Posted: January 3, 2017 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Christopher Lourdelet, Clay Liford, Gareth Jennings, Hannah Marks, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Saunders, John C. Reilly, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Ian Black, Michael Johnston, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Seth McFarland, Sing, Slash, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly | 4 Comments »
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Warning: SPOILERS
Sing is an animated comedy about a koala bear producer about to lose his theater to the bank. To save his theater he comes up with what he seems to think is the most brilliant and original concept ever in the history of furrykind, though original and brilliant are very loosely defined here. He will hold a singing competition (now, I know that stories like this do take place in alternative universes, but it may still be a bit hard to believe no one has come up with American Idol, The Voice, or even Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour yet).
But actually, it’s not that bad an idea on the koala’s part. And in the end, there is nothing that wrong with the film. It’s perfectly pleasant and fun at times.
At the same time, it never really grabs hold of you either. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 5, 2016 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: A Christmas Tale, Arnaud Desplechin, Brigitte Bardot, COLCOA, Cyrus, Danny Boon, Death Valley, Duplass brothers, Gerard Depardieu, Grandvil, Guillaume Nicloux, Isabel Huppert, John C. Reilly, John LeCarre, Jonah Hill, Julie Delpy, Julie Peyr, Kings & Queen, Lola, Lou Roy-Lecollinet, Marisa Tomei, Mathieu Amalric, My Golden Years, Quentin Dolmaire, Seth Rogan, Valley of Love, Vincent Lacoste | 4,222 Comments »
First, a word from our sponsors: I am now offering a new service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
and check out my Script Consultation Services: http://ow.ly/HPxKE
Warning: SPOILERS
COLCOA, the incredible film festival of new French cinema (as well as some classics), will be starting in a couple of weeks. But while you may be waiting in baited breath for it (well, I am), you don’t have to wait that long to see Gallic cinema. A few films from the land of Truffaut and Godard have opened in Los Angeles in the last few weeks.
They are opening now between the months of January (where the movies are mainly the leftovers from the Oscar noms and those movies the studios wish to bury) and June (or whatever month is the one where the tentpole films will be thrust upon us). Translated, this means the time period when strong, introspective and personal films can make their appearance before they are gulped up and spit out by billion dollar movies as if they were a character in Jaws.
Lola, the new French rom com written by Eugenie Grandvil (a first feature) and the director Julie Delpy, has more than a passing resemblance to the Duplass brothers’ American comedy Cyrus, starring John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill (in the title role). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: December 2, 2015 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Ben Whishaw, Collin Farrell, Efthymis Filippou, Garry Moutaine, Harvey Keitel, Jane Fonda, John C. Reilly, Lea Seydoux, Michael Caine, Olivia Coleman, Paola Sorrentino, Paul Dano, Rachel Weisz, The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos, Youth | 1,076 Comments »
First, a word from our sponsors: I am now offering a new service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
and check out my Script Consultation Services: http://ow.ly/HPxKE
Warning: SPOILERS
Two movies at AFI were brought there by filmmakers who worked with an English speaking cast for the first time. Screenwriter Efthymis Filippou and writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos, from Greece, previously gave the world the oddity Dogtooth and, appropriately enough, now give us the quite possibly even odder oddity, The Lobster.
The Italian filmmaker Paola Sorrentino, who directed and co-wrote the absolutely brilliant and ravishing The Great Beauty, has now given us Youth.
Overall, they have all succeeded rather well in spite of the fact that they are creating in a language that is not their native tongue.
Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster is set in one of those dystopian futures and is located in The City, a place where everyone must be in a relationship, and if you are not (say you are widowed), you go to a hotel with others like yourself and are given 45 days to fall in love. If, at the end of your stay, you find yourself yet single, you are turned into the animal of your choice. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: August 18, 2014 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Aidan Gillen, Allison Berg, Benecio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Calvary, Chris O’Dowd, Chris Pratt, David Bautista, Djimon Hounsou, Dylan Moran, E. Emmet Walsh, Frank Keraudren, Glenn Close, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isaach De Bankole, James Gunn, John C. Reilly, John Michael McDonagh, John Wojtowicz, Karen Gillian, Kelly Reilly, Killian Scott, Michael Rooker, Nicole Perlman, Owen Sharpe, The Dog, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana | 95 Comments »
First, a word from our sponsors. Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
Warning: SPOILERS
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them
Malvolio in Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare
Well, I’m not sure I want to go over to actor Chris Pratt’s house for the holidays. After starring in both Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie, I strongly suspect there’s going to be no living with him.
Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest in the summer blockbusters the studios tend to set upon us now that it is, well…summer, I guess. The main difference is that GOT Galaxy (as I call it, or just started calling it cause it sounds kind of neat) has it’s tongue far more firmly planted in its cheek than in most summer blockbusters—and that’s saying a lot if you take Iron Man into consideration.
How good is it? Well, on a scale of one to ten, it’s not as good as The Lego Movie or X-Men: Days of Future Past, but it’s better than Edge of Tomorrow (or Live Die Repeat as the Cruise control movie seems to be called now that it’s being released on home video). Read the rest of this entry »
