list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Angels in America 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/Angels_in_America/238698/default.aspx Title: Angels in America
Year: 2004
Director: Mike Nichols
Plot: The epic HBO miniseries Angels in America is directed by Mike Nichols and written by the play's author, Tony Kushner. This six-part drama is adapted from the two full-length award-winning plays (Part I: The Millennium Approaches and Part II: Perestroika) originally performed on Broadway in 1993. Set in New York City during the mid-'80s, the story follows the interconnected lives of several people affected by the AIDS crisis, intense spiritual experiences, and the Reagan Administration. Newcomer Justin Kirk plays Prior Walter, a young man dying of AIDS. Things are made worse when he's abandoned by his lover, Jewish court clerk Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman). Then he's visited by an Angel (Emma Thompson), who keeps crashing through his roof and insisting that he's a prophet. Meanwhile, conservative power monger Roy Cohn (Al Pacino) is also dying of AIDS, but he's in serious denial about it. While in the hospital, he's continually visited by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg (Meryl Streep), a woman he had sent to the electric chair. Roy's protégé is Mormon lawyer Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson), who also tries to deny his own homosexuality. Joe's estranged wife Harper (Mary-Louise Parker) suffers from a Valium addiction and has an acute sensitivity to the world around her. Joe leaves her to start up a relationship with Louis, who works in his building. Jeffrey Wright reprises his stage role of the trusty friend and nurse Belize. Angels in America first aired in two parts on HBO during December of 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 16
Number of Lists: 30
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:45:58 GMTAngels in America2004Mike NicholsThe epic HBO miniseries Angels in America is directed by <a href="/players/P___104435/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mike Nichols</a> and written by the play's author, Tony Kushner. This six-part drama is adapted from the two full-length award-winning plays (Part I: The Millennium Approaches and Part II: Perestroika) originally performed on Broadway in 1993. Set in New York City during the mid-'80s, the story follows the interconnected lives of several people affected by the AIDS crisis, intense spiritual experiences, and the Reagan Administration. Newcomer <a href="/players/P___223276/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Justin Kirk</a> plays Prior Walter, a young man dying of AIDS. Things are made worse when he's abandoned by his lover, Jewish court clerk Louis Ironson (<a href="/players/P___235007/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ben Shenkman</a>). Then he's visited by an Angel (<a href="/players/P____70692/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Emma Thompson</a>), who keeps crashing through his roof and insisting that he's a prophet. Meanwhile, conservative power monger Roy Cohn (<a href="/players/P____54596/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Al Pacino</a>) is also dying of AIDS, but he's in serious denial about it. While in the hospital, he's continually visited by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg (<a href="/players/P____68676/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Meryl Streep</a>), a woman he had sent to the electric chair. Roy's protégé is Mormon lawyer Joe Pitt (<a href="/players/P___356977/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Patrick Wilson</a>), who also tries to deny his own homosexuality. Joe's estranged wife Harper (<a href="/players/P____55116/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mary-Louise Parker</a>) suffers from a Valium addiction and has an acute sensitivity to the world around her. Joe leaves her to start up a relationship with Louis, who works in his building. <a href="/players/P____77607/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jeffrey Wright</a> reprises his stage role of the trusty friend and nurse Belize. Angels in America first aired in two parts on HBO during December of 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide16Tag Target (>10)30443http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t40988s6eab.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Angels_in_America/238698/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_June_15_That_s_So_Gay/625/42722/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: dakidhasdough
