After a distastrous first date for caterer Holly (Katherine Heigl) and network sports director Messer (Josh Duhamel), all they have is common is a dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in this world, Holly and Messer must set their differences aside. Juggling careers and social calendars, they’ll have to find common ground while living under the same roof. Josh Lucas, Christina Hendricks, Hayes MacArthur and Jean Smart co-star in this tart and tender romantic comedy directed by Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Everwood).
Duhamel plays Eric, a laid back guy who works for an NBA team – he presses the button to change cameras – has a seemingly unlimited amount of money, and always looks primed for a photo shoot. Heigl plays Holly; a headstrong, but ultimately uptight single woman, one who never has any luck with the guys.
Director Greg Berlanti does give the film a nice cinematic look — helpful in reminding audiences that they are, in fact, not watching a sitcom. Without the film’s loose, flowing cinematography, there would be little else to distinguish the show from any of the half-hour drek that appears on network television’s prime-time line-up.
Katherine Heigl plays essentially the same character she has in every movie she’s appeared in — apparently mistaking the art of developing acting range with going to the salon and getting a new hairstyle. Josh Duhamel does show he’s capable of genuine comic timing and could have a great career ahead of him — if he picks his films more carefully and stops making such cookie cutter features.
Extras:
“A Survival Guide to Instant Parenting” (7:12) interviews cast and crew for their thoughts on the world of raising children, collecting tips on how to deal with kids, discussing the way they instantly change lives. Since most of the cast are comics, there are a lot of failed attempts to make everything funny.
“Katherine Heigl: Becoming the Best Mom Ever” (5:56) celebrates the star power and talents of the actress, with interviews extolling the virtues of her work ethic and charisma. Talk of Heigl’s own foray into parenthood is also covered.
“Josh Duhamel: Triplet Tamer” (5:16) is more about the child stars than the big one, displaying the trust built between the actors as the film was shot.
“Deleted Scenes” (14:42) collects several slivers of character development and parental concern, but the major additions cover Messer’s single man conquests in the house, the addition of a nose-picking character, a cameo by Steve Nash, and video birthday card from the supporting cast.
I first have to say, after seeing a couple animated films this year, and not being impressed, my opinions for this film were highly doubtful. Since there has been little advertising or trailers floating around in cyber space my senses where running on high as to whether or not this film was going to live up to Disney expectations. Let me express this in the best and most professional way, WOW. What an amazingly touching sci-fi movie with heart.
Walt Disney Productions and ImageMovers have teamed up to bring a film following in the success of the performance capture process of “A Christmas Carol”. Director Simon Wells (The Time Machine, The Prince of Egypt) delves into his rich history of storytelling and artwork with the imaginative writing help, of his wife, Wendy and based on the book by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed.
Milo is 9 and at that age. You know, where a young boy knows everything and wants to be independent and needs no one. Parents know the truth, especially moms, knowing that a little discipline is always needed. Milo’s mom is no different and after a particular night of being disobedient, his mom punishes him and Milo exclaims he wishes he didn’t have a mom. That mistakable wish is about to come true as the Martians have targeted a mom, Milo’s, to take care of their own new hatchlings. How is one mom going to do that? The Martians have their way.
A story that blasted its way out of an incident between a 4 year old and his mom has made its way to the big screen. Simon and Wendy have taken Breathed’s encounter and made it an ‘out of this world’ experience that only Disney could do, and boy do they. It is amazing the details not only in the animation performance but in the writing of the characters.
Depth in the development of an animated character is sometimes tough to bring out in that most stories rely on the animation to drive the film. This film could have been a live action film and been just as expressive and meaningful. From Milo’s initial ‘pushing’ his mom away thru his realization of his need of her to the awakening of the Martians and their past, the writing is superb.
And I will not discount the animation as ImageMovers has continued to excel and advance their technology of the performance capture process. I have always stayed through the credits of a film to give those who gave their utmost creativity their due. I enjoyed these credits much more as they showed the process in four angles. Seeing that it is not just a computer image but a physical progression before the animators take over and add their flair and freedom, to create not just worlds but characters you begin to love and relate too.
With the performance capture technology, the actors are able to bring a new element to the pallet. Milo is played by, the preverbal childlike, Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Austen Powers series). I say childlike in that Green is known for his cartoon antics and here he plays it up. He is a kid with the creativity of an adult, with all the abilities and instincts running at full speed. Helping Milo adapt on Mars is a fellow earthling in Gribble played by Dan Fogler (Fanboys, Good Luck Chuck). Fogler, like Green, is a perfect fit as the character who is a child adult. His antics as Gribble is reminiscent of Robin Williams in “Jack”.
Since we are on Mars there has to be a Martian or two, Ki, played by Elisabeth Harnois (Miami Medical, A Single Man) and Mindy Sterling (Austen Powers series, Desperate Housewives) as Supervisor. The two play the perfect Yen and Yang in this film with Harnois playing the Martian who loves and learns from a 70’s inspired sitcom while Sterling takes her ‘Frau’ character to the extreme of totalitarianism.
