Nothing’s more fun than The Wildey’s Tuesday Night Film Series. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY(1989)will be on the big screenwhen it plays at The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL (252 N Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025) at 7:00pm Tuesday March 15th. Tickets are only $3 Tickets available starting at 3pm day of movie at Wildey Theatre ticket office. Cash or check only. (cash, credit cards accepted for concessions) Lobby opens at 6pm.
Harry and Sally meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally a close friendship blooms between them, and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: “Can a man and a woman be friends, without sex getting in the way?”
Disney+ announced its highly anticipated animated series “Monsters at Work” will now begin streaming July 7, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday.
“”Monsters at Work” takes place the day after the Monsters, Incorporated power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis, thanks to Mike and Sulley’s discovery that laughter generates ten times more energy than screams. It follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon, an eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer until he lands a job at Monsters, Incorporated, and discovers that scaring is out and laughter is in. After Tylor is temporarily reassigned to the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team (MIFT), he must work alongside a misfit bunch of mechanics while setting his sights on becoming a Jokester.
Produced by Disney Television Animation and inspired by the world of Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning “Monsters, Inc.,” the series introduces new monster characters alongside returning favorites. Ben Feldman stars as the voice of Tylor Tuskmon, alongside other new cast members including Mindy Kaling as Val Little, Henry Winkler as Fritz, Lucas Neff as Duncan and Alanna Ubach as Cutter. Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their beloved roles as Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan.
“Monsters at Work” was developed and is executive produced by Disney animation veteran Bobs Gannaway (“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Planes: Fire & Rescue”). Sean Lurie (“Inner Workings”) is producer, and Kat Good (“Big Hero 6 The Series”) and Steve Anderson (“Meet the Robinsons”) serve as supervising directors. The late Rob Gibbs (“Monsters, Inc.”) also served as director on some of the earlier episodes.
It’s “the rom-com that forever changed the nature of rom-coms” (says The AV Club) and no less than “the greatest rom-com of all time” (according to the BBC) — and 30 years after it first charmed audiences, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY … is coming back to movie theaters as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series from Fathom Events.
You can win a pair of passes to see WHEN HARRY MET SALLY free December 1st or 3rd. We Are Movie Geeks has FIVE pairs to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling us your favorite movie that stars Billy Crystal. (mine’s CITY SLICKERS!). It’s so easy!
Can a man and a woman just be friends? The question existed long before When Harry Met Sally…, but director Rob Reiner and screenwriter Nora Ephron turned the debate into one of the most sparkling and popular romantic comedies in movie history. For its 30th anniversary, When Harry Met Sally… returns to movie theaters nationwide for two days only – December 1 and 3 – as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics Series, with the winning chemistry and irrepressible charm of its two lead performers, Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal.
Harry and Sally meet on a long drive from New York to Chicago – during which Harry claims that women and men can never be “just friends.” Over the years, Harry and Sally keep running into each other, claiming to have nothing more than a platonic friendship – until a climactic New Year’s Eve Party that threatens (or promises) to upend their assumptions about each other and about love. Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby co-star in the film, which the BBC, Paste Magazine and Vogue all have called one of the best romantic-comedies of all time. TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz provides commentary and insight prior to each screening of this beguiling comedy.
WHO:
Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Bros.
WHEN:
· Sunday, December 1, 2019 – 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time)
· Tuesday, December 3, 2019 – 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time)
WHERE:
Tickets for When Harry Met Sally… can be purchased at www.FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in nearly 700 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Fly over the moon. Sing in the rain. Fasten your seatbelts. Make an offer no one can refuse. See classic movies on the big screen!
Gene Kelly will sing in the rain, Bette Davis will fasten her seatbelt for a bumpy night, Marlon Brando will make an offer no one can refuse, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will scurry across Mount Rushmore, and Elliott and E.T. will fly over the moon – and they’ll do it all on the silver screen in 2017. Today, Fathom Events and TCM announce their continuing partnership to bring monthly screenings of their “TCM Big Screen Classics”series to movie theaters nationwide throughout the year.
For the second consecutive year, “TCM Big Screen Classics” offers film fans an amazing journey into the magic of movies year-round. Beginning in January, the series presents one or more films each month in movie theaters – all accompanied by specially produced commentary from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz or Saturday-afternoon host Tiffany Vazquez, giving unique insight and behind-the-scenes tidbits that enhance the movie-going experience. Each title returns for four showings only, making the “TCM Big Screen Classics” series a monthly must-see for movie buffs of all ages.
Each of these cinematic treasures will be digitally projected in its original aspect ratio at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time each day (Sundays and Wednesdays).
Tickets for the 2017 “TCM Big Screen Classics”series can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com, or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website(theaters and participants are subject to change).