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 6/19/2009 1:27:40 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] Through out the years I have seen more and more movies embrace the culture and lifestyle and try to bring it's content more to the mainstream.. Would you consider films like PULP FICTION or even AMERICAN ME to be in that catagory since those movies did have acts of same sex featured in them? With all the brouhaha over that American Idol guy coming out and the onslaught of pride parades going on coast to coast this month, this week's theme is all about the gays. Mostly relinquished to flamboyant best friends and eccentric beauticians, the United States hasn't had a large influx of films that focus on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered) characters like those that are more commonplace in European cinema. Aside from the media frenzy that surrounded Brokeback Mountain a number of years back, most American's have shied away from the genre almost entirely. That being said, there are a number of great films with LGBT characters that we can hopefully talk about here. Gregg Araki is probably my favorite gay director whose oeuvre has focused primarily on LGBT characters and the struggles facing them today. Nowhere, The Living End and The Doom Generation all have that Los Angeles, 1990's, chaotic life set to a raucous soundtrack of heavy metal, ethereal trip hop and post punk indie rock. Including incredible ensemble casts including Heather Graham, Ryan Phillippe, Rose McGowan, Christina Applegate, Guillermo Diaz, Johnathon Schaech, Parker Posey, Nicky Katt, etc, the films are a barrage of hopelessness, depression and a heavy hand of rebellion. Adam & Steve was a fun gay romantic comedy with hilarious supporting characters Parker Posey and Chris Kattan. I've recently discovered that Al Pacino has played a number of gay characters over the course of his career. He was a cop willing to do ANYTHING to become a detective and went undercover into the gay BDSM subculture of New York in Cruising. He was trying to get money for his boyfriend's operation to become a female in Dog Day Afternoon. And he played a closeted lawyer in Angels In America. Milk almost got the people talking as much as Brokeback with the Oscar buzz around it and Sean Penn and James Francos performances. The film borrowed significantly from The Times of Harvey Milk which won an Oscar for best documentary. The Love Songs was a perfect example of how Europeans have a more laid back sense of sexuality and how certain people defy the stringent labels of gay straight or whatnot. [/quote]
]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:27:40 GMTdakidhasdoughWeekly Theme6/19/2009 1:27:40 PM[quote user="mercurial"] Through out the years I have seen more and more movies embrace the culture and lifestyle and try to bring it's content more to the mainstream.. Would you consider films like PULP FICTION or even AMERICAN ME to be in that catagory since those movies did have acts of same sex featured in them? With all the brouhaha over that American Idol guy coming out and the onslaught of pride parades going on coast to coast this month, this week's theme is all about the gays. Mostly relinquished to flamboyant best friends and eccentric beauticians, the United States hasn't had a large influx of films that focus on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &amp; Transgendered) characters like those that are more commonplace in European cinema. Aside from the media frenzy that surrounded Brokeback Mountain a number of years back, most American's have shied away from the genre almost entirely. That being said, there are a number of great films with LGBT characters that we can hopefully talk about here. Gregg Araki is probably my favorite gay director whose oeuvre has focused primarily on LGBT characters and the struggles facing them today. Nowhere, The Living End and The Doom Generation all have that Los Angeles, 1990's, chaotic life set to a raucous soundtrack of heavy metal, ethereal trip hop and post punk indie rock. Including incredible ensemble casts including Heather Graham, Ryan Phillippe, Rose McGowan, Christina Applegate, Guillermo Diaz, Johnathon Schaech, Parker Posey, Nicky Katt, etc, the films are a barrage of hopelessness, depression and a heavy hand of rebellion. Adam &amp; Steve was a fun gay romantic comedy with hilarious supporting characters Parker Posey and Chris Kattan. I've recently discovered that Al Pacino has played a number of gay characters over the course of his career. He was a cop willing to do ANYTHING to become a detective and went undercover into the gay BDSM subculture of New York in Cruising. He was trying to get money for his boyfriend's operation to become a female in Dog Day Afternoon. And he played a closeted lawyer in Angels In America. Milk almost got the people talking as much as Brokeback with the Oscar buzz around it and Sean Penn and James Francos performances. The film borrowed significantly from The Times of Harvey Milk which won an Oscar for best documentary. The Love Songs was a perfect example of how Europeans have a more laid back sense of sexuality and how certain people defy the stringent labels of gay straight or whatnot. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_June_15_That_s_So_Gay/625/42712/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 6/18/2009 6:27:18 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] I've recently discovered that Al Pacino has played a number of gay characters over the course of his career. He was a cop willing to do ANYTHING to become a detective and went undercover into the gay BDSM subculture of New York in Cruising. He was trying to get money for his boyfriend's operation to become a female in Dog Day Afternoon. And he played a closeted lawyer in Angels In America. [/quote] I may be waaaay off here but I thought that I had heard that Frank Serpico was gay too.... I'm not sure though. As far as gay themed films go, I would put Bad Education up there as probably my favorite.... or maybe Bound. I also thought But I'm A Cheerleader was pretty funny. Oh yeah!!! How about Rope. The undertones were quite prevelaint in that one.
