Tag: Hollywood

MAXXXINE – Review

(L-R) Mia Goth as Maxine and Halsey as Tabby, in MAXXXINE. Photo Credit: Justin Lubin. Courtesy of A24

Director Ti West and actor Mia Goth are back with a third film in the X horror series. MAXXXINE is a sequel to 2022’s X, while the second in the series, PEARL (also 2022), was a prequel. The first film, X, was a surprise hit at SXSW with audiences and critics, a kind of fun, tongue-in-cheek homage to both horror and porno films of the late 1970s and early 1980s, where the owner of a strip joint and his pals set out in make a porno film titled “The Farmers’ Daughters” at a rural house they have rented from an elderly couple, but without telling the old folks what kind of film they are making. Mia Goth plays in dual roles as one of the actresses in the porno, Maxine, and the elderly farm wife, Pearl. Following the traditions of horror films of that earlier era, their sexual misbehavior is punished by murder and mayhem.

MAXXINE is set in 1985 Hollywood, when the Night Stalker serial killer was roaming the streets. Mia Goth again plays Maxine, the sole survivor of the Texas massacre in the first movie, who is now working in the Hollywood adult film industry under the name Maxine Minx, while concealing her violent past. Maxine is ambitious to make the leap to mainstream movies via horror films, and gets her chance in an audition for “The Puritan II,” a sequel to a horror hit directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki).

The film opens with black-and-white home movie footage of Maxine as a child performing on stage while hear her unseen preacher daddy (Simon Prast), who encourages her ambitions to be the “star” of the church, which sets up a backstory for ambitious Maxine. Maxine’s ambitions to step up to stardom via horror is backed by her agent/lawyer Teddy Knight (Giancarlo Esposito). But her closest friend and confidant is Leon (musician Moses Sumney), a clerk at the X-rated video store under her upstairs apartment. Ambitious and hardworking Maxine has a second job, as a live performer at a peep show, and declines two co-workers’ separate invitations to join them at a party at a fancy house near the Hollywood sign. As the Nightstalker takes more victims and police detectives (Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan) investigate the murders, a mysterious man, wearing black leather gloves, pays to see Maxine at the peep show but reacts with anger at what he sees. Shortly after, a sleazy Southern private detective, Labat (Kevin Bacon), contacts Maxine with a threat to reveal her past if she doesn’t accept his mysterious employer’s invitation to the house under the Hollywood sign.

MAXXXINE is absolutely packed with movie references and shots of icon Hollywood locations, including famous backlot sets, which is actually the biggest thrill in this horror-homage thriller.

As you can guess from the cast, the third film in the series has a bigger budget and hence a more star-studded cast, including Kevin Bacon, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan and Giancarlo Esposito.

Like the first film, MAXXXINE is less an actual scary horror movie than an homage to horror movies, and to soft porn videos and drive-in fare of the early 1980s era. The Hollywood setting means the filmmakers could include wonderful location shots, such as the set for PSYCHO, and both visual and dialog references to a host of classic thrillers, including CHINATOWN, often with a dark humor twist, such as one with a Buster Keaton impersonator.

Mia Goth again does the good job she did the the first two films, and adding the stars to the cast are a bonus. A particular standout is Kevin Bacon, as the oily New Orleans private detective bedeviling Maxine, in a sleazy version of Jack Nicholson’s character in CHINTOWN (complete with bandaged nose) crossed with a number of gangster film baddies, until he gets his comeuppance via Giancarlo Esposito’s “Better Call Saul”-ish agent/lawyer.

In fact, the too-few moments like that and the many other movie references, along with the chance to see behind to facades of some famous film sets, such as going inside through the doors of the mansion on the hill behind the Bates Motel, are the major thrills in MAXXXINE. Otherwise, the movie is not very suspenseful or scary, and it has less tongue-in-cheek humor or Hammer Film fake bloodiness than the first one (although cheesy Hammer Film effects do get a mention). Of course, there is some gore and violence, but much less than you might expect, and the tension and thrills are sparse, as are the dark humor moments. It’s not the first time an indie film has been diminished by a bigger budget, of course, but audiences expecting the same horror-homage entertainment as the first one are likely to feel let down. However, fans of Old Hollywood and classic thrillers will get some treats in the movie’s tour of backlots and back streets circa 1985.

