The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause - Well, I Like It

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 227 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Michael Lembeck
WRITERS: Ed Decter and John J. Strauss (based upon characters created by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick)
PRODUCERS: Robert F. Newmyer, Brian Reilly, Jeffrey Silver, and Tim Allen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robbie Greenberg
EDITOR: David Finfer
COMPOSER: George S. Clinton

FANTASY/FAMILY/COMEDY

Starring: Tim Allen, Martin Short, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Spencer Breslin, Liliana Mumy, Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Art LeFleur, Aisha Tyler, Kevin Pollack, Jay Thomas, Michael Dorn, Peter Boyle, and Charlie Stewart

Walt Disney Picture’s 1994 holiday smash, The Santa Clause, was a delightful surprise. Eight years later, the 2002 sequel, The Santa Clause 2, was entertaining but didn’t have the same magic or sparkle. Four years later, Walt Disney Pictures drops The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause – a riff on Frank Capra’s classic Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. While this new Clause doesn’t quite recapture the magic of the original flick, it certainly looks like a Christmas movie.

Christmas is approaching and Santa Claus (Tim Allen), the former Scott Calvin, not only has to get ready for delivering Christmas presents to children all over the world, but he and Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell), the former Carol Newman, are preparing for the arrival of a baby Claus. At the risk of giving away its secret location, Scott invites his in-laws, Sylvia and Bud Newman (Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin) to the North Pole to be near their daughter Carol at this special time. Scott also invites his extended family: son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), ex-wife Laura Miller (Wendy Crewson), her husband Neil (Judge Reinhold), and their daughter Lucy (Liliana Mumy) for the holidays.

Scott, however, doesn’t have much time for them, as he and head elf Curtis (Spencer Breslin) have their hands full with last minute details for Santa’s magical Christmas Eve sleigh ride. Offering his assistance at this busy time is Jack Frost (Martin Short), but Jack is chillingly envious of Santa. While Santa juggles family strife and a workload crunch, Jack is plotting to change time and take over Santa’s holiday. Who amongst his extended family will help Santa save the day?

Early in The Santa Clause 3, Allen appears listless, as well as seeming burdened by the 75-pound Santa suit he wears for the title role, but Allen springs to life when facing Martin Short as Jack Frost. A shameless ham, Short is the classic entertainer, always hungry for attention – happy as a pig in mud to get applause anywhere he can, so he’s been on TV, in movies, and on stage, as well as being an animated television character. Short gives every inch of his body to the physical performance of being a sneaky and lanky villain – twisting and hunching his body and contorting his eyes as he builds the kind of gentle bad guy that would fit perfectly on Saturday morning TV.

There’s no real edge to the rivalry between Allen and Short’s characters, but they make The Escape Clause’s unyielding holiday sentiment work. The concept and subsequent script are shallow, but it’s the stars that convince us of what the story is trying to sell. Allen and Short’s battle decides the fate of the real soul of the Christmas holidays and The Santa Clause 3 – putting up with your family and accepting your place in it.

Director Michael Lembeck, a veteran of TV comedies (and the director of The Santa Clause 2), doesn’t wow us with a virtuoso display of directing, but he knows how to sell sentiment, which TV does so well. Lembeck smartly captures all the visual splendor that Disney money can buy. It’s the technical staff: director of photography, the art director and set decorator, the costume designer, and the special effects wizards and their crew that give TSC3 its visual magic. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause looks and feels like a Christmas movie, and a glittery, colorful, and pretty Christmas flick, at that. For a little under two hours, this movie fooled me into believing that on a mild day in mid-Autumn, I was really home at the North Pole for Christmas. I can’t ask a Christmas movie for anymore than that.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, November 5, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Razzie Awards: 5 nominations: “Worst Actor” (Tim Allen – also for The Shaggy Dog-2006 and Zoom-2006), “Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment,” “Worst Prequel or Sequel,” “Worst Screen Couple” (Tim Allen and Martin Short), and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Martin Short)

Tim Allen Carries Sappy "The Santa Clause 2"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 228 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Michael Lembeck
WRITERS: Don Rhymer, Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, and Ed Decter & John J. Strauss (based upon the characters created by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick)
PRODUCERS: Robert F. Newmyer, Brian Reilly, and Jeffrey Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adam Greenberg and Craig Haagensen
EDITORS: David Finfer and Edward A. Warschilka
COMPOSER: George S. Clinton

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Krumholtz, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Spencer Breslin, Liliana Mumy, Danielle Woodman, Art LaFleur, Aisha Tyler, Kevin Pollack, Jay Thomas, and Michael Dorn

The subject of this movie review is The Santa Clause 2, a 2002 romantic comedy, fantasy, and Christmas movie from Walt Disney Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1994 film, The Santa Clause.

