I'm shining a light on Adam Yauch today, who you know as MCA of the Beastie Boys. You might think of him as a rapper, or a bass player. But I want to talk about him as a filmmaker.
Beastie Boys - Shadrach (Abstract Impressionist Version)
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See, as Nathaniel Hornblower, Adam has also directed some of the Beastie's most memorable videos, as well as their experimental concert film, "Awesome; I... Shot That!" In fact, since 1998, he's been the exclusive videographer for the Beasties.
Beastie Boys - Body Movin'
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(I apologize; DailyMotion's kinda in your face, but they're record label owned.)
Besides his efforts as Nathaniel Hornblower, he also started Oscilloscope Laboratories, with its own film distribution arm - but it's not just for Beastie Boys movies. Oscilloscope's garnering a reputation as a tastemaker studio, with its collection of critically-embraced documentaries (Dear Zachary, The Garden, A Film Unfinished) and dramas (Wendy and Lucy, The Messenger, Howl...)
Adam was laid low a few years back with a cancer diagnosis, which derailed plans for the Beasties' next tour and album, a two-part release currently called "Hot Sauce Committee". Although I'm satisfied with him making videos and sharing movies he loves with the world, I certainly wouldn't mind hearing more from the Beasties (especially if it convinces the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...)
Showing posts with label trailers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trailers. Show all posts
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
August 2
Today's the birthday of Wes Craven, and if you pay attention to movies, you probably know his name already: as a film director and writer, he's shaped the American horror film for decades, from 1972's The Last House on the Left, to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and the Scream series. Today, we're going to take a look at his excursions beyond the horror genre.
1982's "Swamp Thing" was his comic book movie, his attempt to show that he could handle action films, big stunts, and big-name actors (the film starred Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jordan, and Ray Wise. The film garnered enough of a cult reputation to inspire a sequel and a popular TV series.
At one point, Craven was signed to direct "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace". Those legendary "creative differences" (with star - and eventual director - Christopher Reeve) got Craven replaced.
How did Wes Craven end up directing the Meryl Streep movie "Music of the Heart"? He demanded it. In fact, he only agreed to direct a third Scream movie if he got to direct "Music". At the time, Madonna was attached to the biopic about a music teacher in New York that was saving the world one violin at a time. Madonna and Craven had "creative differences", but Craven got to stay in his chair this time.
The film would end up nominated for two Oscars. Critics spoke well of Craven's directing, surprised by his understated handling of the film's melodrama.
"Vampire in Brooklyn" should have worked. Craven and Eddie Murphy wanted to work together; Murphy wanted something darker than his typical urban comedies, and Craven knew how to inject humor into his macabre movies. And "Brooklyn" has real-deal horror fx, plus Eddie Murphy in multiple roles; it's got the two great tastes...
...that taste kind of off. Was Murphy trying too hard to be a leading man(is it a coincidence that he got the gothic mullet look, ala Tom Cruise's Lestat one year prior?) or was he leaning too much on his comedic timing? Was Craven trying too hard to make a comedy, or did he just lose control of the film? "Brooklyn" has its fans, but most people call it an Eddie Murphy film...
Finally, we feature Craven's contribution to the motion picture menagerie known as 'Paris Je T'aime'. As befitting the theme, it's a short romantic comedy about love in Paris, and the most supernatural element is Oscar Wilde.
Apparently, this was Craven's concession to his reputation as a horrormeister. (BTW, "Paris Je T'aime" is a warm and fuzzy film, but the chapter before Craven's has a hot and savage vampiress versus Elijah Wood... so everybody's happy!)
1982's "Swamp Thing" was his comic book movie, his attempt to show that he could handle action films, big stunts, and big-name actors (the film starred Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jordan, and Ray Wise. The film garnered enough of a cult reputation to inspire a sequel and a popular TV series.
At one point, Craven was signed to direct "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace". Those legendary "creative differences" (with star - and eventual director - Christopher Reeve) got Craven replaced.
How did Wes Craven end up directing the Meryl Streep movie "Music of the Heart"? He demanded it. In fact, he only agreed to direct a third Scream movie if he got to direct "Music". At the time, Madonna was attached to the biopic about a music teacher in New York that was saving the world one violin at a time. Madonna and Craven had "creative differences", but Craven got to stay in his chair this time.
