Tag Archives: Sam Worthington

MOV099: “A Titan Against A Titan!!”

In this reel of COL Movies, it’s a veritable Titan-fest, when the boys review both the 1981 and 2010 versions of “Clash of the Titans”. Of course, this leads them to the current follow-up to the 2010 movie, “Wrath of the Titans”. Are these “epic” tales even…um…epic? In trailer-world, they review the historical “mash up” novel come to life in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, slated for a June release. Finally, in news, the boys break down the best movie-related April Fools jokes they found. All this and we’re only 1 episode away from our historical 100th episode!! It’s the 99th reel of COL Movies…”A Titan Against A Titan!!”

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News:

The Past: Clash of the Titans (1981)
Rotten Tomatoes: 65% Fresh, 69% Audience

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Director: Desmond Davis

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Claire Bloom

Trivia:

  • This big budget 1981 release became the last feature film for which Ray Harryhausen created the special effects. It was also the only one in which he had assistants.
  • According to mythology there was Cerberus, the THREE-headed dog but no Dioskilos with two. They asked Ray Harryhausen why he didn’t use a three-headed dog, and he said it takes too much time to animate the extra head.
  • Ironically, none of the Titans from Greek mythology appear in Clash of the Titans. In the movie the Titans are the Norse Kraken (who never appeared in Greek mythology at all) and Medusa (who was never considered a Titan by the Greeks).
  • The character Calibos, son of Thetis, does not appear in Greek mythology.
  • Bubo, the mechanical owl, was introduced to capitalize on the popularity of R2-D2 from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The name “Bubo” is a scientific term for the genus of eagle owls and horned owls, which is interesting because the robot Bubo is modeled on a barn owl, which is the genus Tyto, and not a Bubo at all.

Trailer

The Past: Clash of the Titans (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes: 28% Rotten, 48% Audience

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Director: Louis Leterrier

Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes

Trivia:

  • Director Louis Leterrier frequently requested that Ray Harryhausen, co-producer and visual effects creator of Clash of the Titans, be involved in the film. However, Harryhausen had retired in 1981 and would not be drawn back.
  • The mechanical owl Bubo from Clash of the Titans has a cameo as the toy Perseus picks up before he leaves on his quest. According to the filmmakers, the cameo was widely debated as to whether to keep it in the film or not. It was eventually decided to keep it in the film to please the fans of the original film.
  • While the film is primarily based on Greco-Roman mythology, aspects of it are drawn from other cultures. The Kraken comes from Norse mythology, and the Djinn originated in the Arabian/Oriental regions, while Cepheus’s snipe about Perseus being a missionary might hint at the coming Christianity (Christians often served as missionaries).
  • In Greek mythology, Io is Perseus’ great great great great great great great grandmother, and an old flame of his father Zeus.
  • This film begins with a set of constellations portraying history’s events. Clash of the Titans ended with a set of constellations portraying history’s events (though not the same constellations).
  • Sam Worthington’s sandals are Nike trainers with toes painted on them; he didn’t wear sandals because he needed shoes to perform the stunts well.
  • A replica of the owl Bubo used in Clash of the Titans was used for this film. Sam Worthington hated it and threatened to destroy it when director Louis Leterrier wasn’t looking. According to Leterrier, “Worthington would say: ‘This is ridiculous! This is a ridiculous thing to have in the movie! You’re going to ruin my career with that owl!’
  • Louis Leterrier originally wanted to make the film in 3D but Warner Brothers nixed the idea as it was too expensive. After the success of Avatar, the studio reconsidered. At this stage, however, most of the filming had been done so the 3D conversion was a retrofit.
  • The 3D conversion cost $10 million
  • Louis Leterrier donned a green suit for the green screen sequences so that he could act out the part of the Kraken.
  • The Stygian Witches were actually played by men.
  • Luke Evans plays Apollo, a son of Zeus. He went on to play Zeus himself a year later in Immortals.
  • According to the director, the movie was meant to end with Perseus and Andromeda ending up together (as in all previous tellings of the Perseus story) with Perseus and Io’s relationship being purely platonic. However the studio disliked this idea and the movie was re-shot to have Perseus and Io end up together.

