All the way back in 2012 when I started this site, one of the first non-review posts I made was a fairly nerdy one…and I’m going to revisit it here today.
I love a logo. As much as fancy CGI or elaborate production design will make me ‘Oooo’ and ‘ahhh’, I will often get the same kind of glittery thrill from a studio logo that opens a film. In most cases, movie studios have the same logo for years and only allow variants for a select few filmmakers or franchises — this is a de facto calling card after all and you wouldn’t want to send your product out that would confuse your consumer in any way. “Special edition” studio logos are fun but what really excites me is when a studio makes a major (and permanent) change to their design.
From my original post:
I’m approaching the level of movie geekdom where I sometimes start to judge a movie based on the opening studio logo and opening credits. I know that with each film the credits can play an integral role in setting the tone (Bond films being one shining example) while other credits simply take the time to say the name of the movie. Even before the credits roll the studio logo is what first signals that the movie is starting. Much like an overture in a musical, I believe once the logo starts the movie has begun and everyone better pay attention.
I’ve found that many European films that could have a multitude of different producers can have a hefty amount of producing house logos. By the seventh or eigth pre-credit logo it becomes almost comical — it all seems like a huge build-up for another adaptation of a Jane Austen novel or a samurai epic.
I love it when studios change up their logos and do something creative/unique/special with them to coincide with a release. Warner Bros is one studio that sticks out for changing up their color scheme and sequencing for certain films. David Fincher famously convinced Paramount and Warner Brothers to use their logos from the 70’s when he released Zodiac several years back. Filmmakers like Fincher make these brilliant choices because right away the audience was transported back to a different era where the events of that movie took place.
I’d been thinking about this post for some time and had been wanting to revisit it but hadn’t found any movie studio had revamped their logo enough to warrant a deep dive…then Orion Pictures came in and saved the day.
Orion Pictures? Didn’t they stop making movies? Well, sorta but it’s more like their parent company MGM just put them on the back-burner during all of its business woes that kept them eeking along for the past decade. Slowly, the smaller branch that hit a big boom as its own entity in the late 80s and early 90s with major hits like Best Picture winners Dances with Wolves & The Silence of the Lambs and personal favorites like Mermaids & She-Devil is making a comeback and with that comes the debut of a fresh look to showcase that renaissance. I’m not sure I can ever truly let go of the classic Orion theme or look, but this futuristic redesign is the kind of flashy new attitude that several key stalwarts might want to take notes on.
Here’s the logo in it’s original incarnation (shown ahead of The Prince of the City):
Most of us remember this version:
A newer version from the late ’90s:
A slightly revamped look was seen (as Orion Classics) before films like the 2020 remake of Valley Girl:
And here’s the newest one:
So…what logo will be next? I’d actually like to see some of the tiny divisions from the past get revived and redesigned. While Orion never really went away, some of them (Triumph? Avco Embassy? Rogue? Hollywood Pictures) did and though it’s highly unlikely we’ll get them back because they’ve been absorbed into companies that have changed multiple hands/entities over years, hardcore nerds like myself understand their cool contingent and the nostalgia they invoke.
C’mon…Orion did it, here’s encouraging more companies to make a bold upgrade.
Here’s a bonus feature, the new-ish logo for Warner Bros. that was introduced in 2021. I didn’t talk about it a lot here for two reasons. 1) Though I like that fanfare by Ludwig Göransson and its nod to the original studio, this feels overaly animated and 2) with the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. coming 2023, I’m betting on another tweak. We can discuss the history of the logo, another favorite, then!
If you wound up here via my Facebook page or Twitter feed, yes…news of my closing this site was just a good old fashioned April Fool’s Day prank. Hope you weren’t too concerned — my spoiler-free movie reviews will continue. You can’t get rid of me that easily 😉
Thanks for your support – The MN Movie Man
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The Facts:
Synopsis: A group of nine college students staying at a friend’s remote island mansion begin to fall victim to an unseen murderer over the April Fool’s day weekend.
