Thanksgiving Parade from TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group, LLC THANKSGIVING
Back in 2007, Quentin Tarantino rounded up some pals for a release called GRINDHOUSE, intended to re-create the experience of going to a drive-in for a schlocky double feature, complete with jingles for the snack bar and fake trailers for other movies. Funny thing about the way that turned out.
The GRINDHOUSE package did fairly well at the box office but the trailers eventually outstripped its performance by a wide margin. Robert Rodriguez’s MACHETE clip turned into two wildly successful (okay, highly successful for most, wildly for me) comedic gore-fests, with a third on the way, and boosting Danny Trejo into the stratosphere of celebrity status. HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (great title, pretty entertaining movie) became a cultish outing for Rutger Hauer. Two other trailers stayed as such – Edgar Wright’s DON’T and Rob Zombie’s WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE S.S. Eli Roth’s THANKSGIVING teaser preview is now the third of the quintet (HOBO wasn’t included in all versions of the GRINDHOUSE release) to spawn features.
In the others, much of what was in the trailers was repeated in the movies. Same for THANKSGIVING, though the original was set in the 1970s, and this one is current. Patrick Dempsey plays the sheriff in this holiday horror/comedy yarn. The family that owns a big box store in Plymouth, Massachusetts, opens its Black Friday sale on Thursday night, causing anger among many, and a mob of customers waiting outside to rush in for the bargains the moment the doors open. When the owner’s (Rick Hoffman) teen daughter Jess (Nell Verlaque) and some of her friends are seen through the glass doors jumping the gun, the crowd goes nuts and storms the store, killing and injuring quite a few of their fellow townsmen while fighting each other for the merch they crave.
Skip ahead a year. The disaster led to multiple lawsuits and claims by the victims, spurring gestures of atonement by the ownership that still left many grudges simmering. The town, as usual, celebrates its Pilgrim heritage with a parade, and many people donning those period costumes, including masks of their first mayor, bearing a fortuitous (for the audience) resemblance to the face covering on the dude from V FOR VENDETTA. Despite the previous disaster, they plan to open on Thanksgiving night again, but with more security in place. Many are displeased. Or worse.
The early social satire about greed, consumerism and Black Friday feeding frenzies soon yields to standard slasher traditions, as a mayorally-masked figure starts killing folks off in a variety of gruesome ways, with the owning family and those young friends primarily targeted. In a mashup of the SCREAM and FINAL DESTINATION franchises, there’s suspense in “who was that masked man?” and delightfully complex and graphic methods for racking up his (or possibly her) body count. The faint of heart should pick another movie.
Roth’s concept unfortunately outpaces its execution. The entire cast consists of all the standard types doing all the standard things in completely unmemorable ways. Some of it seems like an homage; at other times, a grimly amusing genre spoof. Also, most of the proceedings are severely under-lit – presumably to ramp up the foreboding factor, but actually obscuring the action, leaving viewers less sure of who did what to whom in more than a few scenes. Given Roth’s solid horror credentials, including CABIN FEVER and the HOSTEL series, one might reasonably expect a punchier finished product. Despite its shortcomings – including an odd ending – slasher fans will still find about as much carnage as they expected when they bought the tickets. And isn’t that what matters most?
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan. Will the town uncover the killer and survive the holidays…or become guests at his twisted holiday dinner table?
Directed by Eli Roth, THANKSGIVING stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque with Rick Hoffman and Gina Gershon.
Opens in Theaters Friday, November 17th! There Will Be No Leftovers
This film is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for the following reasons: strong bloody horror violence and gore, pervasive language and some sexual material.
Here’s a first look at the upcoming horror movie THANKSGIVING.
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday. Directed by Eli Roth, the film opens in movie theaters November 17. It is based on Roth’s mock trailer of the same name from Grindhouse (2007).
The cast features Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman and Gina Gershon.
Happy Thanksgiving from the whole gang here at We Are Movie Geeks. Hope your day is shared with family and friends and is filled with sleeping in, food, parades, food, naps, more food, football, naps, naps… and plenty of films!
