Movies in theaters!! It’s been happening for a while and as this Memorial Day weekend kicks off, the film industry’s great hope is that Americans are ready to go Big and see movies in cinemas with lots of other people. ‘Cruella,’ a $200 million gamble that kids will dig not just one eccentric designer (Emma Thompson’s Baroness) but two (Emma Stone’s Estella who invents and becomes Cruella), opens wide Friday as well as for a premium on Disney+. John Krasinski’s horror sequel ‘The Quiet Place Part II’ had its premiere over a year ago only to have its release suspended by the pandemic. It too opens Friday minus the filmmaker whose character, a very brave dad, died in the first one. ‘The Office’ actor had directed and rewritten that 2018 sleeper hit. For the sequel he wrote the screenplay and directs again while making a cameo in the opening prologue. This ‘Place II’ is most definitely a full-out horror film-monster movie with spectacular human-destroying aliens whose several sets of enormous teeth suggest a definite nod to Ridley Scott’s classic ‘Alien.’
After a theatrical press screening last Sunday night in Manhattan Krasinski, who had filmed entirely in New York, popped up unannounced to talk about ‘II.’ ‘I was the biggest scaredy cat of all time,’ he began, although at a sizable six feet four and solidly built ‘biggest’ is no exaggeration. ‘Before this movie I rarely watched horror movies. Then as soon as I decided to direct this, I watched only horror movies.’
Asked to name his favorite horror films, ‘I’ve seen pretty much everything, but certainly the movies that were classics. Definitely “Jaws,” definitely “Rosemary’s Baby.” And any Hitchcock I could get my hands on. Actually, I remember reading a Hitchcock line when we were just about to be done editing the first one. And in my head I was like, This is intense. Should I go this intense because I fear it might be too intense for people? It was at that moment that I read this book where Hitchcock said, ‘Once you’ve got the audience by the neck, never let go.’ Okay!’
As far as his process: ‘I actually learned a huge lesson on “The Office.” We were about three weeks into shooting and I remember I was nervous and Greg, the guy who ran the show, said, ‘Are you alright?’ I said, ‘Oh man. This is my favorite joke in the script. I just want to make sure I deliver it funny.’ And he said, ‘No, you don’t deliver lines “funny.” You just deliver the lines and people will either laugh or they won’t. They’ll either find them funny or they won’t. But your job’s not to do that, you job is to deliver truthfully. That’s stuck with me ever since in my career. When I was sitting down to write this, I wasn’t sure I could do it. At the last minute I’m going to take Greg’s advice and I’m going to write a family drama. So these ordinary people, you care about this family and you’ll be so scared to see anything happen to them, that’s how all these scares get built in and they just start to unfold. And that’s exactly what happened.’
A Franchise Is Born: ‘The truth is when I was writing this is I didn’t even want to do a sequel because the first movie was so personal. You’ve heard me say this before but it’s true. The first movie is a love letter to my kids. What would you really do for your kids? is what I was exploring in that movie. So after the first one I said I’m not going to do a second movie because I didn’t know how to organically continue that story and how much it meant to me about parenthood. Then I realized that you relate to the main character [played by his wife Emily Blunt]. Not only can she handle it, she’s one of the best talents I have ever worked with. Period. I knew she could carry a franchise.
‘There’s still the alien force we were dealing with in the first movie and all of a sudden she takes up the mantle, doing what my character was trying to do. She has a bravery that I never would have had. I would never have left the farm. She has this ambition to save the world and started going into all these amazing territories about when the darkest hours happened to all of us. I think that this whole idea of us being brave enough, to be courageous enough is a letter to my kids as they go forward. Not to save the world necessarily but to be happy. And then to make real change in your life and the lives of others.
‘I think the other thing that was great was with a lot of franchises you have a hero and a villain and every time you do a new movie, you build this world around them. We’re lucky enough to have this new world and we can drop whatever hero or villain we want into that world. I knew that this family had to leave the farm. In leaving the farm they actually beat the path, and therefore every single step could be their last. Therefore the sequel becomes that much more tense, that much more big. But I didn’t want to make it more tense and more big just because it was a sequel. I had no intention of doing a sequel for sequel’s sake. But if – and this sounds corny but it’s true — I just kept saying, this movie’s good enough to deserve the generosity that came from the audience on the first, then I’ll do it again if I can. And if I can’t, I won’t.’
