Review: "BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE" is Morbidly Wonderful and Wonderfully Morbid

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 42 of 2024 (No. 1986) by Leroy Douresseaux

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Running time:  104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.

DIRECTOR:  Tim Burton

WRITERS:  Alfred Gough & Miles Millar; from a story by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith (based on characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson)

PRODUCERS:  Tim Burton, Dede Gardner, Tommy Harper, Jeremy Kleiner, and Marc Toberoff

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Jay Prychidny

COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman

COMEDY/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring:  Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Nick Kellington, Santiago Cabrera, Burn Gorman, Sami Slimane, Amy Nuttall, and Danny DeVito

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is that rare sequel that is as weird and as wonderful as its weird and wonderful predecessor

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara are so good at reprising their original roles that it is hard to believe that it has been 36 years since they first played them

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is director Tim Burton's most crowd-pleasing film since 1999's “Sleepy Hollow” 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 American dark fantasy and comic-horror film from director Tim Burton.  It is a direct sequel to Burton's 1988 film, Beetlejuice.  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finds three generations gathering after a family tragedy only to discover that the latest generation's actions have lead to a new encounter with the Afterlife and also has drawn the attentions of a certain bio-exorcist.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens over three decades after the events depicted in Beetlejuice.  Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is now a “psychic mediator” who hosts a supernaturally themed talk show, “Ghost House,” produced by her current boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux).  Lydia is estranged from her daughter, Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega), who is resentful that Lydia had a falling out with Astrid's father, Richard (Santiago Cabrera), who died during an expedition to the Amazon.

Lydia is stressed of late because she has been seeing visions of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), the “bio-exorcist” from the Afterlife who tried to force her to marry him over thirty years ago.  Meanwhile, in the Afterlife, Betelgeuse (pronounced “Beetlejuice”) is having his own relationship problems as he has learned that his former wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), a soul-sucking witch, has been revived and is hunting him in order to avenge the wrong she believes he did to her.

Back in the world of the living, Lydia's stepmother, Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara), informs her that her husband, Lydia's father, Charles Deetz, has died.  Lydia, Astrid, and Delia return to Winter River (the setting of the original film) for Charles' funeral.  The three women suddenly find their worlds turned upside down when the Afterlife intrudes and Betelgeuse plots to turn this series of unfortunate events in his favor.

Because of the decades long wait for this sequel, I wondered about the quality of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.  After seeing it, I am pleased and happy to say that I enjoyed it as much as I have any film I've seen this year (2024).  I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice during a Thursday night preview showing, and there were several children present.  The children were restless and acted up a bit, especially early on.  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not a children's film, or it is, at least, not as child-friendly as the first film.  Beetlejuice had a darkly humorous and macabre sensibility that was similar to the work of the late Charles Addams (1912-1988), the cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine who was best known for his recurring characters that became known as “The Addams Family.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a darker film with a morbid rather than a macabre sensibility.  The specter of death – especially sudden, violent, accidental death – hangs over this film.  Yet it all seems like ghoulish fun and games, thanks in part to director Tim Burton's creative cohorts.  The costume design, production design, film editing, cinematography, lighting, visual effects (practical and CGI), and musical score (by frequent Burton collaborator, Danny Elfman), recall the creative and intense inventiveness of the original film  They make Beetlejuice Beetlejuice more grand theater than “Grand Guignol.”  Still, I don't think elementary school age children, in general, will really enjoy this new film.

I'd call Beetlejuice Beetlejuice perfect except I do take exception with the film's writing.  Although the overall plot is very interesting, the screenplay has some extraneous threads and inessential characters.  I won't mention them just in case they end up being spoilers.

I will say that Tim Burton is fortunate to have the trio of Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara carrying the load for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.  When I first saw Beetlejuice, I didn’t care for Michael Keaton’s performance as Betelgeuse.  I thought his manic energy seemed forced and phony and that the late Robin Williams, who was really coming into his own as a movie star at the time, would have been a better choice.  Sixteen years later (2004), I watched Beetlejuice again, and that time I thought Keaton was perfect.  Go figure!  How wrong I was.  With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Keaton proves that no one can be the “ghostest with the mostest” like him.

As Lydia Deetz, Winona Ryder truly evolves the character in interesting and genuinely human ways.  Ryder could easily pull off a third film if one were to be made in the next decade (hopefully earlier).  Given chance, Catherine O'Hara always proves that she is a giant among comedic actors, and does so again.  What she offered in the original film, she offers in comedic droves here.

I had a thoroughly great time at the movies last night, and even the restless kids could not ruin the very funny “Soul Train” references.  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that rare sequel that matches the original film in many ways and surpasses it in others.  As a movie fan, I feel blessed to have it.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, September 6, 2024

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 7th to 13th, 2023 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has cancelled the Hilary Swank-led drama, "Alaska Daily," after one season.

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-nominee, Willem Dafoe, is joining "Beetlejuice 2," which is due Sept. 2024.

TELEVISION - From THR:  The CW has cancelled "The Winchesters," the prequel to its long-running fantasy drama, "Supernatural," after one season.  The broadcast network also cancelled "Kung Fu" after three seasons.

From CBR:  Executive producer, Jensen Ackles, is not ready to let "The Winchesters" die in the wake of its cancellation by The CW.

MOVIES - From CBR:  Despite saying that he would NOT, Dwayne Johnson apparently does appear as his character "Luke Hobbs" in the upcoming "Fast X."

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From EW:  There is a trailer for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3." The film is due in theaters Sept. 8, 2023.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney+ is adding Hulu content for a "one-app experience" to begin later this year.  The price for Disney+ will increase, also.

CANNES - From Deadline:  FilmNation is bringing is Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie to the Cannes film market.  Callas was a Greco-American opera singer (soprano) who was one of the most influential of the 20th century.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  NBC's "Night Court" reboot welcomes back actress Marsha Warfield, who starred as "Roz" in the original series.

SCANDAL - From CBSNews:  A federal jury in New York City found former President Donald Trump liable for battery (sexual abuse) and defamation in a civil trial stemming from allegations he raped the writer, E. Jean Carroll, in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.  She was awarded $5 million total in damages.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Beetlejuice 2" is set for release September 6, 2024.  Original stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder return.  Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix's "Wednesday," will play the daughter of Ryder's character, "Lydia Deetz."

