Detto questo, per bilanciare e per mantenere un certo sano spirito natalizio, dico pure "sono sempre i più giovani che se ne vanno..."
mercoledì 20 dicembre 2006
lacrimuccia
E una lacrimuccia per Barbera.
Detto questo, per bilanciare e per mantenere un certo sano spirito natalizio, dico pure "sono sempre i più giovani che se ne vanno..."
Detto questo, per bilanciare e per mantenere un certo sano spirito natalizio, dico pure "sono sempre i più giovani che se ne vanno..."
martedì 19 dicembre 2006
bad santa
Malvagio, carogna, acido e violento.
Molto natalizio, Babbo Bastardo (Bad Santa).
Un fallito alcolizzato sessuomane (di fatto Billy Bob Thornton nella parte di se stesso) e il suo complice nano nero sono specializzati in rapine natalizie ai centri commerciali: si fanno assumere come Babbo Natale e il suo folletto, e la notte della vigilia svaligiano la cassaforte.
Peccato che un Babbo Natale ubriacone, sboccato e che "si scopa le balene" non sia esattamente il massimo dell'affidabilità come socio in affari... specie se finisce con l'avere sempre tra i piedi un obeso moccioso stupido e una Sorella di Mamma Natale (quella gran porca di Lauren Graham) che si arrapa alla vista del costume di Babbo Natale.
Storia cinica ma non priva della dovuta (piccola) redenzione, il film si segnala per gli eccessi: abusi d'alcool, sesso, volgarità e violenza (per lo più su minori, meglio se ritardati).
Un ritmo forse non brillantissimo, ma nel complesso un film sopra le righe e fuori da ogni schema e logica che si fa apprezzare per la purezza della propria cattiveria.
Voto: 7.5.
Tags: commedia, crimine, Babbo Natale, violenza, alcool, abusi, ritardato, sesso, rapina, centro commerciale, natale, elfo, volgarità, bullismo, fallito.
Nome di battesimo: Thornton, William Robert
Data di nascita: 4 August 1955
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Angelina Jolie::(5 May 2000 - 27 May 2003) (divorced) 1 child, Pietra Dawn Cherniak::(18 February 1993 - April 1997) (divorced) 2 children, Cynda Williams::(1990 - 1992) (divorced), Toni Lawrence::(1986 - 1988) (divorced), Melissa Lee Gatlin::(1978 - 1980) (divorced) 1 child
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Billy Bob Thornton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas on August 4, 1955 to Billy Ray (educator, coach; deceased) and Virginia (psychic). He has two younger brothers, Jimmy Don, born in 1958 and now deceased, and John David, born in 1969. He has been married 5 times and has 5 children: daughter Amanda (with Gatlin); sons William and Harry (both with Cherniak); son Maddox, adopted with Angelina Jolie; and daughter Bella with Connie Angland.Billy Bob began his artistic career as a musician, playing drums and singing in a band called Tres Hombres, which once opened for 'Hank Williams Jr' . In 1981, he moved to Los Angeles with childhood friend Tom Epperson to pursue an acting and writing career. On the side, Billy Bob also sought work as a singer and drummer. He and Epperson tried for years to sell their scripts but no one was buying.During those rough times, Billy Bob neglected his health and subsequently landed in the hospital with heart problems due to malnutrition. In 1992, Billy Bob starred in One False Move (1992), a movie he co-wrote with Epperson. The team finally received attention because of this work, which was very well received in Hollywood. His popularity increased steadily, especially after Sling Blade (1996) which he wrote, directed and in which he starred.Billy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.
Trivia random: Has numerous tattoos, among them at least 6 on his arms (3 right, 3 left) and on his lower back/hip.
Citazione random: "It's not that I don't understand it. But people think if you speak with an English accent it somehow makes you smarter."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Regista: Terry Zwigoff
Scrittore: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Genere: Comedy, Crime
Valutazione: 7.2/10 (19628 voti)
Durata: 91 min
Paese: USA, Germany
Lingua: English
Cast:
Trama:
"Bad Santa" is the story of two conmen who go on a road trip to malls dressed as Santa and his elf. Rather than spreading good cheer, the duo's motive is to rob each establishment, a strategy that becomes complicated when they encounter an 8-year-old who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas.
Trivia random: Billy Bob Thornton's character "Willie" last name is revealed when he is in the hotel room in Miami, on the answering machine.
Citazione random: Willie: You know, I think I've turned a corner.::Marcus: Yeah? You fucking petites now?::Willie: No, I'm not talking about that. I beat the shit out of some kids today. But it was for a purpose. It made me feel good about myself. It was like I did something constructive with my life or something, I dunno, like I accomplished something.::Marcus: You need many years of therapy. Many, many, many fuckin' years of therapy.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Graham, Lauren Helen
Data di nascita: 16 March 1967
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
She grew up in Northern Virginia, USA (Fairfax, Arlington, and Great Falls, VA) Graduate of Langley High School, McLean, VA Graduate of Barnard College/Columbia University with a Bachelor's Degree in English. Graduate of Southern Methodist University with a Master's Degree in Acting. She was raised by a single parent, her father. Her parents divorced when she was 5. Growing up she wanted to be a jockey but her height precluded it. She traveled extensively with her father during her childhood and discovered acting while in elementary school. Her resume includes theatre, film and television.
Trivia random: Received an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University.
Citazione random: "It can't be Christmas every day!"
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Molto natalizio, Babbo Bastardo (Bad Santa).
Un fallito alcolizzato sessuomane (di fatto Billy Bob Thornton nella parte di se stesso
) e il suo complice nano nero sono specializzati in rapine natalizie ai centri commerciali: si fanno assumere come Babbo Natale e il suo folletto, e la notte della vigilia svaligiano la cassaforte.Peccato che un Babbo Natale ubriacone, sboccato e che "si scopa le balene" non sia esattamente il massimo dell'affidabilità come socio in affari... specie se finisce con l'avere sempre tra i piedi un obeso moccioso stupido e una Sorella di Mamma Natale (quella gran porca di Lauren Graham) che si arrapa alla vista del costume di Babbo Natale.
Storia cinica ma non priva della dovuta (piccola) redenzione, il film si segnala per gli eccessi: abusi d'alcool, sesso, volgarità e violenza (per lo più su minori, meglio se ritardati).
Un ritmo forse non brillantissimo, ma nel complesso un film sopra le righe e fuori da ogni schema e logica che si fa apprezzare per la purezza della propria cattiveria.
Voto: 7.5.
Tags: commedia, crimine, Babbo Natale, violenza, alcool, abusi, ritardato, sesso, rapina, centro commerciale, natale, elfo, volgarità, bullismo, fallito.
Thornton, Billy Bob
Nome di battesimo: Thornton, William Robert
Data di nascita: 4 August 1955
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Angelina Jolie::(5 May 2000 - 27 May 2003) (divorced) 1 child, Pietra Dawn Cherniak::(18 February 1993 - April 1997) (divorced) 2 children, Cynda Williams::(1990 - 1992) (divorced), Toni Lawrence::(1986 - 1988) (divorced), Melissa Lee Gatlin::(1978 - 1980) (divorced) 1 child
Ultimi lavori:
- The Astronaut Farmer (2007) .... Charles Farmer [attore]
- Mr. Woodcock (2007) .... Mr. Woodcock [attore]
- Peace Like a River (2007) .... [attore]
- The Ice Harvest: Alternate Endings (2006) (V) .... Vic [attore]
- School for Scoundrels (2006) .... Dr. P [attore]
- Bad News Bears (2005) .... Morris Buttermaker [attore]
- The Ice Harvest (2005) .... Vic [attore]
- The Alamo (2004) .... Davy Crockett [attore]
- Chrystal (2004) .... Joe [attore]
- Friday Night Lights (2004) .... Coach Gary Gaines [attore]
Biografia:
Billy Bob Thornton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas on August 4, 1955 to Billy Ray (educator, coach; deceased) and Virginia (psychic). He has two younger brothers, Jimmy Don, born in 1958 and now deceased, and John David, born in 1969. He has been married 5 times and has 5 children: daughter Amanda (with Gatlin); sons William and Harry (both with Cherniak); son Maddox, adopted with Angelina Jolie; and daughter Bella with Connie Angland.Billy Bob began his artistic career as a musician, playing drums and singing in a band called Tres Hombres, which once opened for 'Hank Williams Jr' . In 1981, he moved to Los Angeles with childhood friend Tom Epperson to pursue an acting and writing career. On the side, Billy Bob also sought work as a singer and drummer. He and Epperson tried for years to sell their scripts but no one was buying.During those rough times, Billy Bob neglected his health and subsequently landed in the hospital with heart problems due to malnutrition. In 1992, Billy Bob starred in One False Move (1992), a movie he co-wrote with Epperson. The team finally received attention because of this work, which was very well received in Hollywood. His popularity increased steadily, especially after Sling Blade (1996) which he wrote, directed and in which he starred.Billy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.
Trivia random: Has numerous tattoos, among them at least 6 on his arms (3 right, 3 left) and on his lower back/hip.
Citazione random: "It's not that I don't understand it. But people think if you speak with an English accent it somehow makes you smarter."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Bad Santa (2003)
Babbo bastardo
Regista: Terry Zwigoff
Scrittore: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Genere: Comedy, Crime
Valutazione: 7.2/10 (19628 voti)
Durata: 91 min
Paese: USA, Germany
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Billy Bob Thornton .... Willie
- Tony Cox .... Marcus
- Brett Kelly .... The Kid
- Lauren Graham .... Sue
- Lauren Tom .... Lois
- Bernie Mac .... Gin
- John Ritter .... Bob Chipeska
- Ajay Naidu .... Hindustani Troublemaker
- Lorna Scott .... Milwaukee Mother
- Harrison Bieker .... Milwaukee Boy
Trama:
"Bad Santa" is the story of two conmen who go on a road trip to malls dressed as Santa and his elf. Rather than spreading good cheer, the duo's motive is to rob each establishment, a strategy that becomes complicated when they encounter an 8-year-old who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas.
Trivia random: Billy Bob Thornton's character "Willie" last name is revealed when he is in the hotel room in Miami, on the answering machine.
Citazione random: Willie: You know, I think I've turned a corner.::Marcus: Yeah? You fucking petites now?::Willie: No, I'm not talking about that. I beat the shit out of some kids today. But it was for a purpose. It made me feel good about myself. It was like I did something constructive with my life or something, I dunno, like I accomplished something.::Marcus: You need many years of therapy. Many, many, many fuckin' years of therapy.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Graham, Lauren (I)
Nome di battesimo: Graham, Lauren Helen
Data di nascita: 16 March 1967
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Ultimi lavori:
- Because I Said So (2007) .... Maggie [attrice]
- Evan Almighty (2007) .... Evan's Wife [attrice]
- Gnome (2005/I) .... Amanda [attrice]
- The Life Coach (2005) .... Dr. Sue Pegasus [attrice]
- Lucky 13 (2005/I) .... Abbey [attrice]
- The Moguls (2005) .... Peggy [attrice]
- The Pacifier (2005) .... Principal Claire Fletcher [attrice]
- Seeing Other People (2004) .... Claire [attrice]
- Bad Santa (2003) .... Sue [attrice]
- Something More (2003) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
Biografia:
She grew up in Northern Virginia, USA (Fairfax, Arlington, and Great Falls, VA) Graduate of Langley High School, McLean, VA Graduate of Barnard College/Columbia University with a Bachelor's Degree in English. Graduate of Southern Methodist University with a Master's Degree in Acting. She was raised by a single parent, her father. Her parents divorced when she was 5. Growing up she wanted to be a jockey but her height precluded it. She traveled extensively with her father during her childhood and discovered acting while in elementary school. Her resume includes theatre, film and television.
Trivia random: Received an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University.
Citazione random: "It can't be Christmas every day!"
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
venerdì 15 dicembre 2006
IMDbPY 2.8
Ovvero... il software che venne dalla palude!
Disponibile sul sito di IMDbPY, la versione 2.8 risolve alcuni importanti bugs ed introduce il supporto per l'osceno sistema di FAQ per i film e gli orari di messa in onda per episodi di serie tv.
Per gli incolti, IMDbPY è un package Python per la raccolta e gestione dei dati provenienti dal database di IMDb, sia per quanto riguarda i film che le persone.
