"The Mask of Zorro" is now 25 years old, though you might not know by watching it. Director Martin Campbell's 1998 film is a sexy, high-octane swashbuckler that, along with filmmaker Stephen Sommers' remake of "The Mummy," was likely responsible for the bisexual awakening of an entire generation in the late '90s. Leads Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones certainly light up the screen as newbie Zorro-in-training, Alejandro, and his predecessor's daughter, Elena, whether they're cutting a rug across the dance floor or mixing swordplay with flirtation. Then there's the breathtaking practical stunts and set pieces, which Campbell stages with the utmost elegance in collaboration with his cast and crew -- not least of all his longtime director of photography Phil Méheux, who imbues the film with a visual grandiosity befitting of a Western epic.
More than anything, it's the film's practical approach that keeps it feeling timeless. Campbell, who had...
More than anything, it's the film's practical approach that keeps it feeling timeless. Campbell, who had...
- 8/6/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Los Angeles, March 13 (Ians) The Oscar for Achievement in Cinematography was awarded to James Friend for his outstanding work in ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’.
The award was presented by ‘Creed 3’ actor-director Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors.
Other nominees in the category included Darius Khondji Mandy Walker (‘Elvis’), Roger Deakins (‘Empire of Light’) and Florian Hoffmeister (‘Tar’).
James Friend, who is a certified electrician, started his career as a lighting technician at the age of 16. He Studied Cinematography at the London Film School and Was mentored by Paul Wheeler Bsc and Phil Meheux Bsc.
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is a German-language epic anti-war film based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. The film, which is set during World War 1, follows the life of an idealistic young German soldier named Paul Baumer.
The 95th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, are...
The award was presented by ‘Creed 3’ actor-director Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors.
Other nominees in the category included Darius Khondji Mandy Walker (‘Elvis’), Roger Deakins (‘Empire of Light’) and Florian Hoffmeister (‘Tar’).
James Friend, who is a certified electrician, started his career as a lighting technician at the age of 16. He Studied Cinematography at the London Film School and Was mentored by Paul Wheeler Bsc and Phil Meheux Bsc.
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is a German-language epic anti-war film based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. The film, which is set during World War 1, follows the life of an idealistic young German soldier named Paul Baumer.
The 95th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, are...
- 3/13/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Stars: Martin Delaney, Josef Altin, Ben Turner | Written by Tommy Draper, Simon Pearce | Directed by Simon Pearce
Alex Trent (Martin Delaney) is a young British Police Officer and is part of a task force that has been sent into a rundown building smack dab in the middle of Civil Riots that are dividing our fair nation. The mission is a man, they are there to capture Elijah (Ben Turner) but shortly after arriving Trent is chased down and separated from the team. Soon after he bumps into Amir (Josef Altin) who on of the face of things wants to help but can Trent put aside his personal prejudice and trust Amir or is Amir exactly the sort of person he was sent in to get.
Officer Down is a perfect 18-minute snapshot of the British social conscious. Whether it’s how people are being portrayed in mass media or a...
Alex Trent (Martin Delaney) is a young British Police Officer and is part of a task force that has been sent into a rundown building smack dab in the middle of Civil Riots that are dividing our fair nation. The mission is a man, they are there to capture Elijah (Ben Turner) but shortly after arriving Trent is chased down and separated from the team. Soon after he bumps into Amir (Josef Altin) who on of the face of things wants to help but can Trent put aside his personal prejudice and trust Amir or is Amir exactly the sort of person he was sent in to get.
Officer Down is a perfect 18-minute snapshot of the British social conscious. Whether it’s how people are being portrayed in mass media or a...
- 12/1/2020
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
Retitled from The Honorary Consul and sold in America with one of Paramount’s sleaziest ad campaigns, John MacKenzie and Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of a Graham Greene novel features a fine Michael Caine performance, but prefers to stress sex scenes between star Richard Gere and Elpidia Carrillo. Just call it ‘Lust in the Argentine Littoral’ — but performed in English.
Beyond the Limit (The Honorary Consul)
Der Honorarkonsul
Blu-ray
1983 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date January 10, 2019 / Available through Amazon.de / Eur 14,99
Starring: Michael Caine, Richard Gere, Bob Hoskins, Elpidia Carrillo, Joaquim de Almeida, A Martinez, Stephanie Cotsirilos, Domingo Ambriz, Geoffrey Palmer, Jorge Russek, Erika Carlsson, George Belanger.
Cinematography: Phil Meheux
Film Editor: Stuart Baird
Original Music: Stanley Myers
Written by Christopher Hampton from the novel by Graham Greene
Produced by Norma Heyman
Directed by John Mackenzie
Director John Mackenzie, fresh off his marvelous gift to the gangster film The Long Good Friday,...
Beyond the Limit (The Honorary Consul)
Der Honorarkonsul
Blu-ray
1983 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date January 10, 2019 / Available through Amazon.de / Eur 14,99
Starring: Michael Caine, Richard Gere, Bob Hoskins, Elpidia Carrillo, Joaquim de Almeida, A Martinez, Stephanie Cotsirilos, Domingo Ambriz, Geoffrey Palmer, Jorge Russek, Erika Carlsson, George Belanger.
Cinematography: Phil Meheux
Film Editor: Stuart Baird
Original Music: Stanley Myers
Written by Christopher Hampton from the novel by Graham Greene
Produced by Norma Heyman
Directed by John Mackenzie
Director John Mackenzie, fresh off his marvelous gift to the gangster film The Long Good Friday,...
- 2/5/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Cary Fukunaga and Daniel Craig have found an exciting new addition for Bond 25: Cinematographer Linus Sandgren. The Swedish Dp will join Fukunaga behind the camera for the next 007 adventure, which will be Sandgren’s first James Bond movie and one of his biggest studio projects to date. IndieWire confirmed the hiring with Sandgren himself.
Sandgren is best known for his collaborations with Damien Chazelle. The 46-year-old Dp won the Oscar for Best Cinematography at the 89th Academy Awards for his work on the musical “La La Land,” and he’s expected to be back in the race again next year with his work on Chazelle’s astronaut drama “First Man.”
Other notable films shot by Sandgren include David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” and “Joy,” Gus Van Sant’s “Promised Land,” and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ “Battle of the Sexes.” The cinematographer’s last release was Disney...
Sandgren is best known for his collaborations with Damien Chazelle. The 46-year-old Dp won the Oscar for Best Cinematography at the 89th Academy Awards for his work on the musical “La La Land,” and he’s expected to be back in the race again next year with his work on Chazelle’s astronaut drama “First Man.”
Other notable films shot by Sandgren include David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” and “Joy,” Gus Van Sant’s “Promised Land,” and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ “Battle of the Sexes.” The cinematographer’s last release was Disney...
- 12/7/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
There are few things that bring joy to this young writer’s eyes than the monthly “wacky drawing” found in the Criterion Collection newsletter. Be it the small pieces hinting at a single pending release, or the one found in each New Year’s letter that leaves nerds searching for answers for the subsequent 12 months, these are exciting little puzzles that leave social media a buzz. And that’s ostensibly what happened once again, this time with some interesting twists.
Earlier this week Criterion sent out their newsletter with a drawing of two women playing a game of tennis, with the score tied at love-love. Now, some have seen this as a hint towards a pending release of the great Milos Forman picture Loves of a Blonde, but the more enticing possibility and the one that seems to be a better fit, Ken Russell’s Women In Love has a particular wrinkle worthy of note.