]]>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:27:18 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme6/18/2009 6:27:18 PM[quote user="mercurial"] I've recently discovered that Al Pacino has played a number of gay characters over the course of his career. He was a cop willing to do ANYTHING to become a detective and went undercover into the gay BDSM subculture of New York in Cruising. He was trying to get money for his boyfriend's operation to become a female in Dog Day Afternoon. And he played a closeted lawyer in Angels In America. [/quote] I may be waaaay off here but I thought that I had heard that Frank Serpico was gay too.... I'm not sure though. As far as gay themed films go, I would put Bad Education up there as probably my favorite.... or maybe Bound. I also thought But I'm A Cheerleader was pretty funny. Oh yeah!!! How about Rope. The undertones were quite prevelaint in that one. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_June_15_That_s_So_Gay/625/42653/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 6/15/2009 4:16:17 PM
Body: With all the brouhaha over that American Idol guy coming out and the onslaught of pride parades going on coast to coast this month, this week's theme is all about the gays. Mostly relinquished to flamboyant best friends and eccentric beauticians, the United States hasn't had a large influx of films that focus on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered) characters like those that are more commonplace in European cinema. Aside from the media frenzy that surrounded Brokeback Mountain a number of years back, most American's have shied away from the genre almost entirely. That being said, there are a number of great films with LGBT characters that we can hopefully talk about here. Gregg Araki is probably my favorite gay director whose oeuvre has focused primarily on LGBT characters and the struggles facing them today. Nowhere, The Living End and The Doom Generation all have that Los Angeles, 1990's, chaotic life set to a raucous soundtrack of heavy metal, ethereal trip hop and post punk indie rock. Including incredible ensemble casts including Heather Graham, Ryan Phillippe, Rose McGowan, Christina Applegate, Guillermo Diaz, Johnathon Schaech, Parker Posey, Nicky Katt, etc, the films are a barrage of hopelessness, depression and a heavy hand of rebellion. Adam & Steve was a fun gay romantic comedy with hilarious supporting characters Parker Posey and Chris Kattan. I've recently discovered that Al Pacino has played a number of gay characters over the course of his career. He was a cop willing to do ANYTHING to become a detective and went undercover into the gay BDSM subculture of New York in Cruising. He was trying to get money for his boyfriend's operation to become a female in Dog Day Afternoon. And he played a closeted lawyer in Angels In America. Milk almost got the people talking as much as Brokeback with the Oscar buzz around it and Sean Penn and James Francos performances. The film borrowed significantly from The Times of Harvey Milk which won an Oscar for best documentary. The Love Songs was a perfect example of how Europeans have a more laid back sense of sexuality and how certain people defy the stringent labels of gay straight or whatnot.
]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:16:17 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme6/15/2009 4:16:17 PMWith all the brouhaha over that American Idol guy coming out and the onslaught of pride parades going on coast to coast this month, this week's theme is all about the gays. Mostly relinquished to flamboyant best friends and eccentric beauticians, the United States hasn't had a large influx of films that focus on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &amp; Transgendered) characters like those that are more commonplace in European cinema. Aside from the media frenzy that surrounded Brokeback Mountain a number of years back, most American's have shied away from the genre almost entirely. That being said, there are a number of great films with LGBT characters that we can hopefully talk about here. Gregg Araki is probably my favorite gay director whose oeuvre has focused primarily on LGBT characters and the struggles facing them today. Nowhere, The Living End and The Doom Generation all have that Los Angeles, 1990's, chaotic life set to a raucous soundtrack of heavy metal, ethereal trip hop and post punk indie rock. Including incredible ensemble casts including Heather Graham, Ryan Phillippe, Rose McGowan, Christina Applegate, Guillermo Diaz, Johnathon Schaech, Parker Posey, Nicky Katt, etc, the films are a barrage of hopelessness, depression and a heavy hand of rebellion. Adam &amp; Steve was a fun gay romantic comedy with hilarious supporting characters Parker Posey and Chris Kattan. I've recently discovered that Al Pacino has played a number of gay characters over the course of his career. He was a cop willing to do ANYTHING to become a detective and went undercover into the gay BDSM subculture of New York in Cruising. He was trying to get money for his boyfriend's operation to become a female in Dog Day Afternoon. And he played a closeted lawyer in Angels In America. Milk almost got the people talking as much as Brokeback with the Oscar buzz around it and Sean Penn and James Francos performances. The film borrowed significantly from The Times of Harvey Milk which won an Oscar for best documentary. The Love Songs was a perfect example of how Europeans have a more laid back sense of sexuality and how certain people defy the stringent labels of gay straight or whatnot. http://www.spout.com/groups/Queer_Cinema/Gay_Pride_Picks/318/31706/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: unemployedwaif
