We caught wind of a new indie supernatural thriller from director Jonathan Williams entitled House Of Eternity, which was scripted by Jonathan Williams & J. Andrew Colletti. Starring in this film is Geoff Tate (Lead Singer of Queensryche!), Candice Night (Lead Singer of Blackmore's Night), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville,) Omar Gooding (Baby Boy), Lenny Venito (Sopranos, Knights of Prosperity) and Robert Costanzo (Friends, Spy Kids). Shooting this spring, the film follows a newlywed couple from New York City who move to North Carolina and are attacked by a ghost that lives there.
- 2/26/2008
- bloody-disgusting.com
Hollywood actor and E-Ring star Benjamin Bratt is celebrating the birth of his second child after his wife Talisa Soto gave birth to a Baby Boy on Monday. Mateo Bravery Bratt was born in Los Angeles, weighing seven pounds, seven ounces. Both mother and son are doing well, according to publicist Craig Bankey. The Pinero co-stars already have a daughter together, Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, born in December 2002.
- 10/7/2005
- WENN
Ben Stiller and his wife Christine Taylor, are celebrating after the birth of their Baby Boy three weeks ago. Quinlin Dempsey Stiller was born on July 10 in Los Angeles, weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The low-key Dodgeball and Zoolander co-stars, who celebrated five years of marriage in May, already have a three-year-old daughter, Ella.
- 8/2/2005
- WENN
PARK CITY -- "Loggerheads" is an ambitious and intricately structured first-time narrative film from documentarian Tim Kirkman. While subject matter and insights are far from new, the writer-director takes an unusual approach and is rewarded with honest and pensive performances by a fine ensemble cast. The film lacks somewhat in dramatic energy, so its theatrical appeal is limited mostly to festivals and gay programming.
The conflicts in "Loggerheads" are oh-so-carefully and quietly modulated. Even in sharp exchanges -- and these are rare -- no one raises his or her voice. The story takes place in communities, where people try to keep personal matters far from public view so when things do boil to the surface it's a slow, managed boil.
Kirkman's strategy is to interweave three stories, each set in a different year on a Mother's Day weekend in North Carolina, Kirkman's home state. Unfortunately, the different time frames are not immediately apparent so audiences may become understandably confused.
Grace (Bonnie Hunt) returns to her hometown following a suicide attempt to stay awhile with her mother (Michael Learned). She finally decides to begin a search for the Baby Boy she was forced by her mother to give up for adoption so many years earlier.
Mark (Kip Pardue), a young man clearly adrift in life, comes to a small beach town with the goal of helping to save the endangered loggerhead turtles. George (Michael Kelly), a motel owner who is attracted to him, offers Mark a room in his less-than-successful establishment. Mark's admission that he is HIV positive puts a momentary damper on the sexual side to their relationship, but the two grow closer as Mark opens up about the demons that haunt him.
A minister's wife (Tess Harper) must confront a changing society where homosexuality is in the open and the fact their son, who is gay, ran away from home since he was unable to find acceptance in a home dominated by the rigid if not bigoted sense of morality of her husband (Chris Sarandon).
Audiences will quickly realize the connection among the three stories. They can just as quickly guess what is at the root of everyone's dilemma for there is a bit too much Psychology 101 here. The film never really digs deep enough.
Similarly, the twin villains of small-town conformity and religious intolerance, while valid, are more than a little tired. The drama enters much firmer ground when it moves into the area of adoption rights and people's desire to reach out and restore severed ties. Here the film is quite touching.
Cinematographer Oliver Bokelberg shoots in muted colors that create beautiful landscapes where you can almost feel the regret and loss. Mark Geary's soft music is used minimally as Kirkman often prefers a country song or two.
LOGGERHEADS
Independent Dream Motion Pictures
Presents
A LaSalleHolland Production
In Association with dB120 Films
Credits:
Writer/director: Tim Kirkman
Producer: Gill Holland
Executive producers: Lillian LaSalle, Stephen Hays
Co-producers: Cindy Tolan, Les Franck, Zeke Zelker
Director of photography: Oliver Bokelberg
Production designer: Jim Shaugnessy
Music: Mark Geary
Costume designer: Susan Oliver
Editor: Caitlin Dixon.
Cast:
Elizabeth: Tess Harper
Grace: Bonnie Hunt
George: Michael Kelly
Sheridan: Michael Learned
Mark: Kip Pardue
Ruth: Ann Pierce
Robert: Chris Sarandon
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 95 minutes...
