ABC has given a pilot order to drama Wreckage, about plane crash survivors, from writer Jacquie Walters (Big Shot), Marc Webb and his Black Lamb Productions, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly’s Timberman-Beverly Prods., and ABC Studios, where Webb and Timberman-Beverly are under deals.
Written by Walters, Wreckage is based on Emily Bleeker’s book of the same name. On the surface, Lillian Linden looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost four years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story—so they lie.
Webb executive produces and will direct the pilot. Timberman and Beverly executive produce via Timberman-Beverly,...
Written by Walters, Wreckage is based on Emily Bleeker’s book of the same name. On the surface, Lillian Linden looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost four years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story—so they lie.
Webb executive produces and will direct the pilot. Timberman and Beverly executive produce via Timberman-Beverly,...
- 1/30/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
ABC has ordered a drama pilot based on the book “Wreckage” by Emily Bleeker.
In the project, Lillian Linden looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash on the surface. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost four years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story, so they lie.
Jacquie Walters will adapt the book for the pilot and serve as co-executive producer. Marc Webb is attached to direct and executive produce under his Dark Lamb banner. Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly will also executive produce along with Mark Martin of Black Lamb and Keith Samples. Bleeker will serve as consultant. ABC Studios will produce.
In the project, Lillian Linden looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash on the surface. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost four years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story, so they lie.
Jacquie Walters will adapt the book for the pilot and serve as co-executive producer. Marc Webb is attached to direct and executive produce under his Dark Lamb banner. Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly will also executive produce along with Mark Martin of Black Lamb and Keith Samples. Bleeker will serve as consultant. ABC Studios will produce.
- 1/30/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for December 2018, including "Siren", "The Terror", "Altered Carbon"and a whole lot more:
TV Pilot
Surveillance
Local Production Company: Surveillance Productions Inc.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Producer: Kathy Gilroy
Nov 27/18 - Dec 14/18
TV Series
A Million Little Things - Season 1
Local Production Company: Stage 49 Ltd
Director: James Griffiths, Silver Tree
Producer: Michael Lohmann
Jul 24/18 - Dec 12/18
Arrow - Season 7
Local Production Company: Beckmark Production Services Inc.
Director: David Ramsey, Andi Armaganian
Producer: Todd Pittson
Jul 06/18 - Apr 18/19
Charmed - Season 1
Local Production Company: First Cut Productions Inc.
Director: Brad Siberling
Aug 13/18 - Dec 21/18
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina - Season 1
Local Production Company: Wbtv Canada Production Services Inc.
Director: Robert Seidenglanz, Antonio Negret
Producer: Jon Goldwater, Craig Forrest
Mar 19/18 - Dec 05/18
Gabby Duran And The Unsittables - Season 1
Local Production Company: Gabby Productions Ltd.
Director: Joseph Nussbaum, Keith Samples
Producer: Mike Alber,...
TV Pilot
Surveillance
Local Production Company: Surveillance Productions Inc.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Producer: Kathy Gilroy
Nov 27/18 - Dec 14/18
TV Series
A Million Little Things - Season 1
Local Production Company: Stage 49 Ltd
Director: James Griffiths, Silver Tree
Producer: Michael Lohmann
Jul 24/18 - Dec 12/18
Arrow - Season 7
Local Production Company: Beckmark Production Services Inc.
Director: David Ramsey, Andi Armaganian
Producer: Todd Pittson
Jul 06/18 - Apr 18/19
Charmed - Season 1
Local Production Company: First Cut Productions Inc.
Director: Brad Siberling
Aug 13/18 - Dec 21/18
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina - Season 1
Local Production Company: Wbtv Canada Production Services Inc.
Director: Robert Seidenglanz, Antonio Negret
Producer: Jon Goldwater, Craig Forrest
Mar 19/18 - Dec 05/18
Gabby Duran And The Unsittables - Season 1
Local Production Company: Gabby Productions Ltd.
Director: Joseph Nussbaum, Keith Samples
Producer: Mike Alber,...
- 11/25/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for November 2018, including "Child's Play", "Siren", "The Terror" and a whole lot more:
Feature Film
Antlers
Local Production Company: Antlers Productions Inc.
Director: Scott Cooper
Producer: Guillermo del Toro, David S. Goyer, J. Miles Dale
Oct 01/18 - Nov 20/18
"Child's Play" (aka "The Kaslan Project")
Local Production Company: Kaslan Productions Canada Ltd.
Director: Lars Klevberg
Sep 17/18 - Nov 08/18
TV Pilot
Surveillance
Local Production Company: Surveillance Productions Inc.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Producer: Kathy Gilroy
Nov 27/18 - Dec 14/18
TV Series
A Million Little Things - Season 1
Local Production Company: Stage 49 Ltd
Director: Nina Corrado, Chris Koch
Producer: Michael Lohmann
Jul 24/18 - Dec 12/18
Arrow - Season 7
Local Production Company: Beckmark Production Services Inc.
Director: James Bamford, Andi Armaganian
Producer: Todd Pittson
Jul 06/18 - Apr 18/19
Charmed - Season 1
Local Production Company: First Cut Productions Inc.
Director: Brad Siberling, Vanessa Parise
Aug 13/18 - Dec 21/18
Chilling Adventures...
Feature Film
Antlers
Local Production Company: Antlers Productions Inc.
Director: Scott Cooper
Producer: Guillermo del Toro, David S. Goyer, J. Miles Dale
Oct 01/18 - Nov 20/18
"Child's Play" (aka "The Kaslan Project")
Local Production Company: Kaslan Productions Canada Ltd.
Director: Lars Klevberg
Sep 17/18 - Nov 08/18
TV Pilot
Surveillance
Local Production Company: Surveillance Productions Inc.
Director: Patricia Riggen
Producer: Kathy Gilroy
Nov 27/18 - Dec 14/18
TV Series
A Million Little Things - Season 1
Local Production Company: Stage 49 Ltd
Director: Nina Corrado, Chris Koch
Producer: Michael Lohmann
Jul 24/18 - Dec 12/18
Arrow - Season 7
Local Production Company: Beckmark Production Services Inc.
Director: James Bamford, Andi Armaganian
Producer: Todd Pittson
Jul 06/18 - Apr 18/19
Charmed - Season 1
Local Production Company: First Cut Productions Inc.
Director: Brad Siberling, Vanessa Parise
Aug 13/18 - Dec 21/18
Chilling Adventures...
- 10/25/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
We’ve all met Tracy Flick — the eager-beaver student that charms the right teachers, wins all the awards and corners the big scholarships. Alexander Payne’s witty, perceptive look at High School shows the predicament of a model teacher who can’t help but sabotage a pupil’s run for class president. Reese Witherspoon’s wholly original characterization scores big, and Matthew Broderick plays what is probably his best screen role.
Election
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 904
1999 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 103 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 5, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell, Phil Reeves, Molly Hagan, Delaney Driscoll, Mark Harelik, Colleen Camp.
Cinematography: James Glennon
Film Editor: Kevin Tent
Production Design: Jane Ann Stewart
Original Music: Rolfe Kent
Written by Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor from a novel by Tom Perotta
Produced by Albert Berger, David Gale, Keith Samples, Ron Yerxa
Directed by Alexander Payne
“What...
Election
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 904
1999 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 103 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 5, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell, Phil Reeves, Molly Hagan, Delaney Driscoll, Mark Harelik, Colleen Camp.
Cinematography: James Glennon
Film Editor: Kevin Tent
Production Design: Jane Ann Stewart
Original Music: Rolfe Kent
Written by Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor from a novel by Tom Perotta
Produced by Albert Berger, David Gale, Keith Samples, Ron Yerxa
Directed by Alexander Payne
“What...
- 12/2/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Media Rights Capital has promoted Joe Hipps to vp production and creative affairs at Mrc Television.
This marks the first time indie producer MRC has had a senior executive overseeing its TV operations since October 2008, when the company parted ways with Keith Samples, its first TV head.
Hipps, whose focus will be on the creative side of development and production, will report to Mrc co-CEOs Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, who had been running the TV division in the past year.
Mrc burst into the TV scene in 2008 with an aggressive launch of a half-dozen scripted series in its first year. It was a dealt a major blow when its Sunday programming block on the CW was pulled shortly after its fall 2008 launch because of poor ratings.
Of its first batch of series, only the animated "The Life and Times of Tim" on HBO and sitcom "Rita Rocks" on Lifetime earned renewals.
This marks the first time indie producer MRC has had a senior executive overseeing its TV operations since October 2008, when the company parted ways with Keith Samples, its first TV head.
Hipps, whose focus will be on the creative side of development and production, will report to Mrc co-CEOs Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, who had been running the TV division in the past year.
