Hey everyone this is just a reminder that the long awaited De Niro Blogathon has finally begun. Tyson and myself have finally ironed out the creases, put the glut back in our strut and the glide back in our stride and the first post of ANALYZING DE NIRO is up. Head on over to our joint site You Talkin’ To Me? to witness the opening.
Welcome back to Trivia Tidbits. For those of you out of the loop, this is a little compilation of 10 movie related facts that I always find interesting. So without further ado, this weeks are…
1: The “Alien” series has a continuing obsession with alphabetising their androids chronologically. In “Alien“, Ian Holm was Ash. “Aliens” had Lance Henriksen as Bishop. “Alien Ressurection” had Winona Ryder as Call and “Prometheus” had Michael Fassbender as David.
2: [Spoiler]
An original ending for the classic serial killer film “Se7en” saw Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) shooting John Doe (Kevin Spacey). This was followed with the cringeworthy kiss off line, “I’m retiring”. The scene was storyboarded but never filmed.
3: In 1986, a sequel to the Arnold Schwarzenegger film “Commando” was written by Steven E. de Souza, and revised by Frank Darabont, with an eye to having John McTiernan direct. The script was based on the book “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Roderick Thorp, but Schwarzenegger wasn’t interested in reprising the role. The script was then reworked with a new central character, eventually played by Bruce Willis, and became “Die Hard“.
4: Michael Fassbender was cast as Franck in Danny Boyle’s “Trance” but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Colin Firth was briefly considered for the part before Vincent Cassel was cast.
While Scarlett Johansson, Mélanie Thierry, Eva Green and Zoe Saldana were considered for the role that went to Rosario Dawson.
5: In “Velvet Goldmine“, when Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor were filming their gay sex scene, the director cut without letting them know. As a result, the two continued to simulate the act until they realised the trick that had been played on them.
6: Producer Sam Spiegel sent the script of “On The Waterfront” to Marlon Brando and it came back with a refusal. Spiegel however had inserted small pieces of paper between the pages which were still in place when the script was returned to him, indicating that it hadn’t been read. While Spiegel continued to work on Brando, Frank Sinatra agreed to take on the role of Terry Malloy.
7: The brown Fedora worn by Henry Fonda in “On Golden Pond” belonged to Spencer Tracy and was given to Fonda by Katharine Hepburn on the first day on the set. Fonda, overwhelmed with the gesture, painted a still life watercolor of the three hats he wore in the film and gave the original to Hepburn as a gift. He had 200 lithographs made of the painting and sent one to every person who worked on the film. Each copy was numbered and personally signed by Fonda thanking each person by name. In her autobiography, Hepburn wrote that she gave the painting to screenwriter Ernest Thompson. After Fonda’s death, she found the painting to be a sad reminder of him and Spencer Tracy.
8: In “Ghostbusters“, the role of Louis Tully (played by Rick Moranis) was originally written for John Candy. The role of Peter Venkman (played by Bill Murray) was originally written for John Belushi and the role of Winston (played Ernie Hudson) was originally written for Eddie Murphy.
9: Robert De Niro lobbied for the role of Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia’s role) in “The Godfather part III“. Director Francis Ford Coppola considered it, which would have included aging Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone even more, but eventually decided against the idea.
10: While vacationing in Ireland with then-girlfriend Jennifer Grey (“Dirty Dancing“) back in 1987, Matthew Broderick accidentally drove his BMW rental head-on into a Volvo, leaving its passengers – a mother and daughter – dead. Broderick had a broken leg while Grey was left with some of his blood stains on her clothes. This could have contributed to the disappearance of Jennifer Grey from cinema as she said “The juxtaposition of that deep sorrow, the survivor’s guilt, and then being celebrated as the new big thing just didn’t jibe. It didn’t feel good to be the toast of the town”.
So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box…
(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)
Director: Jon S. Baird.
Screenplay: Jon S. Baird.
Starring: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Jim Broadbent, Imogen Poots, John Sessions, Gary Lewis, Brian McCardie, Emun Elliott, Martin Compston, Shirley Henderson, Kate Dickie, Shauna Macdonald, Iain De Caestecker, Ron Donachie, Natasha O’Keeffe, Jonathan Watson, David Soul.
As the year draws to a close, so does the (unrelated) British trilogy of James McAvoy leading roles. He began with the disappointingly generic “Welcome To The Punch” before moving on to the teasingly elaborate “Trance” before finally heading back to his native Scotland to tackle “Filth” – the ‘unfilmable’ novel by cult writer Irvine Welsh. Since “Trainspotting” in 1996, Welsh’s material hasn’t really been given an adaptation deserving of his talents, but here, director Jon S. Baird delves (groin first) into Welsh’s unrelenting prose and delivers a sharp, sordid and deeply debauched, delight of a film.
Welcome back to Trivia Tidbits. For those of you out of the loop, this is a little compilation of 10 movie related facts that I always find interesting. So without further ado, this weeks are…
1: “Toy Story” and “Galaxy Quest” star Tim Allen was once a coke dealer. Tim was busted at an airport with reportedly over a pound of cocaine in his possession. He would have received the maximum sentence of life but volunteered to snitch on other dealers as compensation for a shorter sentence. He still spent two years in a federal prison.
2: In the Stephen King novella for “The Shawshank Redemption“, Morgan Freeman’s character Red is described as a white Irishman. The film has Red sarcastically quip, “Maybe it’s cause I’m Irish” as a nod to the change.
3: According to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in the DVD Commentary of “Big Trouble In Little China“, the story was originally written as a western but Carpenter decided to set it during modern times. They even mention that instead of Jack Burton’s truck being stolen, it was originally his horse.
4: While playing Al Capone in “The Untouchables“, Robert De Niro insisted on wearing the same style of silk underwear that Capone wore, even though it would never be seen on camera. The producers, knowing DeNiro’s reputation as a Method actor, gave in. De Niro tracked down Capone’s original tailors and had them make him some identical clothing for the movie.
5: Robert Downey Jr. and Keanu Reeves tested for the role of Brian McCaffrey in “Backdraft” before it eventually went to William Baldwin.
Val Kilmer and Johnny Depp actually turned it down.
6: Author Lorenzo Carcaterra has claimed that his book on which the film “Sleepers” is based was a true story of his childhood. When the New York legal community went on record stating that no cases resembling the events of his book could be found in any court records, Carcaterra refused to discuss the discrepancy. His claims have been neither proven nor disproven.
7: When filming “Chinatown” Jack Nicholson was dating Anjelica Huston, the daughter of his screen nemesis John Huston. She visited the set on the day that her father’s character asked Nicolson’s Jake Gittes, “Did you sleep with my daughter?”.
8: In the casino scene in “Swingers“, sirens can be heard in the background. This was actually the police on their way to stop the filmmakers who were shooting without a permit.
