It's fair to say that Max Landis, yes, John Landis' son, came into the mainstream a couple of years ago with the release of Chronicle.
Landis has been behind Trailers from Hell for a while and he's also been making his own videos on YouTube but I haven't paid much attention until today when the web exploded with news that Landis had uploaded a short film titled Jane La.
The set-up is straight forward: Landis plays a version of himself, a filmmaker who is making a documentary about an art student named Jane (the titular Jane), played by Zena Grey, and her art project: making a bomb. Everyone seems to assume that Jane is off her rocker or exaggerating her bomb project, including Landis... or is she?
It's a great little short w [Continued ...]...
Landis has been behind Trailers from Hell for a while and he's also been making his own videos on YouTube but I haven't paid much attention until today when the web exploded with news that Landis had uploaded a short film titled Jane La.
The set-up is straight forward: Landis plays a version of himself, a filmmaker who is making a documentary about an art student named Jane (the titular Jane), played by Zena Grey, and her art project: making a bomb. Everyone seems to assume that Jane is off her rocker or exaggerating her bomb project, including Landis... or is she?
It's a great little short w [Continued ...]...
- 12/16/2014
- QuietEarth.us
Title: Redwood Highway Director: Gary Lundgren Starring: Shirley Knight, James LeGros, Zena Grey, Catherine Coulson, Tom Skerritt, Michelle Lombardo, Shadee Vossoughi Last fall it was Bruce Dern who set out on foot, against the wishes of his son; in “Redwood Highway,” it’s Shirley Knight who does the same, delivering an estimable turn in what amounts to a marginal showcase for fans of the legendary actress. Director Gary Lundgren doesn’t waste any time cutting directly to the heart of his film’s conflict, setting its wheels in motion and putting his protagonist on the open road. Unhappy living in an upscale retirement community in Southern Oregon, Marie Vaughn (Knight) rebuffs the entreaties of her son Michael [ Read More ]
The post Redwood Highway Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Redwood Highway Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/9/2014
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
My Soul To Take (Blu-Ray)Universal Home Entertainment2010/Rated R/108 minsList Price $39.98 – Available February 8, 2011Watching Wes Craven's My Soul To Take is like watching one of your favorite filmmakers commit suicide. In Craven's case, it's career suicide. I mean it's unbelievable that a director like him, whose come up with some pretty smart ideas and premises in the horror genre could actually script such a terrible film. I don't want to be mean, since Craven has made some enjoyable movies that would definitely make my desert island collection, but I really can't think of anything positive or salvageable within this ill conceived supernatural tale. I viewed My Soul To Take with some buddies of mine who happen to work in the industry and they couldn't believe something like this could be spawned by Craven. One of them even told me a rumor about the director secretly recovering from heart...
- 2/11/2011
- LRMonline.com
There are several horror titles releasing on DVD and Blu-Ray today. The most notable releases for Tuesday, February 8th include Wes Craven's poorly received My Soul to Take, a chilling production from France titled High Lane, Anchor Bay Entertainment's I Spit on Your Grave and finally, Paranormal Activity 2. This last title has already confirmed a sequel, with High Lane standing out amongst these titles. High Lane promises double terror from terrific heights and from socially isolated cannibals. Have a look at each of the titles below, with special features attached to each (if available).
High Lane
A synopsis...
"A group of friends on vacation decide to venture onto a trail high up in the mountains that has been closed for repairs. The climb proves more perilous than planned. Especially as they soon realize that they're not alone. This adventure will turn into a nightmare."
Release Date: February 8th,...
High Lane
A synopsis...
"A group of friends on vacation decide to venture onto a trail high up in the mountains that has been closed for repairs. The climb proves more perilous than planned. Especially as they soon realize that they're not alone. This adventure will turn into a nightmare."
Release Date: February 8th,...
- 2/9/2011
- by Remove28DaysLaterAnalysisThis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Wes Craven's poorly received My Soul to Take will move to DVD and Blu-Ray shelves February 8th; pre-orders are available December 21st. This film was made for $15 million, but has only made $14 million of this back through theatre sales (IMDb). Home entertainment sales will be much less than $14 million and in Hollywood, not making back double your investment is considered a failure. Hopefully Craven's Scream 4 will be a better, stronger showing.
Also, the DVD and/or Blu-Ray will offer two alternate endings, Pocket Blu, and Bd Live. More details on the release, including the trailer, are below.
The film's synopsis:
"In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he...
Also, the DVD and/or Blu-Ray will offer two alternate endings, Pocket Blu, and Bd Live. More details on the release, including the trailer, are below.
The film's synopsis:
"In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he...
- 12/10/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Directed by: Wes Craven
Written by: Wes Craven
Cast: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, Paulina Olszynski, Jeremy Chu, Emily Meade, Raúl Esparza
We really have had it all wrong about schizophrenia. Wes Craven has revealed within My Soul to Take a brand new working theory of schizophrenia that is bound to turn stupid old science on its head. It's not about misfiring neurons, chemical imbalances, childhood trauma, or anything silly like that; schizophrenics are simply people who have become jam packed with extra human souls. Most people just have one soul, and schizophrenics can have two, three, or even seven souls. The world is made clear. Take that, science!
It's been sixteen years since the fall of the dreaded 'Riverton Ripper'. On his last fateful night, he was gunned down in the height of a murder spree, only to spring to life in the back...
Written by: Wes Craven
Cast: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, Paulina Olszynski, Jeremy Chu, Emily Meade, Raúl Esparza
We really have had it all wrong about schizophrenia. Wes Craven has revealed within My Soul to Take a brand new working theory of schizophrenia that is bound to turn stupid old science on its head. It's not about misfiring neurons, chemical imbalances, childhood trauma, or anything silly like that; schizophrenics are simply people who have become jam packed with extra human souls. Most people just have one soul, and schizophrenics can have two, three, or even seven souls. The world is made clear. Take that, science!
It's been sixteen years since the fall of the dreaded 'Riverton Ripper'. On his last fateful night, he was gunned down in the height of a murder spree, only to spring to life in the back...
- 10/12/2010
- by Tristan Sinns
- Planet Fury
Before heading into this movie, I couldn't help but gleefully muse, "I wonder if Wes Craven can still bring it." Yeah, I grew up in the 1980s, so my general appreciation of Craven's work is more nostalgic than genuine. Beyond the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises, this guy hasn't done much to deserve a reputation as one of the so-called "masters of horror." Now, after the first few acts of his latest cinematic effort, My Soul to Take 3D, I've begun speculate whether Wes Craven ever truly brought it. Sure, there've been a few genuine flashes of inspiration throughout the man's enviably enduring career, but the actual execution of Craven's ideas have generally been an altogether different matter than their conception would allow one to believe. Just look at Freddy Krueger (the original), who has always been scarier as a freestanding entity than within any of the Elm...
- 10/11/2010
- by Agent Bedhead
Wes Craven, what happened? Ron checks out My Soul To Take, and finds that he appears to have made a Scream clone, with terrible 3D...