Trailer

Talking Points:

  • Story Differences

What We’ve Learned:

  • Throwing your unwed daughter and grandson into the sea is a perfectly acceptable solution to the teen pregnancy problem in greece
  • 100 good deeds cannot atone for one murder
  • The moon affects the brain
  • Divine gifts should be accepted without question
  • Don’t fuck with the gods….literally

Recommendations:
Jeff: In all honesty, I think I like the 1981 Story better. I would have loved to see what it would have been like with the 2010 technology. The Owl may have been a bit silly and might have been some consessions to remove it for a 2010 version, but still, would have liked it better if they stayed true to the original. In either way I think both movies are enjoyable and watchable. Rentals for sure, wish Netflix had them on streaming.
Ray: I will always pick the 1981 version over the 2010. For me the 1981 version is at it’s heart an old fashioned adventure epic. The 2010 version just felt like a revenge film… with no sense of adventure. Skip seeing 2010 clash in 3D (blu-ray), I watched 90% of it with my glasses off.
Steve: 1981 version blows the 2010 version away! OK…1981 doesn’t hold up as far as the technology, but it was totally epic when it came out. It also comes off much more slowly paced, but that helps in the build up of the big fights and you actually feel for the characters. 2010 just seems like it wanted to update the film and it didn’t have the same feeling. It was just a film about mythology that was fun to watch – in 2D.

The Present: Wrath of the Titans
Rotten Tomatoes: 24% Rotten; 52% Audience

Directors: Jonathan Liebesman

Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike

Trivia:

  • Javier Bardem was considered for the role of Ares, and James Franco was considered to play Agenor. Ultimately Édgar Ramírez and Toby Kebbell were cast.
  • The role of Andromeda was recast in this movie, and contenders were Hayley Atwell, Georgina Haig, Janet Montgomery, Dominique McElligott and Clémence Poésy. She was previously portrayed by Alexa Davalos.
  • Alexa Davalos is the only surviving cast member not to return, citing she was ‘unavailable’ for the sequel. Rosamund Pike was then cast as Andromeda.
  • Gemma Arterton was originally supposed to return, but scheduling conflicts with Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters prevented the actress from taking the role.
  • The title in Spanish for the first movie (and the old one) is “Furia de Titanes”, Which in English means Wrath of the Titans, the name of this sequel.
  • Hephaestus is seen conversing with Bubo, the mechanical owl from Clash of the Titans.

Talking Points:

  • The story of father and son.
  • Forced “epic” nature
  • Mythology and plot holes

What We Learned:

  • There are no good gods
  • There are many useless demigods
  • When a god dies it isn’t death, just absence
  • Its perfectly acceptable to use the plural form of the word Titan in the title of your movie when in fact there maybe only ONE or maybe even NO Titans is your film.

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: This movie was very enjoyable to me. It did feel epic at time but the hooks
Ray: I enjoyed this much more than the Clash remake, I think they would have been better off skipping clash and just made this the first time. Critics are calling this “Bland” although I’m not sure why exactly. It’s not great, but it was entertaining and they could have done worse. 3D was used to much better effect in this one and actually got a flinch outta me. And god damn it STOP TEASING ME WITH THE OWL!
Steve: My biggest problem with this movie was that it felt like it was trying to convince me it was this “epic” that really didn’t reach that pinnacle. There were definitely some plot holes that annoyed me and some big liberties taken with the mythology. I thought it was better than the 2010 Clash, but just for the pure entertainment value.

The Future: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Release: 6-22-2012

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Dominic Cooper

Summary:

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them. President Lincoln’s mother was killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.

Talking Points

  • Tom Hardy was approached for the title role of Lincoln, but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts with The Dark Knight Rises. Later, Eric Bana, Timothy Olyphant, Adrien Brody, Josh Lucas, James D’Arcy and Oliver Jackson-Cohen were considered to play the role before Benjamin Walker was cast.
  • Joaquin Phoenix was the first choice for the role of Henry Sturgess, but turned it down.
  • Is said that the film will mix numerous historical parts of the American Civil War with the book’s rich “vampire hunter” imagery.
  • Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was originally scheduled to be released in 2D and 3D on October 28, 2011, but was later pushed back to June 22, 2012.
  • What do you think about the mix of a historical real life person being portrayed in this way?

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: I’ve wanted to see this kind of movie since I heard about the book. The trailer didn’t impress me much besides show me the tone of the movie. I’d love to go see this.
Ray: Wait you mean this isn’t a comedy? WTF. I’m excited that Timur is directing, that’s about it.
Steve: Personally, it looks very Sherlock Holmes, but I am excited about seeing what comes of it. Looks like it was very well shot and it will have an interesting storyline.