SCANDAL - From THR:  Marvel Studios star, Jonathan Majors ("Kang the Conqueror") appears in court virtually to answer the assault charges against his girlfriend from March 25th.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety:  Warners Bros. has released a trailer for "Met 2: The Trench," a sequel to the 2018 hit, "The Meg." Both films star Jason Statham.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon Studios has formed Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, which will license Amazon original and the MGM library to the international market.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  Th e winner of the 5/5 to 2/7/2023 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" with an estimated total of 114 million dollars.

From Here:  A Negromancer movie review of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" by Leroy Douresseaux.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has uncancelled "S.W.A.T." The police drama will return for a seventh and final season.

From Deadline:  A surge in ratings could not save "S.W.A.T." from being cancelled by CBS.  The last episode of this current season (the 6th) will serve as the series finale.

OBIT:

From Variety:  The Spanish-born American graphic artist, Frank Kozik, has died at the age of 61, Saturday, May 6, 2023.  He designed the album cover art for Queens of the Stone Age's 1998 debut album, "Queens of the Stone Age" and for The Offspring's 1998 LP, "Americana."  He also designed concert posters for such musical acts as Butthole Surfers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Soundgarden, to name a few.

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WRITERS STRIKE:

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

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

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)


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Review: "THE FRENCH DISPATCH" is Ultimate Wes Anderson

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 of 2022 (No. 1826) by Leroy Douresseaux

The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021)
Running time:  107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPA – R for graphic nudity, some sexual references and language
DIRECTOR:  Wes Anderson
WRITERS:  Wes Anderson; from a story by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness
PRODUCERS:  Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, and Steven Rales
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robert Yeoman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Andrew Weisblum
COMPOSER:  Alexandre Desplat

COMEDY/DRAMA/ANTHOLOGY with elements of fantasy

Starring:  Jeffrey Wright, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Liev Schreiber, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Winston Ait Hellal, and Owen Wilson and Anjelica Huston

The French Dispatch (full title: The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun) is a 2021 comedy-drama and anthology film from writer-director Wes Anderson.  The film focuses on the French foreign bureau of a Kansas newspaper and the features magazine it produces.

The French Dispatch introduces Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray).  When he was a college freshman, he convinces his father, the owner of the newspaper, the “Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun,” to fund his transatlantic trip.  Junior would in turn produce a series of travelogue columns, which would be published for local readers in the Evening Sun's magazine supplement “Sunday Picnic.”  Arthur, Jr. sets up shop in the (fictional) French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé.  Over the next decade, young Arthur assembles a team of the best expatriate journalists of the time.  In 1925, he transforms the Sunday Picnic into the weekly magazine, “The French Dispatch” (something like The New Yorker).

In 1975, fifty years after he left Kansas, Arthur Howitzer, Jr. dies suddenly of a heart attack.  Although it has half a million subscribers in 50 countries, as per his will, The French Dispatch will immediately cease publication following the release of a farewell issue that will feature Arthur's obituary and four articles by magazine's best writers:

In “The Cycling Reporter,” Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) gives a sight-seeing tour.  It is “a day in Ennui over the course of 250 years” and demonstrates how much and yet how little has changed in Ennui over time.

In “The Concrete Masterpiece,” J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) delivers a lecture at an art gallery.  She details the career of Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro), a mentally disturbed artist serving a sentence in the Ennui Prison-Asylum for murder and the two most important people in his lives.  The first is Simone (Lea Seydoux), a prison officer who becomes Moses' lover and his muse.  Moses paints a portrait of Simone, and that second important person, Julien Cadazio, an art dealer also serving a sentence for tax evasion, is immediately taken by the painting.  After buying the painting, Cadazio uses it to turn Moses into an international sensation.  However, Moses struggles with inspiration, and his relationship with Simone becomes complicated.

In “Revisions to a Manifesto,” Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) reports on a student protest breaking out in the streets of Ennui, one that soon boils over into the “Chessboard Revolution.”  Krementz fails to maintain “journalistic neutrality” when she falls in love with Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet), a college boy who is the self-styled leader of the revolt.  She secretly helps him write his manifesto, but Juliette (Lyna Khoudri), a fellow revolutionary who has some feelings for Zeffirelli, is unimpressed with his manifesto – thus, creating a love triangle.

In “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) is the guest of a television talk show host (Liev Schreiber).  Wright recounts the story of his attending a private dinner with The Commissaire (Mathieu Amalric) of the Ennui police force.  The meal is prepared by the legendary police officer and chef, Lt. Nescaffier (Stephen Park).  Nescaffier is the creator of a kind of “haute cuisine” specifically designed to be eaten by police officers while they are working.  The dinner is disrupted when the Commissaire's inquisitive and bright son, Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal), is kidnapped and held for ransom by a large gang of criminals, led by a failed musician known as “The Chauffeur” (Edward Norton).

They mourn his death.  Now, the staff of The French Dispatch must put together a final issue with these four stories that Arthur Howitzer Jr. touched in some way?

The French Dispatch has been described as a film that is “a love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city.”  The film presents four of the magazine's stories of the city.  Director Wes Anderson has apparently stated that this film is inspired by his love of the venerable weekly magazine, The New Yorker, and that some of the film's characters and events are based on real-life equivalents from that magazine.  During The French Dispatch's closing credits, there is a dedication to several writers and editors, many of whom wrote for The New Yorker.

To that end, The French Dispatch is a movie that celebrates magazine writers, illustrators, and editors and the stories they tell.  This film is a love letter to stories of local color and of locales written for magazines.  The film demands patience and attention on the part of the audience.  The French Dispatch is a hybrid.  It is an anthology of four main stories and of a few small chapters, although everything connects in the end.  The audience has to follow each of the main stories, paying attention from beginning to the end.  That is where the pay off comes.

In fact, each of the main stories seems like one thing in the beginning, but fully develops over the course of the narrative in something different.  At the end of each, I realized that the story was about wonderful characters living lives both ordinary and extraordinary.  In the extraordinary, Anderson gives us a reason to love what is so ordinary and human about them.

This is brilliant character writing on Anderson's part.  His gift is to make not only the lead and supporting characters fascinating, but he also makes even the characters who say little and the extras seem worth knowing – even when the narrative passes them by.  To that end, I think Roebuck Wright is the character that ties all the characters and stories together.  He is the narrator/writer of “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” the final story.  Both his first meeting and final conversation with Bill Murray's Arthur coalesces the film's theme of expatriate writers, and he begins Arthur's obituary, which also brings together the film's shifts in time.  It would have been nice to see Wright receive a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his work here, but The French Dispatch did not receive any Oscar nominations.

