Tag Archives: John Hughes

Podcast

MOV026: “Girls, You’re Both Pretty”

Did the boys of COL Movies enjoy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles? Why does Jeff hate Steven when it comes to Megamind? Is Priest something to be excited for? This and more in Reel 26 of COL Movies.

[display_podcast]

News:

The Past: Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

[asa]B002JIOOAI[/asa]

Director: John Hughes

Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy

Trivia:

  • Shooting Locations Include Braidwood,IL (Motel), Coal City,IL and Wilmington, IL (Bus station) all of which are about 20 miles away from Fuzz!
  • Future Borg 38 of Double D Jeri Ryan was cast in the movie but her parts were cut out.
  • The Exterior of their aircraft is a reuse of the 707 flying through the storm from the movie Airplane!
  • The scenes shot at Lambert airport in St.Louis were shot during the winter, but it was unseasonably warm (80 deg F) so the snow had to be trucked in.
  • The interior of Neils house was a set built from scratch, including Seven rooms.. it took 5 months to build and cost $100k which angered the paramount execs and caused a lot of tension on the set.
  • All 250 cars used in the rent-a-car sequence were rented for the movie, since no company would agree to be on film for fear of appearing inept.

Talking Points:

  • Holiday Travel Horror Stories?
  • This movie was a big departure for John Hughes typical “Teen” movie.

What We’ve Learned:

  • Those aren’t Pillows!
  • She’s short and skinny, but Strong!
  • Swearing 18 times in 60 seconds doesn’t get you good customer service
  • Lit cigarettes and vinyl seats don’t go well together.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Meh, It’s alright. I didn’t like it that much but think other people would.
Ray: In my mind, A true modern Holiday classic.
Steve: I’m just not a Steve Martin fan, which made watching this a chore.

The Present: Megamind (2010)

Director: Tom McGrath

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Will Farrel, Jonah Hill, David Cross

Trivia:

  • Guillermo del Toro, who directed the “Hellboy” series, assisted in editing the film to make it more exciting.
  • To promote the film, Will Ferrell assembled 1580 of his friends and their acquaintances at a superhero costume function. This party set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of superheroes
  • The film was originally titled “Master Mind.” However, the name had already been trademarked by the makers of the 1970s board game and TV show, so it could not be used.
  • The film was then going to be titled “Oobermind”, which was a misspelling of the term “über-mind.” The word “über” refers to something that is large or great; in this case, the title character’s over-swollen skull/brain. But it didn’t sound right, so it was revised to become “Megamind”

Talking Points:

  • I know we found out the whole “Death of Metroman” when we talked about the trailer, did anything else surprise you in this?
  • Use of rock music, did it work?
  • Visually, looked great – right down to water on the ground and hair.

What We Learned:

  • Always check your pockets before throwing your costume in the wash machine.
  • Always remember where you park your invisible car.
  • The Difference between villainy and supervillainy? Presentation!
  • Super Speed, Super Strength and other various super powers doesnt translate into a music career
  • Sometimes the best plan is simply Not Dying.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Fan-Freakin-Tastic
Ray: I was really surprised with how entertaining this movie was, it went places I didn’t expect.
Steve: Thoroughly enjoyed! Found myself laughing out loud several times, which I didn’t expect. Not being a big Will Ferrell fan, I liked this performance (maybe because it was jut his voice and I didn’t have to see him).

The Future: Priest (3-9-2011)

Starring: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie O, Karl Urban, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Plummer

Trivia:

  • Based on a Korean Manhwa(Comic)
  • Sam Raimi and Gerard Butler were originally attached to this project, but dropped out.

Talking Points:

  • Fans of the comic are up in arms because this movie has almost nothing to do with the actual story set forth in the books. In the comics Priest tells the story of humanity’s battle against 12 fallen angels, in which vampires exist but are very rarely even mentioned.
  • Visually, the vampires seem to depart greatly from today’s crop…will that help or hurt the movie?

Summary:
A legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: The fight scenes are going to be great! That’s all I’m expecting to be great. Hoping it will be kinda Fifth Element-ish.
Ray:Reminds me of Judge Dredd with vampires… visually it looks “interesting”
Steve: Definitely the kind of movie I seek out. Will definitely see it.

Coming Attractions

The Past

The Present

The Future

Download Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast

MOV020: “That Man… is a Brownie Hound.”

With a slow news week, we get into an amazing show featuring the 80’s classic “The Breakfast Club,” the Ben Affleck directed “The Town”, and the mind blowing “Sucker Punch” trailer. Slaine . . . is fucking gorgeous.

[display_podcast]

News:

The Past: The Breakfast Club

[asa]B001AEF6BI[/asa]

Director: John Hughes

Starring: Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall

Trivia:

  • Emilio Estevez was originally going to play Bender, but Hughes couldn’t find someone to play Andrew Clark so Emilio agreed to play Clark.
  • The Hallway, interior shots and the famous ending stroll through the football field were shot at Glenbrook North High School, John Hughes Alma mater
  • This like many of John Hughes film’s takes place in ficticious “Shermer, Illinois” But are based on the towns of Glenwood and Northbrook, Illinois where Hughes grew up. Until 1924 Northbrook, IL was called Shermerville Illinois
  • The exterior shots and library set was built inside the gymnasium of then closed school Main North High School, in Des Plains, IL before it was bought by the Illinois state police and turned into a police station
  • John Hughes appears briefly in a cameo as Brian’s father

Talking Points:

  • Who do/did you Identify with?
  • Is the dubbed TV version funnier than the original?
  • Andy calling Bender a “faggot”

What We’ve Learned:

  • Cutting class to go shopping does not make you a defective
  • All monkey business is ill advised
  • Claire is a fat girls name (Really? Have you seen Claire Danes?)
  • Everyone’s home life is unsatisfying
  • We are all pretty Bizarre, some are just better at Hiding it.
  • Emilio Estevez should not dance

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: It’s a classic, there’s no way for me NOT to recommend this.
Ray: If you have not seen this movie, please email me so i can come over and slap you.
Steve: Ultimate teenage angst and strangers become friends movie. Classic.

The Present: The Town

Director: Ben Affleck

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper, Slaine

Trivia:

  • Every Boston Police cruiser shown in the film comes from the fictional district A-8, which also existed in Boston’s Finest (2010)
  • Shipped to theaters under the code name “Criminal Intent”.
  • The movie was shown at the Venice Film Festival and premiered at Boston’s Fenway Park.
  • The former MASSBank branch located in Melrose, Massachusetts was used as the location for the first robbery of the film, taking on the name Cambridge Merchants Bank (the exterior shots, however, are of Cambridge Savings Bank in Harvard Square).
  • Filming also took place at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut for casino scenes and Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Cedar Junction in Walpole, Massachusetts for use of their visiting room.
  • A voice in the trailer of the movie says: “There are over 300 bank robberies in Boston every year. Most of these professionals live in a 1-square-mile neighborhood called Charlestown.” In fact, there were 23 reported bank robberies in the entire state of Massachusetts in the first quarter of 2010, compared with 49 in Illinois and 136 in California, according to the FBI.

Talking Points:

  • Who did you root for in this movie?
  • Ben Affleck as a director? Voted best new filmmaker in 2007
  • Which is better, The Town or Takers?

What We Learned:

  • Slaine is fucking gorgeous.
  • Always ask a cop to see his ID
  • Masks are creepy
  • Every 6 year old in Charlestown can spot a undercover cop
  • If you see Skeletor come into a bank, get on the ground

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Slaine is fucking gorgeous.
Ray: Great movie.. the way a heist movie should be. Makes takers look even more like crap.
Steve: Really enjoyed it. Even without any “r”s in the entire movie.

The Future: Sucker Punch

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung

Trivia:

  • Zack Snyder’s first film that is not based on another work. Dawn of the Dead (2004) was a remake of a 1978 film by ‘George A. Romero’. Both 300 (2006) and Watchmen (2009) were based on graphic novels. And Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010) is based on a children’s fantasy book. However, the film does heavily feature motifs from Lewis Carroll’s book Alice in Wonderland – the movie’s logline while being pitched to studios was even “Alice in Wonderland with machine guns.”
  • Zack Snyder told Vanessa Hudgens that this feature would be his first action movie, despite the fact that 300 (2006) is considered an action movie.

Summary:
A young girl, confined to a mental institution by her stepfather who plans to have her lobotomized in five days time, creates an imaginary world to plan her escape.

Trailer:

IGN Rewind Theater Analysis:

Excitement:
Jeff: Stoked
Ray: Steampunk, Katanas, Mobsters, Dragons.. oh my.
Steve: Looks like it will be interesting. Effects look amazing.

Coming Attractions

The Past: The Howling
The Present: Let Me In
The Future: My Soul To Take

Download Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download