Now Playing (06/22/07)

L I M I T E D

Black Sheep Horror comedy
Broken English It's hard to trust pre-release PR hype but word has it that Parker Posey delivers with a "startling and mature performance" (not sure if that's Coming Soon's own words or a PR summary) although anyone who doubts Posey's ability to render complete characterizations instead of just seizing big laughs musta missed Personal Velocity. This indie also stars Gena Rowlands, Melvil Poupaud, and Drea DeMatteo.
Klimt John Malkovich plays the artist in this biopic

White Palms This gymnastics drama (pictured right) was Hungary's entry in last year's Oscar race for Best Foreign Film
Sicko NY is getting Michael Moore's latest a week early. Can't wait to see it but I don't have health insurance right now so I know it's going to upset me. And I also really wonder about the people attacking Michael Moore left and right. You mean you don't want people to talk about how f***ed up America's healthcare is? Yes, let's bury our head in the sand on account of our petty vendetta's against a loudmouth. Smart move, talking heads, smart move.
You Kill Me is a comedy from John Dahl (Joy Ride, Red Rock West) about a hitman (Ben Kingsley) trying to quit drinking. I wonder when Gandhi will go back to playing good guys? And I wonder why the hit man is such an enduring character for movies -- certainly one of the most glamourized or ubiquitous screen professions. Weird, right?

W I D E

1408 John Cusack enters a haunted room dreamed up by Stephen King, famously talented horror novelist yet inexplicably awful Entertainment Weekly columnist. But if you're looking for psychological horror why haven't you seen Bug yet? Go before it leaves the cinemas.
Evan Almighty Steve Carell collects two of every beast and builds an ark. I think the trailer is quite possibly the worst I've seen in years, utterly killing any previous desire I had to see it. And yes I once had said desire. I'm not sure what's wrong with me either, don't ask.
A Mighty Heart Angelina Jolie's Oscar bid. She plays the wife of slain journalist Daniel Pearl. Best Actress Updates coming real soon people. Patience.

Titles

Just found this great site "Steven Hill's Movie Titles Screen Page" which offers up a plethora of title cards. Maybe this site is common knowledge but it was news to me. And I love screen titles. What's especially fun is that it's not limited to any particular genre or time period. A huge collection worth checking out. I found it while searching for images I didn't end up using for today's Zoom-In piece which is my contribution to the filmmusic blog-a-thon which is building like Pachelbel's Canon right now. Unfortunately I don't have time for the other 'thon, the ambitious failure ... but I'll be reading.

Big Dollhouse

What are John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky doing here exactly?

a) rehearsing their Hairspray lines
b) making fun of Marissa Jaret Winokur & Harvey Fierstein
c) undergoing couples counselling...with props
d) auditioning for Todd Haynes next feature
e) none of the above (explain in the comments)
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Judge Jenny

Is Jennifer Hudson qualified to judge the art of acting? I have to ask.

She is among the newest invitees to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Oscar voters) which means somewhere down the road, Jennifer Hudson will help determine if the next challenging virtuoso turn (like Naomi Watts's in Mulholland Dr or Isabelle Huppert's in The Piano Teacher) is shunned or honored. She'll judge whether or not Meryl deserves her third Oscar or Kate Winslet her first.... and both of those women will undoubtedly have tough competition in future races. They'll certainly be up against some media friendly babes frumping it up for attention: the "Jessica"s are only five to seven years away from seeking out those "deglam" opportunities... mark my words.

I don't mean to rag on JHud. I love her I do. She's my favorite person to ever emerge from the otherwise bar lowering entertainment phenom known as... never mind. I'm sick of saying the name. I can't wait to buy her first CD. She's certainly a better choice as an Oscar winner than several before her. But I think it's worth discussing: Is she qualified to know who is and isn't crafting delicately nuanced portraits or boldly stylizing their star turns?

[I'm playing devil's advocate here --we all feel qualified to do this or else there wouldn't be so much discussion about who is or isn't deserving. But shouldn't the Academy have to be more qualified ;) ]

Does she know the difference between a performance that just underlines the script or one that elevates the material? I have to ask because she has almost no experience. (Note: They did not invite Michelle Williams or Rinko Kikuchi, recent nominees who have been acting a lot longer.) Yes, Jenny just won the Oscar ... it makes Academy sense. But I'm just saying.

She might excel at the job. She's risen up to other tasks. But, to me, Hudson's co-nominee Adriana Barraza (the nanny in Babel), who was also invited to join the ranks, makes more sense as a voting member. I hope she accepts their invite. She's a well regarded acting teacher when she isn't onscreen. My guess is she has practice discerning the success of various components within any given performance. If she doesn't her former students should ask for their money back.