“TCM and Fathom are proud to announce some of the greatest feature films of all time in the 2017 TCM Big Screen Classics series. These 14 titles were released over five decades and include Best Picture winners, epic storytelling, astounding direction, legendary star-power and memorable soundtracks, all of which have captured the hearts of film lovers and defined moviemaking magic,” said Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas.
“The TCM Big Screen Classics series presents a unique opportunity for movie lovers to experience some of the most beloved classics of all time, on the big screen and with a live audience, as they were originally intended to be shown,” said Genevieve McGillicuddy, vice president of partnerships and brand activation, Turner Classic Movies. “Expanding our long-term relationship with Fathom Events and our studio partners makes it possible for TCM to directly engage with a community of movie fans in a meaningful and memorable way, and share our love of classic film in local markets across the country.”
From January to December 2017, here’s a month-by-month look at the amazing films that comprise this year’s “TCM Big Screen Classics” series:
Silent film movie star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) finds his muse in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) just as Hollywood discovers talking pictures, but mega-star Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) isn’t going to stand for it – she’s bigger “than Calvin Coolidge, put together!” With the help of Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor), Don and Kathy will find a way to overcome the scheming Lina. Co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, Singin’ in the Rain is a glorious, grin-inducing example of the Hollywood studio system at its finest, one of the happiest of musicals ever made.
The perfect Valentine’s Day event for romantics and movie-lovers alike, this CinemaScope classic remains as much a tearjerker today as it was 60 years ago, when its misty-eyed tale was first released. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star as the two lovers who meet by chance on a trans-Atlantic voyage and fall in love despite their existing relationships. When they agree to meet six months later atop the Empire State Building, they cannot foresee the tragic circumstances that will test the limits of their devotion – and of the tear ducts of millions of moviegoers who have fallen in love with this swooning story of love, fate and circumstance.
Backstage backstabbing and treachery has never been as deliciously fun or as intensely dramatic as it is in All About Eve – which is tied only with Titanic for the most Academy Award® nominations for a single film. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s black-and-white masterpiece also stars a young Marilyn Monroe in one of her first important roles. With a record-breaking four nominations in female acting categories (Bette Davis and Anne Baxter as Best Actress and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter as Best Supporting Actress), it remains one of the most riveting dramas ever made, a movie often imitated but never duplicated.
From its dazzling opening credits sequence by Saul Bass, set to a wild scherzo by Bernard Hermann, to its cliffhanging finale atop Mount Rushmore, director Alfred Hitchcock’s cross-country adventure offers non-stop thrills. It stars Cary Grant as Roger O. Thornhill, a man wrongly accused of murder, who hops on to a train … and into the lap of Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint). All the while, he’s pursued by the sinister Philip Vandamm (James Mason), who is convinced that Thornhill is a spy. He’s not – but he’s about to become one. Few films are as effortlessly delightful as Hitchcock’s grandest adventure ever.
Dustin Hoffman delivers a Hollywood rarity: a true star-making performance as the confused, floundering Benjamin Braddock. He’s a new college graduate who seems to have no ambition in life until he crosses paths with the very married Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). The biggest box office surprise of the decade, The Graduate was an Oscar winner for director Mike Nichols (among its seven nominations), and Simon & Garfunkel’s score started a new trend in movie soundtracks. The Graduate may be celebrating its 50th anniversary, but it remains as insightful, relevant and sharply funny as ever, and comes back to movie screens just in time for a new generation of graduates to learn the secret to success: Plastics.
The summer of 1977 might be best known for a certain intergalactic adventure, but Smokey and the Bandit was the year’s second highest-grossing movie, a gleefully silly romp that grossed the adjusted box-office equivalent of nearly $500 million. The plot is almost non-existent – the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) has 28 hours to drive a truckload of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia while avoiding the relentless “Smokey,” Sherrif Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) – and takes a backseat to the stunt-driven action of director Hal Needham and the still-sizzling on-screen chemistry of Reynolds and Sally Field.
There is the sheer perfection of the performances by such legendary names as Brando, Pacino, Keaton and Duvall; the impeccable direction of Francis Ford Coppola; the haunting musical theme by Nino Rota; and the stunning cinematography by Gordon Willis. Any one of these elements would make The Godfather a classic, but this epic crime drama combines them all into a towering achievement in American filmmaking celebrating its 45th anniversary, an epic saga that redefined cinema.
This hysterical comedy from director Billy Wilder finds Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon masquerading as women inorder to elude irate Chicago mobsters while befriending a beautiful singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). One of the most influential movies ever made, Some Like It Hot is one of the greatest comedies of all time, still generating laughs nearly sixty years later.