Earlier this week Criterion sent out their newsletter with a drawing of two women playing a game of tennis, with the score tied at love-love. Now, some have seen this as a hint towards a pending release of the great Milos Forman picture Loves of a Blonde, but the more enticing possibility and the one that seems to be a better fit, Ken Russell’s Women In Love has a particular wrinkle worthy of note.
- 12/2/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Though released nearly four decades ago, the impact of British director Alan Clarke’s stripped-down, visually matter-of-fact-yet-enrapturing “prison” drama Scum can still be felt in ripples throughout modern cinema, from the dirt-caked musings of the excellent Starred Up, to the philosophical discussion posed between a beaten Bobby Sands and stubborn priest in Steve McQueen’s Hunger. Shrouded in controversy upon its release, Scum has sat for years under the sort of “banned film” title that lends to a certain morbid fascination, which itself overlooks potential (or inherent) cinematic value. But Scum lives up to its title to this day, its manic energy balanced with an assured and naked openness that creates a searing level of realism and, as such, savagery.
Scum is set in a juvenile-offender institution that is more akin to youthful hell than a chance at redemption for its sordid inmates, who struggle, fall, and brawl in the...
Scum is set in a juvenile-offender institution that is more akin to youthful hell than a chance at redemption for its sordid inmates, who struggle, fall, and brawl in the...
- 6/14/2017
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Throughout the supplements on Arrow’s new (rather impressive) Blu-ray edition of this landmark gangster film, nearly everyone involved speaks of their collective desire to simply make the best film they possibly could, and in many ways, The Long Good Friday is just about the most natural result of that pursuit. Nothing goes unaccounted for, the characters are all richly drawn, the narrative drive is forceful without overwhelming a chance for reflection, and there’s just enough of a mystery to the whole thing to keep the audience hooked. The satisfaction that can come from such a well-rounded, expertly-delivered film can sometimes, however, be diminished by the sheer contentedness of the thing. Life is unwieldy, unpredictable, and sometimes incomprehensible, and films that ignore those qualities in the pursuit of “perfection” can feel closed-off.
Indeed, most of The Long Good Friday follows this tendency – Harold Shand’s (Bob Hoskins) is a...
Indeed, most of The Long Good Friday follows this tendency – Harold Shand’s (Bob Hoskins) is a...
- 7/20/2015
- by Scott Nye
- CriterionCast
This special live edition of the Guardian film show – a Membership event – comes from the Prince Charles cinema in London, where our critics review Arnie's comeback, Terminator Genisys, male-stripping soap Magic Mike Xxl, Orson Welles documentary Magician and Amy, the documentary about the late singer Amy Winehouse. Plus, interviews with Amy's director, Asif Kapadia, and cinematographer Phil Méheux, who speaks about the restoration of 1980 crime classic The Long Good Friday Continue reading...
- 7/3/2015
- by Xan Brooks, Peter Bradshaw, Catherine Shoard and Dan Susman
- The Guardian - Film News
A superb script and great turns from Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are the making of John Mackenzie’s classic London gangland thriller
“What I’m looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius – a little bit more than an ’ot dog, know what I mean?” John Mackenzie’s classic British thriller, from a rip-roaring script by Barrie Keeffe, nearly went straight to TV and only ended up in cinemas thanks to the intervention of George Harrison’s HandMade Films. Today it stands as a prophetic classic, as groundbreaking as Get Carter, as quotable as Withnail & I (“Shut up you long streak of paralysed piss”).
Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are magnificent as the lord and lady of their underworld manor, attempting to develop London Docklands in a pre-Canary Wharf world, caught between American investors and Ira bombs. Phil Meheux...
“What I’m looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius – a little bit more than an ’ot dog, know what I mean?” John Mackenzie’s classic British thriller, from a rip-roaring script by Barrie Keeffe, nearly went straight to TV and only ended up in cinemas thanks to the intervention of George Harrison’s HandMade Films. Today it stands as a prophetic classic, as groundbreaking as Get Carter, as quotable as Withnail & I (“Shut up you long streak of paralysed piss”).
Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are magnificent as the lord and lady of their underworld manor, attempting to develop London Docklands in a pre-Canary Wharf world, caught between American investors and Ira bombs. Phil Meheux...
- 6/21/2015
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
A superb script and great turns from Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are the making of John Mackenzie’s classic London gangland thriller
“What I’m looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius – a little bit more than an ’ot dog, know what I mean?” John Mackenzie’s classic British thriller, from a rip-roaring script by Barrie Keeffe, nearly went straight to TV and only ended up in cinemas thanks to the intervention of George Harrison’s HandMade Films. Today it stands as a prophetic classic, as groundbreaking as Get Carter, as quotable as Withnail & I (“Shut up you long streak of paralysed piss”).
Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are magnificent as the lord and lady of their underworld manor, attempting to develop London Docklands in a pre-Canary Wharf world, caught between American investors and Ira bombs. Phil Meheux...
“What I’m looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius – a little bit more than an ’ot dog, know what I mean?” John Mackenzie’s classic British thriller, from a rip-roaring script by Barrie Keeffe, nearly went straight to TV and only ended up in cinemas thanks to the intervention of George Harrison’s HandMade Films. Today it stands as a prophetic classic, as groundbreaking as Get Carter, as quotable as Withnail & I (“Shut up you long streak of paralysed piss”).
Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are magnificent as the lord and lady of their underworld manor, attempting to develop London Docklands in a pre-Canary Wharf world, caught between American investors and Ira bombs. Phil Meheux...
- 6/21/2015
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
The American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) has awarded "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" top honors for cinematography. Emmanuel Lubezki also won the award last year, making him the first back-to-back recipient to date. This is his fourth Asc award after "Children of Men," "The Tree of Life" and "Gravity," all of them in the last eight years. At the upcoming 87th annual Academy Awards, Lubezki may well join a still exclusive club of individuals who have won the Best Cinematography Oscar in two consecutive years. Howard Greene, Leon Shamroy, Winton Hoch and John Toll did it previously. Check out the full list of Asc winners below, nominees here and the rest of the season's offerings at The Circuit. Theatrical Release "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (Emmanuel Lubezki) Episode of a Regular Series "Boardwalk Empire" - "Golden Days for Boys and Girls" (Jonathan Freeman) Television Movie, Miniseries...
- 2/16/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Birdman, Fury and Leviathan among main competition titles; Roland Joffé to preside over main jury.
Alejandro G Ińárritu, Yimou Zhang, Mike Leigh and Jean-Marc Vallée are among the directors with films screening in competition at the 22nd Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
The main competition at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, comprises:
Alejandro G Ińárritu’s Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Yimou Zhang’s Coming Home (Gui lai); China, 2014; Cinematographer: Zhao Xiaoding
Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer; UK, 2014; Cinematographer: Carlos Catalán Alucha
Lech J. Majewski’s Field of Dogs - Onirica (Onirica - Psie pole); Poland, 2014; Cinematographers: Paweł Tybora and Lech J. Majewski
Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body (Obce cialo); Poland, Italy, Russia, 2014; Cinematographer: Piotr Niemyjski
David Ayer’s Fury; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Roman Vasyanov
Tate Taylor’s Get on Up; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt
Łukasz Palkowski’s Gods (Bogowie); Poland, 2014; Cinematographer:...