The film would end up nominated for two Oscars. Critics spoke well of Craven's directing, surprised by his understated handling of the film's melodrama.
"Vampire in Brooklyn" should have worked. Craven and Eddie Murphy wanted to work together; Murphy wanted something darker than his typical urban comedies, and Craven knew how to inject humor into his macabre movies. And "Brooklyn" has real-deal horror fx, plus Eddie Murphy in multiple roles; it's got the two great tastes...
...that taste kind of off. Was Murphy trying too hard to be a leading man(is it a coincidence that he got the gothic mullet look, ala Tom Cruise's Lestat one year prior?) or was he leaning too much on his comedic timing? Was Craven trying too hard to make a comedy, or did he just lose control of the film? "Brooklyn" has its fans, but most people call it an Eddie Murphy film...
Finally, we feature Craven's contribution to the motion picture menagerie known as 'Paris Je T'aime'. As befitting the theme, it's a short romantic comedy about love in Paris, and the most supernatural element is Oscar Wilde.
Apparently, this was Craven's concession to his reputation as a horrormeister. (BTW, "Paris Je T'aime" is a warm and fuzzy film, but the chapter before Craven's has a hot and savage vampiress versus Elijah Wood... so everybody's happy!)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
July 24
A Happy Birthday wish to former child star Mara Wilson. In her best roles, she distinguished herself by displaying an intelligence and precociousness that seemed more genuine than her peers; she really put the 'actor' in kid actor.
Born in 1987, she inherited a love of acting from her older brother, and Mara started acting at the age of 4. Two years later, she made her feature film debut, in the psychological thriller Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams:
'Mrs Doubtfire' was a box office smash, and Mara's star rose. The following Thanksgiving, her name was above the title of her second film, the 1994 remake of 'Miracle on 34th Street.' The following spring, the National Association of Theater Owners presented her with the ShoWest Award for "Young Star of the Year", a testament to her growing audience appeal.
Danny Devito was also impressed with Mara's talent. Devito cast her in what has become her most iconic role: Matilda.
Devito's Matilda brought to life the dread and delights of Dahl's stories like no one else had before or since, and Mara's performance as Matilda Wormwood was central to that.
2000's 'Thomas and the Magic Railroad' is the last movie she did before she concentrated on school and being a normal teenager. In the decade to come, her biggest project was in an Odessa,Texas production of Rogers and Hammerstien's 'Cinderella'.
She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 2009. In her senior year, she created a one-woman-show called "Weren't You That Girl...?" It was an autobiographical piece about the child star phase of her life. She managed to avoid the typical post-child star cliches; it'll be interesting to see where the next chapter in her acting career takes her...
Born in 1987, she inherited a love of acting from her older brother, and Mara started acting at the age of 4. Two years later, she made her feature film debut, in the psychological thriller Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams:
'Mrs Doubtfire' was a box office smash, and Mara's star rose. The following Thanksgiving, her name was above the title of her second film, the 1994 remake of 'Miracle on 34th Street.' The following spring, the National Association of Theater Owners presented her with the ShoWest Award for "Young Star of the Year", a testament to her growing audience appeal.
Danny Devito was also impressed with Mara's talent. Devito cast her in what has become her most iconic role: Matilda.
Devito's Matilda brought to life the dread and delights of Dahl's stories like no one else had before or since, and Mara's performance as Matilda Wormwood was central to that.
2000's 'Thomas and the Magic Railroad' is the last movie she did before she concentrated on school and being a normal teenager. In the decade to come, her biggest project was in an Odessa,Texas production of Rogers and Hammerstien's 'Cinderella'.
She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 2009. In her senior year, she created a one-woman-show called "Weren't You That Girl...?" It was an autobiographical piece about the child star phase of her life. She managed to avoid the typical post-child star cliches; it'll be interesting to see where the next chapter in her acting career takes her...
Sunday, July 18, 2010
July 18
When a character actor's built a good career, they become a storytelling device just by showing up. Case in point: Margo Martindale
She's one of the supporting cast members in 2010's "Secretariat" movie. Which one? You'll recognize her. Two words: 'best friend'.
She has that southern drawl and pert smile that says "Middle America".
