out alcoholic counter insurgency, military type who takes a job protecting Pita (Dakota Fanning), the young daughter of a wealthy man in Mexico City. The city has seen a wave of kidnappings of rich people, where upon the kidnappers extort millions of dollars from the victims’ families. But Creasy and Pita are ambushed; the kidnappers shoot Creasy and escape with the child. After the money drop off is botched, the kidnappers claim to have killed the girl in retaliation. Still recovering from his wounds, Creasy goes on a mission to find everyone involved in the kidnapping, from top to bottom, and kill them all.

In the early part of the film, we meet Creasy, but learn very little about him. Director Tony Scott quickly shows us just enough of the growing relationship between Creasy and Pita in hopes of getting us to believe that the soldier of fortune becomes attached to the precocious child he’s supposed to protect. If their bonding, we’ll also buy that Creasy is going to become an angel of death to all those involved in harming Pita. Scott, who has a history of directing flashy action pictures like Top Gun, True Romance, and Crimson Tide, actually succeeds in weaving a fairly touching short story of a killer bonding with innocence. It’s the rest of the cast that gets in the way.

From the parents to the cops, it’s a parade of characters who are just barnacles on the interplay between the veteran Washington and the newcomer Fanning’s character interplay. Sometimes, it also seems as if the story either can’t live up to its premise or to the fact that the leads can pull off the story.

The second half of the film, the alleged revenge movie, is not so much on fire as it is on simmer. It’s a cool burn with some very effective scenes, and Man on Fire is at this point probably one of the quietest intense thrillers in a decade. As fancy as the camera work and film editing is, Washington makes the “man on a mission” part of the film work. The photographic tricks and effects are just the icing on Denzel’s cake. He plays his character as quiet and patient, but also relentless and ruthless. He’s surprises and shocks. It’s fun to watch an actor work a post-MTV revenge flick like a cool 70’s Eastwood payback movie. If you can’t get into what he’s doing in this film, you’re jaded.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2005 Image Awards: 2 nominations: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Denzel Washington) and “Outstanding Motion Picture”

--------------------

Review: Acting is "The Runaways'" Driving Beat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Runaways (2010)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, drug use and sexual content - all involving teens
DIRECTOR: Floria Sigismondi
WRITER: Floria Sigismondi (based upon the book Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story by Cherie Currie)
PRODUCERS: Art Linson, John Linson, and William Pohlad
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Benoît Debie
EDITOR: Richard Chew

BIOGRAPHY/MUSIC/DRAMA

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton, Alia Shawkat, Riley Keough, Johnny Lewis, Tatum O’Neal, Brett Cullen, and Hannah Marks

The Runaways was an all-girl, teenage rock band, active from 1975 to 1979. The band’s membership included, among others, musicians Joan Jett, Lita Ford, and Cherie Currie. The 2010 film, The Runaways is a fictionalized account of the band’s formation in 1975 with an emphasis on Currie and Jett’s relationship until Currie left The Runaways. The film is also part biopic as it is based upon Currie’s 1989 book about her teen years, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway (co-written with Tony O’Neill).

The movie opens by introducing two rebellious Southern California teens. First is Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), the product of a dysfunctional home; she spends a lot of time with her sister, Marie (Riley Keough), going to parties and getting wasted. The second is tomboyish Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) who plays guitar and is trying to form an all-girl rock band when she meets rock producer and impresario, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon). Impressed by Joan and interested in her idea, Kim begins to work with Joan to put a band together. During their search, they encounter Cherie, the hot blonde type that Kim believes the band needs

Under Kim’s Svengali-like influence the group, known as The Runaways, quickly becomes a success. The band’s raw musical talent, tough-chick image, and edgy performances earn them a growing following that spreads beyond America’s shores. However, a tour to Japan only exacerbates both the growing tensions within the group and Cherie’s drug abuse.