The film's production values:  art direction and production design, costumes, and cinematography all meet the wonderfully inventive and incredibly imaginative standards that audiences have come to expect from Wes Anderson's films.  The French Dispatch looks like no film I have ever seen.  Even Alexandre Desplat's score sounds like something entirely new in film music.  I described Anderson's 2014 film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, as Wes Anderson art for Wes Anderson's art sake.  The French Dispatch is Wes Anderson high art.

9 of 10
A+

Thursday, March 17, 2022


NOTES:
2022 BAFTA Awards:  3 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Milena Canonero); “Original Score” (Alexandre Desplat), and “Best Production Design” (Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo)

2022 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actor” (Jeffrey Wright)

2021 Cannes Film Festival:  1 nomination: “Palme d'Or” (Wes Anderson)

2022 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Alexandre Desplat)


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

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Review: "Murder on the Orient Express" 2017 is More Dark Than Cozy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 of 2022 (No. 1818) by Leroy Douresseaux

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Running time:  114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence and thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Michael Green (based on the novel by Agathie Christie)
PRODUCERS:  Kenneth Branagh, Mark Gordon, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Michael Schaefer, and Ridley Scott
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Haris Zambarloukos
EDITOR:  Mick Audsley
COMPOSER:  Patrick Doyle

MYSTERY

Starring:  Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Olivia Colman, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom, Jr., Tom Bateman, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Sergei Polunin, Lucy Boynton, Marwan Kenzari, and Johnny Depp

Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh.  It is based on the 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976).  Murder on the Orient Express the movie focuses on a celebrated detective who is recruited to solve a murder that occurs on a train in which he is traveling.

Murder on the Orient Express opens in 1934 and finds renowned Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), in the midst of solving a case in Jerusalem.  When Poirot is ready to return to London, his friend, Bouc (Tom Bateman), the nephew of the director of the luxury Orient Express train service, arranges a berth for him aboard the train.

Poirot boards the train with Bouc and thirteen other passengers.  There is the talkative American widow, Caroline Hubbard (Lauren Bacall).  The English governess, Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley), and physician, Dr. John Arbuthnot (Leslie Odom, Jr.), seem to be previously acquainted.  Spanish missionary, Pilar Estravado (Penelope Cruz), is prayerful.  American businessman, Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp), is on a business trip with with his secretary/translator, Hector McQueen (Josh Gad), and his English manservant, Edward Masterman (Derek Jacobi).

There is a Cuban-American car salesman, Biniamino Marquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo).  Elderly Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff (Judi Dench) travels with her maid, Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman).  Hungarian Count Rudolf Andrenyi (Sergei Polunin) and his wife, Elena (Lucy Boynton), are always together.  Austrian university professor, Gerhard Hardman (Willem Dafoe), has theories about different “races” and nationalities.  The train's French conductor, Pierre Michel (Marwan Kenzari), attends to the passengers' numerous needs.

That first night, an avalanche derails the train.  The next morning, Poirot discovers that Edward Ratchett has been murdered and stabbed 12 times.  Poirot and Bouc begin investigating the passengers in order to discover Ratchett's killer, but this case will be quite trying for the esteemed Monsieur Poirot.  He does not lie, and this case may force him to do just that.

The first film adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel, Murder on the Orient Express (1974), was one of only two films adapted from her work that she liked.  [The other was the 1957 film, Witness for the Prosecution, which was based on Christie's 1953 play, The Witness for the Prosecution.]  In the first film, the late actor Albert Finney gives a tremendous performance as Hercule Poirot, one that earned him an Oscar nomination.  The 1974 film is a classic murder mystery film made classier and more artful by its stellar cast of stars from Hollywood films and international cinema.

Murder on the Orient Express 2017 is stylish and modern with plenty of production values created by computers.  Its cast is a mix of established stars, Oscar-winning actors, and up-and-coming talent.  The 2017 film is so stylish that it often comes across as too cold and too determined to be an Oscar-worthy period piece and costume drama.  Kenneth Branagh, as the film's director and as its leading star (playing Hercule Poirot), sometimes seems lost in the technical details of directing his showy, award-winning cast and in creating an eccentric, OCD, smarter-than-everyone-else detective.

However, Murder on the Orient Express 2017 really shows its power in the last thirty minutes of the film.  The 1974 film offered a tidy happy ending.  The 2017 offers a thoroughly messy happy ending that is more befitting of these troubled, modern times.  Branagh and writer Michael Green turn the last act's revelation of whodunit into an edgy, dark exercise.  Truth be told, dammit!  But it will be done so with all the rawness of grief and the bitterness and hatred of revenge.  No one gets out of this resolution unscathed, and the healing will likely leave painful scabs.

I like Murder on the Orient Express 2017.  I like that the ethnicity and national origins of the cast are more diverse than what is in the 1974 film and in the original novel.  I like that it plainly leaves us with the message that murder is murder – no matter how good the intentions are – and that pain will temporarily make killers of those who are not really killers at heart.  I wonder what Agathie Christie would think of this take on Murder on the Orient Express.

I like Murder on the Orient Express 2017 mainly because it decides not to be cozy about the murder mystery.  I hope the follow up to this film, the just released Death on the Nile, is also this aggressive.

7 out of 10
A-

Thursday, February 10, 2022


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Review: "SPIDER-MAN: No Way Home" Brings it on Home

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 72 of 2021 (No. 1810) by Leroy Douresseaux

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Running time: 148 minutes (2 hours, 28 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive comments
DIRECTOR: Jon Watts
WRITERS: Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (based upon the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko)
PRODUCERS: Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Leigh Folsom Boyd and Jeffrey Ford
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino

SUPERHERO/DRAMA/ACTION/ROMANCE

Starring:  Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx,Willem DaFoe, Alfred Molina, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Angourie Rice, Arian Moayed, Hannibal Buress, Martin Starr, J.B. Smoove, J.K. Simmons, Thomas Hayden Church, Rhys Ifans, Charlie Cox, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a 2021 superhero film and drama from director Jon Watts.  It is the eighth film in Columbia Picture's Spider-Man film franchise, and it is the third entry in a film trilogy that began with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.  No Way Home is also a co-production between Columbia and Marvel Studios, making it the 27th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  In No Way Home, Peter Parker turns to fellow Avenger, Doctor Strange, for help in making the world forget that he is Spider-Man, with disastrous results.

