list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Garden State 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/Garden_State/239794/default.aspx Title: Garden State
Year: 2004
Director: Zach Braff
Plot: In the wake of his success on the hit NBC sitcom Scrubs, actor Zach Braff made his debut behind the camera writing, directing, and starring in this bittersweet romantic comedy. Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a young man who has just received word of his mother's passing. With this news, Andrew returns to the town in which he grew up, where he is greeted by his father, Gideon (Ian Holm), a psychiatrist. In addition to mourning the loss of his mother, Andrew is also attempting to adjust to life without the emotionally numbing antidepressants that he has recently opted to discontinue using. Gradually, with the absence of the pills, his reconnection with his past, and the introduction of Sam (Natalie Portman), a woman who would seem to have little in common with him, into his life, Andrew is able to see the potential for some positive changes. Also starring Jean Smart and Peter Sarsgaard, Garden State was once titled Large's Ark and premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 166
Number of Lists: 156
Number of blog posts: 16
Number of discussion threads: 9
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 03:42:23 GMTGarden State2004Zach BraffIn the wake of his success on the hit NBC sitcom <a href=/films/286777/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Scrubs</a>, actor <a href="/players/P___267664/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Zach Braff</a> made his debut behind the camera writing, directing, and starring in this bittersweet romantic comedy. Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a young man who has just received word of his mother's passing. With this news, Andrew returns to the town in which he grew up, where he is greeted by his father, Gideon (<a href="/players/P____32962/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ian Holm</a>), a psychiatrist. In addition to mourning the loss of his mother, Andrew is also attempting to adjust to life without the emotionally numbing antidepressants that he has recently opted to discontinue using. Gradually, with the absence of the pills, his reconnection with his past, and the introduction of Sam (<a href="/players/P___197461/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Natalie Portman</a>), a woman who would seem to have little in common with him, into his life, Andrew is able to see the potential for some positive changes. Also starring <a href="/players/P____66295/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jean Smart</a> and <a href="/players/P___237700/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Peter Sarsgaard</a>, Garden State was once titled Large's Ark and premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide166Tag Target (>10)1561693http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t51301bhpn9.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Garden_State/239794/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/5/40271.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/5/2009 12:01:20 PM
Body: Are you one of the many sci-fi and comic book geeks who’d be more interested in Push were it not for Dakota Fanning? Sure, the precocious child star is now a teen actress (she’s about to turn 15), yet that probably makes you even more worried about her appearance in the movie. But what can you do? She’s literally everywhere this week – voicing the title character in the animated Coraline and starring in two new video releases, Hounddog and The Secret Life of Bees, both of which were released Tuesday. In the tradition of child actors continuing careers into adolescence, it’s only a matter of time before she ruins a movie that would have been better without her. We’ll have to wait until this weekend to see if that time is now, with Push, but in the meantime let’s take a look at some of the past offenders in this tradition. Most of the following former child actors (our definition: actors that began their career below the age of 13) have done great things in their adulthood, but each has done at least one film that could have been better without him or her. You may disagree with some of these picks, and you may think we’ve forgotten some (was Christian Bale really the worst part of The Dark Knight? did Mary-Kate Olsen’s disturbing kiss with Ben Kingsley take away from The Wackness?), so do share your own thoughts on former child stars below. We just ask that you keep your comments somewhat tasteful and law-abiding. BUtterfield 8 (1960) Elizabeth Taylor won her first Oscar for her performance in this film, and that’s basically the problem. Everyone knew then as they know now that she only won the award because she came down with a near-fatal illness weeks prior to the ceremony. Of course, she was nominated without such sympathy being the reason, so shouldn’t that mean the performance is still great? Well, that’s certainly debatable, but many critics today claim this to be one of the worst best actress wins of all time. So, if you go into BUtterfield 8 expecting an Oscar-worthy film, it’s going to be ruined for you. The Cat’s Meow (2001) Kirsten Dunst, who made her debut at age 7 in Woody Allen’s segment of New York Stories, got to work with another ‘70s cinema great, Peter Bogdanovich, in this comedic telling of an infamous Hollywood scandal. She portrays silent film actress Marion Davies, who becomes the catalyst in the scandal when her boyfriend, newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann), discovers she’s having an affair with Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard). The irony is that Dunst is so annoying in the role that it’s hard to believe any guys would fight over her. Many Dunst fans continually defend her performance in the film, but if it’s not her acting that ruins The Cat’s Meow, it’s at least her singing, which can be heard during the closing credits. Donnie Darko (2001) Drew Barrymore may be the most adorable thing to happen to romantic comedies since Jean Arthur, but occasionally she tries to make us believe she can do other roles. Unfortunately, she’s just not fit for most jobs, and English teacher is certainly one of them. Somehow in Donnie Darko her awkward speaking voice is even worse than usual, and she comes off sounding like she knows this and is attempting to enunciate as best she can in spite of the problem. Well, Drew, there’s a reason Spielberg hasn’t cast you in a sci-fi flick since E.T., you simply can’t pull off the dialogue. Garden State (2004) Natalie Portman didn’t make her film debut until she was 13 (in Leon, aka The Professional), but she did begin acting three years earlier, so we’re allowing her to make the list. How can we not? There isn’t a Garden State hater out there who doesn’t blame Portman and her obnoxious, flaky love interest character for ruining the film. Yet she was once the young girl that made tons of these cinephiles relate to a questionably friendly Timothy Hutton in Beautiful Girls. A year after Garden State, fellow former child starlet Kirsten Dunst (see above) played a similarly obnoxious and flaky love interest in the similarly plotted Elizabethtown. But at least Dunst had Orlando Bloom to make her seem talented by comparison. Portman is all alone in her ruination here. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) Ron Howard, child star-turned-Oscar-winning filmmaker, has a special circumstance that warrants his inclusion on this list. Unlike the other nine, he managed to ruin a movie he wasn’t even involved in. Notice both the title and the date above. Or click on the link. That’s the old animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic, which Howard ruined by directing his live-action version. You could also say that he ruined the book, and you could say that he ruined his own movie by making the latter so terribly horrendous. But it’s Chuck Jones’ earlier film that was most adversely affected by the release of 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (often listed simply as The Grinch), because how many children will now grow up with the ugly Jim Carrey-starring version instead of the wonderful Boris Karloff-narrated one? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Shia LaBeouf, like Natalie Portman, barely makes the child actor cutoff, but he needs to be included because we need to keep chastising him for ruining not only the latest Indiana Jones movie, but also the whole franchise. Maybe there were indeed other faults with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Plenty of people credit the “nuke the fridge” scene as the downturn in both the film and the series, for instance. But most of us were forgiving up until Shia swung through the trees like Tarzan. So, he’s clearly to blame. It’s quite a shame, too, because he’s pretty much the only thing that really saves the Transformers movies. Inside Man (2006) Jodie Foster has often seemed out of place in movies. She doesn’t feel right in period romances, such as Sommersby and Anna and the King, but she’s a good enough actress that she’s forgiven for such casting faults. As for Inside Man, well, even her Oscar-winning talent couldn’t keep her from appearing ill fit for her role. Part of the problem is the character itself, that of a woman who comes off far less intelligent and tough than she should (the same kind of character ruined The Bourne Supremacy a year earlier). You want Foster, a smart and strong woman in real life and typically on screen, to be more and do more. But she hardly contributes to the film and if anything slows it and dumbs it down too much. Hopefully the rumors are correct that her character will not return in Inside Man 2. Monster (2003) Christina Ricci is not really a good actress to begin with, but if you cast her opposite a great performance she comes off as seeming a downright terrible actress. This is what happened with Monster, in which Charlize Theron does her Oscar-winning best at becoming unrecognizable. Next to that transformation, Ricci just looks like Ricci, and a really untalented Ricci at that. For the amount of screen time Ricci’s lesbian love-interest character is allotted, Patty Jenkins really should have gotten someone better. Because not only does the performance end up awful next to Theron’s, it ruins a film that is otherwise worth watching for the acting. Silver Screen Confidential (1996) Scott Schwartz actually won an award for this adult film, in which he gives a non-sex performance. It wasn’t his first porn nor was it his last, but because of the recognition he received for this one, it’s being used as the exemplary title. While creepy people out there tend to count down to the day that female child stars reach the age of 18, probably in the hopes that the girls will quickly appear in their first legal nude scene, it is unlikely that anyone was waiting for the day the kid from The Toy, A Christmas Story and Kidco would enter a career in porn. To be honest, we haven’t actually seen any of Schwartz’s adult titles, but we can imagine his appearance is quite distracting to anybody who recognizes him as “Flick” while otherwise trying to get off watching Jenna Jameson. Still, Schwartz does star in his very own title, Scotty’s X-Rated Adventure, so maybe he’s somehow a draw? X-Men (2000) Anna Paquin is the prime reason why the Academy needs to stop allowing child actors Oscar nominations. Yes, Paquin was terrific in The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. But then look what happened: she grew up to be an irritating starlet who could ruin a film by Spike Lee, Cameron Crowe or Gus Van Sant with just a single whiny-voiced line while playing the same nymphet character over and over and over. So what if she can claim to have confirmed her talent with a recent Golden Globe win (for TV work)? That still doesn’t take back the fact that she stunk up the first X-Men, one of her rare deviations from her typecast Lolita roles, enough to make it a huge disappointment. Fortunately with the sequels, not even her lack of talent could depreciate X2, and she was far from the worst thing about X-Men: The Last Stand. Thankfully she won’t be in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, nor will she likely be given her own spin-off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:01:20 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/5/2009 12:01:20 PMAre you one of the many sci-fi and comic book geeks who’d be more interested in Push were it not for Dakota Fanning? Sure, the precocious child star is now a teen actress (she’s about to turn 15), yet that probably makes you even more worried about her appearance in the movie. But what can you do? She’s literally everywhere this week – voicing the title character in the animated Coraline and starring in two new video releases, Hounddog and The Secret Life of Bees, both of which were released Tuesday. In the tradition of child actors continuing careers into adolescence, it’s only a matter of time before she ruins a movie that would have been better without her. We’ll have to wait until this weekend to see if that time is now, with Push, but in the meantime let’s take a look at some of the past offenders in this tradition. Most of the following former child actors (our definition: actors that began their career below the age of 13) have done great things in their adulthood, but each has done at least one film that could have been better without him or her. You may disagree with some of these picks, and you may think we’ve forgotten some (was Christian Bale really the worst part of The Dark Knight? did Mary-Kate Olsen’s disturbing kiss with Ben Kingsley take away from The Wackness?), so do share your own thoughts on former child stars below. We just ask that you keep your comments somewhat tasteful and law-abiding. BUtterfield 8 (1960) Elizabeth Taylor won her first Oscar for her performance in this film, and that’s basically the problem. Everyone knew then as they know now that she only won the award because she came down with a near-fatal illness weeks prior to the ceremony. Of course, she was nominated without such sympathy being the reason, so shouldn’t that mean the performance is still great? Well, that’s certainly debatable, but many critics today claim this to be one of the worst best actress wins of all time. So, if you go into BUtterfield 8 expecting an Oscar-worthy film, it’s going to be ruined for you. The Cat’s Meow (2001) Kirsten Dunst, who made her debut at age 7 in Woody Allen’s segment of New York Stories, got to work with another ‘70s cinema great, Peter Bogdanovich, in this comedic telling of an infamous Hollywood scandal. She portrays silent film actress Marion Davies, who becomes the catalyst in the scandal when her boyfriend, newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann), discovers she’s having an affair with Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard). The irony is that Dunst is so annoying in the role that it’s hard to believe any guys would fight over her. Many Dunst fans continually defend her performance in the film, but if it’s not her acting that ruins The Cat’s Meow, it’s at least her singing, which can be heard during the closing credits. Donnie Darko (2001) Drew Barrymore may be the most adorable thing to happen to romantic comedies since Jean Arthur, but occasionally she tries to make us believe she can do other roles. Unfortunately, she’s just not fit for most jobs, and English teacher is certainly one of them. Somehow in Donnie Darko her awkward speaking voice is even worse than usual, and she comes off sounding like she knows this and is attempting to enunciate as best she can in spite of the problem. Well, Drew, there’s a reason Spielberg hasn’t cast you in a sci-fi flick since E.T., you simply can’t pull off the dialogue. Garden State (2004) Natalie Portman didn’t make her film debut until she was 13 (in Leon, aka The Professional), but she did begin acting three years earlier, so we’re allowing her to make the list. How can we not? There isn’t a Garden State hater out there who doesn’t blame Portman and her obnoxious, flaky love interest character for ruining the film. Yet she was once the young girl that made tons of these cinephiles relate to a questionably friendly Timothy Hutton in Beautiful Girls. A year after Garden State, fellow former child starlet Kirsten Dunst (see above) played a similarly obnoxious and flaky love interest in the similarly plotted Elizabethtown. But at least Dunst had Orlando Bloom to make her seem talented by comparison. Portman is all alone in her ruination here. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) Ron Howard, child star-turned-Oscar-winning filmmaker, has a special circumstance that warrants his inclusion on this list. Unlike the other nine, he managed to ruin a movie he wasn’t even involved in. Notice both the title and the date above. Or click on the link. That’s the old animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic, which Howard ruined by directing his live-action version. You could also say that he ruined the book, and you could say that he ruined his own movie by making the latter so terribly horrendous. But it’s Chuck Jones’ earlier film that was most adversely affected by the release of 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (often listed simply as The Grinch), because how many children will now grow up with the ugly Jim Carrey-starring version instead of the wonderful Boris Karloff-narrated one? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Shia LaBeouf, like Natalie Portman, barely makes the child actor cutoff, but he needs to be included because we need to keep chastising him for ruining not only the latest Indiana Jones movie, but also the whole franchise. Maybe there were indeed other faults with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Plenty of people credit the “nuke the fridge” scene as the downturn in both the film and the series, for instance. But most of us were forgiving up until Shia swung through the trees like Tarzan. So, he’s clearly to blame. It’s quite a shame, too, because he’s pretty much the only thing that really saves the Transformers movies. Inside Man (2006) Jodie Foster has often seemed out of place in movies. She doesn’t feel right in period romances, such as Sommersby and Anna and the King, but she’s a good enough actress that she’s forgiven for such casting faults. As for Inside Man, well, even her Oscar-winning talent couldn’t keep her from appearing ill fit for her role. Part of the problem is the character itself, that of a woman who comes off far less intelligent and tough than she should (the same kind of character ruined The Bourne Supremacy a year earlier). You want Foster, a smart and strong woman in real life and typically on screen, to be more and do more. But she hardly contributes to the film and if anything slows it and dumbs it down too much. Hopefully the rumors are correct that her character will not return in Inside Man 2. Monster (2003) Christina Ricci is not really a good actress to begin with, but if you cast her opposite a great performance she comes off as seeming a downright terrible actress. This is what happened with Monster, in which Charlize Theron does her Oscar-winning best at becoming unrecognizable. Next to that transformation, Ricci just looks like Ricci, and a really untalented Ricci at that. For the amount of screen time Ricci’s lesbian love-interest character is allotted, Patty Jenkins really should have gotten someone better. Because not only does the performance end up awful next to Theron’s, it ruins a film that is otherwise worth watching for the acting. Silver Screen Confidential (1996) Scott Schwartz actually won an award for this adult film, in which he gives a non-sex performance. It wasn’t his first porn nor was it his last, but because of the recognition he received for this one, it’s being used as the exemplary title. While creepy people out there tend to count down to the day that female child stars reach the age of 18, probably in the hopes that the girls will quickly appear in their first legal nude scene, it is unlikely that anyone was waiting for the day the kid from The Toy, A Christmas Story and Kidco would enter a career in porn. To be honest, we haven’t actually seen any of Schwartz’s adult titles, but we can imagine his appearance is quite distracting to anybody who recognizes him as “Flick” while otherwise trying to get off watching Jenna Jameson. Still, Schwartz does star in his very own title, Scotty’s X-Rated Adventure, so maybe he’s somehow a draw? X-Men (2000) Anna Paquin is the prime reason why the Academy needs to stop allowing child actors Oscar nominations. Yes, Paquin was terrific in The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. But then look what happened: she grew up to be an irritating starlet who could ruin a film by Spike Lee, Cameron Crowe or Gus Van Sant with just a single whiny-voiced line while playing the same nymphet character over and over and over. So what if she can claim to have confirmed her talent with a recent Golden Globe win (for TV work)? That still doesn’t take back the fact that she stunk up the first X-Men, one of her rare deviations from her typecast Lolita roles, enough to make it a huge disappointment. Fortunately with the sequels, not even her lack of talent could depreciate X2, and she was far from the worst thing about X-Men: The Last Stand. Thankfully she won’t be in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, nor will she likely be given her own spin-off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Workin_for_the_Weekend_Top_5_Working_Films/190/39904/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 1/26/2009 10:38:13 AM
Body: I was thinking this weekend about how many films I've seen relating to the everyday working experience that I've absolutely loved. There's a ton out there--probably because so many people are a bit disollusioned and lost in their careers. What are your Top 5? I'll start it off with mine: Office Space Anyone who's ever worked in IT or a related field knows the pain of Peter Gibbons all too well. Overworked, underappreciated and just a nameless face in a cubicle. Bonus: I am often compared to Michael Bolton. Clerks I think everyone has friends like Dante and Randall. They didn't really go anywhere after highschool and are still working at the same pizza/video/convenience store, in the same town. They are a bit neurotic, but always fun. Waiting I've never worked in the restaurant industry, but my many friends who have assure me that this film is nearly a documentary. Employee of the Month This is 'Waiting' for anyone who's worked in retail. After working at Hobby Lobby in the warehouse for a few years, I have a deep, deep appreciation for this film. Bonus: we constructed an 'employee lounge' on top of the pallet rack out of boxed Christmas trees just like in the film, years before it came out. Garden State Great film about the post-college career disollusionment (quarter-life crisis).
]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:38:13 GMTseelyTop 51/26/2009 10:38:13 AMI was thinking this weekend about how many films I've seen relating to the everyday working experience that I've absolutely loved. There's a ton out there--probably because so many people are a bit disollusioned and lost in their careers. What are your Top 5? I'll start it off with mine: Office Space Anyone who's ever worked in IT or a related field knows the pain of Peter Gibbons all too well. Overworked, underappreciated and just a nameless face in a cubicle. Bonus: I am often compared to Michael Bolton. Clerks I think everyone has friends like Dante and Randall. They didn't really go anywhere after highschool and are still working at the same pizza/video/convenience store, in the same town. They are a bit neurotic, but always fun. Waiting I've never worked in the restaurant industry, but my many friends who have assure me that this film is nearly a documentary. Employee of the Month This is 'Waiting' for anyone who's worked in retail. After working at Hobby Lobby in the warehouse for a few years, I have a deep, deep appreciation for this film. Bonus: we constructed an 'employee lounge' on top of the pallet rack out of boxed Christmas trees just like in the film, years before it came out. Garden State Great film about the post-college career disollusionment (quarter-life crisis). http://www.spout.com/groups/Sundance/10_Worst_Sundance_Sensations/532/39566/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Sundance
Post Date: 1/15/2009 2:34:28 PM
Body: Reading Chris Campbell's 10 Worst Sundance Sensations is sort of like listening to someone bash your old friends. My affection for some of these films makes it hard to say whether I agree with any of his picks, which include Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, and Brick. I can't argue with someone who says Napoleon Dynamite isn't funny, but I will argue with Chris when he says "Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny." I don't mean to sound like a philosophy undergrad, but you asked for it, Chris: what is "funny"? He made me smile when he called Garden State a "homecoming of age" movie that spawned a hundred like it. Get this, though: "Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest." Obviously Chris knows a lot of talented idiots. I appreciated his writing about Brick, especially the part where he says "Who wouldn't rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers?" Then I thought, 'I liked Brick. I thought it was gritty and exciting. How is Chris changing my mind when he's not even explaining why the movie is bad?' But maybe Chris's oldest selections are a good indicator of his judgment? I haven't seen Boxing Helena (1993) or The Brothers McMullen (1995), and I didn't even know Ed Burns was a writer/director! One of my coworkers just told me Burns was a really 'in vogue' filmmaker for a while. What do you guys think, are Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), and Zack Braff along the same lines? In another ten years, will people be saying, "I didn't know Zack Braff was a writer/director!"
