Hello Ladies & Gentlemen. What makes the Master of Suspense PSYCHO? People using their cell phones in movie theaters, of course. Word has gotten out that Anthony Hopkins’ Alfred Hitchcock has recorded a PSA to help put an end to the madness.
So what’s everyone think. Would the Master of Suspense been in on the joke or found it to be complete rubbish. HITCHCOCK stars Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. Hopkins brings the director to life in a love story about Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville during the making of his groundbreaking film,PSYCHO.
Based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello, the film also features Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Jessica Biel, Michael Stuhlbarg, James D’Arcy, Michael Wincott, Richard Portnow, and Kurtwood Smith.
HITCHCOCK will have its World Premiere on Thursday, November 1, as theOpening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2012 and will be in select theaters on November 23rd… so be sure to silence your phones.
Like the film on Facebook here. Visit film’s official sitehere. Follow on Twitterhere.
The Academy continues it’s October-long celebration of classic horror films in honor of “Universal’s Legacy of Horror”- part of the studio’s year-long 100th anniversary celebration. Tomorrow night features some of my favorite films. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954, in 3D) and THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933). See these films in the best possible way at the Academy on Tuesday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m. The films will be shown at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills. Special guests scheduled include actress Julie Adams, who played Kay Lawrence in “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Mondo has released this neat poster from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON along with a few others to celebrate Universal’s Legacy of Horror”.
If tomorrow doesn’t work, but you’re in the area, there’s plenty left to see during the month of October. Check out the list below.
“The Birds” (1963) Tuesday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Special guests scheduled include actresses Tippi Hedren, who played Melanie Daniels, and Veronica Cartwright, who played Cathy Brenner, in the film.
“The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) Tuesday, October 30, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Special guests scheduled include film historian and preservationist , and 103 year-old Carla Laemmle, a dancer in the film and niece of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle.
SATURDAY DOUBLE-DOUBLE FEATURE* “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” (1948) and “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken”(1966) Saturday, October 27, at 2 p.m.
Linwood Dunn Theater
1313 Vine Street, Hollywood
Special guests scheduled include actress Joan Staley, who played Alma Parker in “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.”
“The Incredible Shrinking Man” (1957) and “Tarantula” (1955) Saturday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Oscars Outdoors
1341 Vine Street, Hollywood
*Series passes are not good for the Double-Double Feature. Individual tickets are on sale now for each double feature.
In conjunction with the screening series, the Academy will present “Universal’s Legacy of Horror: A Centennial Exhibition,” which includes rare posters, stills and other artifacts celebrating Universal’s distinctive contributions to the classic horror genre and the studio’s founding 100 years ago. The exhibition will run in the Academy Grand Lobby throughout October. Admission is free.
Series passes for “Universal’s Legacy of Horror” (excluding the Saturday double features) are $20 for the general public and $15 for Academy members and students with valid ID. Tickets for individual screenings are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office, or by mail. Ticketed seating is unreserved. For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.
Break out the movie planner calendar fellow Movie Geeks. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has sent us their schedule, along with the official names, of when their films will be hitting cinemas. Among the familiar faces are Captain America, Thor and Iron Man who all came together to save the world in the Summer of 2012 in Marvel’s THE AVENGERS. In August, Disney Studios announced a release date for Marvel Studios’ sequel to the biggest Super Hero blockbuster and third highest grossing film of all time. Joss Whedon returns to write and direct the UNTITLED MARVEL’S AVENGERS SEQUEL set for release May 1, 2015.
Now for the new stuff. PHINEAS AND FERB moves to a 2014 debut from it’s previously announced date of July 28, 2013. While many of these titles and dates you see below were announced at Comic-Con in San Diego over the summer, you’ll find some that are new. Two unnamed pics to take note of are Disney Animation’s unnamed movie – in theaters November 7, 2014 – and an animated film from the folks at Pixar set for a Wednesday November 25, 2015 bow.
Marvel’s IRON MAN 3 will now be available in3Dand will be in theaters on May 3, 2013. Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.
“Iron Man 3” continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the world’s favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka “Iron Man.” Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black with Shane Black directing. Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.
