Review: Original "HOCUS POCUS" Still Casts a Friendly Spell

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 of 2022 (No. 1868) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hocus Pocus (1993)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some scary sequences, and for language
DIRECTOR:  Kenny Ortega
WRITERS: Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert (from a story by Mick Garris and David Kirschner)
PRODUCERS:  Steve Haft and David Kirschner
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Hiro Narita (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Peter E. Berger
COMPOSER:  John Debney

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, Stephanie Faracy, Charles Rocket, Sean Murray, Amanda Shepherd, Larry Bagby III, Tobias Jelinek, Doug Jones, and Jason Marsden (voice) with Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall

Hocus Pocus is a 1993 fantasy, supernatural comedy, and Halloween film directed by Kenny Ortega.  The film focuses on the new boy in town who ignores local Halloween legend and lore and unwittingly awakens a trio of scheming witches who were executed 300 years earlier.

Hocus Pocus opens on October 31, 1693 (All Hallow's Eve), in Salem, Massachusetts.  A boy named Thackery Binx (Sean Murray) tries to save his little sister, Emily (Amanda Shepherd), from the schemes of Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson (Bette Midler) and her two sisters, Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), who are all witches.  Thackery fails to save Emily, whose life force is drained in order to make the witch sisters young again.  The witches curse Thackery with eternal life and transform him into a black cat.  However, the vengeful townsfolk capture the Sanderson sisters and hang them, but not before Winifred casts a curse.  According to this curse, the Sanderson sisters will be resurrected during a full moon on All Hallows' Eve if a virgin lights the “Black Flame Candle” in their cottage.  Thackery, now a black cat, decides to guard the cottage in order to keep anyone from bringing the witches back to life.

Three hundred years later, it is October 31, 1993 – Halloween.  Teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) is the new kid in Salem, where he has moved from Los Angeles with his sister, Dani (Thora Birch), and their mother (Stephanie Faracy) and father (Charles Rocket).  Max's parents force him to take Dani out trick-or-treating.  One of the houses they visit is the home of Allison (Vinessa Shaw), Max's classmate at Jacob Bailey High School and a beautiful teen girl upon whom he has a crush.

Looking to do something different on Halloween, Max, Allison and Dani visit the former Sanderson cottage, which became a museum before it was shut down.  There, Max, a virgin, lights the Black Flame Candle which, in turn, resurrects, Winnifred, Sarah, and Mary.  Now, the three children join the still alive Thackery the black cat (voice of James Marsden), and William “Billy” Butcherson (Doug Jones) the zombie in a bid to stop the Sanderson sisters from sucking the souls out of all the children of Salem, which would give them eternal youth and immortality.

I remember that Walt Disney did mount a somewhat strong marketing campaign for Hocus Pocus upon it original release in 1993, but the film under-performed at the theatrical box office.  [I won't describe it as a box office bomb, as some do.]  In the 1990s, I worked at a video store and our VHS copy of Hocus Pocus was frequently rented, especially during Halloween.  During the last decade and a half, Hocus Pocus has exploded in a popularity due to repeated shows on “The Disney Channel” and what is now known as “Freeform.”  That popularity resulted in the production of a recently released sequel, Hocus Pocus 2 (via the “Disney+” streaming service).  The arrival of the sequel was the impetus I needed to finally watch the original Hocus Pocus from beginning to end, which I had never done, although I had been putting it off literally for decades.

Having finally seen it, I really like it.  Honestly, despite my best attempts, I can't find anything to dislike about it.  Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are a riot as the Sanderson sisters, even if Midler is a little too over the top … here and there.  The sisters' costumes and the Halloween costumes worn by the townsfolk are impressive and imaginative, especially the sisters garb.  The sets and art direction are visually perfect, creating a pop Gothic mood and playful macabre sensibility that are pitch-perfect for a family-oriented Halloween film.

The child actors: Omri Katz as Max, Thora Birch as Dani, and Vinessa Shaw as Allison are quite good, and Max ably carries the film.  I do find the emphasis on Max's virginity to be a bit odd.  Billy the zombie and Thackery the black cat are pitch perfect supporting characters for this film.  Hocus Pocus is an impressive bit of directing on the part of Kenny Ortega and also smooth editing on the part of Peter E. Berger.  Hocus Pocus never stops moving; it has a brisk and appealing pace that can make the viewer lose track of time.  I certainly did.

