September & October, 2003
*B*L*O*C*K*B*U*S*T*E*R* Motion Pictures
The Fighting Temptations
Under the Tuscan Sun
Diane Lane headlines the cast of this adaptation of a memoir of the same name by writer Frances Mayes, who recounted how, after a divorce, she moved to Tuscany, bought a villa and restored both it and her soul. Falling in love with a local hunk helps.
(PG-13: strong language, sexual content)
approx. running-time 121 mins.
http://tuscansun.movies.go.com
Jeepers Creepers 2
This is a teen horror flick directed bu a stomach-turning registered sex offender who was convicted of molesting a 12-year-boy he targeted, groomed, seduced and filmed in pornographic home videos.
Consider the wretched plot of "Jeepers Creepers 2": An ancient demon dubbed "the Creeper" preys on teenage basketball players trapped in a broken-down bus on a rural highway. Convicted child molester director Victor Salva's camera lingers on the shirtless torsos of the boys, alive and dead. The boys, all buff and beautiful in that pedophilic Calvin Klein/Abercrombie & Fitch kind of way, sunbathe on the bus roof. The Creeper stalks and harvests his victims, devouring "certain parts of their anatomy while laminating the rest," in the words of one movie critic.
This orgy of bare skin and blood splatter, the sophisticated artistes lecture us, is convicted child molester Salva's redeeming contribution to society.
The Boys from County Clare
Bubba Ho-Tep
Long Live the KING
"It was a way for Bruce and I to do something a little different because we both have gotten kind of stuck in the genre ghetto," the director Don Coscarelli said, refering to his new film, "Bubba Ho-Tep," in which Bruce Campbell stars as an elderly resident of a Texas nursing home who may or may not be Elvis Presley.
Mr. Coscarelli earned his place in the genre ghetto - or Hall of Fame, as fans like to think of it - for his poetic, independently produced 1979 horror film, "Phantasm." Mr. Campbell found his fan base as the star of Sam Raimi's 1981 shocker, "The Evil Dead."
"Bubba Ho-Tep," which opens in New York tomorrow, does have its genre elements. Mr. Campbell's Elvis teams up with a fellow resident, played by Ossie Davis, who believes he is John F. Kennedy. The two battle an ancient Egyptian spirit who finds the nursing home a convenient place to harvest souls.
"One thing we're really happy with is that the movie still plays with the black T-shirt, 18-year-old 'Evil Dead' fans," Mr. Coscarelli said by phone from his Los Angeles office. "I was a little worried about that, because when we first started making the movie, I realized we had 90 minutes of two guys in their 70's, talking. What gore hound is ever going to see that? But we seem to have staunchly hit that market, which once again teaches you that you can't underestimate that audience."
The film, based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale, is partly Mr. Coscarelli's attempt to redeem Presley's reputation. "I think that the true fans, who believed in Elvis, could't accept that he went out so ignominiously," he said. "I was always struck by the tragedy of his life. When I read Joe's story, I thought it was a much more satisfying ending for Elvis. I'd like to propose that this is the way he really went out."
AT THE MOVIES by Dave Kehr/The New York TIMES, Thurs., Sept. 25, 2003
Secondhand Lions
The Station Agent
Mystic River
" 'Mystic River' is a Historic Achievement, a work of art, an Extraordinary Film. "
" A Haunted Thriller of Disturbing Power. Penn's Bold, Anguished Performance is Extraordinary. "
" 'Mystic River' is the first great film of 2003. Told so simply by director Clint Eastwood, the only special effect is genius. Nothing gets in the way of the story Eastwood and this incredible cast is telling except, maybe, your tears. I'm glad I'm not an OSCAR voter, I don't know how I could decide between Tim Robbins or Sean Penn for best actor nomination."
"Unlike anything we've seen before, a movie experience that carries a lingering, powerful aftershock. It's also far and away the best-acted film of the year."
"It is a masterpiece. Eastwood navigates his actors toward the best performancees of their careers."
"'Mystic River' is the rare American movie that aspires to - and achieves - the full weight and darkness of tragedy. Sean Penn is almost beyond praise. It's not only one of the best performances of the year, but also one of the definitive pieces of screen acting in the last half-century."
"A new Clint Classic. The movie to beat for 2003. Clint Eastwood's finest Achievement as a director."
"Kevin Bacon, even-keeled and self-effacing, is superb."
"Tim Robbins is incredible."
Good Boy
Luther
A Costume Change For Priestly Role
For a ling time it was difficult to image any costume picture without Peter Ustinov: he earned his first Oscar nomination in 1951 for his performance as Nero in "Quo Vadis?" and won his first Oscar as the gladiator trainer Batiatus in "Spartacus" 1960. ( Sir Peter also has another Oscar, for a contemporary role in the 1964 film "Topkapi." )
"When I was made a chancellor of Durham University in England, I said, 'I'm not surprised at wearing this fancy dresds because as an actor I'm used to wearing clothes that are not my own," Sir Peter recalled last week, speaking from his Swiss home.
Now, at 82, he is back in someone else's clothes in Eric Till's "Luther," a study of Martin Luther, the German priest and scholar who touched off the Protestant Reformation. Sir Peter plays the prince of Wittenberg, Friedrich the Wise, who protected Luther (Joseph Finnes) from church persecution. ( "Luther" opens in New York tomorrow. )
"It happened because my favorite director is Eric Till, with whom I worked in the past, and in fact I got an Oscar nomination as a scriptwriter -- in collaboration with somebody I never met, and have not met to this day -- for a film called 'Hot Millions,' which Eric Till directed," Sir Peter said, referring to the 1968 film in which he also starred. "I figure he's the best director I've ever worked with, and I've worked with several famous ones. He, at the age of 70, suddenly thought of me, at the age of 82, and thought I might be a good Friedrich the Wise.