I cannot forget who the film is about, a mom or the mom played by Joan Cusack (Toy Story 3, My Sisters Keeper). Cusack’s may not be in much of the film but when she is, touching doesn’t begin to describe her presence. Her mom depiction is true to the core. You just want to call your mom after watching her just to say ‘I love you’.
‘Mars’ is one of those films that you always want to see and it delivers two fold, in emotion and entertainment. To have a film, animation or live action, with such depth is far and few between. This is an animated comedy with a soul. It breathes life into an industry that at times forgets how film making, no matter what form, should be.
For those of you who have read any of my reviews before, I always end with how the film relates to real life. This film hits home in many ways for me. As an only child of a single mom I had my moments of wanting to just get away, be alone or with another family. It just wouldn’t be the same. Moms may nag, they may ask us to do things or constantly harp on us but it’s not without reason. Parents are teachers in their own right. They set rules or guidelines for us so that when we are older we can be a better person. I know that this is in an ideal situation. I was lucky to have such a mom, a teacher, motivator, therapist, and a friend. My mom did everything she could for me since it was just the two of us. She sacrificed her personal life so that I may thrive in mine. It was more than that; she thrived in my life with me, being just as much a part of it as I was. We had our moments of ‘I hate you’, ‘your ungrateful’ but they were far and few between because it was about growing. You can’t dwell on the past if you plan on succeeding in the future. Learn, adapt, change and move forward. A mother’s love is never ending and always forgiving.
More than just a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Wicked is a stunning piece of revisionist storytelling. I knew going in that this was an “Episode I” style story of how good-hearted Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West. What I didn’t realize was that the story doesn’t just get us to Dorothy’s arrival in Oz, but rather takes all of our notions of Dorothy’s story and flips them on their head. New context is provided for everything we know about the original story, not just in an “oh, aren’t we clever” sort of way, but rather, in a complete perspective shift that radically changes the way we as an audience perceive the entire story.
Based on the best-selling 1995 novel, the play takes us back to the days when Elphaba used to share a room with Glinda at Shiz Univeristy. As we all know, Glinda would eventually become the bubble-riding bearer of good news, Glinda the Good. What starts out as a relationship based on “pure and utter detestation” eventually becomes a friendship that changes Oz forever. Their journey together, both literal and metaphorical, is always believable and occasionally very powerful.
While I was completely blown away by the incredible story, I was even more impressed with the musical numbers. This is an epic Broadway production with a perfect mix of simple, low-key moments as well as powerful show-stopping numbers. In fact, Act 1 concludes with a number called Defying Gravity that may be one of the most powerful pieces of theatrical music I’ve ever seen performed.
Unlike many musicals, every piece of music serves to advance the story or evolve the characters. There is never a wasted moment, and every musical number counts. Every character the audience is already familiar with comes into play. This doesn’t just provide the backstory to Elphaba and Glinda, but rather, the entirety of Oz. In telling the story of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and even Dorothy herself, a larger story is being told about the corruption inherent in Oz, going all the way up to the Wizard of the title. The story we know is a small piece of the epic whole.
Bringing to life these characters is an amazing cast across-the-board, but of course, the standouts are Natalie Daradich as Glinda and Anne Brummel as Elphaba. The production wouldn’t work if these two characters weren’t believable in their roles. They have to convey multiple levels of depth to their characters, always keeping us in the moment while simultaneously never letting us forget what they are going to become. It seems an impossible task, but both performers do a brilliant job.
On top of the complexities of the characters, they are often required to be very funny. That’s one thing I haven’t conveyed yet is the humor throughout this production. The audience was constantly laughing, whether it be at the occasional, but always clever, references to the original, or the hilarious physical comedy that goes into playing the seemingly ditzy Glinda. It turns out that Elphaba is also a very funny character, but mostly through her mockery of the world around her. It’s a very subtle performance, and the audience seemed to love it.
Wicked is a definite crowd-pleaser. The stage design is stunning, the music is thrilling, and the story is far more clever than one would expect. The audience was enraptured from beginning to end, soaking in every moment and reassessing the story they thought they knew so well.
A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from March 9 – April 3 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time people who present themselves at the Segerstrom Center Box Office will have their names placed in a lottery drum and then 30 minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the Box Office, with a limit of two tickets per person.
I can’t imagine anybody not loving this incredible show. This really is a must-see production, and one of the greatest theatrical achievements I’ve ever seen.
The Walt Disney Studios proudly announces the addition of BAMBI to its coveted, cutting-edge Blu-ray™ Diamond Collection line-up of Disney’s greatest animated-classics. Released from the Disney vault for a limited time only, BAMBI Diamond Edition features the loveable and adorable wide-eyed fawn and his forest friends in Blu-ray high-definition on March 1, 2011.
