By Allen Gardner
Prometheus (20th Century Fox) Ridley Scott’s quasi-prequel to his 1979 classic “Alien” has an intergalactic exploratory team (Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba) arriving on a uncharted planet, where they discover what appears to be a dormant alien spacecraft and what might be the first discovery of intelligent life outside of Earth. Of course, everything goes straight to hell before you can scream “Don’t touch that egg!” Sumptuous visuals and strong performances from the cast (not to mention a nearly-perfect first half) can’t compensate for gaping plot and logic holes that nearly sink the proceedings in the film’s protracted second half. It feels as though some very crucial footage wound up on the cutting room floor. Perhaps, as with “Alien” and “Aliens” we’ll see a “Director’s Cut” of “Prometheus” arriving on DVD within the next year. In the meantime,...
Prometheus (20th Century Fox) Ridley Scott’s quasi-prequel to his 1979 classic “Alien” has an intergalactic exploratory team (Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba) arriving on a uncharted planet, where they discover what appears to be a dormant alien spacecraft and what might be the first discovery of intelligent life outside of Earth. Of course, everything goes straight to hell before you can scream “Don’t touch that egg!” Sumptuous visuals and strong performances from the cast (not to mention a nearly-perfect first half) can’t compensate for gaping plot and logic holes that nearly sink the proceedings in the film’s protracted second half. It feels as though some very crucial footage wound up on the cutting room floor. Perhaps, as with “Alien” and “Aliens” we’ll see a “Director’s Cut” of “Prometheus” arriving on DVD within the next year. In the meantime,...
- 10/8/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Title: Drunkboat Director: Bob Meyer Starring: John Malkovich, John Goodman, Dana Delaney, Jim Ortlieb, Jacob Zachar It’s perhaps something of a nautically-titled coincidence, the meandering nature and theatrical roots that “Drunkboat” share with “Jack Goes Boating,” Philip Seymour Hoffman’s 2010 directorial debut. But both movies represent personal passion projects ill suited to cinematic adaptation, or at least sludgy, unresolved, mannered and grating in their realized incarnations. “Drunkboat” centers around a down-and-out Vietnam veteran and drunkard, Mort (John Malkovich), who has an epiphany of sorts when he glimpses a relative while in a stupor. He subsequently returns to his childhood home in the Chicago suburbs, where his sister Eileen (Dana Delaney) still lives with her [ Read More ]...
- 7/17/2012
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Review: 'Drunkboat' Features A Compelling One-Two Acting Punch In A Weightless Stagebound Adaptation
At the start of “Drunkboat,” Mort Gleason (John Malkovich) is abandoned at the bottom of a bottle, reduced to a near-catatonic stupor. He’s a forty-something drunken layabout who’ll either be seen wearing a mop on his bald pate for laughs, or lying on the floor passed out as the mop wears him. To say he has no memory of his family is to give him too much credit – the randomly erudite screwup is more often staring quizzically at his friends and enemies as if his reaction time was Cro-Magnon. “Drunkboat” is based on a play, which somehow makes it easier to believe that his nephew is named Moo, and that Mort would somehow come face to face with the twenty-something in a bar in a chance encounter that rejiggers buried memories. Mort takes his cue to clean up (but not really), and heads back to sister Eileen’s...
- 7/11/2012
- by Gabe Toro
- The Playlist
• Bill Stamets and Roger Ebert
The 46th Chicago International Film Festival will play this year at one central location, on the many screens of the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois. A festivalgoers and filmmakers' lounge will be open during festival hours at the Lucky Strike on the second level. Tickets can be ordered online at Ciff's website, which also organizes the films by title, director and country. Tickets also at AMC; sold out films have Rush Lines. More capsules will be added here.
"127 Hours" (USA)A tour de force by James Franco and Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"). Many are familiar with the true story, and just as many probably thought it could never be filmed. Boyle succeeds. A climber named Aron Ralston went climbing by himself in remote canyons, and was trapped deep in a crevice when a falling rock pinned his arm. He had limited food and water, no...
The 46th Chicago International Film Festival will play this year at one central location, on the many screens of the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois. A festivalgoers and filmmakers' lounge will be open during festival hours at the Lucky Strike on the second level. Tickets can be ordered online at Ciff's website, which also organizes the films by title, director and country. Tickets also at AMC; sold out films have Rush Lines. More capsules will be added here.
"127 Hours" (USA)A tour de force by James Franco and Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"). Many are familiar with the true story, and just as many probably thought it could never be filmed. Boyle succeeds. A climber named Aron Ralston went climbing by himself in remote canyons, and was trapped deep in a crevice when a falling rock pinned his arm. He had limited food and water, no...
- 10/16/2010
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Chicago – One of the genuine thrills of the Chicago International Film Festival is the local premiere. The film ‘Drunkboat’ was shot in Chicago, directed by Bob Meyer, and featuring John Malkovich, John Goodman, Dana Delany, Jim Ortlieb and Jacob Zachar. The Red Carpet Premiere was last Friday, October 8th.
Walking the carpet was blustery film producer Chase Bailey, two featured performers of Drunkboat – Jim Ortlieb and Jacob Zachar (of the ABC Family series “Greek”) – and Director Bob Meyer. HollywoodChicago.com captured interviews with all of them.
Jacob Zachar, Abe in “Drunkboat”
The young actor Jacob Zachar has already made a mark playing Rusty Cartwright in the popular ABC Family Series “Greek.” In Drunkboat, he gets the privilege of working opposite Dana Delaney, John Malkovich and John Goodman.
Jacob Zachar at the Chicago International Film Festival, October 8th, 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
HollywoodChicago.com: This...
Walking the carpet was blustery film producer Chase Bailey, two featured performers of Drunkboat – Jim Ortlieb and Jacob Zachar (of the ABC Family series “Greek”) – and Director Bob Meyer. HollywoodChicago.com captured interviews with all of them.
Jacob Zachar, Abe in “Drunkboat”
The young actor Jacob Zachar has already made a mark playing Rusty Cartwright in the popular ABC Family Series “Greek.” In Drunkboat, he gets the privilege of working opposite Dana Delaney, John Malkovich and John Goodman.
Jacob Zachar at the Chicago International Film Festival, October 8th, 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
HollywoodChicago.com: This...
- 10/11/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Two of the Oscar-nominated stars of Disney’s “Secretariat” breezed through Chicago last month as both Diane Lane and John Malkovich sat down for entertaining one-on-ones about their inspirational drama from director Randall Wallace (the Oscar-winning writer of “Braveheart”). Lane plays Penny Chenery, the owner of the legendary horse who faced discrimination and even an non=supportive family in her quest for the Triple Crown in 1973. Malkovich takes on the role of Secretariat’s eccentric trainer Lucien Laurin.
Diane Lane
HollywoodChicago.com: Is there a different obligation in playing someone who you know is going to see your performance? What kind of different responsibility does that place on you as an actress?
Diane Lane: It’s sentimentally something that I will carry forward the rest of my life. I don’t know. It’s very surreal. Of course, I’m getting ready to play Penny and I’m...
Diane Lane
HollywoodChicago.com: Is there a different obligation in playing someone who you know is going to see your performance? What kind of different responsibility does that place on you as an actress?
Diane Lane: It’s sentimentally something that I will carry forward the rest of my life. I don’t know. It’s very surreal. Of course, I’m getting ready to play Penny and I’m...
- 10/6/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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