Once calledTHOR 2, Marvelis sticking with THOR: THE DARK WORLD and the warrior from Asgard will be coming at you with his hammer in 3D. Principal photography began on Monday, September 10, 2012 in Bourne Wood, Surrey. A sequel to Kenneth Branagh’s THOR, this new film is directed by Alan Taylor with the screenplay by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Idris Elba and Rene Russo, the God of Thunder returns on November 8, 2013.
SAVING MR. BANKS becomes awards season bait with Disney’s new release date of December 20, 2013. The film is the account of Walt Disney’s twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to P.L. Travers’ popular novel, Mary Poppins, and the testy partnership the upbeat filmmaker develops with the uptight author during the project’s pre-production in 1961. Two-time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks (“Philadelphia,” “Forrest Gump”) will essay the role of the legendary Disney (the first time the entrepreneur has ever been depicted in a dramatic feature film) alongside fellow double Oscar®-winner Emma Thompson (“Howard’s End,” “Sense and Sensibility”) in the role of the prickly novelist.
Colin Farrell (“Minority Report,” “Total Recall”) co-stars as Travers’ doting dad, Goff, along with British actress Ruth Wilson (the forthcoming films “The Lone Ranger” and “Anna Karenina”) as his long-suffering wife, Margaret; Oscar® and Emmy® nominee Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under,” “Hilary and Jackie,” “The Rookie”) as Margaret’s sister, Aunt Ellie (who inspired the title character of Travers’ novel); and a screen newcomer—11-year-old Aussie native Annie Buckley as the young, blossoming writer, nicknamed “Ginty” in the flashback sequences.
The cast also includes Emmy® winner Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing,” “The Cabin in the Woods”) as screenwriter Don DaGradi; Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore,” “Moonrise Kingdom”) and B.J. Novak (“NBC’s “The Office,” “Inglourious Basterds”) as the songwriting Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively); Oscar® nominee and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti (“Sideways,” “Cinderella Man,” HBO’s “John Adams”) as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; and multi-Emmy winner Kathy Baker (“Picket Fences,” “Edward Scissorhands”) as Tommie, one of Disney’s trusted studio associates.
SAVING MR. BANKS will be directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side,” “The Rookie”) based on a screenplay by Kelly Marcel (creator of FOX-TV’s “Terra Nova”), from a story by Sue Smith (“Brides of Christ,” “Bastard Boys”) and Kelly Marcel. SAVING MR. BANKS will film entirely in the Los Angeles area, with key locations to include Disneyland in Anaheim and the Disney Studios in Burbank. Production began in September and will conclude around Thanksgiving, 2012.
Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER aka “Captain America 2” will still be here to save the day on April 4, 2014. From directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, the second installment will pick-up where The Avengers leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world.
The future looks wild, as the Walt Disney Studio’s Disneynature label unveils its new film slated for the big screen on April 18, 2014. Disneynature’s 2014 motion picture BEARS cozies up to the brown bears who call Alaska’s stunning coastal mountains and shores their home, revealing through tender moments and entertaining imagery how these animals are far from grizzly creatures. This shooting location provides some of the most spectacular visuals ever for a Disneynature film. The film is directed by Keith Scholey (“African Cats”) and Alastair Fothergill (“Earth,” “African Cats” and “Chimpanzee”). Read our AFRICAN CATS interview with Keith Scholey HERE.
“Our commitment to the production of Disneynature films is to capture nature on its own terms and its own schedule. These films are never rushed so that we can tell never-before-seen stories in our natural world that both astound and charm audiences,” said Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. “Disneynature’s next adventure ‘Bears’ promises to continue this storytelling tradition by introducing audiences to a phenomenal variety of wildlife and offering rare glimpses into the day-to-day lives of these incredible animals.” BEARS is currently in production in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.
Marvelis going ahead with the previously announced title for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Even the 31st Century needs heroes, and the call has been answered by the Guardians of the Galaxy, a team of superhuman and extraterrestrial adventurers dedicated to the safeguarding of the Milky Way Galaxy from any force that threatens the security or liberty of its various people.
