Our weekly film quiz returns with 30 all-new movie-related questions – fair warning, it features Michael Keaton’s name three or more times…
We’re back, baby, and so is Beetlejuice in Tim Burton’s new sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Accordingly, this week’s film quiz features questions about sequels, demons, and Michael Keaton movies. It’s quizness as usual for the next few weeks too, with subjects ranging from the silent era to this year in horror movies, every Friday till Christmas.
Once you’ve completed all three rounds, you’ll find a link to a separate post with the correct answers at the bottom of this post. As always, this is just for fun, but please let us know how you did in the comments (scores out of 30 this week!) and give us any other lovely feedback. Oh, and apologies if you were reading that first line aloud, that guy can...
We’re back, baby, and so is Beetlejuice in Tim Burton’s new sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Accordingly, this week’s film quiz features questions about sequels, demons, and Michael Keaton movies. It’s quizness as usual for the next few weeks too, with subjects ranging from the silent era to this year in horror movies, every Friday till Christmas.
Once you’ve completed all three rounds, you’ll find a link to a separate post with the correct answers at the bottom of this post. As always, this is just for fun, but please let us know how you did in the comments (scores out of 30 this week!) and give us any other lovely feedback. Oh, and apologies if you were reading that first line aloud, that guy can...
- 9/6/2024
- by Mark Harrison
- Film Stories
2021 was a landmark year for Zendaya, with four major film releases, including Spider-Man: No Way Home and Dune, which became blockbuster hits. Having started acting in 2009, Zendaya has starred in numerous acclaimed films and TV shows, earning her widespread recognition.
Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach, attend the HBO Max FYC event for “Euphoria” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 20, 2022, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Mega / WENN)
By the time she turned 26 in 2022, Zendaya had already won several prestigious awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics’ Choice Movie Award. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world—an incredible achievement at such a young age.
Check out these fun facts and discover Zendaya’s age during her top 7 movies, as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes. These films highlight her best work before she turned 26, after which she continued to shine...
Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach, attend the HBO Max FYC event for “Euphoria” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 20, 2022, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Mega / WENN)
By the time she turned 26 in 2022, Zendaya had already won several prestigious awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics’ Choice Movie Award. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world—an incredible achievement at such a young age.
Check out these fun facts and discover Zendaya’s age during her top 7 movies, as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes. These films highlight her best work before she turned 26, after which she continued to shine...
- 8/18/2024
- by Anne De Guia
- Your Next Shoes
Over the years Zendaya has presented her fans with a few of the most scintillating, jaw-dropping, onscreen romances with her co-stars. But among all, fans unanimously favored her and Tom Holland’s chemistry the most, given their reported relationship in real life.
Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in Challengers
However, on a recent note, fans believe Tom Holland might face a steady competition, after watching Zendaya’s new sports drama Challengers. Filled with raunchy scenes and threesomes, the movie featured a jaw-dropping chemistry between the actress and English actor Josh O’Connor.
Following the sequences, netizens have come to the conclusion that even Holland can’t beat O’Connor’s true romance with the actress.
Zendaya’s Convincing Onscreen Romance With Her Co-Stars
Being a woman of many talents, Zendaya has created an envious career spanning from television series to blockbuster franchises within a few years of her inception. Starting as a Disney kid,...
Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in Challengers
However, on a recent note, fans believe Tom Holland might face a steady competition, after watching Zendaya’s new sports drama Challengers. Filled with raunchy scenes and threesomes, the movie featured a jaw-dropping chemistry between the actress and English actor Josh O’Connor.
Following the sequences, netizens have come to the conclusion that even Holland can’t beat O’Connor’s true romance with the actress.
Zendaya’s Convincing Onscreen Romance With Her Co-Stars
Being a woman of many talents, Zendaya has created an envious career spanning from television series to blockbuster franchises within a few years of her inception. Starting as a Disney kid,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
Zendaya has ruled both small and big screens for the past few years. Her portrayal of Rue in HBO Max’s Euphoria not only made the show a fan favorite but also made her the youngest woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress.
The actress, 27, has secured several notable roles in movies, such as Chani in Dune and Anne Wheeler in The Greatest Showman. However, before taking on any of those roles, she established herself in the superhero genre by playing Michelle Jones, also known as ‘Mj’, in the MCU’s Spider-Man films. In fact, her first major motion picture role was in 2017 with Spider-Man: Homecoming, and she went on to star in its follow-ups.
Zendaya and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home
However, when the actress showed up for her audition, producer Amy Pascal claimed that neither she nor Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had any idea who Zendaya was.
The actress, 27, has secured several notable roles in movies, such as Chani in Dune and Anne Wheeler in The Greatest Showman. However, before taking on any of those roles, she established herself in the superhero genre by playing Michelle Jones, also known as ‘Mj’, in the MCU’s Spider-Man films. In fact, her first major motion picture role was in 2017 with Spider-Man: Homecoming, and she went on to star in its follow-ups.
Zendaya and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home
However, when the actress showed up for her audition, producer Amy Pascal claimed that neither she nor Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had any idea who Zendaya was.
- 4/10/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Jonathan Bennett, who recently signed an exclusive, multi-picture overall deal with Crown Media Family Networks, will headline and executive produce a new movie for Hallmark Channel called Wedding of a Lifetime.
Brooke D’Orsay will co-star in the original that’s currently in production to air later this year.
Bennett (Mean Girls) and D’Orsay play an engaged couple who have been together since their days as high school sweethearts in a close-knit mountain town, but have found themselves in a rut and out of love. As Darby and Jake prepare to break the news of their separation to their families, they inadvertently find themselves entered in a “romantic relationship competition” hosted by a popular national daytime TV show after being nominated by the whole town. The grand prize is a televised, all-expenses-paid “wedding of a lifetime!” Though Darby and Jake are uncomfortable pretending they are still engaged,...
Brooke D’Orsay will co-star in the original that’s currently in production to air later this year.
Bennett (Mean Girls) and D’Orsay play an engaged couple who have been together since their days as high school sweethearts in a close-knit mountain town, but have found themselves in a rut and out of love. As Darby and Jake prepare to break the news of their separation to their families, they inadvertently find themselves entered in a “romantic relationship competition” hosted by a popular national daytime TV show after being nominated by the whole town. The grand prize is a televised, all-expenses-paid “wedding of a lifetime!” Though Darby and Jake are uncomfortable pretending they are still engaged,...
- 7/14/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
With the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home expected to be a summer blockbuster - it hits theaters July 5 - its star Zendaya will no doubt add to not only her fame, but to her already sizable bankroll that's hovering around $5 million right now.
The actress and singer is currently worth about $5 million, according to reports, and considering Entity magazine put her around $4.5 million a couple years ago, that sounds about on par. That's in part thanks to her entertainment beginnings as a child model-and-backup-dancer-turned-Disney Channel star - she appeared in Shake It Up from 2010 to 2013 and starred in and produced K.C. Undercover from 2015 to 2018. Her success as a recording artist, her 2013 stint on Dancing With the Stars, and her book, Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years With Style and Confidence, are also to thank for her financial success.
Related: Zendaya's Sexy Confidence Shines Through...
The actress and singer is currently worth about $5 million, according to reports, and considering Entity magazine put her around $4.5 million a couple years ago, that sounds about on par. That's in part thanks to her entertainment beginnings as a child model-and-backup-dancer-turned-Disney Channel star - she appeared in Shake It Up from 2010 to 2013 and starred in and produced K.C. Undercover from 2015 to 2018. Her success as a recording artist, her 2013 stint on Dancing With the Stars, and her book, Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years With Style and Confidence, are also to thank for her financial success.
Related: Zendaya's Sexy Confidence Shines Through...
- 6/10/2019
- by Kathryn Mayer
- Popsugar.com
Step right up for a birthday party fit for a fabulous kid! It looks like Jessica Simpson went all out for her firstborn, Maxwell's 6th birthday party. Inspired by Hugh Jackman's latest movie musical, The Greatest Showman, Simpson turned her backyard into a 1800s-style circus, complete with a tent, treats and a group of themed performers in character. Meanwhile, her daughter drew her inspiration from Zendaya's role in the December film and sported pink hair and a purple leotard à la the character Anne Wheeler. The youngster even got the chance to fly like Anne with the help of a trapeze trampoline. But, that wasn't all! E! News has learned Wham Bam Events...