Director Amy Heckerling’s adaptation of Cameron Crowe’s book (he also wrote the screenplay) didn’t simply capture a moment in time – it defined a generation by observing the behaviors and habits of teenagers in the early ‘80s with sharpness and an endless wellspring of humor. Pitch-perfect performances and a soundtrack filled with hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, make Fast Times at Ridgemont High one of the quintessential cinematic experiences of the era – a nostalgic look back for those who lived through it and an eye-opening revelation for younger audiences.
1968 file photo of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in the movie BONNIE AND CLYDE. Courtesy of Warner Home Video.
Faye Dunaway is Bonnie Parker and Warren Beatty is Clyde Barrow in Arthur Penn’s violent, sexually charged and deeply influential crime drama, a nostalgic look back at notorious outlaws filmed with the passion and zeal of filmmakers who were beginning to explore the boundaries of their craft. With a legendary screenplay by writers Robert Benton and David Newman, Bonnie and Clyde features supporting performances by an exemplary cast that includes Gene Wilder, Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard and Estelle Parsons and became a pop-culture sensation. A movie about legends that became a legend itself, Bonnie and Clyde made international superstars out of its cast and influenced generations of filmmakers and audiences.
Thirty-five years since its release, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains a singular achievement, a movie that enchanted a generation with its sheer moviemaking prowess and its simple, exquisite story of the bond between a little boy and an alien. Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison, it’s one of the rare movies that can be universally defined by a single shot: Elliott and E.T. flying on a bicycle against a full moon. Set to a lush, unforgettable score by John Williams, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial mesmerizes everyone who sees it – including the United Nations, who, in September 1982, awarded Spielberg the U.N. Peace Medal for his creation of one of Hollywood’s most enduring movies.
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles – doesn’t sound too bad! Director Rob Reiner’s charming fantasy-adventure, from a screenplay by William Goldman (and based on his novel) is a fairy tale like no other, a movie that is as beguiling to adults as it is to children, infused with magic and beauty. Robin Wright stars as Princess Buttercup, with Cary Elwes as her dashing Westley, and Mandy Patinkin is the revenge-seeking Inigo Montoya – just the beginning in an adventure that’s as fresh, fun and tongue-in-cheek as ever. The perfect cast also includes Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane and, as the young boy who gets the best bedtime story ever, Fred Savage.
As time goes by, some movies age – but Casablanca remains timeless. Perhaps no other movie has become as beloved and as synonymous with Hollywood glamour as Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart is Rick Blaine, owner of Rick’s, the nightclub that everyone in Casablanca attends – including resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), whose sudden appearance leads to some of the best dialogue ever written for the movies. The screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch took an unproduced stage play and turned it into a movie unlike any other, which received the Academy Award® for Best Picture and became one of the most classic films of all time.
Fifty years ago, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner scandalized audiences with its bold depiction of interracial romance – a poignant subject at this time in history, and its depiction of prejudice overcome by love remain powerful and moving. Sidney Poitier delivers a commanding performance as John Prentice, who accompanies his fiancée, Joey, (Katharine Houghton) to her parents’ home – without telling them that he is black. As her parents, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy star in their final film together. Produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and written by William Rose, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was a box-office sensation across the country, including in the South, where the studio worried that audiences would shy away from its subject. It is, in the words of TheNew York Times, “a deft comedy and – most of all – a paean to the power of love.”
Join a monster of a party with the Disney Movies Anywhere premiere of PARTY CENTRAL. The Disney•Pixar short is now available to view for free for the first time, and reunites everyone’s favorite monsters, Mike and Sulley, for another hilarious adventure.
Download the Disney Movies Anywhere app for iPhone or iPad to watch Party Central now, for a limited time.
Featuring Billy Crystal as Mike, John Goodman as Sulley and directed by Pixar’s Kelsey Mann, PARTY CENTRAL features Mike and Sulley’s return to Monsters University for a fun-filled weekend with their Oozma Kappa fraternity brothers. The gang is throwing their first party, but no one’s showing up. Luckily for them, Mike and Sulley have come with a plan to make sure “Party Central” is the most epic party the school has ever seen.
Go to Disney Movies Anywhere to find out more about collecting, watching, and taking your favorite Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies anywhere you go! Visit www.disneymoviesanywhere.com or download the App at http://di.sn/hvV
If you’ve ever felt different, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is the college for you!
Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) has dreamed of becoming a “scarer” since he was a little pupil. (Ha… see what I did there? Eh? Ehhhh?). Since the best “scarers” come from Monsters University, that is the only school for him, and nothing was going to stop him… that is, until he met James P. Sullivan, or “Sulley” (John Goodman), a natural “scarer” with a family history in the career. Now, it’s a fight of brains vs. natural, raw talent as the two compete to keep their spot in their “scare” school. Can Mike learn all he needs to know about scaring from books and hard work? Does Sulley have enough natural talent to make up for his lack of studying?
