Ante Scriptum: ciao,
Bettie.
Visti di recente entrambi gli
Ultimatum.
[il remake] Togliamoci subito il dente, annunciando al mondo l'impensabile: il
remake è una invereconda porcata.
Arriva l'alieno zio
Klaatu - il sempre mono-faccia
Keanu Reeves - e, poco soddisfatto del comitato d'accoglienza e dopo aver raccolto alcune recensioni negative, annuncia al mondo che è proprio il caso di sterminare la razza umana, perché lui ci tiene a salvare i panda e pure i gasteropodi.
Neanche
greenpeace...
Il visetto di
Jennifer Connelly gli farà cambiare idea, ma nel frettempo il robot
Gort farà un po' di malestri, dopo essersi tramutato in uno sciame di nanomacchine.
Diretto da un
totale inetto, oltre ad una trama ambientalist-banalotta il film si distingue per dei dialoghi letteralmente patetici, così come le situazioni presentate: veramente penosa e degna di un tv-movie di serie B la rappresentazione dei militari, degli scienziati e del governo, tutti intenti a raschiare cliché dai fondi dei rispettivi barili.
Inoltre qualcuno mi deve spiegare perché comprare i diritti di
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" se poi la
Earth se ne sta
Still per neanche 30 secondi alla fine, per motivi neanche tanto significativi.
Per tacere del fatto che NON c'è
"Klaatu barada nikto". Criminale!
A coronamento di ciò, pessime prove attoriali da parte di tutti (povera
Kathy Bates!) e la presenza del
figlio di Will Smith che si candida all'Oscar nella categoria "bimbetto inutile, odioso, inetto e sacrificabile".
Voto: 4 (Gort è piuttosto fico da vedere, questo sì).
[l'originale] Non essendo un critico cinematografico e non rientrando nella folta schiera di chi (a parole, almeno) apprezza aprioristicamente tutto ciò che è vecchio
Perché È Un Classico®, dico ciò:
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) è un film invecchiato.
E per essere chiari: non è neanche lontanamente un film "invecchiato MALE", e questo per un film del 51 è già un successo enorme ed indice di qualità assoluta (non sono poi tanti, i film ancora godibili dopo tanti decenni).
Però non è,
a mio parere (pare sia necessario scriverlo: c'è sempre qualcuno che non concepisce che la gente scriva la propria opinione), un film che soddisfi in pieno il
mio gusto di spettatore del 21esimo secolo (mica pippe!).
È ancora bello, e
Robert Wise ha fatto un ottimo lavoro, ma la trama è necessariamente datata e risulta ingenua agli occhi moderni.
Al tempo stesso mi fa però specie che uno degli elementi che considero più coraggiosi, il rapporto della madre single col nuovo fidanzato, sia scomparso nel remake (non è mica la prima volta che faccio notare come si sia diventati più perbenisti, da 15 anni a questa parte, e prima o poi ci farò un post a tema...)
Insomma: bel film, sicuramente eccelso per l'epoca, che oggi mostra solo in parte gli anni che ha (e ripeto: degli anni '50 sono davvero pochissimi quelli che non lo fanno; la maggior parte sono semplicemente invecchiati male, diventando quasi inguardabili, nel 2008).
E poi, tanto, il remake di oggi fa più schifo di svariati ordini di grandezza, quindi perché porsi il problema?
Voto: 7. È Un Classico
® 
Tags: fantascienza, drammatico, thriller, azione, remake, film di culto, paura, alieno, sfera, robot, Klaatu, Gort, ultimatum, distruzione, condanna, attacco, armi, esercito, presidente, ONU, nazioni unite, discorso, leader, minaccia, iniezione, cura, inseguimento, elicottero, Manhattan, New York, Terra, mondo, sterminio, sciame, nanomacchine, meglio l'originale, raggio della morte, ambiente, sopravvivenza, professore, scienziato, dialogo, extraterrestre, madre, bambino, remake di merda.
