list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Cadillac Records 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/Cadillac_Records/361744/default.aspx Title: Cadillac Records
Year: 2008
Director: Darnell Martin
Plot: Directed by TV veteran Darnell Martin, the musical drama Cadillac Records documents the compelling true-life story of the Chicago record label that helped the world discover such legendary artists as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Chuck Berry. Founded in 1950 by Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), Chess Records quickly gained a reputation as home to some of the most talented and influential blues artists ever to step into a recording studio. But giving these musicians an opportunity to bring their music to the world was no easy task, because along the way there was enough sex, drugs, and rock & roll to ensure that things around Chess Records never got boring. Featuring Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Gabrielle Union as Geneva Wade, Beyoncé Knowles as Etta James, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, and Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 4
Number of Lists: 3
Number of blog posts: 5
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:45:30 GMTCadillac Records2008Darnell MartinDirected by TV veteran Darnell Martin, the musical drama Cadillac Records documents the compelling true-life story of the Chicago record label that helped the world discover such legendary artists as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____81665/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Chuck Berry</a>. Founded in 1950 by Leonard Chess (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P_____8639/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Adrien Brody</a>), Chess Records quickly gained a reputation as home to some of the most talented and influential blues artists ever to step into a recording studio. But giving these musicians an opportunity to bring their music to the world was no easy task, because along the way there was enough sex, drugs, and rock & roll to ensure that things around Chess Records never got boring. Featuring <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____77607/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jeffrey Wright</a> as Muddy Waters, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___267979/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Gabrielle Union</a> as Geneva Wade, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___327089/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Beyoncé Knowles</a> as Etta James, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___264009/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mos Def</a> as <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____81665/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Chuck Berry</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___237294/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Cedric the Entertainer</a> as Willie Dixon, and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____74236/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Eamonn Walker</a> as Howlin' Wolf. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide4Slightly Tagged (1-5)3524http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s361744.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Cadillac_Records/361744/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2009/4/23/41716.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 4/23/2009 5:53:34 PM
Body: Although Cadillac Records (2008) has some excellent acting and some of my favourite music, it has no juice. It never comes alive. I never really cared about the characters. Part of the problem is the editing jumping here, there, and everywhere. But deeper than that the movie doesn’t seem to have a compelling story. Len Chess, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, is struggling and maybe discriminated against, and he starts a club featuring black blues musicians and goes on to build a recording studio, the famous Chess Records. But I didn’t feel the struggle, and I didn’t understand why he turned to Delta bluesmen. The drama is Chess’s changing relationship with the musicians on his label. Muddy Waters and Little Walter like the approach which some nowadays would call paternalistic, but Howlin’ Wolf insists on being his own man, not friends with the white businessman. Chess explains that when he started, a black man could not have started a record business, but by the late 1960s things had changed so much that Chess reluctantly sold the business. The voice-over narration provided by the Willie Dixon character does not make it any easier to get deeply involved with these characters and their struggles.
]]>Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:53:34 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog4/23/2009 5:53:34 PMAlthough Cadillac Records (2008) has some excellent acting and some of my favourite music, it has no juice. It never comes alive. I never really cared about the characters. Part of the problem is the editing jumping here, there, and everywhere. But deeper than that the movie doesn&rsquo;t seem to have a compelling story. Len Chess, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, is struggling and maybe discriminated against, and he starts a club featuring black blues musicians and goes on to build a recording studio, the famous Chess Records. But I didn&rsquo;t feel the struggle, and I didn&rsquo;t understand why he turned to Delta bluesmen. The drama is Chess&rsquo;s changing relationship with the musicians on his label. Muddy Waters and Little Walter like the approach which some nowadays would call paternalistic, but Howlin&rsquo; Wolf insists on being his own man, not friends with the white businessman. Chess explains that when he started, a black man could not have started a record business, but by the late 1960s things had changed so much that Chess reluctantly sold the business. The voice-over narration provided by the Willie Dixon character does not make it any easier to get deeply involved with these characters and their struggles. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/3_13_New_movies_Oscar_nominees_hit_DVD_plus_t/216/40910/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 3/9/2009 3:04:31 PM
Body: HITTING THEATERS 3/13 Disney's latest leading man: Dwayne Johnson in Race to Witch Mountain Race to Witch Mountain -- Watch trailer. This has Brendan Fraser's name written all over it, but it's starring Fraser's remake, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Of course, Brendan Fraser is a remake of Kurt Russell, and I bet that if the original Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) had starred a young, sexy hero (not the older Eddie Albert), it would've been Disney favorite Kurt Rusell (remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Strongest Man in the World?). PS - I'm mostly joking; I like Dwayne Johnson. Standing on the shoulders of Swedes: The Last House on the Left The Last House on the Left -- Watch trailer. Produced by Wes Craven, this is a remake of the Craven-directed The Last House on the Left (1972), which was kind of like Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1971), which is loosely based on a novel (The Siege of Trencher's Farm) but reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (1959), which was inspired by the Swedish ballad "Torres dotter i Wange," which is purportedly based on true events... The Whitest Boys U'Know: Miss March Miss March -- Watch trailer. A young guy wakes from a 4-year coma to find that his high school sweetheart gave up waiting for him to become a pin-up for Playboy. Needless to say, the guy sets out for the Playboy