- 5/7/2018
- E! Online
Hugh Jackman is having a great time as circus impresario Pt Barnum, but the audience are left shortchanged
Imagine Tod Browning’s 1932 pre-Code horror film Freaks asset-stripped by a third-rate Baz Luhrmann wannabe, the chilling refrain “one of us” sanitised into something closer to a soft-drink commercial tagline than a menace. Imagine a musical that, like its score, is all air-punching chorus and no verse; a featherlight film in which what meagre narrative there is unfolds in endless, oily musical montages. Imagine a film that replaces an emotional climax with a scene in which the main character rides an enormous CGI elephant covered in glitter. In fact, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to conjure up a film such as The Greatest Showman, which is an uninspired plod through the life of Pt Barnum (Hugh Jackman). For all the skittish, pirouetting camera and sparkles, the characterisation is barely...
Imagine Tod Browning’s 1932 pre-Code horror film Freaks asset-stripped by a third-rate Baz Luhrmann wannabe, the chilling refrain “one of us” sanitised into something closer to a soft-drink commercial tagline than a menace. Imagine a musical that, like its score, is all air-punching chorus and no verse; a featherlight film in which what meagre narrative there is unfolds in endless, oily musical montages. Imagine a film that replaces an emotional climax with a scene in which the main character rides an enormous CGI elephant covered in glitter. In fact, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to conjure up a film such as The Greatest Showman, which is an uninspired plod through the life of Pt Barnum (Hugh Jackman). For all the skittish, pirouetting camera and sparkles, the characterisation is barely...
- 12/24/2017
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
How do you cast a virtuoso Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum, spare no expense in production values, add a score by Oscar (La La Land) and Tony (Dear Evan Hansen) winners Ben Pasek and Justin Paul and still end up with the shrill blast of nothing that is The Greatest Showman? Ask first-time director Michael Gracey, who cut his teeth on commercials and music videos without ever mastering the crucial knack of building snippets of musical comedy and drama into a satisfying whole.
As scripted by TV writer Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City,...
As scripted by TV writer Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City,...
- 12/20/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Zendaya knows how to make an entrance!
The 21-year-old actress attended the premiere of The Greatest Showman on Wednesday in Sydney, Australia, wearing a show-stopping, butterfly-inspired dress from Moschino by Jeremy Scott. Letting the outfit do all the talking, Zendaya swept up her hair into an old Hollywood-style 'do and accessorized with simple stud earrings.
WireImage
The style-savvy star was joined on the red carpet by her handsome Greatest Showman co-stars, Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman, who both donned dapper blue suits.
In a recent interview with Et, Efron opened up about his "electric" smooch with Zendaya in the movie, declaring it his favorite onscreen kiss ever! The musical is inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum, and celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
“Our characters go through so much in this movie,” Efron, who plays Phillip...
The 21-year-old actress attended the premiere of The Greatest Showman on Wednesday in Sydney, Australia, wearing a show-stopping, butterfly-inspired dress from Moschino by Jeremy Scott. Letting the outfit do all the talking, Zendaya swept up her hair into an old Hollywood-style 'do and accessorized with simple stud earrings.
WireImage
The style-savvy star was joined on the red carpet by her handsome Greatest Showman co-stars, Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman, who both donned dapper blue suits.
In a recent interview with Et, Efron opened up about his "electric" smooch with Zendaya in the movie, declaring it his favorite onscreen kiss ever! The musical is inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum, and celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
“Our characters go through so much in this movie,” Efron, who plays Phillip...
- 12/20/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Hugh Jackman headlines the musical The Greatest Showman. And here's our review...
It’s clearly no accident that 2017 has been full of Barnum explorations - there’s been a blockbuster film, an appearance on Legends Of Tomorrow (played by Billy Zane) and a West End revival all at the tail end of the year. Now more than ever we’re fascinated as a culture with the nature of showmanship, truth and whether the ends justify the means in how our celebrated stories reach us.
The Greatest Showman follows the public ascent and private descent of the self-described inventor of showbusiness P T Barnum (Hugh Jackman). After marrying his childhood sweetheart (Michelle Williams), a woman far above his own station, and creating a modest life in New York City, he gets an idea for the kind of spectacle that would bring together the macabre and the wonderful.
Collecting a number of...
It’s clearly no accident that 2017 has been full of Barnum explorations - there’s been a blockbuster film, an appearance on Legends Of Tomorrow (played by Billy Zane) and a West End revival all at the tail end of the year. Now more than ever we’re fascinated as a culture with the nature of showmanship, truth and whether the ends justify the means in how our celebrated stories reach us.
The Greatest Showman follows the public ascent and private descent of the self-described inventor of showbusiness P T Barnum (Hugh Jackman). After marrying his childhood sweetheart (Michelle Williams), a woman far above his own station, and creating a modest life in New York City, he gets an idea for the kind of spectacle that would bring together the macabre and the wonderful.
Collecting a number of...
- 12/19/2017
- Den of Geek
When audiences see the choreographed routines in The Greatest Showman, it'll look effortless. But as Zendaya said on The Tonight Show Monday, actually making the movie was anything but. Zendaya plays acrobat Anne Wheeler in the movie, co-starring Rebecca Ferguson, Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams. Zac Efron plays Anne's love interest, stage actor Phillip Carlyle. Before production began, director Michael Gracey gave Zendaya advice. "He called and said, 'Listen, we're going to workshop this like a real Broadway production.' I was like, 'Cool! That's great,'" she said. "Then he's like, 'Also, you might want to start working out, because you have trapeze rehearsal...
- 12/12/2017
- E! Online
Zendaya is praising women of Hollywood for helping protect her from sexual harassment by speaking out about their own experiences.
The actress reacts to recent allegations of harassment during a cover interview for the new issue of InStyle.
“The bravery of the women who came forward is a huge step toward making sure it’s safer for me and other young women who are just coming up,” the 21-year-old star says. “I’m at that prime age right now. Twenty-one. Starting off. That’s when people take advantage and abuse their power and do terrible sh*t. I think it’s definitely a sisterhood.”
While being possibly prone to inappropriate behavior is a downside to being a successful young woman in Hollywood, Zendaya also discusses some of the favorable parts of her status and fame -- like having others look up to her.
“I realize that [being a role model] is actually a huge part of the job,” she says. “You sign...
The actress reacts to recent allegations of harassment during a cover interview for the new issue of InStyle.
“The bravery of the women who came forward is a huge step toward making sure it’s safer for me and other young women who are just coming up,” the 21-year-old star says. “I’m at that prime age right now. Twenty-one. Starting off. That’s when people take advantage and abuse their power and do terrible sh*t. I think it’s definitely a sisterhood.”
While being possibly prone to inappropriate behavior is a downside to being a successful young woman in Hollywood, Zendaya also discusses some of the favorable parts of her status and fame -- like having others look up to her.
“I realize that [being a role model] is actually a huge part of the job,” she says. “You sign...
- 11/29/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Thanks to VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for July 2017, including "Ghost Wars", "Dragged Across Concrete, "Overboard" and a whole lot more:
13 Miles
Feature
Local Production Company: Habethy Film Productions
Director: Anthony Epp, Helena Thom
Producer: Shanyn Maguire, Anthony Epp, Helena Thom
May 19/17 - Aug 20/17
Dragged Across Concrete
Feature
Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions
Director: Craig Zahler
Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier
Jul 17/17 - Sep 16/17
Fatal Visit
Feature
Local Production Company: Lone House Films Ltd.
Director: Yuen Leung Calvin Poon
Producer: Fiona Lee, Michael Parker
Jul 09/17 - Jul 31/17
Motivated Seller
Feature
Local Production Company: Motivated Seller BC Productions
Director: Deon Taylor
Producer: Darcy Wild, Jonathan Schwartz
Jun 21/17 - Jul 21/17
Nicole
Feature
Parent Studio: Disney
Director: Marc Lawrence
Producer: Justis Greene
Sep 01/17 - Dec 31/17
One Of A Kind
Feature
Local Production Company: Two Sixty Six Productions Inc
Director: Felix Chong
Producer: Costa Vassos...
