“Ah, nothing like fried chicken while it’s still hot and crispy! So the quicker you open that safe and give us the money, the quicker you can get back to that tasty-looking chicken.”
Kirk Douglas in THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN…(1970) is currently available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive
Kirk Douglas plays a charming inmate scheming to recover $500K in stolen loot he has hidden away, while Henry Fonda looms as his new prison warden. Each man will find the tables turning in this boisterous yet blistering Western packed with brawls, shootouts and wry wit. Hume Cronyn, Burgess Meredith, Warren Oates and Lee Grant provide sterling support in this devilishly entertaining film by Academy Award® winner(Directing and Writing (Screenplay) for Both A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz from a script by David Newman and Robert Benton (Bonnie and Clyde).
As the headlines get darker and darker with almost every day, many are finding comfort in looking back on the TV shows and characters they enjoyed as kids (there are several “over-the-air’ stations that provide just that, 24-7). One of the most celebrated of those shows is the focus of this new feature documentary, which begins streaming just a few days after the big announcement of a revival (or reboot, or…etc.). It’s deserving of the doc treatment because it was a landmark, becoming a real turning point for the medium. Historians often point to “touchstones” in cinema often making note of the first “talkie”, the first color film, and so on. The same can be done with theatrical animation via a timeline: 1928 first sound cartoon short, 1937 first feature-length cartoon, and into the rise of Pixar. And the same can be done for it’s “lowly cousin”, TV animation. This doc’s focus was neatly squeezed in, between the return of prime-time animation with “The Simpsons” in 1989 and the “dark deco” drama of “Batman: The Animated Series” in 1992. I recall flipping over to a basic-cable mainstay channel on that Sunday morning 29 years and three days ago. Like Bart S’s papa Matt Groening I was curious about the duo seen in the promotional ad art (“What are those? Aliens? Nightmare monsters?”). I popped in a blank VHS tape and gazed in wonder. And laughed a lot. Perhaps you’ll have a similar flashback as you watch HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY: THE REN & STIMPY STORY.
After a brief clip-filled overview of the series, the filmmakers begin a twisted “origin” story. Bursting through the “talking heads” is the show’s creator and main director John Kricfalusi. In the early 1980’s he had traveled from the Canadian tundra to golden LA to pursue his love of animation (he says that as a child he thought animated cartoons were proof of “real magic”). But TV cartoons were dismal rehashes of old “properties” or merely half-hour commercials for the “hot” new toys. He worked up sample art (“pitch boards”) to show the four broadcast networks, but he was quickly dismissed (one meet earned him a “security escort” out of the building). Then he saw an ad in the “trade papers”. Upstart basic cable channel Nickelodeon wanted original “creator-driven” cartoon shows. John K dashed over for a meeting with the exec in charge of the project, Vanessa Coffey. She wasn’t impressed with a pitch for something called “Your Gang”, but her eyes kept drifting back to the drawing of the two pets; Ren, a bug-eyed Asthma Hound Chihuahua and Stimpy, a plump tail-less Manx cat. Could something be done with them? John K ran with it, gathering together some old art pals along with animator contacts who were frustrated with the sorry state of “TV toons”. The resulting effort, “The Ren & Stimpy Show” was unlike anything on the tube. The characters had strong personalities (short-fused, screeching Ren was based on Peter Lorre and voiced by John K himself, while the sweet-natured affable Stimpy was voice actor Billy West’s spot-on impression of Larry Fine of the Three Stooges, but pitched a bit higher) which popped off the screen. The same for the exquisitely detailed art with the characters truly “acting”, their bodies contorting to convey emotion. This was no “illustrated radio” (Looney Tunes vet Chuck Jones’ derisive term for limited TV cartoons). Soon the show and its creators were the darling of the media with lots of “ink” and TV profiles. Then the “unthinkable”, with the show smashing the “ratings ceiling” to get an unheard of 4.0 (a first for a cable show). But the original “six ep” order had been rerun countless times. New product was needed. How about a second season order of twenty? John K had concerns, as he plunged ahead. But his perfectionism and personality quirks would soon torpedo the network’s plans. Almost as quickly as the show skyrocketed into the heavens, everything came crashing back to Earth. But his eventual “sacking” was not the darkest day of John K’s future career.
