Truman Truman Truman

Hello Cine fans....

I have just been to see Infamous, the second of two films about how Truman Capote came to write In Cold Blood. Now I can compare Capote to Infamous whereas most of you cannot. In short, go see it. It has points that are very similar to Capote but a lot of the film is seen from different viewpoints. Toby Jones won't get the Best Actor for his portrayal of Capote (he is still excellent though) but Sandra Bullock should receive recognition for her turn as Nell Harper Lee. A pleasant surprise for me was the performance of Daniel Craig (the new James Bond) as Perry Smith, one of the killers in the book. Infamous alludes to more of romantic relationship between Smith and Capote including a kiss between the two characters. What James Bond is kissing a man???? How can that be? There are some fun cameos from Gwyneth Paltrow (she sings), Isabella Rossellini, Sigourney Weaver, Peter Bogdonavitch, Juliet Stevenson and Hope Davis, including one scene where some of the characters teach the twist to the others. It probably won't stay in the theatres for very long so if you don't go see it, well at least rent it.

Other quick comments:

Little Miss Sunshine: go see it. Excellent cast. There are a couple of scenes that are similar to National Lampoons' Vacation but these are better written. The scene with Rick James' song "Super Freak" is not to be missed.

Hollywoodland: Go see it because Bob Hoskins, Diane Lane and Adrian Brody are terrific. The real reason to see the flick though is for Ben Affleck who is outstanding. He immerses himself in the role and you forget all about Jennifer Lopez.

Pirates of the Caribean 2: It's fun. Not as good as the first but fun nonetheless. Besides it has Johnny Depp in it? What more can you ask?

If you ever get a chance to see Ronny Burkett, the puppeteer, go see him. He is pheonomenal! Plus he's Canadian.

That's it for now... ta ta ...

Scoop, Wordplay and Mel Gibson

Greetings, fellow film lovers...

Sorry I haven't written for awhile.... I hate to confess that I haven't seen any films lately well until last week. The weather was so hot and I was tired .... yadda yadda and I have to get over my phobia of going to films alone... :)

Last week I saw Scoop which is the latest fare by Woody Allen. It stars Allen, Scarlett Johanssen and Hugh Jackman. It is very cute and you could go to the theatre to watch it - it's worth the ticket price. Scoop reminded quite a bit of Mahattan Murder Mystery. Instead of being married to Diane Keaton - Allen plays the psuedo father to Scarlett Johanssen and they really do have excellent chemistry. Hugh Jackman holds his own when he shares a scene with the two of them. All in all it is a great little summer movie.

Next I saw the documentary, "Wordplay" which is all about crossword puzzles. The filmmakers interview Will Shortz who is the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle section. He admits that the best part of his job is reading the letters he is sent by various people either praising or damning his crossword puzzles. Donna and I would have a few nasty words to say to him of that I am sure. Even if you don't like crossword puzzles this is a charming little film. The film itself centers on a crossword competition that is held in Stanford, Connecticut every year that was started by Will Shortz. People all across the US go every year to compete and have done for the past 30 years or so. The film also focuses on some of the top contenders and winners from years past leading up to the competition. Wordplay also interviews famous crossworders (is that a word?) including the Indigo Girls, Ken Burns and Bill Clinton. It is a fun little documentary.

I still want to go see the Pirates of the Caribean Part II and You, Me and Dupree.... there is no hope for me :)

As for Mel Gibson, it would appear that timing is everything when making comments about Jews. It is never a good idea to make anti-Semetic comments when you are the leader of a middle east country or when you are being pulled over for speeding and for being DUI. It is ok to make comments about Jews when you are Woody Allen and are discussing musical instruments. One line of Scoop that was quite entertaining was "What instrument do you play? Oh, I play the Bruce Harp. The Bruce Harp? I've never heard of it. Oh they used to call it a Jew's Harp but you know how those Jews are!"

FYI - a Bruce Harp is one of those instruments that you hold up to your mouth and pluck on the strings - very small - think of those instruments played by hillbillies in those old Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Goodbye Louis B.

