Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Interview: Karen Allen and the Kingdom of Her Crystal Life

PatrickMcD — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:07:35 -0600

CHICAGO – Actress Karen Allen, who made a debut smash in the 1978 film ‘Animal House,’ is most likely to be remembered as Marion in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and 2008’s ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’

But the versatile performer is more than just a companion for Indiana Jones, having a long career in movies and on stage, including the films ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ ‘Challenger’ (playing astronaut Christa McAuliffe) and ‘The Perfect Storm.’

HollywoodChicago.com caught up with Ms. Allen during her appearance at the new Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville, Illinois, as she signed autographs and introduced a special showing of Raiders. She talked about the two Indiana Jones movies, her connection to Paul Newman and how she barely kept her head above water while making ‘The Perfect Storm.’

Karen Allen at the Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville, IL, September 25th, 2009
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: In the midst of filming the last Indiana Jones epic, what made you stop and ponder about the differences between the ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ besides being 27 years apart?

Karen Allen: Crystal Skull was more low tech than you might think, although we did do some green screen on it, but not that much. I guess that is the difference, there wasn’t that type of special effects in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ CGI [Computer Generated Imagery] didn’t exist.

In terms of the sets, they did a lot of similar things. They were very beautifully done and very authentic. Those kind of sets are phenomenal to work on, when they really create a whole world and moving into someone’s fantasy of what this world looks like. In both cases, I was in awe of the exceptional work of the production designers and set builders. They were fantastic.

HC: You began in films in a famous period where scripts seemed to be secondary – I’m thinking of ‘Animal House’ and ‘Cruising,’ What do your personally prefer on set, looser improvisation style or a solid following to a decent script?

KA: I probably prefer to go in having a really good script. And then improvise on top of that. If you start with a really fine script, then the actors and director can add to it and make it better. That is preferable than going in on a wing and a prayer (laughs).

Karen Allen with a Familiar Prop at the Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville, September 25th, 2009
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HC: Speaking of Cruising, I read where William Friedkin intentionally kept you in the dark regarding Pacino’s character and his gay underworld activities. In looking back on your performance and how it connects to the film – as when you tried on the hat and glasses, for example – do you think Friedkin made the right choice?

KA: Oh, I have no idea how to answer a question like that. That is what he wanted to do. It’s actually not that uncommon, especially these days. Woody Allen does that, where he only gives an actor their role, he doesn’t really want the actors to know what the whole film is about, he wants them to be focused on their role and their relationships.

In the case of ‘Cruising,’ certainly Al [Pacino] read the whole script, but I don’t think any of the other actors in the film were given the whole script to read, we were just given our role. Friedkin may have done it because there was some controversy surrounding the film already. There was an uproar starting with the gay community in New York. He may just have not wanted anymore people to have information then who already had it.

HC: Paul Newman recently passed away. Do you have any memories regarding your experience working with him and Joanne Woodward in the 1987 film version of ‘The Glass Menagerie?’

KA: They were both just absolutely sublime people. I just adored them both. I did the play twice with Joanne, and Paul was around a lot during that period. He was such a special person and you couldn’t ask for a better director to work with an actor.

And Joanne inspired me constantly. She is one of my all-time favorite people and actors. She is just breathtaking.

HC: You are one of those rare film performers whose passion is also on the stage. How does stage work prepare you for film work, and conversely what does acting in film give you when performing on stage?

KA: I think acting in the theater is a good place to start if you want to work as an actor at all. It’s the building blocks – the development of character, the collaboration with your fellow actors and directors, plus learning an entire piece that you’re going to do for 2-1/2 hours eight times a week. It is much more challenging in certain ways than working in film, even though film has its own challenges.

HC: The film ‘The Perfect Storm’ [2000] had an intense level of special effects. What is most irritating in terms of being an actor and getting a rhythm when doing the stop/start nature of these types of films?

Karen Allen and Patrick McDonald, September 25th, 2009.
Photo credit: Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

KA: The Perfect Storm had some special effects, I suppose (laughs). However, I spent most of that film in the tank, in the water, so it didn’t feel that special to me.

That was a trip, doing that film. The director [Wolfgang Petersen] was hundreds of feet away talking through a loudspeaker, the cameras were on techno-cranes and swooping down on us. And we were in the biggest water tank in the world. Several times I thought I was going to drown and nobody would notice (laughs).

HC: In your film and TV performances, you’ve played obviously fictional characters but also of number of real people in biographies. Are there any different challenges for an actor when playing a real person, in deference to their humanity?