mansion to reclaim his old girlfriend; also needless to say, he's joined by a sex-crazed friend. LIMITED RELEASE Dirty movie: Sunshine Cleaning Sunshine Cleaning -- Watch trailer. Amy Adams plays a short-on-cash mother who's determined to send her son to a quality private school. Adams reluctantly enlists the help of her sister (Emily Blunt) to start a cleaning service that specializes in crime scene clean-up and bio-hazard removal. Is it just me, or do you pick up on an indie cash-cow vibe? I mean, could it really only be a coincidence that it's called "Sunshine" Cleaning when it's being billed as the next movie from the producers of Little Miss "Sunshine"? But ultimately, any pandering to the audience may not matter if Sunshine Cleaning is actually good. And with actors like Blunt and Adams, Alan Arkin and Steve Zahn, I've got high hopes. They ain't heavy, they's my brothers: Brothers at War Brothers at War -- Watch trailer. Documentary filmmaker Jake Rademacher's two brothers are soldiers. Jake spent three and a half years on this film, staying with four army units over two trips to Iraq, exploring his brothers' service and motivation. This very personal film appears to reveal a lot that's universal, as Rademacher seeks to understand what the soldiers in Iraq continue to experience. Dennis Quaid takes the bait: The Horsemen The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. To me, this still sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I guess whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your point of view. ________________________________________ NEW TO DVD 3/10 -- Oscar films hit the shelves Oscar alumni 1. Milk -- Watch trailer. The one Best Picture nominee that probably could've taken the laurel leaves from Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't seen it yet--I was too busy watching The Wrestler three times. 2. Der Baader Meinhof Complex -- Watch trailer. This Oscar-nominated foreign film looks really good, even considering I don't know what's happening in that intense trailer! Check it out! 3. Happy-Go-Lucky -- Watch trailer. It's considered one of the biggest snubs of the Oscars that charming star Sally Hawkins wasn't nominated for Best Actress. 4. Rachel Getting Married -- Watch trailer. FilmCouch's Kevin Buist says Anne Hathaway is great in an otherwise grating, tiring, "annoying" movie about...you guessed it: family conflicts. Huh, I guess content equals form after all. Blockbusters (and wannabes) 5. Role Models -- Watch trailer. Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are funny together, but the film coasts way too long during the scenes of LARPing (live action role playing). 6. Transporter 3 -- Watch trailer. I haven't seen any of these yet, would you guys recommend them? I do always like Jason Statham, even when he's in bad movies. 7. Max Payne -- Watch trailer. Mark Wahlberg. Video game movie. Much stylized violence. 8. Repo! The Genetic Opera -- Watch trailer. Interesting-sounding shocker set in a future where a mysterious epidemic of organ failures turns healthy organs into a precious commodity. When organ buyers fail to make good on their payment plans, their organs must be re-possessed... 9. Saw V and Saw Goreology: Movies 1 - 5 -- Watch trailer to Saw V. It's a Saw movie, you know the drill. Hey, was that a pun? Lil' nuggets 10. Let the Right One In -- Watch trailer. Best vampire movie ever? Looks like it to me. 11. Synechdoche, New York -- Watch trailer. The Charlie Kaufman-penned film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman. I've heard the film is intellectually demanding, but I've never felt like I've wasted my time watching something written by Kaufman. 12. Battle in Seattle -- Watch trailer. This feature recounts the events of the 1999 World Trade Organization and the ensuing riots. 13. Rocker -- Watch trailer. The Office's Rainn Wilson stars as a one-time promising rocker who now, 20 years later, gets a second chance. 14. Cadillac Records -- Watch trailer. The word: good actors, good music, so-so film.
]]>Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:04:31 GMTspoutComing Soon3/9/2009 3:04:31 PMHITTING THEATERS 3/13 Disney's latest leading man: Dwayne Johnson in Race to Witch Mountain Race to Witch Mountain -- Watch trailer. This has Brendan Fraser's name written all over it, but it's starring Fraser's remake, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Of course, Brendan Fraser is a remake of Kurt Russell, and I bet that if the original Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) had starred a young, sexy hero (not the older Eddie Albert), it would've been Disney favorite Kurt Rusell (remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Strongest Man in the World?). PS - I'm mostly joking; I like Dwayne Johnson. Standing on the shoulders of Swedes: The Last House on the Left The Last House on the Left -- Watch trailer. Produced by Wes Craven, this is a remake of the Craven-directed The Last House on the Left (1972), which was kind of like Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1971), which is loosely based on a novel (The Siege of Trencher's Farm) but reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (1959), which was inspired by the Swedish ballad "Torres dotter i Wange," which is purportedly based on true events... The Whitest Boys U'Know: Miss March Miss March -- Watch trailer. A young guy wakes from a 4-year coma to find that his high school sweetheart gave up waiting for him to become a pin-up for Playboy. Needless to say, the guy sets out for the Playboy mansion to reclaim his old girlfriend; also needless to say, he's joined by a sex-crazed friend. LIMITED RELEASE Dirty movie: Sunshine Cleaning Sunshine Cleaning -- Watch trailer. Amy Adams plays a short-on-cash mother who's determined to send her son to a quality private school. Adams reluctantly enlists the help of her sister (Emily Blunt) to start a cleaning service that specializes in crime scene clean-up and bio-hazard removal. Is it just me, or do you pick up on an indie cash-cow vibe? I mean, could it really only be a coincidence that it's called "Sunshine" Cleaning when it's being billed as the next movie from the producers of Little Miss "Sunshine"? But ultimately, any pandering to the audience may not matter if Sunshine Cleaning is actually good. And with actors like Blunt and Adams, Alan Arkin and Steve Zahn, I've got high hopes. They ain't heavy, they's my brothers: Brothers at War Brothers at War -- Watch trailer. Documentary filmmaker Jake Rademacher's two brothers are soldiers. Jake spent three and a half years on this film, staying with four army units over two trips to Iraq, exploring his brothers' service and motivation. This very personal film appears to reveal a lot that's universal, as Rademacher seeks to understand what the soldiers in Iraq continue to experience. Dennis Quaid takes the bait: The Horsemen The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. To me, this still sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I guess whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your point of view. ________________________________________ NEW TO DVD 3/10 -- Oscar films hit the shelves Oscar alumni 1. Milk -- Watch trailer. The one Best Picture nominee that probably could've taken the laurel leaves from Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't seen it yet--I was too busy watching The Wrestler three times. 2. Der Baader Meinhof Complex -- Watch trailer. This Oscar-nominated foreign film looks really good, even considering I don't know what's happening in that intense trailer! Check it out! 3. Happy-Go-Lucky -- Watch trailer. It's considered one of the biggest snubs of the Oscars that charming star Sally Hawkins wasn't nominated for Best Actress. 