Category: Reviews Page 17 of 63

On July 8, 2022

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

James caan High Resolution Stock Photography and Images - Alamy

James Caan ( Dreamstime)

In 1977, Caan rated several of his Top Ten movies: – The Godfather (1972) , Freebie and the Bean (1974), Cinderella Liberty (1973) , The Gambler (1974), Funny Lady (1975), Rollerball (1975), The Killer Elite (1975), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) , Slither (1973), A Bridge Too Far (1977), and Another Man, Another Chance (1977) . He also liked his performances in The Rain People (1969) and Thief (1981). I would add “Misery” and his television lead as Brian Piccolo in “Brian’s Song” to Caan’s own list.

When I heard that tough guy Jimmy Caan—the actor who moved into the Playboy Mansion for a while during a divorce—was dead, I immediately thought of the loss just days ago of another such film stalwart, Ray Liotta. Both were the kind of actors who brought believability to their roles and were much in demand, although, in Caan’s case, he seemed to have a way of shooting himself in the foot by not accepting Oscar-making roles.

There were at least 3 Richard Dreyfuss roles that Jimmy Caan turned down: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “The Good-Bye Girl,” and “What About Bob?” In two of those instances, the lead was in the running for an Oscar. (Caan was nominated only as Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Sonny Corleone in 1972’s “The Godfather.”)

James Caan was often honored by Italian/American groups and commented that he wasn’t even Italian (he was Jewish and his father was a Queens butcher), but that they wouldn’t allow him to turn down the honors. Caan also played football at Michigan State in his youth and attended (but did not graduate from) Hofstra or MSU.

JAMES CAAN AUTOGRAPHED 12X18 MISERY MOVIE POSTER BECKETT BAS STOCK #192596 | eBay

Caan turned down the lead role in “Kramer vs. Kramer” (Dustin Hoffman) and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” a film which swept the Oscars and earned Jack Nicholson an Oscar. When the part was offered to Caan, he said something derogatory about a film that would take place largely within the walls of a mental institution, but he learned his lesson from turning down that Oscar part, later accepting the lead role in 1990’s “Misery,” which was directed by his good friend Rob Reiner.

In various articles James Caan holds out that last role as an offering from Reiner to help Caan out of a deep depression, precipitated by the death of his sister from leukemia at only 38 (she was working for Caan at the time). Caan talked openly about his battle with depression. He also battled a cocaine addiction for a while and, while considered for both the role of Travis Bickle in “Taxi Driver”(1976) and Axel Foley in “Beverley Hills Cop” (1984), there were times when getting him insured was a crap shoot, much like the situation with Robert Downey, Jr., during Downey’s bad years flirting with drug disaster.

After the sixties spent learning his craft and appearing on television shows such as “Dr. Kildare” (1963), “Ben Casey” (1963), “The Untouchables” (1962) and “The Naked City” (1961) Caan broke through in 1972 as Sonny Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” He would make 4 films with Francis Ford Coppola.

Slated to play Michael Corleone in “The Godfather” first, Sonny was the part that cemented James Caan in the public’s consciousness as the hot-headed Italian brother of Michael who dies a grisly death during a toll booth assassination. Once considered for Gene Hackman’s role in “The French Connection” (1971), for Stallone’s role in “Rocky” (1976) and for Ryan O’Neal’s role in 1970’s “Love Story,” James Caan’s 137 credits included a lot of major missed opportunities. One story said that, when offered a role in “Apocalypse Now,” his agent said Jimmy would read it only if guaranteed $1 million. The small role went to Harrison Ford. And then there was the point when Caan discovered, to his dismay, that his money was gone and he was flat broke.

Moving past that set-back, James Caan would end life valued at $20 million, having started out with a $35,000 salary for his storied role in “The Godfather” (1972). He reprised his role, uncredited, in the 1974 “The Godfather II” for the same amount. In 2013, the rough-and-tough James Caan earned $75,000 for a role, an amount which did not appropriately reflect his impact on American cinema.

It seemed incongruous, to me, that, when he died, one obituary mainly mentioned Caan’s role in “Elf” opposite Will Ferrell. That role did earn him $140,000 in residuals but it was far from his most memorable or his best work.

For 9 years this Jewish cowboy from Queens rode on the rodeo circuit, with a clause that allowed him to pass if he was shooting a movie. He once described massive numbers of screws (14 in one spot) and other medical measures, the result of doing many of his own stunts and his own daredevil attitude.

It was this attitude that his many friends commented upon, including his great sense of humor. Along with comments that he was seen being pushed in a wheelchair by one of his sons in 2021 and using a walker when out to dinner in the last year, came the remarks about his appearance at “The Godfather” 50th anniversary celebration. Time, the critics said, had not been kind to Jimmy Caan.

