list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Being John Malkovich 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/Being_John_Malkovich/135033/default.aspx Title: Being John Malkovich
Year: 1999
Director: Spike Jonze
Plot: Would you pay money to journey into the mind of the star of Con Air, The Killing Fields, and In The Line of Fire? Puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is having money problems, so he takes a temporary job as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a large office building. One day, while rummaging behind a cabinet, he finds a small door that leads to the center of the mind of actor John Malkovich (played by, you guessed it, John Malkovich). Craig discovers that entering the portal allows him to become John Malkovich for a brief spell, and in time he and his beautiful but aloof co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener) get the bright idea to charge admission for the privilege of spending 15 minutes inside the head of a well-known actor. Malkovich realizes that something strange is happening to him, but can do little to stop it, as strangers take over his mind for a quarter-hour at a time. Craig's wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz) eventually takes a trip into Malkovich's psyche, and she soon finds herself in love with Maxine, with whom Malkovich has an affair; meanwhile, Maxine in time becomes infatuated with both Craig and Lotte, but only when they're inside Malkovich. Being John Malkovich marked the feature-length debut of director Spike Jonze, who previously made acclaimed music videos for Weezer, The Beastie Boys, and The Breeders, among others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 95
Number of Lists: 140
Number of blog posts: 13
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:39:49 GMTBeing John Malkovich1999Spike JonzeWould you pay money to journey into the mind of the star of <a href=/films/111011/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Con Air</a>, <a href=/films/18918/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Killing Fields</a>, and <a href=/films/16924/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>In The Line of Fire</a>? Puppeteer Craig Schwartz (<a href="/players/P____16329/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Cusack</a>) is having money problems, so he takes a temporary job as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a large office building. One day, while rummaging behind a cabinet, he finds a small door that leads to the center of the mind of actor John Malkovich (played by, you guessed it, <a href="/players/P____44846/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Malkovich</a>). Craig discovers that entering the portal allows him to become John Malkovich for a brief spell, and in time he and his beautiful but aloof co-worker Maxine (<a href="/players/P____37341/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Catherine Keener</a>) get the bright idea to charge admission for the privilege of spending 15 minutes inside the head of a well-known actor. Malkovich realizes that something strange is happening to him, but can do little to stop it, as strangers take over his mind for a quarter-hour at a time. Craig's wife Lotte (<a href="/players/P___195733/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Cameron Diaz</a>) eventually takes a trip into Malkovich's psyche, and she soon finds herself in love with Maxine, with whom Malkovich has an affair; meanwhile, Maxine in time becomes infatuated with both Craig and Lotte, but only when they're inside Malkovich. Being John Malkovich marked the feature-length debut of director <a href="/players/P___263616/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Spike Jonze</a>, who previously made acclaimed music videos for Weezer, The Beastie Boys, and The Breeders, among others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide95Tag Target (>10)1401364http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u34965xcch3.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Being_John_Malkovich/135033/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_June_15_That_s_So_Gay/625/42689/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 6/17/2009 2:13:33 PM
Body: Since I picked another winner of discussion this week, I guess it's up to me to try and add something more to this post. My last post focused more on the men, I'll focus on the ladies this time around. I haven't had a chance to see Bound yet but that remains the first movie that comes to mind when I think lesbians on film. Maybe that will change when I finally see it. I was completely unaware that it was a Wachowski brothers movies until a few years ago. Side note, now that one of the Wachowski's is making the transition to be a woman, I guess they are going to have to drop the brothers from their future movies. The Wachowski's also touched on lesbianism in V for Vendetta with the story of the lesbian couple that falls victim to the governments hypocrisy and is jailed for their love of each other. I liked the twisted lesbian relationship of Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener in Being John Malkovich. Cameron inhabiting John's body to have sex with Catherine's character. Crazy. I love The Hours even though Meryl Streep and Allison Janney as the falling out of love couple was the weakest part of the film. Of course we can't forget Mulholland Dr. and the reason most people saw the film: Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. For those still not in the know, she was in fact a lesbian and most of the film was her masturbatorial fantasy. Thank you David Lynch! Charlize Theron got her Oscar for depicting a fugly serial killer lesbian attracted to the always adorable Christina Ricci in Monster. The rampant lesbianism in Desperate Living is something to be seen. Disturbing and traumatic, just as a John Waters film should be. Anna Faris played a seductive lesbian in the creepy May. I still can't look at Angela Bettis without seeing her with that creepy lazy eye. I'll always love Reese Witherspoon for played a jacked up Little Red Riding Hood in Freeway. The hilariously perverse pseudo sex scene with her and Brittany Murphy in priceless. Lastly, Kissing Jessica Stein was a really funny, adorable romantic comedy about lesbians, or rather a lesbian and a bisexual. Heartfelt and just a really simple, great movie.
]]>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:13:33 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme6/17/2009 2:13:33 PMSince I picked another winner of discussion this week, I guess it's up to me to try and add something more to this post. My last post focused more on the men, I'll focus on the ladies this time around. I haven't had a chance to see Bound yet but that remains the first movie that comes to mind when I think lesbians on film. Maybe that will change when I finally see it. I was completely unaware that it was a Wachowski brothers movies until a few years ago. Side note, now that one of the Wachowski's is making the transition to be a woman, I guess they are going to have to drop the brothers from their future movies. The Wachowski's also touched on lesbianism in V for Vendetta with the story of the lesbian couple that falls victim to the governments hypocrisy and is jailed for their love of each other. I liked the twisted lesbian relationship of Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener in Being John Malkovich. Cameron inhabiting John's body to have sex with Catherine's character. Crazy. I love The Hours even though Meryl Streep and Allison Janney as the falling out of love couple was the weakest part of the film. Of course we can't forget Mulholland Dr. and the reason most people saw the film: Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. For those still not in the know, she was in fact a lesbian and most of the film was her masturbatorial fantasy. Thank you David Lynch! Charlize Theron got her Oscar for depicting a fugly serial killer lesbian attracted to the always adorable Christina Ricci in Monster. The rampant lesbianism in Desperate Living is something to be seen. Disturbing and traumatic, just as a John Waters film should be. Anna Faris played a seductive lesbian in the creepy May. I still can't look at Angela Bettis without seeing her with that creepy lazy eye. I'll always love Reese Witherspoon for played a jacked up Little Red Riding Hood in Freeway. The hilariously perverse pseudo sex scene with her and Brittany Murphy in priceless. Lastly, Kissing Jessica Stein was a really funny, adorable romantic comedy about lesbians, or rather a lesbian and a bisexual. Heartfelt and just a really simple, great movie. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2009/1/14/39536.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 1/14/2009 3:30:41 PM
Body: This is the part of my blog that I pick a director and take a few minutes to examine his career. This month I will take a look a one of Hollywood's coolest people, Spike Jonze. Why?? Because I said so. Spike started his career in the skateboarding industry shooting promotional skate vids. Later, he would co-found Girl Skateboard with Rick Howard. He went on to raise the artistic bar when it came to traditional skate videos with one he directed called Mouse. Here is an clip which features pro skater, Eric Koston as Charlie Chaplin in a moment of discovery. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ His most recent video for Lakai shoes was titled Fully Flared. Here is by far the coolest intro to a skate video ever. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ He has also had a very accomplished career as a music video director. His work with The Beastie Boys, Bjork and Fatboy Slim has been critically acclaimed. Everyone remembers the Beastie Boys' "Sabatoge" video and who could forget Christopher Walken's dance moves in the hotel lobby in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" His most popular video may still be the amature dance recital for Fatboy Slim's "Praise You" video. My personal favorite is this gem from the mid-90s. Remember that Jack Johnson video a couple of years ago that featured him singing the entire song backwards. Well, it had allready been done. Here's Spike's video for The Pharcyde's "Drop" ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ OK, enough of this. I'm a movie guy, let's get onto his film career. In 1998 he made his first full-lenth feature, Being John Malkovich. This film featured John Cusack, Catherine Keener, Cameron Diaz and of course John Malkovich. More importantly, it featured an incredible screenplay by writer Charlie Kaufman about a secret portal into the mind and soul of a New York actor. This combined with the semi-surrealistic camera style of Jonze created an incredibly memorable film. I recall watching this film and thinking that I had never seen a concept as inventative as this one. A few years later, Jonze and Kaufman would colaborate again in 2002's Adaptation. I recall reading the synopsis of this movie when it was still in post-production and thinking that it had to be the most original concept for a movie since Being John Malkovich. This is a movie... about a screenwriter, writing a screenplay.... for the movie that you are currently watching, which is supposed to be an adaptation of a popular book. Charlie Kauafman played by Nicolas Cage is the film's main character. In one of it's most brilliant moments, Kaufman reveals to his twin brother (also played by Cage), "I've written myself into the movie." Jonze's direction was spot on in this one. It was much more of a strait shot film than BJM because most of the trickery lied within the script. Spike is currently working on an adaptation of the super-popular, Where The Wild Things Are. The screenplay was co-written by himself and first-time screenwriter, David Eggers. This is going to be a live action version of a short story. The news I've read about it is very concerning. Apparently, the attempt to animate the character's mouths onto the film is proving very technically difficult. I even read somewhere that Warner Bros. may be asking for a complete reshoot. A move that would more than likely kill the project entirely. Here is a leaked test shoot of the film. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ I really hope this one gets released. I think it's got great potential to be, if nothing else, a very fun movie.