As morning light breaks across the meadow, a young deer named Bambi is born and hailed as ‘Prince of the Forest.’ Soon Bambi emerges from the thicket on wobbly legs, much to the delight of his new friends, Thumper, the playful rabbit, and Flower, the bashful yet lovable skunk. But the fun of nibbling on fresh blossoms and frolicking through the woods is only the beginning. Exploring his new world, and guided by the wisdom of Friend Owl,Bambi learns valuable life lessons with every adventure – experiencing the power of friendship, family, and love along the away.
The Diamond Edition debut of BAMBI, Walt’s fifth full-length animated classic, is an endearing tale about a young prince of the forest who learns valuable life-lessons about friendship, love, and the miracle of life. The movie is a must-own coming-of-age story that Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has especially packaged with families in mind – providing the ultimate, interactive hi-def home entertainment experience with a newly enhanced digital restoration, enhanced picture and sound, games, activities and more.
Disney’s new “Second Screen” technology, which is being introduced for the very first time on the BAMBI Diamond Edition release, will further transform the at-home movie watching experience by empowering viewers with the ability to engage with film content on multiple media platforms and bring them to life in their own hands at the touch of a button. By simply downloading the new Disney Second Screen App onto an internet-connected computer or iPad™* and synching it to the movie, consumers will instantly be able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with fun interactive elements like animated flipbooks, galleries, photos, trivia and more.
BAMBI was Walt Disney’s fifth animated full-length feature film which released in 1942 during World War II and took approximately five years in the making due to the exquisite artwork and attention to detail of each and every scene, character and figure. The artwork itself was created by some of the legendary “nine old men,” including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl and Eric Larson and in order to achieve the film’s unprecedented level of realism, animators modeled anatomical studies using live animals (including a pair of fawns named Bambi and Faline) and imbued each with a uniquely endearing personality. Bambi’s delightful forest home received the same painstaking attention to detail, as background artists painted hundreds of landscapes based on extensive field research and nature photographs.
Walt Disney broke the longstanding animation tradition by casting child actors in the roles of Bambi’s young animals, including Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi, Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi, Hardie Albright as Adolescent Bambi and Peter Behn as Young Thumper. The cast also includes Sam Edwards as Adult Thumper, John Sutherland as Adult Bambi, Paula Winslowe as Bambi’s Mother and Sterling Holloway (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and The Jungle Book’s Kaa, the snake) as Adult Flower.
BAMBI was nominated for three Academy Awards® for Best Song (“Love Is a Song,”), Best Sound Recording, and Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. To date, BAMBI is No. 3 on the list of American Film Institute’s Top 10 Animated Films of All Times. And in 2004, the movie was commemorated with a first-class U.S. postage stamp and in the 1990’s the film inspired astronomers to name a pair of asteroids after the adorable characters – Thumper (April 20, 1993) and Bambi (October 17, 1995).
Bonus Features:
Backstage Disney:
· Inside Walt’s Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition – A fascinating, multi-tiered, interactive story-telling experience. Go back in time with dramatic voice re-enactments of the moments with Walt that led to the creation of this classic film. · 2 Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes · Deleted Song: “Twitterpated” · Blu-ray Galleries—A collection of the extraordinary images originally created as part of the design process for BAMBI.
Family Play: Games & Activities: · Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge: BAMBI Edition— An interactive educational gaming experience that uses the film as a learning tool. Players can customize their own Big Book of Knowledge and learn all about forest creatures, seasons andmore! Each time a player completes a task, they are rewarded with new stickers to decorate their Big Book of Knowledge.
Digital Exclusive: · The Golden Age
Classic DVD Bonus Features: · The Making Of BAMBI: A Prince Is Born—A comprehensive look at the making of BAMBI covers the story, the characters, the actors, the art design, the music and the history of Walt Disney’s classic film using behind the scenes footage, production stills, animation, artwork and multiple interviews withperformers and behind the scenes participants. · Tricks of the Trade (excerpt)—In an episode from the 1957 Disneyland TV show, Walt narrates the story of the multiplane camera, an animation innovation crucial to the production of BAMBI. · Inside the Disney Archives—Disney Supervising Animator Andreas Deja guides viewers through Disney’s Animation Research Library, where artwork from past Disney animated feature films is stored, including early story sketches of Bobo the rabbit,” (who became Thumper), glass paintings made for the multiplane camera and more. · The Old Mill—Winner of the 1937 Academy Award® for Best Short Subject/Cartoon, The Old Mill was a testing ground for several techniques critical to Walt’s artistic vision for BAMBI, including the multiplane camera, animating realistic animals and experimenting with such natural occurrences such as wind, rain and lightning. · DisneyPedia: Bambi’s Forest Friends
LA is the city of dreams, every year dozens of hopefuls make their way to LA to catch a break in the music industry or the film industry and for as many show up with this dream only a small handful make it. In the mid 1980s the hot place to see and be seen was the Sunset Strip, the birth place of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa and The Who are just some of the bands who made it big on the strip and with stars in their eyes these young hopefuls work the strip any way they can.