Mrc burst into the TV scene in 2008 with an aggressive launch of a half-dozen scripted series in its first year. It was a dealt a major blow when its Sunday programming block on the CW was pulled shortly after its fall 2008 launch because of poor ratings.
Of its first batch of series, only the animated "The Life and Times of Tim" on HBO and sitcom "Rita Rocks" on Lifetime earned renewals.
- 1/27/2010
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With its ambitious TV strategy facing harsh reality in its first real test this fall, indie Media Rights Capital is parting ways with TV head Keith Samples.
Samples, who started the company's TV division 16 months ago and built its programming slate, will officially leave Oct. 31.
Speculation about the departure of Samples -- the architect of MRC's time-buy deal with the CW, under which MRC programs Sunday night for the network -- began early this month. Things intensified when the company shut down production on its two low-rated scripted series for the CW for what MRC claimed was a "planned hiatus."
An MRC spokeswoman denied that Samples is leaving, maintaining that he is "still on board" but "has been focusing more on ad sales in the run-up to CW debuts."
Since its Oct. 5 debut, the CW's Sunday night block -- on which MRC partnered with Tribune Broadcasting, owner of key CW...
Samples, who started the company's TV division 16 months ago and built its programming slate, will officially leave Oct. 31.
Speculation about the departure of Samples -- the architect of MRC's time-buy deal with the CW, under which MRC programs Sunday night for the network -- began early this month. Things intensified when the company shut down production on its two low-rated scripted series for the CW for what MRC claimed was a "planned hiatus."
An MRC spokeswoman denied that Samples is leaving, maintaining that he is "still on board" but "has been focusing more on ad sales in the run-up to CW debuts."
Since its Oct. 5 debut, the CW's Sunday night block -- on which MRC partnered with Tribune Broadcasting, owner of key CW...
- 10/22/2008
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The CW is partnering with Media Rights Capital to program its Sunday primetime programming block next season.
The block, kicking off in the fall, will feature four new shows -- two comedies and two dramas -- from "top producers and creative talent." Further details will be announced soon, the companies said.
"This is a strategic move by the CW that will give viewers more original programming on Sunday nights than we have ever had," CW president Dawn Ostroff said. "As the leading independent producer of television programming, MRC will bring a slate of high-quality entertainment to our air on the most competitive night on television, while we will focus our resources and efforts on strengthening our Monday through Friday schedule."
Added CW COO John Maatta: "This kind of alliance is becoming common in our business, and it's a win for all involved: affiliates, advertisers and viewers. It will also allow our sales team more opportunity to capitalize on our new Friday night schedule with the departure of wrestling, as that is such a critical night for retailers and marketers with a weekend product push."
"Our blend of comedy and drama will be exciting, accessible and a perfect fit for the network and its affiliate constituency," MRS president of television Keith Samples said.
The block, kicking off in the fall, will feature four new shows -- two comedies and two dramas -- from "top producers and creative talent." Further details will be announced soon, the companies said.
"This is a strategic move by the CW that will give viewers more original programming on Sunday nights than we have ever had," CW president Dawn Ostroff said. "As the leading independent producer of television programming, MRC will bring a slate of high-quality entertainment to our air on the most competitive night on television, while we will focus our resources and efforts on strengthening our Monday through Friday schedule."
Added CW COO John Maatta: "This kind of alliance is becoming common in our business, and it's a win for all involved: affiliates, advertisers and viewers. It will also allow our sales team more opportunity to capitalize on our new Friday night schedule with the departure of wrestling, as that is such a critical night for retailers and marketers with a weekend product push."
"Our blend of comedy and drama will be exciting, accessible and a perfect fit for the network and its affiliate constituency," MRS president of television Keith Samples said.
Comedy Central is moving into the fantasy arena, greenlighting a scripted live-action series dubbed Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire.
In addition, the cable network has ordered pilots or presentations of projects starring a range of talent, including an animated comedy with Snoop Dogg, a sketch show starring Andy Richter and a fake-magazine show featuring David Alan Grier.
Those are just a few of the projects on an extensive 2008-09 slate announced Wednesday by Lauren Corrao, president of original programming and development, who noted that "funny always comes first" when putting a slate together at the network.
"It really is about the comedy and the point of view, whether it's the on-air talent or the writer behind it," she said.
Corrao is hoping to pick up a total of four of five projects to series from the 2008-09 slate, which will include any other projects added in the coming months.
As for Krod Mandoon, that series marks the network's first fantasy-comedy series and first project to receive a series order off the slate. The show, set to premiere in first-quarter 2009, is described as a character-driven comedy that centers on reluctant hero Krod Mandoon, a sensitive, clueless freedom fighter who becomes the last great hope in a medieval struggle.
Krod Mandoon is written by Peter Knight, who executive produces with Keith Samples, Brad Johnson, Courtney Conte and Flody Juarez. The show has yet to be cast.
Corrao said the timing was right to add a fantasy-comedy to the network's schedule, which is set in historic times but will feature more contemporary dialogue.
"That script came to us as a spec, and we fell in love with the writer's voice," she said.
In addition, the cable network has ordered pilots or presentations of projects starring a range of talent, including an animated comedy with Snoop Dogg, a sketch show starring Andy Richter and a fake-magazine show featuring David Alan Grier.
Those are just a few of the projects on an extensive 2008-09 slate announced Wednesday by Lauren Corrao, president of original programming and development, who noted that "funny always comes first" when putting a slate together at the network.
"It really is about the comedy and the point of view, whether it's the on-air talent or the writer behind it," she said.
Corrao is hoping to pick up a total of four of five projects to series from the 2008-09 slate, which will include any other projects added in the coming months.
As for Krod Mandoon, that series marks the network's first fantasy-comedy series and first project to receive a series order off the slate. The show, set to premiere in first-quarter 2009, is described as a character-driven comedy that centers on reluctant hero Krod Mandoon, a sensitive, clueless freedom fighter who becomes the last great hope in a medieval struggle.
Krod Mandoon is written by Peter Knight, who executive produces with Keith Samples, Brad Johnson, Courtney Conte and Flody Juarez. The show has yet to be cast.
Corrao said the timing was right to add a fantasy-comedy to the network's schedule, which is set in historic times but will feature more contemporary dialogue.
"That script came to us as a spec, and we fell in love with the writer's voice," she said.
- 3/13/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opens
Friday, April 2
This might not be your father's Buford Pusser, but the remake of "Walking Tall" remains the tale of a vigilante with a badge -- and a very big stick. As a man of few words who takes on the forces of pure evil in his rural hometown, WWE star-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self-possessed, charismatic screen presence. Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice.
Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. But here the central character, unmarried and ultra-buff, is not an unlikely savior. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider", we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.
It's a relief that "Walking" strips Mort Briskin's original screenplay of its cloying family-man angle and tragic elements. That helps to lessen the self-righteousness of an uneasy, if popular, combination of moralizing and head-slamming. But that combustible mix is still the heart of the story.
Paying tribute to the central character's weapon of choice -- a hunk of wood -- the story has been moved to lumber country (Vancouver subs for Kipsat County, Wash.). Expecting to work in the town's mill, like his Father John Beasley), Chris finds it's been shuttered by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough, whose ice-blue eyes spell "villain"). After inheriting the plant, the town's lifeblood, Jay has turned his entrepreneurial efforts to a lucrative casino, the front for an even more lucrative drug operation. Emblematic of the Wild Cherry's grip on the town, Chris High' school girlfriend, Deni (Ashley Scott), dances in a peep show at the sensory-overload venue.
For Chris, the casino is an assault on small-town integrity. Ever-vigilant to corruption and wrongdoing, he crosses the powers that be and winds up sliced and left for dead by Jay's goons. Denied legal recourse by the sheriff (Michael Bowen), who considers the casino a "no-fly zone," Chris puts a huge stick of cedar to use in the name of justice and ends up in jail. After baring his impressive torso and its gruesome scars for a jury, he's elected sheriff.
He deputizes his pal Ray (Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass"), a recovering addict, to help him crack Jay's speed-manufacturing business. Adding drugs to the corrosive stew of gambling and prostitution, the adaptation ups the ante on moral certainty with broad strokes: Chris' young teen nephew (Khleo Thomas) has an unspecified medical emergency relating to the ingestion of crystal meth, and Chris and Ray are wholesomely abusive cops as they set out to rid their town of vice.
This lean retelling mercifully compresses the physical attacks on the hero and his family, albeit into unbelievably brazen simultaneous ambushes on the precinct and the Vaughn home. As the senior Vaughn, Beasley makes an impression as a former soldier who must overcome his aversion to guns to protect his wife (Barbara Tarbuck) and single-mom daughter (Kristen Wilson).
