Blog
A Message from Dalila
Posted: Nov 05, 2010
Hello, my gracious movie lovers. I know you are wondering where I’ve been. Well, all I can say is…away. Here’s the thing; I have yet to master the art of determination and diligence. It is not that my love of films have waned – quite the opposite – out of all the things that have gone in and out of my conscience film remains. It’s just that my motivation wavers and I begin to question my reasons, my intelligence, and my talent.
I don’t know why it is films that grip me so. I thought that, when I was 17 years-old, my interest in films was only because I’d developed a fascination with Marilyn Monroe. But for some reason, 13 years later, I am head and shoulders deep in cinema and Marilyn Monroe films are not as important to me. Seriously, the shit won’t go away.
Like an addict, no matter how long I stay away, when I watch that one film or read that small article in Variety, or crack open that Film Noir Reader, I am back to salivating over the latest cinematic masterpiece. I am back to wanting to consume everything cinema.
What is a girl to do? Well, I started a website, which I am very excited about. I watched movies, wrote about them, loved them, and hated them and then…nothing.
I will tell you one thing; my sleep is not as sound, my steps are not as certain, and my shoulders are not as square as when I am immersed in my passion. Something’s got to give or I risk harm to myself. I spend so much time imagining what could be instead of becoming what I know myself to be. Studying great writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes only makes my heart ache. For those two were seemingly fearless in their quest to be literary greats. They lived and died for the written word. Dare I do the same?
Greetings...
Posted: May 21, 2010
My Roommate is in Jamaica, What Am I to Do?
Hey there Cineastes. It’s been awhile and there have been several occurrences in the movie biz. The Summer Blockbuster season is well under way and I’ve already viewed Iron Man 2. Yes, the blurbs that you have heard – and possibly because you have already seen the movie - have proven that the 2nd film was nothing to write home to momma about. Oh, like you was all that surprised.
I just got word that Megan Fox has been fired from Transformers 3. In case you don’t know Ms. Fox, in the past, has made some very disparaging remarks about director Michael Bay. Yes, yes Megan always spews word vomit and obviously her publicist appears to be on permanent hiatus but it seems this year the guys behind Transformers, most notably the director, have had enough of Fox’s verbal shenanigans. But one starlet’s loss is another’s gain. Gemma Arterton has now signed on to take Megan’s place. Yes, that Arterton who is known for playing the requisite girlfriend to Hollywood it boys in big budget IMAX tentpoles. Nothing’s been written in stone at this time so we shall see.
Speaking of Transformers, I’ve read about Shia LaBeouf shit-talking Transformers 2 and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While in Cannes promoting some other movie he said and I’m paraphrasing, both films sucked. True, but who is he to judge, in print anyway. I tell you, a couple of hits under his belt and all of a sudden he thinks he’s Francios Traffaut. I guess the saying, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”, is completely alien to these spoiled, entitled, and marginally talented actors. Despite all that I do like the guy. Shia has got to find his niche in this business and not be a puppet to a bunch of bigwigs who is just itching to replace him.
Last, but certainly not least, I must give a high Cinema Dala Flynt salute to the great Lena Horne. What a lady. Unfortunately, because of the biases of the day, Lena was not able to amass the kind of filmography a young movie buff can sink his or her teeth into. Instead she soared as a jazz singer and activist. She was stunningly beautiful and incredibly poised. She is an education in restraint for she had to hold her tongue in times where she could have balked. I am currently reading her biography, Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin. So I’ll be commenting on that at a later time. I also had the chance to read Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years by Cari Beauchamp. This was also a very engaging book that taught me a lot about the early days of Hollywood and some silent stars, such as Fred Thomson, that I wasn’t aware of.
Well, my fellow movie buffs, I’ll holla.
Sins of the Studios...
Posted: Mar 31, 2010
Strawberry Shortcake, Jem, Street Frogs, Beverly Hills Teens… Anyone
As I said before, the new year has started on a somber note. With the high of 2009 behind us dreariness has taken over. Everyday I’ve been getting reports of comic books, video games, and cartoons, specifically from the 80s, being adapted into live action films. And that’s fine. Since the beginning of Hollywood there have been film adaptations and remakes but the whole market has become over-saturated with these types of movies.
Hey, I love popcorn movies just as much as a 15 year-old boy who lives in Japan but I also love romance, historical drama, cult classics, camp, comedy, rom-com, tear jerkers, musicals… basically all genres of movies. Now I hear that, after several years of development hell, The First Avenger: Captain America is coming to the silver screen starring Chris Evans, from the shity Fantastic Four movies, as Captain America and Hugo Weaving as Red Skull. Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3), (Wolfman), will be directing with a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise).
Wow, I can’t wait to see Chris Evans, who by the way has not been in a popular film since the last Fantastic Four movie, and has no screen presence or charisma and is as boring and flat as a day-old open can of Orange Crush. And to think he beat out many of the top young leading men. Bull, no one wanted to do it and Evans was the only one stupid or hard-up enough to sign on for not one but two films (the second being The Avengers due out in 2012 or something).
The film isn’t due until the summer of 2011 and the filmmakers plan on tying in Iron Man. Now if the movie ends up being a worthwhile tentpole with good box-office then it may not be that irritating. Still, there are to many of these comic book franchises coming out in rapid succession. Many of them will be no good. We shall see.
The Drought...
Posted: Mar 31, 2010
Cineastes, it’s been a while. Well the season in good cinema has been slow but that does not mean there are no good films circulating. There are a few movies I’m waiting to see on DVD and Fish Tank is one of them. Also The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a film I will be checking out as well. Oh, also there is this film called the Exploding Girl that I want to see.
I did go to the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills to see Tales from the Script, a documentary about the trials and tribulations of screenwriters in Hollywood. The documentary includes a series of sit-down interviews with note worthy scribes such as William Goldman, Paul Schrader, Antoine Fischer, and Shane Black. Each section of the film is punctuated with a clip from a variety of movies like Dreamgirls, The Muse, and Get Shorty, describing some caveat of the film business. I learned a lot from these script luminaries and was offered a glimpse of a part of show business that is rarely or never seen.
Out With The Old In With The Old
Posted: Jan 08, 2010
Cineastes, what it do? Okay, so I am probably the only one in the universe who hasn’t seen Avatar. So what, seeing as the movie is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down, I will have plenty of time to delve into this movie.
