Tag Archives: Timothy Olyphant

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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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MOV039: “Hello…Pretty, Pretty”

It’s a random week at the movies when the boys hit he wayback machine to groove with the 1968 cult classic, “Barbarella”.  It’s a slow week for new releases, which forces them to see “The Roommate”.  After moving out of the dorm, the boys take on the upcoming “I Am Number Four”.  Will we hope for a quick death for him?  We’ll see!  All this, an intro to Flickchart, and more random movie news.

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The Past: Barbarella (1968)

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Director: Roger Vadim

Starring: Jane Fonda, John Philip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O’Shea, David Hemmings, Marcel Marceau

Trivia:

  • When Virna Lisi was told to play the part of Barbarella, she terminated her contract with United Artists and returned to Italy.
  • SoGo, the evil city Barbarella travels to, is a reference to Biblical cities Sodom and Gomorrah.
  • Future Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour was one of the session musicians who performed the film’s original score.
  • The scenes during the opening credits where Barbarella seems to float around her spaceship were filmed by having Jane Fonda lie on a huge piece of plexiglass with a picture of the spaceship underneath her. It was then filmed from above, creating the illusion that she is in zero gravity. (If you look carefully, you can see the reflection in the glass as she removes her gloves.)
  • Anita Pallenberg was dubbed by Joan Greenwood.
  • Dildano’s password, “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”, is the name of a real village in Wales, United Kingdom (unsurprisingly, it’s the longest place name in the UK).
  • The names “Stomoxys” and “Glossina”, the Great Tyrant’s nieces, are actually the names of flies. Stomoxys calcitrans is the stable fly, and glossina is the African (or tsetse) fly.
  • The film’s missing scientist character famously inspired the band name of 1980s pop stars Duran Duran.
  • Barbarella’s costume was inspired by designer Paco Rabanne
  • Barbarella was the first science fiction hero from the comics to be adapted into a feature film as opposed to a serial (Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, her male predecessors, had only appeared in serials up to this point).
  • This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson’s book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.
  • The original author Jean-Claude Forest based the character of Barbarella on Brigitte Bardot – who ironically was director Roger Vadim’s previous wife.
  • Sixties sex symbol Raquel Welch turned down the title role.
  • When Dildano and Barbarella are speaking to Dr. Ping about the mission and Dildano’s transmission finish, a soprano sings Caro Nome, Rigoletto’s famous aria by Giussepe Verdi.
  • In the original comic, Barbarella was not a secret agent but an outlaw, and the movie omits some of the adventures she had on Lythion, including an encounter with an earlier villainess called the Gorgon, whose face changed into a duplicate of the face of anyone who looked at her. Her spaceship is not repaired, so for the duration of the first comic album she is trapped on Lythion.
  • There was no Duran Duran and no death ray in the original comic; the city was built around a monster that belched gas through a series of ducts, and the Great Tyrant wore an eye patch even in her true identity.
  • Barbarella’s captured mole machine and her encounter with a robot belonging to a deceased rebel that has sexual relations with her are both omitted from the film, although pretty much everything else is very faithful to the comic.
  • Italian actor Antonio Sabato was originally cast as Dildano, and set photos exist of him playing the famous ‘hand sex’ scene with Jane Fonda. However his performance was deemed to be too serious and he was replaced, in more comedic tone, by David Hemmings.
  • Lobby card stills and set photographs survive, showing footage of a seduction scene between Barbarella and the Black Queen on a bed. However this footage has never appeared in any print of the film.
  • Voted “Kinkiest Film of the Year” by Playboy in 1968.

Talking Points:

  • What the heck do you think this was about?
  • Camp done right?
  • As late at February 4, 2011, news about the remake says it is scheduled for a 2012 release, but no director has been announced. Today’s rumors have Anne Hathaway attached for the remake. Also, Jane Fonda has stated she would like to see a sequel rather than a remake, so we’ll see where that goes!