Director Kevin Bray keeps the action tight and brutal, from the first casino brawl to the final face-off between Jay and Chris (hatchet vs. tree branch). The cast acquits itself well, with the Rock evincing a quiet balance between humor and brawn. Unlike Baker's Pusser, Chris is not a conflicted man, and the pared-down action loses some of its dramatic tension because there's no doubt that the Rock will prevail -- driving home the point is a low-angle shot of the jeans-clad sheriff, wooden club in hand.
Production designer Brent Thomas and costume designer Gersha Phillips achieve a lived-in look that never calls attention to itself. Glen MacPherson's camerawork captures the setting's natural riches and economic straits, while well-chosen '70s rock tunes help propel the proceedings.
WALKING TALL
MGM Pictures
A Hyde Park Entertainment/Mandeville Films production in association with Burke/Samples/Foster Prods. and WWE Films
Credits:
Director: Kevin Bray
Screenwriters: David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Based on a screenplay by: Mort Briskin
Producers: Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman
Executive producers: Keith Samples, Vince McMahon
Director of photography: Glen MacPherson
Production designer: Brent Thomas
Music: Graeme Revell
Co-producer: Bill Bannerman
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editors: George Bowers, Robert Ivison
Cast:
Chris Vaughn: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Ray Templeton: Johnny Knoxville
Jay Hamilton: Neal McDonough
Michelle Vaughn: Kristen Wilson
Deni: Ashley Scott
Pete Vaughn: Khleo Thomas
Chris Vaughn Sr.: John Beasley
Connie Vaughn: Barbara Tarbuck
Sheriff Stan Watkins: Michael Bowen
Booth: Kevin Durand
Running time -- 86 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, April 2
This might not be your father's Buford Pusser, but the remake of "Walking Tall" remains the tale of a vigilante with a badge -- and a very big stick. As a man of few words who takes on the forces of pure evil in his rural hometown, WWE star-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self-possessed, charismatic screen presence. Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice.
Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. But here the central character, unmarried and ultra-buff, is not an unlikely savior. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider", we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.
It's a relief that "Walking" strips Mort Briskin's original screenplay of its cloying family-man angle and tragic elements. That helps to lessen the self-righteousness of an uneasy, if popular, combination of moralizing and head-slamming. But that combustible mix is still the heart of the story.
Paying tribute to the central character's weapon of choice -- a hunk of wood -- the story has been moved to lumber country (Vancouver subs for Kipsat County, Wash.). Expecting to work in the town's mill, like his Father John Beasley), Chris finds it's been shuttered by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough, whose ice-blue eyes spell "villain"). After inheriting the plant, the town's lifeblood, Jay has turned his entrepreneurial efforts to a lucrative casino, the front for an even more lucrative drug operation. Emblematic of the Wild Cherry's grip on the town, Chris High' school girlfriend, Deni (Ashley Scott), dances in a peep show at the sensory-overload venue.
For Chris, the casino is an assault on small-town integrity. Ever-vigilant to corruption and wrongdoing, he crosses the powers that be and winds up sliced and left for dead by Jay's goons. Denied legal recourse by the sheriff (Michael Bowen), who considers the casino a "no-fly zone," Chris puts a huge stick of cedar to use in the name of justice and ends up in jail. After baring his impressive torso and its gruesome scars for a jury, he's elected sheriff.
He deputizes his pal Ray (Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass"), a recovering addict, to help him crack Jay's speed-manufacturing business. Adding drugs to the corrosive stew of gambling and prostitution, the adaptation ups the ante on moral certainty with broad strokes: Chris' young teen nephew (Khleo Thomas) has an unspecified medical emergency relating to the ingestion of crystal meth, and Chris and Ray are wholesomely abusive cops as they set out to rid their town of vice.
This lean retelling mercifully compresses the physical attacks on the hero and his family, albeit into unbelievably brazen simultaneous ambushes on the precinct and the Vaughn home. As the senior Vaughn, Beasley makes an impression as a former soldier who must overcome his aversion to guns to protect his wife (Barbara Tarbuck) and single-mom daughter (Kristen Wilson).
Director Kevin Bray keeps the action tight and brutal, from the first casino brawl to the final face-off between Jay and Chris (hatchet vs. tree branch). The cast acquits itself well, with the Rock evincing a quiet balance between humor and brawn. Unlike Baker's Pusser, Chris is not a conflicted man, and the pared-down action loses some of its dramatic tension because there's no doubt that the Rock will prevail -- driving home the point is a low-angle shot of the jeans-clad sheriff, wooden club in hand.
Production designer Brent Thomas and costume designer Gersha Phillips achieve a lived-in look that never calls attention to itself. Glen MacPherson's camerawork captures the setting's natural riches and economic straits, while well-chosen '70s rock tunes help propel the proceedings.
WALKING TALL
MGM Pictures
A Hyde Park Entertainment/Mandeville Films production in association with Burke/Samples/Foster Prods. and WWE Films
Credits:
Director: Kevin Bray
Screenwriters: David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Based on a screenplay by: Mort Briskin
Producers: Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman
Executive producers: Keith Samples, Vince McMahon
Director of photography: Glen MacPherson
Production designer: Brent Thomas
Music: Graeme Revell
Co-producer: Bill Bannerman
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editors: George Bowers, Robert Ivison
Cast:
Chris Vaughn: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Ray Templeton: Johnny Knoxville
Jay Hamilton: Neal McDonough
Michelle Vaughn: Kristen Wilson
Deni: Ashley Scott
Pete Vaughn: Khleo Thomas
Chris Vaughn Sr.: John Beasley
Connie Vaughn: Barbara Tarbuck
Sheriff Stan Watkins: Michael Bowen
Booth: Kevin Durand
Running time -- 86 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Opens
Friday, April 2
This might not be your father's Buford Pusser, but the remake of "Walking Tall" remains the tale of a vigilante with a badge -- and a very big stick. As a man of few words who takes on the forces of pure evil in his rural hometown, WWE star-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self-possessed, charismatic screen presence. Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice.
Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. But here the central character, unmarried and ultra-buff, is not an unlikely savior. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider", we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.
It's a relief that "Walking" strips Mort Briskin's original screenplay of its cloying family-man angle and tragic elements. That helps to lessen the self-righteousness of an uneasy, if popular, combination of moralizing and head-slamming. But that combustible mix is still the heart of the story.
Paying tribute to the central character's weapon of choice -- a hunk of wood -- the story has been moved to lumber country (Vancouver subs for Kipsat County, Wash.). Expecting to work in the town's mill, like his Father John Beasley), Chris finds it's been shuttered by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough, whose ice-blue eyes spell "villain"). After inheriting the plant, the town's lifeblood, Jay has turned his entrepreneurial efforts to a lucrative casino, the front for an even more lucrative drug operation. Emblematic of the Wild Cherry's grip on the town, Chris High' school girlfriend, Deni (Ashley Scott), dances in a peep show at the sensory-overload venue.
For Chris, the casino is an assault on small-town integrity. Ever-vigilant to corruption and wrongdoing, he crosses the powers that be and winds up sliced and left for dead by Jay's goons. Denied legal recourse by the sheriff (Michael Bowen), who considers the casino a "no-fly zone," Chris puts a huge stick of cedar to use in the name of justice and ends up in jail. After baring his impressive torso and its gruesome scars for a jury, he's elected sheriff.
He deputizes his pal Ray (Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass"), a recovering addict, to help him crack Jay's speed-manufacturing business. Adding drugs to the corrosive stew of gambling and prostitution, the adaptation ups the ante on moral certainty with broad strokes: Chris' young teen nephew (Khleo Thomas) has an unspecified medical emergency relating to the ingestion of crystal meth, and Chris and Ray are wholesomely abusive cops as they set out to rid their town of vice.
This lean retelling mercifully compresses the physical attacks on the hero and his family, albeit into unbelievably brazen simultaneous ambushes on the precinct and the Vaughn home. As the senior Vaughn, Beasley makes an impression as a former soldier who must overcome his aversion to guns to protect his wife (Barbara Tarbuck) and single-mom daughter (Kristen Wilson).
Director Kevin Bray keeps the action tight and brutal, from the first casino brawl to the final face-off between Jay and Chris (hatchet vs. tree branch). The cast acquits itself well, with the Rock evincing a quiet balance between humor and brawn. Unlike Baker's Pusser, Chris is not a conflicted man, and the pared-down action loses some of its dramatic tension because there's no doubt that the Rock will prevail -- driving home the point is a low-angle shot of the jeans-clad sheriff, wooden club in hand.