9: [Spoiler]
When Alan Rickman was filming his death scene in “Die Hard“, he was dropped a second early to get his true reaction to falling from the Nakatomi Plaza.
10: Among Patrick Bateman’s neighbours in the novel of “American Psycho” is one Tom Cruise. Added to which, Christian Bale based elements of his performance as Bateman on Cruise after seeing an interview with the star. According to director Mary Harron, Bale said he saw “this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes”.
So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box…
(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)
Welcome back to Trivia Tidbits. For those of you out of the loop, this is a little compilation of 10 movie related facts that I always find interesting. So without further ado, this weeks are…
1: Before Martin Scorsese made “The Aviator” in 2004, many had tried to produce a Howard Hughes biopic before him. Among the failed attempts are:
• A companion piece to “Reds“(1981) planned by actor-director Warren Beatty.
• John Malkovich and partner Russell Smith attempt in 1993.
• The adaptation planned by Allen Hughes and Albert Hughes who wanted Johnny Depp in the lead.
• A Brian De Palma-directed biopic with Touchstone which fell through because of the $80 million price tag.
• In January 2000, it was announced that Milos Forman was to direct a biopic with Edward Norton as Hughes and a script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
• In January 2002, Jim Carrey and director Christopher Nolan tried to start the project with Castle Rock Productions but it didn’t get off ground soon enough to beat Scorsese’s movie into production.
2: As David in “The Lost Boys“, Kiefer Sutherland was only meant to wear black gloves when riding the motorbike. However, while messing around on the bike behind-the-scenes, he fell off, breaking his arm so he had to wear the gloves through the whole movie to cover his cast.
3: In “Blade Runner“, Ridley Scott and Jordan Cronenweth achieved the famous ‘shining eyes’ effect by using a technique invented by director Fritz Lang known as the ‘Schüfftan Process’; light is bounced into the actors’ eyes off a piece of half mirrored glass mounted at a forty five degree angle to the camera.
4: While filming “The Last Samurai“, Tom Cruise narrowly escaped potentially fatal injuries after a sword was swung within one inch of his neck. He and his co-star Hiroyuki Sanada were acting out a sword fight scene when the incident happened. Sanada swung a sword at Cruise who was on an off-camera mechanical horse at the time. But the machine reportedly malfunctioned and failed to duck at the right moment. Sanada stopped the blade just one inch from his neck.
5: In preparation for his role in “Lawless“, Shia LaBeouf drank moonshine in order to gain as authentic an appearance as possible. By his own admission his drinking and over-aggressive attitude caused co-star Mia Wasikowska to try and leave the film.
6: Nicolas Cage was originally considered for the role of John Bender in “The Breakfast Club” but the production couldn’t afford his salary at the time. John Cusack was originally cast as Bender, but director John Hughes decided to replace him with Judd Nelson before shooting began.
7: Stanley Kubrick would reportedly call Stephen King at 3am to ask him questions about “The Shining“. According to King, one famous exchange had the director ask the author, “Do you believe in God?”. When he replied in the affirmative Kubrick yelled “I knew it!” and slammed the phone down.
8: According to Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis, in Dan Aykroyd’s original rough draft of “Ghostbusters“, the story was going to take place in the future and that there would be teams of Ghostbusters like there are paramedics and firefighters (thus explaining basing the Ghostbusters HQ in a fire station). According to Reitman, such a film would cost “at least $300 million in 1984 dollars”. So Harold Ramis was brought in to rewrite the script and bring it into modern times.
9: Singer and Actress, Courtney Love, insists that the role of the heroin dealer, Lance (played by Eric Stoltz) in “Pulp Fiction” was offered to Kurt Cobain. Quentin Tarantino has steadfastly refuted this claim, saying he never even met the late Nirvana singer. Kurt Cobain did thank Quentin Tarantino in the liner notes to “In Utero“, allegedly due to the musician’s love for “Reservoir Dogs“. QT returned the favour in the “Pulp Fiction” soundtrack notes by thanking Nirvana. Sadly, the timing of the release meant the thanks were followed by ‘RIP Kurt’.
10: According to Guy Pearce on the DVD commentary of “L.A. Confidential“, he attended a James Ellroy one-man show in his native Melbourne, Australia while the film was in pre-production. Pearce notes that during a Q&A session following Ellroy’s performance, an audience member asked if any of Ellroy’s books would ever be adapted into film. Ellroy replied that not only was L.A. Confidential in pre-production, but two Australian natives (Pearce and Russell Crowe) were cast in the film. The audience erupted into laughter, thinking that Ellroy was playing a wry joke on the audience by randomly naming two local actors and claiming they were cast in a big-budget Hollywood film. Pearce, who was sitting in the audience, was mortified. It was only a year later, that the audience learned that Ellroy was, in fact, telling the truth.
So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box…
(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)
Director: Joseph Kosinski.
Screenplay: Karl Gajdusek, Michael Arndt.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melissa Leo, Zoe Bell.
Say what you will about Tom Cruise but there’s no denying that his choice of projects have always been bankable. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s most of his films and performances were of a particularly high standard. The same could be said of the 00’s as well. However, over the last three years, cracks are beginning to appear; “Knight and Day“, “Rock of Ages” and “Jack Reacher” have failed to register any form of quality. On the surface, “Oblivion” has all the hallmarks of the Cruiser getting back on track but, unfortunately, proves just as lacklustre as the aforementioned duds.
In the year 2077, Earth has been obliterated by an alien race and the surviving members of humanity have moved on to inhabit Saturn’s moon, Titan. Jack (Tom Cruise) and his wife Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) have remained on earth, though, to protect machinery harvesting the planet’s resources before Jack begins to suspect that his mission isn’t as straightforward as he thought it was.
Director Joseph Kosinski follows up his previous science fiction film “Tron Legacy” with another venture into the future. He works from his own graphic novel and delivers an intriguing premise that pays homage to classic Sci-Fi movies like “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Planet of the Apes“. His setting is suitably bleak (captured beautifully by cinematographer Claudio Miranda), his use of visuals are striking and his tone is perfectly sombre. In fact, Kosinski actually assembles a good addition to the science fiction genre. Unfortunately, his assembly soon falls apart due to a script that’s devoid of any substance or characters that we can invest in. The pace is lethargic, to say the least, which only really registers that a lot of the film is just padding. Nothing happens for a good chunk of the movie and when the plot is finally opened up, it fails to make sense or hold any form of coherence. Even if it did, your likely to have lost interest by that point anyway. Cruise wanders around aimlessly (presumably in search of characterisation) and the likes of Morgan Freeman and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau needn’t have turned up at all. The most frustrating thing overall, though, is that the big reveal is one that we’ve seen many times before and all, but completely, rips-off Duncan Jones’ far superior “Moon“. The similarities are almost shocking and I wouldn’t have been surprised to have seen Jones’ name on the screenwriting credits.
