Topher Grace

Film Review: Turn Down the Invitation to ‘The Big Wedding’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:12:54 -0400

CHICAGO – “The Big Wedding” begins with Robert De Niro performing a particular love making maneuver on Susan Sarandon, and is caught in the act by Diane Keaton. What could have happened in a cutting-edge indie feature in 1981 is the basis of a lame bit in 2013, and so it goes for the rest of the film.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

The movie is incredibly indecisive. It relishes it’s “R” rating, serving up the aforementioned carnality, as well as a dash of nudity, innuendo and crass absurdity. But at the same time, it wants to be a sentimental statement about love and extended family, and with this element it falls on its face. All of the characters blow with the wind between the two assignments, and the whole thing is a reminder of how, even with a cast of familiar movie stars, if the script stinks the movie stinks. Oddly too, Robin Williams again takes on the role of wacky Catholic priest, as he did in “License to Wed.” One more such role and he will be eligible to skip the first two years of the seminary.

Diane Keaton is Ellie, a divorced mother coming back to her old homestead to witness the marriage of her adopted-from-South-American son Alejandro (Ben Barnes) and Missy (Amanda Seyfried). She walks in on her ex-husband Don (Robert De Niro) and his live-in partner Bebe (Susan Sarandon), but their relationship is friendly. Alejandro’s sister Lyla (Katherine Heigl) and brother Jared (Topher Grace) joins the party, as well as his biological mother Madonna (Patricia Rae) and sister Nuria (Ana Ayora).

Complications arise when Alejandro reveals that he never told his biological über-Catholic mother that Don and Ellie had divorced, so they agree to pretend to be married for the weekend to protect the sanctity. Bebe is upset regarding this arrangement, and keeps reminding them at inappropriate times. Also, Lyla’s husband has left her, Jared is a 30 year old virgin with the hots for Nuria, and Missy’s parents are old school preppies who are suspicious of the groom’s Latino roots. This wedding is bound to be bigger than a bridal basket.

”The Big Wedding” opens everywhere on April 26th. Featuring Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, Ben Barnes, Ana Ayora, and Robin Williams. Written and directed by Justin Zackham. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Big Wedding”

Artist and Model: Don (Robert De Niro) and Daughter Lyla (Katherine Heigl) Work it Out in ‘The Big Wedding’
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Big Wedding”

Film Review: Jenna Fischer Stars in Sweet ‘The Giant Mechanical Man’

BrianTT — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:51:44 -0400

CHICAGO – Don’t let the awful title fool you — “The Giant Mechanical Man” is not sci-fi. This cute dramedy tackles well-trod ground in the world of indie film but Lee Kirk conveys enough honest affection for his well-crafted characters that the piece works. With a very strong ensemble portraying interesting, believable characters, “The Giant Mechanical Man” isn’t a breakthrough film but is an entertaining slice of life nonetheless.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

“What’s the point of you? Why should anyone care about you?” These are the kind of questions that face most of us at one point or another. For some people, they get tackled early in life and, however honestly, those people know the track they want to be in through life. Not everyone figures it out at the same time, however. And why should they have to? Why do we live in a society that demands standard, typical, defined roles? “The Giant Mechanical Man” weaves these themes into a sweet romance involving two incredibly likable characters and their quest for either some more definition in their lives or the understanding that they don’t really need it.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Giant Mechanical Man” in our reviews section.

Chris Messina has done solid work in small roles in films like “Vicky Christina Barcelona” and “Away We Go” but he proves that he can easily carry a film with his strong work here as, believe it or not, the title character. Tim is one of those unique souls that paints himself silver, stands on stilts, and waits in complete stillness on a corner for someone to drop some change in his suitcase. While his girlfriend (Lucy Punch) found it charming at the start, she’s had enough and breaks up with him at the beginning of the film (which also features a strong cameo from Bob Odenkirk as her brother). After an interview on local news, Tim packs up his metal makeup and gets a horrible job at the zoo.

Meanwhile, Janice (Jenna Fischer) sees the interview and randomly bumps into the mechanical man a few times. She seems almost inspired by his desire to do whatever he thinks is artistic and not what the world tells her to do. But not enough to change. Then she, of course, gets a job at the zoo, where she sells grape soda to kids and their obnoxious parents. She starts a very-sweet romance with Tim, never even realizing that he is the mechanical man.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Giant Mechanical Man” review.

