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

Hollywood Movie Awards Top 10 Revealed

The 15th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards together with Yahoo! Movies are pleased to announce the nominees for the 2011 "Hollywood Movie Awards" competition.

The ten nominees in alphabetical order are "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Cowboys & Aliens," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," "The Help," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Rango," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Super 8," "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "X-Men: First Class."

The Hollywood Movie Awards® are presented by Yahoo! Movies and cover the public's favorites of the year. The voting takes place at the Yahoo! Movies site at http://cts.vresp.com/c/?HollywoodNetwork/21bfd04b36/5c5b76e819/b6ccdd304a

"We are very excited that once again the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards, together with Yahoo! Movies, will continue their tradition of providing the public at large with the opportunity to vote for their favorite movie," said Founder and Executive Director, Carlos de Abreu.

"The Hollywood Movie Awards sets the early tone for the upcoming movie awards season, and Yahoo! Movies is delighted to once again be the destination where film fans can vote for their favorite movie of the year," said Sean Phillips, executive producer Yahoo! Movies. The Hollywood Movie Awards winner by popular vote will receive the award at the Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony on Monday evening, October 24, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The 2011 Hollywood Film Festival has also announced that they will honor five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close with the "Hollywood Career Achievement Award," Academy Award-nominated actress Michelle Williams with the "Hollywood Actress Award" for "My Week with Marilyn," Academy Award-nominated actor Christopher Plummer with the "Hollywood Supporting Actor Award" for "Beginners," actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Actor Award" for "50/50,"and actress Felicity Jones with the "New Hollywood Award" for "Like Crazy."

Other honorees include the cast of "The Help" (Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O'Reilly, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Cicely Tyson, and Mike Vogel), Director Michel Hazanavicius, Producer Letty Aronson, Screenwriter Diablo Cody, Film Composer Alberto Iglesias, Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, Editor Stephen Mirrione, Production Designer James Murakami, and Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar at their annual Awards Gala. In addition, Gore Verbinski's "Rango" will be honored at the Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony, along with additional honorees to be announced in the coming weeks.

The festival and awards will mark their return on October 20 for a weeklong series of screenings and awards. The Hollywood Film Festival will take place at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood.


YAHOO! MOVIES:
Yahoo! Movies is one of the leading websites for movie trailers, news and information.

ABOUT STARZ ENTERTAINMENT, LLC:
The Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards presenter is Starz Entertainment, LLC, a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® brands with approximately 19 million and 32.9 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz Entertainment (http://www.starz.com/) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group (NASDAQ: LSTZA).

Review: John Carpenter's "The Thing" Still a Great Thing

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: John Carpenter
WRITER: Bill Lancaster (based upon the story “Who Goes There” by John W. Campbell, Jr. writing as Don A. Stuart)
PRODUCER: David Foster and Lawrence Turman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Cundey
EDITOR: Todd Ramsay

SCI-FI/HORROR/THRILLER/MYSTERY

Starring: Kurt Russell, A. Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard A. Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites

Considered a remake of Howard Hawk’s Cold War-era classic, The Thing from Another World, John Carpenter’s The Thing is actually an adaptation of a one of the early classic science fiction short stories by acclaimed science fiction editor and writer, John W. Campbell, Jr., (also the basis of Hawk’s film). Carpenter does pay homage to the Hawk’s film in a few scenes.

The film takes place in 1982 at an American research camp in Antarctica. After a violent encounter with two Norwegians from a nearby base camp, the Americans, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), learn that the Norwegians had discovered an alien space craft buried in the Antarctic ice and an alien passenger lying frozen near the craft. When the Norwegians thawed the creature, they discovered that the thing was still alive. The creature can absorb and take on the identities of living creatures. Now, the creature is loose in the American base, and MacReady leads the human survivors in discovering who among them is still human and who is not. They must also destroy “the thing” before it reaches the mainland and the rest of humanity.