Stars: Deborah Foreman, Griffin O’Neal, Amy Steel, Ken Olandt, Clayton Rohner, Deborah Goodrich, Thomas F. Wilson
Director: Fred Walton
Rated: R
Running Length: 88 minutes
TMMM Score: (6/10)
Review: Back in 1986, Hollywood was neck deep in the teen slasher genre. Classics like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street had already spawned sequels and a number of inferior imitations all set up to cash in on the horror craze that proved to be box office gold. Though by the late eighties the masked madman set-up was played out it would find resurgence a decade later when Scream kickstarted a new wave of the next generation of slasher film.
In between the sequels and cheap-o knockoffs, there were a few respectable entries that fell victim to guilt by association and weren’t given their fair shot in their initial release. I feel like April Fool’s Day is one of those films – though no classic it’s a well-made and well-acted horror with a nice smattering of comedy heaped in on top. It’s genial fun that knowingly places itself a few rungs down from its blood and boob soaked cousins, favoring atmosphere to shocks.
That’s one of the main reasons I feel that the film was ignored by many when it was released and only caught on later when it was broadcast endlessly on cable. There’s not a huge amount of yuck-o payoff that most blood starved teen audiences were craving. I was first attracted to it by the clever cover and simple set-up that is quite reminiscent of an Agatha Christie yarn. Updating Christie’s And Then There Were None to the 80’s and throwing in some comedy along the lines of Porky’s, April Fool’s Day works on several enjoyable levels.
The first success is in its casting with fresh faced members of 1986 young Hollywood, none of which went on to do much on the big screen. There’s an easy-going quality about the acting that doesn’t scream Acting 101, making it easier to tolerate some of the cliché dialogue and workmanlike pacing. It’s trim running time works to its advantage, though, by forcing the film to break out of the gate quickly…there are several sequences that are nicely set-up, especially the final half when it really kicks into gear.
Atmosphere is too often dismissed in films of this nature just so we can get to the gory stuff. April Fool’s Day is surprisingly light on gore and blood…it insinuates more than it shows. That restraint works perfectly for the story that is unfolding so the mystery is a bit more interesting to solve and the twists less obvious. That’s not to say it won’t be difficult for the casual movie-goer to catch on where the film is heading…but you may be surprised on how it gets to the final reel.
Director Walton helmed the nail-biter When a Stranger Calls (the original, not the dreadful remake) so he knows how to create dread from everyday circumstances. He keeps the camera moving when it’s appropriate and leaves things just out of our eyesight to keep us guessing. Foreman was always my favorite underrated 80’s actress (see her work in Valley Girl to get my point) and here she’s a delight as the hostess with a few tricks up her sleeves and skeletons in her closet. Steel was no stranger to horror having starred in Friday the 13th: Part 2 and she brings that same heroine pluck-ishness to this film.
So maybe you’ve seen this and think I’m totally crazy for liking it the way I do. Having rewatched it again recently I still was struck by how nice it looks and how strong the technical elements are. Though it may weaken a bit with each viewing, there’s something to be said for your first time. Like the tagline says, this one is “a cut above the rest” and is a harmlessly enjoyable gem that deserves a look-see.
Synopsis: Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.
Stars: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Rated: PG
Running Length: 116 minutes
TMMM Score: (7.5/10)
Review: Even though it swims in the shadow of what is arguably one of the most memorable films in history and having been released at a time when sequels weren’t all that popular, this follow-up to Steven Spielberg’s landmark 1975 scare fest still gets a lot of things right. I get the feeling that over the years any dissatisfaction with Jaws 2 by movie-goers was probably unavoidable considering the perfection of the original.
A troubled production that went way over-budget (as did Jaws), Jaws 2 picks up a few years after that marauding great white shark all but ruined the summer beach season on Amity Island. Right about the time that the town is done picking up the pieces, wouldn’t you know it…. another shark rears its dorsal fin and picks off more than a few New Englanders before setting its sights on a regatta of teens out for a sailing spree.