“The Giant Mechanical Man” stars Chris Messina, Jenna Fischer, Lucy Punch, Malin Akerman, Rich Sommer, Topher Grace, and Bob Odenkirk. It was written and directed by Lee Kirk. It is already available On Demand and open in some markets, opening in others, including Detroit (where it was shot), on May 4, 2012.

The Giant Mechanical Man
Photo credit: Tribeca Films

Blu-ray Review: Preposterously Bad ‘The Double’ Embarrasses Cast, Insults Audience

mattmovieman — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:39:25 -0500

CHICAGO – Avid moviegoers like to pride themselves on their ability to predict twists and turns prior to their occurrence in a script. This is often the result of formulaic writing and creaky clichés, but in the case of Michael Brandt’s “The Double,” no exemplary knowledge of cinema is necessary to foretell every last plot point. Only functional eyesight and an IQ above zero are required.

Richard Gere graduates to a new level of wince-inducing weariness as Paul Shepherdson, a guy we first see smiling wistfully in the bleachers at a little league game. ‘Which one is your kid?’ a nearby mother inquires. Shepherdson explains that he doesn’t have children of his own, and likes to attend games just so he can watch the kids play. She smiles and says, ‘That’s nice,’ or something to that degree. I believe the correct word is ‘creepy.’

Blu-ray Rating: 1.0/5.0

Clearly, there’s something more going on beneath Mr. Shepherdson’s easygoing façade. Maybe I’m just too darn smart, but all I had to do was look at Gere’s face and I instantly predicted the film’s big twist, which isn’t revealed until a full half-hour into the picture. A spoiler alert isn’t all that necessary since the film essentially spoils itself. After mysterious Soviet assassin Cassius emerges as a suspect in the murder of a senator, Shepherdson is called out of retirement to fill his old duty as a CIA operative, while joining forces with a rookie agent, Ben Geary (a miscast Topher Grace), to catch the elusive killer. Gere’s odd behavior around his fresh-faced partner, combined with the dark shadows that cover his face as it turns in slow-motion, remove no shadow of a doubt that he is, in fact, Cassius. Once this simple fact is announced, the script penned by Brandt and Derek Haas has little to do but kill time as Shepherdson reveals his deep self-loathing while talking about himself in oh-so-poignant third person. “A visible alter ego will muddy the waters for anyone who’s chasing Cassius,” he helpfully replies. Every time he warns Geary’s wife (Odette Annable) that she and her family are in terrible danger, she reappears in the next scene with a sunny grin on her face as if she’s been freshly lobotomized.

The Double was released on Blu-ray and DVD on Jan. 31, 2012.
Photo credit: Image Entertainment

For a while, it appears that the film’s title relates primarily to Shepherdson’s dual identity, and how it allows him to separate his conscience from his evil id. Yet the filmmakers have one more whopper of a twist to unveil in the final twenty minutes that’s so brazenly preposterous it immediately derails the film from its mediocre path and plunges it into a pool of bargain-basement lunacy. Nowadays, twist endings are just an expected part of the thriller formula (thanks, M. Night Shyamalan), and this one is so bone-headed yet weirdly inevitable that it inspires laughs of incredulity. It’s nearly as funny as the flashbacks to 1988 where Gere and Martin Sheen (as his grim boss) walk around wearing dark hairpieces. Sorry guys, but the rug doesn’t take off 23 years.

“The Double” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio) and is packaged in a Blu-ray jacket that is as inept as the film itself. “True Blood” star Stephen Moyer appears twice on the back, despite the fact that his screen time amounts to mere minutes. There’s also a glaring spelling error in a large pull-quote hailing the film as “a sleek, taught spy thriller.” Apparently no one taut that writer how to spell. In a brief making-of featurette, the filmmakers make a feeble attempt to prove their picture’s timeliness by pointing out that a Russian spy ring was arrested during production. Grace says he was told to play his character as if he had never read the last five pages, which is a terrible direction since it makes the final twist even less believable.