Connelly, Jennifer
Nome di battesimo: Connelly, Jennifer Lynn
Data di nascita: 12 December 1970
Altezza: 5' 7" (1.70 m)
Coniuge: Paul Bettany::(1 January 2003 - present) 1 child
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Jennifer Connelly grew up in Brooklyn Heights, just across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, except for the four years her family spent in Woodstock, New York. Back in Brooklyn Heights, she attended St. Ann's school. Her father was in the garment industry, and a close friend of the family was an advertising executive. When Jennifer was 10, the friend suggested that her parents take her to a modeling audition. She began appearing in newspaper and magazine ads (among them, "Seventeen" magazine) and soon moved on to television commercials. A casting director saw the girl and introduced her to Sergio Leone, who was seeking a young girl to dance in his gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984). After graduation, she enrolled at Yale, and then transferred two years later to Stanford. Her first film appearance after that was a British TV series "Tales of the Unexpected" (1979) in 1984. Her first movie appearance was in Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985). Has appeared in a rock video "I Drove All Night," a Roy Orbison song, co-starring Jason Priestley. Is appearing in an upcoming Miller Beer commercial. Released a single called "Monologue of Love" in Japan in the mid-1980s, in which she sings in Japanese a charming little song with semi-classical instruments arrangement. B-side is "Message Of Love," which is an interview with music in background. Trained in classical theater and improvisation, studying with the late drama coach Roy London, Howard Fine, and Harold Guskin. She did television commercials in Japan. Was "engaged" in an unconventional sense, i.e., no real plans to marry, to Bill Campbell, her co-star in The Rocketeer (1991). They were together on and off for about five years. Lives in New York. She's 5'7", speaks fluent Italian and French. Was a member of Gold's Gym in Venice for a year or two, but is no longer active. Enjoys physical activities such as swimming, gymnastics, bike riding. Is an outdoors person -- camping, hiking and walking. Is interested in Quantum Physics and philosophy. Is fairly level-headed and grounded as a person and is not overly seduced by the Hollywood fantasy. Likes horses, Pearl Jam, SoundGarden, Jesus Jones. Occasionally wears a small picture of the Dalai Lama on a necklace. Favorite colors: cobalt blue, forest green, and "very pale green/gray -- sort of like the color of the sea". Likes to draw.
Trivia random: Has said she used to use the online username "ecksor", which is a phonetic spelling of XOR (Exclusive OR) - a tribute to her cousin Jerry who is a computer security expert.
Citazione random: [about her son]: "I don't think I would be doing this quality of work if it hadn't been for my son. He's changed me. He's helped me to understand myself and find my place in the world."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Derrickson, Scott
Ultimi lavori: Trivia random: Completed undergraduate work at Biola University's film program.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Page, Bettie (I)
Nome di battesimo: Page, Bettie Mae
Data di nascita: 22 April 1923
Altezza: 5' 5½" (1.66 m)
Coniuge: Harry Lear::(14 February 1967 - January 1972) (divorced), Armond Walterson::(26 November 1958 - 1963) (divorced), Billy Neal::(15 February 1943 - November 1947) (divorced)
Ultimi lavori: Trivia random: Can play the guitar and piano.
Citazione random: "I love to swim in the nude and roam around the house in the nude. You're just as free as a bird!"
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951)
Ultimatum alla Terra
Regista: Robert Wise Scrittore: Edmund H. North,
Harry Bates Genere: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Drama
Valutazione: 8.1/10 (24264 voti) [#201 nella top250]
Durata: 92 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, French, Hindi
Cast:Trama:An alien (Klaatu) with his mighty robot (Gort) land their spacecraft on Cold War-era Earth just after the end of World War II. They bring an important message to the planet that Klaatu wishes to tell to representatives of all nations. However, communication turns out to be difficult, so, after learning something about the natives, Klaatu decides on an alternative approach.
Trivia random: One of the reasons that Michael Rennie was cast as Klaatu was because he was generally unknown to American audiences, and would be more readily accepted as an "alien" than a more recognizable actor.
Citazione random: Bit Man: They're here! They're here! They've landed! Over on the mall! They've landed!