13 Miles
Feature
Local Production Company: Habethy Film Productions
Director: Anthony Epp, Helena Thom
Producer: Shanyn Maguire, Anthony Epp, Helena Thom
May 19/17 - Aug 20/17
Dragged Across Concrete
Feature
Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions
Director: Craig Zahler
Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier
Jul 17/17 - Sep 16/17
Fatal Visit
Feature
Local Production Company: Lone House Films Ltd.
Director: Yuen Leung Calvin Poon
Producer: Fiona Lee, Michael Parker
Jul 09/17 - Jul 31/17
Motivated Seller
Feature
Local Production Company: Motivated Seller BC Productions
Director: Deon Taylor
Producer: Darcy Wild, Jonathan Schwartz
Jun 21/17 - Jul 21/17
Nicole
Feature
Parent Studio: Disney
Director: Marc Lawrence
Producer: Justis Greene
Sep 01/17 - Dec 31/17
One Of A Kind
Feature
Local Production Company: Two Sixty Six Productions Inc
Director: Felix Chong
Producer: Costa Vassos...
- 6/26/2017
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
On the heels of Telefilm Canada’s pledge on November 11 that half of its projects will be directed or written by women in a move to close the industry gender gap by 2020, the Whistler Film Festival (Nov 30 — Dec 4) was proud to present an unprecedented number of female focused films, talent, events and awards throughout its 2016 programs.
The festival featured a record 31 (36%) films all directed by women (including 15 feature films out of 50 and 16 short films out of 36). Wff also has 38 (58%) female filmmakers out of the 66 Canadian artists confirmed to date participating in 11 talent programs — including 22 directors, 6 producers, 3 screenwriters, 2 actors, and 5 musicians/bands in the Music Showcase. Add this to the talent confirmed to attend the festival in support of their films and projects, including award winning director and screenwriter Deepa Mehta (An Anatomy Of Violence), director Ingrid Veninger (Hockey Night), director Kirsten Carthew (The Sun At Midnight) and director Martine Blue...
The festival featured a record 31 (36%) films all directed by women (including 15 feature films out of 50 and 16 short films out of 36). Wff also has 38 (58%) female filmmakers out of the 66 Canadian artists confirmed to date participating in 11 talent programs — including 22 directors, 6 producers, 3 screenwriters, 2 actors, and 5 musicians/bands in the Music Showcase. Add this to the talent confirmed to attend the festival in support of their films and projects, including award winning director and screenwriter Deepa Mehta (An Anatomy Of Violence), director Ingrid Veninger (Hockey Night), director Kirsten Carthew (The Sun At Midnight) and director Martine Blue...
- 12/7/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Thanks to VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for September 2016, including "Arrow", "Bates Motel", "Riverdale" and a whole lot more:
Everything EVERYTHINGFeature
Local Production Company: Everything Productions Canada Ltd.
Producer: Elyssa Dutton
Sep 06/16 - Oct 07/16
Live Like Line
Feature
Local Production Company: Live Like Line Productions Ltd.
Director: Sean McNamara
Producer: Charles Rapp
Aug 02/16 - Sep 13/16
Ollie
Feature
Local Production Company: Tcf Vancouver Productions Ltd.
Director: Shane Black
Exec. Producer(s): Bill Bannerman
Producer: John Davis
Oct 17/16 - Feb 08/17
Sweet Virginia
Feature
Local Production Company: Sv Pictures Inc
Director: Jamie Dagg
Exec. Producer(s): Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Chris Ferguson
Producer: Jordan Barber
Aug 22/16 - Sep 17/16
Tully
Feature
Local Production Company: Tully Productions BC Inc.
Director: Jason Reitman
Exec. Producer(s): Jason Cloth, Ron McLeod, Aaron Gilbert
Producer: Aaron Gilbert, Helen Estabrook
Sep 21/16 - Nov 02/16
Washer
Feature
Local Production Company: Hskl Productions Canada Inc.
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Exec.
Everything EVERYTHINGFeature
Local Production Company: Everything Productions Canada Ltd.
Producer: Elyssa Dutton
Sep 06/16 - Oct 07/16
Live Like Line
Feature
Local Production Company: Live Like Line Productions Ltd.
Director: Sean McNamara
Producer: Charles Rapp
Aug 02/16 - Sep 13/16
Ollie
Feature
Local Production Company: Tcf Vancouver Productions Ltd.
Director: Shane Black
Exec. Producer(s): Bill Bannerman
Producer: John Davis
Oct 17/16 - Feb 08/17
Sweet Virginia
Feature
Local Production Company: Sv Pictures Inc
Director: Jamie Dagg
Exec. Producer(s): Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Chris Ferguson
Producer: Jordan Barber
Aug 22/16 - Sep 17/16
Tully
Feature
Local Production Company: Tully Productions BC Inc.
Director: Jason Reitman
Exec. Producer(s): Jason Cloth, Ron McLeod, Aaron Gilbert
Producer: Aaron Gilbert, Helen Estabrook
Sep 21/16 - Nov 02/16
Washer
Feature
Local Production Company: Hskl Productions Canada Inc.
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Exec.
- 8/24/2016
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Recently, CW released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Reign" episode 7 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "The Hound and the Hare," and it turns out that we're going to see some very intense and interesting stuff go down as Prince Don Charles' dark secrets get brought to light. Gideon's real motives get heavily questioned, and more! In the new, 7th episode press release: Mary Must Decide Who She Can Trust. Press release number 2: When Prince Don Carlos (guest star Mark Ghanimé) of Spain visits France, Mary (Adelaide Kane) is going to uncover a dark secret he is hiding and will enlist in Catherine (Megan Follows) to advise her on how to handle. When Gideon (Ben Geurens), the new ambassador from English court arrives, suspicions are going to arise about what his true intentions are while Bash's (Torrance Coombs) pursuit of the mysterious killer comes to a...
- 11/20/2015
- by Chris
- OnTheFlix
Recently, CW served up the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Reign" episode 18 of season 2. The episode is entitled, "Reversal of Fortune," and it turns out that we're going to see some very dramatic and interesting stuff go down as Catherine gets real suspicious of Mary and Conde's activities. Francis gets very sick, and more! In the new, 18th episode press release: Mary Is In Danger Of Being Exposed. Press release number 2: When Catherine (Megan Follows) becomes suspicious that Mary (Adelaide Kane) and Condé (Sean Teale) are having an affair, Mary will risk Catherine discovering just how deep her betrayal goes. Francis (Toby Regbo) is going to become gravely ill after he collapses ,and Bash's (Torrance Coombs) life will be in jeopardy when he leaves to work as the King's Deputy. Meanwhile, things are going to become complicated for Leith (Jonathan Keltz) when he is forced to be...
- 3/26/2015
- by Derek
- OnTheFlix
Despite not being nominated for Best Director, Louise Archambault’s Gabrielle managed to pull off what we thought was the impossible (our Leora Heilbronn has pegged the drama as the film that should win, but favored Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy as the best bet) winning Best Motion Picture at the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards (a.k.a Canadian Oscars). If the out of synch supposed “live” telecast wasn’t bad enough (all awards including the winning film were announced almost one hour prior to on twittersphere), the show’s producers gave Gabrielle winning producers Luc Déry and Kim McCraw the equivalent of end of toilette paper roll in terms of time.
The voters also choose Gabrielle‘s Gabrielle Marion-Rivard as Best Actress in a Leading Role, while the heavily favored Enemy grabbed five awards, Best Direction for Villeneuve, Best Original Score for the excellent Danny Bensi/Saunder Jurriaans pairing , Best Editing,...
The voters also choose Gabrielle‘s Gabrielle Marion-Rivard as Best Actress in a Leading Role, while the heavily favored Enemy grabbed five awards, Best Direction for Villeneuve, Best Original Score for the excellent Danny Bensi/Saunder Jurriaans pairing , Best Editing,...
