Tom Hanks (left) and Steven Spielberg in BRIDGE OF SPIES
Twentieth Century Fox and Amblin Entertainment’s riveting drama inspired by actual events, THE PAPERS, began principal photography in New York on Tuesday, May 30th. Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg helms a powerhouse cast including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in THE PAPERS.
In June 1971 The New York Times, the Washington Post and the nation’s major newspapers took a brave stand for freedom of speech and reported on the Pentagon Papers, the massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned four decades and four US Presidents. At the time, the Post’s Katherine Graham (Streep) was still finding her footing as the country’s first female newspaper publisher, and Ben Bradlee (Hanks), the paper’s volatile, driven editor, was trying to enhance the stature of the struggling, local paper. Together, the two formed an unlikely team, as they were forced to come together and make the bold decision to support The New York Times and fight the Nixon Administration’s unprecedented attempt to restrict the first amendment.
THE PAPERS marks the first time Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on a project. In addition to directing, Spielberg will also produce along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger.
The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.
An Amblin Entertainment production, THE PAPERS will be distributed domestically by Twentieth Century Fox and will be in select theaters December 22nd, going wide January 12th, 2018. Internationally, the film will be distributed through Amblin’s deals with Universal Studios, Reliance Entertainment, eOne and other international distribution partnerships.
On Friday, October 30, moviegoers across the country will have to take on zombies, vampires, aliens, and more as they get their first chance to see Sony Pictures Entertainment’s horror/comedy FREAKS OF NATURE in a special engagement.
Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem, Joan Cusack, Bob Odenkirk, Keegan-Michael Key, Ed Westwick, Patton Oswalt, Vanessa Hudgens and Denis Leary star.
In Freaks of Nature, we welcome you to Dillford, where three days ago, everything was peaceful and business as usual: the vampires were at the top of the social order, the zombies were at the bottom, and the humans were getting along in the middle. But this delicate balance was ripped apart when the alien apocalypse arrived in Dillford and put an end to all the harmony. Now it’s humans vs. vampires vs. zombies in all-out, blood-sucking, brain-eating, vamp-staking mortal combat – and all of them are on the run from the aliens. It is up to three teenagers – one human, one vampire, and one zombie – to team up, figure out how to get rid of the interplanetary visitors, and try to restore order to this “normal” little town.
Commenting on the announcement, Matt Tolmach, the film’s producer, said, “I’m so excited for audiences to experience Freaks of Nature. We’re so proud of this amazing cast — Nic, Mackenzie, and Josh, along with Denis Leary, Bob Odenkirk, Keegan-Michael Key, Ed Westwick, Vanessa Hudgens, Patton Oswalt, and Ian Roberts. It’s hilarious and terrifying — a perfect Halloween movie.”
FREAKS OF NATURE is directed by Robbie Pickering, written by Oren Uziel, and produced by Matt Tolmach.
Here’s a first look at the new poster for HELL AND BACK. In theaters on October 2nd, the outrageous R rated animated comedy features the voices of Mila Kunis, T.J. Miller, Michael Pena, Susan Surandon, Bob Odenkirk, and Danny McBride.
In the film, three friends embark on a wayward journey into the deepest, darkest depths of hell to rescue one of their own. While navigating their escape, they provoke a slew of misfit demons, a super sexy angel, infamous Greek legends, and the Devil himself; Hell has never been hotter!
New posters and a NSFW trailer are here for HELL AND BACK.
In the outrageous R rated animated comedy from the Animation studio that brought you “Robot Chicken,” “Triptank” and “Bojack Horseman,” three friends embark on a wayward journey into the deepest, darkest depths of hell to rescue one of their own.
While navigating their escape, they provoke a slew of misfit demons, a super sexy angel, infamous Greek legends, and the Devil himself; Hell has never been hotter!
In the film, T.J. Miller plays a not-so-svelte guy named Augie who gets pulled into Hades along with his best friend Remy (stand-up comedian Nick Swardson). The thing is, this Hell is pretty hilarious, raunchy, and boasts an all-star cast that includes Mila Kunis as a devious demon who leads the two mortals on an odyssey through Satan’s inferno. Bob Odenkirk voices the devil, and Susan Sarandon plays his angel of desire.
With performances by Danny McBride, Rob Riggle, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Peña, and more, HELL AND BACK’s underworld serves up a virtual who’s who of the foul-mouthed.