Post To: Queer Cinema
Post Date: 6/25/2008 9:32:56 PM
Body: In response to the egregiously vacuous post about Gay Pride by the SpoutBlog, I decided to go ahead a give a few cinematic selections for those celebrating the Gay Pride festivities this month. Feel free to add some of your own selections. Angels in America An epic made for television cinematic event that is loaded with fantastic performances by the likes of Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Mary-Louise Parker, Emma Thompson and Patrick WIlson. Set in the 1980's amidst the onset of AIDS, the growing intolerance of homosexuality and the struggle by the LGBT community to gain acceptable, Angels in America is a must-see. But I'm a Cheerleader Hilarious comedy about the pitfalls of coming out and learning to accept everything that that entails. Loggerheads Overlooked drama with an amazing soundtrack. Bring the tissues. Paris is Burning Documentary about life in New York in the late 1980's and early 1990's for disaffected gay people attempting to create a nurturing environment where their eccentricities are accepted and admired. Wild Tigers I Have Known An experimental film about a pre-pubescent boy coming to terms with his homosexuality. Shortbus A prurient celebration (and examination) of the LGBT community; very apropos. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema A brief introduction about the origins of queer cinema with great commentary from a variety of great actors and directors.
]]>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:32:56 GMTunemployedwaifQueer Cinema6/25/2008 9:32:56 PMIn response to the egregiously vacuous post about Gay Pride by the SpoutBlog, I decided to go ahead a give a few cinematic selections for those celebrating the Gay Pride festivities this month. Feel free to add some of your own selections. Angels in America An epic made for television cinematic event that is loaded with fantastic performances by the likes of Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Mary-Louise Parker, Emma Thompson and Patrick WIlson. Set in the 1980's amidst the onset of AIDS, the growing intolerance of homosexuality and the struggle by the LGBT community to gain acceptable, Angels in America is a must-see. But I'm a Cheerleader Hilarious comedy about the pitfalls of coming out and learning to accept everything that that entails. Loggerheads Overlooked drama with an amazing soundtrack. Bring the tissues. Paris is Burning Documentary about life in New York in the late 1980's and early 1990's for disaffected gay people attempting to create a nurturing environment where their eccentricities are accepted and admired. Wild Tigers I Have Known An experimental film about a pre-pubescent boy coming to terms with his homosexuality. Shortbus A prurient celebration (and examination) of the LGBT community; very apropos. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema A brief introduction about the origins of queer cinema with great commentary from a variety of great actors and directors. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/18/31371.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/18/2008 1:01:16 PM
Body: I keep forgetting that Mike Myers is not actually playing an Indian in The Love Guru, and yet I’m constantly reminded by the film’s commercials, which show that ridiculous shot of a little kid’s body with Myers’ giant head digitally superimposed onto it. Really, Myers’ character (Pitka) is a white American who is left on the doorstep of an Indian ashram when he’s a child. Then he’s raised as Indian, I guess (or simply Hindu, but then why the accent?). Apparently the character, Pitka, couldn’t simply look and talk like Myers. He had to have that silly accent and the clothes and the facial hair, despite the fact that Deepak Chopra, who partially inspired the character (and who appears in the movie), is able to wear jeans and be clean-shaven. Because who would believe Myers as an Indian guru with just the voice, the clothes and his baby face? Of course, Myers is not the first actor to wear or grow a beard and/or mustache in order to take on the guise of another ethnicity. Sure, it’s also the accent and the makeup that transforms the actor, but with the most recognizable faces, it’s the facial hair that really seals the deal for supposed authenticity. Charlton Heston as Mexican in Touch of Evil (pictured above) - Maybe if Heston could maintain the accent he wouldn’t have needed the mustache. But then in photos he still would have just looked like regular old Heston. With the whiskers, however, he looks like regular old Heston with a mustache. If this look defined a man as Mexican, then