This superb look back at a highpoint in TV cartoons has been expertly assembled by directors Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood. There are fascinating montages of archival news footage, home video (with warbly audio and video), and still sparkling artwork, some not seen by the public, from the show’s production ( I second the interviewee who said that Bill Wray’s backgrounds are deserving of a “coffee table” book). But it’s the “spoken word” history from those involved that gives the film its strong structure. Yes, there are a trio of ‘celeb” fans (Jack Black, Iliza Shlesinger, and a very mellow Bobby Lee), but the most compelling commentator is the creator (or co-creator as some in the film believe) John Kricfaluci, who I was truly surprised to see in new interviews, considering his recent headlines (we’ll get to the very dark last act). The camera slowly glides through his home, pausing on the many bookshelves filled to the brim with mostly retro cartoon toys and plush dolls. We see photos of his young years in Canada looking much like any baby boomer lad with clip-on bowties and tiny felt fedoras. He regales us with tales of his rage-filled father who helped form John’s sense of humor and inspired the furious Ren (no stories of Mom though). We can understand those who thought his company was almost a cult formed around the charismatic Mr. K. This may have been fueled by the media who latched on to him as the “toon savior” and splashed his face on a myriad of magazines. And he was happy to oblige as we view countless publicity stills of the animator posing for pics as though he was the new “boy band’ heartthrob, shirt open and giving a full “soulful pout”. But the success led to his downfall as he became a “micro-manager”, obsessing over each detail, screaming at staff for not being up to his standards, and delaying the shows. His “pranks” on the studio suits (hiding an offensive image beneath a post-it note on the storyboard) chipped away at his rebel “bad boy” charm. His comment to Nick execs that “I can no longer be responsible for budgets and deadlines” was like waving a red cape in the bull’s face in one of his favorite classic shorts. He was soon out of the picture save for an ill-conceived new “adult party” version of his duo that aired for three weeks in 2003 on another Viacom cable channel Spike TV. But he would be back…
…almost 15 years later. The Buzz Feed website ran a story on John K’s “hiring ” of young women who had been approached via their fan letters. Robin Byrd is interviewed in the doc (no silhouette or altered sound) and tells of her interest in the show and its creator when she was 13. They quickly began a correspondence with him visiting her parents and bringing her to LA to be his live-in aide at 14 (John says 16). Another woman, Katie Rice, also came forward (we only see her in a video from John’s website), but the statute of limitations prevented an arrest. And Mr. K does answer questions on the scandals, seeming most annoyed and somewhat embarrassed. He tries to elicit sympathy from the interviewers (“You should see the videotape she sent…so sophisticated”), but silence is their response. The “air” around him changed considerably. An earlier sequence had home video footage of John K and his staff’s appearance at an LA comic shop in 1992, with lines stretching several blocks (and getting the adulation usually given “rock gods”). Cut to now, as we see John K at a comics show or an animation expo, sitting at a table, all by himself sketching for no one. Well, he does have someone, a very youthful-looking woman, behind the table managing the “money box”. The big announcement of a “reboot” of R&S on Comedy Central made sure to state that John K would not be involved nor would he profit from this new show. This speaks to the current cries of “cancel culture”. Should the duo join the scrap heap along with another TV toon (that one from Cosby’s childhood)? Social media was on fire with those that thought this revival was completely tone-deaf. In the film, one artist laments that these characters are now “painted in s*#t”. Ms. Byrd actually has a great response. She understands if you can’t separate them from JK, but she’s sad to think that some folks have lost a childhood love. If you can erase him, she finished, perhaps you can still enjoy the show for all the other great talent that crafted it.
I will admit to chuckling at many of the early snippets. At one point they have side by side comparisons with their “acting inspiration” the late great Kirk Douglas. There are a few omissions in this history that bewildered me. Aside from a former director, there’s no mention of 1987’s “Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures” which was John K’s big showcase and proof that the networks could still make funny cartoons, as they allowed the artists to gleefully go “off-model”. And no mention of John’s follow-up misfire the next year with ABC’s revival of his hero Bob Clampett’s “Beany and Cecil”. Also nothing of his music videos for the likes of Tenacious D, Bjork, Weird Al, and the Rolling Stones. And it would have been great to illustrate his Spumco studio split with some footage of John’s strained reunion with Billy West On Howard Stern’s E! show from 1995. Still, this is a most compelling portrait of a troubled creative soul, reminding me of Terry Zwigoff’s masterful look at the brothers CRUMB in 1995, and also somehow of the political profile WEINER in 2016. Though Robert Crumb’s journey is hopeful, the others are troubled tales giving over to dark impulses It’s a shame because, like Anthony W, John K is full of passion, something lacking in most TV work (and for AW, in politics). In its unflinching look at a talent who can’t “get out of his own way” (or as one subject said “Nobody could f*#k it up like John”), HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY: THE REN & STIMPY STORY is one of the year’s best films.