We’ll let you get on with your day with the all-time champ of Thanksgiving movies… PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES.
Happy Thanksgiving from the whole crew here at We Are Movie Geeks. Hope your day is shared with family and friends and is filled with sleeping in, food, parades, food, naps, more food, football, naps, naps… and plenty of films! Enjoy these cartoons from the kids over at Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.
We’ve watched the marching bands and giants balloon characters parade by on TV, we’ve watched college football, we’ve had our fill of turkey and all the trimmings… now, what better than to cuddle up with our loved ones and watch some good, wholesome family favorites on Thanksgiving Day? After all, we need our rest so we can rise and shine before the sun comes up on Black Friday to catch all the sales. So, in honor of the holiday and as a way to give you a jump on your holiday viewing schedule, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite family-friendly movies to watch on Thanksgiving Day.
WIZARD OF OZ
For many years this 1939 masterpiece was truly event television. Before home video and cable TV, the only way to see this (outside of revival movie theatres and colleges), was once a year (usually on CBS). Families would gather around the tube for a chance to visit that magical enchanted land (just think of seeing it on color TV for the first time!). Now that it’s easily available, get the kids away from the electronics and internet and share this film fable full of bright, bouncy songs, funny lovable heroes, and horrible hiss-able villains (those winged monkeys are still creepy, just ask Captain America!). “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” exists this legendary achievement that’s an everlasting entertainment jewel from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
SUPERMAN THE MOVIE (1978)
After a summer cinema season filled to the brim with costumed characters, it’s a great time to introduce your little ones to the original, first superhero (hey, they got that phrase from him!) in 1978’s epic. Sure he had been depicted in live action before (Kirk Alyn in two low-budget movie serials and George Reeves on TV), but here, forty years after his four-color debut, the last son of Krypton finally got the deluxe big screen treatment. And how smart were the producers to go with a relatively unknown actor in the lead? There have been many terrific actors playing comic heroes, but Christopher Reeve is the gold standard. The ads touted, “You’ll believe a man can fly!” The much missed Mr. Reeve made us believe that man of steel had a very human heart.
THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979)
For the current 30-40 something generation, there were few things we looked forward to more than The Muppet Show. So, naturally, when we found out about the first film to feature The Muppets on the big screen, well… we likely had a genuine Beaker moment. THE MUPPET MOVIE was not just a landmark achievement of puppetry, sorry… Muppetry… but it solidified itself forever in the minds of children from that era. THE MUPPET MOVIE is both a literal road movie and also a nostalgic trip down memory lane. If for no other reason, Kermit and Miss Piggy’s duet of “Rainbow Connection” is both timeless and perfect, easily one of the best onscreen musical numbers ever filmed. When you finish devouring the turkey, loosen your belt and kick back with the whole Muppet gang and relish the good ole days.
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949) was a wonderful family adventure movie that is kind of a childlike version of KING KONG but with a happy ending. And that was not a bad thing, as it really is a touching and charming classic with enough action to propel the story forward and enough drama to keep it interesting. The Golden Safari nightclub, where much of the action takes place, is marvelously designed with lions roaming in a glass cage behind the bar, the orchestra playing from a tree hut, a foliage-encased staircase at the entrance, native dancers it’s a fantastic tribute to Hollywood kitsch and brazen showmanship.The special effects by wizard Willis O’Brien, with Ray Harryhausen by his side, are actually superior to KONG’s.
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
Neal (Steve Martin) is just trying to make it home for Thanksgiving with his family. Instead, he ends up on a wild, chaotic ride with Del (John Candy). Once the two meet, their worlds are turned upside down by a series of wild events. This is one of the best pairings in a film that I have ever seen. Martin and Candy are incredible together. If you haven’t seen this film, you need to add it to the top of your list!