I’ve been busy watching some oldie-but-goodies. The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Barefoot Contessa (1954), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, The 400 Blows (1954), directed by Francois Truffaut, and Simon of the Desert(1965), directed by Luis Bunuel. Happily I enjoyed them all. They were films that I had never seen before yet I’d heard of.
The Birds is a sophisticated horror movie that stars Tippi Hedren in her first major role. Hedren, who is Melanie Griffith’s mom, was cast in the lead role as the new Grace Kelly. I don’t think Hedren can touch Kelly but Hedren does offer her own distinct brand of acting and is engaging. She not only holds her own against the more experienced Rod Taylor Jessica Tandy, she holds her own against Alfred Hitchcock himself.
Even though this movie was released over 45 years ago, it’s still as frightening now as it was then. I loved the sweeping cinematography, the clever script, and those damn birds. The most arresting thing about this film is that there is absolutely no explanation for the invasion. The film is more about the characters than it is about the birds. I’m pretty sure those birds are a metaphor for something. At this time I just don’t know what.
The Barefoot Contessa stars Humphrey cool-as-a-cucumber Bogart in one of his final film roles. Contessa also stars the ravishing Ava Gardner as Maria Vargas. The Barefoot Contessa tells the story of a strong willed actress who comes to a tragic demise. The film was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and features some of the best dialogue in movies. The scene stealer is Edmond O’Brien who plays Oscar Muldoon, the wise cracking yes man of multi-millionaire Kirk Edwards (Warren Stevens). Photographed in lush color and with some pretty awesome locations, The Barefoot Contessa is both funny and thought provoking. When I was watching this movie I got the feeling Mankiewicz was telling this story from experience. Contessa is a film about the times; a precursor to the decade ahead. Kirk Edwards represents the system, Maria Vargas the rebellious youth, and Henry Dawes (Bogart), the fly-on-the-wall; watching everything and everyone as they all come tumbling down.
Bogart is a true master of his trade. Only he can convey list of emotions with the flick of a cigarette.
The 400 Blows is the film debut of French director Francois Truffaut. This movie is on the list of every viable film critic. Filmmakers have counted this movie as one of inspiration and progressiveness. Now, when I sat down and watched this movie I didn’t know what to think of it. Blows is the story of a troubled young boy, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud) who is steadily moving into a life of crime.
Compared to what was being shown in 1959 I can see why this film made such a splash. It’s not a feel good movie. The film leaves you with an unsettled feeling in the pit of your stomach. There is no happy ending, no reuniting with his parents, no realization that he should be a good boy and conform to the world around him. No, what Antoine yearns for is freedom and independence from parents who do not understand him, and teachers who do nothing but punish and stifle him.
The 400 Blows is an aspiring filmmaker’s dream movie. As far as I’m concerned it’s more important than Citizen Kane in that it is very inspiring. Truffaut and cinematographer Henri Decae introduce a style that is both subtle and beautiful. Together they capture Paris as a city of lights and life. The film is true life happening to real people.
While we are on the subject of foreign movies let me also recommend Simon of the Desert which is the last of Luis Bunuel’s Mexican films. This movie is down right funny. Simon of the Desert is about a man, Simon, played by Claudio Brook, who has spent the last 6 years of his life on top of a pillar in the desert praying to God for spiritual purification. He performs miracles, curses good looking priests, and fights the temptations of the devil which comes in the form of a beautiful woman, a child, and Jesus Christ himself. Simon of the Desert pokes fun at the extremities of religion. And I found the ending particularly humorous.
Well, my fellow movie buffs I recommend that you see all of these films. It is getting late and I must go to sleep for yet another work day awaits me. Peace.
Let The Awards Season Begin
Posted: Dec 27, 2009
The Oscar Race
Part 1
Happy Holidays, cineastes. Well, it looks like, based on the current bunch of awards ceremonies, the Oscar race is beginning to take shape. In the past month or so, there have been several awards shows such as; the National Board of Review Awards, LA Film Critics Awards, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Washington, DC Area Film Critics Assoc. Awards, the Gotham Film Awards, and the nomination lists for the IFC Independent Spirit Awards. On December 15, the Golden Globe nominations were announced and the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations came shortly after.
There are several movies vying for the coveted Academy Award and I can tell you there are only a handful of films that will receive obligatory nominations. Though I haven’t yet had a chance to see all the films that are up for consideration it’s easy to see, by just observing the industry, that there are some favorites. And the best way to gain knowledge of these movies is to pay close attention to the various film festivals that take place throughout the year.
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
This film fist opened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. One of the main reasons why this film has remained on the public conscience is because the movie was on the film festival circuit for the greater part of 2009. The Canne Film Festival, the San Sebastion Film Festival, and the Toronto Film Fest are but a few of the major festivals in which this film has been shown. And two of the executive producers includes mega media baroness Oprah Winfrey and Fordian actor, director, producer Tyler Perry. So, the movie was bound to become a media darling.
Also there are two powerful performances at the heart of this movie. And though Gabourey Sidibe is amazing in her very first acting role, ever, Monique’s performance is the crux of this film. Her character is so tragic, so despicable, so violent – she performs it with such knowledge and vigor – it is impossible for the film not to have survived the year. And the movie did not have its theatrical premiere until November at the AFI Film Festival. Though an okay movie Sidibe and Monique are guaranteed Oscar noms. It may get a Best Picture nomination.
The Hurt Locker
OMG! This is my favorite film of the year. It is hard to believe that this film premiered at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and was not released in U.S. theaters until last summer. Jeremy Renner is amazing and should get nominated for Best Actor. I would love to see Anthony Mackie nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Kathryn Bigelow should be nominated as well. The script, by Mark Boal and the cinematography, by Barry Ackroyd are high on the list as well as Best Picture. Not to mention the editing and sound. Basically I’m hoping the movie picks up a slew of noms.
District 9
I am looking for this movie to pick up nominations in the technical categories. There are some ground breaking special effects that should be recognized. And screw it, Best Picture and Best Director for Neil Blomkamp.
Up in the Air
This film is the darling of the critics so this movie will pick up a slew of nominations. I’m guessing Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress for Anna Kendrick. I don’t know about Vera Farmiga but it is very possible that she will pick up a nom. Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Screenplay, and Editing are also categories the film should receive nomiations.