In other invitation news... The rest of the AMPAS newbie list reads like their usual mix of apologies (sorry Daniel Craig! we love you we do), celebrity worship (Jennifer Aniston --an Academy member? WHY??? Seriously. What would the reason be?), people you thought were already members (Christopher Plummer), head scratchers (Peter Berg in the directors branch after only a few pictures and only one of them, Friday Night Lights, gets talked about. J.J. Abrams in the writing branch when his chief claim to fame is Lost --a television series. There's another Academy for that, people. Geez) and extremely random if not unpleasant names (William Fichtner, Maribel Verdu).

You can see the whole list at Awards Daily. It's fun to see these lists but it sure does make you wonder about the Hollywood networking game...

AFI: The New Top 100 List

The Revised Greatest American Films List
I'm happy to see Blade Runner, Nashville, and Cabaret added. They all hold high rank in my own favorites listing. What say ye about this new lineup? (To be helpful I've added their previous AFI ranking to the right --big changes in bold)

1. "Citizen Kane" (1941) same
2. "The Godfather" (1972) 3
3. "Casablanca" (1942) 2
4. "Raging Bull" (1980) 24
5. "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) 10
6. "Gone With the Wind" (1939) 4
7. "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) 5
8. "Schindler's List" (1993) 9
9. "Vertigo" (1958) 61
10. "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) 6


11. "City Lights" (1931) 76
12. "The Searchers" (1956) 96
13. "Star Wars" (1977) 15
14. "Psycho" (1960) 18
15. "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) 22
16. "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) 12
17. "The Graduate" (1967) 7
18. "The General" (1927) new
19. "On the Waterfront" (1954) 8
20. "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) 11

21. "Chinatown" (1974) 19
22. "Some Like It Hot" (1959) 14
23. "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) 21
24. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) 25
25. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962) 34
26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939) 29
27. "High Noon" (1952) 33
28. "All About Eve" (1950) 16
29. "Double Indemnity" (1944) 38
30. "Apocalypse Now" (1979) 28

31. "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) 23
32. "The Godfather, Part II" (1974) same
33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) 20
34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) 49
35. "Annie Hall" (1977) 31
36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) 13
37. "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) same
38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) 30
39. "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) 26
40. "The Sound of Music" (1965) 55

41. "King Kong" (1933) 43
42. "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) 27
43. "Midnight Cowboy" (1969) 36
44. "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) 51
45. "Shane" (1953) 69
46. "It Happened One Night" (1934) 35
47. "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) 45
48. "Rear Window" (1954) 42
49. "Intolerance" (1916) new
50. "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) new

51. "West Side Story" (1961) 41
52. "Taxi Driver" (1976) 47
53. "The Deer Hunter" (1978) 79
54. "M*A*S*H" (1970) 56
55. "North by Northwest" (1959) 40
56. "Jaws" (1975) 48
57. "Rocky" (1976) 78
58. "The Gold Rush" (1925) 74
59. "Nashville" (1975) new
60. "Duck Soup" (1933) 85

61. "Sullivan's Travels" (1941) new
62. "American Graffiti" (1973) 77
63. "Cabaret" (1972) new
64. "Network" (1976) 66
65. "The African Queen" (1951) 17
66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) 60
67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966) new
68. "Unforgiven" (1992) 98
69. "Tootsie" (1982) 62
70. "A Clockwork Orange" (1971) 46 (i still don't understand how this one qualifies as American)

71. "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) new
72. "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) new
73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) 50
74. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) 65
75. "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) new
76. "Forrest Gump" (1994) 71
77. "All the President's Men" (1976) new
78. "Modern Times" (1936) 81
79. "The Wild Bunch" (1969) 80
80. "The Apartment" (1960) 93

81. "Spartacus" (1960) new
82. "Sunrise" (1927) new
83. "Titanic" (1997) new
84. "Easy Rider" (1969) 88
85. "A Night at the Opera" (1935) new
86. "Platoon" (1986) 83
87. "12 Angry Men" (1957) new
88. "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) 97
89. "The Sixth Sense" (1999) new
90. "Swing Time" (1936) new

91. "Sophie's Choice" (1982) new
92. "Goodfellas" (1990) 94
93. "The French Connection" (1971) 70
94. "Pulp Fiction" (1994) 95
95. "The Last Picture Show" (1971) new
96. "Do the Right Thing" (1989) new
97. "Blade Runner" (1982) new
98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) 100
99. "Toy Story" (1995) new
100. "Ben-Hur" (1959) 72

<---they're tearing him apart: James Dean lost BOTH his spots on the top 100. And Monty Clift too. Argh. The films that fell out were...Doctor Zhivago #39, North by Northwest #40, Birth of a Nation #44, From Here To Eternity #52, Amadeus #53, All Quiet on the Western Front #54, The Third Man #57, Fantasia #58, Rebel Without a Cause #59, Stagecoach #63, Close Encounters of the Third Kind #64, The Manchurian Candidate #67, An American in Paris #68, Wuthering Heights #73, Dances With Wolves #75, Giant #82, Fargo #84, Mutiny on the Bounty #86, Frankenstein #87, Patton #89, The Jazz Singer #90, My Fair Lady #91, A Place in the Sun #92, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner #99

weirdest entry: Sophie's Choice... almost never listed in any "best of", apart from Meryl Streep's astonishing performance, is in the top 100 --They collectively name it the 6th best of the entire 80s decade. Whaaaa?

lesson learned: nothing below the top 30 is ever safe. It all depends on who they poll and which way the winds blow.