MAXXXINE opens Friday, July 5, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

THE FALL GUY – Review

Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers in THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch. Courtesy of Universal Pictures

A love letter to Hollywood and stunt men, THE FALL GUY is an entertaining, stunt-packed action/comedy film wrapped around a rom-com center, starring Ryan Gosling as a stuntman and Emily Blunt as the director on a big-budget action film. The two have a romantic history, and Gosling’s stuntman is longing to get her back, but there are plenty of complications, thanks mostly to the big-ego action star he is doubling and a manipulative high-powered producer, even before all those risky stunts.

Ryan Gosling follows up his Ken role in BARBIE with action-filled part as a hardworking stunt man, in director David Leitch’s THE FALL GUY. Leitch is a former stuntman, so he knows what he is doing here with this action-comedy. Leith goes with practical effects rather than green screen giving this entertaining, escapist delight an extra layer of enjoyment. The film was inspired by “The Fall Guy” TV show but draws on a host of movies about stunt work and movie-making like THE STUNT MAN and the Burt Reynolds’s vehicle HOOPER.

Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is the long-time stunt double for action-movie superstar Tom Ryan (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). While working on Tom’s latest thriller, Colt has fallen for assistant director Jody (Emily Blunt). Just as their romance is getting started, Colt suffers a serious injury when a stunt goes wrong. His confidence shaken, Colt retreats into isolation, quits stunt work and ghosts Jody. But when the high-powered producer (Hannah Waddingham) tracks Colt down and tells him that Jody, now the director on her first big-budget film, a sci-fi action epic called METALSTORM, wants him to once again stunt double her film’s star Tom Ryan, Colt eventually agrees. Filled with regret about Jody, Colt hopes to rekindle their love affair but when he shows up on location in Sydney, Australia, he discovers Jody didn’t ask for him and doesn’t know why he’s there. Still hurt, Jody does decide to let Colt stay on but she is constantly testing him, making him do stunts over and over, and over. Meanwhile, Colt’s friend, stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), does what he can to help out the pining Colt.

But then writer Drew Pearce piles on another layer, the real reason the producer wanted Colt there: star Tom Ryan has gone missing. If Colt can’t find him, the studio will pull the plug on Jody’s big-break movie. No one else knows Tom actually has disappeared – they think it is just not showing up, as he sometimes does – and Colt has to get him back before anyone finds out. The stuntman sets out to find Tom, with a little help from the star’s assistant (Stephanie Hsu), but Colt quickly finds himself embroiled in something more complicated, a mystery with underworld types and more questions than answers.

THE FALL GUY has plenty of humor, sly Hollywood jokes and movie references. The practical-effects stunts are outstanding and nearly non-stop. THE FALL GUY features an action/thriller plot wrapped around a rom-com story (a genre that could use a reboot), with Gosling and Blunt delightful as the couple, going back-and forth about restarting their romance. The humor leans into move insider jokes and poking at Hollywood tropes and more, including some ribbing of Tom Cruise, but this is not primarily a satire but a celebration of the art and craft of movie stunts and the people who do them.

While THE FALL GUY is fun, it is not flaw-free. It gets off to a precarious start by not allowing enough time at the beginning for the audience to get really get to know the two lead characters enough to want to really cheer for their love story. Once on track with the hunt for the missing star, the plot gets overly far-fetched and then also gets bogged down in a series of fights and chases with the stuntman fighting real baddies on the streets of Sydney. But eventually THE FALL GUY gets back on track, recovers from those stumbles in time, with the help of appealing performances by Blunt and Gosling, and refocuses in time to deliver a bang-up stunt–filled finale and a crowd-pleasing Hollywood ending.

Whether or not you enjoy THE FALL GUY depends on how much you appreciate real stunt work over CGI, and also how much you like Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. For the right audience, it is one fun ride.

THE FALL GUY opens Friday, May 3, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

BETA TEST – Review

Jim Cummings in BETA TEST. Courtesy of IFC Films

In 1973, Erica Jong wrote FEAR OF FLYING, a wildly popular erotic novel that introduced  us to the term “zipless f**k” – an anonymous, one-time, spur of the moment boink. No names. No thought of repeating the experience. BETA TEST gives a teched-up variation on the concept, raising more questions than answers for those who participate. Each lucky (?) tryster receives an engraved invitation to meet an unknown admirer in a posh hotel. We follow the course of a few who go for it.

The suspenseful drama opens with a woman confessing her recent adventure to her spouse. The disclosure is not at all well-received. We switch quickly to the main story, involving Jordan Hines, a smarmy Hollywood agent (are there other kinds?) played by co-writer and co-director Jim Cummings. He’s scrambling to save his agency in a showbiz era that threatens their relevance. He’s also six weeks away from marrying Caroline (Virginia Newcomb), who seems almost saintly in her patience for his manic, erratic actions. After wrestling with his conscience, Hines meets the mystery lover for a masked roll in the luxury hay, and becomes obsessed with finding out who she was, and why the unknown arranger decided to extend the offer to him.

