Tom Cruise

Interview: Director John Woo on His ‘Red Cliff’ Premiere at the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival

PatrickMcD — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:55:54 -0600

CHICAGO – John Woo, whose mastery of the action movie was once compared by director Sam Raimi to the suspense mastery of Alfred Hitchcock, premiered his new film, “Red Cliff” at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 9th.

Known primarily for his Hong Kong guns-and-gangster epics like “The Killer” (1989), “Hard Boiled” (1992) and “Bullet in the Head” (1990), Woo came to America in 1993 for his memorable turns in “Broken Arrow” (1996), “Face/Off” (1997) and “Mission Impossible II” (2002). He returns to his native China for the historical drama Red Cliff.

Portrait of an Icon: John Woo at the Chicago International Film Festival, October 9, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Red Cliff is the story of the “Three Kingdoms” of China in 208 AD, and the war between them that changed history for its country and people. It has a broad and epic scope, beautifully composed, with a sweep and acting passion worthy of David Lean.

Before his exciting Red Carpet premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival, John Woo sat down with HollywoodChicago.com to give his unique and spiritual worldview on his art, and what he learned about the art of war in rendering his vision.

HollywoodChicago.com: Which great war movies did you think about when you applied yourself to the task of creating Red Cliff and why?

John Woo: ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘The Longest Day.’ I also used Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Spartacus’ and Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Seven Samarai’ as a reference. I’ve always wanted to make a movie like those and I had the opportunity with Red Cliff.

HC: In applying all the thought and work that went into Red Cliff, what did you learn about the Art of War?

JW: You need a lot of cleverness and teamwork, that’s what I learned. In the film, we had what we called the “turtle” formation, which was a battle technique. But it was a combination of my idea, inspired by what is in the book ‘The Art of War.’ When I looked at the turtle shells, that is when I got the idea.

HC: Women play a significant role in this story, understanding and using the power of their sex in many unique ways. What status for women did you want to convey in Red Cliff?

JW: The female role wasn’t that big from the book we based the screenplay on. It was my idea to expand the Princess spy character, to show the classical woman, to show her strength and ability. She has a iron will and loves her country.

This is different from typical historical Chinese films. Women are more subtle, in the background and left behind. The whole film is about teamwork and I wanted to make the women part of the team.

First Century Warrior: A Battle Sequence from John Woo’s ‘Red Cliff’
Photo credit: © Magnet Releasing

HC: You use Computer Generated Images (CGI) to create scale and perspective in Red Cliff. What is the future of film technology for use in re-creating historical drama and what do you think filmmakers have to be careful of when using CGI?

JW: CGI really helped in creating the scenic and beautiful imagery in the film. But the key is to use it, but not overuse it. I didn’t want the audience thinking it was just another CGI movie.

What the visual effects team did was make it hard for the audience to distinguish between what was CGI and what is real. They combined it very cleverly.

The carrier pigeon flight scene, I was told, was the most expensive CGI sequence in film history. It was 2-1/2 minutes long, with three locations to coordinate and the camera keeps moving.

HC: This is your first Chinese film since 1993. How do you think the art and the people of China have changed?

JW: The country is changing in a good way. Because I care about China, I love China, I want to see the country get better and better. I was touring in Bejing a few years ago, there after a long absence. I was quite amazed to see many happy faces. The young people all are smiling and realizing they have hope and a better future.

You can talk all you want about the situation, but honestly I’ve gotten great support from the government and they never interfered with what I was doing. I felt free to make my own movies. But as far as where China needs to go, there is always work to be done.

HC: When you are working with western or American actors, what are the main differences in approaching them – as compared to their Asian counterparts – when you need to adjust a particular scene or acting moment?

JW: It’s not different working with the actors. My character is I never like to speak much. But I need to find a way to communicate. I like to spend time with my actors, either Asian or American, to get an idea about how they are feeling about the film. During the conversation I will try to find out their specialty, their special qualities.

I want the story to take care of the actors. I want the feeling in the script to make them feel that they are comfortable and allow them to act as themselves. I make sure, for example, to use proper camera angles to capture their good moments, their specialty.