Alejandro G Ińárritu, Yimou Zhang, Mike Leigh and Jean-Marc Vallée are among the directors with films screening in competition at the 22nd Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
The main competition at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, comprises:
Alejandro G Ińárritu’s Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Yimou Zhang’s Coming Home (Gui lai); China, 2014; Cinematographer: Zhao Xiaoding
Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer; UK, 2014; Cinematographer: Carlos Catalán Alucha
Lech J. Majewski’s Field of Dogs - Onirica (Onirica - Psie pole); Poland, 2014; Cinematographers: Paweł Tybora and Lech J. Majewski
Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body (Obce cialo); Poland, Italy, Russia, 2014; Cinematographer: Piotr Niemyjski
David Ayer’s Fury; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Roman Vasyanov
Tate Taylor’s Get on Up; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt
Łukasz Palkowski’s Gods (Bogowie); Poland, 2014; Cinematographer:...
- 10/31/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Polish film festival sets competition juries; Roland Joffe to preside over main competition.
Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, has set an impressive roster of jurors for its various competition categories.
The Killing Fields director Roland Joffe will preside over the main competition jury, which incldues cinematographers Christian Berger and Manuel Alberto Claro.
Caleb Deschanel has been appointed president of the Polish Films Competition.
The full list of jurors is below.
Main Competition
Roland Joffé – Jury President (director, producer; The Killing Fields, The Mission, Vatel)
Christian Berger (cinematographer; The Piano Teacher, Hidden, The White Ribbon)
Ryszard Bugajski (director, screenwriter; Interrogation, General Nil, The Closed Circuit)
Ryszard Horowitz (photographer)
David Gropman (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Life of Pi)
Arthur Reinhart (cinematographer, producer; Crows, Tristan + Isolde, Venice)
Oliver Stapleton (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Pay It Forward, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark)
Manuel Alberto Claro (cinematographer; Reconstruction, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac...
Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, has set an impressive roster of jurors for its various competition categories.
The Killing Fields director Roland Joffe will preside over the main competition jury, which incldues cinematographers Christian Berger and Manuel Alberto Claro.
Caleb Deschanel has been appointed president of the Polish Films Competition.
The full list of jurors is below.
Main Competition
Roland Joffé – Jury President (director, producer; The Killing Fields, The Mission, Vatel)
Christian Berger (cinematographer; The Piano Teacher, Hidden, The White Ribbon)
Ryszard Bugajski (director, screenwriter; Interrogation, General Nil, The Closed Circuit)
Ryszard Horowitz (photographer)
David Gropman (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Life of Pi)
Arthur Reinhart (cinematographer, producer; Crows, Tristan + Isolde, Venice)
Oliver Stapleton (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Pay It Forward, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark)
Manuel Alberto Claro (cinematographer; Reconstruction, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac...
- 10/31/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
John Bailey, Bill Roe, Phil Méheux and Matthew F Leonetti will receive special awards at the 29th Annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards for Outstanding Achievement on February 15, 2015.
Bailey will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, Roe the Career Achievement in Television Award, Méheux earns the International Award and Leonetti the Presidents Award.
Bailey’s (pictured) credits include Groundhog Day and In The Line Of Fire.
“These four individuals have set the standard for excellence that push us all forward in this industry,” says Asc president Richard Crudo.
“Their artistry and skill reflects in their body of work as well as in their lives and relationships with colleagues. We are proud to honour them.”...
Bailey will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, Roe the Career Achievement in Television Award, Méheux earns the International Award and Leonetti the Presidents Award.
Bailey’s (pictured) credits include Groundhog Day and In The Line Of Fire.
“These four individuals have set the standard for excellence that push us all forward in this industry,” says Asc president Richard Crudo.
“Their artistry and skill reflects in their body of work as well as in their lives and relationships with colleagues. We are proud to honour them.”...
- 9/23/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Derek Meddings creating the miniature satellite bunker set for GoldenEye Above is a shot of the late Derek Meddings (miniature effects supervisor) using flour and cat litter to create the Severnaya satellite bunker miniature set from the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye and below are several more shots from behind-the-scenes and the film's set courtesy of Larry Wright on Twitter, but that shot above and the storyboard below of the skydive sequence from the film's opening are the main reason I wanted to post the rest. amz asin="B009NUV0E8" size="small"Included is the storyboard mentioned, some behind the shot looks at the camera rigs used on Bond's Aston Martin and the Ferrari used during the chase sequence, a promotional shot of the late Desmond Llewelyn as Q with his assortment of gadgets, another of Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan together on the Leavesden set, a shot of the...
- 11/22/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
★★☆☆☆ Released in the late summer of 2011, Raja Gosnell's The Smurfs made an astonishing (and not to be snivelled at) $560 million at the worldwide box office, despite a lukewarm critical response. So, in that respect, The Smurfs 2 (2013) seemed inevitable. And, without doubt, a mere two years later and Belgian comics artist Peyo's little blue fictional creations are back for another cinematic adventure that rehashes the formula that proved so fruitful the first time around. Now a successful magician, the wicked wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) sets his sights on taking over the world, and has created the 'Naughties' to help him.
Trouble is, in order for his plan to be successful, he needs more blue essence. So, he sends Vexy (Christina Ricci), one of the Naughties, to kidnap Smurfette (Katy Perry) and bring her to Paris. Realising what danger Smurfette is in, Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters, in his final...
Trouble is, in order for his plan to be successful, he needs more blue essence. So, he sends Vexy (Christina Ricci), one of the Naughties, to kidnap Smurfette (Katy Perry) and bring her to Paris. Realising what danger Smurfette is in, Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters, in his final...
- 7/31/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Production has begun on Columbia Pictures’ and Sony Pictures Animation’s live-action/computer animated hybrid 3D family comedy The Smurfs® 2, the sequel to the 2011 worldwide hit that took in over $560 million at the worldwide box office.
Returning from the first film for an all-new adventure that takes the Smurfs to Europe are Director Raja Gosnell, Producer Jordan Kerner, Executive Producer Ezra Swerdlow, and stars Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow, Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow, Sofia Vergara as Odile, and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. Brendan Gleeson joins the cast as Patrick Winslow’s stepfather, Victor Doyle. Behind the microphone, as the voices of the Smurfs, all of the principal voice cast members will reprise their roles, including Katy Perry as Smurfette, Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Alan Cumming as Gutsy, Fred Armisen as Brainy, George Lopez as Grouchy and Anton Yelchin as Clumsy; in addition, John Oliver, who took a...
Returning from the first film for an all-new adventure that takes the Smurfs to Europe are Director Raja Gosnell, Producer Jordan Kerner, Executive Producer Ezra Swerdlow, and stars Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow, Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow, Sofia Vergara as Odile, and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. Brendan Gleeson joins the cast as Patrick Winslow’s stepfather, Victor Doyle. Behind the microphone, as the voices of the Smurfs, all of the principal voice cast members will reprise their roles, including Katy Perry as Smurfette, Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Alan Cumming as Gutsy, Fred Armisen as Brainy, George Lopez as Grouchy and Anton Yelchin as Clumsy; in addition, John Oliver, who took a...
- 4/26/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sony Pictures announced soon after the release of the first movie, that they were going to be making a Smurfs sequel...and I died just a little bit inside. Well, Sony has now announced that they've made good on that promise and production on the second film has officially started.