I really enjoyed the writing and humor of this film. I think Disney•Pixar was smart to do a prequel, and show us how Mike and Sulley first met. This film is not as heart-heavy as most Pixar flicks, but that isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion. It was kind of refreshing to sit through one of their films without bursting into tears. The story, instead, focuses on the pair’s relationship, and the friendships they made through the pivotal “self discovery” years known as college. On top of that, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY keeps things in perspective for young audience members. Mike and Sulley did not get along when they first met, but they managed to put their differences aside and work towards a common goal as a team. They also hide a few “when life hands you lemons” scenarios in there. They acknowledge that things don’t always work out according to plan, but with hard work, you can achieve anything. It’s a much better message to convey to audiences compared to the “everything will work out in the end” fluff stories that most films continue to shove down our necks. I honestly admire this new angle by Pixar. Did they stray from their formula a bit? Yes. Do I think the risk paid off? You bet! This film is funny! The little jokes and puns had me laughing throughout the film.
Billy Crystal and John Goodman know what they are doing when it comes to voicing these beloved characters. Over ten years has gone by, and the two still have a tremendous amount of chemistry. Randy, voiced by Steve Buscemi makes a comeback, but the cast is rounded out by mostly new faces. Helen Mirren, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Peter Sohn, Bobby Moynihan and Nathan Fillion round out this incredible cast. The stand out, for me, is the new character Art, voiced by Charlie Day. He’s a great comic relief for the film, and embodies that one weird, art hippy that is in every college class. We all had one! College wouldn’t be the same without them. Heck, most of the characters in this film are less than popular, which makes them even more enjoyable. The characters tie in well to the “not fitting in” and “finding yourself” experiences that we all go through during those college years. Let’s face it, we can’t all be popular! I was far from it! Maybe that’s why I’m such a sucker for a good “underdog” story… Hmm.
From the visual appearance of Sulley and Mike, to the details of their beloved college campus, Pixar continues to set the bar for animation. The amount of attention they give to the design and look of a film is unsurpassed by any other animation studio. When they first released MONSTERS INC. in 2001, audiences were blown away by the way they animated fur and hair. It’s mind-blowing to see how much they have already improved on those skills. I had to continually remind myself to admire the animation because it was so easy to get lost in. They are masters of their craft, and this film is no exception.
Disney•Pixar has done it again! MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is a fun film for any age.
A few weeks ago, WAMG attended a special press conference for Disney•Pixar’s frighteningly fun “MONSTERS UNIVERITY,” featuring Billy Crystal and John Goodman. The pair have an incredible chemistry, and were quick on their feet as press members asked them questions about their MU days. Check it out below!
Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”).
Can you talk about working with Dan Scanlon, this director?
BILLY CRYSTAL: Dan is a hipster. Dan is like – he had totally different energy than Pete Docter had, who was great. Dan is like a cool – not that Pete wasn’t –
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah.
BILLY CRYSTAL: – but Dan is different. Dan is like – he’s a hipster. He’s like a –
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah, yeah.
BILLY CRYSTAL: – a young guy –
JOHN GOODMAN: He had great sensibility, and he’d read with you.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Yeah.
JOHN GOODMAN: If the other characters weren’t there, he reads with you. He’s got a good energy to feed off of.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Yeah, he was funny, too. He’s a funny guy.
JOHN GOODMAN: And when you do something he don’t like, he gets a funny little look on his face.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Yeah, and we’d know not to do that.
JOHN GOODMAN: – do this again.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Yeah, I like Dan a lot.
What do you find to be the great touchstone about the friendship of Mike and Sulley and what it is that makes them so beloved to everybody around the world, and for each of your individual characters, what is it about the character that resonates with you?
JOHN GOODMAN: The fact that he’s a blowhard. No, I think the reason they work so well together is that they complete each other, in a way. I think Sulley really, really needs Mike Wazowski. It makes him complete, lets him know – lets the air out of him a little bit. Especially in this film, when they’re not completely formed monsters yet, they learn from each other. They learn how to adapt, how to let go of their pre-conceived notions of themselves and of the world. They’re good for each other.
BILLY CRYSTAL: For me, Mike is fearless. He just – he’s really the favorite character I’ve ever played in anything I’ve done. I’ve really missed doing him until Lasseter, at a party, came to me – it was at John’s 50th birthday party – and said we have the idea. It’s a sequel, but it’s a prequel. They’re in college. And he just walked away, but he left an idea, and I went oh, this is gonna be great. It was so fun to revisit them at this time in their lives. It was such a brilliant idea to put them in that time period where they’re about to become who they’re gonna become. That’s what was so interesting to me.