many characters from the ’30s must have been Mexican. Rhett Butler? Mexican. Nick Charles (and anyone else played by William Powell)? Mexican. John Wayne as Mongolian in The Conqueror - I don’t think Wayne even tried with the accent, and it doesn’t appear like any makeup was applied to his face. But thanks to that catfish stash he’s totally convincing as Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan. Too bad Susan Hayward couldn’t wear facial hair to make her look more like a Tartar queen. Actually, it might have helped. Peter Sellers as Chinese in Murder By Death - He certainly wasn’t the first white actor to play Charlie Chan. There was Warner Oland, Sidney Toler and Roland Winters, among others. But he’s probably the only one not primarily famous for playing the Chinese-American detective. Not that it would be acceptable for anyone to portray Chan without the iconic facial hair. Edward G. Robinson as Reubenite in The Ten Commandments - Born a Romanian Jew, Robinson was more acceptably cast as an ancient Israelite than it would seem. Yet after playing so many Italians in so many gangster movies, he was going against type as the traitor Dathan. Did the character grow the beard to align him more with the Egyptians, though? If so, then this is a twofold instance of facial hair making the race. Wallace Beery as Mexican in Viva Villa! -Long before Charlton Heston wore a mustache to pass as Mexican, Wallace Beery did the same. At least Beery was playing a real person, though, and had to wear a mustache. Still, would anyone have believed the star as any non-iconically-stashed Mexican? Sacha Baron Cohen as a Kazakh in Borat - OK, so without the accent, Sacha Baron Cohen would just look like an early ’80s Freddie Mercury wannabe. But also, without that mustache, he’d merely look like Sacha Baron Cohen. Not that any of us knew what the actor really looked like prior to his publicity tour for this movie, but that’s beside the point. Eddie Murphy as white on Saturday Night Live - In the early ’80s, when many white men wanted to be Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds, this kind of mustache was absolutely necessary for Murphy’s transformation. Anthony Quinn as an Arab in Lawrence of Arabia - The Mexican-American Quinn was great at playing against race. And he wasn’t the first or last to don a beard to play an Arab. But his portrayal was probably the most iconic representation of Arab for most of us who grew up in non-ethnically-diverse suburbs. John Cleese as French in Monty Python and the Holy Grail - You may recognize that he’s French by the exaggerated accent (his lines as the taunter are popular audio samples), but Cleese just wouldn’t be convincing as French without the exaggerated mustache. I know this, because at Halloween time, I see items called “French mustache,” meaning it’s an essential part of the stereotype. Meryl Streep as Jewish in Angels in America - You can’t play an Orthodox rabbi without the big frizzy beard, but when you’re Meryl Streep, regardless of how much of a chameleon you are, the beard is more than a must. It’s perhaps the only way of being passable as male and Jewish. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:01:16 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/18/2008 1:01:16 PM I keep forgetting that Mike Myers is not actually playing an Indian in The Love Guru, and yet I’m constantly reminded by the film’s commercials, which show that ridiculous shot of a little kid’s body with Myers’ giant head digitally superimposed onto it. Really, Myers’ character (Pitka) is a white American who is left on the doorstep of an Indian ashram when he’s a child. Then he’s raised as Indian, I guess (or simply Hindu, but then why the accent?). Apparently the character, Pitka, couldn’t simply look and talk like Myers. He had to have that silly accent and the clothes and the facial hair, despite the fact that Deepak Chopra, who partially inspired the character (and who appears in the movie), is able to wear jeans and be clean-shaven. Because who would believe Myers as an Indian guru with just the voice, the clothes and his baby face? Of course, Myers is not the first actor to wear or grow a beard and/or mustache in order to take on the guise of another ethnicity. Sure, it’s also the accent and the makeup that transforms the actor, but with the most recognizable faces, it’s the facial hair that really seals the deal for supposed authenticity. Charlton Heston as Mexican in Touch of Evil (pictured above) - Maybe if Heston could maintain the accent he wouldn’t have needed the mustache. But then in photos he still would have just looked like regular old Heston. With the whiskers, however, he looks like regular old Heston with a mustache. If this look defined a man as Mexican, then many characters from the ’30s must have been Mexican. Rhett Butler? Mexican. Nick Charles (and anyone else played by William Powell)? Mexican. John Wayne as Mongolian in The Conqueror - I don’t think Wayne even tried with the accent, and it doesn’t appear like any makeup was applied to his face. But thanks to that catfish stash he’s totally convincing as Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan. Too bad Susan