]]>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:30:41 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog1/14/2009 3:30:41 PMThis is the part of my blog that I pick a director and take a few minutes to examine his career. This month I will take a look a one of Hollywood's coolest people, Spike Jonze. Why?? Because I said so. Spike started his career in the skateboarding industry shooting promotional skate vids. Later, he would co-found Girl Skateboard with Rick Howard. He went on to raise the artistic bar when it came to traditional skate videos with one he directed called Mouse. Here is an clip which features pro skater, Eric Koston as Charlie Chaplin in a moment of discovery. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ His most recent video for Lakai shoes was titled Fully Flared. Here is by far the coolest intro to a skate video ever. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ He has also had a very accomplished career as a music video director. His work with The Beastie Boys, Bjork and Fatboy Slim has been critically acclaimed. Everyone remembers the Beastie Boys' "Sabatoge" video and who could forget Christopher Walken's dance moves in the hotel lobby in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" His most popular video may still be the amature dance recital for Fatboy Slim's "Praise You" video. My personal favorite is this gem from the mid-90s. Remember that Jack Johnson video a couple of years ago that featured him singing the entire song backwards. Well, it had allready been done. Here's Spike's video for The Pharcyde's "Drop" ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ OK, enough of this. I'm a movie guy, let's get onto his film career. In 1998 he made his first full-lenth feature, Being John Malkovich. This film featured John Cusack, Catherine Keener, Cameron Diaz and of course John Malkovich. More importantly, it featured an incredible screenplay by writer Charlie Kaufman about a secret portal into the mind and soul of a New York actor. This combined with the semi-surrealistic camera style of Jonze created an incredibly memorable film. I recall watching this film and thinking that I had never seen a concept as inventative as this one. A few years later, Jonze and Kaufman would colaborate again in 2002's Adaptation. I recall reading the synopsis of this movie when it was still in post-production and thinking that it had to be the most original concept for a movie since Being John Malkovich. This is a movie... about a screenwriter, writing a screenplay.... for the movie that you are currently watching, which is supposed to be an adaptation of a popular book. Charlie Kauafman played by Nicolas Cage is the film's main character. In one of it's most brilliant moments, Kaufman reveals to his twin brother (also played by Cage), "I've written myself into the movie." Jonze's direction was spot on in this one. It was much more of a strait shot film than BJM because most of the trickery lied within the script. Spike is currently working on an adaptation of the super-popular, Where The Wild Things Are. The screenplay was co-written by himself and first-time screenwriter, David Eggers. This is going to be a live action version of a short story. The news I've read about it is very concerning. Apparently, the attempt to animate the character's mouths onto the film is proving very technically difficult. I even read somewhere that Warner Bros. may be asking for a complete reshoot. A move that would more than likely kill the project entirely. Here is a leaked test shoot of the film. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ I really hope this one gets released. I think it's got great potential to be, if nothing else, a very fun movie. http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/11/29/37751.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 11/29/2008 9:09:13 PM
Body: Pity the poor action hero. Like supermodels, they have a relatively short shelf life and attempts at prolonging their career seldom end well (for every “Rocky Balboa,” Stallone's had a dozen “Avenging Angelos.”) And for those who fail to break into that top tier, there is increasingly less room on the video store shelves filled with younger, hungrier (and less expensive) stars ready to roundhouse their way to a paycheck. Or they resort to pimping out their brawn to comedy, hoping to appear 'in on the joke' of their indestructibility. Few have made it back from this tragic mistake unscathed. Jean-Claude Van Damme has always inhabited this level of the action stratosphere, only briefly flirting with success in the early 90s. He's now a few years shy of receiving an AARP membership, and his stuntwork may require a longer recovery time (possibly aided with prescription medications). So mentioning the latest Van Damme release in this column may be met with indifference, 'JCVD' is aiming more for the arthouse than the grindhouse crowd. Playing a destitute, washed-up action star named Jean Claude van Damme, the actor finds himself involved in the middle of a bank heist/hostage situation right out of one of his films. It is here he faces his nemeses both external and internal. As “JCVD” opens, the actor is going through the action-movie motions, twirling and pummeling as he's done so many times before. But the second the director yells 'cut', his real battles begin. He's on the losing end of an ugly custody struggle (in one of the many funny moments, the prosecuting attorney enters Van Damme's entire filmography as evidence to him being an unfit father). Work-wise, he's just lost an action gig to rival C-lister Steven Segal, who promised to lop off his trademarked ponytail for the role. When he accidentally stumbles into a hostage scenario while trying to withdraw from his dwindling bank account, action movie laws would have it that he find creative ways to crunch skulls and save the day. But this is where “JCVD” takes a wild turn into meta comedy that does not let the actor shy away from some of the uglier sides of his quasi-fame. It plays out like some unholy union of the Muscles from Brussels and Charlie (“Being John Mallkovich”) Kauffman. Throughout, director co-writer Mabrouk El Mechri brandishes artistic flourishes that exist almost solely to remind his viewers they are not watching a typical Van Damme opus. They can grow tiresome at times (ok, we get that you're a fan of overhead mood lighting. Must it saturate every scene?) But Van Damme himself (never one noted for his nuance) keeps us interested. And just when the film itself starts to stretch thin, he delivers a monologue so achingly personal ( and most likely, accurate), that it's impossible to turn away. It's as though the star shows us his scabs inflicted not on camera, but off. Then proceeds to pick at them right before our eyes. It's both uncomfortable and compelling. Mickey Rourke is currently being buzzed about for his self-referential role in “The Wrestler,” which I have yet to see, but Van Damme deserves the same adoration here (I can't believe I'm actually typing this) for his mesmerizing soliloquy on his fame and infamy. The film itself can veer off into the mundane, but its star has allowed us further into his celebrity psyche than perhaps any other. Not bad for a man whose resume includes him playing kickboxingtwins twice as well as co-starring with Dennis Rodman and Rob Schneider.
]]>Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:09:13 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog11/29/2008 9:09:13 PMPity the poor action hero. Like supermodels, they have a relatively short shelf life and attempts at prolonging their career seldom end well (for every &ldquo;Rocky Balboa,&rdquo; Stallone's had a dozen &ldquo;Avenging Angelos.&rdquo;) And for those who fail to break into that top tier, there is increasingly less room on the video store shelves filled with younger, hungrier (and less expensive) stars ready to roundhouse their way to a paycheck. Or they resort to pimping out their brawn to comedy, hoping to appear 'in on the joke' of their indestructibility. Few have made it back from this tragic mistake unscathed. Jean-Claude Van Damme has always inhabited this level of the action stratosphere, only briefly flirting with success in the early 90s. He's now a few years shy of receiving an AARP membership, and his stuntwork may require a longer recovery time (possibly aided with prescription medications). So mentioning the latest Van Damme release in this column may be met with indifference, 'JCVD' is aiming more for the arthouse than the grindhouse crowd. Playing a destitute, washed-up action star named Jean Claude van Damme, the actor finds himself involved in the middle of a bank heist/hostage situation right out of one of his films. It is here he faces his nemeses both external and internal. As &ldquo;JCVD&rdquo; opens, the actor is going through the action-movie motions, twirling and pummeling as he's done so many times before. But the second the director yells 'cut', his real battles begin. He's on the losing end of an ugly custody struggle (in one of the many funny moments, the prosecuting attorney enters Van Damme's entire filmography as evidence to him being an unfit father). Work-wise, he's just lost an action gig to rival C-lister Steven Segal, who promised to lop off his trademarked ponytail for the role. When he accidentally stumbles into a hostage scenario while trying to withdraw from his dwindling bank account, action movie laws would have it that he find creative ways to crunch skulls and save the day. But this is where &ldquo;JCVD&rdquo; takes a wild turn into meta comedy that does not let the actor shy away from some of the uglier sides of his quasi-fame. It plays out like some unholy union of the Muscles from Brussels and Charlie (&ldquo;Being John Mallkovich&rdquo;) Kauffman. Throughout, director co-writer Mabrouk El Mechri brandishes artistic flourishes that exist almost solely to remind his viewers they are not watching a typical Van Damme opus. They can grow tiresome at times (ok, we get that you're a fan of overhead mood lighting. Must it saturate every scene?) But Van Damme himself (never one noted for his nuance) keeps us interested. And just when the film itself starts to stretch thin, he delivers a monologue so achingly personal ( and most likely, accurate), that it's impossible to turn away. It's as though the star shows us his scabs inflicted not on camera, but off. Then proceeds to pick at them right before our eyes. It's both uncomfortable and compelling. Mickey Rourke is currently being buzzed about for his self-referential role in &ldquo;The Wrestler,&rdquo; which I have yet to see, but Van Damme deserves the same adoration here (I can't believe I'm actually typing this) for his mesmerizing soliloquy on his fame and infamy. The film itself can veer off into the mundane, but its star has allowed us further into his celebrity psyche than perhaps any other. Not bad for a man whose resume includes him playing kickboxingtwins twice as well as co-starring with Dennis Rodman and Rob Schneider. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/7/33699.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/7/2008 2:00:31 PM