I love this guy to play, and playing it with John is phenomenal because we work together in the studio, and we can act together. It’s not just – we’re not just reading lines; we’re performing them, and we’re playing them, and we feel them. I think that’s why their relationship on screen is really great because it’s a real thing.
When you were both college age, did you each feel that you fit into the world around you, or were you a little bit of a misfit at that age? Do you remember?
BILLY CRYSTAL: I have to admit, I was a little bit of a misfit. I was a film-directing major at NYU when – I’m still not sure why I became a directing major when I was really an actor and a comedian, but there was something that drew me to doing that. I had made a few films on my own, and I loved it. So I felt like I was a misfit, in a way, and out of it because all those other people – it was Oliver Stone, Christopher Guest, Mike McKean. It was a class of film people. Our professor was Marty Scorsese. So he – Marty was a graduate student – Mr. Scorsese, which is what I had to call him – which I still do, when I see him, ‘cause he gave me a C.
He was an intense – it was 1968-9 and ’70, and he was an intense guy, with hair down to here, a big beard and granny glasses. Who liked like that then? So I – he was so fluent in movies and passionate, and I really felt like I wanted to be in front of people still, so I was a little out of it.
JOHN GOODMAN: I ain’t never been in no college with famous people like Billy here. I was a drifter for a while. I just was desperate to fit in with a group. Really, I was swimming. I was lost, treading water, trying to find my way. I wanted to play football. It didn’t work out. I didn’t really know what I wanted until I found acting in a theater department, and then it just – everything fell into place, and I had a passion about something. Then, I started living my life.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Yeah, that’s how it was for me, too. Once I found a theater group, then you’re just – like a gym rat, but you’re a theater rat, and then that becomes your fraternity house. That becomes your family – extended family. I still see a lot of those people to this day because they owe me money. No, that really becomes your thing. In this movie, they find out who they are. That’s the most important element of this movie to me is well, Mike has a dream, and the dream may not work out, and then he has to readjust and recalibrate. He does that with the help of his friend, who tells him who he thinks he is, and he starts to believe it himself. So for me, that really happened then.
Picking up on that, what kind of obstacles did you guys face to get where you wanted? ‘Cause we see these two characters have that right in their face. Did you have those moments of doubt, like this dream that I know I’m destined for might not happen?
BILLY CRYSTAL: I still have them. You still do.
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Every time we finish doing something, we don’t have something else – except him. He did 14 movies last year. You’re the new Michael Caine.
JOHN GOODMAN: Thank you very much.
BILLY CRYSTAL: I’m just a guy who can’t say no.
JOHN GOODMAN: A whore … uh-hum.
BILLY CRYSTAL: You constantly – we all do. We all have things, and we all – that’s what is so fascinating and frustrating and great about life is you’re constantly, in some ways, starting over all the time, and I love that. All right, I did that, but now – I don’t have a job now. Then, something happens, or you make something happen. This starts for them in this movie.
My question is for Mr. Goodman. Almost 30 years ago, you started in Revenge of the Nerds, where you played the head coach to the jocks.
JOHN GOODMAN: How’d that go?
It’s a good movie. It seemed sort of influential on this, so my question is how does it feel to be on the other side of that equation, and did you re-watch the film before making this?
JOHN GOODMAN: No, I haven’t seen it for a while. I was pretty loose while I was making it. I had a lot of fun. It’s a great way to revisit college because obviously, I couldn’t do that in a non-animated way. It’s a good way to reflect back on how I was then and my wants and dreams and everything, which – and how you adapt to everything that changes you and which roads you take. I’m babbling like a fool right now, but that’s what I’ve always done is babbled my way through life.
Hi, guys. I was just wondering – obviously, you made Monsters, Inc. kind of – it must’ve been about ten years ago now. How has the experience of working with Pixar changed, or has it – is it just as cool as it was ten years ago?
JOHN GOODMAN: Before, we were talking – Billy was talking about – we were just flabbergasted by the fact that they could animate fur –
BILLY CRYSTAL: On the first one.
JOHN GOODMAN: – and animate hair. That was a big deal then. It just seems like they’ve gotten so much better with their technique. It’s constantly amazing. So the thrill is still there because they’re such wonderful storytellers, great writers, and everything is reality-based and grounded, so you can believe in it, and it makes it fun.
BILLY CRYSTAL: The difference was it’s maybe a little bit faster than before. They can do things a little quicker.
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah.
