Italian director Enzo Castellari isn’t a household name in the states, but the name of one his action epics sure will be soon.
Castellari’s War World II romp “The Inglorious Bastards” is being remade by none other than Quentin Tarantino. The two directors are best pals now, and on Tuesday you can check out the original on DVD. The new-to-DVD “Bastards” is grand fun - full of cornball dialogue, blustery antiheroes and near nonstop action.
I interviewed Castellari for a piece in The Washington Times. The director may be 70, but he’s a hearty talker who still loves movies as much as he ever did.
(Photo: Director Enzo Castellari will have a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s version of his film “The Inglorious Bastards.”)
MGM is remaking “RoboCop,” a concept which initially drop kicked my ’80s-loving soul.
Today, the studio announced Darren Aronofsky (”The Fountain,” “Requiem for a Dream”) will direct, and David Self (”13 Days”) will write the screenplay. Right away, we’re being told the film won’t be a hackapalooza. Both Aronofsky and Self aren’t commercially safe bets. Their collective track record isn’t without blemishes, but they’ve consistently strived for higher cinematic ground.
Trailers can be the ultimate deceivers. Years ago, I saw a riotously funny trailer for an upcoming comedy called “Problem Child.” We all know how awful that one proved to be.
The teasers for the new comedy “Step Brothers” set my teeth on edge. Ninety minutes of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly taunting, teasing and tormenting each other? I’d rather watch the mediocre “Semi-Pro” again.
Then I caught the finished product. “Step Brothers” wallows in sophomoric humor, but the tag team duo of Ferrell and Reilly remains a potent combination. Long may they share the big screen.
My Washington Times review explains just why “Step Brothers” is the “Dumb & Dumber” for today’s audiences. And I didn’t even know we needed one of those.
Also check out my thoughts on the current state of comedy as well as a tip o’ the hat to “Step Brothers’” co-star Richard Jenkins and his fellow character actors.
(Photo: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly take a breather from bashing each other in “Step Brothers”)
It’s hard not to feel depressed about the legal system at times. From all those “Judge Fill-in-the-Blank” shows to cases like the People vs. O.J Simpson, the legal field gets hit hard from all sides.
So it’s refreshing to be reminded what the system is all about, and the 1957 classic “12 Angry Men” does it better than any film before it, or since.
I review the film’s DVD re-release at Donne Tempo. Not much in the way of extras, and the “50th anniversary” tag is a year late. But watching Henry Fonda work his analytical magic on a crowd of angry white males is worth flubbing the exact date.
(Photo: The jury convenes in “12 Angry Men” - Henry Fonda is third man from the left , Jack Klugman is at the far right inforeground.)
Wanna feel old? “Animal House” is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
It’s not too late to add some fiber and soy to your diet.
Been thinking about the frat comedy classic lately. Howard Stern’s great tag team partner, Fred Norris, has been playing a clip from the film in which Dean Wormer quotes Bluto’s grade point average - “Zero point zero.”
Classic moment.
And here’s a neo-classic column from The Vancouver Sun honoring the film’s memory, and its impact on our culture (Hat tip: Rich’s Movie News).
Here’s the trailer that kicked it all off:
(Photo: John Belushi won film icon status for his role in the frat house comedy “Animal House.”)
Italian director Enzo Castellari isn’t a household name in the states, but the name of one his action epics sure will be soon.
