"Reel" FReepers - Celebrating Cinema - March 2007

March 1, 2007 | DollyCali; wtc911

[DollyCali]

March 2007
Edition








Reel Test of the Month

Reel Celebrity of the Month

Alan Arkin was probably the biggest surprise on Oscar Night winning the Best Supporting Oscar for his portrayal of a cocaine using grandfather of the “Little Miss Sunshine” . He inconveniently dies as the very dysfunctional family is on the way to the big contest. The family is “running late” so just put him in the back … reminiscent of National Lampoons Vacation.. and they presses on to make the deadline in their clunker van.

He at 73 has had a long & varied career with movies that over the years have made us cry, chuckle & just roar out loud (well I did during the In-Laws(79). Here is some data on his life/career.

Professions:Actor, director, singer, composer, novelist, producer, vacuum cleaner repairman, clerical worker

Born: Brooklyn, New York on 3/26/1934

Sometimes Credited As:

Alan Wolf Arkin
Robert Short

FULL BIOGRAPHY

Cinematography

Bee Movie - ( / 2007 / In-Production / )
Magicians - ( / / In-Production / Kinowelt International )
Rendition - ( / / In-Production / )
Sunshine Cleaning - ( / / In-Production / )
Raising Flagg - ( Flagg Purdy / 2006 / Awaiting Release / Cinema Libre Distribution )
Firewall - ( Arlin Forester / 2006 / Released / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group )
Little Miss Sunshine - ( Grandpa / 2006 / Released / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment )
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause - ( Bud Newman / 2006 / Released / Buena Vista Distribution Company )
Eros - ( Dr. Pearl ("Equilibrium") / 2005 / Released / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group )
Noel Artie / 2004 / Released / Convex Group )
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing - ( Gene / 2002 / Released / Mongrel Media )
America's Sweethearts

( Wellness Guide / 2001 / Released / Sony Pictures Releasing )
Varian's War - ( Freier (Marseilles) / 2001 / Released / )
Jakob the Liar - ( Frankfurter / 1999 / Released / Sony Pictures Releasing )
Four Days in September - ( Charles Burke Elbrick / 1998 / Released / Miramax Home Video )
The Slums of Beverly Hills - ( Murray Abramowitz / 1998 / Released / Fox Searchlight Pictures )
Gattaca - ( Detective Hugo / 1997 / Released / Sony Pictures Releasing )
Grosse Pointe Blank - ( Dr Oatman / 1997 / Released / Hollywood Pictures Home Video )
Mother Night - ( George Kraft / 1996 / Released / New Line Home Entertainment )
Steal Big, Steal Little - ( Lou Perilli / 1995 / Released / Savoy Pictures )
The Jerky Boys - ( Lazarro / 1995 / Released / Touchstone Pictures Home Video )
North - ( Judge Buckle / 1994 / Released / Sony Pictures Releasing )
Samuel Beckett Is Coming Soon. .. - ( Director / 1994 / Released / )
Indian Summer - ( Uncle Lou / 1993 / Released / Touchstone Pictures Home Video )
So I Married An Axe Murderer - ( (cameo appearance) / 1993 / Released / TriStar Pictures )
Glengarry Glen Ross - ( George Aaronow / 1992 / Released / LIVE Home Video )
The Rocketeer - ( Peevy / 1991 / Released / Walt Disney Home Video )
Coupe de Ville - ( Fred Libner / 1990 / Released / Universal Pictures )
Edward Scissorhands - ( Bill / 1990 / Released / 20th Century Fox International )
Havana - ( Joe Volpi / 1990 / Released / Universal Pictures )
Bad Medicine - ( Dr Ramon Madera / 1985 / Released / 20th Century Fox Distribution )
Big Trouble - ( Leonard Hoffman / 1985 / Released / Sony Pictures Releasing )
Joshua Then and Now - ( Reuben Shapiro / 1985 / Released / 20th Century Fox )
The Return of Captain Invincible - ( Captain Invincible / 1983 / Released / Magnum Entertainment )
Deadhead Miles - ( Cooper / 1982 / Released / )
The Last Unicorn - ( Voice of of Schmendrick--Magician / 1982 / Released / Family Home Entertainment )
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash - ( Flash / 1981 / Released / 20th Century Fox Distribution )
Full Moon High - ( Dr Jacob Brand / 1981 / Released / HBO Home Video )
Simon - ( Simon / 1980 / Released / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group )
Improper Channels - ( Jeffrey Martley / 1979 / Released / Crown International Pictures )
The In-Laws - ( Sheldon Kornpett / 1979 / Released / Warner Home Video )
The In-Laws - ( Executive Producer / 1979 / Released / Warner Home Video )
The Magician of Lublin - ( Yasha Mazur / 1979 / Released / Warner Home Video )
Fire Sale - ( Director / 1977 / Released / 20th Century Fox )
Fire Sale - ( Ezra Fikus / 1977 / Released / 20th Century Fox )
The Seven Per-Cent Solution - ( Sigmund Freud / 1976 / Released / Universal Pictures )
Hearts of the West ( Kessler / 1975 / Released / United Artists Films )
Freebie and the Bean - ( Bean / 1974 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution )
Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins - ( Rafferty / 1974 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution )
Last of the Red Hot Lovers - ( Barney Cashman / 1972 / Released / Paramount Pictures )
Little Murders - ( Director / 1971 / Released / 20th Century Fox )
Little Murders - ( Detective / 1971 / Released / 20th Century Fox )
Catch-22 - ( Captain Yossarian / 1970 / Released / Paramount Pictures )
Popi - ( Popi / 1969 / Released / United Artists Films )
Inspector Clouseau - ( Inspector Jacques Clouseau / 1968 / Released / United Artists Films )
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter - ( John Singer / 1968 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution )
Wait Until Dark - ( Roat / 1967 / Released / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group )
Woman Times Seven - ( Fred ("The Suicides") / 1967 / Released / Embassy Pictures )
The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming - ( Rozanov / 1966 / Released / MGM/UA Home Video )