Still, for me, I remember the four-times married James Caan as the very definition of “a man’s man.” His appearance as Brian Piccolo in television’s “Brian’s Song” (1972), or his 1975 appearance in “Rollerball” and “Misery” in 1990 were epic. Less epic was the song-and-dance-man role opposite Bette Midler in “For the Boys” (1991) or his role as Mr. Henry in the indie film “Bottle Rocket” (1996) or as Frank Vitale in “Mickey Blue Eyes” (1999), that last role playing off his role as a Mob guy.

Jimmy Caan was “in” to women and karate and was married four times, producing 5 children. Most of his marriages did not last long, with 5 years being the norm for two of them, but the marriage to Sheila Ryan that produced acting son Scott Caan (“Hawaii Five-Oh”) lasted only from January 12, 1976 to December 7, 1976, which is not even one year. His final marriage commenced in 1995, but was failing and a divorce was in the works when Caan died on July 6th, 2022.

I will not remember Jimmy Caan as the Dad from “Elf.” I will have many much more intense memories of much more memorable films that he gave us during his 137 outings. Thank you for those many memorable films, James Caan.

“Elvis” Features Austin Bishop as Elvis Presley

On June 26, 2022

In Local, Movies, Music, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

Austin Bishop is not a name I was familiar with. From now on, his Elvis will be the best Elvis interpretation ever put onscreen. Bishop has the voice down, the movement down, the look down, and the film was wise in utilizing the real Elvis’ singing—including film of Elvis’ final performance before his untimely death on August 17, 1972 at the age of 42.

I would expect Austin Bishop to be nominated for an Oscar for his capturing the essence of the man often referred to as the King of Rock & Roll. (Of course I thought Chadwick Boseman deserved a nomination for portraying James Brown in “Get On Up,” and that never happened.)I just hope that this talented newcomer does not get stuck playing Elvis for the rest of his life.

Butler and Australian director Baz Luhrmann managed to make a long (2 hrs. 40 min.) tribute to the late great rock & roller that entertains while also glossing over much of the real history behind Elvis’ rise to greatness and his precipitous fall. (See some factual Elvis trivia below).
You know it’s going to be a Baz Luhrmann epic from the moment the overdone credits appear. For Luhrmann, the operative phrase should be changed from “Less is more” to “More is less.” Luhrmann is best known for directing “Moulin Rouge” and “The Great Gatsby.” I go way back to 1992’s “Strictly Ballroom.” This film was the best of all of those and, despite the characteristic overkill, Luhrmann took on a huge story. He tried to tie Elvis’ rise and fall in with the turbulent story of the times, which is a tall order. A lot happened in the fifties and sixties and there are many reminders of those moments in time.

For those too young to have seen Elvis in his prime, this movie is an education. However, the film does veer from the truth along the way.(See some Elvis trivia below) Gone is any mention of Elvis’ many loves. Wikipedia tells us that Elvis and Priscilla Presley became increasingly distant after the 7 and ½ year courtship, including her relocation to Graceland after Elvis met her while serving in the Army in Germany in 1959. She was 14 when they met; he was 24. They married in 1966, although she lived at Graceland with him for nearly 8 years before they tied the knot. They divorced in 1972. Priscilla gave birth to Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ only child, in 1968. Lisa Marie was 4 when her parents split up and 9 when her father died.

The film was shot completely in Queensland, Australia.“Shooting the film completely in Queensland, Australia, called for meticulous recreations, especially when building Graceland. The production team did a huge analysis by visiting the real Memphis estate multiple times, accessing original plans through the Graceland archives, and studying photographs for hours on end. The model was built on what was once a horse paddock, near a flower farm. The initial interior features blue walls and red carpeting. “We were lucky enough to be taken around [Graceland] by the head archivist, Angie, and she took us into the hall closet,” Martin says. “There’s actually a bit of that blue paint extant in the closet, so we were able to take paint chips and match the color.”

This attention to Graceland detail allows us to see the entrance and the formal dining room, although the circular bed in the master bedroom, the hopelessly outdated kitchen and the famous “Jungle Room” do not appear in the film, nor do the outer buildings that were constructed after Elvis first bought the 18-room mansion on March 19, 1957 for $102,500.

Presley and Priscilla filed for divorce on August 18, 1972. They had been married since 1966, but she had spent the years from 1959 to 1966 living at Graceland, which means that their union lasted for roughly 16 years. According to Joe Moscheo of the Imperials, the failure of Presley’s marriage “was a blow from which he never recovered”. At a rare press conference that June, a reporter asked Presley whether he was satisfied with his image. Presley replied, “Well, the image is one thing and the human being another … it’s very hard to live up to an image.” The screenplay has Elvis saying, “I’m so tired of playing Elvis Presley” and, at another point, “Ever since then, I’ve been lost.”