The audio commentary is littered with contradictions, as writer/director Brandt and writer/producer Haas scramble to articulate their intentions. In the original draft, Shepherdson’s identity was revealed right at the beginning. The filmmakers rightfully believed that this would dilute the suspense, and decided to keep it a secret for the first third. So why did they allow the trailer to ruin all their well-intentioned (yet ineffectual) efforts? During Shepherdson and Geary’s climactic confrontation scene, the director notes that a flashback was deleted because he “didn’t want to beat the audience over the head” with the information that was being conveyed in the dialogue. Too bad the filmmakers do that everywhere else in the picture. When Geary discovers the secret to why Shepherdson is so desperate to catch a killer, the film cuts to a montage that fully explains his motivation. It’s only after this blatant explanation that Geary is required to utter the classic line, “So all this time…you were looking for revenge!” Rarely has a “gotcha!” thriller been so eager to explain itself.

‘The Double’ is released by Image Entertainment and stars Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Martin Sheen, Tamer Hassan, Chris Marquette, Odette Annable and Stephen Moyer. It was written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas and directed by Michael Brandt. It was released on Jan. 31, 2012. It is rated PG-13.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-ray Review: Criterion Release of Steven Soderbergh’s Incredible ‘Traffic’

BrianTT — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:15:15 -0500

CHICAGO – As his excellent “Haywire” plays in theaters and his even-better “Contagion” was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, one is reminded of the incredible talent of Steven Soderbergh, one of the best living directors. But “Contagion” and “Haywire,” while enjoyable, don’t hold a candle to this incredible filmmaker’s best films, which include “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” “Out of Sight,” “Che,” and, recently released on Criterion Blu-ray and DVD, the Oscar-winning “Traffic.” This is one of Criterion’s best releases for one of the ‘00’s best films.

Blu-ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Steven Soderbergh won his only Oscar for directing “Traffic” (and it should have beaten “Gladiator” for Best Picture a few minutes later on the same Oscar telecast and has held up significantly better than Ridley Scott’s film) and it was well-deserved. Watching the film again over a decade later, I’m blown away by how little of it feels dated (other than the fact that Dennis Quaid and Michael Douglas look so much younger that it makes me feel old). This is an even better film than you remember, a daring, ambitious, sprawling work that captures more about the war on drugs (and its overall failure) than any other film in history.

Traffic was released on Criterion Blu-ray and re-released on Criterion DVD on January 17th, 2012
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection

And the Criterion edition is absolutely stunning. It’s worth owning for one of its three (!!!) commentary tracks alone, the informative, insightful, fascinating one by Soderbergh and Oscar-winning writer Stephen Gaghan. Technical demonstrations, two more commentaries, TWENTY-FIVE deleted scenes, a restored HD transfer, and a great essay by Manohla Dargis. Once again, this is supplemental material that is not designed, like most Blu-ray/DVD releases, as pure filler, but is intended to increase your appreciation for and understanding of the film they accompany. Filmmakers could learn a number of lessons from watching “Traffic” and Blu-ray producers could learn just as much from its incredible Criterion edition.

Traffic was released on Criterion Blu-ray and re-released on Criterion DVD on January 17th, 2012
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection

Synopsis:
Traffic examines the effect of drugs as politics, business, and lifestyle. Acting as his own director of photography, Steven Soderbergh employs an innovative, color-coded cinematic treatment to distinguish the interwoven stories of a newly appointed drug czar and his family, a West Coast kingpin’s wife, a key informant, and cops on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border. The film, delivering a complex and nuanced take on this issue of such great international importance without sacrificing any energy or suspense, is a contemporary classic, and the winner of four Oscars, for best director, best screenplay, best editing, and best supporting actor for Benicio del Toro.