BILLY CRYSTAL: But the imagination is even broader because they can do even more. I first saw the movie two weeks ago, and I was – sometimes, you just forget what you’ve done. Because we started about two years ago, I guess, and the imagery is phenomenal in this movie. The art design on the first movie was astounding, with the door sequence and the chase sequence. This has moments in the scare games that are – you almost take it for granted, but it took years for them to think these things through. The fact that they can do it – that obstacle course is a phenomenal segment.
Then little things, like the dramatic scene with us at the lake, when Mike goes into the real world at the camp and is not scary – when he’s at the lake, that’s – we acted that scene together in the booth. For a movie to have room for those two segments alone is kinda epic, I think.
After creating these great characters for the first film – Mike and Sulley – could you talk about going back now and re-creating them, but younger versions of them? Was that challenging for you, and did you have to do anything differently with your voices?
BILLY CRYSTAL: Well, we – the first day that we reported to work together, they showed us renderings of the guys. We just started laughing because oh, sure, make us look younger, given what we look like in the movie, and they do. He’s a little trimmer and a little slimmer. I’ve got this retainer, but there’s a little more youth in his eye. They just carry themselves differently. I don’t know what – it’s just subtle, but it’s there.
JOHN GOODMAN: With the voice thing, I thought I was gonna come in and talk like the kid from Our Miss Brooks – oh, hello – and it just happened – through a couple of passes, it just kinda happens organically. You pick up on other energies and the characters’ focuses, and it just happens. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s there.
So in the movie, Sulley isn’t exactly the most prepared student on the first day of school. I’m sure while he was training with Mike; he had many times where he came up with excuses not to train or not to go to class. So as a student or parent or grandparent yourself, what are some of the best excuses you’ve heard not to go to school?
JOHN GOODMAN: Well, I used to – I was very elaborate. I would go to the nurse’s office and fill up a glass of water and – I was really good at fake vomiting, so I’d go to the nurse’s bathroom, do that, and then slam the water into the toilet bowl.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Do it now.
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah, okay.
BILLY CRYSTAL: You gotta see this. It’s really amazing.
JOHN GOODMAN: That was an immediate ticket home. Marlon Brando used to take a thermometer and rub it on his leg, and then put it back in his mouth.
BILLY CRYSTAL: I just would fake the sore throat thing. I can’t – Ma, I can’t – I don’t know how this happened. Yesterday, I was fine. Then, she’d go okay, and I’d go thank you – oh.
JOHN GOODMAN: I really wanna go to school, though. Well, I don’t think you should. All right; it’s up to you.
How did you both enjoy sharing the story of the Oozma Kappa characters, turning them from rejects into winners?
BILLY CRYSTAL: Well, it’s a story that you’ve seen in other movies. It’s the underdog, and it’s great, and it works, and I loved that Mike sees something in them, but at the same time, he finds out something about himself. That happens also through Sulley. You’re the one who did this. You’re the one. So they’re endearing, lovely characters, beautifully voiced. I have to tell you something. I saw it two weeks ago with the cast. I didn’t know a lot of these people were in the movie. Sean Hayes is fantastic in the movie. Charlie Day is great in the movie. Alfred Molina is great. Helen is phenomenal. They didn’t tell me that all these people were in the movie, so it was like going to college on the first day and having all these new roommates. It was fantastic.
JOHN GOODMAN: I can’t compete with these people.
BILLY CRYSTAL: It was great. They’re beautifully animated, and they’re really appealing. The great thing about this movie, too, is that – in my opinion – the first one came out 2001. John and I – I remember we hosted several screenings for kids who had just lost their parents or uncle or a father or something. Remember, in New York, we did all these screenings –
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah, at the –
BILLY CRYSTAL: At the theaters on 33rd Street. They kept – round the clock. We would go out and introduce the movie and so on. All of those kids, and kids throughout the world, were 6 or 7 years old when that movie came out. They’re now the same age that Mike and Sulley are now, so they look at it in a totally different way. I was at USC a couple weeks ago, and we screened the movie for about 400 film students. They went berserk because it’s them. It’s them. They’re making decisions in their lives, like Mike and Sulley are in this.
These guys are – they’re very important characters to them – to students – and now to little kids. It’s really interesting, of all the things I’ve been fortunate to do, that this guy, Mike, is my favorite character I’ve ever done, but he also has a toe-hold – a claw-hold in people that they mean something to them.
Wanted to ask each of you what used to scare you under the bed or in the closet when you were little, and what scares you now when you go to bed?
BILLY CRYSTAL: My Aunt Sheila was terrifying because there was the napkin in the mouth, you’ve got something on your face, dear – that thing. Let me just scratch that off your face.