Kosinski is a director that may yet find his feet. He certainly has an eye for sumptuous visuals and can stage a fine action set-piece. However, he really needs to work on a coherent narrative and one that isn’t as dull or desolate as the landscape that his characters roam.
Mark Walker
It’s been a while since I posted any of these but welcome back to Trivia Tidbits. For those of you out of the loop, this is a little compilation of 10 movie related facts that I always find interesting. So without further ado, this weeks are…
1: When “Donnie Brasco” was in its first stages, Joe Pesci was the first and main choice for Nicky. But after the release of “Goodfellas“, the idea gradually faded. This is the second film where Joe Pesci was considered for a role that eventually went to Bruno Kirby. The first was “The Godfather: Part II“, the role in question being that of the young Clemenza.
2: Joel Schumacher was originally set to direct the film “Devil’s Advocate” in 1994 before Taylor Hackford took over. Brad Pitt was also set to star as Kevin Lomax. Christian Slater, John Cusack and Edward Norton were also considered for the role before it eventually went to Keanu Reeves.
3: In Peter Mullan’s “NEDS“, many of the film’s events parallels Mullan’s own experiences growing up in 1970’s Glasgow. Mullan was part of a street gang, and tried to kill his abusive father at 14, both of which the protagonist does in the film.
4: Originally Charlie Sheen was turned down for the main role of Chris Taylor in “Platoon” because it was felt he was too young for the part. His older brother Emilio Estevez was offered the part but the project fell apart due to financial problems. Two years later the project was given the go-ahead, but Estevez had already committed to other projects. Charlie Sheen again read for the part and won it.
5: In the Coen Brothers’ “Miller’s Crossing“, the character Eddie Dane (played by J.E. Freeman) was originally written for Peter Stormare and was to be named The Swede. Stormare had to decline as he was appearing as “Hamlet” in the Broadway production. The part was then re-written and re-cast, and became The Dane.
6: Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” was apparently River Phoenix’s favorite movie, and while he was filming “Dark Blood” with it’s leading actor Jonathan Pryce, a gift was arranged. Pryce arranged for Phoenix to meet Gilliam, his hero. The meeting was set to happen the day Phoenix died outside the Viper Room. They never met.
7: In “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest“, most of Jack Nicholson’s scene with Dean R. Brooks upon arriving at the hospital was improvised – including his slamming a stapler, asking about a fishing photo, and discussing his rape conviction; Brooks’s reactions were authentic.
8: Paramount tried to go ahead with “The Godfather part III” for many years without Francis Ford Coppola who had refused to make another sequel. About twelve scripts were written. Most of the scripts included the Corleone family being led by Michael’s son Anthony, battling the CIA, Castro’s Cuban government, or South American drug cartels. A 1978 draft by Mario Puzo dealt with Anthony Corleone being recruited by the CIA to assassinate a Latin American dictator. Dean Riesner also wrote a draft based on Puzo’s ideas. Drafts were also written by Paramount producers Michael Eisner and Don Simpson. The film was scheduled for a Christmas 1980 release date. These scripts were discarded when Coppola decided to work on the script with Puzo. But Coppola eventually abandoned the project. Puzo wrote another script in 1986 with producer Nicholas Gage that featured Sonny Corleone’s illegitimate son Vincent Mancini while showing the early life of the young Sonny Corleone. Paramount considered directors Martin Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, Costa-Gavras, Alan J. Pakula, Robert Benton, Michael Cimino and Michael Mann. At one point they were even close to signing Sylvester Stallone to direct and star in the film.
9: In “Oldboy“, four live octopodes were eaten for the scene with Dae-su in the sushi bar, a scene which provoked some controversy abroad. Eating live octopus in Korea is commonplace although it is usually sliced first. When the film won the Grand Prix at Cannes, the director thanked the octopodes along with the cast and crew.
10: [Spoilers]
Throughout “The Departed“, Martin Scorsese used X’s mostly shown in the background to mark characters for death; examples include shots of Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the elevator before his death. Queenan (Martin Sheen) falling to his death (on the building’s glass windows as Queenan falls to the ground), and Sullivan (Matt Damon) in his office discussing the flow of information with Jack Nicholson’s Costello (the X is created by the light shining through the window). This is a homage to Howard Hawks’ classic film “Scarface” (1932).
So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box…
(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)
Director: Rob Reiner.
Screenplay: Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans.
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Siemaszko, Bradley Gregg, Gary Riley, Jason Oliver, John Cusack, Marshall Bell, Frances Lee McCain, Richard Dreyfuss, Bruce Kirby, Andy Lindberg.
Predominantly known for his horror stories, writer Stephen King released a book in 1982 called “Different Seasons“. It contained four novellas, three of which, went on to become successful Hollywood movies which were very far from most other adaptations of his work. One was Bryan Singer’s “Apt Pupil” another was Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” and the third – originally entitled “The Body” – became Rob Reiner’s “Stand By Me“.
Four young friends, Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Chris (River Phoenix), Vern (Jerry O’Connell) and Teddy (Corey Feldman) go on an adventure together to find the dead body of a local boy who was supposedly hit by a train. By following the tracks, the friends’ journey becomes more about them and their personal struggles and soon, the boyish adventure becomes about their experiences of entering adulthood.
Delivered with a wonderfully nostalgic narration by Richard Dreyfuss and a good feel for 1950’s Americana, this inviting and honest, coming-of-age, tale captures the spirit of youth like very few others. Reiner’s feel for the time and the material is pitched so perfectly that you are completely transported back to this era. It’s imbued with a sublimely evocative soundtrack of classic 1950’s songs, ranging from; Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” through Buddy Holly’s “Everyday“, The Chordettes’ “Lollipop” and, of course, Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me“. It’s this very attention to detail that truly brings this affectionate and sentimental film to life, while completely involving you in the trials and tribulations of the four, endearing, youths at it’s centre. The four youths in question are embodied with charm and nuance by Wheaton, Feldman, O’Connell and, especially, Phoenix. They are so natural in their deliveries that the failed careers they would go on to have didn’t merit the performances delivered here. Phoenix was the only one of the four who would receive critical praise, but sadly his life was cut short at the tender age of 23, making his performance all the more poignant.
Rarely has a film captured the innocence and growing pains of young boys on the road to manhood and rarely do you ever get such a rich and heartfelt delivery. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t experience the 1950’s; stepped foot on an Americana front porch or played mailbox baseball. What matters, is that you identify with the characters’ rite of passage and that it still perpetuates it’s relevance.
A wonderfully rustic and nostalgic gem, that’s still as inviting and honest as it was on it’s release. This is one of those timeless cult-classic’s that will always find an audience to resonate with.
Mark Walker
Okay, here’s a little venture for you..
As most of you know, I’m a massive fan of Adam De Sandler, sorry, Robert De Niro. How on earth can I mix them up? Maybe it’s because they both produce sub-standard comedic material these days?