- 3/10/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Title: The Bouquet Directed by: Anne Wheeler Starring: Kristy Swanson, Danny Glover, Nicola Cavendish, Michael Shanks, Alberta Mayne Running time: 90 minutes, Unrated (safe for G audiences) Special features: The Making of The Bouquet featurette An elderly couple are struggling with their home florist business. They have two daughters, one is a New York business woman and the other is a dedicated activist; both are always too busy to see their parents. When dad suddenly drops dead at Easter dinner, the two women realize that being a family and helping each other is more important than their own selfish desires. I’m not going to mince words, this movie was predictable [ Read More ]
The post The Bouquet DVD Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Bouquet DVD Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/6/2013
- by juliana
- ShockYa
Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Buried deep within the archives of the Lyndon Baines Johnson presidential library, in Austin, Texas, amidst deeply serious documents about Vietnam and Civil Rights, lies something unexpected:
Dr. Seuss’ original drawings for his children’s classic, The Lorax.
The book, published in 1971 and made into an animated movie released this week, is about a fuzzy yellow character, the titular Lorax, who tries to prevent environmental destruction.
Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss,...
Buried deep within the archives of the Lyndon Baines Johnson presidential library, in Austin, Texas, amidst deeply serious documents about Vietnam and Civil Rights, lies something unexpected:
Dr. Seuss’ original drawings for his children’s classic, The Lorax.
The book, published in 1971 and made into an animated movie released this week, is about a fuzzy yellow character, the titular Lorax, who tries to prevent environmental destruction.
Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss,...
- 3/2/2012
- by Rachel Emma Silverman
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck kiss, In & Out Following my Valentine's Day post featuring lots of male-female kisses and embraces (and a few shapely legs, bare breasts, and sensuous lips, courtesy of, respectively, Silvana Mangano, Clara Calamai, and Jane Russell), here's the gay/lesbian version. This Gay Kiss Montage post was originally published in June 2007, when Turner Classic Movies ran a couple of dozen films featuring gay/lesbian/bi/etc. characters as part of their Screened Out series. Created in late 2006 by Robert Eldredge, the video was inspired by the finale of Giuseppe Tornatore's Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winner Cinema Paradiso, in which Jacques Perrin watches clips — kisses, hugs, embraces, nudity, sensuality, expressions of human desire — that, decades earlier, had been cut from the films screened at his Italian village's old movie house. The local Catholic priest had found those bits of celluloid harmful to the town's morals and family values.
- 2/15/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Following in the footsteps of fellow former wrestlers Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Kane Hodder, Steve Austin’s recent forays into acting have generally been forgettable. However, unlike Johnson’s constant action man status and Hodder’s typecasting as a horror villain, Austin at least attempts to tackle something more than the benign with Born to Fight, released this week on Blu-ray and DVD.
Matthew’s (Daniel Magder) first day at his new school inevitably turns sour when his nerd-like tendencies soon attract the attention of the school bullies, most notably the school’s undisputed boxing champ Hector (Jaren Brandt Bartlett). When an innocent initiation challenge leads him to being humiliated and roughed up by Hector, in steps the janitor, a muscle-bound retired fighter named Dan (Steve Austin), who comes to Matthew’s rescue and suggests that he joins the school’s boxing club. Acting against his mother’s wishes,...
Matthew’s (Daniel Magder) first day at his new school inevitably turns sour when his nerd-like tendencies soon attract the attention of the school bullies, most notably the school’s undisputed boxing champ Hector (Jaren Brandt Bartlett). When an innocent initiation challenge leads him to being humiliated and roughed up by Hector, in steps the janitor, a muscle-bound retired fighter named Dan (Steve Austin), who comes to Matthew’s rescue and suggests that he joins the school’s boxing club. Acting against his mother’s wishes,...
- 10/4/2011
- by Stuart Cummins
- Obsessed with Film
Born To Fight
Stars: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Daniel Magder, Jaren Brandt Bartlett, Janet Kidder, Emma Grabinsky | Written by Evan Jacobs, Jack Nasser | Directed by Anne Wheeler
Former WWE superstar ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is back with Born To Fight, aka Knockout, another direct to DVD movie for producer Jack Nasser, who both previously worked together on Damage, The Stranger and the awesome Hunt to Kill. Besides producing Nasser also co-writes, with Evan Jacobs (Doughboys), this Karate Kid-esque underdog story of a nerd who learns to box, get the girl and beat the high school bully.
So far so Karate KId right? Well yes and no. Born To Fight does follow the now typical beatdown, train, fight, win formula that was made famous by Mr. Miyagi and co. in the 80s, but it has a lot, and I mean a Lot, in common with the underrated 90′s action movie Showdown,...
Stars: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Daniel Magder, Jaren Brandt Bartlett, Janet Kidder, Emma Grabinsky | Written by Evan Jacobs, Jack Nasser | Directed by Anne Wheeler
Former WWE superstar ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is back with Born To Fight, aka Knockout, another direct to DVD movie for producer Jack Nasser, who both previously worked together on Damage, The Stranger and the awesome Hunt to Kill. Besides producing Nasser also co-writes, with Evan Jacobs (Doughboys), this Karate Kid-esque underdog story of a nerd who learns to box, get the girl and beat the high school bully.
So far so Karate KId right? Well yes and no. Born To Fight does follow the now typical beatdown, train, fight, win formula that was made famous by Mr. Miyagi and co. in the 80s, but it has a lot, and I mean a Lot, in common with the underrated 90′s action movie Showdown,...
- 10/2/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Knockout Directed by: Anne Wheeler Written by: Joseph Nasser Starring: Steve Austin, Daniel Magder and Jaren Brandt Bartlett Remember when Superbad came out and there was discussion about whether or not high school kids actually talked with such aggressive swearing? Well, here's the other side of that debate, a modern high school movie where the best taunt the kids can come up with is, “bird brain.” For the record, kids don't talk like that either. Surrounding that tepid dialogue are sub-par performances and an all too familiar narrative, that of the picked on new kid who trains in a sport in order to take on his oppressor. Knockout even makes reference to The Karate Kid, and it should. In fact, Knockout should be bowing down to its all mighty master and inspiration, since aside from boxing, this might as well be the same movie. Well, that and the Mr. Miyagi...
- 4/23/2011
- by Matt P.
- FilmJunk
To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, it appears as though the Tiff Cinematheque is set to pull out all the stops.
According to Criterion, the Tiff, formerly known as the Cinematheque Ontario, will be bringing out a rather superb and cartoonishly awesome summer schedule, that will include films ranging from Kurosawa pieces, to films from Pier Paolo Pasolini. Other films include a month long series dedicated to James Mason, Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales, a tribute to Robin Wood, and most interesting, a retrospective on the works of one Catherine Breillat.
Personally, while the Kurosawa, Pasolini, and Rohmer collections sound amazing, the Breillat series is ultimately the collective that I am most interested in. Ranging from films like the brilliant Fat Girl, to the superb and underrated Anatomy of Hell, these are some of the most interesting and under seen pieces of cinema of recent memory, and are more than...
According to Criterion, the Tiff, formerly known as the Cinematheque Ontario, will be bringing out a rather superb and cartoonishly awesome summer schedule, that will include films ranging from Kurosawa pieces, to films from Pier Paolo Pasolini. Other films include a month long series dedicated to James Mason, Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales, a tribute to Robin Wood, and most interesting, a retrospective on the works of one Catherine Breillat.
Personally, while the Kurosawa, Pasolini, and Rohmer collections sound amazing, the Breillat series is ultimately the collective that I am most interested in. Ranging from films like the brilliant Fat Girl, to the superb and underrated Anatomy of Hell, these are some of the most interesting and under seen pieces of cinema of recent memory, and are more than...
- 5/26/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
With so much fuss being made about J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot, it's easy to forget that there is another successful franchise out there with Star... in the title. That would be Stargate, which is due for its own sort of makeover later this year with the premiere of Stargate Universe. This is no sign that the concept is struggling, though. Indeed, the slew of awards that Stargate productions won at the recent Leo Awards in Vancouver, British Columbia (the home base of CinemaSpy) shows that it continues to be admired.
The Leo Awards are presented by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of B.C.. They were established in 1998 to celebrate excellence in film and television productions that are made in the province. Stargate series and movies are largely filmed in Vancouver. At this years Celebration and Gala Ceremonies for the Leos, which took place on May 8 and...
The Leo Awards are presented by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of B.C.. They were established in 1998 to celebrate excellence in film and television productions that are made in the province. Stargate series and movies are largely filmed in Vancouver. At this years Celebration and Gala Ceremonies for the Leos, which took place on May 8 and...
