Happy Birthday to
Ann Blyth
83 today
I wonder what Ann thinks of the HBO "Mildred Pierce" remake and the performance of Evan Rachel Wood as Veda, the role Ann performed in the original 1946 film. Whatever she thinks she's not telling, at least not at the moment, hopefully she'll break her silence with a catty interview, truly in the spirit of Veda.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Ann Blyth
Monday, 15 August 2011
Personal News (15/08/11)
Just one week to go now and rehearsals for Blowing Whistles are going really well, although I freely confess I am utterly exhausted most of the time. Especially if I've been going at it on the second half - essentially 40 pages of arguing with co-star Haydn Holden.
Tickets are selling fast however there are a few left (buy them here) so if you're interested in seeing this frenetic, funny and provocative play examining what it means to be gay in 2011.
I've also recently been cast in another fringe production, Celluloid by Lloyd Eyre-Morgan from Dream Avenue Productions, I urge you to join Dream Avenue on Facebook in order to keep up with events. We've had the first readthrough and it's a great script with a superb cast (most of whom make me feel very very old) and should certainly be worth catching later this year.
Jennifer Lawrence
Happy Birthday to
Jennifer Lawrence
21 today
Bursting onto the scene at last years Sundance with her superb performance in Winter's Bone (right) later earning an Oscar nomination. She's doing well off it to, straight into a supporting X-Men role and next up the Hunger Games. Saying that I'm most looking forward to seeing her in David O. Russell's Silver linings Playbook.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Running (14/08/11)
I ran another half marathon distance today - same as last weekend - I was hoping to make it round just a little quicker than last week however in the end I was 0.08% slower (I know it's marginal but of course that matter when running long distances). That said over the week I had my fastest average yet, breaking my mile record during the park run event yesterday. Only 4 weeks until the Nottingham Robin Hood Marathon...
5 runs
36.3 miles
4 hours 45 minutes
So that's an average speed of 7.64 mph
Halle Berry
Happy Birthday to
Halle Berry
45 today
Ever since her historic best actress Academy Award in 2001 Berry's name has become a byword for the Oscar curse, turning up in preposterous big budget flops and now desperately seeking baity roles (mulitple personality disorders, recovering drug addicts etc.) in order to bring herself back into critical acclaim. That said the role I'm most interested in seeing her in is New Year's Eve the (not-really-a) sequel to Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day and with that shot from the trailer it's looking awfully like a TV medical drama isn't it? Teehee.
Saturday, 13 August 2011
It's not a Google function (Film News - 13/08/11)
As you have probably heard the real world has been a lot more fascinating than movie news here in the UK this week. Indeed at times it's felt like we were in the first reel of a post-apocalyptic tragedy with teenage looters conquering the streets of major cities, including the centre of Manchester where I'm based. Not that it was ever going to last - the rioting was opportunistic criminality with little social and economic reasons for the individual looters. This was not about the poor and dispossessed rising up against an authoritarian corrupt Government (although Prime Minister David Cameron's comments in the House may have convinced you otherwise) nor was there a sense this was about the shooting of Mark Duggan and racism in the Metropolitan police (although that may have been the initial spark by the time the rioting spread it became darker and more self-centred). If any proof were needed of this just remember the most effective weapon against the rioting was a light drizzle of rain on Wednesday night.
Moving back to the point the following stories, which all came out towards the end of the week, were the movie-world points to note.
Terrorist Search Engine
The title alone makes a very definite statement about thee content of this true life expose, although I'm nowhere close to working out why other than the potential internet connect that links Social Network actor Jesse Eisenberg and producer Scott Rudin with The Messenger writer/director Oren Moverman.
Based on a New York Magazine article on the controversial counter-terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann (left - I realise it's not a very flattering picture but the wunderkind does very little publicity), the FBI consultant who made a name for himself in his 20's as a professional witness often stirring up high passions in the courts, scaremongering and on occasions inciting miscarriages of justice. More info on Kohlmann can be found here. He certainly seems like a fascinating man but it's difficult to imagine the adaptation being cinematic with at present very little emotional or story arc to come out of the screen play.
The title, which is ripped from the article, refers to the extensive collection of jihadist materials found on the net. Although I suspect part of the reason for keeping it's internet themed moniker is to remind audiences of Eisenberg's most successful role and hopefully cash in on that kudos (a mild dose of cynicism never hurt anyone.
At the moment Moverman is only down to write this but he may be interested in taking the director's chair, but I for one hope he does so and makes this his next job after the Toronto bow of the much anticipated Rampart, and I'm sure he can wring all the necessary tension out of the story, however slight it appears on paper.
Read on for a date with history, competing cops and the latest casting rumours hitting the web.
