It’s a new month and Netflix is here with some much-anticipated new original movies and TV shows. As always Netflix is proving itself by releasing compelling content month after month on its platform. This month is no different as there will be something new for everyone, from comedy to drama and action to fantasy. So, here are the best new and licensed movies and shows coming on Netflix in April 2024.
Baby Driver (April 1)
Edgar Wright has one of the most unique styles of filmmaking and he has proven that again and again in his work on the Cornetto trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs The World, but the film that gave him a big name in Hollywood was the 2017 film Baby Driver. Written and directed by Wright, the action thriller film follows the story of Baby, a getaway driver as he is forced to partake in heists. Baby Driver stars...
Baby Driver (April 1)
Edgar Wright has one of the most unique styles of filmmaking and he has proven that again and again in his work on the Cornetto trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs The World, but the film that gave him a big name in Hollywood was the 2017 film Baby Driver. Written and directed by Wright, the action thriller film follows the story of Baby, a getaway driver as he is forced to partake in heists. Baby Driver stars...
- 3/29/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Erika Alexander got her start as a teen on “The Cosby Show” before assuming the breakout role of attorney Maxine Shaw on “Living Single.” But it’s her latest performance in “American Fiction,” a satire that critiques our culture’s obsession with stereotypes, that’s put her in a conversation she’s never been in before — that of awards season contender.
Alexander plays Coraline, the love interest of Jeffrey Wright’s Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a cantankerous author who challenges the industry’s perceptions of “Black entertainment.” On Dec. 5, just hours before sitting down with Variety, Alexander learned she’d been nominated in the supporting category at the Independent Spirit Awards; she attended last year’s ceremony as a guest.
“I got dropped off on the highway and walked, scooting around the Porta-Potties,” she says, laughing brightly to keep her emotions about the moment at bay. They seep in anyway.
Though...
Alexander plays Coraline, the love interest of Jeffrey Wright’s Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a cantankerous author who challenges the industry’s perceptions of “Black entertainment.” On Dec. 5, just hours before sitting down with Variety, Alexander learned she’d been nominated in the supporting category at the Independent Spirit Awards; she attended last year’s ceremony as a guest.
“I got dropped off on the highway and walked, scooting around the Porta-Potties,” she says, laughing brightly to keep her emotions about the moment at bay. They seep in anyway.
Though...
- 12/17/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Judith James, producer of “Quiz Show” and “Mad Dog Time” and Richard Dreyfuss’ longtime collaborator, died in Santa Barbara after a bout with cancer. She was 86.
James’ friend, Alex. B Block, confirmed the news to Variety.
James’ was an accomplished producer who worked alongside Dreyfuss on projects including “Funny, You Don’t Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville,” “Prisoner of Honor” and “The Lightkeepers.”
“From the minute I met Judy James at the Mark Taper Forum, I knew I had found someone who had the same passion for storytelling that I did,” Dreyfuss said in a statement. “In all the years we were producing partners, we were of like mind, not gender, and we always found a way to agree and wouldn’t have done anything without each other’s approval. She was a wonderful woman and a great friend.”
James was born in Worcester, Mass., and graduated from Vassar College...
James’ friend, Alex. B Block, confirmed the news to Variety.
James’ was an accomplished producer who worked alongside Dreyfuss on projects including “Funny, You Don’t Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville,” “Prisoner of Honor” and “The Lightkeepers.”
“From the minute I met Judy James at the Mark Taper Forum, I knew I had found someone who had the same passion for storytelling that I did,” Dreyfuss said in a statement. “In all the years we were producing partners, we were of like mind, not gender, and we always found a way to agree and wouldn’t have done anything without each other’s approval. She was a wonderful woman and a great friend.”
James was born in Worcester, Mass., and graduated from Vassar College...
- 7/17/2023
- by McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
Judith James, a film, TV and Broadway producer who was Richard Dreyfuss’ producing partner for many years and worked on such projects as Quiz Show, Mr. Holland’s Opus and Eleanor: In Her Own Words, has died July 14 of cancer in Santa Barbara, CA. She was 86.
Her son, Jackson James, revealed the news.
“From the minute I met Judy James at the Mark Taper Forum [in Los Angeles], I knew I had found someone who had the same passion for storytelling that I did,” The Goodbye Girl Oscar winner Dreyfuss said in a statement. “In all the years we were producing partners, we were of like mind, not gender, and we always found a way to agree and wouldn’t have done anything without each others’ approval. She was a wonderful woman and a great friend.”
Born Judith Rutherford, James moved to New York after college to pursue a career in theater. She...
Her son, Jackson James, revealed the news.
“From the minute I met Judy James at the Mark Taper Forum [in Los Angeles], I knew I had found someone who had the same passion for storytelling that I did,” The Goodbye Girl Oscar winner Dreyfuss said in a statement. “In all the years we were producing partners, we were of like mind, not gender, and we always found a way to agree and wouldn’t have done anything without each others’ approval. She was a wonderful woman and a great friend.”
Born Judith Rutherford, James moved to New York after college to pursue a career in theater. She...
- 7/17/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
"The Matrix," it's been said, is a story with myriad interpretations. It's part messianic myth, part trans allegory, part exploration of choice theory. At the end of the day though, "The Matrix" is also a love story. This probably wasn't very obvious until the saga pivoted from the sleek, apocalyptic action of the initial trilogy and dove headfirst into romance with "The Matrix Resurrections." But the films have actually always been about love: if you didn't realize it before, you may not have been looking hard enough.
The romance between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and his ride-or-die, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), is one of the major pillars of the "Matrix" saga. Their love is not the showiest aspect of the series — and until recently, one might have seen it as more of an afterthought. But even before "Resurrections" dedicated its story to the earth-altering power of love, Neo and Trinity were the template for sci-fi romance.
The romance between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and his ride-or-die, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), is one of the major pillars of the "Matrix" saga. Their love is not the showiest aspect of the series — and until recently, one might have seen it as more of an afterthought. But even before "Resurrections" dedicated its story to the earth-altering power of love, Neo and Trinity were the template for sci-fi romance.
- 3/28/2023
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
The Black Reel Awards has revealed its nominations for their 23rd Annual ceremony.
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, about the warrior women of the country of Dahomey, and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, about a superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and a memorial to Chadwick Boseman, are tied at 14 nominations.
Two other films joined the ranks of double-digit nominations: MGM’s Till and A24’s The Inspection.