I highly recommend Hocus Pocus for a family viewing night.  It is not a masterpiece of American cinema, but it is simply as perfect and as effective as it can be.  The critics who initially panned Hocus Pocus were sourpusses, and may still be sourpusses … dead or alive.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, October 2, 2022


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 5th, 2022 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Variety:  "And Just Like That": Samantha's not coming back and that's the way Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King want it.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Director David Lynch has joined the cast of Steven Spielberg's next film, "The Fabelmans."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   CBS has given a pilot order to a mother-and-son legal drama from Scott Prendergrast and Dr. Phil McGraw (of "The Dr. Phil Show," of course).

TELEVISION - From Deadline: The CW has ordered pilots for a spinoff/prequel of its current hit, "Walker," entitled "Walker: Independence" and a prequel to a former hit, "Supernatural," entitled "The Winchesters." They have also ordered a pilot for a DC Comics universe series, "Gotham Knights."

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon Prime is raising the price of an annual Prime membership from $119 to $139.

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix has releases an official trailer for "2022 Movie Preview," which includes looks at "Knives Out 2," "The Day Shift," and "The School of Good and Evil" to name 

MOVIES - From THR:  With the success of the recent fifth installment of "Scream," there will be a sixth film that will go into production this summer.  The creative team behind the recent film will return.

TELEVISON - From Deadline:  Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith will reunite for an episode of Latifah's CBS series, "The Equalizer."  The two have previously co-starred in such films as "Set It Off," and "The Secret Life of Bees," and "Girls Trip."

STAR TREK - From Deadline:  According to sources...  Paramount+ is expanding its "Star Trek" slate.  "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is in development at CBS Studios and Alex Kurtzman’s studio-based Secret Hideout for the ViacomCBS streamer.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Paramount+ is developing a reboot of CBS' long-running series, "Criminal Minds" (2005-2020).

DISNEY - From GeekFeed:  Disney+ will apparently produced a television series based on author Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" books.  20th Century Fox adapted the books into two film, beginning in 2010.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American writer and sports journalist, Robin Herman, has died at the age of 70, Tuesday, February 1, 2022.  Herman became one of the first women to gain access to a National Hockey League (NHL) locker room when she and another female reporter gained access following the 1975 NHL All-Star Game in 1975.  She was also the first female sportswriter in the history of "The New York Times."

From Deadline:  Actor Moses J. Moseley has died at the age of 31.  His body was found Wednesday, January 26, 2022, and police are investigating his death as a possible suicide.  On AMC's "The Walking Dead," he played one of Michonne's pet "walkers" (the dead).  He also appeared in the television series, "Queen of the South" and "Watchmen."

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AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced.  "Dune" leads with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced March 13th.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced March 12th.

From COFCA:  The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.

From Deadline:  Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.  The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four.  Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety:  The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety:   At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Variety:  The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards.  Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms.  The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From THR:   A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.  This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

From Deadline:   Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline:  Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 11th, 2020 - Update #28

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Black Neff, the writer most responsible for the shit that Fox News personality, Tucker Carlson, spews from his mouth, has resigned from Fox after CNN Business discovered a Neff's racist and sexist post on an online forum.

BLM - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress and activist, Rashida Jones, is the daughter of an African-American man (music legend Quincy Jones) and a white actress (Peggy Lipton).  Regarding Black Lives Matter protests mean that this is the time for the country to show what it can be.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actors Zendaya and John David Washington made a secret movie during the COVID-19 pandemic with Euphoria creator, Sam Levinson.  The film, entitled "Malcolm & Marie," has already completed production.

POLITICS - From RSN:  Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich warns of a looming even worse "Great Recession."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Jude Law is in talks to portray Captain Hook in Disney's live-action Peter Pan film, "Peter Pan & Wendy."

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award winning actress Viola Davis' "Black Meryl Streep" speech goes viral again.