The rest of the movie focuses on Hines’ quest to find the woman and reasons for what appears to be a large-scale operation with unknown motives. He turns to his agency partner and best bud, PJ (also the other half of the writing/directing tandem, PJ McCabe) to help learn the how and why of this bizarre bit of matchmaking.

Maybe it’s a cult on the order of the masked-and-robed hedonists in EYES WIDE SHUT. Maybe it’s a blackmail scheme. A few references to Harvey Weinstein and the current climate for sexual harassment raise the question of whether it’s the work of one or more grudge holders from perceived peccadilloes past.

The setup is fine, but following its execution is almost exhausting. Director Cummings should have reined in actor Cummings on the level of histrionics deployed to present his character’s growing frustration and paranoia. Actor Cummings should have urged writer Cummings to pay more attention to the coherence of his screenplay. Writer McCabe shortchanged actor McCabe on his share of screen time. The movie is a long way in before some disparate plot lines start fitting into the picture; some never really do. The very attractive cast and upscale sets collectively give us the glamour of Hollywood’s slice of showbiz, complete with the shallowness of everyone’s dreams and tactics for “making it.” What we learn about those whys and wherefores is reasonably satisfying but investment in the characters – especially Hines – may well fade for others as it did for me. Pay attention to teeth. They’re more significant than you’d expect.

BETA TEST opens Nov. 5 in theaters in some locations and streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES – Review

And now the 93rd Annual Oscars are finished. Another one for the records books, it is now history. But how to quench your thirst for a bit more Hollywood history? Here’s the perfect refresher. It’s a warm, interview and clip-filled look back at one of the motion picture industry’s greatest producers. As a matter of fact (and it’s hammered home here) he was the head (or close to) of four of the major studio (really, you’d know the logos). Oh, and he’s still with us, offering his sage advice and counsel to filmmakers and stars. So we’re not talking about the cigar-chomping Golden Age studio moguls who are usually vilified in the non-fiction books and films (The biggest villain of MANK may be the ruthless and controlling Louis Mayer). No, this is about a man whose influence may have ushered in, maybe not a silver, but a bronze age, from the 1970s to just about a decade or so ago. And unlike Mayer and his contemporaries Zanuck, Zucker, Laemmie, and Cohn he truly has movies in his blood (real silver screen DNA). This documentary feature subject is Alan Ladd, Jr., often referred to as LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES.

Our genial guide through this remarkable man’s life and career truly knows her subject. It’s his daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who tells us that this film began as a birthday present, one that we now all get to share. Unfortunately, the subject has a legendary tendency to be … well tight-lipped. But luckily his former collaborators and friends (and so many are in both groups, surprisingly) are quick to sing his praises. But before those triumphs, there was a difficult childhood. That blood and DNA, well it comes from the 1940s through the 50s matinee idol Alan Ladd, who himself was tight-lipped in noir thrillers (THIS GUN FOR HIRE) and Westerns (the iconic SHANE). But being the son of a movie star is close to hitting the genetic lottery, right? You’d think so, but Laddie was the only son Senior had with his first wife Marjorie. Nearing his teens when papa remarried, Laddie was largely ignored as the star remarried and began a new family with Sue Carol. We hear heart-wrenching stories from stepbrother David (an actor who ended up marrying the fourth TV Charlie’s Angel). Perhaps this helped to motivate Laddie at the boarding and military schools and college. By the time he’s finished his education, his father passes at age of 50 from years of alcohol and prescription pill abuse. Now Laddie was free of his shadow and ready to make a name for himself behind the scenes in show “biz”. In the wild 1960’s he was an agent representing several actors, including Peter Sellars (“Completely mad.” Laddie quickly offers) which lead to film production, then soon taking the reins of Twentieth Century Fox’s European division. Around the time he began his own family with school sweetheart Patricia, the call came in for his return to the states and tasked with saving the flailing Fox (still reeling from the one-two bombs of DOCTOR DOOLITTLE and HELLO DOLLY). He quickly established himself as an exec who valued up-and-coming filmmakers, having an open mind and keen box office instincts. When Columbia balked at Mel Brooks’ insistence to shoot YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN in black and white, Laddie saw the method in his madness and said yes. When Richard Donner brought the script for the horror opus THE OMEN, Laddie defied the studio’s heads and insisted Donner (then known for TV work) direct. And when the hot young director of AMERICAN GRAFFITI needed a home for his weird Flash Gordon-homage, Laddie again irked the board of directors by giving a “green light” for STAR WARS. Soon after the megahit ALIEN (again helmed by a relatively unknown Ridley Scott). Alan left Fox to form his own division, The Ladd Company, which merged with Warner Brothers (studio two). From there it was a leap to United Artists in the late 1980s, before finishing up at Paramount in the 1990s and early 2000s (and grabbing an Oscar for BRAVEHEART in 1995).