What We’ve Learned:

  • If you’re going to pimp out your spaceship, wall to wall shag carpeting is a must! (stroke the furry walls)
  • Who knew Marcel Marceau could speak
  • Sex is a perfectly acceptable form of payment
  • Gotta get me one of those Orgasmatrons
  • Gotta Love the 60s

FYI!!!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: If they do a remake of this, I’m hoping for the continued Austin Powers feel.
Ray: Barbarella..or “How many times can Jane Fonda get naked” Classic…
Steve: It is what it is. So many iconic comments, but let’s be real…it sucks. But it sucks so much, it’s awesome! Honest to goodness camp-fest!

Intermission: Flickchart

The Present: The Roommate

Director: Christian Christiansen

Starring: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Daneel Harris, Alyson Michalka

Trivia:

  • The film was shot on location at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles
  • The film was originally planned to be released on September 17, 2010, but was moved to February 4, 2011.
  • The reception for The Roommate was unfavorable. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 7%, with an audience score of 46. (OUCH!)
  • Some of the promotional posters and displays for the film used as its backdrop the Christy Administration Building from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. The college administration voiced concern that permission to use the photograph of the building was not properly obtained and is currently investigating the legality of its use.
  • Primary concerns hinge that the image of the college (particularly the image of the building) could be damaged, while other concerns are that the college’s primary iconic image is being used for promotion of an unrelated business venture.
  • Leighton Meester was originally set to play Sara but was replaced by Minka Kelly, then Meester took the role of Rebecca

Talking Points:

  • Before I get bitched out…what else was released last Friday?
  • Did this film do anything new?
  • Anyone think the end scene was a ripoff of poltergeist?
  • Opportunity for learning!

What We Learned:

  • Always ask your roommate if she’s taking anti-psychotics
  • At a frat party.. the punch is always spiked…duh
  • Kittens are dry-clean only
  • Beauty is in the eye of the designer
  • We’d do what is necessary to get in Billy Zane’s class 😉
  • Fashion fades, but style is eternal

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: I hate you, Steven
Ray: to put it simply.. hated it.
Steve: I didn’t hate it, so nah! I liked all the college and student housing references. I may show it to my students to discuss how to handle roommate conflicts appropriately.

The Future: I Am Number Four

Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand

Trivia:

  • Will be released in IMAX
  • The film is based on the novel I Am Number Four, written by Jobie Hughes and James Frey, with an adapted screenplay by Al Gough, Miles Millar, and Marti Noxon.
  • Produced by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg through DreamWorks
  • The rights were purchased with the hope of attracting teenage fans of the Twilight saga films, and the potential of establishing a film franchise, with at least six more installments planned by the book’s publisher.
  • Filming began on May 17, 2010, using 20 locations all within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Additional filming took place in the Florida Keys.
  • A cast tour, in association with American retailer Hot Topic, and cast media appearances are scheduled to lead up to the release of the film.
  • I Am Number Four is being edited by Jim Page, with Industrial Light & Magic developing the visual effects for the alien creatures.

Talking Points:

  • Anything new?
  • Glee crossover? Can it be advertised more during the show?

Summary:
John is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed … he is Number Four.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Interested to see, but not expecting too much.
Ray: Not sure the casting is going to work.. but interested to see it.
Steve: Looks interesting…kiss of death?

Coming Attractions:
The Past

The Present

The Future

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MOV011: “You Musn’t Be Afraid To Dream A Little Bigger, Darling!”

Tron reveals too much, Comic-con in review, Beauty and The Beast in 3D, Is “The Kid’s All Right” All Right, Quentin Tarantino shows us True Romance, We find out if it’s all just a dream, and Jeff yawns at Johnny Depp’s lizard.