The conflicts in "Loggerheads" are oh-so-carefully and quietly modulated. Even in sharp exchanges -- and these are rare -- no one raises his or her voice. The story takes place in communities, where people try to keep personal matters far from public view so when things do boil to the surface it's a slow, managed boil.
Kirkman's strategy is to interweave three stories, each set in a different year on a Mother's Day weekend in North Carolina, Kirkman's home state. Unfortunately, the different time frames are not immediately apparent so audiences may become understandably confused.
Grace (Bonnie Hunt) returns to her hometown following a suicide attempt to stay awhile with her mother (Michael Learned). She finally decides to begin a search for the Baby Boy she was forced by her mother to give up for adoption so many years earlier.
Mark (Kip Pardue), a young man clearly adrift in life, comes to a small beach town with the goal of helping to save the endangered loggerhead turtles. George (Michael Kelly), a motel owner who is attracted to him, offers Mark a room in his less-than-successful establishment. Mark's admission that he is HIV positive puts a momentary damper on the sexual side to their relationship, but the two grow closer as Mark opens up about the demons that haunt him.
A minister's wife (Tess Harper) must confront a changing society where homosexuality is in the open and the fact their son, who is gay, ran away from home since he was unable to find acceptance in a home dominated by the rigid if not bigoted sense of morality of her husband (Chris Sarandon).
Audiences will quickly realize the connection among the three stories. They can just as quickly guess what is at the root of everyone's dilemma for there is a bit too much Psychology 101 here. The film never really digs deep enough.
Similarly, the twin villains of small-town conformity and religious intolerance, while valid, are more than a little tired. The drama enters much firmer ground when it moves into the area of adoption rights and people's desire to reach out and restore severed ties. Here the film is quite touching.
Cinematographer Oliver Bokelberg shoots in muted colors that create beautiful landscapes where you can almost feel the regret and loss. Mark Geary's soft music is used minimally as Kirkman often prefers a country song or two.
LOGGERHEADS
Independent Dream Motion Pictures
Presents
A LaSalleHolland Production
In Association with dB120 Films
Credits:
Writer/director: Tim Kirkman
Producer: Gill Holland
Executive producers: Lillian LaSalle, Stephen Hays
Co-producers: Cindy Tolan, Les Franck, Zeke Zelker
Director of photography: Oliver Bokelberg
Production designer: Jim Shaugnessy
Music: Mark Geary
Costume designer: Susan Oliver
Editor: Caitlin Dixon.
Cast:
Elizabeth: Tess Harper
Grace: Bonnie Hunt
George: Michael Kelly
Sheridan: Michael Learned
Mark: Kip Pardue
Ruth: Ann Pierce
Robert: Chris Sarandon
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 95 minutes...
- 1/21/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Todo Cine Prods./Sophie Dulac Prods.
PALM SPRINGS -- At the center of "El Cielito" (Little Sky), the extraordinary new feature from Argentine writer-director Maria Victoria Menis, is an unlikely pair of soulmates: an orphaned teen boy and a 10-month-old baby (first-time actors both). The film achieves exceptional eloquence through spare dialogue and fluent imagery, and with its full-blooded portraits earns the devastating impact of its final scene. The film bowed stateside as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival's new Cine Latino section.
The drama, inspired by a news item, revolves around Felix (Leonardo Ramirez), who's at loose ends but too full of youthful resilience to feel desperate. He arrives by train at Rio Tala looking for work and meets Roberto (Dario Levy), a laid-off factory employee with an easy charm. Roberto takes a paternal interest in Felix, offering him a job on the small farm he's inherited. Roberto's wife, Mercedes (Monica Lairana), oversees the preparation of salsas and jams they sell at a roadside stand.
The remote plot of land and rustic house provide a kind of rural idyll, and the natural soundscape -- wind rustling through leaves, birds singing -- heightens the powerful sense of place. Close-mouthed Felix quickly becomes an essential part of the household. He observes the adults with a certain wariness, but his connection with Baby Boy Chango (Rodrigo Silva) is immediate and profound; they respond to each other with sheer joy. When the tranquil refuge dissolves in the marriage's dark undercurrents -- Mercedes withdrawing into her sorrow and Roberto into his bottle -- Felix becomes Chango's surrogate parent, eagerly embracing the sense of purpose.