The Thing is a study in paranoia, and director John Carpenter helmed one of the truly great sci-fi horror films by getting the most of his collaborators, such as Rob Bottin, a then 22-year old special effects man, who created special makeup effects that are considered a benchmark in film history. Ennio Morricone’s score is an understated masterpiece that quietly increases in intensity as the film progresses and raises the tense mood tenfold.

Carpenter, of course, didn’t rely solely on Bottin’s incredible effects work. He used his talented cast of character actors to create three-dimensional players who make this horrible but exceedingly fantastic situation seem possible. Kurt Russell once again proved why he is a leading man with charisma and machismo in the mode of classic Hollywood leading men like John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. And no matter how many times I see this film, The Thing always proves itself to be great.

9 of 10
A+

Naruto Movie Marathon Online

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES NARUTO MOVIE MARATHON ON VIZANIME.COM AND HULU

The World’s Most Popular Ninja Takes Center Stage In Four Action-Packed Feature Films Set To Stream Throughout October

To celebrate the upcoming U.S. theatrical premiere and DVD and Blu-ray release of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS, and the birthday of the Naruto character on October 10th, VIZ Media has just announced a special NARUTO movie marathon on VIZAnime.com, the company’s own website for free anime, as well as on the streaming content provider HULU (http://www.hulu.com/).

A total of 4 feature films featuring the spunky ninja will stream on both sites from October 7th thru October 23rd and will include NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW, NARUTO THE MOVIE 2: LEGEND OF THE STONE OF GELEL, NARUTO THE MOVIE 3: GUARDIANS OF THE CRESCENT MOON KINGDOM. For the first time, these films will also be made available to stream with either subtitled or English dubbed dialogue tracks. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN:THE MOVIE will also be available dubbed on both streaming sites.

VIZ Media will premiere the latest NARUTO feature film – NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS – in a special theatrical event to be held at the New York School of Visual Arts Theatre (SVA) on Saturday, October 15th as part of the company’s activities at the 2011 New York Comic-Con. Esteemed Japanese voice actress Junko Takeuchi, who provides the original voice for Naruto, will also attend the event.

NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW (Rated TV-14)
A land forever covered in ice... A princess missing for ten years... And one high-spirited ninja named Naruto!

In this first NARUTO feature film, Naruto and the rest of Squad 7 take on a new mission: bring popular movie star Yukie Fujikaze to the Land of Snow, where they're filming the final scenes of her latest movie. Trouble is, she's even more headstrong than Naruto, and she doesn't want to go! Her reluctance may be connected to what else lies in wait for them – three rogue Snow ninja and a tyrannical ruler seeking the key to a mysterious treasure.

NARUTO THE MOVIE 2: LEGEND OF THE STONE OF GELEL (Rated TV-14)
Naruto, Shikamaru and Sakura are in the middle of returning a lost ferret to its owner--the easiest mission ever. Or so they think! When a young knight, Temujin, attacks them out of nowhere, they are drawn into a fierce struggle over a treasure harboring legendary power – the Stone of Gelel. Temujin's master wants to use the stone's power to create a utopia, while the last of the clan who once controlled the stone wants to keep it sealed away forever. Naruto and the others, along with help from Gaara and Kankuro, must protect the stone from those who want to misuse its power. When the dream of utopia becomes a nightmare, it'll take a ninja to set things right!

NARUTO THE MOVIE 3: GUARDIANS OF THE CRESCENT MOON KINGDOM (Rated TV-14)
Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi team up with Rock Lee to protect Prince Michiru and his son Hikaru on their return home to the Crescent Moon Kingdom. Easy enough, until the royal family becomes a royal pain!

Prince Michiru can't help indulging his son, even buying him a circus along the way! Naruto has a tough time putting up with both the spoiled Hikaru and a saber-toothed tiger, but the real adventure begins when they reach the Land of the Moon and find themselves facing a villainous uprising. Does Naruto have what it takes to save an entire kingdom?