Quest'anno Natale è arrivato in anticipo!
Disponibile sul sito di IMDbPY, la versione 2.8 risolve alcuni importanti bugs ed introduce il supporto per l'osceno sistema di FAQ per i film e gli orari di messa in onda per episodi di serie tv.
Per gli incolti, IMDbPY è un package Python per la raccolta e gestione dei dati provenienti dal database di IMDb, sia per quanto riguarda i film che le persone.
Quest'anno Natale è arrivato in anticipo!
martedì 12 dicembre 2006
precint 13
In America han dei soldi da spendere.
Non si spiega altrimenti l'acquisto dei diritti dell'ottimo Distretto 13: le brigate della morte diretto nel 76 da John Carpenter, per farci un remake nel 2005.
In questo nuovo Assault on Precinct 13 però del film originale resta ben poco: certo, siamo sempre in un "distretto 13" che deve difendersi da un assedio, ma è tutto il contorno a cambiare. Nell'originale alcune gang rivali si univano per vendicarsi di alcuni poliziotti, qui abbiamo tutto un altro genere di assalitori (che non svelo) e anche le motivazioni sono del tutto diverse.
Detto questo, il remake risulta piuttosto ben riuscito: non troppo lungo, riesce a mantenere la tensione in maniera efficace; la regia è decente e gli attori bravi (cast mica da ridere: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Byrne, Maria Bello, John Leguizamo e Brian Dennehy).
L'originale aveva, come ovvio, tutta un'altra forza (specie se poi si considera l'epoca), ma di certo questa reinterpretazione ha buoni spunti e garantisce un buon livello di intrattenimento.
Voto: 7+.
Tags: thriller, azione, drammatico, crimine, polizia, distretto, assalto, remake, corruzione, malavita, cecchino, carcerati, festa, capodanno.
Data di nascita: 9 July 1938
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Jennifer Arnott::(1988 - present) 1 adopted son, Judith Scheff::(1959 - 1974) (divorced) 3 children
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Imposing, barrel chested and now silver haired prolific US actor, well respected on both screen and stage for the best part of 25 years. Dennehy was born in July 1938 in Bridgeport, Conneticut and attended Columbia University, New York City on a football scholarship where he majored in history, before moving onto to Yale to study dramatic arts. First appeared in minor screen roles in films including Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Semi-Tough (1977) and Foul Play (1978) and proved popular with casting directors leading to regular work. However, Dennehy really got himself noticed by movie audiences in the box office hit First Blood (1982) as the bigoted Sheriff determined to run Vietnam veteran John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) out of his town. Dennehy was then quickly escalated to stronger supporting or co-starring roles in films including the Cold War thriller _Gorky Park (1983)_ , as a benevolent alien in Cocoon (1985), a corrupt Sheriff in the western Silverado (1985), a tough but cluey cop in F/X (1986) and a cop turned writer alongside hitman James Woods in Best Seller (1987). Furthermore in 1987, Dennehy turned in one of his finest screen roles as the cancer ridden architect, Stourley Kracklite, in 'Peter Greenaway's superb The Belly of an Architect (1987), for which Dennehy won the Best Actor Award at the 1987 Chicago Film Festival. More strong performances quickly followed, and Dennehy reprised prior roles for Cocoon: The Return (1988) and F/X2 (1991), and then turned in three gripping performances in several telemovies. Firstly, playing a sadistic small town bully who gets his grisly comeuppance in In Broad Daylight (1991) (TV), portraying the brutal murderer John Wayne Gacy in the chilling _"To Catch a Killer" (1992) (mini)_ and thirdly as a corrupt union official in Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (1992) (TV). In 1993, Dennehy appeared in the role of police Sgt Jack Reed in the telemovie Jack Reed: Badge of Honor (1993) (TV), and reprised the role in four sequels, which saw Dennehy for the first time become involved in co-producing, directing and writing screen productions ! Demand for Dennehy showed no signs of abating, and he has put in further memorable performances in Romeo + Juliet (1996), as bad luck ridden Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (2000) (TV), (which earned Dennehy a Golden Globe Award), popped up in the uneven Spike Lee film She Hate Me (2004) and appears in the remake of Assault on Precinct 13 (2005). The multi-talented Dennehy has also had a rich theatrical career and has appeared both in the United States and internationally in dynamic stage productions including "Death of a Salesman" (for which he picked up the 1999 Best Actor Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award), "A Touch of the Poet", "Long Days Journey into Night" (for which he picked up another Tony Award in 2003) and in Eugene O'Neill's heart wrenching play, "The Iceman Cometh".
Trivia random: While performing "Death Of A Salesman" and "Long Day's Journey into Night" on Broadway, so many of his fans wanted to meet him after his performances that show producers had to hire extra security to keep the crowds in control near the stage door.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Regista: Jean-François Richet
Scrittore: John Carpenter, James DeMonaco
Genere: Action, Drama, Crime, Thriller
Valutazione: 6.4/10 (11562 voti)
Durata: 109 min
Paese: USA, France
Lingua: Serbo-Croatian, English
Cast:
Trama:
On New Year's Eve, inside a police station that's about to be closed for good, officer Jake Roenick (Hawke) must cobble together a force made up cops and criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to kill mobster Marion Bishop (Fishburne).
Trivia random: At least 7 people get shot in the head.
Citazione random: Iris Ferry: I don't bed criminals, okay?::[shouts]::Iris Ferry: I fuck bad boys.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Data di nascita: 22 July 1964
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Justine Maurer::(5 July 2003 - present) 2 children, Yelba Osorio::(27 August 1994 - November 1996) (divorced)
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and naïve young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco, gunning down reformed gangster Al Pacino in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Navy SEAL, stopping aerial terrorists in Executive Decision (1996); and drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). Arguably, not since ill-fated actor and comedian Freddie Prinze starred in the smash TV series "Chico and the Man" (1974) has a youthful Latino personality had such a powerful impact on critics and fans alike.Born July 22, 1964, in Bogotá, Colombia, Leguizamo was four when his family emigrated to the United States. He was raised in Queens, New York, attended New York University and studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg for only one day before Strasberg passed away. The extroverted Leguizamo started working the comedy club circuit in New York and first appeared in front of the cameras in an episode of "Miami Vice" (1984). His first film appearance was a small part in Mixed Blood (1985), and he had minor roles in Casualties of War (1989) and Die Hard 2 (1990) before playing a liquor store thief who shoots Harrison Ford in Regarding Henry (1991). His career really started to soar after his first-rate performance in the independent film Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991) as a nervous young teenager from the Bronx out for a night in brightly lit Manhattan with his buddies, facing the career choice of staying in a supermarket or heading off to college and finding out that the girl he loves from afar isn't quite what he thought she was.The year 1991 was also memorable for other reasons, as he hit the stage with his show Mambo Mouth (1991) (TV), in which he portrayed seven different Latino characters. The witty and incisive show was a smash hit and won the Obie and Outer Circle Critics Award, and later was filmed for HBO, where it picked up a CableACE Award. He returned to the stage two years later with another satirical production poking fun at Latino stereotypes titled Spic-O-Rama (1993) (TV). It played in Chicago and New York, and won the Drama Desk Award and four CableACE Awards.In 1995 he created and starred in the short-lived TV series "House of Buggin'" (1995), an all-Latino-cast comedy variety show featuring hilarious sketches and comedic routines. The show scored two Emmy nominations and received positive reviews from critics, but it was canceled after only one season. The gifted Leguizamo was still keeping busy in films, with key appearances in Super Mario Bros. (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Spawn (1997). In 1998 he made his Broadway debut in Freak (1998) (TV), a "demi-semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical" one-man show, which was filmed for HBO by Spike Lee.Utilizing his distinctive vocal talents, he next voiced a pesky rat in Doctor Dolittle (1998) before appearing in the dynamic Spike Lee-directed Summer of Sam (1999) as a guilt-ridden womanizer, as the Genie of The Lamp in the exciting Arabian Nights (2000) (TV) and as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge! (2001). He also voiced Sid in the animated Ice Age (2002), co-starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Collateral Damage (2002) and directed and starred in the boxing film Undefeated (2003) (TV). Afterward, Leguizamo starred in the remake of the John Carpenter hit Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) and George A. Romero's long-awaited fourth "Dead" film, Land of the Dead (2005). There can be no doubt that the remarkably talented Leguizamo has been a breakthrough performer for the Latino community in mainstream Hollywood, in much the same way that Sidney Poitier crashed through celluloid barriers for African-Americans in the early 1960s. Among his many strengths lies his ability to not take his ethnic background too seriously but also to take pride in his Latino heritage. He has opened many doors for his countrymen. A masterly and accomplished performer, movie audiences await Leguizamo's next exciting performance.
Trivia random: His parents encouraged him to maintain his Spanish, sometimes with bribes. They spoke to him in Spanish, but he usually replied in English.
Citazione random: "Because you get to be free. Not that there's a problem with being the leading man, but the leading roles are always tough. It's hard. It's a really hard thing to do right, to get right, and it's not as fun to be the leading man. Being a supporting actor you have no responsibility. You just go there to play and have a really great time. And you have a really great time. You just go home and you enjoy everybody. When I'm the lead in a movie, you don't sleep, you focus on every aspect of the movie and it's a huge responsibility. And there aren't that many great leading parts, either. There are more, better written supporting parts than there are leading parts." - On why he always seems to play supporting roles.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Regista: John Carpenter
Scrittore: John Carpenter
Genere: Action, Thriller, Crime
Valutazione: 7.3/10 (6358 voti)
Durata: 91 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
Trama:
A gang of murderous punks trap a man inside a nearly abandoned police station in Los Angeles, and the prisoners and policemen inside must fight for their lives. A modernized "Rio Bravo".
Trivia random: The story that Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker) tells about his father sending him to the police station when he was 6 years old with a note, is actually a true story of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock told this to François Truffaut in Truffaut's book "Hitchcock".
Citazione random: Leigh: I'm curious about one thing.::Napoleon Wilson: Just one?::Leigh: No, there are other things. But at the moment this one interests me the most.::Napoleon Wilson: What's that?::Leigh: Why didn't you climb through that vent and take off down the sewer in the other direction?::Napoleon Wilson: Well, there are two things a man should never run from, even if they cost him his life. One is a man who's helpless and can't run with you.::Leigh: What's the other?::[Napoleon stares at her]
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Byrne, Gabriel James
Data di nascita: 12 May 1950
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Ellen Barkin::(18 September 1988 - 1993) (divorced) 2 children
Ultimi lavori:
Trivia random: Autobiography titled "Pictures in My Head"
Citazione random: "I would like to break out of this "dark, brooding" image, cause I'm actually not like that at all. In Ireland, brooding is a term we use for hens. A brooding hen is supposed to lay eggs. Everytime somebody says "He's dark and brooding" I think: "He's about to lay an egg"."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Bello, Maria Elaina
Data di nascita: 18 April 1967
Altezza: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Maria Bello was born on 18 April, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. She went to Villanova University, majoring in political science. She had every intention of becoming a lawyer, but she took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She discovered she was very good at it, and she was soon cast in small off-Broadway plays, such as "The Killer Inside Me", "Small Town Gals With Big Problems" and "Urban Planning". She later guest-starred on episodes of "The Commish" (1991), "Nowhere Man" (1995), "Misery Loves Company" (1995) and "Due South" (1994). She got her big break when producers Kenny Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her in the spy show "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (1996) as "Mrs. Smith" (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958)). The show was canceled after eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot on "ER" (1994) as "Dr. Anna Del Amico", in which she guest-starred on the final three episodes of the third season. The show's producers were so impressed with her that they asked her back as a regular on the series.
Trivia random: Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.
Citazione random: "I don't think you understand what levels or what fears until you have a child of your own. I mean, I've never loved someone so much and I've never been so afraid in my life. And the truth is I would kill someone, whoever tried to hurt him. I would. I have no doubt about it."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Hawke, Ethan Green
Data di nascita: 6 November 1970
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Uma Thurman::(1 May 1998 - 20 July 2004) (divorced) 2 children
Ultimi lavori:
Trivia random: Proposed to wife Uma Thurman twice before she said yes.