Special Features:
o Three audio commentaries, featuring Steven Soderbergh and writer Stephen Gaghan; producers Laura Bickford, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz and consultants Tim Golden and Craig Chretien; and composer Cliff Martinez
o 25 deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Soderbergh and Gaghan
o Three sets of demonstrations: one on film processing and the look of the Mexico sequences; one on film editing, with commentary by editor Stephen Mirrione; and one on dialogue editing
o Additional unused footage of various scenes, from multiple angles
o Theatrical trailers and television spots
o Gallery of trading cards depicting the U.S. Customs canine squad used to detect narcotics and other illegal substances
o Essay by film critic Manohla Dargis

“Traffic” stars Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Luis Guzman, Don Cheadle, Miguel Ferrer, Topher Grace, Erika Christensen, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, and Clifton Collins Jr. It was written by Stephen Gaghan and directed by Steven Soderbergh. It was released on Criterion Blu-ray and re-released on Criterion DVD on January 17th, 2012.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: ‘The Double’ Copies Lazy Performances, Silly Twists

BrianTT — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:20:21 -0400

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – It’s ironic that a film called “The Double,” starring Richard Gere & Topher Grace, would remind one of so many superior thrillers. It is in itself a double, a carbon copy of better films that focuses on all of the wrong elements, thinking that audiences are still dumb enough that just throwing twist after twist at them will keep their head spinning enough to not realize that what they just saw not only makes no sense at all but wasn’t even remotely entertaining.

Don’t worry that the trailer for “The Double” gives away the title character because the film itself does the same by the end of the first reel. If co-writer/director Michael Brandt (who wrote “Wanted,” a film that looks downright logical compared to this one) had been content with just one twist, his thriller might have been effective, but savvy viewers will know that this is the kind of movie in which the writers don’t reveal a double agent early without having a few more clichés coded into their screenwriting program. With nothing resembling a character worth rooting for, the fact that the plot of “The Double” just gets sillier and sillier makes it one of the most annoying films of the year.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Double” in our reviews section.

Phoning in a performance more than he ever has in a career marred by a few lazy leading man turns lately, Richard Gere stars as Paul Shepherdson, a retired CIA Agent called back to service after the death of a Senator hints that a notorious Russian madman that Shepherdson killed may be alive after all. Assisting Shepherdson in his quest to track down the one that apparently got away is whiz kid Ben Geary (Topher Grace), a supposed expert on the infamous criminal who can ostensibly be the brains to Paul’s field-tested brawn.

If you’re thinking “The Double” is going to be an oil-and-water buddy thriller, Brandt switches clichés on you pretty quickly, revealing that Shepherdson is actually the Russian in question and we watch as he eliminates those who could identify him. As Ben gets closer to realizing that his partner cannot be trusted, the film constantly changes allegiances. Should we be rooting for Ben to take down Paul? How should we feel when Paul warns Ben’s stunning wife (Odette Annable) that she and her hubby should run for the hills? Are we supposed to now like a man that we saw garrote someone in a parking garage?

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Double” review.

“The Double” stars Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Odette Annable, Stephen Moyer, and Martin Sheen. It was directed by Michael Brandt and released on November 4th, 2011.

The Double
Photo credit: Image Entertainment

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Take Me Home Tonight’ Features String of Bad Decisions

BrianTT — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:14:01 -0400

CHICAGO – Most comedies feature a few key decisions or even just a few moments where you, the viewer, know someone made the wrong choice. Whether it’s something as small as thinking that a punchline works when it doesn’t or something major like the wrong casting decision, modern movie goers are smart enough to tell when they’re watching something dumb. “Take Me Home Tonight,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD is very, VERY dumb.

Blu-Ray Rating: 1.0/5.0

Synopsis:
“A talented ensemble cast delivers laugh-out-loud performances in this “fun nostalgia trip” (Richard Roeper). When Matt Franklin’s (Topher Grace) high-school crush Tori (Teresa Palmer) shows up at his dead-end mall job, he and his buddy Barry (Dan Fogler) devise a wild scheme for Matt to finally win the girl of his dreams. But only time will tell if Matt can seduce this gorgeous goddess at a wild party and survive an outrageous night of seduction, destruction and debauchery. Take this hilarious comedy home tonight!”

On paper, this thing feels like it should work. But movies don’t exist on paper. So, while you can have the best cast, a great nostalgic concept, a killer soundtrack, and a fun premise, you need to make decisions along the way and almost all of the ones surrounding “Take Me Home Tonight” were bad ones. Let’s start with the casting — Topher Grace (generally likable but boring here), Dan Fogler (straight-up obnoxious in nearly everything but worse here than ever before), Anna Faris (perhaps the best comic timing of her generation given NO CHANCE to show it in a thankless role), Lucy Punch (again, too good for the part), Chris Pratt (ditto), and Teresa Palmer (cute girl, zero chemistry with the male lead. Not one of them feels right.