Okay, so the director is a tad prejudiced, though Ms. Ladd-Jones hasn’t pieced together a fawning Father’s Day card of a flick about the family patriarch. Its opening (Laddie’s early years) is chocked-full of old school glitz and glamour (Alan Ladd pretty much carried Paramount through the 1940s), the staged studio publicity stills can’t erase the abandonment of Laddie’s teen years (David becomes quite emotional as he recalls the neglect of his poppa to his firstborn). And despite being saddled with that name (teachers couldn’t believe his actor lineage), the story really comes alive as Laddie spreads his creative wings and soars. Happily, most of the folks that aided that meteoric rise pay their respects. George Lucas sings his praises while Mel Brooks slays with some great stories (“Peru just got color” kills every time). One of the more pleasant revelations concerns Laddie’s desire to keep all of his major movie talents on the same floor of the Fox building, as a free-wheeling film school, leading to Brooks helping to tweak the late Paul Mazursky’s script (he’s sadly been gone for nearly seven years, so this footage reminds us of his endearing charm). The doc also benefits from Richard Donner’s laid-back sardonic wit (“Ladd, Jr.? He made that ‘Very Brady sequel’, right?”). As the decades (and great clips) zip by we get Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART tales and Ben Affleck (sporting an odd “boy band” hairstyle with a full beard) on Laddie’s help with his directorial debut GONE BABY GONE (“lose the ‘chamber of commerce’ shots”). But there seems to be one artist who continues to pop up in this saga, Ridley Scott. We see a few seconds from his debut THE DUELISTS before the big explosion (poor John Hurt’s chest) of AlIEN. When Laddie heads to the WB lot, Scott follows with BLADE RUNNER, thought of as a box office dud in 82, the film’s influence extends into the current slate of SF epics. Then in a complete turnabout, Scott is convinced to helm the dusty dirty box office smash THELMA & LOUIS (with Laddie influencing its off-beat ending). Aside from STAR WARS, Laddie also throws his support behind award-winning films that his former studios dumped (Fox stepped away, so Warners grabbed the Best Picture Oscar for CHARIOTS OF FIRE). But so that we don’t think of him as too “high brow” we’re reminded that he also started the POLICE ACADEMY franchise (also inspiring the end scene of the first one). Ms. Ladd-Jones also delves into the misfires, particularly THE RIGHT STUFF which rankles Laddie so much that he has never watched it (“lost control, too long and too over budget”). Hey Mr. L, I think it’s still pretty great. And we hear of his sadness at the ending of his first marriage, although his marriage to Cindra has given him great joy and another family (including a talented biographer). And though his office days are behind him, he’s still in great demand for his storytelling instincts and vast knowledge (though many in the film will admit that he can be a soft or “low talker” ala “Seinfeld”). If you’re in the mood for a terrific crash course in the big studio films of the past fifty or so years, then you’ll be informed and greatly entertained by spending a fast-paced 83 minutes with LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES.

3.5 Out of 4

LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES is available to rent and buy on digital download beginning on April 26, 2021

WAMG Tribute: Movie Superstar Kirk Douglas Has Died

The word rang out yesterday, vibrating through the canyons of Los Angeles, much like the echo of thousands of voices sixty years ago that proclaimed “I am Spartacus!”. Perhaps the last of the leading men of Hollywood’s pre-1950 Golden Age is now with his long-departed peers. Here’s how the town’s Hollywood Reporter broke the news:

” Kirk Douglas, the son of a ragman who channeled a deep, personal anger through a chiseled jaw and steely blue eyes to forge one of the most indelible and indefatigable careers in Hollywood history, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 103.

“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” son Michael Douglas wrote on his Instagram account. “To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.”