Citazione random: "A lot of these movies, they're really enjoyable to see. Really, it's like smoking crack or something: you walk out, and you feel diminished by it. It's eye candy, just violence and sex. Definitely lots of sex, people making out or showing their tits, which is always fun, but it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I tried it - I tried doing this Angelina Jolie movie [Taking Lives, 2004], a popcorn movie, the first movie I did that's about nothing. And I didn't like it, because I do ultimately feel there's enough crap like this. It's so much more fun and harder and more challenging to try to make something that's entertaining but isn't wasting your time."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Carpenter, John Howard
Data di nascita: 16 January 1948
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Sandy King::(1990 - present), Adrienne Barbeau::(1 January 1979 - 1984) (divorced) 1 child
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
John Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York. His family moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where his father was the head of the music department at Western Kentucky University. He attended Western Kentucky University and then USC film school in Los Angeles, not the University of South Carolina. While there, he made The Resurrection of Broncho Billy (1970) and started work on Dark Star (1974). He was also in a band called the Coupe de Villes while he attended USC, which included future directors Tommy Lee Wallace and Nick Castle.
Trivia random: Appears in his own films under the name Rip Haight, appearing in in The Fog (1980), Starman (1984), Body Bags (1993) (TV), and Village of the Damned (1995).
Citazione random: On why he passed on Fatal Attraction (1987): "There wasn't a grain of originality in it - it was Play Misty for Me (1971) with Michael Douglas filling in for Clint Eastwood. Also, the original version, the script I read, had Glenn Close winning in the end by killing herself and thereby getting the moral upper hand. I knew the audience was never going to buy that. The audience was always gonna want to see the wife shoot the bitch. Sure enough, they shot the original script, previewed it, got booed off screen and went back and shot the ending you see today. That was a journey I couldn't be bothered to go on."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Data di nascita: 30 July 1961
Altezza: 6' 0½" (1.84 m)
Coniuge: Gina Torres::(20 September 2002 - present), Hajna O. Moss::(1985 - 199?) (divorced) 2 children
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Critically hailed for his forceful, militant, authoritarian roles, Laurence Fishburne, who is often confused with another tall, gap-toothed, mercurial African-American talent, Samuel L. Jackson, came out of the black theater in New York. Born in Augusta, Georgia on July 30, 1961, Laurence's mother, who taught high school math, transplanted her family to Brooklyn after his parents divorced. At the age of 10, he appeared in his first play, "In My Many Names and Days," at a cramped little theater space in Manhattan. He continued on but managed to avoid the trappings of a child star per se, considering himself more a working child actor at the time. Billing himself as Larry Fishburne during this early phase, he never studied or was trained in the technique of acting.In 1973, at the age of 12, Laurence won a recurring role on the daytime soap "One Life to Live" (1968) that lasted three seasons, and subsequently made his film debut in the ghetto-themed Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975). At 14 Francis Ford Coppola cast him in Apocalypse Now (1979), which filmed for two years in the Phillippines. Laurence didn't work for another year and a half after that long episode. A graduate of Lincoln Square Academy, Coppola was impressed enough with Laurence to hire him again down the line with featured roles in Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984) and Gardens of Stone (1987). Throughout the 1980s he continued to build up his film and TV credit list with featured roles despite little fanfare. A recurring role as Cowboy Curtis on the kiddie show "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986) helped him through whatever lean patches there were at the time.With the new decade (1990s) came out-and-out stardom for Laurence. A choice lead in John Singleton's urban tale Boyz n the Hood (1991) catapulted him immediately into the front of the film ranks. Set in L.A.'s turbulent South Central area, his potent role as a morally-minded divorced father who strives to rise above the ignorance and violence of his surroundings, Laurence showed true command and the ability to hold up any film. On stage he would become invariably linked to playwright August Wilson and his 20th Century epic African-American experience after starring for two years as the eruptive ex-con in "Two Training Running." For this powerful, mesmerizing performance, Laurence won nearly every prestigious theater award in the books (Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Theatre World). It was around the time of this career hallmark that he began billing himself as "Laurence" instead of "Larry."More awards and accolades came his way. In addition to an Emmy for the pilot episode of the series "Tribeca," he was nominated for his fine work in the quality mini-movies The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) (TV) and Miss Evers' Boys (1997) (TV). On the larger screen, both Laurence and Angela Bassett were given Oscar nominations for their raw, seething portrayals of rock stars Ike and Tina Turner in the film What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). To his credit, he managed to take an extremely repellent character and make it a sobering and captivating experience. A pulp box-office favorite as well, he originated the role of Morpheus, Keanu Reeves' mentor, in the exceedingly popular futuristic sci-fi The Matrix (1999), best known for its ground-breaking special effects. He wisely returned for its back-to-back sequels.Into the millennium Laurence extended his talents by making his screenwriting and directorial debut in Once in the Life (2000), in which he also starred. The film is based on his own critically-acclaimed play "Riff Raff," which he staged five years earlier. In 1999 he scored a major theater triumph with a multi-racial version of "The Lion in Winter" as Henry II opposite Stockard Channing's Eleanor of Acquitaine.On film, Fishburne has appeared in a variety of interesting roles in not-always-successful films. Never less than compelling, a few of his more notable parts include an urban speed chess player in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993); a military prisoner in Cadence (1990); a college professor in Singleton's Higher Learning (1995); a CIA operative in Bad Company (1995/I); the title role in Othello (1995) (he was the first black actor to play the part on film); a spaceship rescue team leader in the sci-fi horror Event Horizon (1997); a Depression-era gangster in Hoodlum (1997); a dogged police sergeant in Clint Eastwood's Mystic River (2003); and a spelling bee coach in Akeelah and the Bee (2006).Earning multiple NAACP Image awards for his contribution to the entertainment business, he has two children, Langston and Montana, from his first marriage to actress Hajna O. Moss, who appeared with him in the films Gardens of Stone (1987) and A Rage in Harlem (1991). In September, 2002 he married Cuban-American actress Gina Torres.
Trivia random: He is often mistaken for Samuel L. Jackson and vice versa. According to Jackson, they've stood right next to each other and people still call them by the wrong names.
Citazione random: [On why he didn't read the complete play of "Othello" before acting in the film version in which more than half of the dialogue was cut:] "Why should I read all those words that I'm not going to get to say?"
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Non si spiega altrimenti l'acquisto dei diritti dell'ottimo Distretto 13: le brigate della morte diretto nel 76 da John Carpenter, per farci un remake nel 2005.
In questo nuovo Assault on Precinct 13 però del film originale resta ben poco: certo, siamo sempre in un "distretto 13" che deve difendersi da un assedio, ma è tutto il contorno a cambiare. Nell'originale alcune gang rivali si univano per vendicarsi di alcuni poliziotti, qui abbiamo tutto un altro genere di assalitori (che non svelo) e anche le motivazioni sono del tutto diverse.
Detto questo, il remake risulta piuttosto ben riuscito: non troppo lungo, riesce a mantenere la tensione in maniera efficace; la regia è decente e gli attori bravi (cast mica da ridere: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Byrne, Maria Bello, John Leguizamo e Brian Dennehy).
L'originale aveva, come ovvio, tutta un'altra forza (specie se poi si considera l'epoca), ma di certo questa reinterpretazione ha buoni spunti e garantisce un buon livello di intrattenimento.
Voto: 7+.
Tags: thriller, azione, drammatico, crimine, polizia, distretto, assalto, remake, corruzione, malavita, cecchino, carcerati, festa, capodanno.
Dennehy, Brian
Data di nascita: 9 July 1938
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Jennifer Arnott::(1988 - present) 1 adopted son, Judith Scheff::(1959 - 1974) (divorced) 3 children
Ultimi lavori:
- Ratatouille (2007) .... (attached) [attore]
- War Eagle (2007) .... Pop [attore]
- 10th & Wolf (2006) .... Agent Horvath [attore]
- Everyone's Hero (2006) .... Babe Ruth (voice) [attore]
- "Marco Polo" (2006) (mini) .... Kublai Khan [attore]
- The Ultimate Gift (2006) .... Gus [attore]
- Welcome to Paradise (2006) .... Bobby Brown [attore]
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) .... Jasper [attore]
- The Exonerated (2005) (TV) .... Gary Gauger [attore]
- Our Fathers (2005) (TV) .... Father Dominic Spagnolia [attore]
Biografia:
Imposing, barrel chested and now silver haired prolific US actor, well respected on both screen and stage for the best part of 25 years. Dennehy was born in July 1938 in Bridgeport, Conneticut and attended Columbia University, New York City on a football scholarship where he majored in history, before moving onto to Yale to study dramatic arts. First appeared in minor screen roles in films including Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Semi-Tough (1977) and Foul Play (1978) and proved popular with casting directors leading to regular work. However, Dennehy really got himself noticed by movie audiences in the box office hit First Blood (1982) as the bigoted Sheriff determined to run Vietnam veteran John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) out of his town. Dennehy was then quickly escalated to stronger supporting or co-starring roles in films including the Cold War thriller _Gorky Park (1983)_ , as a benevolent alien in Cocoon (1985), a corrupt Sheriff in the western Silverado (1985), a tough but cluey cop in F/X (1986) and a cop turned writer alongside hitman James Woods in Best Seller (1987). Furthermore in 1987, Dennehy turned in one of his finest screen roles as the cancer ridden architect, Stourley Kracklite, in 'Peter Greenaway's superb The Belly of an Architect (1987), for which Dennehy won the Best Actor Award at the 1987 Chicago Film Festival. More strong performances quickly followed, and Dennehy reprised prior roles for Cocoon: The Return (1988) and F/X2 (1991), and then turned in three gripping performances in several telemovies. Firstly, playing a sadistic small town bully who gets his grisly comeuppance in In Broad Daylight (1991) (TV), portraying the brutal murderer John Wayne Gacy in the chilling _"To Catch a Killer" (1992) (mini)_ and thirdly as a corrupt union official in Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (1992) (TV). In 1993, Dennehy appeared in the role of police Sgt Jack Reed in the telemovie Jack Reed: Badge of Honor (1993) (TV), and reprised the role in four sequels, which saw Dennehy for the first time become involved in co-producing, directing and writing screen productions ! Demand for Dennehy showed no signs of abating, and he has put in further memorable performances in Romeo + Juliet (1996), as bad luck ridden Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (2000) (TV), (which earned Dennehy a Golden Globe Award), popped up in the uneven Spike Lee film She Hate Me (2004) and appears in the remake of Assault on Precinct 13 (2005). The multi-talented Dennehy has also had a rich theatrical career and has appeared both in the United States and internationally in dynamic stage productions including "Death of a Salesman" (for which he picked up the 1999 Best Actor Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award), "A Touch of the Poet", "Long Days Journey into Night" (for which he picked up another Tony Award in 2003) and in Eugene O'Neill's heart wrenching play, "The Iceman Cometh".
Trivia random: While performing "Death Of A Salesman" and "Long Day's Journey into Night" on Broadway, so many of his fans wanted to meet him after his performances that show producers had to hire extra security to keep the crowds in control near the stage door.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Regista: Jean-François Richet
Scrittore: John Carpenter, James DeMonaco
Genere: Action, Drama, Crime, Thriller
Valutazione: 6.4/10 (11562 voti)
Durata: 109 min
Paese: USA, France
Lingua: Serbo-Croatian, English
Cast:
- Ethan Hawke .... Roenick
- Laurence Fishburne .... Marion Bishop
- Gabriel Byrne .... Duvall
- Maria Bello .... Alex
- Drea de Matteo .... Iris Ferry
- John Leguizamo .... Beck
- Brian Dennehy .... Jasper
- Ja Rule .... Smiley (as Jeffrey 'Ja Rule' Atkins)
- Currie Graham .... Kahane
- Aisha Hinds .... Anna
Trama:
On New Year's Eve, inside a police station that's about to be closed for good, officer Jake Roenick (Hawke) must cobble together a force made up cops and criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to kill mobster Marion Bishop (Fishburne).
Trivia random: At least 7 people get shot in the head.