KA: Absolutely. It’s quite terrifying. I think it’s the thing that’s made me the most anxious in preparation to do a role, is that sense of responsibility. In all three cases, the women were no longer living.

With Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, who I both played, people now don’t remember them so well. But with Christa McAuliffe [’Challenger’], I felt very sensitive towards it, because it hadn’t been that long that she had been with us, after the tragedy of the Challenger. All of us playing those astronauts felt enormous responsibility to try to honor their memory in the way we were portraying them.

HC: It’s obvious by your appearance tonight that you will remembered for Raiders and Animal House. But what do you personally remember as your greatest performance or challenge as an actor, and what is ahead for you?

KA: My greatest performance challenge was portraying Helen Keller in ‘The Monday After the Miracle.’ She was deaf and blind, and to move into that world, stepping out on stage eight times a week, with the belief I was trying to convincingly play someone who was deaf and blind, was a huge challenge on many levels.

I wanted to weave the spell in such a way that the audience believed, in that two or three hours that they were there, that I was convincingly playing someone who was deaf and blind.

I am directing a play this summer that I’ve done before, ‘Moon Children’ by Michael Weller, a beautiful play. There is also a film I’d like to direct based on a play I also directed on stage called ‘Batting Cage’ by Joan Ackerman.

As far as acting in films, there is not much out there that is very interesting to do. The ones that are interesting to me are independent films and they have trouble raising money. With people putting their money into blockbusters, there is not much left for the independents.

The Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville, Illinois, continues its Grand Opening Events with Tia Carrere signing autographs and introducing ‘Wayne’s World’ on October 9th-11th. Click here for ticket information.

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

After 19 Years, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ Exhumes Venerated Roots

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:00:20 -0600

CHICAGO – After such a long respite from the beloved film progression, I was initially just as skittish about seeing Harrison Ford back in the Indy saddle as I was watching Sylvester Stallone back in the ring in “Rocky Balboa” in his 2006 comeback and then again in 2008 in his “Rambo” return.

Ultimately, though, I had faith in director Steven Spielberg not to royally torpedo the monolithically anticipated “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which resurrects the Chicago-born, 65-year-old Harrison Ford as one of my favorite film characters of all time.

Spielberg delivers. Thank the heavens.

In grappling with Ford’s real-life age, David Koepp’s screenplay comically writes in subtle jabs to wrangle with the reality. Just like Stallone didn’t try to hide it in “Rocky Balboa” and he instead decided to honestly portray it, so did Ford’s character grow older.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in our reviews section.

View our full “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” image gallery.

Of course, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is still a major Hollywood product and Indiana Jones is still Indiana Jones. He still flings through the air with bird-like grace, whips all obstacles in his way with laser-like precision and is imbued with the film’s classic and campy “kapow!” sound effects. I love ‘em to pieces.

While the character Indiana Jones has had an unfortunate television run by way of Sean Patrick Flanery in his young form from 1992 all the way through 2007, Harrison Ford as the real Indiana Jones we’ve all been enamored with last roughed it up in a major Spielberg production in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” in 1989.

Before that, it was five years earlier in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” in 1984 and three years earlier in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981. Yes, that’s three years between the first and second, five years between the second and third and 19 years between the third and the fourth.

Shia LaBeouf (left) and Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” review.

New Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Comic Book Cover Surface For ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:32:53 -0700

Three new behind-the-scenes photos turned up on Wednesday for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in a comprehensive Vanity Fair article. In the third photo below, we see the first photo of Cate Blanchett as a Russian agent.

The article and photos have been picked up by /Film, Hollywood Elsewhere and other film sites across the Web. Some Vanity Fair quotes from director Steven Spielberg follow:

I’m in my second cut, which means I’ve put the movie together and I’ve seen it. I usually do about five cuts as a director.

The best news is that – when I saw the movie myself the first time – there was nothing I wanted to go back and shoot, nothing I wanted to reshoot and nothing I wanted to add.

I go for geography. I want the audience to know not only which side the good guy’s on and the bad guy’s on but which side of the screen they’re in.

I want the audience to be able to edit as quickly as they want in a shot. [That has] been my style with all four of these “Indiana Jones” pictures.

Quick-cutting is very effective in some movies – like the “Bourne” pictures – but you sacrifice geography when you go for quick-cutting.

[That] is fine because audiences get a huge adrenaline rush from a cut every second and a half [in] “The Bourne Ultimatum”.

There’s just enough geography for the audience never to be lost especially in the last “Bourne” film, which I thought was the best of the three.

By the same token, Indy is a little more old-fashioned than the modern-day action adventure.

You can read the full Vanity Fair piece here.