Here's a short list of some of her higher profile roles:
*the mom in Million Dollar Baby
*the mom in Wedding Daze
*the mom in Walk Hard
*the mom in Management
*the grandma in Hanna Montana: The Movie
She's also played her share of nurses, nuns, and nosey neighbors. Over two decades, she's became a familiar face, a comfort to the audience, shorthand for her character's identity and value to the story. Sh's the epitome of a That Guy.
Presently, the closest thing she has to a cult character is Camilla Figg, from the
TV show Dexter. Another minor character role, she had a memorable send-off in the third season:
Once in a while, she might find a stretch, like her role in the Alexander Payne segment of "Paris, Je T'aime". Margo's resume will very likely continue to fill with matronly and grandmatronly roles; considering how exceptional and distinct she makes them, that's not a bad thing. She's as American as apple pie:
She's one of the supporting cast members in 2010's "Secretariat" movie. Which one? You'll recognize her. Two words: 'best friend'.
She has that southern drawl and pert smile that says "Middle America".
Here's a short list of some of her higher profile roles:
*the mom in Million Dollar Baby
*the mom in Wedding Daze
*the mom in Walk Hard
*the mom in Management
*the grandma in Hanna Montana: The Movie
She's also played her share of nurses, nuns, and nosey neighbors. Over two decades, she's became a familiar face, a comfort to the audience, shorthand for her character's identity and value to the story. Sh's the epitome of a That Guy.
Presently, the closest thing she has to a cult character is Camilla Figg, from the
TV show Dexter. Another minor character role, she had a memorable send-off in the third season:
Once in a while, she might find a stretch, like her role in the Alexander Payne segment of "Paris, Je T'aime". Margo's resume will very likely continue to fill with matronly and grandmatronly roles; considering how exceptional and distinct she makes them, that's not a bad thing. She's as American as apple pie:
Sunday, July 11, 2010
July 11
Today, we tell the story of Tab Hunter, ex-teen heartthrob. His second film, 1952's "Island of Desire" made him a box-office draw, and the 1955 war film "Battle Cry" (where he was cast over James Dean) made him the box office king for the rest of the 50's. This period includes his most enduring role, in the film version of the Broadway smash "Damn Yankees"
Like any respectable 50's teen idol, Hunter began a music career: his first single "Young Love" hit number 1 in 1957. Hunter was such a cash cow for Warner Brothers, they blocked Hunter's recording contract and started Warner Bros Records, just so they could release his records. In 1960, he got his own sitcom, The Tab Hunter Show.
Five years later, he was on the dinner theater circuit. So, what happened?
Well, there's the whole 'growing up' thing, which usually ends a teen idol career all by itself. Then, there's the whole 'acting range of Paul Walker/Megan Fox' thing. His homosexuality may have also been a factor (Henry Wilson, the agent that named him, sold him out to the tabloids to buy silence about another Wilson client - Rock Hudson.) While it was never entirely out (until 2005), his other life was a persistent rumor, even at his career's height.
On the other hand, his reputation may have led to his resurgance.
He returned to the big screen in the 80's, starting in John Waters' "Polyester", then in such films as "Lust in the Dust", "Grease 2", and "Cameron's Closet". While he hasn't returned to A-list status, he seems to have become something else: a genuine actor.
Like any respectable 50's teen idol, Hunter began a music career: his first single "Young Love" hit number 1 in 1957. Hunter was such a cash cow for Warner Brothers, they blocked Hunter's recording contract and started Warner Bros Records, just so they could release his records. In 1960, he got his own sitcom, The Tab Hunter Show.
Five years later, he was on the dinner theater circuit. So, what happened?
Well, there's the whole 'growing up' thing, which usually ends a teen idol career all by itself. Then, there's the whole 'acting range of Paul Walker/Megan Fox' thing. His homosexuality may have also been a factor (Henry Wilson, the agent that named him, sold him out to the tabloids to buy silence about another Wilson client - Rock Hudson.) While it was never entirely out (until 2005), his other life was a persistent rumor, even at his career's height.
On the other hand, his reputation may have led to his resurgance.