I haven't enjoyed any of the cartoons turned live-action hybrid movies that have come out (Yogi, Chipmunks, and Smurfs). They felt hollow to me and a mere shadow of what made the original cartoons such classics. Part of that is the writing/story, but it's also in the fact that they're taking them out of the cartoon setting and into the 'real' world.
The worse part, for me, is that the damn things keep making a lot of money! So the studios are encouraged to keep pumping them out. Anyway, the press release came out this morning that production had commenced on the film,...
I haven't enjoyed any of the cartoons turned live-action hybrid movies that have come out (Yogi, Chipmunks, and Smurfs). They felt hollow to me and a mere shadow of what made the original cartoons such classics. Part of that is the writing/story, but it's also in the fact that they're taking them out of the cartoon setting and into the 'real' world.
The worse part, for me, is that the damn things keep making a lot of money! So the studios are encouraged to keep pumping them out. Anyway, the press release came out this morning that production had commenced on the film,...
- 4/26/2012
- by feeds@themoviepool.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Film director whose career took him from gritty television plays to Hollywood thrillers
People who talk wistfully of the "golden age of British television drama" are often accused of viewing the past through the rosy lens of nostalgia. But a clear-eyed examination of the era proves that such slots as the BBC's The Wednesday Play (1964-70) and Play for Today (1970-84) were unsurpassed as breeding grounds for talented directors such as John Mackenzie, who has died after a stroke aged 83. Like most of his contemporaries who gained their experience by working in television – Philip Saville, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Ken Loach, Mike Newell, Michael Apted and Mike Leigh – Mackenzie went on to make feature films, notably his superb London-based gangster picture, The Long Good Friday (1980).
The television background trained Mackenzie to work quickly on taut and realistic narratives, within a tight budget and on schedule. One of his first jobs was as...
People who talk wistfully of the "golden age of British television drama" are often accused of viewing the past through the rosy lens of nostalgia. But a clear-eyed examination of the era proves that such slots as the BBC's The Wednesday Play (1964-70) and Play for Today (1970-84) were unsurpassed as breeding grounds for talented directors such as John Mackenzie, who has died after a stroke aged 83. Like most of his contemporaries who gained their experience by working in television – Philip Saville, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Ken Loach, Mike Newell, Michael Apted and Mike Leigh – Mackenzie went on to make feature films, notably his superb London-based gangster picture, The Long Good Friday (1980).
The television background trained Mackenzie to work quickly on taut and realistic narratives, within a tight budget and on schedule. One of his first jobs was as...
- 6/12/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Columbia Pictures have provided us with a new photo from The Smurfs 3D, a full reveal of all the small blue characters in New York City's Central Park. Hit the jump to see the photo in full. Click the image to enlarge. [1] Official Info: Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The film is set for release August 3, 2011. Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria star on camera opposite an all-star voice cast.
- 12/22/2010
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
A few new movie posters have hit the multiplex today, and are online for all the enjoy. Hit the jump to check out the first one-sheets for The Smurfs, Battle: Los Angeles, The Green Hornet, and a better poster for The Fighter. The Smurfs (via: Ropeofsilicon [1]): [2] Official Info: Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The film is set for release August 3, 2011. Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria star on camera opposite an all-star voice cast.
- 12/17/2010
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, Hannah Minghella, president of Sony Pictures Animation and Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures.
Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The film is set for release August 3, 2011.
Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria star on...
Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The film is set for release August 3, 2011.
Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria star on...
- 4/6/2010
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
Even after the studios confirmed the news, a lot of people on the web never actually believed that it was happening... but it is. There is an honest to goodness live action Smurfs movie on the way.
To drive the point home even more, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures put out a press release today confirming that production on the film actually began Today:
“The Smurfs” Begins Production In New York
Hank Azaria Stars As Gargamel; Neil Patrick Harris And Jayma Mays Take Live Action Lead Roles;
Anton Yelchin, Comedy Legend Jonathan Winters, Pop Starlet Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, And George Lopez Are The Voices Of The Smurfs
Culver City, Calif., April 5, 2010 - Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions,...
To drive the point home even more, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures put out a press release today confirming that production on the film actually began Today:
“The Smurfs” Begins Production In New York
Hank Azaria Stars As Gargamel; Neil Patrick Harris And Jayma Mays Take Live Action Lead Roles;
Anton Yelchin, Comedy Legend Jonathan Winters, Pop Starlet Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, And George Lopez Are The Voices Of The Smurfs
Culver City, Calif., April 5, 2010 - Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions,...
- 4/5/2010
- by amcsts@gmail.com
- AMC - Script to Screen
Even after the studios confirmed the news, a lot of people on the web never actually believed that it was happening... but it is. There is an honest to goodness live action Smurfs movie on the way.
To drive the point home even more, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures put out a press release today confirming that production on the film actually began Today:
“The Smurfs” Begins Production In New York
Hank Azaria Stars As Gargamel; Neil Patrick Harris And Jayma Mays Take Live Action Lead Roles;
Anton Yelchin, Comedy Legend Jonathan Winters, Pop Starlet Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, And George Lopez Are The Voices Of The Smurfs
Culver City, Calif., April 5, 2010 - Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions,...
To drive the point home even more, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures put out a press release today confirming that production on the film actually began Today:
“The Smurfs” Begins Production In New York
Hank Azaria Stars As Gargamel; Neil Patrick Harris And Jayma Mays Take Live Action Lead Roles;
Anton Yelchin, Comedy Legend Jonathan Winters, Pop Starlet Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, And George Lopez Are The Voices Of The Smurfs
Culver City, Calif., April 5, 2010 - Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions,...
- 4/5/2010
- by amcsts@gmail.com
- AMC - Script to Screen
What have they done to the "Zorro" movie series? It's turned into "Spy Kids!" Instead of a lone masked champion of justice and freedom, the sequel to Amblin's 1998 "The Mask of Zorro" is now a family act. In "The Legend of Zorro", Antonio Banderas -- the star, of course, of both movie series -- fights the dark forces in 19th century California along with wife Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and 10-year-old son Joaquin (Adrian Alonso). This is not all bad. The Mexican-born youngster is a genuine find, and no red-blooded male will object to the sight of Zeta-Jones in lacy, elaborate 19th century finery, paring and thrusting with a fine sword. But turning "Zorro" into a family movie with domestic squabbles and sitcom situations takes some of the luster off the romantic adventure of Old California.
Nevertheless, under returning director Martin Campbell, action sequences are many and the stars shine as stars are meant to, so Sony could realize a boxoffice take approaching the original's $235.1 million worldwide gross.
In 1850 California, the territory is poised to become the 31st state in the union. A referendum opens the movie, which gives Alejandro de la Vega disguised as Zorro (Banderas) the opportunity to recover a stolen ballot box from the clutches of marauding baddie Jacob McGivens (a sneeringly villainous Nick Chinlund). This is an extended and intricately choreographed series of stunts that sees Zorro take to the air nearly as often as Spider-Man.
Like most of the film's action sequences, Campbell leans heavily on close shots and quick cuts rather than sustained stunt work. Given that his stunt coordinator, animal wrangler and sword master all appear top notch, one can only presume Campbell didn't trust his actors to perform stunts in lengthy takes, which is understandable given the nature of much of the gravity-defying, circuslike gags.
Anyway, the referendum for statehood passes and happy crowds cheer. It really is amusing though to see so many Latino faces celebrating their "freedom" in a gringo-dominated government that will rule to the detriment of Mexican-Americans for another century and a half.