INCREDIBLE MR LIMPET
See wimpy Barney Fife get his revenge as a Nazi-hating carp! THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (1964) was a part-animation, part live-action but mostly silly fantasy directed by Arthur Lubin that followed the World War II underwater adventures of a meek clerk (Don Knotts) who, after falling into the ocean and turning into a cartoon fish, helps the Navy clear the Atlantic of Nazi subs. THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET gave the public in the mid-60’s a little escapism, a lot of laughs and a reason to watch animation outside of Disney and it still holds up today as perhaps the most fondly remembered of the Don Knotts features.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
“No man is a failure who has friends.” Before you consider yourself a failure, think long and hard on what would have happened to the people in your life if you weren’t around. That’s the simple but heartfelt conceit around which this holiday favorite, and it makes for some frothy but well-earned schmaltz.
TOY STORY
After all the sequels, tech advances, and follow-up features from other studios, the original computer animated full-length film from all the way back in 1995, has lost none of its considerable charm and heart. The little tykes will love getting to know Woody and Buzz while their parents and grandparents will get nostalgic revisiting old buddies from their childhood like Mr. Potato Head and Slinky Dog. Surprisingly, the first time I saw this in a theatre the adults were laughing more than the kids! This movie spawned two equally wonderful sequels which you can enjoy throughout that long Thanksgiving weekend. This started Pixar’s reign as the family film box offices king and the folks from Emoryville, CA show no signs of stopping.
E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL
Wow, it’s been 30 years since the world fell in love with the waddling alien with the Einstein eyes. This was Steven Spielberg’s biggest box office hit. Perhaps it’s his greatest screen fantasy that is also one of his most personal films. The tots will enjoy the magic of the title hero (the first five minutes of his abandonment on Earth are dialogue free), but the older kids and adults will appreciate the story of Elliott having to deal with his parents’ divorce and yearning for a friend. Everyone will delight in John Williams’s soaring music score (one of his very best!) and the adorable Drew Barrymore as kid sister Gertie (a new member of a celebrated acting dynasty). Look for another fantastic film alien during the big Halloween trick-or-treating scene!
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
A superb Greek Mythology adventure with Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion creatures taking center stage, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS is a masterpiece by any definition of the term. Neglected at the time of release by those who dismissed it as yet another sword and sandal spectacular (a genre popular at the time) JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS has increased in reputation over the years and is now regarded as a bona fide classic. This is because Harryhausen’s creations are filled with personality. When Talos, the bronze titan first turns his head, you can tell that he’s royally ticked off. When the skeletons first rise, there’s this moment when they look at each other as if to say, “Check it out dude, we’re a bunch of badass skeletons”. The effects are more than just effects, they’re characters. That sense of personality was Harryhausen’s gift, and it’s on full display throughout JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, the animator’s finest achievement.
GOONIES
In our opinion, there is never a bad time to watch GOONIES. Mikey and his friends are spending their last weekend together in the “Goon Docks” hunting for a legendary treasure. This movie is filled with booby traps, pirates, and slick shoes. Oh, and if you remember anything this holiday season (especially when the family gets a little crazy), remember “Goonies Never Say Die!”
THE NEW WORLD
Sure, maybe it’s not so much a family film, but it could be given a responsible amount of parental guidance. Instead, let’s call this a valuable entry into the adults’ consideration for Thanksgiving viewing. Terrence Malick’s epic film recounts the basic story of Pocahontas and Captain Smith (Colin Farrell) in a light much closer to reality than that of Disney’s rendition. What’s better than a good love story? How about one that also tackles the more historically accurate back-story of a time and place that led to what we now call Thanksgiving. Oh, its such a downer to think about that on the holiday, you say? Well, suck it up buttercup… that’s the way the world works, but it doesn’t mean we still can’t appreciate and enjoy this fine film, and in turn… be that much more thankful for what we have now. Trust me, they didn’t have it so good back then.