Independent studio A24 garnered 11 nominations across all categories. However, Amazon Studios landed a record three nominations in the Outstanding Independent Film category for Master, Nanny, and Emergency. Perennial powerhouse, Disney Studios nabbed the most nominations for a studio with 15.
Viola Davis landed her sixth Outstanding Actress nomination for her work in The Woman King, becoming the most recognized individual in the Actress category in Black Reel Award (Bolts) history. At the same time, director Elegance Bratton received...
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, about the warrior women of the country of Dahomey, and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, about a superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and a memorial to Chadwick Boseman, are tied at 14 nominations.
Two other films joined the ranks of double-digit nominations: MGM’s Till and A24’s The Inspection.
Independent studio A24 garnered 11 nominations across all categories. However, Amazon Studios landed a record three nominations in the Outstanding Independent Film category for Master, Nanny, and Emergency. Perennial powerhouse, Disney Studios nabbed the most nominations for a studio with 15.
Viola Davis landed her sixth Outstanding Actress nomination for her work in The Woman King, becoming the most recognized individual in the Actress category in Black Reel Award (Bolts) history. At the same time, director Elegance Bratton received...
- 12/16/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Mary Alice, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actress who starred in the original Broadway production of Fences, portrayed the mother of three singing daughters in Sparkle and appeared as The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions, has died. She was 85.
Alice died Wednesday in her Manhattan apartment, an NYPD spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1990 films, Alice played Nurse Margaret opposite Robin Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, directed by Penny Marshall; the family matriarch dealing with a disruptive guest (Danny Glover) in Charles Burnett’s To Sleep With Anger; and a woman whose son was struck by a car in the South Bronx in Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities.
The onetime Chicago schoolteacher received back-to-back Emmy nominations in 1992 and ’93 — winning in the second year — for her supporting turn as Marguerite Peck, whose child is murdered, on the Atlanta-set NBC legal drama I’ll Fly Away,...
Mary Alice, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actress who starred in the original Broadway production of Fences, portrayed the mother of three singing daughters in Sparkle and appeared as The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions, has died. She was 85.
Alice died Wednesday in her Manhattan apartment, an NYPD spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1990 films, Alice played Nurse Margaret opposite Robin Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, directed by Penny Marshall; the family matriarch dealing with a disruptive guest (Danny Glover) in Charles Burnett’s To Sleep With Anger; and a woman whose son was struck by a car in the South Bronx in Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities.
The onetime Chicago schoolteacher received back-to-back Emmy nominations in 1992 and ’93 — winning in the second year — for her supporting turn as Marguerite Peck, whose child is murdered, on the Atlanta-set NBC legal drama I’ll Fly Away,...
- 7/28/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Horror icon Barbara Crampton discusses a few of her favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985)
Body Double (1984)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
The Court Jester (1955) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)
The Three Musketeers (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Matrix (1999)
Bound (1996)
Eyes Without A Face (1962) – Sam Hamm’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Halloween (1978) Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing, Alex Kirschenbaum’s film power rankings, Alex Kirschenbaum’s timeline power rankings
All About Eve (1950)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Relic (2020)
Anything For Jackson (2020)
The Haunting (1963) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Strait-Jacket (1964) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985)
Body Double (1984)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
The Court Jester (1955) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)
The Three Musketeers (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Matrix (1999)
Bound (1996)
Eyes Without A Face (1962) – Sam Hamm’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Halloween (1978) Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing, Alex Kirschenbaum’s film power rankings, Alex Kirschenbaum’s timeline power rankings
All About Eve (1950)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Relic (2020)
Anything For Jackson (2020)
The Haunting (1963) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Strait-Jacket (1964) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
- 12/28/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
“Millions of people just living out their lives…oblivious.” Those are the words first spoken by Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith while interrogating Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) in the original Matrix from 1999. They’re the same words repeated to Keanu Reeves’ Neo 20 years later in The Matrix Resurrections, only it isn’t Weaving delivering the monologue this time, but the sinister villain played by Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter).
It’s one of many deja vu moments teased in the sequel’s new trailer, which is full of easter eggs and callbacks to the trilogy that saw Neo freed from the Matrix and later save the rest of humanity from vicious, reality-altering machines. Every character in this movie — whether it’s Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Jessica Henwick’s acrobatic Bugs, or Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s younger Morpheus — seems to rhyme with a character or event from the past. It may all have something to do with the “strange,...
It’s one of many deja vu moments teased in the sequel’s new trailer, which is full of easter eggs and callbacks to the trilogy that saw Neo freed from the Matrix and later save the rest of humanity from vicious, reality-altering machines. Every character in this movie — whether it’s Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Jessica Henwick’s acrobatic Bugs, or Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s younger Morpheus — seems to rhyme with a character or event from the past. It may all have something to do with the “strange,...
- 12/6/2021
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Cicely Tyson gave several interviews in the days before her death, timed to the release Tuesday of her memoir “Just As I Am”. She most recently spoke with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest on Live with Kelly and Ryan on Wednesday, one day before she died at the age of 96. The episode was pre-taped and aired this morning.
“To say Cicely Tyson was an American legend would be too great an understatement,” Ripa said in a special tribute to Tyson at the top of the show. “We were honored to speak with her … and devastated to learn of her passing. She was a trailblazer who broke barriers for Black actresses and women everywhere. Cicely was a portrait of courage, dignity and grace. We feel very fortunate to share with you her last interview.”
Ripa began the interview by asking Tyson about a prediction a stranger made about her when she was a baby.
“To say Cicely Tyson was an American legend would be too great an understatement,” Ripa said in a special tribute to Tyson at the top of the show. “We were honored to speak with her … and devastated to learn of her passing. She was a trailblazer who broke barriers for Black actresses and women everywhere. Cicely was a portrait of courage, dignity and grace. We feel very fortunate to share with you her last interview.”
Ripa began the interview by asking Tyson about a prediction a stranger made about her when she was a baby.
- 1/29/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Coming to Film Forum in New York City is “Black Women,” a 70-film screening series that spotlights 81 years – 1920 to 2001 – of trailblazing African American actresses in American movies.
Scheduled to run from January 17 to February 13, the series is curated by film historian and professor Donald Bogle, author of six books concerning blacks in film and television, including the groundbreaking “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films” (1973).
“Last year, Bruce Goldstein, the repertory programmer at Film Forum, asked me if there was something I was interested in doing, and this was a topic that I had been thinking about, because I recently updated my book on the subject, ‘Brown Sugar,’ which dealt with African American women in entertainment from the early years of the late 19th century to the present,” said Bogle. “That’s really the way it came about, and it just developed from there.