"I didn't have anything against it, except that I can hardly walk," he said. "But we cope with that because I leaned on things and staggered through the film in some measure. We saw eye to eye about everything, including the lack of a scene in the script, which went in eventually, in which Friedrich meets Luther. It makes it very feeble if he just looks through windows and says, 'That's the fellow Luther, down there -- no, no, the one on the left.' And then we were attacked by the theological advisers, who said, 'There's no record of them ever having met.' I said, 'There's no record of most people ever having met.'"
He concluded: "I understood, by the time we finished the film, why everyone died at the age of 40 or before. Because having to dress up in curtains, which press the human body in all sorts of places where it's not usually pressed, was real agony."
AT THE MOVIES by Dave Kehr/The New York TIMES, Thurs., Sept. 25, 2003
Radio
" A Definite Must For The Entire Family! "
" You'll Laugh, You'll Cry, You'll Stand Up And Cheer. "
" * * * * A Triumph. "
November & December, 2003
*B*L*O*C*K*B*U*S*T*E*R* Motion Pictures
Love Actually
"Get Ready for Fun"
"Two Thumbs Up"
"Writer/Director Richard Curtis knows what he's doing."
"The stars sparkle, the wit's winning, the script's seductive, and love intertwwines it all."
"One of the best romantic comedies ever made."
"'Love Actually' is fantastic, actually."
"The Funniest film this year! An irresistible Christmas gift!"
"'Love Actually' is a many, many, many splendored thing."
"What the world needs now is 'Love Actually.'"
"The most exquisite romantic comedy seen in a decade."
"'Love Actually' is irresistible. You'd have to be Ebenezer Scrooge not to walk out smiling!"
Peter Pan
"A magical adventure for all ages! Finally, a Peter Pan to believe in! A delightful, breathtaking experience - that's as wonderful as 'The Wizard of Oz' and as enchanting as 'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.' Magical! The best family film of the year ."
" If you have only one film to share with the whole family this Holiday Season, make sure it's 'Peter Pan.' "
" The greatest children's story of all time . . . is now the best live-action family film of the year. "
Big Fish
" * * * * 'Big Fish' really is a Big Delight. "
" * * * * 'Big Fish' is Tim Burton's Masterpiece. "
" A Brilliantly Fantastical Film. 'Big Fish' ends up hooping a viewer emotionally as few movies have this year. Don't Miss it. "
" One of the ten best films of the year. This marvel of a movie lives up to its buzz as an Oscar contender . . . "
" The most breathtaking and deeply moving film of the year. A visually rich and vividly acted tale of father and sons and endless love that marks a great artistic leap forward for the already acclaimed director, Tim Burton. Dazzling, and surely unforgettable. "
Stuck On You
Bob and Walt Tenor are more than just brothers - they're conjoined "Siamese" twins, who are winners at everything - from flipping burgers at the diner they own, or performing miraculous feats on ice for their local hockey team. They never leave each other's side - and wouldn't have it any other way. That is, until Walt decides he wants to follow his dreams of making it as a Hollywood actor, and persuades his reluctant sibling to go along for the ride. Tinseltown may never recover as Bob and walt find fame, romance and a new perspective on their inseparable bond.
Cold Mountain
Mona Lisa Smile
Cheaper by the Dozen
Girl With a Pearl Earring
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
" The Cinematic Epic of out time, the one by which all others will be judged. The one film to end it all. "
" The Jewel in the Crown! The final chapter of 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy is the best of all. A Triumph of epic storytelling. It has spectaculart action scenes and it's by far the most moving. "
" A Great Movie. Peter Jackson's Masterwork is passionate and literate, detailed and expansive. "
" This masterpiece takes its rightful place among such classics as 'Gon With the Wind' and 'Lawrence of Arabia.' "
" 'King' is the product of impressive craft and energy. "
WINNER
BEST ACTING BY AN ENSEMBLE
National Board of Review
BEST DIRECTOR - Peter Jackson
San Francisco Film Critics Circle
December, 1960
*B*L*O*C*K*B*U*S*T*E*R* Motion Pictures
" The Grass is Greener "
Universal International
Produced & Directed by: Stanley Donen
from the play by: Hugh and Margaret Williams
Jean Simmons:
~~ knows a devorcee has to choose her friends carefully...when their wives are out visiting!
Robert Mitchum:
~~ insists a millianaire has the same rights as everybody...even though she's wed to somebody else!
Gary Grant:
~~ the trusting husband - who trust everybody but his own wife!
Deborah Kerr:
~~ the restless wife - who can't resist temptation!
,1941
*B*L*O*C*K*B*U*S*T*E*R* Motion Pictures
Love on the Dole
It took WWII to make Walter Greenwood's Depression-era novel palatable for the movie censors. Baxter, in what is his grandest film, rises to the challenging material, movingly portraying the plight of one struggling family in a Lancashire cotton-mill town. With its lay-oggs, breadline living and police clashes the story remains as fresh and alive today as it must have been on its release. The young Deborah Kerr, in only her second film, is simply wonderful as Sally, the story's forthright heroine who has to chose between idealism and comfort. Sixty + years on, the film is still hugely impressive with humour, anger and, perhaps most of all, compassion. One of the most moving and significant films England has ever made.
URL:http://www.greatposters.com/mitchum.html
URL:http://www.greatposters.com/lancaster.html
DOWN FROM THE ATTIC
Post Office Box 10242
Capital City - Albany, new York
12201
" I can't do this anymore "
[ dkfrs final ]
END