It doesn’t stop there with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” unveilings. New comic book cover art for the film (warning: minor spoilers) just surfaced as well.

Also picked up by TheRaider.net and /Film, this comic cover premiered at Diamond Comics with this announcement:

The most anticipated movie event of the summer comes to comics in this adaptation of the fourth “Indiana Jones” film.

The intrepid doctor Henry Jones Jr. is back in his biggest adventure yet. This time, the world-renowned archaeologist finds himself caught in a series of events that all point to a discovery unlike any other.

But will his rivals in pursuit of this priceless treasure seize his quarry from right under his nose? Not if he – and a few unexpected companions – have anything to say about it.

The thrill and the humor, the action and the romance, the hat and the whip: everything you love about Indy is here. This is a tale sure to please longtime fans [and[ foster a whole generation of new ones.

New ‘Indiana Jones’ Lego Sets Reveal Key Scenes in ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:02:08 -0700

Images of new “Indiana Jones” Lego sets have surfaced. Warning: This is spoiler information.

Along with their revealing titles, it’s easy to see the key scenes being revealed from the upcoming film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which is slated to hit theaters on May 22, 2008.

The “river chase” Lego set for “Indiana Jones”.
Image credit: Brickset

The “jungle cutter” Lego set for “Indiana Jones”.
Image credit: Brickset

The “Temple of the Crystal Skull” Lego set for “Indiana Jones”.
Image credit: Brickset
I learned about these from here. That site first mentioned an information teaser about this on Nov. 12, 2007.

Second ‘WALL-E’ Trailer Now Online; Will Package With ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:08:00 -0700

A second trailer for Pixar’s “WALL-E,” which will be packaged with “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” for its Dec. 21 release, is now online. “WALL-E” is slated to open on June 27, 2008.

The Disney film is said to be vying along with “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” as the most anticipated film of 2008.

“WALL-E”.
Image credit: IMDb
“WALL-E” comes from the creators of “Finding Nemo”. Director and writer Andrew Stanton also wrote “Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 2,” “A Bug’s Life” and “Toy Story”. Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin and Ben Burtt are currently attached to “WALL-E”.

The “WALL-E” movie poster.
Image credit: IMDb

Teaser Trailers Coming For ‘The Dark Knight,’ New ‘Indiana Jones,’ New ‘Star Trek’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:12:59 -0700

ComingSoon.net on Sunday published new details about when we should expect teaser trailers from “The Dark Knight,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and the new “Star Trek” film.

ComingSoon.net has learned new details about the upcoming teaser trailers for three of [2008’s] highly anticipated movies.

Keep in mind … the online debuts for these trailers will probably be earlier in the week of release for the movie it is attached to and … the trailer may not be shown with every print of the film.

First up, the first trailer for Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is now planned for a debut in [Feb. 2008].

Harrison Ford (left) and Shia LaBeouf in “Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: IMDb
While we don’t know for sure with which movie it will show, Paramount’s biggest film that month is “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Keep your eye on that one.

Of course, it’s possible Paramount will decide to debut footage earlier during the Super Bowl, but we’re not sure.

In just two weeks on Dec. 14, Warner Bros. will release the teaser trailer for … “The Dark Knight” in standard theaters with “I Am Legend”.

Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: IMDb
As was previously announced, the studio will be showing the seven-minute opening scene of “The Dark Knight” before the screenings of “I Am Legend” in IMAX.

“Star Trek” fans won’t have to wait long for the first teaser for the J.J. Abrams-directed film.

Paramount is planning a debut with the Abrams-produced monster movie “Cloverfield,” [which is opening] on Jan. 18, 2008.

I am screening “I Am Legend” in IMAX two days earler – on Dec. 12 – so stay tuned for information on “The Dark Knight” teaser trailer.

News You Need: State of ‘Play,’ Carnahan’s Updates, Embry Gets ‘Eagle Eye,’ Ambrose With ‘Wild Things,’ ‘Hulk’ Photos

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:48:46 -0700

State of Pay or Play: According to Variety, Russell Crowe is in talks to take over for Brad Pitt in “State of Play,” which is an adaptation of the 2003 BBC mini-series.

Brad Pitt.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
The film was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (“The Kingdom”) and directed by Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”). It was undergoing a rewrite by Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) and Peter Morgan (“The Queen”) before the WGA strike.

While Pitt has been notorious for dropping out of pictures at the last moment, his publicists claim he wanted to postpone shooting until after the strike.

Crowe – who is currently shooting Ridley Scott’s al-Qaeda/CIA-themed “Body of Lies” with Leonardo DiCaprio – is also prepping “Notingham” with Scott.