4 Out of 4
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY: THE REN & STIMPY STORY is available as a Digital Download through most app and platforms including iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play
John Schneider and Kirk Douglas in EDDIE MACON’S RUN (1983) is currently available on Blu-ray From Mill Creek Entertainment.
Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas stars with John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard) in the action-packed Eddie Macon’s Run. Time is running out for Eddie Macon (Schneider). He’s trapped in a Texas jail on trumped-up charges. He’ll do anything to make it back to his wife and child, but if he’s caught, he’ll be back in the pen for life. Carl Marzack (Douglas) is an aging cop who must prove he can still get his man – and his man is Eddie Macon. The hunt is on in this exciting thrill ride that climaxes in an edge-of-your seat chase through the streets of Texas.
EDDIE MACON’S RUN stars John Schneider, Kirk Douglas, Lee Purcell, John Goodman, Tom Noonan, and Gil Rogers
” I am not what is called a civilized man, Professor. I have done with society for reasons that seem good to me. Therefore, I do not obey its laws.”
“20000 Leagues Under the Sea”
Kirk Douglas
1954 Walt Disney Productions
** I.V.
Kirk Douglas is gone, so pay tribute to the great actor and attend a screening of one of his most beloved films! 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954) will be screening at The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL ( 252 N Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025) at 7pm Tuesday, February 18th. Admission is $2.
Based on the Jules Verne novel, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA takes us back to 1868, where rumors of a sea monster attacking ships are running rampant. Eminent scientist Professor Aronnax (Paul Lukas) and his protégé’ Counseil (Peter Lorre) are invited to join a voyage to investigate the matter, along with the free-spirited harpoonist Ned Land (Douglas). They encounter the beast and are shipwrecked, only to discover the monster is actually a fantastic, futuristic submarine, The Nautilus. The sub is commanded by Captain Nemo (James Mason), who picks up Aronnax, Counseil, and Ned and makes them his prisoners. The Nautilus takes the trio on a fantastic journey to the undersea kingdom, where they encounter everything from cannibalistic headhunters on an unchartered island to a giant squid that attacks the submarine during a gale-force storm.
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!!!”.
“Don’t worry. Some of the best movies are made by people working together who hate each other’s guts.”
Lana Turner and Kirk Douglas in THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952) is available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives. It can be ordered HERE
Appearances are everything in Hollywood. So when conniving moviemaker Jonathan Shields realizes few mourners will show up for the funeral of his equally conniving father, he knows what to do: hire extras. Kirk Douglas gives a magnetic, Oscar®-nominated performance as Shields, who turns talent, charisma and ruthlessness into film success, stomping on careers and creating enemies along the way. Vincente Minnelli directs this winner of five Academy Awards® that’s more than a compelling insider’s look at Tinseltown: It’s an opportunity for buffs to guess which real-life stars and moguls inspired the roles played by Douglas, Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Best Supporting Actress Gloria Grahame and more.
An all-star assembly of talents, both in front of (Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame, Leo G. Carroll) and behind (John Houseman, Charles Schnee, Cedric Gibbons, Helen Rose, Robert Surtees) the camera for maestro Vincente Minnelli’s cynical and charming backstage look at business and shenanigans of commercial cinema. Deploying guile and glamor in equal measure, the tale of a true Hollywood hustler unspools with panache and pathos. Douglas stars as Jonathan Shields, a striving studio mogul, desperate for a hit, who arranges a meeting with a top star (Lana Turner), screenwriter (Dick Powell) and director (Barry Sullivan). But before he can give the greenlight, it’s time for all his sins to be revisited. This five-time Academy Award winner (Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Gloria Grahame, Best Writing, Screenplay – Charles Schnee, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black & White – Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis, Keogh Gleason, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Robert Surtees, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Helen Rose) gets the A-list treatment it so richly deserves on this sumptuous new HD master created from scan of the original negatives and painstaking restored, all in glorious, silver screen sheen Black and White. Special Features: Feature Length Documentary “Lana Turner…A Daughter’s Memoir”; Scoring Session Music Cues; Theatrical Trailer (HD)
This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Jim Batts and Tom Stockman talk movies. Our guest in the studio this week is Lynn Venhaus, film critic for The Belleville News Democrat and the Kirkwood/Webster Times. We’ll discuss the weekend box office and review MISS SLOANE, INCARNATE, and MAN DOWN. We’ll discuss all of the local movie events, the recent film fest award announcements, and then we’ll pay tribute to Kirk Douglas who turns 100 this week.