]]>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:34:28 GMTSkyPilotSundance1/15/2009 2:34:28 PMReading Chris Campbell's 10 Worst Sundance Sensations is sort of like listening to someone bash your old friends. My affection for some of these films makes it hard to say whether I agree with any of his picks, which include Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, and Brick. I can't argue with someone who says Napoleon Dynamite isn't funny, but I will argue with Chris when he says "Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny." I don't mean to sound like a philosophy undergrad, but you asked for it, Chris: what is "funny"? He made me smile when he called Garden State a "homecoming of age" movie that spawned a hundred like it. Get this, though: "Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest." Obviously Chris knows a lot of talented idiots. I appreciated his writing about Brick, especially the part where he says "Who wouldn't rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers?" Then I thought, 'I liked Brick. I thought it was gritty and exciting. How is Chris changing my mind when he's not even explaining why the movie is bad?' But maybe Chris's oldest selections are a good indicator of his judgment? I haven't seen Boxing Helena (1993) or The Brothers McMullen (1995), and I didn't even know Ed Burns was a writer/director! One of my coworkers just told me Burns was a really 'in vogue' filmmaker for a while. What do you guys think, are Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), and Zack Braff along the same lines? In another ten years, will people be saying, "I didn't know Zack Braff was a writer/director!" http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/13/39472.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/13/2009 5:01:36 PM
Body: Getting ready for the Sundance Film Festival can be very exciting. As we await the event’s Thursday opening, we can’t stop wondering what will be the next big thing. Will this year’s hit be the highly-anticipated Michael Cera project Paper Hearts, or will it be something that we as of yet know nothing about? It’s easy to forget, however, that oftentimes the next big thing is also the next lamest thing. Sundance sensations, those films that are much-buzzed-about, that sell for a lot of money, that go on to be marketed like crazy and ultimately receive Oscar recognition, tend to lend themselves most easily to backlashes. Usually such derision is deserved, as in the case of the following ten films, each of which made a big splash at Sundance despite being bad. 10. Brick (Rian Johnson; 2005 Sundance premiere) When Blade Runner was first released, critics attacked its novelty of combining film noir with science fiction. Yet when Brick arrived in Park City, its similar genre-bending mix of film noir and teen films was welcomed as the most original film in years. In both circumstances, critics were wrong, and while Blade Runner ultimately became a classic, Brick is retrospectively even sillier now than it was when it won a Special Jury Prize “for originality of vision” four years ago. Yes, the film is a fresh idea in theory, but it doesn’t really work on screen, no matter how much you want it to or think it does. It’s simply a novelty gag for film geeks who love noir — while not quite as enjoyable for fans of the teen genre. Is there really anyone who wouldn’t just rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers? 9. Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; 2006 Sundance premiere) Never mind its impact on the culture of Sundance. The annoying “what will be the next Little Miss Sunshine?” idea was just a substitute for similar questions going back as far as 1990 (“what will be the next sex, lies, and videotape?”). The real problem with LMS is that it’s a decent dysfunctional family comedy that falls apart in the third act. On the positive side, it finally got Alan Arkin an Oscar. But on the more glaring negative side, it also got Abigail Breslin an Oscar nomination. Hardly worthy, also, of its Best Picture nod or its Best Original Screenplay win, the film’s success is the product of a terrific marketing team and moviegoers’ acceptance of cheesy endings — and has nothing to do with the quality of the film. 8. The Brothers McMullen (Edward Burns; 1995 Sundance premiere) While the name Fox Searchlight is now synonymous with marketing the hell out of “indie” sensations like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno and Slumdog Millionaire, the specialty division has been overdoing it with unworthy films since the very first Sundance hit they distributed. The Brothers McMullen is not necessarily a bad film, but it isn’t anything special either. Some say the 1995 fest was the downward turning point for Sundance, whether because it showed us a major “sellout” who wasn’t actually as good as he’d been celebrated as being (Kevin Smith, who disappointed with his sophomore effort, Mallrats) or because a lackluster picture like McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize. And like Smith, Edward Burns ultimately revealed himself to be something of an embarrassment, talent-wise, to the reputation of Sundance alums. 7. Garden State (Zach Braff; 2004 Sundance premiere) 2004 was the year that indie quirkiness got out of hand at Sundance (see #3). Sure, Garden State got us all into The Shins, but it also got filmmakers too into a genre I call “homecoming of age” movies, those banal stories about twenty- and thirty- somethings who revisit their homes due to a dying or dead parent and involve themselves with wacky townies in the process. Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest. Sundance must still be getting countless submissions of this kind of film, but unfortunately for the rest of the world’s idiot filmmakers, they aren’t TV stars like Zach Braff. 6. SherryBaby (Laurie Collyer; 2006 Sundance premiere) Sundance has long been a haven for depressing films involving junkies and/or incest, but few have been as overrated as SherryBaby. Once again, it’s all about the star power, as the film might not have been so hyped had Maggie Gyllenhaal not been in the lead. Then again, it might have actually been a better film without her. Grandly over-praised for her performance as the easily played rehabilitating mom, the actress got undeserved kudos simply for being raw and despicable. Her Oscar snub was a relief, at least. 5. Born Into Brothels (Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman; 2004 Sundance premiere) It may have won the documentary Audience Award at Sundance and the documentary Oscar a year later, but that doesn’t excuse Born Into Brothels from being a disgrace to nonfiction filmmaking. One of the most self-satisfying docs ever made, the film will forever be marked by its footage of co-director Zana Briski figuratively patting herself on the back during a fundraiser, with which she sinfully seeks sainthood for involving herself in the lives of her film’s subjects. If documentary was synonymous with charity, Born Into Brothels would indeed be a great film, but documentaries like this should merely be an inspiration to charity, not charity itself. 4. Masked and Anonymous (Larry Charles; 2003 Sundance premiere) One of the most anticipated films of the 2003 festival due to a script co-written by Bob Dylan and an unbelievable cast including Dylan, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Penelope Cruz, Ed Harris, Luke Wilson, Mickey Rourke, Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange and many other big names, the very messy Masked and Anonymous therefore ended up the biggest disappointment of that year. Its worth was later defended and praised by such critics as Jonathan Rosenbaum, who included it in his 2003 Top Ten list, and Salon.com’s Stephanie Zacharek. But most of us are in agreement that it’s one of the biggest wastes of talent in years. 3. Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess; 2004 Sundance premiere) Napoleon Dynamite’s inclusion on this list is likely to upset more people than Brick’s, but at least the Brick devotees can defend their fandom with more than just shouts of “It’s funny!” Because the thing is, Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny. Jared Hess’ pop culture phenomenon does feature some highly original characters and situations, but his execution of these elements is obvious and uninteresting. “Gosh!” is neither a good punchline nor a good catchphrase. 2. The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez; 1999 Sundance premiere) It must be appreciated as much as attacked for its groundbreaking marketing campaign, and in many ways the film itself can be acknowledged for having a terrific premise with an almost perfect realization of that idea. But for the most part, The Blair Witch Project is a basic, amateur and poorly concluded effort that turned the appeal of indie simplicity on its head. Almost a decade earlier, when filmmakers saw Slacker and said “I can do that,” they were mostly mistaken. But The Blair Witch allowed every schmo with a digital camera to declare, “I can do that,” and be relatively correct in his or her statement. It’s okay for indie filmmaking to seem easy, but when it really is that easy, it degrades the truly talented. 1. Boxing Helena (Jennifer Lynch; 1993 Sundance premiere) Cult appeal notwithstanding, Boxing Helena was one of the first really awful movies to be up for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. And although in the 17 years since, the festival has been easily criticized for allowing bad films with lots of buzz and/or big name talent to be included in competition, no film has been as unworthy as this. Had it starred original choice Madonna in the part of the titular amputee, Boxing Helena might have really deserved to at least become a midnight movie. However, with its lesser-name casting, it’s barely even good enough for Skinamax programming. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:01:36 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/13/2009 5:01:36 PMGetting ready for the Sundance Film Festival can be very exciting. As we await the event’s Thursday opening, we can’t stop wondering what will be the next big thing. Will this year’s hit be the highly-anticipated Michael Cera project Paper Hearts, or will it be something that we as of yet know nothing about? It’s easy to forget, however, that oftentimes the next big thing is also the next lamest thing. Sundance sensations, those films that are much-buzzed-about, that sell for a lot of money, that go on to be marketed like crazy and ultimately receive Oscar recognition, tend to lend themselves most easily to backlashes. Usually such derision is deserved, as in the case of the following ten films, each of which made a big splash at Sundance despite being bad. 10. Brick (Rian Johnson; 2005 Sundance premiere) When Blade Runner was first released, critics attacked its novelty of combining film noir with science fiction. Yet when Brick arrived in Park City, its similar genre-bending mix of film noir and teen films was welcomed as the most original film in years. In both circumstances, critics were wrong, and while Blade Runner ultimately became a classic, Brick is retrospectively even sillier now than it was when it won a Special Jury Prize “for originality of vision” four years ago. Yes, the film is a fresh idea in theory, but it doesn’t really work on screen, no matter how much you want it to or think it does. It’s simply a novelty gag for film geeks who love noir — while not quite as enjoyable for fans of the teen genre. Is there really anyone who wouldn’t just rather watch a double feature of The Big Sleep and Heathers? 9. Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; 2006 Sundance premiere) Never mind its impact on the culture of Sundance. The annoying “what will be the next Little Miss Sunshine?” idea was just a substitute for similar questions going back as far as 1990 (“what will be the next sex, lies, and videotape?”). The real problem with LMS is that it’s a decent dysfunctional family comedy that falls apart in the third act. On the positive side, it finally got Alan Arkin an Oscar. But on the more glaring negative side, it also got Abigail Breslin an Oscar nomination. Hardly worthy, also, of its Best Picture nod or its Best Original Screenplay win, the film’s success is the product of a terrific marketing team and moviegoers’ acceptance of cheesy endings — and has nothing to do with the quality of the film. 8. The Brothers McMullen (Edward Burns; 1995 Sundance premiere) While the name Fox Searchlight is now synonymous with marketing the hell out of “indie” sensations like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno and Slumdog Millionaire, the specialty division has been overdoing it with unworthy films since the very first Sundance hit they distributed. The Brothers McMullen is not necessarily a bad film, but it isn’t anything special either. Some say the 1995 fest was the downward turning point for Sundance, whether because it showed us a major “sellout” who wasn’t actually as good as he’d been celebrated as being (Kevin Smith, who disappointed with his sophomore effort, Mallrats) or because a lackluster picture like McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize. And like Smith, Edward Burns ultimately revealed himself to be something of an embarrassment, talent-wise, to the reputation of Sundance alums. 7. Garden State (Zach Braff; 2004 Sundance premiere) 2004 was the year that indie quirkiness got out of hand at Sundance (see #3). Sure, Garden State got us all into The Shins, but it also got filmmakers too into a genre I call “homecoming of age” movies, those banal stories about twenty- and thirty- somethings who revisit their homes due to a dying or dead parent and involve themselves with wacky townies in the process. Any idiot can write a script of this type and fill it with quirky scenery and an obnoxious yet adorable love interest. Sundance must still be getting countless submissions of this kind of film, but unfortunately for the rest of the world’s idiot filmmakers, they aren’t TV stars like Zach Braff. 6. SherryBaby (Laurie Collyer; 2006 Sundance premiere) Sundance has long been a haven for depressing films involving junkies and/or incest, but few have been as overrated as SherryBaby. Once again, it’s all about the star power, as the film might not have been so hyped had Maggie Gyllenhaal not been in the lead. Then again, it might have actually been a better film without her. Grandly over-praised for her performance as the easily played rehabilitating mom, the actress got undeserved kudos simply for being raw and despicable. Her Oscar snub was a relief, at least. 5. Born Into Brothels (Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman; 2004 Sundance premiere) It may have won the documentary Audience Award at Sundance and the documentary Oscar a year later, but that doesn’t excuse Born Into Brothels from being a disgrace to nonfiction filmmaking. One of the most self-satisfying docs ever made, the film will forever be marked by its footage of co-director Zana Briski figuratively patting herself on the back during a fundraiser, with which she sinfully seeks sainthood for involving herself in the lives of her film’s subjects. If documentary was synonymous with charity, Born Into Brothels would indeed be a great film, but documentaries like this should merely be an inspiration to charity, not charity itself. 