Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" Takes Us on a Fantastic Voyage

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 of 2023 (No. 1897) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Running time:  125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for violence/action, and language

DIRECTOR:  Peyton Reed

WRITER:  Jeff Loveness (based on the Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS:  Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bill Pope

EDITORS:  Adam Gerstel and Laura Jennings

COMPOSER:  Christophe Beck

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Bill Murray, Katy M. O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, James Cutler, David Dastmalchian, Randall Park, and Corey Stoll

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a 2023 superhero and sci-fi action film directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Marvel Studios.  It is the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is also the third entry in the Ant-Man film series.  The film and the series are based on the Marvel Comics character, Ant-Man, who first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27 (cover date: September 1962) and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby.  Quantumania finds Ant-Man and the Wasp on an incredible adventure in a strange universe where they face a dangerous new foe.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania finds Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) living his best life after his most recent adventures with the Avengers (as seen in Avengers: Endgame).  He is a successful author and is happily living with his girlfriend, Hope van Dyne/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly).  However, there is some trouble at home.  Scott's daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), has become an activist and has been recently arrested during a protest.

While they are visiting Hope's parents, her father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the scientist who was the original Ant-Man; and her mother, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who was the original Wasp, Cassie reveals that she has created a device that can map the “Quantum Realm,” a subatomic dimension of the Multiverse.  However, the device can also send messages to the Quantum Realm, which freaks out Janet, who was trapped there for 30 years.  Before Janet can do shut it down, a portal appears and pulls Scott, Hope, Cassie, Hank, and Janet into the Quantum Realm, separating Scott and Cassie from Hope, Hank, and Janet.

Once the two groups begin to explore the Quantum Realm, they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.  There is also a dark side.  Janet fears they are all headed for an encounter with someone she met when she was first trapped in the Quantum Realm – a despot named “Kang” (Jonathan Majors).

Ant-Man was a D-list character as far as Marvel Comics superheroes go, especially where familiarity with the general entertainment-consuming public was concerned.  Marvel Studios chose the right actor to play Ant-Man, the irresistibly likable, Paul Rudd.  The addition of Hollywood legends like Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer and television star Evangeline Lilly as a new female superhero made Ant-Man A-list box office.  The result was two lovable, loopy, and imaginative superhero films, Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), that seemed aimed at young viewers even more so than adult audiences.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is just as loopy, but is bigger than the previous two films.  If French film director, Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), made a Star Wars film, it would probably look like Quantumania.  This film's menagerie of people, beings, creatures, machines, tech, etc. are almost on the level of Avatar: The Way of Water.  Quantumania is a dazzling spectacle, and it is nothing like what I expected based on the earlier films.  Everyone from director Peyton Reed and writer Jeff Loveness to the craft and visual effects people did the damn thing and the results are mind-blowing.

The performances are excellent.  As usual, Paul Rudd comes across as the actor most perfect to be Scott Lang and Ant-Man.  Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym with a mix of spry comedy and pitch-perfect drama.  However, I must make way for the women in this film.  Quantumania allows Michelle Pfeiffer to let the dog in her out to play Janet van Dyne, in a way that she probably has not done since White Oleander (2002).  She left me wanting more of Janet.

Evangeline Lilly is once again great as The Wasp, and in Quantumania, she makes me believe that it is time for the Wasp to have a solo outing.  Also, Kathryn Newton makes it impossible to leave Cassie down on the superhero farm (so to speak).  Katy O'Brian also gives a fierce turn as the Quantum Realm freedom fighter, Jentorra.

Finally, I'm not sure that I have words to quite describe Jonathan Major's brilliant turn as Kang.  It is as if Majors has given flesh to James Earl Jones' Darth Vader voice.  He makes Kang own Quantumania, and I think it will be a blast going forward to watch Majors play this character.

You may have heard bad things about Quantumania, from film critics and reviewers and others.  But fuck 'em.  Quantumania is one of Marvel Studios' best films of the past few years, and I heartily recommend it to you, dear readers.  With its sense of the unexpected and of the future known, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the perfect start to what is called “Phase 5” of the MCU.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Friday, February 17, 2023

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 17th to 23rd, 2021 - Update #23

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO is in early development of a prequel series to its Emmy-winning "Game of Thrones."  It would be based on "Tales of Dunk and Egg," a series of novellas from author George R.R. Martin, whose books are the source material for "Game of Thrones."

BIDEN! - From USAToday:   7 moments you shouldn't miss from the inaugural concert: From Justin Timberlake to Katy Perry's epic finale.

From BET:  Black Women Across The Globe Honor VP Kamala Harris With Their Chuck Taylor Sneakers And Strands Of Pearls.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Michelle Pfeiffer former first lady, Betty Ford, in the Showtime anthology series, "The First Lady."  Emmy Award winner Susanne Bier will direct the series.

BIDEN! - From YahooNews:   Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, Black woman and Asian woman to be sworn in as vice president.

From HuffPost:  People Can’t Believe Donald Trump’s Latest Public Schedule Isn’t A Parody

POLITICS-RACE - From YahooFinance:   The uncomfortable truth: Why more white women didn’t rally behind the Biden-Harris campaign

COVID-19 - From Truthout:  US Reaches Grim Milestone of 400K COVID Deaths Days Before Trump Leaves Office

DISNEY - From Deadline:  McG will direct the pilot episode of the Disney+ reboot of the dog-cop movie, "Turner & Hooch."

POLITICS - From Truthout:   The final two races of the 2020 federal election cycle were officially certified on Tuesday, with Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff declared the official winners of their respective U.S. Senate races against Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in Georgia.

SCANDAL-POLITICS - From Deadline:   The actors union, SAG-AFTRA, finds "probably cause" to expel one of its more infamous and hilarious members, former President Donald.

STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  In March, the streaming service, "CBS All Acess," becomes "Paramount+."  A new line-up of series has also been announced.

BIDEN! - From YahooSports:   The story of Joe Biden, high school football star.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners of the International Documentary Association's "IDA Awards" have been announced.  Netflix's "Crip Camp," about a unique summer camp for disabled kids and its role propelling the disability rights movement, won "Best Feature."

STREAMING - From OneRing:   There is now an official synopsis for Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" series.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   "The Marksman," starring Liam Neeson, will apparently win the MLK 4-day holiday weekend (1/15 to 1/19/21) with an estimated take of 3.7 million dollars.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  How 'One Night in Miami' meeting with Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke shows 'complicated relationship' between Black men and America

BLM - From YahooNews:   Black Americans react to the pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol

INSURRECTION - From TheAtlantic: The Boogaloo Bois prepare for civil war.

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Television and radio host and TV spokesman, Larry King, has died at the age of 87, Saturday, January 23, 2021.  He first gained prominence with his radio show, "The Larry King Show" (1978-94).  Many will remember him for his long-running CNN talk show, "Larry King Live" (1985-2010). In 1999, King won a "News & Documentary" Emmy Award for "Larry King Live" and in 2011, he won a "News & Documentary" Emmy "Lifetime Achievement Award." King won to "Peabody Awards," one for radio (1982) and one for television (1992).

From APNews: Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player, Hank Aaron, has died at the age of 86, Friday, January 22, 2021.  Known for decades as the home run king,  Aaron endured so many racist threats as he pursued Babe Ruth's then career home run record of 714.  He surpassed Ruth when he hit number 715 on April 8, 1974, and ended his career with 755.  Aaron on the Milwaukee Braves 1957 World Series champions, the year he also won the National League MVP Award.  A 25-time All-Star, Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

From Deadline:  Veteran television comedy writer-producer, David Richardson, has died at the age of 65, Monday, January 18, 2021.  He wrote and produced for such series as "8 Simple Rules" and "Malcolm in the Middle."  He wrote episodes of "The Simpsons" and "Two and a Half Men."  He had just finished working on the fifth and final season of Netflix's animated series, "F Is For Family."

From Deadline:  Legendary music producer and convicted murderer, Phil Spector, has died at the age of 81, Saturday, January 16, 2021 from COVID-19 complications.  Spector was known for the "Wall of Sound," an approach to pop music that hit the listener with a dense symphonic array.  He wrote, co-wrote, and produced hits for "the Crystals," "the Ronettes," and Ike and Tina Turner.  He later produced the Beatles album, "Let It Be" (1970).  He also produced or co-produced several solo albums for Beatles members, John Lennon and George Harrison.  In 2009, he was convicted for the 2003 killing of actress Lana Clarkson.

ASSAULT ON THE CAPITOL:

From RollingStone:  "American Unity Is a Fantasy" - National harmony is impossible without true accountability, especially when a major political party enables sedition and white-supremacist terrorism

From Buzzfeed:   BuzzFeed News spoke to two Black officers who described a harrowing day in which they were forced to endure racist abuse — including repeatedly being called the n-word — as they tried to do their job of protecting the Capitol building...

From NBCNews:   Some Democrats in Congress are worried their colleagues might kill them

From Truthout:   At least 28 law enforcement officers from 12 states have been identified as attendees of the so-called “Save America” rally in support of Donald Trump that sparked the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6

From RSNWashPost:   President Donald watched TV while the U.S. Capitol Building was under siege.

From YahooSports:   A so-called "Olympic hero" was part of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th.  Swimmer Klete Keller won silver and bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Games; gold and bronze at the 2004 Athens Games; and gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.  Now, he has won Nazi gold for appearing at the white supremacist games.

From RSNNewYorker:  What Should We Call the Sixth of January 2021?

From Truthout:  The Right Is Planning More Armed Coup Attempts, According to the FBI

From NBC2:  Police found a pickup truck full of bombs and guns near Capitol, feds say

From YahooNews:  Arnold Schwarzenegger invokes Nazi Germany in powerful video denouncing Capitol Hill riot

From Fox5DC:  A second police officer who responded to the Wednesday, Jan. 6th Trump-incited riot at the U.S Capitol building.  Some media outlets are reporting the death of Howard Liebengood, 51-years-old, as an "off-duty" death.  The local Fox affiliate, "Fox 5" TV station, is among those reporting Liebengood's death as a suicide connected to the riot.

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Sony Pictures Classics to Distribute "French Exit" in the United States

Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Azazel Jacobs’ “French Exit” Starring Oscar® Nominee Michelle Pfeiffer And Oscar® Nominee Lucas Hedges

Film To Start Production In Montreal & Paris In October

NEW YORK – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all rights in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, China and worldwide airlines to Azazel Jacobs’ FRENCH EXIT. The film stars Oscar® nominee Michelle Pfeiffer and Oscar® nominee Lucas Hedges, and is set to start production this October in Montreal and Paris. 

Written by award-winning Canadian novelist Patrick deWitt, FRENCH EXIT is based on deWitt’sinternational bestselling book of the same title, which was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

“My plan was to die before the money ran out,” says 60-year-old penniless Manhattan socialite Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), but things didn’t go as planned. Her husband Franklin has been dead for 20 years and with his vast inheritance gone, she cashes in the last of her possessions and resolves to live out her twilight days anonymously in a modest apartment in Paris, accompanied by her directionless son Malcolm (Hedges) and the embodiment of Franklin in the form of 'Small Frank', the family cat.

“To work with Sony Pictures Classics is a dream come true for me. They have given us so many beautiful, inspiring films over the years, and the incredible care and expertise with which they release them has always impressed me. As I prepare to embark on production, I am happy and relieved to know that French Exit will ultimately be in their hands,” said Azazel Jacobs.