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been Santa Claus for eight years, and his elves consider him the best ever. But The Big Guy isn’t without problems. When he starts mysteriously losing weight, he learns that there is another Santa clause – Santa must have a wife. Scott has to leave the North Pole to find Mrs. Claus, or he’ll be forced to give up being Santa. Scott leaves a scheming elf named Bernard (David Krumholtz) in charge, and Bernard promptly builds a toy Santa (played by Allen in makeup) to double for the real Santa. After reading the rule book, the toy Santa comes to believe that the real Santa isn’t doing his job right, so the mechanical St. Nick starts making changes that don’t seem right.

Meanwhile, Scott discovers a second area of trouble. His son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), is in trouble in school and is also on Santa’s “naughty” list. A visit to Charlie’s school leads to a chance meeting with the lovely Principal Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell), and Scott realizes she would make a great Mrs. Claus. Will Scott’s secrets, family strife, and Charlie’s misbehavior cost him a chance with Principal Newman? And can Scott return to the North Pole in time to save Christmas from his toy double?

The Santa Clause 2 is so top-heavy with maudlin sentiment that it’s almost crippled. The treat is, as always, Tim Allen in his 75-pound Santa suit or even dressed as an ordinary man trying to be a good father and just maybe a good husband. It’s Allen’s spin on Christmas comedy that makes this a worthwhile family flick.

5 of 10
B-

Sunday, November 5, 2006

"The Santa Clause" Still a Christmas Treat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 226 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Santa Clause (1994)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: John Pasquin
WRITERS: Leo Benvenuti & Steve Rudnick
PRODUCERS: Robert Newmyer, Brian Reilly, and Jeffrey Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Walt Lloyd
EDITOR: Larry Bock
COMPOSER: Michael Convertino

COMEDY/FANTASY/FAMILY

Starring: Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz, Larry Brandenburg, Mary Gross, Paige Tamada, Peter Boyle, and Judith Scott

The subject of this movie review is The Santa Clause, a 1994 fantasy film, family comedy, and Christmas movie starring Tim Allen. The film follows a divorced father who must become the new Santa Claus.

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced father who has found that his young son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), is reluctant want to spend Christmas with him. He’d rather be with his mom, Laura Calvin Miller (Wendy Crewson), and her new husband, Dr. Neal Miller (Judge Reinhold), a psychiatrist and a very good stepfather to Charlie. While Scott and Charlie are spending a dreary Christmas Eve together, Santa Claus arrives, and Scott accidentally kills him. Panicked and encouraged by Charlie, Scott temporarily dons Santa’s suit so that he can deliver the rest of the gifts. The snow really hits the fan when Scott discovers that there is a Santa Clause about putting on the suit. By killing Santa and donning the suit, Scott has magically recruited himself to replace the deceased St. Nick. Although he was a Scrooge, Scott finds himself growing into the role of Father Christmas, but it may cost him his relationship with Charlie.

The first 70 minutes or so of The Santa Clause are brilliant – in a goofy, affable way that makes it a charming, heart-warming, Christmas film. The screenwriters came up with a novel way to juxtapose Scott’s struggle as a father to reconnect with his son Charlie, who is disappointed in him, with Scott’s struggle to live with something he must to accept, The Santa Clause. Fatherhood and career (even one forced on him) clash and blend with surprisingly funny results. In a way, being Santa is the best thing that ever happened to Scott and Charlie’s relationship, but it could also destroy it.

The movie withers when the narrative tries to modernize Santa or rationalize Santa Claus through science, because Santa is magic – pure and simple. For instance, why would Santa need a fire-proof suit when he comes down a chimney because its magic that protects him from fire, not to mention that it’s magic that allows Santa to do his job. The ending is also too long and phony, filled with forced emotion and saccharine level sentiment.