At San Diego Comic-Con International in July, the studio unveiled the title and concept art portraying (from left to right) Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora. Directed by James Gunn, the film will be in theaters on August 1, 2014.
ANT-MAN is now set for a November, 6 2015 wide release by Marvel. Taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Henry Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size. Henry Pym was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ANT-MAN will be directed by Edgar Wright (HOT FUZZ, SHAUN OF THE DEAD).
home haunter: one who transforms the place where one lives with the intent to invoke fear upon visitors as entertainment on the holiday of Halloween.
With the exception of the classic cartoon It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, rarely are Halloween themed films described as “heart warming,” but THE AMERICAN SCREAM is an outstanding exception. This original documentary follows three families in the small town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. These three families all share a common love for Halloween and the art of home haunting, or transforming their homes into frightening displays for the benefit of trick or treaters. The levels of expertise, and even the motivation for each of these families’ interest in such an undertaking varies greatly, but the one universal trait is the pleasure and joy they get from seeing visitors react to what they have created and having fun in the process.
THE AMERICAN SCREAM is directed by Michael Stephenson, his second feature length documentary film, which follows the much loved cult hit BEST WORST MOVIE (2009). At first, the viewer may find themselves wondering whether the film will go down a less mature, derogatory path. For some viewers, this may be encouraging, but Stephenson’s ultimate intention couldn’t be further from this false reading of the first act. As Stephenson sets up his three families’ stories, we’re introduced to them fully exposed, with all their “flaws” for the world to see. As a viewer, be a better person and look past this, as these people being profiled are about to fill your heart with holiday joy, inspire you and perhaps even initiate a few tears.
We are first introduced to the Bariteau family; Victor (the father), his wife and two girls. Victor is the man with an endless passion for Halloween and home haunting. Eight years he has been at this, having started with merely a single hand-made prop his first year. This tradition has grown since then to become the most cherished and anticipated home haunting in the area. Victor works year-round developing and building the various elements of his annual masterpiece, always adding and changing, ever striving closer to that elusively, perfectly frightening experience. What his story conveys is a sense of passion, a drive to succeed no matter the obstacle — and Victor does have obstacles — the way in which a family comes together and supports each other, and finally — as cheesy as it may sound — how dreams can come true.
While the Bariteau family is the film’s centerpiece, THE AMERICAN SCREAM is not solely Victor’s story. Once comfortable in Victor’s home, we’re introduced to Manny and Lori Souza, a working class couple with kids. It becomes apparent early on that Manny doesn’t have the same passion for the art of home haunting as Victor. He boasts about how most of what he uses for his home haunting is free. Manny shows off a massive pirate display he had built in the past, all of which set him back a total of about $8, which admittedly is impressive, but Manny is recycling other people’s junks into pleasant memories for his and other families’ kids who visit on Halloween. This is what drives Manny, seeing the happiness on the faces of children. He openly admits, if people stopped coming, he’d stop home haunting.
Victor may be the artist striving for perfection, while Manny may be the tough guy with a heart of gold, but the Brodeurs are the philanthropists. Matthew and his father Richard live together, take care of each other and both are as kind-hearted and generous as they are peculiar. Watching Matthew and his father interact is — as unintentionally mean-spirited as this sounds — like watching a hilarious sitcom. Despite the obvious personality points, these two men are an inspiration for all of us to do more for others. Not only are Matthew and Richard best friends, but they both contribute immensely to their community as Shriners, they’re both seasons clowns, and they work together each year on their home haunting as a benefit to the local children’s hospital. On the scale of artistic talent, the Brodeur’s may fall somewhere near the bottom, but they put their hearts into it and show us that it’s not always about the quality or even the quantity, but about the intention.
Michael Stephenson takes Halloween back, giving us a backstage pass to creating fear for fun, returning us to our youth and to what we all truly loved about the only time of year being scared was this much fun. THE AMERICAN SCREAM portrays a community that is brought together by Halloween, as Victor calls “the only holiday that does this,” pointing out that Thanksgiving and Christmas are for families, but Halloween is for the community. This is illustrated by the hordes of people who visit his home haunting, the majority of whom Victor and his family have never met before, and may never see again. In Victor’s words, “they may not remember me, but they’ll remember what I’ve done.” This one line sums up the entire film with crystal clarity.