However, my or (our) aim is not to highlight the below par delivery of Robert De Niro these days, but to she’d some light on the most outstanding qualities that this truly great actor has offered over the years. Myself, and my good friend, Tyson Carter from Head In A Vice have chosen to share our common appreciation of this great, stupendous actor, and as a result, began a completely new blog that will focus, entirely, on him and his life’s work. We hope that you (our friends and followers) will join us in contributing to posts, lists, reviews and Blogathons that are all catered around this particular screen legend.
Our new site is still in it’s infancy but hopefully with your support and contribution, you can help me and Tyson, realise the potential of our new collaborative site. Head over to “You Talkin’ To Me?” and don’t be afraid to follow or get involved with your thoughts.
If you don’t… Here’s what Bob will be doing to you…
Director: John Carpenter.
Screenplay: Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein, W.D. Richter.
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Suzee Pai, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Al Leong, Jerry Hardin.
“Like I told my last wife, I says, “Honey, I never drive faster than I can see. Besides that, it’s all in the reflexes.”
Director John Carpenter made some excellent films during the 70’s & 80’s – “Halloween“, “Assault on Precinct 13“, “The Thing“, “Escape from New York” and “Prince of Darkness“. Some of these are considered classics bit all take on a serious and/or horrific tone. However, Carpenter has also dabbled in comedy with his debut “Dark Star” in 1974 and “Memoirs of An Invisible Man” in 1992. Here, he combines his talents of horror and comedy and delivers, arguably, the most accessible and enjoyable film in his canon. Continue reading
Director: Marc Forster.
Screenplay: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Peter Capaldi, Matthew Fox, David Morse, Ludi Boeken, Fana Mokoena, Elyes Gabel, Pierfrancesco Favino, Ruth Negga, Moritz Bleibtreu, Abigail Hargrove, John Gordon Sinclair.
In making it to the screen, World War Z wasn’t without it’s problems; firstly, there were complaints of it’s very loose take on Max Brooks’ novel, then it’s violence was toned down to achieve a PG-13 certificate; a script rewrite happened half way through production; cinematographer Robert Richardson left to work on “Django Unchained” and the likes of Ed Harris and Bryan Cranston dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. As all these problems piled up, the expectation was that the film would be an absolute disaster. Well, quite simply, it’s not. Despite it’s problems, it’s actually quite a tense and impressively handled thriller.
Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is a former UN worker, happily spending some time at home with his family, until the sudden outbreak of a zombie plague takes over his home city. They are forced to flee and Gerry manages to get his family to safety but news breaks that the whole world is suffering the same outbreak, leaving Gerry to get back in the field and use his experience to search for a cure.
After a brief introduction to our protagonist, Forster doesn’t waste time in getting down to business. Within minutes we are thrust into an absolutely exhilarating opening sequence of the rampaging undead overtaking Philadelphia (actually shot in Glasgow, where I witnessed them filming) and it’s from here that you realise that there’s plenty of potential in this summer blockbuster. It doesn’t matter that there’s a lack of blood or gore because the suspense is handled so competently and effectively that you’re still on the edge of your seat. In fact, it’s the perfect example that less can be more sometimes. What’s most impressive, though, is the epic scale in which it’s delivered. There are several intense action set-pieces where hordes of zombies leap from rooftops, clamber over walls and rampage through an aircraft mid-flight. As an action movie, it certainly delivers the goods and also finds the time to incorporate geopolitics as the epidemic goes world wide. Anchoring all this mayhem is a solidly understated, central performance from Pitt. Having produced this movie – throughout it’s spiralling budget – his commitment to make it work comes across in his performance. He’s entirely believable and identifiable as a family man desperate to survive his chaotic surroundings. Nobody else really gets a look in, including a severely downsized role for Matthew Fox and a brief cameo from, the always reliable, David Morse. Ultimately, the film rests on Pitt’s shoulders, though, and he handles it with aplomb. So much so, that the lack of blood splattering and zombie flesh eating takes a back seat to the character driven drama.
Due to it’s production difficulties, plans for a sequel were shelved. However, having now become a box-office summer smash, the sequel has been given the go-ahead. I, for one, wholeheartedly welcome it.
Against the odds, this manages to be a satisfyingly tense addition to the zombie sub-genre. It doesn’t go for the jugular in a gratuitous manner, instead it works on your nerves and focuses on telling a relatable story. Die hard horror fans may want more from it, but it delivered just the right amount of thrills for me.
Mark Walker
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen.
Screenplay: Ethan & Joel Coen.
Starring: Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh, Samm Art-Williams, Deborah Neumann.
(The following post is not so much a review, as it is a commentary on the creative work(s) of the Coen brothers. It’s my contribution to the Blogathon called “Debuts” created by Mark Fletcher of Three Rows Back and Chris Thomson of Terry Malloy’s Pigeon Coup, whereby a number of bloggers have chosen a particular director to highlight and the significance that their first feature has had. You can access the rest of the Blogathon posts here).
Having cut his teeth as Assistant Editor on director Sam Raimi’s cult classic, “The Evil Dead” in 1981, Joel Coen went on to become a fully fledged director himself with his debut “Blood Simple” in 1984. On the advice of Raimi, Joel and his brother Ethan (whom, it has always been said, actually shared directorial duties) went door-to-door showing potential investors a two minute ‘trailer’ of the film they planned to make, which resulted in them raising $750,000 and just enough to begin production of their movie. It was at this point that two of cinema’s most consistent and original talents had arrived.
In West Texas, saloon owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) suspects that his wife Abby (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with Ray (John Getz), one of his bartenders. Marty then hires Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh), a private detective, to investigate. Once Marty gains proof of the adulterous affair, he pays Visser to kill them. However, Visser is a very unscrupulous type and has plans of his own.
When you comb through the filmography of the Coen’s, three renowned and highly respected crime writers will inevitably surface. They are: James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. However, it’s their debut “Blood Simple” that fully harks back to the hard boiled noir’s of the 1940’s, namely, “The Postman Always Rings Twice” and “Double Indemnity” – both of which are written by Cain and the latter, in fact, co-scripted by Chandler when it made it the screen. Hammett was also a contemporary of these writers and wrote the novel “Red Harvest“, which actually coined the term “blood simple”. It is described as “the addled, fearful mindset people are in after a prolonged immersion in violent situations”. This very description sums the movie up perfectly. It’s a homage to these great writer’s and the genre they excelled in. Also, like their stories, once the character’s and their motivations are established, there is no going back. Although this was their debut, labyrinthine plots and double-crosses would become a staple of the Coens’ work that followed. Give or take the odd zany comedy, their filmography largely consists of these writers; “Miller’s Crossing” was heavily influenced by Hammett’s “The Glass Key” while “The Big Lebowski” loosely took it’s structure from the work of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain would resurface in the “The Man Who Wasn’t There“. Even the Oscar winning “Fargo and “No Country For Old Men” could be seen as riffs on “Blood Simple“, itself. The thing that’s most apparent about this debut from the Coen’s, though, is that their stylistic approach is plain to see. It cast the mould from which we have witnessed their serpentine abilities in storytelling and hugely inventive directorial flourishes.