- 5/13/2009
- CinemaSpy
'Mail Order Bride' adds cast
Daphne Zuniga and Greg Evigan have signed on to star in the Hallmark Channel telefilm "Mail Order Bride".
Zuniga will play a woman whose friend dies before coming out West to be a mail-order bride. Zuniga's character takes her place in order to escape from a mobster (Evigan) who "owns her" and keeps her involved in illegal activities she doesn't want to do anymore.
The telefilm, from Blueprint Entertainment, is executive produced by Sunta Izzicupo and Dori Weiss. Anne Wheeler is directing from a script by Tippi and Neal Dobrofsky. It's being shot in Vancouver for a November premiere. Randy Cheveldave, repped by Charles Lenhoff of Lenhoff & Lenhoff, is producing.
Zuniga, repped by BRS and Rain Management Group, also has another telepic in development at Hallmark that she would produce and star in; it's targeted to go into preproduction this year. She most recently recurred on the CW's "One Tree Hill".
Evigan, repped by Stone Manners, recently guest-starred on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and CBS' "Close to Home".
Zuniga will play a woman whose friend dies before coming out West to be a mail-order bride. Zuniga's character takes her place in order to escape from a mobster (Evigan) who "owns her" and keeps her involved in illegal activities she doesn't want to do anymore.
The telefilm, from Blueprint Entertainment, is executive produced by Sunta Izzicupo and Dori Weiss. Anne Wheeler is directing from a script by Tippi and Neal Dobrofsky. It's being shot in Vancouver for a November premiere. Randy Cheveldave, repped by Charles Lenhoff of Lenhoff & Lenhoff, is producing.
Zuniga, repped by BRS and Rain Management Group, also has another telepic in development at Hallmark that she would produce and star in; it's targeted to go into preproduction this year. She most recently recurred on the CW's "One Tree Hill".
Evigan, repped by Stone Manners, recently guest-starred on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and CBS' "Close to Home".
- 5/16/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Suddenly Naked
Prolific Canadian director Anne Wheeler, whose 1999 film "Better Than Chocolate" was a sharp, sexy breath of fresh air, is back with another adult-themed romantic comedy that promises more of the same.
Alas, "Suddenly Naked" seldom makes good on that promise.
A sitcom-y portrait of an older woman/younger man liaison set in the world of book publishing, the picture is mired in flitty, formulaic scripting and marked by a go-for-broke lead performance by Wendy Crewson that could have been toned down a couple of notches without losing its larger-than-life appeal.
While it is understandably hoping to cast a reasonably wide commercial net with its frank sexuality and deliberate avoidance of Canadian specifics, "Naked" will likely fall considerably short of "Chocolate"'s much-better-than-average performance.
Crewson plays Jackie, a 39-year-old best-selling author who is equal parts Collins and Susann.
Stuck in a rut of writer's block and meaningless one-night stands with admirers (whom she categorizes in a database according to physical attributes and stamina), Jackie is watched over by fellow author Lionel Heathcoate (trusty Peter Coyote), who cooks disgusting-sounding low-fat dishes for her, secretly hoping to one day become more than just her confidant.
Enter Patrick McKeating (Joe Cobden), a lanky, slightly goofy, promising writer half Jackie's age who works part time at Shawarma King juggling torches and whose idea of sophisticated snacking involves Trix straight from the package.
Despite her initial protestations, Jackie ultimately surrenders herself to Patrick's young, idealistic advances, and, after a couple of false starts, she finally learns what it means to be true to herself.
Cue the commercials.
Although the script, by Elyse Friedman, has its share of witty lines, there's a forced quality to the situations that prevents them from being involvingly believable.
Wheeler, who directs with her usual visual energy, works hard to make the material sing, but the notes that are produced tend to come off as either sharp or flat rather than natural.
One of the few exceptions is a winning sequence in which Jackie and Lionel take a stab at a physical relationship, but everything they do to set the mood ends up feeling awkward and silly.
More moments like that would have made "Naked" the kind of candid, sophisticated big-screen comedy worthy of Wheeler's proven touch.
SUDDENLY NAKED
White Rock Film International
Director: Anne Wheeler
Screenwriter: Elyse Friedman
Producer: Gavin Wilding
Executive producers: Anne Wheeler, Ralph Zimmerman
Director of photography: David Frazee
Production designer: Cathy Robertson
Editor: Lara Mazur
Music: Chris Ainscough
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jackie York: Wendy Crewson
Lionel Heathcoate: Peter Coyote
Patrick McKeating: Joe Cobden
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Alas, "Suddenly Naked" seldom makes good on that promise.
A sitcom-y portrait of an older woman/younger man liaison set in the world of book publishing, the picture is mired in flitty, formulaic scripting and marked by a go-for-broke lead performance by Wendy Crewson that could have been toned down a couple of notches without losing its larger-than-life appeal.
While it is understandably hoping to cast a reasonably wide commercial net with its frank sexuality and deliberate avoidance of Canadian specifics, "Naked" will likely fall considerably short of "Chocolate"'s much-better-than-average performance.
Crewson plays Jackie, a 39-year-old best-selling author who is equal parts Collins and Susann.
Stuck in a rut of writer's block and meaningless one-night stands with admirers (whom she categorizes in a database according to physical attributes and stamina), Jackie is watched over by fellow author Lionel Heathcoate (trusty Peter Coyote), who cooks disgusting-sounding low-fat dishes for her, secretly hoping to one day become more than just her confidant.
Enter Patrick McKeating (Joe Cobden), a lanky, slightly goofy, promising writer half Jackie's age who works part time at Shawarma King juggling torches and whose idea of sophisticated snacking involves Trix straight from the package.
Despite her initial protestations, Jackie ultimately surrenders herself to Patrick's young, idealistic advances, and, after a couple of false starts, she finally learns what it means to be true to herself.
Cue the commercials.
Although the script, by Elyse Friedman, has its share of witty lines, there's a forced quality to the situations that prevents them from being involvingly believable.
Wheeler, who directs with her usual visual energy, works hard to make the material sing, but the notes that are produced tend to come off as either sharp or flat rather than natural.
One of the few exceptions is a winning sequence in which Jackie and Lionel take a stab at a physical relationship, but everything they do to set the mood ends up feeling awkward and silly.
More moments like that would have made "Naked" the kind of candid, sophisticated big-screen comedy worthy of Wheeler's proven touch.
SUDDENLY NAKED
White Rock Film International
Director: Anne Wheeler
Screenwriter: Elyse Friedman
Producer: Gavin Wilding
Executive producers: Anne Wheeler, Ralph Zimmerman
Director of photography: David Frazee
Production designer: Cathy Robertson
Editor: Lara Mazur
Music: Chris Ainscough
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jackie York: Wendy Crewson
Lionel Heathcoate: Peter Coyote
Patrick McKeating: Joe Cobden
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/8/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Suddenly Naked
Prolific Canadian director Anne Wheeler, whose 1999 film "Better Than Chocolate" was a sharp, sexy breath of fresh air, is back with another adult-themed romantic comedy that promises more of the same.
Alas, "Suddenly Naked" seldom makes good on that promise.
A sitcom-y portrait of an older woman/younger man liaison set in the world of book publishing, the picture is mired in flitty, formulaic scripting and marked by a go-for-broke lead performance by Wendy Crewson that could have been toned down a couple of notches without losing its larger-than-life appeal.
While it is understandably hoping to cast a reasonably wide commercial net with its frank sexuality and deliberate avoidance of Canadian specifics, "Naked" will likely fall considerably short of "Chocolate"'s much-better-than-average performance.
Crewson plays Jackie, a 39-year-old best-selling author who is equal parts Collins and Susann.
Stuck in a rut of writer's block and meaningless one-night stands with admirers (whom she categorizes in a database according to physical attributes and stamina), Jackie is watched over by fellow author Lionel Heathcoate (trusty Peter Coyote), who cooks disgusting-sounding low-fat dishes for her, secretly hoping to one day become more than just her confidant.
Enter Patrick McKeating (Joe Cobden), a lanky, slightly goofy, promising writer half Jackie's age who works part time at Shawarma King juggling torches and whose idea of sophisticated snacking involves Trix straight from the package.