The Past:

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The Present:

The Future:

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MOV091: “I Was Left For A Punctuation Mark.”

It’s the 91st reel of COL Movies, where the boys get their early Valentine’s Day on by reviewing “The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy”. In theaters, they go out on limb to see if “Man On A Ledge” is worth your hard earned money. For the future, they check out – yet another – trailer for a film based on fairy tale as they climb the stalk to see if “Jack The Giant Killer” is worth beans. In news, there’s an update on the Blade Runner project and Filmumentary is Raiding the Lost Ark. All this and who knows what else we’ll talk about…it’s the 91st reel of COL Movies – “I was left for a punctuation mark“.

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News:

Final Trailer – Raiding The Lost Ark, A Filmumentary from jambe davdar on Vimeo.

The Past: The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% Fresh, 69% Audience

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Director: Greg Berlanti

Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Dean Cain, Zach Braff

Trivia:

  • Director Greg Berlanti was allergic to the room used as Dennis’ bedroom and directed many of those scenes from outside.
  • This was the first movie filmed by director Greg Berlanti.
  • The Howie/Marshall storyline is semi-autobiographical to a relationship writer/director Greg Berlanti had.
  • As Greg Berlanti was a writer/producer of the series Dawson’s Creek, he showed the script for this movie to one of his favorite actors Kerr Smith who was part of the Dawson’s Creek cast. Kerr loved the script so much that he agreed to cameo any role Greg offered.
  • Many of the cast felt their characters needed to wear necklaces for their roles so several bought their own and wore them on-set. This became a joke among the crew.
  • In the final party scene, actor Justin Theroux wasn’t given a call time to show up on set but he surprisingly appeared 5 minutes before his scene was to be shot.
  • David Downs who played the unspoken therapist role was hired due to the fact that he was a cinema teacher to the director.
  • Filming took 20 days.
  • The scene involving Justin Theroux and Matt McGrath on the balcony took quite some time to shoot as loud cars would constantly drive by, thus ruining the scene.
  • When Timothy Olyphant and ‘Andrew Keegan’ were filming their scene on the park swings, a group of teenage girls noticed Andrew and waited until the scene was over to ask him for his autograph. When Timothy offered his autograph, the girls declined as they didn’t know who he was.
  • The hospital where Benji is taken was an abandoned hospital and the crew had to clean it before they could film.
  • The original title during the script phase was “8×10’s” a reference to Greg Berlanti’s sister’s term for the men he dated.
  • Greg Berlanti originally turned down the role of director, and he said in interviews that the studio offered the director position to him at least three times because they couldn’t find the right director. By the fourth or fifth time they’d asked him, he accepted.
  • The hardware store scene early in the film was shot at Laurel Hardware, which closed in 2009.

Talking Points:

  • Feel like a TV show to anyone else?
  • Realistic view of things? In comparison to other films?
  • Would you recommend to non-gay friends?
  • Jennifer Coolidge! 🙂

What We’ve Learned:

  • Sorry doesn’t feed the bulldog, sugar.
  • If your going to break up with someone you have to at least provide them with decent lighting
  • When your a newbie, every guy in the room is a possibility
  • All the gay men in LA are 10’s looking for an 11.
  • Birthday wishes are the only ones with any real validity
  • Some people are just gay and average

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: I truly think this is one of the best gay movies out there. While sex is a bit of the story, it focuses more on relationships. A must have for any gay library.
Ray: Once I got over the “straight” to video feel of this.. I really enjoyed it. I feel this was the movie that Bear City was trying SO HARD to be. I liked it so much I was able to look past Dean Cain being in it.
Steve: I definitely enjoy this film…if not just for the wacky relationship between the characters, but for the softball. LOL.

The Present: Man On A Ledge
Rotten Tomatoes: 32% Rotten; 61% Audience

Director: Asger Leth

Starring: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell

Trivia:

  • Amy Adams was considered for the role of Lydia.
  • Det. Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) helps Nick (Sam Worthington), a wrongfully convicted man who escapes from prison to prove his innocence. In ‘The Next Three Days’, Banks played a character who is wrongfully convicted and escapes from prison.

Talking Points:

  • Acting?
  • Plot Holes?

What We Learned:

  • Everybody loves a good train wreck
  • You can tell a lot about a man by his eyes.
  • Women jump for love, men jump for money
  • People don’t go to work in Manhattan, they go to war.
  • It always ends in blood, snot, and tears.
  • There’s two types of people, those who do what it takes to get what they want, and everyone else.