For example, when I was working with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage in “Face/Off,” we would just have little chats about each scene, and built a confidence with each other. We would have a rough rehearsal, then I would let them rest while I set up the camera. Then they would come out, and we wouldn’t have to say anything, because what they did was exactly what I expected. It became like we knew each other for a long time.

West Humbly Meets East: Patrick McDonald and John Woo in Chicago, October 9, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HC: You are renowned and admired for being one of the great action filmmakers. What fascinates you most about the human being behind the gun?

JW: I never like violence. People need to be protected, not to be killed. I try to protect also the people behind the gun. Even though I’ve made a lot of action movies, I try to make it anti-violence and in the case of Red Cliff, anti-war.

HC: Your film ‘1949’ was canceled right before it was to go before the lens. Given your personal family history with the events that were to be depicted in that film, what did you get out of the film in pre-production?

JW: The year 1949 has so many different meanings for the people of China. There was suffering, pain and people forced to leave the country. In the case of my family, we moved to Hong Kong.

I feel no matter what happened, China is still a country I love. And even though that era happened, the country is still a family, despite different opinions, different lifestyles and different politics.

The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22, 2009. Click here for details.

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

Opening Night: Star Power at the Chicago International Film Festival

PatrickMcD — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:22:13 -0600

CHICAGO – The big hitters were out on the red carpet, kicking off the 45th Chicago International Film Festival. Opening with Uma Thurman’s “Motherhood,” prominent artists, politicians and Uma herself graced the proceedings.

HollywoodChicago was there, both with the master lensing of photographer Joe Arce and a number of exclusive interviews with the red carpet attendees.

Uma Thurman, star of “Motherhood”

Ms. Thurman, a prominent film star ever since her unforgettable debut in “Dangerous Liasons” in 1988, and in 2003-4 stunned audiences with her audacious role as Beatrix Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” series.

Uma Thurman at the Chicago International Film Festival, Opening Night, October 8, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What did you recognize in yourself as a working mother when you were making the film ‘Motherhood?’

Uma Thurman: I fell in love with the script because I identified with the script so much. I thought it was an honest and smart rendering of a real situation, incredibly funny and touching in a transporting way. The script was brilliant.

Jacqueline Bisset, International Star and Film Festival Jury Head

As a person who has co-starred with some of the legends of the screen, from Frank Sinatra (”The Detective”) to Steve McQueen (”Bullitt”) to Rob Lowe (”Class”), Ms Bisset is exciting on her own, working the red carpet with her trademark beauty and charm.

Jacqueline Bisset at the Chicago International Film Festival, Opening Night, October 8, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago: You have a Chicago connection with the film, “Class.” What do your remember about that shoot?

Jacqueline Bisset: I remember the elevator (laughs) and the director writing it right before we did it. And I went ‘Oh my God, this is really funny and sexy.’ Andrew McCarthy was so young and I thought how was it going to work?

It’s funny how films evolve. That film wasn’t really a comedy. It was a comedy with a sad, poignant aspect in my character. But when they cut it together it became more of a comedy and less about the poignancy of my character.

HC: What do you remember about Francois Truffaut’s classic “Day for Night”?

JB: Well, it’s a film about making movies, and his love of film is very clear. He said to me, at one point before it came out, that he thought the film would succeed because all the people who are in the industry know how it is and those who aren’t will want to be, so it will be an ‘in’ thing.

Paula Wagner, Producer, Power Broker and Film Festival Jury Member

If the name Paula Wagner is not familiar in celebrity circles, it certainly is in the film industry. After beginning her career as an agent, she went on to pair with Tom Cruise on several productions (including the “Mission Impossible” series) and at a time helped run United Artists, the famous film studio.

Paula Wagner at the Chicago International Film Festival, Opening Night, October 8, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: As the head of a studio for awhile, how do you relate to those old classic moguls, such as the founders of United Artists?

Paula Wagner: I love it. I this it’s so exciting. I’m enamored with Hollywood history. I’m a romantic at heart and I think there is something storybook-like about those artists who came together and formed studios.

We’re so sophisticated now, or think we are. I think, though, the past informs the present and the future, so I look toward the past. And in art, film and music currently, you can see a real homage to the past happening. It’s a reinvention.

HC: What specifically did you love about the old studio systems of Old Hollywood?

PW: I just love the concept that the studios developed talent and nurtured artists. I love the idea of the old “film factory.”