Yes, for nearly eight decades Douglas epitomized movie star matinee idol glamour. As Norma Desmond famously quipped in SUNSET BOULEVARD, “We had faces then!”. Kirk’s one of a kind looks: those piercing blue eyes, gritting teeth and jutting dimpled chin paired with his low growl of a voice, passionate persona, and athletic build made him irresistible to film fans and a gift to cartoonists and celeb impressionists.


But Kirk Douglas was the first, and maybe the best, artistic creation of the talented Issur Danielovitch. As the title of his 1988 states, he was “The Ragman’s Son”, who tried to help his immigrant family live “hand to mouth” in the slums of Amsterdam, New York. His acting career really took flight after his stint in WWII, when he was on stage at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. One of his classmates, Lauren Bacall, recommended him to famed producer Hal B. Wallis. This led to his film debut, the fourth lead in the 1946 noir classic from Lewis Milestone THE STRANGE LOVES OF MARTHA IVERS.

He caught the eye of several studios and began to grow a fan base by his versatility. After a couple more crime classics, Kirk proved adept at romantic comedy with MY DEAR SECRETARY. His leading man breakthrough might have been 1949’s CHAMPION, where his physicality matched the intensity of his line delivery.

His role as Midge was perhaps the first of his “anti-heroes” as Kirk often portrayed flawed, even “unlikable” protagonists. This was certainly the case in Billy Wilder’s now considered classic (then a rare box office flop) ACE IN THE HOLE (AKA THE BIG CARNIVAL) in which Kirk played the ambitious immoral “stop at nothing” hard-bitten newspaper “hack” Chuck Tatem.

The following year, Kirk teamed up with another celebrated director (he seemed to seek out gifted filmmakers), Vincent Minnelli, in a dark look at “tinsel town” (yes, Kirk was the shadiest producer) in THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

While Kirk looked fantastic in modern suits and fashions, he enjoyed donning period duds, especially for his many Westerns. Starting with ALONG THE GREAT DIVIDE, he continued to saddle up for films like MAN WITHOUT A STAR, LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL, THE WAR WAGON (with John Wayne), THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER, and the film he often called his personal favorite, the 1962 farewell to the “cowboy life”, LONELY ARE THE BRAVE.

Speaking of costume, Kirk was prolific in fantasy flicks. In fact, he was the action lead of Walt Disney’s first “produced in the states”, live-action adventure flick, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. This was right after he traveled to Italy to “jump-start” the “sword and sandal’ epics with ULYSSES. Later there was THE VIKINGS, THE LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, and SCALAWAG (which he also directed).

And then there are the many real people Kirk played in several acclaimed “biopics”. General Patton in IS PARIS BURNING? and Col. David ‘Mickey’ Marcus in CAST A GIANT SHADOW. The most critically acclaimed may be his re-teaming with Minnelli to play the emotionally tortured painter Vincent Van Gough in LUST FOR LIFE.

His other great filmmaker collaboration may be the two iconic films Kirk made with Stanley Kubrick. They followed the anti-war drama PATHS OF GLORY with the epic (perhaps kirk’s biggest box office smash) SPARTACUS.

Speaking of pairing, while many male stars became associated with frequent female stars (from Garbo & Gilbert, through Ryan & Hanks), Kirk, who co-starred with many great actresses (Bacall and Doris Day in YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN, TOP SECRET AFFAIR with Susan Hayword, THE ARRANGEMENT with Faye Dunaway and Deborah Kerr), was most notably paired with a male star, Burt Lancaster. Their six-film (and a TV flick) collaborations began with the crime thriller I WALK ALONE in 1948 and ended with the 1986 comedy TOUGH GUYS. In between, they squared off in the political drama SEVEN DAYS IN MAY and “saddled up” for the greatest “real-life’ showdown in the old West GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (Kirk was Doc while Burt was Wyatt).

While many of the remaining movie “elders’ were retiring in the 1970s and 80s, Kirk was still the lead in several genre films. After the comedy HOME MOVIES with director Brian DePalma, Kirk starred in his CARRIE follow-up THE FURY and did another horror flick THE CHOSEN. Right off his smash SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, director Hal Needham cast Kirk as the lead in the Western satire THE VILLAIN (with young Arnold Schwarzenegger as its hero, the “Handsome Stranger”). He even dabbled in science fiction with the robot-rampage thriller SATURN 3 and the time-traveling THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, both in 1980. The 1990s found Kirk going for laughs in the 1930s set John Landis farce OSCAR with Sly Stallone, and opposite Michael J. Fox in the ensemble farce GREEDY. After the caper crime comedy DIAMONDS, Kirk finally got to work with his Oscar-winning son Michael, along with grandson Cameron and first wife Diana, in IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY.