"When I wrote the novel and screenplay I couldn't have imagined a more exciting cast to embody these characters. Sony Classics is a dream distributor consistently delivering smart, quality work. I'm honored to be working with this incredibly talented team.," said Patrick deWitt.

"French Exit is the fresh, distinctive screenplay we've been looking for all year. Based on the spectacular best selling novel by Patrick DeWitt with settings in the New York and Paris we've grown to love, DeWitt’s screenplay has dialogue, witty and strong and rich characters in the mold of the best Hollywood comedies. This promises goldmine performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges. We couldn't be more pleased to be working with director Azazel Jacobs, a formidable voice in independent film," added Sony Pictures Classics.

The Canadian/ Irish international co-production is produced by Rocket Science, Elevation Pictures, Screen Siren Pictures and Blinder Films.

CAA Media Finance and Rocket Science brokered the deal with Sony Pictures Classics.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions previously picked up all other international territories excluding Canada and Switzerland.

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Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp" Improves on First Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 (of 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Running time:  118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
DIRECTOR:  Peyton Reed
WRITERS:  Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari (based on the comic book created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dante Spinotti (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Dan Lebental and Craig Wood
COMPOSER:  Christophe Beck

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Walter Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Abby Ryder Fortson, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Laurence Fishburne, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Stan Lee

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a 2018 superhero film and sci-fi action-comedy directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Marvel Studios.  It is a direct sequel to the 2015 film, Ant-Man.  Both movies focus on the Marvel Comics character, Ant-Man, who first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27 (cover date: September 1962) and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby.  Ant-Man and the Wasp finds the title hero on a new adventure to uncover the secrets of his friends' past.

In the wake of the events depicted in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is under house arrest.  He is three days from finishing his sentence, so he is determined not to leave his house and be in violation.  However, Hope van Dyne/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Scott's erstwhile girlfriend, and her scientist father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), who have both been estranged from Scott, reenter his life.

They need Scott's help in rescuing the original Wasp, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who has been lost in the microscopic “quantum realm” for 30 years.  However, there are numerous obstacles in their way.  FBI agent, Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), Lang's parole officer, is determined to catch Scott in violation.  Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), a low-level, but ambitious thug, is determined to obtain Hank Pym's technology so that he can sell it on the black market.  Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), a former colleague of Hank Pym, claims that he will help Pym in his quest, but Foster is really out to help Ava Starr (Hanna John-Kamen).  This mysterious young woman is also the costumed “Ghost,” who needs the same technology that Scott, Hope, and Hank need.  She will do anything to get it because time is running out for both her and Janet Van Dyne.

Ant-Man is D-list as far as Marvel Comics superheroes go, especially where familiarity with the general entertainment-consuming public is concerned.  Marvel Studios chose the right actor to play Ant-Man, Paul Rudd, who is irresistibly likable.   In the original film, Ant-Man, Rudd's affable charm sells the idea of Scott Lang as a well-meaning criminal who had a just cause for the crime he committed.  Ant-Man might be a silly concept, but Rudd makes it all seem less so.  After stealing some scenes in Captain America: Civil War, Rudd and Ant-Man are pretty much settled in near the upper echelon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For the new film, Ant-Man and the Wasp, the visual effects (VFX) are the biggest star.  The process of shrinking and growing characters and all manner of objects (building, automobiles, knick-knacks, etc.) have a rhythmic quality.  The VFX flows and is poetic; call it “floetry” (like the early aughts R&B group).  While watching this new movie, I never thought it was too much.

Sure, I like the new character, Ghost, and the child actress, Abby Ryder Fortson, makes Scott Lang's daughter, Cassie, indispensable as a character.  [How about Cassie as a new Marvel superhero?]  Still, from the first time I heard of an Ant-Man movie, I thought that this character and concept was born to take advantage of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and of the advancement in VFX.  Ant-Man and the Wasp is a cinematic magic spell successfully completed.  It is not a great movie, but it greatly and hugely entertained me.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, July 12, 2018


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.



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Paramont Reveals "mother" Poster with New James Jean Art

"mother"

They came to see him.

Official trailer coming August 8, 2017. mother! is in theaters September 15, 2017.

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer

A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.

mother! Official Channels
Hashtag: #mothermovie
Facebook: /OfficialMotherMovie
Twitter: @MotherMovie
Instagram: @MotherMovie
Website: MotherMovie.com

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Review: Something for Everyone in "Amazon Women on the Moon" (Happy B'day, John Landis)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 207 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)
Running time: 85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTORS:  Joe Dante, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Horton, John Landis, and Robert K. Weiss
WRITERS:  Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland
PRODUCER:  Robert K. Weiss
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Daniel Pearl
EDITORS:  Malcolm Campbell, Marshall Harvey, and Bert Lovitt
COMPOSER:  Ira Newborn

COMEDY

Starring:  Arsenio Hall, B.B. King, David Alan Grier, William Bryant, Roxie Rocker, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Guttenberg, Ed Begley Jr., Carrie Fisher, Sybil Danning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Griffin Dunne, Henry Silva, Andrew Dice Clay, and Russ Meyer

The subject of this movie review is Amazon Women on the Moon, a 1987 satirical comedy and parody anthology film.  The film spoofs 1950s sci-fi movies by featuring a fake 50s sci-fi movie called “Amazon Women on the Moon.”  In between segments of “Amazon Women on the Moon,” the movie offers 21 comedy sketches meant to parody the experience of watching low-budget movies and infomercials on late-night television.