“Like” the film on Facebook and request a screening near you on Tugg.com
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
THE AMERICAN SCREAM will premiere on ChillerTVat 7pm CST on Sunday, October 28th, 2012. If you’d like to see one of the best documentaries in recent years in the theater, THE AMERICAN SCREAM will also have a limited theatrical release, as listed below:
October 5 – Hollywood Theater (Portland, OR) October 5 – Music Box Theater (Chicago, IL) October 6 – The Grand Illusion Cinema (Seattle, OR) October 13 & 14 – The Cinefamily (L.A., CA) w/ Director Michael Paul Stephenson in person October 16 – Roxie Theater (San Francisco, CA) October 19 – Coolidge Corner Theater (Boston, MA) October 20 – Nitehawk Cinema (Brooklyn, NY) November 9-14 – Alamo Drafthouse (Austin and Houston, TX)
Director Mike Newell (HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, GREAT EXPECTATIONS) has found the man who will sport the purple stained birthmark on his head while playing the last leader of the Soviet Communist Party for his new film. Academy-Award winner Christoph Waltz has been cast as Mikhail Gorbachev opposite Academy-Award winner Michael Douglas as Ronald Reagan in REYKJAVIK. Waltz is starring in the upcoming DJANGO UNCHAINED from director Quentin Tarantino while Douglas is headlining another based-on-a-true-story pic as Liberace in Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind The Candelabra” to air on HBO.
Filming on REYKJAVIK will begin in March 2013 in Reykjavik, Iceland and Studio Babelsberg, Germany. The script is from Kevin Hood (BECOMING JANE) with Ridley Scott producing.
“The film will offer the viewer a unique look into two larger than life figures who served as the catalysts for one of the most defining moments in our history, the end of the Cold War,” said Scott.
The upcoming drama is about the nuclear arms talks in 1986 between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan had labeled the Soviet Union an “evil empire,” and less than a year after the summit Reagan would challenge Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” in Berlin. Gorbachev initiated changes known as ‘perestroika’ and ‘glasnost’ which melted the rigid Soviet system and liberated 15 republics of the Soviet Union to become independent states, thus ending the existence of the USSR in December 1991.
REYKJAVIK will be produced by Headline Pictures, Scott Free Productions, Participant Media and Mark Sennet Productions.
Here’s the new trailer and poster for the teen comedy SO UNDERCOVER! The film stars Miley Cyrus (THE LAST SONG, LOL), Jeremy Piven (TV’s Entourage), Josh Bowman (TV’s Revenge) and Kelly Osbourne. Cyrus stars as MOLLY, a private investigator who chose to leave high school to work with her father (Mike O’Malley), a former police officer. Together their days are filled with busting cheating spouses and taking down petty thieves. However, her life unexpectedly changes when she is approached by an FBI agent (Jeremy Piven) to go undercover in the one place they’re unable to infiltrate – and a world she knows nothing about… A university sorority.
Cyrus has a new CD dropping soon and recently visited The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with a cute, cropped hairdo.
During a major makeover, Molly physically transforms herself from the tough, streetwise investigator, to a very affluent sorority girl BROOKE STONEBRIDGE. However, Molly also has to learn how to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” to keep her cover for her mission: protect the life of sorority sister ALEX PATRONE (Lauren McKnight) whose father plans to testify against some very dangerous people.
Surveillance proves nearly impossible for outsider Molly, who struggles to adjust to university culture, her new friends, and her new assignment, which includes NICHOLAS (Josh Bowman) – a strong, self confident guy who may have taken a piece of Molly’s heart, if only he weren’t possibly the hit man in disguise.
With multiple suspects on her list and the trial fast approaching, Molly must navigate a minefield of double crosses as well as the pageantry and chaos of a sorority sister’s social life. Through her journey, Molly must protect Alex while discovering that not everyone is who he or she appears to be – including herself.
