Review: "KONG: SKULL ISLAND" is a Monster Movie Paradise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 of 2024 (No. 1958) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language

DIRECTOR:  Jordan Vogt-Roberts

WRITERS:  Max Borenstein, Dan Gilroy, and Derek Connolly; from a story by John Gatins

PRODUCERS:  Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Thomas Tull, and Alex Garcia

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Larry Fong (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Richard Pearson

COMPOSER:  Henry Jackman

Academy Award nominee

ADVENTURE/HISTORICAL/HORROR and MILITARY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins, John Ortiz, Tian Jing, Toby Kebbell, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Eugene Cordero, Marc Evan Jackson, Terry Notary, and Richard Jenkins

Kong: Skull Island is a 2017 monster movie, sci-fi military, and period, adventure film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.  It is a reboot of the King Kong film franchise and is also the second film in the “MonsterVerse” film series following 2014's Godzilla.  Set at the end of the Vietnam war, Kong: Skull Island focuses on a group of military personnel and civilian scientists who must fight to escape an uncharted island full of giant monsters that includes the island's king, the mighty Kong.

Kong: Skull Island introduces Bill Randa (John Goodman), the head of the U.S. government organization, “Monarch.”  It is 1973, and the U.S. is ending its mission in Vietnam.  Randa fears his time is running out to launch a mission to a recently discovered island that has long been shrouded in mystery and legend, “Skull Island.”

He convinces a U.S. senator to fund an expedition to the island, and subsequently recruits a U.S. Army unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) to accompany him.  Also on the mission are recent Monarch recruits, geologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) and biologist San Lin (Tian Jing).  Randa also hires James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), a former British Special Air Service Captain, as a hunter-tracker for this expedition.  Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), an “anti-war” photographer, forces her way onto the expedition.

The expedition begins with thirteen U.S. army helicopters penetrating the fearsome storms that surround Skull Island.  Randa and Brooks told Packard that they wanted to map the island by dropping seismic explosives, and shortly after arriving on the island, Packard's men begin dropping the explosives, which does help to map the island.  The explosions also draw the attention of a giant ape, which promptly attacks the helicopters.  Soon, the expedition is divided into two groups of survivors.  One is led by Packard who wants revenge against the giant ape, and the other by Conrad who wants to reach a rendezvous point where they will be rescued.  The giant ape, however, is “Kong,” king of Skull Island, and he isn't the only deadly, giant monster on the island.

The “MonsterVerse” is an American multimedia franchise that includes movies; a streaming live-action television series (Apple TV+) and a streaming animated series (Netflix); books and comic books; and video games.  It is a shared fictional universe that includes the character, “Godzilla” and other characters owned and created by the Japanese entertainment company, Toho Co., Ltd.  The MonsterVerse is a reboot of Toho's Godzilla franchise.  It is also a reboot of the King Kong film franchise, which is based on the character, “King Kong,” that was created by actor and filmmaker, Merian C. Cooper (1893-1973).

The fifth film in the MonsterVerse series, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, is due to be released sometime in March, so I have decided to watch and review the previous four films:  2014's Godzilla, 2017's Kong: Skull Island (which is the subject of this review), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021).  I have previously seen Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island, but only recently made attempts to review them.

Kong: Skull Island is proudly both a monster movie and a King Kong movie.  Like Peter Jackson's 2005 film, King Kong (Universal Pictures), Kong: Skull Island digs into its “lost world” pulp fiction and pre-Code horror movie roots.  Kong is as King Kong as any other cinematic version of the character, and the result is an exhilarating film that is fun to watch even after repeated viewings.  Most books about writing fiction and screenplays will emphasize that the characters should drive the narrative, but Kong: Skull Island's narrative is driven by its plot, by its other-worldly setting, and especially by its monstrous gods and god-like monsters.

There are quite a few interesting characters in the film.  Samuel L. Jackson makes the most of his Lt. Col. Packard, who is driven crazy by his insane mission to kill Kong as a salve for his bitterness about the end of the American misadventure in Vietnam.  John C. Reilly once again displays his tremendous character actor chops as the lost-in-time, U.S. Army Air Force Lt. Hank Marlow.  Tom Hiddleston is a good heroic lead as James Conrad in a film in which the human hero is not the film's most important character.  Brie Larson also shows off her acting skills by chopping out some space for his character, Mason Weaver.

However, the characters are just pawns in the film's plot, which involves surviving Skull Island's various monsters and advancing to the rendezvous point.  The setting of Kong: Skull Island is a lost world Eden that is part tropical paradise and part jungle horror, an environment in which the most beautiful place is the most dangerous.  The amazing things to see on this island are its deadly denizens, which includes gargantuan spiders, man-snatching carnivorous birds, and seemingly unstoppable lizards that are literally nothing more than perfectly designed death machines.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the practically mute human natives of Skull Island with their dazzling array of face and body painting and eclectic costumes.

At the center of Kong: Skull Island is the film's most important character and element, Kong, himself.  He is a thing of beauty, the best special effect in a movie favored with enough impressive CGI to have earned itself an Oscar nomination for “Best Achievement in Visual Effects.”  Kong's introduction into the story, a breathtaking display of fight choreography pitting him against a squadron of military helicopters, is as good as the best fight scenes audiences will find in the top superhero movies.  Whatever glitches in the overall narrative and character development Kong: Skull Island has, Kong's introduction glosses over.  Kong is made king again in Kong: Skull Island, and that is why it is a damn shame that there is not a Kong: Skull Island 2.

[This film has an extra scene at the end of the credits.]