Hayward couldn’t wear facial hair to make her look more like a Tartar queen. Actually, it might have helped. Peter Sellers as Chinese in Murder By Death - He certainly wasn’t the first white actor to play Charlie Chan. There was Warner Oland, Sidney Toler and Roland Winters, among others. But he’s probably the only one not primarily famous for playing the Chinese-American detective. Not that it would be acceptable for anyone to portray Chan without the iconic facial hair. Edward G. Robinson as Reubenite in The Ten Commandments - Born a Romanian Jew, Robinson was more acceptably cast as an ancient Israelite than it would seem. Yet after playing so many Italians in so many gangster movies, he was going against type as the traitor Dathan. Did the character grow the beard to align him more with the Egyptians, though? If so, then this is a twofold instance of facial hair making the race. Wallace Beery as Mexican in Viva Villa! -Long before Charlton Heston wore a mustache to pass as Mexican, Wallace Beery did the same. At least Beery was playing a real person, though, and had to wear a mustache. Still, would anyone have believed the star as any non-iconically-stashed Mexican? Sacha Baron Cohen as a Kazakh in Borat - OK, so without the accent, Sacha Baron Cohen would just look like an early ’80s Freddie Mercury wannabe. But also, without that mustache, he’d merely look like Sacha Baron Cohen. Not that any of us knew what the actor really looked like prior to his publicity tour for this movie, but that’s beside the point. Eddie Murphy as white on Saturday Night Live - In the early ’80s, when many white men wanted to be Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds, this kind of mustache was absolutely necessary for Murphy’s transformation. Anthony Quinn as an Arab in Lawrence of Arabia - The Mexican-American Quinn was great at playing against race. And he wasn’t the first or last to don a beard to play an Arab. But his portrayal was probably the most iconic representation of Arab for most of us who grew up in non-ethnically-diverse suburbs. John Cleese as French in Monty Python and the Holy Grail - You may recognize that he’s French by the exaggerated accent (his lines as the taunter are popular audio samples), but Cleese just wouldn’t be convincing as French without the exaggerated mustache. I know this, because at Halloween time, I see items called “French mustache,” meaning it’s an essential part of the stereotype. Meryl Streep as Jewish in Angels in America - You can’t play an Orthodox rabbi without the big frizzy beard, but when you’re Meryl Streep, regardless of how much of a chameleon you are, the beard is more than a must. It’s perhaps the only way of being passable as male and Jewish. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/13/28997.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/13/2008 8:08:00 PM
Body: OK, you might argue that this is a TV miniseries and not a movie, but since The Decalouge is considered a film and not a TV show, why shouln't this? It's got a movie director and cinema actors, and "feels" like a movie, so it's a movie. Angels in America is a six-hour, two-part adaption of Tony Kushner's award winning play of the same name. Obviously, a plot synopsis for any work of this length is going to touch the surface, but I will try anyway. The movie concerns an ensamble of characters in the mid-80's. The two main characters are Prior Walters (Justin Kirk) and Lou Ironside (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple who has just learned that Prior has AIDS. Other plotlines involves Roy Cohn (Al Pacino), a real-life homophobic lawyer who is actually gay and ill with AIDS, Harper Pitt (Mary Louise-Parker), a Mormon housewife addicted to painkillers, her husband Joe (Patrick Wilson), a Reagon consertaive who is an associate of Cohn's and also a closet bi-sexual (though neither know the other is gay), and Joe's mother, Hannah (Meryl Streep), a devout Morman, and Prior's friend and black nurse Belize (Jeremy Wright). A growing thread throught the film are Harper's hallucinations and Prior's dreams, which may or may not be visions of a prophecy to come. I am listing Kushner as a co-autuer because it seems to me that this is a more a cinematic translation of his play (which have not read or seen performed) then an adaption. There are long monolouges, chats on the phone, and florid, non-realistic dialouge, and some of the actors play multiple parts. The dialouge at times works (particualry during the fantasy sequences), but at other times it is a problem, I think that film may be to literarl a medium for this kind of speech to work. The movie's biggest problem, however, is that it doesn't really become more than the sum of its parts. It's compartmentalized into American metaphor, religious metamor, social commentary, character portraits, and comedy (some of which is funny), but never gells a bigger picture. This is especially a problem towards the end, when after six hours of veiwing we get a speech with a message no deeper than the end of a Dr. Phil episode. However, it is a real credit to Nichols that this film is rarely boring at its length, and the acting is suberb. Pacino and Streep are naturally standouts, but another great performance is given by Jeremy Wright as Belize. This guy is a survivor- as a black homosexual, he's a minority in a minorty, and we understand why he says he hates America. I also think that credit should be given to HBO for financing this- they clearly spent a lot of money on a project of unweildy length, a depressing subject, and contraversial material. I reccomending the film because I think it is an important movie,one that actully tries to say something, although towards the end its message becomes overly (and almost redicoulously) simplistic. Although the movie may only achieve about 70% of its goals, it aims are more ambitious than 95% of the films out there. Angels in America (2003)