Amazon Women on the Moon is kind of a sequel to The Kentucky Fried Movie, the cult classic spoof film comprised of several skits lampooning TV news, commercials, and films.  Amazon Women on the Moon does much of the same thing – using short comedy sketches to spoof late night porn, commercials, infomercials, and educational films.  The movie also spoofs 1950’s sci-fi films in the form of the title skit, Amazon Women on the Moon.  The tale of three astronauts who travel from the Earth to the moon and discover a race of superwomen led the buxom Queen Lara (Sybil Danning).  The Amazon Women skit not only pokes big fun at the super low production values of old science fiction films, it even makes fun of the technical difficulties that occasionally plague late night TV and old movies.

Perhaps, the subject that the film best skewers is tabloid news fodder, the kind of sensational human interest stories one would find in tabloid magazines because of their shock value.  Some of Amazon Women on the Moon’s best moments include skits about a doctor loosing a couple’s newborn son (featuring Michelle Pfeiffer), a woman who uses a credit card machine to download a consumer dating report on her blind date, a funeral home that uses a celebrity roast in lieu of a funeral service to send off the recently departed, and a man who is killed by his rabidly malfunctioning household appliances (featuring Arsenio Hall).

I found Amazon Women on the Moon not quite as funny as I did the first time I saw it about 16 or 17 years ago, but it’s best moments are still quite hilarious and irreverent, even jaw dropping and surreal, at times.  Imagine “Saturday Night Live” or “Mad TV” with a harder edge or with a more brutal sense of humor.  It’s wacky, wild, and weird, and I heartily recommend it.  Even those who won’t like it much will still find at least one skit that strongly assaults their funny bone.

7 of 10
B+

Updated:  Saturday, August 03, 2013

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Review: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 103 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) – animated film
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG for adventure action, some mild sensuality and brief language
DIRECTORS: Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson
WRITER: John Logan
PRODUCERS: Jeffrey Katzenberg and Mireille Soria
EDITOR: Tom Finan
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY with elements of comedy and romance

Starring: (voices) Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes, Dennis Haysbert, and Jim Cummings with Frank Welker

The subject of this movie review is Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, the 2003 animated swashbuckling fantasy and adventure film from DreamWorks Animation. While this film is technically a Sinbad movie, the character is taken out of its traditional Arabic context and moved to a Greek setting. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas finds the sailor of legend framed by a goddess for the theft of a magical book and forced to save the life of a childhood friend.

Doesn’t Hollywood make great adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark anymore, or how about one that’s just good? I suspect that Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg was attempting to make a “great” animated adventure film when his company took on the task of creating Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Visually the film rocks the boat as hard as any other adventure film, but in the end, it lacks the heart of the great American animated films. The film also lacks the show-stopping performances that leave us wanting more, like Raiders did.

Sinbad (Brad Pitt), the Arabian playboy sailor is set to steal The Book of Peace from a galley when he discovers that the book is under the protection of a boyhood friend, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes). Later, a shape-shifting goddess, Eris (Michelle Pfeiffer), makes a deal with Sinbad for him to make another attempt at theft, but she betrays him, steals the book, and frames Sinbad.

The theft is punishable by death, but Proteus offers his life as ransom so that Sinbad will be free to find the book before the date of execution. Proteus believes that only a sea captain of Sinbad’s skill can make the arduous journey across the oceans to retrieve the sacred tome. To make sure that Sinbad keeps his end of the bargain, Proteus’ betrothed Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones) follows Sinbad and his crew to Eris’s dark kingdom of Tartarus.

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas seems a little lost in the current movie marketplace. It’s a boys adventure animated film, and both Fox (with Titan A.E.) and Disney (with Treasure Planet) have suffered spectacular box office flops with boys oriented animation. Computer animated films like Finding Nemo and Monster’s Inc. appeal to both the kiddies and the adults with their broad humor and tales of families and friendships fighting adversary.

What does Legend of the Seven Seas have going for it? It has striking, traditional cel animation in rich beautiful colors and 3-D computer modeling of spectacular and awe-inspiring cityscapes. The filmmakers use computer animation to create large scale crowd scenes and to unleash some of the most impressive, monstrous creatures you’ll see in animation for a long time. The story is rather simple-minded, but the fast-paced script by John Logan (a co-scriptwriter on Best Picture winner Gladiator) keeps the film story bouncing off the walls like a madly-inspired pulp novel. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is the kind of stunningly grand and opulent affair usually reserved for serious, live action epics, so it makes Sinbad seem more serious than it is.

The voice acting is mostly bad, and I mean really bad. Brad Pitt is atrocious. Let’s face it, and he needs to be seen as well as heard. He’s a package deal – a good actor with a good face and body. If they aren’t together, all you have is slop. Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose voice I find so distinct, is so nondescript that if not for her name on the marquee, we’d never know who it was. Dennis Haysbert’s sonorous tones are wasted on the hideous dialogue Logan (or whoever rewrote this) gave him. Listening to the film’s stilted dialogue is torture, and in the end, it’s the major misfire that does in this movie.

Most of the time, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is gorgeous to look at, but with the deep pockets of American film studios, how can animators not at least make an animated film look good? Other than that, there’s nothing to make this film stand out. The story is just so matter-of-fact; even the prize to be obtained, The Book of Peace, lacks resonance. It doesn’t seem important, and the script really isn’t clear on why it should be important; the book might as well have been a gold-encrusted jack-in-the box.

A really good animated film can have a simple story, but it must reach the audience’s (children and adults) hearts and as well as appeal to their minds. Dreamworks certainly has the power to make beautiful animated films of an epic scope, but this is ultimately only a show of force i.e. we (Dreamworks) can compete with Disney. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas simply lacks heart. Finding Nemo’s story of a grieving father’s desperate search for his only child really touched a large number of viewers. A cast of witty and talented voice actors who can keep up the banter and make their characters’ emotions and moods seem real just endears itself to viewers.