As most people know, there is a department in the federal government called the Canadian Radio and Television Commission whose mandate is to ensure that there is enough Canadian content on the airwaves (ironically only tv and radio; not cinema). It has made some controversial decisions including, as an example, declaring that a Bryan Adam's cd did not have enough "Canadian content" to be given more airplay because a number of the musicians et al on the cd were British and not Canadian.

But what about Provincial content? In the Calgary Herald's Entertainment section, we have Nick Lewis and Heath McCoy as well as Bob Clarke and Eugene (?). These gentlemen do not review movies. For that the Herald has Roger Ebert (rarely, but I like Ebert) who hails from Chicago, Ill., Katherine Monk (who writes for the Vancouver Sun) and Jay Stone (who writes for the Ottawa Citizen). Needless to say, none of these people are from Alberta.

One of the few redeeming qualities of the Calgary Sun had was that it had Louis B. Hobson as their main movie reviewer. Fact, Louis lives in Calgary. Another fact, I have met Mr. Hobson and he was very genuine and down to earth. Fact #3, Louis promoted Alberta movies - in fact, he told me that he was surprised that Brokeback Mountain did not win the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture. I didn't always agree with Louis's reviews but I don't always agree with any reviewer.

Unfortunately due to financial problems with the Toronto Sun, the Sun's mother newspaper, Louis was, or will shortly be, laid off. Apparently, the employees of the Toronto Sun are unionized so we in Calgary must pay for Toronto's money problems. It stinks. We are losing our Alberta voice. Pretty soon we will get all our movies reviews from Toronto. What the Calgary Herald should do, if it wants a great marketing idea, is hire Louis Hobson to be its own movie critic.

I just wanted to write this blog to mourn the disappearance of another voice in Alberta newspapers and to thank Louis B. for all of his great reviews and interviews. We have so many talented writers right here in Calgary, we need to read more of them.

The Proposition

I like Westerns. I love how John Ford (Director) could frame a shot using the mountains in the background and the lone countryside down below. While not responsible for the success of actors such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda and James Stewart, Ford certainly enhanced their careers and made them better actors.

John Ford has been dead for over 30 years now and the only person who seems to have followed in his footsteps is Clint Eastwood.

That has changed with a film from Australia from Director, John Hillcoat, and writer, Nick Cave, called the Proposition. The western has evolved over the years. The hero is not always a hero and he certainly doesn't look like he just had a bath and his clothes are clean and freshly pressed. In fact the cinematography for the Proposition is so phenomenal that you as the audience want to swat the flies away from your face. The countryside is stark and dry; you can feel the heat permeate from the screen.

In the Proposition, Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) is forced to choose between his older brother, Arthur (Danny Houston), and his younger brother, Mikey (Richard Wilson) by the local law and order Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone).

Go see the Proposition (except for Lulu because it will be too violent for you). It is a really good film (very violent and gory at times but come on it's a Western). It has a superb cast including the above names as well as Emily Watson and John Hurt. Ray Winstone is a very underrated actor and without him the film would not have the same punch - because you sympathize as much for his character as you do Guy Pearce's character. As I said the cinematography is divine and the script is just the right length.

Keep supporting independent movies... or soon we will only have the Supermans, the Devil Wears Prada, or the DaVinci Code and no other choices.

Boston Legal - A show I love

I admit it. I have never been a Star Trek fan - it doesn't matter what form it has taken: the old ST, Star Trek the New Generation, the movies or even the one with Kate Mulgrew as the commander.

That being said, I have always liked William Shatner (but not the show TJ Hooker, please). I think it first happened when I saw him on some old Columbo movies where he was trying to outwit Peter Falk. Maybe it was his spiel at Just for Laughs where he spoofed "I am a Canadian" but I think he is cool.

I liked Shatner's character (as the has-been emcee) in both Miss Congeniality movies. So finally he has been given a role that he can eat up the scenery with. I am talking about Denny Crane.... when in doubt about what to say Denny Crane simply says his name. Imagine Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on some kind of stimulant and you would have the modern day version in Denny Crane and Alan Shore. Each week the show wraps up with the two of them smoking cigars, sipping scotch and talking - it is great television condensed into a 3 minute scene.