Despite her initial protestations, Jackie ultimately surrenders herself to Patrick's young, idealistic advances, and, after a couple of false starts, she finally learns what it means to be true to herself.
Cue the commercials.
Although the script, by Elyse Friedman, has its share of witty lines, there's a forced quality to the situations that prevents them from being involvingly believable.
Wheeler, who directs with her usual visual energy, works hard to make the material sing, but the notes that are produced tend to come off as either sharp or flat rather than natural.
One of the few exceptions is a winning sequence in which Jackie and Lionel take a stab at a physical relationship, but everything they do to set the mood ends up feeling awkward and silly.
More moments like that would have made "Naked" the kind of candid, sophisticated big-screen comedy worthy of Wheeler's proven touch.
SUDDENLY NAKED
White Rock Film International
Director: Anne Wheeler
Screenwriter: Elyse Friedman
Producer: Gavin Wilding
Executive producers: Anne Wheeler, Ralph Zimmerman
Director of photography: David Frazee
Production designer: Cathy Robertson
Editor: Lara Mazur
Music: Chris Ainscough
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jackie York: Wendy Crewson
Lionel Heathcoate: Peter Coyote
Patrick McKeating: Joe Cobden
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Alas, "Suddenly Naked" seldom makes good on that promise.
A sitcom-y portrait of an older woman/younger man liaison set in the world of book publishing, the picture is mired in flitty, formulaic scripting and marked by a go-for-broke lead performance by Wendy Crewson that could have been toned down a couple of notches without losing its larger-than-life appeal.
While it is understandably hoping to cast a reasonably wide commercial net with its frank sexuality and deliberate avoidance of Canadian specifics, "Naked" will likely fall considerably short of "Chocolate"'s much-better-than-average performance.
Crewson plays Jackie, a 39-year-old best-selling author who is equal parts Collins and Susann.
Stuck in a rut of writer's block and meaningless one-night stands with admirers (whom she categorizes in a database according to physical attributes and stamina), Jackie is watched over by fellow author Lionel Heathcoate (trusty Peter Coyote), who cooks disgusting-sounding low-fat dishes for her, secretly hoping to one day become more than just her confidant.
Enter Patrick McKeating (Joe Cobden), a lanky, slightly goofy, promising writer half Jackie's age who works part time at Shawarma King juggling torches and whose idea of sophisticated snacking involves Trix straight from the package.
Despite her initial protestations, Jackie ultimately surrenders herself to Patrick's young, idealistic advances, and, after a couple of false starts, she finally learns what it means to be true to herself.
Cue the commercials.
Although the script, by Elyse Friedman, has its share of witty lines, there's a forced quality to the situations that prevents them from being involvingly believable.
Wheeler, who directs with her usual visual energy, works hard to make the material sing, but the notes that are produced tend to come off as either sharp or flat rather than natural.
One of the few exceptions is a winning sequence in which Jackie and Lionel take a stab at a physical relationship, but everything they do to set the mood ends up feeling awkward and silly.
More moments like that would have made "Naked" the kind of candid, sophisticated big-screen comedy worthy of Wheeler's proven touch.
SUDDENLY NAKED
White Rock Film International
Director: Anne Wheeler
Screenwriter: Elyse Friedman
Producer: Gavin Wilding
Executive producers: Anne Wheeler, Ralph Zimmerman
Director of photography: David Frazee
Production designer: Cathy Robertson
Editor: Lara Mazur
Music: Chris Ainscough
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jackie York: Wendy Crewson
Lionel Heathcoate: Peter Coyote
Patrick McKeating: Joe Cobden
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/5/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film review: 'Better Than Chocolate'
There's a playful exuberance on display in "Better Than Chocolate", a bright, funny and sexy romp set in the heart of Vancouver's vibrant lesbian community.
Although it has a little trouble deciding what it wants to be when it grows up -- romantic comedy or full-throttle farce -- the picture's tonal ambiguity also happens to be part of its unpredictable charm.
Having already proved popular with audiences on the festival circuit, the Trimark Pictures release should find a sweet specialty market niche for itself, tickling viewers with its refreshingly angst-free, youthful energy.
Ironically, the person calling the shots is not some fresh-out-of-film-school talent but acclaimed Canadian director Anne Wheeler ("Loyalties", A&E's "The Sleep Room"), who has forged a career from effortlessly slipping in and out of genres.
Here, in collaboration with screenwriter-playwright Peggy Thompson ("The Lotus Eaters"), she again demonstrates that resiliency working with a young, promising cast in a potentially tricky milieu.
Capably serving as the film's heart and soul is Karyn Dwyer in the role of Maggie, a fresh-faced 19-year-old who has dropped out of college to embark on a writing career. Making ends meet by working at a lesbian bookstore called "Ten Percent", Maggie learns that timing isn't her forte when she meets the woman of her dreams (Christina Cox) just before her neurotic mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson), and her brother Paul Kevin Mundy) abruptly move in with her.
To add to the discomfort factor, Maggie has yet to have that little discussion with Mom, who thinks that "Ten Percent" is a discount bookstore. She also hasn't mentioned the fact that her loft is actually a furnished sublet from a woman who happens to make all kinds of latex toys that keep popping up in the darndest places.
Meanwhile, as Maggie and Kim's relationship heats up, recently separated, bonbon-popping Lila finds a sympathetic shoulder to cry on from Judy (Peter Outerbridge), a transgendered lesbian nightclub singer (although Lila has only cottoned to the nightclub singer part), who, in turn, has a big crush on Frances (Ann-Marie MacDonald), Maggie's repressed bookstore boss who apparently takes her fashion cues from Velma on "Scooby-Doo".
When not keeping an eye on inventory, Frances wages war with Canadian Customs, which is repeatedly seizing imported books at the border, deeming them obscene. Even "Little Red Riding Hood" is suspect.
For the most part, all these wacky elements manage to hold together thanks to the tender, core Maggie-Kim relationship. Relative newcomers Dwyer and Cox are terrific, lending the goings-on a heated, poignant credibility.
Good, too, is Outerbridge, who impressively resists the temptation to drag his colorful character too far over the top.
It's a tougher battle for Crewson and MacDonald, whose farcically written characters can pretty well be conveyed only with broad strokes. They make for a lively if occasionally discordant mix.
Production values are equally bright and bouncy thanks to Gregory Middleton's cheery cinematography and Alison Grace's nimble editing.
On the musical front, Graeme Coleman's contemporary romantic score is neatly complemented by a Lilith Fair-ready song list, including contributions from Sarah McLachlan and Ani DiFranco.
BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE
Trimark
Trimark Pictures presents
a Sharon McGowan and Peggy Thompson production
A film by Anne Wheeler
Director: Anne Wheeler
Producer: Sharon McGowan
Screenwriter: Peggy Thompson
Director of photography: Gregory Middleton
Production designer: David Roberts
Editor: Alison Grace
Costume designer: Brad Gough
Music: Graeme Coleman
Color/stereo
Cast:
Lila: Wendy Crewson
Maggie: Karyn Dwyer
Kim: Christina Cox
Frances: Ann-Marie MacDonald
Carla: Marya Delver
Paul: Kevin Mundy
Judy: Peter Outerbridge
Tony: Tony Nappo
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Although it has a little trouble deciding what it wants to be when it grows up -- romantic comedy or full-throttle farce -- the picture's tonal ambiguity also happens to be part of its unpredictable charm.
Having already proved popular with audiences on the festival circuit, the Trimark Pictures release should find a sweet specialty market niche for itself, tickling viewers with its refreshingly angst-free, youthful energy.
Ironically, the person calling the shots is not some fresh-out-of-film-school talent but acclaimed Canadian director Anne Wheeler ("Loyalties", A&E's "The Sleep Room"), who has forged a career from effortlessly slipping in and out of genres.
Here, in collaboration with screenwriter-playwright Peggy Thompson ("The Lotus Eaters"), she again demonstrates that resiliency working with a young, promising cast in a potentially tricky milieu.