The curtain finally came down on Kirk’s big-screen career with the 2004 drama ILLUSIONS, though he did have a role in the 2008 TV movie “The Empire State Building Murders”. Aside from acting and directing, Kirk was a prolific producer as the head of Byrna (his mother’s name) Productions. It’s in that capacity that Kirk helped end the Hollywood Blacklist by insisting that Dalton Trumbo, who had been accused of being a Communist, be listed in the screenwriting credits for SPARTACUS under his own name (this was depicted in the recent film bio TRUMBO with Kirk played by Dean O’Gorman). Plus Kirk starred in the first feature film to center on the Holocaust, THE JUGGLER (1953).

Kirk was awarded the 1981 Presidental Medal of Freedom, the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1994. He was nominated for CHAMPION, LUST FOR LIFE, and THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, but was finally given an honorary Oscar in 1996. Kirk earned the respect and admiration of his peers and appreciated his millions of fans. He was truly the last of the Hollywood “larger than life” screen personalities. We at WAMG join the world and his family in mourning his loss. But, oh the treasures and gifts he’s left behind. Best of all, he had a great sense of humor about himself. Here’s two great musical numbers from the 1958 and 59 Oscars with him “cutting a rug” with best pal Burt.

And let’s leave you with one more chuckle. It’s the 2004 Oscar-nominated Animated Short Subject featuring the vocal talents of Kirk’s best mimic, Frank Gorshin (it did win a BAFTA). To quote you from one of your classics, “Kirk, you were the CHAMP!!!”.

TRUST ME – The Review

TFF Trust Me

Clark Gregg may not be a household name now, but that will soon change. Undoubtedly best recognized as the loveable Agent Phil Coulson, Gregg has captured the hearts of comic book fans by perfectly personifying the character on the big screen in movies including THE AVENGERS, THOR and IRON MAN, as well as on the small screen in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. In retrospect, it could be said that making your name in such big blockbuster movies would pigeonhole an actor, but TRUST ME is proof that such tried and true assumptions are always subject to exceptions.

The truth is, when you are as multi-talented as Clark Gregg, you become nearly impervious to the typical industry stereotypes. TRUST ME is a film as fascinating behind the scenes as it is a fascinating story, but you can do your own Google search to read about the making of the film. A truly indie film that maintains studio production value, TRUST ME is a dark comedy with a touching dramatic flair. Clark Gregg stars as Howard Holloway, a former child star turned Hollywood agent for child actors. Fulfilling one minor legendary stereotype, Howard struggles to regain that sense of importance and fame vicariously through his young clients. The trouble is, he hasn’t enjoyed any notoriety since he was 15 years old and at the top of his acting game.

Poor Howard is truly a good guy, sometimes slightly misguided, but ultimately holds true to having the proverbial heart of gold. TRUST ME is a film whose central character is repeatedly pummeled by misfortune and bad luck. As an audience, we feel every single scrape and blow as if it were our own. Howard is one of those underdog characters we cannot help but empathize with and root on, no matter what the odds. From the very beginning of the film, Howard gets stepped on, most frequently and cruelly by his arch nemesis Aldo Shocklee, played by Sam Rockwell with a marvelously subdued flamboyance. Aldo, fulfilling the film’s other primary stereotype, is a successful big shot agent with deep pockets and absolutely no ethical code of conduct. Howard finds himself constantly in battle with Aldo, having to defend each of his rarely acquired clients from Aldo poaching them with more money, extravagant gifts and outlandish promises.

Lydia, played by Saxon Sharbino, is a promising 14-year old actress being groomed by Howard for a new romantic fantasy franchise based on a popular series of books. A major studio has tapped Ang Lee to direct and has eyes for Lydia, but Howard stumbles upon some secret family issues that may not only threaten Lydia’s chances, but also change Howard’s own perspective on his purpose in life. Sharbino is a rising young star with a short but surprisingly diverse and impressive resume. She has that quintessential girl next door appeal, but has the flexibility to shift into complex dramatics on a dime, exerting what appears to be minimal effort in making it look and feel natural. This plays a pivotal significance in the film’s third and final act as the truth about her character is revealed.

The relationship that develops between Howard and Lydia is honest and rich with depth of character, even if it does ultimately prove destructive. Gregg is absolutely compelling, given an opportunity to explore a more textured role than superhero movies can allow. Gregg nurtures this relationship between Howard and Lydia, resulting in a sweet and dangerously innocent chemistry between the two actors. TRUST ME is a film driven by honest performances, enhanced by Clark Gregg’s personal touch both in front of and behind the camera. Gregg not only stars in the film, but also wrote and directed the film, making it a tremendously important notch on his journey of becoming a respected and influential storyteller.