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The Past: True Romance (1993)

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Director: Tony Scott (Written By Quintin Tarantino)

Staring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Michael Rappaport, Bronson Pinchot, Saul Rubinek, Dennis Hopper, James Gandolfini, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Samuel L. Jackson

Trivia:

  • Bronson Pinchot Ad-Libbed the scene when he was caught with the cocaine
  • The screenplay of True Romance (1993) was originally part of a very long screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. The other half of it was used for the film Natural Born Killers (1994). In both films Tom Sizemore plays a cop.
  • The word “fuck” and its derivatives are said 225 times
  • There are 21 on-screen deaths, all male, all from death by gunshot
  • Dennis Hopper was concerned about being “shot” by Christoper Walken in the eggplant scene with the gun so close to his head and the possibility of being burned, Director Tony Scott had the propmaster use the same gun to fire it against his own head. Apon Firing the gun barrel extended about a third of an inch, and scott ended up on the floor with blood pouring from the wound.
  • Michael Rappaport has a fear of roller coasters, and suffers from accute motion sickness.. the scene was filmed over 2 days, and if you look closely you can tell which scenes were shot on the first day (he looks apprehensive and nauseous) and the second day (he looks calm and oblivious to his surroundings) due to the crew giving him “something” to calm his nerves
  • Tarantino’s original ending had Clarence dying in the gun battle, leaving Alabama a widow. Tarantino said that he intended Alabama to turn to crime and join with Mr. White, a character from Reservoir Dogs (1992) (which he wrote and directed). In a flashback scene in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Mr. White is asked about “Alabama”
  • Director Tony Scott is brother to other famous Director Ridley Scott

Talking Points:

  • Lots of cameos/actors before they were big.
  • Impressive how Alabama gets beat up and survives a fire fight, yet has perfect teeth!
  • Had some “Heathers-ish” vibes to it (gun toating Christian Slater, righting wrongs, music)

What We’ve Learned:

  • It aint white boy day.
  • If your going to accidentally steal cocaine from the mob, its best not to leave your drivers license in the hand of your wife’s dead pimp.
  • Theres a difference between a Whore and a Call-Girl
  • Its better to have a gun and not need it, then to need a gun and not have it.
  • If you’re going to have an imaginary friend, it may as well be Elvis!

Trailer:

Recommendations:

Jeff: Meh, good enough Rental.
Ray: Love it, I can watch this movie over and over and over again.
Steve: Enjoyed it! Had no idea this movie existed, but liked it a lot.

The Present: Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Staring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphey, Tom Berenger, Michael Cain, Marion Cotillard

Trivia:

Talking Points:

  • Basically we saw all the special effects set pieces in the trailer.. was anyone surprised by anything in the movie?
  • Was this movie overly complicated?
  • This movie had a unrelenting pace.. did you find it hard to keep up with it?
  • Did anyone else feel some of the music sounded like Mortal Kombat?
  • Would 3-D have enhanced this movie?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Don’t trust reality…it could all just be a dream.

Trailer:

Recommendations:

Jeff: Avatar-ish in that it’s just another heist movie but done differently in a very good way.
Ray: While I enjoyed it, I found the whole thing rather cold and uninspired.
Steve: Enjoyed it, especially Tom Hardy! (who by the way is the new Mad Max) 🙂

The Future: Rango

Starring: Voices of Johnny Depp, Timothy Olyphant, Ned Beatty, Ray Winstone, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton, Bill Nighy

Trivia:

  • Director Gore Verbinski was the creator of the Budweiser Frogs
  • This is Industrial Light and Magic’s first full length animated film.

Talking Points:

  • Anyone see the original teaser trailer? Bizzare.
  • Supposedly this is using motion capture tech to capture Johnny’s performance, does it look mo-capped to you?
  • At 1:47 in the trailer, is it just me or does the guy driving the car look very much like Johnny Depp’s version of Hunter S. Thompson from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?

Trailer:

Excitement:

Jeff: Another animated movie to roll my eyes at.
Ray: I think it looks fun, I’m interested to see what Johnny Does in an animated movie not directed by Tim Burton.
Steve: Next… 🙂

Coming Attractions: Steve

The Past: The Pirate Movie
The Present: Salt
The Future: Paranormal Activity 2

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