David Kelley (the guy who developed Picket Fences, Ally McBeal and the Practice) has developed this brilliant show which is both a dramatic and comedic showcase (It makes me laugh out loud - which is hard to do when it comes to television or movies). He has chosen a superb cast. Not only does Boston Legal have Shatner, it also has Rene Auberjonois, Candice Bergen, and James Spader. It has also attracted great guest stars such as Betty White, Michael J. Fox, Heather Locklear, Tom Selleck and Freddie Prinze Jr.

I could spend the whole night telling you how great the show is but instead I encourage you to set your vcrs for Tuesday night at 11 pm (if in the Calgary area) on ABC because unfortunately it is not yet available on peasant television or rent the Season 1 dvd which was just released at the end of May.

You know it has to be something special when both Shatner and James Spader have won Emmys for their performances as these characters for the past two years running. (Of course, this might change this year because my other other favourite James Gandolfini will be in the running again in his role as Tony Soprano.)

So please watch this show and help it to keep alive because numbers count and television executives would rather dumb down programs then provide people with intelligent television.

The Lake House

I went and saw the Lake House last week. It is the long awaited onscreen reunion between Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Now, I like both Reeves and Bullock. But there was something wrong with the movie.

I was talking it over with Lulu and she thinks the reason I wasn't over the moon for the flick (the actors were terrific) was because you cannot have a romantic story where the two main characters never see each other and that makes sense. Reeves and Bullock are both tenants in the same house only at different times. Without going into details, they manage to fall in love through correspondence because they never actually meet each other.

Hollywood is again stealing a film idea from a foreign film and remaking it into a English language film. The Lake House is based on a South Korean film called Il Mare (? - I think that's the title).

I have an idea, Sandra Bullock is a producer, why can't she find and develop her own flick starring her and Keanu? Why is Christopher Plummer taking roles where he is the father figure? Does he really need the money? Doesn't he make enough doing voice-overs on commercials?

That being said, the cinematography for the film is delightful - the house is gorgeous but totally unrealistic for living in during the winter months and the guy that Bullock becomes engaged to has the personality of a wet blanket... maybe that was his goal.

Save your money and rent this one. Reeves and Bullock are good in the film as are the actors who are supporting players to Bullock playing her mother and the doctor who mentors her.

If I were David Chase and/or the executives at HBO

Remember when I said there would be a blog on the Sopranos? Well this is a blog about the Sopranos but it isn't that blog.

The Sopranos has just finished part one of its sixth season on HBO. HBO will be showing a further 8 episodes in January 2007. Anyhow, and I haven't seen the last three episodes of this season so this plot idea I have could have happened but I doubt it.

My idea is that HBO should have a contest where the viewer can choose which member of the Soprano family they would have whacked. Of course, they probably have already made the last few episodes but I can make a suggestion can't I?

My choice for a permanent form of whacking would be Paulie Walnuts. Paulie is a made man in Tony's operation.

Paulie is a mysogonist.

He has women he has sex with but he has never had a real relationship with a woman. The closest relationships he has on the show are with his mother and with Tony. He even had problems with his own mother this season when he found out she was not his biological mother ... he was so mad he threw her television set out the window. Like get it together Paulie.

He is incredibly jealous of Christopher. FYI: Christopher would be in my top three to whack after Paulie and Janice Soprano. In the second season when he and Christopher are sent to "take care" of a Russian in the New Jersey woods the two of them totally screw up, lose the Russian and end up spending the night in the woods fighting over a chocolate bar. One time Paulie even was caught sniffing the crotch of Andrianna's thongs (Christopher's girlfriend) - need I say more.

Okay I will. In another season Christopher and Paulie kill a waiter who has the nerve to ask for a bigger tip. Avoid customers like these if you are in the service industry. Most of all, I think Paulie should be whacked because of his hair because it makes him look like a skunk man. Who wants a superhero that looks like a skunk? Ohhhh I am so impressed by skunkman - he could stop his enemies with a squirt from his tail. Anyway, I have rambled long enough about Paulie's shortcomings. Tell me what you think? Who would you whack? and why?