Richard M. Daley, Mayor of the City of Chicago

The Mayor of the City of Chicago since 1989, Richard M. Daley follows in his the famous mayoral footsteps of his father, Richard J. Daley (serving from 1955-1976). He just had famously came back from Copenhagen, where Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics was rejected.

Mayor Richard M. Daley at the Chicago International Film Festival, Opening Night, October 8, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What was your father’s objection to filmmaking in Chicago during his time?

Mayor Richard M. Daley: Oh no, he allowed a lot of films to come to Chicago.

HC: I heard he didn’t like filmmakers

RD: Oh no. Not true.

HC: What film do you like that shows Chicago the best?

RD: You take all of them over the years, even the ones that sometimes you don’t want to see, but all of them are the heart of Chicago.

The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22, 2009. Click here for details.

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

Blu-Ray Review: Tom Cruise’s ‘Valkyrie’ a Disappointing Film, Excellent Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of “Valkyrie” is another case of a disappointing movie being elevated by an excellent home release. With its miscast lead and mediocre screenplay, “Valkyrie” was a near-miss in theaters, but the film looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray and comes accompanied by informative commentaries and featurettes. If you’re a fan, you won’t be disappointed.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

As for the film itself, “Valkyrie” is about the incredible true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) and his ingenious assassination plot targeting Adolph Hitler. The film reenacts the daring operation designed to take out one of the most evil men in history. The film co-stars Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, and Carice von Houten.

Valkyrie was released on Blu-Ray on May 19th, 2009.
Photo credit: MGM

I stand by my theatrical review of “Valkyrie,” in which I wrote, “The supporting cast does their best, but Singer and his cinematographer, Newton Thomas Sigel, shoot nearly everything in extreme, claustrophobic close-up, never giving the audience the sensation that we know exactly what’s going on and what’s at stake. ”

“And writers Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander don’t provide nearly enough of a back story for any of their characters, as if filming a scene where von Stauffenberg writes an angry letter about Hitler and another where he’s injured in combat would be enough for us to get behind him as a lead. History makes it easy to support a lead trying to kill one of the most evil men in history, but imagine how much more effective “Valkyrie” would be if he was a fully, three-dimensional character of his very own.”

“If “Valkyrie” was just an action movie, the lack of back stories wouldn’t be a problem, but it’s not effective as a thrill ride either. Cruise and Singer take themselves way too seriously for that. Singer can’t just make a historical drama or an action adventure movie, he has to make the best of both that anyone has ever seen. There’s a self-seriousness to “Valkyrie” that sinks it. It’s ironic that a film about an attempt that had some pretty serious flaws feels like its creators made a few mistakes of their own.”

Having said (or re-said) all of that, “Valkyrie” undeniably looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray. The 1080P video transfer is crisp and clear and the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is better-than-average for Fox.

Special features on “Valkyrie” include an informative and rare audio commentary from Tom Cruise himself with Singer and McQuarrie. It’s unusual to find a star of Cruise’s magnitude on a commentary track and that alone should be a nice enough special features for fans of the actor or the film.

Another commentary with just the writers - McQuarrie and Alexander - goes into more detail about the history of the film. The featurettes and documentaries are extensive and include “Reel Pieces with Tom Cruise and Bryan singer,” “The Valkyrie Legacy,” “The Journey to Valkyrie,” “The Road to Resistance,” “The African Front Sequence,” “Taking to the Air,” and “Recreating Berlin”. A digital copy of the film is also included.

‘Valkyrie’ is released by MGM Home Video and stars Tom Cruise, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, and Carice van Houten. It was Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander and directed by Bryan Singer. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on May 19th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

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

Blu-Ray Round Up: ‘Ghost,’ ‘The Truman Show,’ ‘Event Horizon,’ More

BrianTT — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:30:09 -0700

CHICAGO – The second wave of catalog titles from Paramount Home Video hits this week, just in time for buyers to put their gift cards to use. HollywoodChicago.com covered the first wave, including “Into the Wild” and “Old School,” a few weeks ago.

Check out the details about those releases here. This wave includes “Days of Thunder,” “Ghost,” “Last Holiday,” “Event Horizon,” and “The Truman Show”.