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: I went in expecting a mediocre film, came out actually liking it. Still only above mediocre to me, but still think worth seeing in the theater.
Ray: Well.. that was a surprise. If you can get around the somewhat terrible acting and some big plot holes, it’s actually an entertaining movie, that offers more than just a guy on a ledge.
Steve: It was alright. I didn’t really have any major reactions. Decent acting.

The Future: Jack The Giant Killer

Release: March 22, 2013

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor

Summary:

An ancient war is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Trivia:

  • In May 2010 it was reported that production of the film would be delayed until February 2011. The report cited Singer’s interest in being able to pre-visualize scenes with the digital giants in-camera with the live-action actors (a la James Cameron’s Avatar) and the need for more time to work out the complex process as reasons for the delay.
  • In December 2010 Singer that, “I’m very much looking forward to using the EPIC Red for my next movie Jack the Giant Killer which will be shot in, what else, 3D. The camera’s incredibly compact size and extraordinary resolution are ideal for the 3D format. But more importantly Jack the Giant Killer is my first movie set in a time before electricity. The EPIC’s extraordinary exposure latitude will allow me to more effectively explore the use of natural light”.
  • Principal photography began on April 12, 2011 in the British countryside. In May 2011, production moved to Somerset, England for two weeks with filming scheduled in Wells, Cheddar and secret locations in the county including scenes filmed at Wells Cathedral. Also in May, scenes were shot at Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean near Coleford, Gloucestershire. Puzzlewood, which features unusual tree and rock formations has previously been used for filming of the BBC TV series Doctor Who and Merlin. The same forest is said to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien to write The Hobbit. Later in the same month, filming took place at Norwich Cathedral in Norwich, Norfolk.
  • In January 2012, Warner Bros. moved back the release date by nine months to March 22, 2013. It had been set to open June 15, 2012. The Hollywood Reporter stated “Warner can likely afford the move because of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, which opens in July. And pushing the film back gives the studio more time for special effects, as well as a chance to attach trailers for it to Peter Jackson’s Christmas tentpole The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”.

Talking Points

  • Why this resurgence of fairy tales?

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Looks like a fun update to a fairytale. Seems to be happening alot lately. I have doubts on how the final product will be though.
Ray: Looks ok, I’m about as excited as I can be about a Jack and the beanstalk movie as I can be.
Steve: Eh…I like creepy fairytales. I may have to see another trailer to see if it will meet my “dark” demands.

Coming Attractions

The Past:

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The Present:

The Future:

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MOV068: “I Doubt Your Commitment To Sparkle Motion”

It’s an eventful 68th reel, as Steven’s on the road and Ray is out of power! Of course, Jeff is all comfy at home…boring! Anyway…let’s get to the “reel” (get it?) reason we’re here! The boys head back in time to hang out with a super-young and super-cute Jake Gyllenhaal, as he comes to terms with himself (no…not in that way!) in “Donnie Darko”. They head to the theater to see the ever-fabulous Helen Mirren playing a Nazi-hunter in “The Debt”, then check out the trailer for “Martha Marcy May Marlene” – an October release about a young woman escaping from a cult. It’s a very thought provoking week here at COL Movies…but even though…“I doubt your commitment to sparkle motion!”

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News:

  • No news this week!

The Past: Donnie Darko (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Fresh, 77% Audience
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Director: Richard Kelly

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swaze, Noah Wyle

Trivia:

  • Richard Kelly said that the movie had a very difficult time finding a US distributor. Since the film embodied myriad genres and tones, distributors were confused by the movie’s message, and how to market it. Additionally, Kelly also claims that “Darko” was very close to premiering on the Starz network until Newmarket Films picked up the film for theatrical distribution.
  • Despite persistent rumors, Richard Kelly insists that none of the characters in this film are based upon USC teachers or students.
  • Someone at the house party jumps on a trampoline, wearing a Ronald Reagan mask. This is taken from a photo of Hunter S. Thompson doing the same.
  • During conversations about sex with his therapist, the script had Donnie’s fantasies be about Alyssa Milano. This had to be changed to Christina Applegate due to legal reasons.
  • In the movie theater scene, Richard Kelly originally intended to have Donnie and Gretchen going to see C.H.U.D.. However, there were problems with finding out who owned the rights to the movie. Finally, Sam Raimi came to the rescue by allowing Kelly to use and distort footage from The Evil Dead, free of charge. This scene was filmed at The Aero Theatre at 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA. The Aero closed in 2003 but re-opened in early 2005.
  • Noah Wyle’s character, Prof. Kenneth Monnitoff, is seen eating hard candy in some scenes because Wyle decided his character would be diabetic.
  • The black-and-white poster in Donnie’s room, of an eye reflecting a skull, is a reproduction of an etching by the artist M.C. Escher.
  • EASTER EGG: The DVD contains several Easter Eggs, or hidden items. Two are visible in the “Philosophy of Time Travel” book in the Special Features. On each of the appendix pages, press the up arrow on your remote and press enter. For Appendix A, the viewer gets a deleted scene about the flooding of the school, and Appendix B, the viewer gets a different trailer for the movie. Another can be found after selecting the “Cunning Visions” menu screen. At the bottom of the screen, highlight the Special Features menu entry, press the right arrow on your remote to highlight the icon, and press enter. This will allow you to enter a Web site gallery.
  • The original poster art for the movie had used an Arabic-style font, but this was changed to the more common Trajan typeface for the video release after the terrorist attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001. However, the font retains its original style in the film itself.
  • The first edit of the film ran 165 minutes. The director’s cut is very close to the version that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2001.
  • The movie takes place in 1988. Frank tells Donnie the world will end in 28 days, 06 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. If you add these numbers, the sum is 88. When Samantha asks when she can have kids, Donnie says: “Not until 8th grade.” Donnie mentions to his therapist that his dog Callie died when he was eight. (He is later seen holding a stuffed toy dog in her office.) Donnie jokes about the Back to the Future DeLorean which had a speed of 88 MPH. According to the television reporter, the fire at Jim Cunningham’s house was extinguished “sometime after 8:00 last night.” The red-eye flight that almost crashes is Flight 2806 which boards at Gate 42 at 12 AM. The climax of Donnie Darko occurs one week before the 1988 US presidential election, when George Bush won on November 8, 1988 11/08/88. The movie was shot (for a budget of less than US$5 million) in 28 days. There are 28 scenes in the director’s cut of this film.
  • The scene where Donnie corrects Gretchen was improvised because the actress could not say the name Prof. Kenneth Monnitoff, correctly.
  • According to the commentary by Richard Kelly, the Man in the Red Jogging Suit is an agent from the FAA, which was so confused by the jet engine event that they sent agents to monitor the family members. The Mystery Woman, seen during Sparkle Motion’s talent show performance, was a talent scout from Star Search.
  • Voted number five in the list of Australia’s 10 favorite movies.
  • When Donnie tells Gretchen he accidentally burned down a house, they are walking directly in front of Jim Cunningham’s house. The Life Line Exercise Card that Donnie reads is about a girl finding a lost wallet. Later, Donnie finds Jim Cunningham’s wallet on the sidewalk outside his mansion.
  • In the “Cunning Visions” infomercial, Jim Cunningham pats a child on his behind. The young boy who wants to learn how to fight at the school assembly is the same boy in Jim Cunningham’s infomercial (Larry Riesman).
  • Voted #9 in Film4’s ’50 Films To See Before You Die’
  • The main bully is named Seth Devlin, which sounds like devil. A sticker inside his locker reads: “What would Satan do?”
  • Adapted by director Marcus Stern into a live stage production that was produced in October and November 2007 by the American Repertory Theatre’s Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • Some songs featured in the movie were substitutes for songs which the makers wanted but were denied the rights to. The dance performance was performed to “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe), and Duran Duran’s “Notorious” was re-dubbed in post-production. U2’s “MLK” in the final scene is substituted Gary Jules’ cover of the Tears for Fears song “Mad World” instead.
