Tag: Melanie Griffith

THE DISASTER ARTIST – Review

Ironic that the creator of what many label the ‘worst film of all time’ gets one of the best Hollywood-themed biopics ever made about him (I could have written this in 1994 after seeing ED WOOD). In 2003, writer/director/star Tommy Wiseu’s THE ROOM was released into a single theater in Los Angeles (to qualify for the Oscars). That movie, ostensibly a drama about relationships and love, was a laughingstock; poorly shot, amateurishly acted, horribly written, a general trainwreck, but it attracted an immense, and still-growing, cult following. Fans revel in its insanity at midnight all over (it’s at The Tivoli in St. Louis Dec 15th and 16th). I don’t typically buy into the whole “a film so bad it’s good” concept, and THE ROOM doesn’t really fit that category anyway. Wiseu’s film is so clearly a labor of love, so clearly a passion project that it’s impossible not to find charm in its craziness. Greg Sestero costarred in THE ROOM and wrote the book The Disaster Artist, his account of the making of the film as well as his friendship with Wiseau. I’m pleased to report that THE DISASTER ARTIST, the movie directed by James Franco who stars as Wiseau, is every bit as fascinating and hilarious as I hoped it would be.

THE DISASTER ARTIST gets a lot of mileage out of the fact that nobody knows where Wiseau, this strange dude with his greasy black locks and creepy eurotrash accent, comes from, or where he get his “bottomless pit” of financial funding. THE DISASTER ARTIST is a portrait of a genuinely clueless man with a passion for fulfilling his dream without the talent to do so. It’s told through the eyes of Sestero (played by a likable Dave Franco), a struggling young actor who found himself in the right place at the right time when he first met Wiseau in a San Francisco acting class. The pair moved to Los Angeles where, after finding their acting prospects drying up, they decided to embark on the project of making their own movie. The second half of THE DISASTER ARTIST chronicles the highly calamitous shooting of THE ROOM right up to its crazy premiere. Franco recreates many of the bizarre and incompetent choices that Wiseau made shooting his opus, such as filming his movie on 35mm and digital film simultaneously at ridiculous expense, buying the equipment instead of renting it, building pricey sets for locations he could have used for free, and firing crew members at will. Viewers familiar with THE ROOM will recognize the pathetic football tossing, marvel at how many takes it Tommy needs to remember his lines, and enjoy the cast and crew’s reaction to his creepy, bad-aim lovemaking technique.

Franco, along with screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber could easily have made THE DISASTER ARTIST a mean-spirited jab, but the film mostly avoids easy, patronizing laughs and instead shows the near heroic qualities of this patently untalented artist. That Wiseau never seemed to get wind of his shortcomings is what makes him here so irresistible. Franco delivers his lines with a perfect riff on Wiseau’s accent and off-putting lack of affect, even when screaming “You’re tearing me apart Lisa!” in existential anguish just like his hero James Dean. Both vocally and physically, Franco’s simply astounding, and he’s surrounded himself with a sublime supporting cast. Seth Rogan as Sandy, THE ROOM’s exasperated Director of Photography, is the closest thing THE DISASTER ARTIST has to an audience surrogate, and he gets the film’s biggest laughs as he deals with bizarre demands from Wiseau he doesn’t even understand. Jacki Weaver has some good moments as the confused actress whose breast cancer revelation is dropped for the duration of THE ROOM’s screenplay. Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone, Zac Effron, and Scott Hutcherson all shine in smaller roles. Outrageously entertaining, THE DISASTER ARTIST stands out as one successful outsider’s tribute to a failed kindred spirit and is highly recommended. It’s the funniest film of 2017 and one of the best.

5 of 5 Stars

 

 

STORMY MONDAY Starring Melanie Griffith Available on Blu-ray July 18th From Arrow Video


STORMY MONDAY starring Melanie Griffith will be available on Blu-ray July 18th From Arrow Video

In 1988, Mike Figgis (Internal Affairs, Leaving Las Vegas) made his feature directorial debut with Stormy Monday, a taut, noir-influenced gangster movie that drew on his key formative influences, including his youth in the Newcastle of the late ’50s and early ’60s, and the city’s vibrant jazz scene.

