list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Face/Off on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Face_Off/111016/default.aspx Title: Face/Off
Year: 1997
Director: John Woo
Plot: The third of John Woo's American-made feature films, Face/Off stars John Travolta as Sean Archer, an FBI agent obsessed with capturing Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), a criminal genius who years before killed Archer's son while trying to assassinate the agent. Archer's single-minded pursuit of Troy has caused serious harm to his marriage, but Archer thinks the light may have appeared at the end of the tunnel when a seriously wounded Troy is captured in a bloody shootout. However, it turns out that Troy has planted a time bomb, with a biological payload that could destroy the entire city of Los Angeles -- and Troy isn't about to say where it is. The only other person who knows the bomb's location is Troy's brother, Pollux (Alessandro Nivola), who is no more helpful than Castor. FBI scientists hatch a plan: they have developed an experimental surgery which would allow them to graft Troy's face temporarily on Archer's head and allow him to question Pollux as if he were his brother. But after Archer has taken Troy's face, Troy regains consciousness and forces the doctors to give him Archer's face. Now the criminal mastermind has the FBI at his disposal, and the lawman is underground with few places to turn. Along with Woo's usual elaborately choreographed action scenes, Face/Off features a number of notable supporting performances, including Joan Allen as Archer's wife, Colm Feore and C.C.H. Pounder as FBI scientists, and Gina Gershon as Troy's loyal but long-suffering girlfriend. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 33
Number of Lists: 47
Number of blog posts: 3
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:37:48 GMTFace/Off1997John WooThe third of <a href="/players/P___117248/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Woo</a>'s American-made feature films, Face/Off stars <a href="/players/P____71670/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Travolta</a> as Sean Archer, an FBI agent obsessed with capturing Castor Troy (<a href="/players/P____10155/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nicolas Cage</a>), a criminal genius who years before killed Archer's son while trying to assassinate the agent. Archer's single-minded pursuit of Troy has caused serious harm to his marriage, but Archer thinks the light may have appeared at the end of the tunnel when a seriously wounded Troy is captured in a bloody shootout. However, it turns out that Troy has planted a time bomb, with a biological payload that could destroy the entire city of Los Angeles -- and Troy isn't about to say where it is. The only other person who knows the bomb's location is Troy's brother, Pollux (<a href="/players/P___228583/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alessandro Nivola</a>), who is no more helpful than Castor. FBI scientists hatch a plan: they have developed an experimental surgery which would allow them to graft Troy's face temporarily on Archer's head and allow him to question Pollux as if he were his brother. But after Archer has taken Troy's face, Troy regains consciousness and forces the doctors to give him Archer's face. Now the criminal mastermind has the FBI at his disposal, and the lawman is underground with few places to turn. Along with Woo's usual elaborately choreographed action scenes, Face/Off features a number of notable supporting performances, including <a href="/players/P_____1026/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Joan Allen</a> as Archer's wife, <a href="/players/P____23094/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Colm Feore</a> and C.C.H. Pounder as FBI scientists, and <a href="/players/P____26607/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Gina Gershon</a> as Troy's loyal but long-suffering girlfriend. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide33Tag Target (>10)47313http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u41692swo61.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Face_Off/111016/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/27/41301.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/27/2009 5:00:55 PM