SO UNDERCOVER! hits British cinemas on December 7, 2012.
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS hit theaters over the weekend… (in a funny, bloody, and shock-tastic way), and WAMG, along with a few other members of the press, were invited to sit down and speak with Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell in a round table discussion about the film.
Written and Directed by Oscar winner Martin McDonagh , the comedy Seven Psychopaths follows a struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster’s (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu. Co-starring Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko and Zeljko Ivanek.
Check out our roundtable discussion here.
Well, you guys have both worked with so many directors throughout your careers. What did you see from Martin’s sensibilities that suited you well in working with him?
Christopher Walken: I don’t know. That would be more of a question for this guy(Points to Sam Rockwell). But no, I like him very much, and they say casting is some big percentage of movies… and I think that’s true. If the casting is right… then you don’t have to work as hard because whatever you are is what they’re looking for. So, I don’t know…I know there’s something about my personality that’s suited for this movie. Just something about Martin’s taste I guess.
On the subject of casting, Mr. Walken, were you always offered the role that you took in Seven Psychopaths or did you look at some of the other roles, too?
Christopher Walken: Nah, there was really one role I could play; I’m much older than the rest of them. I suppose I could have played the Tom’s part… maybe… but it’s better with him.
Or even Woody’s part…
Sam Rockwell: Yeah, that’s the part you’d usually be playing.That’s why it’s genius… that it’s not you in the movie.
Christopher Walken: Yeah, if I was that old and that crazy about my dog… Well… geez! (Laughs) This movie would have ended up an entirely different animal, I think.
Sam, can you talk about your character and his relationship with Colin in the film? A lot of the comedic moments in the film come from the relationship between you guys. What was the approach you both took in fleshing out these characters?
Sam Rockwell: Colin and I had met each other ten years previous, but we didn’t really know each other all that well. Chris and I already knew each other from a play that we did together… so he wanted Colin and I to bond, so… so the three of us all went to Joshua Tree and rented a house there. At one point, we stopped at a rest stop and Colin picked out the bear hat, the one I wear in the movie… yeah, like that one. (Points to the replica hat on the table. He found it and put it on my head so he told me to eat Cheetos and chocolate milk. That might even be in the movie (Laughs). But yeah, I had always thought that while working on it… we were just talking about how Chris was part of the original stage production of “Hurlyburly,” the part that Sean Penn plays in the movie. It was the relationship between that character and Chazz Palminteri’s is very similar to the relationship between Billy and Marty in this movie. The out of work actor and the struggling writer who are sort of co-dependent on each other.
We were talking to Martin about your unusual pronunciation of the word “hallucinogens” in the film… and he wasn’t quite sure if that was how you would normally say it or that was purposeful on your part?
Christopher Walken: Oh- you mean “hallucinogens”. I mean… I come from a time where that’s the correct way to say that word.
Sam Rockwell: You mean British? (Laughs)
You both are known for creating such memorable characters, what for you did you find memorable about these characters in particular?
Sam Rockwell: Wait, can you say that again?
You both are known for playing memorable characters…
Sam Rockwell: Okay, good. I just wanted to hear that part again (Laughs). No but seriously… Thank you.
Christopher Walken: I know what you’re saying. I always get told that by a lot of people who have seen it… but… we’re all kind of in the business in this movie so I’ll be interested to see how regular audiences react. You know, I had to go to the dentist two mornings ago, and when I walked in, the dentist says to me, “Looking forward to October 12th.” I said, “What? What’s happening then?” (Laughs) I knew the movie was opening in October, but then he says to me, “You know, your movie is opening,” and I said, “Oh yeah, right.” So when him and his family go and see the movie, that’s when I can get an impression about this movie. When I’m on the road making a movie in another city, on my day off I always go to the movies. Always.
Sam Rockwell: He saw Puss in Boots while we were making this. (Laughs)
Christopher Walken: I did, I did… I liked it. But… I love going to the movies. You get a ticket… you sit there… and to me it’s very interesting to be around people who aren’t personally invested in you in any way. They’re just going to the movies.
Were there any movies in particular that inspired you with this role, this performance?