(500) Days of Summer
I know, I know. Not an Oscar kind of movie but I loved it if anything a screenwriting nomination.
Where the Wild Things Are
Yeah, this movie was a bit esoteric. But the score was very engaging, and it should get a nomination for Best Song also Cinematography and some technical awards.
Up!
Best Picture, Best Animated Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Score. This was the best animated feature of the year. Disney Pixar once again delivers the goods.
Star Trek
Yes, this is an action movie and it was a very good one. This film may garner nominations in some technical categories. Michael Giacchino’s score may be nominated.
Julie and Julia
I really enjoyed this movie. Nora Ephron is in her element and Meryl Streep is, of course, simply wonderful as Julia Child. But I think that if Streep is nominated it would be more obligatory than deserved. But the woman is so good you can’t help but nominate her. It’s crazy that, at the age 60, Streep is getting better roles now than she did when she was 30.
Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Look out for part 2 of The Oscar Race.
Part 1
Happy Holidays, cineastes. Well, it looks like, based on the current bunch of awards ceremonies, the Oscar race is beginning to take shape. In the past month or so, there have been several awards shows such as; the National Board of Review Awards, LA Film Critics Awards, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Washington, DC Area Film Critics Assoc. Awards, the Gotham Film Awards, and the nomination lists for the IFC Independent Spirit Awards. On December 15, the Golden Globe nominations were announced and the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations came shortly after.
There are several movies vying for the coveted Academy Award and I can tell you there are only a handful of films that will receive obligatory nominations. Though I haven’t yet had a chance to see all the films that are up for consideration it’s easy to see, by just observing the industry, that there are some favorites. And the best way to gain knowledge of these movies is to pay close attention to the various film festivals that take place throughout the year.
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
This film fist opened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. One of the main reasons why this film has remained on the public conscience is because the movie was on the film festival circuit for the greater part of 2009. The Canne Film Festival, the San Sebastion Film Festival, and the Toronto Film Fest are but a few of the major festivals in which this film has been shown. And two of the executive producers includes mega media baroness Oprah Winfrey and Fordian actor, director, producer Tyler Perry. So, the movie was bound to become a media darling.
Also there are two powerful performances at the heart of this movie. And though Gabourey Sidibe is amazing in her very first acting role, ever, Monique’s performance is the crux of this film. Her character is so tragic, so despicable, so violent – she performs it with such knowledge and vigor – it is impossible for the film not to have survived the year. And the movie did not have its theatrical premiere until November at the AFI Film Festival. Though an okay movie Sidibe and Monique are guaranteed Oscar noms. It may get a Best Picture nomination.
The Hurt Locker
OMG! This is my favorite film of the year. It is hard to believe that this film premiered at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and was not released in U.S. theaters until last summer. Jeremy Renner is amazing and should get nominated for Best Actor. I would love to see Anthony Mackie nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Kathryn Bigelow should be nominated as well. The script, by Mark Boal and the cinematography, by Barry Ackroyd are high on the list as well as Best Picture. Not to mention the editing and sound. Basically I’m hoping the movie picks up a slew of noms.
District 9
I am looking for this movie to pick up nominations in the technical categories. There are some ground breaking special effects that should be recognized. And screw it, Best Picture and Best Director for Neil Blomkamp.
Up in the Air
This film is the darling of the critics so this movie will pick up a slew of nominations. I’m guessing Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress for Anna Kendrick. I don’t know about Vera Farmiga but it is very possible that she will pick up a nom. Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Screenplay, and Editing are also categories the film should receive nomiations.
(500) Days of Summer
I know, I know. Not an Oscar kind of movie but I loved it if anything a screenwriting nomination.
Where the Wild Things Are
Yeah, this movie was a bit esoteric. But the score was very engaging, and it should get a nomination for Best Song also Cinematography and some technical awards.
Up!
Best Picture, Best Animated Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Score. This was the best animated feature of the year. Disney Pixar once again delivers the goods.
Star Trek
Yes, this is an action movie and it was a very good one. This film may garner nominations in some technical categories. Michael Giacchino’s score may be nominated.
Julie and Julia
I really enjoyed this movie. Nora Ephron is in her element and Meryl Streep is, of course, simply wonderful as Julia Child. But I think that if Streep is nominated it would be more obligatory than deserved. But the woman is so good you can’t help but nominate her. It’s crazy that, at the age 60, Streep is getting better roles now than she did when she was 30.
Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Look out for part 2 of The Oscar Race.
Brittany Murphy Dies at the Age of 32
Posted: Dec 20, 2009
A SERIES OF DEATHS IN DECEMBER FOR HOLLYWOOD
The tail end of 2009 has delivered four deaths; the great Roy E. Disney, legendary actress Jennifer Jones, a very young Brittany Murphy, and screenwriter Dan O’Bannon. Roy Disney died of stomach cancer, at the age of 79, in Newport Beach, CA, Jennifer Jones died of natural causes, at the age of 90, in Malibu, CA, Brittany Murphy died of a heart attack in her home in Los Angeles, and Dan O’Bannon died, at the age of 63, from his long struggle with Crohn’s disease.
Roy Edward Disney was born January 10, 1930 in Los Angeles, CA. His father was Roy O. Disney and he is the nephew of Walt Disney. Roy was the only Disney who remained on the board of the Disney corporation and also was involved with the day-to-day operations. He is best known for helping to orchestrate the ousting of two CEOs.
The first CEO was Ronald William Miller, in 1984, who was married to Disney’s aunt, Diane Disney. Miller would be replaced by Michael Eisner but in 2005 Disney would be one of the chief reasons Michael Eisner eventually stepped down as CEO.
The 1990s, with Eisner in the driver’s seat, would be one of the most profitable decades for Disney but by the late 90s the two men were not seeing eye to eye on the running of the company and in 2003 Disney began his campaign to get Eisner fired.
Both times Roy Disney stepped down from the board only to join again after the ousting of said CEOs. Though Disney never held the position of CEO his influence on the company was very apparent. One of the reasons he ousted Eisner was that the very lucrative and successful partnership with Pixar Animation was being threatened under Eisner’s guidance. Disney died December 16th at Hoag Memorial Hospital.