Body: We’re less than a week away from the release of Tropic Thunder, and as the reviews and puff pieces make their way onto the web, there’s one thing clearly uniting the media’s coverage: talk of Tom Cruise’s appearance in a small role as a Hollywood studio boss. Everyone seems to agree that he steals the show and that his performance — or the joke surrounding it — is one of the comedy’s major highlights, if not the actual best part. Of course, we can expect a good cameo from Cruise every now and then. He showed up for a bit part in Young Guns and played himself as playing “Austin Powers” in Austin Powers in Goldmember. But from what it sounds like, his role in Tropic Thunder is featured for longer than might qualify as a cameo. Some are regardless referring to the performance as an “extended cameo”, and in theory it certainly fits in with the huge crop of so-called “ironic cameos” that have become popular in movies and TV in the last ten years. Still, despite my not having yet seen the movie, I’m thinking that Tom Cruise’s involvement in Tropic Thunder is more like the following list, which consists of merely small roles filled by big stars. You might consider some of them to be technically cameos, especially the ones that aren’t integral to the plot and/or call attention to themselves. But with each of the roles I’ve included, I consider them to be either the best part of their respective movies or at least a major highlight, which is how Cruise’s appearance is being touted. Anyway, forgive me for trying to come up with something different than simply a best cameo list, even if the focus here seems less than clear. 10. Marlon Brando as “Jor-El” in Superman - He was probably paid too much for the part, especially if all the trivia surrounding his involvement (reading his lines off baby Superman’s diaper; desiring that only his voice be used; demanding to be paid double if any footage was to be used in the sequel) is true, but it’s pretty cool having Brando appear at the beginning of what I still consider to be the best superhero comic book adaptation of all time (sorry Dark Knight fans). He’s not the best thing about the movie, but he’s an immediate highlight. As for his payment (reportedly $3.7 million), Warner Bros. has leveled out his worth a little by featuring him in the Donner cut of Superman II and in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns — a movie that also creatively employs Brando’s On the Waterfront costar Eva Marie Saint appropriately as Superman’s adopted mother. 9. Drew Barrymore as “Casey Becker” in Scream - Having your biggest star killed in the opening scene is kinda like having your best action sequence at the head of the movie (a la Bad Boys II), but fortunately the rest of the first Scream is pretty good, and Barrymore’s (don’t call it a cameo) part doesn’t overshadow the movie too much. In a way, since this wasn’t a sequel yet the movie was a bit of a parody of all slasher movies, the familiarity of Becker’s face could be taken to be akin to how, often, horror sequels begin by killing off the heroine of the previous installment in the first few minutes. 8. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Prince Hapi” in Around the World in 80 Days - There isn’t much to enjoy about Frank Coraci’s 2004 version of the Jules Verne tale, especially since there appears to be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of guest appearances (Wikipedia counts 45 “cameos” in the 1956 version; I count maybe 10 that could be considered “cameos” in the newer movie). Therefore, Schwarzenegger’s hilarious appearance as a lecherous Turkish prince — one of his last roles filmed before becoming Governor of California — is one of the few highlights, if not the sole highlight (personally, I enjoy Jackie Chan in anything, and I liked more of this movie than most people did). The role is especially funny and creepy if you’ve ever seen that old footage of Schwarzenegger being sleazy at Carnival in Rio. 7. Orson Welles as “Unicron” in Transformers: The Movie - Welles’ voice had been overpowering in films before — he had a good side career going throughout his life as a narrator — but considering this was ridiculously his final performance and considering he easily overshadowed his fellow celebrity voice lenders (including otherwise commanding vocal talents Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Casey Kasem), his part completely dominates the movie, both diegetically and extradiegetically. 6. Bruce Willis as “Harry Rydell” in Fast Food Nation - Far and away the only good part of Richard Linklater’s botched attempt to dramatize Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction classic (I consider the book a kind of bible since it inspired me to give up fast food and subsequently lose 60lbs., so it pains me even more to think about Schlosser being a co-writer and producer of the movie), and not just because of his oft-quoted line about how we all have to eat a little shit from time to time. His whole characterization of the cynical meat supplier is brilliant, enough that he unfortunately makes the rest of the movie play even less interesting that it already is. 5. Charlie Sheen as “Charlie” in Being John Malkovich - I wanted to stay away from roles in which actors play themselves, mainly because that’s a big percentage of the ironic cameo stuff that’s so overused these days. However, Sheen’s part here is a little more than a mere cameo. And it’s kind of an ironic parody of the ironic cameo, even as it predates a lot of these cameos in Entourage and Extras and the like (by crediting the role as “Charlie” rather than “as himself”, it’s also a precursor to the more exaggerated than exaggerated “Neil Patrick Harris” character of the Harold and Kumar films). Perhaps intended to redirect the audience’s perspective on John Malkovich’s titular character, which is up until Sheen’s entrance possibly accepted as an authentic self-portrayal, the overstatement of the role raises the already ingeniously funny film up another notch to put it at the level of best comedies ever made. 4. Matt Damon as “Donny” in Eurotrip - I’ve actually never seen Eurotrip, but I hear there’s no reason to watch it other than to see Damon’s bit role as the singer of a pop punk band (the otherwise real Lustra). And I’ve seen that on YouTube, so I’m good. Even more than Cruise and some of the others, Damon seems to love doing guest stints in movies and on TV (he’s also given us the only reasons to ever watch Jimmy Kimmel). Some of his other small roles and cameos can be found in Youth Without Youth, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Finding Forrester, Jersey Girl and The Majestic (the last in voice only). 3. Sean Connery as “King Richard” in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - After making us suffer through Kevin Costner’s terrible performance in the lead role, the producers of this disappointing version of the classic legend actually rub it in how bad their casting choice was by sneaking Connery in at the last minute. Of course, despite the way his appearance increases our dissatisfaction with the rest of the movie, he’s still the highlight. Especially since he’s immediately followed by that awful Bryan Adams song playing over the credits. 2. Alec Baldwin as “Blake” in Glengarry Glen Ross - Sure, the rest of the film is really good, mostly because of the stellar cast filling out the rest of the ensemble, but the first thing you remember about this David Mamet adaptation is Baldwin’s monologue. It’s good enough that I almost also included on this list the Blake-inspired character from Boiler Room as played by Ben Affleck. But it’s also too good to actually accept Affleck’s ripoff as being in the same league. 1. Gene Hackman as “Blindman” in Young Frankenstein - I’m in the minority as far as my appreciation of Mel Brooks’ parody of James Whale’s Frankenstein films. I think it’s really funny, but I don’t think it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yet the few minutes that Hackman is on screen always leave me in tears, enough that I wholeheartedly accept the movie’s status as one of the greatest comedies ever made. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:00:31 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/7/2008 2:00:31 PMWe’re less than a week away from the release of Tropic Thunder, and as the reviews and puff pieces make their way onto the web, there’s one thing clearly uniting the media’s coverage: talk of Tom Cruise’s appearance in a small role as a Hollywood studio boss. Everyone seems to agree that he steals the show and that his performance — or the joke surrounding it — is one of the comedy’s major highlights, if not the actual best part. Of course, we can expect a good cameo from Cruise every now and then. He showed up for a bit part in Young Guns and played himself as playing “Austin Powers” in Austin Powers in Goldmember. But from what it sounds like, his role in Tropic Thunder is featured for longer than might qualify as a cameo. Some are regardless referring to the performance as an “extended cameo”, and in theory it certainly fits in with the huge crop of so-called “ironic cameos” that have become popular in movies and TV in the last ten years. Still, despite my not having yet seen the movie, I’m thinking that Tom Cruise’s involvement in Tropic Thunder is more like the following list, which consists of merely small roles filled by big stars. You might consider some of them to be technically cameos, especially the ones that aren’t integral to the plot and/or call attention to themselves. But with each of the roles I’ve included, I consider them to be either the best part of their respective movies or at least a major highlight, which is how Cruise’s appearance is being touted. Anyway, forgive me for trying to come up with something different than simply a best cameo list, even if the focus here seems less than clear. 10. Marlon Brando as “Jor-El” in Superman - He was probably paid too much for the part, especially if all the trivia surrounding his involvement (reading his lines off baby Superman’s diaper; desiring that only his voice be used; demanding to be paid double if any footage was to be used in the sequel) is true, but it’s pretty cool having Brando appear at the beginning of what I still consider to be the best superhero comic book adaptation of all time (sorry Dark Knight fans). He’s not the best thing about the movie, but he’s an immediate highlight. As for his payment (reportedly $3.7 million), Warner Bros. has leveled out his worth a little by featuring him in the Donner cut of Superman II and in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns — a movie that also creatively employs Brando’s On the Waterfront costar Eva Marie Saint appropriately as Superman’s adopted mother. 