Forget Angelina and Brad

They are just pale imitations of the most passionate couple that ever hooked up on a movie set. That's right kids, I am talking about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Okay, so it was before your time but they will go down in Hollywood history as one of the most scandalous couples ever. Their behaviour was so outrageous on the set of Cleopatra in Rome that they attracted paparazzi from all around the world and this was in the late 1950s. Sound familiar?

Their antics on and off the set almost sent Twentieth Century Fox into bankruptcy with the overrun costs of the movie. Liz was a trail blazer then and she still is now. She was the first actor to receive a million dollar paycheque and it was for - guess what kids? Cleopatra. The story goes that Liz didn't like the Cleopatra script so she thought she would ask for an outrageous sum - like a million bucks never thinking that the studio would go for it but they did and history was made.

Like Angelina, this wasn't Liz's first foray in stealing someone else's man. After the death of her husband Mike Todd, Liz was consoled by Mike's best friend, Eddie Fisher. Eddie was married at the time to Debbie Reynolds and they had two young children (you know Carrie Fisher from the original Star Wars, she's their daughter). As soon as you can say Cleopatra, Eddie had dumped Debbie for Liz and they eventually married in 1958 or 1959. Richard Burton was married with two young children also but that had never stopped him from catting around. Eventually Liz and Dick got divorced from their respective spouses and they married in 1964. They didn't live happily ever after either, they got divorced and then re-married and got divorced again. They were like magnets repelling themselves until sadly Richard died in 1984.

Angelina wasn't the first to adopt an orphan from a foreign country. Elizabeth has also adopted an orphan and she didn't give the child a prententious name like Shiloh. Liz has acted as a spokesperson for AIDS research almost from the beginning after her friend Rock Hudson died from the disease.

Elizabeth Taylor is one of the last of a dying breed. She was raised in the Hollywood studio system. She has worked with some of the best known actors, writers and directors including: Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Montgomery Clift, Tennessee Williams,and George Stevens and Mike Nichols (his latest flick was Closer) to name a few. So, the next time someone says how groundbreaking Brad and Angelina are - remember, they aren't - they are just poor imitations of Liz and Dick.

What's a girl to do?

I hope that this summer will not be an identical twin to last summer. Summer 2005 had crap all for movies if one was not into seeing sequels or other drivel. I cannot remember another summer like it. Oh wait, there was one movie that I was dying to see Dukes of Hazard! Like not....

As we approach the first week of June the only movies coming to town seem to be the big blockbusters which according to George Lucas are dying. See my first blog for details. If anyone has seen any great movies lately, please tell me in the comment section so that I won't have to spend the summer telling you all about the many classic films available in your local Blockbuster or Rogers. (However, I will be talking about some classic films so that was an idle threat). Thankfully there is a new season of the Sopranos which is fantastic. James Gandolfini is simply an amazing actor. But enough of that for now, there will be a Sopranos blog, count on it.

Mea Culpa

In my last blog "Odds and Sods", I inadvertently said that Gavin Rossdale's surname was Bush when in fact that is the name of the band that he is the lead singer for. Am I red? Gavin is married to the lovely Gwen Stefani and according to today's paper, they had a baby boy whom they named Kingston (a British name I believe)James McGregor Rossdale.

Anyhow I humbly apologize for my error (how many blogs do that?) and send my congratulations to the happy couple.

Odds and Sods

Just as he is about to turn 64, Paul McCartney announced that he and his bride Heather Mills McCartney are separating. How sad for them and their sensibly named child, Beatrice Millie aged 2. Of course once his first wife Linda passed away, Paul should have waited for me. However he was selfish and took up with Ms. Mills - oh well third times a charm and since the latest Mrs. McCartney is younger than I am there will be no quibbling about an age difference. I will even allow Stella McCartney to dress me. I have no problem wearing designer wear - my pocket book does but I don't.

If it doesn't work out with Mr. McCartney, I have heard that Mr. Hugh Grant will soon be on the market. Hugh baby, I am waiting. It must be the accent that I am attracted to.

