Tag Archives: Geoffrey Rush

MOV054: “I Support The Missionary’s Position.”

The boys head briefly back in time to resurrect Ryan Reynolds’ performance in 2010’s “Buried”, then head off to the high seas with Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz to find out if “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” lives up to the hype.  They wind up the show with a review of “Warrior”, a September release starring – the dreamy – Tom Hardy.  All of this, along with more news about Akira, Star Trek, and more.  There’s no need to start a mutiny…this 54th Reel of COL Movies is gonna entertain the heck out of you.

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News:

  • More woes for Akira, Director leaves – no replacement as of yet
  • Albert Hughes no longer directing – no replacement so far
  • Split was friendly – Warner brothers deciding how to proceed
  • Impatiently waiting for more Star Trek? Be prepared to wait some more
  • recent interview in which Bob Orci revealed franchise mastermind J.J. Abrams had not yet approved the 70-page outline Orci co-wrote
  • Bruce Greenwood indicated last July that the plan was to start shooting in January 2011, which made perfect sense given the June 2012 release date. February 2011 came and went without any “Trek” casting news
  • World War Z to start its worldwide shooting schedule in June
  • directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace), is gearing up for a June production start.
  • shooting will begin in Malta. Production will then relocate to the UK and, later, Hungary. Principal photography will last well into the fall.
  • Brad Pitt is still set to star as a UN researcher gathering stories of the great zombie war. The actor is also producing.
  • J. Michael Straczynski and Matthew Michael Carnahan penned the script.
  • Tom Hardy’s Bane

The Past: Buried (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% Fresh; 63% Audience

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Director: Rodrigo Cortés

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Robert Paterson, Jose Luis Garcia Perez, Stephen Tobolowsky, Samantha Mathis

Trivia:

  • Samantha Mathis, who plays Paul Conroy’s wife, previously starred in a film where she is buried alive, called 83 Hours ‘Til Dawn (1990) (TV).
  • Shot in 17 days in a Barcelona studio.
  • Seven coffins were used in the movie.
  • The phone number of the Chicago FBI field office mentioned in the movie is the number of the office in real life.:
  • Ryan Reynolds states that he suffered from claustrophobia towards the end of filming (much like the character he is playing). This was mainly due to the fact the coffin he was in was gradually filled with more and more sand as filming went on. He describes the last day of shooting as “unlike anything I experienced in my life, and I never ever want to experience that again.”
  • When Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) opens up the note his kidnapper wants him to read on video, the first line says “The date is 23 October.” This is Ryan Reynolds’ actual birthday.
  • Ryan Reynolds is the only person we see in the flesh. All of the other performances are either voiceovers or recorded on his cell phone. The whole film is shot from the interior of the coffin. We never see the outside world. The film never repeats a single shot. These all make Buried (2010) one of the most minimalist films ever made.
  • Ryan Reynolds was the first and only choice to play Paul Conroy.
  • Shot in sequence.
  • Alfred Hitchcock films Rope (1948) and Lifeboat (1944) were an inspiration on Rodrigo Cortés when making Buried (2010).

Talking Points:

  • If anything makes me more excited to see Green Lantern.. its this.
  • Movie magic.

What We’ve Learned:

  • Don’t drive a truck in Iraq
  • If you do drive a truck in Iraq, keep your cell phone charged as much as possible
  • Remember your safety number
  • HR Departments SUCK

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: It was alright. Did keep my attention.
Ray: I thought it was a little slow going at first, but it kept my attention and the ending ROCKED.
Steve: I really liked it. I was surprised by Ryan Reynolds’ dramatic chops, as well as how few people were actually in the movie. Good movie magic, too.

The Present: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes: 32% Rotten; 68% Audience

Director: Rob Marshall

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Kevin McNally, Sam Claflin

Trivia:

  • Nothing new since the trailer.