The final sections of the film, which find the two sweet-natured country boys on the rough streets of Buenos Aires, build with a terrible sense of hope and dread. Amid the cacophony of urban bustle (again, natural sound speaks volumes), the only friends Felix finds are those who have learned to survive at any cost.
Menis and co-scripter Alejandro Fernandez Murriay never force their observations about poverty, disenfranchisement and unconditional love, instead relying on the pitch-perfect performances and director of photography Marcelo Iaccarino's expressive imagery to convey the themes with immense power.
PALM SPRINGS -- At the center of "El Cielito" (Little Sky), the extraordinary new feature from Argentine writer-director Maria Victoria Menis, is an unlikely pair of soulmates: an orphaned teen boy and a 10-month-old baby (first-time actors both). The film achieves exceptional eloquence through spare dialogue and fluent imagery, and with its full-blooded portraits earns the devastating impact of its final scene. The film bowed stateside as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival's new Cine Latino section.
The drama, inspired by a news item, revolves around Felix (Leonardo Ramirez), who's at loose ends but too full of youthful resilience to feel desperate. He arrives by train at Rio Tala looking for work and meets Roberto (Dario Levy), a laid-off factory employee with an easy charm. Roberto takes a paternal interest in Felix, offering him a job on the small farm he's inherited. Roberto's wife, Mercedes (Monica Lairana), oversees the preparation of salsas and jams they sell at a roadside stand.
The remote plot of land and rustic house provide a kind of rural idyll, and the natural soundscape -- wind rustling through leaves, birds singing -- heightens the powerful sense of place. Close-mouthed Felix quickly becomes an essential part of the household. He observes the adults with a certain wariness, but his connection with Baby Boy Chango (Rodrigo Silva) is immediate and profound; they respond to each other with sheer joy. When the tranquil refuge dissolves in the marriage's dark undercurrents -- Mercedes withdrawing into her sorrow and Roberto into his bottle -- Felix becomes Chango's surrogate parent, eagerly embracing the sense of purpose.
The final sections of the film, which find the two sweet-natured country boys on the rough streets of Buenos Aires, build with a terrible sense of hope and dread. Amid the cacophony of urban bustle (again, natural sound speaks volumes), the only friends Felix finds are those who have learned to survive at any cost.
Menis and co-scripter Alejandro Fernandez Murriay never force their observations about poverty, disenfranchisement and unconditional love, instead relying on the pitch-perfect performances and director of photography Marcelo Iaccarino's expressive imagery to convey the themes with immense power.
- 1/11/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Everything is going oh so perfectly in Angie and Russ' lives. They've got a big house, an enduring marriage and a baby on the way. They're insulated from everything awful, yet "Everything Put Together" shows their vulnerability and the transience of their well-being. A sober and skillfully rendered portrait of the American Dream unraveling, "Everything Put Together" is one of the most visually accomplished and emotionally provocative films in the Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
No yuppie magazine could find a better poster couple than Russ (Justin Louis) and Angie (Radha Mitchell). They're attractive, intelligent and endearingly supportive of one another. Also, they're blessed with friends who commiserate and compare notes on Angie's pregnancy. All is going well, especially the pregnancy. Everything is wonderfully normal, in no small part due to the fact that Angie is doing all the right things.
Yet this oh-so-pretty picture falls apart when merely hours after her Baby Boy's birth, the child unexpectedly dies from sudden infant death syndrome. It happens, the doctors explain, and nobody knows what causes it or what to do about it. It's a staggering blow to Angie, and even kind, supportive nourishment from her husband does not keep her from sinking into a sharp malaise. Her behavior becomes erratic and frightening to her friends. Indeed, her friends turn out to be the fair-weather variety, and Angie becomes isolated in her torment.
A compassionate character portrait of what can happen when tragedy unexpectedly strikes, "Everything Put Together" shows the full strains of one woman's burden and isolation. Poignantly scripted by a triumvirate of writers (Adam Forgash, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Marc Forster), it's a wrenching story of personal loss and overwhelming heartache. Much of the film's power derives from Mitchell's acutely etched performance as the grief-stricken mother, a woman who has always relied on the security of her blessed and well-ordered world. Plaudits to Louis for his compact portrayal of Angie's well-meaning husband, conveying the quiet strength of a man forced to walk on eggs.