]]>Wed, 14 May 2008 00:08:00 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/13/2008 8:08:00 PMOK, you might argue that this is a TV miniseries and not a movie, but since The Decalouge is considered a film and not a TV show, why shouln't this? It's got a movie director and cinema actors, and "feels" like a movie, so it's a movie. Angels in America is a six-hour, two-part adaption of Tony Kushner's award winning play of the same name. Obviously, a plot synopsis for any work of this length is going to touch the surface, but I will try anyway. The movie concerns an ensamble of characters in the mid-80's. The two main characters are Prior Walters (Justin Kirk) and Lou Ironside (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple who has just learned that Prior has AIDS. Other plotlines involves Roy Cohn (Al Pacino), a real-life homophobic lawyer who is actually gay and ill with AIDS, Harper Pitt (Mary Louise-Parker), a Mormon housewife addicted to painkillers, her husband Joe (Patrick Wilson), a Reagon consertaive who is an associate of Cohn's and also a closet bi-sexual (though neither know the other is gay), and Joe's mother, Hannah (Meryl Streep), a devout Morman, and Prior's friend and black nurse Belize (Jeremy Wright). A growing thread throught the film are Harper's hallucinations and Prior's dreams, which may or may not be visions of a prophecy to come. I am listing Kushner as a co-autuer because it seems to me that this is a more a cinematic translation of his play (which have not read or seen performed) then an adaption. There are long monolouges, chats on the phone, and florid, non-realistic dialouge, and some of the actors play multiple parts. The dialouge at times works (particualry during the fantasy sequences), but at other times it is a problem, I think that film may be to literarl a medium for this kind of speech to work. The movie's biggest problem, however, is that it doesn't really become more than the sum of its parts. It's compartmentalized into American metaphor, religious metamor, social commentary, character portraits, and comedy (some of which is funny), but never gells a bigger picture. This is especially a problem towards the end, when after six hours of veiwing we get a speech with a message no deeper than the end of a Dr. Phil episode. However, it is a real credit to Nichols that this film is rarely boring at its length, and the acting is suberb. Pacino and Streep are naturally standouts, but another great performance is given by Jeremy Wright as Belize. This guy is a survivor- as a black homosexual, he's a minority in a minorty, and we understand why he says he hates America. I also think that credit should be given to HBO for financing this- they clearly spent a lot of money on a project of unweildy length, a depressing subject, and contraversial material. I reccomending the film because I think it is an important movie,one that actully tries to say something, although towards the end its message becomes overly (and almost redicoulously) simplistic. Although the movie may only achieve about 70% of its goals, it aims are more ambitious than 95% of the films out there. Angels in America (2003) http://www.spout.com/blogs/lawgrrl07/archive/2007/8/3/17137.aspx Post By: lawgrrl07
Post To: JUMP CUT
Post Date: 8/3/2007 1:14:02 AM
Body: I must admit that I was terribly worried about the film version of Kushner's brutal masterpiece...and then I saw it. It lost absolutely nothing in the translation to the screen. It's still tortured, brilliant, devastating. A must see.
]]>Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:14:02 GMTlawgrrl07JUMP CUT8/3/2007 1:14:02 AMI must admit that I was terribly worried about the film version of Kushner&#39;s brutal masterpiece...and then I saw it. It lost absolutely nothing in the translation to the screen. It&#39;s still tortured, brilliant, devastating. A must see. http://www.spout.com/blogs/tommyallen/archive/2007/6/12/10980.aspx Post By: TommyAllen
Post To: TommyAllen Blog
Post Date: 6/12/2007 11:28:04 PM
Body: Finally nice to see a well thought out and finely written screenplay about an interesting time in America.
]]>Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:28:04 GMTTommyAllenTommyAllen Blog6/12/2007 11:28:04 PMFinally nice to see a well thought out and finely written screenplay about an interesting time in America. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspxdeath
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