For me, the movie took me back to July 1, 1957, when my sister turned 16. She was having a slumber party. All the girls were upstairs, but I—the unwelcome 4-years-younger little sister—was downstairs watching television when Elvis appeared on television for one of the first times in history. I was mesmerized. Nobody on TV had ever moved around while singing like Elvis Presley. I immediately began shouting for my sister and her sleepover friends to come down and watch this new phenomenon. They ignored me, of course, but it was a first appearance that I never forgot.

Tom Hanks provides the co-star name to bring in the movie crowd. Casting Tom Hanks as the villain has never been the best idea. He played a hit man in “The Road to Perdition.” While Hanks always delivers a fine performance, being the bad guy is not his sweet spot. This particular bad guy, Colonel Tom Parker, is particularly odd, as Hanks plays him decked out in fake padding and utilizing the Dutch accent that Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk (Parker’s real name) would naturally have developed. It was well-known for years that Parker’s lack of a passport and citizenship papers kept Elvis from going on international tours.

Did the Colonel Tom Parker of Elvis’ world speak with such a heavy accent? I have no idea, but it does make one wonder why it took so long for the truth about his lack of citizenship to emerge publicly. We are given a scene in Baz Luhrmann’s film where Elvis fires his longtime manager from onstage during a performance. Did that really happen? No idea.

Luhrmann’s touch—never a light one—is seen everywhere in this over-the-top rags-to-riches interpretation of Elvis Aaron Presley’s life. It’s a rags-to-riches story. One facet drawing praise is the credit given to the Black artists who influenced Elvis’ sound.

Whenever Austin Butler’s Elvis is performing, the resemblance is uncanny. You can’t look away. Butler spent two years prepping for the role and his imitation of Elvis far exceeds that of Kurt Russell, Nicolas Cage, Michael Shannon or others who have attempted to emulate Elvis.
The cinematography by Mandy Walker was good and the costuming by Catherine Martin is Oscar-worthy. Other co-stars (Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley; Helen Thomson as Gladys Presley; Richard Rosburgh as Vernon Presley.) are background wallpaper.

Lisa Marie Presley is featured in an endorsement, saying, “I love this film, and I hope you do, too.”

“The Bear:” Not Riveting Television

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN9Yu9lrssg

On June 23, 2022

In Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

We just watched the premiere of the new series “The Bear.”

The series is set in Chicago and seems almost like a spin-off from the lead’s former role as Lipp (Philip) on “Shameless.” Jeremy Allen-White portrays the lead chef in this story, which is described in the synopsis this way: “A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop.”

First, the good things about the series: 1) The acting (2) The Chicago setting, especially the exterior shots often used in “Shameless” (3) the cast.

Second, the bad things about the series: 1) the scripts by Alex O’Keefe and Christopher Storer, (who also directed) (2) the opportunities for conflict in this restaurant setting (3) the basic interest in a show that is heavy on cooking lingo where at least half the scenes take place within a gritty Chicago corner cafe.

Jeremy Allen-White is as impressive as he was in “Shameless.” He’s good, and I’m sure he will continue to be good. It is difficult to remember that he is not “Lipp” (Philip) Gallagher any longer, but is now Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto. For one thing, the latter name conjures up images of an Italian family. Jeremy, with his piercing blue mesmerizing eyes, looks about as Italian as I do (which is not very Italian). Let’s just say that he made a better Gallagher than he does a Berzatto. Carmy was Michael’s brother, but Richie was his best friend, if I understood the family dynamic properly (it was not totally clear).

Co-star for the series is Ebon Moss-Bachrach. He is apparently Carmy’s cousin, Richie or perhaps just the dead Michael’s best friend. Unclear, like many other things. Richie is used to doing things “the old way” in the restaurant. Carmy wants to improve things. Change is good for Carmy and Sydney, but bad for Richie. Carmy and Richie spend most of the first episode screaming at one another over changes in the menu, how they prepare food and other topics that were about as riveting as whether or not Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reconcile. [In other words: not interested in either of those things, and certainly the decision as to whether or not to scrub spaghetti from the menu is not High Drama in my world.]

