Brothers Grimm Review

To put it quickly, Brothers Grimm is the arthouse Van Helsing. Terry Gilliam's film is way better than that wretched piece of crap, but it still isn't any good. The film looks like a Gilliam film and the actors are all trying, but the screenplay is pointless after a decent set-up. There are a half-dozen decent laughs that are exhausted after the first thirty minutes and that leaves about ninety minutes for nothing to happen. Viewers who looooooove good art direction should get a kick out of it, but the film is giant misfire for everyone involved. Seeing the film solidifies that Harvey Weinstein knew it was bad and the only reason it was getting a release in the graveyard that is late August is because Harvey and Bob are clearing the shelf before departing Miramax.

Failing Upward

So Sid Ganis has been named the new president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Want to know his qualifications? Here they are. Sad, isn't it?

Chris Guest News In Variety - Who Doesn't Want to See This?

Kudo craziness
Guest and company to send up season
By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK
Christopher Guest has decided to make a movie about the shooting of a bad movie. In the process, the man who gave us "Best in Show""Best In Show" intends to do a sendup of awards season. Warner Independent PicturesWarner Independent Pictures is targeting "For
Your Consideration," which Castle Rock Entertainment will produce, for a fall 2006 release. Ricky Gervais will join a roster of thesps who've appeared in Guest's previous pics, including Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer, Eugene Levy, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael McKean and Fred Willard. The film won't be a mockumentary in the style of Guest's "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show" or "A Mighty Wind""A Mighty Wind" but instead centers on a movie-within-a-movie that will be largely improvised. Guest is directing and co-writing with Levy. Pic revolves around three actors shooting a small indie film whose lives are turned upside down when buzz starts that their performances are awards-worthy. Guest said the movie won't be about the Academy Awards, although Oscar is mentioned once. "Consideration" will end just before award nominations are announced. "We all know many people who have been through this reality, and how it changes them. This happens to be an area I know something about. It's a virus," Guest told Daily Variety. The filmmaker said he and Levy had great fun writing the script for the movie-within-a-movie, titled "Home for Purim," which takes place in the South in the mid-1940s. "Home for Purim" is an "extraordinarily poorly written movie. It's a melodrama, and it's just awful. These actors never would have imagined that this movie was going to change their lives," Guest said. Gervais will play the head of a studio's specialty division producing "Purim," while Guest will play a director who has shot 18 sitcom
pilots, none of which have gone to series. Levy will play an agent. The three actors will be played by O'Hara, Posey and Shearer. The saga begins when one of the actresses is told of an Internet rumor that she's sure to be nominated for an award. A morning talkshow co-anchor talks about awards chances with her male lead. And the pic's third thesp is engulfed in similar rumors. "They are just buffeted around by the weirdness of what happens," Guest said. The indie film biz is sure to recognize itself in "Consideration," particularly the specialty film divisions at major studios. In Guest's movie, "Home for Purim" is being produced by Sunshine Classics,
an arm of U.K.-based studio Hemisphere. In real life, Guest's movie will be distributed by such a specialty arm -- Warner Independent. In the past, Warner Bros. had distributed Guest's films,
but that was before Warner Independent was created. Guest said Warne Independent was a natural fit. Karen Murphy is producing, while Shangri-La Entertainment is financing the pic, which will film in early October in Los Angeles. Warner Independent president Mark Gill and exec Michael Andreen will supervise, while Martin Shafer and Liz Glotzer will oversee for Castle Rock Entertainment.

40 Year Old Virgin Review

I am a big Steve Carell fan. His work on the Daily Show was outstanding and the surest sign of a good actor is that he or she can be very good in bad movies. Seeing as he made me laugh in remarkably unfunny movies like Bruce Almighty and Bewitched, I came into 40 Year Old Virgin with elevated expectations. He and Judd Apatow surpass those expectations. The film mixes raunchy and sweet with remarkable aplomb and the pop-culture references are all note perfect ("I know you're gay because you like Coldplay" - and a hilarious opening monologue by Paul Rudd on the pain of hearing Michael MacDonald every day). But the film works because it's actually really well-written and well-acted. The main character is a three-dimensional person - not a comedy construct. He is a guy who is a forty year old virgin, not just a forty year old virgin. He is perfectly matched by Catherine Keener who finally gets a chance to be funny without playing the cold type of part she has almost become typecast in. The big fight they have near the end actually offers some dramatic weight becuase you understand why these characters are sabotaging themselves and you don't want it to happen. At the end of the year this will be on my short list for Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Roger Ebert's Best Writing in the Last Four Years

Another example of why we should be happy he is the most famous film critic in the country.

