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.”)
The horror genre gets worse every day, doesn’t it?
We’ve already got a “Friday the 13th” remake coming our way, and now a “Nightmare on Elm Street” reboot is in the works.
I have a feature in the next issue of MovieMaker Magazine about the sorry state of the horror movie. This isn’t a step in the right direction.
I wonder if they’ll invite Robert Englund back into the fold? He’s the main reason to suffer through any of the “Nightmare” sequels. It’s hard to imagine another actor capturing Freddy’s warped personality.
At least the remake will be free of ’80s hair -
(Photo: Robert Englund proved a memorable villain in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise.)
Most Hollywood types lean left (duh) and support governmental plans which redistribute money from the rich to the less than rich (double duh).
Just don’t ask them to dig into their own pockets.
Yet that’s exactly what actor Peter Coyote (”E.T.”) is doing. Good luck with that.
Coyote, according to imdb.com, is suggesting A-listers share their paychecks with character actors.
Actors who bring in salaries of $6 million or more should share their good fortune “to lift the pay of actors they are working with,” he says in an open letter to his fellow thespians. Here’s more:
Such a move “would provide the ancillary benefit of insuring that you consistently play opposite actors of the highest caliber.”
Coyote may mean well, but as a character actor he’s indirectly asking for a handout. And if he’s seriously expecting his plan to happen, well … I’ve got a pyramid scheme he needs to hear about.
(Photo: Actor Peter Coyote is reaching out to his fellow thespians)
Director David Zucker, a self-described Sept. 11 Republican, has created a new spin on “A Christmas Carol,” but this time the story has a pro-American, anti-Michael Moore bent.
Cannot wait.
My concern regards the finished product. Will Zucker’s own ideological bent blind him to the funny, or will he use the wealth of untapped material, stuff other “brave” comedians rarely touch, to make a comedy for the ages?
(Photo: Filmmaker David Zucker is working on a pro-American film based on the “Christmas Carol” template)
Not too long ago the thought of going to see the newest comedy filled me with dread.
It usually meant Sandra Bullock pretending to be clumsy in some “Miss Congeniality” flick or, much worse, somebody in a fat suit mugging for laughs.
No longer. The Judd Apatow Express has changed the landscape of film comedies. Now, even the least of the bunch (”Drillbit Taylor”) offers genuine laughs, and the best of ‘em (”Knocked Up”) leave me rolling.
So here’s a toast to Apatow, director Adam McKay (”Step Brothers,” “Talladega Nights”) and other comedic types for bringing the funny back to theaters.
Now, if we can work on some solid horror movies I’d be all set …
(Photo: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are helping bring honest to goodness comedy back to the big screen)
Italian director Enzo Castellari isn’t a household name in the states, but the name of one his action epics sure will be soon.