The Runaways has plenty of the things that every rock biographical movie needs: sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. Writer/director Floria Sigismondi (known for directing music videos) depicts the power of sex, the danger of drugs, and the voltage of rock ‘n’ roll with the grit and decadence of the 1970s as the backdrop. Sigismondi even gives this movie one unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll moment – a music video-like sequence in which the movie version of The Runaways perform the real band’s signature hit, “Cherry Bomb.” Sigismondi captures her five young actresses conjuring the rowdy charm that made The Runaways a hit.

The film also has something that only the best biographical films have – wall-to-wall great acting. Dakota Fanning gives a layered, textured performance as the deeply troubled and pill-addicted Cherie, and one can only hope that if Fanning doesn’t flame out like the real Cherie Currie, the young actress will have a long career full of excellent performances.

Kristen Stewart’s performance as Joan Jett is about trading off moments of overacting with moments of high quality acting, but throughout this movie, she has the kind of screen presence for which many actors would sell their souls. Michael Shannon is blistering as Kim Fowley, mixing bullying tactics and charisma to create a character who could sell water to Aquaman. Scout Taylor-Compton makes the most of small part as lead guitarist Lita Ford in way that makes me wish the character had more screen time.

This movie is really a quick overview of the creation of The Runaways and their rise and fall, so the story always feels as if it has left out something big. The character development is anemic, but the actors’ excellent performances bring the characters to life anyway. All the actors, but especially Fanning, Stewart, and Shannon, have so bought into their characters that they make The Runaways electric and engrossing.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, August 07, 2010

---------------------------

Review: "Eclipse" is Best "Twilight" Film... So Far

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: David Slade
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Karen Rosenfelt
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Javier Aguirresarobe
EDITORS: Art Jones and Nancy Richardson
COMPOSER: Howard Shore

FANTASY/DRAMA/ROMANCE with elements of action, horror, and thriller

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Bryce Dallas Howard, Xavier Samuel, Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Gil Birmingham, Boo Boo Stewart, and Dakota Fanning

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight film franchise, arrives with a bang. Like the previous films (Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Eclipse is based upon a wildly popular and bestselling novel by Stephenie Meyer and continues the love story of high school student, Bella Swan, and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Now, their romance is complicated by a love triangle that comes in the form Native American werewolf, Jacob Black.

As Eclipse begins, Seattle, WA is in an uproar over a string of mysterious killings, which the citizens believe is the work of one or more serial killers. However, the murders are part of diabolical plan hatched by Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), a malicious vampire set on destroying Bella Swan. With the help of her pet, Riley Biers (Xavier Samuel), Victoria is building an army of vampire newborns – that are unruly, hungry, and messy in their feeding habits.

In Forks, WA, Edward (Robert Pattinson) continues to broach the topic of marriage with Bella (Kristen Stewart), while she continues to demand that he turn her into a vampire. Bella also tries to repair her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner), but Jacob wants more than friendship, which causes friction between Edward and Jacob who are already natural enemies as a vampire and a werewolf, respectively. As Victoria and her army heads to Forks, the vampire clan, the Cullens, and the werewolves of the La Push are forced to consider a truce in order to confront a common enemy. Meanwhile, Bella faces with the most important decisions of her young life.

The first proclamations regarding Eclipse that I came across said that this was the best Twilight film… thus far. Like the earlier films, this new one does what the series does best – brooding, oh-so-serious, teen melodrama. Bella and Edward’s love has reached an idealized fevered pitch with her willing to go all the way and he ever more determined to protect her. It seems as if Victoria is indeed dangerous to Bella, but not so much as Bella is to herself.

This time Eclipse also offers the audience action that is just as hot as the romance. The battle between Victoria’s wild pack and the Cullen-La Push coalition offer a more elegant version of the Underworld franchise’s vampire/werewolf battles, but are no less invigorating. The battle is so well shot and edited that the audience will lose itself in the reverie of fighting.

Much credit should go to Eclipse director David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night), because it isn’t a coincidence that in this film, more than in the first two, the emotions are more potent and much more authentic. There is a scene in the film in which Bella’s father, Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke), insists on discussing “being safe” and teen pregnancy with his daughter. The conversation is so awkward, but at the same time, it is good-natured with a sense of familiarity that would be expected between parent and child.