Scheduled to run from January 17 to February 13, the series is curated by film historian and professor Donald Bogle, author of six books concerning blacks in film and television, including the groundbreaking “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films” (1973).
“Last year, Bruce Goldstein, the repertory programmer at Film Forum, asked me if there was something I was interested in doing, and this was a topic that I had been thinking about, because I recently updated my book on the subject, ‘Brown Sugar,’ which dealt with African American women in entertainment from the early years of the late 19th century to the present,” said Bogle. “That’s really the way it came about, and it just developed from there.
- 1/17/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Jet Li had the chance to join one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood circa the early 2000s when the Wachowski siblings offered him the part of Seraph in “The Matrix Reloaded.” The role had originally been written as a woman and offered to Michele Yeoh, but she turned it down because of scheduling conflicts. Li was the Wachowski’s first choice for Seraph after they switched the character’s gender, but Li also turned the role down. Over a decade later, Li has finally revealed the reason why he made the choice (via Abacus).
“It was a commercial struggle for me,” Li said, “I realized the Americans wanted me to film for three months but be with the crew for nine. And for six months, they wanted to record and copy all my moves into a digital library. By the end of the recording, the right to these moves would go to them.
“It was a commercial struggle for me,” Li said, “I realized the Americans wanted me to film for three months but be with the crew for nine. And for six months, they wanted to record and copy all my moves into a digital library. By the end of the recording, the right to these moves would go to them.
- 10/19/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Icymi Part One of this Podcast & The Smackdown Itself
Starring: Actress Melanie Lynskey, the original creator of the Smackdowns Brian Herrera (aka StinkyLulu), and your regulars Nathaniel R, Joe Reid and Nick Davis.
Smackdown 1964 - A Companion Conversation Pt. 2
00:01 Back From Intermission & Joe freaks out over Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
04:05 Bette Davis and Baby Jane
07:30 Agnes Moorehead totally divides us
13:30 The Night of the Iguana and its repressed lesbian
16:30 Melanie talks subtext, chemistry and shares an acting pet peeve
20:50 Nathaniel demands a remake and we cast it
24:00 Ava Gardner and Richard Burton Gif-ables
31:20 Not Nominated: Glynis Johns, Irene Papas, and Gloria Foster
34:10 A parting question for Melanie Lynskey
You can listen at the bottom of the post or download the conversation on iTunes. Continue the conversation in the comments.
Thanks Again To Our Guest Melanie Lynskey
Her new film Happy Christmas (co-starring Anna Kendrick,...
Starring: Actress Melanie Lynskey, the original creator of the Smackdowns Brian Herrera (aka StinkyLulu), and your regulars Nathaniel R, Joe Reid and Nick Davis.
Smackdown 1964 - A Companion Conversation Pt. 2
00:01 Back From Intermission & Joe freaks out over Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
04:05 Bette Davis and Baby Jane
07:30 Agnes Moorehead totally divides us
13:30 The Night of the Iguana and its repressed lesbian
16:30 Melanie talks subtext, chemistry and shares an acting pet peeve
20:50 Nathaniel demands a remake and we cast it
24:00 Ava Gardner and Richard Burton Gif-ables
31:20 Not Nominated: Glynis Johns, Irene Papas, and Gloria Foster
34:10 A parting question for Melanie Lynskey
You can listen at the bottom of the post or download the conversation on iTunes. Continue the conversation in the comments.
Thanks Again To Our Guest Melanie Lynskey
Her new film Happy Christmas (co-starring Anna Kendrick,...
- 7/2/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Mark looks back at the much-reviled Matrix sequels and asks: what went wrong?
Feature
This article contains spoilers for the Matrix trilogy.
It seem like a long time ago to some of our younger readers, but those who were there will remember that 2003 was branded “the year of the Matrix” by Warner Bros. Four years after the first film knocked everybody's socks off, Andy and Lana Wachowski made two sequels, an animated anthology, a video game and numerous other tie-ins to expand upon a world that was only hinted at in the original.
The Matrix Reloaded became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time when it was released in May and held that record until the following Easter's The Passion Of The Christ. A vitriolic critical reception and bad word of mouth undercut any chance that the final instalment, The Matrix Revolutions, had in terms of topping its predecessor when...
Feature
This article contains spoilers for the Matrix trilogy.
It seem like a long time ago to some of our younger readers, but those who were there will remember that 2003 was branded “the year of the Matrix” by Warner Bros. Four years after the first film knocked everybody's socks off, Andy and Lana Wachowski made two sequels, an animated anthology, a video game and numerous other tie-ins to expand upon a world that was only hinted at in the original.
The Matrix Reloaded became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time when it was released in May and held that record until the following Easter's The Passion Of The Christ. A vitriolic critical reception and bad word of mouth undercut any chance that the final instalment, The Matrix Revolutions, had in terms of topping its predecessor when...
- 5/29/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
Today in history, July 12th, 1937, William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He's 76 years old today. You fave Cosby memories, whether on screen or off? Revisiting one of my favorite on screen Bill Cosby memories - his very first big screen role, in 1971's Man And Boy. Prior to this, he was primarily a TV celeb. A Western, occurring just after the Civil War, Cosby's Caleb Revers is a man with a family (wife and son, played well by Gloria Foster and George Spell) he must protect from racist whites determined to scare them off their newly acquired homestead. But Caleb refuses to be bullied; he's fearless, carrying a loaded rifle, and shoots with intent to kill,...
- 7/12/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
As conversations about Slavery/Civil War/Post-Civil War/Western films and TV shows continue through 2013... remembering one that is maybe most memorable because it was Bill Cosby's first big screen role. But also because it gave us a Bill Cosby that we rarely get to see on screen, far from the comedic sire that most of us have come to know and love him as, but instead in a true dramatic tough guy role - 1971's Man And Boy. Prior to this, he was primarily a TV celeb. What we'd call a Western, occurring just after the Civil War, Cosby plays Caleb Revers, a man with a family (wife and son, played well by Gloria Foster and George Spell), whom he must protect from...
- 4/11/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Close calls in movie casting history always fascinate me. The possibility of some other actor inhabiting what has become the definitive version of that character in your head is mind boggling. The reasons why people turn down roles, especially in successful franchises, are especially confusing. Those last minute casting changes are heartbreaking at times, especially when you see the aftermath of events, and how the actor's careers were affected.