Almost immediately, a highly contrived quarrel between Alejandro and Elena leads to her filing for divorce, the estrangement of Alejandro from his son and comic jealousy that has Alejandro hit the bottle in reaction to the attention paid to his wife by French aristocrat and wine grower Armand (a not very French Rufus Sewell).
A foul plot unfolds soon enough in a story attributed to two teams of writers, in which neither Alejandro nor Elena's divorce attorneys are who they seem and everyone has a secret agenda. This far-fetched scheme concerning an ancient Christian order called the Knights of Aragon feels more like an episode of "The Wild Wild West". It does, however, trigger a succession of fights, rescues, skullduggery and chases that keep the screen excessively busy while pushing the running time well past two hours.
Unfortunately, the hero is made to fight with one hand behind his back -- for the PG rating and an emphasis on family values insist that we never see Zorro do more than hurt the pride of the villains despite their dastardly nature. One stunt has his horse outrun a runaway train, a pretty neat trick considering that the nag drinks more than Lee Marvin's mount in "Cat Ballou" and smokes as well. Must be steroids in his feed.
The heroic troika is the film's major calling card. Banderas exudes macho bravado and self-confidence, while Zeta-Jones combines drop-dead beauty with energetic athleticism. Alonso as Zorro Jr. has all his dad's moves -- though he doesn't realize his dad is Zorro -- and is cute without being cloying. Frankly, he steals the show.
Returning cinematographer Phil Meheux and designer Cecilia Montiel make the most of the location in and around historic Hacienda Gogorron in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, creating an authentic Old California of lavish haciendas, a Gold Rush town, inspiring mission, flowing fabrics, haughty caballeros and sultry senoritas.
THE LEGEND OF ZORRO
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment present an Amblin Entertainment production
Credits:
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenwriters: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Story by: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Producers: Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Lloyd Phillips
Executive producers: Steven Spielberg, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum
Director of photography: Phil Meheux
Production designer: Cecilia Montiel
Music: James Horner
Co-producer: John Gertz
Costumes: Graciela Mazon
Editor: Stuart Baird
Cast:
Don Alejandro de la Vega: Antonio Banderas
Elena: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Joaquin: Adrian Alonso
Armand: Rufus Sewell
Jacob McGivens: Nick Chinlund
Fray Felipe: Julio Oscar Mechoso
Ferroq: Raul Mendez
Cortez: Gustavo Sanchez Parra
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 129 minutes...
Nevertheless, under returning director Martin Campbell, action sequences are many and the stars shine as stars are meant to, so Sony could realize a boxoffice take approaching the original's $235.1 million worldwide gross.
In 1850 California, the territory is poised to become the 31st state in the union. A referendum opens the movie, which gives Alejandro de la Vega disguised as Zorro (Banderas) the opportunity to recover a stolen ballot box from the clutches of marauding baddie Jacob McGivens (a sneeringly villainous Nick Chinlund). This is an extended and intricately choreographed series of stunts that sees Zorro take to the air nearly as often as Spider-Man.
Like most of the film's action sequences, Campbell leans heavily on close shots and quick cuts rather than sustained stunt work. Given that his stunt coordinator, animal wrangler and sword master all appear top notch, one can only presume Campbell didn't trust his actors to perform stunts in lengthy takes, which is understandable given the nature of much of the gravity-defying, circuslike gags.
Anyway, the referendum for statehood passes and happy crowds cheer. It really is amusing though to see so many Latino faces celebrating their "freedom" in a gringo-dominated government that will rule to the detriment of Mexican-Americans for another century and a half.
Almost immediately, a highly contrived quarrel between Alejandro and Elena leads to her filing for divorce, the estrangement of Alejandro from his son and comic jealousy that has Alejandro hit the bottle in reaction to the attention paid to his wife by French aristocrat and wine grower Armand (a not very French Rufus Sewell).
A foul plot unfolds soon enough in a story attributed to two teams of writers, in which neither Alejandro nor Elena's divorce attorneys are who they seem and everyone has a secret agenda. This far-fetched scheme concerning an ancient Christian order called the Knights of Aragon feels more like an episode of "The Wild Wild West". It does, however, trigger a succession of fights, rescues, skullduggery and chases that keep the screen excessively busy while pushing the running time well past two hours.
Unfortunately, the hero is made to fight with one hand behind his back -- for the PG rating and an emphasis on family values insist that we never see Zorro do more than hurt the pride of the villains despite their dastardly nature. One stunt has his horse outrun a runaway train, a pretty neat trick considering that the nag drinks more than Lee Marvin's mount in "Cat Ballou" and smokes as well. Must be steroids in his feed.
The heroic troika is the film's major calling card. Banderas exudes macho bravado and self-confidence, while Zeta-Jones combines drop-dead beauty with energetic athleticism. Alonso as Zorro Jr. has all his dad's moves -- though he doesn't realize his dad is Zorro -- and is cute without being cloying. Frankly, he steals the show.
Returning cinematographer Phil Meheux and designer Cecilia Montiel make the most of the location in and around historic Hacienda Gogorron in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, creating an authentic Old California of lavish haciendas, a Gold Rush town, inspiring mission, flowing fabrics, haughty caballeros and sultry senoritas.
THE LEGEND OF ZORRO
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment present an Amblin Entertainment production
Credits:
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenwriters: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Story by: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Producers: Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Lloyd Phillips
Executive producers: Steven Spielberg, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum
Director of photography: Phil Meheux
Production designer: Cecilia Montiel
Music: James Horner
Co-producer: John Gertz
Costumes: Graciela Mazon
Editor: Stuart Baird
Cast:
Don Alejandro de la Vega: Antonio Banderas
Elena: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Joaquin: Adrian Alonso
Armand: Rufus Sewell
Jacob McGivens: Nick Chinlund
Fray Felipe: Julio Oscar Mechoso
Ferroq: Raul Mendez
Cortez: Gustavo Sanchez Parra
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 129 minutes...
- 11/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opens
October 24
Even assuming the best possible motives by its makers, "Beyond Borders" runs the risk of making human suffering exotic while glamorizing white disaster relief workers in the Third World. By setting a "thrilling romantic adventure," to quote the film's press kit, against the backdrop of humanitarian efforts in war-torn lands, this production unwittingly crosses the line between entertainment and exploitation once too often. The image of an immaculate Angelina Jolie in fresh white linens marching through a filthy Ethiopian refugee camp, clutching a dying black baby, is not going to sit well with many audience members or critics.
Clearly, the filmmakers mean this image to convey a sheltered rich woman's naivete. Yet neither the character nor the film ever seems to lose that naivete: These environments of human greed and horror serve merely to unite our soul-mate heroes -- Jolie's philanthropic socialite and Clive Owen's rugged international disaster relief doctor -- and to dramatize their passion for one another in contrast to the woman's bloodless marriage to a wan London businessman.
Paramount should anticipate no better than average grosses in domestic release.
The film opens at a London benefit ball where a band plays the rock song "Should I Stay or Should I Go", which sums up Sarah Jordan's (Jolie) dilemma. Writer Caspian Tredwell-Owen breaks the story down into three distinct acts covering the years 1984 to 1995. In each segment, Sarah is lured to refugee camps from her pampered life in London by handsome Dr. Nick Callahan (Owen), first to Ethiopia, then Cambodia and finally Chechnya. (The film was shot in Montreal and Quebec Provence, Namibia and Thailand.) She always arrives at a moment of extreme crisis, invariably finds a baby to hold, and after initial suspicion and animosity between the overwhelmed doctor and the inappropriately dressed do-gooder, the two acknowledge their mutual love.