Sean Bean (Ronin) plays Brendan, a young loafer taken under the wing of jazz club owner Finney (Sting, Quadrophenia), who’s under pressure from American mobster Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive) to sell up in exchange for a cut of a local land development deal. Brendan just wants to earn an honest crust, but his burgeoning relationship with Cosmo’s ex-lover Kate (Melanie Griffith, Body Double) threatens to drag him into the middle of the impending showdown…

A romantic crime thriller with genuine heart, Stormy Monday features striking, rain-drenched cinematography by Roger Deakins (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men) and a seductive jazz score provided by the director himself. Presented here for the first time in high definition in the UK, there has never been a better time to discover one of this iconic filmmaker’s most assured and uniquely haunting efforts.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original stereo audio (uncompressed on the Blu-ray Disc)
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Audio commentary with Mike Figgis, moderated by critic Damon Wise
New video appreciation by critic Neil Young, and a “then and now” tour of the film’s Newcastle locations
Theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jacey

SOMETHING WILD June 23rd at Webster University ‘A Tribute to Jonathan Demme’


“You were right. I’m a rebel. I am! I just channeled my rebellion into the mainstream.”


SOMETHING WILD screens Friday, June 23rd at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). This is the fifth film in their ‘Tribute to Jonathan Demme’ The movie starts at 8:00pm.


Director Jonathan Demme’s SOMETHING WILD (1986) more than lives up to its title. This rolicking, road trip melodrama about coincidences and happenstances features a slippery-fingered bohemian babe, a staid businessman, and a psychotic criminal on the lam. Charlie Driggs (Jeff Daniels) neglects to pay his bill one day, and a complete stranger, Lulu (Melanie Griffith) confronts him about it outside of the restaurant. Afterward, Lulu takes the hopelessly conventional Charlie on a wild ride that concludes with her handcuffing him to a bed in a sleazy motel and tearing off his clothes. Impulse prompts them to careen off with Charlie still wearing the cuffs. Eventually, they collide with Lulu’s ex, a sadistic, uninhibited parolee, Ray Sinclair (Ray Liotta) who epitomizes recklessness.


The first half of the action depicts the lunacy of Charlie and Lulu right down to an impromptu meeting with Lulu’s mother, while the second half waxes conventional with Ray and his criminal exploits. Liotta steals the show with an electrifying performance as an unhinged, gun-toting, ex-convict on parole. He is a force to be reckoned with and shows no qualms of giving into his violent urges. Ray makes a hypnotic villain and the confrontation between Charlie and he at the former’s suburban residence will have you screaming for Ray’s death (or maybe Charlies). The thing about SOMETHING WILD is its unpredictable passion. You don’t have any idea where it is going, even when it turns formulaic during its second half. Having Melanie Griffith running around naked the whole movie doesn’t hurt, but even on that note there’s a weird realistic edge to all the sexuality in the film. It’s unbelievably sexy without being dirty, cliché’, or overdone. So revisit this little gem when it screens Friday night at Webster University.


Admission is:

$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$4 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.


Here’s the rest of the line-up for the other films that will be part of the ‘Tribute to Jonathan Demme’:
6/24 – Married to the Mob (1988)
6/30 – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
7/1 –  Philadelphia (1993)

WAMG Talks To AUTOMATA Director Gabe Ibáñez

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AUTOMATA begins with foreshadowing text:

Millions of robots witness the decay of the human civilization.

Millions of robots ruled by two security protocols:

First protocol: prevents the robot from harming any form of
life.

Second protocol: prevents the robot from altering itself or other robots.

This thought provoking science-fiction film tells the story of an insurance agent of ROC robotics corporation who routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.

The film stars Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Melanie Griffith, Dylan McDermott and Robert Forster.

Read Travis Keune’s review HERE.

For fans of the genre, I can’t emphasize enough how much you need to see this stunning film.

In September I spoke with AUTOMATA’s writer/director Gabe Ibáñez. Like Stanley Kubrick, he has a profound understanding of the genre.

For Ibáñez, his own fascination about the theory of technological singularity, and inspired by reading Asimov’s robot novels, compelled him to bring a fresh perspective to life for audiences – one that questioned the very meaning of human existence and our place in evolution.

Ibáñez ‘s work on AUTOMATA reflects an accomplished filmmaker with an authentic style and the ability to capture visually striking and atmospheric imagery. His signature is a mix of technical craftsmanship, imagery and dramatic precision.

In our spoiler-filled conversation, the director spoke on how he wanted to provide the viewer a glimpse of what it might be like if humans found life in machines one day.

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WAMG: Your movie is so vivid and emotional on so many levels. It’s great science-fiction.