Mediator in the family friction is a new hire, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney, the sous chef. She seems way too good for this corner eatery. Part of the manufactured conflict is apparently going to center on Liza Colon-Zayas as Tina, who resents Sydney’s new-found influence and attempts to undermine her at many turns. Somehow, watching a bunch of stewed onions fall on the floor does not qualify as high drama. The visit from the Health Inspector, who gives them a grade of “C” is also not our idea of excitement, but the feeling that this entire endeavor is sort of doomed by debt and other every-day ills made me think about how stressful it is to fill up my gas tank these days. All of the financial shortcomings that Carmy faces do not make for very good escapist fare. In fact, his inability to pay for the foodstuffs necessary to keep the restaurant going was depressingly true to life. Right now, escapism from the realities of inflation and high food prices is on my menu; watching a restaurant go under because of the inflationary pressure we all feel is not.

What is wrong with the scripts?

The language is very “chill” and “trendy.” My husband and I were confused on at least 3 occasions by various terms used, including the use of the word “fire” over and over (to mean good, we think). There were 2 other terms or phrases that we failed to completely understand. We had to figure out the meaning from context (never a good sign.) This did not add to our enjoyment of the plot. It’s as though O’Keefe and Storer want to use the latest slang to show how cool they are. Regular folk like me out here in viewer-land are not as “up” on junior high/highschool/college slang, so, for us, it just left us feeling lost. We felt like we had not been given the secret password or shown the club handshake, but we ended up not caring.

We also failed to see the point in all the “Yes, Chef” terminology. I actually taught many, many culinary arts students. One of them used to bring me tomato bisque soup in my English class, which I appreciated. Somehow, I don’t see all of this “Yes, Chef” and “We need to organize in battalions” stuff as being Real World. Perhaps I am wrong. [I will ask my favorite student Austin Johns if this rings true next time I see him]. I still get taken on tours of various restaurant kitchens in this area by my former students, one of whom, taking me through the kitchen at Bass Street Landing, when I expressed surprise that he remembered me at all, said, “I always remember anyone who made a difference in my life.”

Jeremy Allen-White

There were some murky seeds planted that may yield drama and conflict in the future, but I don’t know if we’ll be watching long enough to find out.

What seeds ?: Why, exactly, did Michael, the brother of Carmy and previous chef at the cafe, commit suicide? Was the envelope on the floor Michael’s suicide note? Who is “Nico?” What is going to happen regarding the $300,000 in loans that veteran actor Oliver Platt, who makes a quick stop in the restaurant( but is not even credited on the cast list) is owed. Are we going to see Oliver Platt again? I would tune in again to see Oliver Platt, but when he isn’t even listed on the cast credits, I’m not sure I’ll be back. Why do we care about the

I appreciate that this was a noble effort. I’m sorry that I’m apparently too backward to become excited about the revelation that Carmy took off mid-day to go to an Al-Anon meeting. I don’t know why Carmy seems to have no life beyond the restaurant. I find the character of “Sugar” under-written and underwhelming.

Moving along, “The Old Man” is getting really exciting. It’s some of the best TV of the year. It makes cooking a hot beef sandwich seem even more mundane, by comparison.

“The Offer” Gives Us the History of the Making of “The Godfather”

On June 21, 2022

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

“The Offer” is the Paramount Plus mini series about the making of “The Godfather.”

The iconic gangster film is over 50 years old, but the stories about the difficulties in making the film have been legendary for years.

Robert Evans became the producer of “The Godfather” movies after the first film hit it big, but Albert Ruddy of Canada was listed as the producer on the first poster and had to solve many problems for the production to go forward. For one thing, Paramount studio chief Robert Evans didn’t want Al Pacino to play Michael Corleone. He wanted Robert Redford.

Also, Frank Sinatra had antagonized the Mafia over the popular book’s film version. He was unhappy thinking that the portrayal of a washed-up mobbed-up singer in the book was based on him. In the film, Vic Damone ultimately played the part.

Giovanni Ribosi plays the part of Mob boss Tony Columbo; it is Columbo whom Al Ruddy has to get in good with, in order to get the approval of the Italian American community to let the film be made. The drama when Columbo is shot and Crazy Joey Gallo takes over at a key momnt in filming is intense.

Miles Teller plays Al Ruddy. He is the central character in this one, whereas he played second fiddle to Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick.” (Still, it is a step up from “Spiderhead,” which was a waste of Teller’s talents).

Colin Hanks portrays Barry Lapidus, a studio executive, and Burn Gorman plays a really-over-the-top Charlie Bludhorne, another bean counter for the studio. It is hard to understand how Bludhorne, the Gulf & Western executive, would ever be placed in the position of authority.