A-

7 of 10

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, March 17, 2024

NOTES:

2018 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, and Michael Meinardus)

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

Review: "NIGHTMARE ALLEY" is One of 2021's Very Best Films

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 27 of 2022 (No. 1839) by Leroy Douresseaux

Nightmare Alley (2021)
Running time:  150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes)
MPA – R for strong/bloody violence, some sexual content, nudity and language
DIRECTOR:  Guillermo del Toro
WRITERS: Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan (based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham)
PRODUCERS:  Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, and Bradley Cooper
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dan Laustsen (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Cameron McLauchlin
COMPOSER:  Nathan Johnson
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/FILM-NOIR

Starring:  Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, Peter MacNeill, David Strathairn, Mark Povinelli, Holt McCallany and Paul Anderson

Nightmare Alley is a 2021 neo-noir crime thriller and drama directed by Guillermo del Toro.  The film is an adaptation of the 1946 novel, Nightmare Alley, which was written by William Lindsay Gresham.  Nightmare Alley the film focuses on a drifter who works his way from low-ranking carnival employee to acclaimed psychic medium on his way to his self-made doom.

Nightmare Alley opens in 1939 and introduces Stanton “Stan” Carlisle (Bradley Cooper).  A drifter, Stan gets a job at a carnival operated by Clement “Clem”Hoatley (Willem Dafoe).  He begins working with the carnival's clairvoyant act, “Madame Zeena,” (Toni Collette) and her alcoholic husband, Peter “Pete” Krumbein (David Strathairn).  They use coded language and cold reading tricks, which Pete keeps in a secret book.  Although Pete teaches tricks to Stan, he also warns him against using these tricks to be a mentalist that pretends to speak to the dead, known as a “spookshow.”

Stan becomes attracted to a fellow performer, Mary Margaret “Molly” Cahill (Rooney Mara), and he eventually convinces her to leave with him.  Two years later, Stan has successfully reinvented himself with a psychic act for the wealthy elite of Buffalo, and Molly is his assistant.  His act has attracted the attention of consulting psychologist, Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), and she is determined to reveal him as a fraud.  Thus, begins a cat and mouse game between Stan and Lilith that will destroy lives.

Nightmare Alley is not the first film adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's novel.  Hollywood legend Tyrone Power starred in a 1947 version in a bid to escape from the kinds of films (romance and adventure) that had made him a Hollywood star, but had also relegated him to the same kinds of roles (romantic leads and swashbuckling heroes).  From what I have read, Guillermo del Toro's 2021 version is more faithful to original novel than the 1947 film.

Some excellent and even great films are ruined or nearly ruined by their endings.  Del Toro's Nightmare Alley is solidified as a great film because of its ending, which brings back elements from the beginning of the film.  Bradley Cooper's Stan Carlisle is a doomed fool, a man consumed by greed and self-interest.  As his lust for power and greed for money and fame become more evident, Nightmare Alley turns truly prophetic.  A con man's ultimate mark is himself, and Stan never paid attention to the warnings, especially those that came when he first started working for Clem.

Although Cooper's status as the lead actor playing the lead character allows him to deliver a powerful performance, others in Nightmare Alley are also quite good.  Toni Collette, always good, is lovely here as the saintly, whorish, motherly Madame Zeena, while David Strathairn, also always good, is excellent as the pitiful prophet and father figure, Pete.  Cate Blanchett, decked in top notch hair and make-up and costumes, is the femme fatale as demoness, Lilith Ritter.  The film's best performance, however, is delivered by Rooney Mara, who in subtle shades and quiet gestures represents kind people in this film.  In a film determined to be dark and condemning, Mara's Molly is the film's humanity and hope.

As usual, Nightmare Alley offers Del Toro's haunting gothic visuals.  The production design, cinematography, costume design, and hair and make-up all capture this film's clash of vistas:  Depression-era destitution against a world of wealth, opulence, privilege, and corruption that ignored the poverty and decay right under their noses.  From ragged carnival garb to fabulous raiment; from the rundown world of carnies to the glow of swanky nightclubs:  Nightmare Alley is a vision of the darkness beneath the American dream and its illusions of wealth and power.  I have a few quibbles with Nightmare Alley, finding it a bit too dry, cold, and brittle in places.  Still, Nightmare Alley is another great film by the master of illusions, director Guillermo del Toro.

9 of 10
A+
★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Thursday, May 5, 2022


NOTES:
2022 Academy Awards, USA:  4 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, and Bradley Cooper); “Best Achievement in Production Design” (Tamara Deverell-production design and Shane Vieau-set decoration); “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Luis Sequeira), and “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Dan Laustsen)

2022 BAFTA Awards:  3 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Dan Laustsen), “Best Costume Design” (Luis Sequeira), and “Best Production Design” (Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau)


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

2018 Oscars "Best Supporting Actor" - Sam Rockwell

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - WINNER

Nominees:
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World

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

Amazon Studios Announces "Comrade Detective" for August 4th

Amazon Studios and A24 to Premiere New Half-Hour Series Comrade Detective August 4 on Amazon Prime Video

Romanian-filmed live action half hour action series features an all-star cast of unique voice over performances including Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the series’ leading roles

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Studios announced Comrade Detective, a new half-hour live action series that will premiere August 4, 2017 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A co-production with A24, Comrade Detective comes from creators and executive producers Brian Gatewood (The Sitter) and Alex Tanaka (The Sitter) with Rhys Thomas (Documentary Now!) directing and executive producing. Free Association’s Tatum, Reid Carolin (Logan Lucky), Peter Kiernan (Mad Love) and Andrew Schneider are executive producers along with A24’s Ravi Nandan (The Carmichael Show) and John Hodges (Safety Not Guaranteed).

    “As passionate fans of cinema and television, we have long heard about this genre defining show and are thrilled to work with Free Association and Amazon to bring it to audiences”

Comrade Detective is a one-of-a-kind cop show and comedy set in 1980’s Romania. True to its nostalgic inspiration, the series is presented in Romanian and dubbed in English—as a Romanian show of that time would have been. Channing Tatum (Logan Lucky) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper) provide voice over dubbing performances for the series’ two leading roles, Detectives Gregor Anghel and Iosef Baciu—both characters played on screen by leading Romanian actors, Florin Piersic Jr. (Killing Time) and Corneliu Ulici (The Devil Inside).