Much has been said about the cinematography on the Coens’ output. This has largely been due to the work of their regular collaborator Roger Deakins. However, it was Barry Sonnenfeld who worked on the first three Coen’s movies and you’d be hard pushed to notice much of a difference between them. This simply comes down to them translating exactly the vision that the brothers had. That’s not to take away from the work of Deakins or, in this case, Sonnenfeld as their cinematography has always been sublime but ultimately it comes down to the Coens’ inventively keen eye for a shot. They are known for being sticklers for detail, knowing exactly what they want and exactly how it should look and working from a shoestring budget doesn’t prevent them from realising their Hitchcockian melee of passion, bloodshed and suspense. If anything, their limited budget shows how artistic and creative they really are and they’re not without (or what would become) their trademark moments of irony.
The Coen brothers have went on to become two of the most respected filmmakers in the business, and rightfully so. With many classics – cult and mainstream – under their belts already, there’s really no end to what they’re capable of. That being said, it’s always a pleasure to return to their roots and see where it all began.
Mark Walker
Director: Ari Folman.
Screenplay: Ari Folman.
Voices: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Shmuel Frenkel, Zahava Solomon, Ori Sivan, Dror Harazi.
The Israel & Palestine conflict never makes an easy topic for discussion and tends to bring passionate opinions to the surface. As a result, it’s difficult for anyone approaching the subject. Here, however, we are given a film that wisely doesn’t address the politics of the conflict, choosing instead to focus more on the atrocity and brutality of war.
On realising he has no memory of serving in the Israeli Army during the First Lebanon War in 1982, Ari Folman tracks down his old buddies to hear their stories of the conflict, and try to solve the mystery of his own psychological blindspot.
Thanks in large to it’s strikingly powerful artwork, this is a documentary that’s one of the most original of it’s kind. It consists of a serious of investigative interviews with director and war veteran Folman and his comrades who served with him during the conflict. Like the stories they relate, the interviews are also included in the animation and had this been done otherwise this may not have held our interest as much as it does. It helps bind the film into a coherent and visually stunning experience. Having served as an Israeli soldier, Folman wisely doesn’t justify his actions – if anything he abhors them. As he pieces the stories together, the revelation of his deep rooted memories are harrowing and it’s no wonder he developed temporary amnesia. He psychologically blocked his memories due to the atrocities and sheer brutality of the massacre – that he was involved in – of Palestinian men, women and children. Despite, this heavy subject matter, amidst the backdrop of war and barbarism, there are still many scenes of such power and surreal beauty.
Deservedly Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language film, this is a provocative, gruesome and visually stunning movie, that captures an eerie and haunting feel throughout. Within it’s shocking delivery, it carries a very important anti-war message while echoing the work of Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” or Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now”. Absolutely superb and quite unlike anything you’ll have seen before.
Mark Walker
Ever wondered how to respond to a question by a particular film character? Well, here’s your chance to find out what others have said. Inspired by a feature from Total Film magazine, I’ve decided to adapt some film quotes, that pose as questions to my fellow bloggers. This is my way of shedding some light on some great blogs out there and have a little fun at the same time. There are a different range of questions which will give the blogger the chance to either be offensive, defensive, serious, funny, surreal etc. It may prove difficult to come up with a answer but the whole point is to be as creative as possible.
In the crosshairs in this instalment is Tyson Carter, who runs the popular and involving blog: HEAD IN A VICE
Okay, let’s get started. The film quotes will be in bold with Tyson’s answers underneath.
You talkin’ to me?
Hello? Who’s there, I’m talkin? Hello? Who is this? Baxter… is that you? Baxter! Bark twice if your in Milwaukee… Is this Wilt Chamberlain? Have the courage to say something! Hello?
You’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight / Gonna grab some afternoon delight / My motto’s always been, “When it’s right, it’s right” / Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night?
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
I’ll give this little cookie an hour before we’re doing the no-pants dance. Time to musk up.
My… my wi-, my wife, Bunny? Do you see a wedding ring on my finger? Does this place look like I’m fucking married? The toilet seat’s up, man!
Everyone just relax, all right? Believe me, if there’s one thing Ron Burgundy knows, it’s women.
Big Kahuna Burger. That’s that Hawaiian burger joint. I hear they got some tasty burgers. I ain’t never had one myself. How are they?
I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly…
Do you see me holding up liquor stores with a born to lose tattoo on my chest?
You’re so wise. You’re like a miniature Buddha, covered in hair.
You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it’s me, I’m a little fucked up maybe, but I’m funny how, I mean funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I’m here to fuckin’ amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?
I will smash your face into a car windshield, and then take your mother, Dorothy Mantooth, out for a nice seafood dinner and never call her again.
Why don’t you try stickin’ your head up your ass? See if it fits.
Guess what? One day Veronica and I are gonna to get married on top of a mountain, and there’s going to be flutes playing and trombones and flowers and garlands of fresh herbs. And we will dance till the sun rises. And then our children will form a family band. And we will tour the countryside and you won’t be invited.
Alright, alright. Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy?
Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale’s vagina.
Are you telling me you built a time machine? Out of a Delorian?
What? You pooped in the refrigerator? And you ate the whole… wheel of cheese? How’d you do that? Heck, I’m not even mad; that’s amazing. How ’bout we get you in your p.j.’s and we hit the hay.
It’s quite a thing to live in fear isn’t it?
Tell me about it, this morning, I woke up and I shit a squirrel, but what I can’t get is the damn thing is still alive. So now, I’ve got a shit covered squirrel running around my office and I don’t know what to name it.
If you could fight any celebrity, who would you pick?
What’s that? Well if you were a man, I’d punch you. Punch you right in the mouth.
•••
Many thanks to Tyson for his involvement here and his clever use of Anchorman quotes. If you’ve not checked out his site please do so here. You’ll find a whole range of horror reviews, among other genres, as well as some very entertaining and involving features like Desert Island Films, Question Time and his ongoing Project: DeNiro. Thanks again Tyson and if anyone else would like a crack at these questions then let me know in the comments section and you could be in the crosshairs next.
Mark
Director: Fede Alvarez.
Screenplay: Fede Alvarez, Diablo Cody.
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore.
It’s been over 30 years since director Sam Raimi gave us his cult horror classic “The Evil Dead” in 1981. Now, like most other films of the genre, we are given the unavoidable remake. Raimi is on-hand again, with producing duties, but the same can said of most remakes, in that they needn’t have bothered in the first place.
In order to kick her heroine habit, Mia (Jane Levy) and a few friends head to a remote cabin away from society and any temptations. It’s here, that they stumble upon some strange goings on in the cellar and find the Book of the Dead, which once opened, releases a demon intent on possessing them all.