Still dealing with British matters, Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls has given birth to a baby girl. As a sequel to my earlier blog on baby names just when you thought it could not get worse, Ms. Halliwell has named her child Bluebell (that's right, Bluebell) Madonna. The kid doesn't have a hope in hell of not being teased and it will only get worse when the other kids find out her mother was part of the Spice Girls.

Hopefully Bradgelina and Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Bush (could they change the surname?) will not name their child something stupid but I am not holding my breath.

Kinky Boots

You have to love the British film industry. If only the Canadian film industry could make the same sort of films. Of course we could have had a similar film policy to the British, one with quotas on the amount of Canadian content, but being nice Canadians we never developed our policies. However that is for another blog.

Back to British films. This latest charmer, Kinky Boots, has a rather formulaic story line with an ironic twist. Economic times have changed and the family business which has been around for hundreds of years simply doesn't work anymore. So what do you do when your father dies and leaves you his shoe factory which is going under? You have to develop a new product. Movies with similar story lines are Saving Grace (a widow selling pot to save the estate) and Green Fingers (where the cons learn a new way of life with flowers) just to name a couple.

I won't give the plot away but I think you can guess some of the story from the film's promotional poster. What could have been a dreary little film is given life with terrific performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor (who steals the show) and Joel Edgerton.

The film made its North American debut at the Sundance Film Festival where I believe it won the audience's best film award. There are some very funny parts, some sad parts, some predictable parts and it has no nudity and only one swear word.

If you can't see it in the theatre, then buy all means it is a sure bet as a rental.

The Da Vinci Code

Remember when I wrote the blog about the supposed death of the blockbuster. Well, in one week I think the season's first real blockbuster will be opening.

To be fair, I haven't read the Da Vinci Code. I received it as a gift for Christmas (Thank you cc) but havent' read it yet. I was thinking I would go see the film and then read the book because lately I like the book better than the film (when I see books being filmed) and didn't want to ruin the experience of the film for me. But my brand new book club has picked the Da Vinci Code as their new book so I have to hurry up and read it.

The vibes coming from the film promotion seem good. I saw Ron Howard on the Tonight Show talking about the flick. Ron sure has come a long way from Opie and Happy Days, dont' you think? He (Howard) is a masterful filmmaker where the story is the key and he ususally chooses a good cast to support his film vision. Hopefully, the same remains to be true here.

But what is with Tom Hank's haircut? Was Donald Trump's toupee maker not available? Sorry, I just had to say it so I won't be thinking it when I view the film.

Don't worry, I will let you know what I think of Da Vinci after I see it. Happy Mother's Day!

Rosemary's Baby (Polanski, 1968)

With all this talk about new babies being born or soon to arrive (Bradgelina - I am so tired of that story!) it reminded of the great film Rosemary's Baby which was released in 1968. It has a terrific cast starting with Mia Farrow, John Cassavettes and Ruth Gordon who won the Academy Award for her performance. The writing is tight and the cinematography is sublime. While the movie is almost 40 years old, if you are at all into horror movies, this movie is a must. But don't take my word for it, rent it!

Babies, Babies and more Babies

Thank goodness Suri Holmes Cruise has arrived. I was worried that she would never get here because as you know, no one has ever had a baby before - well of course Bradelgina's baby is the only exception. For the past nine months, we have had nothing but media reports telling us in express detail what Katie will be wearing for maternity clothes, how they are going to raise the child in the Church of Scientology and that Tom and Katie won't get married until after the birth as soon as Katie has slimmed down enough to fit in a bazillion dollar wedding gown.

And what of the name Suri? Supposedly it means princess in Hebrew or red rose in Persian. Who knew Tom and Katie spoke Hebrew or Persian for that matter. I am impressed by their multi-lingualism. Actually, if it counts for anything, I like the name Suri. It is short and easy to spell and she will probably not get beat up in a playground because of her name.

At this time, I must mention the irony of ironies. Brooke Shields and her husband had their daughter, Grier (there must be a story behind that name) on the same day and in the same hospital as Suri Cruise was born. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction!