Jennifer Jones was born Phylis Lee Isley on March 2, 1919 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her career took off in the early 40s after she won the Best Actress Academy Award for the 1943 film The Song of Bernadette. Personally groomed and guided by David O. Selznick himself, Jennifer would go on to star in films such as Since You Went Away (1944), Love Letters(1945), Madame Bovary(1949), Love is a Many Splendid Thing(1955), A Farewell to Arms(1957), and The Towering Inferno(1974).
Jones would eventually marry David O. Selznick in 1949. The two remained together until his death in 1965. Jones retired from movies until her return in The Towering Inferno. Sadly her only daughter with David O. Selznick, Mary Jennifer Selznick, committed suicide in 1976.
Jennifer remarried in 1971 to Norton Simon, a powerful businessman and philanthropist. Simon died in 1993. Jones had two sons with her first husband Robert Walker. One of her sons died in 2007. Jones died December 17th. She is survived by her oldest son Robert Walker Jr.
Brittany Murphy was born November 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents divorced when she was 2 years-old. Her mother moved them to Los Angeles where Murphy began her career in Hollywood. She gained her first role at the age of 14 in the show Drexell’s Class.
Murphy gained popularity in 1995 with her breakthrough performance in Clueless. She would follow that film with performances in Girl, Interrupted(1999), Don’t Say a Word(2001), 8 Mile(2002), Uptown Girls(2003), and Sin City(2005). She dated Ashton Kutcher in 2002 and married Simon Moonjack in 2007. Murphy was pronounced dead this morning at Cedars Sinai Hospital.
Dan O’Bannon is best known for being a screenwriter. O’Bannon was born September 30, 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. He met John Carpenter in film school at the University of Southern California (USC). The two would collaborate on the short film Dark Star in 1970. In 1974 Carpenter made Dark Star into a feature length film with O’Bannon serving as writer, special effects person, editor, production designer, and co-star.
Though O’Bannon contributed some computer graphics to the movie Star Wars, Alien (1979) was one of his greatest successes. Alien is based on an idea that O’Bannon had years ago. He penned the screenplay and Ridley Scott directed the film. Alien would go on to become one of the greatest sci-fi movies in history.
O’Bannon’s next success was The Return of the Living Dead(1985) where he wrote, directed, and provided his voice. The sci-fi film Invaders from Mars (1986) followed. In 1990 O’Bannon teamed up with Alien writing partner Ronald Shusett for the screenplay for Total Recall (1990). Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwartznegger, went on to gross over $100 million becoming O’Bannon’s biggest hit.
O’Bannon died December 17th. He is survived by his wife Diane Lindley and his son Adam.
The motion picture industry has lost four people who have contributed greatly to the medium. I’m not sure what happened to Brittany Murphy. Suffering a heart attack at 32 is a little suspicious. In any case, rest in peace.
Holiday Surprises
Posted: Dec 02, 2009
I’M STILL ALIVE AND WATCHING MOVIES!
Well, I do hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And, though quite belated, I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I must say that my Thanksgiving was a little adventurous. My immediate family resides in Las Vegas, Nevada so, like all holidays in the past, I made the trek to Las Vegas driving my 2004 Hyundai Elantra. Once I got there I was given the somber news that my sister’s house had been burglarized and that, thankfully, no one was home so my family was okay, considering. Even with that hurdle we all still managed to have a good Thanksgiving. I ate like a pig as usual.
Unfortunately on my way back from Vegas I blew a tire and, because I could only replace it with a spare that I had in my trunk, I had to ride all the way back to Pasadena going between 50 and 55mph. It was horrible and I didn’t get home until after 4 a.m. I’ve been at home for the past few days nursing exhaustion and a side splitting headache. But, I mustered up enough energy to blog to all of you in movie land. To say that I didn’t watch any movies while on holiday break would be crazy and it would be a lie. Did I go to the movies? No. But I did watch some rather entertaining movies on DVD.
First let me just say that I really enjoyed Star Trek. Now this movie, along with Terminator: Salvation, opened the summer blockbuster season. I did not go to the movies to see Star Trek mostly because I figured it was yet another remake not deserving of my precious time. Also I was never into Star Trek. I hated Star Trek: The Next Generation and I am not fond of the original with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. I never even got into the previous Star Trek films. I was happy that Zoe Saldana had scored a sizable role in this important blockbuster because I have been watching her career since I first saw her in Center Stage. I think she is a beautiful and talented actress and I hope she continues to thrive.
My sister rented the movie mostly for the kids but when I actually sat down and watched it I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a fan of J.J. Abrams but he struck the right cord with this movie. And though writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are not experts on writing character driven screenplays this script has both character and plot. The casting was spot on with Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and Zachary Pinto as Spock. Pine and Quinto have good chemistry and are equally very sexy. The cinematography was excellent. Unlike the glossy cartoonish look of G.I. Joe director of photography Daniel Mindel gives the film a harsh, grainy yet cinematic look. The film achieves a special glow which, I found, was because of incandescent lights reflected off the camera lens.
Micheal Giacchino’s score is outstanding. It is instantly recognizable and he does a good job of melding his original score with the famous television score. I am looking forward to the sequel.
While on the subject of being pleasantly surprised, I also viewed The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Now, this film I did want to see but never got around to it. Sandra Bullock shows why she is still on of the most bankable stars left in Hollywood. She is well toned with a long shiny mane of hair and not a wrinkle in site. She is even more quirky and funny than she was in Ms. Congeniality. Ryan Reynolds is hilarious. And I must admit, very easy on the eyes.
Probably the best part of this movie is the obvious use of improve. The actors are so comfortable with their characters, and their costars, that they are able to spontaneously ad lib. All the director has to do is make sure the camera is rolling. Sure The Proposal ventures into obligatory romantic comedy territory. And we’ve already seen the smarmy granny, the disapproving father, the sweet mom, and the feuding leads that end up really liking each other, in many romantic comedies before. But the filmmakers are not trying to reinvent the wheel, but make a much more durable, slicker, and nicer wheel.
Oscar Nunez is riotous as Ramone, the jack-of-all-trades, in the small town of Sitka, Alaska. I enjoyed The Proposal. It was fun and entertaining. And it was one of the movies that helped lighten the mood in my sister’s burgled house.