He returned to the big screen in the 80's, starting in John Waters' "Polyester", then in such films as "Lust in the Dust", "Grease 2", and "Cameron's Closet". While he hasn't returned to A-list status, he seems to have become something else: a genuine actor.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
July 10
Today is Ellen Kuras Day, a cinematographer with a unique distinction: she's the only person to win the Cinematography Award at Sundance three times. Her experimental eyes have also served Spike Lee (Bamboozled, He Got Game), Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine, Be Kind Rewind), Rebecca Miller (Ballad of Jack and Rose, Swoon) and Sam Mendes (Away We Go).
So let's get a sense of her aesthetic with a mini-retrospective of her work, starting with a trailer for the award-winning Swoon:
Swoon was the first of Kuras' Sundance winners. Besides 1995's Angela, Kuras also won for Personal Velocity:
In 2008, she sat in the director's chair for the first time, for the documentary "Nerakhoon" (translation: "The Betrayal"), about a Laotian family's struggle to emigrate - and then survive - America.
So let's get a sense of her aesthetic with a mini-retrospective of her work, starting with a trailer for the award-winning Swoon:
Swoon was the first of Kuras' Sundance winners. Besides 1995's Angela, Kuras also won for Personal Velocity:
In 2008, she sat in the director's chair for the first time, for the documentary "Nerakhoon" (translation: "The Betrayal"), about a Laotian family's struggle to emigrate - and then survive - America.
Friday, July 2, 2010
July 2
Happy Birthday to Jerry Mathers, one of TV's first child superstars. Jerry was the star of "Leave It to Beaver," a sitcom that's become synonymous with a decade and a way of life.
By now, the child star life trajectory's become a cliche, and you're probably expecting the same story about Jerry - that's not the case. Maybe it's because his father was a school principal, maybe it was a more naive time, maybe it was because at his audition, he said he'd rather be with his Cub Scout troop... But it seems that he never lost perspective about his career in relation to his life.
"Leave it to Beaver" ran from 1957-1963; after the show ended, he essentially retired from acting to concentrate on school, and used his merchandising residuals to financing a successful career as a real estate developer and banker. He returned to star in a TV-movie sequel, "Still the Beaver", which turned into another "Beaver" series that lasted six years.
Besides "Beaver", his most significant role might be in the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Trouble with Harry" (which he did two years earlier):
Jerry still acts occassionally (including a turn on Broadway's Hairspray production), but he's certainly not the True Hollywood Story cliche we've come to expect. To me, it's because he made two important decisions through his life: 1)he built a life outside of his show business career; 2) he didn't declare war on his iconic role. It seems that the cast of "Beaver" became a second family as well, and that had to help. (The guy that played Lumpy, his best friend? He's Jerry's investment manager. The guy that played Eddie Haskell, the troublemaker? He's a retired LA cop...) Jerry's lived the "hip to be square" life to the hilt, and that's not so bad.
The most 'rock n' roll' thing I could find was something from his brief music career: he fronted a garage band, "Beaver and the Trappers". They recorded a few singles on the Arista label, but mostly played sock hops in California, and... yeah, that's as rebellious as I can find.
By now, the child star life trajectory's become a cliche, and you're probably expecting the same story about Jerry - that's not the case. Maybe it's because his father was a school principal, maybe it was a more naive time, maybe it was because at his audition, he said he'd rather be with his Cub Scout troop... But it seems that he never lost perspective about his career in relation to his life.
"Leave it to Beaver" ran from 1957-1963; after the show ended, he essentially retired from acting to concentrate on school, and used his merchandising residuals to financing a successful career as a real estate developer and banker. He returned to star in a TV-movie sequel, "Still the Beaver", which turned into another "Beaver" series that lasted six years.
Besides "Beaver", his most significant role might be in the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Trouble with Harry" (which he did two years earlier):
Jerry still acts occassionally (including a turn on Broadway's Hairspray production), but he's certainly not the True Hollywood Story cliche we've come to expect. To me, it's because he made two important decisions through his life: 1)he built a life outside of his show business career; 2) he didn't declare war on his iconic role. It seems that the cast of "Beaver" became a second family as well, and that had to help. (The guy that played Lumpy, his best friend? He's Jerry's investment manager. The guy that played Eddie Haskell, the troublemaker? He's a retired LA cop...) Jerry's lived the "hip to be square" life to the hilt, and that's not so bad.
