WHAT WOULD TOTO WATCH?

WWTW Interview: Actress Anya Monzikova – Part I

cftoto — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:14:15 +0000

When actress Anya Monzikova speaks, you can’t hear a hint of her Russian heritage. But being fluent in Russian proved pretty handy on the set of “Iron Man 2.”

Monzikova doesn’t have a major role in the new film, hitting theaters May 7. But director Jon Favreau leaned on her language skills while shooting a critical sequence for the highly anticipated sequel.

Favreau asked if she could help translate some Russian dialogue and coach co-star Scarlett Johansson on proper line pronunciation.

“It was a surreal moment for an actor, having such a great director ask your opinion,” she tells WWTW. “Having a taste of that told me, ‘this is why I’m here.’”

Monzikova can’t share much more about “Iron Man 2” – “you sign your life away … and your first born,” she says of the on-set secrecy which even extended to the audition process.

She does remember driving through Los Angeles and seeing a “giant green screen 10 stories high” – just another part of the “Iron Man 2” production at play.

Favreau kept Monzikova and her cast mates on their toes with the improv-heavy atmosphere.

“It keeps things fresh,“ she says of Favreau’s spontaneous approach. “When you find those moments in between what the actual script calls for and when an actor can be natural, those are the moments that really make a film.”

The stunning actress also learned some tricks while watching Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey, Jr., in action – not to mention the rest of the “Iron“ crew.

“I walked away a little more confident after being around these A-list actors,” she says.

Tomorrow: Monzikova discusses her shift from modeling to acting and how one casting agent held her looks against her.

(Photo: Model turned actress Anya Monzikova has a small role in the upcoming film “Iron Man 2.”)

Which ’80s movie needs a reboot?

cftoto — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:28:01 +0000

Reboots, remakes and sequels are an inevitable part of Hollywood today.

And bemoaning the trend will only give you agita.

So … let’s look back at WWTW’s formative decade – the 1980s – and come up with some films that could actually stand a reboot.

“9 1/2 Weeks” – Sexuality in modern movies is far different than what it was two decades ago. From an anthropological angle alone I’d like to see it (with Kate Winslet).
“Back to School” – Please not Jack Black … please not Jack Black … repeat as needed. The late Bernie Mac was once rumored to take Rodney Dangerfield’s place in a “School” reboot but it never came to be.
“Coming to America” – The fish-out-of-water template never gets old, and all you need to do is change the Prince’s country of origin and you’ve got a hit on your hands.
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High” – Cast Sean Penn as a teacher getting hassled by punk students and I’m there.
“The Lost Boys” – It’s bizarre this one isn’t already in the works. You’ve got teens, hit music and vampires – the box office trifecta.
What ’80s movie would you like to see reborn … and why?

Note: You can follow What Would Toto Watch? on Twitter.

The burden of being Captain America

cftoto — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:21:29 +0000

Young actors usually dream about being cast as a big time superhero.

It did wonders for Tobey Maguire, made Michael Keaton a major movie star (temporarily) and, well, consider Brandon Routh an exception to the rule.

But I’m not sure the man destined to play Captain America in the upcoming feature film will know what he’s in for.

The movie, to be directed by Joe Johnston (“The Wolfman”), is still searching for its star. Among the names being discussed for the part including “The Office’s” John Krasinski, Channing Tatum and Ryan Phillipe, although Marvel isn’t confirming any of it.

That Wrap story also hints at the burdens the new Captain is likely to face.

Keaton was able to pull of playing Bruce Wayne and his conflicted alter ego, but remember the firestorm that followed his casting announcement? Such blowback will be intense in our Internet age, so if the choice angers the Fanboy Nation all heck will break loose.

More importantly, Captain America is a symbol as much as a super soldier. He’s meant to convey this country’s strengths and ideals.

That means both sides of the ideological aisle will claim him as one of their own – assuming he’s worthy of such a fight.

The young actor playing Captain America will have to say all the right things during the promotional gauntlet or face a backlash.

And what if the film goes with a non-traditional casting decision? Could Captain America be black, or Asian or Latino?

Then, the burdens placed on him will be severe. He’ll become a symbol for not just the country but for a minority population, and every on-screen move will be X-rayed for hidden meanings.

So congratulations to the actor eventually cast as Steve Rogers, the man who becomes Captain America. Your battles may just be beginning.