JOHN GOODMAN: [LAUGHING] Earl Scheib.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Let me sand your cheek. I still don’t love the darkness, though I’ve learned to smile in it a little bit now and then. I’m just sorta – the unknown has always been a little scary when you think about those things, especially as you get older. Boy, that got heavy.
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah. I was just run-of-the-mill Frankenstein.
Frankenstein?
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah, scared the heck out of me.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Oh, and then when Psycho came out.
JOHN GOODMAN: But I love those movies. I love those old Universal movies, especially when they’d switch off and Bela Lugosi would play Frankenstein.
BILLY CRYSTAL: They’d switch up.
JOHN GOODMAN: It’s just not a fit.
BILLY CRYSTAL: They just got bored that day.
JOHN GOODMAN: It just didn’t work, yeah.
BILLY CRYSTAL: Beware the hour of the wolf. But Psycho – Psycho was the – that was – Mr. Hitchcock knew what he was doing.
Definitely.
BILLY CRYSTAL: That was really – to this day, it’s still terrifying. It’s that music; it’s the lighting; it’s the shooting. It’s all of that. It’s a genius just genius.
For Mr. Crystal, the young actor who played Mike as an even younger – did you work with that actor at all, and how did you think he pulled it off?
BILLY CRYSTAL: I wasn’t even – I didn’t even know that that was in the movie ‘til I saw it. No, because I had filmed – I had recorded three different openings, so I wasn’t sure what they had used. The first version I did without John was I played my parents and Mike and his bored sister in the car – see, it’s funny – in the car, going to drop him off at college, something I guess we’ve all experienced at some point. So I wasn’t sure what was in the opening movie ‘til I saw that. I would love to meet him ‘cause he did a great job. It’s a beautiful sequence.
JOHN GOODMAN: I wonder if they animated that with what you did?
BILLY CRYSTAL: Oh, man, I would love to see that, yeah.
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah, no kidding.
BILLY CRYSTAL: That would be cool.
You guys were characters, obviously, that carry over from the first film. There are a ton of new characters in this film. What would you say your favorite new characters are?
BILLY CRYSTAL: They were all great. I think they’re all terrific. Charlie Day’s character is really funny. He’s the – I don’t know his – the purple guy that –
Art.
BILLY CRYSTAL: – Art. I don’t even know their names. So Charlie was great. Sean Hayes is hilarious. That’s hilarious – the two-headed guy. Helen is terrifying. She’s really – I’ve worked with her before and she’s the most fun, hip, great, down-to-earth lady, and she’s really scary in this movie. They’re all – it’s great. It’s a very great cast.
Kinda continuing off of what you were saying, I was curious what you thought that Helen had brought to the movie and the kind of gravitas that she added?
BILLY CRYSTAL: Well, she’s aristocracy. She is Dame Helen, and she’s – I wish we also had been around her when she was working. She’s just fantastic. She gets it. She gets the – she’s a great actress, so it’s easy. She commands – even in a strangely animated woman – a dragon, whatever she is – there’s a regalness to her, and her voice is perfect. It was great casting.
So John, you gonna have another 14 this year or –
JOHN GOODMAN: Another what?
Another 14 films.
JOHN GOODMAN: It looks like I got three opening in a row here. It’s just the luck of the draw.
That’s great.
JOHN GOODMAN: Yeah, I’ll be back as an unemployed drifter soon.
On Monday, June 17th, 2013 WAMG attended the the WORLD PREMIERE of Disney•Pixar’s frighteningly fun “MONSTERS UNIVERITY,” featuring the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Helen Mirren. The event was held at the El Capitan on Hollywood Blvd. and featured the ESPN College Scareday hosted by Lee Corso and Desmond Howard as they provided play-by-play commentary on the blue carpet, a photo ID station where guests could create their own student ID, the MU pep squad drum corps and cheerleaders, as well as the Disneyland All-American college band, appearances by Mike & Sulley, a monster obstacle course, games like Eye Ball, Sulley’s Shuffle Air Hockey and EEK ball, temporary tattoos, opportunities to design a monster head piece, Build and Growl replica race cars from Lowe’s Build and Grow, and MU team spirit accessories.
Attending the event were Billy Crystal, Sean P. Hayes, Charlie Day, Bobby Moynihan, John Ratzenberger, Noah Johnston, director Dan Scanlon, and executive producer John Lasseter. Also, guests Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ed Begley Jr., Wayne Brady, Kate Flannery, Melissa Joan Hart, Oscar Nunez, Tito Ortiz, Scottie Pippen, Karina Smirnoff. From ESPN: Lee Corso and Desmond Howard. From ABC: Molly Ephraim (“Last Man Standing”), Isabella Cramp and Max Charles (“The Neighbors”), Rico Rodriguez (“Modern Family”), and Eden Sher (“The Middle”) were there to show their MU team spirit. Check out some photos from the event below.