In addition to Tatum and Gordon-Levitt, the illustrious roster of talent dubbing other roles includes Jenny Slate (Obvious Child), Chloë Sevigny (Bloodline), Jake Johnson (New Girl), Jason Mantzoukas (The House), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), Fred Armisen (Documentary Now!), Kim Basinger (LA Confidential), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Tracey Letts (The Lovers), Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Debra Winger (The Lovers), Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed), Katie Aselton Duplass (Legion), Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show), Bo Burnham (The Big Sick) and John Early (Search Party).

“In a world of global television it was inevitable that the best comedy of the year would come from Romania. Well that day has come,“ said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy, Drama and VR at Amazon Studios. “Comrade Detective is unbelievably compelling, visually brilliant, and Gregor and Iosef are the heroes we need. Thanks to A24, Channing Tatum, Rhys Thomas, Brian Gatewood, Alex Tanaka, as well as the incredibly creative team behind this wild new series.”

"As passionate fans of cinema and television, we have long heard about this genre defining show and are thrilled to work with Free Association and Amazon to bring it to audiences," said A24.


About Comrade Detective
In the thick of 1980's Cold War hysteria, the Romanian government created the country’s most popular and longest-running series, Comrade Detective, a sleek and gritty police show that not only entertained its citizens but also promoted Communist ideals and inspired a deep nationalism. The action-packed and blood-soaked first season finds Detectives Gregor Anghel (played by Piersic) and Iosef Baciu (played by Ulici) investigating the murder of fellow officer Nikita Ionesco and, in the process, unraveling a subversive plot to destroy their country that is fueled by—what else—but the greatest enemy: Capitalism. Though the beloved show was sadly forgotten about after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it has been rediscovered and digitally remastered now with its main heroes voiced by Tatum and Gordon-Levitt. Comrade Detective is a true portal into a time and place and a powerful reminder of what art can be—and it is now ready to be seen by the modern world on a larger scale than ever before.

About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

    Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.

•     Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike – the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
•     Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About A24
Launched in the summer of 2012, A24 is a New York-based media company focused on the distribution, financing, development and production of feature films and television projects. Recent TV series include the wildly original buddy cop action-comedy Comrade Detective, produced with Channing Tatum’s Free Association; the critically acclaimed and culturally groundbreaking The Carmichael Show, currently in its third season on NBC; USA's Playing House, also in its third season; and the hilarious standup comedy special Jerrod Carmichael: 8, which premiered this past Spring on HBO.

On the film side, the company recently released Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which won 3 Academy Awards® at the 2017 Oscars - Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor. Other film releases include Yorgos Lanthimos' critical and commercial hit The Lobster, a 2017 Oscar® nominee for Best Original Screenplay starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz; Robert Eggers’ horror smash The Witch; Room, winner of the 2016 Academy Award® for Best Actress for Brie Larson; Amy, Asif Kapadia’s Oscar® winning portrait of Amy Winehouse; Alex Garland’s sci-fi smash Ex Machina; Jonathan Glazer’s singular Scarlett Johansson sci-fi thriller Under the Skin; and Harmony Korine’s record-breaking Spring Breakers.

About Free Association
Free Association, with principals Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan, is currently producing Magic Mike Live Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel. The company also produced Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky which will be released by Bleecker Street on August 18, 2017. Free Association has produced films including 22 Jump Street and the Magic Mike franchise, among others. On the television side, Free Association is in production on Step Up, the series for YouTube Red.

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

EPIX Begins Production on Television Series, "Berlin Station"

EPIX Announces Start of Production for Original Spy Series ‘Berlin Station’

Ensemble Cast Stars Richard Armitage, Rhys Ifans, Richard Jenkins and Michelle Forbes

The Modern-Day Thriller, Produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content Debuts Fall 2016

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium TV network EPIX® announced today that production has started on Berlin Station, the 10-part contemporary spy series produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content. Shooting will take place in Berlin and the series will premiere on EPIX in the fall of 2016.

    “With Olen’s vision and a stellar cast, we believe Berlin Station is a game-changing project”

Previously announced cast includes: Richard Armitage as Daniel Miller, the cerebral, newly-anointed CIA officer who goes from being an analyst at Langley to an undercover officer in Berlin tasked with finding a leak. In addition, Emmy® Award nominee Michelle Forbes (“The Killing,” “True Blood,” The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2) plays Valerie Edwards, the no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Internal Branch Chief; Emmy Award® winner and Academy Award® nominee Richard Jenkins (“Olive Kitteridge,” The Visitor) as Steven Frost, a veteran of the Cold War who serves as the CIA’s Berlin Chief of Station; BAFTA Award-winner Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1, “Elementary,” Notting Hill) as dark, charming and tenacious Case Officer Hector DeJean, an old friend of Miller.

New cast joining Berlin Station’s ensemble includes: Tamlyn Tomita (“Resurrection,” The Day After Tomorrow) as Sandra Abe, a quiet presence lording over the efficient operation of Berlin Station while having an affair with her boss, Steven Frost; Leland Orser (“Ray Donovan”) as Robert Kirsch, a devoted and successful Deputy Chief who digs intelligence out of the capital through a mix of force, diligence and cleverness; Richard Dillane (“Wolf Hall,” The Dark Knight) as Deputy Liaison Gerald Ellman, a gentle, reserved man who plans his transfer to Budapest, but finds himself in a position of being collateral damage; and Bernhard Schütz (A Most Wanted Man) as Hans Richter, an old-world spy who has risen, against all odds, to the highest ranks of the BfV.

Michaël Roskam (Bullhead, The Drop) is an executive producer on the straight-to-series order and is directing the first two episodes. New York Times best-selling spy novelist Olen Steinhauer (The Tourist, All The Old Knives, The Cairo Affair) created the series and is also an executive producer. Bradford Winters (“Dig,” “The Americans,” “Boss,” “Oz") is the showrunner and an executive producer. Other executive producers for the series include Academy Award® winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Insider, Munich, “House of Cards”), and Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Keith Redmon and Luke Rivett from Anonymous Content (“True Detective,” “The Knick,” “Mr. Robot”).

“With Olen’s vision and a stellar cast, we believe Berlin Station is a game-changing project,” said Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX. “This powerful series has all the elements that we want to define EPIX as we launch our scripted programming slate: quality production values, a brilliant creative team and riveting storytelling.”