Everything works in "Everything Put Together", a testament to the sophistication and skills of director Marc Forster. Under his guiding hand, the technical contributions are alive and vital, telling us as much about the character's suffering and strength as the story itself. In particular, Roberto Schaefer's cinematography is a masterwork of telling compositions: His framings, some askew and some straight on, point us to the fullest story dimensions and character depths.
EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER
Furst Films
Producer:Sean Furst
Director:Marc Forster
Screenwriters:Adam Forgash, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Marc Forster
Executive producer:Adam Forgash
Co-producer:Jill Silverthorne
Director of photography:Roberto Schaefer
Editor:Matt Chesse
Production designer:Paul Jackson
Music:Thomas Koppel
Color/stereo
Cast:
Angie:Radha Mitchell
Russ:Justin Louis
Running time -- 87 minutes
No MPAA rating...
No yuppie magazine could find a better poster couple than Russ (Justin Louis) and Angie (Radha Mitchell). They're attractive, intelligent and endearingly supportive of one another. Also, they're blessed with friends who commiserate and compare notes on Angie's pregnancy. All is going well, especially the pregnancy. Everything is wonderfully normal, in no small part due to the fact that Angie is doing all the right things.
Yet this oh-so-pretty picture falls apart when merely hours after her Baby Boy's birth, the child unexpectedly dies from sudden infant death syndrome. It happens, the doctors explain, and nobody knows what causes it or what to do about it. It's a staggering blow to Angie, and even kind, supportive nourishment from her husband does not keep her from sinking into a sharp malaise. Her behavior becomes erratic and frightening to her friends. Indeed, her friends turn out to be the fair-weather variety, and Angie becomes isolated in her torment.
A compassionate character portrait of what can happen when tragedy unexpectedly strikes, "Everything Put Together" shows the full strains of one woman's burden and isolation. Poignantly scripted by a triumvirate of writers (Adam Forgash, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Marc Forster), it's a wrenching story of personal loss and overwhelming heartache. Much of the film's power derives from Mitchell's acutely etched performance as the grief-stricken mother, a woman who has always relied on the security of her blessed and well-ordered world. Plaudits to Louis for his compact portrayal of Angie's well-meaning husband, conveying the quiet strength of a man forced to walk on eggs.
Everything works in "Everything Put Together", a testament to the sophistication and skills of director Marc Forster. Under his guiding hand, the technical contributions are alive and vital, telling us as much about the character's suffering and strength as the story itself. In particular, Roberto Schaefer's cinematography is a masterwork of telling compositions: His framings, some askew and some straight on, point us to the fullest story dimensions and character depths.
EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER
Furst Films
Producer:Sean Furst
Director:Marc Forster
Screenwriters:Adam Forgash, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Marc Forster
Executive producer:Adam Forgash
Co-producer:Jill Silverthorne
Director of photography:Roberto Schaefer
Editor:Matt Chesse
Production designer:Paul Jackson
Music:Thomas Koppel
Color/stereo
Cast:
Angie:Radha Mitchell
Russ:Justin Louis
Running time -- 87 minutes
No MPAA rating...
NEW YORK -- The beautiful splendor of Ireland contrasts well with the emotional tension rampant in Gillies Mackinnon's ''The Playboys.'' Co-written by Shane Connaughton (who wrote ''My Left Foot'') and Kerry Crabbe, this absorbing film boasts several outstanding performances as well as a richness in both story and character that is much too rare these days.
Though perhaps not as spiritually uplifting as was ''My Left Foot, '' ''The Playboys'' is at least as powerful in terms of drama and subtext. The presence of Albert Finney, Aidan Quinn and Robin Wright is sure to increase attendance, but it will predominantly be the art-house crowd that rushes to see this moving and gripping film.
The three leads are perfectly cast, but it is Finney's intense performance (and beautifully developed character) that stands out. Another Oscar nomination for this brilliant actor lurks in the wings.
Finney plays Sgt. Hegarty, a seemingly humorless, ominous policeman in a small Irish town. At the heart of his misery and every waking thought is the beautiful and willful Tara (Robin Wright). Tara has recently given birth to a Baby Boy and refuses to tell who the father is. She is labeled a tramp by the judgmental townsfolk, as if she gave a damn.
She, of course, wants nothing to do with Hegarty, in spite of his pathetic professions of love. In fact, it seems that Tara wants nothing further to do with men in general. They have brought her nothing but pain and hardship. When another local man, also smitten with Tara, kills himself, she is even blamed for that.