Reel Box Office Reviews

Little Miss Sunshine
Reviewed by DollyCali

A three day road trip of a amusingly awkward & exceptionally dysfunctional family who nonetheless band together to support little Olive who has been chosen one of the finalists in the Little Miss Sunshine contest.. Olive is the youngest & the oldest is patriarch played by Alan Arkin who won an award for the role. The reason he is along on the trip is that he was just kicked out of his retirement home for snorting heroin..

This is a movie you will either love or hate. The rating should alert any who are sensitive that, even though a young girl is one of the stars and the Title sounds soooo innocent, an R rating is an R rating. !

The script is funny and it is well executed by the great cast. It was nominated for the Best Picture at this years Oscars and was a tremendous hit at the Sundance the year it was introduced.

Stars: Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano. Director: Johathan Dayton

Box Office (Feb28) -: $ 59,831,476
Video/DVD Rentals - $37,210,000

Rotten Tomatoes Review

Official Site

Trailers

Breach

Reviewed by DollyCali

Universal Pictures released a critically acclaimed drama February 16. A dark visual tone pervades this film with a dark subject matter. All is not as it appears/seems is the bottom line. Not giving anything away as this is TRUE HISTORY - revealed in cinema that takes a bit of artistic license in presentation but not in bottom line.

A revered top flight FBI agent with decades of loyal service is KNOWN to be a traitor & agent for Russia. The theme of the movie is setting him up with a bright/fresh would-be agent (now clerk/go-fer assistant) & inform the FEDS on activities, in the hopes of getting his “agent” status solidified..

The clueless & not overly dedicated to this mission assistant is confused. This man., Robert Hannsen has a family, grandkids, is a super religious Catholic, going to mass daily, But he is told he is a traitor and to boot a sexual pervert along the way!

If one enjoys following the saga of interpersonal struggles & the confusion of life, you will relate well to this movie. It is tense & engaging & makes your heart sad as you see it unfold. The turncoat found out, stalked, apprehended, sentenced… makes you cheer & cry at the same time. What could have been had he NOT done these dastardly deeds.

The young not yet agent leaves the FBI after this case, the biggest espionage “catch” ever. He goes into private law practice in DC. Wonder if he is a FReeper/lurker? Come out, come out wherever you are!

This is rated PG13 for language, sexual situations & violence that might be offensive to some. It is 1 hour an 50 minutes in length.

Stars: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe., Kathleen Quinlann; Laura Linney, Director and one of the three screenwriters: Billy Ray

Box Office (Feb28) -: $20,304,675

Rotten Tomatoes Review

Official Site

Trailers

Reel Classic Reviews

Catch 22 (1970)
Reviewed by DollyCali

For this month’s classic review, I chose another Arkin movie. A screen adaptation of a book of the same name by Joseph Heller takes us to the Mediterranean during WW2. This military satire is brought to the screne by Mike Nicholas. In the film we find Yossarian (Alan Arkin) who was a bombardier and now desperately wants to get out of the military & so fakes insanity..

BUT, the catch 22 is that if he can understand his own mortality, then he is automatically considered sane. This does not sound funny but in the movie the characterization & playing out of the situation is enjoyable. Arkin is surrounded by a first class group of actors. In today’s economics, I don’t think such a production could come off unless the did an Ocean 11/12/13 arrangement.

Other Notes on the movie

The film is rated R and is just over 2 hours in length.