Berlin Station follows Daniel Miller, who has just arrived at the CIA foreign station in Berlin, Germany. Miller has a clandestine mission: to determine the identity of a now-famous whistleblower masquerading as “Thomas Shaw." Guided by jaded veteran Hector DeJean, Daniel learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field officer—agent-running, deception, danger and moral compromises. As he dives deeper into the German capital's hall of mirrors and uncovers the threads of a conspiracy that leads back to Washington, Daniel wonders: Can anyone ever be the same after a posting to Berlin?


About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on digital devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple® iPhones® and iPads®, Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).

About Paramount Television
Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of creative television programming across all media platforms. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.

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

2015 Primetime Emmy Award Winners; "Game of Thrones" Rules

The Emmy Award (or simply “Emmy”) recognizes excellence in the television industry.  It corresponds to the Academy Award (for film), the Grammy Award (for music), and the Tony Award (for theatre).  The best known Emmy Awards are the Primetime Emmys and Daytime Emmys.  However, Emmys are awarded for sports programming, for national news and documentaries, and for regional and international television, among others.

The 2015 Primetime Emmy Award winners were announced on Sunday, September 20, 2015.  Andy Samberg hosted the 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony that was broadcast FOX, live from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

2015 / 67th Emmy Award winners:

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
“Game of Thrones”

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
“Veep”

LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”

LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”

LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge”

LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”

LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”

REALITY-COMPETITION SERIES
“The Voice”

VARIETY SERIES
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”

LIMITED SERIES
“Olive Kitteridge”

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
“Inside Amy Schumer”

TELEVISION MOVIE
“Bessie”

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Peter Dinklage, “Game Of Thrones”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is The New Black”

GUEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Reg E. Cathey, “House of Cards”

GUEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Margo Martindale, “The Americans”

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Tony Hale, “Veep”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Allison Janney, “Mom”

GUEST ACTOR, COMEDY
Bradley Whitford, “Transparent”

GUEST ACTRESS, COMEDY
Joan Cusack, “Shameless”

SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Regina King, “American Crime”

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for Game Of Thrones, “Mother’s Mercy” from HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead, Television 360, Startling Television and Generator Productions

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
David Nutter for Game Of Thrones, “Mother’s Mercy” from HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead, Television 360, Startling Television and Generator Productions

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche for Veep, “Election Night” from HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with Dundee Productions

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Jill Soloway for Transparent, “Best New Girl” from Amazon Instant Video and Amazon Studios

WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Jane Anderson or “Olive Kitteridge” from HBO, HBO Miniseries in association with Playtone

DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Lisa Cholodenko for “Olive Kitteridge” from HBO, HBO Miniseries in association with Playtone

HOST, REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night”

STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
“Shark Tank”

UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
“Deadliest Catch”

WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Chuck O’Neil for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, “Show 20103″ from Comedy Central, Central Productions

SPECIAL CLASS PROGRAM
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street”

DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL
“Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief”

DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES
“The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst”

INFORMATIONAL SERIES OR SPECIAL
“Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown”

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
“Citizenfour”

A 2015 Creative Arts Emmy Award winners list is here.

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

Richard Armitage and Michelle Forbes Announced for Epix's "Berlin Station"

Epix Announces Richard Armitage for Lead and Michelle Forbes as Newest Additions to the Cast of Berlin Station – the Network’s Original Spy Series

A Modern-day Thriller Produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content – Debuts Fall 2016

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium TV network EPIX® announced today that Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, “Hannibal”) has been cast as the lead in Berlin Station, the 10-part contemporary spy series produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content. Armitage will portray Daniel Meyer, the cerebral, newly-anointed CIA case officer who goes from being an analyst at Langley to an undercover agent in Berlin tasked with finding an informant. Also joining the ensemble cast is Emmy® Award nominee Michelle Forbes (“The Killing,” “True Blood,” The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2) in the role of Valerie Edwards, the no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Section Head.

    “We are honored to have them join this stellar cast and that they will be taking on these intricate roles.”

Previously announced castings include: Academy Award® nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) as Steven Frost, a veteran of the Cold War who serves as the CIA’s Chief of the Berlin Station; and BAFTA Award-winner Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1, “Elementary,” Notting Hill) as Case Officer Hector DeJean, the darkly charming, tenacious agent who mentors Meyer.

Michaël Roskam (Bullhead, The Drop) will executive produce the straight-to-series order and direct the first two episodes. New York Times best-selling spy novelist Olen Steinhauer (The Tourist, All The Old Knives, The Cairo Affair), who wrote the first episode, will write and executive produce the series. Brad Winters (“Dig,” “The Americans,” “Boss,” “Oz") is serving as the showrunner and will executive produce. Other executive producers for the series include Academy Award® winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Insider, Munich, “House of Cards”), and Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Keith Redmon and Luke Rivett from Anonymous Content (“True Detective,” “The Knick,” “Mr. Robot”).

“We are very happy to have found our ‘Daniel’ to join this incredible ensemble cast,” said Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO of EPIX. “Richard is a singular talent who has the presence and attitude to bring this character and story to life. We are also honored that Michelle has joined Berlin Station. She is a gifted actor who embodies the richness of character pivotal to the show. This venture is an exciting step in the network’s continued commitment to bringing our viewers smart, sophisticated offerings that have a broad appeal.”

"Both Richard and Michelle are enormously talented actors who exhibit an on-screen intensity and passion that viewers respond to because of their intellect and ability to let transformation overcome their characters," said Amy Powell, President, Paramount TV. "We are honored to have them join this stellar cast and that they will be taking on these intricate roles."

Production on the series is scheduled to begin this Fall and premiere on EPIX in Fall 2016.

Berlin Station follows Daniel Meyer, who has just arrived at the CIA foreign station in Berlin, Germany. Meyer has a clandestine mission: to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower named “Thomas Shaw." Guided by jaded veteran Hector DeJean, Daniel learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field agent—agent-running, deception, the dangers and moral compromises. As he dives deeper into the German capital's hall of mirrors and uncovers the threads of a conspiracy that leads back to Washington, Daniel wonders: Can anyone ever be the same after a posting to Berlin?