Hump Day Hottie: Nicole Kidman

Guess who gets 40 spankings today? The one and only Nicole Kidman. Raise your hand if you'd like to volunteer for the paddling. Ohhh! So many hands

Here is your birthday girl in her birthday suit...


It seems like a century ago that she was just a frizzy haired nobody marrying into Hollywood but that wasn't even 20 years ago. And it's only been 12 years since her star really began to sparkle with To Die For (1995). My how quickly true talent, lucky breaks, uncanny auteurist instincts and a twofer like Moulin Rouge! (yes!) and The Others (quite so) can change things.

As the curtain opened on this new century she established herself as the most important actress working. In the theater in my head, 2004 (Dogville & Birth) functioned as her showstopping first act finale. The past couple of years have been quiet. I'm so ready for Act Two.

I realize I'm impossible to please. I beg for my favorite stars to work more and then I demand that they take a breather once I see their face too much. I cried uncle and begged Nicole to take a well earned vacation. Now I desperately want her back, projected several stories high on the silver screen. I know I'm not alone.

Here are the trailers to The Golden Compass and The Invasion.



They can't come quickly enough.

Spank Nicole's bottom in the comments!
or click on her name below for earlier FE ravings including the very popular "Find Your Inner Kidman" quiz.
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Romancing the Link

Antagony & Ecstacy has fairly awesome reviews up of Silver Surfer and Hostel Part Two. I am now subscribing.
Anne Thompson Diego Luna & Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien) to reunite for the first picture under that Cha Cha Cha umbrella
Zoom In -I'm dissenting / agreeing with the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List
<--Keira Daily great pics from Atonement.
NewNowNext Cheyenne Jackson update: he's joining the cast of Broadway's Xanadu. Now my excitement is renewed
popbytes goes wild for Hairspray. I'm seeing it next week. Wheeeee!
Steve on Broadway on the Young Frankenstein feud between 81 years young Cloris Leachman and 81 years old Mel Brooks. She wants to reprise her role in the Broadway version. He thinks she's too old to be on stage.

and yes... it's Nicole Kidman's birthday. More on her later. Hold yer horses.

20:07 (Peter Pan)

Twins - "20:07" Gemini Edition June 11th to June 20th
Twin screengrabs from the 20th minute and 7th second of related movies


[singing] Give me a career as a buccaneer It's the life of a pirate for me Oh, the life of a pirate for me!

"Michael. John. There's a boy here who is to teach us to fly!"

*
Two stills from films about the boy who never grew up. One is the widely seen Disney musical from '53. Fifty years later PJ Hogan directed a faithful book-to-screen version, which as you'll see here, takes just a wee bit longer to get us to Neverland. If you're just joining us (in which case --where ya been?) Wendy & Tink' got a write up last week. Even if you've read it you might want to click over. There were a few late entries to the "Action Heroine" celebration (including a Gallery of the Absurd painting) bringing the end total to a whopping 53 articles.

Please Note: Thanks for your enthusiasm and frequent commenting on the "20:07" project. This particular series is going on hiatus for at least a couple of weeks. But there's always something to see and read here at the experience. Stay tuned.

DVD: Of Mice and Mame

N o w * o n * D V D

This & That
Longford -Jim Broadbent (yes) and Samantha Morton (amen!) co-star in this true story about a compassionate Earl and the jailed murderess he befriended. Presumably stupendous riveting acting follows. Adding it to the queue.
Reno 911! Miami -I have the screener DVD sitting right here -- hope to watch soon.
The Lucille Ball Collection -A box set of five of Lucy's movies but it doesn't include Douglas Sirk's Lured which is the only Lucy movie I've liked (among the few I've seen). It does include her offkey musical performance in Mame. One of my best friends loves this movie but I love him anyway. In his defence, "Bosom Buddies" is pretty bitchy/hilarious as musical comedy numbers go.
The Secret of Nimh -The only movie about rodents that I've ever enjoyed. I haven't seen it since the 80s. Does it hold up?

I'm Old
Bridge to Terabithia - I never knew what this was but apparently when it came out I was supposed to have known. Oops.