Enter Drew and Sherry, both kids who have arrived from different parts of the country and find each other here working the Bourbon Room on Sunset; surrounded by a cast of stellar characters and strange situations only the strip can hold. From the creative mind of Chris D’Arienzo (Writer) and the stage direction of Kristin Hanggi (2009 Tony award nominee for best Driection ) comes “Rock of Ages” which tells the loves story of these two hopefuls with the music of Styx, Journey, White Snake, Pat Benetar and many more.
From the moment the band takes the stage the atmosphere of a live action rock show grips you, the laser lights, the pounding music and the rocking attitude take you in immediately. The viewer gets introduced to Lonnie Barnet your narrator and bar back played by Patrick Lewellan, a fairly new comer to professional stage acting, and he takes you on a journey establishing the characters and situations in a mad dash of comedy! He’s brilliant! Leading the cast and audience thru this fantastic show. Constantine Maroulis (American Idol, The Wedding Singer [Broadway]) is the starry eyed and much enamored Drew from Detroit Michigan. All Drew wants to do is ROCK! And show his boss Dennis Dupree, played by Nick Cordero (Evita, The Last Five Years) that he’s not just a loser but that he wants to rock the house! Sherrie played by Rebecca Faulkenberry (Aunt Dan and lemon, The Shape of Things) arrives to LA and gets mugged right in front of the Bourbon Room where Drew meets her and instantly falls for her, and so begins their tale of love, heartbreak and the quick rise and fall in the entertainment industry.
Mix in an aging over the top super star Stacee Jaxx played by MiG Ayesa (Burn the floor, We Will Rock You) with his super sleazy attitude and typical troubled and ridiculous 80s rock persona, and all the incredible support cast actors, dancers and singers and you have an incredible, hilarious and absolutely engaging show. I found myself pounding the floor with excitement as the show’s conclusion was a rocking rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”.
This show never stopped being amazing, even the intro to the intermission was fantastic! The sets and costumes were stunning and made me feel like I had stepped back in time to those days were big hair, big heels and sex sold it all! The audience is fully engaged and never stops having a good time. Even in the most heartfelt moments or even in the raunchiest scenes, ie: Sherrie and Stacee’s trist in the men’s room where the revolving set gave you the inside scoop as to what was happening in there, made you roar with laughter. I wouldn’t miss it and honestly would want to go back and see it again! I commend the cast both principal and supporting for giving the audience and incredible show! There was nothing to not like with this show, the dancing was superb, sharp and spot on, the singing was rock and roll come alive and the acting was stellar!
“Rock of Ages” is playing a very short engagement at the Segerstrom Center for Performing Arts in Costa Mesa California Now thru March 6th! So make tracks and get your tickets now before its too late! It is not to be missed.
And remember; “Sometimes the dreams you come out to the Sunset Strip aren’t the dreams you know you wanted”.
“It’s a musical with puppets in adult situations, yes, I said puppets.”
Synoposis: Avenue Q tells the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who moves to NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The only apartment he can afford is way out on Avenue Q, where everyone’s looking for the same thing he is: a decent job, a stable relationship, and a “purpose.” Eventually, Princeton learns to embrace the ups and downs of city life and realizes that “the real world” isn’t so bad after all.
Imagine a world constructed in the Sesame Street aesthetic but populated by characters as foul mouthed as the kids on South Park, throw in a bunch of songs and that’s Avenue Q. Yeah, I know, it’s quite the unlikely recipe.
While most of the songs have an overall good message, like “Everyone’s just a little bit racist”, and “Sucks to be me”, other songs like “The Internet is for Porn” might not resonate with all theatre goers. That said if you enjoy it, you will really enjoy it. The songs are funny the Puppeteers are Quite talented.
An interesting thing about the presentation of the show is that you can see the puppeteers at all times. You could easily watch this show twice once watching the puppets, and once watching the puppeteers who are easily as animated as the “actors” they control.
The Choreography to make this work is amazing. Nicky who is a green version of Ernie is operated at most times by two puppeteers a guy and a girl. And while Nicky’s Voice is always done by the guy, the girl has to match his steps and run Nicky’s mouth when the voice actor is doing conversations between Nicky, and Treky another of the monsters on Avenue Q.
The set is quite well done. It combines a “Transforming” Street scene that unfolds to be the insides of apartments, and some Flat-screen TV’s that fly-in from the top to provide graphics in Sesame Street style lessons about Purpose, and One Night Stand. Christmas Eve one of the few “Live” actors is the “Maria” of Avenue Q, a Japanese Woman working as a therapist with no clients. She helps the various other characters through their “Newly Adult” issues, such as finding your purpose, landing a boy friend, and being gay (and landing a boyfriend). But in a very un-Maria like way, she may be the most “grown up” emotionally, but she dresses like a J-pop idol in Pink Platform Sneakers and Pink Running suit, and later in a Wedding dress that screams Christmas Tree, not Christmas Eve.