The most 'rock n' roll' thing I could find was something from his brief music career: he fronted a garage band, "Beaver and the Trappers". They recorded a few singles on the Arista label, but mostly played sock hops in California, and... yeah, that's as rebellious as I can find.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
June 9
I'm working a twofer in here: first, let's throw out a Happy Birthday to Johnny Depp, who is probably the best paid character actor today. Between his collaborations with Tim Burton and his turn as Captain Jack Sparrow, he's making A-list money while being allowed to play unpredictable roles, which is an anomaly. Million-dollar actors don't get millions of dollars to deliver unpredictable product. You know who Ben Stiller's character is the moment you see his face in a movie; same with Will Smith or Robin Williams. The further the actor wanders away from that type, the more confused the audience tends to get. Johnny Depp appears to be that exception; he's developed his taste and talent over the years that enough moviegoers trust wherever he's taking them. Plus, he's got genetics on his side.
Here's one fan's top 20 Depp movies list:
While I'm at it, let's throw in a trailer for a Johnny Depp movie, directed by fellow birthday boy David Koepp (I think that rhymes!):
While I'm at it, let me shine a light on Mr Koepp, the guy I wanted to feature today. He's not a movie star, I know - he's just written some big movies (the Jurassic Park films, the first entries in the Spiderman and Mission Impossible franchises, Angels and Demons, Panic Room, Carlito's Way,...) I'm in a scriptwriting mode this month, so I'm really digesting stuff like these tidbits Koepp offers about the process.
If you've made it this far, you're probably a writer, too. So I'll tell you what I'd want someone to tell me - get back to staring at that page!
Here's one fan's top 20 Depp movies list:
While I'm at it, let's throw in a trailer for a Johnny Depp movie, directed by fellow birthday boy David Koepp (I think that rhymes!):
While I'm at it, let me shine a light on Mr Koepp, the guy I wanted to feature today. He's not a movie star, I know - he's just written some big movies (the Jurassic Park films, the first entries in the Spiderman and Mission Impossible franchises, Angels and Demons, Panic Room, Carlito's Way,...) I'm in a scriptwriting mode this month, so I'm really digesting stuff like these tidbits Koepp offers about the process.
If you've made it this far, you're probably a writer, too. So I'll tell you what I'd want someone to tell me - get back to staring at that page!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
May 16
Hell yeah! It's Danny Trejo day! He's the most exciting That Guy to graduate to movie star since Samuel L Jackson. The most amazing thing to me is the fact that he's eligible for AARP membership.
He's also a good example that the movie business is all about who you know, all about networking. In the early 80's, he met someone in his 12-step support group in the movie business, who got him a job as an film extra. (The film would be called Runaway Train.) On the set, the film's screenwriter recognized Trejo from when they did time in San Quentin; he got Trejo promoted to boxing trainer for one of the film's actors. Those sparring sessions impressed the director enough to boost Trejo to a larger speaking role - and that is how a career in movies begins.
Speaking of who you know, he's apparently cousins with Robert Rodriguez, who's given him his best roles, including his topliner, "Machete". Incredibly, it started as a gag trailer in "Grindhouse", a trailer too awesome not to be made real:
He's also a good example that the movie business is all about who you know, all about networking. In the early 80's, he met someone in his 12-step support group in the movie business, who got him a job as an film extra. (The film would be called Runaway Train.) On the set, the film's screenwriter recognized Trejo from when they did time in San Quentin; he got Trejo promoted to boxing trainer for one of the film's actors. Those sparring sessions impressed the director enough to boost Trejo to a larger speaking role - and that is how a career in movies begins.
Speaking of who you know, he's apparently cousins with Robert Rodriguez, who's given him his best roles, including his topliner, "Machete". Incredibly, it started as a gag trailer in "Grindhouse", a trailer too awesome not to be made real:
Saturday, January 16, 2010
January 16
It's nice to get a chance to wander. In between packing rooms, I took a few moments to research today's birthdays, and found the name Stirling Silliphant. He's not a federal witness protection alias; Silliphant wrote some of the 60's mot acclaimed movies and TV shows, including "In the Heat of the Night", "The Poseiden Adventure," "Village of the Damned," "Route 66..."