A Plague On All Our Houses
Miss Potter -This movie, about the author Beatrix Potter and her delightful picture books, gave me hives all over. Consider that a "proceed at your own risk" PSA. She Who Must Not Be Named gives another excruciating cutesyfussylookatme performance. Ewan Macgregor and Emily Watson are also onhand to conquer the itching. They're like a soothing oatmeal bath ... but why risk hives in the first place? [my initial outbreak]

Tuesday Top Ten: Catwoman

tues top ten - for the list lover in you and the list maker in me

Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of the release of Tim Burton's Batman Returns, the best Batman film (you heard me Begins lovers, throw down!) and one of the best superhero films ever. The movie didn't change cinema or its genre or significantly alter any careers. But it did send yours truly and millions of other Pfeiffer inclined moviegoers into a pfrenzy, arguably marking the apex of LaPfeiffer's cinematic reign. She was still in Oscar chasing mode (Love Field) and the full fledged move from heavy dramatic lifting into light mainstream fare (One Fine Day) was a few years away

Ten Best Catwoman Line Deliveries
All the dialogue rocks but these are my favorite Pfeifferian readings

10 "Life's a bitch. Now, so am I"
Blockbusters love to shove quips on the public, in the hopes of catchphrase afterlife. This one’s pretty basic but Michelle sells it with true believer zeal.

08 "How can you be so mean to someone so meaningless?"
Right before her death early in the movie… she realizes she’s in big trouble. I love how pathetic LaPfeiffer is willing to make her mousy executive assistant — sorry, secretary.

09 "But last night... complete blur. Couldn't you just die?"
The morning after her own murder she shows up to work with a new perm, makeup, and flirtatious attitude --she’s yummier [see #5]. The boss who killed her and Bruce Wayne are both flabbergasted at her new appearance (for different reasons). Even out of Catwoman garb she has a delicious catlike appeal, she’s toying with Bruce and her boss whilst also spinning the joke for maximum audience joy.

07 "Did somebody say fish? I haven't been fed all day"
This line always makes me think of The Bening. Annette Bening was originally cast in this role but once knocked up by Warren Beatty she dropped out. Make a movie outta that, Mr. Apatow! Pfeiffer is perfect in the role but in this one specific line I swear I’m hearing Annette Bening’s voice every time. It’s as if Michelle asked her to do the looping on this particular scene.

06 "every woman you try to save winds up dead or deeply resentful. Maybe you should retire"
The Catwoman star turn is bursting with eroticism. Technically this line is a putdown but in her suddenly low purring it throbs with a challenge, a f***ed up come on.

05 "I don't know about you Miss Kitty, but I feel so much yummier"
A classic.
04 "I am Catwoman. Hear me roar."
There are so many ways this type of performance can go wrong [see also: Catwoman the movie]. But this blonde superstar is phenomenal at stylization. She understands just how much heightening this genre of acting requires. The performance isn’t exactly real… but it has total authenticity. This delivery is equal parts sexy, theatrical, and unhinged. It's a "too much" that leaves you wanting more.

03 "I don't know who I am anymore"
The Spider-Man series gets a lot of things right but the emotional peak of the superhero genre is Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer’s face off while slow dancing at a masked ball. They’ve just realized that their new lover is also their enemy. Keaton has just the right note of concern and gravitas and Pfeiffer breaks into several pieces right before your eyes with tears and laughter… her identities fusing and splintering, thoroughly undoing her. In short: this is the best performance ever given in a superhero film.

02 "Four, Five... Still alive! Six, Seven...all good girls go to heaven"
This particular quote, delivered while this anti-heroine lets herself be killed again and again -- throwing away her lives like she’s got more than nine, moves from raging taunts directed at her enemy to a nearly catatonic sing song to herself. Catwoman has only nine lives but this Michelle Pfeiffer performance will live forever.

01 "...meow"
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Ms Turner Thanks You

Happy Birthday Kathleen Turner! One of my friends, upon hearing me utter "Kathleen Turner" for the fifth time this month, stared at me with great concern and asked "are you intending to launch a massive Turner revival or something?" I'll tell you exactly what I told him. "That's always a temptation." She's a star who got away. So many young moviegoers just have no inkling about the details of her grand career. This is partially her fault but that's a story for another day. She certainly was is something. Matty Walker, China Blue, Joan Wilder, Jessica Rabbit and Peggy Sue ...here's to them and Kathleen, here's to you!

For more on Ms Turner, visit her site or click on the label below for previous Turneriffic film experience posts

20:07 (Freaks and Geeks)

Twins - "20:07" Gemini Edition June 11th to June 20th
Twin screengrabs from the 20th minute and 7th second of related movies

Ken Miller: There's a small, uh, little chance that I might be gay.

Counsellor: I see. That's cool.