BATMAN (1966)
“Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb.” It’s hard not to love the 1960s slant on Batman, it’s so fun and colorful. The Batman TV series was one of those rare moments when all the elements combined perfectly – casting, writing, set design, music, acting, etc. – and the BATMAN movie, shot between the first two seasons, contained all the same wild nonsense, glorious imagination and sheer appeal of the show. The Batboat, Batcopter, and Batcycle were all created on the budget of this movie, (the Batcycle was completed early and used in several episodes of the first season). While it’s all fine and good to make “darker and more gothic” translations of our comic book icons, the kid in me sometimes just wants to see colorful heroes with silly weapons vying against wacky villains. This is the very essence of the old-school comic book, and while I certainly wouldn’t want all comic adaptations to be this gleefully silly, BATMAN did a picture-perfect job of capturing these heroes in their campy mid-60’s heyday.
DUTCH
“Love and marr-iage… love and marr-age… go to-geth-er like a…” Oh, sorry. Wrong show, but you know where we’re going with that. From 1987 through 1997, actor Ed O’Neill became a household icon for his portrayal of Ed Bundy, the Chicago-suburb dwelling, working class everyman. While it took O’Neill some time to shake off a lot of that persona in the public’s eye, we were fortunate to be blessed with a 1991 feature film called DUTCH. One part PROBLEM CHILD and one part UNCLE BUCK, DUTCH utilizes O’Neill’s sarcastic, average Joe demeanor to make the film yet another popular John Hughes production. Directed by Peter Faiman, DUTCH follows a man’s attempt to befriend his girlfriend’s son when he picks him up from prep school, but he quickly realizes he may have bitten off more than he could chew. You’ve heard of “the battle of the sexes,” well… this one’s the “battle of the ages.” Hilarious, sometimes painful, both characters are flawed, but when they discover how to like each other, few moments in film could be more fitting for Thanksgiving viewing.
SCROOGE (1970)
“Father Christmas,” “Thank You Very Much,” and “I Like Life” were all songs heard in the 1970 musical version of the Charles Dickens classic holiday tale, with Albert Finney starring in the title role as Ebenezer Scrooge. While this version may not be widely appreciated, mostly due to it being infused with 11 songs, it’s still a lovely version you can watch with the whole family. The film also features Alec Guiness, Edith Evans and Kenneth More as the 3 Christmas Ghosts of Past, Present and Future. Nominated for four Academy Awards, Finney rightly won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy. However, Guinness didn’t get a kick out of doing this movie. It actually required much more time than he expected – with the need of wires and a harness for his floating character – he ended up with a double-hernia that required surgery to repair.
HANNAH AND HER SISTERS
Let’s play a little game. Two thing that don’t typically go together… and, go: Thanksgiving and Woody Allen. Good job! But, wait… there’s always an exception. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986) puts Woody Allen on the Thanksgiving map, exposing the holiday to his trademark style of adult-oriented sex and death obsessed neurotic humor. The story takes place between two Thanksgivings, where Hannah’s (Mia Farrow) hubby falls head over heels for her sister Lee (Barbara Hershey) while her ex-husband finds renewed love with her sister Holly (Dianne Wiest). As usual, tempers flare and nothing works out like a storybook romance, but we have so much fun in the process. The talented ensemble cast also includes Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Lewis Black and Carrie Fisher.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Over-brimming with maddeningly catchy songs that deal with all manner of sugary nonsense, this perennial family classic is probably the lightest movie ever to involve Nazis. In its time, it unseated GONE WITH THE WIND as the highest-grossing film ever, although it was loathed by the critics. Pauline Kael said that, “we have been turned into emotional and aesthetic imbeciles when we hear ourselves humming the sickly, goody-goody songs.”
GRUMPY OLD MEN
GRUMPY OLD MEN… need we say more? I mean, old people fighting is funny, right? If that doesn’t sell the movie, than putting Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau back on the big screen together should do the trick. Not only was this a monumental comedic milestone, but it was a marvelously jaded and bitter good time. One could say this is what Statler and Waldorf are like when not heckling The Muppets, instead heckling each other. John (Jack Lemon) and Max (Walter Matthau) are two elderly men who have been life-long rivaling neighbors since childhood, which means we get to watch two old farts make each others’ lives Hell for an hour and 40 minutes. Who says a good grudge can’t be entertaining?