Consider this… how many creatively successful films can you name that have the same name credited as writer, director and star? Charlie Chaplin’s CITY LIGHTS. Orsen Welles’ CITIZEN KANE. Woody Allen’s ANNIE HALL. Sylvester Stallone’s ROCKY. Clint Eastwood’s UNFORGIVEN. This is a small list, and by no means complete, but when you consider the members of this rather exclusive club, it’s a pretty amazing accomplishment to be included. If this isn’t enough to convince an audience to seek out this relatively small film, perhaps you may be convinced by TRUST ME’s supporting cast that includes Amanda Peet as Howard’s love interest, Felicity Huffman as the studio’s executive producer, Allison Janney, Molly Shannon and William H. Macy. TRUST ME, this film aims to please and hits the bull’s eye.

TRUST ME is available May 6th, 2014 through Video On Demand and iTunes, with a limited theatrical release scheduled for June 6th, 2014.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

TrustMe_full

Throwback Thursday: ‘Swimming With Sharks’

tbt_swimmingwithsharks

I could start out in the most obvious and typical way by asking you if you’ve ever had a boss you hate. A boss you’d love to tell off, or, dare I say… a boss you yearn to see bad things happen to? Well, that’s not what I’m going to do.

“Shut up! Listen! Learn!” — Buddy

Weakness, and power, or the illusion of power… however you want to spin it, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS is all about survival of the fittest amidst the hounds of Hollywood. All the stories, the rumors, the gossip that emits radioactive frequency of negativity and cruelty, it all comes to life here in George Huang’s sharply written and unabashedly dark comedy about life in Hollywood as a schmuck assistant.

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS stars Frank Whaley (BROKEN ARROW, RED DRAGON) as Guy, an characteristically mannered and innocent young man from up-state New York who takes a job as Buddy Ackerman’s new personal assistant. Kevin Spacey plays Buddy Ackerman, a major producer for Keystone Pictures (an imaginary stdio). Buddy is the most vile, rude, selfish and inconsiderate son-of-a-bi*** you’ll never meet outside of celluloid. And, Kevin Spacey is a brilliant a**hole!

As the story goes, writer/director George Huang once held a position not unlike that of Guy’s, working for Columbia Pictures. The Buddy Ackerman character was apparently inspired by real-life producer Joel Silver, for whom Huang once worked. In Robert Rodriguez’s memoir REBEL WITHOUT A CREW, he recounts how he and George Huang met. After sharing some of his movie ideas with Rodriguez, the director told Huang he should just go out and make them. Huang quit his job and pursued making SWIMMING WITH SHARKS.

“You are nothing! If you were in my toilet I wouldn’t bother flushing it. My bathmat means more to me than you!” — Buddy

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS is a non-linear story. Cutting back and forth from current day as Guy battles his own desires for vengeance and inner morality, to his trials of serving as Buddy’s door mat and personal slave in an effort to merge onto the fast track highway to big time Hollywood. The film has a similar structure in ways to PULP FICTION, but was clearly coincidental (at least mostly) and the two films both came out in theaters in 1994. In between, the uncomfortably unnatural relationship between Guy and producer Dawn Lockard (Michelle Forbes) develops, which will serve as the catalyst for the film’s ending.

Frank Whaley… do you even remember him? Perhaps not from FIELD OF DREAMS or THE DOORS, maybe from CAREER OPPORTUNITIES? Really? Well, you’re sure to remember Mr. Whaley and his “big brain” as Brett from PULP FICTION. Personally, Frank’s certainly not the greatest actor, but it was a fun, if not disturbing, ride of delirious ambition as Guy goes from a naive small town boy to becoming a ruthless kidnapper, torturing Buddy in his own home in an act of passionate rage and revenge.

Kevin Spacey appears to be having far too much fun in this role… well, except for the torture scenes. Buddy Ackerman is a truly horrible human being one moment and then shrugs it off like nothing happened as soon as Guy leaves his presence. Buddy is just putting on a show most of the time. It begs the question, is he really this big of a jerk, or is he playing into the expected role of a person in his position? There are moments when you actually believe Buddy may just be putting Guy through all this to teach him how to survive in the biz.