The newest big screen “golden age of Hollywood” biography represents something of a 2015 trilogy, a hat trick, if you will. It doesn’t focus on the illustrious career of a celebrated actor or actress, but there are some stars involved and in support. No, this is the story of a legendary screenwriter, yes an idea man. The man in question is one Dalton Trumbo, a fellow nearly as theatrical as the thespians reciting his words. Beyond his work, he was perhaps best known as the most famous of the “Hollywood Ten” during the Communist “witch hunts” of the 1950’s. So the “cold war” is the backdrop for this bio, much as it was for BRIDGE OF SPIES, the true life drama, and that frothy spy send-up, THE MAN FROM UNCLE, both released earlier this year. It’s odd that this is the last film to arrive in theatres, though its events precede the other two. And while the other films were mostly set on foreign soil, this film is pretty much set in “tinsel town”, where careers and lives were destroyed over “anti-red” hysteria. This was nearly the fate of the creative wordsmith named TRUMBO.
In 1947 Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was the unofficial king of movie writers. He had just signed a lucrative exclusive contract with MGM. And he enjoyed his plush ranch house by a lake just outside LA, a home he shared with his devoted wife Cleo (Diane Lane) and their three young children Mitzi, Chris, and Niki. But storm clouds were on the horizon. HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee) was picking up steam and decided to go after “red sympathizers” in the film industry. Acting on tips from powerful newspaper gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) and the president of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, actor John Wayne (David James Elliott), Congress subpoenaed registered Communist Trumbo. He was the most vocal of the media-named “Hollywood Ten” a group of screenwriters who refused to answer the committee’s questions and wouldn’t name names. Although he had the support of good friend, actor Edward G Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg), and others (we see newsreel footage of Danny Kaye, Humphrey Bogart, and Lauren Bacall speaking out for the “ten” and we hear radio spots featuring Lucille Ball and Gregory Peck), a defiant Trumbo is cited for contempt of Congress and sent to a federal penitentiary in Ashland, Kentucky for eleven months. When he gets out, Trumbo is on the “blacklist” and no studio will touch him. Selling the ranch, they move into a modest suburban home. The desperate writer hatches a plan to continue working. For plan A he asks another non-blacklisted writer to submit Trumbo’s screenplay under the other man’s name (known as “fronting”). It works so well that the other man grabs an Oscar. Then, for plan B, Trumbo marches down to the offices of the low-budget independent producers Frank (John Goodman) and Hymie (Stephen Root) King. Trumbo and his out of work pals will write and fix as many projects as they are given, all working under pseudonyms and paid in cash (at a low, low rate). The family (wife Cleo and the kids) will drop off scripts and payments. Then, in 1956, THE BRAVE ONE gets an Oscar: Best Original Screenplay for “Robert Rich”. Trumbo ends wild speculation when he announces on a live TV interview that he indeed is Rich. This attracts the attention of two big powerful names. Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman) who needs help on his big movie version of SPARTACUS, as does prickly director Otto Preminger(Christian Berkel) with his film adaptation of EXODUS. Will these men defy the old guard and give full screen credit to Trumbo, thereby destroying the blacklist once and for all?
Well, if you’re a classic film buff you know the answer to that. The fun is in the telling of this bit of history and Cranston, in his first big movie leading role, makes it fun (and he seems to be having fun, too). In the opening minutes he appears to be doing an amusing take on the intellectual “dandy” with his big curled mustache and cigarette holder, but when the pressure’s on, Trumbo becomes a dogged defender of personal liberties. Cranston conveys that determination while trying to conceal his inner terror at the thought of being separated from the family he adores. And with his banishment, he becomes both mastermind and hustler, finding a way to still use his talents. However Cranston lets us in on the flaws of this unlikely hero as he pushes those around him to the brink, even as he abuses his own health as an almost one-man script factory. Mr. Cranston conquered TV and with this role he establishes himself as a most compelling film star.