Take Me Home Tonight was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 19th, 2011
Photo credit: Fox

Bad casting decisions are only half the problem. The idea to make an ’80s “John Hughes movie” twenty-five years later isn’t a bad one but Hughes never made a movie this empty. First, pushing for the R-rating with profanity, heavy drug use, and nudity immediately takes it out of that Hughes world and makes it feel closer to the “Porky’s” rip-offs that went straight-to-video in the early days of VHS. Second, Hughes and his best colleagues knew that character mattered above all else and the characters here simply aren’t interesting. They’re either dull (Grace, Palmer) or trying too hard (Fogler, Pratt, Punch).

But the most important problem with “Take Me Home Tonight” is a simple one — it’s not funny. The worst decision was to green-light a script about one crazy night that really isn’t all that crazy. Sure, there’s a stolen car, a bunch of cocaine, and a bizarre sex scene with Angie Everhart, but it all feels more forced than truly, enjoyably over-the-top. “Take Me Home Tonight” feels much longer than its running time. By the time the sun has come up on this all-nighter, you’ll wish you had stayed home yourself.

Special Features:
o 7 Deleted Scenes
o Cast Get-Together
o Music Boombox
o Take Me Home Tonight Music Video
o Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots
o Digital Copy

“Take Me Home Tonight” stars Topher Grace, Teresa Palmer, Dan Fogler, Anna Faris, Demetri Martin, Lucy Punch, Michael Ian Black, and Chris Pratt. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 19th, 2011.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: Topher Grace Goes to 1980s in ‘Take Me Home Tonight’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:30:05 -0500

CHICAGO – Nostalgia films need a couple of elements to make them work. First, instant recognition with the era, and second, a reason to go there. “Take Me Home Tonight” lacks both characteristics, and lead actor Topher Grace can’t seem to light a fire under the rest of it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

This film is set in the late 1980s, although the timeline is quite vague. As in most look-back scenarios, there are a parade of fashions from the era, conveniently set up in a big party scene. Even though the costumes and the soundtrack kept telling us it’s the ‘80s, it never felt that way, and the romantic comedy narrative could have been set in last week.

Topher Grace portrays Matt Franklin, a nebbish post-college graduate still pining for Tori (Teresa Palmer), his high school crush. Despite the background that he is a whip-smart MIT engineering graduate, he still lives with his parents and works at the local video store. As fate would have it, his lost love enters the store, and he proceeds to woo her with an elaborate lie. He tells her he works for Goldman Sachs, an investment banker, the same industry she is in. She then asks him to the Big Party, where he’ll have to keep the subterfuge going.

Meanwhile, Matt’s best friend Barry (Dan Folger) has been fired from his car salesman job, and laments with Matt and his sister Wendy (Anna Faris). They come up with a plan to steal a Mercedes from the car lot, to give Matt further credibility as a financial player. The heist goes off, and Matt pulls up to the Big Party in grand style. Wendy’s boyfriend Kyle (Chris Pratt) is throwing the bash, and even plans to pop the question that very night.

Matt does hook up with Tori at the party, and even goes with her to a fancier gathering with important financial people in attendance, including an actual Goldman Sachs employee (Demetri Martin). With reputation and romance on the line, Matt will take on all challenges thrown at him – including a giant steel ball – to prove that he is worthy of his one true love.

“Take Me Home Tonight” opens everywhere March 4th. Featuring Topher Grace, Dan Folger, Teresa Palmer, Demetri Martin, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris. Story by Topher Grace and Gordon Kaywin, screenplay by Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo, directed by Michael Dowse. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Take Me Home Tonight”

Rewind: Topher Grace (Matt) and Teresa Palmer (Tori) in ‘Take Me Home Tonight’
Photo credit: Ron Batzdorff for © Relativity Media

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Take Me Home Tonight”

Interviews: Topher Grace, Demetri Martin on ‘Take Me Home Tonight’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:45:33 -0500

CHICAGO – Reliving the 1980s is what Topher Grace, ironically known for “That ‘70s Show,” set out to do with the story line for his new film, “Take Me Home Tonight.” Comedian Demetri Martin has a supporting role in that film.