Matthew Goode’s interpretation of Robert Evans made him sound as though he had a perpetual head cold. While Goode looked slightly like the thin, elegantly clad Evans (whose family owned Evan-Picone), he could have resembled Evans more had he been tanner. There are even references to Evans perpetual tan in the script, but Matthew Goode looked normal. Evans also constantly uses the phrase “Booby.” This may be historically accurate, but it was a noticeable affectation.

The film portrays Evans as very upset over third wife Ali McGraw’s leaving him for Steve McQueen (they were making “The Getaway”), but, in real life, Evans was married 7 times and lived to be 89. Evans did have a conviction for dealing cocaine in 1980 (he denied he was a dealer). Evans name came up in connection with what came to be known as the Cotton Club murder, but he was not convicted for that crime.

The production values for the 10-part series are good and there is interesting cinematography, as with the scenes in the last episode supposedly shot at the Academy Awards. (Note all the empty seats behind Teller, which would never happen at the Oscars). Aside from Meredith Garretson, who plays Ali McGraw, the most prominent female rule is filled by Juno Temple (“Killer Joe”) who plays Bettye McCartte.

The look-alike actors in the piece, doppelgangers playing everyone from Robert Redford to Marlon Brando, are generally not very convincing, in terms of their resemblance to the originals. For instance, the Jimmy Caan individual is much too tall and substantial to play Jimmy Caan. Anthony Ippolito is closer to resembling Al Pacino and the Brando actor gets the voice right.

The intricate plot is improved by the shooting that took place in Sicily and the stories that emanated from the original filming are the stuff of legend.

By the 10^th episode, we are told that Al Ruddy does not want to produce the sequels to “The Godfather.” The reason why has to do with his desire to produce “The Longest Yard” with Burt Reynolds. This is saluted as a brave decision, but, in light of the huge success of the first movie, it seems like a very poor lifetime choice, especially since Ruddy’s claim to fame up to that point was only as the producer of “Hogan’s Heroes.” Ruddy did go on to produce “Million Dollar Baby” for and with Clint Eastwood and it was Al Ruddy whom Eastwood contacted when he decided to play the lead in “Cry Macho,” a story that he remembered had been kicking around in Hollywood for a while.

The filmmakers are very fortunate to have both Al Ruddy (age 92) still alive and Al Pacino (among other original cast members) to share their true life stories about filming this iconic film. The director of four of the episodes is Adam Arkin and, generally, the entire 10 episode series is intriguing and entertaining. One does question the comment made at the very end of the series that “The Godfather” is considered the best movie ever made. I know that the films I have heard referenced in tis way include “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “Apocalypse Now.” There is no question that “The Godfather” belongs in the company of those other films, but saying it is THE best film ever made may be a stretch.

Two New Good Hulu Offerings: “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” & “The Old Man”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL2lhM_kDPM

On June 17, 2022

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

We watched Emma Thompson’s tour de force performance in the just-released (on Hulu) story of a middle-aged woman who has never experienced an orgasm and hires a sex worker to meet with her and teach her about sex for pleasure, since her own 31-year marriage, while relatively happy, was not particularly satisfying in the bedroom. She has two children: a “boring” son and a bohemian daughter, both grown.

Much of the discussion of Thompson’s performance in “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” in the “New York Times” was about how she should be able to be nominated for an Oscar, but, because the film went straight to Hulu without a theatrical showing, she is not.

Emma has one scene at film’s end where she is completely starkers and acknowledged that it was the hardest scene she has ever had to play. In fact, the cast (which is mainly Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack as the young gigolo who opens new worlds to the somewhat repressed middle-aged ex-teacher) is great. The part was written especially for Thompson by writer Katy Brand and was directed by Sophie Hyde.

It is a bit slow-moving and looks like it could have been a play (most of the action takes place in a hotel room), but it is well-done.

And, while we’re on the subject of Hulu, be sure to take in Jeff Bridges’ new mini series, “The Old Man.”

Bridges plays a former CIA officer, who’s living off the grid, and finds himself on the run from people who want to kill him. There are two Doberman Pinschers in the cast and Amy Brenneman shows up playing a woman who(m) Bridges rents a home from and to whom he becomes close. There are also some flashback scenes involving the dead wife of the CIA officer and John Lithgow has a relationship with Bridges’ character of Dan Chase.

We’ve only seen two of the episodes, but the dark tone of the mini-series and the non-stop action from “the old man” marks it as one we will return to and enjoy.

“Jurassic Park Dominion” Ends the Series That Began in 1993

On June 11, 2022

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

We journeyed off to see “Jurassic Park Dominion.” First, I re-watched the 1993 original movie, to see if Spielberg’s original, based on Michael Crichton’s novel (and with Crichton assisting on the original script) held up. It did.

Then, we put in 2 hours and 20 minutes watching what I think is the sixth installment in the nearly 30-year-old franchise.