4. Rachel Getting Married -- Watch trailer. FilmCouch's Kevin Buist says Anne Hathaway is great in an otherwise grating, tiring, "annoying" movie about...you guessed it: family conflicts. Huh, I guess content equals form after all. Blockbusters (and wannabes) 5. Role Models -- Watch trailer. Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are funny together, but the film coasts way too long during the scenes of LARPing (live action role playing). 6. Transporter 3 -- Watch trailer. I haven't seen any of these yet, would you guys recommend them? I do always like Jason Statham, even when he's in bad movies. 7. Max Payne -- Watch trailer. Mark Wahlberg. Video game movie. Much stylized violence. 8. Repo! The Genetic Opera -- Watch trailer. Interesting-sounding shocker set in a future where a mysterious epidemic of organ failures turns healthy organs into a precious commodity. When organ buyers fail to make good on their payment plans, their organs must be re-possessed... 9. Saw V and Saw Goreology: Movies 1 - 5 -- Watch trailer to Saw V. It's a Saw movie, you know the drill. Hey, was that a pun? Lil' nuggets 10. Let the Right One In -- Watch trailer. Best vampire movie ever? Looks like it to me. 11. Synechdoche, New York -- Watch trailer. The Charlie Kaufman-penned film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman. I've heard the film is intellectually demanding, but I've never felt like I've wasted my time watching something written by Kaufman. 12. Battle in Seattle -- Watch trailer. This feature recounts the events of the 1999 World Trade Organization and the ensuing riots. 13. Rocker -- Watch trailer. The Office's Rainn Wilson stars as a one-time promising rocker who now, 20 years later, gets a second chance. 14. Cadillac Records -- Watch trailer. The word: good actors, good music, so-so film. http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2009/2/5/40293.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 2/5/2009 7:01:11 PM
Body: So Etta James doesn’t like Beyonce’s redition of her signature song, “At Last”, and that reminded me that I’ve never linked to Andrew Chan’s piece on Cadillac Records, the only serious appraisal of the film that I saw concurrent with its release. To quote at length, Chan has nothing but praise for Beyonce: In the film’s climactic number, Beyoncé seals the deal with her rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind”…as an actress and a singer, she finds ways to make her interpretation both faithful and fresh. Sung directly to an impossible, already-married love interest, label founder Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), the performance begins from the point-of-view of the male, gazing at Etta from behind with his puppy-dog eyes. From the start, the pace and phrasing of Beyoncé’s vocals follow Etta’s with surprising fidelity. Then, as the camera inches forward, eventually framing the singer’s face in close-up, the scene builds in intensity, climaxing with a sneer at the corner of her mouth, and a few defiant, gut-wrenching wails. It’s clear her version is not the original’s moan of resignation, but an enactment of all the bitterness and resentment on which Etta James based her take-no-prisoners persona…. By the time Beyoncé is finished with “I’d Rather Go Blind,” she has achieved what neither Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles nor Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash could manage: a respectful embodiment as well an expansion of a mythic figure. She takes us across a curiously underexplored frontier, where the emotional and physical abandon of an R&B performance becomes both the means and the substance of great melodramatic acting. Etta’s version of “I’d Rather Go Blind” is embedded above, and Beyonce’s is down below. Judge for yourself. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:01:11 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog2/5/2009 7:01:11 PM So Etta James doesn’t like Beyonce’s redition of her signature song, “At Last”, and that reminded me that I’ve never linked to Andrew Chan’s piece on Cadillac Records, the only serious appraisal of the film that I saw concurrent with its release. To quote at length, Chan has nothing but praise for Beyonce: In the film’s climactic number, Beyoncé seals the deal with her rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind”…as an actress and a singer, she finds ways to make her interpretation both faithful and fresh. Sung directly to an impossible, already-married love interest, label founder Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), the performance begins from the point-of-view of the male, gazing at Etta from behind with his puppy-dog eyes. From the start, the pace and phrasing of Beyoncé’s vocals follow Etta’s with surprising fidelity. Then, as the camera inches forward, eventually framing the singer’s face in close-up, the scene builds in intensity, climaxing with a sneer at the corner of her mouth, and a few defiant, gut-wrenching wails. It’s clear her version is not the original’s moan of resignation, but an enactment of all the bitterness and resentment on which Etta James based her take-no-prisoners persona…. By the time Beyoncé is finished with “I’d Rather Go Blind,” she has achieved what neither Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles nor Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash could manage: a respectful embodiment as well an expansion of a mythic figure. She takes us across a curiously underexplored frontier, where the emotional and physical abandon of an R&B performance becomes both the means and the substance of great melodramatic acting. Etta’s version of “I’d Rather Go Blind” is embedded above, and Beyonce’s is down below. Judge for yourself. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/5/40291.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/5/2009 7:00:41 PM
Body: So Etta James doesn’t like Beyonce’s redition of her signature song, “At Last”, and that reminded me that I’ve never linked to Andrew Chan’s piece on Cadillac Records, the only serious appraisal of the film that I saw concurrent with its release. To quote at length, Chan has nothing but praise for Beyonce: In the film’s climactic number, Beyoncé seals the deal with her rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind”…as an actress and a singer, she finds ways to make her interpretation both faithful and fresh. Sung directly to an impossible, already-married love interest, label founder Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), the performance begins from the point-of-view of the male, gazing at Etta from behind with his puppy-dog eyes. From the start, the pace and phrasing of Beyoncé’s vocals follow Etta’s with surprising fidelity. Then, as the camera inches forward, eventually framing the singer’s face in close-up, the scene builds in intensity, climaxing with a sneer at the corner of her mouth, and a few defiant, gut-wrenching wails. It’s clear her version is not the original’s moan of resignation, but an enactment of all the bitterness and resentment on which Etta James based her take-no-prisoners persona…. By the time Beyoncé is finished with “I’d Rather Go Blind,” she has achieved what neither Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles nor Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash could manage: a respectful embodiment as well an expansion of a mythic figure. She takes us across a curiously underexplored frontier, where the emotional and physical abandon of an R&B performance becomes both the means and the substance of great melodramatic acting. Etta’s version of “I’d Rather Go Blind” is embedded above, and Beyonce’s is down below. Judge for yourself. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:41 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/5/2009 7:00:41 PM So Etta James doesn’t like Beyonce’s redition of her signature song, “At Last”, and that reminded me that I’ve never linked to Andrew Chan’s piece on Cadillac Records, the only serious appraisal of the film that I saw concurrent with its release. To quote at length, Chan has nothing but praise for Beyonce: In the film’s climactic number, Beyoncé seals the deal with her rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind”…as an actress and a singer, she finds ways to make her interpretation both faithful and fresh. Sung directly to an impossible, already-married love interest, label founder Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), the performance begins from the point-of-view of the male, gazing at Etta from behind with his puppy-dog eyes. From the start, the pace and phrasing of Beyoncé’s vocals follow Etta’s with surprising fidelity. Then, as the camera inches forward, eventually framing the singer’s face in close-up, the scene builds in intensity, climaxing with a sneer at the corner of her mouth, and a few defiant, gut-wrenching wails. It’s clear her version is not the original’s moan of resignation, but an enactment of all the bitterness and resentment on which Etta James based her take-no-prisoners persona…. By the time Beyoncé is finished with “I’d Rather Go Blind,” she has achieved what neither Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles nor Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash could manage: a respectful embodiment as well an expansion of a mythic figure. She takes us across a curiously underexplored frontier, where the emotional and physical abandon of an R&B performance becomes both the means and the substance of great melodramatic acting. Etta’s version of “I’d Rather Go Blind” is embedded above, and Beyonce’s is down below. Judge for yourself. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/22/38710.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/22/2008 1:01:38 PM
Body: The Academy’s list of 49 tunes deemed eligible for the Best Original Song Oscar this year seems like a lot for the Music Branch to pick through. That is, until you notice that more than one-fifth of those contenders are from the same film (High School Musical 3, which, thanks to a new rule, is only allowed, at most, two nominations in this category) and you recall that last year’s list included many more songs (59) to choose from. The talent involved this year, however, is tremendous, at least in terms of those performers who sing the tunes on the soundtrack (many of whom had a hand in the songwriting). These artists include Mariah Carey, Etta James, Beyonce Knowles (who played Etta James), Norah Jones, will.i.am, Jack White and Alicia Keys, Danny Elfman, Emmylou Harris, Chaka Khan and Regina Spektor. Add to those big names such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel, both of whom are locks to be nominated, as well as tween favorites Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron (along with the rest of the cast from High School Musical 3), and you could have one hell of a concert if the Academy simply turned its awards telecast into one big celebration of the year’s songs written for the screen. Unfortunately for ABC, the Oscars aren’t just about securing viewers, so there’s no promise that the most popular artists will be among the five nominees. Rather, the true Oscar-worthy songs are those tunes that serve their respective films best — in terms of context as much as in the quality of their songwriting. In addition to Springsteen and Gabriel, another sure thing nominee is Clint Eastwood, who wrote the title song for his film Gran Torino. As for the fourth slot, Cyrus could very well find herself a contender, which would technically allow the marketers of her upcoming Hannah Montana Movie to advertise the film as starring “Academy Award Nominee Miley Cyrus.” Her song, “I Thought I Lost You,” co-written with Jeffrey Steele (and co-performed with John Travolta), from Bolt has already received nominations for both a Golden Globe and a BFCA Critic’s Choice Award (as have Springsteen’s title song from The Wrestler and Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” from WALL-E). The only issue with a telecast performance of this song, despite the fact that it might draw higher ratings than a Best Picture nomination for The Dark Knight, is that a live duet between Cyrus and Travolta could be the creepiest musical number since Rob Lowe and Snow White’s infamous rendition of “Proud Mary” back in 1989. The final nominee is more difficult to predict. The Golden Globes selected Knowles’ “Once in a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records, which the Academy could use to make up for the singer/actress’ nominal exclusion as one of the songwriters of the 2007 nominee “Listen,” from Dreamgirls. Another favorite is M.I.A. and A. R. Rahman’s  “O…Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire, though this song has stiff competition from Rahman’s “Jai Ho” from the same film. A nod for the latter would be a wonderful recognition of Indian music, yet in a way it would also beg the question of why thousands of other great tunes from Bollywood haven’t been honored in the past (nor will they be recognized in the future). And why this song over other great “world music” possibilities like Bebel Gilberto’s “Forever,” from They Killed Sister Dorothy, and Angelique Kidjo’s “Djoyigbe,” from Pray the Devil Back to Hell? Oh yeah, because it’s the catchier number from the more upbeat (and fictional) Best Picture favorite. It will be a shame if, like many Oscar categories, there are no real surprises in the nominees for Best Original Song, so to assist the Music Branch in their task, I’ve picked out five alternative selections to those more likely to be nominated: “Barking at the Moon” by Jenny Lewis, from Bolt – Cyrus might be the bigger ratings draw, but Lewis would bring that indie “hipster” cred not really seen from the Academy since Elliott Smith’s nomination and performance more than ten years ago. Ratings aside, though, “Barking at the Moon” is actually the better of Bolt’s two eligible songs, and it’s just as catchy as “I Thought I Lost You.” Plus, its context is equivalent to the usual Randy Newman tune played over an animated film’s montage sequence. And since Newman is shockingly absent from the category this year, Lewis should fill in for him. “Sweet Ballad” by ‘Munchausen by Proxy,’ from Yes Man – If the Academy would rather recognize an actress who is also a singer rather than a singer-turned-actress (Knowles) or an actress-turned-singer (Lewis), then it’s time to honor Zooey Deschanel, who has performed on many of her films’ soundtracks, often diegetically and in character. This time she joined up with Von Iva to form Yes Man’s fake band Munchausen by Proxy, which has two songs eligible for the Oscar. The better of the two is this track, which sounds kind of like Julie Cruise fronting Goldfrapp (maybe David Lynch needs to cast Deschanel in something). It might be a little racy to perform a song featuring the repeated backing vocal lyric of “whore, whore, whore,” but it’s no worse than the Oscar-winning lyrics of “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” “Trouble the Water” by Blackkoldmadina, from Trouble the Water – Recently the Academy has honored two rap songs (“Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile and “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow) and one track off a documentary (“I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth), so it’s only fair to go the next step and at least nominate this rap song from a documentary. It would be another of the Academy’s favored stories of triumph, since the track is by the doc’s subject, a relatively upbeat