I also watched Duplicity with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy Duplicity wasn’t as engaging as I thought it would be…very talented cast but a bit boring. I was finally able to see Up. Pixar Studios seems to be the only studio releasing some of the best movies ever. Just when you thought they could not possibly top Wall-E, Pixar releases Up. Up is a sweet, endearing, simple story of a man who must realize his biggest dream and his worst nightmare. Though Up is a cartoon it is easily an adult movie that resonated very much with me. A lot of times people get so caught up in partying, getting married, working, and raising children that we forget about the hopes and dreams we had for ourselves as youths. One day you are young with all these ideas, the next day your beloved has passed away and you wonder what happened to your life. But it’s never too late to fulfill your dreams and take that journey. And as long as you are alive you are alive.
Well, movie buffs, I’ll holla. Stay tuned for my blog on the upcoming awards season and reviews on Avatar, Brothers, and Up in the Air. Happy Holidays.
I'm On Vacation!
Posted: Nov 12, 2009
MOVIES ARE MY SAVIOR…
Cineastes, I have decided to take a break from movie theaters. Thankfully Hollywood has yielded no movies that must be viewed immediately. Plus I think the employees of AMC movie theaters at the Santa Anita Mall and the Pacific Theaters at Paseo, are beginning to know me by face. Soon, I surmise, they may know me on a first name basis.
The American Film Institute (AFI) Festival came and went. I was supposed to see two movies, Mother from Japan and The Silent Army from South Africa. Unfortunately I saw neither. Also Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire made its theatrical debut at the fest November 1. I have eagerly awaited the opening of this movie. With all the praise it’s been getting I need to see what all the fuss is about. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus also had its theatrical premiere at the festival. In case you don’t know the film is Heath Ledger’s final performance.
I did something I have never done before yet I have always wanted to do. I attended a symphony at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Who was the main attraction? Well, none other than John Williams, one of the subjects of my Film Star of the Month.
I was reading a story on Variety.com about how classical music connoisseurs are more likely to spend money on a ticket to hear music from the movies – music that is more recognizable and people have a better connection to – versus the more traditional classical music like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. The article went on to state that, unlike before, music from the movies has gained more respect over the years. Indeed it has.
I have never been inside the concert hall so the rich interior design was new to me. The actual performance space, which is an arena style, is small but crafted so that a sizable audience can fit comfortably.
Though I sat right behind the over 80 piece Los Angeles Philharmonic, the acoustics were perfect. And I had a clear view of the maestro himself. The concert was a welcome departure from the loud, blaring, throat ravishing concerts I’m used to. I enjoyed hearing the theme from E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and Darth Vader’s theme from The Empire Strikes Back.
Movies, movies, movies. I have been watching a lot lately. A couple of weekends ago I viewed Couple’s Retreat, the following weekend I watched Whip It! and New York, I Love You. Television has not been bad either. The night I went to see John Williams, Videodrome came on one of the Starz channels. Though Videodrome is a horror movie I felt more like I was watching an art house picture with S&M.
The movie stars James Woods and Debbie Harry of Blondie and was directed by David Cronenberg. It’s a pretty raunchy movie about this guy who is investigating a channel called Videodrome that shows S&M. Supposedly it is not real but turns out, it is real. Or is it? It’s a mind fuck of a movie and pretty cool. I saw online that the American Cinemateque, because of Halloween, was showing a string of scary movies including The Brood, David Cronenberg’s very first feature film. If I have time I’ll check it out.
Oh yes, I digress. Couple’s Retreat, the new Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau movie, was not as funny as I anticipated. I have come to equate Vince Vaughn movies with – if not the most character driven films – being at least clever and funny. But Couple’s is none of that.
Vaughn’s rapid fire dialogue, first introduced with Swingers became the norm for movies like Wedding Crashers, Made, and despite Jennifer Aniston’s appearance, The Break-Up. But what I saw on screen is a down ‘n’ out actor overwrought and disillusioned with Hollywood. Gone are the handsome boyish features and youthful exuberance he had in Swingers. In a scant 13 years Vaughn has aged two fold. He is rough, gruff, slightly overweight, and it seems as if he has become bored with the slather of words that made him popular to begin with. I did believe him as a Dad, though. Currently, as far as I know, Vaughn is still childless which sucks because he seems to be a natural dad.
Another qualm I had with the movie is the miscasting of Malin Ackerman and Kristen Stewart. They are both wrong for this movie. Its funny how, in past movies, both actresses were in vacation romps. Malin Ackerman in The Heartbreak Kid and Kristen Stewart in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Both were a hell of a lot better than in Couple’s Retreat. And poor Kristen Davis can’t see past her Sex in the City character that has become her life blood. The women in this movie are all cute, taut, and slim. The men are frumpy, terse, and old. With the cackle full of actors: Jason Bateman, Faison Love, and Ken Jeung, Couple’s never envelopes me. The characters don’t speak to me and even though the movie attempts to illustrate the complexities of marriage, I’m never all that interested. Just when the writer hits on something telling about one of the couples he veers into slapstick territory marginalizing the crux of the story.
But I will say there may be a special hidden talent in Malin Ackerman. She was amazing in Watchmen. Funny, she seems like a whole other actress in that movie. If she can get away from playing the hot girlfriend roles she has a future.
Whip It! was surprisingly an entertaining movie. When I read that the movie was Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut my brow creased a little. It brought back that travesty of a film Riding in Cars with Boys. Even though Drew Barrymore did not direct that movie her influence was all over it. But in this small grossly overlooked movie, Drew shows her talent as a filmmaker. The plot is simple, the action is engaging and the characters are endearing. Ellen Paige, Kristen Wiig, and Marcia Gay Harden, are all believable small town folks in search of something more stimulating than the run – of – the – mill town in which they live. Oh, and there is also a real cool underwater sequence with Ellen Paige’s character and her boyfriend. And, I know this is hard to believe, Jimmy Fallon is actually funny in this movie. With Grey Gardens and now Whip It! It is good to see Drew Barrymore living up to the true legacy of her ancestors.
New York, I Love You is a movie that consists of several individual stories that all take place in the grand ol’ city of New York. Each story has its own writer and director. The movie reminds me of Four Rooms. Difference is Four Rooms is involves one main character. With New York, I Love You there are several main characters. Every story involves people wanting to be with someone else, be somewhere else, and imagining that they are someone else entirely. It’s kind of like a fairytale 21st – century - concrete - and - skyscraper style.