Capably serving as the film's heart and soul is Karyn Dwyer in the role of Maggie, a fresh-faced 19-year-old who has dropped out of college to embark on a writing career. Making ends meet by working at a lesbian bookstore called "Ten Percent", Maggie learns that timing isn't her forte when she meets the woman of her dreams (Christina Cox) just before her neurotic mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson), and her brother Paul Kevin Mundy) abruptly move in with her.
To add to the discomfort factor, Maggie has yet to have that little discussion with Mom, who thinks that "Ten Percent" is a discount bookstore. She also hasn't mentioned the fact that her loft is actually a furnished sublet from a woman who happens to make all kinds of latex toys that keep popping up in the darndest places.
Meanwhile, as Maggie and Kim's relationship heats up, recently separated, bonbon-popping Lila finds a sympathetic shoulder to cry on from Judy (Peter Outerbridge), a transgendered lesbian nightclub singer (although Lila has only cottoned to the nightclub singer part), who, in turn, has a big crush on Frances (Ann-Marie MacDonald), Maggie's repressed bookstore boss who apparently takes her fashion cues from Velma on "Scooby-Doo".
When not keeping an eye on inventory, Frances wages war with Canadian Customs, which is repeatedly seizing imported books at the border, deeming them obscene. Even "Little Red Riding Hood" is suspect.
For the most part, all these wacky elements manage to hold together thanks to the tender, core Maggie-Kim relationship. Relative newcomers Dwyer and Cox are terrific, lending the goings-on a heated, poignant credibility.
Good, too, is Outerbridge, who impressively resists the temptation to drag his colorful character too far over the top.
It's a tougher battle for Crewson and MacDonald, whose farcically written characters can pretty well be conveyed only with broad strokes. They make for a lively if occasionally discordant mix.
Production values are equally bright and bouncy thanks to Gregory Middleton's cheery cinematography and Alison Grace's nimble editing.
On the musical front, Graeme Coleman's contemporary romantic score is neatly complemented by a Lilith Fair-ready song list, including contributions from Sarah McLachlan and Ani DiFranco.
BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE
Trimark
Trimark Pictures presents
a Sharon McGowan and Peggy Thompson production
A film by Anne Wheeler
Director: Anne Wheeler
Producer: Sharon McGowan
Screenwriter: Peggy Thompson
Director of photography: Gregory Middleton
Production designer: David Roberts
Editor: Alison Grace
Costume designer: Brad Gough
Music: Graeme Coleman
Color/stereo
Cast:
Lila: Wendy Crewson
Maggie: Karyn Dwyer
Kim: Christina Cox
Frances: Ann-Marie MacDonald
Carla: Marya Delver
Paul: Kevin Mundy
Judy: Peter Outerbridge
Tony: Tony Nappo
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/12/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CAPSULE REVIEWS:
OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY
Warner Bros.
A diverse collection of gifted talents fail to live up to their past performances in ''Other People's Money, '' a social satire whose first half is so tenuously organized that it fails to establish the exact relations among the principal characters.
After starting out by relying on star Danny DeVito's trademark broad comic antics, the film tries to get serious, primarily through its main story line about the possible financial trashing of a small-town factory, but also through a love story.
Thanks in part to Gregory Peck's oratorical skills, the former does gather some steam, but the love story never gets beyond sitcom level, and vaporizes.
Cinematographer Haskell Wexler expertly catches the copper-tinged light infusing Philip Rosenberg's expertly recreated industrial background, and director Norman Jewison shifts perspective effectively among the characters and crowd (HR 10/16). -- Henry Sheehan
LOST IN SIBERIA
Spectator International Film
One screenwriter on this picture spent 10 years in a Lubianka-like prison, undeniably accounting for the hellish realism and insider revelations of ''Lost in Siberia, '' about the horrors of Stalin's prison
One screenwriter on this picture spent 10 years in a Lubianka-like prison, undeniably accounting for the hellish realism and insider revelations of ''Lost in Siberia, '' about the horrors of Stalin's prisonsystem.
Set during the early days of the Cold War, this engrossing and entertaining film is the story of Andrei Miller (Anthony Andrews), a British archaeologist who is snagged away from his Middle Eastern dig by the KGB and incarcerated as a ''Western spy.''
It's a gut-turning story of cold sadism and bureaucratic brutality. (The KGB soon learns it has the wrong man, but petty officials refuse to free him.) And it's a story that
It's a gut-turning story of cold sadism and bureaucratic brutality. (The KGB soon learns it has the wrong man, but petty officials refuse to free him.) And it's a story thatconveys with a David Lean-ish sweep the natural horrors of Siberia.03
The film's narrative framework facilitates our understanding of the icy, Kafka-like hell of a Siberian prison, and director Alexander Mitta's visual compositions further imbue the monstrous experience of political imprisonment with a human perspective (10/17). -- Duane Byrge
ANGEL SQUARE
Telefilm Canada
Picture Orson Welles as a tubby tyke spread out on the living room floor listening to ''The Mystic, '' his favorite mystery series, on the family radio.
Then unleash the imagination as the hyper-stimulated kid discovers his own real-life mystery and sets out ''Mystic''-style to uncover the culprits. Now throw in lunar eclipses, Christmas Eve, a dotty aunt, a girl who likes to French-kiss, a dusty thumbprint and, of course, the usual suspects.
That adds up to a two-popcorn-bag matinee, the kind of playful, grand stuff that Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis might concoct but is all too rare in kids' fare today.
Crammed with more colorful ingredients than a Christmas fruit cake, ''Angel Square, '' which screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, scampers along at a devilishly wonderful pace. James Defelice and Anne Wheeler's screenplay is jaunty, kind-hearted and chock-full of surprises and quirks (10/18). -- Duane Byrge
CURLY SUE
Warner Bros.
A sentimental comedy drama from John Hughes, ''Curly Sue'' should evoke enough seasonal good will from audiences to turn into a respectable boxoffice performer.
Hughes' attempts at warmth, however, seem to have thrown his comic timing a little off, and several comedy sequences designed as audience hooks fail to provide hoped-for belly laughs. Also, for a movie that offers itself as a contemporary morality tale, it has an awfully elastic sense of right and wrong where its main characters are concerned, a contradiction that may invite critical brickbats.
The movie is at its best when creating sympathy for the endearing underdog pair of Curly Sue (Alisan Porter) and Bill (James Belushi) as they take on a collection of cold and selfish upper-class types, though interplay between the two is hampered by a reliance on close-ups (10/21).-- Henry Sheehan
Other reviews
Also reviewed last week were the films ''Necessary Love, '' (HR 10/16); ''American Friends'' (10/16); ''ShuRoo'' (10/16); ''The Cry of the Owl'' (10/16); ''The Arc'' (10/17); ''Resident Alien'' (10/18); ''The Restless Conscience'' (10/18); ''Satan'' (10/18); and ''Cool as Ice'' (10/21).
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Warner Bros.
A diverse collection of gifted talents fail to live up to their past performances in ''Other People's Money, '' a social satire whose first half is so tenuously organized that it fails to establish the exact relations among the principal characters.
After starting out by relying on star Danny DeVito's trademark broad comic antics, the film tries to get serious, primarily through its main story line about the possible financial trashing of a small-town factory, but also through a love story.
Thanks in part to Gregory Peck's oratorical skills, the former does gather some steam, but the love story never gets beyond sitcom level, and vaporizes.
Cinematographer Haskell Wexler expertly catches the copper-tinged light infusing Philip Rosenberg's expertly recreated industrial background, and director Norman Jewison shifts perspective effectively among the characters and crowd (HR 10/16). -- Henry Sheehan
LOST IN SIBERIA
Spectator International Film
One screenwriter on this picture spent 10 years in a Lubianka-like prison, undeniably accounting for the hellish realism and insider revelations of ''Lost in Siberia, '' about the horrors of Stalin's prison
One screenwriter on this picture spent 10 years in a Lubianka-like prison, undeniably accounting for the hellish realism and insider revelations of ''Lost in Siberia, '' about the horrors of Stalin's prisonsystem.
Set during the early days of the Cold War, this engrossing and entertaining film is the story of Andrei Miller (Anthony Andrews), a British archaeologist who is snagged away from his Middle Eastern dig by the KGB and incarcerated as a ''Western spy.''