Still, about 80% of the film is an excellent fantasy comedy, and The Santa Clause would probably make any short list as one of the great Christmas comedies. I know that I want to put it on my annual Christmas list.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, November 5, 2006

"Werewolf: The Beast Among Us" Enjoyable, But Not a Beast

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 100 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012) - video
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – R for bloody violence and grisly images throughout
DIRECTOR: Louis Morneau
WRITERS: Michael Tabb, Catherine Cyran and Louis Morneau; from a story by Michael Tabb
PRODUCERS: Mike Elliott
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Philip Robertson
EDITOR: Mike Jackson
COMPOSER: Michael Wandmacher

HORROR/MYSTERY

Starring: Guy Wilson, Ed Quinn, Adam Croasdell, Nia Peeples, Steven Bauer, Rachel DiPillo, Ana Ularu, Emil Hostina, Zoltan and Stephen Rea

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us is a 2012 direct-to-DVD horror movie from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production wing of Universal Pictures that seems to specialize in direct-to-DVD fantasy and action films. The film focuses on a team of werewolf hunters and the young man who wants to join them in their hunt for the monster terrorizing his village. It must also be noted that Guy Wilson, the actor playing the young would-be hunter, gives a performance that makes him stand out from the rest of this film’s cast.

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us is set in the 19th century. Years after seeing his parents murdered by a werewolf, Charles (Ed Quinn) leads a band of highly-talented and skilled hunters. They take on werewolves and the wurdalek, a kind of creature humans can become when they survive werewolf attacks.

They arrive in the village of Dravicu, where large numbers of villagers have been slaughtered by a werewolf that terrorizes the area. Daniel (Guy Wilson) is a young physician-in-training apprenticed to Doc (Stephen Rea). Doc is the local medical examiner who autopsies the victims of werewolf attacks and also helps people hurt in attacks. Daniel pesters the cowboy-like Charles about joining his band of hunters, but Charles declines the eager young hunter wannabe’s offers. Neither man knows how close the beast really is to them.

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us wears its straight-to-video, B-movie rags as if those were the only clothes it knew how to wear. This movie is not really good or even bad – just sort of in the middle. I found it rather enjoyable, and I will probably watch it, or at least bits and pieces, again whenever it is on television. The CGI werewolf effects are better than I expected; although they are not as good as the effects in the Underworld franchise, they exceed the clumsy efforts in Wes Craven’s troubled werewolf flick, Cursed.

The mystery aspects of the screenplay are actually engaging; I certainly wanted to discover the identities of the culprits and uncover their plots. The characters are either good, but underutilized or are poorly developed. The potential of Charles’ cowboy thing is wasted. Stephen Rea gives minimal effort as Doc, leaving the character extraneous. As for Nia Peeples: don’t give up, girl!

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us is a calling card for Guy Wilson, the young actor playing Daniel. He’s good and performs as if this is a major studio release destined for the big screen (and not straight to DVD). Wilson’s efforts hint that there may be a future star among the cast of Werewolf: The Beast Among Us.

5 of 10
C+

Sunday, December 23, 2012

"Argo" Best Pic of 2012 Says St. Louis Film Critics

2012 St. Louis Film Critics’ Awards:

Best Film: “Argo “
(runners-up: “Life of Pi” and "Lincoln")

Best Director: Ben Affleck ("Argo")
(runner-up): Quentin Tarantino ("Django Unchained") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild")

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis ("Lincoln")
(runner-up): John Hawkes ("The Sessions")

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty")
(runner-up): Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained")
(runner-up): Tommy Lee Jones ("Lincoln")

Best Supporting Actress: (Tie): Ann Dowd ("Compliance") and Helen Hunt ("The Sessions")

Best Original Screenplay: "Zero Dark Thirty" (Mark Boal)
(runner-up): "Django Unchained" (Quentin Tarantino)

Best Adapted Screenplay: (Tie): "Lincoln" (Tony Kushner) and "Silver Linings Playbook" (David O. Russell)

Best Cinematography: "Skyfall" (Roger Deakins)
(runner-up): "Life of Pi" (Claudio Miranda)

Best Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"
(runner-up): “The Avengers”

Best Music: (Tie): "Django Unchained" and "Moonrise Kingdom

Best Foreign-Language Film: “The Intouchables” (France)
(runners-up): “The Fairy" and "Headhunters”

Best Documentary: “Searching for Sugar Man”
(runner-up): “Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry," "Bully" and "How To Survive A Plague"

Best Comedy: (Tie): “Moonrise Kingdom" and "Ted"

Best Animated Film: “Wreck-It Ralph”
(runner-up): “ParaNorman”

Best Art-House or Festival Film: (Tie): “Compliance" and "Safety Not Guaranteed"

Special Merit (for best scene, cinematic technique or other memorable aspect or moment) (Four-way Tie):
1. "Django Unchained" – The "bag head" bag/mask problems scene

2. "Hitchcock" – Anthony Hopkins in lobby conducting to music/audience’s reaction during "Psycho" screening