If you have to opportunity to see “Avenue Q” take it, you will not be disappointed!
I wanted to love this movie. I really did. Often cited as one of the great romantic comedies of all time, I went into this expecting something absolutely remarkable. It was even nominted for six Academy Awards (winning three of them). Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I wasn’t going to be jumping on the Moonstruck bandwagon. I mean, I can definitely appreciate that people respond so well to it, but some movies just aren’t for everyone. And this tale of love/infidelity just didn’t work for me.
I say this as a huge Nicolas Cage fan as well. Lately, he’s been phoning in his performances, but in his prime, he was a powerhouse actor, reveling in the over-the-top characters he got to play. And his portrayal of Ronnie is fantastic, for what it is. Cher also does a great job with the role that she is given. Considering how authentic their relationship felt, I was surprised at how little I was able to get invested in their story.
Cher stars as Loretta, a superstitious woman from Brooklyn, who believes that she is cursed after the death of her husband. Because of her fears, she decides to play it safe and marry a sensible man that she doesn’t love. When he has to suddenly leave the country, she ends up falling for her new fiances younger brother while delivering invitations. This begins a passionate and confusing affair, made all the more complicated by the romantic drama taking place within her own family.
And I think that’s where my problems with the film lie. I just didn’t enjoy spending time with this family. I suppose it’s a well written script, but I couldn’t get into the culture of this group of people. Loretta’s parents have their own issues, and watching those in relation to her own just couldn’t capture my interest. It’s a little too over-the-top for my taste, with every character spouting dialogue that feels as if it’s from a screenplay and not real life.
I was hoping that the extras on the newly released Blu-Ray would help shed some light on what it is that everybody loves about the film. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of material, and what’s there seems as if it comes from previous releases. The first feature is an audio commentary with Cher, director Norman Jewisn and writer John Patrick Shanley (obviously recorded seperately and edited together). It’s a pretty straightforward track, without a lot of pauses. It’s a good track for fans of the film, with a lot of interesting insights, but nothing swayed me on the film.
The next extra is a documentary called “Moonstruck: At the Heart of an Italian Family.” Running about 25 minutes, this features several interviews with the cast and crew. It’s an interesting retrospective, and focuses on a lot of different aspects of the film, including the film’s ultimate extremely positive reception.
Also included is a very brief (about six minutes) analysis of the film’s soundtrack. Overall, I wish I liked the film more. As I said, I appreciated it more than I enjoyed it. The acting is great and the screenplay is competent. But the familiy dynamics just proved overwhelming to me, and the characters frustrating with their decisions. If you’re already a fan, it’s a decent disc. There’s nothing spectacular about it, but the picture looks good, and the sound works well with what is given. It’s not that I found the film bad, I just wasn’t able to enjoy it. Hopefully, others will get more out of it than I did.
I am the type of person that almost always goes into a film about mental illness with a degree of cynicism. It just seems to me that, by their very nature, these films are designed to manipulate an audience by playing on their sympathies. If you end up not liking the film, it can seem like an attack on whatever illness is being portrayed. However, Dustin Hoffman’s performance in Rain Man feels so achingly realized, I can’t help but sit transfixed, mesmerized by the magic trick he is pulling off on screen.
Hoffman becomes Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant struggling to stay sane within his own insanity. When I watch this performance, I see a man trapped within his own head, a prisoner to his own idiosyncracies. When he becomes agitated, he retreats into the Abbott and Costello “Who’s On First” routine, but there is no humor there. It’s an escape, and it’s moments like this that are just hearbreaking.
Every mannerism is perfectly realized to this end, and it’s still one of Hoffman’s greatest performances. Tom Cruise gives an equally fantastic performance as Charlie Babbitt, Raymond’s brother. When the film begins, Charlie is a money-obsessed lamborghini dealer. He too appears trapped within his own head, confined by greed. Letting money dictate his life, he alienates those around him, even his own girlfriend. When his father dies, he goes to collect what he believes will be a substantial inheritance, only to get a car and his father’s prize rose bushes. It is when he follows the trail of the money he didn’t receive that he discovers his long lost older brother, Raymond.
This is where the film really begins, as Charlie takes Raymond on a cross-country road trip to try and get the rest of the inheritance that Charlie believes is rightfully his. Of course, along the way, they get to really know each other, and while Charlie doesn’t completely transform as a character, he does become a better person.
This is a funny and serious look at two people suffering from their own mental issues. One is a literal disease, and the other is a state-of-mind. The way these two characters play off of each other in their journey makes for a believable and entertaining film, and one that works despite the difficulties of the genre. Unfortunately, the Blu-Ray release doesn’t include any new features. There are a few extras, but they all seem as if they came from previous releases.