And it was reading up about him that I learned about a lost Bruce Lee movie. Apparently, he was a student of Bruce Lee's, in his pre-superstar days. Lee and Silliphant co-wrote a script about Eastern philosophy: a young martial artist wanders in search of a mystic book, encountering many trials and battles, as well as wisdom from a mysterious sensei. "The Silent Flute" was supposed to star James Coburn as the wanderer, and Bruce Lee in multiple roles, including the sensai character. The project never got past the location scouting stage. Several years after Lee's death, Silliphant dusted off the script, took out the Tantric sex and some of the gorier fights, and sold it. Although it was now set in a fantasy world, "Circle of Iron" still possessed much of the koans and parables Lee had wanted to present to the audience. This time, David Carradine got Bruce Lee's role (again!) and some new guy had the James Coburn role It's generally considered a not-so-good movie, but still meritorious for its philosophy and audaciousness. Here's the trailer; it's not too hard to imagine what Bruce Lee would have done with the role:
And it was reading up about him that I learned about a lost Bruce Lee movie. Apparently, he was a student of Bruce Lee's, in his pre-superstar days. Lee and Silliphant co-wrote a script about Eastern philosophy: a young martial artist wanders in search of a mystic book, encountering many trials and battles, as well as wisdom from a mysterious sensei. "The Silent Flute" was supposed to star James Coburn as the wanderer, and Bruce Lee in multiple roles, including the sensai character. The project never got past the location scouting stage. Several years after Lee's death, Silliphant dusted off the script, took out the Tantric sex and some of the gorier fights, and sold it. Although it was now set in a fantasy world, "Circle of Iron" still possessed much of the koans and parables Lee had wanted to present to the audience. This time, David Carradine got Bruce Lee's role (again!) and some new guy had the James Coburn role It's generally considered a not-so-good movie, but still meritorious for its philosophy and audaciousness. Here's the trailer; it's not too hard to imagine what Bruce Lee would have done with the role:
Monday, December 7, 2009
December 8
If you are a Chomsky-ite, you might not have been impressed with yesterday's entry.I admit, not very elaborate on explaining his greatness. (he's a complicated man, what can I say?) Besides, I'm a pop culturist; I'm a creation of the modern idioms. For example, today is Maximillian Schell's birthday. Am I writing about him because he was nominated for 5 Academy Awards? No, I'm writing about him because he was the evil genius in Disney's "The Black Hole."
Am I going to show a scene from his 1961 Oscar-winning performance in Judgement of Nurenberg? Or a clip from his 1984 award-winning documentary on Marlene Dietrich? Something from the 1973 Foreign Oscar nominee The Pedestrian? No, I'm going to show you the trailer from The Brothers Bloom:
-even though he's not even in the trailer, because he's in the movie, as the Diamond Dog, and I've seen that movie, and he rocks...
But it's true that this may not be the best representation of a man who has brought to life the great works of Shakespeare, Kafka, Pinter, and Arthur Miller for the last six decades. So, let's wrap up with his 1961 performance as Prince Hamlet in a German-language teleplay version of same, with commentary from the team of Nelson, Murphy, and Corbett:
Gotcha...
Am I going to show a scene from his 1961 Oscar-winning performance in Judgement of Nurenberg? Or a clip from his 1984 award-winning documentary on Marlene Dietrich? Something from the 1973 Foreign Oscar nominee The Pedestrian? No, I'm going to show you the trailer from The Brothers Bloom:
-even though he's not even in the trailer, because he's in the movie, as the Diamond Dog, and I've seen that movie, and he rocks...
But it's true that this may not be the best representation of a man who has brought to life the great works of Shakespeare, Kafka, Pinter, and Arthur Miller for the last six decades. So, let's wrap up with his 1961 performance as Prince Hamlet in a German-language teleplay version of same, with commentary from the team of Nelson, Murphy, and Corbett:
Gotcha...
Monday, November 9, 2009
November 10
There's plenty of birthdays to celebrate today, but I can't turn down a cool theme. So, for today's "Grindhouse Cinema" birthdays, let's light up the candles for Michael Jai White, mastermind of Black Dynamite, and the Irwin Allen of the 21st Century, Roland Emmerich.