Note: You can follow What Would Toto Watch? on Twitter.

New ‘Repo Men’ hits the ObamaCare zeitgeist

cftoto — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:51:42 +0000

Say what you will about the upcoming sci-fi feature “Repo Men” – it nails the health care zeitgeist better than any psychic could have foretold.

The new film stars Jude Law and Forest Whitaker as men who repossess artificial body parts when the owners can’t pay the medical bills.

Have scalpel, will travel.

It’s not only a snarky way to address health care reform, but it’s coming out the week ObamaCare hangs in the balance.

It’s only the most recent example of films hitting theaters at rather opportune times.

Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story” arrived as the horrors of the Wall Street meltdown were still fresh in mind, and capitalism seemed an easy scapegoat for movie goers.

But this “Love Story” couldn’t match Moore’s previous successes, even if it made more coin ($14 million) than most documentaries.

Last year’s George Clooney dramedy “Up in the Air” also benefited from pinpoint timing. Audiences couldn’t escape all those depressing unemployment figures.

(More below)

The Jason Reitman film focused on a high flying executive (Clooney) who took a certain pride in his job – he fired people for a living.

The film went on to score several key Oscar nominations and hauled in $83 million.

So, zeitgeist films aren’t always a hit at the box office. But if I’m the folks behind “Repo Men,” I’d have to like my odds as ObamaCare reaches a fever pitch.

Lousy timing for Hanks to open mouth, insert foot

cftoto — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:47:04 +0000

Tom Hanks has come a long way since donning a wig – and heels – for the sitcom “Bosom Buddies.”

The actor went on to become a national treasure, anchoring rom-com hits (you know you get weepy during “You’ve Got Mail”) and stoic action epics (“Saving Private Ryan”) alike.

His Oscar winning turn in “Forrest Gump” defies categorization in the very best of ways.

But the 50-something actor hasn’t had a smash hit in a while, at least not one attached to Dan Brown’s wildly popular texts.

And now a pair of foot-in-mouth interviews has alienated segments of the movie going public – the folks who don’t think the U.S. fought Japan during World War II because its citizens were “Different.”

Hanks is currently promoting “The Pacific,” a rousing WWII miniseries on HBO. He told Time Magazine about how he compared wars old and new.

Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as ‘yellow, slant-eyed dogs’ that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what’s going on today?”

Film fans on the right erupted with outrage, and rightly so. But they acted under the good faith that Hanks hadn’t gone all Sean Penn in the past. He’s been a noble spokesman for the Greatest Generation and an actor who puts his craft first, and politics a distant second.

Suddenly, his fans were reconsidering that stance.

Hanks also went on MSNBC to tout “The Pacific,” ignoring the smarter promotional play – appearing on Fox News.

This isn’t the first time Hanks’ activism has gotten him in trouble. Last year he apologized for comments regarding Mormons and Proposition 8.

Hanks is a great actor. And he’s smart enough, one would think up until recently, to navigate the choppy waters of the promotional wave without drowning potential audience members.

Yet he keeps speaking his mind on delicate matters, chipping away at his universal appeal. He might feel a cathartic buzz from doing just that, but his movie star cred has taken a hit as a result.

Update: ABC News checks in regarding Hanks’ comments and the blowback they generated. But isn’t it sad that the story blames conservatives for being outraged? Shouldn’t every American be aghast at how he mangles the historical record?

(Photo: Actor Tom Hanks’ recent comments regarding World War II and the current War on Terror have offended some movie goers.)

Do you want healthier snack options at the cineplex?

cftoto — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:36:44 +0000

The head of Sony Pictures thinks the battle against childhood obesity can start at the movie snack counter.

Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman and CEO Michael Lynton told the crowd at ShoWest this week that “adding healthier options to your existing menu is the right thing to do for our industry, for audiences and for our country,” according to a just-released press announcement.

What, no more Gummi Bears stuck to our teeth mid-movie?

Lynton cited a study commissioned by Sony Pictures which revealed, among other findings:

two-thirds of moviegoers and three-quarters of parents are more likely to buy healthy snacks at theaters if they are offered.

Forty-two percent of parents said they would buy concessions more often if healthy options were available

sixty percent of parents said having healthier snacks in theaters would enhance their overall movie-going experience.Lynton said he was not asking theaters to stop selling popcorn, soda and candy.