Ken: And I thought you'd be a good person to talk to about it since you're gay.

Counsellor: I'm not gay!

Teacher: In the version before Zeffirelli's masterpiece the roles were played by actors well into their 30s which caused it to have... and artificial feel.

[Annoyed] Will somebody please help "Mr. DeMille" set up the projector?

Snapshots from the last two episodes ("The Little Things" and "Discos and Dragons") of Freaks and Geeks, still the best thing Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) ever did for us (and one of my personal favorite TV shows of all time)

Monotone

I’m so depressed today. The terrible part is that it’s a monotone sadness – keeps humming along at one steady miserable pace. Which is to say that if I were playing the "Today’s Mood" game that me pal JA plays, I’d end up being some really boring depressed person like Jennifer Aniston in The Good Girl… rather than an interesting depressed person like, say, Kate Winslet in Little Children. And this makes me even more depressed since Kate > Jennifer. *sigh*

If you need reading you'll have to pop over to Zoom-In. I wrote a review of the first couple of episodes of the second season of HBO'S Big Love (I forgot to link to it earlier but good news: I've since seen more and the season gets better). And this morning I had mom & dad on the brain (the movie kind not my own) since Father's Day just past.

20:07 Twins (Sunrise, Sunset)

Twins - "20:07" Gemini Edition June 11th to June 20th
Twin screengrabs from the 20th minute and 7th second of related movies
(Thanks to Nick for the images and text grabbing)

Jesse (Ethan Hawke): Describe for me your first sexual feelings towards a person

Jesse: What brought you back here?

Celine (Julie Delpy): I'd finished my masters, for one. And no visa, no more visa. Anyway, I was starting to get paranoid about all the violence in the media. Gang violence, murders, especially serial killers.

But the final straw was, one night I heard some noise on my fire escape, so I called 911, and the cops came eventually...

Jesse: ...yeah, like three hours later...

Celine: Yeah, after I had been raped and killed about ten times...

(Jesse laughs and basks in her glow)

There Will Be Teaser

Interesting. This teaser for There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson's (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) first film in five years is entirely focused on Daniel Day-Lewis's character "plainview". I love the cut to the shot of Paul Dano, who was once rumored to be playing his son, right after he says these really misanthropic things. Maybe this is a teaser version of the singular characters poster trend (previously discussed) that is so prevalent now ? If it is perhaps Paul Dano as Eli Sunday will have his own teaser soon and more characters from There Will Be Blood will also emerge.

It's a genuinely odd teaser. Not following the rules at all but I like it like that. I like marketing to surprise me rather than ruin a movie for me. Make me curious and then get out of my way...

previous There Will Be Blood salivating

Day of Rest

Shhhhh! Jake is sleeping. He needs his rest. What do you suppose he's dreaming about?

Wait ---whatever it is it can't be good.


...looks like a nightmare.

'O that I were a glove upon that hand'

Remember my proposed Shakespeare moratorium? I often petulantly demand that people take a break from Shakespeare. I'm not quite ready to say my mea culpa on that one but I was mightily impressed with the current Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo & Juliet. I discussed the production in brief at Zoom In yesterday and I normally wouldn't repeat myself this quickly but I can't help it. R&J won't leave my head. Go see it. Line up early for those free tickets. It runs until July 8th. It's too good to miss.

Aside from the extremely well judged staging (a deceptively simple set, a pool of water, great pacing and energy, believable stage combat...all in the open air of Central Park --gah, a thing of beauty) I appreciated its point of view. It really gets at the irrational nature of the young lovers. That's too often demoted to subtext, in order to exalt the Great Love.

It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden.

The production is more consistently excellent than the assembled performances but there were two true standouts. Mercutio (Christopher Evan Welch) absolutely nails every scene and works play-shifting wonders in the 'plague on both your houses' death scene. And then there's the sweetest flower in all this field... Lauren Ambrose as Juliet. Six Feet Under fans will know that she can act up an teen-angst storm. Psycho Beach Party fans will recollect that she has amazing vocal range and control --remember that her split personality came complete with wholly separate voices. She puts both of these abilities to expert use here. I'm not a Shakespeare connoisseur by any means, but she's the best Juliet I've personally ever seen. Brava!

Say What? Winona

I've declared a tie in the caption/dialogue contest



Joe (left frame) & Adam (right frame) are the winners this week for giving voice to this film still from August release The Ten . [trailer]

thanks for your participation
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20:07 (Joan Wilder)

Twins - "20:07" Gemini Edition June 11th to June 20th
Twin screengrabs from the 20th minute and 7th second of related movies

Joan: Oh you speak English?! Good. Can you tell me -- is this bus going to Cartagena?
Man: [Lying] Yes.
Joan: Thank you

Man: Do you recognize my home?
Joan: I wrote this!
Man: Yes.

I miss Kathleen Turner. That is all I wanted to say. *sniffle*
But, happy day, right after I finished this post I read this tidbit on Towleroad -- the great lady herself & John Waters at a Serial Mom screening. I love it.

The Link Weekend

stage
Annette Bening on Broadway !!! That's from the New York Times so the explanation points are mine. It's the Bening, they belong there
Michael Berresse Interview by Josh (x2) backstage: A Chorus Line

screen
Marilyn's Hard Knocks Sunset Gun on Monroe
In Defence of Michael Moore unfashionable but agreeable
"Miss Baltimore Crabs" still hate the song sigh
Is Bug The Best Thing Friedkin's Best? Critic After Dark thinks so
1962 vs. 1982 from Jeffrey Wells in response to...
Don't be Nostalgic For the 80s at Guardian Unlimited...
which makes a lot of good points but I still really love 1982: Tootsie, Victor/Victoria, Blade Runner, The Secret of Nimh it's relatively awesome as cinematic years go

Nathaniel, why is there a poster for Bourne Ultimatum attached to a totally unrelated post?
Because it is awesome

Now Playing (06/15)

L I M I T E D

Lights in the Dusk concludes Aki Kaurismäki's thematic "loser" trilogy. The previous entry, The Man Without a Past (excellent, rent it), was Oscar nominated marking Finland's first time to ever in the Oscar finals. This latest was pulled from Oscar consideration in the 2006 race at Kaurismäki's request.
DOA: Dead or Alive catfight! OK not really, but four actionable babes begin a martial arts contest... but eventually team up against an enemy. Eric Roberts is in it ("of course he is!" shout straight- to-video enthusiasts everywhere). At this typing it's at an exact 50% approval @ RT.
Eagle vs. Shark An indie romantic comedy described as "totally wacky". That phrase will turn some people off but if it actually lives up to the phrase, that could be a good thing.

Fido Remember the end of Shaun of the Dead when Shaun has his best friend as a garage dwelling undead housepet of sorts? Like that. Zombies live (well, sort of) as public servants but all may not be well in this horror comedy
Macbeth A modernized version from Australia. Discussed in the comments of my Lady Macbeth entry in the Bard blog-a-thon.
Strike Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum) directs this Polish historical drama
Tell No One A French thriller with Kristin Scott-Thomas (yay!) and Marie-Josée Croze (The Barbarian Invasions, Munich)

Documentaries, four: Beyond Hatred (hate crime), Blood and Tears (Arab-Israeli conflict), Trials of Darryl Hunt (class and bigotry in the criminal justice system --this was on the shortlist for last years Oscar race), and Unborn in the USA: Inside the War on Abortion (the politics of the pro-life movements)

W I D E

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer I will probably see this, making myself Marvel's bitch since the first one was embarrassing. Over at Zoom-In I'm offering up ways to improve the franchise. In brief: nudity, water, inhumans.
Nancy Drew This doens't have the nostaligc pull for me tht it does for some people. I was more of a Bobbsey Twins / Hardy Boys kid if I had to go with mysteries. Which were never my first choice. Nancy Drew is one of the question marks of the summers. Could go either way at the box office.

So, are you seeing a movie this weekend or does this list conjure up sensations of going to the beach or curling up in bed with a book?

A Moviegoing Truth

Popcorn is delicious.

20:07 (The Whole Bloody Affair)

Twins - "20:07" Gemini Edition June 11th to June 20th
Twin screengrabs from the 20th minute and 7th second of related movies
...and a look back at the Action Heroine Blog-a-Thon


[whistling]


[snorting line of coke]
"Take a hit. Be somebody baby!"

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And right there folks, you have it in snapshot form. This is the difference between the two halves of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill saga: Vol I in all its brutal simplicity and stylishness and Vol. II in all its talky extranneous elongation... (why is this character even in the movie?) so as to make up for the cleaving in half.

And there you also have it... my long overdue admission: I don't care for Vol II that much. I tried to love it, settled for admiring it a little. But I never watch it. It's always Vol I for me. Hmmm, and there you have it again: My feelings about Grindhouse. First half (Rodriguez) very very good. Second half (Tarantino) chatty and fond of itself with way too much fat on its bones.

You just keep having it... so this train of thought must end.

The cheeky extra title of both Kill volumes combined, "The Whole Bloody Affair", is also a wink back to Action Heroine Blog-a-Thon just past. The Bride, Buffy and Ripley were mentioned often, though not neccessarily as the focus of articles. In fact, not one blogger wrote about the vampire slayer. Imagine that. If you didn't get a chance to read all the entries here's another way to peruse: by subject.