Talking Points:

  • What was the average age of your audience, mine was about 60 (Ray)
  • I felt this film was very lazy, and just a setup up for more films.
  • Film length.
  • The mermaids (or harpie/vampire/siren/mermaids)

What We Learned:

  • Don’t lay your sword on the table while chasing a known criminal
  • A gentleman allows a lady to maintain her fiction
  • You can tell how long you have been at sea by the smell of your crew
  • Mermaids like singing
  • Tears of Joy are more potent than tears of sorrow.
  • Flags don’t shield you from musket balls

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: So fun. Was it a great movie? No, but fun. Skip the 3D though.
Ray: If your a fan of the series, I would say go for it. 3D is probably unnecessary. I could go my whole life without seeing another PotC movie.
Steve: Did not find the 3D necessary at all, but overall enjoyed it. Drug along in some places, but walked away feeling like it was the best since number 1.

The Future: Warrior

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Starring: Tom Hardy, Jennifer Morrison, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Noah Emmerich

Trivia:

  • Filming took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • Mogul Minds Studios, located in Pittsburgh, was used during the filming, as well as the University of Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center and the Twin Hi-Way Drive-In. North Hills High School was also used for some interior scenes.
  • Hardy went through a demanding training routine for gaining muscle during the film’s pre-production, gaining around 28 pounds of muscle and raising his overall weight to 205 pounds.
  • Additional filming was shot at the former West Virginia State Penitentiary, located in Moundsville, West Virginia.
  • Additional scenes were shot around the historic Pitt Hotel and Restaurant in McDonald, Pennsylvania.

Talking Points:

  • Seems like The Fighter + MMA + Iraq

Summary:

An ex-Marine haunted by a tragic past, Tommy Riordan returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh and enlists his father, a recovered alcoholic and his former coach, to train him for a mixed martial arts tournament awarding the biggest purse in the history of the sport. As Tommy blazes a violent path towards the title prize, his brother, Brendan, a former MMA fighter unable to make ends meet as a public school teacher, returns to the amateur ring to provide for his family. Even though years have passed, recriminations and past betrayals keep Brendan bitterly estranged from both Tommy and his father. But when Brendan’s unlikely rise as an underdog sets him on a collision course with Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront the forces that tore them apart, all the while waging the most intense, winner-takes-all battle of their lives

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Looks like a Fighter imitator. Unless I hear otherwise, not interested.
Ray: The Fighter part two?
Steve: The Fighter with some more up-to-date issues. Tom Hardy looks awesome, though!

Coming Attractions

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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MOV049: “This Is Our Once A Year Day”

In the 49th reel, the boys go back in time to check out the musical about working in a 1950’s pajama factory.  Yes, that’s correct..working in a 1950’s pajama factory!  Does “The Pajama Game” still fit today?  (Ba-dum-dum)  In current film, they FINALLY check out the ILM animated feature “Rango”.  Did they find any redeeming qualities in the random cast of desert animals searching for water or should they have just died of thirst?  Lastly, the boys check out the trailer for the upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”.  Is Jack Sparrow still relevant or should he just down with the ship?  All of this and movie news about remakes of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Crow” (yeah, that’s what we thought too!), along with updates on the sequels to the not yet released “Thor” and “Captain America”, and what’s going on with George Takei (rhymes with gay).  Don’t pass up this “jammy” packed episode!

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News:

The Past: The Pajama Game (1957)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Fresh / 66% Audience

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Director: George Abbott, Stanley Donen

Starring: Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr., Reta Shaw, Jack Straw, Ralph Dunn, Barbara Nichols, Thelma Pelish

Trivia:

  • 39% of the cast is from the original Broadway production.
  • The soundtrack LP, released by Columbia Records, vaulted to ninth position among “Billboard”‘s popular albums.
  • A song written specifically for Doris Day, “The Man Who Invented Love” (music and lyrics by Richard Adler), wound up on the cutting-room floor. Currently, the recording can be listened to on the soundtrack CD from Collectables, and the footage can be watched on the DVD from Warner Home Video.
  • The original Broadway production of “The Pajama Game” opened at the St. James Theater in New York on May 13, 1954, ran for 1,063 performances and won the 1955 Tony Award for the Best Musical. Shirley MacLaine was in the ensemble and was an understudy to Carol Haney. Miss MacLaine did go on for Miss Haney at least once during the Broadway run, allowing her to perform the popular songs “Steam Heat” and “Hernando’s Hideaway”. John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr., Reta Shaw, Thelma Pelish, Ralph Dunn, Ralph W. Chambers, Mary Stanton and Buzz Miller were in the original cast and recreated their roles in the movie version.
  • Frank Sinatra turned down the lead role in The Pajama Game (1957), which would have paired him up with Janis Paige, who played the role on Broadway. As a result, Paige lost out on playing the part to Doris Day, who was considered a bigger box-office draw

Talking Points:

  • What does this say about the state of society at the time it was made?
  • Undertones of Romeo and Juliet?

What We’ve Learned:

  • The second hand doesn’t understand that your back may break and your fingers ache and your constitution isn’t made of rock
  • 7½ cents doesn’t buy a heck of a lot
  • Its not ok to hit employees, but its ok to shove them
  • Not only is free beer at a company picnic acceptable its encouraged!
  • Just knock 3 times and whisper low that you and I were sent by Joe

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: There’s a special place in my heart for this movie as I had an amazing time being in the play in High School. Best shape I’ve ever been in.
Ray:I dig musicals, but this one was a no go for me.. I kept falling asleep
Steve: I am a huge fan of musicals…especially many classics in film. However, it was difficult for me to get into this one, despite knowing it was highly successful.

The Present: Rango
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Fresh / 72% Audience

Director: Gore Verbinski

Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root

Trivia:

  • This is the first animated feature produced by special effects company Industrial Light & Magic.
  • Rattlesnake Jake was modeled after Lee Van Cleef.
  • Ned Beatty based his performance on that of John Huston’s in Chinatown (1974).:
  • Johnny Depp character Rango was modeled after Don Knotts character Barney Fife from “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960).
  • The first cat that Beans talks to in Dirt is an obvious vocal impression of staple western actor Pat Buttram.
  • Spirit of the West was modeled after Clint Eastwood.
  • The wanted posters in the sheriff’s office offer rewards for “Lockjaw Smith” and “Disco Lovejoy.”

Talking Points:

  • Anyone catch the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas reference?
  • Lots of facial close ups.
  • Does knowing how this movie was filmed make you appreciate it any more or less?
  • What do you think about the animation itself?
  • Did you have a favorite character?

What We Learned:

  • If you want to find water you must find Dirt
  • The desert and death are the closest of friends
  • Cactus root is a natural laxative

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: A couple of funny reference moment, but the movie overall was just okay. Amazing animation though.
Ray: Kudos to ILM for amazing visuals… Story was ok, but I felt it went on way too long.
Steve: I thought it looked great, although some of the characters were creepy looking (Dark Crystal). Not sure that I feel it’s a kid’s movie – kind of in the vein of Nightmare Before Christmas – but I overall liked it. The voice acting was very good.

The Future: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane

Trivia:

  • The title was revealed by Johnny Depp in character as Jack Sparrow, at Disney’s D23 Expo on September 11, 2009.
  • Disney’s Head of Production Oren Aviv said that this would “hopefully be the first of another trilogy.”
  • Johnny Depp said he agreed to star in this, before “there was a script or anything”.
  • This film is loosely based on the 1988 pirate novel ‘On Stranger Tides’, by Tim Powers. The novel’s protagonist is a pirate named Jack, but his character is significantly different from Jack Sparrow
  • In May 2010, Disney announced that this movie will be filmed using 3-D cameras. The special effects, however, will be rendered in 2-D then converted to 3-D to keep the budget lower.
  • This is the only “Pirates” film to not be directed by Gore Verbinski.
  • Penélope Cruz was pregnant during the filming of the movie

Talking Points:

  • Penelope Cruz – draw or detraction?
  • Is this franchise worth our time or has it “jumped the shark”?

Summary:

When Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with the enigmatic Angelica, he’s not sure if it’s love — or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard, Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Yes, we do need another Pirates Movie. I like the idea of just making each one an individual story.
Ray: I have really no interest in this series anymore, it’s hard to get excited about it.
Steve: I am not particularly interested in the franchise anymore…but I do admit that this one looks better than any of the previous to me.

Coming Attractions

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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