4. Masked and Anonymous (Larry Charles; 2003 Sundance premiere) One of the most anticipated films of the 2003 festival due to a script co-written by Bob Dylan and an unbelievable cast including Dylan, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Penelope Cruz, Ed Harris, Luke Wilson, Mickey Rourke, Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange and many other big names, the very messy Masked and Anonymous therefore ended up the biggest disappointment of that year. Its worth was later defended and praised by such critics as Jonathan Rosenbaum, who included it in his 2003 Top Ten list, and Salon.com’s Stephanie Zacharek. But most of us are in agreement that it’s one of the biggest wastes of talent in years. 3. Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess; 2004 Sundance premiere) Napoleon Dynamite’s inclusion on this list is likely to upset more people than Brick’s, but at least the Brick devotees can defend their fandom with more than just shouts of “It’s funny!” Because the thing is, Napoleon Dynamite is not comedy. It is merely quirky, which is not the same thing as funny. Jared Hess’ pop culture phenomenon does feature some highly original characters and situations, but his execution of these elements is obvious and uninteresting. “Gosh!” is neither a good punchline nor a good catchphrase. 2. The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez; 1999 Sundance premiere) It must be appreciated as much as attacked for its groundbreaking marketing campaign, and in many ways the film itself can be acknowledged for having a terrific premise with an almost perfect realization of that idea. But for the most part, The Blair Witch Project is a basic, amateur and poorly concluded effort that turned the appeal of indie simplicity on its head. Almost a decade earlier, when filmmakers saw Slacker and said “I can do that,” they were mostly mistaken. But The Blair Witch allowed every schmo with a digital camera to declare, “I can do that,” and be relatively correct in his or her statement. It’s okay for indie filmmaking to seem easy, but when it really is that easy, it degrades the truly talented. 1. Boxing Helena (Jennifer Lynch; 1993 Sundance premiere) Cult appeal notwithstanding, Boxing Helena was one of the first really awful movies to be up for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. And although in the 17 years since, the festival has been easily criticized for allowing bad films with lots of buzz and/or big name talent to be included in competition, no film has been as unworthy as this. Had it starred original choice Madonna in the part of the titular amputee, Boxing Helena might have really deserved to at least become a midnight movie. However, with its lesser-name casting, it’s barely even good enough for Skinamax programming. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Recast_GARDEN_STATE_2004/563/36583/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 10/22/2008 2:36:05 PM
Body: I think I'm up for this one. 'Garden State' always made me think of the 80's Brat Pack films, especially St. Elmo's Fire. Therefore, in honor of that great time in history, I submit to you: Brat Pack Garden State, written and directed by John Hughes -Andrew Largeman: John Cusack (think 'Say Anything' but a few years older) -Gideon Largeman: Peter Falk -Aunt Sylvia Largeman: Miriam Flynn -Sam: Juliette Lewis (she had that mysterious/intriguing aura about her)* *I need to ammend this. Juliette Lewis, although clearly good for the role, would have been about 10 at this time. I originally was going to use Ally Sheedy, and I think I'm going to have to go back to her. I think she'd be just as good, honestly. -Olivia: Beverly d'Angelo -Titembay: Gedde Watanabe (he would probably be called 'Wang Chung' or something stereotypical, instead of 'Titembay' in keeping with his being Asian) -Mark: Judd Nelson, of course. -Dave: Andrew McCarthy -Doorman/Diego: John Candy (a departure from the original vision, but I think he would have been hilarious) Bonus Alternate: Slick Rick (80's rapper w/ double bonus eyepatch) -Carol: Amy Madigan -Tim: Anthony Michael Hall, naturally. Bonus Cameos: -Kelly: Molly Ringwald (its obvious) -Receptionist: Edie McClurg (only role she ever plays it seems) [quote user="SkyPilot"] Let's recast Garden State (2004) in honor of Kevin Smith. I know what you're thinking: why would we recast a Zach Braff movie in honor of Kevin Smith? Let me explain...Smith became famous for his "New Jersey series," which includes the cult classics Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), and Chasing Amy (1997). As you may know, New Jersey is known as "the Garden State." So yeah, the connection's a stretch. If you want to recast a Kevin Smith movie, have at it. Spout will give away two prizes, one for the best Garden State recast and one for the best Kevin Smith movie recast. Are you guys excited for Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno (10/31)? To be honest, I've never liked Kevin Smith. I really like Seth Rogen though, so I might end up seeing it. GARDEN STATE Zach Braff ... Andrew Largeman Natalie Portman ... Sam Peter Sarsgaard ... Mark (the gravedigger) Armando Riesco ... (the flaming arrow archer Ian Holm ... Gideon Largeman Jean Smart ... Carol Method Man ... Diego Ann Dowd ... Olivia Ato Essandoh ... Titembay Jackie Hoffman ... Aunt Sylvia Largema Jim Parsons ... Tim Denis O'Hare ... Albert [/quote]
]]>Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:36:05 GMTseelyFilmgaming10/22/2008 2:36:05 PMI think I'm up for this one. 'Garden State' always made me think of the 80's Brat Pack films, especially St. Elmo's Fire. Therefore, in honor of that great time in history, I submit to you: Brat Pack Garden State, written and directed by John Hughes -Andrew Largeman: John Cusack (think 'Say Anything' but a few years older) -Gideon Largeman: Peter Falk -Aunt Sylvia Largeman: Miriam Flynn -Sam: Juliette Lewis (she had that mysterious/intriguing aura about her)* *I need to ammend this. Juliette Lewis, although clearly good for the role, would have been about 10 at this time. I originally was going to use Ally Sheedy, and I think I'm going to have to go back to her. I think she'd be just as good, honestly. -Olivia: Beverly d'Angelo -Titembay: Gedde Watanabe (he would probably be called 'Wang Chung' or something stereotypical, instead of 'Titembay' in keeping with his being Asian) -Mark: Judd Nelson, of course. -Dave: Andrew McCarthy -Doorman/Diego: John Candy (a departure from the original vision, but I think he would have been hilarious) Bonus Alternate: Slick Rick (80's rapper w/ double bonus eyepatch) -Carol: Amy Madigan -Tim: Anthony Michael Hall, naturally. Bonus Cameos: -Kelly: Molly Ringwald (its obvious) -Receptionist: Edie McClurg (only role she ever plays it seems) [quote user="SkyPilot"] Let's recast Garden State (2004) in honor of Kevin Smith. I know what you're thinking: why would we recast a Zach Braff movie in honor of Kevin Smith? Let me explain...Smith became famous for his "New Jersey series," which includes the cult classics Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), and Chasing Amy (1997). As you may know, New Jersey is known as "the Garden State." So yeah, the connection's a stretch. If you want to recast a Kevin Smith movie, have at it. Spout will give away two prizes, one for the best Garden State recast and one for the best Kevin Smith movie recast. Are you guys excited for Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno (10/31)? To be honest, I've never liked Kevin Smith. I really like Seth Rogen though, so I might end up seeing it. GARDEN STATE Zach Braff ... Andrew Largeman Natalie Portman ... Sam Peter Sarsgaard ... Mark (the gravedigger) Armando Riesco ... (the flaming arrow archer Ian Holm ... Gideon Largeman Jean Smart ... Carol Method Man ... Diego Ann Dowd ... Olivia Ato Essandoh ... Titembay Jackie Hoffman ... Aunt Sylvia Largema Jim Parsons ... Tim Denis O'Hare ... Albert [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Recast_GARDEN_STATE_2004/563/36461/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 10/17/2008 3:52:51 PM