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE (Rated TV-14)
A powerful spirit that once threatened to destroy the world is back! Naruto's mission is to protect a priestess named Shion, who is the only one with the power to seal away the monster. She also has the uncanny ability to predict someone's fate. Her latest prediction: Naruto will soon die. Naruto's only hope is to abandon Shion, but that's not Naruto's style. He decides to face her fatal prediction head-on – and die!

More information on NARUTO is available at http://www.naruto.com/.

"The Thing from Another World" Still Out of This World

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 67 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Thing from Another World (1951) – B&W
Running time: 87 minutes (1 hour, 27 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Christian Nyby with Howard Hawks (no screen credit)
WRITER: Charles Lederer with Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht (neither received screen credit); (based upon a story by John W. Campbell, Jr.)
PRODUCER: Howard Hawks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Harlan (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Roland Gross
COMPOSER: Dimitri Tiomkin

HORROR/SCI-FI

Starring: Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey, Robert Cornthwaite, Douglas Spencer, James R. Young, Dewey Martin, and James Arness

There’s no doubt. As corny as The Thing from Another World can be, it is one of the great sci-fi/horror films of all time, a true classic. I’ve it seen several times, and it remains a favorite of mine. I find it as creepy today as I did the first time I saw it almost two decades ago.

A group of scientists and military personnel at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. After accidentally destroying the ship, they manage to recover the body of an alien frozen in a block of ice, which they take back to the research station. During the first night, they accidentally thaw the creature from the ice, and it begins to hunt them.

The Thing from Another World is a film definitely of its time, hinting at the Cold War paranoia in America that was an element of some many sci-fi films, but it is still a creepy thrill, dated as it might seem. I always have a good time watching the research station’s occupants fight for the lives with the most serene attitudes. Everybody is so relaxed and chilled, talking about ordinary things like dating and having a good time with the friends, all the while they’re fighting for their lives. I think it makes us identify with the characters, especially the military guys, as if they were regular folks.

Christian Nyby, a protégé of famed film director/producer Howard Hawks, who produced this film, is credited as this movie’s director. However, many film historians and fans have said that this film bears Hawk’s imprint, so he either directed it in total or in part; at that time, a director of Hawk’s stature would not have directed a sci-fi film because doing so was deemed unworthy of an A-list talent.

Attitudes aside, this is a good movie. It certainly lacks the spectacular intensity of today’s hi-octane action-oriented sci-fi/horror movies, but those who can look beyond that will enjoy this gem.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2001 National Film Preservation Board, USA: National Film Registry

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2011 New York Comic Con to Screen Footage from Marvel's The Avengers

Marvel Studios to Present Exclusive Look At Marvel’s The Avengers at New York Comic Con

Producer Kevin Feige and Select Cast Members to Appear Saturday, October 15th in the IGN Theater – Presented by Sprint!

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New York Comic Con (NYCC) is proud to announce Marvel Studios, for the first time ever, will participate in this October’s NYCC. Marvel Studios will present a special event in NYCC’s IGN Theater – Presented by Sprint on Saturday, October 15th from 6:30-7:30 PM, a high-profile panel focused on the upcoming feature film Marvel’s The Avengers. Marvel Studios will debut never-before-seen footage from The Avengers, and panelists will include Kevin Feige (Producer), Chris Evans (Captain America), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), and Cobie Smulders (Agent Hill). The Avengers is scheduled for release on May 4th, 2012.

The sixth annual New York Comic Con will take place October 13-16, 2011 at the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan. NYCC, which attracted 96,000 attendees in 2010, celebrates comics, movies, television, toys, games, and the popular arts from around the planet. Tickets are now on sale via the website http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/, with limited 4-Day tickets remaining.