One of the stories stars Shia LaBeouf, as a cripple guy with an eastern European accent, and Julie Christie, who was one of the premier actresses of the 1960s and 70s, as an aged singer. I’m still not quite sure what was going on in this story but this is my educated guess: Julie Christie, a famous singer, has returned to her favorite hotel to kill herself. She doesn’t want to so she imagines this cute crippled young guy who stares dreamily into her eyes, compliments her singing voice, and gets her her favorite flowers before she can ask for them. Somehow these simple acts of kindness moves her. Now, you may ask, how do you know she wants to die? Well, she dons a pretty white gown and holds a bouquet of her favorite flowers and walks toward the balcony into a cold white abyss. That is until the cripple comes back with a tray of food distracting her. I won’t tell you what happens, I’ll let you see it for yourself. Maybe you can gain more understanding than I did. Leave it to the late Anthony Mingella to write a visually arresting, abstract, and emotionally charged story, directed by an equally overcharged Shekar Kapur, to breathe some imagination and mysticism into a literal movie.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s an interesting movie with interesting actors, and interesting directors (Natalie Portman even directs a snippet), but I wasn’t wowed by it. And I have a particular problem with filmmakers who fall so deeply in love with their vision that it alienates the audience. New York, I Love You is another esoteric movie destined for the discount bin at WalMart.
Well, cineastes I’ll catch you on the rebound. Look for reviews on Law Abiding Citizen and Where the Wild Things Are. Peace
Last Weekend's Woes
Posted: Oct 06, 2009
A NOT-SO-GOOD-MOVIE EXPERIENCE
I had no idea Dominick Dunne passed away last August. Am I living on another planet? I did not hear anything about it. I did not see anything on the internet, didn’t hear nothing from television, and read nothing from the papers. Or, maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. Last weekend I decided to go to the movies, something I hadn’t done in a while, at the Century City mall, my old stomping ground, when I caught the latest issue of Vanity Fair at the news stand. And right there in big bold letters across the top was the headline “REMBERING DOMINICK DUNNE.”
I felt bad, confused, and the worst part is, I felt completely uninformed. How could I have missed that? Not only have I been an avid reader of Vanity Fair for years, the Dunne diary was one of the constants in the magazine I looked forward to reading each month. I enjoyed his notorious name dropping and his fact finding missions to different countries in search of the big scoop.
In a way I felt like I knew the guy. As a teenager I read two of his books, A Season in Purgatory and An Inconvenient Woman. I even watched his show on Court TV, Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice, not to mention his diaries. When Phil Spector was on trial for murder at the court house in which I work there were several members of the media present every day of the trial. I remember first spotting him in the cafeteria. Then, while running late to work, I caught a crowded elevator that happened to also contain Mr. Dunne. I was a little star struck but I figured I should at least tell him how much I enjoyed his diaries. And right there, in that stuffy crowded elevator, I told Dominick Dunne that Vanity Fair was my favorite magazine and that I looked forward to his diaries every month. I don’t remember if he said anything in turn but he did give me a great big smile. Rest in peace, Mr. Dunne.
Now, it was also at the Century City mall that I went to the AMC theaters to watch a couple of movies. The first was The Informant! staring Matt Damon and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Forgive me movie gods and goddesses but I pigged out on cheese pizza, a bowl of pasta salad, and a small strawberry cheesecake milkshake from Ben n Jerry’s before the movie started, coupled with the fact that the previous night was a fiasco that involved a botched attempt at going to the Pomona Fair, a dead battery, being stuck outside of a Pomona liquor store for 2 hours, and being abandoned by a AAA tow truck service, meaning I didn’t get to sleep till about 3am. By the time the film began I was exhausted and… I slept through virtually the entire movie. All I know is when I went to sleep Damon had a full head of hair and when I woke up he had none.
Determined not to make the day a total waste I tried another movie. I decided to give ol’ Ricky Gervais a try and bought a ticket for The Invention of Lying. It should’ve been called The Invention of a Sleep Inducer by Way of Motion Picture. Fact of the matter is this. No movie inspired me enough to write about, so I’ll try again. The movie marquees aren’t exactly teaming with thought-provoking entertaining material.
Stay tuned cineastes…
A Thirty-Year-Old Case Comes Back to Bite Roman Polanski
Posted: Sep 28, 2009
ROMAN POLANSKI ARRESTED AND DETAINED IN SWITZERLAND
Oh, my fellow movie buffs, Hollywood denizen Roman Polanski is currently locked up for a crime he committed over three decades ago, but has yet to pay for. You see, Polanski, with the help of some high profile Hollywood chums, exited the U.S. on a jet bound for his native France in 1978 just before he was to be sentenced for the rap and drugging of a 13 year-old girl. Though the original judge on the case has sense passed away there still remains a 31 year old warrant out for his arrest. According to the documentary, Roman Polanski: Wanted & Desired, which aired on HBO earlier this year, Judge Rittenband, now deceased, had an insatiable appetite for celebrity cases and craved the media spotlight more than a Hollywood starlet. Accusations of Rittenband’s underhanded tactics to sentence Polanski to a frightful amount of years in prison, and the fact that Polanski knew his chance at a fair trial was unlikely, is perhaps the main reason Polanski fled the U.S.
Fact of the matter is this; Polanski must pay his debt to society for his crimes. He has been dodging this horrid event for the greater part of his career. And, as has been made painfully clear, the shit will not and can not go away. Though he will go down in history as one of the most prolific film directors, his legacy is forever mired in this case not because he raped a 13-year-old girl but because he was to “chicken” to face up to his crime. He fled a country that offered him ample room and freedom to practice his craft, and then fled that same country when he realized that the U.S. does not take intercourse with a 13-year-old girl lightly.
Yes, yes I know. He is the great Roman Polanski. And it is because of this he has managed to evade extradition. If this was anyone else I seriously doubt there would be such an outcry of injustice. The man drugged and raped a child. I suppose things like that are not considered a serious crime in France or Poland or wherever he is from. Yes, the victim is a grown woman who has put the whole ordeal behind her, but Polanski remains unchecked. We do make special concessions for the Hollywood elite and for celebrities because they are so celebrated and talented and artistic. People tend to just look the other way and consider it that person’s vice. Who are we to judge?