When speaking with Yahoo! Movies, Miller equated the animated feature to his upcoming Marvel comic book movie. “Deadpool is another opportunity like this. This is a movie, it’s R-rated, and it’s in a space that isn’t usually R-rated… R-rated stop motion comedy: It just doesn’t happen.”
HELL AND BACK will open in theaters in October 2, 2015.
Directed by Brent Dodge, Eric Murray, written by Steve Burgess
With Chris Farley (archive footage), Dan Aykroyd, Christina Applegate, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Kevin P Farley, Tom Farley, Bo Derek, many others.
In the world of comedy certain talents stand out as heavyweights, both literally and figuratively. Large of both frame and talent very often these talented performers can seem more like a force of nature running amok in the mundane world, creating comedic chaos for our amusement.
The first that comes to my mind would have to be Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, his name forever tarnished with a scandalous incident that was proved in court never to have happened, Fatty Arbuckle deserves better. He was genuinely talented, a series of dvd releases proves it. He taught Buster Keaton everything he knew. He was also incredibly funny.
I would also add the name of Curly Howard of the Three Stooges, Jackie Gleason, Lou Costello, John Belushi of Saturday Night Live and John Candy of Second City TV. And now we are lucky to have Melissa McCarthy. All of them incredibly talented, funny and larger than life. Comedy heavyweights, if you will.
But one name has always stood out, even in this elite crowd. Chris Farley injected new blood into Saturday Night Live and made the show worth watching again. He was incredibly, sometimes painfully funny and he also brought a serious, dangerous edge to a lot of his performances. Chris Farley was a force to be reckoned with, he often seemed on the verge of a complete meltdown, as if he would burn up in the atmosphere he was living in, and possibly take us all with him. Chris Farley could actually seem scary, dangerous, off the chain, off the map and out of the box nuts. And that my friends was his particular genius.
Compare Chris Farley with another comedy heavyweight like John Candy. Candy always came across as what he was, a big, jolly, sensitive cuddly pooh bear of a comic who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Uncle Buck runs like a German sports car because of Candy’s talent and his inherent goodness. What child wouldn’t want to have Uncle Buck in the family?
I say all this as an introduction to I AM CHRIS FARLEY, a wonderful documentary about an extraordinary talent who brought laughter to so many people. And how nice it is to find out that Farley, as well, was sensitive, intelligent and, yes, would not hurt a fly.
The makers of I AM CHRIS FARLEY had what appears to be all access, full cooperation from Chris Farley’s family. We hear first from his brother Kevin P Farley, who also does standup, and riffs on his resemblance to the late comic. Virtually every family member is heard from and many actors and comics who worked with Chris Farley, and they all say the same things. Naturally funny, always the center of attention, and so much talent that some actors were probably jealous.
We see Chris Farley almost from day one. Family photos, home movies, even tape recorded performances give us a glimpse of a young talent just waiting for the right moment to take center stage.
Chris Farley paid his dues, as so many talented comics did, with Second City of Chicago. Del Close, in archive footage admits they had struck pure gold when Farley came on board. His time with Saturday Night Live yielded some of his best work. I will never forget the first time I saw Matt Foley, the motivational speaker, who has been drinking coffee down the basement all day and lives in a van down by the river, eating a steady diet of government cheese! I start laughing just to think of it. Christina Applegate was the host on that show and in that sketch and tells of her absolute horror as Farley started to destroy the props on the stage. Her alarm was captured on the live television cameras, is absolutely real and only adds to the surreal quality of that sketch.
And again, that was Farley’s genius, many times he appeared just a heartbeat away from going berserk and running amok in NBC’s studio, destroying property, assaulting audience members and possibly landing in an institution.
Add to that his famous try at being a Chippendale’s dancer, showing his pudge to millions of television viewers next to Patrick Swayze. Then there was his own show, especially his interview with Paul McCartney. “You remember the Beatles? You were in that right?” And then there was Bennett Brauer constantly using air quotes for every sentence. Farley was the go to guy to portray almost any celebrity, apparently without offending. Tom Arnold appreciated his impersonation so much he gave the eulogy at Chris Farley’s funeral.
Farley and Adam Sandler were, apparently such a handful on Saturday Night Live they were fired from the show. They constantly pulled pranks and behaved, pretty much, like college frat boys. After getting his walking papers from Saturday Night Live Farley made several films and then started having drug and alcohol problems. Eventually, like so many talented artists, those problems got the better of him.