With all of the casting switch-ups there have been, we've decided to aim our sights at recasting in movie trilogies. We've broken it up by recasting of characters that took place during filming, between a film and its sequels, and before the actor began filming their part. We've also included a close call, and some honorable mentions, as well as rare some footage and photos. Enjoy!
During Filming:
Marty McFly (Back To The Future Trilogy)
Director Robert Zemeckis offered Michael J. Fox...
With all of the casting switch-ups there have been, we've decided to aim our sights at recasting in movie trilogies. We've broken it up by recasting of characters that took place during filming, between a film and its sequels, and before the actor began filming their part. We've also included a close call, and some honorable mentions, as well as rare some footage and photos. Enjoy!
During Filming:
Marty McFly (Back To The Future Trilogy)
Director Robert Zemeckis offered Michael J. Fox...
- 8/14/2012
- by Eli Reyes
- GeekTyrant
Graham Greene's historically reflective story of the terror of 'Papa Doc' loses out to the Burton/Taylor romantic juggernaut
Director: Peter Glenville
Entertainment grade: C+
History grade: A–
François "Papa Doc" Duvalier was elected president of Haiti in 1957. His unrestrained brutality and embezzlement, combined with a personality cult based around Haiti's folk religion, Voodoo, made him one of the most notorious dictators of his time. Novelist and screenwriter Graham Greene based The Comedians on his experiences in Duvalier's Haiti.
Politics
Mr Brown (Richard Burton) arrives back in Haiti after failing to sell his Port-au-Prince hotel. For this production, Port-au-Prince was recreated in Dahomey, now Benin. Most Haitians are descended from slaves transported from that part of west Africa: there are similarities of culture, religion and, sadly, underdevelopment. "I've worked in many worse places," said Burton cheerfully in the making-of documentary. "Like the Sahara desert, and south Wales."
Filming in Haiti was not an option.
Director: Peter Glenville
Entertainment grade: C+
History grade: A–
François "Papa Doc" Duvalier was elected president of Haiti in 1957. His unrestrained brutality and embezzlement, combined with a personality cult based around Haiti's folk religion, Voodoo, made him one of the most notorious dictators of his time. Novelist and screenwriter Graham Greene based The Comedians on his experiences in Duvalier's Haiti.
Politics
Mr Brown (Richard Burton) arrives back in Haiti after failing to sell his Port-au-Prince hotel. For this production, Port-au-Prince was recreated in Dahomey, now Benin. Most Haitians are descended from slaves transported from that part of west Africa: there are similarities of culture, religion and, sadly, underdevelopment. "I've worked in many worse places," said Burton cheerfully in the making-of documentary. "Like the Sahara desert, and south Wales."
Filming in Haiti was not an option.
- 6/2/2011
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
Bill Cosby as we rarely get to see him, in a true dramatic role, his first big screen role – 1971′s Man And Boy. Prior to this, he was primarily a TV celeb.
A Western, occurring just after the Civil War, Cosby’s Caleb Revers is a man with a family (wife and son, played well by Gloria Foster and George Spell) he must protect from racist whites determined to scare them off their newly acquired homestead. But Caleb refuses to be bullied; he’s fearless, carrying a loaded rifle, and shoots with intent to kill, more than a few times; and he won’t be belittled or condescended to.
It’s part road movie, part father/son bonding drama, with the search for a stolen horse, and a man’s pride at the center of it all, as well as a colorful cast of friends and foes along the way.
A Western, occurring just after the Civil War, Cosby’s Caleb Revers is a man with a family (wife and son, played well by Gloria Foster and George Spell) he must protect from racist whites determined to scare them off their newly acquired homestead. But Caleb refuses to be bullied; he’s fearless, carrying a loaded rifle, and shoots with intent to kill, more than a few times; and he won’t be belittled or condescended to.
It’s part road movie, part father/son bonding drama, with the search for a stolen horse, and a man’s pride at the center of it all, as well as a colorful cast of friends and foes along the way.
- 4/11/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Neo has his hands full: The machine army is intent on destroying mankind and is 72 hours away from Zion, the humans’ last safe haven; he’s having recurring dreams depicting Trinity’s death; and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has escaped detention and is again gunning for our hero. The second of “The Matrix” films is indeed reloaded with jam-packed action and dazzling special effects and stands as Reeves’ highest-grossing film to date at $281.6 million.
Choice Quotation:
The Oracle (Gloria Foster): Do you see her die?
Neo: No.
The Oracle: You have the sight now, Neo. You are looking at the world without time.
Neo: Then why can’t I see what happens to her?
The Oracle: We can never see past the choices we don’t understand.
Neo: Are you saying I have to choose whether Trinity lives or dies?
The Oracle: No, you’ve already made the choice.
Choice Quotation:
The Oracle (Gloria Foster): Do you see her die?
Neo: No.
The Oracle: You have the sight now, Neo. You are looking at the world without time.
Neo: Then why can’t I see what happens to her?
The Oracle: We can never see past the choices we don’t understand.
Neo: Are you saying I have to choose whether Trinity lives or dies?
The Oracle: No, you’ve already made the choice.
- 4/8/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Neo has his hands full: The machine army is intent on destroying mankind and is 72 hours away from Zion, the humans’ last safe haven; he’s having recurring dreams depicting Trinity’s death; and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has escaped detention and is again gunning for our hero. The second of “The Matrix” films is indeed reloaded with jam-packed action and dazzling special effects and stands as Reeves’ highest-grossing film to date at $281.6 million.
Choice Quotation:
The Oracle (Gloria Foster): Do you see her die?
Neo: No.
The Oracle: You have the sight now, Neo. You are looking at the world without time.
Neo: Then why can’t I see what happens to her?
The Oracle: We can never see past the choices we don’t understand.
Neo: Are you saying I have to choose whether Trinity lives or dies?
The Oracle: No, you’ve already made the choice.
Choice Quotation:
The Oracle (Gloria Foster): Do you see her die?
Neo: No.
The Oracle: You have the sight now, Neo. You are looking at the world without time.
Neo: Then why can’t I see what happens to her?
The Oracle: We can never see past the choices we don’t understand.
Neo: Are you saying I have to choose whether Trinity lives or dies?
The Oracle: No, you’ve already made the choice.
- 4/8/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
In addition to my love for romantic comedies, and basically anything that falls under the label of “chick flick” (which I talked about here), I rarely miss the opportunity to see a good science fiction or fantasy film, and I’m an avid science fiction reader. Among the science fiction movies I have on my DVD shelf, only two of them have black characters with a significant role in the film. All of the other films of this genre in my collection have overwhelmingly white casts. So just to satisfy my curiosity, I recently began thinking about all the sci-fi films that actually have prominently featured black characters and I discovered that there are quite a few.