9. Drew Barrymore as “Casey Becker” in Scream - Having your biggest star killed in the opening scene is kinda like having your best action sequence at the head of the movie (a la Bad Boys II), but fortunately the rest of the first Scream is pretty good, and Barrymore’s (don’t call it a cameo) part doesn’t overshadow the movie too much. In a way, since this wasn’t a sequel yet the movie was a bit of a parody of all slasher movies, the familiarity of Becker’s face could be taken to be akin to how, often, horror sequels begin by killing off the heroine of the previous installment in the first few minutes. 8. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Prince Hapi” in Around the World in 80 Days - There isn’t much to enjoy about Frank Coraci’s 2004 version of the Jules Verne tale, especially since there appears to be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of guest appearances (Wikipedia counts 45 “cameos” in the 1956 version; I count maybe 10 that could be considered “cameos” in the newer movie). Therefore, Schwarzenegger’s hilarious appearance as a lecherous Turkish prince — one of his last roles filmed before becoming Governor of California — is one of the few highlights, if not the sole highlight (personally, I enjoy Jackie Chan in anything, and I liked more of this movie than most people did). The role is especially funny and creepy if you’ve ever seen that old footage of Schwarzenegger being sleazy at Carnival in Rio. 7. Orson Welles as “Unicron” in Transformers: The Movie - Welles’ voice had been overpowering in films before — he had a good side career going throughout his life as a narrator — but considering this was ridiculously his final performance and considering he easily overshadowed his fellow celebrity voice lenders (including otherwise commanding vocal talents Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Casey Kasem), his part completely dominates the movie, both diegetically and extradiegetically. 6. Bruce Willis as “Harry Rydell” in Fast Food Nation - Far and away the only good part of Richard Linklater’s botched attempt to dramatize Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction classic (I consider the book a kind of bible since it inspired me to give up fast food and subsequently lose 60lbs., so it pains me even more to think about Schlosser being a co-writer and producer of the movie), and not just because of his oft-quoted line about how we all have to eat a little shit from time to time. His whole characterization of the cynical meat supplier is brilliant, enough that he unfortunately makes the rest of the movie play even less interesting that it already is. 5. Charlie Sheen as “Charlie” in Being John Malkovich - I wanted to stay away from roles in which actors play themselves, mainly because that’s a big percentage of the ironic cameo stuff that’s so overused these days. However, Sheen’s part here is a little more than a mere cameo. And it’s kind of an ironic parody of the ironic cameo, even as it predates a lot of these cameos in Entourage and Extras and the like (by crediting the role as “Charlie” rather than “as himself”, it’s also a precursor to the more exaggerated than exaggerated “Neil Patrick Harris” character of the Harold and Kumar films). Perhaps intended to redirect the audience’s perspective on John Malkovich’s titular character, which is up until Sheen’s entrance possibly accepted as an authentic self-portrayal, the overstatement of the role raises the already ingeniously funny film up another notch to put it at the level of best comedies ever made. 4. Matt Damon as “Donny” in Eurotrip - I’ve actually never seen Eurotrip, but I hear there’s no reason to watch it other than to see Damon’s bit role as the singer of a pop punk band (the otherwise real Lustra). And I’ve seen that on YouTube, so I’m good. Even more than Cruise and some of the others, Damon seems to love doing guest stints in movies and on TV (he’s also given us the only reasons to ever watch Jimmy Kimmel). Some of his other small roles and cameos can be found in Youth Without Youth, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Finding Forrester, Jersey Girl and The Majestic (the last in voice only). 3. Sean Connery as “King Richard” in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - After making us suffer through Kevin Costner’s terrible performance in the lead role, the producers of this disappointing version of the classic legend actually rub it in how bad their casting choice was by sneaking Connery in at the last minute. Of course, despite the way his appearance increases our dissatisfaction with the rest of the movie, he’s still the highlight. Especially since he’s immediately followed by that awful Bryan Adams song playing over the credits. 2. Alec Baldwin as “Blake” in Glengarry Glen Ross - Sure, the rest of the film is really good, mostly because of the stellar cast filling out the rest of the ensemble, but the first thing you remember about this David Mamet adaptation is Baldwin’s monologue. It’s good enough that I almost also included on this list the Blake-inspired character from Boiler Room as played by Ben Affleck. But it’s also too good to actually accept Affleck’s ripoff as being in the same league. 1. Gene Hackman as “Blindman” in Young Frankenstein - I’m in the minority as far as my appreciation of Mel Brooks’ parody of James Whale’s Frankenstein films. I think it’s really funny, but I don’t think it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yet the few minutes that Hackman is on screen always leave me in tears, enough that I wholeheartedly accept the movie’s status as one of the greatest comedies ever made. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_29_Locked_Up/625/33362/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/31/2008 8:27:07 PM
Body: Well, one of my favorites has to be Dogville and the relentless imprisonment that Nicole Kidman's character must endure. However, not too many people tend to like that film. The Matrix et al is pretty much about the human race trying to escape being imprisoned. Similarly, Cube is all about a random group of people trying to escape a monstrous Rubik's Cube full of booby traps. The Silence of the Lambs is fantastic in the way it gets you to almost root for the cannibalistic imprisoned serial killer to escape his plate glass jail cell. And within the past few years there have been all of the Saw movies which everyone knows about. Some from my youth that scared the crap out of me are Flowers in the Attic, The People Under the Stairs, Carrie and The Goonies. All films about sick and twisted parental figures locking their children in various small, dank rooms of their house. An American Crime, with poor little Juno getting brutalized in a basement by all the neighborhood children and caretaker, could also go into this category. Lastly there are all those flicks about escapes one's self. Fight Club with Edward Norton's character trying to escape the entrapments of his own alter ego. Max in Pi ultimately resorting to extreme measures to release himself from his mind. And all the craziness of people entering into other peoples minds and getting trapped in Being John Malkovich.
]]>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:27:07 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme7/31/2008 8:27:07 PMWell, one of my favorites has to be Dogville and the relentless imprisonment that Nicole Kidman's character must endure. However, not too many people tend to like that film. The Matrix et al is pretty much about the human race trying to escape being imprisoned. Similarly, Cube is all about a random group of people trying to escape a monstrous Rubik's Cube full of booby traps. The Silence of the Lambs is fantastic in the way it gets you to almost root for the cannibalistic imprisoned serial killer to escape his plate glass jail cell. And within the past few years there have been all of the Saw movies which everyone knows about. Some from my youth that scared the crap out of me are Flowers in the Attic, The People Under the Stairs, Carrie and The Goonies. All films about sick and twisted parental figures locking their children in various small, dank rooms of their house. An American Crime, with poor little Juno getting brutalized in a basement by all the neighborhood children and caretaker, could also go into this category. Lastly there are all those flicks about escapes one's self. Fight Club with Edward Norton's character trying to escape the entrapments of his own alter ego. Max in Pi ultimately resorting to extreme measures to release himself from his mind. And all the craziness of people entering into other peoples minds and getting trapped in Being John Malkovich. http://www.spout.com/blogs/smooth_j/archive/2008/7/28/33178.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Smooth_J Blog
Post Date: 7/28/2008 2:21:02 PM
Body: The idea for this analysis came to mind when I recently saw Bergman's The Seventh Seal. While I was not quite as blown away by the film as most accolades of the film would suggest, I still found it to be an excellent movie, and could see very clearly the influence it has had on so many films that have come after it. The one scene that I especially noticed a direct legacy in later films was a short, almost gimmicky little snippet during the medieval religious cult scene in the town--where the drums are beating loudly, people are screaming in agony as whips crack, and monks and other repenters are carrying enormous crosses on their backs. There is a short string of profile shots: Antonius, Jons, and "The Girl" (the only specific name I could find for her anywhere on the internet). The cuts between the faces are done with the beats of the drums; they are perfectly centered, with mist or smoke rising in the backgrounds, adding to each image's raw, black-and-white imagery; and each face perfectly describes what each character is feeling in the specific scene. Antonius stares onward at the happenings, in the middle of an intense existential dilemma, scrutinizing the scene and attempting to sort out what it all could mean. Jons observes with amused (yet somewhat disturbed) contempt for not only the people of the scene, but for all of humanity. And The Girl stares ahead in fear, the only one of them who truly realizes the oncoming apocalypse at such an early stage. At first glance, it seems like an empty trick thrown in for effect by Bergman. But such use of tone and the profile shot have been used countless times, seemingly originated by Bergman and his equals at this time of cinematic experimentation. For example, this technique of switching profiles to the beat of something is used pretty much verbatum in the film I'm Not There, where Todd Haynes switches between all the faces of Bob Dylan to the sound of gunshots--all in misty black-and-white photography. What makes a profile shot so effective is that (sorry for this cliche...) every face tells a story, and it only takes a skilled actor, a good director, and