Citazione random: Iris Ferry: I don't bed criminals, okay?::[shouts]::Iris Ferry: I fuck bad boys.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Leguizamo, John
Data di nascita: 22 July 1964
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Justine Maurer::(5 July 2003 - present) 2 children, Yelba Osorio::(27 August 1994 - November 1996) (divorced)
Ultimi lavori:
- The 1 Second Film (2007) .... (associate producer) [produttore]
- The Babysitters (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
- "The Kill Pit" (2007) .... [attore]
- Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) .... Lorenzo Daza (attached) [attore]
- The Ministers (2007) .... [attore]
- The Take (2007) .... Felix De La Pena [attore]
- Tlatelolco: Mexico 68 (2007) .... Frankie [attore]
- A.K.A. (2006) (TV) .... Sean Edison [attore]
- The Alibi (2006) .... Hannibal [attore]
- The Groomsmen (2006) .... T.C. [attore]
Biografia:
Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and naïve young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco, gunning down reformed gangster Al Pacino in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Navy SEAL, stopping aerial terrorists in Executive Decision (1996); and drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). Arguably, not since ill-fated actor and comedian Freddie Prinze starred in the smash TV series "Chico and the Man" (1974) has a youthful Latino personality had such a powerful impact on critics and fans alike.Born July 22, 1964, in Bogotá, Colombia, Leguizamo was four when his family emigrated to the United States. He was raised in Queens, New York, attended New York University and studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg for only one day before Strasberg passed away. The extroverted Leguizamo started working the comedy club circuit in New York and first appeared in front of the cameras in an episode of "Miami Vice" (1984). His first film appearance was a small part in Mixed Blood (1985), and he had minor roles in Casualties of War (1989) and Die Hard 2 (1990) before playing a liquor store thief who shoots Harrison Ford in Regarding Henry (1991). His career really started to soar after his first-rate performance in the independent film Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991) as a nervous young teenager from the Bronx out for a night in brightly lit Manhattan with his buddies, facing the career choice of staying in a supermarket or heading off to college and finding out that the girl he loves from afar isn't quite what he thought she was.The year 1991 was also memorable for other reasons, as he hit the stage with his show Mambo Mouth (1991) (TV), in which he portrayed seven different Latino characters. The witty and incisive show was a smash hit and won the Obie and Outer Circle Critics Award, and later was filmed for HBO, where it picked up a CableACE Award. He returned to the stage two years later with another satirical production poking fun at Latino stereotypes titled Spic-O-Rama (1993) (TV). It played in Chicago and New York, and won the Drama Desk Award and four CableACE Awards.In 1995 he created and starred in the short-lived TV series "House of Buggin'" (1995), an all-Latino-cast comedy variety show featuring hilarious sketches and comedic routines. The show scored two Emmy nominations and received positive reviews from critics, but it was canceled after only one season. The gifted Leguizamo was still keeping busy in films, with key appearances in Super Mario Bros. (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Spawn (1997). In 1998 he made his Broadway debut in Freak (1998) (TV), a "demi-semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical" one-man show, which was filmed for HBO by Spike Lee.Utilizing his distinctive vocal talents, he next voiced a pesky rat in Doctor Dolittle (1998) before appearing in the dynamic Spike Lee-directed Summer of Sam (1999) as a guilt-ridden womanizer, as the Genie of The Lamp in the exciting Arabian Nights (2000) (TV) and as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge! (2001). He also voiced Sid in the animated Ice Age (2002), co-starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Collateral Damage (2002) and directed and starred in the boxing film Undefeated (2003) (TV). Afterward, Leguizamo starred in the remake of the John Carpenter hit Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) and George A. Romero's long-awaited fourth "Dead" film, Land of the Dead (2005). There can be no doubt that the remarkably talented Leguizamo has been a breakthrough performer for the Latino community in mainstream Hollywood, in much the same way that Sidney Poitier crashed through celluloid barriers for African-Americans in the early 1960s. Among his many strengths lies his ability to not take his ethnic background too seriously but also to take pride in his Latino heritage. He has opened many doors for his countrymen. A masterly and accomplished performer, movie audiences await Leguizamo's next exciting performance.
Trivia random: His parents encouraged him to maintain his Spanish, sometimes with bribes. They spoke to him in Spanish, but he usually replied in English.
Citazione random: "Because you get to be free. Not that there's a problem with being the leading man, but the leading roles are always tough. It's hard. It's a really hard thing to do right, to get right, and it's not as fun to be the leading man. Being a supporting actor you have no responsibility. You just go there to play and have a really great time. And you have a really great time. You just go home and you enjoy everybody. When I'm the lead in a movie, you don't sleep, you focus on every aspect of the movie and it's a huge responsibility. And there aren't that many great leading parts, either. There are more, better written supporting parts than there are leading parts." - On why he always seems to play supporting roles.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Distretto 13: le brigate della morte
Regista: John Carpenter
Scrittore: John Carpenter
Genere: Action, Thriller, Crime
Valutazione: 7.3/10 (6358 voti)
Durata: 91 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Austin Stoker .... Ethan Bishop
- Darwin Joston .... Napoleon Wilson
- Laurie Zimmer .... Leigh
- Martin West .... Lawson
- Tony Burton .... Wells
- Charles Cyphers .... Starker
- Nancy Kyes .... Julie (as Nancy Loomis)
- Peter Bruni .... Ice Cream Man
- John J. Fox .... Warden
- Marc Ross .... Patrolman Tramer
Trama:
A gang of murderous punks trap a man inside a nearly abandoned police station in Los Angeles, and the prisoners and policemen inside must fight for their lives. A modernized "Rio Bravo".
Trivia random: The story that Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker) tells about his father sending him to the police station when he was 6 years old with a note, is actually a true story of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock told this to François Truffaut in Truffaut's book "Hitchcock".
Citazione random: Leigh: I'm curious about one thing.::Napoleon Wilson: Just one?::Leigh: No, there are other things. But at the moment this one interests me the most.::Napoleon Wilson: What's that?::Leigh: Why didn't you climb through that vent and take off down the sewer in the other direction?::Napoleon Wilson: Well, there are two things a man should never run from, even if they cost him his life. One is a man who's helpless and can't run with you.::Leigh: What's the other?::[Napoleon stares at her]
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Byrne, Gabriel
Nome di battesimo: Byrne, Gabriel James
Data di nascita: 12 May 1950
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Ellen Barkin::(18 September 1988 - 1993) (divorced) 2 children
Ultimi lavori:
- Emotional Arithmetic (2007) .... Christopher Lewis [attore]
- In Treatment (2006) (TV) .... Paul (attached) [attore]
- Jindabyne (2006) .... Stewart Kane [attore]
- Leningrad (2006) .... Phillip Parker [attore]
- Played (2006) .... Eddie [attore]
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) .... Duvall [attore]
- Wah-Wah (2005) .... Harry Compton [attore]
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004) .... Brother Juniper [attore]
- P.S. (2004) .... Peter Harrington [attore]
- Vanity Fair (2004) .... The Marquess of Steyne [attore]
Trivia random: Autobiography titled "Pictures in My Head"
Citazione random: "I would like to break out of this "dark, brooding" image, cause I'm actually not like that at all. In Ireland, brooding is a term we use for hens. A brooding hen is supposed to lay eggs. Everytime somebody says "He's dark and brooding" I think: "He's about to lay an egg"."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Bello, Maria (I)
Nome di battesimo: Bello, Maria Elaina
Data di nascita: 18 April 1967
Altezza: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Ultimi lavori:
- Butterfly on a Wheel (2007) .... Abby Warner [attrice]
- The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) .... Jocelyn [attrice]
- Untitled Alan Ball Project (2007) .... Gail [attrice]
- Flicka (2006) .... Nell McLaughlin [attrice]
- World Trade Center (2006) .... Donna McLoughlin [attrice]
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) .... Alex [attrice]
- The Dark (2005) .... Adèle [attrice]
- A History of Violence (2005) .... Edie Stall [attrice]
- The Sisters (2005) .... Marcia Prior Glass [attrice]
- Thank You for Smoking (2005) .... Polly Bailey [attrice]
Biografia:
Maria Bello was born on 18 April, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. She went to Villanova University, majoring in political science. She had every intention of becoming a lawyer, but she took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She discovered she was very good at it, and she was soon cast in small off-Broadway plays, such as "The Killer Inside Me", "Small Town Gals With Big Problems" and "Urban Planning". She later guest-starred on episodes of "The Commish" (1991), "Nowhere Man" (1995), "Misery Loves Company" (1995) and "Due South" (1994). She got her big break when producers Kenny Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her in the spy show "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (1996) as "Mrs. Smith" (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958)). The show was canceled after eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot on "ER" (1994) as "Dr. Anna Del Amico", in which she guest-starred on the final three episodes of the third season. The show's producers were so impressed with her that they asked her back as a regular on the series.
Trivia random: Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.
Citazione random: "I don't think you understand what levels or what fears until you have a child of your own. I mean, I've never loved someone so much and I've never been so afraid in my life. And the truth is I would kill someone, whoever tried to hurt him. I would. I have no doubt about it."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Hawke, Ethan
Nome di battesimo: Hawke, Ethan Green
Data di nascita: 6 November 1970
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Uma Thurman::(1 May 1998 - 20 July 2004) (divorced) 2 children
Ultimi lavori:
- Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) .... Hank [attore]
- The Countess (2007) .... (in talks) [attore]
- Fast Food Nation (2006) .... Pete [attore]
- The Hottest State (2006) .... (novel The Hottest State) (screenplay) [scrittore]
- Tonight at Noon (2006) .... Lefty [attore]
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) .... Roenick [attore]
- Lord of War (2005) .... Jack Valentine [attore]
- One Last Thing... (2005) .... Earl Jameison (uncredited) [attore]
- Before Sunset (2004) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
- Taking Lives (2004) .... Costa [attore]
Trivia random: Proposed to wife Uma Thurman twice before she said yes.
Citazione random: "A lot of these movies, they're really enjoyable to see. Really, it's like smoking crack or something: you walk out, and you feel diminished by it. It's eye candy, just violence and sex. Definitely lots of sex, people making out or showing their tits, which is always fun, but it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I tried it - I tried doing this Angelina Jolie movie [Taking Lives, 2004], a popcorn movie, the first movie I did that's about nothing. And I didn't like it, because I do ultimately feel there's enough crap like this. It's so much more fun and harder and more challenging to try to make something that's entertaining but isn't wasting your time."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Carpenter, John (I)
Nome di battesimo: Carpenter, John Howard
Data di nascita: 16 January 1948
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Sandy King::(1990 - present), Adrienne Barbeau::(1 January 1979 - 1984) (divorced) 1 child
Ultimi lavori:
- Psychopath (2008) .... [scrittore]
- Halloween (2007) .... (consulting producer) [produttore]
- Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet (2006) (V) .... [attore]
- Meltdown (2006) (TV) .... (story) [scrittore]
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) .... (earlier film) [scrittore]
- The Fog (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
- 'Halloween': A Cut Above the Rest (2003) (TV) .... (still photographer) [misc]
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002) .... (characters) [scrittore]
- Scoring Resident Evil (2002) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
- Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog' (2002) (V) .... (archival material) [misc]
Biografia:
John Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York. His family moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where his father was the head of the music department at Western Kentucky University. He attended Western Kentucky University and then USC film school in Los Angeles, not the University of South Carolina. While there, he made The Resurrection of Broncho Billy (1970) and started work on Dark Star (1974). He was also in a band called the Coupe de Villes while he attended USC, which included future directors Tommy Lee Wallace and Nick Castle.
Trivia random: Appears in his own films under the name Rip Haight, appearing in in The Fog (1980), Starman (1984), Body Bags (1993) (TV), and Village of the Damned (1995).