First, I’d like to talk about the aforementioned films from my collection. Based on the Ursula K. LeGuin book of the same title, The Lathe of Heaven is definitely in my top five favorite sci-fi films.
First, I’d like to talk about the aforementioned films from my collection. Based on the Ursula K. LeGuin book of the same title, The Lathe of Heaven is definitely in my top five favorite sci-fi films.
- 9/1/2010
- by Obsidienne
- ShadowAndAct
Forgotten Films [1] is a semi-regular feature on Film Junk where we explore interesting movies that have fallen off the radar or slipped through the cracks over the years. I've been getting a bit behind on my Forgotten Films lately, but in a way, it's only fitting that I waited until now to write this column since there has been so much Cosby content on the Film Junk Podcast lately. While Jay has been busy going through every single season of The Cosby Show, a couple of months ago I rewatched one of Bill Cosby's less celebrated classics: the disastrous '80s spy spoof, Leonard Part 6. There once was a time when Bill Cosby could do no wrong. He made a name for himself doing stand-up comedy in the '60s, and his charisma and knack for storytelling and characterizations led to him being cast in I Spy alongside Robert Culp.
- 3/31/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Bill Cosby as we rarely get to see him, in a true dramatic role, his first big screen role – 1971’s Man And Boy. Prior to this, he was primarily a TV celeb.
A Western, occurring just after the Civil War, Cosby’s Caleb Revers is a man with a family (wife and son, played well by Gloria Foster and George Spell) he must protect from racist whites determined to scare them off their newly acquired homestead. But Caleb refuses to be bullied; he’s fearless, carrying a loaded rifle, and shoots with intent to kill, more than a few times; and he won’t be belittled or condescended to.
It’s part road movie, part father/son bonding drama, with the search for a stolen horse, and a man’s pride at the center of it all, with a colorful cast of friends and foes along the way. There’s...
A Western, occurring just after the Civil War, Cosby’s Caleb Revers is a man with a family (wife and son, played well by Gloria Foster and George Spell) he must protect from racist whites determined to scare them off their newly acquired homestead. But Caleb refuses to be bullied; he’s fearless, carrying a loaded rifle, and shoots with intent to kill, more than a few times; and he won’t be belittled or condescended to.
It’s part road movie, part father/son bonding drama, with the search for a stolen horse, and a man’s pride at the center of it all, with a colorful cast of friends and foes along the way. There’s...
- 3/15/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Sundance Channel will be kicking off its Black History Month in February with Harry Roemer's 1964 drama "Nothing But a Man" and an original five-part series "Brick City."
On February 2, the network will start the celebration with "Nothing But a Man." Considered to be one of film's finest explorations of black life in America, the film centers on an African American man who wants to be treated as "nothing but a man," instead of just a boy. Ivan Dixon, Abbey Lincoln, Julius Harris, and Gloria Foster star.
After the film, the first installment of "Brick City" will air at 7 p.m. Et/Pt. The original series will capture the daily drama of Newark, New Jersey residents.
The series will run throughout all Tuesdays of February.
On February 2, the network will start the celebration with "Nothing But a Man." Considered to be one of film's finest explorations of black life in America, the film centers on an African American man who wants to be treated as "nothing but a man," instead of just a boy. Ivan Dixon, Abbey Lincoln, Julius Harris, and Gloria Foster star.
After the film, the first installment of "Brick City" will air at 7 p.m. Et/Pt. The original series will capture the daily drama of Newark, New Jersey residents.
The series will run throughout all Tuesdays of February.
- 1/27/2010
- icelebz.com
"I never understood why plays that are political or socially reflective can't be entertainment too," noted David Rothenberg, a publicist, producer, and radio host. "Part of being entertained is being elevated, stimulated. Some of our best theatre is a mirror of what's happening in society that had an enormous effect on people of its time: Death of a Salesman, A Doll's House, Waiting for Lefty, Diary of Anne Frank, and Fortune and Men's Eyes, which changed my life." That last play dealt with sexual brutality in prisons and was so compelling to Rothenberg, he founded the Fortune Society, a group dedicated to advocating for ex-prisoners.These remarks were made as Rothenberg moderated a panel titled Can Theater Inspire Social Change?. The event was sponsored by the Drama Desk, the organization of New York–based theatre critics, editors, and reporters. The lively discussion covered a range of topics and personal experiences.
- 2/11/2009
- by Simi HorwitZ
- backstage.com
Opens
Wednesday, Nov. 5
Four-and-a-half years after the Wachowski brothers redefined cutting-edge cinema with "The Matrix" and less than six months since the disappointing "The Matrix Reloaded", the trilogy comes to a conclusion of sorts with "The Matrix Revolutions".
Ending with neither a bang nor a whimper, the finale falls somewhere in between. It's an improvement over its concurrently shot, babbling predecessor, but it ultimately fails to capture any of that jaw-dropping sense of exhilaration that made the original such a must-see event.
While Andy and Larry Wachowski, again working in tandem with ever-innovative fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping and accomplished visual effects supervisor John Gaeta, have cooked up some dazzling new set-pieces, the disjointed story elements prevent them from forming any kind of satisfying, cohesive whole.
Obviously, those eager to see how the potentially final adventures of Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and company unfold will ensure that "Revolutions" takes the boxoffice by storm, but less assured is its ability to generate the kind of repeat business key to the phenomenal success of the other Matrices.
Picking up where the second left off, the third finds Neo (Keanu Reeves) still in that comatose state. It's soon discovered that he's actually stuck in some kind of void between the Matrix and the Machine World represented by a gleaming white Mobil Avenue subway station. (Hmm ... scramble "Mobil" and you get "limbo." Aha!)
His true love Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and the still believing Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) manage to bring him back, but time is quickly running out as the Machine army is boring its way ever closer to Zion's final stronghold.
Neo does manage to find time to pay a quick visit to the Oracle (with Mary Alice taking over the role after the death of Gloria Foster), and after both acknowledge that her appearance has changed, she offers her usual oblique words of guidance.
With her credibility having been called into question after it was revealed in "Reloaded" that her Prophecy may in fact be yet another control system instituted by the Machines, Neo nevertheless takes what she says on faith.