a camera with the right film to turn it into a work of art. But I mean, portraits and sculpture dating back to prehistoric times make use of the nuances of the human face, from Egyptian sculptures of pharaohs, the stone heads of Easter Island, and technically even Native American tikis. Different societies and different mediums of art have used the face for various forms of expression, and it is probably one of the most common depictions in art. Look at the Mona Lisa--it's one of the most famous works of art ever created, and it is a painting of a woman's face. It's the mystery behind her expressions, her features, her true identity that makes the work so timeless and so debatable. However, there's something about seeing the human face framed in a camera--especially on a black-and-white one--that is so beautiful and so perfect. In my mind, who cares about Joe Wright's five minute tracking shot. Hundreds of extras, thousands of dollars, all to capture a vast expanse of imagery without any empathy involved. For a well-done profile shot, all one needs an actor, a director, and a camera--nothing else. I'm not necessarily saying that a tracking shot would not be a work of art, since it is one in itself, but I feel as though such broadness cannot capture the undeniable intimacy of human emotion that is shown on any person's face. Even one's eyes, shifting crazily during a "trip" through time and space (2001: A Space Odyssey) have the ability to captivate a viewer, and give them a glimpse into a character's psyche. Last night, while running through this topic in my head, I came up with several movies and genres that utilize the human profile extensively. The first that came to mind was the film-noir genre, with its fims' personal, close feel. Who can forget the faces of the tortured heroes of these films, driving around puffing on their ever-present cigarettes? While my knowledge of this genre is pretty limited, I know enough to recognize the faces of the classic noir heroes. Neo-noir and crime films have taken up these techniques, especially films like Pulp Fiction (and other Tarantino) and Chinatown (which is pretty much classic noir). Another film that really sticks out in my mind is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, with its infamous final shoot-out of only profile shots and guns. Leone had a gift for the small touches of the human face, as he also demonstrates his penchant for this in Once Upon a Time in the West. He perfectly illustrates the dirtiness and inherent wickedness in a lot of his characters through perfectly staged shots of their sweaty, grizzled faces. Kubrick was an auteur in many ways, and one that I have especially noticed is his perfect use of a framed, still camera shot. One of my favorites occurs in Dr. Strangelove, with the shot of General Jack Ripper during one of his monologues, where the camera is beneath his face and it basically looking right up his nose at a crooked angle. Just the staging of this shot gives the viewer a perfect sense of how unhinged the man really is. It's hilarity through just good direction. Now, I hate to stray off of my established topic, but I feel as though I can't discuss the profile shot without talking about its cinematic opposite, the subjective shot. While not nearly as popular, in the right hands, it can be nearly as effective as the human profile. David Lynch has pretty much mastered this craft, and he uses it flawlessly to create almost unbearable terror in Inland Empire. One of the most terrifying experiences I've every had while watching a movie happened when I watched Mulholland Dr. for the first time, when the man in the restaraunt is walking to face the monster in the alley--Lynch uses the man's point of view to emphasize the horror being faced. I pretty much shit my pants. Did that aspect of the film really serve much of a purpose? No, not really. But it has an undeniable finesse and effectiveness that makes it essential to the overall tone of the movie. Another film that uses the subjective point of view to enhance horror is one that I watched recently, Dreyer's Vampyr. It is a short scene in which it is used, but creates a great sense of claustrophic fear. A couple of films that go hand-in-hand in terms of use of POV are Being John Malkovich and Diving Bell and the Butterfly. BJM flawlessly portrays being inside the head of someone else, from the sound effects to the imagery. You ARE walking around in someone else's shoes, and it's amazing. DB&tB also uses this technique of seeing the world through someone else's eyes. Schnabel meticulously recreates the feeling of being confined within one's mind, with no escape and no possible sense of escape. It is a beautiful technique used in an absolutely beautiful film, and it heightens the unending and unavoidable sadness of the film. In a convoluted way, the film also makes great use of the profile shot--from the eyes of Bauby. The lighting and camera effects used illustrate the beauty of his nurse's faces unlike anything I have ever seen, framing them in his one eye with the foggy edges. The camera examines their features as though you are Bauby, longing to reach out and touch them, but you can't and it is near torture. For the most part, it is foreign directors that use these sort of simple shots to greatest effect--I feel as though they typically can emphasize beauty better than any American director ever could, not only through profile and POV but also through beauty of landscapes. Now, I know I must address that nearly every movie uses these sorts of methods, and my film repertoire may not permit me to do a full elucidation on such topics. However, I have always been taken aback by the immense possibilities of film-making. As I have dreams of becoming a film-maker, I can't help but analyze such things when I watch movies, and take them to mind when imagining camera angles and writing ideas. And the things that I have always marveled at are the simple things that can be done by anyone with an idea, a camera, and subject. That's where the true beauty of film-making lies, in its simplest artistry.
]]>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:21:02 GMTSmooth_JSmooth_J Blog7/28/2008 2:21:02 PMThe idea for this analysis came to mind when I recently saw Bergman's The Seventh Seal. While I was not quite as blown away by the film as most accolades of the film would suggest, I still found it to be an excellent movie, and could see very clearly the influence it has had on so many films that have come after it. The one scene that I especially noticed a direct legacy in later films was a short, almost gimmicky little snippet during the medieval religious cult scene in the town--where the drums are beating loudly, people are screaming in agony as whips crack, and monks and other repenters are carrying enormous crosses on their backs. There is a short string of profile shots: Antonius, Jons, and "The Girl" (the only specific name I could find for her anywhere on the internet). The cuts between the faces are done with the beats of the drums; they are perfectly centered, with mist or smoke rising in the backgrounds, adding to each image's raw, black-and-white imagery; and each face perfectly describes what each character is feeling in the specific scene. Antonius stares onward at the happenings, in the middle of an intense existential dilemma, scrutinizing the scene and attempting to sort out what it all could mean. Jons observes with amused (yet somewhat disturbed) contempt for not only the people of the scene, but for all of humanity. And The Girl stares ahead in fear, the only one of them who truly realizes the oncoming apocalypse at such an early stage. At first glance, it seems like an empty trick thrown in for effect by Bergman. But such use of tone and the profile shot have been used countless times, seemingly originated by Bergman and his equals at this time of cinematic experimentation. For example, this technique of switching profiles to the beat of something is used pretty much verbatum in the film I'm Not There, where Todd Haynes switches between all the faces of Bob Dylan to the sound of gunshots--all in misty black-and-white photography. What makes a profile shot so effective is that (sorry for this cliche...) every face tells a story, and it only takes a skilled actor, a good director, and a camera with the right film to turn it into a work of art. But I mean, portraits and sculpture dating back to prehistoric times make use of the nuances of the human face, from Egyptian sculptures of pharaohs, the stone heads of Easter Island, and technically even Native American tikis. Different societies and different mediums of art have used the face for various forms of expression, and it is probably one of the most common depictions in art. Look at the Mona Lisa--it's one of the most famous works of art ever created, and it is a painting of a woman's face. It's the mystery behind her expressions, her features, her true identity that makes the work so timeless and so debatable. However, there's something about seeing the human face framed in a camera--especially on a black-and-white one--that is so beautiful and so perfect. In my mind, who cares about Joe Wright's five minute tracking shot. Hundreds of extras, thousands of dollars, all to capture a vast expanse of imagery without any empathy involved. For a well-done profile shot, all one needs an actor, a director, and a camera--nothing else. I'm not necessarily saying that a tracking shot would not be a work of art, since it is one in itself, but I feel as though such broadness cannot capture the undeniable intimacy of human emotion that is shown on any person's face. Even one's eyes, shifting crazily during a "trip" through time and space (2001: A Space Odyssey) have the ability to captivate a viewer, and give them a glimpse into a character's psyche. Last night, while running through this topic in my head, I came up with several movies and genres that utilize the human profile extensively. The first that came to mind was the film-noir genre, with its fims' personal, close feel. Who can forget the faces of the tortured heroes of these films, driving around puffing on their ever-present cigarettes? While my knowledge of this genre is pretty limited, I know enough to recognize the faces of the classic noir heroes. Neo-noir and crime films have taken up these techniques, especially films like Pulp Fiction (and other Tarantino) and Chinatown (which is pretty much classic noir). Another film that really sticks out in my mind is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, with its infamous final shoot-out of only profile shots and guns. Leone had a gift for the small touches of the human face, as he also demonstrates his penchant for this in Once Upon a Time in the West. He perfectly illustrates the dirtiness and inherent wickedness in a lot of his characters through perfectly staged shots of their sweaty, grizzled faces. Kubrick was an auteur in many ways, and one that I have especially noticed is his perfect use of a framed, still camera shot. One of my favorites occurs in Dr. Strangelove, with the shot of General Jack Ripper during one of his monologues, where the camera is beneath his face and it basically looking right up his nose at a crooked angle. Just the staging of this shot gives the viewer a perfect sense of how unhinged the