Katrina survivor who turned lemons into lemonade with her home video footage of the hurricane. “Up To Our Nex” by Robyn Hitchcock, from Rachel Getting Married – If for some reason the Academy wishes to ignore the usual old guys (sure, Gabriel’s never been nominated, but isn’t he almost interchangeable with his former bandmate Phil Collins?), it could do well to nominate Hitchcock, whose song is both lyrically relevant to the film’s story and prominently performed diegetically, which is precisely how an Oscar-winning song should be. Considering how important music is to Rachel Getting Married, it would be terrible for it to be ignored in this category in favor of an end-credits number. “Dracula’s Lament” by Jason Segel, from Forgetting Sarah Marshall – It’s easy to dismiss both this and Hamlet 2’s “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” as being “funny” songs, comparable to the Oscar-nominated “Blame Canada” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. But “Dracula’s Lament,” though plenty humorous, is no joke; it’s actually a great song that reflects the feelings of Segel’s character in the movie. And it would be the first Muppet-related Oscar-nominated song in more than 20 years. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:01:38 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/22/2008 1:01:38 PMThe Academy’s list of 49 tunes deemed eligible for the Best Original Song Oscar this year seems like a lot for the Music Branch to pick through. That is, until you notice that more than one-fifth of those contenders are from the same film (High School Musical 3, which, thanks to a new rule, is only allowed, at most, two nominations in this category) and you recall that last year’s list included many more songs (59) to choose from. The talent involved this year, however, is tremendous, at least in terms of those performers who sing the tunes on the soundtrack (many of whom had a hand in the songwriting). These artists include Mariah Carey, Etta James, Beyonce Knowles (who played Etta James), Norah Jones, will.i.am, Jack White and Alicia Keys, Danny Elfman, Emmylou Harris, Chaka Khan and Regina Spektor. Add to those big names such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel, both of whom are locks to be nominated, as well as tween favorites Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron (along with the rest of the cast from High School Musical 3), and you could have one hell of a concert if the Academy simply turned its awards telecast into one big celebration of the year’s songs written for the screen. Unfortunately for ABC, the Oscars aren’t just about securing viewers, so there’s no promise that the most popular artists will be among the five nominees. Rather, the true Oscar-worthy songs are those tunes that serve their respective films best — in terms of context as much as in the quality of their songwriting. In addition to Springsteen and Gabriel, another sure thing nominee is Clint Eastwood, who wrote the title song for his film Gran Torino. As for the fourth slot, Cyrus could very well find herself a contender, which would technically allow the marketers of her upcoming Hannah Montana Movie to advertise the film as starring “Academy Award Nominee Miley Cyrus.” Her song, “I Thought I Lost You,” co-written with Jeffrey Steele (and co-performed with John Travolta), from Bolt has already received nominations for both a Golden Globe and a BFCA Critic’s Choice Award (as have Springsteen’s title song from The Wrestler and Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” from WALL-E). The only issue with a telecast performance of this song, despite the fact that it might draw higher ratings than a Best Picture nomination for The Dark Knight, is that a live duet between Cyrus and Travolta could be the creepiest musical number since Rob Lowe and Snow White’s infamous rendition of “Proud Mary” back in 1989. The final nominee is more difficult to predict. The Golden Globes selected Knowles’ “Once in a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records, which the Academy could use to make up for the singer/actress’ nominal exclusion as one of the songwriters of the 2007 nominee “Listen,” from Dreamgirls. Another favorite is M.I.A. and A. R. Rahman’s  “O…Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire, though this song has stiff competition from Rahman’s “Jai Ho” from the same film. A nod for the latter would be a wonderful recognition of Indian music, yet in a way it would also beg the question of why thousands of other great tunes from Bollywood haven’t been honored in the past (nor will they be recognized in the future). And why this song over other great “world music” possibilities like Bebel Gilberto’s “Forever,” from They Killed Sister Dorothy, and Angelique Kidjo’s “Djoyigbe,” from Pray the Devil Back to Hell? Oh yeah, because it’s the catchier number from the more upbeat (and fictional) Best Picture favorite. It will be a shame if, like many Oscar categories, there are no real surprises in the nominees for Best Original Song, so to assist the Music Branch in their task, I’ve picked out five alternative selections to those more likely to be nominated: “Barking at the Moon” by Jenny Lewis, from Bolt – Cyrus might be the bigger ratings draw, but Lewis would bring that indie “hipster” cred not really seen from the Academy since Elliott Smith’s nomination and performance more than ten years ago. Ratings aside, though, “Barking at the Moon” is actually the better of Bolt’s two eligible songs, and it’s just as catchy as “I Thought I Lost You.” Plus, its context is equivalent to the usual Randy Newman tune played over an animated film’s montage sequence. And since Newman is shockingly absent from the category this year, Lewis should fill in for him. “Sweet Ballad” by ‘Munchausen by Proxy,’ from Yes Man – If the Academy would rather recognize an actress who is also a singer rather than a singer-turned-actress (Knowles) or an actress-turned-singer (Lewis), then it’s time to honor Zooey Deschanel, who has performed on many of her films’ soundtracks, often diegetically and in character. This time she joined up with Von Iva to form Yes Man’s fake band Munchausen by Proxy, which has two songs eligible for the Oscar. The better of the two is this track, which sounds kind of like Julie Cruise fronting Goldfrapp (maybe David Lynch needs to cast Deschanel in something). It might be a little racy to perform a song featuring the repeated backing vocal lyric of “whore, whore, whore,” but it’s no worse than the Oscar-winning lyrics of “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” “Trouble the Water” by Blackkoldmadina, from Trouble the Water – Recently the Academy has honored two rap songs (“Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile and “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow) and one track off a documentary (“I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth), so it’s only fair to go the next step and at least nominate this rap song from a documentary. It would be another of the Academy’s favored stories of triumph, since the track is by the doc’s subject, a relatively upbeat Katrina survivor who turned lemons into lemonade with her home video footage of the hurricane. “Up To Our Nex” by Robyn Hitchcock, from Rachel Getting Married – If for some reason the Academy wishes to ignore the usual old guys (sure, Gabriel’s never been nominated, but isn’t he almost interchangeable with his former bandmate Phil Collins?), it could do well to nominate Hitchcock, whose song is both lyrically relevant to the film’s story and prominently performed diegetically, which is precisely how an Oscar-winning song should be. Considering how important music is to Rachel Getting Married, it would be terrible for it to be ignored in this category in favor of an end-credits number. “Dracula’s Lament” by Jason Segel, from Forgetting Sarah Marshall – It’s easy to dismiss both this and Hamlet 2’s “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” as being “funny” songs, comparable to the Oscar-nominated “Blame Canada” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. But “Dracula’s Lament,” though plenty humorous, is no joke; it’s actually a great song that reflects the feelings of Segel’s character in the movie. And it would be the first Muppet-related Oscar-nominated song in more than 20 years. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/4/37942.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/4/2008 2:01:09 PM