The first thing that surprised both of us was that the focus was not on Chris Pratt, but on Bryce Dallas Howard. That made sense, given the script’s emphasis on the young cloned girl whose mother, Charlotte Lockwood managed to give birth to the child (played by newcomer Isabella Sermon) on her own and also “fixed” the genetic defect in her child that had claimed Charlotte’s own life prematurely. She is now being parented and protected by Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt. It’s all about reuniting mother and daughter after she is snatched because of the intellectual advances studying her would represent.

The second thing that surprised us was that genetically modified locusts are more pivotal to the movie’s plot than the dinosaurs. An evil corporation called BioSyn has bio-engineered the locusts to make them completely lethal to crops that are not planted from BioSyn seeds. The insects are devastating fields from Iowa to Texas. Soon BioSyn will control the world’s food supply. As the screenplay says, “We’re just three meals away from anarchy.”

The third thing that was a surprise: Black characters save everyone. There are 2 major “new” characters, DeWanda Wise as helicopter pilot Kayla Watts, and Mamoudou Athie as good guy Ramsey Cole, who becomes the John Dean of the BioSyn complex, refusing to go along with evil-doing by those in command. There is a line that references “complete system-wide corruption in the executive ranks.” I couldn’t help but feel that this reference had more to do with politics than BioSyn.

Here’s another comment: Campbell Scott, who plays the CEO of BioSyn, Lewis Dodgson, appears to be modeled on the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook. The white hair gives it away. The BioSyn executive denies being solely interested in making money, instead telling the visitors to BioSyn (Laura Dern, Sam Neill) how much good his company plans to do for the world. [Maybe. Maybe not.]

One of the best things about this series that began in 1993 with Steven Spielberg at the helm is that all three of the main characters from the original film are back. By that, I mean Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill as Alan Grant, and Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm. Then, of course, we have Maisie’s adoptive parents, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing.

There are certain lines from the original film that have resonated throughout the past 29 years. One is “Life finds a way,” which, according to a recent late-night appearance by Jeff Goldblum, multiple fans have had tattooed on their bodies.

I decided not to reveal the plot to those who would severely criticize me if I did, but to give you some lines from the film that amused me or made an impression. Here they are:

“We are 3 meals away from anarchy.”

“We’re subordinate to nature. Unfortunate consequences occur in dealing with genetics and nature.”

We must transform human consciousness.”

“It is always darkest before eternal nothingness.” (Snidely, from Jeff Goldblum)

“We should take the time that we have left and, just like we always do, squander it.” (Jeff Goldblum)

“We don’t stop because a little side project went awry.” (Campbell Scott to his underling after the locusts have completely ruined things.)

“That girl is the most valuable intellectual property on the planet.” (Referencing the character Maisie).

“The way the world is headed, it’s hard to look away.”

“It isn’t enough to do nothing.”

“You’re racing towards the extinction of our species and you don’t care.”

“That’s bananas.” (from Jeff Goldblum, in response to the burning locusts scenes, which are spectacular)

“Jurassic World—not a fan.” (spoken sarcastically by Jeff Goldblum).

“We have an understanding, Ramsay, and you do not break that.” (Spoken by the Tim Cook clone, who is grabbing the Barbasol shaving cream can from the original film, which Wayne Knight was using to smuggle dinosaur DNA.)

“The system’s safety system is what is gonna’ kill us.”.

“Forget the hat.” (Laura Dern to Sam Neill at a key moment)

What matters is what we do now.”

“Nobody said there’d be bugs.” (locust scenes; seems like an homage to the snakes line from “Indiana Jones.”)

These lines were scripted by Emily Carmichael and Colin Trevorrow, the film’s director. Trevorrow has been involved with 3 previous “Jurassic” films, in 2016, 2018 and 2021. He was also slated to direct a “Star Wars” movie until Kathleen Kennedy fired him.

The cinematographer for this film is John Schwartzman and Michael Giacchino did the music.

I liked the movie, but, at 2 hours and 20 minutes, it was overlong. There were many fights between dinosaurs (the bigger the better). I felt like I was watching Godzilla versus King Kong. The dinosaurs are amazing, but 2 such fights would have been enough for me.

During the repetitive fight scenes tympany drums were liberally used, the music swelled, and I checked my watch. There are so many dinosaur fights between dinosaurs with names that I would not be able to remember, even if I had tried, that this overview will simply say “many, many kinds of dinosaurs.”

It’s supposed to be the end of the “Jurassic Park” movie series. It’s loaded with messages and references that I think are meant to evoke our attitude toward global warming, Donald J. Trump, and many other topics of the moment, so listen carefully for all of them when you go.