Casting Millicent Simmonds, now 18, originally: The first thing to happen was it was non-negotiable for me. We had to cast a deaf actress for this role [the eldest daughter who is deaf]. Not only to make the performance obviously more genuine. But because I needed a guide and I needed someone who would actually be honest and walk me through this world together. We were making a movie that I wanted it to be more than a movie but a life experience for all of us. To tell the truth.
‘And she is the most unbelievably deep, profound person. I mean to be really honest, think about it. For at the time a 13-year-old girl to be able to contain the ideas of — your parent dying, your parent blaming you for another sibling’s death, feeling useless — all these different things. It’s hard for a kid to even be able to fathom let alone articulate in a specific form. I’m pretty sure at the end of days we’re gonna find out she’s actually just a guardian angel. I mean that.’
NEW DVDs:
A ZIP CODE FOR THE AGES Whether it’s nostalgia or an eye-opening first look at the tribal rights of Beverly Hills rich kids – and those that are not, ‘90210 The Ultimate Collection’ (DVD, 74 discs, CBS, Not Rated) deserves its spot as a cultural signpost, star-making series and can’t miss melodrama. As everyone might know ‘90210’ is the Beverly Hills zip code and this Aaron Spelling series charts the fads and desires alongside the enduring human horrors/thrills of being an American teenager and not knowing who you really are and what you stand for, believe in or feel. All while spending ‘the best years of their lives’ at Beverly Hills High. ‘The Ultimate Collection’ includes all 7 Seasons and 290 episodes of the original series, Plus the 2019 meta-series reboot ‘BH90210’ where the 7 original stars – including Shannon Doherty, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling and Ian Ziering – played heightened versions of themselves as they worked to rekindle relationships and see them mirror the new series being made. 
THE MIGHT OF IMMIGRANTS A breakthrough film on many levels, ‘Minari’ (Blu-ray + Digital, Lionsgate, PG-13) with 6 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress Yuh-jung Youn as the sarcastic grandmother, raves for its insightful look at a South Korean immigrant farming family in ‘90s Arkansas and what it says about the universality of the American Dream. Special Features: Deleted scenes, a Making of and an audio commentary with writer-director Lee Isaac Chung whose familial story he is telling and Youn, a 40 year acting veteran with a cackling, irrepressible sense of humor.
TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE The Winchester Bothers, Sam and Dean – played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles – say a great Good-bye with ‘Supernatural: The Fifteenth and Final Season’ (Blu-ray + Digital Code, 20 episodes, bonus disc, WB, Not Rated). As the title clearly means, Sam and Dean have since 2005 been very busy hunting demons, monsters, ghosts, even Lucifer’s son. Did you know that creator Eric Kripke wanted his siblings to be Sam and Dean Harrison as a nod to the swaggering Han Solo of Harrison Ford? Legal reasons made that impossible so we have them named after the famous Gun of the West, the Winchester .45. Bonus Disc: 2 new featurettes, gag reel, deleted scenes, the ‘Supernatural’ 2019 Comic-Con panel, special retrospective episode ‘The Long Road Home’ and features ‘Winning Baby: A Supernatural Giveaway’ and ‘Winchester Mythology: Midwestern Heroes.’
MONUMENTALLY MESMERIZING Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar- and BAFTA-winning performance in Florian Zeller’s ‘The Father’ (Blu-ray, Lionsgate, PG-13) has been favorably compared to the Welsh actor triumphing in a King Lear that’s minus Shakespeare. It’s true Hopkins’ commanding portrait of a man sinking into the abyss of Alzheimer’s is unforgettable but it’s Zeller who found the key to taking us inside the disintegrating identity and making us understand what’s happening to this man in all the disease’s cruelties and illusion. Olivia Colman, Imogene Poots, Olivia Williams and Rufus Sewell ably support. Special Features: Deleted scenes, short ‘Perception Check: Portrait of The Father’ and making of.