But while the Machines pose the threat of imminent annihilation, a battle is also being fought on another front as the rogue Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has not only continued to replicate himself exponentially in the Matrix, but he also has hijacked the body of Bane (Ian Bliss), a real-world member of the hovercraft fleet.
As Neo and Trinity go off in one direction, the no-nonsense Niobe Jada Pinkett Smith in a nicely expanded role) proves to be one kick-ass ship navigator.
The various clashes again unfold impressively.
While Gaeta's swarming Sentinels provide the visual oomph during that protracted war with the Machines, Wo Ping demonstrates he's still got a few nifty tricks up his sleeve -- notably a hanging-from-the-ceiling melee in a nightclub's coat and gun check room and a mano a mano fight to the finish between Neo and Smith (while his legion of Smiths look on) making extensive use of motion-capture techniques that take the technology beyond "bullet time."
If only the storytelling felt as fully integrated as the visual effects.
Thankfully not as philosophically long-winded as "Reloaded", the finale still stumbles over its share of clunky dialogue (especially the lines written for the two lovebirds) while taking its arsenal of religious iconography to heady new heights. By the end, there can be No Doubt as to the identity of the One.
And, in terms of the "Matrix" trilogy, unfortunately neither of the two chapters of this epic sequel can claim that singular distinction.
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment a Silver Pictures production
Credits:
Directors-screenwriters: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver
Executive producers: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Grant Hill, Andrew Mason, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Bill Pope
Production designer: Owen Paterson
Editor: Zach Staenberg
Costume designer: Kym Barrett
Visual effects supervisor: John Gaeta
Music: Don Davis
Cast:
Neo: Keanu Reeves
Morpheus: Laurence Fishburne
Trinity: Carrie-Anne Moss
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving
Niobe: Jada Pinkett Smith
The Oracle: Mary Alice
Sati: Tanveer Atwal
Persephone: Monica Bellucci
Bane: Ian Bliss
Seraph: Collin Chou
Zee: Nona Gaye
Mifune: Nathaniel Lees
Commander Lock: Harry Lennix
Link: Harold Perrineau
The Trainman: Bruce Spence
The Kid: Clayton Watson
Rama: Bernard White
Merovingian: Lambert Wilson
Ghost: Anthony Wong
Running time -- 129 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Wednesday, Nov. 5
Four-and-a-half years after the Wachowski brothers redefined cutting-edge cinema with "The Matrix" and less than six months since the disappointing "The Matrix Reloaded", the trilogy comes to a conclusion of sorts with "The Matrix Revolutions".
Ending with neither a bang nor a whimper, the finale falls somewhere in between. It's an improvement over its concurrently shot, babbling predecessor, but it ultimately fails to capture any of that jaw-dropping sense of exhilaration that made the original such a must-see event.
While Andy and Larry Wachowski, again working in tandem with ever-innovative fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping and accomplished visual effects supervisor John Gaeta, have cooked up some dazzling new set-pieces, the disjointed story elements prevent them from forming any kind of satisfying, cohesive whole.
Obviously, those eager to see how the potentially final adventures of Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and company unfold will ensure that "Revolutions" takes the boxoffice by storm, but less assured is its ability to generate the kind of repeat business key to the phenomenal success of the other Matrices.
Picking up where the second left off, the third finds Neo (Keanu Reeves) still in that comatose state. It's soon discovered that he's actually stuck in some kind of void between the Matrix and the Machine World represented by a gleaming white Mobil Avenue subway station. (Hmm ... scramble "Mobil" and you get "limbo." Aha!)
His true love Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and the still believing Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) manage to bring him back, but time is quickly running out as the Machine army is boring its way ever closer to Zion's final stronghold.
Neo does manage to find time to pay a quick visit to the Oracle (with Mary Alice taking over the role after the death of Gloria Foster), and after both acknowledge that her appearance has changed, she offers her usual oblique words of guidance.
With her credibility having been called into question after it was revealed in "Reloaded" that her Prophecy may in fact be yet another control system instituted by the Machines, Neo nevertheless takes what she says on faith.
But while the Machines pose the threat of imminent annihilation, a battle is also being fought on another front as the rogue Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has not only continued to replicate himself exponentially in the Matrix, but he also has hijacked the body of Bane (Ian Bliss), a real-world member of the hovercraft fleet.
As Neo and Trinity go off in one direction, the no-nonsense Niobe Jada Pinkett Smith in a nicely expanded role) proves to be one kick-ass ship navigator.
The various clashes again unfold impressively.
While Gaeta's swarming Sentinels provide the visual oomph during that protracted war with the Machines, Wo Ping demonstrates he's still got a few nifty tricks up his sleeve -- notably a hanging-from-the-ceiling melee in a nightclub's coat and gun check room and a mano a mano fight to the finish between Neo and Smith (while his legion of Smiths look on) making extensive use of motion-capture techniques that take the technology beyond "bullet time."
If only the storytelling felt as fully integrated as the visual effects.
Thankfully not as philosophically long-winded as "Reloaded", the finale still stumbles over its share of clunky dialogue (especially the lines written for the two lovebirds) while taking its arsenal of religious iconography to heady new heights. By the end, there can be No Doubt as to the identity of the One.
And, in terms of the "Matrix" trilogy, unfortunately neither of the two chapters of this epic sequel can claim that singular distinction.
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment a Silver Pictures production
Credits:
Directors-screenwriters: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver
Executive producers: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Grant Hill, Andrew Mason, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Bill Pope
Production designer: Owen Paterson
Editor: Zach Staenberg
Costume designer: Kym Barrett
Visual effects supervisor: John Gaeta
Music: Don Davis
Cast:
Neo: Keanu Reeves
Morpheus: Laurence Fishburne
Trinity: Carrie-Anne Moss
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving
Niobe: Jada Pinkett Smith
The Oracle: Mary Alice
Sati: Tanveer Atwal
Persephone: Monica Bellucci
Bane: Ian Bliss
Seraph: Collin Chou
Zee: Nona Gaye
Mifune: Nathaniel Lees
Commander Lock: Harry Lennix
Link: Harold Perrineau
The Trainman: Bruce Spence
The Kid: Clayton Watson
Rama: Bernard White
Merovingian: Lambert Wilson
Ghost: Anthony Wong
Running time -- 129 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opens
Thursday, May 15
"The Matrix" rewrote the textbook for movie science fiction. The surprise 1999 sleeper hit -- Warner Bros. Pictures' biggest until "Harry Potter" came along -- did what science fiction and fantasy often do: It questioned the nature of reality and drew inspiration from philosophy and Eastern and Western spiritual thought. But for its borrowings from Lewis Carroll, William Gibson and Philip K. Dick, among others, the movie stood as a unique creation. Its authors, the highly talented Andy and Larry Wachowski, pulled the movie's many themes and ideas together into one of the great entertainments in recent pop culture.