The original Jaws seems timeless to me, I can watch it now and still feel like it could have taken place yesterday. Part of that was Spielberg’s light touch with island life and a pleasant “away from it all” feeling when you were on Amity. Jaws 2 tends to show its age…starting with its opening moments at a celebration for the ribbon-cutting at a brand new Holiday Inn on the island. The late 70’s clothing, hair, and other cultural touchstones make an appearance here which aids in the film feeling very much a product of its time.
Though the producers of the film couldn’t get Spielberg and original star Richard Dreyfuss back, Roy Scheider was pretty much obligated to appear and rumor has it that he didn’t enjoy his time on the set. That sour attitude doesn’t translate to his performance though, and his Chief Brody is again the quiet everyman sort of hero once again ignored by the town when he starts to piece together that another shark is visiting Amity. It’s nice to see Lorraine Gary back as his wife, this time getting a beefed up role that keeps her present in the action, not just waiting at home for her husband to return. The rest of the cast is filled with a group of pleasant younger actors that do what they can with their hastily sketched out archetype characters.
It’s well documented that the mechanical shark on the original film wasn’t very cooperative, forcing Spielberg to suggest the shark more than he showed it. The shark on this film is ready for his close-up fairly early on and an inventive placement of the camera on top of the shark gives you a nice fish eye view of his hunt.
While it can’t even get in the stratosphere of the first film, this is a worthy sequel that gives the audience what they came to see without feeling like a cheap cash-in on the success of the previous film.
Synopsis: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.
Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Susan Backlinie
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG
Running Length: 124 minutes
TMMM Score: (11/10)
Review:
As someone who is in the business (okay, hobby) of reviewing movies and being known as a fan of the silver screen, I’m often asked what my favorite film is. Though at times I may wish I could be someone that would say Modern Times, Animal Crackers, Casablanca, The Graduate, The Godfather Part II, or Grease 2 (kidding…or am I?) I always ALWAYS have a one word answer: Jaws.
You see, for me the most honest experience at a movie is when I am totally swept into and away with the thrill of it all and thrills is something Jaws has in spades. It’s too smart of a film to be kept inside the monster movie genre and too gung-ho about getting a rise out of its audience to be relegated to mere classic cinema status and put on the shelf with other well-made movies that aren’t nearly as re-watchable.
In 2013 Jaws turns 38 and though I’ve lost count over the years I’d bet my viewings of the film number in the triple digits. It’s one of the very few films where I can’t remember the first time I saw it…and that’s saying something because I’m known to have a fairly good memory for when (and where) I’ve seen most moves in my life (go ahead, quiz me!). All I remember is one day Jaws came into my life on a VHS copy and my changed for the better. After that sharks were the #1 obsession of mine and though I wasn’t one of the viewers too scared to go back in the water after (living in a landlocked state will do that to you) I’ll admit to dog paddling a little easier knowing I could see the bottom of whatever body of water I was taking a dip in.
Another special memory of Jaws is that shortly after my parents met they saw it at a sold out theater in Iowa. My mom remembers that they had to sit in the front row and she’s had a hard time seeing the film over the years because it scared her so bad. If I could travel back in time I’m not ashamed to admit that attending a screening of Jaws when it was first released in theaters would be one of my top five choices.
Luckily, the popularity of the film has guaranteed that some theater will have it on the big screen once or twice a year and I find it hard to resist buying a ticket any time I see one pop up. I love sitting through the film packed in a crowded theater and hearing the screams, laughs, and shrieks that Steven Spielberg’s landmark film can still elicit all these years later.
Having seen every documentary and read all the material on the famously shaky making of Jaws in the summer of 1974, there’s not a lot about the film and its production that I don’t know. A greater appreciation for the final product develops every time I hear about the pain of filming at sea and the frustration with a mechanical shark that rarely worked. Still, without these roadblocks I’m not entirely positive that the film would have wound up as fantastically entertaining as it did.