Body: This has been quite the week for me to wish Nicolas Cage still made good movies. Besides crying over the fact that his latest sci-fi action thriller involving disaster prophesy was #1 at the box office despite being panned by critics, some of my unrelated experiences over the past seven days have coincidentally included the following: watching Wild at Heart for the first time; learning from locals that Moonstruck was partly shot in my neighborhood; discussing, at a party, not only the merits of The Rock, but also its qualifications for inclusion in the Criterion catalog. I’m now thinking I should stay home tonight and watch a marathon of Raising Arizona, Face/Off and Adaptation. Or, maybe I can just lay back and think about how Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is going to be Cage’s return to quality. I know, I know, those of you who didn’t stop reading at my profession of love for The Rock are now wondering if I’m crazy. “Certainly this movie is going to be terrible,” you’re saying to yourself (as you plan your derisive comment). And besides, Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant “remake” shall be his next good film. Well, maybe, but after seeing the new production photos from Apprentice circulating the net (originating at JustJared), I’m prophesizing that the Fantasia-inspired film will be the Moonstruck to Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans‘ Raising Arizona, or the Face/Off to Lieutenant’s Con Air, or the Adaptation to Lieutenant’s Windtalkers. Perhaps I am soiling my reputation by confessing my overextending appreciation of Cage’s career, but you have to respect a guy who allows himself to look and be so ridiculous for his art. The rest of the film blogosphere’s responses to the photos after the jump: As usual, Dan Hopper at Best Week Ever has the best jokes: “…on the set of his new movie Something Surely Worth Seing Dangerous. He’s about to change out of his normal clothes and hairpiece and into his costume (zuhhhh-zinggg!!!).” Pajiba headlines that this could be Cage’s “Most Hilarious Role Ever.” Let’s hope so. Mark at I Watch Stuff compares the look to WWE wrestler The Undertaker and Sega video game character Chakan: The Forever Man. Cinematical’s Elizabeth Rappe sees Cage instead as “apparently ripping his look off Hugh Jackman’s Gabriel Van Helsing” in the site’s “LOL of the Day” post. “The only thing that has me curious about this movie,” she adds, “is how Baruchel ends up as his apprentice. Because if I was approached by a ‘magician’ who looked like that, I’d run screaming the other way.” Rob Bricken at Topless Robot agrees with Rappe’s comparison but seems a tad more hopeful of the film: I admit, despite my utter hatred and fear of Jerry Bruckheimer movies, I did really enjoy the first Pirates of the Carribbean movie. And I love Fantasia, so I’ll — very regretfully — be giving this a shot. But the fact that Cage is dressed exactly like Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing means I probably won’t be watching sober. Jeremy at We Are Movie Geeks also agrees: “Looks like Cage is trying out for ‘Van Helsing 2.’” Mike Sampson at JoBlo.com sees Cage more as a “geriatric Criss Angel” and tells us how to respect this film: if I hear any “raping my childhood” crap, I’m gonna reach through the computer screen and smack you across the head. This movie has nothing to do with the Mickey Mouse cartoon. The story is a German poem written by Goethe. Get that in your head now and you’ll be OK. Somehow Josh Radde at Film School Rejects thinks Cage “appears to be doing his best Kris Kristofferson,” before once again concentrating on the actor’s hair: Add this hairdo to the pretty amazing collection of Cage ‘Dos so far. In fact, Rotten Tomatoes created a game linking a pic of his hair to the movie it appears in and it’ll surprise you how many twisted coifs this man has sported over the years. The typically optimistic Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net argues on Cage’s behalf: I would say, don’t be so quick to judge these and Cage’s new hairdo and leather outfit, but I’m sure you’ve already made up your mind. I don’t know if these will help Cage any more, or potentially ruin him entirely again, but honestly, I’m still looking forward to The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. And Sean at FilmDrunk also defends the powers of Cage, at least as box office gold: “In all seriousness though, you can make fun of Nicolas Cage all you want, but if the past has taught us anything it is that America loves his movies. National Treasure + Harry Potter = $$$.” In additional Nic Cage-is-nuts bloggery from today: Graeme McMillan at io9 shares the actor’s recent statements regarding his preference for science fiction, abandonment of gratuitous violence and overall desire to go more “into the abstract”: Does this mean that Cage sees science fiction as a gateway drug to take audiences into indulgently abstract movies? I hope so, if only because I’d love to see just how abstract the man behind Ghost Rider, Bangkok Dangerous and Adaptation can get when he puts his mind to it. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:00:55 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/27/2009 5:00:55 PMThis has been quite the week for me to wish Nicolas Cage still made good movies. Besides crying over the fact that his latest sci-fi action thriller involving disaster prophesy was #1 at the box office despite being panned by critics, some of my unrelated experiences over the past seven days have coincidentally included the following: watching Wild at Heart for the first time; learning from locals that Moonstruck was partly shot in my neighborhood; discussing, at a party, not only the merits of The Rock, but also its qualifications for inclusion in the Criterion catalog. I’m now thinking I should stay home tonight and watch a marathon of Raising Arizona, Face/Off and Adaptation. Or, maybe I can just lay back and think about how Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is going to be Cage’s return to quality. I know, I know, those of you who didn’t stop reading at my profession of love for The Rock are now wondering if I’m crazy. “Certainly this movie is going to be terrible,” you’re saying to yourself (as you plan your derisive comment). And besides, Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant “remake” shall be his next good film. Well, maybe, but after seeing the new production photos from Apprentice circulating the net (originating at JustJared), I’m prophesizing that the Fantasia-inspired film will be the Moonstruck to Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans‘ Raising Arizona, or the Face/Off to Lieutenant’s Con Air, or the Adaptation to Lieutenant’s Windtalkers. Perhaps I am soiling my reputation by confessing my overextending appreciation of Cage’s career, but you have to respect a guy who allows himself to look and be so ridiculous for his art. The rest of the film blogosphere’s responses to the photos after the jump: As usual, Dan Hopper at Best Week Ever has the best jokes: “…on the set of his new movie Something Surely Worth Seing Dangerous. He’s about to change out of his normal clothes and hairpiece and into his costume (zuhhhh-zinggg!!!).” Pajiba headlines that this could be Cage’s “Most Hilarious Role Ever.” Let’s hope so. Mark at I Watch Stuff compares the look to WWE wrestler The Undertaker and Sega video game character Chakan: The Forever Man. Cinematical’s Elizabeth Rappe sees Cage instead as “apparently ripping his look off Hugh Jackman’s Gabriel Van Helsing” in the site’s “LOL of the Day” post. “The only thing that has me curious about this movie,” she adds, “is how Baruchel ends up as his apprentice. Because if I was approached by a ‘magician’ who looked like that, I’d run screaming the other way.” Rob Bricken at Topless Robot agrees with Rappe’s comparison but seems a tad more hopeful of the film: I admit, despite my utter hatred and fear of Jerry Bruckheimer movies, I did really enjoy the first Pirates of the Carribbean movie. And I love Fantasia, so I’ll — very regretfully — be giving this a shot. But the fact that Cage is dressed exactly like Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing means I probably won’t be watching sober. Jeremy at We Are Movie Geeks also agrees: “Looks like Cage is trying out for ‘Van Helsing 2.’” Mike Sampson at JoBlo.com sees Cage more as a “geriatric Criss Angel” and tells us how to respect this film: if I hear any “raping my childhood” crap, I’m gonna reach through the computer screen and smack you across the head. This movie has nothing to do with the Mickey Mouse cartoon. The story is a German poem written by Goethe. Get that in your head now and you’ll be OK. Somehow Josh Radde at Film School Rejects thinks Cage “appears to be doing his best Kris Kristofferson,” before once again concentrating on the actor’s hair: Add this hairdo to the pretty amazing collection of Cage ‘Dos so far. In fact, Rotten Tomatoes created a game linking a pic of his hair to the movie it appears in and it’ll surprise you how many twisted coifs this man has sported over the years. The typically optimistic Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net argues on Cage’s behalf: I would say, don’t be so quick to judge these and Cage’s new hairdo and leather outfit, but I’m sure you’ve already made up your mind. I don’t know if these will help Cage any more, or potentially ruin him entirely again, but honestly, I’m still looking forward to The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. And Sean at FilmDrunk also defends the powers of Cage, at least as box office gold: “In all seriousness though, you can make fun of Nicolas Cage all you want, but if the past has taught us anything it is that America loves his movies. National Treasure + Harry Potter = $$$.” In additional Nic Cage-is-nuts bloggery from today: Graeme McMillan at io9 shares the actor’s recent statements regarding his preference for science fiction, abandonment of gratuitous violence and overall desire to go more “into the abstract”: Does this mean that Cage sees science fiction as a gateway drug to take audiences into indulgently abstract movies? I hope so, if only because I’d love to see just how abstract the man behind Ghost Rider, Bangkok Dangerous and Adaptation can get when he puts his mind to it. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/24/35507.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/24/2008 5:00:59 PM