There are three commentary tracks, one with director Barry Levinson, and the other two with the writers. While all three are interesting in spurts, there’s nothing that makes them “must-listen” tracks. There’s also a fairly entertaining behind-the-scenes documentary called “The Journey of Rain Man,” that provides a look at the making of the film. Next up is a documentary called “Lifting the Fog: A Look at the Mysteries of Autism,” which is exactly what it sounds like. An interesting look at the disease that inspired the fim, this feature contains insight and interviews with people who really suffer from the disease, and those who influenced the writing of the film. There is also a single deleted scene, and the original trailer.
The picture looks good, but is nothing outstanding. It’s a decent transfer, but it seems like it could have been cleaned-up a little bit more. There is nothing distractingly bad about it, there’s just nothing all that stunning either. The film sounds great, however, especially in a sequence where Charlie takes Raymond to Vegas to count cards.
Overall, the Blu-Ray release is nothing special, but the film definitely is. I’ve seen the movie before, but I was struck by just how powerful the performances really are. A well-deserved winner of 4 Academy-Awards, this is a really great movie, and a worthy addition to any film collection.
With a boast that “the passion is even hotter on Blu-Ray” printed on the box, Last Tango In Paris arrives with the promise of something worth getting excited about. The film’s plot is described using words such as “scandalous” and “scintillating.” All of this together could be seen as pretty enticing, and didn’t seem to match the dark nature of everything I’d heard about the film. I mean, I knew the stories about the film, and how stars Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider had trouble coping with the aftermath of making the film, both comparing the making the film to being raped. I’ve seen pictures of the protests and read a great deal of the divisive literature written about the film. And I knew about the graphic sexuality that was the undercurrent of the controversy. For these reasons, I never had any desire to see the movie. While I try to love all cinema, this one just seemed like too much for me.
So, as I went into the film, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Would it be as uncomfortable as I feared? I guess the answer is yes, but not really for the reasons I expected. While there is a lot of graphic sexuality in the film, I found the script to be just as disturbing. This is the story of Paul and Jeanne, two broken individuals who decide to pursue an anonymous sexual relationship in order to work out their psychological issues. They meet every day in an empty apartment Paul rents, and the only rule is that they can never know each other’s names or anything about their personal lives.
Paul is recovering from the suicide of his wife, while Jeanne is engaged to a young filmmaker, and is miserable. The torrid nature of their trysts provide some sort of outlet for the darkness within. However, when the rules are broken, everything changes. As I said, the sex is very uncomfortable, and there is nothing “passionate” about it, as the box seems to indicate. This is a very cold and disturbing movie.
It’s hard to discuss a movie like this without getting too graphic. I’ll just say that the film is controversial for several reasons, and rightly so. This is a very adult film, and not one for people looking for a good time. I can appreciate the film, and the artistry behind the scenes. It is a powerful story, masterfully acted and directed. Brando even got an Oscar nominatin for his performance. However, despite the talent involved, I really don’t feel like this was a movie I needed to see, and it’s one I will have a hard time recommending to people.
As for the Blu-Ray release, everything about it is adequate. I wasn’t blown away by the picture or the sound, but with a movie like this, I wasn’t expecting to be. This is a very minimalistic film, and as such, so is the presentation. As for extras, I was shocked to find that the only feature included is the trailer. There is so much history involved in this film, I was really expecting a lot more.
I love film history, sometimes as much as the film itself. I love knowing the context of a film’s release, and while I’d already familiarized myself with this one, I would have appreciated some sort of look back at the film from a historical perspective. A trailer just isn’t enough these days. Despite the fact that it is a film classic, I just can’t recommend this particular release.
I’m going to begin with a confession. Until this viewing, I had never seen Thelma and Louise. I always cite Ridley Scott as one of my favorite directors, and despite the fact that many consider this to be one of his best films, I was never able to muster up enough interest to actually give it a try. Every clip I ever saw looked tedious, and with it being impossible not to know the ending, I never really saw the point.
Well, it turns out that knowing the ending is irrelevant. As the saying goes, it isn’t so much about the destination as it is the journey. Often described as a female-empowerment flick, Thelma and Louise is in the most basic terms a story of two friends (Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis) on a roadtrip. I wouldn’t say the film is so much a female-empowerment film as it is a film about self-discovery. After killing an attempted rapist, Thelma and Louise find themselves on the run from the law. Along the way, they will learn who they really are, and as everyone knows, end up making the ultimate sacrifice.
While Sarandon and Davis prove what amazing actors they are, they are surrounded by an equally amazing supporting cast including Brad Pitt and Harvey Keitel. Pitt especially was a revelation, and this is the film that helped kick-start his career. A film like this doesn’t work unless everyone involved is working at the top of their game. The cinematography gorgeously depicts their journey across the mid-West, while Hans Zimmer provides an appropriately Western sounding score. The dialogue is smart and realistic, and as mentioned above, Ridley Scott does a fantastic job directing.