For all the thunder and lightening Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas has, it’s mostly a disposable adventure film. It is certainly an entertaining adventure film, but there’s nothing to make it stand out. I don’t think kids are going to buy it because there’s nothing in the film to endear them to it. Lovers of adventures films will have a good time, but they’ll almost certainly forget Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, if not by the time they walk out the theatre, then certainly by the time they reach the first stop light.

5 of 10
B-

Updated: Friday, July 05, 2013

Review: Visually Splendid "Batman Returns" is not Wholly Splendid

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman Returns (1992)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITERS: Daniel Waters; from a story by Sam Hamm and Daniel Waters (based upon the Batman characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS: Denise Di Novi and Burton
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stefan Czapsky
EDITORS: Bob Badami and Chris Lebenzon
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
Academy Award nominee

SUPERHERO/CRIME/ROMANCE with elements of action

Starring: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Michael Murphy, Pat Hingle, Vincent Schiavelli, Paul Reubens, and Diane Salinger

The subject of this movie review is Batman Returns, a 1992 superhero film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne. It is a sequel to the 1989 film, Batman, which was also directed by Burton.

When The Penguin (Danny DeVito) rises from the sewers of Gotham City, Batman (Michael Keaton) must battle him and as nefarious cohorts, the conniving industrialist Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) and the feminist empowered Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), as they help Penguin run a very popular candidate in the Gotham mayoral race.

Unlike his first Batman film, Tim Burton had more control over Batman Returns, and it’s quite obvious. Stylistically, Batman Returns is closer to Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands than Batman is, which was Burton’s first film after Beetlejuice. However, Batman Returns has more rank humor than the original, and the sexual innuendo ranges from juvenile to forced. Batman was sly and occasionally witty; it was dark but not morbid as Returns is.

Still, the combination of Burton and screenwriter Daniel Waters (a writer with a darkly humorous and imaginative sense) create a Batman film like no other. This one is a dark fairytale immersed in issues of identity, empowerment, abandonment, class privilege, social and gender discrimination, and sexual politics. The story has a lot of nice ideas, maybe too many. It flits from one to the other, leaving one half developed or dismissed, only to be cobbled up later and still make little sense. It’s as if Batman Returns needed a rewrite or received too many in an attempt to make it less complicated and more like the summer blockbuster geared towards selling merchandise that it was supposed to be.

I like it more now than I did when I first saw it in 1992, when I thought it was an over produced mess; now I think it’s over produced and a bit messy. The production designs of Bo Welch (Beetlejuice), art decoration by Rick Heinrichs, and set decoration by Cheryl Carasik look beautiful and exquisite, everything from the abandoned zoo to Gotham’s many store fronts, each one of them decorated for the Christmas season. The cinematography by Stefan Czapsky (He would later shoot Burton’s masterpiece Ed Wood) is drenched in gorgeous blues, luminous white light, and slinky shadows that cover the town like sensuous drapery. Batman Returns looks like a children’s storybook painted by a master.

But in the end, Batman Returns is clunky in spirit and execution. It doesn’t flow or have a rhythm, and the acting is also too hit or miss. That goes for everyone, especially the villains. Burton publicly acknowledged not really caring for the Batman character, and it shows. For much of his film, the hero is an afterthought or merely window dressing, only there because the studio demands it. How else can you sell Batcrap if Batman’s not in the movie. Oh, well. I’ll look at this as a beautiful misfire and a brilliant mistake. I’ll watch it again, if only to pine away at what could have been.

5 of 10
B-

NOTES:
1993 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Michael L. Fink, Craig Barron, John Bruno, and Dennis Skotak) and “Best Makeup” (Ve Neill, Ronnie Specter, and Stan Winston)

1993 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Make Up Artist” (Ve Neill and Stan Winston) and “Best Special Effects” (Michael L. Fink, John Bruno, Craig Barronm, and Dennis Skotak)

1993 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Danny DeVito)

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Review: Johnny Depp Shines in Dim "Dark Shadows"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Dark Shadows (2012)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITERS: Seth Grahame-Smith; story by John August and Seth Grahame-Smith (based on the television series, Dark Shadows, created by Dan Curtis)
PRODUCERS: Christi Dembrowski, Johnny Depp, David Kennedy, Graham King, and Richard D. Zanuck
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bruno Delbonnel
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman

FANTASY/COMEDY/HORROR

Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gulliver McGrath, Ray Shirley, and Christopher Lee

Dark Shadows is a 2012 gothic horror and comedy fantasy film from director Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film is based upon Dark Shadows, a gothic horror soap opera that was created by Dan Curtis and was originally broadcast from 1966 to 1971 on ABC. Dark Shadows the film follows a vampire who returns to his ancestral home, after two centuries of imprisonment, and finds his dysfunctional descendants in need of help.

Dark Shadows begins in the mid-1700s where we meet Joshua and Naomi Collins and their young son, Barnabas, as they sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. Joshua builds a fishing empire in Maine at a town he names Collinsport. Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) grows into a wealthy playboy, who loves and leaves numerous women. His biggest mistake is to spurn the love of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), because she is a witch. Angelique puts a curse on Barnabus, turning him into a vampire, and then, has him buried alive.

Nearly 200 years later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb into the very changed world of 1972. Returning to his family’s estate, Collinwood Manor, Barnabas finds that his relatives are now dysfunctional and not as well off financially. Family matriarch, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), rules over a small group that includes her rebellious daughter, Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Grace Moretz), and troubled, precocious nephew, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). They need Barnabas’ help, and so he begins to revive the family fortune and the family home, but an old enemy is determined to destroy them all.