Adapted from Peter Benchley’s runaway bestseller by the author and Carl Gottlieb, Universal Studios knew they had the makings of a huge money maker…if only they could assemble the right team to make the film. Enter young director Spielberg (Lincoln, Jurassic Park), fresh from directing The Sugarland Express which was lauded by critics but ignored by audiences. Decidedly green but possessing a crackerjack eye for film technique, Spielberg wasn’t even sure of himself but faced a trial by fire as he and his crew attempted a daring shoot on location in Martha’s Vineyard under the watchful eye of its residents.
Originally planned to feature its star (that’d be the shark) much more, when technical difficulties kept the shark in the repair shop, Spielberg filmed as much of the movie as he could that didn’t feature the man-eating fish. Working with an unconventional troupe of actors, Spielberg was forced to get creative when time and budget called for something shark-related to finally be shot. Merely suggesting the presence of the shark for the first half of the film was a high-wire risky move and I’m not sure anyone involved with the movie was sure how it would all turn out.
Luckily for the studio, Spielberg, the crew, and the audience it all came together in a film that went down in history as creating the summer blockbuster. A monster hit when released in the summer of 1975, people waited in line for hours to see the shark do his thing and returned for second and third viewings, propelling the movie into the top box office champ of the year and, for a while, of all time. In fact, in 1975 Jaws made nearly double what the next highest film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, made and it was the first movie to make more than 200 million dollars in the US box office.
All the hoopla about making the film and its success aside, let’s not forget that Jaws is one of the most perfectly constructed movies ever put on celluloid. Opening with a bang meant to jolt the audience into rapt attention; the film slowly builds and builds with each new attack more violent and unsettling. Spielberg keeps the tension high as a huge (but not comically proportioned) great white shark descends upon the small New England island town of Amity in the peak of summer. The new police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider in a performance that honestly gets better and more satisfying with each viewing) wants to do something about it but a mayor and town council that has their eyes on tourist dollars ignores the problem until it’s too late. Then it’s up to Brody, marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss, just a few years before he’d win an Oscar for The Goodbye Girl) and salty man of the sea Quint (Robert Shaw who by some cruel miracle wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar) to set sail in search of the shark…who begins to hunt them as well.
While the film could have gone off the rails on any number of occasions, it’s thanks to the three lead performances, Spielberg’s sharp direction, and Verna Field’s Oscar-winning editing that the true beauty of Jaws is revealed. In between passages of breathless energy and suspense, time is taken to let the characters drive the story so we get to know who these people are. That’s why when they find themselves in peril the terror feels even more real because they aren’t just faceless victims ready to be chomped down on…we’ve warmed to them and their squaring off with a very real foe becomes all that more powerful.
Though I’ve seen the film numerous times I still find myself having a real reaction to certain sequences in the film. The opening attack on an unknowing swimmer is still unsettling to this day and that Spielberg can stage something so violent without showing a drop of blood and gore is noble. (How this only managed to garner a PG rating is fairly incredible…) I love the interaction Schieder has with Lorriane Gary as his headstrong wife. Even though she was married to the head of Universal Studios and some cried foul, Gary is a commanding presence and makes a believable counterpart to Scheider. Who can forget Shaw’s infamous monologue about the true-life tale sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and all of the men taken by a swarm of hungry sharks? Then there’s the 25 foot shark and his wickedly scary appearances throughout the film; timed so perfectly that you don’t just jump in your chair…you leap out of it.
Of course, you can’t mention Jaws without saving some space for John Williams and his Oscar-winning score that is very nearly a character unto itself. Some have said that watching Jaws without the score takes away much of the suspense and I can’t say I totally disagree. Though the shark isn’t seen fully until late in the film, it’s the ominous simple note combination from Williams that tells you danger is near. It’s one of the select film soundtracks that could be heard in its entirety where one can see the movie happening in their head as they listen.