Body: Yesterday I wrote of the news that Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov is helming an effects-heavy adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It’s not entirely shocking, but it does still seem like a cruel joke. More specifically, it sounds like something Jasper Fforde would jest about in his Thursday Next novels. Of course, the news came just as I’m in the middle of Fforde’s latest, First Among Sequels, in which Pride and Prejudice is turned into a reality TV show. Although I’m not exactly well read as far as literary classics go, I’ve been wondering what other revered books (particularly those in the public domain) could be reworked as potential summer blockbusters. Obviously, there are certain sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels that work, yet the fitting fictions of Verne, Wells, Burroughs, Dumas and others are already fodder for cheap movies with lots of action and/or special effects. Therefore, I’ve tried to limit my choices to those books that aren’t such easy candidates for a Memorial Day weekend opening. 1. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Dante’s epic poem has inspired a few films over the years, including the hugely successful 1911 silent L’Inferno, but it’s about time for Hollywood to bastardize the otherworldly tale with lots of computer-generated visuals. Maybe you’re thinking that What Dreams Come already made some attempt at this, and it failed at the box office. Sure, but it was still an awesome spectacle of a film. Now, think of something similar starring Will Smith as Dante. And some rewrites to allow for more fight scenes (yes, even in Heaven). The poem will be divided into a trilogy of films, of course. 2. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Georges Méliès, the original visual-effects cinema showman, made the first adaptation of Swift’s satire, and a later version featured special effects from stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen. The last adaptation also had decent effects, at least for a TV miniseries, but it’s high time for a new big screen attempt, which shall employ all the latest effects innovations. And Will Ferrell. It should also have a more contemporary setting and lose all the allegory and commentary stuff. Nobody needs to be thinking about antiquated messages at the multiplex; they just want to watch giant people destroying little cities, pirate attacks and other straightforward spectacles. 3. Candide by Voltaire Similarly, Voltaire’s satire could be made into a more straightforward adventure through life’s calamities. And yet just by adhering to the basic plot, the main idea could still be communicated without making the audience think they’ve actually been made to think about it. It should probably be modernized, and it should probably star Shia LaBeouf. 4. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini I guess a modernization of this classic would seem like just any other movie about a man forced into hiding as an actor, and a more faithful adaptation would probably not feature a better swordfight than the one in MGM’s 1952 version. So, it should be reset in the future, should star James Franco, who is due for more action and more comedy, and be some kind of cross between Sister Act and Star Wars. 5. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles I’m picturing Nicolas Cage in yet another movie involving prophecies. Only in this one, he not only can’t avoid killing his father and mating with his mother, he also fails to save the world from an apocalypse. See, the movie is about how you can’t change your destiny, and it’s also about a lot of cool and disastrous destruction occurring at the film’s climax. 6. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Matt Damon is reunited with director Terry Gilliam for an absurd action movie that’s as much The Bourne Identity as it is The Metamorphosis. Damon plays Gregor, a man who wakes up one day to find he’s a giant bug. That’s about as far as Kafka’s story is retained. From there, he must go on the run while being chased by an organization of pest control operatives in an attempt to find out why he’s transformed and how he can return to human form. 7. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson I know, it’s been filmed a billion times, and it’s technically one of those books I wanted to exclude on account of its ease in becoming a blockbuster. But here’s the thing: it would be completely different this time, and I don’t mean because it will be set in space. That’s already been done. No, instead, thanks to the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the story of Jim Hawkins (Cameron Bright) and Long John Silver (Gerard Butler) will include some paranormal additions, courtesy of Hollywood’s idea of poetic license. 8. The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton I don’t know if this is still considered a classic, but as long as the adaptation of Robert Harris’ Pompeii book (which was once to be directed by Roman Polanski) is struggling to get made, now is the chance for some big producer to get a blockbuster made out of this book. And worse comes to worse, there ends up being competing Pompeii movies, which would fit in with the tradition of disaster movies anyway. 9. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain In a way, this movie will just be a combo of Trading Places and Face/Off, but it will have that more respectable title and a less respectable script. And Nic Cage can again play twins. 10. Don Quixote by Cervantes Many of cinema’s greatest filmmakers have had the ambition to make a great adaptation of Cervantes’ masterpiece. And now it’s time for Michael Bay to admit he’d also like to give it a try. And with a big enough budget, he’ll succeed, though it won’t exactly be faithful to the book. Instead it will be about a man (Nic Cage again) who’s seen too many action movies and so, with great delusions, takes it upon himself to become an action hero. I can’t wait to watch all those windmills explode! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/24/2008 5:00:59 PMYesterday I wrote of the news that Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov is helming an effects-heavy adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It’s not entirely shocking, but it does still seem like a cruel joke. More specifically, it sounds like something Jasper Fforde would jest about in his Thursday Next novels. Of course, the news came just as I’m in the middle of Fforde’s latest, First Among Sequels, in which Pride and Prejudice is turned into a reality TV show. Although I’m not exactly well read as far as literary classics go, I’ve been wondering what other revered books (particularly those in the public domain) could be reworked as potential summer blockbusters. Obviously, there are certain sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels that work, yet the fitting fictions of Verne, Wells, Burroughs, Dumas and others are already fodder for cheap movies with lots of action and/or special effects. Therefore, I’ve tried to limit my choices to those books that aren’t such easy candidates for a Memorial Day weekend opening. 1. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Dante’s epic poem has inspired a few films over the years, including the hugely successful 1911 silent L’Inferno, but it’s about time for Hollywood to bastardize the otherworldly tale with lots of computer-generated visuals. Maybe you’re thinking that What Dreams Come already made some attempt at this, and it failed at the box office. Sure, but it was still an awesome spectacle of a film. Now, think of something similar starring Will Smith as Dante. And some rewrites to allow for more fight scenes (yes, even in Heaven). The poem will be divided into a trilogy of films, of course. 2. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift Georges Méliès, the original visual-effects cinema showman, made the first adaptation of Swift’s satire, and a later version featured special effects from stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen. The last adaptation also had decent effects, at least for a TV miniseries, but it’s high time for a new big screen attempt, which shall employ all the latest effects innovations. And Will Ferrell. It should also have a more contemporary setting and lose all the allegory and commentary stuff. Nobody needs to be thinking about antiquated messages at the multiplex; they just want to watch giant people destroying little cities, pirate attacks and other straightforward spectacles. 3. Candide by Voltaire Similarly, Voltaire’s satire could be made into a more straightforward adventure through life’s calamities. And yet just by adhering to the basic plot, the main idea could still be communicated without making the audience think they’ve actually been made to think about it. It should probably be modernized, and it should probably star Shia LaBeouf. 4. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini I guess a modernization of this classic would seem like just any other movie about a man forced into hiding as an actor, and a more faithful adaptation would probably not feature a better swordfight than the one in MGM’s 1952 version. So, it should be reset in the future, should star James Franco, who is due for more action and more comedy, and be some kind of cross between Sister Act and Star Wars. 5. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles I’m picturing Nicolas Cage in yet another movie involving prophecies. Only in this one, he not only can’t avoid killing his father and mating with his mother, he also fails to save the world from an apocalypse. See, the movie is about how you can’t change your destiny, and it’s also about a lot of cool and disastrous destruction occurring at the film’s climax. 6. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Matt Damon is reunited with director Terry Gilliam for an absurd action movie that’s as much The Bourne Identity as it is The Metamorphosis. Damon plays Gregor, a man who wakes up one day to find he’s a giant bug. That’s about as far as Kafka’s story is retained. From there, he must go on the run while being chased by an organization of pest control operatives in an attempt to find out why he’s transformed and how he can return to human form. 7. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson I know, it’s been filmed a billion times, and it’s technically one of those books I wanted to exclude on account of its ease in becoming a blockbuster. But here’s the thing: it would be completely different this time, and I don’t mean because it will be set in space. That’s already been done. No, instead, thanks to the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the story of Jim Hawkins (Cameron Bright) and Long John Silver (Gerard Butler) will include some paranormal additions, courtesy of Hollywood’s idea of poetic license. 8. The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton I don’t know if this is still considered a classic, but as long as the adaptation of Robert Harris’ Pompeii book (which was once to be directed by Roman Polanski) is struggling to get made, now is the chance for some big producer to get a blockbuster made out of this book. And worse comes to worse, there ends up being competing Pompeii movies, which would fit in with the tradition of disaster movies anyway. 9. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain In a way, this movie will just be a combo of Trading Places and Face/Off, but it will have that more respectable title and a less respectable script. And Nic Cage can again play twins. 10. Don Quixote by Cervantes Many of cinema’s greatest filmmakers have had the ambition to make a great adaptation of Cervantes’ masterpiece. And now it’s time for Michael Bay to admit he’d also like to give it a try. And with a big enough budget, he’ll succeed, though it won’t exactly be faithful to the book. Instead it will be about a man (Nic Cage again) who’s seen too many action movies and so, with great delusions, takes it upon himself to become an action hero. I can’t wait to watch all those windmills explode! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Upcoming_Movies_Week_of_9_5/216/34631/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 9/1/2008 10:56:40 PM
Body: (Friday, September 5) Mister Foe -- (limited release) I'm looking forward to this one. Hallam Foe, played by Jaime Bell (Billy Elliot!) is a peeping tom looking for love on the rooftops of Edinburgh. The trailer makes this film look funny and invigorating and sad, like Juno's older, more mature Scottish cousin. Bangkok Dangerous -- This trailer shows Cage cutting off a guy's hand with a boat propellor. I can't decide if that's cool, funny, or neither. What do you guys think? If you're fans of Cage's older action flicks like The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air, does Bangkok Dangerous look worse? Or is it us that's changed, not the quality of Cage's movies? (I have a soft spot for The Rock myself, and I wonder if I'd ruin that by watching it again.) I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's seen the original Bangkok Dangerous (2000). Did you like it? Are you excited for the remake? Passengers -- Anne Hathaway, grief counselor, is assigned a group of plane crash survivors. Of course she falls for one of them (Patrick Wilson of Hard Candy and upcoming Watchmen) and it appears he's developed ESP. This looks like a mix between Fearless and Lost. My sixth sense says it's skippable. Ping Pong Playa -- (limited release) I like the tagline: "Don't just win. Destroy." The trailer leaves me undecided, though. A comedy about ping-pong and being Asian-American. Everybody Wants to Be Italian -- (limited release) Romantic comedy. A guy's obsessed with a girl who broke up with him 8 years ago. The guy's trying to impress another girl by pretending he's Italian. Could be charming, but I will never find out. Save Me -- (limited release) A gay man enters a religious rehabilitation facility. I read in New York Magazine that it avoids caricature, but it's boring visually and the story's nothing to write home about. Some sources out there are saying Ballast will be released Sept. 4 or 5. To the best of my knowledge, it's not being released until October 1. Anyway, in case it does come out: Ballast -- (limited release) An ex-addict, her 12-year old son, and her brother-in-law (who recently failed a suicide attempt) all realize how helpless they are on their own. Together, they try to become the community that each one of them needs. SpoutBlog writer Karina Longworth reviewed it when it was at Sundance. Director Lance Hammer said in an interview with FilmCouch that he filmed Ballast in the Mississippi Delta because he "fell in love" with the Delta's sadness and authenticity. Two movies I can think of that were filmed in the Delta are also filled with sadness and authenticity. They're the blues documentaries Deep Blues and You See Me Laughin.