Dark Shadows is a Johnny Depp movie, as directed by Tim Burton, and Depp is brilliant as always. I couldn’t get enough of his Barnabas Collins, and neither could the screenplay. This movie is so much about Barnabas that the other characters are left in Depp/Barnabas’s considerable wake. First of all, some of the supporting characters are extraneous, like young Miss Grace’s Carolyn Stoddard and Helena Bonham Carter’s Dr. Julia Hoffman; the good doctor provides some nice comic relief, which is good, because the character is otherwise useless. Some like, Pfeiffer’s Elizabeth and young Mr. McGrath’s David, are under-utilized. Everything about the witch Angelique Bouchard is forced, and so is much of Eva Green’s performance as her.

Still, this is Depp’s show, and he creates a Barnabas that is so cool, you’ll want to be his friend (in spite of the inherent danger of being pals with a vampire). In a career full of idiosyncratic characters, Barnabas is Depp’s most endearing oddball.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I often came across articles about Depp or director Tim Burton that described either man as quirky. Dark Shadows is quirky and also campy. It spoofs the melodrama of soap operas, and Depp’s droll, tongue-firmly-in-cheek comedy gives this sometimes awkward film a lot of humor and laughs, which it needs. Like all of Burton’s films, Dark Shadows has excellent production values, especially the costumes and set and art decoration. However, Dark Shadows is not only quirky, but also odd in its quality. It is partially a good Burton-Depp movie, but the rest of it is a misfire because of the poor screenwriting. The acting and directing cannot, try as they might, change that.

5 of 10
B-

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" Gets Soundtrack Release on May 8th

Danny Elfman’s Dark Shadows Original Score to Be Released May 8

Film Marks 14th Collaboration Between Composer Danny Elfman And Director Tim Burton

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music will release Dark Shadows – Original Score digitally and in stores on May 8, 2012. The album features original music by Grammy Award-winning and four-time Oscar®-nominated composer Danny Elfman, which is featured in director Tim Burton’s new gothic comedy Dark Shadows.

For more than 25 years, Burton and Elfman have collaborated on some of the cinema’s most beloved and recognizable films and soundtracks, including Big Fish, for which Elfman received an Oscar® nomination; Beetlejuice; Batman; Edward Scissorhands; Sleepy Hollow; Corpse Bride; and, more recently, Alice in Wonderland.

“Tim had some specific ideas about the music on Dark Shadows,” says Elfman. “I knew that the bigger dramatic scenes would be played in a rather grand theatrical manner, but the real treat was tapping into the retro pallet Tim had imagined. He wanted something that payed homage to both the original TV series and other '70s horror genres as well. For that we kept it minimal, eerie, and atmospheric with only electronics and a few solo instruments carrying the melodies.”

Elfman has also received Oscar® nominations for his scores for Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black, and Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting and Milk. Movie audiences worldwide have also heard Danny Elfman’s unique sound and style in some 80 film scores, including Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man; Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible; Martin Brest’s Midnight Run; Jon Amiel’s Sommersby; the Hughes Brothers’ Dead Presidents; Rob Marshall’s Academy® Award-winning Chicago; and Shawn Levy’s Real Steel.

In the year 1750, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin and the dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.

Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, presents an Infinitum Nihil/GK Films/Zanuck Company production, a Tim Burton Film Dark Shadows in theaters and IMAX on May 11, 2012. “Dark Shadows” stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote and Gully McGrath.

The Dark Shadows -- Original Score on WaterTower Music will be available digitally and in stores on May 8, 2012; and on the same date, WaterTower Music will also be releasing the Dark Shadows –Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, containing eleven songs from the film.

http://www.darkshadowsmovie.com/

Review: Crazy White Women Put the Bloom in "White Oleander" (Happy B'day, Robin Wright)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 132 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

White Oleander (2002)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for mature thematic elements concerning dysfunctional relationships, drug content, language, sexuality and violence
DIRECTOR: Peter Kosminsky
WRITER: Mary Alice Donoghue (from the novel by Janet Fitch)
PRODUCERS: Hunt Lowry and John Wells
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Elliot Davis (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Chris Ridsdale
COMPOSER: Thomas Newman

DRAMA

Starring: Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger, Amy Aquino, Patrick Fugit, Cole Hauser, Noah Wylie, Marc Donato, Billy Connolly, and Dallas McKinney

The subject of this movie review is White Oleander, a 2002 American drama film. It based upon the 1999 novel of the same name from author Janet Fitch, a novel which also has the distinction of being picked for Oprah’s Book Club in 1999.

In White Oleander, Michelle Pfeiffer is Ingrid Magnussen, a woman sentenced to prison when she murders her lover in a crime of passion. Her imprisonment sends her daughter Astrid (Alison Lohman) on a journey through the foster care system where she undergoes intense experiences of love, loss, and near death. She, however, never loses touch with her mother, maintaining contact through letters and Astrid’s brief visits to the prison. As the years past, Astrid begins to resent her mother’s insistence that she live her life as her mother wishes, and their relationship becomes a war between a controlling mother and a teenage girl determined to find her own way.

I could describe the film White Oleander (the name of a beautiful, but deadly poisonous plant) as beautiful, but I would have to add on the descriptive term, “hauntingly.” If you like chick movies, especially sad chick movies, White Oleander is one of the best I’ve seen in ages. It is unrelentingly sad, and that has put off some viewers, but the performances are monster and deserve to be seen. Ms. Pfieffer can play the shrinking violet as well as anyone (see Dangerous Liaisons), but her talents are quite sharp when she extends her razor-like claws of her talent into bad girl/misunderstood woman roles (The Fabulous Baker Boys or her voice work in the animated Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas). Young Alison Lohman shows an ability to channel pain that recalls the early work of the first lady of tragic heroines, Meryl Streep. Ms. Lohman dominates this movie, and she saves this from being a dreadful movie of the week. Director Peter Kosminsky (an award-winning television movie director) smartly lets her shine.