Production designer Brent Thomas and costume designer Gersha Phillips achieve a lived-in look that never calls attention to itself. Glen MacPherson's camerawork captures the setting's natural riches and economic straits, while well-chosen '70s rock tunes help propel the proceedings.
WALKING TALL
MGM Pictures
A Hyde Park Entertainment/Mandeville Films production in association with Burke/Samples/Foster Prods. and WWE Films
Credits:
Director: Kevin Bray
Screenwriters: David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Based on a screenplay by: Mort Briskin
Producers: Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman
Executive producers: Keith Samples, Vince McMahon
Director of photography: Glen MacPherson
Production designer: Brent Thomas
Music: Graeme Revell
Co-producer: Bill Bannerman
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editors: George Bowers, Robert Ivison
Cast:
Chris Vaughn: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Ray Templeton: Johnny Knoxville
Jay Hamilton: Neal McDonough
Michelle Vaughn: Kristen Wilson
Deni: Ashley Scott
Pete Vaughn: Khleo Thomas
Chris Vaughn Sr.: John Beasley
Connie Vaughn: Barbara Tarbuck
Sheriff Stan Watkins: Michael Bowen
Booth: Kevin Durand
Running time -- 86 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, April 2
This might not be your father's Buford Pusser, but the remake of "Walking Tall" remains the tale of a vigilante with a badge -- and a very big stick. As a man of few words who takes on the forces of pure evil in his rural hometown, WWE star-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self-possessed, charismatic screen presence. Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice.
Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. But here the central character, unmarried and ultra-buff, is not an unlikely savior. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider", we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.
It's a relief that "Walking" strips Mort Briskin's original screenplay of its cloying family-man angle and tragic elements. That helps to lessen the self-righteousness of an uneasy, if popular, combination of moralizing and head-slamming. But that combustible mix is still the heart of the story.
Paying tribute to the central character's weapon of choice -- a hunk of wood -- the story has been moved to lumber country (Vancouver subs for Kipsat County, Wash.). Expecting to work in the town's mill, like his Father John Beasley), Chris finds it's been shuttered by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough, whose ice-blue eyes spell "villain"). After inheriting the plant, the town's lifeblood, Jay has turned his entrepreneurial efforts to a lucrative casino, the front for an even more lucrative drug operation. Emblematic of the Wild Cherry's grip on the town, Chris High' school girlfriend, Deni (Ashley Scott), dances in a peep show at the sensory-overload venue.
For Chris, the casino is an assault on small-town integrity. Ever-vigilant to corruption and wrongdoing, he crosses the powers that be and winds up sliced and left for dead by Jay's goons. Denied legal recourse by the sheriff (Michael Bowen), who considers the casino a "no-fly zone," Chris puts a huge stick of cedar to use in the name of justice and ends up in jail. After baring his impressive torso and its gruesome scars for a jury, he's elected sheriff.
He deputizes his pal Ray (Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass"), a recovering addict, to help him crack Jay's speed-manufacturing business. Adding drugs to the corrosive stew of gambling and prostitution, the adaptation ups the ante on moral certainty with broad strokes: Chris' young teen nephew (Khleo Thomas) has an unspecified medical emergency relating to the ingestion of crystal meth, and Chris and Ray are wholesomely abusive cops as they set out to rid their town of vice.
This lean retelling mercifully compresses the physical attacks on the hero and his family, albeit into unbelievably brazen simultaneous ambushes on the precinct and the Vaughn home. As the senior Vaughn, Beasley makes an impression as a former soldier who must overcome his aversion to guns to protect his wife (Barbara Tarbuck) and single-mom daughter (Kristen Wilson).
Director Kevin Bray keeps the action tight and brutal, from the first casino brawl to the final face-off between Jay and Chris (hatchet vs. tree branch). The cast acquits itself well, with the Rock evincing a quiet balance between humor and brawn. Unlike Baker's Pusser, Chris is not a conflicted man, and the pared-down action loses some of its dramatic tension because there's no doubt that the Rock will prevail -- driving home the point is a low-angle shot of the jeans-clad sheriff, wooden club in hand.
Production designer Brent Thomas and costume designer Gersha Phillips achieve a lived-in look that never calls attention to itself. Glen MacPherson's camerawork captures the setting's natural riches and economic straits, while well-chosen '70s rock tunes help propel the proceedings.
WALKING TALL
MGM Pictures
A Hyde Park Entertainment/Mandeville Films production in association with Burke/Samples/Foster Prods. and WWE Films
Credits:
Director: Kevin Bray
Screenwriters: David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Based on a screenplay by: Mort Briskin
Producers: Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman
Executive producers: Keith Samples, Vince McMahon
Director of photography: Glen MacPherson
Production designer: Brent Thomas
Music: Graeme Revell
Co-producer: Bill Bannerman
Costume designer: Gersha Phillips
Editors: George Bowers, Robert Ivison
Cast:
Chris Vaughn: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Ray Templeton: Johnny Knoxville
Jay Hamilton: Neal McDonough
Michelle Vaughn: Kristen Wilson
Deni: Ashley Scott
Pete Vaughn: Khleo Thomas
Chris Vaughn Sr.: John Beasley
Connie Vaughn: Barbara Tarbuck
Sheriff Stan Watkins: Michael Bowen
Booth: Kevin Durand
Running time -- 86 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 3/29/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ashley Scott and Kristen Wilson have nabbed the female leads in MGM's updated version of the 1973 actioner Walking Tall for director Kevin Bray and Hyde Park Entertainment. Shooting is scheduled to start in July. Walking Tall centers on a Tennessee sheriff (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and his one-man mission to remove corruption from his county. Neal McDonough also stars as Hamilton, the main nemesis to Johnson's character and the man at the center of the corruption. Scott will play the sheriff's love interest in the small town, and Wilson will play his sister. David Klass wrote the update of the project. Hyde Park Entertainment's Ashok Amritraj and Mandeville Films' David Hoberman are producing Walking Tall with Lucas Foster and Jim Burke. Keith Samples is executive producing the project. Scott, repped by UTA, Original Management's Jonathan Perry and attorney Marcy Morris, is best known for her role on the short-lived WB Network series Birds of Prey. She recently completed a role in Columbia Pictures' S.W.A.T. and the indie horror film Trespassing. Wilson, repped by the Gersh Agency and Sanders Armstrong, is best known for her role as Eddie Murphy's wife in the Dr. Dolittle franchise. She most recently appeared in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and as a recurring character on the television series The District and Crossing Jordan.
- 5/15/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Neal McDonough has joined Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in MGM's updated version of the 1973 actioner Walking Tall for director Kevin Bray and Hyde Park Entertainment. Shooting is scheduled to start in July. Walking Tall centers on a Tennessee sheriff (Johnson) and his one-man mission to remove corruption from his county. McDonough will play Hamilton, the main nemesis to Johnson's character and the man at the center of the corruption. David Klass wrote the update of the project. Hyde Park Entertainment's Ashok Amritraj and Mandeville Films' David Hoberman are producing Walking Tall with Lucas Foster and Jim Burke. Keith Samples is executive producing the project, which is being overseen at MGM by Toby Jaffe and Eric Paquette. McDonough is repped by WMA, Rigberg-Rugolo Entertainment and attorney Stuart Rosenthal at Bloom, Hergott & Diemer. His credits include the NBC series Boomtown, Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and the upcoming Timeline from Paramount Pictures.
- 4/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kevin Bray is in negotiations to direct Dwayne The Rock Johnson in MGM's updated version of its 1973 actioner Walking Tall for Hyde Park Entertainment. A July start date is being planned, right after Bray wraps shooting the pilot for the upcoming UPN drama Platinum. Tall centers on a Tennessee sheriff (Johnson) and his one-man mission to remove corruption from his county. David Klass wrote the update of the project. Hyde Park Entertainment's Ashok Amritraj and Mandeville Films' David Hoberman are producing Tall with Lucas Foster and Jim Burke. Keith Samples is executive producing the project, which is being overseen at MGM by Toby Jaffe and Eric Paquette. Bray, repped by CAA, the Firm and attorney Carlos Goodman, made his directorial debut on New Line Cinema's All About the Benjamins. He continues to be attached to Nowhere to Hide for Warner Bros. Pictures and Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures (HR 10/27).
- 2/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a couple of major misfires ("Dead Man on Campus", "200 Cigarettes"), MTV Films goes to the head of the class with "Election", a sharp, funny, bracingly on-the-money high school satire.
A winning sophomore effort from "Citizen Ruth" director Alexander Payne, boasting a deliciously driven performance by ever-dependable Reese Witherspoon as a take-no-prisoners overachiever, this subversive suburban send-up is easily the best among the recent spate of teen screen candidates.
Given the glut of youth-oriented product, strong reviews and Witherspoon's solid fan base may not ensure a landslide victory, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth should translate into respectable boxoffice tallies.