How sweet to hear that he was loved and loved in return by the people who he worked with in live comedy, television and movies. David Spade was probably his best friend and recalls many fond memories. Somewhat astonishing but we also learn that Farley was a chick magnet without even trying. Women were drawn to him not just for the humor but his intelligence, his loyalty and his uncommon decency. Here was a super star who never acted the prima donna, even though he earned the privilege. Here was a major talent who never traveled with an entourage, always made time for his fans and was very accessible when out in public. He was always pleased to be recognized and thrilled if people told him they liked his work.
Most importantly, like any good documentary about a comedian I AM CHRIS FARLEY is very, very funny. The many clips from television and movies tell the truth about this man, impossible not to laugh all the way through. In fact, the best tribute I can think of comes from one of his appearances on David Letterman’s show. He had Letterman, and the studio audience, in hysterics.
But like many talented artists Chris Farley had his own demons that he tried his best to deal with. In the end they got the better of him, but we are all better for having seen him, in any medium, possibly one of the funniest human beings who ever lived.
I AM CHRIS FARLEY is a terrific tribute to a comic talent who deserves to be remembered for the joy and laughter he brought to all of us.
I AM CHRIS FARLEY opens in NY on July 31 at AMC Empire
VOD on August 11.
I miss Robin Williams, Lord I how I miss that man. I will never forget hearing that he had not only died but apparently by his own hand. This comic genius who brought so much laughter and love to so many people suffered from severe depression. And we lost him because of it, we lost so much.
Now here at last is the final piece of work on his resume, the final movie of Robin Williams. Is it a great movie? Yes, absolutely! Is it easy to watch? No, not at all. BOULEVARD is a movie with a deep well of sadness, a great epic sadness and loneliness that hangs over this movie and fills every frame like nothing I have ever seen.
Director Dito Montiel’s BOULEVARD is the kind of movie where every shot, every edit, camera angle and especially, every line of dialog and movement by every actor is important. Everything we witness is crucial to the story, there is no wasted time or space in BOULEVARD. Every actor in the story is on the same page and it shows.
Robin Williams is Nolan, an office drone in a bank who approves loans to home buyers. A loan approved for a gay couple gets him thinking. Nolan is married you see, to a lovely woman named Joy, brilliantly played by Kathy Baker (well, she is always brilliant!) They don’t seem to have much of a marriage. They sleep, not just in separate beds, but in separate bed rooms, they have no children. They live in a huge house with hard wood floors, the kind of rooms that echo if there is any sound, rooms that stand empty and free of dust and are tastefully and elegantly furnished, but never seem to be lived in.
Joy does not seem to work, Nolan brings her coffee in her bedroom as she watches daytime television and reads current novels. Nolan even cooks dinner for their best friend, Winston and his girlfriend, and takes care of the dishes afterwards. Joy has one task, get a bottle of wine for dinner and she forgets that. We find out that Joy does teach, three nights a week, English as a second language, but mostly she is home, alone.
Nolan and Joy seem to love each other but they don’t even sit on the same couch to watch television. Nolan’s Father is dying and his Mother died some time ago. Nolan is obviously distressed about his Father but never talks to Joy, or anyone about the pain he is experiencing.
Coming home from the hospital, late one night, more or less by “accident”, Nolan stops to talk to a young male hustler, on the Boulevard where all the working girls and boys hustle for tricks to turn.
Nolan has a secret you see, like many people (it seems) Nolan is secretly, painfully gay, and has never done anything about it. At first he only wants company from Leo (Roberto Aguire) the stud hustler he picks up. He is free with his money and Leo is at first puzzled that sex doesn’t come into the equation, at least not right away.
Nolan gets between Leo and his pimp, a black eye that he has trouble explaining is the result. His wife Joy starts to notice changes in his routine, little lies, time away from home that doesn’t quite add up. His friend Winston notices these changes too. And, as it must, the truth comes out; there are many painful, hard to watch scenes among all the characters before the end credits roll.
Written by Douglas Soesbe, BOULEVARD ends on a hopeful note but is such a sad movie, I recommend it highly, but with a word of warning, this is not a good date movie. This is not the Robin Williams of stand up fame. This is the Robin Williams of AWAKENINGS, ONE HOUR PHOTO and WHAT DREAMS MAY COME.