Grace developed the original story, about a post-collegiate guy named Matt working in a video store, trying to figure out the next stage of his life. When he encounters a high school crush named Tori (Teresa Palmer), he makes up a scenario where he works for the investment film Goldman Sachs. He then catches up to an actual Goldman Sachs employee, played by Demetri Martin, to back up his story. The rest of the movie is basically about Matt working through the deception.

HollywoodChicago.com caught up with these two co-stars, and talked about their new film and their rich and interesting careers so far.

Topher Grace, Matt Franklin in ‘Take Me Home Tonight’

Topher Grace made his mark in the popular sitcom “That ‘70s Show,” playing the boy-next-door Eric Forman. He left the show after the seventh season to pursue a film career, and has appeared in “Traffic,” “Mona Lisa Smile,”“In Good Company” and “Spider-Man 3.” He developed the story for “Take Me Home Tonight.”

Topher Grace (Matt) and Dan Folger (Barry) in ‘Take Me Home Tonight’
Photo credit: Ron Batzdorff for © Relativity Media

HollywoodChicago.com: You are of course known for “That ‘70s Show,” playing someone from another time, and here you are in the 1980s in your new movie. What makes you the guy for playing characters those different eras?

Topher Grace: [Indicating Demetri Martin] We’re two of the biggest movie stars of all time. [laughs] I thing its a bit more genre traveling than time traveling. It’s great being in Chicago because we talked about John Hughes a lot in the whole production of this film, and you feel closest to him here. We wanted to be the first 1980s movie that wasn’t spoofing the era, once you get enough time away from then, like ‘Dazed and Confused’ or ‘American Graffiti,” you focus on what you appreciated about the time. We wanted to do a film that looked like we filmed it in the ‘80s.

The character of Matt Franklin is like a modern-day protagonist in the midst of another time. He is the beautiful swan of now, graduating college and going back to live at home, but he’s an ugly duckling in the go-go 1980s.

HollywoodChicago.com: What type of roles do you want to be considered for or create for yourself? How do you picture the definition of yourself as an actor after graduating from teenage and younger adult roles?

Grace: Just sex, in whatever form that can come in. [laughs] You’re a gypsy as an actor, I think even Brad Pitt feels that way. It’s a fool’s errand to try and plan out what the next thing will be. I do think in this we looked around and determined there hasn’t been a generational movie in awhile. That thing that looks back, which you think is about another time, but is actually about timeless issues. That wasn’t coming out of how I was playing a certain role, it was coming out of what kind of movie would I want to see.

HollywoodChicago.com: Given you role in the darker comedy ‘In Good Company.’ what is your opinion about powerful younger people like Mark Zuckerberg and what they can contribute to overall attitudes in American business?

Grace: I learned a lot on this movie, it forced me to talk to me Dad about business and what he was going through while still working. I usually don’t get my parents involved in what I’m doing, but I let my Dad read the script. He’d worked in advertising for a long time, and it used to be after 50 years in a company, they’d give you a gold watch when you retired. He said now they give you a gold watch as a kiss-off, get the f**k out of here. That didn’t happen to my Dad, but he observed it happening around him. He told me just because your younger and have more energy, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re smarter.

Also a great thing about that movie experience is that my character, while he learned from Dennis Quaid’s character, I personally learned a lot from Dennis. It paralleled the movie.

HollywoodChicago.com: Your final appearance on ‘That’s ‘70s Show’ had an air of poignancy that is rarely felt in television sitcoms today. What legacy from that show, besides the launching of several prominent careers, do you think television history will remember?

Grace: Not a lot. [laughs] There is a weird relationship with the public and a TV show over time. First, they like the idea, then they don’t like the execution. Then they start to like it, then they love it, then they hate it, because maybe it is overripe or ready to go off. Now we’re in this weird phase where they miss it. I remember the feeling when the show was really cool, and then I knew there was nowhere to go but down. [laughs]

Demetri Martin, Featured in “Take Me Home Tonight”

Demetri Martin has had a stellar career so far, ever since he broke into the New York City stand-up comedy scene in the late 1990s. From there he went on to write for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and develop the Comedy Central series “Important Things with Demetri Martin.” He had a notable lead performance in Ang Lee’s film “Taking Woodstock” (2009), and has a new book coming out aptly titled “This is a Book.”