Sam Rockwell: I think there were. I actually watched Colin in IN BRUGES a couple of times because I thought the rhythms and the characters were similar. There’s tons of stuff that this guy has done throughout his career. You know, I’m like Spider-Man… stealing things from actors to put in the web arsenal (Laughs). They become like spider webs, ready at any moment. I did watch that documentary GRIZZLY MAN. I thought watching that guy was helpful to watch. Also, Kathy Bates in MISERY. I watched that because her obsession with James Caan…
Christopher Walken: GRIZZLY MAN… that guy was crazy!
Sam Rockwell: Oh yeah… when he talks to the park rangers (Laughs). With bananas or something like that…
Christopher Walken: Disturbing.
Sam Rockwell: But yeah, I actually found that helpful for when I did the play with Martin because my character in that was a nerdier version of Billy. He was a hotel clerk and his character was a bit more like Woody’s character here.
Christopher Walken: You know, there was this desk clerk once where when you’d take the elevator, you’d come to find out that he would go up the stairs and get off on your floor while you’re on the way up. Then he’d follow you down the hall to your room… I just remember that guy so vividly and he reminded me of that character in the play.
Sam Rockwell: Oh yeah; that character, again, was more like Woody’s character or like Ralph Fiennes in IN BRUGES. The gasoline… the whole thing… and a suitcase of cut off hands.
Christopher Walken: I said to Martin once in rehearsal, “How did you ever come to write a play about a guy who goes around with a suitcase filled with cut off hands?” and he said, “You know, I was just sitting there one day and thought to myself, ‘I wonder what it would be like for a guy who went all over the place with a suitcase filled with hands.'” It’s as simple as that.
What did you guys find to be the most surprising aspect of the script?
Christopher Walken: The whole thing is surprising; whenever you read a script that has big chunks of intelligent and juicy dialogue, you know… that’s pretty unusual. I have a lot of trouble with scripts, I have a lot of trouble imagining things while I’m reading them. Sometimes if you’re lucky before you start shooting the actors will sit around a table and they read the script out loud. For me, that’s a big moment because no matter how many times I read a script before I get there, I can’t see it. But the moment that I get there, that’s when I finally can see it.
Obviously, this was a terrific script but I couldn’t imagine it.
Mr. Walken, you just mentioned those juicy bits of dialogue; is that something specifically you seek out? So many of your performances have these… these really great dialogues.
Christopher Walken: You always look for good stuff. What I meant when I said that was that very few scripts have that kind of focus on what people are saying. Movies can be a lot of things, but they’re usually not about dialogue; you know, the kind of dialogue that tells you where you are and where you’re going.
But you don’t get really smart, fun stuff to say all that often.
Sam Rockwell: Fun stuff to say? Yeah, but I think good material seeks him out because he’s so good at those monologues. Like BILOXI BLUES… TRUE ROMANCE… PULP FICTION… with the watch shoved up the… Man, he’s great at that.
Christopher Walken: Yeah, but there aren’t a lot of screenwriters who do that.
Sam Rockwell: Oh I know they don’t do that, but when you have a specialty… and you’re good at that… so they find you. That’s no accident.
Christopher Walken: Yeah, I suppose that’s true, but I’ve also made four studio movie musicals over the years… and these days they just don’t make those kinds of movies now. If you’re an actor and you can tap dance a little bit, you can be in that movie.
It pains me to say this, but truly scary, well-made horror films being released in theaters are few and far between these days. Such films being released during the holy horror month of October — oddly — are even more scarce. Fortunately, we have writer C. Robert Cargill‘s frightening film to thank, inspired by the persistent image of a family hanging dead from an old tree, which haunted his dreams until the day he wrote the screenplay… or, perhaps it still does.
SINISTER is Cargill’s first feature screenplay and is directed by Scott Derrickson (HELLRAISER: INFERNO). The film stars an unlikely, but familiar face in Ethan Hawke (DAYBREAKERS), an actor not known for showing up in horror films. Regardless, Hawke still delivers the same caliber of performance we’re used to seeing in his dramatic roles, playing Ellison Oswalt, a once famous now struggling writer of true crime novels. Expecting to capture inspiration for what he hopes is his second best seller, Ellison moves his family into the home of the victims he is currently writing about, a sleazy yet understandably logical strategy.