Adapted by Payne and "Citizen Ruth" collaborator Jim Taylor from a Tom Perrotta novel, the picture is set against the backdrop of a heated high school election.
Having lent her indomitable spirit to nearly every committee and club at George Washington Carver High, scarily ambitious Tracy Flick (Witherspoon) has her sights set on the student government presidency.
A one-person Up With People, Tracy's latest quest appears to be a cakewalk -- that is, until mild-mannered teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick, in one of his best film roles in years) decides to intervene.
It seems Tracy, whose hushed-up affair with fellow teacher Mr. Novotny (Mark Harelik) effectively ended his academic career and marriage, is beginning to make similar advances in Mr. McAllister's direction. If elected, she'll be working closely with him in his capacity as student government adviser. Deciding to take action, McAllister persuades sidelined football hero Paul Metzler (Chris Klein), a bit of a dim bulb with a likable, "gosh, gee whiz" personality, to run against her.
Soon, a third hat is thrown into the ring when Paul starts going with the former crush of his vengeance-seeking, rebellious lesbian sister Tammy (delightful newcomer Jessica Campbell).
Meanwhile, McAllister seems to be spending more time doing chores for lonely Mrs. Novotny (Delaney Driscoll) than he is with his overlooked wife (Molly Hagan).
Payne handles the swirling comic activity with deft aplomb, playfully integrating voice-overs, sustained freeze frames and cleverly chosen musical cues to bitingly original effect. While the progressively twisted pace loses some of its adrenaline toward the end -- 10 minutes less could have made a noticeable difference -- it's a minor quibble.
With the unspoken but obvious joke of having Broderick return to high school as a meek teacher some 13 years after wreaking havoc as Ferris Bueller, only to meet his match in bad-girl-in-goody-goody-clothing Witherspoon, "Election" knows how to pick its sparring partners.
Top vote-getters also include James Glennon's assured camera work, which manages to achieve vivid results despite the high school corridor fluorescent lighting; Jane Ann Stewart's disturbingly familiar production design; and costume designer Wendy Chuck's knack for using a couple of short-sleeved shirts and ties to illustrate the extent of the average teacher's accessorizing skills.
ELECTION
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director: Alexander Payne
Screenwriters: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor
Based on the novel by: Tom Perrotta
Producers: David Gale, Keith Samples, Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: James Glennon
Production designer: Jane Ann Stewart
Editor: Kevin Tent
Costume designer: Wendy Chuck
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisor: Dondi Bastone
Casting: Lisa Beach
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jim McAllister: Matthew Broderick
Tracy Flick: Reese Witherspoon
Paul Metzler: Chris Klein
Tammy Metzler: Jessica Campbell
Dave Novotny: Mark Harelik
Diane McAllister: Molly Hagan
Linda Novotny: Delaney Driscoll
Barbara Flick: Colleen Camp
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
A winning sophomore effort from "Citizen Ruth" director Alexander Payne, boasting a deliciously driven performance by ever-dependable Reese Witherspoon as a take-no-prisoners overachiever, this subversive suburban send-up is easily the best among the recent spate of teen screen candidates.
Given the glut of youth-oriented product, strong reviews and Witherspoon's solid fan base may not ensure a landslide victory, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth should translate into respectable boxoffice tallies.
Adapted by Payne and "Citizen Ruth" collaborator Jim Taylor from a Tom Perrotta novel, the picture is set against the backdrop of a heated high school election.
Having lent her indomitable spirit to nearly every committee and club at George Washington Carver High, scarily ambitious Tracy Flick (Witherspoon) has her sights set on the student government presidency.
A one-person Up With People, Tracy's latest quest appears to be a cakewalk -- that is, until mild-mannered teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick, in one of his best film roles in years) decides to intervene.
It seems Tracy, whose hushed-up affair with fellow teacher Mr. Novotny (Mark Harelik) effectively ended his academic career and marriage, is beginning to make similar advances in Mr. McAllister's direction. If elected, she'll be working closely with him in his capacity as student government adviser. Deciding to take action, McAllister persuades sidelined football hero Paul Metzler (Chris Klein), a bit of a dim bulb with a likable, "gosh, gee whiz" personality, to run against her.
Soon, a third hat is thrown into the ring when Paul starts going with the former crush of his vengeance-seeking, rebellious lesbian sister Tammy (delightful newcomer Jessica Campbell).
Meanwhile, McAllister seems to be spending more time doing chores for lonely Mrs. Novotny (Delaney Driscoll) than he is with his overlooked wife (Molly Hagan).
Payne handles the swirling comic activity with deft aplomb, playfully integrating voice-overs, sustained freeze frames and cleverly chosen musical cues to bitingly original effect. While the progressively twisted pace loses some of its adrenaline toward the end -- 10 minutes less could have made a noticeable difference -- it's a minor quibble.
With the unspoken but obvious joke of having Broderick return to high school as a meek teacher some 13 years after wreaking havoc as Ferris Bueller, only to meet his match in bad-girl-in-goody-goody-clothing Witherspoon, "Election" knows how to pick its sparring partners.
Top vote-getters also include James Glennon's assured camera work, which manages to achieve vivid results despite the high school corridor fluorescent lighting; Jane Ann Stewart's disturbingly familiar production design; and costume designer Wendy Chuck's knack for using a couple of short-sleeved shirts and ties to illustrate the extent of the average teacher's accessorizing skills.
ELECTION
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director: Alexander Payne
Screenwriters: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor
Based on the novel by: Tom Perrotta
Producers: David Gale, Keith Samples, Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: James Glennon
Production designer: Jane Ann Stewart
Editor: Kevin Tent
Costume designer: Wendy Chuck
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisor: Dondi Bastone
Casting: Lisa Beach
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jim McAllister: Matthew Broderick
Tracy Flick: Reese Witherspoon
Paul Metzler: Chris Klein
Tammy Metzler: Jessica Campbell
Dave Novotny: Mark Harelik
Diane McAllister: Molly Hagan
Linda Novotny: Delaney Driscoll
Barbara Flick: Colleen Camp
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 4/19/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Having written a pile of megahits for others, Jeb Stuart ("The Fugitive", "Die Hard") retains a piece of the action for his directorial debut, "SwitchBack".
Originally penned when Stuart was a student at Stanford, the sturdy crime thriller serves up clever construction and colorful characterizations, but when the intriguing parallel story lines ultimately intersect, the anticipated denouement is disappointingly anticlimactic and flatly generic.
Still, Paramount, which would like to see the picture pick up at the boxoffice where its "Kiss the Girls" is leaving off, should find "SwitchBack" making some respectable greenbacks, provided audiences look beyond the forgettably nondescript title.
Things get off to an involving start with the coldly efficient kidnapping of a boy and the fatal stabbing of his babysitter. Following this brief preamble, the action shifts to a multiple-murder scene at an Amarillo, Texas, motel, which is much to the frustration of Sheriff Buck Olmstead R. Lee Ermey), whose re-election bid is being challenged by a flashy young police chief.
To add to his political woes, the case has been picked up by FBI agent Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid), who believes the murders to be the work of a nameless serial killer he has been tracking for a year; he disappeared after snatching LaCrosse's son.
Meanwhile, up in the Colorado Rockies, a gregarious former railroad man (Danny Glover) picks up a quiet hitchhiker (Jared Leto) in his 1977 Eldorado with an interior upholstered in girlie pictures.
As the two plot lines unfold, the identities of hunter and prey gradually become clearer, leading to the inevitable face-off.
Quaid does a passable Harrison Ford impression here but fails to nail the quiet heroism and human frailty crucial to the part.
In the is-he-or-isn't-he role, Glover gamely keeps us guessing, projecting an aura of easy, outgoing charm over a murky undercurrent. As the mysterious traveler, Leto delivers a similarly effective blend of low-key intelligence and enigmatic seriousness.
With that carefully layered buildup, it's a shame Stuart could not have come up with a more satisfying intersection of plot and character, instead of a speeding, train-top fight-to-the-finish that has been played out too many times.
In his first shot at directing, Stuart has a nice, kinetic feel for the thriller genre and receives some strong backup from cinematographer Oliver Wood and editor Conrad Buff.
SWITCHBACK
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Rysher Entertainment present a Pacific Western production
A Jeb Stuart film
Credits: Director-screenwriter: Jeb Stuart; Producer: Gale Anne Hurd; Executive producers: Keith Samples, Mel Efros, Jeb Stuart; Director of photography: Oliver Wood; Production designer: Jeff Howard; Editor: Conrad Buff; Costume designer: Betsy Heimann; Music: Basil Poledouris; Music supervisor: Ralph Sall; Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson. Cast: Bob Goodall: Danny Glover; Frank LaCrosse: Dennis Quaid; Lane Dixon: Jared Leto; Buck Olmstead: R. Lee Ermey; Jack McGinnis: William Fichtner; Nate Booker: Ted Levine; Color/stereo; Running time -- 118 minutes; MPAA rating: R...