Aliens
Cinemathematics "The Two Ripleys" * My New Plaid Pants "Vasquez" * This Distracted Globe James Cameron's classic

Asian Heroines
Cinephilia (Lady Vengeance) * Collecting Tokens (Supercop) * Film Otaku five best list * Gallery of the Absurd Crouching Tiger reimagined --Ziyi Zhang replaced! * Joes Movie Corner (House of Flying Daggers) * The Listening Ear Brigitte Lin *

G.I. Jane
Flickhead "Suck my dick!" * Stinky Lulu "the makeover"

Jane Fonda
Coffee Coffee... (Cat Ballou) * Woodstock on Barbarella.

Kill Bill
Crumb by Crumb The Bride * Lazy Eye Theater O-Ren * this is a blog about you Elle Driver * Rants... Gogo Yubari * Bright Lights After Dark Kill Bill Hagen (1924)

Lists/Overviews
Burbanked a special edition of their series "womb to tomb" * Collecting Tokens heroines I've wanted to be * Cosmo Marius Miss World semi-finalists * Dr. Insermini mi top 5 de heroínas * Film Flap creating an strong woman in your screenplay * Flick Filosopher Top Ten TV * Goatdog The action movies of Olivia DeHavilland * Screengrab chicks with guns * Sell Me a Screenplay top three * Stale Popcorns haiku for hero(ine)s * Ultimate James Bond ass kicking Bond girls * Way of Words "She's a Maniac..." Hollywood's nonthreatening action women *

Lolas
Victim of Time (Run Lola Run -Germany) * Deep In Your Eyes (Lola the Truck Driver -Mexico)

The Long Kiss Goodnight
Damsel in Progress schizo "mom" debate * Low Resolution good-bad pleasure

Non-Traditional Action
Luke Hingis (Elizabeth) * Forward to Yesterday (Scaramouche) * Joe's Movie Corner (Sophie Scholl) * Lazy Eye Theaters "sans the action"

Pirate Girls
Film Experience (Peter Pan) * Pfangirl (Mistress of the Seas) * Wifely Steps (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Single Shots -Miscellaneous Films/TV
Michael Parsons (Blade Runner) * As Little As Possible (The Indiana Jones franchise) * Cinebeats (Faster Pussycat Kill Kill) * I am Screaming... (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) * The Blossoming Stix (A Low Down Dirty Shame) * Jester Tunes (The Matrix) * All About My Movies (Pan's Labyrinth) * Heroine Content (Paycheck) * Odienator (The River Wild) * White Board Markers (She-Ra) * popbytes (Terminator 2) * Verging Writer (Thelma & Louise) * Joes Movie Corner (V For Vendetta) * Ultimate James Bond (Goldeneye) *
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Walk Off

A friend and I caught a glimpse of Owen Wilson in Zoolander the other night on TV and shared a nostalgic laugh. The scene in question was the walk-off between Owen's supermodel "Hans" and Zoolander himself. This is all an elaborate way of getting you in the right mood for and linking up to Joe Reid's hilarious Actor Tournament. It just began and you'll want to pop in on this feature regularly this summer. He's pitting 64 actors against one another in categories like quantity, quality, oscar nods, and motherf*cking walkoff.

When Owen Wilson enters the fray in the next posting, he'd better win the latter category.

Hump Day Hottie: Silver Surfer ???

It's summertime and somehow I'm flabbier than a month ago. I blame it on the day job (eating sugar constantly to find the energy for the drudgery). To convince myself to go back the gym I'm visualizing flat tummies. The phrase 'abs of steel' popped into mind against my will. What a weird phrase that is. The only person that applies to is Colossus and if you allow for giant f***ing robots, Optimus Prime. (I don't mean to inadvertently promote Hollywood blockbusters but I, too, succumb to their ubiquity) If you slightly alter the phrase it also brings Silver Surfer to mind. Abs of chrome.


Superheroes (and guilt ridden villains) are --by way of the very stylized comic book nature -- unusually yummy specimens. I had a thing for Silver Surfer as a kid. I couldn't help it. So shiny, sad, soulful... scrumptious. I hope the new Fantastic 4 movie does him justice. I hope they keep the over earnest hokum. But given my reaction to the last film, I'm not hopeful.

But... abs of steel: gross phrase, really. Imagining yourself pressed up against metal is just not as sensual as flesh. Who would prefer metal? I mean... other than Tawny Kitaen


(and the cast of David Cronenberg's Crash)

Blogosphere Multiplex: Arjan Writes

A blogger that needs little introduction. Arjan Writes is one of the best music blogs on the net. I talked to Arjan last week about the movies...

10+ Questions with Arjan

Nathaniel: How often do you go to the movies and what's the biggest draw for you?

Arjan: I go to the movies once a month on average, but I travel quite a bit and often end up watching in-flight movies. Biggest draws are certain actors and subtitles. I love subtitles!