If Crowe turns down the role, Universal will likely go after Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp. Their strike movies (Ron Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code” prequel “Angels & Demons” and Mira Nair’s “Shantaram,” respectively) were also postponed.

“State of Play” already had the cast of Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman (reportedly playing a Mohawked “bisexual fetish club promoter”), Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright Penn lined up.

Nikki Finke off-handedly reported that Variety held off the story of Pitt’s exit for 10 days “at the request of Universal Pictures”.

‘White Jazz,’ ‘Killing Pablo’: Carnahan’s brother – director Joe Carnahan (“Narc,” “Smokin’ Aces”) – recently made two posts on his blog about the in-flux productions “White Jazz” and “Killing Pablo”.

“White Jazz” was adapted by both brothers from the James Ellroy “L.A. Quartet” novel.

The first post was simply a picture of Marvel’s Juggernaut, which was played in “X-Men: The Last Stand” by Vinnie Jones. He made a vague and playful inference that Jones was up for a role in either “White Jazz” or “Killing Pablo”.

Vinnie Jones.
Photo credit: IMDb
Jones – who was central in Guy Ritchie’s first two films – actually wasn’t in “Smokin’ Aces” (though it’s easy to mistake that film of Carnahan’s for one of Ritchie’s).

The second post pointed out that Christian Bale – who AICN has rumored to be playing John Conner in McG’s fourth “Terminator” – is still in “Killing Pablo”.

Christian Bale.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Carnahan’s blog has been consistently entertaining and honest since George Clooney exited out of “White Jazz,” which then was set for a Jan. 2008 shoot date.

Carnahan even leaked the shooting scripts to “White Jazz” and “Killing Pablo” before being told hours later to take them down.

New ‘Eagle Eye’ FBI Agent: “Eagle Eye,” which has been shooting in Chicago, just added Ethan Embry (“Freakylinks,” “Brotherhood”) to its cast to play Rosario Dawson’s FBI partner.

Ethan Embry.
Photo credit: IMDb
In Other ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ Alumni News: Lauren Ambrose will replace the voice of Michelle Williams in Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are”.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the filmmakers got along with Williams but felt her voice “didn’t match their original vision”.

Lauren Ambrose.
Photo credit: Theo Wargo, WireImage.com
The film co-stars Catherine Keener along with the voices of James Gandolfini, Forrest Whitaker, Tom Noonan, Paul Dano and Catherine O’Hara.

Written by Jonze, Michael Goldenberg and Dave Eggers (who is writing an adult novel adaptation), the film is to combine live action, computer animation and puppetry.

“Where the Wild Things Are” finished shooting in Dec. 2006 and is set for a fall 2008 release.

“Where the Wild Things Are”.
Photo credit: MTV
Ambrose is also set up to co-star with Parker Posey in Fox’s mid-season sitcom “The Return of Jezebel James” from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The network did, however, reduce its show order (thus giving it this Fox seal of quality: probable fait accompli cancellation).

Hulk Smash: ComingSoon.net has posted new photos and video of “The Incredible Hulk” along with a first look at the smartly cast William Hurt as General Ross.

Zey Don’t Belong Here, Mozambique: MovieWeb has a spoiler-full and potentially obnoxious rumor about potential cameos in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” by “old friends”.

Hint: They know sign language, and no, it isn’t the digitally generated ghost of Francois Truffaut.

By Shane Hazen
Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com

‘Transformers’ Star Shia LaBeouf Arrested in Chicago, Charged With Criminal Trespassing

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:39:56 -0700

When “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf was in Chicago this weekend, his trip went awry and he spent some time with Chicago police.

Shia LaBeouf
Photo credit: CBS 2 Chicago
The 21-year-old actor was reluctantly handled by security guards at a downtown Walgreens at 757 N. Michigan Ave. Around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Chicago police arrested him due to his unwillingness to leave the store.

Chicago police said a security guard excessively told LaBeouf he wasn’t welcome and had to leave because he appeared to be drunk. LaBeouf refused and a guard called the cops.

Once the cuffs went on, police said LaBeouf was “very courteous and polite”. Police said he posted bond before 7 a.m. on Sunday. He is a resident of Glendale, Calif.

LaBeouf, who was charged with a misdemeanor for criminal trespassing, is slated to appear in court in on Nov. 28 at 9 a.m.

He was in Chicago to film a movie. IMDb only lists him as having two projects in the works: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Eagle Eye”.

8:16 a.m. update on 11/6/07: Shia LaBeouf’s official mugshot from this Chicago arrest has surfaced online.

Shia LaBeouf’s Chicago mugshot.
Photo credit: The Smoking Gun