11/22/63
Of course I realise that horror meastro Stephen King never really goes out of fashion but I'm sure we've all noticed a mini-resurgence in film studio interest regarding book to screen adaptations. First up was the Lindsay Lohan starring Carrie remake, then a Potter themed The Stand but the most intriguing so far is the news that Jonathan Demme is set to adapt and direct this sci-fi premise which hasn't even been published, see the book cover above. For anyone vaguely familiar with 20th century US history the date of the title was the day JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, and the novel sees our everyman hero transported back to that date and naturally attempt to prevent that crime. Where the plot goes from there is still under wraps but with potential time travel paradoxes aplenty I'm very curious to read and see any movies based on this story. Especially given this looks to keep the horror element light, representing a new direction for the best selling author.
2 Guns
It's been hanging around for a while but I do hope some movement on the complex procedural thriller with a DEA agent and Naval intelligence officer investigating each other for being in bed with the mob whereas they're both trying to work undercover to infiltrate the Mafia. Or somesuch madness. Based on a comic book Universal are now calling it a studio priority, although whether that actually means anything remains to be seen. Look out for a twisty turny thriller coming your way soon.
Casting News
Curious rather than jaw dropping casting stories this week. Heading up the stories is the fantastic cast that have been signing on to Robert Redford's newspaper drama The Company you Keep - joining Shia Labeouf will be up and coming actress Brit Marling, as well as established stars Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon and Richard Jenkins. Meanwhile Mo'Nique has finally chosen her first post-Oscar movie since her superb performance in Precious, it's a bizarre choice with airport-set comedy Bumped which sees a group of strangers getting to know each other whilst waiting for the next flight out of LA - it's like we're seeing the Oscar curse in action.
Mo'Nique celebrates with her little trinket, before she realises the implications to her career.
Quinn Cummings
Happy Birthday to
Quinn Cummings
44 today
The last time I mentioned Quinn Cummings a couple of years ago I was pointed by a reader to her excellent blog: The QC Report. I can highly recommend reading the account by this former child actress of her average surburban lifestyle, with a keen eye for absurdity in the mundane Quinn chronicles the experiences we all have in ways we wouldn't have considered. Her printed collection (Notes from the Underwire) is also necessary reading, get from Amazon here.
Friday, 12 August 2011
Which side are you one? (Out this week - 12/08/12)
For the record I am unlikely to go to the cinema this weekend, busy busy busy with one thing and another and whilst there are three movies that look good enough to spend some dosh on it won't be me that does that. Hopefully my title links in some - admittedly loose - way to each of those releases. If I had to choose, and I suppose I should given the nature of this regular post, the film of the week would have to be Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within.
Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within
The clearest link goes to this pounding Brazilian police procedural which broke box office records in it's home country last year. Dealing with the battle against drugs in the favellas and corruption within the force even the trailer had my heart pumping.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I hope that British Wonderkid Rupert Wyatt, who's been handed the reins on this tentpole release on only his second movie, succeeds in winning the box office battle this week at least. James Franco and Freida Pinto are ostensibly the stars in this origin story but it's Andy Serkis - in full performance capture mode as Ceasar - who's taking the lion's share of the plaudits. John Lithgow also stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
The Salt of Life
None more French comedy about a middle aged (married) man desperately trying to become a philanderer and finding out the hard way that dating is a young mans game.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Beautiful Lies
More French giggles - is it that time of year - with Audrey Tatou reminding us how lovely she is by accidently setting up the local hunk (who has a crush on her) with her lovesick mother.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Devil's Double
Dominic Cooper - that nice one from Mamma Mia! - makes a bid to be considered a serious actor in this Iraqi Gangster movie playing both Uday (Son of Saddam) and his double Latif. Looks interesting enough, however seems to avoid the political and historic context in favour of making a good story.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Aarakshan
Bollywood drama with a really stirring Hindi trailer, which even though I didn't understand the words had a very clear plot regarding the political and cultural pressures on a large school.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Rowthiram
Less effective at marketing itself is this Tamil drama, which I can find no plot synopsis or trailer, but it appears to be a family affair with R.B. Choudary directing his son Jeeva in a major role.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
The Smurfs
The iconic blue figures have done surprisingly well in box office performance over in the States, indeed it appears to be one of the most high profile successes this summer. I just hope it doesn't steal any audiences from the Apes movie.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
The Taqwacores
American indie movie about the Islamic Punk scene, based on the memoirs of a convert, that unfortunately has seen poor reviews take the steam out of a fascinating topic. Maybe a documentary might have worked better.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Martha Hyer
Happy Birthday to
Martha Hyer
87 today
Former classmate of Charlton Heston and Patricia Neal at Northwestern University (what a group eh?) Martha was able to mix casual detachment with deep yearning, best exhibited in her Academy Award nominated role in Some Came Running holding her own against Frank Sinatra and Shirley Maclaine.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Tuesday Trailers - The Debt
Continuing with my quest to highlight trailers for movies no-one else really wants to see, it's John Madden Mossad remake with three agents trying to put right the mistakes they made on a mission 40 years previously with Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain playing the same person as the actions flips back and forth between the two time periods. OK so it looks like by the book thriller territory but admit it you're still a little curious...
The Debt is released on 30 September 2011.
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