Like "Blade Runner", "2001" and "Metropolis", the movie made us rethink the nature of our world. The "Matrix" phenomenon also inspired several books analyzing its references and cultural impact. "The Matrix Reloaded", the first of two sequels being released this year, points to the discouraging prospect that the Wachowskis may have read those books and started to believe in their own semimythological status, for the brothers seem to be taking themselves way too seriously.
The first movie was pitched to a broad spectrum of moviegoers, combining the best elements of storytelling, action and computer and visual effects. While upping the ante considerably in the action and effects department, storytelling stumbles frequently this outing as the movie stops cold for philosophical digressions about fate and destiny and reality. These remind one ever so much of tortuous university lectures in symbolic logic on a warm spring day. Instead of Zen-influenced truths punctuating the action and characters' decisions as in the first installment, these now impede the narration.
The film, of course, is a sure thing at the boxoffice. In fact, each sequel, "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" (coming Nov. 7) -- reportedly costing more than $300 million to make -- will easily pass the $460 million worldwide gross of the original film. Opening weekend for "Reloaded" should come close to $100 million, with a potential for a $300 million domestic boxoffice.
"Reloaded" wants to burrow much deeper into the complexity of both the Matrix, that computer-fabricated world that lulls its human slaves into the delusion of a normal life, and the "real" world, where liberated humans can battle artificially intelligent Machines. Perhaps the gamble here is that "The Matrix"'s many fans will willingly sit through lengthy character introductions and further amplification of the philosophical realm in which the final battle must be won in order to lay the groundwork for "Revolutions".
Like his character, a computer hacker who goes by the handle of Neo, Keanu Reeves has clearly grown in conviction and physical agility to wear comfortably the dark clothes of the series' hero. Playing to the actor's strengths, the Wachowskis have made Neo in the mode of Western heroes played by Gary Cooper and Alan Ladd -- strong, silent men who do what they have to do.
Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus, Neo's spiritual guru and guide in the first episode, handles well the transition to someone who is not quite a sidekick yet must recede into a role that requires him to be the conduit of the Wachowskis' philosophical ruminations.
Carrie-Anne Moss returns as Trinity, the female warrior whose love for Neo and faith in Morpheus provide the rock from which both men can confidently battle. Her fights and stunts, especially a wild motorcycle ride during a freeway chase, continue to be the highlight of the series. She is the movies' best female action star since Linda Hamilton in the "Terminator" series.
"Reloaded" sends Neo on a personal quest to understand the nature of the task he accepted when he embraced his identity as the long-sought "One". To do so, Neo re-enters the Matrix. In his search for truth, he visits the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster), protected by the fighter Seraph (Collin Chou); rescues the Keymaker Randall Duk Kim), who knows the system's weakness; encounters new foes in Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), a Matrix political heavyweight, his duplicitous trophy wife, Persephone (Monica Bellucci), and the Twins (English black-belt brothers Neil and Adrian Rayment), a silver-clad albino duo in dreadlocks; and finally encounters the Architect (Helmut Bakaitis), the godlike creator of the Matrix.
Meanwhile, a Machine army bores down on Zion, humanity's last enclave deep within the Earth. At times, its vast machines and torch-lit cavernous rooms remind one of a crowded cathedral where hope still rules. Another time, when everyone parties down, it looks like a rave. Zion's three heroes are aided by new characters including Niobe Jada Pinkett Smith), an ex-flame of Morpheus'; the wise Councillor Hamann (Anthony Zerbe); Link (Harold Perrineau), a crewman on Morpheus' hovercraft; and Link's anxious wife, Zee (Nona Gaye).
The evil Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), so explosively "deleted" from the system in the original film, makes a startling comeback not only as a free agent loose within the Matrix but who has the ability to replicate himself 100-fold -- which leads to the movie's first great fight sequence and the first glimpse of one of the film's problems.
Determined to one-up themselves in the area of effects, the Wachowskis move beyond "bullet time" -- those moments of slow motion seen by a camera moving at regular speed -- to put on film an epic rumble created through motion-capture data and virtual reality. This pits Neo against 100 Agent Smith clones in a city courtyard. Making and breaking the rules of 3-D animation, the sequence is technologically astonishing -- but repetitive and dull. Over and over, Neo slams aside these Agent Smiths, and over and over they spring back to attack. It's an amazing demonstration of movie magic, but it has virtually no impact on story or character. In fact, when Neo tires of the whole thing and simply flies up from the courtyard and away -- doing his "Superman thing", as Link puts it -- more than a few viewers may wonder: Why the hell he didn't do that in the first place?
Unlike "The Matrix", all fights and stunts -- including a 14-minute freeway chase -- have a disturbing tendency to repeat intricately choreographed action. Thus, computer technology and overkill supplant the ingenuity of the original film's action.
How this strategy of raising the bar in special effects and annotating most nonaction scenes with philosophical and mythological references will pay off in the final chapter may ultimately validate the Wachowski brothers' choices in this film. As the Matrix deteriorates in "Revolutions", much of "Reloaded" may resonate in ways we can now only imagine.
THE MATRIX RELOADED
Warner Bros Pictures
Warner Bros Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment a Silver Pictures production
Credits:
Screenwriters-directors: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver
Executive producers: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Grant Hill, Andrew Mason, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Bill Pope
Production designer: Owen Paterson
Music: Don Davis
Visual effects supervisor: John Gaeta
Costume designer: Kym Barrett
Editor: Zach Staenberg
Cast:
Neo: Keanu Reeves
Morpheus: Laurence Fishburne
Trinity: Carrie-Anne Moss
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving
Niobe: Jada Pinkett Smith
Oracle: Gloria Foster
Persephone: Monica Bellucci
Seraph: Collin Chou
Zee: Nona Gaye
Keymaker: Randall Duk Kim
Commander Lock: Harry Lennix
Link: Harold Perrineau
The Twins: Neil Rayment, Adrian Rayment
Merovingian: Lambert Wilson
Running time -- 139 minutes (including scenes from "The Matrix Revolutions")
MPAA rating: R...