man really is. It's hilarity through just good direction. Now, I hate to stray off of my established topic, but I feel as though I can't discuss the profile shot without talking about its cinematic opposite, the subjective shot. While not nearly as popular, in the right hands, it can be nearly as effective as the human profile. David Lynch has pretty much mastered this craft, and he uses it flawlessly to create almost unbearable terror in Inland Empire. One of the most terrifying experiences I've every had while watching a movie happened when I watched Mulholland Dr. for the first time, when the man in the restaraunt is walking to face the monster in the alley--Lynch uses the man's point of view to emphasize the horror being faced. I pretty much shit my pants. Did that aspect of the film really serve much of a purpose? No, not really. But it has an undeniable finesse and effectiveness that makes it essential to the overall tone of the movie. Another film that uses the subjective point of view to enhance horror is one that I watched recently, Dreyer's Vampyr. It is a short scene in which it is used, but creates a great sense of claustrophic fear. A couple of films that go hand-in-hand in terms of use of POV are Being John Malkovich and Diving Bell and the Butterfly. BJM flawlessly portrays being inside the head of someone else, from the sound effects to the imagery. You ARE walking around in someone else's shoes, and it's amazing. DB&amp;tB also uses this technique of seeing the world through someone else's eyes. Schnabel meticulously recreates the feeling of being confined within one's mind, with no escape and no possible sense of escape. It is a beautiful technique used in an absolutely beautiful film, and it heightens the unending and unavoidable sadness of the film. In a convoluted way, the film also makes great use of the profile shot--from the eyes of Bauby. The lighting and camera effects used illustrate the beauty of his nurse's faces unlike anything I have ever seen, framing them in his one eye with the foggy edges. The camera examines their features as though you are Bauby, longing to reach out and touch them, but you can't and it is near torture. For the most part, it is foreign directors that use these sort of simple shots to greatest effect--I feel as though they typically can emphasize beauty better than any American director ever could, not only through profile and POV but also through beauty of landscapes. Now, I know I must address that nearly every movie uses these sorts of methods, and my film repertoire may not permit me to do a full elucidation on such topics. However, I have always been taken aback by the immense possibilities of film-making. As I have dreams of becoming a film-maker, I can't help but analyze such things when I watch movies, and take them to mind when imagining camera angles and writing ideas. And the things that I have always marveled at are the simple things that can be done by anyone with an idea, a camera, and subject. That's where the true beauty of film-making lies, in its simplest artistry. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/5/30563.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/5/2008 3:01:05 PM
Body: Now that we know, courtesy of Stu at Defamer, that Werner Herzog’s remake of Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant is not so much a remake as it is like a new entry into a franchise, a la the James Bond movies, we at SpoutBlog wonder what other ’90s indie favorites could be continued with similar yet “completely different” installments. I remember back in the day thinking that Clerks should be a franchise, each film focusing on a different crappy job experience, but now that Clerks II has come and gone, that idea will likely never be realized. Of course, the concept of sequels unrelated to the original aren’t new — just look at any sequel title substituting the number 2 (or II) with the word Too. But nevertheless, here’s a few suggestions for other crazy foreign auteurs to take into consideration: Kids - Looking back, Larry Clark’s then-shocking debut is pretty tame. Nowadays you see teens doing worse things on commercial television. So, how about someone makes another Kids movie every decade or so to expose us to the latest generation of teenagers and how appallingly different they are from the previous generation. It would be like Apted’s Up documentaries, except it wouldn’t follow the same people. Slacker - This is Karina’s suggestion, off the top of her head, so I’ll give her credit. She likes the idea of Linklater revisiting the concept behind his monumental indie, but having it set in other cities, a la The Real World. Unlike the premise of the next Real World, though, I’d be much more excited about a Slacker Brooklyn. Leaving Las Vegas - While we’re on the idea of transplanting locations, and because Herzog is setting his Bad Lieutenant in New Orleans rather than New York, let’s mention some films whose remakes sequels next installments could feature title changes depending on their location changes. Leaving Boston might not have the same ring to it, though. What about King of New York redone as King of St. Louis? Of course, Abel Ferrara is already turning King of New York into a franchise with Pericle il Nero, a prequel that isn’t quite a prequel (strange that he would have a problem with Herzog’s film, then). Swingers - This one is easy. Take some hot new subculture/dance craze/music scene and exploit it, so none of the original followers like it anymore and all of the new followers can be labeled posers (no, of course I’m not bitter). Swingers wasn’t the first movie to do it; Saturday Night Fever and probably a few ’50s rock ‘n’ roll movies were viewed the same way. I wonder what scene is cool with the alternative kids these days … The Big One - Following the success of Roger and Me, Michael Moore made this documentary in which he attempts to get interviews with other corporate heads. But now his films are mostly political and there’s less attention paid towards companies like General Motors and Nike. Sure, we’ve since seen some worthy substitutes, including The Corporation, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Super Size Me, but I’d like Moore to return to his hunting of the villains of capitalism and give up on his pursuit of 9/11 answers. Breaking the Waves - Surely most movie execs were shocked at how unsexy Von Trier’s film was. After all, the story of a crippled man who sends his wife out to sleep with men for his vicarious benefit sounds like an erotic, softcore, Skinamax kind of thing. So, when do we get Breaking the Waves Too, about another crippled man with a much younger, hotter wife (just FYI, I personally have always had a crush on Emily Watson)? And since it will be have to be direct-to-video will it still need to avoid the nauseating shaky cam that made so many people sick in the theater? Sling Blade - Having recently seen Robert Duvall in the 1972 film Tomorrow, I now know that Billy Bob Thornton’s “Karl Childers” is not that unique a character. For the next installment, I’d like to see Karl (well, a character like Karl) and his southern gothic story set in New York City. It would make about as much sense as Bad Lieutenant being set in NOLA. Being John Malkovich - Who hasn’t wanted a franchise in which each installment goes inside the head of a different cult-figure actor? Even if it would ruin the original just a little big, I’d love Being Jeff Goldblum or Being Christopher Walken. The latter would be enormously popular. Kolya - This Oscar-winning foreign film showed us that heartwarming tales of old, curmudgeonly Sean Connery lookalikes who learn to love the young child they’re forced to take care of are universal. But I’d like to see the same plot in other countries besides Czechoslovakia, just to be sure. Waiting for Guffman - Oh wait, Christopher Guest has been continually remaking this movie, only without association. Never mind. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:01:05 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/5/2008 3:01:05 PMNow that we know, courtesy of Stu at Defamer, that Werner Herzog’s remake of Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant is not so much a remake as it is like a new entry into a franchise, a la the James Bond movies, we at SpoutBlog wonder what other ’90s indie favorites could be continued with similar yet “completely different” installments. I remember back in the day thinking that Clerks should be a franchise, each film focusing on a different crappy job experience, but now that Clerks II has come and gone, that idea will likely never be realized. Of course, the concept of sequels unrelated to the original aren’t new — just look at any sequel title substituting the number 2 (or II) with the word Too. But nevertheless, here’s a few suggestions for other crazy foreign auteurs to take into consideration: Kids - Looking back, Larry Clark’s then-shocking debut is pretty tame. Nowadays you see teens doing worse things on commercial television. So, how about someone makes another Kids movie every decade or so to expose us to the latest generation of teenagers and how appallingly different they are from the previous generation. It would be like Apted’s Up documentaries, except it wouldn’t follow the same people. Slacker - This is Karina’s suggestion, off the top of her head, so I’ll give her credit. She likes the idea of Linklater revisiting the concept behind his monumental indie, but having it set in other cities, a la The Real World. Unlike the premise of the next Real World, though, I’d be much more excited about a Slacker Brooklyn. Leaving Las Vegas - While we’re on the idea of transplanting locations, and because Herzog is setting his Bad Lieutenant in New Orleans rather than New York, let’s mention some films whose remakes sequels next installments could feature title changes depending on their location changes. Leaving Boston might not have the same ring to it, though. What about King of New York redone as King of St. Louis? Of course, Abel Ferrara is already turning King of New York into a franchise with Pericle il Nero, a prequel that isn’t quite a prequel (strange that he would have a problem with Herzog’s film, then). Swingers - This one is easy. Take some hot new subculture/dance craze/music scene and exploit it, so none of the original followers like it anymore and all of the new followers can be labeled posers (no, of course I’m not bitter). Swingers wasn’t the first movie to do it; Saturday Night Fever and probably a few ’50s rock ‘n’ roll movies were viewed the same way. I wonder what scene is cool with the alternative kids these days … The Big One - Following the success of Roger and Me, Michael Moore made this documentary in which he attempts to get interviews with other corporate heads. But now his films are mostly political and there’s less attention paid towards companies like General Motors and Nike. Sure, we’ve since seen some worthy substitutes, including The Corporation, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Super Size Me, but I’d like Moore to return to his hunting of the villains of capitalism and give up on his pursuit of 9/11 answers. Breaking the Waves - Surely most movie execs were shocked at how unsexy Von Trier’s film was. After all, the story of a crippled man who sends his wife out to sleep with men for his vicarious benefit sounds like an erotic, softcore, Skinamax kind of thing. So, when do we get Breaking the Waves Too, about another crippled man with a much younger, hotter wife (just FYI, I personally have always had a crush on Emily Watson)? And since it will be have to be direct-to-video will it still need to avoid the nauseating shaky cam that made so many people sick in the theater? Sling Blade - Having recently seen Robert Duvall in the 1972 film Tomorrow, I now know that Billy Bob Thornton’s “Karl Childers” is not that unique a character. For the next installment, I’d like to see Karl (well, a character like Karl) and his southern gothic story set in New York City. It would make about as much sense as Bad Lieutenant being set in NOLA. Being John Malkovich - Who hasn’t wanted a franchise in which each installment goes inside the head of a different cult-figure actor? Even if it would ruin the original just a little big, I’d love Being Jeff Goldblum or Being Christopher Walken. The latter would be enormously popular. Kolya - This Oscar-winning foreign film showed us that heartwarming tales of old, curmudgeonly Sean Connery lookalikes who learn to love the young child they’re forced to take care of are universal. But I’d like to see the same plot in other countries besides Czechoslovakia, just to be sure. Waiting for Guffman - Oh wait, Christopher Guest has been continually remaking this movie, only without association. Never mind. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/5/23/29808.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 5/23/2008 11:01:00 AM