“I am incredibly honored Marvel Studios has decided to participate in New York Comic Con in such a significant way,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for NYCC. “The center of our show is creating exclusive opportunities for fans to meet their favorite stars and creators. The Avengers presentation is exactly this kind of once-in-a-lifetime event. We’re very excited to be able to host cast and crew from The Avengers and know our fans will be on the edges of their seats. As always, we want to present the very best that the pop culture world has to offer in art and entertainment, and The Avengers panel is at the head of that list!”

As previously announced, Marvel will also be bringing high profile comics guests to New York Comic Con including Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment, Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, and notable Marvel creators Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, and Stuart Immonen.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

“Marvel’s The Avengers,” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Patricia Whitcher and Louis D’Esposito. Marvel Studios’ Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce. The film will be released May 4, 2012.

For further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity, please visit Lance Fensterman’s blog, http://www.mediumatlarge.net/. Convention organizers note that many more guests will be announced over the next few weeks leading into the show and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC’s website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.


ABOUT MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit http://www.marvel.com/. Super Hero(es) is a co-owned registered trademark.

ABOUT REEDPOP:
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration V, New York Anime Festival (NYAF), and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

Review: "Tom and Jerry & the Wizard of Oz" is a Twister of Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 80 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (2011) – straight-to-video
Running time: 59 minutes
DIRECTORS: Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITER: Gene Grillo (based upon characters created by L. Frank Baum and William Hanna and Joseph Barbera)
PRODUCERS: Sam Register (executive) and Spike Brandt (supervising) and Tony Cervone (supervising)
EDITORS: Kyle Stafford and Damon P. Yoches
ANIMATION STUDIO: Yearim Productions Co. Ltd.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/
ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Grey DeLisle, Joe Alaskey, Michael Gough, Rob Paulsen, Todd Stashwick, Frances Conroy, Laraine Newman, Stephen Root, and Kath Soucie

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 animated direct-to-video film starring the famous cartoon cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz basically takes the 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz, and rewrites the movie so that Tom and Jerry (who began as MGM cartoon characters) are right along side Dorothy, Toto, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the rest of the characters from the beloved film.

Life is simple on the Gale farm. High-strung Dorothy (Grey DeLisle) lives with her Auntie Em (Frances Conroy) and Uncle Henry (Stephen Root), three farm hands, and her cute dog, Toto. Tom and Jerry are not only helpers on the farm, but they are also Dorothy’s companions. When Toto gets in trouble, Dorothy gets a little panicky, so Auntie Em asks Tom and Jerry to keep an eye on her.

Later, a terrible tornado transports Dorothy and Toto to the Land of Oz where they go on an adventure to the Emerald City. Tom and Jerry were also transported to Oz. Reminded of their promise to watch over Dorothy, Tom, Jerry, and the plucky Tuffy the Munchkin Mouse (Kath Soucie) race to protect Dorothy from The Wicked Witch of the West (Laraine Newman), who, of course, wants Dorothy’s ruby slippers.

Because of its repeated showings on television beginning in 1956, The Wizard of Oz is one of the most famous movies ever made. I frequently include it in my lists of the 10 best films ever made, so you might think that I would consider Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz practically sacrilegious. I don’t. This animated film is simply like a side story to the original film, except in this case, the original film has been transformed into animation.

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz is funny, and the scenes with Tom and Jerry range from comical to surreal, and the surreal elements make this little movie really fit with the original. The animation is quite good, and the backgrounds, sets, and colors are even better; this is just a pretty film for start to finish.

The voice performances are excellent, especially Laraine Newman as the Wicked Witch of the West. Newman deftly channels Margaret Hamilton, who voiced the Witch in the 1939 film. In fact, the other actors who give voice to the cartoon versions of the original film’s characters come close to sounding like the actors who played them. Tuffy, a character from the original Tom and Jerry cartoon shorts, always annoyed me, but here, as Tuffy the Munchkin Mouse, he is delightful.

If you like Tom and Jerry or want a good animated movie for young viewers, you will not go wrong with Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz.

7 of 10
A-

Thursday, October 06, 2011

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