Spider-Man: No Way Home opens one week after the events depicted in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).  Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) identity as Spider-Man has been revealed to the world, and Spider-Man has been framed for the murder of Mysterio/Quentin Beck, whom some in the public see as a hero and a warrior.  Although his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) takes the news better than expected, Peter is stilled concerned with how the news is affecting the lives of his girlfriend, Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson (Zendaya), and his best friend, Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon).

Peter turns to Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help.  He asks Doctor Strange to cast a mystic spell that will make the world forget that he is Spider-Man, but Strange's mentor and friend, Wong (Benedict Wong), warns him about casting such a spell.  Strange casts the spell anyway, but Peter damages it by constantly asking for changes in who can remember him, which destabilizes the magic.  That in turn destabilizes the multiverse, causing cracks in reality.  Yes, the multiverse is real, and now, people from other universes who know that Peter is Spider-Man start showing up in Peter's world.  And that includes some dangerous villains who have previously engaged Spider-Man in death matches.  Peter does not know any of them, but he is determined to save them from their fates.  Is our young hero willing to pay the costs and make the sacrifices that it will take to make everything right in this world and in the wider multiverse?

Sony Pictures is determined to keep social media and media in general from spoiling the many surprises contained in its film, Spider-Man: No Way Home.  The film does a number of things very well, but it does two things particularly well.  Talking about the first could reveal spoilers, so what I will say is that this film gives us the appearances by certain characters and actors that many of us have wanted since we first heard the rumors that this film would deal with the multiverse.  Most of the character appearances are not cameos, and they contribute significantly to No Way Home.  The audience which with I saw No Way Home this past evening cheered with gusto for each special appearance.  They cheered as much as I ever heard an audience cheer during a superhero film.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a joint production between Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures' Marvel Studios.  One of the many things that Marvel's films do well is character development and drama.  No Way Home is the first film in the Sony/Marvel Spider-Man trilogy in which Peter Parker is confronted with the high costs of being Spider-Man.  Until this film, he has been relatively unscathed., but now, he learns that the decisions he makes can have ruinous consequences.  He suffers humiliations, setbacks, and heartbreaking loss.  He learns that with great power there must come great responsibility, and he learns that true heroes often make tremendous personal sacrifices for the benefit of others.  In No Way Home, Spider-Man becomes a man.

Don't get me wrong.  Spider-Man: No Way Home is certainly a true crowd-pleaser, and it is also one of the best films that I have seen this year.  As Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Tom Holland gives a wonderful performance in a film that requires him to express a wide range of emotions, sometimes from one extreme to another.  Holland, in layers, with textures, and with art, shows us the evolution of Spider-Man and especially of Peter Parker.  Spider-Man: No Way Home is one for the ages, and it is a great way to end one Spider-Man trilogy … so that the next one can come home.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, December 17, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Aquaman" Rides High on the High Seas

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 of 2021 (No. 1761) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Aquaman (2018)
Running time:  143 minutes (2 hours, 23 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
DIRECTOR:  James Wan
WRITERS:  David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall; from a story by Geoff Johns, James Wan, Will Beall (based on the character created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger and appear ing DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Rob Cowan and Peter Safran
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess    
EDITOR:  Kirk Morri
COMPOSER:  Rupert Gregson-Williams

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ludi Lin, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, Michael Beach, and Nicole Kidman

Aquaman is a 2018 superhero science fiction and fantasy film from director James Wan.  It is the sixth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which is comprised of films based upon DC Comics characters.  Aquaman was created by artist Paul Norris and editor Mort Weisinger and first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (cover dated: November 1941).  Aquaman the film focuses on a half-breed who is heir to the throne of an underwater kingdom and his quest to prevent an all-out war between the worlds of the land and the seas.

Aquaman opens in 1985.  Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), a lighthouse keeper in Amnesty Bay, Maine, rescues Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the queen of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, during a storm.  They fall in love and have a son named Arthur, who has the power to communicate with sea creatures.  Eventually, however, Atlantean soldiers arrive to retrieve Atlanna, who had fled her arranged marriage in Atlantis.

The film movies to the present day, several months after the events depicted in the film, Justice League.  Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), now also known as the “Aquaman,” attempts to live a normal life in Amnesty Bay, but his Atlantean heritage is about to intrude on his life.  Arthur has a half-brother, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), who is the current King of Atlantis and who is also the second son of Atlanna.  Orm is attempting to rally the undersea kingdoms to his cause.  He wants to unite and to attack the surface world for polluting the oceans.  Princess Y'Mera Xebella Challa, also known simply as Mera (Amber Heard), is betrothed to Orm, but refuses to aid him or her father, King Nerius of Xebel (Dolph Lundgren), in their plans.

Mera travels to the surface where she meets Arthur and tries to convince him to help her in stopping Orm.  She also wants Arthur to take his rightful place as King of Atlantis.  Before he does that, however, Arthur must recover a magic artifact, the lost “Sacred Trident of Atlan,” which will mark its possessor as the rightful ruler of Atlantis.  The problem is that Arthur does not want to be King of Atlantis nor anywhere else for that matter.

Watching Aquaman, I could not help but notice that many of its story points and plot elements were glaringly similar to that of Marvel Studios' Black Panther, which debuted earlier in the same year that Aquaman hit theaters, 2018.  Whereas Black Panther was edgy, philosophically in tune with Pan-Africanism, and socially relevant, Aquaman is simply a grand, old-fashioned, action-adventure fantasy film, and there is nothing wrong with that.  Aquaman is solidly entertaining.

If Aquaman must be accused of copying other films, in terms of visual concepts and world-building, Aquaman leans heavily on the Star Wars prequel films and on Tron: Legacy.  And once again, there is nothing wrong with that.  Many big-budget, tent-pole films borrow from other movies of similar to its type.  Aquaman dazzles the eyes and blows the mind.  It is such a spectacular visual effects feast for the eyes, senses, and imagination that I am surprised that it did not get any Oscar nominations in the categories of visual effects, art direction-set decoration, and costume design.  That such a visually resplendent film did not get in Oscar nominations says something about the nominating process of the Academy Awards in many areas.