Everything changes, however, when a traveling troupe of actors comes to perform for the town. Handsome Tom (Aidan Quinn) is a roguish rascal who is almost as willful as Tara. After several awkward encounters, they fall in love, which ultimately leads to some tragic consequences involving Hegarty, the two lovers and the baby.
The heaviness of the situation is blissfully broken up by the entertaining troupe, known as ''The Playboys.'' Milo O'Shea is a pure delight as the beleaguered troupe master. His memorable turn as the maid in their rendition of ''Gone With the Wind'' and his ridiculously costumed ''Othello'' provide the much-needed laughter in this much-too-serious town.
Beautifully, and essentially, shot in Ireland, ''The Playboys'' has an almost mystical aura about it. As directed by Mackinnon, the film takes on a dream-like quality that actually enhances the reality at hand. As if caught in a dream, all we can do is watch helplessly as things start to unravel.
The embodiment of this film is found within Finney's brooding, haunting character. He is dark and weighted, but in his own way he is filled with tempestuous compassion. ''The Playboys'' is equally compassionate and memorable. Unlike a dream, its imagery becomes even clearer and more affecting as time goes on.
THE PLAYBOYS
The Samuel Goldwyn Co.
Director Gillies Mackinnon
Writers Shane Connaughton, Kerry Crabbe
Director of photography Jack Conroy
Editor Humphrey Dixon
Music Jean-Claude Petit
Producers William P. Cartlidge, Simon Perry
Color
Cast:
Hegarty Albert Finney
Tom Aidan Quinn
Tara Robin Wright
Freddie Milo O'Shea
Father Malone Alan Devlin
Brigid Niamh Cusack
Cassidy Ian McElhinney
Running time -- 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Though perhaps not as spiritually uplifting as was ''My Left Foot, '' ''The Playboys'' is at least as powerful in terms of drama and subtext. The presence of Albert Finney, Aidan Quinn and Robin Wright is sure to increase attendance, but it will predominantly be the art-house crowd that rushes to see this moving and gripping film.
The three leads are perfectly cast, but it is Finney's intense performance (and beautifully developed character) that stands out. Another Oscar nomination for this brilliant actor lurks in the wings.
Finney plays Sgt. Hegarty, a seemingly humorless, ominous policeman in a small Irish town. At the heart of his misery and every waking thought is the beautiful and willful Tara (Robin Wright). Tara has recently given birth to a Baby Boy and refuses to tell who the father is. She is labeled a tramp by the judgmental townsfolk, as if she gave a damn.
She, of course, wants nothing to do with Hegarty, in spite of his pathetic professions of love. In fact, it seems that Tara wants nothing further to do with men in general. They have brought her nothing but pain and hardship. When another local man, also smitten with Tara, kills himself, she is even blamed for that.
Everything changes, however, when a traveling troupe of actors comes to perform for the town. Handsome Tom (Aidan Quinn) is a roguish rascal who is almost as willful as Tara. After several awkward encounters, they fall in love, which ultimately leads to some tragic consequences involving Hegarty, the two lovers and the baby.
The heaviness of the situation is blissfully broken up by the entertaining troupe, known as ''The Playboys.'' Milo O'Shea is a pure delight as the beleaguered troupe master. His memorable turn as the maid in their rendition of ''Gone With the Wind'' and his ridiculously costumed ''Othello'' provide the much-needed laughter in this much-too-serious town.
Beautifully, and essentially, shot in Ireland, ''The Playboys'' has an almost mystical aura about it. As directed by Mackinnon, the film takes on a dream-like quality that actually enhances the reality at hand. As if caught in a dream, all we can do is watch helplessly as things start to unravel.
The embodiment of this film is found within Finney's brooding, haunting character. He is dark and weighted, but in his own way he is filled with tempestuous compassion. ''The Playboys'' is equally compassionate and memorable. Unlike a dream, its imagery becomes even clearer and more affecting as time goes on.
THE PLAYBOYS
The Samuel Goldwyn Co.
Director Gillies Mackinnon
Writers Shane Connaughton, Kerry Crabbe
Director of photography Jack Conroy
Editor Humphrey Dixon
Music Jean-Claude Petit
Producers William P. Cartlidge, Simon Perry
Color
Cast:
Hegarty Albert Finney
Tom Aidan Quinn
Tara Robin Wright
Freddie Milo O'Shea
Father Malone Alan Devlin
Brigid Niamh Cusack
Cassidy Ian McElhinney
Running time -- 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 4/21/1992
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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