Body: Let's recast Garden State (2004) in honor of Kevin Smith. I know what you're thinking: why would we recast a Zach Braff movie in honor of Kevin Smith? Let me explain...Smith became famous for his "New Jersey series," which includes the cult classics Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), and Chasing Amy (1997). As you may know, New Jersey is known as "the Garden State." So yeah, the connection's a stretch. If you want to recast a Kevin Smith movie, have at it. Spout will give away two prizes, one for the best Garden State recast and one for the best Kevin Smith movie recast. Are you guys excited for Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno (10/31)? To be honest, I've never liked Kevin Smith. I really like Seth Rogen though, so I might end up seeing it. GARDEN STATE Zach Braff ... Andrew Largeman Natalie Portman ... Sam Peter Sarsgaard ... Mark (the gravedigger) Armando Riesco ... Jesse (the flaming arrow archer) Ian Holm ... Gideon Largeman Jean Smart ... Carol Method Man ... Diego Ann Dowd ... Olivia Ato Essandoh ... Titembay Jackie Hoffman ... Aunt Sylvia Largema Jim Parsons ... Tim Denis O'Hare ... Albert
]]>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:52:51 GMTSkyPilotFilmgaming10/17/2008 3:52:51 PMLet's recast Garden State (2004) in honor of Kevin Smith. I know what you're thinking: why would we recast a Zach Braff movie in honor of Kevin Smith? Let me explain...Smith became famous for his "New Jersey series," which includes the cult classics Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), and Chasing Amy (1997). As you may know, New Jersey is known as "the Garden State." So yeah, the connection's a stretch. If you want to recast a Kevin Smith movie, have at it. Spout will give away two prizes, one for the best Garden State recast and one for the best Kevin Smith movie recast. Are you guys excited for Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno (10/31)? To be honest, I've never liked Kevin Smith. I really like Seth Rogen though, so I might end up seeing it. GARDEN STATE Zach Braff ... Andrew Largeman Natalie Portman ... Sam Peter Sarsgaard ... Mark (the gravedigger) Armando Riesco ... Jesse (the flaming arrow archer) Ian Holm ... Gideon Largeman Jean Smart ... Carol Method Man ... Diego Ann Dowd ... Olivia Ato Essandoh ... Titembay Jackie Hoffman ... Aunt Sylvia Largema Jim Parsons ... Tim Denis O'Hare ... Albert http://www.spout.com/blogs/seely/archive/2008/10/9/36087.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: seely
Post Date: 10/9/2008 12:10:15 PM
Body: Bottle Rocket, acclaimed filmmaker Wes Andersen's directoral debut, has proven to be an archetype for an entire generation of emerging filmmakers. Andersen's subtle, first-person filmmaking style, unique in 1996 and very recognizable to this day, set a precendent for independent filmmakers everywhere, and opened up the independent world to mainstream audiences. Perhaps what made Andersen stand out so prominently is his mastery of subtlety. Hollywood has long been lampooned as too brash, too obvious and criciticized for leaving little to the imagination. Directors such as Michael Bay, with his trademark constant explosions and over-the-top fight scenes have not helped Hollywood's perceived lack of artistic integrity. Along came Andersen and his contemporaries--with a trademark minimalist dialogue, long takes on unexpressive actors, and a slower moving storyline, often divided into chapters. Revolutionary, and now often imitated. Bottle Rocket hits all of Andersen's trademarks. The Wilsons do a great job pulling off their disollusioned, disenchanted characters of best friends Anthony and Dignan. The supporting cast, a bizarre accroutment of sordid characters, all pull off their roles with aplomb, never once leaving the audience's intrigue to wane. Andersen's cast seem to all suffer one problem: they are all stuck in the throes of adolescence, despite all being in their mid or late 20's. Bob is living in his parent's home, and constantly tormented by his older brother. Anthony decided he didn't want to answer any watersports-related questions and essentially ran away to a mental hospital. Dignan, the most energetic of the group, devises a plan for a heist to gain the acceptence of an employer that fired him. Each character is searching for something, and all the character's quests become wrapped up in the master plan of Dignan's heist. Along the way, each comes to wrestle with their own individual problem, on the way to a final confrontation with Dignan's own inadequacies. Bottle Rocket truly set the precedent for a new generation of filmmakers, who want to tell deeply personal and beautiful stories rather than pack as much high-emotion-energy into an hour and a half as possible. Truly, I don't feel as though films such as The Battle of Shaker Heights, Garden State, and even some of Andersen's later and better known works could have existed without Bottle Rocket carving out a little niche for the storyteller/filmmakers of today.
]]>Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:10:15 GMTseelyseely10/9/2008 12:10:15 PMBottle Rocket, acclaimed filmmaker Wes Andersen's directoral debut, has proven to be an archetype for an entire generation of emerging filmmakers. Andersen's subtle, first-person filmmaking style, unique in 1996 and very recognizable to this day, set a precendent for independent filmmakers everywhere, and opened up the independent world to mainstream audiences. Perhaps what made Andersen stand out so prominently is his mastery of subtlety. Hollywood has long been lampooned as too brash, too obvious and criciticized for leaving little to the imagination. Directors such as Michael Bay, with his trademark constant explosions and over-the-top fight scenes have not helped Hollywood's perceived lack of artistic integrity. Along came Andersen and his contemporaries--with a trademark minimalist dialogue, long takes on unexpressive actors, and a slower moving storyline, often divided into chapters. Revolutionary, and now often imitated. Bottle Rocket hits all of Andersen's trademarks. The Wilsons do a great job pulling off their disollusioned, disenchanted characters of best friends Anthony and Dignan. The supporting cast, a bizarre accroutment of sordid characters, all pull off their roles with aplomb, never once leaving the audience's intrigue to wane. Andersen's cast seem to all suffer one problem: they are all stuck in the throes of adolescence, despite all being in their mid or late 20's. Bob is living in his parent's home, and constantly tormented by his older brother. Anthony decided he didn't want to answer any watersports-related questions and essentially ran away to a mental hospital. Dignan, the most energetic of the group, devises a plan for a heist to gain the acceptence of an employer that fired him. Each character is searching for something, and all the character's quests become wrapped up in the master plan of Dignan's heist. Along the way, each comes to wrestle with their own individual problem, on the way to a final confrontation with Dignan's own inadequacies. Bottle Rocket truly set the precedent for a new generation of filmmakers, who want to tell deeply personal and beautiful stories rather than pack as much high-emotion-energy into an hour and a half as possible. Truly, I don't feel as though films such as The Battle of Shaker Heights, Garden State, and even some of Andersen's later and better known works could have existed without Bottle Rocket carving out a little niche for the storyteller/filmmakers of today. http://www.spout.com/blogs/lopezdash/archive/2008/6/2/30306.aspx Post By: lopezdash
Post To: The Movie Blog
Post Date: 6/2/2008 12:08:53 AM