I’m always a bit stunned when someone says they haven’t seen Jaws. Then I’m excited because that means when I finally force them to see it they will get to experience filmmaking at its absolute finest. The movie has everything going for it – it’s a scary, funny, well-made, well-acted, carefully stitched together piece of cinema that has kept its dignity over the years though many lesser talents have tried to re-capture some of the magic. Followed by three sequels and inspiring endless rip-offs the movie is still a high water mark for blockbuster entertainment.
Happy 38th Birthday Jaws…you still have a lot of bite left in you!
Synopsis: Aurora and Emma are mother and daughter who march to different drummers. Covering several years of their lives, each finds different reasons to go on living and find joy through humor and strength.
Stars: Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow
Director: James L. Brooks
Rated: PG
Running Length: 132 minutes
TMMM Score: (9.5/10)
Review: Many movies can be classified as tearjerkers but few earn their stripes with the dignity and humor of Terms of Endearment, James L. Brooks’ Oscar winning dramedy chronicling a tumultuous mother-daughter relationship and the various men in their lives. I return to this film every few years and it manages to always feel fresh and unexpected thanks to its uniformly excellent performances and Brooks’ nigh-perfect script.
What always sets this apart for me is the way the movie lets these big, eccentric characters retain their humanity even when placed in circumstances that challenge them. Based on Larry McMurtry’s novel, Brooks has tightened up the proceedings, added characters, and allowed his actors to own the quirkiness they bring to the table. There’s Winger’s multi-layered daughter, who evolves from a frustrated teen to a giving mother in an unhappy marriage with a philandering husband (Daniels) eventually being distracted by an unwise affair with Lithgow. Meanwhile, McClaine’s Oscar winning role as Winger’s mother takes shape as she battles brutal truths with her daughter while getting involved with an astronaut ladies man (Supporting Oscar winner Nicholson) who moves in next door.
All of these characters could have been overplayed in lesser hands but it works perfectly even today. Nominated for 11 Oscars and winning five (including Best Picture), the film has lost none of it charm or impact as it comes to its conclusion becoming one of the truly certified five hankie tearjerkers. I was surprised how deeply funny the film is and marveling at how honestly it deals with many different kinds of loss – trust me, you’ll be laughing through your tears.
Synopsis: After a crash landing, a father and son explore a planet that was evacuated by humans 1,000 years earlier.
Release Date: June 7, 2013
Thoughts:The most impressive thing about this trailer is not some nice visual effects or the faint hope that Will Smith and son won’t mug their way through an entire movie. No, what impresses me most about this is the complete absence of the name of the director, M. Night Shyamalan. After his success with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, the once hot director flamed out with a growing list of absolute disasters in Hollywood due in large part to an ego the size of Texas. There was a time when Shyamalan’s name alone could be the centerpiece of a trailer but its total non-presence in this first preview for After Earth feels like a studio gun-shy about letting that particular cat out of the bag to audiences. I’m not sure how I feel about After Earth yet, not really being a fan of Shayamalan or the Family Smith…but perhaps it will be a return to form for all involved. One thing is for sure, if this is a bust the blame will fall squarely on Shyamalan’s shoulders.
Review: There are times when reviews of films tell you to ‘lower your expectations’ as way to soften the blow of an anticipated/hyped movie to expectant audiences. With Jack Reacher, my direction to you may be to ‘raise your expectations’…because what we have here is an immensely entertaining popcorn flick that showcases another strong 2012 performance from Mr. Cruise. Cruise has gotten such a bad rap in the last few years thanks to his infamous couch jumping moment, his devotion to Scientology, and a string of movies that seemed to be vanity showcases rather than actual performances.