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Reeves, Keanu
Nome di battesimo: Reeves, Keanu Charles
Data di nascita: 2 September 1964
Altezza: 6' 1¼" (1.86 m)
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:One of the most inscrutable actors to ever hit it big, Keanu Reeves has been by turns adored, reviled, and grudgingly respected by the movie-going public. As the controversy over his talent rages on, his career choices and paychecks show him inching toward A-list status. Reeves, whose first name means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian, was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1964. His mother, Patricia, was a showgirl; his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves, a geologist. After their marriage dissolved, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister Kim to New York City, then Toronto. Stepfather #1 was Paul Aaron, a stage and film director - he and Patricia divorced within a year, after which she went on to marry (and divorce) rock promoter Robert Miller and hair salon owner Jack Bond. Reeves never reconnected with his biological father, who is now in prison on charges of cocaine possession. In high school, Reeves was lukewarm toward academics but took a keen interest in ice hockey (as team goalie, he earned the nickname "The Wall") and drama. He eventually dropped out of school to pursue an acting career. After a few stage gigs and a handful of made-for-TV movies, he scored a supporting role in the Rob Lowe hockey flick Youngblood (1986), which was filmed in Canada. Shortly after the production wrapped, Reeves packed his bags and headed for Hollywood. Reeves popped up on critics' radar with his performance in the dark adolescent drama River's Edge (1986), but his first popular success was the role of totally rad dude Ted Logan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989). The wacky time-travel movie became something of a cultural phenomenon, and audiences would forever confuse Reeves's real-life persona with that of his doofy on-screen counterpart. Over the next few years, Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma with a series of highbrow projects. He played a slumming rich boy opposite River Phoenix's narcoleptic male hustler in My Own Private Idaho (1991), an unlucky lawyer who stumbles into the vampire's lair in Dracula (1992), and Shakespearean party-pooper Don Jon in Much Ado About Nothing (1993). In 1994, the understated actor became a big-budget action star with the release of Speed (1994/I). Its success heralded an era of five years in which Reeves would alternate between largely unwatched small films, like Feeling Minnesota (1996) and The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997), and unwatched big films like Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Chain Reaction (1996). After all this Reeves did the unthinkable and passed on the Speed sequel, but he struck box-office gold again a few years later with the Wachowski brothers' cyberadventure The Matrix (1999). Despite his deadpan delivery style and reputation as an oaf, Reeves continues to reel in choice roles and fat paychecks. Whatever he knows, he's not telling the public--his self-deprecating interview tactics and mysterious private life provide little insight into his artistry. As far as Reeves is concerned, it seems, he's just a regular guy who rides a motorcycle, plays in a band (Dogstar), and shows up every now and then for a movie shoot.
Trivia random: Lent one of his basses (a yellow Fender) to be used in the music video 100% by Sonic Youth to bassist Kim Gordon.
Citazione random: What would happen if you melted? You know, you never really hear this talked about much, but spontaneous combustion? It exists!...[people] burn from within...sometimes they'll be in a wooden chair and the chair won't burn, but there'll be nothing left of the person. Except sometimes his teeth. Or the heart. No one speaks about this, but its for real.
Salario massimo: $15,000,000 + 15% of the gross, per The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Bates, Kathy (I)
Nome di battesimo: Bates, Kathleen Doyle
Data di nascita: 28 June 1948
Altezza: 5' 3" (1.60 m)
Coniuge: Tony Campisi::(April 1991 - 1997) (divorced)
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Poor Kathy Bates was forever losing out when her award-winning stage characters transferred to the screen. Unphotogenic and unattractive by Hollywood standards, she faced disappointment after disappointment as younger, prettier or more established stars usurped her New York stage triumphs in their adaptations to film. First Sissy Spacek takes on her potent role as the suicidal Jessie Cates in 'night, Mother (1986), then Michelle Pfeiffer seizes the moment to play her dumpy lover character in Frankie and Johnny (1991). It would take Oscar glory to finally rectify the injustice. Kathleen Doyle Bates was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of three daughters born to Langdon Doyle Bates, a mechanical engineer, and his homemaker wife Bertye Talbot. Kathy's great-great Irish grandfather, who emigrated to New Orleans, once served as President Andrew Jackson's doctor. She discovered acting appearing in high school plays and studied drama at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1969. With her mind firmly set, she moved to New York City in 1970 and paid her dues by working everything from a cash register to taking lunch orders. She scored a tour-de-farce performance alongside Christopher Walken at Buffalo's Studio Arena Theatre in Lanford Wilson's world premiere of "Lemon Sky" in 1970 -- but she also had a foreshadowing of the heartbreak to come when the successful show relocated to New York's off-Broadway Playhouse Theatre without Kathy. Walken wound up winning a Drama Desk award. By the mid-to-late 1970s Kathy was trotting the boards frequently as a rising young actress of the New York and regional theater scene. She appeared in "Casserole" and "A Quality of Mercy" (both 1975) before earning exceptional reviews for her role of Joanne in "Vanities". She took her first Broadway curtain call in 1980's "Goodbye Fidel," which lasted only six performances. She then went directly into replacement mode when she joined the cast of the already-established