Wes Craven in the third dimension? You're telling me he didn't jump on this bandwagon back in the 80s when it returned with a vengeance back when it first made its comeback? He waited until the second time around to hop on everyone's favorite 1950s movie gimmick? Well, if you say so.
Sixteen years ago, a schizophrenic serial killer dubbed the Riverton Ripper terrorized a small town in Massachusetts. He killed several people with a signature fold-out knife, including his wife. He's about to kill his daughter when the police finally intervene, tipped off by the Ripper's psychiatrist and one of the good personalities. They gun the killer down, but like all movie killers, he has a nasty habit of coming back to life because...
Wes Craven in the third dimension? You're telling me he didn't jump on this bandwagon back in the 80s when it returned with a vengeance back when it first made its comeback? He waited until the second time around to hop on everyone's favorite 1950s movie gimmick? Well, if you say so.
Sixteen years ago, a schizophrenic serial killer dubbed the Riverton Ripper terrorized a small town in Massachusetts. He killed several people with a signature fold-out knife, including his wife. He's about to kill his daughter when the police finally intervene, tipped off by the Ripper's psychiatrist and one of the good personalities. They gun the killer down, but like all movie killers, he has a nasty habit of coming back to life because...
- 10/11/2010
- Den of Geek
Wes Craven's latest 3D slashfest, My Soul to Take, is opening wide this weekend, and we have put together all of our previous coverage for the film in one nice little package below so you can prep yourselves. Among all the fun coverage, make sure to feast your eyes on our Photo Gallery and the Video Clips Blowout!
Synopsis:
In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.
Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thierot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad’s terrifying crimes, he has...
Synopsis:
In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.
Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thierot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad’s terrifying crimes, he has...
- 10/8/2010
- by kwlow
- DreadCentral.com
Title: My Soul to Take Directed By: Wes Craven Starring: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, Paulina Olszynski, Jeremy Chu, Emily Meade, Raul Esparza, Jessica Hecht Nobody’s perfect, but that doesn’t make it any easier to see a subpar movie from a filmmaker you revere. Even though Pulse and Cursed are clearly weak films, both are still entertaining to a point. Sadly, the only way to get any entertainment out of Wes Craven’s latest film, My Soul to Take, is to see it in a packed theater, that way you can enjoy commiserating with the rest of the audience when you’re hysterically laughing at moments that [...]...
- 10/8/2010
- by Perri Nemiroff
- ShockYa
My Soul to Take 3D
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway
Running Time: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: October 8, 2010
Plot: They thought he was dead. A serial killer returns to terrorize seven children who share the same birthday as the date they thought he died.
Jake’s Take on his interview with Wes Craven, the director of My Soul to Take
Whenever you talk to someone you consider a legend — and in my mind, it’s hard to mention the world of horror without mentioning the name Wes Craven — to outright fail to acknowledge the classics is to take advantage of an incredible opportunity. But, more often than not, many people want to focus on the film they’re promoting and don’t want to talk about the older stuff.
Still, in an interview I consider a real give-and-take of old school vs.
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway
Running Time: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: October 8, 2010
Plot: They thought he was dead. A serial killer returns to terrorize seven children who share the same birthday as the date they thought he died.
Jake’s Take on his interview with Wes Craven, the director of My Soul to Take
Whenever you talk to someone you consider a legend — and in my mind, it’s hard to mention the world of horror without mentioning the name Wes Craven — to outright fail to acknowledge the classics is to take advantage of an incredible opportunity. But, more often than not, many people want to focus on the film they’re promoting and don’t want to talk about the older stuff.
Still, in an interview I consider a real give-and-take of old school vs.
- 10/7/2010
- by Jake Hamilton
- The Scorecard Review
My Soul To Take, Wes Craven's first 3D flick and really his first horror film in a bit hits your local theater shortly and to help wet your appitite I've got some new stuff I'll be throwing your way. First up is this clip that features a chase and a short meeting with The Ripper, Craven's baddy this time around. My Soul To Take opens this coming Friday Oct. 8th. The flick stars Max Theieriot, Emily Meade, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, Hannah Hodson, Shareeka Epps, Jessica Hecht, Elana Hurst and Christopher Place. Here's the official studio synopsis: In...
- 10/3/2010
- by David Dreher, Akron Horror Movie Examiner
- Examiner Movies Channel
My Soul to Take PosterMy Soul to Take, from director Wes Craven, was previously titled 25/8 and now the first trailer is available for this supernatural styled film. In the clip, the Riverton Ripper makes short work of several teens, who were born on the day the Ripper was originally killed. Now, his spirit or soul inhabits another and he seeks more bloodshed through the body of one of these ill-fated youths. To show in brilliant 3D, My Soul to Take will be released theatrically by Univeral Pictures. Have a look at the clip inside.
The trailer for the picture here:
"In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the...
The trailer for the picture here:
"In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the...
- 8/18/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Ross Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Late last night we posted the first official trailer for Wes Craven’s My Soul to Take. Now, courtesy of IMPAwards, we have a new poster for your viewing pleasure.
My Soul to Take was both written and directed by Wes Craven, and stars Frank Grillo, John Magaro, Nick Lashaway, Emily Meade, Max Thieriot, Paulina Olszyinski, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Trevor St. John, Zena Grey and Raul Esparza.
Synopsis: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
While it may not be wholly original, the trailer suggests it does have a solid narrative, sprinkled with a few scares, so it should be enough to tide Craven fans over till Scream 4 hits our screens in Spring 2011.
Check out the poster below:
My Soul to Take will hit Us cinemas on October 8.
My Soul to Take was both written and directed by Wes Craven, and stars Frank Grillo, John Magaro, Nick Lashaway, Emily Meade, Max Thieriot, Paulina Olszyinski, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Trevor St. John, Zena Grey and Raul Esparza.
Synopsis: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
While it may not be wholly original, the trailer suggests it does have a solid narrative, sprinkled with a few scares, so it should be enough to tide Craven fans over till Scream 4 hits our screens in Spring 2011.
Check out the poster below:
My Soul to Take will hit Us cinemas on October 8.
- 8/18/2010
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As you may know, Wes Craven is currently in the process of shooting the highly anticipated Scream 4, but before he started production on that film, he was putting the finishing touches on a new original horror flick called My Soul to Take. It looks like it could be the start of a new horror franchise, depending on how successful it is. The story revolves around the Riverton Ripper, a killer in a small town who returns to stalk seven teenagers who were all born on the same day he was killed. The last two movies that Craven directed were Red Eye and Cursed back in 2005... one of those movies was fairly well-received, while the other one wasn't. This does feel like a return to the teen slasher flicks of the '90s, which bodes well for Scream 4. Unfortunately, most of the film's atmosphere flies out the window once...
- 8/18/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Wes Craven may be busy working on "Scream 4," but the horror man has a new film coming out first: "My Soul to Take," which will open in 3D Oct. 8, 2010. The first trailer is online, so check it out below...
The film, which was previously titled "25/8," follows a serial killer returning to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest. Zzzzzzzzzzzz...
Max Thieriot, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway and Frank Grillo star in "My Soul to Take." Too bad this mediocre trailer reveals a tad too much. Oh yeah, I also doubt the 3D is really necessary here.