“The Man Who Fell to Earth” Is Spectacular Showtime Series

On June 4, 2022

In Editorial, Local, Movies, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

It is Saturday, June 4th, and I am pondering what late-night viewing I will watch as my spouse slumbers beside me.

Usually, I scroll through the movies, but recently I have been watching “The Man Who Fell to Earth” on Showtime.

They premiered “The Man Who Fell to Earth” at SXSW in Austin and I signed up to go, but they were showing it within the Convention Center. I have learned (the hard way) that getting to and from the Convention Center during SXSW is no day at the beach. They barricade off the area, so a cab is not an option and the last few times I journeyed down there when SXSW was actually underway I had to hire a pedicab guy to make it from the panel I wanted to hear (horror movies from Bloomhouse Pictures) to the Paramount for the afternoon showing.

So, sadly, I missed the SXSW premiere of this new series, led by Jenny Lumet (daughter of Sidney) but I was impressed by her former series that originated with the “Silence of the Lambs” film and agent Clarice Starling. Here is what IMDB tells us about Jenny Lumet: Jenny Lumet was born on February 2, 1967 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Rachel Getting Married (2008), The Mummy (2017) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022). She has been married to Alexander Weinstein since May 2, 2007. They have one child. She was previously married to Bobby Cannavale.

IMDB also gives us this Jenny Lumet quote about writing, in general: “I suppose that there are writers that say, ‘I write what I write and if people get it, great, if they don’t, whatever.’ “But I don’t feel that way. I feel very passionate about making connections with people. I want very much to be heard.”

With “The Man Who Fell to Earth” the writers (Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman) have revamped a movie from 1976 that originally starred David Bowie. I still remember sitting in the darkened theater marveling at how well David Bowie fit the role of an alien.

Here are the actors involved in the series:

Chiwetel Ejiofor

as Faraday

Naomie Harris

as Justin Falls

Annelle Olaleye

as Molly Falls

Clarke Peters

as Josiah Falls

Bill Nighy

as Thomas Newton

Jimmi Simpson

as Spencer Clay

Sonya Cassidy

as Edie Flood

Joana Ribeiro

as Lisa Dominguez

Kate Mulgrew

as Drew Finch

Rob Delaney

as Hatch Flood

As you look over the pictures above, you may know that Chiwetel Ejiofor is better-known to U.S. audiences for his role in “Twelve Years A Slave” where he portrayed Solomon Northrup. He was Oscar-nominated for that role and he is astounding in this role. One of the chief aspects of this visitor from another planet is that he consumes voluminous amounts of water and has encased himself in what he calls “a skin suit” to better blend in and resemble humans.

Naomie Harris was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2017’s “Moonlight,” but has appeared in both “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in 2021 and as Moneypenny in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”

Clarke Peters portrays Jusin Falls’ (Naomie Harris’) father and her daughter is portrayed by Annelle Olalaye. Both are good, but kudos to the leads: Ejiofor and Harris.

Another recognizable face was that of Jimmi Simpson as Spencer Clay. At first, I could not place where I knew him from, until I thought back to his many appearances on “West World” as William from 2016 to 2020.

Bill Nighy as Thomas Newton, the scientist who left behind plans that could save not only a foreign planet but our own planet was also a recognizable actor from his appearance in “Love, Actually.”

This is a thinking man’s series and it helps if you pay close attention to the discussions of theoretical physics and our own world’s chance of being destroyed by the year 2030 by the same sorts of crises that afflict that of our hero, who has journeyed to Earth to try to save his own planet and his own countrymen.

The special effects are, well, special—one could justifiably say “spectacular”—and the acting is great. I look forward to each new episode each night and recommend that you sample it, if you want to find a good new series.

“Top Gun: Maverick” Is Big Winner on Memorial Day Weekend (2022)

On June 1, 2022

In Movies, Music, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

Most of us have heard the news that Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun” sequel, “Maverick” was his first movie to open making $100 million. Delayed for 2 years by the pandemic, the exploits of Captain Pete Mitchell (Cruise) 36 years after the original film debuted has been a welcome post-pandemic outing for many worldwide ($300 million worldwide).

The part that critics have applauded universally is the use of the seriously ill Val Kilmer, the original “Ice Man” in the movie, as a Naval Admiral who has been protecting Mitchell during his career. Once again, we get to see Kilmer and Cruise go head-to-head, bragging about who is the best pilot. It’s a touching scene, and there was a lot of buzz about how much Cruise wanted to work to utilize Kilmer in this sequel, despite the difficulties.
For any who have seen the Val Kilmer documentary about his throat cancer diagnosis, it is sad to see the young Kilmer in his prime, now reduced to being used via texted dialogue. His few “spoken” lines worked out with special help from a sound specialist. (Val uses a mechanical device to speak at all any more). It was a touching scene, indeed, and there was also the inevitable funeral scene, when the Admiral who has been protecting Cruise’s Maverick for all these years is laid to rest.