HollywoodChicago.com: You also played a man in another time, in the 1960s, in ‘Taking Woodstock.’ What do you think makes you and Topher sort of the go-to history boys?

Demetri Martin: I like the history boys, it sounds like a time traveling Hardy Boys. [Announcer Voice] ‘Somebody killed somebody else in 1860, and I know who we need. The History Boys!’ [laughs]

I loved working with Ang Lee in ‘Taking Woodstock,’ and I love the 1960s and it’s fun doing period pieces, because you get to pick what the era meant to you. I was also around in the 1980s, so it’s cool to do ‘Take Me Home Tonight.’ There is a NWA song in the movie and I’m the right age to remember that my dorky white friends and I would drive around in suburban New Jersey and sing that song.

As someone who was around in the 1980s, it does feel like it takes place in that time for real, around the time of Goldman Sachs, achievement and making money. These are themes that are universal, but I remember the 1980s ethic of being a success, like Michael J. Fox in ‘The Secret of My Success.’

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the story of your heroic appearance in the music video for Fountains of Wayne’s ‘Someone to Love’?

Martin: The story behind that is somebody contacted me while I was living in New York City and asked me if I wanted to be in a Fountains of Wayne video. And I said yeah, definitely, that’s cool. It’s cool that people that are still making music videos, because if you think of the 1980s that has changed a lot. I showed up one day a couple years ago, there was a green screen, and we shot everything in one day. The couple don’t meet in the video, which is kind of sad.

Topher Grace & Demetri Martin in Chicago, February 8th, 2011
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What were the circumstances on getting the job with the Conan O’Brien’s show?

Martin: I started doing stand-up in New York City in 1997. I was doing a lot of ‘alternative’ rooms, they weren’t traditional comedy clubs. Conan had been on the air for a couple of years, and that was a coveted job. Robert Smiegel, Louis C.K., Brian McCann were there, a lot of great writers. The first time I applied, it was as a sketch writer, and I had to write twelve sketches in paragraph form and submit them. They cover the names, there are no politics, it was simply did these make them laugh or not.

I didn’t get the job the first time, around 2000. They called me and told me to submit when another opening occurred, and it was actually the third time I applied in 2003 that I didn’t hear from them for awhile. I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, doing my stand up show. I had won the top trophy at their Festival, it was a big deal. And the night before, the Conan people called and told me that I’d been hired.

Then the night I’d won the trophy, my rep called to tell me that Woody Allen had seen a tape of a stand-up appearance on David Letterman, and wanted me to audition for the lead in his next movie [”Melinda and Melinda”]. I hadn’t had that type of audition ever, I’d never taken an acting class and now he wants me to audition? It got weirder, I had to meet Woody in Paris in his hotel room. That was a crazy three-day period.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is your opinion on the NBC debacle regarding O’Brien and the Tonight Show?

Martin: I was really disappointed and heartbroken for Conan and everyone who worked with him. I think it was a sobering lesson for anybody in show business. Conan, who is an original voice, great with guests, a great writer and is genuinely good to everybody, they take it away from him? At the same time, I’m watching his new show on TBS, and I’m really excited for him.

“Take Me Home Tonight” opens everywhere March 4th. Featuring Topher Grace, Demetri Martin, Dan Folger, Teresa Palmer and Anna Faris. Story by Topher Grace and Gordon Kaywin, screenplay by Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo, directed by Michael Dowse.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Predators’ Reboot Plays Better at Home, But Still Disappoints

BrianTT — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:24:57 -0400

CHICAGO – Perhaps it’s because it is so clearly inspired by a retro style of action but Nimrod Antal’s “Predators,” now available on Blu-ray and DVD, plays better at home than it did at the disappointing theatrical screening in the middle of summer 2010. It’s still a bit of a disappointment, but it’s one of those films that’s nowhere near as bad as it could have been and features a few strong set pieces, especially in HD.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

The opening act of “Predators” is its most accomplished. Antal literally throws us into the action as Royce (Adrien Brody) plummets toward the ground. At the last minute, a parachute opens and slightly softens his landing. Royce is getting his bearings when another body lands to his right and then his left. It’s a human air drop into what resembles the Amazon Rain Forest.