The film, which was previously titled "25/8," follows a serial killer returning to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest. Zzzzzzzzzzzz...
Max Thieriot, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway and Frank Grillo star in "My Soul to Take." Too bad this mediocre trailer reveals a tad too much. Oh yeah, I also doubt the 3D is really necessary here.
- 8/18/2010
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
A preview to Wes Craven's latest horror film "My Soul to Take" has emerged in form of a full trailer. Debuted by Yahoo! Movies, the video is opened with a look at a boy attacked on a bridge. The first few seconds of the trailer is narrated by Adam "Bug" Heller who introduces a story about his hometown Riverton.
In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. As the legend turns to be reality, the seven teens begin questioning whether the psychopath has been reincarnated as one of them, or he survived the night he was left for dead.
Max Thieriot's Bug was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has...
In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. As the legend turns to be reality, the seven teens begin questioning whether the psychopath has been reincarnated as one of them, or he survived the night he was left for dead.
Max Thieriot's Bug was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has...
- 8/18/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Wes Craven hasn’t directed a film since 2005 with the excellent thriller Red Eye. He is currently shooting Scream 4, but actually directed a feature right before. It is a horror film titled My Soul to Take and it stars Max Thieriot , Frank Grillo, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, and Emily Meade. There are some nice shots, but for the most part it looks like generic horror. It also doesn’t look to have the schlock factor to be 3D, like Mbv and the upcoming Piranha but you check out the trailer below via Yahoo.
Plot: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
My Soul To Take hits theaters Oct. 8th.
Does this look like more than a generic horror film to you?
E-mail Jordan Raup here. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Tfs updates!
Plot: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
My Soul To Take hits theaters Oct. 8th.
Does this look like more than a generic horror film to you?
E-mail Jordan Raup here. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Tfs updates!
- 8/18/2010
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Wes Craven is back doing what he does best and his new project 'My Soul to Take' will be arriving in 3D this October. Site Daemons Movies has managed to score a few screen caps from the upcoming slasher movie that stars Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Paulina Olszynski, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, and Emily Meade (below). You can check out the 3 new images below which don't actually get me too excited about this project. 'A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.' 'My Soul to Take' will arrive in Us theatres on 29 October, the same day as 'Saw 3D' so should be an interesting weekend.
- 8/6/2010
- Horror Asylum
Daemon’s Movies have posted the first three images from Wes Craven’s My Soul to Take, which was originally titled 25/8.
The film, the first Craven has both written and directed since 1994′s New Nightmare, will be distributed by Universal.
My Soul to Take stars John Magaro, Nick Lashaway, Emily Meade, Max Thieriot, Paulina Olszyinski, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Trevor St. John, Zena Grey and Raul Esparza.
Synopsis: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
Unquestionably, with the hype surrounding Craven’s upcoming return to the Scream franchise, horror fans will be rejoicing that the daddy of horror films is making a long-awaited comeback with not one, but two films in the space of six months.
Check out the three pictures embedded below:
My Soul to Take will hit cinemas in the...
The film, the first Craven has both written and directed since 1994′s New Nightmare, will be distributed by Universal.
My Soul to Take stars John Magaro, Nick Lashaway, Emily Meade, Max Thieriot, Paulina Olszyinski, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Trevor St. John, Zena Grey and Raul Esparza.
Synopsis: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
Unquestionably, with the hype surrounding Craven’s upcoming return to the Scream franchise, horror fans will be rejoicing that the daddy of horror films is making a long-awaited comeback with not one, but two films in the space of six months.
Check out the three pictures embedded below:
My Soul to Take will hit cinemas in the...
- 8/6/2010
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Wes Craven has a new film coming out soon, and it was originally titled "25/8." According to ShockTillYouDrop, however, that title does no longer exist. The film is now called "My Soul to Take."
To tell you the truth, I preferred "25/8," but who cares anyway. Craven's last feature directorial effort was 2005's "Red Eye," and it's about time he returns to the big screen. I'm ready...
Anyway, he announced the title change via Twitter. According to IMDb, the film follows a serial killer returning to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
"Soul" stars Max Thieriot, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway and Frank Grillo. Recent Craven films also include "Cursed." He will also be working on the upcoming "Scream 4."...
To tell you the truth, I preferred "25/8," but who cares anyway. Craven's last feature directorial effort was 2005's "Red Eye," and it's about time he returns to the big screen. I'm ready...
Anyway, he announced the title change via Twitter. According to IMDb, the film follows a serial killer returning to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
"Soul" stars Max Thieriot, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway and Frank Grillo. Recent Craven films also include "Cursed." He will also be working on the upcoming "Scream 4."...
- 10/20/2009
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
Box Office Mojo reports that Fox has set a September 18, 2009 release date for its teen horror/comedy Jennifer’S Body. It’ll compete that day with Warner Bros.’ Matt Damon-starrer The Informant and Sony’s actioner Armored and animated feature Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.
Directed by Karyn Kusama from a script by Juno’s Diablo Cody, Jennifer’S Body stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon that compels her to devour her male classmates, and Amanda Seyfried as her best friend, who has to stop her. Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons and Amy Sedaris co-star.
Elsewhere on the upcoming fright scene, Fango has learned that Wes Craven’s new chiller for Rogue Pictures has relinquished its shooting title of 25/8 and is now without a moniker. Starring Max Thieriot, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Frank Grillo and Dennis Boutsikaris, the movie is...
Directed by Karyn Kusama from a script by Juno’s Diablo Cody, Jennifer’S Body stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demon that compels her to devour her male classmates, and Amanda Seyfried as her best friend, who has to stop her. Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons and Amy Sedaris co-star.
Elsewhere on the upcoming fright scene, Fango has learned that Wes Craven’s new chiller for Rogue Pictures has relinquished its shooting title of 25/8 and is now without a moniker. Starring Max Thieriot, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Frank Grillo and Dennis Boutsikaris, the movie is...
- 12/20/2008
- Fangoria
The Shaggy Dog
If Queen Latifah can step into Alec Guinness' Last Holiday and Steve Martin can go from Father of the Bride to Cheaper by the Dozen to The Pink Panther remakes, why shouldn't producer-actor Tim Allen take a romp as The Shaggy Dog? Director Brian Robbins, a young veteran of teen and family fare, and five writers have turned out a fast-moving Walt Disney Co. comedy that manages to sail past many of the cliches usually found in this genre while throwing together a wild story line more apt for a new millennium. Business could be brisk for the tweener crowd. DVD sales and rental figures look to be strong.
The original 1959 release was the first of scores of live-action family comedies from the Walt Disney studio, producing a lineage of teenage stars that would lead to Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan. Although Fred MacMurray was top-billed, that film focused on his teenage son, played by Tommy Kirk, who stumbled onto Cold War missile secrets. Back then it was Kirk's Wilby Daniels who turned (off and on) into a canine, courtesy of an ancient Borgia curse. Years later, a sequel, The Shaggy D.A., had studio regular Dean Jones stepping into the role of an adult Wilby.