“I’ve handled the phones, I’ve juggled the bimbos, I, I’ve put up with the tyrants, the yellers, the screamers. I’ve done more than you can even imagine in that small mind of yours. I paid my dues!” — Buddy

As difficult as it is to swallow, Buddy finally opens up to Guy during his torture revealing a side of himself we hadn’t seen before. Buddy explains how he once went through everything Guy is currently going through, minus the torture. An interesting observation… Spacey’s performance during Buddy’s monologue about his dead wife has the familiar feel of “Verbil” Kint’s ramblings to Agent Kujan in THE USUAL SUSPECTS. Clearly Singer and McQuarrie were fans of SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, nabbing the film’s two best actors.

Benicio Del Toro plays Rex, the former assistant to Buddy, now moving on to become Vice President of Production for Paramount. His are the shoes that Guy must fill. Del Toro did not have a largely significant rle in the story, primarily appearing in the first twenty minutes or so, but what the role did was to help Del Toro build his career. Prior to SWS, Del Toro had bit roles in MONEY FOR NOTHING, FEARLESS and CHINA MOON. Maybe you remember him from his feature film debut, appearing as Duke the Dog-Faced Boy in BIG TOP PEE WEE?

No, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS was the role that chronologically led Del Toro to Bryan Singer, where he would permanently brand himself and his image on our collective brains as Fenster in THE USUAL SUSPECTS. As interesting observation… During the drawn-out scene in which Rex is basically showing Guy the ropes, laying it out for him, Buddy takes it upon himself to comment on Rex’s name, suggesting it’s more fit for a mutt and calls him “dog boy.” A friendly reference to his first film, perhaps?

“Life is not a movie. Good guys lose, everybody lies, and love… does not conquer all.” — Buddy

SWIMMING WITH SHARKS ends with a bang (wink) after an intense three-way confrontation between Buddy, Guy and Dawn. In this memorable scene, the lines between good and bad, right and wrong, righteous and ridiculous are all blurred. Following this scene is the final scene of the film, bringing us full circle and revealing the outcome of the three-way confrontation with ironic results.

Here’s the trailer, but take it with a grain of salt. It’s cut to make the film look like a much lighter, run of the mill comedy than the dark brutal comedy it actually is…

Warner shakes finger at India over ‘Benjamin Button’

benjaminbuttonindia

Given the recent legal experience Warner Brothers had in court with Fox over rights to ‘Watchmen’ you may think Warner would have little interest in pursuing even more legal battles. However, when it comes to market growth and profitability, these concerns apparently fall by the way side.

With the motion picture market on a consistent boom in India, Warner has issued a warning to anyone who may want to remake ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ to seek legal rights and permission, otherwise face the wrath of the giant in court.

The preemptive stern slap on the hand from Warner came in the form of media advertisements appearing Monday in India after word that Bollywood producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah had considered developing a Hindi-language movie titled ‘Action Replay’. The movie would star Akshay Kumar and the story would be curiously similar to that of ‘Benjamin Button’ about a man who experiences his life aging in reverse.

“We took the step of publishing a notice regarding the possible unauthorized remake of ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ as part of that rigorous defense of our rights, and to ensure that the filmgoing public in India experience our movies in the way that they were intended,” Mumbai-based Warner Bros. India told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. — HR

While I’m a supporter of copyright laws (with all of their flaws) I do sort of find this a little humorous. I’ve never been to India myself, but do have some friends who have been and combined with a casual interest in the culture, it seems that Warner hopes to develop a larger interest in their movies playing in India than is likely. India loves movies, but they have their own market and their own filmmakers and for Warner to be so adamant about this just sort of comes off like they have no sense of humor.

“We hope that this will serve as a deterrent to any filmmaker planning an unauthorized remake,” attorney Chandler Lall said, adding that the Hollywood studio had issued similar notices in the past around such films as “The Departed,” which reportedly is slated for a Bollywood remake by producer Sajid Nadiadwala. — HR

This is yet another example in a long-running series of disputes between Hollywood and Bollywood over rights issues, involving films such as ‘Jerry Maguire’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ series. In regards to past notices, as mentioned above with ‘The Departed’, I wonder whether anything has ever or will ever come of them? Perhaps it’s all just a massive bluff that Warner doesn’t expect the Indian filmmakers to call. On a side note, regarding an Indian remake of ‘The Departed’… which is actually a remake itself of the 2002 Hong Kong film ‘Internal Affairs’ (Mou gaan dou)… how does this fit into their argument? It’s all about legal rights on paper, I suppose.

[source: Hollywood Report]