White Oleander is quite engaging and enthralling, unusual for a movie of such palatable sadness, but it’s rewarding. It’s a feel good movie about surviving the really rough patches in life. I fault an incoherent script for running from one sad scene to another as if the writer was trying to make a grocery list of the bad things that can happen in life. The film never really slows down to take the time and show us the process of Astrid growing up and growing independent. Still, this has to be one of the prettiest sad movies in a long time. It’s like a beautiful car wreck and if you’re not careful, you might find yourself in love with all this pain.

7 of 10
B+

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Review: Matthew Vaughn Makes Magic Out of "Stardust"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 130 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Stardust (2007)
Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for fantasy violence and some risqué humor
DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn
WRITERS: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn (based upon the novel written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess)
PRODUCERS: Matthew Vaughn, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Dreyer, and Neil Gaiman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Davis
EDITOR: Jon Harris

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais, Jason Flemyng, Rupert Everett, Peter O’Toole, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro and Ian McKellen (voice), Kate Magowan, Melanie Hill, Mark Strong, Henry Cavill, Ben Barnes, and Dexter Fletcher

Matthew Vaughn, the acclaimed director of Layer Cake, adds one more eclectic film to his young filmography, the late Summer 2007 film, Stardust, an adaptation of the novel written by Neil Gaiman (American Gods) and illustrated by Charles Vess. Although Stardust proved to be excellent late summer, counter-programming to the normal empty big budget fare that crowds movie theatres during the warm months, it failed to catch on with American audiences. That’s sad, really.

Young Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox) lives in the sleepy English village of Wall, which is named for the cobblestone wall that has for eons kept the villagers safe from the supernatural parallel universe that lies just on the other side of the wall – the fantastical realm of Stormhold. One evening, Tristan makes a promise to the prettiest girl in the village, Victoria (Sienna Miller), whose heart he hopes to win, when the two spy a star falling from the sky and landing on the other side of the wall. Tristan pledges to Victoria that he will bring back the star for her hand in marriage.

Crossing the forbidden wall, Tristan makes his way to the star’s crash site only to discover that the star is different from what he expected. It is a spirited young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), injured by her tumble from the heavenly firmament. However, before he can get Yvaine back to his home, Tristan must protect her from the chilling witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), who wants to murder Yvaine and use the star’s heart to achieve eternal youth and beauty. With the help of an eccentric pirate, Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), Tristan and Yvaine evade the clutches of Lamia and anyone who wants to harm her, but in his adventure through Stormhold, Tristan may finally discover the secrets of his own past.

There are no elements in Stardust that can be described as “great,” except for Michelle Pfeiffer’s truly inspired performance as Lamia, but when all the components are brought together, they make a film that is an exceptional screen fantasy. Matthew Vaughn brings together all the elements: odd components from the original story and peculiar screenplay adaptation; the eccentric performances, and the knotty, but imaginative production work of his creative crew (cinematography, production design, score, etc.), all of which create a convincing fantasy world. It’s a world that the more audiences buy into the setting; the more they are willing to vicariously experience Tristan and Yvaine’s adventure.

As for the performances, the aforementioned Ms. Pfeiffer really stands out as Lamia. Her performance is one of those charming displays of acting that critics describe as delicious, and if that’s the case, Pfeiffer prepares a feast. She’s wicked with an extra dose of wickedness, but her evil is so luminous and Pfeiffer looks so good that Lamia is like a beautiful poison thing.

The rest of the cast is good. Claire Danes and Charlie Cox don’t exactly burn up the screen as the star-crossed pair, but they work in the context of the film. It’s much the same with Robert De Niro’s performance. De Niro’s Captain Shakespeare works best when paired with Dexter Fletcher’s Skinny Pirate. It’s all a matter of the right ingredients coming together at the right time in the right place. Perhaps, that’s the best way to explain why Stardust works – it’s all about chemistry.

7 of 10
A-

Friday, October 12, 2007

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Tim Burton Begins Filming "Dark Shadows" with Johnny Depp

Filming Begins on Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows”

Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter head an all-star cast.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Filming begins this week on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Dark Shadows,” which brings the cult classic television series to the big screen under the direction of Tim Burton. The film’s all-star ensemble cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz, and newcomer Gulliver McGrath.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Brouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Burton is directing and producing “Dark Shadows” from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, story by John August and Grahame-Smith, based on the television series created by Dan Curtis. Also producing are Oscar® winner Richard D. Zanuck (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Driving Miss Daisy”), continuing his long association with Burton; Oscar® winner Graham King (“Rango,” “The Departed”), continuing his collaboration with Depp; Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The executive producers are Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, and Bruce Berman.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Oscar®-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (“Sleepy Hollow”), Oscar®-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Alice in Wonderland”) and editor Chris Lebenzon (“Alice in Wonderland”). The score will be composed by Danny Elfman.

“Dark Shadows” is being filmed entirely in England, both at Pinewood Studios and on location.