and highly successful "Fifth of July" in 1981. Kathy made a false start in films with Taking Off (1971), in which she was billed as "Bobo Bates". She didn't film again until Straight Time (1978), starring Dustin Hoffman, and that part was not substantial enough to cause a stir. Things turned hopeful, however, when Kathy and the rest of the female ensemble were given the chance to play their respective Broadway parts in the film version of Robert Altman's Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982). It was a juicy role for Kathy and film audiences finally started noticing the now 34-year-old. Still and all, it was the New York stage that continued to earn Kathy awards and acclaim. She was pure textbook to any actor studying how to disappear into a role. Her characters ranged from free and life-affirming to downright pitiable. Despite winning a Tony Award nomination and Outer Critic's Circle Award for her stark, touchingly sad portrait of a suicidal daughter in 1983's "'night, Mother" and the Obie and Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for her powerhouse job as a romantic misfit in "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune," Kathy had no box-office pull and was hardly a strong consideration when the roles finally went to film. It was her fanatical turn as the drab, chunky, porcine-looking psychopath Annie Wilkes, who kidnaps her favorite author (James Caan) and subjects him to a series of horrific tortures, that finally turned the tide for her in Hollywood. With the 1990 shocker Misery (1990), based on the popular Stephen King novel, Bates and Caan were pure box office magic. Moreover, Kathy captured the "Best Actress" Oscar and Golden Globe award, a first in that genre (horror) for that category. To add to her happiness she married Tony Campisi, also an actor, in 1991. Quality film scripts now started coming her way and the 1990s proved to be a rich and rewarding time for her. First, she and another older "overnight" film star, fellow Oscar winner Jessica Tandy, starred together in the modern portion of the beautifully nuanced, flashback period piece Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). She then outdid herself as the detached and depressed housekeeper accused of murdering her abusive husband (David Strathairn) in Dolores Claiborne (1995). Surprisingly, she was left out of the Oscar race for these two excellent performances. Not so, however, for her flashy political advisor Libby Holden in the movie Primary Colors (1998) and her quirky, liberal mom in About Schmidt (2002), receiving "Best Supporting Actress" nominations for both Kathy has also done prolific work on TV as a seven-time Emmy nominee, and has taken to directing a couple of TV-movies on the sly. She was nominated for a DGA award after helming an episode of "Six Feet Under", in which she also had a recurring role. While some of her more recent movie parts have been generally unworthy of her talents, she has more than made up for it in TV-movies playing everything from cruel-minded caricatures (Little Orphan Annie's Miss Hannigan) to common, decent, every day folk. Divorced from her husband since 1997, Kathy has been the Executive Committee Chair of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors.
Trivia random: Her performance as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990) is ranked #77 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Citazione random: "When I was told Terry Bradshaw would be playing my husband, I was like 'The star-quarterback Terry Bradshaw?'." [on playing Terry Bradshaw's movie wife in Failure to Launch (2006)].
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Day the Earth Stood Still, The (2008)
Ultimatum alla terra
Regista: Scott Derrickson Scrittore: David Scarpa,
Edmund H. North Genere: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Drama
Valutazione: 6.3/10 (1436 voti)
Durata: 103 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:Trama:A remake of the 1951 classic sci-fi film about an alien visitor and his giant robot counterpart who visit Earth.
Trivia random: Jennifer Connelly was Scott Derrickson's first choice for the role of Helen Benson.
Citazione random: [from trailer]::Polygraph Operator: I'm going to ask you a series of control questions. Are you currently in a seated position?::Klaatu: Yes.::Polygraph Operator: Are you human?::Klaatu: My body is.::Polygraph Operator: Do you feel pain?::Klaatu: My Body does.::Polygraph Operator: Are you aware of an impending attack on the planet earth?::Klaatu: You should let me go.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Smith, Jaden
Nome di battesimo: Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre
Data di nascita: 8 July 1998
Ultimi lavori: Trivia random: Younger half-brother of Trey Smith.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Wise, Robert (I)
Nome di battesimo: Wise, Robert Earl
Data di nascita: 10 September 1914
Data di morte: 14 September 2005
Coniuge: Millicent Franklin::(29 January 1977 - 14 September 2005) (his death), Patricia Doyle::(25 May 1942 - 22 September 1975) (her death) 1 child
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Robert Wise was born as the youngest of three brothers. Through an odd job at RKO at the age of 19, the avid moviegoer came into film business. A head sound effects editor at the studio recognized Wise's talent, and made Wise his protégé. Around 1941, Orson Welles was in need of an editor for Citizen Kane (1941), and Wise did a splendid job. Welles really liked his work and ideas. Wise started as a director with some B-Movies, and his career went on quickly, and he made MANY classic movies. His last theatrical film, Rooftops (1989), proved that Wise was a film maker still in full command of his craft in his 80s. The carefully composed images, tight editing, and unflagging pace make one wish that Wise had not stayed away from the camera for so long
Trivia random: Was an avid fan of commercial Indian cinema.
Citazione random: Not true there was a cabal preventing Orson [Orson Welles] from making more films. He simply never fulfilled himself after that magnificent start, His own fault - lack of self-discipline.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb. 
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