Now I'm sure there are those out there who wonder how somebody so rich and successful deserves a shout-out on this blog. Well, for the fans (and I'm one) I have an excuse to run the 2012 trailer:
And for people who hate Emmerich's movies, here's some nutjob ranting about how racist Emmerich's Godzilla remake was...
Now, let's talk about Michael Jai White. Not only was he in the best Batman movie of all time (The Dark Knight), but he's played the Batman from Hell, the caped avenger known as Spawn. And he's a different type of superhero in Black Dynamite, a nod to such blaxploitation heroes as Shaft, Dolemite, and Jack of Spades.
That was groovy...
Now I'm sure there are those out there who wonder how somebody so rich and successful deserves a shout-out on this blog. Well, for the fans (and I'm one) I have an excuse to run the 2012 trailer:
And for people who hate Emmerich's movies, here's some nutjob ranting about how racist Emmerich's Godzilla remake was...
Now, let's talk about Michael Jai White. Not only was he in the best Batman movie of all time (The Dark Knight), but he's played the Batman from Hell, the caped avenger known as Spawn. And he's a different type of superhero in Black Dynamite, a nod to such blaxploitation heroes as Shaft, Dolemite, and Jack of Spades.
That was groovy...
Friday, October 30, 2009
October 30
A day away from Halloween, and I'm still recovering from yesterday's skit/blog, so I'll keep today simple. Today, we're talking about Charles Martin Smith, an actor-turned-filmmaking hyphenate.
His best acting performance: the wolf researcher in "Never Cry Wolf." As a director, he's responsible for such films as "Air Bud" and "Boris and Natasha" (the first attempt to bring those spies to a live-action film.) But we're going to watch the trailer for something much less family-friendly; the trailer for "Trick or Treat," his first film in the director's chair:
His best acting performance: the wolf researcher in "Never Cry Wolf." As a director, he's responsible for such films as "Air Bud" and "Boris and Natasha" (the first attempt to bring those spies to a live-action film.) But we're going to watch the trailer for something much less family-friendly; the trailer for "Trick or Treat," his first film in the director's chair:
Sunday, August 30, 2009
August 31
Remember Debbie Gibson? And I don’t mean that as a slight. Debbie Gibson’s still the youngest artist to write, produce, and sing a number one song on the Billboard charts; as teen stars go, she’s more Taylor Swift than Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears. In the 90’s, Debbie Gibson the former teen star became Deborah Gibson, Broadway star, and she still toplines marquees today. At the same time, she's not above doing the occasional reality show or bizzare fast food commercial...
And yet, the generation after me will probably end up remembering her for "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus."
Debbie plays neither shark nor octopus, but the “voice of reason” scientist that all ecological disaster movies have. Hey, it was big enough for a sequel...
Who remembers The Vines? They were supposed to be Australia’s answer to Nirvana, as in catchy, scruffy three-and-a-half minute songs that made rock exciting again. But instead of being the next Kurt Cobain, lead singer Craig Nicholls started turning into Syd Barrett, having on-stage meltdowns and frequent performance cancellations. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which has cut down on the touring but not on the music-making. He’s working on album number 5 as we blog.
I saw this performance on Letterman, and it’s as hypnotic a train wreck as I remember. Wish I could have found their performance on Conan O’Brien later that month, when they pulled it off. Somebody stocked different refreshments in their green room, apparently…
Gotta give props to drummer Jerry Allison, co-architect of the Crickets’ sound (and, therefore, of rock n’ roll.) True story: Buddy Holly wrote a song in 1957 that he named after his niece, “Cindy Lou.” Jerry asked Buddy to rename the song after his girlfriend, who he was on the outs with at the time . Buddy agreed if he could double-time the drum beat through the entire song. So, Jerry gave the song a driving beat, Buddy renamed the song “Peggy Sue,” the song made it to the top 5, and Peggy came back to Jerry (their marriage lasted for a decade,) demonstrating the power of a radio hit in winning over a girl.
But my personal candidate for a federal holiday is Julie Brown. Not “Downtown” Julie Brown, but that crazy red-headed comedienne – the one that’s still alive, I mean. Cable TV afternoon movie viewers might have seen her as The Best Friend in “Earth Girls are Easy.” But if you know her, you probably remember her from “Just Say Julie”, her signature show on MTV, back when they had VJs and music and stuff. She had this bipolar valley girl persona, perfect for puncturing the most ponderous music videos, the apex of the goofy side of 80’s comedy, before everything got “edgy”.