Considering I had never seen the film before, I had never seen any previously released extras either. However, it should be noted that all of the extras on this 20th Anniversary edition are repeats from previous releases. They aren’t bad, they just aren’t new. However, what I imagine is new is the incredible transfer on this film. The picture and sound could have been from a movie released today. At times, the film feels like a classic Western, and every aspect of their journey across the landscape just pops off the screen. It really is a gorgeous film.
The extras include two commentary tracks, one with Ridley Scott, and the other with Sarandon, Davis and screenwriter Callie Khouri. There is also a feature that runs just over 45 minutes called “Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey.” This is a comprehensive look at the entire production. It’s an interesting look back, and defintely worth checking out if you haven’t already seen it. After this comes a five-minute Elecronic Press Kit. Nothing too exciting there.
One of the more interesting features is one that I didn’t even know existed. There is an extended alternate ending. Yes, the iconic fade to white was not how the film originally ended. Conceptually, it’s not all that different, but emotionally, it leaves the audience in a completely different place. I vastly prefer the original, but it’s interesting from a historical perspective, especially considering that I always assumed the ending to be one of the most defining moments of the film.
There are also deleted and extended scenes, a music video, and some storyboards of the final chase. Overall, it’s not the greatest set of extras I’ve ever seen, but they do their job. They provide a little bit of insight, an interesting look back at the making of the film, and some different perspectives on things overall.
The film ended up being a lot better than I expected. I’m glad I was able to set aside my expectations, and let myself get caught up in the film. It works on almost every level, and I can see why, twenty years later, the film is still considered a classic.
106 minutes of my time and life I will not get back. I’m sure many of you have had that same thought at some time or another when going to the movies. If someone were to ask me about the Farrelly Brothers newest venture I’d have only one word to say to them, pass. As in, ‘don’t even suggest going’. Even with some comical moments this film is not for everyone. I had to calm down my girlfriend from walking out, to how irreverent some of the writing and shock comedy was.
Don’t get me wrong, I know the Farrelly Brothers are known for their pushing the envelope, like they did in “There’s Something About Mary” but this was not entertainment. More like two frat boys given money to direct a film to shock and see reactions. To pull in such seasoned actors as Owen Wilson (Marley & Me, Wedding Crashers), Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?, Married With Children), Jenna Fischer (Blades of Glory, The Office) and SNL’s Jason Sudeikis doesn’t even help.
Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudeikis) have been friends for life. Rick is married to his college sweetheart Maggie (Fischer), they have 3 kids, Fred is married to Grace (Applegate) and it is just them. Marriage has become a ‘chore’ and on the suggestion of a mutual friend the wives give their husbands a ‘hall pass’ from marriage for a week so they can “take care of their sexual urges”. With no wives and freedom to conquer without consequences, Rick and Fred feel like they are back in college and pick up all the woman they want, just like the old days. Can the husbands show they still got it? What about the wives, do they just sit by and wait or do they get to play?
From the trailer that first aired I was skeptical as to the nature and the comedy of this movie. Many times the funniest parts of a movie are shown in the trailer. I can’t say they were but they were definitely the tamest of jokes, both verbal and visual. I get it that sometimes shocking the audience with certain jokes or themes can be funny. Past Farrelly Brothers movies have been solely based on that form of comedy. This however went beyond that. The direction of having full frontal male nudity once is a shock and in the right context, funny. To keep showing it over and over is excessive. Don’t even get me started on the scene where Fred has a young woman in his hotel room bathroom. That was just downright shocking and disgusting. It is as if they couldn’t help the writing out, which is just as bad, that they thought throwing something like that scene in would have everyone saying, “Oh it’s the Farrelly Brothers, what did you expect?”
Kevin Barnett (The Heartbreak Kid) and Pete Jones (Outing Riley, Stolen Summer) co wrote the screenplay with the Farrelly Brothers. As expressed before it really didn’t help. The writing is dry, cliché, and predictable as is the plot. The characters of Rick and Fred are written like they are still in college and have not grown up with Maggie and Grace written as uptight wives that are ‘stuck’ with their men and their behavior. The snooty attitude they women give off get old and annoying real quick. Granted it was intensified by my girl sitting next to me cussing at the wives every time they spoke. We’ll get to that later. It does show that the characters were written at two completely different ends of a social behavior spectrum and played on screen poorly.
As for the acting, it is on par with the subject matter at hand. Wilson portrays Rick in his quirky comedic style. Sudeikis plays Fred annoying and the instigator of misadventures. Fischer and Applegate as the wives do a good job of playing the scrip, staunch, unemotional and unattached. I will say whoever the makeup artist was used too much orange or tanner on all the actors as they all came across with a ‘George Hamilton’ tan thru most of the film.