It's a gut-turning story of cold sadism and bureaucratic brutality. (The KGB soon learns it has the wrong man, but petty officials refuse to free him.) And it's a story that
It's a gut-turning story of cold sadism and bureaucratic brutality. (The KGB soon learns it has the wrong man, but petty officials refuse to free him.) And it's a story thatconveys with a David Lean-ish sweep the natural horrors of Siberia.03
The film's narrative framework facilitates our understanding of the icy, Kafka-like hell of a Siberian prison, and director Alexander Mitta's visual compositions further imbue the monstrous experience of political imprisonment with a human perspective (10/17). -- Duane Byrge
ANGEL SQUARE
Telefilm Canada
Picture Orson Welles as a tubby tyke spread out on the living room floor listening to ''The Mystic, '' his favorite mystery series, on the family radio.
Then unleash the imagination as the hyper-stimulated kid discovers his own real-life mystery and sets out ''Mystic''-style to uncover the culprits. Now throw in lunar eclipses, Christmas Eve, a dotty aunt, a girl who likes to French-kiss, a dusty thumbprint and, of course, the usual suspects.
That adds up to a two-popcorn-bag matinee, the kind of playful, grand stuff that Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis might concoct but is all too rare in kids' fare today.
Crammed with more colorful ingredients than a Christmas fruit cake, ''Angel Square, '' which screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, scampers along at a devilishly wonderful pace. James Defelice and Anne Wheeler's screenplay is jaunty, kind-hearted and chock-full of surprises and quirks (10/18). -- Duane Byrge
CURLY SUE
Warner Bros.
A sentimental comedy drama from John Hughes, ''Curly Sue'' should evoke enough seasonal good will from audiences to turn into a respectable boxoffice performer.
Hughes' attempts at warmth, however, seem to have thrown his comic timing a little off, and several comedy sequences designed as audience hooks fail to provide hoped-for belly laughs. Also, for a movie that offers itself as a contemporary morality tale, it has an awfully elastic sense of right and wrong where its main characters are concerned, a contradiction that may invite critical brickbats.
The movie is at its best when creating sympathy for the endearing underdog pair of Curly Sue (Alisan Porter) and Bill (James Belushi) as they take on a collection of cold and selfish upper-class types, though interplay between the two is hampered by a reliance on close-ups (10/21).-- Henry Sheehan
Other reviews
Also reviewed last week were the films ''Necessary Love, '' (HR 10/16); ''American Friends'' (10/16); ''ShuRoo'' (10/16); ''The Cry of the Owl'' (10/16); ''The Arc'' (10/17); ''Resident Alien'' (10/18); ''The Restless Conscience'' (10/18); ''Satan'' (10/18); and ''Cool as Ice'' (10/21).
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 10/21/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'Angel Square'
CHICAGO -- Picture Orson Welles as a tubby tyke spread out on the living room floor listening to ''The Mystic, '' his favorite mystery series, on the family radio.
Then unleash the imagination as the hyper-stimulated kid discovers his own real-life mystery and sets out ''Mystic''-style to uncover the culprits. Now throw in lunar eclipses, Christmas Eve, a dotty aunt, a girl who likes to French-kiss, a dusty thumbprint and, of course, the usual suspects.
That adds up to a two-popcorn bag matinee, the kind of playful, grand stuff that Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis might concoct but is all too rare in kids' fare today.
Like little boys throughout eternity, Tommy Doyle (Jeremy Radick) has a heavy daily load: officious teachers, overly structured parents, playground bullies and schoolgirls of mystery. No wonder he retreats into the exalted imaginary world of his mentor, The Mystic.
It's a boyhood enthusiasm that everyone tolerates until Tommy sticks his nose into a police investigation: The father of one of Tommy's best friends has been beaten and robbed, and the police, in Tommy's opinion, are bollixing up the investigation.
Not that he doesn't like adults. His favorite, perhaps, is Officer Ozzie (Ned Beatty) who, in between his policely duties, doubles as Santa Claus at the local department store. But big people tend to get so bogged down in their own squirrelly little patterns that they aren't exactly capable of taking bold courses of action, namely, solving a crime.
Not that Tommy's got that much free space to navigate in either; between choir practice, homework and serving as Santa's elf, there's not much time for crime-solving.
Crammed with more colorful ingredients than a Christmas fruit cake, ''Angel Square, '' which screened here at the Chicago International Film Festival, scampers along at a devilishly wonderful pace. James Defelice and Anne Wheeler's screenplay is jaunty, kind-hearted and chock-full of surprises and quirks.
There's more here than one typically finds in two adult, summer-release plots and it's stiched into a clear and precise story line. Wheeler's hop-skip-and-jump direction -- attention Amblin -- is terrific, both balmy and clear-eyed.
As Tommy ''The Mystic'' Doyle, Jeremy Radick is perfectly cast; his sharp-eyed exuberance and clunky mannerisms are perfectly meshed. Ned Beatty, whether in his cop uniform or Santa Claus costume, concocts a pleasingly hurly-burly performance, while Nicola Cavendish is nicely maddening as Tommy's strict and goofy aunt.
Technical credits, most prominently Tobias Schliessler's warm-hued cinematography, are splendid.
ANGEL SQUARE
Telefilm Canada
Producer Arvi Liimatainen
Director Anne Wheeler
Screenwriters James Defelice, Anne Wheeler
Based on the novel ''Angel Square'' by Brian Doyle
Director of photography Tobias Schliessler
Music George Blondheim
Editors Peter Svab, Lenka Svab
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Tommy Doyle Jeremy Radick
Officer Ozzie Ned Beatty
Aunt Dotti Nicola Cavendish
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Then unleash the imagination as the hyper-stimulated kid discovers his own real-life mystery and sets out ''Mystic''-style to uncover the culprits. Now throw in lunar eclipses, Christmas Eve, a dotty aunt, a girl who likes to French-kiss, a dusty thumbprint and, of course, the usual suspects.
That adds up to a two-popcorn bag matinee, the kind of playful, grand stuff that Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis might concoct but is all too rare in kids' fare today.
Like little boys throughout eternity, Tommy Doyle (Jeremy Radick) has a heavy daily load: officious teachers, overly structured parents, playground bullies and schoolgirls of mystery. No wonder he retreats into the exalted imaginary world of his mentor, The Mystic.
It's a boyhood enthusiasm that everyone tolerates until Tommy sticks his nose into a police investigation: The father of one of Tommy's best friends has been beaten and robbed, and the police, in Tommy's opinion, are bollixing up the investigation.
Not that he doesn't like adults. His favorite, perhaps, is Officer Ozzie (Ned Beatty) who, in between his policely duties, doubles as Santa Claus at the local department store. But big people tend to get so bogged down in their own squirrelly little patterns that they aren't exactly capable of taking bold courses of action, namely, solving a crime.
Not that Tommy's got that much free space to navigate in either; between choir practice, homework and serving as Santa's elf, there's not much time for crime-solving.
Crammed with more colorful ingredients than a Christmas fruit cake, ''Angel Square, '' which screened here at the Chicago International Film Festival, scampers along at a devilishly wonderful pace. James Defelice and Anne Wheeler's screenplay is jaunty, kind-hearted and chock-full of surprises and quirks.
There's more here than one typically finds in two adult, summer-release plots and it's stiched into a clear and precise story line. Wheeler's hop-skip-and-jump direction -- attention Amblin -- is terrific, both balmy and clear-eyed.
As Tommy ''The Mystic'' Doyle, Jeremy Radick is perfectly cast; his sharp-eyed exuberance and clunky mannerisms are perfectly meshed. Ned Beatty, whether in his cop uniform or Santa Claus costume, concocts a pleasingly hurly-burly performance, while Nicola Cavendish is nicely maddening as Tommy's strict and goofy aunt.
Technical credits, most prominently Tobias Schliessler's warm-hued cinematography, are splendid.
ANGEL SQUARE
Telefilm Canada
Producer Arvi Liimatainen
Director Anne Wheeler
Screenwriters James Defelice, Anne Wheeler
Based on the novel ''Angel Square'' by Brian Doyle
Director of photography Tobias Schliessler
Music George Blondheim
Editors Peter Svab, Lenka Svab
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Tommy Doyle Jeremy Radick
Officer Ozzie Ned Beatty
Aunt Dotti Nicola Cavendish
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 10/18/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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