“Dark Shadows” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Brian de Palma's "Scarface" on Blu-ray in September 2011

THE POP CULTURE PHENOMENON THAT REDEFINED THE GANGSTER GENRE COMES TO BLU-RAYTM FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

SCARFACE

Special Limited Edition Blu-Ray TM Kicks-Off with a National Fan Art Contest & Will Feature Collectible Packaging, New Bonus Content and Digital Copy

Plus the Ultimate Fan Gift: A Limited-Run Scarface-Themed Humidor Specially Crafted by the Renowned Daniel Marshall

Universal City, California, March 24, 2011—With machine guns blazing, the explosive underworld epic Scarface arrives on Blu-ray TM Hi-Def September 6, 2011 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Considered one of the most influential gangster films ever made, Scarface’s gritty depiction of Tony Montana’s lethal ambition has made it a cultural touchstone that spans generations. Now, fans can experience the film’s raw power in the newly restored, high-resolution, high-definition picture and explosive 7.1 audio for the first time ever. Exclusive new bonus content created especially for this release reveals the film’s iconic legacy as one of the greatest crime sagas of all time. For a limited time only, Scarface Special Limited Edition Blu-rayTM comes with collectible SteelBookTM packaging, ten exclusive art cards, a digital copy of the film and a DVD of the original 1932 Scarface, making it a must-own addition to every film fan’s library. And, for the ultimate collector and cigar enthusiast, an elegantly hand-crafted Scarface-themed humidor will be made available in an exclusive, never-before-available, limited edition. Created by the renowned Daniel Marshall, the humidor’s exterior is hand painted and polished with the Marshall’s trademark “1000 coat brilliant finish.” The interior – made with untreated Spanish cedar – will properly condition and age approximately 100 cigars at optimal humidity levels. Limited to 1,000 worldwide, each individually numbered humidor comes embellished with custom medallions inspired by the iconic film and includes a certificate of authenticity.

“Nearly 30 years after it first exploded onto the screen, Scarface stands as a cultural icon with a passionate and growing fan base that continues to exert an enduring influence on not just moviemakers but artists across the entire pop-culture landscape,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “Now, for the first time ever, fans of this jewel in the Universal crown can enjoy Scarface with the spectacular picture and sound quality that only Blu-rayTM provides.”

A masterful collaboration between acclaimed director Brian de Palma (The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way) and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Oliver Stone (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Platoon), Scarface features extraordinary performances from a powerhouse cast that includes Academy Award® winner Al Pacino (The Godfather), Academy Award® nominee Michelle Pfeiffer (The Fabulous Baker Boys, Hairspray), Academy Award® nominee Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Color of Money, The Perfect Storm), Academy Award® nominee Robert Loggia (Jagged Edge) and Steven Bauer (Traffic). The film was nominated for three Golden Globe® Awards (including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Score), and was named one of the Top 10 Gangster Films of All Time by the American Film Institute.

NATIONAL FAN ART CONTEST
To celebrate the film’s Blu-rayTM debut, fans will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design Scarface-inspired artwork using classic Tony Montana images from the film. Universal will select the Top 25 submissions based on creativity, originality, quality of composition/design and utilization of the Scarface theme. Fans will vote on their favorite 10 submissions which will then be featured as exclusive art cards in the Scarface Limited Edition Blu-rayTM. The designer who garners the highest number of fan votes will become the Grand Prize winner, and will have their art featured on both the art card and on a high-profile billboard in a major US city to promote the release.

For more information on how to enter the fan art contest and to be among the first to hear future exciting, exclusive announcements about Scarface on Blu-rayTM, join over 3.6 million fans on Facebook and visit www.facebook.com/scarfacethemovie.

BONUS FEATURES
· The Scarface Phenomenon— This all-new documentary presents Scarface as a unique phenomenon in cinema history. It explores how a film plagued by controversy leading up to its release has become a Hollywood classic, influencing a whole new generation of filmmakers and leaving a lasting imprint on popular culture.

· Deleted Scenes

· The World of Tony Montana —Experience the world of the ultimate gangster and hear from experts on the real world violence, fear and paranoia that surrounds a drug lord.

· The Rebirth —Director Brian De Palma, producer Martin Bregman, actor Al Pacino, and screenwriter Oliver Stone revisit the history of Scarface, from the inspiration of the original Howard Hawks classic to the evolution of the script.

· The Acting — Join the filmmakers, Al Pacino and Steven Bauer to discover how each of the roles was cast and how Brian De Palma worked with his actors to get unforgettable performances.

· The Creating — A fascinating, controversial and definitive journey through the making of the film, which began with the production being forced to leave its initial location in Florida. Discover how the chainsaw scene was filmed, learn about the production design, the photography, and the struggle to get the film an “R” rating.

· Scarface: The TV Version—A revealing and hilarious montage of film clips comparing the theatrical version to the network television version of Scarface.

· The Making of Scarface: The Video Game: Immerse yourself in the world of Scarface in this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the video game.

· U-CONTROL FEATURES ON THIS BLU-RAY DISC:
· Scarface Scoreboard—Watch Scarface like never before. Keep track of the number of times the “F” word is used and monitor the bullets fired!

· Picture in Picture—Access interview footage of Brian De Palma, Al Pacino, Screenwriter Oliver Stone, and others without interruption to the movie experience. Also featured is a scene comparison between the 1983 version of Scarface and Howard Hawks’ original film.

· BD-LIVE™—Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to get even more content, watch the latest trailers and more.

· pocket BLU™ app— USHE’s groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPhone™, iPad™, iPod® touch, Smartphone, Android™, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player and offers advanced features such as:

o Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.

o Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.

o Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to mobile devices or to stream from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

o Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray™ player with your device’s easy and intuitive keyboard to facilitate such Blu-ray™ features as chatting with friends and sending messages.


SYNOPSIS
In the spring of 1980, the Mariel boatlift brought thousands of Cuban refugees to the sun-washed avenues of Miami in search of the American dream. From acclaimed director Brian DePalma, Scarface is the rags-to-riches story of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who finds wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams…at a price he never imagined. Tony Montana’s meteoric rise, lavish life and soul-destroying fall anchor an epic film that inspired a worldwide following. Pacino is at his most memorable as Montana, blasting his way to the top of Miami’s drug underworld in a bravura performance.

Technical Information
Street Date: September 6, 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 Hours 50 Minutes
Number of Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Technical Info: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1/DTS Surround 2.0, French DTS Surround 2.0 Mono, Spanish DTS Surround 2.0 Mono
Languages: English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles
Gift Set SRP: $999.99
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.