Ellison is not a bad man, by nature, but merely a good man who has lost his way and now is driven — unbeknownst to himself — by the powerful allure of fame and fortune. Focused entirely on his own success, excusing it as his answer to giving his family a better life, Ellison allows himself to blindly pursue a path much darker than he had ever imagined when he discovers a mysterious box of super-8 films in the attic of their new house. Wearing an awful grey sweater vest, Hawke supplies Ellison with the appropriate blend of being a loving family man and an obsessed, reckless fame monster… sort of like Mister Rogers meets Stephen King.
Juliet Rylance is commendable as Ellison’s concerned, yet supportive wife Tracy, who is oblivious to the truth about her new home for much of the film. Giving Ellison the space he needs and the freedom to pursue his craft, Tracy provides the counter-balance to a town unfriendly and bitter toward Ellison’s work. This is most readily illustrated by the sharp, unwelcoming yet witty exchange that takes place between Ellison and the town’s Sheriff (Fred Dalton Thompson) upon their first meeting. What Tracy does not realize — nor does Ellison, at first — is that her husband’s research is gravely endangering the lives of his entire family.
SINISTER not only builds with an intensely slow burn, it creates the first truly creepy horror villain that isn’t just a slasher, but is a humanoid monster of sorts… since, well, let’s say JEEPERS CREEPERS, but that’s not the best example. In an age where most horror is predicated on mean, violent humans doing very bad things, SINISTER is a breath of fresh foul air. The baddy in SINISTER is kept at a distance, just out of reach, making him that much more frightening. Derrickson employes the same tactic that worked so well for Spielberg’s JAWS, in that what we don’t see is far more unnerving than what we do see.
As Ellison continues to dig deeper into the increasingly disturbing home movies, gradually piecing together the mystery of the family’s death and their connection to other similar murders across the country, the Oswalt family begin to find themselves subject to some very unfortunate side effects to Ellison’s new project. What SINISTER does so well is to capitalize on terror in the unknown, the fear of the dark and the inherent creepiness of waiting for the inevitable to occur. Derrickson creates a canvas in many of his shots, giving the audience so much visual information to take in that its difficult to pinpoint exactly where in frame, when or how the scare will occur, but we know its coming and can’t do a damn thing about it. Making this ever more effective, Derrickson allows himself to linger on these shots, creating even more tension for a greater scare once the inevitable occurs.
SINISTER plays on our basic fears, more than the visual shock of blood and gore, but that’s not to say this film isn’t graphic. There is plenty of blood and a fair amount of gore, but Derrickson takes the high road and chooses to imply most of the more gruesome events in the film, rather than putting them front and center as an outright spectacle. Nonetheless, the contents of this film are far from mild and not for an audience unaccustomed to some seriously demented content. Hawke succeeds at capturing the emotional range of his character, convincing the viewer of Ellison’s transformation through fear.
With all this evil menacing and bloody terror, one might expect the film to be an unbearably grueling ordeal to sit through, but SINISTER is actually a carefully considered, well-written story with a solid structure. Cargill provides just enough comic relief — but, not too much — to ease our troubled minds and weary souls when things get to be a bit too much for us to carry on. In fact, one of the most enjoyable scenes in the film occurs when Ellison and the Deputy Sheriff (James Ransone) — and fan — he has befriended discuss the validity of paranormal activity in the house of a murdered family. I, for one, did not expect to laugh so heartily in such a film, but it works and is welcome.
SINISTER is easily one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years. The only complaint I have about the film, albeit minor in scope, is that I personally felt the ending could have been tightened up a tad, shortened by ending in a more clean-cut space. Instead, the film meanders beyond this point to divulge some additional creative story details that ultimately work, but in the end aren’t terribly necessary. If you’re seeking out some fresh new horror to chew on this Halloween, I’d have to say you won’t find a better specimen than this.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
SINISTER opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 12th, 2012.