Theatrical release: June 24, 1970
DVD release: May 22, 2001

CATCH-22 was filmed on location in Italy and Mexico.

Martin Balsam replaced Stacy Keach in the role of Col. Cathcart over age concerns that Nichols had.

Second Unit Director John Jordan plummeted to his death during the film's production.

Stars: Alan Arkin; Orson Welles, Jon Voight, Martin Sheen, Bob Newhart, Richard Benjamil; Art Garfunkel; and Anthony Perkins

Box Office: Total US Gross $24,911,670 Rentals $12,250,000

Rotten Tomatoes Review

IMDb

Good Analysis Link

Reel Insider/Techie Stuff

Producers: what do they do anyway?

Provided by Insider/Techie Editor Wtc911 -From the producers guild site.....

JOB FUNCTIONS FOR "PRODUCED BY" (Theatrical Motion Pictures) Subject to the control of the Owner, the "Produced by" in Theatrical Motion Pictures is expected to exercise decision-making authority over a majority of the following specific job functions:

DEVELOPMENT

* Conceived of the underlying concept upon which the production is based or involved at its inception. * Selected the material upon which the production is based and secured necessary rights for development and production of the material. * Selected the writer(s). * Supervised and oversaw the development process. * Secured the initial financing. * Served as the primary point of contact for the studio and/or financing entity.

PRE-PRODUCTION

* Selected the director, co-producer and unit production manager. * Selected the principal cast in consultation with the director. * In consultation with the director, selected the production designer, cinematographer, editor and visual effects co. * Participated in location scouting in consultation with the director. * Supervised the preparation of the preliminary budget and approved and signed the final budget in consultation with the Co-Producer and UPM. * Creatively involved in the final shooting script in consultation with the director and the writer(s) and approved and signed the final shooting script. * Approved the final shooting schedule in consultation with the director.

PRODUCTION

* Exercised final approval of the deals for the principal components of the production. * Provided continuous in-person consultation with the director and principal cast * In collaboration with the director, provided in-person consultation with the production designer, art department, wardrobe, make-up and hair. * In collaboration with the director, provided in-person consultation with the stunt coordinator and on mechanical effects (if applicable). * Supervised "on-set" and on a continuous basis the day-to-day operation of the producing team and the entire shooting company. * Approved the weekly cost report. * Viewed the "dailies" and provided in-person consultation with the director, the editor, the studio and/or financial entity.

POST-PRODUCTION/MARKETING

* Provided in-person participation on visual effects in consultation with the director, the studio or financial entity. * Selected the composer in consultation with the director, and participated in-person with the composer and the director in the scoring process * Provided in-person consultation with the editor along with the director, the studio or financial entity, and participated on the final cut of the motion picture. * Consulted with the director and the editor during the preparation of the first cut that is shown to the studio/financial entity. * Selected the music supervisor in consultation with the director, and participated in-person during the music recording sessions. * Provided in-person consultation with the director on the re-recording stage. * Provided in-person consultation with the director on the titles and opticals. * Provided in-person consultation with the cinematographer, the director, the studio and/or financing entity on the answer print or edited master. * Consulted on the media plan and materials, and the marketing and distribution plans for the motion picture. * Consulted on the plans for exploitation of the motion picture in ancillary and foreign markets.

Reel Cinema Links

Rotten Tomatoes HomepageAre they Rotten or Ripe?

IMDbInternational Movie Database

BoxOffice.com

Alfred Hitchcock scholars

American Animated Short Cartoons

British Film Commission

Box Office Mojo

Cinema Spot

Classic Film Guide

Golden Age Classics

Comic Book Movies

Do You Remember

Documentry Films

Entertainment Weekly

Film.Com

The Film Connection

Film Funding Blog

Film Festivals Worldwide

Film Scouts

Flicks

Great Character Actors

GREAT MGM Musicals Page

The Greatest Films

Hollywood Reporter first daily trade paper for the entertainment industry

Images

Independent Filmmakers

Reel Women

ScreenwriterTools

Coming soon to
Theaters & /video

Box Office

OPENING:

92% Zodiac
62% Black Snake Moan
33% Wild Hogs
80% Wild Tigers I Have Known

CLICK HERE FOR MORE & for details

COMING SOON:

100% 300
3/9 Premonition
3/16 Dead Silence
3/16 Shooter
3/16 I Think I Love My Wife

CLICK HERE FOR MORE & for details

Video & DVD

New Releases

86% The Heart of the Game
74% Stranger Than Fiction
51% Tenacious D in: The Pick of D...
26% A Good Year
26% Tideland

CLICK HERE FOR MORE & for details

Coming soon

94% Casino Royale
3/13 91% Borat: Cultural Learni...
3/6 58% Confetti
3/6 48% Fast Food Nation
3/6 47% The Holiday

CLICK HERE FOR MORE & for details

Holly-Toons March 2007

[daisyscarlett]

That's exactly the same reason Katie Holmes wasn't asked to come back for the "Batman Begins" sequel.