But it’s quite simple. Polanski battled through a ruff childhood, he lost something extremely close to him in the most heinous way but it does not excuse his behavior. He should’ve served his time and paid his debt to society 30 years ago. He wouldn’t be going through this. He’d be free to visit the U.S. and Great Britian. He wouldn’t be a prisoner of the world, allowed only to visit a few countries that do not have extradition laws with the U.S. He, like his victim, would have been able to put the case behind him. I respect Polanski. He was apart of a group of renegade filmmakers that helped revolutionize motion pictures. But, dammit he must pay.
A Saturday Query
Posted: Sep 26, 2009
Hey, there movie buffs. As you can tell, I haven’t been to the movies lately. This does not mean that I have thrown in the towel. I still love movies it just that it’s been a hard month. The hardest thing about maintaining this website isn’t writing about movies, it’s fitting it in to my already crowded life. Not to mention the personal challenges that I face everyday. The website is a way for me to escape the drama of real life and it gives me a certain amount of happiness.
Cyberspace is as vast as the universe. Sometimes I wonder who it is that I am reaching, who is reading the site, and who really cares. I work very hard on my subjects with the intention of garnering an audience of people who are just as crazy about movies as I am. I do not run a celebrity gossip site so I know it will be a little more difficult, and I will have to work a little harder for my audience. Do I have an audience? I look for feedback. One of the main reasons why I started Cinemadalaflynt.com is to communicate with other cineastes.
I set up an email for the site so if you want to send me a quick message telling me how good or awful the site is, please feel free to do so. Just click on the Contact link. I look forward to reading the ideas and opinions of others. Stay tuned. I will be updating the site with more movie reviews and Film Star of the month. I thank you, in advance, for visiting.
PRECIOUS AND LAST NIGHT'S EMMY AWARDS
Posted: Sep 22, 2009
PRECIOUS TAKES TOP PRIZE AT TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL/EMMY AWARDS PROVE TO BE AS BLAND AND PREDICTABLE AS LAST YEARS’
Well, I must say, Precious is picking up steam. Precious, Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the Grand Jury prize and a best actress award for Mo’Nique, has now gone on to win the top award, the People’s Choice prize, last Saturday. Precious, produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, stars newcomer Garbourney Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, and Lenny Kravitz.
The film is also premiering at the San Sebastian Film Festival this month where it will have its first European outing. As many of you know Slumdog Millionaire won the top prize at last year’s Toronto Film Festival so many industry insiders are placing Precious as an early favorite in the Oscar race. The film hits theaters this October. I can’t wait to see it.
I am not quite sure what to think of the Emmy Awards. Though I am not keen on television, I decided to watch the show because it is a major Hollywood institution. Half way through the Emmys I switched stations and started watching Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami, and then I switched stations again to watch Entourage. I was mad at myself for giving the Emmys an extra 30 minutes (I could’ve watched the series premiere of Curb Your Enthusiasm).
Now it wasn’t the show itself that bored me but rather the same names, shows, and performers. Even though 30 Rock is a good show, and Alec Baldwin is hilarious in it, he was the obligatory winner. Steve Carell is long due for an Emmy and I think Charlie Sheen was passed over as well. I may be the only one who love, love, loves Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters. I love the show and I wish it received more kudos.
And what the hell is up with all these T.V. movies that I have never remotely heard of. Is it me or is PBS what Miramax Films was in the 90s. Only difference is nobody watches PBS. And I am sick and tired of 30 Rock winning. My goodness can Entourage please win an award other than Jeremy Piven, who was very noticeably not nominated this year. 30 Rock doesn’t even get high ratings. It’s like Arrested Development. Shoving a show down the throats of the television audiences by drenching them with awards is not the way to do it. Yeah, we get it, Mad Men is a good show but it ain’t all that. I’ve watched a few episodes. And it’s okay. And I was over Lost 3 episodes into the first season.
What the hell is the deal with the mini-series category? I guess the mini-series is dead. That sucks since, in the 90’s, mini-series and MOWs used to be the shit. And my God if I have to see Jerry Bruckheimer’s smug mug accept another industry accolade I am gonna spit. A good pick was The Daily Show with Jon Stewart cause lord knows SNL is only funny if Tina Fey or Justin Timberlake are guest stars.
I guess T.V. simply does not pack the punch it once did. Even with cable channels like FX, AMC, HBO, Showtime, and TNT there seems to be a lull. Network T.V. is the worst because they yank perfectly good shows off the air before they even have a chance to gain an audience. Major television networks will keep that ode-to-conspicuous-consumption of a show Gossip Girl on the air but they’ll cancel Samantha Who? Networks will over saturate the time slots with shows of little substance and cancel the ones that may show promise. The Emmys are not a correct barometer of good shows. The best shows get no notice. Tyler Perry’s comedies may not be critically acclaimed but they post good numbers. I don’t understand T.V. I guess that’s why I stick with movies. Hey, I’m a couch potato too.
Do you agree? Contact me and let me know.
Army Archerd Passes Away at Age 87
Posted: Sep 10, 2009
HOLLYWOOD LEGEND, ARMY ARCHERD, DIES
Damn computer. I would have posted this earlier but my laptop started freaking out on me. So, before my computer shuts down again I must alert my fellow movie buffs of the death of Army Archerd.
Yet another Hollywood denizen had passed away. Army Archerd, 87, died Tuesday in Los Angeles from complications from a rare form of mesothelioma cancer. Archerd was one of the most, if not the most, respected Hollywood journalists in the business. He covered stories for Daily Variety for over five decades. For nearly fifty years Archerd was the official greeter at the Academy Awards. His career lasted up until July of this year in which he maintained a blog for Daily Variety.
Armand “Army” Archerd was born in Bronx, New York on January 3, 1922. His family moved to Los Angeles and Archerd transferred to UCLA where he graduated in 1941. After graduating Archerd gained employment in the mailroom at Paramount Pictures. When it was announced that the U.S. would enter World War II, Archerd enlisted in the Navy.