Thursday, May 15
"The Matrix" rewrote the textbook for movie science fiction. The surprise 1999 sleeper hit -- Warner Bros. Pictures' biggest until "Harry Potter" came along -- did what science fiction and fantasy often do: It questioned the nature of reality and drew inspiration from philosophy and Eastern and Western spiritual thought. But for its borrowings from Lewis Carroll, William Gibson and Philip K. Dick, among others, the movie stood as a unique creation. Its authors, the highly talented Andy and Larry Wachowski, pulled the movie's many themes and ideas together into one of the great entertainments in recent pop culture.
Like "Blade Runner", "2001" and "Metropolis", the movie made us rethink the nature of our world. The "Matrix" phenomenon also inspired several books analyzing its references and cultural impact. "The Matrix Reloaded", the first of two sequels being released this year, points to the discouraging prospect that the Wachowskis may have read those books and started to believe in their own semimythological status, for the brothers seem to be taking themselves way too seriously.
The first movie was pitched to a broad spectrum of moviegoers, combining the best elements of storytelling, action and computer and visual effects. While upping the ante considerably in the action and effects department, storytelling stumbles frequently this outing as the movie stops cold for philosophical digressions about fate and destiny and reality. These remind one ever so much of tortuous university lectures in symbolic logic on a warm spring day. Instead of Zen-influenced truths punctuating the action and characters' decisions as in the first installment, these now impede the narration.
The film, of course, is a sure thing at the boxoffice. In fact, each sequel, "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" (coming Nov. 7) -- reportedly costing more than $300 million to make -- will easily pass the $460 million worldwide gross of the original film. Opening weekend for "Reloaded" should come close to $100 million, with a potential for a $300 million domestic boxoffice.
"Reloaded" wants to burrow much deeper into the complexity of both the Matrix, that computer-fabricated world that lulls its human slaves into the delusion of a normal life, and the "real" world, where liberated humans can battle artificially intelligent Machines. Perhaps the gamble here is that "The Matrix"'s many fans will willingly sit through lengthy character introductions and further amplification of the philosophical realm in which the final battle must be won in order to lay the groundwork for "Revolutions".
Like his character, a computer hacker who goes by the handle of Neo, Keanu Reeves has clearly grown in conviction and physical agility to wear comfortably the dark clothes of the series' hero. Playing to the actor's strengths, the Wachowskis have made Neo in the mode of Western heroes played by Gary Cooper and Alan Ladd -- strong, silent men who do what they have to do.
Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus, Neo's spiritual guru and guide in the first episode, handles well the transition to someone who is not quite a sidekick yet must recede into a role that requires him to be the conduit of the Wachowskis' philosophical ruminations.
Carrie-Anne Moss returns as Trinity, the female warrior whose love for Neo and faith in Morpheus provide the rock from which both men can confidently battle. Her fights and stunts, especially a wild motorcycle ride during a freeway chase, continue to be the highlight of the series. She is the movies' best female action star since Linda Hamilton in the "Terminator" series.
"Reloaded" sends Neo on a personal quest to understand the nature of the task he accepted when he embraced his identity as the long-sought "One". To do so, Neo re-enters the Matrix. In his search for truth, he visits the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster), protected by the fighter Seraph (Collin Chou); rescues the Keymaker Randall Duk Kim), who knows the system's weakness; encounters new foes in Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), a Matrix political heavyweight, his duplicitous trophy wife, Persephone (Monica Bellucci), and the Twins (English black-belt brothers Neil and Adrian Rayment), a silver-clad albino duo in dreadlocks; and finally encounters the Architect (Helmut Bakaitis), the godlike creator of the Matrix.
Meanwhile, a Machine army bores down on Zion, humanity's last enclave deep within the Earth. At times, its vast machines and torch-lit cavernous rooms remind one of a crowded cathedral where hope still rules. Another time, when everyone parties down, it looks like a rave. Zion's three heroes are aided by new characters including Niobe Jada Pinkett Smith), an ex-flame of Morpheus'; the wise Councillor Hamann (Anthony Zerbe); Link (Harold Perrineau), a crewman on Morpheus' hovercraft; and Link's anxious wife, Zee (Nona Gaye).
The evil Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), so explosively "deleted" from the system in the original film, makes a startling comeback not only as a free agent loose within the Matrix but who has the ability to replicate himself 100-fold -- which leads to the movie's first great fight sequence and the first glimpse of one of the film's problems.
Determined to one-up themselves in the area of effects, the Wachowskis move beyond "bullet time" -- those moments of slow motion seen by a camera moving at regular speed -- to put on film an epic rumble created through motion-capture data and virtual reality. This pits Neo against 100 Agent Smith clones in a city courtyard. Making and breaking the rules of 3-D animation, the sequence is technologically astonishing -- but repetitive and dull. Over and over, Neo slams aside these Agent Smiths, and over and over they spring back to attack. It's an amazing demonstration of movie magic, but it has virtually no impact on story or character. In fact, when Neo tires of the whole thing and simply flies up from the courtyard and away -- doing his "Superman thing", as Link puts it -- more than a few viewers may wonder: Why the hell he didn't do that in the first place?
Unlike "The Matrix", all fights and stunts -- including a 14-minute freeway chase -- have a disturbing tendency to repeat intricately choreographed action. Thus, computer technology and overkill supplant the ingenuity of the original film's action.
How this strategy of raising the bar in special effects and annotating most nonaction scenes with philosophical and mythological references will pay off in the final chapter may ultimately validate the Wachowski brothers' choices in this film. As the Matrix deteriorates in "Revolutions", much of "Reloaded" may resonate in ways we can now only imagine.
THE MATRIX RELOADED
Warner Bros Pictures
Warner Bros Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment a Silver Pictures production
Credits:
Screenwriters-directors: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver
Executive producers: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Grant Hill, Andrew Mason, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Bill Pope
Production designer: Owen Paterson
Music: Don Davis
Visual effects supervisor: John Gaeta
Costume designer: Kym Barrett
Editor: Zach Staenberg
Cast:
Neo: Keanu Reeves
Morpheus: Laurence Fishburne
Trinity: Carrie-Anne Moss
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving
Niobe: Jada Pinkett Smith
Oracle: Gloria Foster
Persephone: Monica Bellucci
Seraph: Collin Chou
Zee: Nona Gaye
Keymaker: Randall Duk Kim
Commander Lock: Harry Lennix
Link: Harold Perrineau
The Twins: Neil Rayment, Adrian Rayment
Merovingian: Lambert Wilson
Running time -- 139 minutes (including scenes from "The Matrix Revolutions")
MPAA rating: R...
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