Citazione random: On why he passed on Fatal Attraction (1987): "There wasn't a grain of originality in it - it was Play Misty for Me (1971) with Michael Douglas filling in for Clint Eastwood. Also, the original version, the script I read, had Glenn Close winning in the end by killing herself and thereby getting the moral upper hand. I knew the audience was never going to buy that. The audience was always gonna want to see the wife shoot the bitch. Sure enough, they shot the original script, previewed it, got booed off screen and went back and shot the ending you see today. That was a journey I couldn't be bothered to go on."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Fishburne, Laurence
Data di nascita: 30 July 1961
Altezza: 6' 0½" (1.84 m)
Coniuge: Gina Torres::(20 September 2002 - present), Hajna O. Moss::(1985 - 199?) (divorced) 2 children
Ultimi lavori:
- 4Chosen (2008) .... Ralph Menar (in negotiations) [attore]
- Dirty Harry (2007) (VG) .... Reverend Carlton Gray (voice) [attore]
- The Last Full Measure (2007) .... Harold Hunter [attore]
- The 2006 Black Movie Awards (2006) (TV) .... [attore]
- Akeelah and the Bee (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Bobby (2006) .... Edward Robinson [attore]
- The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2006) .... Tad Gruzsa [attore]
- Five Fingers (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Mission: Impossible III (2006) .... Theodore Brassel [attore]
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) .... Marion Bishop [attore]
Biografia:
Critically hailed for his forceful, militant, authoritarian roles, Laurence Fishburne, who is often confused with another tall, gap-toothed, mercurial African-American talent, Samuel L. Jackson, came out of the black theater in New York. Born in Augusta, Georgia on July 30, 1961, Laurence's mother, who taught high school math, transplanted her family to Brooklyn after his parents divorced. At the age of 10, he appeared in his first play, "In My Many Names and Days," at a cramped little theater space in Manhattan. He continued on but managed to avoid the trappings of a child star per se, considering himself more a working child actor at the time. Billing himself as Larry Fishburne during this early phase, he never studied or was trained in the technique of acting.In 1973, at the age of 12, Laurence won a recurring role on the daytime soap "One Life to Live" (1968) that lasted three seasons, and subsequently made his film debut in the ghetto-themed Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975). At 14 Francis Ford Coppola cast him in Apocalypse Now (1979), which filmed for two years in the Phillippines. Laurence didn't work for another year and a half after that long episode. A graduate of Lincoln Square Academy, Coppola was impressed enough with Laurence to hire him again down the line with featured roles in Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984) and Gardens of Stone (1987). Throughout the 1980s he continued to build up his film and TV credit list with featured roles despite little fanfare. A recurring role as Cowboy Curtis on the kiddie show "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986) helped him through whatever lean patches there were at the time.With the new decade (1990s) came out-and-out stardom for Laurence. A choice lead in John Singleton's urban tale Boyz n the Hood (1991) catapulted him immediately into the front of the film ranks. Set in L.A.'s turbulent South Central area, his potent role as a morally-minded divorced father who strives to rise above the ignorance and violence of his surroundings, Laurence showed true command and the ability to hold up any film. On stage he would become invariably linked to playwright August Wilson and his 20th Century epic African-American experience after starring for two years as the eruptive ex-con in "Two Training Running." For this powerful, mesmerizing performance, Laurence won nearly every prestigious theater award in the books (Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Theatre World). It was around the time of this career hallmark that he began billing himself as "Laurence" instead of "Larry."More awards and accolades came his way. In addition to an Emmy for the pilot episode of the series "Tribeca," he was nominated for his fine work in the quality mini-movies The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) (TV) and Miss Evers' Boys (1997) (TV). On the larger screen, both Laurence and Angela Bassett were given Oscar nominations for their raw, seething portrayals of rock stars Ike and Tina Turner in the film What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). To his credit, he managed to take an extremely repellent character and make it a sobering and captivating experience. A pulp box-office favorite as well, he originated the role of Morpheus, Keanu Reeves' mentor, in the exceedingly popular futuristic sci-fi The Matrix (1999), best known for its ground-breaking special effects. He wisely returned for its back-to-back sequels.Into the millennium Laurence extended his talents by making his screenwriting and directorial debut in Once in the Life (2000), in which he also starred. The film is based on his own critically-acclaimed play "Riff Raff," which he staged five years earlier. In 1999 he scored a major theater triumph with a multi-racial version of "The Lion in Winter" as Henry II opposite Stockard Channing's Eleanor of Acquitaine.On film, Fishburne has appeared in a variety of interesting roles in not-always-successful films. Never less than compelling, a few of his more notable parts include an urban speed chess player in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993); a military prisoner in Cadence (1990); a college professor in Singleton's Higher Learning (1995); a CIA operative in Bad Company (1995/I); the title role in Othello (1995) (he was the first black actor to play the part on film); a spaceship rescue team leader in the sci-fi horror Event Horizon (1997); a Depression-era gangster in Hoodlum (1997); a dogged police sergeant in Clint Eastwood's Mystic River (2003); and a spelling bee coach in Akeelah and the Bee (2006).Earning multiple NAACP Image awards for his contribution to the entertainment business, he has two children, Langston and Montana, from his first marriage to actress Hajna O. Moss, who appeared with him in the films Gardens of Stone (1987) and A Rage in Harlem (1991). In September, 2002 he married Cuban-American actress Gina Torres.
Trivia random: He is often mistaken for Samuel L. Jackson and vice versa. According to Jackson, they've stood right next to each other and people still call them by the wrong names.
Citazione random: [On why he didn't read the complete play of "Othello" before acting in the film version in which more than half of the dialogue was cut:] "Why should I read all those words that I'm not going to get to say?"
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
sabato 9 dicembre 2006
chainsaw massacre!
Mii, che palle il nuovo filone horror: scene buie, colori slavati, close-up, tanto putridume per condire un (bel) po' di gore, brutalità ed i soliti due schemi acustici.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning pensa bene di non fare eccezione e non offre nulla di più di quanto non si sia già visto in decine di altre (mediocri) recenti pellicole.
Siamo nel 39: una bella chiattona che lavora al nostro mattatoio preferito scodella un bastardo deforme sul posto di lavoro; come è giusto e umano che sia il fagottino viene lasciato nella spazzatura, dove viene raccolto da una giovane donna che vive in una famiglia disfunzionale nelle vicinanze.
Il ragazzone cresce e finisce col lavorare nel mattatoio, alla chiusura del quale reagisce a modo suo: iniziando ad accoppare chi gli capita a tiro. Ben presto verrà affiancato nella sua opera di igiene ambientale dagli altri membri della famigliola, in particolare dal babbo adottivo che si improvvisa sceriffo (dopo aver accoppato quello vero, chiaro!)
Come da tradizione quattro bei giovinotti restano bloccati nelle vicinanze e subito diventano oggetto delle attenzioni del nostro Leatherface che - è bene ricordarlo - cerca solo un po' di affetto.
Niente di nuovo sotto nessun aspetto: il gore come detto non manca, ma non c'è un minimo di cura nella storia e troppe poche idee decenti; difficile anche parlare di saga, per l'amico Faccia di Cuoio, in un mazzo in cui si salva solo il primo ed in (minima) parte il suo remake. Bah.
Voto: 4.
Tags: horror, leatherface, texas, chainsaw, massacre, deforme, inizio, ascia, motosega, mutilazioni, omicidi, famiglia, tortura, vietnam, polizia, prequel.
Regista: Tobe Hooper
Scrittore: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 7.3/10 (15631 voti)
Durata: 83 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
Trama:
Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.
Trivia random: The human skeleton in the house at the end of the movie was a real human skeleton. They used a real one because a human skeleton from India is far cheaper then a fake plastic skeleton.
Citazione random: Jerry: That's the last goddamn hitchhiker I ever pick up.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Regista: Marcus Nispel
Scrittore: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Genere: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.9/10 (16411 voti)
Durata: 98 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
Trama:
A group of college kids, on their way back from scoring drugs in Mexico, run into a hitchhiker who has just survived a horrific massacre from the night before. They try to help the girl, but in the process end up falling prey to her mysterious fear. It happens to be wielding a chainsaw...
Trivia random: Despite the title, only two people are seen being killed by a chainsaw.
Citazione random: Erin: I didn't go to Mexico to watch you get shit-faced for four days.::Kemper: That's what you do in Mexico!
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Regista: Jonathan Liebesman
Scrittore: Sheldon Turner, Sheldon Turner
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.6/10 (2871 voti)
Durata: 91 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
Trama:
It is 1969 - the height of the Vietnam War. Two young men are spending a last weekend with their girlfriends before being shipped overseas to the war. At the same time, the only major business - a meat-packing plant - goes out of business. One of the men who works in the plant is Thomas Hewitt - a deformed, demented psychopath who will become known as Leatherface - and when he finds out what is happening he savagely murders the foreman of the plant. The two young men and their girlfriends are headed down a lonely highway when they are involved in an accident that cripples their vehicle. Soon they encounter the sheriff - who is not really the sheriff but the psychopathic uncle of Leatherface - and he kidnaps 3 of them to take them to his home for the developing monster Leatherface to "refine" his murderous abilities. The one girl who escaped unnoticed attempts to rescue them with the help of a biker whose girlfriend was killed by the sheriff, and what follows is a night of sheer terror at the hands of a family of cannibalistic, inbred psychopaths....
Trivia random: New Line had to pay $3 million more than it expected to in order to keep the franchise in the studio fold after Dimension Films made a pricey deal with original rights holders Tobe Hooper, Kim Henkel and Robert Kuhn.
Citazione random: Chrissie: What about my friends?::Holden: Fuck your friends!::Chrissie: You Asshole!
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning pensa bene di non fare eccezione e non offre nulla di più di quanto non si sia già visto in decine di altre (mediocri) recenti pellicole.
Siamo nel 39: una bella chiattona che lavora al nostro mattatoio preferito scodella un bastardo deforme sul posto di lavoro; come è giusto e umano che sia il fagottino viene lasciato nella spazzatura, dove viene raccolto da una giovane donna che vive in una famiglia disfunzionale nelle vicinanze.
Il ragazzone cresce e finisce col lavorare nel mattatoio, alla chiusura del quale reagisce a modo suo: iniziando ad accoppare chi gli capita a tiro. Ben presto verrà affiancato nella sua opera di igiene ambientale dagli altri membri della famigliola, in particolare dal babbo adottivo che si improvvisa sceriffo (dopo aver accoppato quello vero, chiaro!)
Come da tradizione quattro bei giovinotti restano bloccati nelle vicinanze e subito diventano oggetto delle attenzioni del nostro Leatherface che - è bene ricordarlo - cerca solo un po' di affetto.
Niente di nuovo sotto nessun aspetto: il gore come detto non manca, ma non c'è un minimo di cura nella storia e troppe poche idee decenti; difficile anche parlare di saga, per l'amico Faccia di Cuoio, in un mazzo in cui si salva solo il primo ed in (minima) parte il suo remake. Bah.
Voto: 4.
Tags: horror, leatherface, texas, chainsaw, massacre, deforme, inizio, ascia, motosega, mutilazioni, omicidi, famiglia, tortura, vietnam, polizia, prequel.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The (1974)
Non aprite quella porta
Regista: Tobe Hooper
Scrittore: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 7.3/10 (15631 voti)
Durata: 83 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Marilyn Burns .... Sally Hardesty
- Allen Danziger .... Jerry
- Paul A. Partain .... Franklin Hardesty
- William Vail .... Kirk
- Teri McMinn .... Pam
- Edwin Neal .... The Hitchhiker
- Jim Siedow .... Old Man
- Gunnar Hansen .... Leatherface
- John Dugan .... Grandpa
- Robert Courtin .... Window Washer
Trama:
Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.
Trivia random: The human skeleton in the house at the end of the movie was a real human skeleton. They used a real one because a human skeleton from India is far cheaper then a fake plastic skeleton.
Citazione random: Jerry: That's the last goddamn hitchhiker I ever pick up.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The (2003)
Non aprite quella porta
Regista: Marcus Nispel
Scrittore: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Genere: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.9/10 (16411 voti)
Durata: 98 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Jessica Biel .... Erin
- Jonathan Tucker .... Morgan
- Erica Leerhsen .... Pepper
- Mike Vogel .... Andy
- Eric Balfour .... Kemper
- Andrew Bryniarski .... Thomas Hewitt (Leatherface)
- R. Lee Ermey .... Sheriff Hoyt
- David Dorfman .... Jedidiah
- Lauren German .... Teenage Girl
- Terrence Evans .... Old Monty
Trama:
A group of college kids, on their way back from scoring drugs in Mexico, run into a hitchhiker who has just survived a horrific massacre from the night before. They try to help the girl, but in the process end up falling prey to her mysterious fear. It happens to be wielding a chainsaw...
Trivia random: Despite the title, only two people are seen being killed by a chainsaw.
Citazione random: Erin: I didn't go to Mexico to watch you get shit-faced for four days.::Kemper: That's what you do in Mexico!