There are more photos below for your viewing pleasure. Simply click on the thumbnails to enlarge.
Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”).
Wow, can it really be 23 years since Billy Crystal was sitting across from Meg Ryan at the deli as she really, really enjoyed her lunch?! Yup and he’s playing a grandpa’ in the new family flick PARENTAL GUIDANCE. And guess who’s grandma’? THE ROSE herself, the still divine Bette Midler! The perennial Oscar host’s daughter is played by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (MY COUSIN VINNY). These showbiz powerhouses have joined forces for this family friendly (just in time for the holidays) comedy all about..well…families. Here comes the incredibly cute kids and the big generational conflicts. Will they find a happy medium (and eventual ending)? Whatta’ you think?!
Artie Decker (Crystal) and his wife Diane (Midler) are getting ready to enjoy their golden years in sunny California. Life throws them a curve when Artie is fired from his long-standing job as the play-by-play man for a local minor league baseball team. Meanwhile in Atlanta, their only daughter Alice (Tomei) wants to travel with her hubby Phil (Tom Everett Scott) to an awards banquet at a distant resort. Phil’s parents are on a cruise, so she reluctantly calls her mom. Much to Artie’s chagrin she jumps at the chance to spend a few days with their three grandkids: thirteen year-old Harper who’s stressing out about a big music audition, picked upon eight year-old Turner (he’s studders), and wild free-spirited six year-old Barker. Alice isn’t sure if her folks will adhere to her modern parenting methods (she’s also holding on to some old grudges from childhood slights). Can she trust the care of the kids to them and get on the plane with Phil, for gosh sakes?!
The sitcom-like plot doesn’t give these usually talented performers a chance to play anything deeper than “types”. Crystal’s is wise-cracking, ingratiating host persona that we’ve seen so long on the talk shows and the big movie awards. I was wishing for a bit of the darkness he showed in MR. SATURDAY NIGHT. His Artie just wants everybody to like him and get along. He’s almost easing into the jovial “square” that Bob Hope repeated in his 1960’s films. A sequence of him in hip-hop drag as he auditions to be an ESPN X-Games host is particularly painful. Midler’s playing the nurturing, brassy “Auntie Mame” or “Mamma Rose” archetype. She’s gonna show those kids how to have real fun, by golly! There’s a hint of the acid-tongued Bette from RUTHLESS PEOPLE when she deals with a pushy violin teacher, but through most of the film she’s trying to reign in her hubby. Tomei’s regulated to being the repressive straight man to the Billy/Bette comedy duo (like Margaret DuMont and the Marxes). After interesting, edgy work in THE WRESTLER and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD, this petulant, grown child/ hovering parent seems a couple of steps back career-wise. Good to see Scott back on the big screen, although his Dad role is shuttled off for most of the film. The kids are pretty good child actors with Bailee Madison building on the promise showed couple years ago in DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK.
As I mentioned above, the script could’ve have been the first four episodes of a TV sitcom (shot on videotape with a loud, raucous soundtrack, it would be right at home on the Disney cable channel). The slapstick is sloppy and stilted while many of the actors must mug shamelessly in order to sell the predictable jokes. The sticky sentimentality is equally tough to endure. Listening to ancient radio recordings forges a bond and brings one of the kids out of their shell. Ooo-kay… The same can be said of an old street game that magically brings everyone together. And a kitchen-staged performance of a doo-whop classic tune is almost unbearable (almost as cringe-worthy as the “Low Rider” number in THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN earlier this year). Every pratfall and heart-tugging moment is hammered home by Marc Shaiman’s obvious score (sorry, but your SOUTH PARK score is still sublime). If you’ve got to entertain some older relatives in town for the holiday, then a trip to the multiplex for Billy and company may be just the ticket. But if you really enjoy the past work of these gifted stars, then you’ll want to wait and hope for more worthy material. As Artie Decker would say, “Swing and a miss!”
Old school grandfather Artie (Billy Crystal), who is accustomed to calling the shots, meets his match when he and his eager-to-please wife Diane (Bette Midler) agree to babysit their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents (Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott) go away for work. But when 21st century problems collide with Artie and Diane’s old school methods of tough rules, lots of love and old-fashioned games, it’s learning to bend — and not holding your ground — that binds a family together.
PARENTAL GUIDANCE will be in theaters December 25, 2012.
20th Century Fox Studios and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass (good for 4) to the advance screening of PARENTAL GUIDANCE on December 20th at 7PM in St. Louis.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. SEND YOUR NAME AND ANSWER TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Tell us how you plan to spend this holiday season with family and friends.
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