Of course it helps that Cranston’s Trumbo has an equally interesting adversary, mind you a most worthy villain. Now there are altercations with studio execs and actors (notably the “Duke”), but none spew venom better than Mirren as a very different screen queen. Hopper thought she was Hollywood royalty, better than the weak actors that filled her columns, and Mirren makes her a memorable movie bully who shoots daggers out of her eyes at the hounded writer. She doesn’t limit her acid tongue on the title hero. In a memorable scene, Hopper gleefully reminds a top mogul of his Eastern European roots, rattling off semitic names like poison darts. Mirren proves to be very good at being very bad. The other women in the cast aren’t nearly as interesting, unfortunately. Lane is the faithful wife who keeps the family together and dutifully waits for her hubby’s return from jail. It’s not until the second act, when Lane’s Cleo gets to shine as she tells her hubby that he’s a hermit in their own home. Much of that is evident in Elle Fanning’s work as the teenaged, oldest daughter Niki, who seems to truly be her father’s girl as she throws herself into the civil rights movement. Comedian Louis C.K. gives a subtle, understated performance as one of Trumbo’s friends, and “ten” cohort, who shares his left beliefs, but questions his pal’s fervent pursuit of the “green”. He manages to be both tragic and very funny. As for those playing TV “late show movie” icons, Stuhlbarg mostly suggests Eddie G with make-up and fashions going from on-screen tough-guy to off-screen sophisticate. He never attempts to mimic the actor’s distinctive delivery (thereby avoiding younger audience remarking that he’s doing “Chief Wiggum” from TV’s “The Simpsons”), rather he focuses in on the man’s inner turmoil and self-disgust. After PAWN SACRIFICE and STEVE JOBS, this film completes a great hat trick for the talented actor. Elliott gives us a hint of Wayne’s familiar drawl, while O’Gorman, though a tad too young, reminds us of Kirk’s intense macho swagger without dipping into a Frank Gorshin-like parody. Berkel expertly exudes Preminger’s haughty aristocratic arrogance. Oh, and Goodman’s energetic take on the sleazy “B” picture czar, Frank King, is quite a treat making him a side-splitting, foul-mouthed human wrecking ball (the opposite of his kindly studio boss in THE ARTIST).
Director Jay Roach, best known as the man behind the Austin Powers series and MEET THE PARENTS, keeps the film running along at a brisk pace while capturing the uneasy feel of the country right after the last world war. The screenplay by TV scribe John McNamara from the book “Dalton Trumbo” by Bruce Cook includes several clever jibes and quips, even as liberties are taken (did Trumbo really confront Wayne?) for dramatic and humorous effect. But much as with the recent BLACK MASS, the film becomes a checklist, this time of films and trials (“this happened, then this, and then…”), with the movie marching steady through as each ‘life moment” is crossed off, lessening its impact. It doesn’t help that the story ends with a ten-year jump ahead with a cliché ridden awards ceremony that has Trumbo delivering an uplifting speech as the camera captures every major character beaming at him from their seats in the audience. In this way, the film seems more like Roach’s work for HBO on real-life recent politics in “Recount” and “Game Change” with comics and actors playing “old-timey movie star dress-up” with vintage threads, hair, and make-up. However the final studio days are captured well and the actors are very entertaining. Though flawed, TRUMBO is an effective reminder that those “good ole’ days” were really pretty not-so-good on those who didn’t conform or submit.
4 Out of 5
TRUMBO opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
The ultimate gladiator action blockbuster, SPARTACUS returns in an all-new fully restored Blu-ray™ with Digital HD on October 6, 2015, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Starring film legend Kirk Douglasas the defiant slave-turned-revolutionary, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey) and written by Oscar-winner Dalton Trumbo (Roman Holiday, The Brave One), SPARTACUS: RESTORED EDITION celebrates the film’s 55th anniversary with a new extensive restoration of the 1991 reconstructed version of the film which features 12 additional minutes of footage.
The highly anticipated Blu-ray also includes two all-new bonus featurettes including a brand new interview with screen legend Kirk Douglas plus 7.1 audio for the first time ever.
The genre-defining epic from director Stanley Kubrick is the legendary tale of a bold gladiator (Kirk Douglas) who led a triumphant Roman slave revolt. Newly restored from large format 35mm original film elements, the action-packed spectacle won four Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Picture.