Originally penned when Stuart was a student at Stanford, the sturdy crime thriller serves up clever construction and colorful characterizations, but when the intriguing parallel story lines ultimately intersect, the anticipated denouement is disappointingly anticlimactic and flatly generic.
Still, Paramount, which would like to see the picture pick up at the boxoffice where its "Kiss the Girls" is leaving off, should find "SwitchBack" making some respectable greenbacks, provided audiences look beyond the forgettably nondescript title.
Things get off to an involving start with the coldly efficient kidnapping of a boy and the fatal stabbing of his babysitter. Following this brief preamble, the action shifts to a multiple-murder scene at an Amarillo, Texas, motel, which is much to the frustration of Sheriff Buck Olmstead R. Lee Ermey), whose re-election bid is being challenged by a flashy young police chief.
To add to his political woes, the case has been picked up by FBI agent Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid), who believes the murders to be the work of a nameless serial killer he has been tracking for a year; he disappeared after snatching LaCrosse's son.
Meanwhile, up in the Colorado Rockies, a gregarious former railroad man (Danny Glover) picks up a quiet hitchhiker (Jared Leto) in his 1977 Eldorado with an interior upholstered in girlie pictures.
As the two plot lines unfold, the identities of hunter and prey gradually become clearer, leading to the inevitable face-off.
Quaid does a passable Harrison Ford impression here but fails to nail the quiet heroism and human frailty crucial to the part.
In the is-he-or-isn't-he role, Glover gamely keeps us guessing, projecting an aura of easy, outgoing charm over a murky undercurrent. As the mysterious traveler, Leto delivers a similarly effective blend of low-key intelligence and enigmatic seriousness.
With that carefully layered buildup, it's a shame Stuart could not have come up with a more satisfying intersection of plot and character, instead of a speeding, train-top fight-to-the-finish that has been played out too many times.
In his first shot at directing, Stuart has a nice, kinetic feel for the thriller genre and receives some strong backup from cinematographer Oliver Wood and editor Conrad Buff.
SWITCHBACK
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Rysher Entertainment present a Pacific Western production
A Jeb Stuart film
Credits: Director-screenwriter: Jeb Stuart; Producer: Gale Anne Hurd; Executive producers: Keith Samples, Mel Efros, Jeb Stuart; Director of photography: Oliver Wood; Production designer: Jeff Howard; Editor: Conrad Buff; Costume designer: Betsy Heimann; Music: Basil Poledouris; Music supervisor: Ralph Sall; Casting: Pam Dixon Mickelson. Cast: Bob Goodall: Danny Glover; Frank LaCrosse: Dennis Quaid; Lane Dixon: Jared Leto; Buck Olmstead: R. Lee Ermey; Jack McGinnis: William Fichtner; Nate Booker: Ted Levine; Color/stereo; Running time -- 118 minutes; MPAA rating: R...
- 10/28/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Having written a pile of megahits for others, Jeb Stuart ("The Fugitive", "Die Hard") retains a piece of the action for his directorial debut, "SwitchBack".
Originally penned when Stuart was a student at Stanford, the sturdy crime thriller serves up clever construction and colorful characterizations, but when the intriguing parallel storylines ultimately intersect, the anticipated denouement is disappointingly anticlimactic and flatly generic.
Still, Paramount, which would like to see the picture pick up at the boxoffice where its "Kiss the Girls" is leaving off, should find "SwitchBack" making some respectable greenbacks, provided audiences look beyond the forgettably nondescript title.
Things get off to an involving start with the coldly efficient kidnapping of a young boy and the fatal stabbing of his babysitter. Following this brief preamble, the action shifts to a multiple-murder scene at an Amarillo, Texas, motel, which is much to the frustration of sheriff Buck Olmstead R. Lee Ermey), whose re-election bid is being challenged by flashy young police chief.
To add to his political woes, the case has been picked up by FBI agent Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid), who believes the murders to be the work of a nameless serial killer he has been tracking for the past year who abruptly disappeared after snatching LaCrosse's son.
Meanwhile, up in the Colorado Rockies, a gregarious former railroad man (Danny Glover) picks up a quiet hitchhiker (Jared Leto) in his white, 1977 Eldorado with an interior upholstered entirely in nude girlie pictures.
As the two plot lines unfold, the identities of both hunter and prey gradually become clearer, leading to the inevitable face-off.
Quaid does a passable Harrison Ford impression here, but fails to nail the quiet heroism and human frailty crucial to the part.
In the is-he-or-isn't-he role, Glover gamely keeps us guessing, projecting an aura of easy, outgoing charm over a murky, moody undercurrent.As the mysterious traveler, Leto delivers a similarly effective blend of low-key intelligence and enigmatic seriousness.
With that carefully layered build-up, it's a shame Stuart could not have come up with a more satisfying intersection of plot and character, instead of a speeding, train-top fight-to-the-finish that has been played out too many times before.
In his first shot at directing, Stuart has a nice, kinetic feel for the genre and receives some strong backup from cinematographer Oliver Wood and editor Conrad Buff.
Veteran composer Basil Poledouris contributes a taut, ambient score neatly in keeping with the picture's tightly wrapped emotions.
SWITCHBACK
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Rysher Entertainment present a Pacific Western production
A Jeb Stuart film
Director-screenwriter Jeb Stuart
Producer Gale Anne Hurd
Executive producers Keith Samples, Mel Efros,
Jeb Stuart
Director of photography Oliver Wood
Production designer Jeff Howard
Editor Conrad Buff
Costume designer Betsy Heimann
Music Basil Poledouris
Music supervisor Ralph Sall
Casting Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Bob Goodall Danny Glover
Frank LaCrosse Dennis Quaid
Lane Dixon Jared Leto
Buck Olmstead R. Lee Ermey
Jack McGinnis William Fichtner
Nate Booker Ted Levine
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Originally penned when Stuart was a student at Stanford, the sturdy crime thriller serves up clever construction and colorful characterizations, but when the intriguing parallel storylines ultimately intersect, the anticipated denouement is disappointingly anticlimactic and flatly generic.
Still, Paramount, which would like to see the picture pick up at the boxoffice where its "Kiss the Girls" is leaving off, should find "SwitchBack" making some respectable greenbacks, provided audiences look beyond the forgettably nondescript title.
Things get off to an involving start with the coldly efficient kidnapping of a young boy and the fatal stabbing of his babysitter. Following this brief preamble, the action shifts to a multiple-murder scene at an Amarillo, Texas, motel, which is much to the frustration of sheriff Buck Olmstead R. Lee Ermey), whose re-election bid is being challenged by flashy young police chief.
To add to his political woes, the case has been picked up by FBI agent Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid), who believes the murders to be the work of a nameless serial killer he has been tracking for the past year who abruptly disappeared after snatching LaCrosse's son.
Meanwhile, up in the Colorado Rockies, a gregarious former railroad man (Danny Glover) picks up a quiet hitchhiker (Jared Leto) in his white, 1977 Eldorado with an interior upholstered entirely in nude girlie pictures.
As the two plot lines unfold, the identities of both hunter and prey gradually become clearer, leading to the inevitable face-off.
Quaid does a passable Harrison Ford impression here, but fails to nail the quiet heroism and human frailty crucial to the part.
In the is-he-or-isn't-he role, Glover gamely keeps us guessing, projecting an aura of easy, outgoing charm over a murky, moody undercurrent.As the mysterious traveler, Leto delivers a similarly effective blend of low-key intelligence and enigmatic seriousness.
With that carefully layered build-up, it's a shame Stuart could not have come up with a more satisfying intersection of plot and character, instead of a speeding, train-top fight-to-the-finish that has been played out too many times before.
In his first shot at directing, Stuart has a nice, kinetic feel for the genre and receives some strong backup from cinematographer Oliver Wood and editor Conrad Buff.
Veteran composer Basil Poledouris contributes a taut, ambient score neatly in keeping with the picture's tightly wrapped emotions.