  • When casting for the role of Donnie’s sister, it came to Richard Kelly’s attention that Maggie Gyllenhaal (who had few film credits at the time) would be available for the shoot. The agent who proposed her casting reminded Kelly of her scene in Cecil B. DeMented, where she drank urine. Though Kelly was slightly hesitant towards the idea, he did like the way she drank urine – and knew he wouldn’t have to work hard at creating a sibling rivalry between her and her brother, star Jake Gyllenhaal.
  • The song that plays as Donnie is riding his bike home in the theatrical version is “The Killing Moon” by Echo & The Bunnymen. As Gretchen waits for the school bus, a Volkswagen Rabbit vehicle quickly passes in front of her. When Elizabeth Darko is sleeping on the recliner, there is a stuffed rabbit next to her. As Donnie reaches for the car keys, there is a Polaroid picture of him and his sister in Halloween costumes on the desk. Donnie is dressed as a rabbit. When Donnie is talking to his sister after his mom leaves near the end, a “jack o lantern” bunny is seen on the table. Frank, the rabbit, often appears near a water source (sprinklers, water main, faucet).
  • The words “Cellar Door” are written on the chalkboard in Karen Pommeroy’s classroom. When Donnie asks about their meaning, she replies that “This famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the English language, of all the endless combinations of words in all of history, that Cellar Door is the most beautiful.” In the director’s commentary Richard Kelly mistakenly attributes the phrase to Edgar Allan Poe, but it was actually J.R.R. Tolkien who, in his 1955 essay “English and Welsh”, said that “Most English-speaking people . . . will admit that cellar door is ‘beautiful’, especially if dissociated from its sense (and from its spelling). More beautiful than, say, sky, and far more beautiful than beautiful.”
  • Newmarket Films, the movie’s US distributor, approached Richard Kelly about doing a director’s cut. He accepted the offer and did the re-edit with editor Sam Bauer in a swift nine days.
  • Well out of his teens, Vince Vaughn reportedly turned down the part of Donnie due to his age. Mark Wahlberg was interested in the part, but apparently was only willing to play the part with a lisp. Jason Schwartzman was also strongly considered for Donnie, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Tim Robbins was the first choice for the role of Eddie Darko.
  • Drew Barrymore’s character Karen Pomeroy is named for sex researcher Wardell Pomeroy of the Kinsey Institute.
  • Seth Rogen’s feature film debut.
  • Richard Kelly grew up in Midlothian, VA. This was used in one of the original scripts, but was later changed to Middlesex, VA.
  • There are many comic book references that show up through the film. Gretchen comments on Donnie’s name as sounding like a superhero, to which he replies “What makes you think I’m not?” Many characters have alliterative names (Donnie Darko, Cherita Chen, Frankie Feedler, Daye Dennis, Joanie James, Sean Smith, Donnie Dickson) like many comic book heroes (Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, Susan Storm etc.). Also, it is believed that Donnie is a superhero, as he has powers and he uses them to save others.
  • The short story ‘The Destructors’ (which Karen Pomeroy discusses in her class that seemingly parallels the events occurring at the time in the “real” world, and was discussed as inappropriate at the PTA meeting ultimately leading to Pomeroy’s dismissal) was written by Graham Greene. Graham Greene’s birthday is October 2nd (1904). October 2nd, 1988 is the day Frank the Bunny tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days, 06 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds.
  • At the start of the movie, when Donnie rides his bicycle back into town, right after he passes the two ladies out “powerwalking”, its actually Frank passing by in his red Trans Am.
  • Frank says the world will end in “28 days 6 hours 42 minutes 12 seconds.” That figure is not random: it comes from adding or subtracting 1 from each part of the figure 27d 7h 43m 11s, which is the precise length of one lunar month (by one of the less-used definitions – sidereal instead of the usual synodic).
  • When Donnie’s mother asks Kitty if she has heard of Graham Greene, she replies that she has, since she’s seen “Bonanza”. However, Kitty is getting him confused with Lorne Greene, who appeared in the series. There is also a native Canadian actor, Graham Greene who has appeared in many films portraying native Americans including “Dances with Wolves”. Graham Greene, the author, had many of his books adapted for films, including, “The Quiet American” (twice), “Brighton Rock” and “Our Man in Havana”.
  • Jim Cunningham depicts drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex as “instruments of fear.” In the movie, Donnie smokes a cigarette, drinks alcohol, and engages in premarital sex. The climax of the movie occurs after he surrenders to all three temptations.
  • Jim Cunningham ends “Cunning Visions” with his lifespan; 1944-1988. “Philosophy of Time Travel”, by Roberta Sparrow was published in 1944.
  • Early in the film when Donnie is riding his bike home, he passes Frank’s car traveling in the opposite direction. This car later kills Gretchen, prompting Donnie to shoot Frank in the right eye (which Donnie had also stabbed through the water-mirror). Soon after, when time is “reset” and everybody wakes up to the Mad World song, Frank is wiping a tear from this eye.
  • Judging by what is seen and heard of The Evil Dead in the movie theater scenes, it takes the better part of an hour for Donnie to go from the movie theater to Jim Cunningham’s house, start the fire, and go back to the theater, just in time to catch the end of the film (listen for Bruce Campbell’s scream).