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The (2006)
Non aprite quella porta - L'inizio
Regista: Jonathan Liebesman
Scrittore: Sheldon Turner, Sheldon Turner
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.6/10 (2871 voti)
Durata: 91 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Jordana Brewster .... Chrissie
- Taylor Handley .... Dean
- Diora Baird .... Bailey
- Matthew Bomer .... Eric (as Matt Bomer)
- Lee Tergesen .... Holden
- R. Lee Ermey .... Sheriff Hoyt
- Andrew Bryniarski .... Thomas Hewitt/Leatherface
- Terrence Evans .... Monty
- Kathy Lamkin .... Tea Lady
- Marietta Marich .... Luda Mae
Trama:
It is 1969 - the height of the Vietnam War. Two young men are spending a last weekend with their girlfriends before being shipped overseas to the war. At the same time, the only major business - a meat-packing plant - goes out of business. One of the men who works in the plant is Thomas Hewitt - a deformed, demented psychopath who will become known as Leatherface - and when he finds out what is happening he savagely murders the foreman of the plant. The two young men and their girlfriends are headed down a lonely highway when they are involved in an accident that cripples their vehicle. Soon they encounter the sheriff - who is not really the sheriff but the psychopathic uncle of Leatherface - and he kidnaps 3 of them to take them to his home for the developing monster Leatherface to "refine" his murderous abilities. The one girl who escaped unnoticed attempts to rescue them with the help of a biker whose girlfriend was killed by the sheriff, and what follows is a night of sheer terror at the hands of a family of cannibalistic, inbred psychopaths....
Trivia random: New Line had to pay $3 million more than it expected to in order to keep the franchise in the studio fold after Dimension Films made a pricey deal with original rights holders Tobe Hooper, Kim Henkel and Robert Kuhn.
Citazione random: Chrissie: What about my friends?::Holden: Fuck your friends!::Chrissie: You Asshole!
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
giovedì 7 dicembre 2006
Apollo 13
In quanto appassionato di astronautica non potevo esimermi dal comprare l'edizione speciale del DVD di Apollo 13, eccellente ricostruzione di quella che avrebbe dovuto essere la terza missione lunare americana e che invece, come tutti sanno, rischiò di trasformarsi in una tragedia.
L'esplosione di un serbatoio di ossigeno nel modulo di comando danneggiò seriamente l'intera capsula, lasciandola ben presto a corto di energia; da quel momento un immenso sforzo venne compiuto da migliaia di persone al fine di far rientrare i tre membri dell'equipaggio che, a bordo del modulo lunare ora divenuto "scialuppa di salvataggio", si trovavano ancora a 200 mila miglia dalla superficie terrestre, diretti verso il nostro satellite.
Con un'ottima regia (Ron Howard è sempre una garanzia) ed un cast eccellente, il film si prende qualche licenza artistica per aggiungere sottotrame, per semplificare la storia e per sviluppare alcuni elementi umani della vicenda; per il resto però si tratta di una ricostruzione meticolosa degli avvenimenti e delle persone coinvolte, sotto la supervisione dei protagonisti dell'epoca.
Pur avendo un finale noto, la tensione resta sempre alta; ottimi anche gli effetti speciali: tutto viene ricostruito in studio, ma mantenendo lo spirito delle riprese del tempo.
Gli extra del dvd, pur abbastanza ben fatti, non sono niente di eccezionale: buono il "making of", un po' banalotto (benché corretto nel contenuto) la cronistoria dell'esplorazione spaziale ad opera della NASA.
Voto: 9.
Tags: Apollo 13, programma apollo, luna, terra, avventura, esplorazione spaziale, drammatico, storico, esplosione, spazio, navicella spaziale, modulo lunare, modulo di comando, astronautica, NASA, saturn V, programma spaziale, astronauti, salvataggio.
Regista: Ron Howard
Scrittore: Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger
Genere: Adventure, Drama, History
Valutazione: 7.5/10 (51673 voti)
Durata: 140 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
Trama:
Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It's 1970, and America have already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there's little interest in this "routine" flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.
Trivia random: All the screens in the fictional Houston control room were monitored by a software center that was built just below the set. According to director 'Ron Howard' , almost three days of production were lost while trying to fix the software, which wouldn't work properly.
Citazione random: Jack Swigert: So long, Earth. Catch you on the flip side.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Howard, Ronald William
Data di nascita: 1 March 1954
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Cheryl Howard::(7 June 1975 - present) 4 children
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Ron was born in Oklahoma, into an acting family - his father had realized a boyhood dream of acting by attending the University of Oklahoma and majoring in drama, and his mother went through acting school in New York. He was in his first movie at 18 months, Frontier Woman (1956), although his first real part was at the age of 4. Soon a regular on "Playhouse 90" (1956) he was cast as Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960), and later moved from a child in Mayberry to America's teenager as Richie Cunningham in "Happy Days" (1974). The life of a child star is certainly not routine, but Ron's parents wanted his life to be as normal as possible - he attended public schools and at age 15 even took nine months off to play a basketball season. The transition from child actor to adult actor is always difficult, but for Ron the real transition was from child actor to adult director. There were some film roles, such as The Shootist (1976) for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, but his dream and now his focus was directing. He had begun shooting films at age 15 with a Super-8 camera, and after high school spent two years in a film program at the University of Southern California, but then left, feeling he could learn more from actual experience. That first film was the hardest to finance, but he struck a deal with Roger Corman - he would star in _Eat My Dust! (1976)_ and Corman would produce Grand Theft Auto (1977) which Howard would direct (he also wrote the script and starred). It was a success, and his directorial career was jump-started. Married since 1975 to his high school sweetheart, he, in 1997, is enjoying a life of telling stories as one of Hollywood's top directors.
Trivia random: Daughters: Bryce Dallas Howard (b. 1981), Jocelyn Carlyle (twin, b. 1985), Paige Carlyle (twin, b. 1985). Son: Reed Cross (b. 1987).
Citazione random: "There is something inherently tough about Americans. They will not accept defeat. The astronauts of Apollo 13 (1995) would not give up, John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001) would not give up, and Jim Braddock would not surrender to poverty".
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
L'esplosione di un serbatoio di ossigeno nel modulo di comando danneggiò seriamente l'intera capsula, lasciandola ben presto a corto di energia; da quel momento un immenso sforzo venne compiuto da migliaia di persone al fine di far rientrare i tre membri dell'equipaggio che, a bordo del modulo lunare ora divenuto "scialuppa di salvataggio", si trovavano ancora a 200 mila miglia dalla superficie terrestre, diretti verso il nostro satellite.
Con un'ottima regia (Ron Howard è sempre una garanzia) ed un cast eccellente, il film si prende qualche licenza artistica per aggiungere sottotrame, per semplificare la storia e per sviluppare alcuni elementi umani della vicenda; per il resto però si tratta di una ricostruzione meticolosa degli avvenimenti e delle persone coinvolte, sotto la supervisione dei protagonisti dell'epoca.
Pur avendo un finale noto, la tensione resta sempre alta; ottimi anche gli effetti speciali: tutto viene ricostruito in studio, ma mantenendo lo spirito delle riprese del tempo.
Gli extra del dvd, pur abbastanza ben fatti, non sono niente di eccezionale: buono il "making of", un po' banalotto (benché corretto nel contenuto) la cronistoria dell'esplorazione spaziale ad opera della NASA.
Voto: 9.
Tags: Apollo 13, programma apollo, luna, terra, avventura, esplorazione spaziale, drammatico, storico, esplosione, spazio, navicella spaziale, modulo lunare, modulo di comando, astronautica, NASA, saturn V, programma spaziale, astronauti, salvataggio.
Apollo 13 (1995)
Regista: Ron Howard
Scrittore: Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger
Genere: Adventure, Drama, History
Valutazione: 7.5/10 (51673 voti)
Durata: 140 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Tom Hanks .... Jim Lovell
- Bill Paxton .... Fred Haise
- Kevin Bacon .... Jack Swigert
- Gary Sinise .... Ken Mattingly
- Ed Harris .... Gene Kranz
- Kathleen Quinlan .... Marilyn Lovell
- Mary Kate Schellhardt .... Barbara Lovell
- Emily Ann Lloyd .... Susan Lovell
- Miko Hughes .... Jeffrey Lovell
- Max Elliott Slade .... Jay Lovell
Trama:
Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It's 1970, and America have already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there's little interest in this "routine" flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.
Trivia random: All the screens in the fictional Houston control room were monitored by a software center that was built just below the set. According to director 'Ron Howard' , almost three days of production were lost while trying to fix the software, which wouldn't work properly.
Citazione random: Jack Swigert: So long, Earth. Catch you on the flip side.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Howard, Ron (I)
Nome di battesimo: Howard, Ronald William
Data di nascita: 1 March 1954
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Cheryl Howard::(7 June 1975 - present) 4 children
Ultimi lavori:
- Angels & Demons (2008) .... [regista]
- East of Eden (2007) .... [regista]
- Curious George (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
- The Da Vinci Code (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Cinderella Man (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Inside Deep Throat (2005) .... (producer) (uncredited) [produttore]
- "The Inside" (2005) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
- The Alamo (2004) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004) (TV) .... (special thanks) [misc]
- Making a 'Splash' (2004) (V) .... (thanks) [misc]
Biografia:
Ron was born in Oklahoma, into an acting family - his father had realized a boyhood dream of acting by attending the University of Oklahoma and majoring in drama, and his mother went through acting school in New York. He was in his first movie at 18 months, Frontier Woman (1956), although his first real part was at the age of 4. Soon a regular on "Playhouse 90" (1956) he was cast as Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960), and later moved from a child in Mayberry to America's teenager as Richie Cunningham in "Happy Days" (1974). The life of a child star is certainly not routine, but Ron's parents wanted his life to be as normal as possible - he attended public schools and at age 15 even took nine months off to play a basketball season. The transition from child actor to adult actor is always difficult, but for Ron the real transition was from child actor to adult director. There were some film roles, such as The Shootist (1976) for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, but his dream and now his focus was directing. He had begun shooting films at age 15 with a Super-8 camera, and after high school spent two years in a film program at the University of Southern California, but then left, feeling he could learn more from actual experience. That first film was the hardest to finance, but he struck a deal with Roger Corman - he would star in _Eat My Dust! (1976)_ and Corman would produce Grand Theft Auto (1977) which Howard would direct (he also wrote the script and starred). It was a success, and his directorial career was jump-started. Married since 1975 to his high school sweetheart, he, in 1997, is enjoying a life of telling stories as one of Hollywood's top directors.
Trivia random: Daughters: Bryce Dallas Howard (b. 1981), Jocelyn Carlyle (twin, b. 1985), Paige Carlyle (twin, b. 1985). Son: Reed Cross (b. 1987).
Citazione random: "There is something inherently tough about Americans. They will not accept defeat. The astronauts of Apollo 13 (1995) would not give up, John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001) would not give up, and Jim Braddock would not surrender to poverty".
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
martedì 5 dicembre 2006
sin city
Da uno dei più grandi autori di fumetti di sempre e da una idea geniale di due dei più brillanti registi contemporanei, aspettarsi un film perfetto era obbligatorio e - per fortuna - il risultato non delude. 
Partendo dall'eccezionale materiale di Frank Miller (straconsigliato a chiunque), Robert Rodriguez e Quentin Tarantino portano sul grande schermo non solo la trama e l'atmosfera ma persino la tecnica di Miller, realizzando qualcosa di semplicemente spettacolare. Chroma-key a manetta per riprodurre alla lettera stile e inquadrature di uno dei fumetti più hard-boiled di tutti i tempi, un cast fenomenale e perfetto nei rispettivi ruoli e - soprattuto - tanto tanto amore per il fumetto e per il cinema.
Rivisto in lingua originale merita ancora di più.
Non resta che da portare sullo schermo i rimanenti albi.
Voto: 10.
Tags: hard-boiled, azione, noir, drammatico, thriller, omicidi, violenza, prostituzione, polizia, serial-killer, sedia elettrica, cardinale, arti marziali, senatore, spogliarellista, fumetto.