The first movie I reviewed on this blog was my second viewing of Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and it signaled a welcome change in the box office star. Perhaps humbled by middling box office returns of his high profile projects, Cruise seemed to come back to his Mission: Impossible character with a fresh attitude and relaxed stance. Now 50 years old, Cruise was excellent in an otherwise woefully miscalculated big screen adaptation of Broadway’s Rock of Ages this summer and he’s ending 2012 in perhaps his best performance yet.
With Jack Reacher, it’s interesting that Cruise is once again at the center of a fan uprising in relation to him playing a loved character that he doesn’t exactly fit the description of. Like the movie version of Interview with a Vampire (when author Anne Rice famously spoke out against the casting of Cruise as the vampire Lestat but then more famously ate her words when she saw the final product) as written Cruise is nowhere in the vicinity of the 6’5”, 220 pound grizzled former Military Police Major originally conceived by author Lee Child in his series of novels.
Having seen the film but not having read the novels, I can’t say that my ire was too up because Cruise dives headfirst into the role and relishes the chance to play a character with more grit than grin. This is a man who has seen the horrors of war and what it can do to people; he’s been in some dark places and can’t help but be affected by it. Instead of making Reacher a tortured, haunted soul, Cruise instead takes a more interesting approach, making him a straight-forward no-nonsense kind of guy – one that probably knows the answers to any questions he’s asking but is giving someone the opportunity to tell the truth before handing down justice.
After winning on Oscar for writing the screenplay for The Usual Suspects, director McQuarrie has kept a fairly low profile these past years. His first time in the director seat in twelve years, McQuarrie does double duty as director and adapted the script with it’s wonderful ear for dialogue. McQuarrie has always had a way with words and certain phrases/exchanges in Jack Reacher are so on the money that my jaw dropped a few times in a mixture of delight and shock.
Even with a nice zip to the dialogue, McQuarrie does stumble with more than a few awkward set-ups and clichéd circumstances that can pull the involved audience member back to reality. Most of these come courtesy of a pretty defense attorney Helen Rodin (Pike , Die Another Day) that employs Reacher when her client asks for him by name. Pike, who barely masks her UK accent by going for a gravely rasp (‘like a female Christian Bale’ my movie mate pointed out), has some great moments with Cruise but has just as many clunkers when left to her own devices to carry a scene. She’s always two steps behind the plot and the audience which can make for frustrating viewing.
McQuarrie has packed his film with fascinating looking actors…many of them unfamiliar to larger audiences. Acclaimed German filmmaker Herzog even does a little acting here as a scary character named The Zec. It’s true that much of Herzog’s dialogue tends to the overly dramatic but coming from a man with missing fingers and a dead eye, it fits nicely. Courtney is an evil treat as a deadly sniper and there is good supporting work from Oyelowo and Jenkins as law and order representatives working against Reacher and Helen. Duvall shows up in a fun supporting role well into the films 130 minute running time…I would have maybe liked to see the Oscar winner as a surprise cameo because when a star like him is mentioned in the credits you start to wonder when he’s going to make his appearance.
Pushing the limits of its PG-13 rating (which was generous considering some of the extreme violence), McQuarrie and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel don’t break any new ground with composition but they do stage some mighty fine action sequences…most notably a chase scene that takes us on a rough ride with Cruise around the city streets as he pursues a lead. With a very unobtrusive (and sometimes downright absent) score by Joe Kraemer, McQuarrie lets the scenes explode rather than merely simmer.
The opening of the film plays a central part in the story and it’s a case of unfortunately bad timing. By no fault of the filmmakers, Jack Reacher is being released just a week after a terrible tragedy of gun violence that has much of the country reeling. The sniper event and other passages involving guns absolutely put me on edge and I found myself holding my breath on several occasions. Audience reaction to the film may be dampened by recent events but I urge you to not fault the movie for its unlucky release date.