Director Martin Campbell certainly knows how to stage scenes of tense action so each segment features solid moments of high drama. Especially good is one in the killing fields of Cambodia, where Khmer Rouge soldiers draw guns on relief workers while letting a frightened baby play with a live hand grenade.
These sequences are rife with gun smuggling, spies, clandestine love affairs and dramatic escapes. But portraying international relief work as an extension of James Bond-like intrigue with noble heroes and outlandish, easy-to-hate villains oversimplifies the geo-political situations in which groups such as Doctors Without Borders struggle. Had the film focused on one humanitarian disaster rather than opt for a travelogue of world hot spots, "Beyond Borders" perhaps might have shed greater light on the causes and cures for such tragedies.
The movie's mixed intentions throw off both stars. Jolie never fully sheds her Lara Croft persona as a woman of action with nary a hair out of place no matter how violent the action. Owen also poses for the camera too much. Meanwhile, chemistry between these two is nearly zilch. Low-key Noah Emmerich as Owen's partner comes closer to the spirit of true relief work while Yorick van Wageningen makes a convincingly unsavory CIA operative. Stuck unhappily in roles that serve as plot conveniences are Teri Polo as Jolie's journalist-sister and Linus Roache as her clueless husband.
Production values are exceedingly good as cinematographer Phil Meheux and designer Wolf Kroeger transport us to wildly different landscapes of horror, although the Namibian and Thai segments are perhaps too scenic to fully convey that horror. However, Montreal makes a poor substitute for London as its streets never read British.
BEYOND BORDERS
Paramount Pictures
Paramount and Mandalay Pictures present a Camelot Pictures
Credits: Director: Martin Campbell
Writer: Caspian Tredwell-Owen
Producers: Dan Halsted, Lloyd Phillips
Director of photography: Phil Meheux
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: James Horner
Costume designer: Norma Moriceau
Editor: Nicholas Beauman.
Cast:
Sarah Jordan: Angelina Jolie
Nick Callahan: Clive Owen
Charlotte Jordan: Teri Polo
Henry Bauford: Linus Roache
Elliott Hauser: Noah Emmerich
Steiger: Yorick Van Wageningen
Lawrence Bauford: Timothy West
Mrs. Bauford: Kate Trotter
Running time -- 127 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
October 24
Even assuming the best possible motives by its makers, "Beyond Borders" runs the risk of making human suffering exotic while glamorizing white disaster relief workers in the Third World. By setting a "thrilling romantic adventure," to quote the film's press kit, against the backdrop of humanitarian efforts in war-torn lands, this production unwittingly crosses the line between entertainment and exploitation once too often. The image of an immaculate Angelina Jolie in fresh white linens marching through a filthy Ethiopian refugee camp, clutching a dying black baby, is not going to sit well with many audience members or critics.
Clearly, the filmmakers mean this image to convey a sheltered rich woman's naivete. Yet neither the character nor the film ever seems to lose that naivete: These environments of human greed and horror serve merely to unite our soul-mate heroes -- Jolie's philanthropic socialite and Clive Owen's rugged international disaster relief doctor -- and to dramatize their passion for one another in contrast to the woman's bloodless marriage to a wan London businessman.
Paramount should anticipate no better than average grosses in domestic release.
The film opens at a London benefit ball where a band plays the rock song "Should I Stay or Should I Go", which sums up Sarah Jordan's (Jolie) dilemma. Writer Caspian Tredwell-Owen breaks the story down into three distinct acts covering the years 1984 to 1995. In each segment, Sarah is lured to refugee camps from her pampered life in London by handsome Dr. Nick Callahan (Owen), first to Ethiopia, then Cambodia and finally Chechnya. (The film was shot in Montreal and Quebec Provence, Namibia and Thailand.) She always arrives at a moment of extreme crisis, invariably finds a baby to hold, and after initial suspicion and animosity between the overwhelmed doctor and the inappropriately dressed do-gooder, the two acknowledge their mutual love.
Director Martin Campbell certainly knows how to stage scenes of tense action so each segment features solid moments of high drama. Especially good is one in the killing fields of Cambodia, where Khmer Rouge soldiers draw guns on relief workers while letting a frightened baby play with a live hand grenade.
These sequences are rife with gun smuggling, spies, clandestine love affairs and dramatic escapes. But portraying international relief work as an extension of James Bond-like intrigue with noble heroes and outlandish, easy-to-hate villains oversimplifies the geo-political situations in which groups such as Doctors Without Borders struggle. Had the film focused on one humanitarian disaster rather than opt for a travelogue of world hot spots, "Beyond Borders" perhaps might have shed greater light on the causes and cures for such tragedies.
The movie's mixed intentions throw off both stars. Jolie never fully sheds her Lara Croft persona as a woman of action with nary a hair out of place no matter how violent the action. Owen also poses for the camera too much. Meanwhile, chemistry between these two is nearly zilch. Low-key Noah Emmerich as Owen's partner comes closer to the spirit of true relief work while Yorick van Wageningen makes a convincingly unsavory CIA operative. Stuck unhappily in roles that serve as plot conveniences are Teri Polo as Jolie's journalist-sister and Linus Roache as her clueless husband.
Production values are exceedingly good as cinematographer Phil Meheux and designer Wolf Kroeger transport us to wildly different landscapes of horror, although the Namibian and Thai segments are perhaps too scenic to fully convey that horror. However, Montreal makes a poor substitute for London as its streets never read British.
BEYOND BORDERS
Paramount Pictures
Paramount and Mandalay Pictures present a Camelot Pictures
Credits: Director: Martin Campbell
Writer: Caspian Tredwell-Owen
Producers: Dan Halsted, Lloyd Phillips
Director of photography: Phil Meheux
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: James Horner
Costume designer: Norma Moriceau
Editor: Nicholas Beauman.
Cast:
Sarah Jordan: Angelina Jolie
Nick Callahan: Clive Owen
Charlotte Jordan: Teri Polo
Henry Bauford: Linus Roache
Elliott Hauser: Noah Emmerich
Steiger: Yorick Van Wageningen
Lawrence Bauford: Timothy West
Mrs. Bauford: Kate Trotter
Running time -- 127 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Zzzzzzzz is for "Zorro".
Swashbuckling, slapstick, nostalgia, romance -- all set against a political backdrop. Amblin Entertainment's "The Mask of Zorro" has it all, including two Zorros, but its ambition and clear desire to please at all levels ultimately sticks itself.
Sony will undoubtedly fence solid early points with this men-in-black popcorner, but there is, alas, more corn than pop in this return to the thrilling days of legendary heroism, not to mention 1950s television.
Although pleasingly entertaining in segments, it's way too stiff and predictable for adult audiences and, perhaps, way too slow (not to mention gory) for the elementary-school set. Remember whose movie it was that launched the PG-13 rating? Save for those second-graders who yearn for a painstakingly exhaustive portrait of the harsh political realities of a past day and age, it's unlikely to win the hearts of grade schoolers. The moviegoing demographic "Zorro"'s most likely to please? The child-adult.