Richard Armitage boasts a diverse resume in film, television and the stage, gaining momentum on UK shows including “MI-5”’ and “Robin Hood.” He achieved international recognition with his performance in the 2011 box office smash ‘Captain America: The First Avenger opposite Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving before following it up with his iconic performance as ‘Thorin’ in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, which has grossed over $1 billion to date.

Armitage’s other recent leading roles include John Swetnam’s Into the Storm for New Line, alongside Sarah Wayne Callie and Jeremy Sumpter, as well as Elliot Lester’s independent feature, Sleepwalker, opposite Ahna O’Reilly. This spring, Richard was seen in a recurring role on NBC’s “Hannibal” and just wrapped shooting in Ireland and Belgium for Pilgrimage opposite Tom Holland.

Armitage also returned to the stage this year, delivering a critically acclaimed performance as the lead of Arthur Miller’s modern drama, The Crucible, at the Old Vic Theatre.

Armitage is represented by WME, the law firm Sloane, Offer, Webber and Dern, LLP and Management 360.

Michelle Forbes’ recent portrayal of a grief-stricken mother in the AMC series “The Killing” earned her an Emmy® nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Prior to that, Forbes starred in the groundbreaking Alan Ball series “True Blood” for HBO. Additionally, she starred as Kate Weston in the HBO series “In Treatment,” opposite Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest.

Forbes can next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 for Lionsgate and just completed a one-season role in the A&E drama series “The Returned” (based on the hugely popular French series “Les Revenants”) from executive producers Carlton Cuse and Raelle Tucker.

Forbes also recurs in the acclaimed BBC series “Orphan Black” opposite Tatiana Maslany.

Forbes is represented by UTA.


About EPIX
EPIX® is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access online at EPIX.com and was the first premium network to launch on XBox 360, PlayStation® 3 and 4, Android phones and tablets, Windows 8.1 and Roku® players. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Chromecast and Apple® iPads® and iPhones® and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter and Periscope @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).

About Paramount Television
Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of creative television programming across all media platforms. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.

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

Review: "The Kingdom" is a Thrill Ride (Happy B'day, Richard Jenkins)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Kingdom (2007)
Running time:  110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence and for language
DIRECTOR:  Peter Berg
WRITER:  Matthew Michael Carnahan
PRODUCERS:  Peter Berg, Michael Mann, and Scott Stuber
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Colby Parker, Jr. and Kevin Stitt
COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman

ACTION/THRILLER/CRIME/DRAMA

Starring:  Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, Ali Suliman, Jeremy Piven, Richard Jenkins, Kyle Chandler, Frances Fisher, Danny Huston, Kelly AuCoin, Anna Deavere Smith, and Minka Kelly

The subject of this movie review is The Kingdom, a 2007 action thriller and crime drama directed by Peter Berg.  The film follows a team of agents from the United States, investigating the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.

When terrorists attack and kill over 100 people at the Al Rahmah Western Housing Compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, FBI Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) leads a small squad to investigate the bombing and find the culprits.  Once Fleury and the other U.S. agents – Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) – arrive, they learn that in Saudi Arabia, many consider them the true enemy.

Culture and the local bureaucracy hamper their investigation, but a local policeman, Col. Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), becomes sympathetic to Fleury’s predicament.  Soon, Fleury realizes that he and his team are the targets of the mysterious terrorist leader, Abu Hamza, but neither the threat of death or disgrace back home will stop Fleury’s mission.

With The Kingdom, director Peter Berg (The Rundown, Friday Night Lights) and writer Matthew Michael Carnahan (Lions for Lambs) dive headlong into the snake pit that movies about the “war on terrorism” and set in Middle East can be.  What Berg and Carnahan come up with is an imperfect, but entertaining and engaging action flick that doesn’t shy away from the fact that there are few if any easy answers when fighting the murderous criminals who are terrorists.

Berg doesn’t shy away from making a hardcore action movie.  There are intense car chases, with the requisite automobile flips and explosions, and there are sequences of manic gun battles that arrive in the kind of big slabs that keep an action movie junkie euphoric.  The screenplay even insists on being a police procedural, making The Kingdom something like Black Hawk Down meets Michael Mann’s Heat (Mann also co-produced The Kingdom), and TV’s “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

Honestly, the movie drags when it focuses on the investigation, detective work, and forensics.  On the other hand, The Kingdom soars when it lays on the gun battles and car violence.  When the movie tries to be an FBI investigation flick, the narrative and indeed the performances get bogged down in detective work and the complications that can arise when different cultures meet.  The film does raise several issues – asking questions that complicate what many only want to see as black and white.  Are the FBI agents seeking justice or are they out for revenge?  Does the subsequent violence only make matters worse?  Does anyone gain anything or does everyone lose?  These are the kind of questions that get a movie like this in trouble in the current political/social climate.  An action movie requires that everything be in black and white, but the film’s setting and the issues it tackles just won’t be divided in two like that.

Ultimately, The Kingdom is a riveting action thriller that delivers.  It affirms that Jamie Foxx can carry an action flick (but is there room for more than one or two action “stars of color?”), that Jason Bateman is funny, and that Jeremy Piven is a great character actor.  However, the audience might have to take on some sticky issues to enjoy the thrill ride that is The Kingdom.

7 of 10
B+

Friday, January 18, 2008

Updated:  Sunday, May 04, 2014

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Turbo" is Fast and Sweetly Furious

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Turbo (2013)
Running time:  96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild action and thematic elements
DIRECTOR:  David Soren
WRITERS:  Darren Lemke, Robert D. Siegel, and David Soren
PRODUCER:  Lisa Stewart
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Chris Stover
EDITOR:  James Ryan
COMPOSER:  Henry Jackman

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices) Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Samuel L. Jackson, Luis Guzman, Bill Hader, Snoop Dogg, Maya Rudolph, Ben Schwartz, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Patrick Bell, Aidan Andrews, Aaron Berger, Mario Andretti, Paul Page, Chris Parnell, and Kurtwood Smith

Turbo is a 2013 computer-animated family comedy and racing film from DreamWorks Animation.  Theatrically presented in 3D, the film is directed by David Soren, who first conceived the idea for the film several years prior to its eventual production and release.  Turbo follows an ordinary garden snail that wants to win the Indy 500 and may be able to do so because of a freak accident.