What was your relationship to monsters as a child? Were they the boogeymen under your bed, or were they the things of wonder that fueled your imagination? My experience growing up follows the latter, filling my young mind with freakish fascinations. Clearly, the same goes for Tim Burton, who has taken his popular 1984 short film of the same name and expanded it into his newest feature film. FRANKENWEENIE (2012) is still a stop-motion animated film, in 3D this go ’round, adding even more of Burton’s uniquely dark charm to the semi-autobiographical story of a strange loner of a boy and his undead pooch.
FRANKENWEENIE is shot in glorious black and white, capturing the moody universe of Burton’s imagination. Much like the original short, the story begins by painting a picture of young Victor’s daily life, his time at school, his personality. Victor, voiced by Charlie Tahan (CHARLIE ST. CLOUD), is an intelligent loner with a knack for science. His best, and only friend, is his dog Sparky. Mr. Rzykruski, voiced by Martin Landau (ED WOOD), is the new science teacher whom has the town of New Holland’s parents and Mayor up in arms, proves to be a major influence on young Victor.
Victor’s father encourages him to get outside and try sports, but in doing so results in a tragedy that will forever change Victor’s life. Poor little Sparky meets his unexpected demise, but after Mr. Rzykruski demonstrates an experiment with electricity, Victor’s focus immediately becomes applying this new knowledge to bringing his beloved Sparky back from the dead. His success sparks a chain of events amidst his schoolmates and neighbors that slowly spirals out of control and provides a hilariously enjoyable, nostalgic adventure through multiple eras of monster movies classics.
As always, the animation in Burton’s film is awe-inspiring. The pace of FRANKENWEENIE is charged with energy and kept my eyes fixed on the action and the antics of the loyal Sparky. Combined with Danny Elfman‘s quirky trademark style of composing, the film resembles a fun house amusement ride of Gothic proportions. Seeing Burton’s creativity and love of monster films take shape in this film is a real gem. Inspirations varies widely, but I can say that it spans from the gargantuan in 1954 to the reptilian mischief of 1984, and beyond.
FRANKENWEENIE comes full circle in a fairly conventional fashion, lacking any significantly jaw-dropping moments, but the film as a whole is a marvelous experience for fans of the horror genre of all ages. Backed by Disney, Burton provides another film to the pool of monster films suitable as introductory fare to the youngest of blossoming fans. While the story is obviously most connected to that of FRANKENSTEIN, and Mr. Rzykruski is clearly inspired by Vincent Price, be prepared to pick out all the other winks and nods to genre classics.
In addition to Landau, FRANKENWEENIE also features Burton regulars Wynona Ryder as the voice of Elsa van Helsing, and Catherine O’Hara voicing Victor’s mother as well as two other characters. Having failed to keep Sparky’s return a secret, Victor must overcome the Mayor’s hatred for his dog and the bigger danger of classmate Edgar E. Gor’s irresponsibly fiendish plot to win the science fair by employing Victor’s experiment for selfish purposes. In the process, Victor learns a valuable lesson.
FRANKENWEENIE is being presented in IMAX 3D — as well as in 2D — but the 3D provides an added dimension to the film that is welcome, blending in rather than popping out as merely a gimmick. The short running time of 87 minutes also lends itself well to younger viewers.
Here’s a little pick-me-up as the weekend winds down. Check out the new CHANEL N°5 film starring Brad Pitt. In May Chanel announced that the actor would be the hero of the next advertising campaign cult fragrance of the French house.
I don’t know whether to laugh or have Pitt-y on the Academy Award nominee – either way here’s the new face of Chanel.
Where’s the glamour? Where’s the mystery? Was it at the behest of Mrs. Brad Pitt? Something to ponder as you splash on the perfume.
Pitt has a new film out next month called KILLING THEM SOFTLY. Adapted from George V. Higgins novel and set in New Orleans, the movie follows professional enforcer, Jackie Cogan (Pitt), who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game. The film also features Scoot McNairy (Monsters), Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom), Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), with James Gandolfini, Vincent Curatola, Max Casella and Sam Shepard among others.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY will be in theaters on November 30th. The perfume – in stores now.