COVID-19 - From LATimes:  Tom Hanks is baffled by people who don't take COVID-19 seriously.  Hanks and his wife, film producer/singer Rita Wilson, both contracted COVID-19.

CELEBRITY - From Vulture:  The Emmy Award-winning actress, Thandie Newton, gives up juicy details in this career-spanning interview with "Vulture."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Blacklisted NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has signed a first look deal with the Walt Disney Company.  Part of the deal includes a documentary series produced by ESPN Films.

DISNEY - From YahooEnterainment:  Why "Song of the South" is still a cultural flashpoint...

BLM - From YahooNews:  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that some soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C. to possibly assist in thwarting Black Lives Matter protests were issued bayonets, USA TODAY has confirmed.

CULTURE - From Slate:   How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood

STAR TREK-ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The new Star Trek animated comedy series, "Star Trek: Lower Decks," debuts August 6th, 2020 on the streaming service, CBS All Access.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  The lovely Sarah Jessica Parker is developing a dating show for the Lifetime cable network.

COVID-19/CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Acclaimed actress Jennifer Aniston pleads with her fans to wear masks to prevent the spread of #COVID19.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Mike Judge has signed a 2-season deal with Comedy Central to revive his animated creation, "Beavis and Butt-Head," which includes spin-offs and specials.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Apple will pay a record amount for the Antoine Fuqua-Will Smith project, "Emancipation."  The deal may exceed $120 million.

MOVIES - From Vulture:  The site asks if it is safe to go to the movies right now.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone, has died at the age of 91, Monday, July 6, 2020.  Morricone is best known to American audiences for scoring director Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy, and Morricone's score for the the third film in that trilogy, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," is considered one of the most influential film scores in history.  Morricone received an "Honorary Academy Award" in 2007.  He received six competitive Academy Award nominations, finally winning the "Best Original Score" Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" (2015).

From Deadline:  Screen and television writer, Bettina Gilois, has died at the age of 58, Sunday, July 5, 2020.  She was best known for co-writing the 2015 HBO TV miniseries, "Bessie," (for which she earned an Emmy nomination) and for co-writing two sports films, 2006's "Glory Road" and 2015's "McFarland USA."

From Deadline:  Broadway and television actor, Nick Cordero, has died at the age of 41, Sunday, July 5, 2020, of complications of COVID-19.  He had been battling the disease since early April.  Cordero received a Tony Award nomination for his role in "Bullets Over Broadway," and appeared in such productions as "A Bronx Tale," "Rock of Ages," and "Waitress."

From THR:  Trailblazing Black British actor, Earl Cameron, died at the age of 102, Friday, July 3, 2020.  Born in Bermuda, Cameron became the first Black actor to play a role in a mainstream British film with his appearance in the 1951 film, "Pool of London."  Cameron's character in the film, "Johnny Lambert," also has an interracial romance, which also broke ground in British cinema.

From THR:  The broadcaster, television host, and news anchor, Hugh Downs, has died at the age of 99, Wednesday, July 1, 2020.  Downs game to fame a co-host of NBC's "Today" from 1962 to 1971.  He was probably best known as the anchor of ABC News television magazine, "20/20," from 1978 to 1999.

From Deadline:  Pioneering television comedy writer and director, Carl Reiner has died at the age of 98, Monday, June 29, 2020.  Reiner is best known as the creator and writer-director and actor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66).  Five of the 9 Primetime Emmy Awards Reiner won were for his work on the show.  He first came to big TV fame and acclaim working on Sid Ceasar's TV series, "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) and "Ceasar's Hour" (NBC, 1954-57).  Reiner was also famous for being the son of television and film writer, director, and actor, Rob Reiner.

From Deadline:  Mel Brooks pays homage to his friend, the late, great Carl Reiner.


BLACK LIVES MATTER NEWS:

From RSN:  The four corners of police violence

From TheIntercept:  Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.

From YahooNews:  "The Confederacy of California": life in the valley where Robert Fuller was found hanged

From CNN:  Colorado police officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain reassigned for safety reasons.