SCHWARZENEGGER SOARS With a cast led by Arnold Schwarzenegger that features Oscar winners Art Carney (Best Actor), F. Murray Abraham (Best Actor), Mercedes Ruehl (Best Supporting Actress) and Anthony Quinn (twice Best Supporting Actor), Austin O’Brien is easily the least known – and he’s the real star of ‘Last Action Hero’ (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, Paramount, PG-13). A critical and popular 1993 smash, ‘Action Hero’ has a clever storyline (Zak Penn’s credited story became a Shane Black screenplay) of hero-worshiping 11-year-old Danny (O’Brien) who idolizes his movie hero Jack Slater (Arnold of course!). Somehow Danny’s transported into Slater’s cinematic kingdom where he helps the star battle 3 thugs: Benedict (Charles Dance, ‘The Jewel in the Crown’), Vivadi (Quinn) and The Ripper (Tom Noonan, ‘Manhunter’). Somehow, Benedict leaves showbiz fantasy behind to land in the real world and now Jack and Danny are up against real bad guys, not stuntmen. Newly remastered in 4K from the original camera negative, in a steelcase package with newly installed Dolby Atmos sound, director John McTiernan (‘Die Hard’) offers an audio commentary. There are deleted and alternate scenes (also in 4K), an alternate ending (in 4K!), the AC/DC music video ‘Big Gun’ and the original behind-the-scenes.
FOUR SNOOPYS They ain’t kidding when they call this ‘The Snoopy Collection’ (Blu-ray + Digital, Paramount, G). It has gathered the Peanuts gang in 4 feature-length films together on Blu-ray for the first time. That means ‘A Boy Named Charlie Brown,’ ‘Snoopy Come Home’ which boasts the onscreen debut of Woodstock, ‘Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown’ and ‘Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don’t Come Back!).’ All 4 films are distinguished by being written by Peanuts and the gang’s creator, Charles M. Schulz who died in 2000 at 87. Special Feature: ‘The Making of Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown.’
TAKE ANOTHER RIDE Critically acclaimed, animated ‘Infinity Train: Book Two’ (DVD, 10 episodes, WB, Not Rated) follows Mirror Tulip (I know, you’re saying what I’m thinking, What a delightful name) who is actually an escaped reflection from, naturally, the Mirror World. Then there’s Jesse Cosay, a 14 year old Arizona jock who joins Mirror on a run to escape the Mirror Police. In this imaginative landscape where every train car is an adventure, ‘Train’ tackles issues of identity, peer pressure and friendship. The hour-plus bonus material has commentaries, animatics and an image gallery.
CRUISE CONTROL My most vivid memory of seeing ‘Mission: Impossible’ (Blu-ray + Digital, Paramount, PG-13) 25 years ago at its very first press preview in LA was discovering I had flown to LA for no real reason. Because director Brian De Palma had canceled the next morning’s interview. No reason — but he was thought to have been a nervous wreck. As Cruise’s first producing credit with partner Paul Wagner and a hopeful launch for a franchise, ‘M: I’ had to score big—which it did. And it’s still going with the 7th edition of the durable franchise due next spring. Co-stars in this reboot of the Sixties TV series include gold-plate icons: Vanessa Redgrave, Kristen Scott-Thomas, France’s Jean Reno and Emmanuelle Beart, and Ving Rhames. This newly remastered version has multiple Special Features: Featurettes on the special effects over the years, the spies, this first film’s speeding train sequence, the marketing and the International Spy Museum.
HIDDEN WORLD EXPOSED How you respond to the gritty if formulaic ‘American Fighter’ (Blu-ray + Digital, Lionsgate, R) may depend on how you feel about fight films in general. Here, college wrestler Ali Jahani (buff George Kosturos), desperate to help his ailing mother, takes a dive into illegal underground wrestling – and gets hammered. Enter Sean Patrick Flanery’s Duke who out of sheer compassion decides to help Ali stay alive and hopefully win. Reportedly based on ‘a true story’ this 2019 entry scores with what matters most: Those climactic fights that will determine where Ali is another Rocky. Or not. Special Feature: A music video by ANDY.