Predators was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 19th, 2010
Photo credit: Fox

It’s not long before it’s revealed that the new inhabitants are all killing machines. The group of characters clearly designed for international film sales includes a tough-but-genuine Guatemalan named Isabelle (Alice Braga), a Southern convict named Stans (Walton Goggins), a Russian soldier named Nikolai (Oleg Taktarov), a Mexican killer named Cuchillo (Danny Trejo), an RUF member named Mombasa (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), and a Yakuza who goes by Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien). Finally, there’s a seemingly-harmless doctor named Edwin (Topher Grace). As anyone who has ever seen a movie can tell you, always keep a close watch on the guy who’s seemingly-harmless.

Predators was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 19th, 2010
Photo credit: Fox

Royce becomes the leader of the group of human predators and it’s not long before the gang of killers are being picked off by the creatures that ruined Ah-nuld’s day in the original “Predator.” The species from that first film are bringing victims to this “game preserve planet” in order to hone their skills as killers. How do you become a better player? Play against the best. They also happen to be in the middle of their own war as two forms of Predators fight against each other. Human vs. alien; alien vs alien — the stage is set for chaos.

As a rental, “Predators” mostly delivers on that stage. There are some strong set-pieces but writers Alex Litvak and Michael Finch don’t take any chances as storytellers. “Predators” too predictably goes from point A to point B. There’s not one moment or twist that’s nearly as out-of-nowhere as that opening shot of Royce approaching terminal velocity. There aren’t nearly enough memorable lines or moments of character development. And the cast is pretty weak with Brody growling like Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight” and Braga coming off as too bland for the character.

Despite a general sense of disappointment at what “Predators” could have been, it’s certainly one of those films that could also have been significantly worse. There’s something to be said for a 2010 sci-fi rental that is reasonably well-made and never boring. Have we lowered the bar as genre fans? Sure, but film is a sliding scale and the fact that “Predators” spins the wheels of this franchise instead of popping them should be considered a small victory in an era of disasters like the remake of “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Fox knows that they have a film that is likely to find a loyal audience on Blu-ray and have therefore put together a notable release for the film. The most important element of a film like “Predators” is going to be video and audio and both are above average for Fox. Sometimes the line detail in the HD transfer seems a bit muted and the audio could have been a bit stronger but both are unlikely to distract most viewers. And the release includes a commentary along with over an hour of exclusive bonus material. Like the film itself, it’s not a great Blu-ray, but it’s certainly not a bad one either.

Special Features:
o Commentary by Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal
o Motion Comics — Exclusive Prequel Motion Comics
o Evolution of the Species: Predators Reborn
o “The Chosen”
o Fox Movie Channel Presents Making a Scene
o Deleted and Extended Scenes
o BD Live Extras

“Predators” stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, and Mahershalhashbaz Ali. It was written by Alex Litvak & Michael Finch and directed by Nimrod Antal. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 19th, 2010. It is rated R and runs 107 minutes.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: Danny Masterson of ‘That ‘70s Show’ Has a ‘Need For Speed’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:52:11 -0400

CHICAGO – The gamer world is abuzz about the upcoming release of the popular title “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.” On Saturday, August 7th, Chicago felt the heat at the premiere party for the game, with a special appearance by DJ Mom Jeans, also known as Danny Masterson, who portrayed Steven Hyde on “That ‘70s Show.”

The Debonair Social Club in Chicago was the site of the kick-off, as Masterson entertained the gathered enthusiasts, who got to test “drive” the new game, as well as get their picture taken with cars and models based on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

Click “Next” and “Previous to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All images © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

Speed1: Danny Masterson in his role as DJ Mom Jeans in Chicago, August 7th, 2010.
Speed2: Car and Model, based on game ‘Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.’
Speed3: More Car and Model heat at the premiere party for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.
Speed4: Both models display a great car chassis at the premiere party.

“Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” is scheduled for release on November 16th, 2010
wherever video games are sold.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com