In this disappointingly cumbersome TriStar presentation, Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas limn the role of the latter-day swordsman who fought Spanish oppression in what is now known as California. In case you're wondering and confused, Hopkins plays Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro, the dashing rogue we all loved from the late '50s TV show, while Banderas is his new protege and successor. Those who relished Hopkins' thrashing, outdoorsman performance in his Bart the Bear movie (we can't recall the title) will relish, in the same vein, his sword-fighting.
As Zorro Emeritus, Hopkins not only imparts the wisdom of his dueling to his newly anointed successor but enhances it with the stentorian solemnity one usually finds only in the House of Commons.
We must, however, commend Hopkins' bravery in attacking the part; unfortunately, it's unlikely that kid viewers might be so charitable, especially since old Zorro's duels take up big swatches of the crucial climax. Indeed, indicative of our wandering attention when elder Zorro is either waxing or dueling away, we tend to look around for John Gielgud to jump in with sharpened blade and enter the fray.
Two words for the narrative: The kind word is "ambitious"; the nasty word is "mess." Suffice it to say there are three credited screenwriters as well as three credited story writers, and "The Mask of Zorro" basks in what appears to be a legal-sized list of "must" suggestions from an assembled story committee.
Fortunately, there's a lot of good stuff, including the mentor-fighter aspects of "The Karate Kid", but unfortunately "Zorro" is so packed with back story and historical exposition and so murkily plotted that one never really finds anyone to root for, including Zorro.
Although Zorro is charming, dashing and wears a zippy costume, we're never quite sure what he's in it for -- revenge, idealism, love of a lady, kicks? Admittedly, it's explained somewhere, but it's done in such a clinical, dry way that Zorro never captures our fancy or our fantasies. We never really root for him, other than in a passive good-guy vs. bad-guy mode. Still, "Zorro" is chock middling full with good old, matinee-movie moments: jumping on speeding horses from windows, swinging from chandeliers, flirting with beautiful women.
As the younger Zorro, Banderas is well-cast. His gleaming smile and elegant athleticism are well-suited for the character's glossy heroics. Newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones steals the show whenever she is on the screen: As Zorro 1's long-lost daughter, she's a comely catch and, natch, causes Zorro the Sequel to drop his swords. However, crankier boomers who loved the TV show and destroyed lots of furniture with their plastic, Piggly Wiggly-bought Zorro swords are going to wonder: Where's Sgt. Garcia, the great slapstick buffoon of the TV series?
Gazing at the credits, we see a Corp. Garcia. Maybe it was the same character before he got his comic stripes. In any event, that's the kind of crabby word-of-mouth "Zorro" is likely to cut among us old folks. Supporting players seem to be well-chosen, but under Martin Campbell's competent but painstakingly measured hand, the supporting characters are not very juicy, just common flavorings.
As one would expect from Amblin, the technical contributions are first-rate and stirringly realized. Cinematographer Phil Meheux's landscape compositions are picture-postcard proper, while costumer Graciela Mazon's clothing colorations bloom with character particulars. Composer James Horner's rousing horns give a thrilling, old-style tone to the movie, eloquently trumpeting its best intentions and traditions.
THE MASK OF ZORRO
Sony Pictures Releasing
TriStar Pictures
An Amblin Entertainment production
Producers: Doug Claybourne, David Foster
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenwriters: John Eskow,
Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Story: Ted Elliott,
Terry Rossio, Randall Jahnson
Executive producers: Steven Spielberg,
Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
Director of photography: Phil Meheux
Production designer: Cecilia Montiel
Editor: Thom Noble
Costume designer: Graciela Mazon
Music: James Horner
Co-producer: John Gertz
Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alejandro Murieta/Zorro: Antonio Banderas
Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro: Anthony Hopkins
Elena Montero: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Dan Rafael Montero: Stuart Wilson
Capt. Harrison Love: Matt Letscher
Running time -- 136 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Swashbuckling, slapstick, nostalgia, romance -- all set against a political backdrop. Amblin Entertainment's "The Mask of Zorro" has it all, including two Zorros, but its ambition and clear desire to please at all levels ultimately sticks itself.
Sony will undoubtedly fence solid early points with this men-in-black popcorner, but there is, alas, more corn than pop in this return to the thrilling days of legendary heroism, not to mention 1950s television.
Although pleasingly entertaining in segments, it's way too stiff and predictable for adult audiences and, perhaps, way too slow (not to mention gory) for the elementary-school set. Remember whose movie it was that launched the PG-13 rating? Save for those second-graders who yearn for a painstakingly exhaustive portrait of the harsh political realities of a past day and age, it's unlikely to win the hearts of grade schoolers. The moviegoing demographic "Zorro"'s most likely to please? The child-adult.
In this disappointingly cumbersome TriStar presentation, Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas limn the role of the latter-day swordsman who fought Spanish oppression in what is now known as California. In case you're wondering and confused, Hopkins plays Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro, the dashing rogue we all loved from the late '50s TV show, while Banderas is his new protege and successor. Those who relished Hopkins' thrashing, outdoorsman performance in his Bart the Bear movie (we can't recall the title) will relish, in the same vein, his sword-fighting.
As Zorro Emeritus, Hopkins not only imparts the wisdom of his dueling to his newly anointed successor but enhances it with the stentorian solemnity one usually finds only in the House of Commons.
We must, however, commend Hopkins' bravery in attacking the part; unfortunately, it's unlikely that kid viewers might be so charitable, especially since old Zorro's duels take up big swatches of the crucial climax. Indeed, indicative of our wandering attention when elder Zorro is either waxing or dueling away, we tend to look around for John Gielgud to jump in with sharpened blade and enter the fray.
Two words for the narrative: The kind word is "ambitious"; the nasty word is "mess." Suffice it to say there are three credited screenwriters as well as three credited story writers, and "The Mask of Zorro" basks in what appears to be a legal-sized list of "must" suggestions from an assembled story committee.
Fortunately, there's a lot of good stuff, including the mentor-fighter aspects of "The Karate Kid", but unfortunately "Zorro" is so packed with back story and historical exposition and so murkily plotted that one never really finds anyone to root for, including Zorro.
Although Zorro is charming, dashing and wears a zippy costume, we're never quite sure what he's in it for -- revenge, idealism, love of a lady, kicks? Admittedly, it's explained somewhere, but it's done in such a clinical, dry way that Zorro never captures our fancy or our fantasies. We never really root for him, other than in a passive good-guy vs. bad-guy mode. Still, "Zorro" is chock middling full with good old, matinee-movie moments: jumping on speeding horses from windows, swinging from chandeliers, flirting with beautiful women.
As the younger Zorro, Banderas is well-cast. His gleaming smile and elegant athleticism are well-suited for the character's glossy heroics. Newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones steals the show whenever she is on the screen: As Zorro 1's long-lost daughter, she's a comely catch and, natch, causes Zorro the Sequel to drop his swords. However, crankier boomers who loved the TV show and destroyed lots of furniture with their plastic, Piggly Wiggly-bought Zorro swords are going to wonder: Where's Sgt. Garcia, the great slapstick buffoon of the TV series?
Gazing at the credits, we see a Corp. Garcia. Maybe it was the same character before he got his comic stripes. In any event, that's the kind of crabby word-of-mouth "Zorro" is likely to cut among us old folks. Supporting players seem to be well-chosen, but under Martin Campbell's competent but painstakingly measured hand, the supporting characters are not very juicy, just common flavorings.