The difference between this and the stylishly imaginative original, is that Raimi’s was shot on a shoestring budget by a bunch of college students, intent on experimenting and pushing boundaries. This, on the other hand, throws in the bucks and it’s use of gratuitous gore simply doesn’t have the same impact or originality of it’s tongue-in-cheek predecessor. The approach that debutant director Alvarez takes is the film’s biggest issue: it has an innate inability to laugh at itself. It’s far too serious and as a result has to be judged on that. It’s one of those horrors were you know not to expect logic, reasoning or any form of a sensible decision by it’s characters. They’re merely there as fodder for some soul devouring evil entity. It is what it is, and that’s fine, but when you ask an audience to fully commit themselves, then you have to offer them something in return. If it was in touch with it’s sense of humour then this could have been a wild ride in a similar vein to “The Cabin in the Woods“. Unfortunately, it isn’t and its serious, po-faced approach comes across as ludicrous. Added to which, it’s a horror film that has very few genuine frights, a surprising lack of suspense and it’s use of jump scares are glaringly obvious and redundant. To be fair, it does bring some laughs to the table, but those laughs are entirely unintentional.
One for the torture-porn generation that have no interest in characterisation or plot development. It’s main agenda is to deliver gore and plenty of it. In that respect, it delivers but on every other level it fails miserably. Unequivocally, the worst film of 2013.
Mark Walker
Director: Hayao Miyazaki.
Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki.
Voices of: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleshette, Michael Chiklis, Lauren Holly, John Ratzenberger, Tara Strong.
Having co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 and directed 11 films himself, the highly unique animator Hayao Miyazaki has unfortunately announced his retirement. The forthcoming “The Wind Rises” will be his last venture, so it now seems like a good time to look back at arguably his best film.
Chihiro is a 10 year old girl who is moving to a new neighbourhood when her father decides to take a short cut and gets the family lost in an abandoned theme park. Helping themselves to food that’s on display, Chihiro’s parents are transformed into pigs and it soon becomes clear that they have stumbled into an alternate reality. Chihiro is then forced to find a way to free herself and her parents and find a way back to the human world.
Quite simply, Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” is a triumphant, fantastical, masterclass. Not only is his hand drawn animation as gorgeously refined and refreshing as ever, but his storytelling incorporates everything from the mythical to the magical, taking us on a truly breathtaking visual and intelligent journey. As his later film “Ponyo” would channel the likes of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid“, here, Miyazaki has undoubtedly crafted his version of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice In Wonderland” and it’s in this similar realm of imagination that he is able to flourish. We are introduced to a myriad of fantastical figures from Gods, Spirits and Witches to a Sea Dragon, an enormous baby and strange little coal miners, known as “Sootballs”. Despite the rich hand drawn animation, though, it’s not all played for fun. It’s a rights-of-passage tale about the progression of a child to adulthood while finding the time to comment on the economic downturn of Japan and the increasing loss of it’s culture to the western world. It’s this very complexity that makes this Miyazaki’s near masterpiece. The only issue with the film is that it’s overlong, resulting in periodic disengagement – especially for younger viewers. It’s runs just over the two hour mark and this is with several parts of the story cut out- the original version of Miyazaki’s story would have run over the three hour mark. That being said, this is still one of animation’s true classics and thoroughly deserving of it’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002.
A breathtaking tour de force from one of the finest and most imaginative storytellers that animation has ever seen. Sadly, there will only be one more outing from Miyazaki but thankfully we’ve had to the pleasure to enter into his creative genius at all. Such accomplished cinematic experiences will be sadly missed.
Mark Walker
Director: Jeff Nichols.
Screenplay: Jeff Nichols.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Joe Don Baker, Paul Sparks, Bonnie Sturdivant.
After such brave and exemplary displays in “Killer Joe” and “The Paperboy“, Matthew McConaughey has completely turned his failing career around. He seems to have left his rom-com days behind him and cemented his reputation as a serious leading actor. “Mud“; the long awaited follow up of the award winning “Take Shelter” from promising director Jeff Nichols, is even further proof of McConaughey’s commitment and keen eye for an intriguing character.
Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) are a couple of kids who roam the backwaters of their local area. They soon stumble upon Mud (McConaughey), a known fugitive hiding on an island. They are drawn to him and his story of reuniting with his girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) and decide to help him escape from the authorities and a gang of bounty hunters, to meet with her again.
Following on from his debut “Shotgun Stories“, Nichols takes us back to his home state of Arkansas for another slice-of-life and coming-of-age yarn. It has been compared to the likes of “Stand By Me” and more accurately, the works of novelist Mark Twain and his “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in our young protagonist’s exploration of the colourful people and places along the Mississippi River. These comparisons are entirely understandable but Nichols doesn’t merely tread old water, he delivers a competent mood piece with three dimensional characters that are entirely fleshed out and convincing. The two young leads, in newcomer Jacob Lofland and especially Tye Sheridan (“The Tree of Life“) are absolutely outstanding in their natural deliveries of impressionable teenagers and there is solid support from the likes of Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard and an understated Reese Witherspoon. Regular Nichols collaborator, Michael Shannon is really the only one who doesn’t get much to work with, but that was due to time constraints as he had already committed to “Man of Steel“. The real draw here, though, is a snarling and haunted McConaughey. It’s yet another performance of a very high caliber as he perfectly embodies a man with emotional strength yet an almost crippling vulnerability and naivety. This multilayered attention is afforded to the rest of the film’s script and almost all of it’s characters have their differing approaches and struggles with relationships and the environment they inhabit. Nichols operates at a leisurely pace and is in no rush to tell his story. This is entirely suited for his material with the only major issues being that it, ever so slightly, overstays it’s welcome and descends into formula in the final third. That being said, the characters and the environment (captured by cinematographer Adam Stone) are so rich and involving that it’s flaws are easy to forgive.
What first strikes you as an engaging adventure tale soon becomes an emotional and intelligent fable that ruminates on love and loss. It massages both the heart and the head and confirms that Jeff Nichols and Matthew McConaughey are playing at the top of their game right now. We’ll be seeing much more of young Sheridan in the near future too.
Mark Walker
Film: MEAN STREETS.
Director: Martin Scorsese.
Screenplay: Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin.
Setting the scene:
CHARLIE (Harvey Keitel) is a small time wiseguy who collects protection money in New York’s Little Italy. He keeps company with other known crooks that include MICHAEL (Richard Romanus), TONY (David Proval) and the young, unreliable hothead JOHNNY BOY (Robert DeNiro). Johnny hasn’t been paying his loan debts to Michael and as Charlie feels protective of him, he takes him aside to have a serious talk about the responsibilities that he has to face up to.
[Charlie and Johnny Boy exit the bar and go into the back room to talk privately]
Johnny Boy
What are ya doin’?
Charlie
What do ya mean “what am I doin”
What are ya doin’ to me, huh?