The remake credits both earlier screenplays with an acknowledgment of Felix Salten's original story, The Hound of Florence, as well. About the only similarity to the first film plot-wise is Dad's dislike of dogs (though in the original, there was a valid rationale: MacMurray was a veteran postal employee). As before, the fun is in the shape-shifting between man and beast, usually at the most inopportune moments.
Like Batman Begins, The Shaggy Dog opens in Tibet. A brief prologue introduces us to a 300-year-old bearded collie living -- and praying! -- among the monks. Henchmen from an evil pharmaceuticals conglomerate, headed by an ailing Philip Baker Hall, are on a reconnaissance mission to snatch the dog. Once back at the U.S. headquarters/secret genetics lab, two young scientists try to use the collie to perfect the Fountain of Youth for greedy corporate nincompoop Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be playing a campy Prince Hal).
The balance of the film has assistant DA Dave Douglas (Allen) prosecuting his animal-activist daughter's (Zena Grey) tree-hugging social studies teacher, when his bloodstream gets infected with the ancient serum that gradually transforms the star into a furry dog. Allen is at his comic best in these scenes, from growling at opposing counsel in the courtroom (reminiscent of his Home Improvement hyper-masculine barking shtick) to chasing his bathrobe's tail at home. Kristin Davis, almost too attractive, plays Mrs. Douglas, and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2) is the atypical younger brother. As a four-legged animal whose "voice" is heard only by the viewer, Allen starts to see how much he had neglected his family.
The supporting cast includes Jane Curtin as the judge, Danny Glover (miscast) as the DA and Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) as Grey's teen boyfriend. The best supporting players are the mutant creatures (a snake with a dog's tail, a bulldog-headed frog) -- real animals mixed with concoctions bred by the Stan Winston and Tippett labs -- that aid Allen in an elaborate laboratory escape.
THE SHAGGY DOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films/Boxing Cat Films
Credits: Director: Brian Robbins; Screenwriters: The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; Producers: David Hoberman, Tim Allen; Executive producers: Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay, Matthew Carroll; Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain; Production designer: Leslie McDonald; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Music: Alan Menken; Editor: Ned Bastille.
Cast: Dave Douglas: Tim Allen; Rebecca Douglas: Kristin Davis; Carly Douglas: Zena Grey; Josh Douglas: Spencer Breslin; Ken Hollister: Danny Glover; Dr. Kozak: Robert Downey Jr.; Judge Claire Whittaker: Jane Curtin; Lance Strictland: Philip Baker Hall; Baxter: Craig Kilborn.
MPAA rating PG, running time 92 minutes.
The original 1959 release was the first of scores of live-action family comedies from the Walt Disney studio, producing a lineage of teenage stars that would lead to Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan. Although Fred MacMurray was top-billed, that film focused on his teenage son, played by Tommy Kirk, who stumbled onto Cold War missile secrets. Back then it was Kirk's Wilby Daniels who turned (off and on) into a canine, courtesy of an ancient Borgia curse. Years later, a sequel, The Shaggy D.A., had studio regular Dean Jones stepping into the role of an adult Wilby.
The remake credits both earlier screenplays with an acknowledgment of Felix Salten's original story, The Hound of Florence, as well. About the only similarity to the first film plot-wise is Dad's dislike of dogs (though in the original, there was a valid rationale: MacMurray was a veteran postal employee). As before, the fun is in the shape-shifting between man and beast, usually at the most inopportune moments.
Like Batman Begins, The Shaggy Dog opens in Tibet. A brief prologue introduces us to a 300-year-old bearded collie living -- and praying! -- among the monks. Henchmen from an evil pharmaceuticals conglomerate, headed by an ailing Philip Baker Hall, are on a reconnaissance mission to snatch the dog. Once back at the U.S. headquarters/secret genetics lab, two young scientists try to use the collie to perfect the Fountain of Youth for greedy corporate nincompoop Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be playing a campy Prince Hal).
The balance of the film has assistant DA Dave Douglas (Allen) prosecuting his animal-activist daughter's (Zena Grey) tree-hugging social studies teacher, when his bloodstream gets infected with the ancient serum that gradually transforms the star into a furry dog. Allen is at his comic best in these scenes, from growling at opposing counsel in the courtroom (reminiscent of his Home Improvement hyper-masculine barking shtick) to chasing his bathrobe's tail at home. Kristin Davis, almost too attractive, plays Mrs. Douglas, and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2) is the atypical younger brother. As a four-legged animal whose "voice" is heard only by the viewer, Allen starts to see how much he had neglected his family.
The supporting cast includes Jane Curtin as the judge, Danny Glover (miscast) as the DA and Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) as Grey's teen boyfriend. The best supporting players are the mutant creatures (a snake with a dog's tail, a bulldog-headed frog) -- real animals mixed with concoctions bred by the Stan Winston and Tippett labs -- that aid Allen in an elaborate laboratory escape.
THE SHAGGY DOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films/Boxing Cat Films
Credits: Director: Brian Robbins; Screenwriters: The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; Producers: David Hoberman, Tim Allen; Executive producers: Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay, Matthew Carroll; Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain; Production designer: Leslie McDonald; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Music: Alan Menken; Editor: Ned Bastille.
Cast: Dave Douglas: Tim Allen; Rebecca Douglas: Kristin Davis; Carly Douglas: Zena Grey; Josh Douglas: Spencer Breslin; Ken Hollister: Danny Glover; Dr. Kozak: Robert Downey Jr.; Judge Claire Whittaker: Jane Curtin; Lance Strictland: Philip Baker Hall; Baxter: Craig Kilborn.
MPAA rating PG, running time 92 minutes.
- 3/17/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Shaggy Dog
If Queen Latifah can step into Alec Guinness' Last Holiday and Steve Martin can go from Father of the Bride to Cheaper by the Dozen to The Pink Panther remakes, why shouldn't producer-actor Tim Allen take a romp as The Shaggy Dog? Director Brian Robbins, a young veteran of teen and family fare, and five writers have turned out a fast-moving Walt Disney Co. comedy that manages to sail past many of the cliches usually found in this genre while throwing together a wild story line more apt for a new millennium. Business could be brisk for the tweener crowd. DVD sales and rental figures look to be strong.
The original 1959 release was the first of scores of live-action family comedies from the Walt Disney studio, producing a lineage of teenage stars that would lead to Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan. Although Fred MacMurray was top-billed, that film focused on his teenage son, played by Tommy Kirk, who stumbled onto Cold War missile secrets. Back then it was Kirk's Wilby Daniels who turned (off and on) into a canine, courtesy of an ancient Borgia curse. Years later, a sequel, The Shaggy D.A., had studio regular Dean Jones stepping into the role of an adult Wilby.
The remake credits both earlier screenplays with an acknowledgment of Felix Salten's original story, The Hound of Florence, as well. About the only similarity to the first film plot-wise is Dad's dislike of dogs (though in the original, there was a valid rationale: MacMurray was a veteran postal employee). As before, the fun is in the shape-shifting between man and beast, usually at the most inopportune moments.