Gabe Ibáñez: Oh thank you. It’s nice to hear that.

WAMG: In AUTOMATA, you explore sympathy the robots carry within them and the moral fiber people have lost along the way. The humans are more robotic and the robots more humane.

GI: That’s interesting. The movie gives the robots a moral sense like in classic science fiction books. I love these kind of robots. In our film, the robots have taken on human traits. On the other hand, you have this man, the protagonist, living in a futuristic world where violence is from the humans against other humans, against the robots, and against the environment, so for me it was a very important conflict. I love the science fiction movies from the 1960’s where there were big philosophical themes and conflicts within the story. We tried to do the same with AUTOMATA.

WAMG: The way artificial intelligence is illustrated in your movie feels very realistic and one possible future.

GI:  We tried to make it realistic with the elements of the film. We read news articles about robots and machines who were able to repair themselves. For me it was a very real idea. For it to be realistic was very important, so much so that in the end we decided to create real robots. They are not CGI in the movie.

They were all around the set and the actors were able to interact with them. It was practical to have them there at all times and very important in the end. It was easier for them to work with the actors in all the scenes. In real life, these robots were handled by specialists on set who worked together to tend to the make and design of each model.

In the film, the robots of course are very interesting, spectacular things. But in the end, this movie is about that moment when man left the tree, began working with fire and inventing the wheel, but this time, man is the ape who stayed in the tree, who has fear about fire, and who does not understand how a wheel works.

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WAMG: Your film crew did such an amazing job – the score is beautiful and integral to the movie. How did you choose composer Zacarías M. de la Riva.?

GI:  I worked with him on my first movie, HIERRO. I’m so glad you liked the music. He’s a great composer. With AUTOMATA’s score, we followed the same track as the classic science fiction films of the 60’s, where the music has a very important role. Like in THE PLANET OF THE APES, the music isn’t in the background – it is right in front of you. It’s there to tell the story. Zacarías did that with his score and we’re very happy with the work his did for this movie.

WAMG: The script is very smart and profound. The intimate conversation between the “First one” and  Jacq toward the end of the movie is a touching moment. How long did you work on those emotional elements?

GI: It’s my first script. I wrote the first version in about six months with my writing partners Igor Legarreta and Javier Sánchez Donate. Then we contacted Antonio (Banderas). He then came on the movie as producer. We worked on the final version for about three or four years.

It was a very unique idea in a world you don’t often see. You see a lot of post-apocalyptic films, but rarely do you see sort of this pre-apocalyptic environment where everything is degenerating into chaos.

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Another thing striking about AUTOMATA is the continuity to the theory of evolution in the only female robot, Cleo, who begins to develop a consciousness and curiosity that goes against the android’s second protocol. To underscore Cleo’s human quality, makeup artist Elena Zhekova explained it was important the lead robot have expression and a real sense of life despite being a machine. Even her eyes were meticulously matched to help build up to the emotional connection as the story unfolds.

Q I loved seeing Melanie Griffith in the film. Who decided that she provide the voice of Cleo?

GI: I decided after Antonio proposed the idea. After he read the script, he asked what I thought about having Melanie do the voice of Cleo.  I thought it was a great and unique opportunity, not only to have her in the movie, but as the voice of the robot. She agreed once we asked her. Her human role is a small part, but the robot character is very important. It was very kind of Melanie to do it.

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WAMG: Where on earth was the movie shot – it’s very desolate.

GI: We found several locations in Bulgaria, specifically near Sofia, to shoot the film. Everything is very green. But there are so many desert scenes throughout the movie, so we used CGI for those parts and those parts only. There were many locations Bulgaria offered up including a number of places with mines. When we were not shooting outside, we also used Boyana Film Studio to balance every shot in spite of the unpredictable weather that came with shooting in the spring.

WAMG: In Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, as the HAL-9000 computer is being deactivated, the final thing it says, or sings, is the “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)” song.

Did you intentionally add that song at the end of the credits as a homage to 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY?

GI:  Yes. It’s not only for that movie, but the reason Kubrick used this song in his movie was because it was the first song the computer sang. IBM’s first computer (IBM 7094) played the Daisy song when it was first created. (Video)

WAMG: It’s a brilliant touch!

GI: (laughs) You’re the first person who noticed that. I’m very happy to hear that. It’s something we put there for a reason to make the connection.

WAMG: Thanks to Gabe Ibáñez for taking the time to talk to us!

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The film is rated R for violence, language and some sexual content.