The character of Jack Reacher has surfaced in seventeen novels so far (this is based on One Shot, the ninth entry) and based on Cruise’s performance and McQuarrie’s invested direction/script I’d welcome the chance to see more of Mr. Reacher should this be the box office success Paramount Pictures is hoping for. After 2013’s Oblivionand All You Need is Kill, Cruise is rumored to be teaming up with McQuarrie for Mission: Impossible 5 so we may have to wait a bit…but if a sequel is half as good as this Cruise may have found another hit franchise he can settle into.
Synopsis: When a naive novice nun is discovered with a dead newborn in her convent quarters, a court appointed psychiatrist investigates her case.
Stars: Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly
Director: Norman Jewison
Rated: PG-13
Running Length: 98 minutes
TMMM Score: (3/10)
Review: Sometimes what works on the stage just does not translate well to film…cinematic history has shown us this. For someone so anti-war, Fonda really dropped a bomb on Hollywood with this ill-advised adaptation of John Pielmeier’s incendiary play. On paper, it would have been easy to see why many though that this film couldn’t lose…I mean with two Oscar winners in leading roles and a twice-Oscar nominated director at the helm, what could go wrong?
The answer, dear reader, is everything. Agnes of God is a pretty dreadful film that scatters the talents of all involved to the wind. Though it was nominated for three Oscars, I can’t for the life of me understand why this wasn’t chucked right out of theaters with its self serving performances and stupefying pacing.
Fonda (Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding) is a combative psychiatrist assigned to work on a case involving a young nun (Tilly, wild-eyed and vaguely interesting) charged with the murder of a young infant. The mystery of the film is how a seemingly cloistered nun became pregnant without anyone (including herself) knowing. The whole set-up is reminiscent of an episode of I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant, adapted for an art-house audience. First supporting Fonda but then actively blocking her investigation is Bancroft as the chilly Mother Ruth that knows much more than she’s willing to let on. Bancroft and Fonda play off each other well for the most part but as the film progresses the actresses seem to be trying to one up the other with who can do the most tortured line reading. As Agnes, Tilly vacillates between detached naïveté and rolling on the ground hysteria…it’s a difficult role that earned her an Oscar nomination for her trouble.
To its credit, the movie starts off well and lays an appealing framework…but it’s driven off course by Jewison’s muddy direction and Pielmeier’s stage-bound script. Having never seen the play onstage, I can’t say if worked better in front of a captive audience but I’m guessing that it must have for it to have attracted such famous faces for the film version. Even at a relatively short 98 minutes the film feels like a series of stage-y scenes leading to a finale that’s overwrought and mostly unsatisfying. Considering all the people involved it’s a big disappointment.
Synopsis: When an alien attack threatens the Earth’s existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
Release Date: July 12, 2013
Thoughts: Though at first glance this may seem like a simple mash up of several other franchises, Guillermo del Toro’s long in the works Pacific Rim has debuted an exciting trailer that showcases the trademarks of the acclaimed director. With excellent visuals and a clear innovation of style, expectations are high for this summer 2013 release…and from what I see the buzz is warranted. Though he was on track to direct The Hobbit films before they hit production delays, del Toro shifted his focus to this and with the reviews that The Hobbit is getting…he may be glad he went for alien robots over hairy hobbits.
Synopsis: When her mom is attacked and taken from their home in New York City by a demon, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back.
Release Date: August 23, 2013
Thoughts: With the Twilightseries wrapped up and the next film in The Hunger Games saga a year away, studios are trying to replicates the success of these films with their own franchise starters. Beautiful Creatures comes out in February and August will bring this latest mixture of teen romance filtered through a lens of the supernatural.
I guess I’m just a little worn out with these “Teen discovers they are destined for something dangerous/greater and must fight the malevolent forces that threaten them” types of films. I’ve yet to be impressed with leading lady Lilly Collins – her brain dead, mouth breathing, performances in Mirror, Mirror and Abduction don’t bode well for being at the center of a potential six film series. All the same, director Harald Zwart worked some kind of magic with 2010’s The Karate Kid reboot so maybe, just maybe, this will be a decent kickstarter of a movie.