Body: Is Cameron Diaz playing Lt. Ilia in J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek movie? Or trying out for the part of Moondragon in Marvel’s Avengers movie? No, she’s simply gone bald for New Line’s weepie drama My Sister’s Keeper. In the film, she plays the mother of a girl suffering from leukemia. And when her daughter suffers hair loss from chemotherapy, she shaves her own head in support. Though I’m not sure if Diaz is actually shaved here or just wearing a bald cap, I’m hoping that either way little Dakota Fanning sees these photos (for more, head here). You may recall that the 14-year-old primadonna dropped out of the film because she didn’t want to shave her head. Well, Dakota, how’s it feel to be shown up by Cameron Diaz? I know, she’s hardly one to seem worried about her image (she’s brilliantly unattractive in Being John Malkovich), but still, no bad-skin paparazzi shots have made her look as frightening as this picture. P.S. According to these additional shots from the set, your replacement, Sofia Vassilieva, doesn’t seem all that happy to be bald. But at least she’s going to get that sympathetic Oscar nomination. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 23 May 2008 15:01:00 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com5/23/2008 11:01:00 AM Is Cameron Diaz playing Lt. Ilia in J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek movie? Or trying out for the part of Moondragon in Marvel’s Avengers movie? No, she’s simply gone bald for New Line’s weepie drama My Sister’s Keeper. In the film, she plays the mother of a girl suffering from leukemia. And when her daughter suffers hair loss from chemotherapy, she shaves her own head in support. Though I’m not sure if Diaz is actually shaved here or just wearing a bald cap, I’m hoping that either way little Dakota Fanning sees these photos (for more, head here). You may recall that the 14-year-old primadonna dropped out of the film because she didn’t want to shave her head. Well, Dakota, how’s it feel to be shown up by Cameron Diaz? I know, she’s hardly one to seem worried about her image (she’s brilliantly unattractive in Being John Malkovich), but still, no bad-skin paparazzi shots have made her look as frightening as this picture. P.S. According to these additional shots from the set, your replacement, Sofia Vassilieva, doesn’t seem all that happy to be bald. But at least she’s going to get that sympathetic Oscar nomination. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/B_Movies/Re_Double_features/588/28239/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: B Movies
Post Date: 5/6/2008 1:00:26 PM
Body: [quote user="SkyPilot"] [quote user="leeroy711"] I wanna see The Last Dragon followed by Circle of Iron as a double feature. Who's with me? I talking to you SkyPilot. [/quote] leeroy711 you are a madman, and I like it! Have you seen Circle of Iron before? How about The Street Fighter? I think The Last Dragon is obvious in its attempt to be funny, while the thing that links The Street Fighter and Circle of Iron is the bafflement one feels about whether or not the movies are trying to be funny. Especially Circle of Iron, which is one WTF moment after another. I laugh at the Ape Man and Jaguar Man because they make me feel like crying. I forget the name of Terry's sidekick in The Street Fighter--I think he's supposed to be funny. His only line seems to be "Terry!" said in different ways, like in the "Malkovich Malkovich" scene in Being John Malkovich. Here's another DOES HE MEAN TO BE FUNNY? double feature starring DAVID CARRADINE: 1. Death Race 2000 -- obviously meant to be comedic, but Carradine is obviously not dwelling in the same dimension of comic timing that we are. FRANKENSTEIN: What were you expecting...another pretty face? 2. Death Sport -- one of the most masochistic pleasure/pain viewing experiences for me. CARRADINE: [fakes a punch to the guard's stomach] Heh heh heh! GUARD: Let's see you laugh after Deathsport. Yeah I'd say I love to hate Carradine's performances, whereas I don't enjoy disliking John Cusack. [/quote] I have seen a bunch of Carradine flick (thanks dad) in my day, I don't remember which were which but I am pretty sure that I've seen Death Sport. I don't recall whether I've seen The Street Fighter though. I think I'll put a Carradine double feature in my netflix queue. - How about The Street Fighter and Sonny Boy. This topic can't help but remind me of the Sonny Chiba double feature in True Romance. EDIT: I don't t think this topic is complete without a reference to Ed and His Dead Mother.
]]>Tue, 06 May 2008 17:00:26 GMTleeroy711B Movies5/6/2008 1:00:26 PM[quote user="SkyPilot"] [quote user="leeroy711"] I wanna see The Last Dragon followed by Circle of Iron as a double feature. Who's with me? I talking to you SkyPilot. [/quote] leeroy711 you are a madman, and I like it! Have you seen Circle of Iron before? How about The Street Fighter? I think The Last Dragon is obvious in its attempt to be funny, while the thing that links The Street Fighter and Circle of Iron is the bafflement one feels about whether or not the movies are trying to be funny. Especially Circle of Iron, which is one WTF moment after another. I laugh at the Ape Man and Jaguar Man because they make me feel like crying. I forget the name of Terry's sidekick in The Street Fighter--I think he's supposed to be funny. His only line seems to be "Terry!" said in different ways, like in the "Malkovich Malkovich" scene in Being John Malkovich. Here's another DOES HE MEAN TO BE FUNNY? double feature starring DAVID CARRADINE: 1. Death Race 2000 -- obviously meant to be comedic, but Carradine is obviously not dwelling in the same dimension of comic timing that we are. FRANKENSTEIN: What were you expecting...another pretty face? 2. Death Sport -- one of the most masochistic pleasure/pain viewing experiences for me. CARRADINE: [fakes a punch to the guard's stomach] Heh heh heh! GUARD: Let's see you laugh after Deathsport. Yeah I'd say I love to hate Carradine's performances, whereas I don't enjoy disliking John Cusack. [/quote] I have seen a bunch of Carradine flick (thanks dad) in my day, I don't remember which were which but I am pretty sure that I've seen Death Sport. I don't recall whether I've seen The Street Fighter though. I think I'll put a Carradine double feature in my netflix queue. - How about The Street Fighter and Sonny Boy. This topic can't help but remind me of the Sonny Chiba double feature in True Romance. EDIT: I don't t think this topic is complete without a reference to Ed and His Dead Mother. http://www.spout.com/groups/B_Movies/Re_Double_features/588/28237/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: B Movies
Post Date: 5/6/2008 12:47:50 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] I wanna see The Last Dragon followed by Circle of Iron as a double feature. Who's with me? I talking to you SkyPilot. [/quote] leeroy711 you are a madman, and I like it! Have you seen Circle of Iron before? How about The Street Fighter? I think The Last Dragon is obvious in its attempt to be funny, while the thing that links The Street Fighter and Circle of Iron is the bafflement one feels about whether or not the movies are trying to be funny. Especially Circle of Iron, which is one WTF moment after another. I laugh at the Ape Man and Jaguar Man because they make me feel like crying. I forget the name of Terry's sidekick in The Street Fighter--I think he's supposed to be funny. His only line seems to be "Terry!" said in different ways, like in the "Malkovich Malkovich" scene in Being John Malkovich. Here's another DOES HE MEAN TO BE FUNNY? double feature starring DAVID CARRADINE: 1. Death Race 2000 -- obviously meant to be comedic, but Carradine is obviously not dwelling in the same dimension of comic timing that we are. FRANKENSTEIN: What were you expecting...another pretty face? 2. Death Sport -- one of the most masochistic pleasure/pain viewing experiences for me. CARRADINE: [fakes a punch to the guard's stomach] Heh heh heh! GUARD: Let's see you laugh after Deathsport. Yeah I'd say I love to hate Carradine's performances, whereas I don't enjoy disliking John Cusack.
]]>Tue, 06 May 2008 16:47:50 GMTSkyPilotB Movies5/6/2008 12:47:50 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] I wanna see The Last Dragon followed by Circle of Iron as a double feature. Who's with me? I talking to you SkyPilot. [/quote] leeroy711 you are a madman, and I like it! Have you seen Circle of Iron before? How about The Street Fighter? I think The Last Dragon is obvious in its attempt to be funny, while the thing that links The Street Fighter and Circle of Iron is the bafflement one feels about whether or not the movies are trying to be funny. Especially Circle of Iron, which is one WTF moment after another. I laugh at the Ape Man and Jaguar Man because they make me feel like crying. I forget the name of Terry's sidekick in The Street Fighter--I think he's supposed to be funny. His only line seems to be "Terry!" said in different ways, like in the "Malkovich Malkovich" scene in Being John Malkovich. Here's another DOES HE MEAN TO BE FUNNY? double feature starring DAVID CARRADINE: 1. Death Race 2000 -- obviously meant to be comedic, but Carradine is obviously not dwelling in the same dimension of comic timing that we are. FRANKENSTEIN: What were you expecting...another pretty face? 2. Death Sport -- one of the most masochistic pleasure/pain viewing experiences for me. CARRADINE: [fakes a punch to the guard's stomach] Heh heh heh! GUARD: Let's see you laugh after Deathsport. Yeah I'd say I love to hate Carradine's performances, whereas I don't enjoy disliking John Cusack. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
Number of films tagged: 609