From Truthout: " Three North Carolina Police Fired for Racist Rants, Threats to Kill Black People" - and what they said is crazy and scary

From Truthout: Bryant Gumbel Gives Powerful Commentary on the 'Black Tax,' the 'Added Burden' of Being Black

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated songwriter and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Ray Parker, Jr., may be best known for writing the theme to the film, "Ghostbusters," but when he was a teenager, Parker was beaten by Detroit police officers.

From RSNewYorker:  Jelani Cobb: An American Spring of Reckoning.

From NBCNews:  Baton Rouge, LA activist, Gary Chambers, makes an impassioned speech about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge.

From YahooNews:  Racial violence and a pandemic: How the Red Summer of 1919 relates to 2020

From DemocracyNow:   Fear Grows of Modern-Day Lynchings as Five People of Color Are Found Hanged

From NYPost:  Caramel, Indiana Catholic priest suspended for comparing Black Lives Matters activists to maggots.

From NBCNews:   NYPD is disbanding a unit that is the 'last chapter' of stop-and-frisk

From YahooLifestyle:  A history of the "Karen."


CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From Truthout:  Trump Moves to End Federal Support for Testing Sites Amid Record COVID Spikes

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

From NYPost:  Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are reportedly throwing “COVID parties” with their friends and gambling on who will get sick first, according to local officials.

From KABB:  Alice Guzman, the stepmother of Congressman Joaquin Castro and former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, has died of COVID-19.  Their father is also ill with the virus.


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Original "Footloose" Still Cuts Loose

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 81 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


Footloose (1984)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Herbert Ross
WRITER: Dean Pitchford
PRODUCERS: Lewis J. Rachmil and Craig Zadan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ric Waite (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Paul Hirsch
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/MUSIC with elements of romance

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Christopher Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Laughlin, Elizabeth Gorcey, Frances Lee McCain, Jim Youngs, Lynne Marta, Arthur Rosenberg, and Timothy Scott

Footloose is a 1984 teen drama in which the story is driven, in part, by its pop music soundtrack. The film was a hit upon its initial release, and the soundtrack sold over nine millions copies, with two songs from the film earning Oscar nominations. Footloose spawned a 1998 Broadway musical and is the subject of a 2011 remake.

Footloose focuses on Ren MacCormack (Kevin Bacon), a teenager raised in Chicago. As the movie begins, Ren and his mother, Ethel (Frances Lee McCain), have just moved to the small Midwestern town of Bomont to live with Ethel’s sister, Lulu (Lynne Marta) and her husband, Wes Warnicker (Arthur Rosenberg). Ren soon makes a friend of a local kid, Willard Hewitt (Chris Penn), and eventually attracts the attention of a wild, but pretty teen girl, Ariel Moore (Lori Singer).

Ren, who likes to dance and play loud music, soon learns that dancing and loud music are not allowed in Bomont, mainly because of Ariel’s stern father, Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow). Ren decides that his senior class should have a prom, but he and his small circle of friends may have to take on the entire town, especially the town council, if they want to hold a dance in public.

There is a lot of cheesy synthesizer-driven music on the soundtrack and plenty of weird dance moves are on display. Still, Footloose is actually a good little teen drama. It’s like an ABC After School Special with a soundtrack, and if Dean Pitchford’s script is anything, it is sincere.

The story is rarely overwrought, and Pitchford created familiar characters without making them stereotypes. I’ve seen John Lithgow’s character, Rev. Moore, described as a “bible thumper,” and Moore is not. Even if the character were, Lithgow, an accomplished actor, would never play Shaw Moore as such. He is a complex man who means well and sincerely cares about the people of Bomont. The arc of his character is a journey to make sure that his good intentions don’t pave a road to Hell.

Kevin Bacon made a star turn as Ren in Footloose, and while the character can be a bit overexcited, Bacon makes Ren likeable and genuine. Of course, Sarah Jessica Parker sparkles, showing a hint of what her fans love about her today, and it’s good to see Chris Penn young, in shape, and nice looking – the Chris Penn before the weight, the drugs, and the tragic ending.