CURLY SUE
CURLY SUE not only stole to help keep her stomach full, she stole the hearts of audiences around the globe in 1991 as the lead character in the last film of John Hughes directing career. James Belushi aides in the laughter as Bill, Curly Sues caretaker. This heartwarming tale reminds us to be thankful for what we have, and also that not every John Hughes movie follows the same formula.
ALICE’S RESTAURANT
Perhaps the most unconventional choice for Thanksgiving… we’ll make this one short and sweet: ALICE’S RESTAURANT, directed by Arthur Penn, is folk icon Arlo Guthrie’s classic story song adapted into a feature-length film. If we need say more, then — given the theme of this list — you surely know what to do.
As America prepares for the holiday on Thursday, the film LINCOLN wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving. It’s the must-see film of the year. Read Jim Batts review HERE.
Go behind-the-scenes of the movie Lincoln with this exclusive sneak using iBook Author! See how a crucial time in America’s history was recreated and brought to the screen with beautiful photos, art, interviews, music, and more. Available for now for free download for the iPad:http://bit.ly/QbEVRP
In the final four months of Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency, the full measure of the man—his passion and his humanity—came to bear on his defining battle: to plot a forward path for a shattered nation, against overwhelming odds and extreme public and personal pressure.
Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN provides an intimate immersion into the American leader’s most perilous and revealing moments, at a time when the dark shadow of slavery lifts and a country torn by war must be made whole.
A rich human drama plays out as Lincoln doubles down to end the devastating Civil War not merely by ending the war but by fighting to pass the 13th Amendment, permanently abolishing slavery. It will be an act of true national daring. He will have to call upon all the skill, courage and moral fortitude for which he’ll become legend. He will grapple with the impact of his actions on the world and on those he loves. But what lies in the balance is what always mattered most to Lincoln: to compel the American people, and those in his government of opposite persuasions, to alter course and aim higher, toward a greater good for all mankind.
Brought to life via a layered screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, Spielberg’s starkly human storytelling and the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis leading an accomplished cast, the film invites audiences directly into the heart and soul of Lincoln’s final achievements. The Lincoln who emerges is a man of raw paradoxes: funny and solemn, a playful storyteller and fierce power broker, a shrewd commander and a vulnerable father. But in his nation’s darkest hour, when the times demand the very best of people, he reaches from within himself for something powerful and everlasting.
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN is produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The DreamWorks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox film, in association with Participant Media, is in theaters now.
The Muppets and WAMG wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! If you haven’t started your turkey yet, The Swedish Chef is here with some tips for the perfect bird.
Say what you will about the films he has come up with, you have to respect Eli Roth’s love for the craft. As reported in The Hollywood Reporter, he is currently developing/working on three, different projects, all of them in more than just the “idea” phase.
First up is ‘Thanksgiving,’ which has been gestating ever since Roth directed the faux trailer for ‘Grindhouse.’ Roth is currently penning the screenplay for a full version of the film, a concept Robert Rodriguez has already turned to with ‘Machete.’ Roth plans to direct, produce, and possibly star in the film.
However, that’s not what is next up for Roth. He said at the Morelia International Film Festival on Monday that he has finished work on a sci-fi screenplay titled ‘Endangered Species.’ This would mark his return to the director’s chair after a number of years acting and producing.
Also in development for Roth is ‘The Man With the Iron Fist,’ a martial arts film that is being developed with the RZA.
Says Roth about his new projects:
I haven’t been this excited since the first ‘Hostel.’ I had to divorce myself from the (‘Hostel’) project 100% to free up my brain for other things.
We here at the site told you the Top 10 Movies each of us are thankful for. But were you wondering what the cast of Stuck Like Chuck is thankful for this year? Of course you weren’t, but I made a video that tells you anyway. Enjoy!