Johnny Boy
What do ya mean?
Charlie
Michael’s been on my back all night. He’s botherin’ me.
Why didn’t ya make your payment last Tuesday?
Johnny Boy
I made my payment last Tuesday. What are you talkin’ about?
Charlie
You paid him last week?
Johnny Boy
Yeah, I paid him last week.
What did he say, I didn’t pay him?
He’s a fuckin’ liar. Where is he?
Charlie
You paid him?
Johnny Boy
Yeah, I paid him.
Charlie
Last week?
Johnny Boy
Yeah!
Charlie
Last Tuesday?
Johnny Boy
Yeah…
Charlie, you don’t know…
Charlie
He’s here.
Johnny Boy
Where?
Charlie
Out front.
Johnny Boy
He’s here?
Charlie
Yeah.
Johnny Boy
So, what do I care?
Charlie
Alright, let me go get him.
We’ll straighten this thing out, alright?
[Charlie turns to leave as Johnny pauses for a moment]
Johnny Boy
Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute, Charlie.
Charlie
What?
Johnny Boy
Well, you’re right.
Charlie
I’m right?
Johnny Boy
Yeah, was it last Tuesday?
Charlie
Yeah, that’s the Tuesday that was last week, that’s before the one about to come up.
Johnny Boy
My mistake, I’m sorry. It was last week, the week before, that I was thinking of.
Charlie
Oh, yeah. It was, huh?
Johnny Boy
That’s right.
Charlie
What’s the matter with you?
You can’t bullshit people that way. You give your word about somethin, you gotta keep it.
Johnny Boy
You know what happened to me…
I’m so depressed about other things.
I can’t worry about payments, you know what I mean?
I come home last Tuesday. I have my money in cash, you know? Blah blah, bing bing…
Comin’ home, I ran into Jimmy Sparks.
I owe Jimmy Sparks 700, like for four months.
I gotta pay the guy.
He lives in my buildin’, hangs out across the street. I gotta pay the guy, right? So what happened?
I had to give some to my mother…
I wound up with 25 at the end of the week.
And today, you ain’t gonna believe, ’cause it’s incredible. I can’t even believe it myself.
Charlie
What?
Johnny Boy
I was in a game. I was ahead like six, seven hundred dollars, right?
Charlie
You gotta be kiddin’?
Johnny Boy
Yeah, that’s the streak…
You know Joey Clams?
Charlie
Yeah!
Johnny Boy
Joey Scala, yeah.
Charlie
I know him, too, yeah.
Johnny Boy
No, Joey Scala is Joey Clams.
Charlie
Right.
Johnny Boy
Right.
Charlie
They’re the same person.
Johnny Boy
Yeah.
Charlie
Hey!
Johnny Boy
Hey!
[Johnny proceeds to tell his elaborate story]
So I was in there playin’ bankers and brokers. All of a sudden…
I’m ahead like six, seven hundred dollars. I’m really winnin’.
All of a sudden some kid walks in and the kid yells that the bulls are comin’, right?
The cops are comin’. Everybody runs away. I grab all the money. I go in. It’s an excuse, like to get away. I’d give everybody the money later, and that way I’d get out. I don’t have to get into the game and get a losin’ streak and all that. What happens is, I come out into the yard, I don’t know this buildin’. I don’t know nothin’.
I couldn’t get out. It was like a box. Big, like this.
[He makes a shape with his hands]
So I gotta go back in.
Not only do I go back in, but this kid says it’s a false alarm.
Imagine that?
I wanted to kill this fuckin’ kid. I mean, I wanna, I wanna…
[He bites his fist]
I was so crazy, I wanted to kill this kid.
Meanwhile, I gotta get back in the game.
Bing, bing, bing! I lose 400 hundred dollars.
Meanwhile, Frankie Bones is over there. Frankie Bones, I owe him thirteen hundred for like seven, eight months already.
He’s after me. I can’t even walk on Esta street without duckin’ that guy.
He’s like waitin’ for me.
Like I can’t move, you know.
He sees that I’m losin’, right?
So like he’s waitin’ for me here
He’s tappin’ me on the shoulder.
He’s saying, “Hey.”
[Johnny starts tapping Charlie’s shoulder]
Tappin’ me like this. Like a hawk.
“Hey, eh, get it up. You’re losin’. Now give me some money.”
I says “Hey Frankie, come on. You know, eh… you know, give me a break over here. Let me win some back. You know, I got debts. I mean, I’m in a big hole.”
He says, “Never mind, give me the money.”
I says, “Okay, Frankie.”
So I give him two hundred.
Meanwhile, I lost the deal.
I go outside, I’m a little depressed…
Anyway, I’ll cut this story short
’cause you don’t want to hear all this.
I know, I know, I know.
Just to make a long story short.
So anyway, I went out shoppin’.
Got a new tie, got this shirt, right?
You like the shirt? Is that nice?
This tie…
Charlie
Hey! Michael doesn’t care if you’re depressed! What is he, your priest?
What are ya comin out goin shoppin’ when you owe somebody money, Johnny? That ain’t right.
How much ya got there?
Johnny Boy
Charlie, I’m gonna pay him next week…
I’m gonna pay him!
Charlie
You’re gonna, you’re gonna, you’re gonna and ya don’t do nothin’.
How much you got there?
Johnny Boy
I got about, I don’t know, I got about 40 dollars.
[Charlie grabs his money and starts to count it]
Johnny Boy
What are ya doin’?
I got about 40 dollars there. That’s all.
[Charlie slaps Johnny on the side of the head]
Johnny Boy
What? What are doin?
Charlie
That’s for lying! I’m holdin’ on to this till next week, till ya make the next payment.
Johnny Boy
What are you talkin about? What, there’s a little more than 40?
It’s a mistake.
Charlie
Yeah, a mistake.
Johnny Boy
Hey, listen, I swear to my mother, you come with me next Tuesday…
I sign the paycheck over to you. I swear on my mother, I swear to Christ, okay?
Come on, it’s a hundred and ten dollars. You give it to Mike.
Come on, give me some money.
We got those beautiful girls out there. We’re gonna get laid now.
I met those chicks in that Cafe Bizarre. They were fuckin’ around with these two other guys. I know we’re gonna get laid.
That one, Weintraub, is very nice.
Very nice. I want to bang her like crazy.
Charlie
Here.
[Charlie gives him some money back]
Johnny Boy
Come on…
Charlie
That’s enough for you.
Johnny Boy
Come on. Give me another five. Come on.
Charlie
Which one do you want?
[Johnny snatches some money back from Charlie’s hand. Charlie stares at him]
Johnny Boy
Come on. You’re leavin’ me with nothin’.
We gotta go eat chinks?
Charlie
That’s it and you better make do with this for the week.
Johnny Boy
Alright.
Charlie
Which one do you want?
Johnny Boy
Which one do you want?…
I want the Weintraub one. She’s nice. I like that one.