Like Batman Begins, The Shaggy Dog opens in Tibet. A brief prologue introduces us to a 300-year-old bearded collie living -- and praying! -- among the monks. Henchmen from an evil pharmaceuticals conglomerate, headed by an ailing Philip Baker Hall, are on a reconnaissance mission to snatch the dog. Once back at the U.S. headquarters/secret genetics lab, two young scientists try to use the collie to perfect the Fountain of Youth for greedy corporate nincompoop Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be playing a campy Prince Hal).
The balance of the film has assistant DA Dave Douglas (Allen) prosecuting his animal-activist daughter's (Zena Grey) tree-hugging social studies teacher, when his bloodstream gets infected with the ancient serum that gradually transforms the star into a furry dog. Allen is at his comic best in these scenes, from growling at opposing counsel in the courtroom (reminiscent of his Home Improvement hyper-masculine barking shtick) to chasing his bathrobe's tail at home. Kristin Davis, almost too attractive, plays Mrs. Douglas, and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2) is the atypical younger brother. As a four-legged animal whose "voice" is heard only by the viewer, Allen starts to see how much he had neglected his family.
The supporting cast includes Jane Curtin as the judge, Danny Glover (miscast) as the DA and Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) as Grey's teen boyfriend. The best supporting players are the mutant creatures (a snake with a dog's tail, a bulldog-headed frog) -- real animals mixed with concoctions bred by the Stan Winston and Tippett labs -- that aid Allen in an elaborate laboratory escape.
THE SHAGGY DOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films/Boxing Cat Films
Credits: Director: Brian Robbins; Screenwriters: The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; Producers: David Hoberman, Tim Allen; Executive producers: Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay, Matthew Carroll; Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain; Production designer: Leslie McDonald; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Music: Alan Menken; Editor: Ned Bastille.
Cast: Dave Douglas: Tim Allen; Rebecca Douglas: Kristin Davis; Carly Douglas: Zena Grey; Josh Douglas: Spencer Breslin; Ken Hollister: Danny Glover; Dr. Kozak: Robert Downey Jr.; Judge Claire Whittaker: Jane Curtin; Lance Strictland: Philip Baker Hall; Baxter: Craig Kilborn.
MPAA rating PG, running time 92 minutes.
The original 1959 release was the first of scores of live-action family comedies from the Walt Disney studio, producing a lineage of teenage stars that would lead to Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan. Although Fred MacMurray was top-billed, that film focused on his teenage son, played by Tommy Kirk, who stumbled onto Cold War missile secrets. Back then it was Kirk's Wilby Daniels who turned (off and on) into a canine, courtesy of an ancient Borgia curse. Years later, a sequel, The Shaggy D.A., had studio regular Dean Jones stepping into the role of an adult Wilby.
The remake credits both earlier screenplays with an acknowledgment of Felix Salten's original story, The Hound of Florence, as well. About the only similarity to the first film plot-wise is Dad's dislike of dogs (though in the original, there was a valid rationale: MacMurray was a veteran postal employee). As before, the fun is in the shape-shifting between man and beast, usually at the most inopportune moments.
Like Batman Begins, The Shaggy Dog opens in Tibet. A brief prologue introduces us to a 300-year-old bearded collie living -- and praying! -- among the monks. Henchmen from an evil pharmaceuticals conglomerate, headed by an ailing Philip Baker Hall, are on a reconnaissance mission to snatch the dog. Once back at the U.S. headquarters/secret genetics lab, two young scientists try to use the collie to perfect the Fountain of Youth for greedy corporate nincompoop Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be playing a campy Prince Hal).
The balance of the film has assistant DA Dave Douglas (Allen) prosecuting his animal-activist daughter's (Zena Grey) tree-hugging social studies teacher, when his bloodstream gets infected with the ancient serum that gradually transforms the star into a furry dog. Allen is at his comic best in these scenes, from growling at opposing counsel in the courtroom (reminiscent of his Home Improvement hyper-masculine barking shtick) to chasing his bathrobe's tail at home. Kristin Davis, almost too attractive, plays Mrs. Douglas, and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2) is the atypical younger brother. As a four-legged animal whose "voice" is heard only by the viewer, Allen starts to see how much he had neglected his family.
The supporting cast includes Jane Curtin as the judge, Danny Glover (miscast) as the DA and Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) as Grey's teen boyfriend. The best supporting players are the mutant creatures (a snake with a dog's tail, a bulldog-headed frog) -- real animals mixed with concoctions bred by the Stan Winston and Tippett labs -- that aid Allen in an elaborate laboratory escape.
THE SHAGGY DOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films/Boxing Cat Films
Credits: Director: Brian Robbins; Screenwriters: The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; Producers: David Hoberman, Tim Allen; Executive producers: Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay, Matthew Carroll; Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain; Production designer: Leslie McDonald; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Music: Alan Menken; Editor: Ned Bastille.
Cast: Dave Douglas: Tim Allen; Rebecca Douglas: Kristin Davis; Carly Douglas: Zena Grey; Josh Douglas: Spencer Breslin; Ken Hollister: Danny Glover; Dr. Kozak: Robert Downey Jr.; Judge Claire Whittaker: Jane Curtin; Lance Strictland: Philip Baker Hall; Baxter: Craig Kilborn.
MPAA rating PG, running time 92 minutes.
- 3/6/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stateside
Writer-director Reverge Anselmo has an eye for odd, telling details in this 1980s-set us-against-the-world romance. But the finely observed moments in "Stateside" accumulate little emotional power. The promise of something startling and compelling goes unfulfilled, and the arc of the central love story isn't interesting enough to sustain the drama.
Jonathan Tucker ("The Deep End") delivers a fresh, convincing portrayal of a well-to-do kid who finds himself stunned into growing up fast. As the girl he loves, Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That") brings a brooding restlessness to the more cliched role of a troubled but irresistible waif. The story's military angle might hit a current events nerve, and younger audiences likely will find the offbeat darkness of the saga and the Reagan-era setting exotic enough to drive modest boxoffice returns.
The Catholic schoolkid rebellion of Connecticut high school senior Mark (Tucker) and his friends, well captured here, implodes in a car crash with lasting repercussions. The school's head priest (Ed Begley Jr.) winds up in a wheelchair. Mark's precocious classmate Sue (Agnes Bruckner) loses not only her front teeth but her freedom: Her bitter mother (Carrie Fisher) tosses her into a state institution after learning of her sexual exploits. She also presses charges against Mark, who was behind the wheel.
Thanks to the influence of his wealthy father (Joe Mantegna), a compromise sentence places Mark in the Marine Corps rather than jail. Before he departs, he falls for Sue's slightly older hospital roommate, Dori (Cook), an actress/rock singer on leave from Hollywood. There's an urgency to their flirtation, an idiosyncratic poetry to their conversations and letters, all of which starts off bracing but becomes self-conscious.
It takes a while for it to sink in with Mark that Dori is being treated for schizophrenia. Most of the time Cook navigates the fine line that separates the role of a charismatic mental patient from the maudlin or cute. Dori is alternately exuberant, unresponsive, melancholy and thick-tongued from Thorazine. A therapist (Diane Venora) warns Mark that their intermittent get-togethers threaten her recovery.