Needless to say I did not enjoy this film. In my honest opinion very few people will like this film. Maybe the occasional frat boys or those who stumble upon it just to see all the fuss the critics are saying about it. Again this is an opinion. The movie could have had much more potential if the writing was better and you dropped the shock aspects of it. What set me off the most was the hypocrisy of the wives. All that their men were asking for was something that should never have to be asked for in a marriage, sex. It become a chore to the wives and that in and of itself was annoying.
My two cents. The aspect of a ‘hall pass’ is an interesting solution of an underlying problem. In this case not fully warranted as the situation could have been solved by the wives remembering to be ‘in love’ with their partner for who they are and not out of duty. This was realized late in the movie but after much unneeded visuals. Both wives in this particular story have forgotten that sex is important as talking, or spending time together. It is a natural act of feeling that all of us crave. It doesn’t stop when you get married it should flourish. A marriage is about communication, verbal and physical. Now I know everyone communicates differently. That’s human nature. Finding out which way is the best way for you to communicate may take time but that is part of the journey. One way of communication that I have taken to heart is to never go to bed together angry. Make sure when all is said and done, when your eyes close they do so with love and respect. The next day is a new one and should start as such, new.
I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since Dances With Wolves first came out. I vividly remember my frustration at being in junior high, forced to watch this film for history class. Nothing sucks the joy out of a movie more than having to watch it for school. I never would have imagined that I would revisit the film 20 years later, only to completely fall in love with it.
Gorgeously epic in scope, this is Costner’s masterpiece. Not only did he direct the film, but he stars as Lt. John Dunbar, a Civil War hero who finds himself at war with his own people after joing a tribe of Sioux Indians. His transition into their culture is beautifully handled, covering a huge timespan. Initially, the language barrier is an issue, with Mary McDonell’s character of Stands With A Fist providing interpretation. As expected, they fall in love, but it’s handled in such a way that it feels real.
Eventually, he becomes one of them. We witness him living life in their way, and a large percentage of the movie details this part of his life. One of the most thrilling sequences involves a buffalo hunt they all go on. It’s amazing to think that Costner was able to capture this sequence without the use of any CGI. At the time, computer generated special effects were in their infancy, and almost all of the buffalo were real. There were a few special effects in this sequence, but this scene is a remarkable feat of filmmaking.
Pretty much everything about this film works. The iconic soundtrack works perfectly to underscore the emotional undercurrent of each sequence, as well as enhancing the adrenaline-pumping action sequences. On top of this, the acting is pretty much flawless, the cinematography is beautiful, and the script is an amazing piece of work. My only real issue with the film is it’s length.
Running just shy of four hours, this is a lot of movie. The Blu-Ray contains ONLY the extended cut, and I really wish they would have included the original theatrical edition as well. I haven’t seen the original since it first came out, so I wasn’t really able to identify exactly where the extra sequences were. However, the film did feel like it could be edited some. There is a lot of material that just wasn’t essential for a film this long. However, this is my only complaint on what is an otherwise terrific Blu-Ray release.
It’s very obvious that a great amount of work went into putting this package together. The picture and sound are both flawless. As the film is so epic in scope, there is a great deal of variety in the images presented. There are sweeping panoramic moments to go with the intimate up-close sequences. I was amazed at just how sharp everything looked. The movie feels like something older, but it never looks or sounds old. This is a presentation worthy of the today’s blockbusters.
As far as extras are concerned, there is a lot of material on this set. To start with, there are two commentary tracks. The first one is with Costner and the producer, Jim Wilson. The other one is with the Director of Photography and the editor. There is also a pop-up trivia track detailing the real-life history behind the events in the film, and a game that you can play during the movie about what was real and what wasn’t.
The next disc contains all of the actual documentaries on the film. I don’t believe any of this material is new to the Blu-Ray, but it’s still really interesting and definitely worth a look. There is a feature about life on the frontier, a generic making-of feature, and a fantastic documentary called “The Creation of an Epic: A Retrospective Documentary.” This is one of those looks back that covers all aspects of the film’s production. It’s a fascinating peek behind-the-curtain at what it takes to film a movie of this scale.
The rest of the features are short little segments that provide brief looks at individual moments from the film. There are also a series of galleries, the preview, TV commercials, etc. This is a pretty massive set when you look at all of this material taken together. As mentioned above, the only complaint I have is that they don’t include the theatrical cut. I remember reading an interview with Costner a while back where he discussed the extended cut (initially put together for another release), and how he had nothing to do with it. This is not a director’s cut, just the theatrical cut with a lot of extra footage. These extra moments don’t the film any worse, but it does feel padded, and I feel like it would be shorter. The film is great, but it feels long. Despite the length, this is a film that you owe it to yourself to see. No matter how many epics he tries to make, I don’t think Costner will ever be able to replicate his success with this masterpiece.