Footloose stands the test of time. I think it is as good today as it was 27-and-a-half years ago. I will give it the same grade I gave it back then, and I’d even watch it again. Its story of friendship and small town melodrama are more engaging than quaint.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
1985 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Music, Original Song” (Kenny Loggins-music and Dean Pitchford-lyric for the song "Footloose") and “Best Music, Original Song” (Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford for the song "Let's Hear It for the Boy")

1985 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Kenny Loggins and Dean Pitchford for the song "Footloose")

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

And Now for the Haters: 2011 Razzie Award "Winners"

According to "The Odds" column at the The Wrap.com, there were 637 voters for this year dis-honors.  The Last Airbender and Sex and the City 2 took the brunt of these voters' ire.  Airbender is problematic, but I like Sex and the City 2:

2011 Razzie Award (not really) Winners:

Worst Picture: "The Last Airbender"


Worst Director: M. Night Shyamalan, "The Last Airbender"

Worst Actor: Ashton Kutcher, "Killers" and "Valentine's Day"

Worst Actress: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, "Sex and the City 2"

Worst Supporting Actor: Jackson Rathbone, "The Last Airbender" and "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"

Worst Supporting Actress: Jessica Alba, "The Killer Inside Me," "Little Fockers," "Machete" and "Valentine's Day"

Worst Screen Couple of Ensemble: "Sex and the City 2"

Worst Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan, "The Last Airbender"

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel: "Sex and the City 2"

Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D: "The Last Airbender"

Review: "Failure to Launch" Flies Alright

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 175 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Failure to Launch (2006)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Tom Dey
WRITERS: Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember
PRODUCERS: Scott Rudin and Scott Aversano
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Claudio Miranda
EDITOR: Steven Rosenblum

COMEDY/ROMANCE

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper, Kathy Bates, and Terry Bradshaw, Tyrell Jackson Williams, Rob Corddry, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Tobolowsky, Kate McGregor-Stewart, and Adam Alexi-Malle

Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) still lives with his parents, Sue and Al (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw), and they’re desperate to push him out of the nest. They hire Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), a relationship consultant. She’s a kind of professional interventionist who uses her tried-and-proved tactics to pretend to fall in love with a guy. Paula wants to make a client feel good about himself and improve his self-esteem to the point where he’s ready to live on his own. Paula, however, finds herself falling for Tripp, but what will she do if he finds out that his parents paid her to date him?

The concept behind Failure to Launch is dumb. It’s just a desperate film concoction with the specific purpose of creating one of those mismatched pair/star-crossed lovers scenarios – the kind of tale of unlikely love that audiences just love. What makes it work so well? It’s probably the cast, which itself seems mismatched, but somehow works together (and the chance to see former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in his birthday suit). Somehow through all the stupid things the characters did, through all the treacherous acts that people commit against the ones they love (the road to Hell…), and through the holes in both the concept and the plot, Failure to Launch left me humming with feel good satisfaction. It even made my cynicism smile.

6 of 10
B

Friday, August 11, 2006

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Review: "Sex and the City 2" is a Little Lost in the Desert

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 98 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sex and the City 2 (2010)
Running time: 146 minutes (2 hours, 26 minutes)
MPAA – R for some strong sexual content and language
DIRECTOR: Michael Patrick King
WRITER: Michael Patrick King (based upon the book by Candace Bushnell and the television series created by Darren Star)
PRODUCERS: Michael Patrick King, John Melfi, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Darren Star
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Thomas (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michael Berenbaum

COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone, Willie Garson, Liza Minelli, John Corbett, Omid Djalili, Art Malik, Raza Jaffrey, Lynn Cohen, Joseph Pupo, Miley Cyrus, Penélope Cruz, and Alexandra Fong and Parker Fong

Sex and the City was an American comedy television series that was originally broadcast on HBO over six seasons from 1998 to 2004. Created by Darren Star, the series was based in part on Candice Bushnell’s book of the same title and spawned a hit feature film in 2008. The success of the first film gave birth to a sequel, Sex and the City 2, released earlier this year.

Sex and the City 2 opens two years after the wedding that almost wasn’t. Now, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and John Preston A.K.A. Mr. Big (Chris Noth) have settled down, but John has settled down a bit more than Carrie likes. Meanwhile, Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), now 52, fights a never-ending battle to stay ahead of menopause. Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) struggles at the law firm where she works and where her new boss seems not to like her. Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) struggles with being a mother of two children, especially because her youngest is in the full throes of the terrible twos.