I must admit that I think that this film does have a few sizable problems.  Aquaman's stiff, overly-formal, highfalutin' dialogue hampers the acting, which isn't all that good to begin with.  The character writing is also average, so it is not as if the actors have much to work with in building strong dramatic characters.  Still, I'd have to be feeling generous to say that Jason Momoa was more than average as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, although he does appear to be trying hard.  Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II overact and ham-it-up as Orm and Black Manta, respectively.  Willem Dafoe is practically a wooden idol as Vulko, and Amber Heard seems to think that she is playing Mera in a spoof of a superhero movie rather than acting in a “serious” superhero film.

I would normally give a film with such average character drama on the part of the screenplay and such awkward acting a grade of “B.”  The directing by James Wan is strong enough, however, and, once again, the film is such a visual effects orgasm that I will bump up Aquaman's final grade a little.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, November 28, 2020


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

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"Aquaman" Swims Past $1 Billion in Global Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” Crosses $1 Billion Worldwide

James Wan’s unstoppable DC Super Hero adventure held the #1 position in the world four weeks in a row internationally and the top spot for three weeks in North America

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” has stormed the box office, taking in more than $1 billion worldwide in just over one month since it reigned supreme in its first market, China. The announcement was made today by Ron Sanders, President of Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

    “We’re thrilled audiences around the world have embraced ‘Aquaman’ in such a big, big way”

“We’re thrilled audiences around the world have embraced ‘Aquaman’ in such a big, big way,” said Sanders. “Jason, the filmmakers and the team at DC have delivered a film that people love, and we are so appreciative of their support.”

Wan stated, “Firstly, Massive LOVE and THANK YOU to the fans and audiences around the world. Humbled by the way you’ve embraced ‘Aquaman’ and how it has resonated on a global scale. I’ll forever be indebted to Jason for turning Aquaman into one of the coolest, cinematic Super Heroes ever, and becoming the gold standard for this character for generations to come. Huge thank you to the amazing cast—Amber, Patrick, Nicole, Yahya, Willem, Temuera, Dolph, Ludi—for breathing life into our beloved characters. And, of course, this movie wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible achievement of everyone involved, from the heads of department to every single crew member, who demanded utmost excellence in helping design and create this cinematic experience.”

In addition to crossing the billion-dollar mark, this weekend “Aquaman,” at $1.02 billion and counting, is now the #2 DC film ever worldwide, behind only “The Dark Knight Rises,” which took in $1.08 billion in its run. “Aquaman” has taken in $287.9 million domestically, and is now also the 2nd highest grossing Warner Bros. film of all time internationally, with $732.4 million to date; the biggest DC film of all time internationally; and the highest grossing Warner Bros. film ever in China, with $287.3 million.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes “Aquaman,” the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry that takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king. The action-packed adventure spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, and stars Jason Momoa in the title role.

The film also stars Amber Heard as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson as Orm, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-seeking Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna. Also featured are Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, an Atlantean Commando, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.

Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes included such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), Wan’s five-time editor Kirk Morri, production designer Bill Brzeski, and visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain. They were joined by costume designer Kym Barrett and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film has been released in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

“Aquaman” is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.

www.aquamanmovie.com

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"Aquaman" Swims to Half-Billion in Global Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” to Hit a High Watermark of Half a Billion Dollars at the Global Box Office

At Number 1 in the world, James Wan’s spectacular underwater adventure has captivated moviegoers from sea to shining sea and beyond

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” is a worldwide box office hero, set to take in more than $500 million by the end of the day. The announcement was made today by Ron Sanders, President of Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

    “We look forward to ‘Aquaman’ riding this wave of success through the holiday window and well into the new year. Congratulations to the entire team behind this film.”

“Aquaman” began its remarkable run earlier this month in China when, on the heels of an appearance by director James Wan and stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, the film celebrated an almost $95 million opening weekend, the highest-ever opening for a Warner Bros. film in that market, where it currently stands at more than $230 million. The stop was just one in a global tour that hit cities across four continents, from London to New York City to Manila, Australia and beyond, capping off a strategic campaign that kicked off last summer with Momoa diving off a cliff to preview the trailer launch ahead of the cast’s arrival at San Diego International Comic-Con.

Number 1 internationally for the third consecutive weekend, the film opened this past Friday in North America, where it has an impressive cume of $72.7 million and counting, with approximately 14 percent of the gross coming from IMAX screens. In the 70 markets now in release, including Brazil ($17.1 million), Mexico ($16.1 million), Russia ($12.8 million) and the UK ($12.8 million), the international cume to date now stands at $415.5 million, with Australia set to open on December 26, Italy on January 1, and Japan on February 8. “Aquaman” is presently en route to becoming the highest grossing Warner Bros. film ever in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan, among other markets.

“James Wan has created a terrific movie that is clearly connecting with audiences around the world,” said Sanders. “We look forward to ‘Aquaman’ riding this wave of success through the holiday window and well into the new year. Congratulations to the entire team behind this film.”

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes “Aquaman,” the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry that takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king. The action-packed adventure spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, and stars Jason Momoa in the title role.

The film also stars Amber Heard as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson as Orm, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-seeking Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna. Also featured are Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, an Atlantean Commando, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.

Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes included such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), Wan’s five-time editor Kirk Morri, production designer Bill Brzeski, and visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain. They were joined by costume designer Kym Barrett and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film has been released in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

“Aquaman” is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.

www.aquamanmovie.com

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"Aquaman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" Swims into Stores

Aquaman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Now Available

Features New Songs from Skylar Grey and Pitbull Feat. Rhea

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music is excited to announce the release of the soundtrack to Aquaman, the action-packed adventure film from director James Wan that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas. The soundtrack is now available, and the film is in theaters on December 21, 2018. Aquaman features an original score by multi-award-winning composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (Wonder Woman, Hotel Rwanda, Hacksaw Ridge), includes a track by composer Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring, Annabelle) and debuts the new songs “Ocean To Ocean” by Pitbull Feat. Rhea, and the end title song “Everything I Need” by Skylar Grey.