Lynton doesn’t want theaters to stop selling the sticky, the sweet and the other goodies which rot the teeth. He just wants healthier options from which to choose.

Great. But I suspect the public won’t buy it – no matter how they respond to a survey.

I drive to McDonald’s once a week for a completely unhealthy meal. I know it’s bad for me, but since it’s only one lunch out of seven each week I don’t give myself grief.

Movie goers are similarly programmed. They likely go to the theater once a week – at best – and have no qualms quaffing down a soda and popcorn double feature.

So, give Sony credit for attempting to make the country healthier. Just remember this announcement when theaters start yanking granola bars and rice cakes from their counters for lack of sales.

New look, same content

cftoto — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:33:53 +0000

This site received a long overdue tuneup tonight …

Most of the work completed here at WWTW went down behind the scenes, but suffice to say the site should be running much faster than before.

For those who have endured slow load times in recent months … please accept my apologies. And for anyone who prefers not to see my face at the top of the page … well, I can’t help you there. The web facelift is complete!

‘Descent’ sequel streaks to DVD

cftoto — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:21:03 +0000

This horror hound has been waiting for the sequel to “The Descent” - no matter that common sense tells me not to get my hopes up.

My favorite horror flick from the last decade didn’t make much noise at the box office but its reputation continues to thrive on DVD.

So a sequel was inevitable – if not necessarily a guarantee of more subterranean chills.

Just found out “The Descent: Part 2″ is heading to DVD April 27. The film’s original director, Neil Marshall, is no longer behind the camera, but this site will review the sequel all the same.

(Photo: ‘The Descent’ proved one of the decade’s best horror films, and now a sequel is coming soon to DVD.)

‘Attack of the Vegan Zombies!’ – Hold the brains, please

cftoto — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:35:43 +0000

It’s not easy to stand out in the crowded zombie genre.

We’ve already seen Nazi zombies (“Dead Snow”), funny zombies (“Shaun of the Dead”) and zombies serving as household pets (“Fido”).

Indie writer/director Jim Townsend’s spin on the genre involves zombies put off by eating brains and entrails.

They prefer a nice Chianti, and if they happen to find some in a person’s blood stream, so be it.

“Attack of the Vegan Zombies!” uses that as its twist, one which will likely attract gore hounds like bees to honey.

Writer/director/star Jim Townsend shrewdly sets the stage for his modest zombie affair, but he ultimately can’t decide whether his film is a spoof, a monster mash or an homage to classic zombie films.

It comes up a tad short in each category, but it’s still a diverting feature given the microscopic budget.

Joe and Dionne (Townsend and Christine Egan) are trying to make a living out of a less than fruitful vineyard. If the crops don’t bounce back – and quickly – they’ll have to sell the property.

But those crops do rebound – in remarkable fashion. Turns out Dionne is the daughter of a witch (H. Lynn Smith) who cast a spell over the crops to help them grow.

But her incantation has some unintended consequences, rendering the grape vines a wee more … aggressive than required.

“Vegan Zombies!” features such horror movie staples as uber-nerds, dumbfounded scientists and, of course, a pair of hotties. The elements take a while before they bubble into a full-scale thriller, but until then Townsend and Egan carry the film as a credible couple trying to stave off financial ruin.

The green-hued zombies look like Halloween night rejects, and the sinister vines are as frightening as a swinging tree branch. And the gore is kept to a minimum save one lopped off head.

Townsend isn’t interested in reinventing horror movie makeup. He’s having a blast with genre conventions, and it’s fun to watch a movie go for broke with such limited resources.

Still, when the film trots out some groan worthy punch lines it can be hard to rally by its side.

“Attack of the Vegan Zombies!” (available via Amazon.com and Filmbaby.com) isn’t interested in scaring us silly. The film simply wants to add to the growing zombie film library by one slim new volume.

(Photo: Jim Townsend and Christine Egan find their winery under assault in “Attack of the Vegan Zombies.”)

Sunday link love: The ‘America’ edition

cftoto — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:16:16 +0000

The folks behind the upcoming “Captain America” movie may have found their Red Skull … but not their hero.

“Green Zone” flops at the box office … will this finally tell Hollywood the public isn’t interested in Iraq War movies?

Tom Hanks puts his foot in his mouth promoting the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.”

“The People vs. George Lucas” bows at SXSW – long lines ensue, forcing the addition of a second showing at midnight.