The scenes for this one were shot in San Diego using the U.S.S. Midway. The sub-text of Goose’s son (Miles Teller) pairing with Cruise in the movie’s climactic scenes plays well, adding conflict. With 95 cast members, there aren’t many of the original cast members invited back. Cruise has obviously led a charmed life when compared to Val Kilmer, and the female leads of the original (Kelley McGillis and Meg Ryan as Goose’s wife and the mother of the toddler who grows up to be Miles Teller’s “Rooster”) are not seen. There is one brief scene at the piano, with the young son of Goose astride the piano listening to his father (Goose was originally played by Anthony Edwards). There were a few old-timers (Skerritt, Tim Robbins, Anthony Edwards) who might have been utilized in the sequel, but the new plot involved Meg Ryan having passed away, but not before making Pete Mitchell promise to keep her son out of the air (which he obviously failed at accomplishing.)

The original film was directed by Tony Scott (“True Romance”) who died in 2012. This time out, the director is Joseph Kosinski, whose last IMDB credit is “Taco Bell: Web of Fries” in 2018. Let’s just say that directing a movie that opened with $127 million in the U.S. and $300 million, world-wide, is probably going to do a lot for his future career.

The original film garnered 4 Oscar nominations, and won for Best Original Song for “Take My Breath Away.” This time out, the song is courtesy of Lady Gaga and the big name on the score is Hans Zimmer (“Gladiator,” “Dune,” “Inception”). Other names on the musical credits include Harold Faltermeyer, who was involved with the original 1986 “Top Gun” and Lorne Balfe, who worked on the 2017 “Lego Batman” movie.

Cinematography for the fantastic aerial scenes was supervised by Claudio Miranda, who is associated with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” The cinematographer for the 1986 film was Jeffrey L. Kimball, who did “Mission Impossible II.”

Jennifer Connolly turned in a nicely understated performance as Cruise’s love interest, Penny Benjamin. Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” has a turn as Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson. Bill Pullman’s son Lewis has a role as Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd, and you can’t help but come away feeling that “the torch has been passed” from Cruise as a matinee idol to the likes of Miles Teller, who was so good in “Whiplash” as the frustrated drummer tortured by J.K. Simmons.

As Tom Cruise himself said, “You just cannot duplicate 27 cameras shooting simultaneously” when critiquing the excellent flight sequences and the terrific cinematography. Yes, you do feel as though you are looking at numbers on dials and gauges a lot and squinting at Tom Cruise’s lined G-stressed face multiple times, but the aerial shots are phenomenal. The actors were put through 5 months of flight training and Miles Teller spent 7 weeks learning to play “Great Balls of Fire” for the piano scene, so the attention to detail showed.

I learned, while reading up on the original film and reviewing it, that the sex scenes between Kelly McGillis and Tom Cruise were inserted later. And, because McGillis had blonde hair in the film but had already dyed it darker for another role, they put her in the elevator with Cruise, wearing a baseball cap with just a few tendrils of hair showing. Also, the actual sex scene was shot in silhouette in a darkened bedroom, again so that her change of hair color would not be noted. The sex scene in this one is mostly a ”they wake up in bed after the deed is done” type of low-key affair, but that doesn’t detract from the film’s overall jingoistic feel good flavor.

Another interesting factoid I read while re-upping my memory of “Top Gun” (1986) was that, after Cruise co-starred with Paul Newman in “The Color of Money,” one of Cruise’s personal heroes, he decided to make “Born on the Fourth of July” as sort of penance for the jingoistic nature of the first “Top Gun,” as Newman was quite the activist and campaigner for any number of progressive causes and this rubbed off on Tom Cruise, post film.

I admit that listening to grown men call themselves “Fanboy” and “Payback” and “Phoenix” was jarring. Of course, “Phoenix” was the call name for the sole female pilot, portrayed by Monica Barbaro as Lt. Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, an actress known formerly for “The Good Cop.” It was nice to see some female empowerment recognized onscreen, 36 years later.

All-in-all. The film is the feel good movie of the season, so far, and eve as new Covid-19 variants sweep the globe (according to the CDC) we all feel that we have been waiting a very long time for a feel good movie with top-notch production values (Paramount). The movie had a $152 million production budget. It shows onscreen.

Two Films at Your Local Cineplex Now