BERLINER DIETRICH Ah, Marlene Dietrich! Dietrich was so many things – a legendary star, legendary beauty, legendary WWII activist rallying American troops against her native Nazified Germany. What she wasn’t? A truth teller. There’s a hilarious exchange in Maximilian Schell’s 1984 ‘Marlene,’ a swell documentary on Dietrich where he’s interviewing her on the phone (because NO PHOTOS ALLOWED!!) and she lies, frequently and boldly. Lies! So it should come as no surprise that although Marlene Dietrich said for 40 years her first film was the 1930 ‘The Blue Angel,’ her international breakthrough for director Josef von Sternberg, it simply wasn’t true. We now know there was a 1929 German hit, ‘The Woman One Longs For’ (Blu-ray, Kino Classics, Not Rated) directed by Curtis Bernhardt (like Dietrich, he would soon exit for Hollywood where his future hit list includes Joan Crawford, Oscar-nominated in his ‘Possessed,’ Bette Davis in his ‘A Stolen Life,’ Barbara Stanwyck, Oscar-nominated in ‘My Reputation’ and Eleanor Parker, Oscar-nominated in his really splendid melodrama ‘Interrupted Melody’). ‘Woman’ is also known as ‘Three Loves’ and has Dietrich in familiar guise as a mysterious beauty who is under the thumb of a monocled sadist. It’s up to Uno Henning to liberate her. Restored in 2012, this edition is brightened by Pascal Schumacher’s 2012 orchestral score. Silent with German intertitles and optional English subtitles. Special Feature: Film historian Gaylyn Studlar’s audio commentary
LOVE, SEX, MURDER? ‘Happily’ (DVD + Digital, Paramount, R) begins as an upside-down screwball comedy with a couple (Joel McHale and Kerry Bishe) resented by their circle of friends because, can you imagine! – they’re still hot for and very much in love with each other. Somehow that triggers a whole cascade of issues and revelations in this black, sometimes surreal comedy that morphs into a bizarre Agatha Christie-style sitting room full of suspects in a homicide investigation. Quirky doesn’t begin to describe the pleasures here. Sizzling in support are Natalie Zea, Breckin Meyer, Natalie Morales and Stephen Root.
PEPPER POPS A terrific actor who hasn’t been seen often enough lately, Barry Pepper finds himself in a challenging position as a traumatized ex-US agent in ‘Trigger Point’ (Blu-ray, Screen Media, Not Rated). He lost his memory when captured and tortured. Now, retired, his former partner needs his help to find a missing agent. There’s little time to mount her rescue and the risky enterprise might re-open his unknown past. Then again, if he regains his memory he might regain his reputation. Unstoppable, this Pepper.
ANIMATED SPACE TIMES The animated comedy series ‘Star Trek Lower Decks Season 1’ (DVD, 2 discs, 10 episodes Paramount, Not Rated) is an unqualified hit and moves to Paramount+ for the next season. Not the first ‘Star Trek’ animated series ever but the first in 50 years, ‘Lower Decks’ follows the support crew of the lowly Starfleet ship USS Cerritos. The year is 2380 which means it’s far, far into the future. Character voices: Jerry O’Connell, Dawnn Lewis, Jack Quaid, Eugene Cordero and Noel Wells. Special Appearance by Jonathan Frakes. Special Features (over 2 hours): Lower Decktionaries is a multi-part exploration of the series’ music, art design, animation process. ‘Faces of the Fleet’ deeply dives into the Cerritos crew, alongside producers, writers and the cast. There’s an exclusive, over the top trailer based on an episode and ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ about the hidden Easter eggs planted throughout the series. Full-length animatic plus deleted & extended animatics.
"Hollywood" - Google News
May 27, 2021 at 01:12PM
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Stephen Schaefer’s Hollywood & Mine - Boston Herald
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