When he isn't springing Dori from a halfway house, Mark is immersed in Marine Corps training, a crucible from which he believes he emerges a man. His silver-spoon status makes him the prime target for torment from his drill instructor (Val Kilmer), an oddball on a mission to do what "the mothers of America" cannot. In a strange way, the endless humiliation engages Mark, who never quite felt at home in the cavernous mansion he shared with his asthmatic father and dreamily grieving younger sister (Zena Grey), who is wont to traipse through the rooms in a mink that belonged to their recently deceased mother.
Such provocative character nuances are pushed to the periphery as the film falters in a wearying string of hospitalizations and furloughs. The well-played supporting characters serve mainly to orbit the young couple. While that might make sense for the adults, it's a shame that Bruckner's Sue is all but lost in the mix. Ultimately, so is Dori -- glimpses of her background or the drive that fueled her career apparently lost in editing. Her mother and uncle are dropped awkwardly into a scene in which they speak no lines and serve no discernible dramatic purpose.
Although the film's title refers to military slang for The Loved Ones left back home, Mark's experiences overseas, when his unit is deployed to Beirut, are compressed to a few lines of voice-over. Anselmo (a former Marine) brings the saga to a rushed conclusion, and the sense of two outsiders finding focus and solace in each other doesn't register with the necessary tenderness or force.
Unshowy wide-screen lensing and design elements effectively evoke the recent past, with vintage tracks by Elvis Costello and Rickie Lee Jones, among others, helping to heighten the nostalgia.
STATESIDE
Samuel Goldwyn Films
in association with Cinerenta and First Look Media
A Seven Hills Pictures production in association with Cinealpha KG
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Reverge Anselmo
Producer: Robert Greenhut
Executive producers: Eberhard Kayser, Michele Berk
Director of photography: Adam Holender
Production designer: Mike Shaw
Music: Joel McNeely
Co-producer: Bonnie Hlinomaz
Costume designer: Cynthia Flynt
Editor: Suzy Elmiger
Cast:
Dori Lawrence: Rachael Leigh Cook
Mark Deloach: Jonathan Tucker
Sue Dubois: Agnes Bruckner
Mr. Deloach: Joe Mantegna
Mrs. Dubois: Carrie Fisher
Mrs. Hengen: Diane Venora
Father Concoff: Ed Begley Jr.
Senior Drill Instructor Skeer: Val Kilmer
Gina Deloach: Zena Grey
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Jonathan Tucker ("The Deep End") delivers a fresh, convincing portrayal of a well-to-do kid who finds himself stunned into growing up fast. As the girl he loves, Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That") brings a brooding restlessness to the more cliched role of a troubled but irresistible waif. The story's military angle might hit a current events nerve, and younger audiences likely will find the offbeat darkness of the saga and the Reagan-era setting exotic enough to drive modest boxoffice returns.
The Catholic schoolkid rebellion of Connecticut high school senior Mark (Tucker) and his friends, well captured here, implodes in a car crash with lasting repercussions. The school's head priest (Ed Begley Jr.) winds up in a wheelchair. Mark's precocious classmate Sue (Agnes Bruckner) loses not only her front teeth but her freedom: Her bitter mother (Carrie Fisher) tosses her into a state institution after learning of her sexual exploits. She also presses charges against Mark, who was behind the wheel.
Thanks to the influence of his wealthy father (Joe Mantegna), a compromise sentence places Mark in the Marine Corps rather than jail. Before he departs, he falls for Sue's slightly older hospital roommate, Dori (Cook), an actress/rock singer on leave from Hollywood. There's an urgency to their flirtation, an idiosyncratic poetry to their conversations and letters, all of which starts off bracing but becomes self-conscious.
It takes a while for it to sink in with Mark that Dori is being treated for schizophrenia. Most of the time Cook navigates the fine line that separates the role of a charismatic mental patient from the maudlin or cute. Dori is alternately exuberant, unresponsive, melancholy and thick-tongued from Thorazine. A therapist (Diane Venora) warns Mark that their intermittent get-togethers threaten her recovery.
When he isn't springing Dori from a halfway house, Mark is immersed in Marine Corps training, a crucible from which he believes he emerges a man. His silver-spoon status makes him the prime target for torment from his drill instructor (Val Kilmer), an oddball on a mission to do what "the mothers of America" cannot. In a strange way, the endless humiliation engages Mark, who never quite felt at home in the cavernous mansion he shared with his asthmatic father and dreamily grieving younger sister (Zena Grey), who is wont to traipse through the rooms in a mink that belonged to their recently deceased mother.
Such provocative character nuances are pushed to the periphery as the film falters in a wearying string of hospitalizations and furloughs. The well-played supporting characters serve mainly to orbit the young couple. While that might make sense for the adults, it's a shame that Bruckner's Sue is all but lost in the mix. Ultimately, so is Dori -- glimpses of her background or the drive that fueled her career apparently lost in editing. Her mother and uncle are dropped awkwardly into a scene in which they speak no lines and serve no discernible dramatic purpose.
Although the film's title refers to military slang for The Loved Ones left back home, Mark's experiences overseas, when his unit is deployed to Beirut, are compressed to a few lines of voice-over. Anselmo (a former Marine) brings the saga to a rushed conclusion, and the sense of two outsiders finding focus and solace in each other doesn't register with the necessary tenderness or force.
Unshowy wide-screen lensing and design elements effectively evoke the recent past, with vintage tracks by Elvis Costello and Rickie Lee Jones, among others, helping to heighten the nostalgia.
STATESIDE
Samuel Goldwyn Films
in association with Cinerenta and First Look Media
A Seven Hills Pictures production in association with Cinealpha KG
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Reverge Anselmo
Producer: Robert Greenhut
Executive producers: Eberhard Kayser, Michele Berk
Director of photography: Adam Holender
Production designer: Mike Shaw
Music: Joel McNeely
Co-producer: Bonnie Hlinomaz
Costume designer: Cynthia Flynt
Editor: Suzy Elmiger
Cast:
Dori Lawrence: Rachael Leigh Cook
Mark Deloach: Jonathan Tucker
Sue Dubois: Agnes Bruckner
Mr. Deloach: Joe Mantegna
Mrs. Dubois: Carrie Fisher
Mrs. Hengen: Diane Venora
Father Concoff: Ed Begley Jr.
Senior Drill Instructor Skeer: Val Kilmer
Gina Deloach: Zena Grey
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/9/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stateside
Writer-director Reverge Anselmo has an eye for odd, telling details in this 1980s-set us-against-the-world romance. But the finely observed moments in "Stateside" accumulate little emotional power. The promise of something startling and compelling goes unfulfilled, and the arc of the central love story isn't interesting enough to sustain the drama.
Jonathan Tucker ("The Deep End") delivers a fresh, convincing portrayal of a well-to-do kid who finds himself stunned into growing up fast. As the girl he loves, Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That") brings a brooding restlessness to the more cliched role of a troubled but irresistible waif. The story's military angle might hit a current events nerve, and younger audiences likely will find the offbeat darkness of the saga and the Reagan-era setting exotic enough to drive modest boxoffice returns.