Turbo introduces Theo (Ryan Reynolds), a snail who lives in a suburban San Fernando Valley garden in a snail community that is wary of change.  Theo dreams of becoming the greatest race car driver in the world, just like his human hero, Guy Gagné (Bill Hader), five-time Indianapolis 500 champion.  Theo even gives himself the nickname, “Turbo.”  His obsession with speed and car racing makes Theo an oddity and embarrasses his cautious older brother, Chet (Paul Giamatti).

After causing a near-disaster in the garden, Theo wanders from the village, his mind focused on his wish of becoming fast.  By chance, an accident involving drag racing and nitrous oxide imbues Theo with high-octane speed.  Suddenly, his dreams of racing in the Indianapolis 500 might come true, but Theo/Turbo will learn that his dreams cannot come true without help from friends and family.

I like Turbo.  I thought that I would like it when I first staring seeing commercials for the film on television, although I must admit that I found its concept a little silly, if not ridiculous.  However, there is something likeable about this little can-do snail who goes by the moniker, Turbo.  It is like the little engine that could, except this little engine is blazing fast and fun to watch.

Surprisingly, Turbo is not as inventive as its concept might suggest.  The characters are pedestrian, especially the humans, upon which this film spends entirely too much time.  The humans have very little character, actually, and are little more than the kind of stereotypes that run of the mill TV sitcoms offer.

The other snail characters are interesting and fun, but are wasted because human characters get more screen time than them.  As Turbo’s brother, Chet, actor Paul Giamatti does his best to bring color and range to a character that is simply a variation on the older brother-type who doubts his younger brother.  Samuel L. Jackson makes the most of his scenes as the voice of Whiplash, the leader of the Starlight Plaza Snail crew.  The presence and fury that Jackson has as a live-action actor, he brings to his voice acting performance.  Jackson’s performance made me wish that Whiplash had a much bigger role in this movie.

I don’t know if Turbo could have been a great animated film, the kind that becomes a classic.  I think that Turbo certainly needed some rewriting and re-conceptualizing, but the film is good and has an endearing quality.  Turbo is one of the few animated films that I do not consider exceptional, but of which I would still like to see a sequel.

6 of 10
B

Monday, January 06, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Reach for "Jack Reacher"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Jack Reacher (2012)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, language and some drug material
DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie
WRITER: Christopher McQuarrie (based on the novel, One Shot, by Lee Child)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Gary Levinsohn, Kevin J. Messick, and Paula Wagner
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Caleb Deschanel (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Kevin Stitt
COMPOSER: Joe Kraemer

DRAMA/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney, Vladimir Sizov, Joseph Sikora, Michael Raymond-James, Alexia Fast, Josh Helman, and Robert Duvall

Jack Reacher is a 2012 drama and thriller film from writer-director Christopher McQuarrie. The film stars Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, a fictional character that originally appears in a series of novels by author Lee Child (the pen name British author Jim Grant). Jack Reacher the movie is based on the ninth Jack Reacher novel, One Shot (2005). The film follows Reacher as he investigates the case of a military sniper charged in a mass shooting.

Jack Reacher opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where an unknown man readies a sniper rifle and shoots five people dead. Former U.S. Army sniper James Barr (Joseph Sikora) is arrested for the crime. Investigating Detective Emerson (David Oyelowo) and District Attorney Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins) pressure Barr during interrogation to accept a plea deal that would spare him the death penalty. Barr, however, will only say, “Get Jack Reacher.”

Not long afterwards, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), a former U.S. Army Military Police Corps officer (a “military cop”), arrives in Pittsburgh, but Rodin and Emerson will not let him see the evidence against Barr. Reacher meets with Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), Barr’s attorney and the District Attorney’s daughter. Reacher reluctantly agrees to help Helen, and soon finds himself drawn into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with unknown forces that do not want the case against Barr investigated.

Jack Reacher is a suspense thriller. Because Reacher is always on the move and because the surprises and twists and turns come so fast and furious, the film is as much an action movie as it is anything else. Jack Reacher’s action movie credibility may be in doubt because the film isn’t jittery and loud like so many action movies. The explosions and gunfire are held to a minimum, so when they do happen, it means more to the narrative. Jack Reacher just makes the most out of its theatrics.

Everyone is a supporting actor and character to Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, but some make the most of their time. Standouts include David Oyelowo as the dour and menacing Detective Emerson, Jai Courtney as the vicious killer named Charlie, and the always-welcomed Robert Duvall. As the retired Marine and gun range owner, Martin Cash, Duvall brings some much-needed levity and humor to the film. Cash throws Reacher off his game a bit, which makes Reacher vulnerable and more interesting as a character in the movie’s final half-hour or so. That makes it seem as if Reacher really could be killed, in turn, heightening the sense danger.

Jack Reacher is a perfect role for Tom Cruise. Cruise’s obvious aloofness and brusque charm, as well as that innate cold-bloodedness (which he tries to hide), are a near-perfect fit for Jack Reacher. Cruise as Reacher is just fun to watch, and I found that not knowing what crazy, unexpected thing he was going to do or say made Cruise/Reacher fascinating, even enthralling.

I’m surprised that this movie was not a bigger hit than it was. Outside of the Mission: Impossible films, this is one of the better Tom Cruise movies. Jack Reacher shows why Cruise is a true movie star and a rather good actor to boot.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sundance London Adds Matthew McConaughey Movie to Schedule

SUNDANCE LONDON ADDS THREE FEATURE FILMS

Tickets now on sale at www.sundance-london.com

Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today that three feature films have been added to the programme for the second Sundance London film and music festival, 25-28 April at The O2. They are: A.C.O.D. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman), Mud (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) and Metro Manila (Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers). Tickets for all Sundance London films and panels, including those announced on March 11, are now on sale at www.sundance-london.com.

Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., selected the film and panel programming. Including the three films announced today, Sundance London will present 21 feature films and nine short films across four sections, including a new UK Spotlight. Of the 30 films in the festival, 26 films will make their international, European or UK premieres at Sundance London. Ten are by female filmmakers and six are by first-time feature filmmakers. The films collectively received 12 awards, including two Audience Awards, when they premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “With the addition of these three films, Sundance London will present an even more well rounded programme of independent films that represents the work we show at our Festival in Utah. In addition, each offers audiences a unique experience to interact with the artists behind exciting, challenging and entertaining work.”

For more information visit www.sundance-london.com or follow @SundancefestUK on Twitter.

FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME — The international and UK premieres of American independent narrative and documentary films that premiered in January at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

A.C.O.D. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman) — Carter is a well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce. So he thinks. When he discovers he was part of a divorce study as a child, it wreaks havoc on his family and forces him to face his chaotic past. Cast: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O'Hara, Amy Poehler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clark Duke. (Narrative) International Premiere

Mud (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and reunite him with his true love. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon. (Narrative) UK Premiere

UK SPOTLIGHT — Drawing on the Sundance Film Festival’s rich legacy of premiering outstanding films produced in the UK – including An Education, Four Weddings and a Funeral, In Bruges, In the Loop, Kinky Boots, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – this new showcase presents a selection of UK films that premiered in Park City, Utah.

Metro Manila (Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers) — Seeking a better life, Oscar and his family move from the poverty-stricken rice fields to the big city of Manila, where they fall victim to various inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival. Cast: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega. Winner of the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (Narrative) International Premiere

Review: "Blue Steel" is Mixes Horror and Crime Genres (Happy B'day, Kathryn Bigelow)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 75 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Blue Steel (1990)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA - R
DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow
WRITERS: Kathryn Bigelow and Eric Red
PRODUCERS: Edward R. Pressman and Oliver Stone
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Amir Mokri
EDITOR: Lee Percy
COMPOSER: Brad Fiedel

CRIME/THRILLER with elements of horror

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Elizabeth Pena, Louise Fletcher, Philip Bosco, Kevin Dunn, Tom Sizemore, Matt Craven, and Richard Jenkins

Blue Steel was director Kathryn Bigelow’s third directorial effort (her second solo feature), and like her earlier mixed genre efforts, the film is a horror flick dressed in the clothes of a cop movie.

When rookie policewoman Megan Turner (Jamie Lee Curtis) shoots an armed robber during a holdup, one of the witnesses is Wall Street broker, Eugene Hunt (Ron Silver). A psychotic who hears voices talking to him, Hunt becomes obsessed with Megan. He cunningly removes the robber’s gun, and quietly leaves the store without Megan ever realizing he was there. Hunt carves her name on the bullets and begins a killing spree. Later, Megan meets Eugene, and he woos her into a budding romance, but his extreme mental illness causes him to reveal his crimes to Megan. However, virtually no one believes that he is the killer. As the deadly psychopath draws the young cop into a deadly game of wits, Megan thinks she’s one step ahead of him, but Hunt is much closer than she thinks.

Casting Jamie Lee Curtis as the rookie female policeman was a good move. Having spent much of her early film career playing beautiful young women stalked by mad killers in such films as Halloween (1978), The Fog and Terror Train (both 1980), and Halloween II (1981), Curtis just feels right in Blue Steel as the feisty girl against the seemingly unstoppable mass murderer. She also looks the same in her early 30’s when Blue Steel was filmed as she did when she was just in his 20’s and starring in slasher movies in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The general idea of Blue Steel seems to be that Curtis’s Megan Turner never realizes just how precarious her situation is, whether she is at home (where her father is an abusive husband), in the office (where her colleagues don’t respect her), or on the streets of New York City (where the killer stalks her).

The problem is Kathryn Bigelow and Eric Red’s screenplay, which attacks plausibility at every turn. This is a brutal cat and mouse game, and Bigelow presents Blue Steel as an exercise of urban violence and fierce gunplay – the kind that was fashionable in 1980’s action movies such as Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Much of the violence is a kick in the gut, but this concept plays with the conceit of horror movies (where many things that happen don’t have to make sense) rather than cop movies (where most things should make real world sense). In the Blue Steel, the killer is unstoppable and somewhat supernatural and the girl hero and the police department don’t seem to have much common sense, which they should.

5 of 10
C+

Thursday, May 10, 2007

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

Review: "The Cabin in the Woods" Mixes New Ideas with Tired Cliches

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 75 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use and some sexuality/nudity
DIRECTOR: Drew Goddard
WRITERS: Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard
PRODUCER: Joss Whedon
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Lisa Lassek
COMPOSER: David Julyan

HORROR/COMEDY with elements of an action film

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Brian White, Amy Acker, Tim DeZarn, Tim Lenk, and Sigourney Weaver

The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 comedy horror film directed and co-written by Drew Goddard and produced and co-written by Joss Whedon. Whedon and Goddard worked together on Whedon’s television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel. The film focuses on five friends who visit a remote cabin in the woods where they get more than the fun they bargained for.

Dana Polk (Kristen Connolly), Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth), Jules Louden (Anna Hutchison), Marty Mikalski (Fran Kranz), and the new guy, Holden McCrea (Jesse Williams), decide to take a break from school. The group travels to a remote area where there is a cabin owned by Curt’s cousin. They like the cabin’s rustic décor, but are surprised to find that the cellar is full of weird and bizarre odds and ends. They don’t know that their visit to the cabin in the woods has initiated something horrifying.

The Cabin in the Woods was filmed and completed back in 2009, but its release was delayed by the financial troubles of MGM. Lionsgate purchased the film and gave it a wide release in April 2012. I mention that the film is a little over three-years-old because Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard apparently wrote The Cabin in the Woods’ screenplay as a response to the “torture porn” horror film genre.