SWITCHBACK
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Rysher Entertainment present a Pacific Western production
A Jeb Stuart film
Director-screenwriter Jeb Stuart
Producer Gale Anne Hurd
Executive producers Keith Samples, Mel Efros,
Jeb Stuart
Director of photography Oliver Wood
Production designer Jeff Howard
Editor Conrad Buff
Costume designer Betsy Heimann
Music Basil Poledouris
Music supervisor Ralph Sall
Casting Pam Dixon Mickelson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Bob Goodall Danny Glover
Frank LaCrosse Dennis Quaid
Lane Dixon Jared Leto
Buck Olmstead R. Lee Ermey
Jack McGinnis William Fichtner
Nate Booker Ted Levine
Running time -- 118 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/27/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A SMILE LIKE YOURS
Paramount Pictures
Chronicling one couple's ad-ventures in procreation, "A Smile Like Yours" starts out with a premise that is certainly fertile fodder for a '90s romantic comedy. However, the end result, directed and co-written by Rysher Entertainment founder Keith Samples (with Kevin Meyer), is a dreary, labored affair that squanders the promising concept, leaving a response of widespread indifference in its wake.
The other major problem is that Lauren Holly and Greg Kinnear make for a cute, if bland, couple. As likable and sincere as they come across, they simply lack the dynamic that would enable them to transcend the material and make it their own (HR 8/22).
Michael Rechtshaffen
MASTERMINDS
Sony Pictures Releasing
Despite the title, "Masterminds" is neither a masterful nor clever teen-targeted action adventure about a 16-year-old cyberhacker (Vincent Kartheiser) who thwarts the elaborate plan of a vengeful security expert (Patrick Stewart) to hold a private school for ransom.
Ridiculously plotted and boasting across-the-board dumb dialogue, it's a safe bet this shot-in-Vancouver effort won't be adding to Sony's summer booty, although some back-to-schoolers may find cathartic pleasure in the destruction of an educational institution (HR 8/20).
Michael Rechtshaffen
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Legacy Releasing
Directed by Clive Smith, a co-founder of Nelvana Ltd., the underdog animated feature "Pippi Longstocking" is aimed at young children and might make for a peppy video release. A Canadian-Swedish-German-English co-production, "Pippi" has five agreeable songs and plenty of upbeat attitude, but the Legacy offering is headed for a quick exit in theaters. A veteran of numerous animated television specials and series, Smith and his team worked with original Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in fashioning this breezy tale of a seafaring lass with boundless energy and optimism who comes ashore for a round of adventures (HR 8/22).
David Hunter
KULL THE CONQUEROR
Universal Pictures
A Robert E. Howard-inspired sword-and-sorcery adventure with insufficient gore, memorable humor and cinematic brawn to capture the fancy of moviegoers in a big way, "Kull the Conqueror" is mainly notable for the feature-film launch of Kevin Sorbo, star of Universal Television's "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Alas, the wooden and clean-cut Sorbo is a major reason the weakly realized lead character undermines the overall production.
The feature debut of veteran television producer-director John Nicolella, "Kull the Conqueror" is only mildly arousing in the battle scenes, and the special effects are lackluster. As a 3,000-year-old evil being in the guise of a barbarian queen, Tia Carrere finds the groove and vamps it up enough to at least distract one from the uninspired production design and costumes (HR 8/25).
David Hunter
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION
Cinepix Film Properties
Blackly comic and extreme in its portrayal of a murderous backroads clan, Cinepix Film Properties' "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation" jokingly refers to the first two "Massacre" sequels made in 1986 and 1990 to Tobe Hooper's original 1974 film. One has to be in the right mood for this brand of horror-comedy, and for general audiences it's unpalatable.
Originally released by Columbia TriStar in 1995 under a different title, "Next Generation" is resurfacing in a shorter version to cash in on the rising stardom of leads Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey (HR 8/25).
David Hunter...
Paramount Pictures
Chronicling one couple's ad-ventures in procreation, "A Smile Like Yours" starts out with a premise that is certainly fertile fodder for a '90s romantic comedy. However, the end result, directed and co-written by Rysher Entertainment founder Keith Samples (with Kevin Meyer), is a dreary, labored affair that squanders the promising concept, leaving a response of widespread indifference in its wake.
The other major problem is that Lauren Holly and Greg Kinnear make for a cute, if bland, couple. As likable and sincere as they come across, they simply lack the dynamic that would enable them to transcend the material and make it their own (HR 8/22).
Michael Rechtshaffen
MASTERMINDS
Sony Pictures Releasing
Despite the title, "Masterminds" is neither a masterful nor clever teen-targeted action adventure about a 16-year-old cyberhacker (Vincent Kartheiser) who thwarts the elaborate plan of a vengeful security expert (Patrick Stewart) to hold a private school for ransom.
Ridiculously plotted and boasting across-the-board dumb dialogue, it's a safe bet this shot-in-Vancouver effort won't be adding to Sony's summer booty, although some back-to-schoolers may find cathartic pleasure in the destruction of an educational institution (HR 8/20).
Michael Rechtshaffen
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Legacy Releasing
Directed by Clive Smith, a co-founder of Nelvana Ltd., the underdog animated feature "Pippi Longstocking" is aimed at young children and might make for a peppy video release. A Canadian-Swedish-German-English co-production, "Pippi" has five agreeable songs and plenty of upbeat attitude, but the Legacy offering is headed for a quick exit in theaters. A veteran of numerous animated television specials and series, Smith and his team worked with original Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in fashioning this breezy tale of a seafaring lass with boundless energy and optimism who comes ashore for a round of adventures (HR 8/22).
David Hunter
KULL THE CONQUEROR
Universal Pictures
A Robert E. Howard-inspired sword-and-sorcery adventure with insufficient gore, memorable humor and cinematic brawn to capture the fancy of moviegoers in a big way, "Kull the Conqueror" is mainly notable for the feature-film launch of Kevin Sorbo, star of Universal Television's "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Alas, the wooden and clean-cut Sorbo is a major reason the weakly realized lead character undermines the overall production.
The feature debut of veteran television producer-director John Nicolella, "Kull the Conqueror" is only mildly arousing in the battle scenes, and the special effects are lackluster. As a 3,000-year-old evil being in the guise of a barbarian queen, Tia Carrere finds the groove and vamps it up enough to at least distract one from the uninspired production design and costumes (HR 8/25).
David Hunter
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION
Cinepix Film Properties
Blackly comic and extreme in its portrayal of a murderous backroads clan, Cinepix Film Properties' "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation" jokingly refers to the first two "Massacre" sequels made in 1986 and 1990 to Tobe Hooper's original 1974 film. One has to be in the right mood for this brand of horror-comedy, and for general audiences it's unpalatable.
Originally released by Columbia TriStar in 1995 under a different title, "Next Generation" is resurfacing in a shorter version to cash in on the rising stardom of leads Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey (HR 8/25).
David Hunter...
- 8/26/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chronicling one couple's adventures in procreation, "A Smile Like Yours" starts out with a premise that is certainly fertile fodder for a '90s romantic comedy.
However, the end result, directed and co-written by Rysher Entertainment founder Keith Samples (with Kevin Meyer), is a dreary, labored affair that squanders the promising concept, leaving a response of widespread indifference in its wake.
At the boxoffice, given that and the fact Greg Kinnear and Lauren Holly have yet to prove themselves as bankable leads, moviegoers will likely opt for abstinence.
On the surface, Danny and Jennifer Robertson (Kinnear and Holly) would appear to have everything going for them, including a strong, passionate relationship and good jobs. He works in construction. She is co-owner of a burgeoning aroma-therapy business. The only thing missing in their lives is a bouncing bundle of joy.
While Danny isn't so sure the timing's right, Jennifer becomes absolutely obsessed with the idea. When all homespun methods fail to produce the desired result, they surrender their bodies to a fertility clinic as their marriage, too, is tested by a series of fresh stress loads.
To the script's credit, it doesn't shy away from all the invasive treats that await couples when their attempts at baby-making shift from the bedroom to the lab. The results will likely have some nodding their heads in empathy and others squirming in their seats, but that isn't the picture's problem. It's Samples' awkward freshman direction, which places undue emphasis on all the wrong moments, suffocating potential humor, not to mention lumbering pacing (the kiss of death for a romantic comedy) that makes the film's reasonable 101-minute running time feel interminable.
The other major problem is that Holly and Kinnear (last seen together in "Sabrina") make for a cute, if bland, couple. As likable and sincere as they come across, they simply lack the dynamic that would enable them to transcend the material and make it their own. Picking up the slack is the always terrific Joan Cusack as Holly's business partner, Jay Thomas as Kinnear's work buddy and Marianne Muellerleile who's a riot as a smirking, bullying fertility clinic nurse.
Even Shirley MacLaine has been recruited (obviously as a favor to Samples for Rysher's "Evening Star"), making an unbilled extended cameo at the picture's end, but her considerable comedic talents are unable to resuscitate a production that simply fails to deliver the goods.