An Arab sheikh (Art Malik) approaches Samantha about devising a PR campaign for his business. He offers to fly her and her friends to an all-expenses-paid luxury vacation in his country Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). Once in the country, the girls find themselves living like royalty, but trouble is ahead. Carrie runs into an old boyfriend and Samantha chafes under Abu Dhabi’s strict laws about showing public affection and how women may act.

While much of the first film was about the girls and the people in their lives, Sex and the City 2 is primarily about the girls, and from there, Carrie and Samantha (to a lesser extent) dominate the film. There is nothing wrong with that, except that the film lacks conflict, and the drama is more like melodrama. The film is too insular, and considering that these four women already seem pampered and spoiled, the lavish Arabian setting in which this film drops them, makes them seem even more pampered and spoiled. Carrie’s troubles with Mr. Big come across as slight, petty, and childish, and even Samantha gives the impression that she is less a lusty woman and more a desperate trollop. Her two sex scenes are certainly funny, but in a way, look mechanical.

Still, I had fun with this movie. I enjoy watching Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte going places together where they can have fun and just talk about whatever and the luxuries of Abu Dhabi are nice. While Sex and the City 2 is not as good as the first film, it is always good to have the girls around, and this movie won’t stop fans from wanting a third trip to the theatres to see them.

6 of 10
B

Thursday, December 02, 2010

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Review: "Sex and the City: The Movie" is Groovy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 86 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sex and the City (2008)
Running time: 145 minutes (2 hours, 25 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language
DIRECTOR: Michael Patrick King
WRITER: Michael Patrick King (based upon the book by Candace Bushnell and the television series created by Darren Star)
PRODUCERS: Michael Patrick King, John Melfi, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Darren Star
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Thomas (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michael Berenbaum

COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Jennifer Hudson, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone, Candice Bergen, Lynn Cohen, Gilles Marini, Joseph Pupo, and Alexandra Fong and Parker Fong

Sex and the City was an American comedy television series that was originally broadcast on HBO over six seasons from 1998 to 2004. Created by Darren Star, the series was based in part on Candice Bushnell’s book of the same title.

Sex and the City the series focused on 30-something Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a columnist for the fictional New York Star and book author, and her three best friends: 30-somethings Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and 40-something Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). The girls often discussed their desires, sexual fantasies, love, and life. In 2008, the TV series made it to the big screen as Sex and the City: The Movie.

The movie’s story opens four years after the television series ended. Carrie and the on-again/off-again love of her life, John Preston A.K.A. Mr. Big (Chris Noth) are about to get married, but what began as a modest wedding has nearly quadrupled in sized. As her 50th birthday approaches, Samantha is living in Los Angeles with her boy toy actor boyfriend, Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis). Samantha is also Smith’s manager, and she is starting to feel like a housewife, which she does not like.

Miranda and her husband, Steve Brady (David Eigenberg), have stopped having sex, and their marriage is in trouble, bigger trouble than she thinks. Charlotte and her husband, Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler), are also in for a big surprise regarding their marriage. 20 years after they first met in New York City, the girls are still supporting one another, and they need each other now more than ever.

I’ve only seen a few episodes of the Sex in the City series, and that was only in syndication when the episodes were edited for content. To date, I have liked what I’ve seen, although the series obviously isn’t aimed at me or my demographic group. The characters are what appeal to me. Each has personality traits which both attract and repel, but those characteristics are more substantive than quirky. Perhaps, I like them because I expected them to be vacuous, but instead found them engaging.

Carrie Bradshaw and friends are not shallow. While they are professional women living lives of affluence and abundance, those lives are not without conflict, drama, and dilemmas. The glamour is not without some gloom, and writer/director Michael Patrick King (a driving force behind the television series) freely goes to some dark places in the lives of the women.

Sex in the City is partly about love and all its complications – even the gritty complications that cause you hurt and make you want to punish the love of your life. Sex and the City, however, is really all about the girls. If you loved them in the series, you’ll love going through hell, healing wounds, and enjoying friends and family with them in this film. Sex and the City: The Movie is both effervescent and tart the way romantic comedy should be, and this movie is one of the best modern romantic comedies.