This kind of scary movie has been popular for the past several years, although its popularity seems to have peaked about three or four years ago. The genre’s most famous examples would be the Hostel and Saw film franchises. Torture porn isn’t the big horror movie thing anymore because it was surpassed by something new. Now, it’s demonic possession movies, especially films featuring possessed white girls. In the real world, white girls get snatched up by strangers. In the movie world, demons snatch their asses.

Anyway, as is to be expected of anything from two of the big Buffy/Angel guys, The Cabin in the Woods is fun and funny, and it also has a clever concept. However, the film never really seems to reach its potential; it’s as if Whedon and Goddard came up with an idea that deserved something bigger than what they planned for it. It is almost a good slasher movie; not quite developed enough to be a supernatural evil movie; and a slight misfire as a strange science fiction and H.P. Lovecraft-type weird horror movie.

Still, The Cabin in the Woods is funny, strange, and clever enough to be a welcome change for horror movie fans. Maybe, the film is such a novelty that its tricks could not work a second time, but for the most part, they work this first time.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

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

Review: "The Visitor" Brings a Love of People

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Visitor (2008)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for brief strong language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Thomas McCarthy
PRODUCERS: Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Oliver Bokelberg (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Tom McArdle
COMPOSER: Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, and Hiam Abbass

The Visitor is a 2008 drama written and directed by Thomas McCarthy. The film focuses on a lonely college professor whose life changes when he becomes wrapped up in the lives of a trio of undocumented immigrants. This forces him to deal with issues of immigration in post 9/11 New York City.

Widower Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is an economics professor living and working in Connecticut. He not only lives a solitary existence, but he is also somewhat estranged from this colleagues. Walter reluctantly travels to New York City to deliver a paper at a conference, but when he arrives at an apartment he maintains in Manhattan, he is surprised to find a young unmarried couple squatting there. They are Tarek Khalil (Haaz Sleiman), a Palestinian-Syrian who plays the djembe (a type of drum), and his girlfriend, Zainab (Danai Gurira), a designer of ethnic jewelry from Senegal.

Walter learns that Tarek and Zainab are illegal immigrants, but he lets them stay in his apartment while they look for another place to live. He develops a friendship with them, but that friendship is tested when Tarek is arrested and sent to a detention center in Queens for illegal immigrants. Tarek’s mother, Mouna (Hiam Abbass), comes to NYC, and Walter also bonds with her as they try to keep Tarek from being deported back to Syria.

Much of The Visitor is sad and melancholy, and Walter Vale’s loneliness and grief permeate this film. This is, however, not a bad thing because as Walter bounds with his new immigrant friends, we slowly, but gradually see glimpses of the happiness he once had. And it’s a pretty thing. Movies about people connecting and coming together can be beautiful, and this humanist tale finds joy and light even in disappointment and heartbreak.

Good performances abound, but, of course, Richard Jenkins, who earned an Oscar nod for his turn as Walter, is the standout. Jenkins augments the wonderful everyman quality he brings to his work with subtle expressions which turn Walter into a conundrum that viewers will want to unravel and The Visitor a movie they will want to see.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2009 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Richard Jenkins)

2009 Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture”

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

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

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

Review: "Burn After Reading" is the Best Moron Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Burn After Reading (2008)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence
WRITERS/DIRECTORS: The Coen Brothers
PRODUCERS: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Emmanuel Lubezki
EDITORS: Roderick Jaynes (Ethan Coen and Joel Coen)
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell
Golden Globe nominee

COMEDY

Starring: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, J.K. Simmons, Olek Krupa, Michael Countryman, Kevin Sussman, Elizabeth Marvel, and David Rasche

I certainly like Coen Brothers movies like No Country for Old Men and True Grit. These are classically formal, traditional Hollywood tales of murderous men and frontier justice done in the Bros.’ idiosyncratic style. These are the kinds of movie that will appeal to broad audiences and attract Oscar attention.

However, I prefer to watch the Bros.’ films that reflect their assumed quirky sensibilities: movies like The Big Lebowski, Intolerable Cruelty, and the 2008 flick, Burn After Reading. “Quirky” may not necessarily be the appropriate word. Coen Bros.’ films like Burn After Reading and the Academy Award-winning Fargo seem strange because, from top to bottom, the characters in these movies are unusually fascinating, especially compared to the characters that appear in most American movies.

Burn After Reading takes place in Washington D.C. It begins with Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a CIA analyst who quits his job in a huff and decides to write his memoirs. A compact disc copy of the memoirs ends up in the hands of two moronic employees of Hardbodies gym. After perusing the contents of the disc, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) and Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) decide that Cox should pay them money to get it back. Meanwhile, Osbourne’s wife, pediatrician Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), is having an affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a womanizing U.S. Marshal and agent of the U.S. Treasury. When Osbourne refuses to pay them, Chad and Linda try to sell the disc to the Russian embassy, but that only makes things worse.

Joel and Ethan Coen are supernaturally good at creating characters that seem eccentric, odd, and even peculiar. When you look at them closely, however, you may discover how maddeningly, poignantly, and hilariously human they seem to be. Their motivations are petty and absurd, but oh-so familiar. Their lives are exciting, strange, and sometimes boring, and the characters are as dull as they are fascinating. The Coens fill Burn After Reading with such characters. This tale of Washington D.C. insiders and outsiders playing a poorly executed game of espionage is an unforgettable farce because of them.

As usual, the Coens get excellent performances from the cast, acting that brings such atypical screen characters to life. Once again, George Clooney is dead-on as (for the third time) a Coen Bros. fool. Frances McDormand’s sparkling dramatic turn is pitch-perfect for this farce, and she has marvelous screen chemistry with Brad Pitt, who once again proves that he is exceptionally good in supporting roles and character parts.

Burn After Reading creates a confederacy of dunces for our entertainment. This savage comedy about vain idiots who always think they have the goods on everyone else may one day be an American classic. Today, it is a slice of America that captures the entire American pie.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2009 BAFTA Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Screenplay – Original” (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen), “Best Supporting Actor” (Brad Pitt), and “Best Supporting Actress” (Tilda Swinton)

2009 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Frances McDormand)

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

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