The Catholic schoolkid rebellion of Connecticut high school senior Mark (Tucker) and his friends, well captured here, implodes in a car crash with lasting repercussions. The school's head priest (Ed Begley Jr.) winds up in a wheelchair. Mark's precocious classmate Sue (Agnes Bruckner) loses not only her front teeth but her freedom: Her bitter mother (Carrie Fisher) tosses her into a state institution after learning of her sexual exploits. She also presses charges against Mark, who was behind the wheel.
Thanks to the influence of his wealthy father (Joe Mantegna), a compromise sentence places Mark in the Marine Corps rather than jail. Before he departs, he falls for Sue's slightly older hospital roommate, Dori (Cook), an actress/rock singer on leave from Hollywood. There's an urgency to their flirtation, an idiosyncratic poetry to their conversations and letters, all of which starts off bracing but becomes self-conscious.
It takes a while for it to sink in with Mark that Dori is being treated for schizophrenia. Most of the time Cook navigates the fine line that separates the role of a charismatic mental patient from the maudlin or cute. Dori is alternately exuberant, unresponsive, melancholy and thick-tongued from Thorazine. A therapist (Diane Venora) warns Mark that their intermittent get-togethers threaten her recovery.
When he isn't springing Dori from a halfway house, Mark is immersed in Marine Corps training, a crucible from which he believes he emerges a man. His silver-spoon status makes him the prime target for torment from his drill instructor (Val Kilmer), an oddball on a mission to do what "the mothers of America" cannot. In a strange way, the endless humiliation engages Mark, who never quite felt at home in the cavernous mansion he shared with his asthmatic father and dreamily grieving younger sister (Zena Grey), who is wont to traipse through the rooms in a mink that belonged to their recently deceased mother.
Such provocative character nuances are pushed to the periphery as the film falters in a wearying string of hospitalizations and furloughs. The well-played supporting characters serve mainly to orbit the young couple. While that might make sense for the adults, it's a shame that Bruckner's Sue is all but lost in the mix. Ultimately, so is Dori -- glimpses of her background or the drive that fueled her career apparently lost in editing. Her mother and uncle are dropped awkwardly into a scene in which they speak no lines and serve no discernible dramatic purpose.
Although the film's title refers to military slang for The Loved Ones left back home, Mark's experiences overseas, when his unit is deployed to Beirut, are compressed to a few lines of voice-over. Anselmo (a former Marine) brings the saga to a rushed conclusion, and the sense of two outsiders finding focus and solace in each other doesn't register with the necessary tenderness or force.
Unshowy wide-screen lensing and design elements effectively evoke the recent past, with vintage tracks by Elvis Costello and Rickie Lee Jones, among others, helping to heighten the nostalgia.
STATESIDE
Samuel Goldwyn Films
in association with Cinerenta and First Look Media
A Seven Hills Pictures production in association with Cinealpha KG
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Reverge Anselmo
Producer: Robert Greenhut
Executive producers: Eberhard Kayser, Michele Berk
Director of photography: Adam Holender
Production designer: Mike Shaw
Music: Joel McNeely
Co-producer: Bonnie Hlinomaz
Costume designer: Cynthia Flynt
Editor: Suzy Elmiger
Cast:
Dori Lawrence: Rachael Leigh Cook
Mark Deloach: Jonathan Tucker
Sue Dubois: Agnes Bruckner
Mr. Deloach: Joe Mantegna
Mrs. Dubois: Carrie Fisher
Mrs. Hengen: Diane Venora
Father Concoff: Ed Begley Jr.
Senior Drill Instructor Skeer: Val Kilmer
Gina Deloach: Zena Grey
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Jonathan Tucker ("The Deep End") delivers a fresh, convincing portrayal of a well-to-do kid who finds himself stunned into growing up fast. As the girl he loves, Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That") brings a brooding restlessness to the more cliched role of a troubled but irresistible waif. The story's military angle might hit a current events nerve, and younger audiences likely will find the offbeat darkness of the saga and the Reagan-era setting exotic enough to drive modest boxoffice returns.
The Catholic schoolkid rebellion of Connecticut high school senior Mark (Tucker) and his friends, well captured here, implodes in a car crash with lasting repercussions. The school's head priest (Ed Begley Jr.) winds up in a wheelchair. Mark's precocious classmate Sue (Agnes Bruckner) loses not only her front teeth but her freedom: Her bitter mother (Carrie Fisher) tosses her into a state institution after learning of her sexual exploits. She also presses charges against Mark, who was behind the wheel.
Thanks to the influence of his wealthy father (Joe Mantegna), a compromise sentence places Mark in the Marine Corps rather than jail. Before he departs, he falls for Sue's slightly older hospital roommate, Dori (Cook), an actress/rock singer on leave from Hollywood. There's an urgency to their flirtation, an idiosyncratic poetry to their conversations and letters, all of which starts off bracing but becomes self-conscious.
It takes a while for it to sink in with Mark that Dori is being treated for schizophrenia. Most of the time Cook navigates the fine line that separates the role of a charismatic mental patient from the maudlin or cute. Dori is alternately exuberant, unresponsive, melancholy and thick-tongued from Thorazine. A therapist (Diane Venora) warns Mark that their intermittent get-togethers threaten her recovery.
When he isn't springing Dori from a halfway house, Mark is immersed in Marine Corps training, a crucible from which he believes he emerges a man. His silver-spoon status makes him the prime target for torment from his drill instructor (Val Kilmer), an oddball on a mission to do what "the mothers of America" cannot. In a strange way, the endless humiliation engages Mark, who never quite felt at home in the cavernous mansion he shared with his asthmatic father and dreamily grieving younger sister (Zena Grey), who is wont to traipse through the rooms in a mink that belonged to their recently deceased mother.
Such provocative character nuances are pushed to the periphery as the film falters in a wearying string of hospitalizations and furloughs. The well-played supporting characters serve mainly to orbit the young couple. While that might make sense for the adults, it's a shame that Bruckner's Sue is all but lost in the mix. Ultimately, so is Dori -- glimpses of her background or the drive that fueled her career apparently lost in editing. Her mother and uncle are dropped awkwardly into a scene in which they speak no lines and serve no discernible dramatic purpose.
Although the film's title refers to military slang for The Loved Ones left back home, Mark's experiences overseas, when his unit is deployed to Beirut, are compressed to a few lines of voice-over. Anselmo (a former Marine) brings the saga to a rushed conclusion, and the sense of two outsiders finding focus and solace in each other doesn't register with the necessary tenderness or force.
Unshowy wide-screen lensing and design elements effectively evoke the recent past, with vintage tracks by Elvis Costello and Rickie Lee Jones, among others, helping to heighten the nostalgia.