A SMILE LIKE YOURS
Paramount Pictures
Rysher Entertainment presents
a David Kirkpatrick production
Director Keith Samples
Screenwriters Kevin Meyer, Keith Samples
Producers David Kirkpatrick, Tony Amatullo
Executive producer Robert Harling
Director of photography Richard Bowen
Production designer Garreth Stover
Editor Wayne Wahrman
Costume designer Jill Ohanneson
Music William Ross
Music supervisors Randy Gerston, Evyen Klean
Casting Jennifer Shull
Color/stereo
Cast:
Danny Robertson Greg Kinnear
Jennifer Robertson Lauren Holly
Nancy Tellen Joan Cusack
Steve Harris Jay Thomas
Lindsay Hamilton Jill Hennessy
Richard Halstrom Christopher McDonald
Dr. Felber Donald Moffat
Dr. Chin France Nuyen
Nurse Wheeler Marianne Muellerleile
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
However, the end result, directed and co-written by Rysher Entertainment founder Keith Samples (with Kevin Meyer), is a dreary, labored affair that squanders the promising concept, leaving a response of widespread indifference in its wake.
At the boxoffice, given that and the fact Greg Kinnear and Lauren Holly have yet to prove themselves as bankable leads, moviegoers will likely opt for abstinence.
On the surface, Danny and Jennifer Robertson (Kinnear and Holly) would appear to have everything going for them, including a strong, passionate relationship and good jobs. He works in construction. She is co-owner of a burgeoning aroma-therapy business. The only thing missing in their lives is a bouncing bundle of joy.
While Danny isn't so sure the timing's right, Jennifer becomes absolutely obsessed with the idea. When all homespun methods fail to produce the desired result, they surrender their bodies to a fertility clinic as their marriage, too, is tested by a series of fresh stress loads.
To the script's credit, it doesn't shy away from all the invasive treats that await couples when their attempts at baby-making shift from the bedroom to the lab. The results will likely have some nodding their heads in empathy and others squirming in their seats, but that isn't the picture's problem. It's Samples' awkward freshman direction, which places undue emphasis on all the wrong moments, suffocating potential humor, not to mention lumbering pacing (the kiss of death for a romantic comedy) that makes the film's reasonable 101-minute running time feel interminable.
The other major problem is that Holly and Kinnear (last seen together in "Sabrina") make for a cute, if bland, couple. As likable and sincere as they come across, they simply lack the dynamic that would enable them to transcend the material and make it their own. Picking up the slack is the always terrific Joan Cusack as Holly's business partner, Jay Thomas as Kinnear's work buddy and Marianne Muellerleile who's a riot as a smirking, bullying fertility clinic nurse.
Even Shirley MacLaine has been recruited (obviously as a favor to Samples for Rysher's "Evening Star"), making an unbilled extended cameo at the picture's end, but her considerable comedic talents are unable to resuscitate a production that simply fails to deliver the goods.
A SMILE LIKE YOURS
Paramount Pictures
Rysher Entertainment presents
a David Kirkpatrick production
Director Keith Samples
Screenwriters Kevin Meyer, Keith Samples
Producers David Kirkpatrick, Tony Amatullo
Executive producer Robert Harling
Director of photography Richard Bowen
Production designer Garreth Stover
Editor Wayne Wahrman
Costume designer Jill Ohanneson
Music William Ross
Music supervisors Randy Gerston, Evyen Klean
Casting Jennifer Shull
Color/stereo
Cast:
Danny Robertson Greg Kinnear
Jennifer Robertson Lauren Holly
Nancy Tellen Joan Cusack
Steve Harris Jay Thomas
Lindsay Hamilton Jill Hennessy
Richard Halstrom Christopher McDonald
Dr. Felber Donald Moffat
Dr. Chin France Nuyen
Nurse Wheeler Marianne Muellerleile
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Hard Eight" is a taut noir, an atmospheric glimpse into the underbelly of Reno, Nev.'s seedier, gamy side. Juiced by some skilled performances, this well-made, low-budget film might be behind the eight ball, however, with audiences who like their story hand dealt with more dazzle, action and intrigue.
Still, art house viewers who want to see the dark side of the big casino lights will be tantalized by "Hard Eight"'s sharp and murky sensibility.
Philip Baker Hall stars as Sydney, a steely gray chap in his 50s who scrapes up a living in Reno playing a system, a subsistence living that neither draws the notice of the casino owners nor calls attention to himself. To the dealers, waitresses and gamers, Sydney is virtually invisible, a silver-haired gent behind a curl of gray-swirled cigarette smoke. Although a loner, Sydney befriends a down-and-out guy named John (John C. Reilly), buying him coffee and offering to show him the ropes of penny-ante winning. Soon, John is following Sydney around like a puppy dog. They're nearly inseparable, almost like father and son.
It's around this bond that screenwriter-director Paul Thomas Anderson loops his story, stoking it with some undersided insights and against-expectation grains that flesh out its hard form. Indeed, it's at the human level, rather than the plot histrionics, where "Hard Eight" shines, compliments of first-timer Anderson's perceptive and skilled direction and also a result of the first-rate performances.
As the weathered and wizened Sydney, Hall is outstanding, invigorating his character's weary world view with a crisp, calculating decency. Reilly is a terrific blend of vulnerability and hair-trigger danger as the bedraggled outsider who comes to shine under the city's dark neon glow. In supporting roles, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson are strong assets. As a somewhat dumb cocktail waitress-hooker, Paltrow captures the torn-stocking sensibility of her rather pathetic character, while Jackson's mercurial glint lifts his heavy role to a much more frightening and interesting plane.
The tech contributions under Anderson's assured direction are well-suited to the genre, particularly Robert Elswit's tight scopings and Michael Penn and Jon Brion's murky score.
HARD EIGHT
Goldwyn Entertainment Co.
Rysher Entertainment Presents
A Green Parrot production
in association with Trinity
A P.T. Anderson picture
Producers Robert Jones, John Lyons
Screenwriter-director Paul Thomas Anderson
Executive producers Keith Samples,
Hans Brockmann, Francois Duplat
Director of photography Robert Elswit
Production designer Nancy Deren
Editor Barbara Tulliver
Co-producer Daniel Lupi
Music Michael Penn, Jon Brion
Costume designer Mark Bridges
Casting Christine Sheaks
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sydney Philip Baker Hall
John John C. Reilly
Clementine Gwyneth Paltrow
Jimmy Samuel L. Jackson
Hostage F. William Parker
Young craps player Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Still, art house viewers who want to see the dark side of the big casino lights will be tantalized by "Hard Eight"'s sharp and murky sensibility.
Philip Baker Hall stars as Sydney, a steely gray chap in his 50s who scrapes up a living in Reno playing a system, a subsistence living that neither draws the notice of the casino owners nor calls attention to himself. To the dealers, waitresses and gamers, Sydney is virtually invisible, a silver-haired gent behind a curl of gray-swirled cigarette smoke. Although a loner, Sydney befriends a down-and-out guy named John (John C. Reilly), buying him coffee and offering to show him the ropes of penny-ante winning. Soon, John is following Sydney around like a puppy dog. They're nearly inseparable, almost like father and son.
It's around this bond that screenwriter-director Paul Thomas Anderson loops his story, stoking it with some undersided insights and against-expectation grains that flesh out its hard form. Indeed, it's at the human level, rather than the plot histrionics, where "Hard Eight" shines, compliments of first-timer Anderson's perceptive and skilled direction and also a result of the first-rate performances.
As the weathered and wizened Sydney, Hall is outstanding, invigorating his character's weary world view with a crisp, calculating decency. Reilly is a terrific blend of vulnerability and hair-trigger danger as the bedraggled outsider who comes to shine under the city's dark neon glow. In supporting roles, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson are strong assets. As a somewhat dumb cocktail waitress-hooker, Paltrow captures the torn-stocking sensibility of her rather pathetic character, while Jackson's mercurial glint lifts his heavy role to a much more frightening and interesting plane.
The tech contributions under Anderson's assured direction are well-suited to the genre, particularly Robert Elswit's tight scopings and Michael Penn and Jon Brion's murky score.
HARD EIGHT
Goldwyn Entertainment Co.
Rysher Entertainment Presents
A Green Parrot production
in association with Trinity
A P.T. Anderson picture
Producers Robert Jones, John Lyons
Screenwriter-director Paul Thomas Anderson
Executive producers Keith Samples,
Hans Brockmann, Francois Duplat
Director of photography Robert Elswit
Production designer Nancy Deren
Editor Barbara Tulliver
Co-producer Daniel Lupi
Music Michael Penn, Jon Brion
Costume designer Mark Bridges
Casting Christine Sheaks
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sydney Philip Baker Hall
John John C. Reilly
Clementine Gwyneth Paltrow
Jimmy Samuel L. Jackson
Hostage F. William Parker
Young craps player Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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