Charlie
She the one on the left?
Johnny Boy
Nah, she’s the one… What? Your left or my left?
Charlie
We’re both standin’ the same way.
Johnny Boy
Well, that don’t matter.
Director: Ariel Vromen.
Screenplay: Ariel Vromen, Morgan Land.
Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, David Schwimmer, Robert Davi, James Franco, Stephen Dorff, John Ventimiglia, Ryan O’Nan, Danny A. Abeckaser, McKaley Miller, Megan Sherill.
What more can be said about the acting chops of Michael Shannon? Despite being a household name now, he’s still happy to deliver supporting roles in the likes of “Mud” and “Man of Steel” while managing to work within the time constraints of television with “Boardwalk Empire“. Thankfully though, he’s not adverse to the odd leading role and “The Iceman” is the type of film that allows him to fully embrace centre stage.
In the 1960’s, Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) was a quiet family man, who secretly worked as a porn lab technician until the New Jersey mob that ran his employment, shut him down and persuaded him to become a contract killer. For decades, Kuklinski would kill over 100 people and gain a reputation for his cold blooded professionalism, meanwhile keeping his wife (Winona Ryder) and kids completely in the dark about where their money came from.
Based on actual events, the story of Kuklinski is quite an intriguing one. This was a man who managed to separate his work and family life for so long that he was clearly a very manipulative and dangerous sociopath.
Much like Kuklinski’s victims, though, the film seems strangely lifeless. Most mob films have you on the edge of your seat at least once throughout their running times but “The Iceman” never really manages to do that. Ariel Vromen’s direction is flat and he poorly handles the script’s leaps in time; relying on consistently changing facial hair as a narrative device. It just doesn’t work and as a genre piece, it misses a real opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the similarly themed “Donnie Brasco“.
Where the films strengths lie, are in the performances; Mafia boss Roy Demeo, is captured ferociously by Ray Liotta, who seems to be the go-to-guy for mob figures these days, and the likes of Chris Evans impresses in an almost unrecognisable role as Robert “Mr. Freezy” Pronge – another hitman that Kuklinski gets involved with. Added to this, are smaller roles for James Franco, Stephen Dorff and an awkwardly ponytailed and moustachioed, David Schwimmer. Ultimately, though, it’s Shannon that keeps this film afloat. Despite a fascinating character, the role is surprisingly underwritten, yet Shannon still manages to deliver a detached and menacing portrayal. Quite simply, without his presence, this would would be just another generic, colour-by-numbers, wannabe.
Good in places but ultimately, it’s restrained to the point of monotony. This is a film that has so much potential but squanders it on cliché and relies too heavily on it’s leading actor. Shannon delivers but he doesn’t really get anything back for his efforts.
Mark Walker
Director: Martin Scorsese.
Screenplay: Paul Schrader, Mardik Martin.
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Mario Gallo, Frank Adonis, Joseph Bono, Frank Topham, Don Dunphy, Johnny Barnes, Michael Badalucco, John Turturro.
“You punch like you take it up the ass”
While shooting “The Godfather Part II“, Robert DeNiro found himself reading the book “Raging Bull: My Story“, based on the life of 1950’s middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta. It was a story he felt very passionate about bringing to the screen and took it to his good friend Martin Scorsese. Scorsese was, at first, reluctant to do a boxing movie as “Rocky” had recently been released to massive success and he himself, was going through a personal crisis at the time due to the failure of their previous collaboration “New York, New York” and his spiralling addiction to cocaine and lithium – leaving him hospitalised with internal bleeding. They brought in screenwriter’s Mardik Martin (“Mean Streets“) and Paul Schrader (“Taxi Driver“) and the film eventually went ahead. It became a form of therapy for Scorsese and has since been lauded as a cinematic tour-de-force and voted – in numerous polls – as the best film from the 1980’s.
Italian-American, middleweight boxer, Jake LaMotta (Robert DeNiro) has inner demons and is prone to obsessive rage and sexual jealousy which threatens to destroy his relationship with his wife Vickie (Cathy Moriarty) and brother/trainer Joey (Joe Pesci). In the ring, he a prizewinner but it’s outside it, that he seems to lose everything.
On the surface, “Raging Bull” could be seen as just another boxing biopic, much like Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Ruben “Hurricane” Carter, Russell Crowe’s Jim “The Cinderella Man” Braddock or Will Smith’s Muhammad “Ali”. Scorsese and DeNiro’s vision is an altogether different one, though. It’s not their intention to glamourise LaMotta or deliver a conventional film about pugilism. Their intentions lie in exposing the man beyond the ring – where his real fights took place. The biggest opponent for “The Bronx Bull” was actually himself and his struggle with a raging, psychosexual insecurity and his propensity for self-destruction. It’s here that DeNiro fully takes centre stage in what is, unequivocally, his finest moment (and that’s saying something) throughout an illustrious career of exceptionally strong performances. His transformation is near miraculous; while researching and preparing for the role, De Niro actually spent the entire shoot with LaMotta so he could portray him accurately and went through extensive physical training, entering into three genuine Brooklyn boxing matches and winning two of them. According to La Motta, De Niro had the ability to be a professional fighter and that he would have been happy to have been his manager and trainer. Following this, production was stopped for two months so DeNiro could pile on 60 pounds to portray LaMotta in his older years. His commitment to the role (and project) has now become legendary and highly respected amongst his peers. Quite simply, DeNiro’s smouldering (and deservedly Oscar winning) display is an absolute masterclass in the profession.
Scorsese’s skills manifest in his operatic approach; he’s less interested in cranking up the tension or theatrics of the bouts and more focused on the punishing brutality of the sport. He employs the use of flashbulbs, and several different sound effects – like smashing glass and squelching watermelons – to achieve an overall crunching effectiveness. He’s aided immeasurably by Thelma Schoonmaker’s sharp editing technique and Michael Chapman’s sublime, monochrome, cinematography which serves the film as a whole in it’s mood and noir-ish atmosphere. If the bouts in the ring are claustrophobic then the same could be said for the ‘quieter’ moments outside it; LaMotta’s personal life is uncomfortably scrutinised in his abuse towards his wife and brother. There are very personal scenes of fraught and jealous conversation that are unbearably tense, and fully depict how much of a brute this man really was. It’s testament to the commitment of the entire cast and crew that this highly unappealing and unsympathetic individual can make such compelling viewing.
A truly searing, cinematic classic, that addresses the unflinching, animalistic, behaviour of a man in need of absolution and redemption. It also happens to possess one of cinema’s most breathtaking and riveting performances. On this evidence, there’s no question that Robert DeNiro is a master of his craft and it’s arguably Martin Scorsese’s finest work as well.
Mark Walker
Trivia: To achieve the feeling of brotherhood between the two lead actors, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci actually lived and trained with each other for some time before filming began. Ever since then, the two have been very close friends.
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