Watching BOULEVARD you have to wonder how much of William’s performance is acting, and how much is real, the real, profound pain of someone suffering from severe, clinical depression.
I wish Robin Williams could have gone out on a comedic note, I wish he could have brought us laughter one more time instead of tears of loneliness and regret. But as a last performance, a valedictory and a summing up and a farewell from a tremendously talented man who gave us all so much, few actors could have given us what we are witness to in BOULEVARD. Farewell to Robin Williams, you were and are loved and will always be missed.
Four and a half out of five stars.
BOULEVARD is playing in NY at the Landmark Sunshine and will expand to Los Angeles and additional major markets in the following weeks.
In Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA a father and son steer the American road comedy into a vanishing Midwest on the trail of a dubious fortune – and in search of an understanding of each other that once seemed impossible.
This is the story of the Grant family of Hawthorne, Nebraska. Now transplanted to Billings, Montana, stubborn, taciturn Woody (Bruce Dern in a role that won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival) is well past his prime — such as it ever was — and possibly his usefulness, but he believes he’s got one last shot at mattering: a notice that he’s the lucky winner of a million-dollar sweepstakes.
To claim his fortune, Woody insists he must quickly get to the sweepstakes company’s office in Lincoln, Nebraska – a 750-mile journey that seems unlikely given that he can barely shuffle down the road a few blocks, at least not without stopping for a drink. Worried for his father’s state of mind, it falls to Woody’s reluctant, baffled son David (Will Forte) to accompany him on a trip that seems hilariously futile on the surface.
Yet, their odd journey becomes a kind of modern family odyssey. When Woody and David make a pit-stop in their hometown of Hawthorne – with the Grant’s tart-tongued matriarch (June Squibb, “About Schmidt”) and anchor-man son (Bob Odenkirk, “Breaking Bad”) joining them – word of Woody’s fortune makes him, momentarily, a returning hero. Then it brings out the vultures. But it also opens a view into the unseen lives of David’s parents and a past more alive than he ever imagined.
Shot in a black and white Cinemascope that mirrors the dusky beauty of small-town USA and the film’s high contrasts of humor and heartbreak, the film gives comic consideration to questions of family roots and family riddles, delusion and dignity, self-worth and the quiet yearning for a dash of salvation.
NEBRASKA is in theatres now.
WAMGis giving away Run-Of-Engagement passes to NEBRASKA. Each pass admits two (2) to the regular run at LANDMARK PLAZA FRONTENAC, Monday through Thursday.
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THE GIANT MECHNICAL MAN was a bit of a letdown for me. While enjoyable as is, the film never lives up to its full comedic potential, which is a real shame considering the talent involved. In a role written to play to her strengths, Jenna Fischer is the confused, mild-mannered Janice who finds a job selling grape drinks at the zoo. Apparently the zoo is a beacon of hope for the unemployed because this occurs the day after Tim (Chris Messina) walks in and instantly gets a job there after his girlfriend dumps him. (Seriously, is it really that easy to get a job at a zoo?) Tim also has an interesting hobby / side job of painting himself silver, wearing stilts and walking around as the titular Giant Mechanical Man. A friendship forms between the two just as Janice’s overbearing sister (Malin Ackerman) tries to set her up with a motivational speaker / author played eerily well by Topher Grace.
TGMM is a romantic-comedy that tries to be a lot deeper than it really is and that is where it falters. It works best when dealing with the rom-com aspects of the story but gets weighed down by mostly unnecessary dramatic beats that feel too repetitive. I can’t help but feel like this film would have been far more entertaining if all the main characters were not so damn depressed most of the time. I also found myself wondering why Tim didn’t just tell Janice that he was the mechanical man after she not only mentions her respect for him but also visits him while he’s in character. It seems they were saving the revelation for a fairly anti-climatic finale although it probably would have been far more entertaining watching Janice cover up and ultimately explain (especially to her sister) that she’s dating the often-ridiculed street performer.
I guess the fact that I am still wondering what could have been means there was enough substance actually in the film to hold my interest more than a week after watching it. With that in mind, I’ll recommend giving TGMM a chance. It is worth watching at least once anyway if only for Topher Grace’s crazy good take on a motivational speaker or Rich Sommer as his biggest fan.