3. "The Impossible" - Opening tsunami scene

4. "The Master" – The first "processing" questioning scene between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix

Star Warts to Disney: Officially a Done Deal

The Walt Disney Company Completes Lucasfilm Acquisition

Deal expected to strengthen Disney’s position as a leading global provider of high-quality branded entertainment and build long-term shareholder value

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) announced today that Disney has completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Lucasfilm to the Disney family,” said Iger. “Star Wars is one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time and this transaction combines that world class content with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets, which we believe will generate growth as well as significant long-term value.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, at closing Disney issued 37,076,679 shares and made a cash payment of $2,208,199,950. Based upon the closing price of Disney shares on December 21, 2012 at $50.00, the transaction has a total value of approximately $4.06 billion.

Lucasfilm’s assets include its massively popular Star Wars franchise, operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production, as well as a substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies. It operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound.

Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements relate to the expected benefits of the integration of Disney and Lucasfilm; the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other matters that are not historical fact. These statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Disney regarding future events and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Disney does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from a variety of factors, including but not limited to developments beyond the Disney’s control, including but not limited to: changes in domestic or global economic conditions, competitive conditions and consumer preferences; adverse weather conditions or natural disasters; health concerns; international, political or military developments; and technological developments. Additional factors that may cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Disney for the year ended September 29, 2012, under the heading "Item 1A—Risk Factors," and in subsequent reports on Form 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Disney.

2012 St. Louis Film Critics’ Award Nominations Complete List

St. Louis Film Critics is an association of professional film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois. Founded in late 2004, the group’s goals (according to the website) are to serve the interests of local film critics, and to promote an appreciation for cinema both as an art form and for its societal, cultural and historical context and impact.

The eligibility requirements for a SLFC Award, according to the group’s website: a film must have been shown in the greater St. Louis area in a theater or at a film festival or series, or made available to SLFC members by screening or screener during the past year. Films opening in limited run elsewhere for Oscar qualification but which will open in the St. Louis area early in the next year are eligible.

The 2012 St. Louis Film Critics’ Award nominees are:

Best Film
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

 

Best Director
Ben Affleck (Argo)
Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom)
Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)
Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Ang Lee (Life of Pi)

 

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained)
John Hawkes (The Sessions)
Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)
Denzel Washington (Flight)

 

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)
Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed)
Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

 

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin (Argo)
John Goodman (Argo)
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
William H. Macy (The Sessions)
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Bruce Willis (Moonrise Kingdom)

 

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams (The Master)
Ann Dowd (Compliance)
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
Emma Watson (Perks of Being A Wallflower)

 

Best Original Screenplay

The Cabin in the Woods (Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard) 

Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola)
Seven Psychopaths (Martin McDonagh)
Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal )

Best Adapted Screenplay 
Argo (Chris Terrio)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin)
Life of Pi (David Magee)
Lincoln (Tony Kushner)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)

 

Best Cinematography 
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Ben Richardson)
Cloud Atlas (Frank Griebe and John Toll)
Django Unchained (Robert Richardson)
Life of Pi (Claudio Miranda)
The Master (Mihai Malaimare Jr.)
Skyfall (Roger Deakins)

Best Visual Effects 
The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
Life of Pi
Prometheus
Snow White and the Huntsman

 

Best Music 
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
Django Unchained
Moonrise Kingdom
Not Fade Away

 

Best Foreign-Language Film 
The Fairy (from France/Belgium)
Headhunters (from Norway)
Holy Motors (from France)
The Intouchables (from France)
The Kid With A Bike (from Belgium)

 

Best Documentary 
Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry
Bully
How To Survive A Plague
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Searching for Sugar Man

 

Best Animated Film 
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Comedy 
The Cabin in the Woods
Moonrise Kingdom
Seven Psychopaths
Ted
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Art-House or Festival Film (for artistic excellence in art-house cinema, limited to films that played at film festivals or film series or those that had a limited-release here, playing one or two cinemas).

 

1. Bernie
2. Compliance 
3. The Fairy
4. Safety Not Guaranteed
5. Sleepwalk with Me
6. Take This Waltz

 

Best Scene (favorite movie scene or sequence).

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild – The hurricane (and Wink shooting at it)
2. Django Unchained – The “bag head” bag/mask problems scene
3. Flight – The plane crash
4. Hitchcock – Anthony Hopkins in lobby conducting to music/audience’s reaction during “Psycho” shower scene
5. The Impossible – Opening tsunami scene
6. The Master – The first “processing” questioning scene between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix