Tag Archives: Peter Stormore

MOV051: “Go Bury Him In The Yard Before He Stinks Up The Place”

The boys head back in time to ride along with Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal in “Throw Momma From The Train”.  Despite Anne Ramsey’s Academy Award nominated performance, are there any other reasons to buy a ticket on the 80’s express?  Then they continue the trip to N’awlins to check out all the crazy undead action with “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night”.  Is this Italian comic book adaptation worthy or should it just be staked?  Lastly, they head to the kingdom of Far Far Away to discuss the teaser trailer for the Shrek prequel, “Puss In Boots”.  All this, movie news, and much, much more in this 51st reel of COL Movies!

[display_podcast]

News:

Feedback: 5 star review on iTunes from indyca “So fun. Give it a try, you’ll be delighted.”

The Past: Throw Momma from the Train (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes: 60% Fresh / 50% Audience

[asa]B0009ML1Z2[/asa]

Director: Danny DeVito

Starring: Danny DeVito, Billy Crystal, Kim Greist, Anne Ramsey, Kate Mulgrew

Trivia:

  • The title comes from the Patti Page song “Throw Mama From the Train, a kiss, a kiss, Wave Mama from the train a goodbye…”
  • Anne Ramsey’s speech impediment was caused by operations she underwent in order to treat throat cancer. She received a best-supporting actress nomination for her role in the film in 1987.
  • ‘Danny Devito’ once noted in an interview with Playboy Magazine that the scene where Owen shows his coin collection to Larry, was inspired by his childhood habit of sharing things with friends that involved whatever he was into at the time. It was his insistence as a director to include a sequence like this in the movie. Writer Stu Silver then wrote the scene.
  • The frying pan used on Billy Crystal by Danny Devito was made of rubber.
  • Larry on the train talks to Owen about the perfect beginning of a novel and mentions Charles Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. “It was the best of times it was the worst of times..”. Momma then says, ‘The night was sultry’. This is a variation of the line,’The night was so very sultry.’. A quote from the same novel.
  • It was inspired by the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train, which also plays a role in the film.

Talking Points:

  • Is it just me or is Danny DeVito always eating in this movie?
  • Anne Ramsey’s performance – nominated for Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress & done while she was suffering from throat cancer

What We’ve Learned:

  • Criminals and Dick Clark don’t age
  • a writer writes, always
  • Eliminate the Motive and Establish an alibi
  • You don’t answer the phone when your dead
  • The night was humid, no – moist, no – SULTRY!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: This movie is unwatchable for me. Fortunately, I still can recommend it to other people. I just don’t like hiding for half the movie.
Ray: Great Movie – although it doesn’t really start getting good till Ann Ramsey is on screen
Steve: Love, love, love Anne Ramsey! This movie makes me laugh out loud. A total cult movie that is worth a look.

The Present: Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes: 6% Rotten / 43% Audience

Director: Kevin Munroe

Starring: Brandon Routh, Anita Briem, Sam Huntington, Peter Stormore, Taye Diggs, Kurt Angle

Trivia:

  • This was the second time Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington co-starred in a film together, the last film being Superman Returns.
  • The film is loosely based on the Italian comic book Dylan Dog created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore.
  • Luca Raffaelli (la Repubblica), after watching the movie said “it’s a good B-movie inspired to a great top-league European comic”, and points out that the character of Brandon Routh “is void” while the original comic character “uses the horror to talk about modern society problems”.

Talking Points:

  • Why don’t the critics like it? Audiences? (expecting a horror movie?)
  • Horror movie vs Monster movie?
  • Felt more like a screen-length “Kolchak: The Night Stalker”
  • Did the friend feel oddly similar to Will Ferrell?

What We Learned:

  • Being undead is manageable.
  • Its never pretty when love dies
  • Werewolf hair doesn’t lie
  • It’s pretty easy to find spare parts when you’re a zombie.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Not bad. It was alright. I enjoyed myself. I do think it’s underrated though.
Ray: While happy that it was more than a Vampire Vs Werewolf movie, I found myself comparing it to things like Blade and True Blood and wondered who was ripping who off
Steve: I enjoyed it a lot. Thought it was predictable, but then I got a few twists I didn’t expect. I liked their take on the underworld in New Orleans. Worth a watch for monster movie fans, but not really a “horror” movie in my opinion.

The Future: Puss In Boots

Director: Chris Miller

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, Salma Hayek

Trivia:

  • The film has been in development since 2004, when Shrek 2 was released. As a Shrek 2 spin-off, it was originally planned for release in 2008 as a direct-to-video film, but this was changed in 2006 in favor of a theatrical release.
  • Production on the film began after the release of 2010’s Shrek Forever After. Banderas said in an interview in early 2010 that he had completed the first recordings of his character.
  • Except for Puss, the film will feature all new characters.
  • The film was teased in Shrek Forever After when Shrek finally put the book of Shrek away and put it next to a book titled “Puss in Boots”.
  • Co-writer, David H. Steinberg says, “It doesn’t overlap with Shrek at all. Partly that was done to tell an original Puss story, but partly because we didn’t know what Shrek Forever After was going to do with the characters and we couldn’t write conflicting storylines.”

Talking Points:

  • Is this necessary? Why continue the stories when it supposedly ended?
  • Are there other characters from this universe you’d like to see with a film?

Summary:

The film is based on and follows the character of Puss in Boots from Shrek and his adventures before his first appearance in 2004’s Shrek 2. The prequel’s story centers on the swashbuckling cat and how he comes to meet Shrek and his friends, while introducing new characters as well.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Meh.
Ray: Not sure about it, feels like maybe it should have been a direct to video, but cant say for sure without a better trailer.
Steve: I like the music in the trailer – fits the personality of Puss. I like the idea, just not sure if I’m willing to go out and see it at the theater. I feel I need to see a full-length trailer first.

Coming Attractions

The Past
[asa]6305047456[/asa]

The Present

The Future

Download Podcast