Body: Who would you rather hear sing Etta James’ signature tunes, the real deal or Beyonce Knowles? If you prefer the latter, then you’ll want to see Cadillac Records and even buy the film’s soundtrack, both of which feature Beyonce performing a few of James’ songs, including a nearly spot-on copy of “At Last” (listen to it here). Other actors in the film (and on the soundtrack) who do their own singing while portraying legendary music artists include Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters), Mos Def (Chuck Berry) and Columbus Short (Little Walter). It’s a strange idea to pay tribute to a singer with a biopic or ensemble music historical and then replace that singer’s voice with another, more amateur vocalist. Yet Hollywood does it all the time and, surprisingly, the new performances usually turn out pretty good. Just listen to the following nine actors and actresses who managed to do justice to the artist they were portraying. Gary Busey as Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) Busey earned an Oscar nomination for this film, and part of the honor was likely meant for his uncanny ability to ape Holly’s singing style precisely for live sequences like the one above. The real Buddy can be heard all over the soundtrack where appropriate, but it makes sense to have raw, live-sounding numbers in actual live performance scenes, so that’s really Busey, Charles Martin Smith and Don Stroud singing and playing the music on set. It’s unfortunate that in the subsequent thirty years there have been only a few films to follow this one’s lead, but it just proves how amazing Busey’s performance truly is. Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) The real star, in terms of both acting and singing, was Sissy Spacek, but D’Angelo does an amazing job, too, as Loretta Lynn’s mentor, Patsy Cline. Compared to Spacek’s nine tracks on the film’s soundtrack, D’Angelo has four, including an excellent duet with Spacek on “Back in Baby’s Arms.” Some of them only appear in the film as playing on the radio and so didn’t even need to be performed by the actress. But they’re so perfect, it’s almost like Michael Apted put them in there just to see if anyone noticed a difference. No wonder that when Jessica Lange starred as Cline in the 1985 bio Sweet Dreams she simply lip-synched to the original tunes. How could she have done any better than this? Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) While Angela Bassett lip-synched to the real Tina Turner’s voice, Fishburne made for an inconsistent soundtrack by supplying his own vocals in the part of Ike. Actually, it was necessary, because nearly all the songs in the film are new recordings, and there’s no way anyone was going to even think of bringing the real Ike in for that. Besides, some might see it as justice that his voice was almost entirely left out of the film. Fishburne received an Oscar nomination for the performance. Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) If John Travolta had gotten his way, he’d have starred as Morrison in the film and even toured with The Doors in a series of promotional concerts. If Oliver Stone had gotten his first choice, the part would be played by The Cult’s Ian Astbury, who actually did end up singing for The Doors (well, really, the “The Doors of the 21st Century”) a decade later. And if Kyle MacLachlan had gotten his way, he’d have played Morrison instead of portraying Ray Manzarek in the film. But none of these people could possibly have done better than Val Kilmer, who completely owned the character (if not the true Jim, as Stone’s critics argue). In addition to bearing a slight resemblance to Morrison, the actor also sang enough like the real deal to have allegedly confused Stone and the surviving members of The Doors. So, the songs in the film are the band’s original recordings with Kilmer’s vocals substituted for Morrison’s, a process that allowed for a more accurate representation of the rock legend’s talky and unpredictable stage act. The soundtrack album claims to feature Morrison’s own voice on the songs, but Kilmer’s performance is so good that the credits could be false and we’d never know. Kevin Kline as Cole Porter in De-Lovely (2004) This is an especially exceptional performance because Kline limits his true singing ability to sound more like Porter, whose voice wasn’t too remarkable (the man was a composer, not a performer). The idea may not have made for Kline’s greatest recordings — though the soundtrack sold relatively well thanks to other talents like Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow — but the portrayal would not have been true enough had Kline belted out his best. In addition to doing his own handicapped singing, in character and on set, the actor also played the piano live during filming. Ewan McGregor as Curt Wild (aka Iggy Pop) in Velvet Goldmine (1998) Ten years before casting six separate actors as Bob Dylan for I’m Not There, Todd Haynes had a single actor portray an amalgam of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Mick Ronson and Alice Cooper (with a little Kurt Cobain thrown in for name and appearance?). But Curt Wild is primarily Iggy, and his band, The Wylde Ratttz, are obviously modeled mostly on The Stooges, so McGregor’s crude performance counts for this list. After all, it’s basically only Stooges tunes he sings in the film (with a new tune written by ex-Stooge Ron Asheton and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm), whereas Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who sings only some of his own songs (Radiohead’s Thom Yorke sings some others) in an obvious portrayal of David Bowie, renamed Brian Slade, performs a mix of Roxy Music and other artists’ tunes (though no Bowie, who wouldn’t allow his songs to be licensed for the film). Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005) Roger Ebert claimed to have closed his eyes during the film and sincerely believed it to be Cash’s own vocals being lip-synched by Phoenix. While the actor does a great job, though, it’s hard to think he’d allow the same kind of confusion Kilmer’s Morrison brought about. Amazing similarity, sure, but listen to Phoenix and Cash side by side and there’s definitely no mistaking them for the same. However, Phoenix does do a grand job of convincing us that he’s completely Cash, in appearance and voice, while the movie is playing. His costar, Reese Witherspoon, may have won the Oscar, but Phoenix definitely gave the better, more accurate singing performance. Sam Riley as Ian Curtis in Control (2007) Like the live performances in The Buddy Holly Story, those in Control were filmed live on set with the actors all playing their own instruments and Sam Riley doing his own singing. And like the earlier film, it was totally appropriate to capture such a raw-sounding band and vocalist. There were original Joy Division tunes used for non-live scenes and most of the soundtrack album features original recordings, with only one track credited to the cast, who were credited as “Joy Moviesion.” Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972) If you’re a big fan of Holiday’s voice, there’s really no accepting this substitution. Unlike some of the other artists’ voices recreated for the big screen, Holiday’s isn’t backed up by a lot of music. So, hers and Ross’ voices are barer. Yet Ross nevertheless does a worthy effort in the role and her performances of Holiday’s tunes were popular enough to make the film’s soundtrack reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Ross was also nominated for an Oscar. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:01:09 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/4/2008 2:01:09 PMWho would you rather hear sing Etta James’ signature tunes, the real deal or Beyonce Knowles? If you prefer the latter, then you’ll want to see Cadillac Records and even buy the film’s soundtrack, both of which feature Beyonce performing a few of James’ songs, including a nearly spot-on copy of “At Last” (listen to it here). Other actors in the film (and on the soundtrack) who do their own singing while portraying legendary music artists include Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters), Mos Def (Chuck Berry) and Columbus Short (Little Walter). It’s a strange idea to pay tribute to a singer with a biopic or ensemble music historical and then replace that singer’s voice with another, more amateur vocalist. Yet Hollywood does it all the time and, surprisingly, the new performances usually turn out pretty good. Just listen to the following nine actors and actresses who managed to do justice to the artist they were portraying. Gary Busey as Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) Busey earned an Oscar nomination for this film, and part of the honor was likely meant for his uncanny ability to ape Holly’s singing style precisely for live sequences like the one above. The real Buddy can be heard all over the soundtrack where appropriate, but it makes sense to have raw, live-sounding numbers in actual live performance scenes, so that’s really Busey, Charles Martin Smith and Don Stroud singing and playing the music on set. It’s unfortunate that in the subsequent thirty years there have been only a few films to follow this one’s lead, but it just proves how amazing Busey’s performance truly is. Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) The real star, in terms of both acting and singing, was Sissy Spacek, but D’Angelo does an amazing job, too, as Loretta Lynn’s mentor, Patsy Cline. Compared to Spacek’s nine tracks on the film’s soundtrack, D’Angelo has four, including an excellent duet with Spacek on “Back in Baby’s Arms.” Some of them only appear in the film as playing on the radio and so didn’t even need to be performed by the actress. But they’re so perfect, it’s almost like Michael Apted put them in there just to see if anyone noticed a difference. No wonder that when Jessica Lange starred as Cline in the 1985 bio Sweet Dreams she simply lip-synched to the original tunes. How could she have done any better than this? Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) While Angela Bassett lip-synched to the real Tina Turner’s voice, Fishburne made for an inconsistent soundtrack by supplying his own vocals in the part of Ike. Actually, it was necessary, because nearly all the songs in the film are new recordings, and there’s no way anyone was going to even think of bringing the real Ike in for that. Besides, some might see it as justice that his voice was almost entirely left out of the film. Fishburne received an Oscar nomination for the performance. Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) If John Travolta had gotten his way, he’d have starred as Morrison in the film and even toured with The Doors in a series of promotional concerts. If Oliver Stone had gotten his first choice, the part would be played by The Cult’s Ian Astbury, who actually did end up singing for The Doors (well, really, the “The Doors of the 21st Century”) a decade later. And if Kyle MacLachlan had gotten his way, he’d have played Morrison instead of portraying Ray Manzarek in the film. But none of these people could possibly have done better than Val Kilmer, who completely owned the character (if not the true Jim, as Stone’s critics argue). In addition to bearing a slight resemblance to Morrison, the actor also sang enough like the real deal to have allegedly confused Stone and the surviving members of The Doors. So, the songs in the film are the band’s original recordings with Kilmer’s vocals substituted for Morrison’s, a process that allowed for a more accurate representation of the rock legend’s talky and unpredictable stage act. The soundtrack album claims to feature Morrison’s own voice on the songs, but Kilmer’s performance is so good that the credits could be false and we’d never know. Kevin Kline as Cole Porter in De-Lovely (2004) This is an especially exceptional performance because Kline limits his true singing ability to sound more like Porter, whose voice wasn’t too remarkable (the man was a composer, not a performer). The idea may not have made for Kline’s greatest recordings — though the soundtrack sold relatively well thanks to other talents like Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow — but the portrayal would not have been true enough had Kline belted out his best. In addition to doing his own handicapped singing, in character and on set, the actor also played the piano live during filming. Ewan McGregor as Curt Wild (aka Iggy Pop) in Velvet Goldmine (1998) Ten years before casting six separate actors as Bob Dylan for I’m Not There, Todd Haynes had a single actor portray an amalgam of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Mick Ronson and Alice Cooper (with a little Kurt Cobain thrown in for name and appearance?). But Curt Wild is primarily Iggy, and his band, The Wylde Ratttz, are obviously modeled mostly on The Stooges, so McGregor’s crude performance counts for this list. After all, it’s basically only Stooges tunes he sings in the film (with a new tune written by ex-Stooge Ron Asheton and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm), whereas Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who sings only some of his own songs (Radiohead’s Thom Yorke sings some others) in an obvious portrayal of David Bowie, renamed Brian Slade, performs a mix of Roxy Music and other artists’ tunes (though no Bowie, who wouldn’t allow his songs to be licensed for the film). Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005) Roger Ebert claimed to have closed his eyes during the film and sincerely believed it to be Cash’s own vocals being lip-synched by Phoenix. While the actor does a great job, though, it’s hard to think he’d allow the same kind of confusion Kilmer’s Morrison brought about. Amazing similarity, sure, but listen to Phoenix and Cash side by side and there’s definitely no mistaking them for the same. However, Phoenix does do a grand job of convincing us that he’s completely Cash, in appearance and voice, while the movie is playing. His costar, Reese Witherspoon, may have won the Oscar, but Phoenix definitely gave the better, more accurate singing performance. Sam Riley as Ian Curtis in Control (2007) Like the live performances in The Buddy Holly Story, those in Control were filmed live on set with the actors all playing their own instruments and Sam Riley doing his own singing. And like the earlier film, it was totally appropriate to capture such a raw-sounding band and vocalist. There were original Joy Division tunes used for non-live scenes and most of the soundtrack album features original recordings, with only one track credited to the cast, who were credited as “Joy Moviesion.” Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972) If you’re a big fan of Holiday’s voice, there’s really no accepting this substitution. Unlike some of the other artists’ voices recreated for the big screen, Holiday’s isn’t backed up by a lot of music. So, hers and Ross’ voices are barer. Yet Ross nevertheless does a worthy effort in the role and her performances of Holiday’s tunes were popular enough to make the film’s soundtrack reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Ross was also nominated for an Oscar. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/One_good_one_bad_one_maybe_New_movies_week_of/216/37788/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 12/1/2008 1:40:51 PM