Once the war ended Archerd linked up with influential media personnel such as Bob Thomas and Harrison Carroll. In 1947 he became an assistant to Harrison Carroll at the Hearld-Express. This job placed Archerd in the mist of everything Hollywood. He had unlimited access to movie sets and the hot night clubs of the day like Ciro’s and the Mocambo.
Variety magazine was looking for a replacement writer for Sheilah Graham, who was an ex lover of F. Scott Fitzgerald. And in 1953 editor Joe Schoenfeld hired Archerd to write a column for Dailey Variety. It was during this time that Army achieved legendary status. His wildly popular “Just for Variety” column ran until September 1, 2005.
Army Archerd will go down in history as a kind and respectable celebrity journalist. He did everything with class, including breaking the news about actor Rock Hudson undergoing treatment for AIDS in 1985. Archerd covered everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Tom Cruise. Arched was honored by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 1978. He has emceed countless movie premiers and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984.
Archerd was more than a gossip columnist and a journalist; he was a true fan of motion pictures. His accurate and detailed descriptions of the people, places, and the business of Hollywood has educated many, and inspired even more. Army Arched, Rest in Peace.
TOYS, TOYS, AND MORE TOYS
Posted: Aug 12, 2009
MORE FILM ADAPTATIONS BASED ON TOYS ON THE HORIZON
Oh, boy. The movie studios are preparing to bless us with a slew of movies based on… toys! Yes, toys. As if we haven’t had the eighties-childhood- nostalgia beat out of us already. Get set to experience the power of the Lego movie. That’s right, based on toys that you haven’t played with since you were in elementary, and according to Variety.com, Warner Brothers is set to begin production on a live-action movie based on the popular children’s toy.
As if that’s not bad enough other studios are following suit. With the recent success of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, studios have been going to Toys R Us for film ideas. So far we can all look forward to the movie adaptations of; Monopoly, Candyland, Battleship, Stretch Armstrong, View-Master, Max Steel, Hot Wheels, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I’m actually looking forward to He-Man. I loved that cartoon when I was a kid. Ooh, what if He-Man does so well that they come out with a She-Ra live action movie. I. Would. Die. Only a true Reagan baby would understand.
There are many rock enthusiasts who say true rock is dead, hip-hop aficionados say hip-hop is dead. Guess what film geeks, motion pictures are dead. Yes, indeed, there are some movies that give us all hope, but they are so far and few between that I am scared. I am scared that there will be no movies left for movie buffs, such as myself, to be inspired by. Where there used to be beautiful lush gardens full of delicious ripe fruit, strong fragrant trees, and bountiful rivers of fresh water, has now turned to a barren desert akin to the flats of Siberia. This is not good for Hollywood.
For over 100 years the art and commerce of motion pictures has created a delicious cauldron of progressive thought mixed with unconventional story-telling and with a dash of social commentary. This cauldron brought us Kubrick, Scorsese, Lee, Coppola, just to name a scant few. But with the major studios continuously dousing the movie going public with the most mundane of material, that movie going public including future filmmakers, it is becoming virtually impossible for anyone to be so moved by a motion picture as to want to create one of his or her own.
Just as I’ve been inspired by filmmakers like Brian DePalma I would expect that a youth, like my 14 year-old nephew for instance, can be inspired by a director of equal might not Stephen Sommers. Now, now, now, I am not dissing Sommers or anyone who has found a way to wrangle a lucrative career out of an ever evolving and volatile business. I am criticizing the circumstances.
I ask for my fellow cineastes to have faith. Faith that our precious motion pictures will survive Hasbro and Mattel that the studios will grow tired of their own money hungry ways, and that inspiration will prevail. Please.
R.I.P John Hughes
Posted: Aug 08, 2009
John Hughes dies of heart attack
Ok, ok. I know I’m posting this late so, please forgive me. I don’t know what’s in the water but there have been several people from the entertainment business who have passed away. John Hughes died on Thursday morning while going for a walk in New York City. In case you aren’t familiar, or wasn’t alive during the 80s, Hughes’s films defined a generation.
John Hughes Jr. was born February 18, 1950 in Lansing, Michigan. He began his career as an advertising copywriter in Chicago in 1970. Hughes then moved into comedy writing selling jokes to comedians such as Rodney Dangerfield.
1983 was the year Hughes began his success as a filmmaker. He penned the script for National Lampoon, which became a big hit, and launched several sequels; it was also at this time that he began writing stories about teenage life and teen angst.
By the mid eighties Hughes had directed such classic teen dramas and comedies such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Hughes tried moving away from the teen movie lexicon by directing the 1987 film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Uncle Buck was also a hit for Hughes but it was Home Alone, released in 1990, that became Hughes’ biggest hit. Written and produced by Hughes, and directed by Chris Columbus, Home Alone became the highest grossing movie of 1990 and made Macaulay Culkin an overnight sensation.
Curly Sue was Hughes’s last film as director. Inexplicably Hughes retired from directing movies in 1991. He moved to Wisconsin and maintained a very low profile but he still continued to write for movies under the pseudonym Edmond Dantes.
John Hughes was 59 years old and though his career was brief he solidified his place in motion picture history. Hughes inspired a new generation of movie makers and launched the careers of several actors. Rest in peace, John.
R.I.P Budd Schulberg
Posted: Aug 06, 2009
Budd Schulberg dies at 95
Seymour Wilson Schulberg was born on March 27, 1914 in New York, New York and died yesterday at the age of 95 in Long Island, New York. He would eventually be known to the world as Budd Schulberg. Schulberg was destined for the limelight for he was the son of the great Paramount Pictures helmer B.P. Schulberg and his mother, Adeline Jafee-Schulberg, was the sister of producer Sam Jaffe.
Schulberg began his writing career in the 1930s while attending Dartmouth College. He would go on to work with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, to which he wrote a thinly veiled book about, and won the Academy Award in 1954 for his most famous screenplay, On The Waterfront.
Schulberg had a long, 45 years, career as a screenwriter, sports writer, for Sports Illustrated magazine, and novelist. Hey, I don’t know about you but On The Waterfront features some of the best dialogue in movie history. Rest in peace, Budd.
Steven Spielberg's Next Movie
Posted: Aug 05, 2009
Spielberg’s next picture is…Harvey?
Quote of the Day
"If one is not enjoying one's present, there isn't a great deal to suggest that the future should be any better." -George
A Single Man