Reason Crappy Sequels to Crappy Movies Get Made - International Logic

Duds become studs o'seas
Int'l revs spur sequels to domestic disappointments
By IAN MOHR

NEW YORK -- The fortunes of DreamWorks and Warner Bros.' soggy sci-fiactioner "The Island" provide the latest proof that a pic doesn't necessarily need a high profile in the U.S. to score overseas. In some cases, foreign revenues are spurring studios to make sequels to films that were perceived as underperforming in their own backyard. Thanks to the trend, producers and reps shopping rights on pics say overseas buyers no longer covet a film's guaranteed Stateside release the way they once did. Prior to "Island" -- which has so far taken in nearly $30 million more abroad than it has domestically, where its take is just $34.1 million -- a number of pics that were pegged as domestic duds have done better abroad. In particular, overseas auds embraced a raft of bloated historical epics that flooded the world market in the wake of "Gladiator's" success in 2000. Both "King Arthur" and "Alexander" made almost $100 million more overseas than they did Stateside. This summer's "Kingdom of Heaven" made $163 million
abroad after topping out at $47.3 million in the States. But the trend extends beyond pics with largely Brit casts that seem intrinsically Eurocentric, such as "King Arthur." Fox's 2004 summer kidpic "Garfield: The Movie" was savaged by most critics, and a swift slide to the videostore shelves was predicted. The CGI/live-action pic managed $75 million-plus in its domestic run but shockingly clawed up $123.2 million overseas. It played particularly strongly in the U.K. ($17.2 million), Spain ($10.1 million), Germany ($8.8 million) and France ($8.2 million). Pic's perf accented a trend that come August, Euro auds are looking for family fare and nursing action hangovers. (DreamWorks' CGI "Madagascar" has made almost $50 million more overseas than domestically, mostly in late-summer playdates.) As a result, Fox is making a "Garfield" sequel, with Bill Murray in talks to return as the voice of the fat cat. Science fiction/fantasy is another genre that seemingly scores better abroad than at home. Keanu Reeves starrer "Constantine" didn't click with U.S. auds but was embraced by the Asian market. Warners pic took in $75.5 million domestically but bagged more than $154 million abroad, with strong showings in Japan and South Korea. As for "The Island," which DreamWorks distributed domestically and Warners handled overseas, pundits have pinned its Stateside troubles in large part on the marketing campaign. Sci-fi can prove a tough sell if an out-of-this-world plot doesn't come across clearly.
But in Korea, where cloning is a hot topic, pic has cleverly piggybacked on current events. As a result, "Island" has so far grossed just a hair under "War of the Worlds" in that territory and looks to overtake the Tom Cruise pic next weekend. Predictions were that "Island" would sink in territories that have closer ties to the U.S. buzz machine, but Mexico and the U.K. performed solidly last weekend, making "Island" the unlikely No. 1 pic overseas. Warners, despite getting that sinking feeling after the pic's poor opening, has found the film floating overseas, a trend execs will watch as they divvy up rights to pics in a tough marketplace.
It's the pics that are perhaps too American, such as military-themed actioners "Stealth" and "XXX: State of the Union," that can run into real problems when they don't work here and have little hope of falling back on overseas coin.