And let us not forget that there already there is a burgeoning male baby population that can woo young Suri in later years. Moses Martin (child of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin) is a definite possibility. What is it with the Hebrew names? Or my personal favourite, Pilot Inspektor, who is Jason Lee's son (My Name is Earl).

If nothing else, entertainers can be entertaining when they name their children. Who can forget: Fifi Trixibelle, Fuzzy Peach (oh wait I made that one up!) Moon Unit and Dweezil Zappa. It is times like these that I would like to take the time to thank my parents for naming me Deborah May and not Apple. So thanks Mum and Dad whereever you may be.

Cheers

Like Who Really Cares?

What is it with celebrities giving interviews to discuss their sex lives? Who cares? I am so tired about hearing about the Desperate Housewives cast and their sex lives. It was bad enough to hear about Teri Hatcher and how she was molested as a child but did she have to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair in skimpy clothing? The final straw was reading about Eva Longoria talking to Allure Magazine about her sex life with her boy toy. If you want to know about her sex life that's your prorogative, buy the magazine but the public have to be inundated with news reports about the article as well?

Let's get back to the articles of old where you would see a celebrity in a pictorial for Life Magazine, with or without their beloved, where you do not have to hear the minutiae of their sex lives. Does that mean that today's celebrity or people in general today have nothing else to talk about besides what they are doing behind closed doors? If that is so, we must do something to change it!

I suggest a consumer revolt. If you know a celebrity is talking about their sex life in an article, don't buy it (if you must read it - look at it in a library) and write a letter to the editor asking them to refrain from publishing such drivel. Maybe that will keep the Melanie Griffiths and the Eva Longorias from opening their mouths on the subject.

Just my opinion!

Favourite Movies?

I am in awe of people who can name their favourite movies. Sure, I have some films that I enjoy and can watch again and again - but how does a person answer the question, "what movies would you take with you if you went to a deserted island?" Apparently I must be fickle as I don't know if I could name 10 movies that I like that much. I don't remember movies necessarily that well. I mean, I might remember a scene but a whole movie/plot not likely. Plus, I think, and hope, that my tastes are constantly evolving (however, I can still watch those Chris Farley movies over and over again or Grumpy/Grumpier Old Men and laugh at them - ohhhh how embarassing to admit!!) I can also watch the James Bond series over and over again (favourite: Goldfinger - how can you not love the name Pussy Galore?).

So rather than name movies themselves, I will name some actors that I like and who usually are in excellent product:

1. Paul Newman
2. Robert Redford
3. James Garner (I know so far they are old guys)
4. Warren Beatty
5. Clive Owen (he's new and YUMMY!)
6. George Clooney ("ditto")
7. Jack Nicholson
8. Meg Ryan
9. Catherine Deneuve
10. Jean Harlow (now she's been dead a really long time)

See, even coming up with names was difficult for me. I had trouble naming actresses I like. Why is that? Is it because there aren't enough good roles for women in film? That could be another blog topic.

So, tell me who you are crazy about or movies you like and if I haven't seen them, maybe I'll check them out.

Is George Lucas Right?

Recently, George Lucas was quoted as saying that the block buster is dead.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/397167p-336664c.html

Is he right? Lucas says that the studios can no longer afford to make $200 million movies like Star Wars and to expect them to do well at the box office. He uses King Kong as an example, because it did not live up to the hype, but surely we all can agree that it and other blockbusters will make up whatever losses at the box office with cable and dvd sales, not to mention sales from the rest of the world market.

Apparently, Steven Spielberg or Tom Cruise do not agree. If you have missed it, Tom Cruise has already begun to publicize his latest cinematic endeavour Mission Impossible III which naturally I would have to boycott if it were not for the fact that 2006 Best Actor Oscar winner, Philip Seymour Hoffman will be co-starring in the flick. There are also stories of a Raiders of the Lost Ark sequel surfacing again - surely we can have one more flick with Harrison Ford using that whip!

Like Lucas, I welcome the return to small, independent films but what do you think? This is my first blog, of what I hope will be many more, so feel free to suggest other topics and or movies that you think are to die for.