To bring the film’s themes to life musically, Aquaman director James Wan turned to composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, who says, “Writing the themes for the different characters was awesome. Arthur Curry has such a strong character—he’s a real rock star—so I felt he deserved a big melody. He gets to rock out for certain intense moments too. Orm is Atlantean, and the score I wrote for Atlantis is in big contrast to the score for the surface world, epic and glorious. Black Manta inspired a more industrial, electronic feel. And, of course, there’s romance—two in fact. Atlantis and the entire world James created is truly amazing, giving me such a rich opportunity.”

“James Wan has given me such a rare opportunity and I am so unbelievably grateful,” explains Skylar Grey. “James, score composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, as well as every person behind the scenes on this project has been a dream to work with...a team of extremely respectful and professional people who I’m now honored to call friends. ‘Everything I Need,’ written by myself and my fiancé, Elliott Taylor, was inspired by the forbidden love story that is threaded throughout the movie, and we are very passionate about this song.”

“The ocean, the sea and any body of water, to me, is true freedom,” said Armando Christian Perez (Pitbull), who was inspired by the film’s settings and themes, and especially by Aquaman’s struggle between his two worlds—the surface and the sea. “The ocean has always been the border from where my parents came from Cuba and the United States, which gives us freedom. That’s why I respect water. Bottom line: water gives us freedom.”

The Aquaman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is now available for streaming and for purchase digitally and on CD. The track list is as follows:

1. “Everything I Need (Film Version)” - Skylar Grey
2. Arthur
3. Kingdom Of Atlantis
4. It Wasn't Meant To Be
5. Atlantean Soldiers
6. What Does That Even Mean?
7. The Legend Of Atlan
8. Swimming Lessons
9. The Black Manta
10. What Could Be Greater Than A King?
11. Permission To Come Aboard
12. Suited And Booted
13. Between Land And Sea
14. He Commands The Sea
15. Map In A Bottle
16. The Ring Of Fire
17. Reunited
18. “Everything I Need” - Skylar Grey
19. “Ocean To Ocean” - Pitbull feat. Rhea
20. “Trench Engaged (from Kingdom of The Trench)” - Joseph Bishara

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.

The film also stars Amber Heard; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe; Patrick Wilson; Dolph Lundgren; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman. Also featured are Ludi Lin and Temuera Morrison. Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, Aquaman. The film is being released in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Aquaman is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language. www.aquamanmovie.com


About WaterTower Music:
WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001 and has released over 200 titles, including the film soundtracks and scores to Crazy Rich Asians, Wonder Woman, Interstellar, Game Of Thrones, Westworld, The Hobbit Trilogy, The LEGO® Movie, The Dark Knight Rises, Project X, Rock of Ages, Hairspray, Sex and the City, Elf, The Notebook, and Love and Basketball, among others.

About Rupert Gregson-Williams:
RUPERT GREGSON-WILLIAMS (Composer) was born in England and educated at St. John’s College Choir School, Cambridge. The multi-award-winning composer works from his studios in both London and Los Angeles.

A truly versatile composer, Gregson-Williams has written the scores for a wide range of feature films, including the Oscar-winning “Hotel Rwanda,” for which he was awarded the European Film Award for Best Composer; the animated films “Over the Hedge” and Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie,” receiving an Annie Award nomination for his score for the latter; and the independent film “Love + Hate,” for which he was awarded the Reims International Composer Award.

Most recently, Gregson-Williams scored the blockbuster and critically acclaimed “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, which opened in 2017; the award-winning war drama “Hacksaw Ridge,” starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Mel Gibson, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and opened nationwide in 2016; and the international hit “The Legend of Tarzan,” starring Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie and directed by David Yates.

For television, Gregson-Williams wrote the music for TNT’s “The Alienist,” starring Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans and Daniel Bruhl, which premiered in January 2018. He also wrote the score for the original Netflix series “The Crown,” created by Peter Morgan, which premiered on Netflix in November 2016, with the second season having debuted in December 2017. He received an Emmy nomination in 2017 for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) for his work on the first season of “The Crown.” He has also composed the music for various other TV projects, including the Emmy Award-winning HBO series “Veep,” AMC’s “The Prisoner,” and Sky Vision’s “Agatha Raisin.” He received an Emmy nomination for the 2002 telefilm “Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story,” for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore).

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Warner Bros. Announces Kroll & Co. Entertainment

Industry Veteran Sue Kroll Launches Kroll & Co. Entertainment at Warner Bros.

The widely respected movie executive kicks off an impressive development and production slate

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Having made her mark as one of the industry’s top studio executives for more than two decades, Sue Kroll is now hanging her own production shingle, Kroll & Co. Entertainment, based on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank.

Under her new banner, Kroll is already involved in the production and development of a wide range of feature film projects, teaming her with some of the noted filmmakers and actors with whom she has collaborated over the course of her illustrious career. Kroll will also look to develop television, digital and other content.

“My passion for film and television and for telling great stories is not only the cornerstone of my wonderful career, but has also been a huge part of my life since I was a young girl enthralled by the moving image,” stated Kroll. “I am excited to be collaborating in this new capacity with amazing, visionary filmmakers, many of whom I have known and worked with, and to also champion new and unique voices. This is just the beginning and I am thrilled about our slate of films and our incredible filmmaking partners.”

Kroll is attached as an executive producer to a number of films currently scheduled for release through the studio, and has expanded her slate to include new projects in various stages of development joining esteemed filmmakers and producing teams. As a producer, Kroll’s upcoming projects include the sci-fi action thriller “Nemesis,” with producers Ridley Scott and Jules Daly; the YA drama “The Selection,” with producers Denise Di Novi and Pouya Shahbazian; an untitled comedy starring Sandra Bullock, who will also produce with Michael Bostick; and the action thriller “The Six Billion Dollar Man,” soon going into production starring Mark Wahlberg, who also produces alongside Stephen Levinson, Bill Gerber, Scott Faye and Karen Lauder.

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg stated, “Over the years, I have seen Sue in action as one of the most inspired marketing minds in the industry, most recently on the campaign for ‘Ready Player one.’ I trust her instincts, appreciate her unflagging devotion to her work, and admire her knowledge of film. I am looking forward to collaborating with her in her new capacity as a producer in the very near future.”