Body: RIGHT ANGLE, a feature film to be directed by Michael Burke (THE MUDGE BOY), will be shooting this summer in Detroit and surrounding suburbs and is currently SEEKING LOCAL CREW. Camelot Pictures (GARDEN STATE, HENRY POOLE IS HERE) is producing. Prep to begin early June, Principal Photography to begin mid July. Searching to fill support positions and some keys in ALL DEPARTMENTS, including but not limited to Camera, Grip, Electric, Construction, Sound, Art, Hair, Makeup, and Wardrobe. As most of the positions are non-entry level, some form of Commercial or Feature Experience is required. Please send resumes to: rightanglefilm(at)gmail.com
]]>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:08:53 GMTlopezdashThe Movie Blog6/2/2008 12:08:53 AM RIGHT ANGLE, a feature film to be directed by Michael Burke (THE MUDGE BOY), will be shooting this summer in Detroit and surrounding suburbs and is currently SEEKING LOCAL CREW. Camelot Pictures (GARDEN STATE, HENRY POOLE IS HERE) is producing. Prep to begin early June, Principal Photography to begin mid July. Searching to fill support positions and some keys in ALL DEPARTMENTS, including but not limited to Camera, Grip, Electric, Construction, Sound, Art, Hair, Makeup, and Wardrobe. As most of the positions are non-entry level, some form of Commercial or Feature Experience is required. Please send resumes to: rightanglefilm(at)gmail.com http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Recasting_THE_PRINCESS_BRIDE_1987/563/27720/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 4/23/2008 8:05:18 PM
Body: Well now that it's over, I guess I'll chime in. My idea is to recast this film with characters from other movies. Meaning, new actors, playing the Princess Bride character as a character they have allready played in another movie. This would probably be the worst movie ever so.............. here it goesWestley ..... Zach Braff as Andrew Largeman as the retarded football player in the made for TV movie referenced in Garden StateButtercup / The Princess Bride ..... Christina Ricci as Rae from Black Snake Moan - this will probably change the rating a bit.Inigo Montoya ..... John Turturro as Jesus The Bowler in The Big LebowskiPrince Humperdinck ..... Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks in ClerksCount Tyrone Rugen ..... Jeff Anderson as Randall Graves in Clerks Vizzini ..... Ben Stiller as Mr. Furious in Mystery MenFezzik ..... Ron Perlman as HellboyThe Grandson ..... Eric Stoltz as "Rocky" in Mask - I know, that's horrible The Grandfather / Narrator ..... Cardboard cutout of Max Schrek from Nosferatu, (voiced by Casey Kasem)The Impressive Clergyman ..... Chris Kristoferson as Whisper in Blade The Albino ..... Forrest Whitaker as Ghost Dog: Way of the SamuraiMiracle Max ..... Billy Bob Thorton as Karl Childers in Sling BladeValerie (Miracle Max's Wife) ..... Ellen Burstyn as Sarah Goldfarb in Requiem For A DreamThe Queen ..... Terrance Stamp as Ralph/Bernadett Bassenger in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the DesertThe Ancient Booer ..... Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood - "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and there like........................."
]]>Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:05:18 GMTleeroy711Filmgaming4/23/2008 8:05:18 PMWell now that it's over, I guess I'll chime in. My idea is to recast this film with characters from other movies. Meaning, new actors, playing the Princess Bride character as a character they have allready played in another movie. This would probably be the worst movie ever so.............. here it goesWestley ..... Zach Braff as Andrew Largeman as the retarded football player in the made for TV movie referenced in Garden StateButtercup / The Princess Bride ..... Christina Ricci as Rae from Black Snake Moan - this will probably change the rating a bit.Inigo Montoya ..... John Turturro as Jesus The Bowler in The Big LebowskiPrince Humperdinck ..... Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks in ClerksCount Tyrone Rugen ..... Jeff Anderson as Randall Graves in Clerks Vizzini ..... Ben Stiller as Mr. Furious in Mystery MenFezzik ..... Ron Perlman as HellboyThe Grandson ..... Eric Stoltz as "Rocky" in Mask - I know, that's horrible The Grandfather / Narrator ..... Cardboard cutout of Max Schrek from Nosferatu, (voiced by Casey Kasem)The Impressive Clergyman ..... Chris Kristoferson as Whisper in Blade The Albino ..... Forrest Whitaker as Ghost Dog: Way of the SamuraiMiracle Max ..... Billy Bob Thorton as Karl Childers in Sling BladeValerie (Miracle Max's Wife) ..... Ellen Burstyn as Sarah Goldfarb in Requiem For A DreamThe Queen ..... Terrance Stamp as Ralph/Bernadett Bassenger in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the DesertThe Ancient Booer ..... Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood - "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and there like........................." http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_movies_directed_by_an_actor_or_actress/190/26350/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 3/18/2008 12:22:20 PM
Body: I'm having some difficulty actually deciding if some people qualify or not.Certainly Orson Welles, if he was not already often in contention for the greatest director of all time would have been well known as one of the greatest actors.Roman Polanski is surely more well known as a director, but has done just as much acting, and was an actor before being a director. The same with Vittorio De Sica.Many comedians are just as recognizable as actors, writers, and directors. Often doing all roles in the same film. Think of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Or Jaques Tati. Today think of Mel Brooks, Harold Ramis, Christopher Guest. Terry Jones??Also many kung fu stars. Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Sammo Hung.And what about classical actors where, acting is clearly where they are most recognized, but they are also renown in directing of theatre and film. A production directed by Lawrence Olivier or Kenneth Branagh is surely not an anomaly.I'm actually most interested in a poll about director who have stints in acting like John Huston or Werner Herzog.Nonetheless, I'll try to make a top five.1. Buffalo '66 - Vincent Gallo2. Quiz Show - Robert Redford3. The Apostle - Robert Duvall4. The Outlaw Josey Wales - Clint Eastwood5. Garden State - Zach BraffI'm not normally a huge fan of most of Eastwood's directing efforts either, but I do find Josey Wales to stand out from what I've seen.
]]>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:22:20 GMTRisseladaTop 53/18/2008 12:22:20 PMI&#39;m having some difficulty actually deciding if some people qualify or not.Certainly Orson Welles, if he was not already often in contention for the greatest director of all time would have been well known as one of the greatest actors.Roman Polanski is surely more well known as a director, but has done just as much acting, and was an actor before being a director. The same with Vittorio De Sica.Many comedians are just as recognizable as actors, writers, and directors. Often doing all roles in the same film. Think of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Or Jaques Tati. Today think of Mel Brooks, Harold Ramis, Christopher Guest. Terry Jones??Also many kung fu stars. Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Sammo Hung.And what about classical actors where, acting is clearly where they are most recognized, but they are also renown in directing of theatre and film. A production directed by Lawrence Olivier or Kenneth Branagh is surely not an anomaly.I&#39;m actually most interested in a poll about director who have stints in acting like John Huston or Werner Herzog.Nonetheless, I&#39;ll try to make a top five.1. Buffalo &#39;66 - Vincent Gallo2. Quiz Show - Robert Redford3. The Apostle - Robert Duvall4. The Outlaw Josey Wales - Clint Eastwood5. Garden State - Zach BraffI&#39;m not normally a huge fan of most of Eastwood&#39;s directing efforts either, but I do find Josey Wales to stand out from what I&#39;ve seen. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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