Nathaniel: Subtitles do rule --I prefer mine in yellow under the widescreen image. But you're already teasing. "Certain" actors Arjan? We want names. Do share.

Arjan: Mmmm. I love Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett. And Jake, of course. I remember not being so fond of Nicole until I met her backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001. We literally ran into each other. Boom! She was so beautiful. I was completely mesmerized. It is her fairy dust.

Nathaniel: I am bright green with envy. I have not met her but I have witnessed the fairy dust live (Dogville premiere Lincoln Center) and it is something. She's nearly alien what with all the glowing. Tell me how much you love Moulin Rouge! (fake it if you don't, I'm obsessed)

Arjan: She's supernatural. I am telling you. The way she commanded her entourage was spellbinding. I chatted with her about her duet with Kylie Minogue, which was a hot topic at the time. Moulin Rouge! is one of my favorite music movies of all time. Visual eye candy.

Nathaniel: You mentioned subtitles a minute ago. What are you favorite foreign films? Are you a Francophile, an Asian cinema nut? Or do you just like them all?

Arjan: My favorite foreign films have to be Dutch. I was born and raised in Amsterdam so I'm a bit biased. Dutch filmmakers have been winning some Oscars in the last ten years. And may I remind you of Rutger Hauer?

Nathaniel: You may and please do. I think if you're of a certain age (30something) the Rutger thing is hard to miss. I mean, Michelle Pfeiffer was cursed with him, Harrison Ford played cat and mouse with him ("time to die"), Anne Rice wanted him.

Who should we all be obsessed with now from Dutch cinema?

Arjan: You should be obsessed with Famke Janssen, the leading lady of Dutch film. Also, Paul Verhoeven's new Dutch-language film Black Book is getting raving reviews. The movie features an amazing performance by Carice Van Housten. The movie is now playing in select cities in the U.S. NPR loved it, too.

Nathaniel: I've been meaning to see that. Since you write about music, I'm curious to hear your reactions on musicians turned actors. Or vice versa. Any thoughts on the medium hopping of Beyonce, Rufus Wainwright, etc... Do you like Juliette Lewis and the Licks? Will you listen to Scarlett Johansson's record when it comes out?

Arjan: Singers are creative beings. Actors are creative beings. So I think it is only natural for them to try to mix it up a little. It doesn't make less or more of an effort. I saw Scarlett perform with the Jesus & Mary Chain at Coachella this year. I wasn't impressed, but I think she's a wonderful actress. I think Juliette Lewis shows off a lot passion in her performance, both on stage and on screen. I totally love that. Don't count out Mandy Moore. I loved her in Saved! and her new album will suprise you.


Nathaniel: I'm sure you've heard of the Kirsten Dunst/Debbie Harry project. Though I'm not particularly fond of the biopic genre, I think Debbie Harry is a great choice for a feature. I'm also really excited to see the Todd Haynes Bob Dylan film I'm Not There. Since you have so much contact with the music world, I'm wondering which musician or band, famous or otherwise, you'd love to see a film about? Or put another way...who is entertaining enough backstage to warrant their own Truth or Dare?

Arjan: Really tough one to answer. I'd love to see a good movie about Fleetwood Mac. A great band with a lot of drama. I would also be interested in seeing a movie about Fischerspooner with the lead character played by Casey Spooner himself. Very compelling group rooted in the avant-garde NYC art scene that would hopefully make for a very enlightening movie experience.

Nathaniel: What's your favorite movie of all time?

Arjan: Character

Nathaniel: That was so intense. I remember being surprised when it won the Oscar in that it's less sentimental than what they usually go for.

OK what's one thing we haven't discussed that might surprise your readers about your movie tastes?

Arjan: I am sucker for sci-fi movies. I love to dream about galaxies far, far away. I caught the original Planet Of The Apes a few weeks ago and loved it. Music movies don't always hit the right note with me, but classics for me are The Who's Tommy, Flashdance (gritty and empowering) and the bio pic What's Love Got To Do With It with that powerful performance by Angela Bassett.

Nathaniel: They make a movie of your life. Tell us the title, director, tagline --who composes the score and who plays you?

Arjan: Impossible to answer this one! But if you ask me right here, right now... I'd have to go with Ben Affleck or Tom Cruise playing Arjan in a movie directed by Paul Verhoeven or Pedro Almovodar that is called Green Fields which is about a young man who had a dream and made it happen. With two small bags in hand jumping on a plane to start living his childhood dream in a far away county with nothing but the passion to make something of his life. Soundtrack by Darren Hayes and Mylo.

Nathaniel: I can't imagine a world where Verhoeven and Almodovar are an either/or. So let's have both: an Arjan double feature.

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Thanks to Arjan for answering all these questions. I hope that gave you a movie taste of a music man. Once again readers: I probably don't have to ask but you're already reading what Arjan Writes... right?