Kroll is also an executive producer on the drama “A Star is Born,” directed, produced and co-written by Bradley Cooper, who also stars in the film opposite Lady Gaga, and slated for release on October 5, 2018. Cooper noted, “I have been fortunate to know and work with Sue Kroll for more than 10 years, and have appreciated her friendship as well as her counsel. She has a personal investment in everything she does, and I have no doubt she will bring that same level of care, commitment and creativity to producing. Simply put, Sue is the gold standard.” Kroll joins producers Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Cooper, Todd Phillips and Lynette Howell Taylor, and executive producers Ravi Mehta, Basil Iwanyk, Niija Kuykendall, Michael Rapino and Heather Parry.

In addition, Kroll serves as an executive producer on Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn,” inspired by Jonathan Lethem’s award-winning book, which Norton adapted for the screen. Kroll is teaming with producers Norton, William Migliore, Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane, and executive producers Michael Bederman, Adrian Alperovich, Robert F. Smith, Brian Sheth and Daniel Nader. Currently in production, the film stars Norton, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin.

Norton stated, “Sue Kroll is universally loved by the filmmakers that have been lucky enough to work with her and has both great taste and real wisdom about how to engage audiences. It’s wonderful news that she’ll be producing films and she’s already brought important long lead strategy and foresight to our production. I feel like we’ve won the lottery to have our film be one of the first she’ll collaborate with in this role.”

In addition, Kroll is an executive producer on “The Goldfinch,” the film version of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, being directed by John Crowley, and starring Ansel Elgort and Nicole Kidman. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are producing, and Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda is also serving as an executive producer.

Rounding out Kroll & Co. Entertainment, are SVP of Development and Production Jennifer Malloy, Creative Executive Olivia Heighten, longtime Kroll staffer Chelsea Bradshaw as Operations / Production Executive, and administrative assistant Nicole Kraft.

Throughout her Studio career, Kroll has worked closely with some of the most respected directors in the industry, including Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan, Patty Jenkins, Steven Spielberg, Ben Affleck, David Yates, Alfonso Cuarón, Zack Snyder, Todd Phillips, Peter Jackson, George Miller, the Wachowskis, Nancy Meyers, Robert Zemeckis and Guillermo del Toro.

Kroll most recently served as Warner Bros. Pictures’ President, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution. First joining the Studio in 1994, she rose up to be one of the film division’s top executives for nearly 20 years.

During her tenure, Warner Bros. consistently ranked as one of the industry’s most creatively and financially successful film studios. Last year was the biggest year in the Studio’s history, with $5.13 billion in global box office—the second time it has passed the $5 billion mark. The film division crossed the $1 billion mark domestically and internationally in each of the last 18 years, an industry record.

Under her marketing leadership, the Studio won a Best Picture Oscar for “Argo,” as well as a Best Animated Feature Oscar for “Happy Feet,” in addition to Best Picture nominations for “Dunkirk,” “The Blind Side,” “Inception,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “Gravity,” “Her,” “American Sniper,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Letters from Iwo Jima.” Other films on which she oversaw marketing include some of the most popular and profitable of the last two decades, including “Wonder Woman”; “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”; “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”; all eight “Harry Potter” films; “Suicide Squad”; “Sully”; “The Accountant”; “Interstellar”; “The LEGO® Movie”; “The Hobbit” Trilogy; “The Dark Knight” Trilogy; “Inception”; “Sherlock Holmes” and its sequel; “The Hangover” Trilogy; “I Am Legend”; “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”; “300”; the “Ocean’s” movies; “Beowulf”; “Constantine”; “The Polar Express”; “Troy”; “The Last Samurai”; “The Matrix” Trilogy; and “Flags of Our Fathers.”

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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

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Review: "John Wick" Still Burns

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Wick (2014)
Running time:  101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong and bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use
DIRECTORS:  Chad Stahelski and David Leitch
WRITER:  Derek Kolstad
PRODUCERS:  Basil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria, and Michael Witherill
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jonathan Sela
EDITOR:  Elisabet Ronalds
COMPOSERS:  Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER

Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Dean Winters, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Bridget Regan, Clarke Peters, Randall Duk Kim, Kevin Nash, David Patrick Kelly, and Lance Reddick

John Wick is a 2014 action and crime-thriller starring Keanu Reeves.  It is directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch (although only Stahelski is credited on screen as director).  The film tells the story of an ex-hit man who comes out of retirement to kill the man who viciously wronged him.

Once upon a time, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) was a legendary hit man, a seemingly unstoppable killer.  He was the boogeyman who killed the boogeyman.  Not long after his wife, Helen (Bridget Moynahan), dies of a terminal illness, John receives a puppy that she had bought John to help him cope with her death.  He grows to love the puppy, which he names “Daisy.”

At a gas station, a young gangster named Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) sees John and Daisy in John's vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1.  Later, Iosef and two of his henchman break into John's home, beats him unconscious, and kills Daisy, before stealing the Mach 1.  Now, John Wick the boogeyman is back, determined to kill Iosef.  The problem is that the young hood is the son of Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), the head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York City, a syndicate that John Wick himself helped the elder Tarasov establish.

I have been a fan of Keanu Reeves since I first encountered him the 1980s in film like Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and River's Edge (1986), although I am not a fan of his popular 80s film, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).  I have never thought of Reeves as a great or even good actor; he is either way too stiff or too wooden as a performer.  Still, I enjoyed him in films like the original Point Break (1991) and in The Matrix films.  Reeves' star has dimmed in recent years, and he has said that he no longer gets offered the kind of projects an A-list white male actor would.

When I first saw a television commercial for John Wick, I knew that I would like the film.  However, I never got around to seeing it until early last year when I caught it on one of the premium cable movie channels.  I could not believe how good I thought it was (and I still can't).  Because of the release of the sequel (John Wick: Chapter 2), I decided to watch the first film again.

John Wick is simply a flashy, visually cool shoot-em-up movie with some good set pieces from the hit man movie wheelhouse.  This film, however, works because of Keanu Reeves.  I honestly believe that very few other actors could have made this movie memorable.  Without Keanu, John Wick would have probably ended being straight-to-DVD or VOD (video-on-demand).

If you like Keanu Reeves, you will want to see this, and you will probably want to see it a second time.  It's the magic of Keanu Reeves.  What more can I say?  That magic must have worked on a lot of movie fans because Jack Wick did get a sequel.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, March 12, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Warner Bros. Begins Production on "Aquaman" Movie

Production is Underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ Super Hero Action Adventure “Aquaman”

Director James Wan and star Jason Momoa dive into the Super Hero’s first-ever solo feature, along with cast mates Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman and more

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “Aquaman,” helmed by James Wan (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7”). Jason Momoa stars in the title role, returning to the character he plays in this fall’s “Justice League.”