Murderball Review

Murderball works as a sports documentary, a study of how people recover psychologically from an accident that leaves them as a quadriplegic, and as an examination of how competitive, testosterone-filled guy’s guys have to learn to let down their guard in order to experience the fullness of life. Before the age of ESPN, ABC's Wide World of Sports used to show athletic competitions, like elephant polo, that the average American viewer had never seen. The beginning of Murderball garners the same kind of interest. The rules of quad rugby are very simple, allowing the viewer to quickly appreciate the skill of the people playing, and gain a rooting interest in the players who engage in this international sport. What elevates the documentary is that the filmmakers get deep into the lives of the two most interesting human subjects. Joe Soares and Mark Zupan are hard-nosed, aggressive men. The film makes no effort to make these two sympathetic just because they are quadriplegic, in large part because they themselves don’t ask for it. As the filmmakers reveal the troubled history of Zupin’s relationship with the friend who inadvertently caused the accident that led him to lose the full use of his limbs, and explore the strained yet rather typical relationship the intense Soares has with his mild-mannered young son, the audience learns to feel for these two as three-dimensional humans. These story threads are intertwined with personal stories from other players on the team, young men for whom discovering how to have a sex life after their respective accidents and illnesses was of the utmost importance. Murderball succeeds on all of these levels, making for a rich viewing experience.

The Most Controversial Film From a Year Full of Controversial Films

So in 2004, the year of The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11, the film that caused the most uproar might very well have been Vincent Gallo's sophomore directorial effort The Brown Bunny (follow that link for an excellent review at AMG by Michael Hastings). I was a big fan of Gallo's Buffalo '66, so I was eager to see this film even before all the controversy started. For those who don't remember, this is the film that features the fine young actress Chloe Sevigny performing a very intimate act on Gallo. Before we get to that scene however, the viewer is treated to seventy-five minutes of the most mind-numbing, sleep inducing series of images I've come across in a really long time. There is nothing to take from the first 5/6 of this film other than Gallo's character is lonely. No filmmaker needs seventy-five minutes to establish lonesomeness. While it is accurate to say that the (in)famous scene is the best part of the movie, it is for reasons greater than the obvious. Gallo has really though out what is going on emotionally in the film, and although it might not be terribly profound, it certainly seems to be heartfelt. So the viewer is left with the the simple fact that Gallo padded a fifteen-minute short into a ninety minute slog. I still think he's a talented filmmaker, but I'm worried that his internal bullshit detector needs serious recalibrating.

I Was Hoping for Scorsese but I got Woody Allen - which I'm Good With

Who directs your biopic?

Thank you Mr. Deming.

And speaking of biopics, I can't give a full review yet but if there is any justice in the world Walk the Line will be a substantial hit and earn Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon a large amount of critical respect.

Broken Flowers Review

Jim Jarmusch’s style is, at its best, hypnotic. At its worst it feels like you’ve been hit in the head by a frying pan. His films work best when he can find a protagonist who is experiencing the world in the same ways Jarmusch films it. Ghost Dog worked so well in large part because Forrest Whittaker’s character was seeking a Zen ideal that fit in with Jarmusch’s stillness. Now comes Don Johnston, embodied by Bill Murray, a man so shut off from his own emotions that Jarmusch’s style gains a psychological resonance that he had not achieved before. Murray’s repressed performance would be a bore if Jarmusch had not so thoroughly planned out the emotional arc of the film. By matching him up with the outgoing, friendly neighbor (played by Jeffrey Wright – who may very well be the best actor alive) at the beginning of the film, we understand there is a warm world out there, just one that Don can’t or won’t tune into. During Don’s quest, where he revisits five old girlfriends, Murray downplays everything. He is so repressed and reserved that his every word and motion seem to betray some sort of important personal information. You study him, and he is a fascinating subject. Jarmusch is too much of an iconoclast to give the viewer any real answers, but he has provided enough information to let the viewers draw their own conclusions. Broken Flowers is Jarmusch’s best film.

Baby Verification

Paul Thomas Anderson and Maya Rudolph are officially having a baby. This article verifies that and explains why PTA is "pinch-hitting" as a director on Prairie Home Companion.

Grandpa Ghuolardi

According to a Minnesota Newspaper:

"The very pregnant Maya Rudolph and her partner, Paul Thomas Anderson, are friends with Altman and his wife, Kathryn, so she knew about the project more than a year ago. Anderson, who wrote and directed "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia," also is working on "Prairie Home." He has no official title, but he works mostly with Altman and the actors, and his director's chair is labeled "Pinch Hitter."
"The project came and went, people came and went, but I'm still here," Rudolph says, adding that she decided her character is not from here, because "I can't do the accent and I'm not going to bother to try. Besides, Meryl and Lily are doing it, so why bother?"


Congratulations to Paul and Maya on the upcoming baby.

Thanks to Violent J for the tip.