STATESIDE
Samuel Goldwyn Films
in association with Cinerenta and First Look Media
A Seven Hills Pictures production in association with Cinealpha KG
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Reverge Anselmo
Producer: Robert Greenhut
Executive producers: Eberhard Kayser, Michele Berk
Director of photography: Adam Holender
Production designer: Mike Shaw
Music: Joel McNeely
Co-producer: Bonnie Hlinomaz
Costume designer: Cynthia Flynt
Editor: Suzy Elmiger
Cast:
Dori Lawrence: Rachael Leigh Cook
Mark Deloach: Jonathan Tucker
Sue Dubois: Agnes Bruckner
Mr. Deloach: Joe Mantegna
Mrs. Dubois: Carrie Fisher
Mrs. Hengen: Diane Venora
Father Concoff: Ed Begley Jr.
Senior Drill Instructor Skeer: Val Kilmer
Gina Deloach: Zena Grey
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 5/7/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film review: 'Snow Day'
A slushy mixture of poor writing and entry-level directing, Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies' "Snow Day" is facing a dismal forecast of marketplace indifference and a critical flurry that will effectively bury it.
Unlike Nickelodeon's "Good Burger" (which had some very funny moments) and "The Rugrats Movie" (which was a hit at the boxoffice), "Snow Day" is sporadically humorous and strictly for younger viewers and families. It's a muffed ensemble goof-fest centered on the idea that the inhabitants of a small North American town have life-changing melodramas -- and everyone gets away with destruction of property and brazen disregard for authority -- when Mother Nature disrupts everything.
Chevy Chase as a competent but underappreciated weatherman and Chris Elliott as the dreaded Snowplowman are the two most prominent adults in a scenario that mostly centers on the former's teenage son Hal (Mark Weber) and his love-struck quest to win Claire (Emmanuelle Chriqui), the town's most popular girl, swimmer and dater of pompous jerks.
In his feature debut after chalking up many seasons worth of television credits, including episodes of the Nickelodeon series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," director Chris Koch has a rough time with the uneven screenplay credited to newcomers Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. There's just no vital energy running through the film.
From very early on, savvy viewers will gather that Hal's best girl buddy Lane (Schuyler Fisk) is the true love he seeks. His younger sister Natalie (Zena Grey) is another demanding playmate who is threatened by Hal's elaborate romancing of Claire -- romancing that even features an appeal to Claire on live local TV.
Claire's bratty boyfriend Chuck (David Paetkau) is not amused, which eventually leads to a less-than-riveting snowmobile chase between the spoiled beauty's rival beaus.
It actually takes about 20 minutes too long for a blizzard to blanket the town and start the titular event -- schools are closed, streets blocked, etc.
Nominally amusing antics ensue as Natalie leads a commando group of kids, including the hapless little fat kid (Josh Peck) who farts a lot, in premeditated acts of mischief. Their biggest target is Elliott's hygienically challenged boogeyman who drives a big, smoking snowplow and is pegged as the reason why "there's never been two snow days in a row."
Pam Grier as Chase's tough-love producer and Iggy Pop as a drippy radio DJ are two distinctive talents who are lost in this cinematic whiteout. As Hal's mobile-phone-sprouting mom, Jean Smart goes through toddler-reprogramming with the creative pranks of her youngest rugrat (Connor Matheus).
Built on the flimsiest of premises, with the best moments being unhumorous and belonging to Webber and Fisk, as well as Chriqui's high school beauty queen providing a comely diversion in her swimsuit scenes, "Snow Day" was filmed in Calgary and Edmonton. Blame Canada.
SNOW DAY
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies
Director:Chris Koch
Screenwriters:Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Producers:Albie Hecht, Julia Pistor
Executive producer:Raymond Wagner
Director of photography:Robbie Greenberg
Production designer:Leslie McDonald
Editor:David Finfer
Costume designer:Wendy Partridge
Music:Steve Bartek
Casting:Mary Gail Artz, Barbara Cohen
Color/stereo
Cast:
Snowplowman:Chris Elliott
Hal Brandston:Mark Webber
Laura Brandston:Jean Smart
Lane Leonard:Schuyler Fisk
Claire:Emmanuelle Chriqui
Tom Brandston:Chevy Chase
Natalie Brandston:Zena Grey
Chuck Wheeler:David Paetkau
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Unlike Nickelodeon's "Good Burger" (which had some very funny moments) and "The Rugrats Movie" (which was a hit at the boxoffice), "Snow Day" is sporadically humorous and strictly for younger viewers and families. It's a muffed ensemble goof-fest centered on the idea that the inhabitants of a small North American town have life-changing melodramas -- and everyone gets away with destruction of property and brazen disregard for authority -- when Mother Nature disrupts everything.
Chevy Chase as a competent but underappreciated weatherman and Chris Elliott as the dreaded Snowplowman are the two most prominent adults in a scenario that mostly centers on the former's teenage son Hal (Mark Weber) and his love-struck quest to win Claire (Emmanuelle Chriqui), the town's most popular girl, swimmer and dater of pompous jerks.
In his feature debut after chalking up many seasons worth of television credits, including episodes of the Nickelodeon series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," director Chris Koch has a rough time with the uneven screenplay credited to newcomers Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. There's just no vital energy running through the film.
From very early on, savvy viewers will gather that Hal's best girl buddy Lane (Schuyler Fisk) is the true love he seeks. His younger sister Natalie (Zena Grey) is another demanding playmate who is threatened by Hal's elaborate romancing of Claire -- romancing that even features an appeal to Claire on live local TV.
Claire's bratty boyfriend Chuck (David Paetkau) is not amused, which eventually leads to a less-than-riveting snowmobile chase between the spoiled beauty's rival beaus.
It actually takes about 20 minutes too long for a blizzard to blanket the town and start the titular event -- schools are closed, streets blocked, etc.
Nominally amusing antics ensue as Natalie leads a commando group of kids, including the hapless little fat kid (Josh Peck) who farts a lot, in premeditated acts of mischief. Their biggest target is Elliott's hygienically challenged boogeyman who drives a big, smoking snowplow and is pegged as the reason why "there's never been two snow days in a row."
Pam Grier as Chase's tough-love producer and Iggy Pop as a drippy radio DJ are two distinctive talents who are lost in this cinematic whiteout. As Hal's mobile-phone-sprouting mom, Jean Smart goes through toddler-reprogramming with the creative pranks of her youngest rugrat (Connor Matheus).
Built on the flimsiest of premises, with the best moments being unhumorous and belonging to Webber and Fisk, as well as Chriqui's high school beauty queen providing a comely diversion in her swimsuit scenes, "Snow Day" was filmed in Calgary and Edmonton. Blame Canada.
SNOW DAY
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies
Director:Chris Koch
Screenwriters:Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Producers:Albie Hecht, Julia Pistor
Executive producer:Raymond Wagner
Director of photography:Robbie Greenberg
Production designer:Leslie McDonald
Editor:David Finfer
Costume designer:Wendy Partridge
Music:Steve Bartek
Casting:Mary Gail Artz, Barbara Cohen
Color/stereo
Cast:
Snowplowman:Chris Elliott
Hal Brandston:Mark Webber
Laura Brandston:Jean Smart
Lane Leonard:Schuyler Fisk
Claire:Emmanuelle Chriqui
Tom Brandston:Chevy Chase
Natalie Brandston:Zena Grey
Chuck Wheeler:David Paetkau
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 2/7/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.