Body: Of the films coming out this Friday, one looks very good, one is probably very bad, and one could go either way. What are you looking forward to the most? Reporters vs. The Man 3. Frost/Nixon (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. This is almost unanimously getting good reviews. I'll definitely see it because I'm interested in anyone who's willing to risk their career by holding a president accountable for their illegal actions. 2. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Ed Murrow and Fred Friendly became my heroes when I saw them go against the grain of witch-hunting, McCarthy-ite America. Do you guys think this is just 'an issue' movie? Even if you do, you have to admit it looks beautiful. Cigarette smoke is always so hypnotic in black and white. Speaking of smoking, my favorite movie about Reporters vs. The Man is... 1. The Insider (1999) -- Big tobacco pays Russell Crowe, a chemist, to make their cigarettes more addictive. When Crowe quits on moral grounds and threatens to go public with his story, he and his family begin to receive death threats. One of Michael Mann's best and most gripping films. And it isn't even violent! Thank You Sir, May I Have Another: The Unstoppable Punisher Re-boots 3. The Punisher: War Zone (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. Ray Stevenson plays Frank Castle, joined by Wayne Knight (Newman!) as Microchip, and the handsome Dominic West as horrific villain Jigsaw. Does it have a chance to be good? 2. The Punisher (2004) -- Watch the trailer. Tom Jane as Frank Castle. John Travolta tried to play creepy, but just came off sleepy. I give it one star (out of five). 1. The Punisher (1989) -- Watch the trailer. Dolph Lundgren! I never saw this one, but my old boss did, and he said it was better than the one with Tom Jane. What do you guys think? Who do you guys want to see play the Punisher in the next, inevitable re-boot? Who should play the villain? Also New: a Mixed Bag 1. Cadillac Records -- Watch the trailer. It's 1950s Chicago, where some of the most exciting and beautiful records of all time were released by Chess records. I'm really interested in this time and the music that came from it, but it's getting mixed reviews. A few of the musicians in it are Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Etta James (Beyonce Knowles) and Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright). Adrien Brody plays label owner Leonard Chess. 2. Nobel Son -- Watch the trailer. When chemist Eli Michaelson (Alan Rickman) is awarded a Nobel Prize, a crook kidnaps his son and demands a ransom of $2 million. Rickman refuses, so his wife (Mary Steenbergen) tries to rescue her son. Everything about this movie (except for Alan Rickman) says "second rate." Favorite Rickman performances, anyone? I'm going with the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. 3. Local Color -- John is a shy teenager who would like nothing more than to become a painter, but his father (played by Ray Liotta) would rather have him play baseball and hang out with girls. John lucks out when he gets the opportunity to spend a summer with his favorite Russian impressionist. I'm mostly interested because Ron Perlman plays a minor role. I always like watching him. 4. Ciao -- Watch the trailer. Two men are brought together by the death of a mutual friend. 5. Let Them Chirp Awhile -- A struggling screenwriter takes care of a Jack Russell terrier with hopes of laying its owner. (Sigh)
]]>Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:40:51 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon12/1/2008 1:40:51 PMOf the films coming out this Friday, one looks very good, one is probably very bad, and one could go either way. What are you looking forward to the most? Reporters vs. The Man 3. Frost/Nixon (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. This is almost unanimously getting good reviews. I'll definitely see it because I'm interested in anyone who's willing to risk their career by holding a president accountable for their illegal actions. 2. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Ed Murrow and Fred Friendly became my heroes when I saw them go against the grain of witch-hunting, McCarthy-ite America. Do you guys think this is just 'an issue' movie? Even if you do, you have to admit it looks beautiful. Cigarette smoke is always so hypnotic in black and white. Speaking of smoking, my favorite movie about Reporters vs. The Man is... 1. The Insider (1999) -- Big tobacco pays Russell Crowe, a chemist, to make their cigarettes more addictive. When Crowe quits on moral grounds and threatens to go public with his story, he and his family begin to receive death threats. One of Michael Mann's best and most gripping films. And it isn't even violent! Thank You Sir, May I Have Another: The Unstoppable Punisher Re-boots 3. The Punisher: War Zone (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. Ray Stevenson plays Frank Castle, joined by Wayne Knight (Newman!) as Microchip, and the handsome Dominic West as horrific villain Jigsaw. Does it have a chance to be good? 2. The Punisher (2004) -- Watch the trailer. Tom Jane as Frank Castle. John Travolta tried to play creepy, but just came off sleepy. I give it one star (out of five). 1. The Punisher (1989) -- Watch the trailer. Dolph Lundgren! I never saw this one, but my old boss did, and he said it was better than the one with Tom Jane. What do you guys think? Who do you guys want to see play the Punisher in the next, inevitable re-boot? Who should play the villain? Also New: a Mixed Bag 1. Cadillac Records -- Watch the trailer. It's 1950s Chicago, where some of the most exciting and beautiful records of all time were released by Chess records. I'm really interested in this time and the music that came from it, but it's getting mixed reviews. A few of the musicians in it are Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Etta James (Beyonce Knowles) and Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright). Adrien Brody plays label owner Leonard Chess. 2. Nobel Son -- Watch the trailer. When chemist Eli Michaelson (Alan Rickman) is awarded a Nobel Prize, a crook kidnaps his son and demands a ransom of $2 million. Rickman refuses, so his wife (Mary Steenbergen) tries to rescue her son. Everything about this movie (except for Alan Rickman) says "second rate." Favorite Rickman performances, anyone? I'm going with the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. 3. Local Color -- John is a shy teenager who would like nothing more than to become a painter, but his father (played by Ray Liotta) would rather have him play baseball and hang out with girls. John lucks out when he gets the opportunity to spend a summer with his favorite Russian impressionist. I'm mostly interested because Ron Perlman plays a minor role. I always like watching him. 4. Ciao -- Watch the trailer. Two men are brought together by the death of a mutual friend. 5. Let Them Chirp Awhile -- A struggling screenwriter takes care of a Jack Russell terrier with hopes of laying its owner. (Sigh) http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/chicago/MemberTagFilms.aspxchicago
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