The Behind-the-Scenes artists include ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ (Director of Photography), PATRICK SALVADER (Production Designer), ARMAVENI STOYANOVA (Costume and Jewelry Designer), and SERGIO ROZAS (Audio Visual).

AUTOMATA Opens In LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK and Select Cities as well as VOD
Friday, October 10

Photos: Millennium Entertainment

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AUTÓMATA – The Review

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Robots. Ever since the dawn of science-fiction arose from the industrial revolution, it seemed inevitable that technology would play a major role in the future evolution of mankind. Or, perhaps, as some would suggest, skip evolution all together as human beings become extinct and the fruits of our scientific prowess take over as the top of the Earthly food chain. Wherever we fall on that debate, the ultimate question remains… what will the continued advancement of technology look like and how would humanity fit into the long-term picture?

Writer and director Gabe Ibáñez returns five years after revealing his first feature film HIERRO (2009) with AUTÓMATA. He dips his quill into the rich ink pot that is science-fiction to tackle the difference between man and machine, or the similarities that emerge beneath the blinding veil of fear and hatred. This may sound all too dramatic, but at its core, AUTÓMATA is a story about tolerance and equality. Many films have traveled down this road, all having their own stakes and perspectives and this one is no exception.

The film takes place in a not-so-distant future where society has taken a technological step backwards in time. After years of technological advancement, the planet is now laden with uninhabitable radioactive wastelands, barren deserts incapable of supporting life. Civilization now huddles cramped within ultra-urban cities enclosed within massive protective walls. Robots have taken over virtually every possible facet of service, but now many of them have become the equivalent of stray dogs.

The robots of AUTÓMATA function on two very basic but crucial protocols, the first of which is not to harm any living creature. The second, and ultimately more significant of the two, is the inability to alter in any way themselves or other robots. These two protocols are designed to prevent robots from self-evolving beyond our control and therefor endangering our very existence. The simplicity of the theory is seemingly perfect, but as Ibáñez borrows from JURASSIC PARK’s Dr. Ian Malcom, Dr. Dupre casually explains to Jacq that life will find a way.

Antonio Banderas (THE EXPENDABLES 3) stars as Jacq Vaucan, an insurance agent for ROC Robotics Corporation. When he is tasked with a case involving a robot shot and destroyed by a cop named Wallace, he stumbles upon something that completely rocks his world and sends him down a rabbit hole of discovery that will forever change the definition of life and humanity. Wallace, played by Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story), is a vengeful cop with a seething hatred of robots. His temper and rage blind his judgement and he becomes one of many obstacles in Jacq’s unsanctioned investigation of the possibility that the “second protocol” could be broken. Jacq ventures into the desert outlands and encounters Dr. Dupre, played by Melanie Griffith (DARK TOURIST). From this moment, he has stepped beyond the point of no return and Jacq finds himself fighting to survive while uncovering the truth.

AUTÓMATA is a slowly evolving mystery with alternating moments of reflection and realistically rendered action that evades the exaggeration so often common to the genre. Banderas fully embodies Jacq’s introspective, perhaps even somewhat selfish obsession with finding something else for his life, in whatever form that takes. Initially, he seeks to escape the city with his wife (played by Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) and unborn child, but his focus gradually shifts to finding the truth about the robots. Griffith’s on screen time is short-lived, but her presence carries on as the voice of Cleo, the vaguely female robot formerly tasked as a pleasure bot that accompanies Jacq on his partially involuntary journey deep into the desert. The cast also offers familiarity with Robert Forster as Jacq’s superior and Javier Bardem as the voice of a key robot.

Ibáñez combines a clear inspiration from genre masterpieces with his own unique visual style and philosophical point of view. The unmistakable influence of Ridley Scott’s BLADE RUNNER (1982) is ever present, but never overshadows the film. Instead, this adds an element of admiration as he takes the flavor of Scott’s brilliant film and marries it with a more contemporary sensibility. AUTÓMATA is less film noir and more social commentary. This is a serious, dramatic film that never coddles the audience. There is virtually no comic relief and occasionally asks the viewer to swallow a bit more of a philosophical pill than we’re typically used to choking down, but for this I applaud. The visual style and general tone of the film may also remind viewers of the South African DISTRICT 9 (2009). Finally, if you watch closely and have a fairly keen cinematic vocabulary, there is a pleasantly refreshing influence of Stanley Kubrick on multiple levels to enjoy.