I guess I read too many gossip columns, I thought Tom Cruise disapproved of the costume she had to wear, lol....

[daisyscarlett]

They are remaking Leonard's '3:10 to Yuma' with Russell Crowe. Damn near every book Leonard (aka Dutch) wrote has been filmed.

Is Crowe going to play the Glenn Ford character or the Van Heflin character? And is Elmore Leonard still alive and writing?

[pcottraux]

Yeah, that might have played a part, too.

Actually, from what I read, her antics with Tom outraged WB execs because it took publicity away from Begins and channeled it towards War of the Worlds. Which, IMO, is PLENTY reason to be outraged!

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Ooooooooooo!

Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!! Count me in!!!!

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

this is a thread for people who like cinema & wish to discuss it. NOT FOR PEOPLE TO COME & TRASH US OR OUR AVOCATION. GOT IT? . We will NOT fight with you. We will instead use our technical skills to destroy your computer’s hard drive.

LOL!

Where can I sign up as a hard drive destroyer?

[pcottraux]

I guess you better count her in.

[jtill]

Dolly, this is a great thread. What a treat to "listen" to other movie addicts.

Looking forward to peeking in on a regular basis, just to see what's new.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Well hello there.

Do I know you?

[pcottraux]

Probably not. I'm a drifter.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Me too.

I just drifted to this new hip happenin' place.

[pcottraux]

I know, me too.

Ain't it cool?

[wtc911]

Crowe is playing Ben Wade, the Glenn Ford role (bad guy). Christian Bale is playing the Van Heflin good guy.

Leonard is as active as ever with a follow-up to The Hot Kid due this summer....it is set in a WW2 US-based POW camp for Germans.

Leonard was known to a fairly select few (even though he had a number of books filmed) until Burt Reynolds bought and filmed STICK @ 1980. It coincided with a resurgence in appreciation for American crime novels that saw re-issues of Chandler, Hammet, Block, Thomson, Burnett, MacDonald and McDonald, (even Chester Himes) and a slew of new writers in the genre like Parker (a real hack), Grafton, Dobbins, Hillerman and the best of the new bunch who writes about New Orleans cop Dave Rochimbeau but whose name escapes me. Within two years everything Leonard wrote was available again and Hollywood kept knocking. He's been riding the second wave ever since.

[wtc911]

James Lee Burke.

[roses of sharon]

Thanks for the great thread!

I'll get nothing done now, nothing!

[SomeCallMeTim]

#1 That is Sir Alec Guinness (star of Bridge Over the River Kwai) standing in front of the streaker!

FANTASTIC JOB, Dolli... I am VERY impressed. Wish I had more time to comment.... hopefully, this weekend.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Gerard Butler from Phantom of the Opera starred in The 'Game of Their Lives' in 2005.

The name of the movie has been changed to 'The Miracle Match,' which tells the story of the 1950 US soccer team.

This movie never came to my area so I've never seen it and was unable to find it on DVD. I recently discovered it on Amazon under the name of The Miracle Match, so I plan to buy it.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G8P1Y6/ref=wl_it_dp/002-6417574-3947233?ie=UTF8&coliid=I78HWZIOJ24MU&colid=POVVOMPSSQWU

[johnthebaptistmoore]

It would also be helpful to have links to conservative and libertarian movie critics and links to conservative and libertarian groups and blogs that support conservative and libertarian actors/actresses, conservative and libertarian movie directors, and conservative and libertarian movies as well. The entertainment world is so dominated by the political "left" that the political "right" in the world of entertainment is still mostly ignored.

[Jack Deth]

Hi, Dolly:

I'm looking forward to seeing "300", either at the theater or later at home on DVD.

Found a neat little no-budget first effort from 2005 by Rian Johnson, titled "Brick".

Kinda cool Neo-Noir starring Joseph Gordon Leavitt ("Third Rock From The Sun") as a San Clemente High schooler trying to find out why his girlfriend died mysteriously. All the film asks in return is that you pay attention and listen.

Great dialog, smooth editing and strict adherance to Roger Corman's axiom "Use what's at hand and available!" makes this little gem look like a much higher budgeted Independent film.

Jack.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Ping!

[Cedar]

Hey, I still call it the picture show!

Great thread, great work. I don't watch too many movies anymore, except some on TV -- Encore movie channel, Sundance, etc. Occasionally, I'll go out for one. I always have an opinion of a movie after seeing it...pretty accurate opinion, I feel. :)

I'm interested in the thread, so thanks for the ping.