Number of people who tagged: 316

Number of times used: 942

]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:10:58 GMT609316942Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspxhilarious
Number of films tagged: 222

Number of people who tagged: 165

Number of times used: 331

]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:04 GMT222165331Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Crazy/MemberTagFilms.aspxCrazy
Number of films tagged: 133

Number of people who tagged: 98

Number of times used: 180

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:53:36 GMT13398180Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/surreal/MemberTagFilms.aspxsurreal
Number of films tagged: 73

Number of people who tagged: 73

Number of times used: 134

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:29:29 GMT7373134Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/favorite/MemberTagFilms.aspxfavorite
Number of films tagged: 85

Number of people who tagged: 62

Number of times used: 127

]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:22:58 GMT8562127Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/genius/MemberTagFilms.aspxgenius
Number of films tagged: 227

Number of people who tagged: 56

Number of times used: 96

]]>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:26:43 GMT2275696Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bizarre/MemberTagFilms.aspxbizarre
Number of films tagged: 228

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 113

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:12:13 GMT22853113Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/identity/MemberTagFilms.aspxidentity
Number of films tagged: 595

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 91

]]>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:43:41 GMT5955391Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/relationship/MemberTagFilms.aspxrelationship
Number of films tagged: 1090

Number of people who tagged: 50

Number of times used: 189

]]>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:18:01 GMT109050189Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/horrible/MemberTagFilms.aspxhorrible
Number of films tagged: 72

Number of people who tagged: 42

Number of times used: 73

]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:19:31 GMT724273Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Twisted/MemberTagFilms.aspxTwisted
Number of films tagged: 44

Number of people who tagged: 42

Number of times used: 60

]]>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:28:12 GMT444260Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/psychological/MemberTagFilms.aspxpsychological
Number of films tagged: 48

Number of people who tagged: 41

Number of times used: 74

]]>Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:37:13 GMT484174Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/strange/MemberTagFilms.aspxstrange
Number of films tagged: 174

Number of people who tagged: 32

Number of times used: 49

]]>Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:38:27 GMT1743249Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/monkey/MemberTagFilms.aspxmonkey
Number of films tagged: 120

Number of people who tagged: 31

Number of times used: 49

]]>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:23:17 GMT1203149Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/philosophy/MemberTagFilms.aspxphilosophy
Number of films tagged: 489

Number of people who tagged: 26

Number of times used: 35

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:12:13 GMT4892635Tag