AUTÓMATA has a lot going for it, from stunningly restrained cinematography (Alejandro Martínez) that depicts the plight of Jacq’s world to the fantastic soundtrack, composed by Zacarias M. de la Riva (THE MACHINIST). Some viewers may find the pace ever so slightly on the slow end of entertaining, with a running time of 110 minutes. The ending of the film may also prove more or a stretch than the average viewer will allow, but in this, an open mind and an understanding of the underlying ideas are key to an appreciation of this film.

AUTÓMATA Opens in Theaters and On Demand October 10th, 2014

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Check Out The New AUTOMATA Posters Starring Antonio Banderas

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Here’s a first look at the official posters for AUTOMATA, starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith and Dylan McDermott.

An insurance agent of ROC robotics corporation routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.

Banderas costars in THE EXPENDABLES 3 movie, in theaters this Friday. After 18 years of marriage, he and Griffith announced their separation in June of this year.

Griffith can be seen next in the short film, THIRST. Read IndieWire’s in-depth article about the actress HERE.

Millennium Entertainment will release AUTOMATA in theaters and OnDemand October 10.

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Best of the Bad… ‘Cherry 2000’

‘Cherry 2000’ (1987) was an ambitious and stylistic attempt to capitalize on the ‘Mad Max’ market. The seemingly now-retired Melanie Griffith was at that time pretty hot. She plays Edith “E” Johnson, a female tracker in a rough and rugged man’s profession of for-hire guides that “find stuff” in the lawless desert region called “The Zone”.

“E” is hired by corporate business man Sam Treadwell, played by David Andrews, to locate and secure a replacement chassis for his Cherry 2000 (played by Pamela Gidley). A Cherry 2000 is an extremely life-like robot designed for intimate companionship. Sam saved the chip from his Cherry after it was rendered defunct from improper foreplay on a wet kitchen floor. Zap! Crack! Boom! Water and electricity don’t mix, duh? Sam soon realizes just how rare and valuable his Cherry 2000 was once he goes to see if she can be fixed. The current models are sub par and low-quality, but it’s more than that to Sam. He actually thinks he loves Cherry, even though she’s a robot.

After a short-lived quarrel with “E” and whether she’s capable of handling the task at hand, Sam agrees to hire her when he realizes the male trackers are more likely to steal his Cherry chip for themselves and leave Sam for dead than actually follow through with their end of the bargain. The two unlikely partners set out into “The Zone” on an adventure with several parallels not only to ‘Mad Max’ but also reminiscent to ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘A Boy and His Dog’.

The two rebel searchers roar through “The Zone” in E’s vintage 1960’s red Ford Mustang with over-sized wheels while being chased by Lester, the man in charge and leader of the self-proclaimed authority of Zone 7 where E and Sam must travel to find the new body for his Cherry 2000. Lester is played by b-movie legend Tim Thomerson (Trancers) who adds a lot of fun to this film. Lester is a sensitive but dangerous warlord of sorts who is obsessed with health and fitness. He and his goons wear Hawaiian shirts and stick to a rigorous diet and exercise routine. Anyone who questions him or his methods finds themselves up close and personal with the business end of his six-shooter.

Yeah, that’s Laurence Fishburne playing a futuristic lawyer/pimp at the Glu Glu Club, a night club where men go to arrange intimate business transactions with sexually professional women.

Davis Andrews has a sort of Don Johnson thing going on in ‘Cherry 2000’ which is funny since Griffith had a lengthy relationship with Johnson. With out a second thought, Griffith steals the spotlight in this slightly-cheesy but fun sci-fi cult classic that is an example of a film that does a decent job of borrowing from other films and still feels original.

Legendary character actor and Academy Award-winner (Best Supporting Actor, “The Last Picture Show”) Ben Johnson plays retired tracker and mentor to “E” Six-Fingered Jake. Jake lives in a concrete waterway underneath a dam and cooks rattlesnakes for dinner in his toaster oven. ‘Cherry 2000’ has colorful futuristic sets, vast post-apocalyptic landscapes, big guns, car chases and explosions to boot.

If you can find the DVD, it does have the uncommon presence of a special feature for a DVD released in 2001. The DVD includes a “making of” documentary which is both humorous for it’s 80’s nostalgia and interesting as a look into the making of the movie.

Taglines:

“In the futre, the world has sruvived. Romance has not. Pleasure is strictly business.”

“In The Year 2017, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find. A Cherry 2000 Is Even Harder.”