The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Tom Curry; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (upcoming “Baywatch,” Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as Black Manta; with Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Atlanna.

The film is being produced by Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Rob Cowan, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk M. Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films) and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy; “The Amazing Spider-Man”), along with Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Charles Gibson (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2”) and VFX supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise).

As is fitting for the king of the sea, the shoot will take place mainly in locations spanning the stunning Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, with extensive filming to be accomplished at Village Roadshow Studios. The production will utilize the facility’s sprawling backlot and all nine VRS soundstages, including its newest, Stage 9, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Filming will also take place in Newfoundland, Sicily and Tunisia.

An icon for over 75 years, Aquaman is known by fans of DC Comics as the ruler of Atlantis but committed to protecting the entire globe, both land and sea.

Currently set for a 2018 release, the film is based on characters from DC.

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Review: "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is Stylish and Quirky, of course

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Running time:  99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, some sexual content and violence
DIRECTOR:  Wes Anderson
WRITERS:  Wes Anderson; from a story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness (inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig)
PRODUCERS:  Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales, and Scott Rudin
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robert Yeoman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Barney Pilling
COMPOSER:  Alexandre Desplat
Academy Award winner

ADVENTURE/COMEDY/DRAMA with elements of fantasy

Starring:  Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jeff Goldblum, Mathieu Amalric, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Lea Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Bob Balaban, and Owen Wilson

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a 2014 comedy-drama and adventure film from writer-director Wes Anderson.  Anderson and Hugo Guinness, who wrote the film's story with Anderson, were inspired by the writings of Austrian, Stefan Sweig (1881-19420, a novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer.  The Grand Budapest Hotel focuses on the adventures of a legendary concierge at a famous hotel and the lobby boy who becomes his trusted sidekick.

The Grand Budapest Hotel opens in the present day, before moving back to 1985.  The film moves back again to the year 1968.  A man, known as “The Author” (Jude Law), travels to the Republic of Zubrowka (a fictional Central European state).  He stays at a remote mountainside hotel in the spa town of Nebelsbad.  The Author discovers that the Grand Budapest Hotel has fallen on hard times.  He meets the owner of the hotel, an elderly gentleman named Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham).  Moustafa tells “The Author” how he came to own the Grand Budapest Hotel.

That takes the story back to the year 1932, during the hotel's glory days.  Monsieur Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) is the Grand Budapest Hotel's devoted concierge.  He manages the hotel's large staff and sees to the needs of the hotel's wealthy clientele,  Gustave also often has sexual relationships with some of the hotel's elderly female clientele.  One of the aging women who flock to the hotel to enjoy M. Gustave's “exceptional service” is Madame Céline Villeneuve "Madame D" Desgoffe und Taxis a.k.a. “Madame D” (Tilda Swinton).

After Madame D dies, M. Gustave discovers that she has left him something in her will, a highly-sought after painting by Johannes van Hoytl (the younger), entitled, “Boy With Apple.”  M. Gustave also learns that Madame D was murdered and that he is not only the chief suspect, but that he is also caught up in a dispute over a vast family fortune.  M. Gustave is in trouble, but luckily he has hired a most capable and talented new lobby boy, Zero (Tony Revolori).  M Gustave's most trusted friend and protege, Zero, may be the only one who can help a legendary concierge save himself.

I said that Ethan and Joel Coen's 2010 film, True Grit (a remake of the classic John Wayne western), was a movie in which the brothers got to work out and to employ their visual tics, cinematic style, and storytelling techniques on a Western.  It was a good film, but it was truly “a Coen Bros. movie.”

In a similar fashion, The Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes Anderson employing everything that is eccentric, quirky, and unique to his films going back at least a decade.  Embodied in this movie, the Wes Anderson style is wonderful and invigorating and a joy to watch.  Truly, The Grand Budapest Hotel has a striking and an eye-catching visual style.  Anderson's mix of ornate visual environments and eccentric characters with deeply held emotions makes his movies hard to ignore, if you give them half the chance.

Those characters can be a problem, though.  For this film, Anderson easily offers 20 characters worth knowing, but other than M. Gustave and Zero, Anderson uses the others as quirky backdrops or as caricatures upon which he can hang his plot.  Thus, The Grand Budapest Hotel is beautiful, but depth of character is lacking.  The adventure of M. Gustave and Zero plays as if it were something straight out of a beloved children's book.  Much has been made of Ralph Fienne's performance in this film, and it is indeed a good one.  It must be noted that Tony Revolori as Zero is also quite good.  Still, the adventure of the two leads would be better with more interplay from the other characters than the film offers.  Adrien Brody's Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis is wasted, and Willem Dafoe's J.G. Jopling is not so much a menacing villain as he is a bad guy straight out of Jay Ward Productions.

However, while this movie does not fail to burrow into the imagination, it does not really plant its roots in the viewers' hearts.  It is gorgeous on the surface, but Anderson seems to avoid the deeply emotional ideas he introduces, making The Grand Budapest Hotel an exceptional film, but keeping it from being truly great.  It is Wes Anderson art for Wes Anderson's art sake.

8 of 10
A

Friday, April 10, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Academy Awards, USA:  4 wins: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Milena Canonero), “Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling” (Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Alexandre Desplat) and “Best Achievement in Production Design” (Adam Stockhausen-production design and Anna Pinnock-set decoration); 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven M. Rales, and Jeremy Dawson), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Wes Anderson), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Robert D. Yeoman), and “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Barney Pilling), and “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Wes Anderson-screenplay/story and Hugo Guinness-story)

2015 BAFTA Awards:  5 wins: “Best Original Music” (Alexandre Desplat), “Best Costume Design” (Milena Canonero), “Best Production Design” (Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock), “Best Original Screenplay” (Wes Anderson), and “Best Make Up & Hair” (Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier); 6 nominations: “Best Film” (Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven M. Rales, and Jeremy Dawson), “Best Leading Actor” (Ralph Fiennes), “Best Cinematography” (Robert D. Yeoman), “Best Editing” (Barney Pilling), “Best Sound” (Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Wes Anderson)

2015 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical;” 3 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Wes Anderson), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Ralph Fiennes), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Wes Anderson)

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.