7 of 10
A-

Monday, October 25, 2010

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Review: "Ed Wood" Biopic is Still a Delight (Happy B'day, Ed Wood)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 161 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ed Wood (1994)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPAA – R for some strong language
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITERS: Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (based upon the book Nightmare of Ecstasy by Rudolph Grey)
PRODUCERS: Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stefan Czapsky
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner

COMEDY/DRAMA/BIOPIC

Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones, Bill Murray, Max Casella, Brent Hinkley, Lisa Marie, Vincent D’Onofrio, and George “The Animal” Steele

Martin Landau won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, a biopic of the legendary director of such “awful” movies as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Glen or Glenda. A box office flop when it was released on Halloween night in 1994, Ed Wood still earned rave reviews and today is a fan favorite amongst many movie buffs. At the time, it was Tim Burton’s best directorial effort since Beetlejuice (1988) and since that film, he has not made another film that is closer to the spirit he showed in his early works.

Edward D. Wood, Jr. (Johnny Depp) wanted to be a great filmmaker, but probably lacked the talent and skills, if not the vision, to be one. Just before his career kicks off in the early 1950’s, Wood meets the infamous Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau) best known for starring in horror films, and especially for his trademark work, the 1931 film version of Dracula. Lugosi, a heroin addict on the tale end of his career and financial strapped, joins Ed Wood’s gang of merry idiots, outcasts, and weirdoes to make three truly awful films. Ed Wood and the elder thespian become close friends as Wood struggles to finance his pictures.

It’s difficult to find fault with Ed Wood, as pretty much everything about the film is top notch, from the wonderful art direction and costumes to Howard Shore’s magnificent score. Cinematographer Stefan Czapsky’s glorious black and white photography remains one of the best examples of black and white film used as an artistic choice in the last quarter century.

Ed Wood claims to be a mostly true story of Wood the filmmaker, but Burton’s intent here is what his intent is in many of his films – to tell the uplifting story of the outcast, outsider, weirdo, or nonconformist who struggles to do his own thing in spite of what normal society says. The script, by biopic experts Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt and Man on the Moon), takes a naïve, idealistic, and ultimately light-hearted approach in examining people who do really bad work, but who have the best intentions. The writers don’t, however, play everything as happy-go-lucky because the story depicts an awful lot of frustrations in the way of Wood and his crew.

Stylistically, Burton takes the approach of making Ed Wood look like a camp picture. Shot in black and white, the film’s style is almost as farcical as Wood’s filmography. Perhaps, it was best for Burton to make his film as off-kilter as his subject, and it worked. Biographical films face many obstacles; being boring and preachy or making saints and martyrs of their subjects are the worst sins of biopics. Ed Wood, however, is fun, surreal, and fantastical, and Burton sees the world through the eyes of a harmless madman who wanted to make great movies and made painfully bad pictures. This is a bold creative move on Burton’s part, the kind of adventurous and imaginative choices that he doesn’t always make. The Hollywood machine often eats the brilliance out of this visionary filmmaker.

Wood is also full of wonderful performances. Besides Landau’s Lugosi (for which he received numerous awards), Depp shows that he is every bit the wild spirit that his frequent collaborator Burton is. Depp’s Wood wears a kabuki mask of campy zaniness, but Depp also plays the character with such depth that how can we not help but take Wood seriously as a serious filmmaker even when we know he makes crap? Bill Murray for his wily and self-effacing performance and Lisa Marie for playing Vampira as a staid, ticking, sex bomb also deserve notice. Along with everybody else, they make Ed Wood a rare cinematic treat, an oddball movie about an oddball filmmaker. Ed Wood is hilarious, and is finally a deeply moving picture about the quest to share one’s dreams with the world.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1995 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Martin Landau) and “Best Makeup” (Rick Baker, Ve Neill, and Yolanda Toussieng)

1995 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Martin Landau); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” (Johnny Depp)

1996 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Make Up/Hair” (Ve Neill, Rick Baker, and Yolanda Toussieng) and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Martin Landau)

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