]]>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:56:40 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon9/1/2008 10:56:40 PM (Friday, September 5) Mister Foe -- (limited release) I'm looking forward to this one. Hallam Foe, played by Jaime Bell (Billy Elliot!) is a peeping tom looking for love on the rooftops of Edinburgh. The trailer makes this film look funny and invigorating and sad, like Juno's older, more mature Scottish cousin. Bangkok Dangerous -- This trailer shows Cage cutting off a guy's hand with a boat propellor. I can't decide if that's cool, funny, or neither. What do you guys think? If you're fans of Cage's older action flicks like The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air, does Bangkok Dangerous look worse? Or is it us that's changed, not the quality of Cage's movies? (I have a soft spot for The Rock myself, and I wonder if I'd ruin that by watching it again.) I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's seen the original Bangkok Dangerous (2000). Did you like it? Are you excited for the remake? Passengers -- Anne Hathaway, grief counselor, is assigned a group of plane crash survivors. Of course she falls for one of them (Patrick Wilson of Hard Candy and upcoming Watchmen) and it appears he's developed ESP. This looks like a mix between Fearless and Lost. My sixth sense says it's skippable. Ping Pong Playa -- (limited release) I like the tagline: "Don't just win. Destroy." The trailer leaves me undecided, though. A comedy about ping-pong and being Asian-American. Everybody Wants to Be Italian -- (limited release) Romantic comedy. A guy's obsessed with a girl who broke up with him 8 years ago. The guy's trying to impress another girl by pretending he's Italian. Could be charming, but I will never find out. Save Me -- (limited release) A gay man enters a religious rehabilitation facility. I read in New York Magazine that it avoids caricature, but it's boring visually and the story's nothing to write home about. Some sources out there are saying Ballast will be released Sept. 4 or 5. To the best of my knowledge, it's not being released until October 1. Anyway, in case it does come out: Ballast -- (limited release) An ex-addict, her 12-year old son, and her brother-in-law (who recently failed a suicide attempt) all realize how helpless they are on their own. Together, they try to become the community that each one of them needs. SpoutBlog writer Karina Longworth reviewed it when it was at Sundance. Director Lance Hammer said in an interview with FilmCouch that he filmed Ballast in the Mississippi Delta because he "fell in love" with the Delta's sadness and authenticity. Two movies I can think of that were filmed in the Delta are also filled with sadness and authenticity. They're the blues documentaries Deep Blues and You See Me Laughin. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/5/27/30039.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 5/27/2008 5:00:34 PM
Body: Speaking of Jean-Claude Van Damme, it’s been a long 15 years since John Woo came to America to direct the Muscles from Brussels in Hard Target, and I’m ready for the action auteur’s return to Chinese cinema already. In the last decade and a half, Woo has delivered some embarrassing work while in Hollywood (I know, except for Face/Off, we all agree). But now he’s back with Red Cliff, an epic Chinese film costing about $80 million, which makes it the most expensive Asian-financed film ever. The film, which takes place in the 3rd century (China’s Three Kingdoms period), was partially brought to the Cannes film market, where more than 8 minutes were shown to buyers. And now, courtesy of Trailer Addict, we get to see a bootleg of the reel (visit the site for a much bigger version). Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell if it’s actually going to be worth the wait and the money (this past weekend showed us, with the release of The Children of Huang Shi, that not all China-set epics are good). Nevertheless, it is interesting and exciting to see what Woo has been doing back on his native soil. And who doesn’t enjoy watching Tony Leung over Ben Affleck? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 27 May 2008 21:00:34 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com5/27/2008 5:00:34 PM Speaking of Jean-Claude Van Damme, it’s been a long 15 years since John Woo came to America to direct the Muscles from Brussels in Hard Target, and I’m ready for the action auteur’s return to Chinese cinema already. In the last decade and a half, Woo has delivered some embarrassing work while in Hollywood (I know, except for Face/Off, we all agree). But now he’s back with Red Cliff, an epic Chinese film costing about $80 million, which makes it the most expensive Asian-financed film ever. The film, which takes place in the 3rd century (China’s Three Kingdoms period), was partially brought to the Cannes film market, where more than 8 minutes were shown to buyers. And now, courtesy of Trailer Addict, we get to see a bootleg of the reel (visit the site for a much bigger version). Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell if it’s actually going to be worth the wait and the money (this past weekend showed us, with the release of The Children of Huang Shi, that not all China-set epics are good). Nevertheless, it is interesting and exciting to see what Woo has been doing back on his native soil. And who doesn’t enjoy watching Tony Leung over Ben Affleck? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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