That entire sequence with Bella, Edward, and Jacob on a mountain and in a tent is a thing of power and passion, which is what David Slade brings to this movie. If The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the best of the bunch, it is because of Slade, along with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. They took teen angst, horror, supernatural romance, love triangles, and vampires vs. werewolves and squeezed the best out of them and distilled it all into a damn good movie.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, July 04, 2010

----------------------

Review: "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is Down with Love

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some violence and action
DIRECTOR: Chris Weitz
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Mark Morgan
CINEMATOGRAHER: Javier Aquirrearobe
EDITOR: Peter Lambert

DRAMA/FANTASY/ROMANCE with elements of action and horror

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Sam Uley, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Rachelle Lefevre, Justin Chon, Christian Serratos, and Edi Gathegi

In the 2008 smash hit film, Twilight, movie audiences saw romance bloom between high school student Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Now, in the follow-up, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Bella and Edward’s star-crossed romance crashes to earth.

New Moon opens on Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) 18th birthday, a day about which she is not particularly crazy. That evening, Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) family, also vampires, throws a birthday party for Bella, which starts nicely, but takes a shocking turn. Following Bella’s ill-fated birthday party, the Cullens abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect Bella from the dangers inherent in their world. The most shocking blow: Edward breaks up with Bella.

Heartbroken and depressed, Bella sleepwalks through the first half of her senior year of high school, totally shutting out her other friends. When her father, Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) demands that his daughter make a change, Bella goes on a date night with a girlfriend. It is on that night that Bella discovers that Edward’s image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Determined to see this vision more often, Bella begins to concoct ways that will put her life at greater and greater risk.

Bella seeks out childhood friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a member of the local Quileute Native American Indian tribe. A gifted mechanic, Jacob refurbishes an old motorbike that Bella will secretly use to put herself in danger. Something else surprising happens when Bella finds herself drawn to Jacob, a formerly scrawny boy. He is literally growing taller and more muscular (with killer washboard abs) every day and right before Bella’s very eyes. Jacob, however, also has a shocking supernatural secret of his own, which causes a rift to grow between him and Bella. Then, Edward’s sister, Alice (Ashley Greene), returns, seeking Bella’s help in saving Edward’s life, and the rift grows wider.

Like Twilight, New Moon is based upon a novel by Stephenie Meyer (The Host). Obviously, in the translation from novel to film, plot elements and scenes from the book are left out or changed in the film. However, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (who also adapted Twilight) retains the central themes, as well as the spirit, of the source material. The novel asks probing questions, such as: after the euphoria of new love, what is real about this relationship? What do Bella and Edward want of each other? What are their motivations, and how much are they willing to fight for their relationship? Just how deep and strong are Bella’s feelings for Jacob? The screenplay keeps those questions at the forefront of the narrative.

And speaking of fight, director Chris Weitz, an established Hollywood filmmaker (About a Boy, The Golden Compass), doesn’t fight the love story at the core of this franchise. New Moon may be filled with thrilling chases and riveting hunts in the forests around Forks. It may carry viewers breathlessly across the world, only to drop them in the mysterious world beneath a rustic Italian town. Weitz still manages to emphasize the ache and yearning of a young love blazing so brightly that it threatens to burn itself out.

The reported increase in the production budget for New Moon (as compared to Twilight), is evident in the flashy visual special effects. The werewolves are in a word – awesome. The spectacular cinematography is pitch-perfect in capturing the right mood and look for every setting in the film: from the forests surround Forks to the murky nights of Port Angeles. An improvement in the art direction also makes even the Swans’ humble home seem cosmopolitan.

New Moon is not perfect. Under Weitz’s direction and Peter Lambert’s editing, the film often moves too fast, sometimes hopping around like someone high on stimulants. Still, this film works. In the intimate moments when the actors, especially Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner, convince us that they know these characters and that they are going to make the story real for us, New Moon seems less like a fantasy and more like a real love story.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, November 30, 2009

--------------------------