[Speaking of “edge,” that was the name of her sketch comedy show on Fox. It only lasted a season, and I can’t remember any of the skits, but the show also introduced America to Jennifer Aniston and Wayne Knight, before everybody started calling them “Rachel” and “Newman.”]
But the reason I’m celebrating Julie Brown’s birthday is because she came along at a pivotal moment in my life. As a kid, I couldn’t understand what was so fascinating about supermodels and centerfolds. Sure, I knew what made pretty girls pretty, but magazine covers didn’t do anything for me – certainly not as much as my classmates. And then Julie Brown came along. Here was a fire-engine redhead acting anarchic and insane, telling bad puns in short skirts with the energy of a four-year-old on Pixy Stix.
Julie Brown changed my life. She shaped the criterion for the women that would inhabit my fantasies – and, ultimately, my life. She taught me that I’m into two kinds of women: 1) Redheads (not necessarily natural,) and 2) Women that will do anything for a laugh.
Oh yeah, she’s on my List.
Tomorrow: A new month!
And yet, the generation after me will probably end up remembering her for "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus."
Debbie plays neither shark nor octopus, but the “voice of reason” scientist that all ecological disaster movies have. Hey, it was big enough for a sequel...
Who remembers The Vines? They were supposed to be Australia’s answer to Nirvana, as in catchy, scruffy three-and-a-half minute songs that made rock exciting again. But instead of being the next Kurt Cobain, lead singer Craig Nicholls started turning into Syd Barrett, having on-stage meltdowns and frequent performance cancellations. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which has cut down on the touring but not on the music-making. He’s working on album number 5 as we blog.
I saw this performance on Letterman, and it’s as hypnotic a train wreck as I remember. Wish I could have found their performance on Conan O’Brien later that month, when they pulled it off. Somebody stocked different refreshments in their green room, apparently…
Gotta give props to drummer Jerry Allison, co-architect of the Crickets’ sound (and, therefore, of rock n’ roll.) True story: Buddy Holly wrote a song in 1957 that he named after his niece, “Cindy Lou.” Jerry asked Buddy to rename the song after his girlfriend, who he was on the outs with at the time . Buddy agreed if he could double-time the drum beat through the entire song. So, Jerry gave the song a driving beat, Buddy renamed the song “Peggy Sue,” the song made it to the top 5, and Peggy came back to Jerry (their marriage lasted for a decade,) demonstrating the power of a radio hit in winning over a girl.
But my personal candidate for a federal holiday is Julie Brown. Not “Downtown” Julie Brown, but that crazy red-headed comedienne – the one that’s still alive, I mean. Cable TV afternoon movie viewers might have seen her as The Best Friend in “Earth Girls are Easy.” But if you know her, you probably remember her from “Just Say Julie”, her signature show on MTV, back when they had VJs and music and stuff. She had this bipolar valley girl persona, perfect for puncturing the most ponderous music videos, the apex of the goofy side of 80’s comedy, before everything got “edgy”.
[Speaking of “edge,” that was the name of her sketch comedy show on Fox. It only lasted a season, and I can’t remember any of the skits, but the show also introduced America to Jennifer Aniston and Wayne Knight, before everybody started calling them “Rachel” and “Newman.”]
But the reason I’m celebrating Julie Brown’s birthday is because she came along at a pivotal moment in my life. As a kid, I couldn’t understand what was so fascinating about supermodels and centerfolds. Sure, I knew what made pretty girls pretty, but magazine covers didn’t do anything for me – certainly not as much as my classmates. And then Julie Brown came along. Here was a fire-engine redhead acting anarchic and insane, telling bad puns in short skirts with the energy of a four-year-old on Pixy Stix.
Julie Brown changed my life. She shaped the criterion for the women that would inhabit my fantasies – and, ultimately, my life. She taught me that I’m into two kinds of women: 1) Redheads (not necessarily natural,) and 2) Women that will do anything for a laugh.
Oh yeah, she’s on my List.
Tomorrow: A new month!
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