Featuring a cast of screen legends such as Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons, John Gavin and Tony Curtis, this uncut and fully restored masterpiece is an inspirational true account of man’s eternal struggle for freedom
BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY™
I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas: An interview with the 98-year-old screen legend. –New!
Restoring Spartacus: An inside look at the intricate process of the film’s 2015 restoration. –New!
Deleted Scenes
Archival Interviews with Peter Ustinov & Jean Simmons
FILMMAKERS Cast:Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons, John Gavin, Tony Curtis Directed By: Stanley Kubrick Written By:Dalton Trumbo Based on the Novel By:Howard Fast Produced By:Edward Lewis Executive Produced By:Kirk Douglas Director of Photography:Russell Metty Production Designer: Alexander Golitzen, Roger Forse Edited By:Robert Lawrence, Irving Lerner Costume Design By: Valles Music By:Alex North
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™: Street Date:October 6, 2015 Copyright: 2015 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 61167037 (US)/ 61172734 (CDN) Layers: BD-50 Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1 Rating: PG-13 Languages: English DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO 7.1; French DTS Digital Surround 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish and French Run Time: 3 Hours 17 Minutes
Iconic filmmakers and A-list stars attended the 2012 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, Saturday, December 1. The biggest names in Hollywood gathered to celebrate the indelible contributions of honorees D.A. Pennebaker, George Stevens Jr., Hal Needham, and Jeffrey Katzenberg to filmmaking and the world. The guest list included Seth MacFarlane, host of the upcoming 85th Academy Awards ceremony, as well as the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Also on hand were Richard Gere, Amy Adams, Helen Hunt, Bradley Cooper, Will Smith, Ewan McGregor, David O. Russell, Kathryn Bigelow, John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Kristen Stewart, Christopher Nolan and many more.
Writer/director/producer George Lucas (left), Oscar-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (center) and Oscar-winning director/writer/producer Robert Zemeckis.
LINCOLN filmmakers – Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner, Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg and Oscar winning cinematographer Junusz Kaminski.
A video clip kicked off the evening saluting the history of the Academy’s Honorary Award, which was begun in 1948 to honor achievements outside the categories of the existing Oscars. This year, three honorees received Honorary Awards for their work, which ranged from Needham’s death-defying stunts to Pennebaker’s groundbreaking documentaries and Stevens’ landmark film preservation, while Katzenberg was recognized for his trailblazing philanthropic efforts.
The Academy blogged the ceremony live and concluded with, “As the night’s four honorees reunited for a group photo on the stage at the close of the evening, each man’s words continued to resound and providing an inspiring example to future generations of filmmakers and benefactors to come.”
Here’s a glimpse of the awards presentations in these various videos below.
The Governors Awards ceremony was produced by Don Mischer, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Charlie Haykel, and Julianne Hare, and highlights from the evening will also be presented when the recipients appear as part of the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013.
Actress Kristen Stewart and Actress Quvenzhane Wallis.
Oscar®-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (left), Oscar-winning actor Warren Beatty (center) and journalist Tom Brokaw.
Actor Dwight Henry (left), Governors Awards producer Cheryl Boone Isaacs (center) and actress Quvenzhane Wallis.
Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left) and Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper.
Actress Leslie Mann (left), Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner (center) and producer/writer/director Judd Apatow.
Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left), Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (left center), actor Badley Cooper (right center) and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (center).
Oscar®-winning actor Kirk Douglas (left) with wife Anne (right) and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks.
Oscar®-winning actress Annette Bening (left), Honorary Award recipient George Stevens Jr. (center) and actor Richard Gere.
Oscar®-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (left), Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (left center), actor
Édgar Ramírez (right center) and Oscar-winning writer/producer Mark Boal.
Oscar®-nominated actress Amy Adams.
Oscar®-winner Helen Hunt.
Oscar®-nominated actress Jackie Weaver (left), Oscar-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (center) and actor Bradley Cooper.
Actress Emayatzi Corinealdi (left) and actor David Oyelowo.
Oscar®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.
Actor Ewan McGregor.
85th Academy Awards host Seth MacFarlane.
Oscar®-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino.
Oscar®-winning actor Tom Hanks, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oscar®-nominated actor Will Smith.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oscar®-nominated actor Will Smith.
Oscar®-nominated actor John Hawkes.
Oscar®-nominated Director Michael Mann and Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer Christopher Nolan.
Oscar®-winning director/producer John Lasseter (right) and wife Nancy.
85th Academy Awards producers Neil Meron (left) and Craig Zadan.