Nome di battesimo: Rodriguez, Robert Anthony
Data di nascita: 20 June 1968
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Elizabeth Avellan::(1990 - present) (separated) 5 children
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Of all the people to be amazed by the images of of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none were as captivated as the 12-year-old Tejano boy who sat with his friends in a rowded cinema. Many people watch films and arrogantly proclaim "I can do that." This young man said something different: "I WILL do that. I'm gonna make movies." The young man in question is Robert Rodriguez and this day was the catalyst of his dream career.Born and raised in Texas, Robert was the middle child of a family that would include 10 children. While many-a-child would easily succumb to a Jan Brady-sense of being lost in the shuffle, Robert always stood out as a very creative and very active young man. An artist by nature, he was very rarely seen sans pencil-in-hand doodling some abstract (yet astounding) dramatic feature on a piece of paper. His mother, not a fan of the "dreary" cinema of the 1970s, instills a sense of cinema in her children by taking them on weekly trips to San Antonio's famed Olmos Theatre movie house and treats them to a healthy dose of Hollywood's "Golden Age" wonders, from Sergio Leone to the silent classic of Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton.In a short amount of time, young Robert finds the family's old Super-8 film camera and makes his first films. The genres are unlimited: action, sci-fi, horror, drama, stop-motion animation. He uses props from around the house, settings from around town, and makes use of the largest cast and crew at his disposal: his family. At the end of the decade, his father, a salesman, brings home the latest home-made technological wonder: a VCR, and with it (as a gift from the manufacturer) a video camera.With this new equipment at his disposal, he makes movies his entire life. He screens the movies for friends, all of whom desperately want to star in the next one. He gains a reputation in the neighbourhood as "the kid who makes movies". Rather than handing in term papers, he is allowed to hand in "term movies" because, as he himself explains, "[the teachers] knew I'd put more effort into a movie than I ever would into an essay." He starts his own comic strip, "Los Hooligans". His movies win every local film competition and festival. When low academic grades threaten to keep him out of UT Austin's renowned film department, he proves his worth the only way he knows how: he makes a movie. Three, in fact: trilogy of short movies called "Austin Stories" starring his siblings. It beats the entries of the school's top students and allows Robert to enter the programme. After being accepted into the film department, Robert takes $400 of his own money to make his "biggest" film yet: a 16mm short comedy/fantasy called Bedhead (1991). Pouring every idea and camera trick he knew into the short, it went on to win multiple awards.After meeting and marrying fellow Austin resident Elizabeth Avellan, Robert comes up with a crazy idea: he will sell his body to science in order to finance his first feature-length picture (a Mexican action adventure about a guitarist with no name looking for work but getting caught up in a shoot-'em-up adventure) that he will sell to the Spanish video market and use as an entry point to a lucrative Hollywood career. With his quot;guinea pig" money he raises a mere $7,000 and creates Mariachi, El (1992). But rather than lingering in obscurity, the film finds its way to the Sundance film festival where it becomes an instant favourite, wins Robert a distribution deal with Columbia pictures and turns him into an icon among would-be film-makers the world over.Not one to rest on his laurels, he immediately helms the straight-to-cable movie _Roadracers (1994)_ (TV) and contributes a segment to the anthology comedy Four Rooms (1995) (his will be the most lauded segment). His first "genuine" studio ef
fort would soon have people referring to him as "John Woo from south-of-the-border". It is the "Mariachi" remake/sequel Desperado (1995). More lavish and action-packed than its own predecessor, the movie--while not a blockbuster hit--does decent business and single-handedly launches the American film careers of Antonio Banderas as the guitarist-turned-gunslinger and Salma Hayek as his love interest (the two would star in several of his movies from then on). It also furthers the director's reputation of working on low budgets to create big results. In the year when movies like Batman Forever (1995) and GoldenEye (1995) were pushing budgets past the $100 million mark, Rodriguez brought in quot;Desperado" for just under $7 million.The film also featured a cameo by fellow indie film wunderkind, Quentin Tarantino. It would be the beginning of a long friendship between the two sprinkled with numerous collaborations. Most notable the Tarantino-penned vampire schlock-fest From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). The kitschy flick (about a pair of criminal brothers on the run from the Texas Rangers, only to find themselves in a vamp-infested Mexican bar) became an instant cult favourite and launched the lucrative film career of "ER" (1994) star George Clooney.After a two-year break from directing (primarily to spend with his family, but also developing story ideas and declining Hollywood offers) he returned to "Dusk till Dawn" territory with the teen/sci-fi/horror movie The Faculty (1998), written by _Scream (1996)_ writer, Kevin Williamson. Although it's developed a small following of its own, it would prove to be Robert's least-successful film. Critics and fans alike took issue with the pedestrian script, the off-kilter casting and the flick's blatant over-commercialization (due to a marketing deal with clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger).After another three-year break, Rodriguez returned to make his most successful (and most unexpected) movie yet, based on his own segment from Four Rooms (1995). After a string of bloody, adult-oriented action fare, no one anticipated him to write and direct the colourful and creative Spy Kids (2001), a movie about a pair of prepubescent Latino sibs who discover that their lame parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are actually two of the world's greatest secret agents. The film was hit among both audiences and critics alike.After quitting the Writers' Guild of America and being introduced to digital filmmaking by George Lucas, Robert immediately applied the creative, flexible (and cost-effective) technology to every one of his movies from then on, starting with an immediate sequel to his family friendly hit: Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) which was THEN immediately followed by the trilogy-capper Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003). The latter would prove to be the most financially-lucrative of the series and employ the long-banished movie gimmick of 3-D with eye-popping results.Later the same year Rodriguez career came full circle when he completed the final entry of the story that made brought him to prominence: "El Mariachi". The last chapter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), would be his most direct homage to the Sergio Leone westerns he grew up on. With a cast boasting Antonio Banderas (returning as the gunslinging guitarist), Johnny Depp (as a corrupt CIA agent attempting to manipulate him), Salma Hayek, Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe and Eva Mendes, the film delivered even more of the Mexican shoot-'em-up spectacle than both of the previous films combined.Now given his choice of movies to do next, Robert sought out famed comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, a man who had been very vocal of never letting his works be adapted for the screen. Even so, he was wholeheartedly convinced and elated when Rodriguez presented him with a plan to turn Miller's signature work into the film Sin City (2005). A col
lection of noir-ish tales set in a fictional, crime-ridden slum, the movie boasts the largest cast Rodriguez has worked with to date. Saying he didn't want to mere "adapt" Miller's comics but "translate" them, Rodriguez' insistence that Miller co-direct the movie lead to Robert's resignation from the Director's Guild of America (and his subsequent dismissal from the film John Carter of Mars (2006) as a result). Nevertheless, he has looked back on his decision with no regrets.Playing by his own rules or not at all, Robert Rodriguez has redefined what is and is not for a film-maker to do. Shunning Hollywood's ridiculously-high budgets, multi-picture deals and the two most powerful unions for the sake of maintaining creative freedom are decisions that would (and have) cost many directors their careers. Robert Rodriguez has turned these into his strengths, creating some of the most imaginative works the big-screen has ever seen. Where will his career lead him
next ? It's hard to say. He's too busy making movies to think about a time when he can't make them anymore.
Trivia random: His adult-oriented movies always feature a fictional brand of beer called "Cerveza Chango". Chango is the Orisha (a deity as in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria - an amalgam of African tradition and Catholocism) of fire, lightning and dance. Chango is renowned for the way he avenges crimes against the innocent, a recurring theme in Rodriguez-movies in which the fictional beer appears.
Citazione random: "I didn't want Frank [Miller, creator of the comic "Sin City" and co-writer on the film] to be treated just as a writer because he is the only one who has actually been to 'Sin City'. I am making such a literal interpretation of his book that I'd have felt weird taking directing credit without him. It was easier for me to quietly resign because otherwise I'd have been force to make compromises I was unwilling to make, or set a precedent that might hurt the guild later on." -- March, 2004 in response to why he left the Directors' Guild of America just before the filming of Sin City (2005)
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Nome di battesimo: Tarantino, Quentin Jerome
Data di nascita: 27 March 1963
Altezza: 6' 2½" (1.89 m)
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
In January of 1991 a film titled Reservoir Dogs (1992) hit the Sundance Film festival. The writer-director was a first-timer by the name of Quentin Tarantino. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend in the England, UK and the cult film circuit. Three years later he followed up 'Dogs' with the film Pulp Fiction (1994). 'Pulp' premiered at the Cannes film festival, where it won the coveted 'Palme D'Or' the virtual equal of the Best Picture at the Academy Awards. At the '93 Academy Awards, 'Pulp' was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, in addition Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, among others. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary came away with the award only for Best Original Screenplay. (Where Roger uttered his now famous line, "I've gotta go pee".) In 1995, Tarantino directed one fourth of the Anthology Four Rooms (1995) with friends and fellow auteurs Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Allison Anders. That film was released on December 25th in the United States to very weak reviews. This is mainly due to the heavy cutting of the first two segments and the introduction which make much of the plotline unintelligible, and creates a complete mess out of the second segment, directed by Alexandre Rockwell. The best two segments of the film are Robert Rodriguez's and Tarantino's. Tarantino's next film was From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), a crime/vampire film which he wrote and co-starred with George Clooney. The film did fairly well theatrically.
Trivia random: Often references numerous attributes of the works of Jean-Luc Godard, particularly in Pulp Fiction (1994). The disjointed structure of Pulp Fiction (1994) may itself be an homage to Godard's use of jump cuts in À bout de souffle (1960) (Breathless), the film that launched the French New Wave of cinema.
Citazione random: "If you want to make a movie, make it. Don't wait for a grant, don't wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it." - Giving advice to young aspiring filmmakers at the 1994 Independent Spirit Awards
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Data di nascita: 27 January 1957
Altezza: 6' 1½" (1.87 m)
Coniuge: Lynn Varley::(? - ?)
Ultimi lavori:
Biografia:
Frank Miller was a big comics writer/artist in the 70s and 80s. He wrote and penciled the Marvel series "Daredevil" for a long time. Friend Klaus Janson inked. He also wrote two spinoffs about the character Electra and did a miniseries about the "X-Men" character Wolverine. His hit miniseries "Ronin" was published by DC in the mid-eighties. His greatest success came with DC's character Batman. In 1980, he wrote the acclaimed "Batman" story "Wanted - Santa Claus - Dead or Alive!" for DC Comics. In 1986, his most notable comic-book work, the groundbreaking "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," an alternate history story about Batman in a grim future, was published by DC. Miller wrote and penciled, In 1988, he wrote
the acclaimed "Batman: Year One," about Batman's first year on the job, for DC. In 1996, he wrote "Spawn versus Batman," a one-shot issue published by DC and Image Comics. Miller also co-created the Robocop character. He wrote the major motion pictures _Robocop 2 (1990)_ and RoboCop 3 (1993) and did the "Robocop" comic series for a little while.
Trivia random: In mid-2003, a comic book company called Avatar is publishing a comic book series adapting his original screenplay for _Robocop 2 (1990)_ , which allegedly had enough subplots and material for several movies.
Citazione random: "I realized that I was about to turn 30, and Batman was permanently 29. And I was going to be damned if I was older than Batman."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Partendo dall'eccezionale materiale di Frank Miller (straconsigliato a chiunque), Robert Rodriguez e Quentin Tarantino portano sul grande schermo non solo la trama e l'atmosfera ma persino la tecnica di Miller, realizzando qualcosa di semplicemente spettacolare. Chroma-key a manetta per riprodurre alla lettera stile e inquadrature di uno dei fumetti più hard-boiled di tutti i tempi, un cast fenomenale e perfetto nei rispettivi ruoli e - soprattuto - tanto tanto amore per il fumetto e per il cinema.
Rivisto in lingua originale merita ancora di più.
Non resta che da portare sullo schermo i rimanenti albi.
Voto: 10.
Tags: hard-boiled, azione, noir, drammatico, thriller, omicidi, violenza, prostituzione, polizia, serial-killer, sedia elettrica, cardinale, arti marziali, senatore, spogliarellista, fumetto.