Talking Points:

  • Was this the first movie you can think of to sort of have….viral marketing (for its home video release)
  • Time travel… real or just the imaginings of a psychotic kid?
  • Anyone think it was an odd choice to set this move at the end of the 80’s?

What We’ve Learned:

  • When you’re famous, you gotta have a cigarette
  • Destruction is a form of creation
  • Soap is apparently the greatest invention of mankind
  • Smurfs are asexual
  • Cellar Door is the most beautiful phrase in the English language
  • Some people are just born with tragedy in their blood

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Crazy Bizarre movie which is worth seeing once. Maybe seeing the regular one and the directors cut and trying to see the differences.
Ray: This movie kinda broke my brain when I first saw it. It still holds some fascination after repeat viewings. If you like sort of smart, very bizarre subject matter.. this is for you.
Steve: Hurts my head. But worth seeing with people who like wacky movies. Definitely a “let’s discuss” type movie rather than to pop in at a party.

The Present: The Debt
Rotten Tomatoes: 76% Fresh, 70% Audience

Director: John Madden

Starring: Helen Mirren/Jessica Chastain, Tom Wilkenson/Marton Csokas, Ciarán Hinds/Sam Worthington, Jesper Christensen

Trivia:

  • Originally scheduled for a December 2010 release, the release was rescheduled to August 31, 2011.
  • The 2010 American version is based on the 2007 Israeli movie of the same name (Ha-Hov or HaChov, in Hebrew). It was directed by Assaf Bernstein, and co-written by Bernstein and Ido Rosenblum. It was released in Israel November 29, 2007.
  • The central character of Rachel Berner was played by Gila Almagor (1990s “present day” scenes) and Neta Garty (in flashbacks to the 1960s).
  • The Israeli film was never released to theaters in the United States, although it aired on American television on the Sundance Channel in October 2010.
  • Before the official December 29, 2010, U.S. premiere, it was shown December 4, 2010, as part of the Washington DC Jewish Film Festival.
  • The film was one of two films that had their official opening dates delayed until 2011 as a result of a “transaction between [Miramax] owner Disney and soon-to-be new owners, construction magnate Ron Tutor and Tom Barrack’s Santa Monica-based Colony Capital (led by former Disney CFO Richard Nanula).”
  • Israeli papers reported that Helen Mirren was “immersing herself” in studies of the Hebrew language, Jewish history, and Holocaust writings, including the life of Simon Wiesenthal, while spending time in Israel in 2009 to film scenes in the movie. My character is carrying the memory, anger and passion of [the Holocaust],” she has said.

Talking Points:

  • Was it what you expected?
  • Pacing
  • Sam Worthington… acting or no?
  • Matching of Older to younger actors..
  • Sound
  • Word of warning before seeing this movie…be prepared for Hitler atrocities

What We Learned:

  • Never argue with an armed woman
  • You are supposed to pursue your goals in your 20’s
  • Always ALWAYS have your papers ready
  • God doesn’t plant car bombs

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: I was expecting more action in this movie but got something different. The balance of going from the past to the present was a little weird but worked well.
Ray: While sort of predictable, I enjoyed this movie. I went in expecting a plodding political movie, and got a well paced political thriller.
Steve: Enjoyed it, even though it was so predictable. Thought the acting was very good! Helen Mirren…that’s enough to get me there.

The Future: Martha Marcy May Marlene

Director: Sean Durkin

Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes

Summary:
The film focuses on Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), a young woman who flees from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains that is led by an enigmatic leader, Patrick (John Hawkes). Lucy (Sarah Paulson), Martha’s older sister, receives a call from a pay phone one day from Martha, asking her to come and get her. Martha, who has been missing for months, slowly begins to assimilate into her sister’s family, but her increasing paranoia leads her to believe that Patrick and his cult may still be watching her every move.

Trivia:
It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in January, with Durkin winning the festival’s U.S. Directing Award for Best Drama. It also screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
The film is set for a limited release in the United States on October 7, 2011.

Talking Points:

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Another psychological thriller. Just another psychological thriller.
Ray: I hope it’s a good psychological thriller. I’m all for movies that mess with your brain.
Steve: I don’t get it. But the synopsis makes it sound like it would be something I’d be interested in watching at home.

Coming Attractions:

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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