As one would expect from Amblin, the technical contributions are first-rate and stirringly realized. Cinematographer Phil Meheux's landscape compositions are picture-postcard proper, while costumer Graciela Mazon's clothing colorations bloom with character particulars. Composer James Horner's rousing horns give a thrilling, old-style tone to the movie, eloquently trumpeting its best intentions and traditions.
THE MASK OF ZORRO
Sony Pictures Releasing
TriStar Pictures
An Amblin Entertainment production
Producers: Doug Claybourne, David Foster
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenwriters: John Eskow,
Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Story: Ted Elliott,
Terry Rossio, Randall Jahnson
Executive producers: Steven Spielberg,
Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
Director of photography: Phil Meheux
Production designer: Cecilia Montiel
Editor: Thom Noble
Costume designer: Graciela Mazon
Music: James Horner
Co-producer: John Gertz
Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alejandro Murieta/Zorro: Antonio Banderas
Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro: Anthony Hopkins
Elena Montero: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Dan Rafael Montero: Stuart Wilson
Capt. Harrison Love: Matt Letscher
Running time -- 136 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 6/26/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Val Kilmer puts on many disguises in "The Saint", but they mask neither his own wooden performance nor the leaden dynamic of this Paramount release. Look for "The Saint" to open with some measure of beneficent offering, but then, based on negative word-of-mouth, to do a prolonged term in boxoffice purgatory.
In this topical but dull scenario, Kilmer stars as the epicurean master thief Simon Templar whose voracious appetite for big-time bucks as a savvy international thief knows no bounds. Simon's approaching the $50 million goal he has set for himself, and not overly burdened with ethics, he looks quickly forward to exiting his occupation with wads of Swiss-bank cash.
Cynical and self-absorbed, Simon doesn't expect to get waylaid in any kind of modern scam. As such, he's sucked into the life of an idealistic scientist, Emma (Elisabeth Shue), whose life is in danger owing to the thuggery of post-glasnost Russia.
In a story line sagely put together from contemporary headlines, screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh and Wesley Strick have patched a tall but believable tale about crime in modern-day Red Square, and, not surprisingly, they've fitted it around a megalomaniac leader (Rade Serbedzija) who is obsessed with not only ruling the former Soviet republics but ruling the world. Unfortunately, this bright notion is dashed by desultory writing: Unintentionally funny dialogue, preposterous plotting and weak backdrop mar the promising complications.
Further dulling the dynamic is director Phillip Noyce's woefully slow pacing, with perfunctory exposition scenes clotting the caper. There is little spark nor polished sheen in this dull filmic facsimile, and soon the story itself dulls completely.
In essence, Kilmer does a male Julia Roberts here, trying on a lot of hats, etc. For his lead performance, one must acknowledge that Kilmer does possess many thick accents, as if having eaten a lot of gravy on Interstate 80, yet he never invigorates his performance with any personality. In all, his performance resonates with all the aplomb of an Indianapolis dentist who is doing some moonlighting as a thespian.
Shue scurries to make sense of her role of heart-stricken scientist and, to her credit, wins our affections. Perhaps best among the players is Serbedzija, whose stirringly scary performance as the vainglorious Russian billionaire sobers us to the realization that things are very out of control in that region.
Technical contributions are inconsistent: The film's feeble story line and plot rendering is constantly overwhelmed by Graeme Revell's overzealous score. In addition, the dark scopings of cinematographer Phil Meheux add little in the way of thematic counterpoint to this murky, sin-filled "Saint".
THE SAINT
Paramount Pictures
in association with Rysher Entertainment
A David Brown and Robert Evans production
Producers David Brown, Robert Evans,
William J. MacDonald
Director Phillip Noyce
Screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh, Wesley Strick
Story Jonathan Hensleigh
Director of photography Phil Meheux
Production designer Joseph Nemec III
Editor Terry Rawlings
Executive producers Paul Hitchcock,
Robert S. Baker
Associate producer Lis Kern
Music Graeme Revell
Costume designer Marlene Stewart
Casting Patsy Pollock, Elisabeth Leustig
Sound mixer Ivan Sharrock
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Simon Templar Val Kilmer
Dr. Emma Russell Elisabeth Shue
Ivan Tretiak Rade Serbedzija
Ilya Tretiak Valery Nikolaev
Dr. Lev Botvin Henry Goodman
Chief Inspector Teal Alun Armstrong
Tretiak's aide Michael Byrne
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
In this topical but dull scenario, Kilmer stars as the epicurean master thief Simon Templar whose voracious appetite for big-time bucks as a savvy international thief knows no bounds. Simon's approaching the $50 million goal he has set for himself, and not overly burdened with ethics, he looks quickly forward to exiting his occupation with wads of Swiss-bank cash.
Cynical and self-absorbed, Simon doesn't expect to get waylaid in any kind of modern scam. As such, he's sucked into the life of an idealistic scientist, Emma (Elisabeth Shue), whose life is in danger owing to the thuggery of post-glasnost Russia.
In a story line sagely put together from contemporary headlines, screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh and Wesley Strick have patched a tall but believable tale about crime in modern-day Red Square, and, not surprisingly, they've fitted it around a megalomaniac leader (Rade Serbedzija) who is obsessed with not only ruling the former Soviet republics but ruling the world. Unfortunately, this bright notion is dashed by desultory writing: Unintentionally funny dialogue, preposterous plotting and weak backdrop mar the promising complications.
Further dulling the dynamic is director Phillip Noyce's woefully slow pacing, with perfunctory exposition scenes clotting the caper. There is little spark nor polished sheen in this dull filmic facsimile, and soon the story itself dulls completely.
In essence, Kilmer does a male Julia Roberts here, trying on a lot of hats, etc. For his lead performance, one must acknowledge that Kilmer does possess many thick accents, as if having eaten a lot of gravy on Interstate 80, yet he never invigorates his performance with any personality. In all, his performance resonates with all the aplomb of an Indianapolis dentist who is doing some moonlighting as a thespian.
Shue scurries to make sense of her role of heart-stricken scientist and, to her credit, wins our affections. Perhaps best among the players is Serbedzija, whose stirringly scary performance as the vainglorious Russian billionaire sobers us to the realization that things are very out of control in that region.
Technical contributions are inconsistent: The film's feeble story line and plot rendering is constantly overwhelmed by Graeme Revell's overzealous score. In addition, the dark scopings of cinematographer Phil Meheux add little in the way of thematic counterpoint to this murky, sin-filled "Saint".
THE SAINT
Paramount Pictures
in association with Rysher Entertainment
A David Brown and Robert Evans production
Producers David Brown, Robert Evans,
William J. MacDonald
Director Phillip Noyce
Screenwriters Jonathan Hensleigh, Wesley Strick
Story Jonathan Hensleigh
Director of photography Phil Meheux
Production designer Joseph Nemec III
Editor Terry Rawlings
Executive producers Paul Hitchcock,
Robert S. Baker
Associate producer Lis Kern
Music Graeme Revell
Costume designer Marlene Stewart
Casting Patsy Pollock, Elisabeth Leustig
Sound mixer Ivan Sharrock
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Simon Templar Val Kilmer
Dr. Emma Russell Elisabeth Shue
Ivan Tretiak Rade Serbedzija
Ilya Tretiak Valery Nikolaev
Dr. Lev Botvin Henry Goodman
Chief Inspector Teal Alun Armstrong
Tretiak's aide Michael Byrne
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 3/31/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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