Rodriguez, Robert (I)
Nome di battesimo: Rodriguez, Robert Anthony
Data di nascita: 20 June 1968
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Elizabeth Avellan::(1990 - present) (separated) 5 children
Ultimi lavori:
- Sin City 3 (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Grindhouse (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Sin City 2 (2
007) .... (producer) [produttore] - Ten Dead Men (2007) .... (inspiration and love to the works of) [misc]
- In the Headlights (2006) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
- The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005) .... (written by) [scrittore]
- Broken (2005/I) .... (special thanks) [misc]
- Curandero (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
- Nice Guys (2005) .... Mr. Lewis [attore]
- Sin City (2005) .... [regista]
Biografia:
Of all the people to be amazed by the images of of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none were as captivated as the 12-year-old Tejano boy who sat with his friends in a rowded cinema. Many people watch films and arrogantly proclaim "I can do that." This young man said something different: "I WILL do that. I'm gonna make movies." The young man in question is Robert Rodriguez and this day was the catalyst of his dream career.Born and raised in Texas, Robert was the middle child of a family that would include 10 children. While many-a-child would easily succumb to a Jan Brady-sense of being lost in the shuffle, Robert always stood out as a very creative and very active young man. An artist by nature, he was very rarely seen sans pencil-in-hand doodling some abstract (yet astounding) dramatic feature on a piece of paper. His mother, not a fan of the "dreary" cinema of the 1970s, instills a sense of cinema in her children by taking them on weekly trips to San Antonio's famed Olmos Theatre movie house and treats them to a healthy dose of Hollywood's "Golden Age" wonders, from Sergio Leone to the silent classic of Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton.In a short amount of time, young Robert finds the family's old Super-8 film camera and makes his first films. The genres are unlimited: action, sci-fi, horror, drama, stop-motion animation. He uses props from around the house, settings from around town, and makes use of the largest cast and crew at his disposal: his family. At the end of the decade, his father, a salesman, brings home the latest home-made technological wonder: a VCR, and with it (as a gift from the manufacturer) a video camera.With this new equipment at his disposal, he makes movies his entire life. He screens the movies for friends, all of whom desperately want to star in the next one. He gains a reputation in the neighbourhood as "the kid who makes movies". Rather than handing in term papers, he is allowed to hand in "term movies" because, as he himself explains, "[the teachers] knew I'd put more effort into a movie than I ever would into an essay." He starts his own comic strip, "Los Hooligans". His movies win every local film competition and festival. When low academic grades threaten to keep him out of UT Austin's renowned film department, he proves his worth the only way he knows how: he makes a movie. Three, in fact: trilogy of short movies called "Austin Stories" starring his siblings. It beats the entries of the school's top students and allows Robert to enter the programme. After being accepted into the film department, Robert takes $400 of his own money to make his "biggest" film yet: a 16mm short comedy/fantasy called Bedhead (1991). Pouring every idea and camera trick he knew into the short, it went on to win multiple awards.After meeting and marrying fellow Austin resident Elizabeth Avellan, Robert comes up with a crazy idea: he will sell his body to science in order to finance his first feature-length picture (a Mexican action adventure about a guitarist with no name looking for work but getting caught up in a shoot-'em-up adventure) that he will sell to the Spanish video market and use as an entry point to a lucrative Hollywood career. With his quot;guinea pig" money he raises a mere $7,000 and creates Mariachi, El (1992). But rather than lingering in obscurity, the film finds its way to the Sundance film festival where it becomes an instant favourite, wins Robert a distribution deal with Columbia pictures and turns him into an icon among would-be film-makers the world over.Not one to rest on his laurels, he immediately helms the straight-to-cable movie _Roadracers (1994)_ (TV) and contributes a segment to the anthology comedy Four Rooms (1995) (his will be the most lauded segment). His first "genuine" studio ef
fort would soon have people referring to him as "John Woo from south-of-the-border". It is the "Mariachi" remake/sequel Desperado (1995). More lavish and action-packed than its own predecessor, the movie--while not a blockbuster hit--does decent business and single-handedly launches the American film careers of Antonio Banderas as the guitarist-turned-gunslinger and Salma Hayek as his love interest (the two would star in several of his movies from then on). It also furthers the director's reputation of working on low budgets to create big results. In the year when movies like Batman Forever (1995) and GoldenEye (1995) were pushing budgets past the $100 million mark, Rodriguez brought in quot;Desperado" for just under $7 million.The film also featured a cameo by fellow indie film wunderkind, Quentin Tarantino. It would be the beginning of a long friendship between the two sprinkled with numerous collaborations. Most notable the Tarantino-penned vampire schlock-fest From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). The kitschy flick (about a pair of criminal brothers on the run from the Texas Rangers, only to find themselves in a vamp-infested Mexican bar) became an instant cult favourite and launched the lucrative film career of "ER" (1994) star George Clooney.After a two-year break from directing (primarily to spend with his family, but also developing story ideas and declining Hollywood offers) he returned to "Dusk till Dawn" territory with the teen/sci-fi/horror movie The Faculty (1998), written by _Scream (1996)_ writer, Kevin Williamson. Although it's developed a small following of its own, it would prove to be Robert's least-successful film. Critics and fans alike took issue with the pedestrian script, the off-kilter casting and the flick's blatant over-commercialization (due to a marketing deal with clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger).After another three-year break, Rodriguez returned to make his most successful (and most unexpected) movie yet, based on his own segment from Four Rooms (1995). After a string of bloody, adult-oriented action fare, no one anticipated him to write and direct the colourful and creative Spy Kids (2001), a movie about a pair of prepubescent Latino sibs who discover that their lame parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are actually two of the world's greatest secret agents. The film was hit among both audiences and critics alike.After quitting the Writers' Guild of America and being introduced to digital filmmaking by George Lucas, Robert immediately applied the creative, flexible (and cost-effective) technology to every one of his movies from then on, starting with an immediate sequel to his family friendly hit: Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) which was THEN immediately followed by the trilogy-capper Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003). The latter would prove to be the most financially-lucrative of the series and employ the long-banished movie gimmick of 3-D with eye-popping results.Later the same year Rodriguez career came full circle when he completed the final entry of the story that made brought him to prominence: "El Mariachi". The last chapter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), would be his most direct homage to the Sergio Leone westerns he grew up on. With a cast boasting Antonio Banderas (returning as the gunslinging guitarist), Johnny Depp (as a corrupt CIA agent attempting to manipulate him), Salma Hayek, Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe and Eva Mendes, the film delivered even more of the Mexican shoot-'em-up spectacle than both of the previous films combined.Now given his choice of movies to do next, Robert sought out famed comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, a man who had been very vocal of never letting his works be adapted for the screen. Even so, he was wholeheartedly convinced and elated when Rodriguez presented him with a plan to turn Miller's signature work into the film Sin City (2005). A col
lection of noir-ish tales set in a fictional, crime-ridden slum, the movie boasts the largest cast Rodriguez has worked with to date. Saying he didn't want to mere "adapt" Miller's comics but "translate" them, Rodriguez' insistence that Miller co-direct the movie lead to Robert's resignation from the Director's Guild of America (and his subsequent dismissal from the film John Carter of Mars (2006) as a result). Nevertheless, he has looked back on his decision with no regrets.Playing by his own rules or not at all, Robert Rodriguez has redefined what is and is not for a film-maker to do. Shunning Hollywood's ridiculously-high budgets, multi-picture deals and the two most powerful unions for the sake of maintaining creative freedom are decisions that would (and have) cost many directors their careers. Robert Rodriguez has turned these into his strengths, creating some of the most imaginative works the big-screen has ever seen. Where will his career lead him
next ? It's hard to say. He's too busy making movies to think about a time when he can't make them anymore.
Trivia random: His adult-oriented movies always feature a fictional brand of beer called "Cerveza Chango". Chango is the Orisha (a deity as in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria - an amalgam of African tradition and Catholocism) of fire, lightning and dance. Chango is renowned for the way he avenges crimes against the innocent, a recurring theme in Rodriguez-movies in which the fictional beer appears.
Citazione random: "I didn't want Frank [Miller, creator of the comic "Sin City" and co-writer on the film] to be treated just as a writer because he is the only one who has actually been to 'Sin City'. I am making such a literal interpretation of his book that I'd have felt weird taking directing credit without him. It was easier for me to quietly resign because otherwise I'd have been force to make compromises I was unwilling to make, or set a precedent that might hurt the guild later on." -- March, 2004 in response to why he left the Directors' Guild of America just before the filming of Sin City (2005)
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Tarantino, Quentin
Nome di battesimo: Tarantino, Quentin Jerome
Data di nascita: 27 March 1963
Altezza: 6' 2½" (1.89 m)
Ultimi lavori:
- Inglorious Bastards (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Grinder (2007) .... (very special thanks to) [misc]
- Grindhouse (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Hell Ride (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Hostel: Part II (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
- Killshot (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
- Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) .... Ringo (rumored) [attore]
- Freedom's Fury (2006) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
- Reservoir Dogs (2006) (VG) .... (screenplay) (story) [scrittore]
- Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005) (TV) .... (special thanks) [misc]
Biografia:
In January of 1991 a film titled Reservoir Dogs (1992) hit the Sundance Film festival. The writer-director was a first-timer by the name of Quentin Tarantino. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend in the England, UK and the cult film circuit. Three years later he followed up 'Dogs' with the film Pulp Fiction (1994). 'Pulp' premiered at the Cannes film festival, where it won the coveted 'Palme D'Or' the virtual equal of the Best Picture at the Academy Awards. At the '93 Academy Awards, 'Pulp' was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, in addition Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, among others. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary came away with the award only for Best Original Screenplay. (Where Roger uttered his now famous line, "I've gotta go pee".) In 1995, Tarantino directed one fourth of the Anthology Four Rooms (1995) with friends and fellow auteurs Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Allison Anders. That film was released on December 25th in the United States to very weak reviews. This is mainly due to the heavy cutting of the first two segments and the introduction which make much of the plotline unintelligible, and creates a complete mess out of the second segment, directed by Alexandre Rockwell. The best two segments of the film are Robert Rodriguez's and Tarantino's. Tarantino's next film was From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), a crime/vampire film which he wrote and co-starred with George Clooney. The film did fairly well theatrically.
Trivia random: Often references numerous attributes of the works of Jean-Luc Godard, particularly in Pulp Fiction (1994). The disjointed structure of Pulp Fiction (1994) may itself be an homage to Godard's use of jump cuts in À bout de souffle (1960) (Breathless), the film that launched the French New Wave of cinema.
Citazione random: "If you want to make a movie, make it. Don't wait for a grant, don't wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it." - Giving advice to young aspiring filmmakers at the 1994 Independent Spirit Awards
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Miller, Frank (II)
Data di nascita: 27 January 1957
Altezza: 6' 1½" (1.87 m)
Coniuge: Lynn Varley::(? - ?)
Ultimi lavori:
- Sin City 3 (2008) .... (graphic novels) [scrittore]
- 3
00 (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore] - Sin City 2 (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
- Ten Dead Men (2007) .... (inspiration, thanks and love to the works of) [misc]
- Elektra (2005) .... (comic book characters) [scrittore]
- Knight of the Living Dead (2005) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
- Sin City (2005) .... (graphic novels) [scrittore]
- Rats: A Sin City Yarn (2004) .... (graphic novel) [scrittore]
- Daredevil (2003) .... Man with Pen in Head [attore]
- The Men Without Fear: Creating 'Daredevil' (2003) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
Biografia:
Frank Miller was a big comics writer/artist in the 70s and 80s. He wrote and penciled the Marvel series "Daredevil" for a long time. Friend Klaus Janson inked. He also wrote two spinoffs about the character Electra and did a miniseries about the "X-Men" character Wolverine. His hit miniseries "Ronin" was published by DC in the mid-eighties. His greatest success came with DC's character Batman. In 1980, he wrote the acclaimed "Batman" story "Wanted - Santa Claus - Dead or Alive!" for DC Comics. In 1986, his most notable comic-book work, the groundbreaking "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," an alternate history story about Batman in a grim future, was published by DC. Miller wrote and penciled, In 1988, he wrote
the acclaimed "Batman: Year One," about Batman's first year on the job, for DC. In 1996, he wrote "Spawn versus Batman," a one-shot issue published by DC and Image Comics. Miller also co-created the Robocop character. He wrote the major motion pictures _Robocop 2 (1990)_ and RoboCop 3 (1993) and did the "Robocop" comic series for a little while.
Trivia random: In mid-2003, a comic book company called Avatar is publishing a comic book series adapting his original screenplay for _Robocop 2 (1990)_ , which allegedly had enough subplots and material for several movies.
Citazione random: "I realized that I was about to turn 30, and Batman was permanently 29. And I was going to be damned if I was older than Batman."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
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