What do these five titles have in common? Nothing but the studio that produced them and the release date that they land on Blu-Ray, December 30th, 2008. Action, romance, comedy, horror/sci-fi, and drama - it’s a variety of genres with at least one of the titles likely to be of interest to someone with a holiday return or an unused gift card. All films are presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen and feature English 5.1 Dolby True HD audio tracks.

“Days of Thunder”

It doesn’t seem coincidental that Paramount picked a Tom Cruise vehicle for this wave at the same time that “Valkyrie” landed in theaters. Cruise was making mediocre action movies two decades ago as well. “Days of Thunder” is Tony Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Don Simpson at their most ridiculously over-the-top, treating stock car racing as if it was the most action-driven, life-changing sport in the history of man.

Cruise plays stock car driver Cole Trickle, a variation on the competitive speed demon that made him a star in “Top Gun”. Cole is discovered by businessman Tim Daland (Randy Quaid) and is teamed with the legendary crew chief and car-builder Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall) to race for the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. After a fiery crash, Cole meets the beautiful doctor (Nicole Kidman) who will change his life and give him the courage to race again. Unacceptably, “Days of Thunder” on Blu-Ray includes not ONE special feature. No, the theatrical trailer in HD does not count.

“Event Horizon”

Once again, like “Days of Thunder” with “Valkyrie,” it’s probably not coincidental that Anderson’s “Death Race” hit Blu-Ray the same week as the far superior “Event Horizon” from the same director. “Horizon” has its problems but it’s an ambitious film that has grown a sizable cult following in the eleven years since it came out in theaters and was widely considered a bomb. There are many sci-fi fans who ADORE “Event Horizon” and they will be satisfied with a Blu-Ray release that may not pull out all the stops but also doesn’t really disappoint. First off, “Event Horizon” is an audio experience designed for the Dolby True HD audio that Blu-Ray can provide.

It looks like the harder version of “Event Horizon” - the film reportedly ran 130 minutes in its first version - will never be seen, as a lot of that footage has been lost, but some of it remains in a few fascinating deleted scenes and conceptual art included on this release. Bonus features also include a commentary with Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt, 5 documentaries under the banner of “The Making of Event Horizon,” “The Point of No Return: The Filming of Event Horizon,” “Secrets,” and “The Unseen Event Horizon”.

“Ghost”

What’s the tie-in here? Maybe they’re trying to play to fans all pumped up after seeing “Ghost Town”? Or the January 15th premiere of Patrick Swayze’s “The Beast”? Perhaps. No matter what the obvious tie-in or lack thereof, fans of the 1990 romantic drama that became such a phenomenon that it won two Oscars (Best Supporting Actress for “Ghost” and Best Original Screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin) and was even nominated for Best Picture, will delight in owning it on Blu-Ray.

If you’re of the generation who only knows “Ghost” from the numerous shows and movies that have referenced it in the last two decades, “Ghost” is neither as bad as its reputation as an overdone weeper might have you believe nor as good as most films to get five Oscar nominations (1990 was a weak year). Check it out to see what you’re missing or what you may have forgotten in the many years since “Ghost” took the movie world by storm. You’ll also find a commentary by director Jerry Zucker and writer Rubin, “Ghost Stories: The Making of a Classic,” “Inside the Paranormal,” “Alchemy of a Love Scene,” “Cinema’s Great Romances,” a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer in HD.

“Last Holiday”

Wayne Wang’s “Last Holiday” is a more interesting movie than the horrendous previews and commercials made audiences believe. Wang (who also made the excellent “Smoke”) injects the story of a woman who believes she has less than a month to live with a more believable emotional undercurrent than most Queen Latifah vehicles of the last few years. And Latifah herself is certainly not bad. If only the screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman didn’t devolve into silly physical comedy in the final act.

Special features included on the “Last Holiday” Blu-Ray are pretty lackluster with just a few featurettes - “Last Holiday: Packing Light,” “Last Holiday: Last Look,” and “Last Holiday: 23 Years in the Making” - two deleted scenes, and the theatrical trailer in HD. “Last Holiday” is one of those drama-comedies that certainly could have been a lot better but it is also probably not nearly as bad as it could have been - when it played in theaters and now on Blu-Ray.

“The Truman Show”

“The Truman Show” is still Jim Carrey’s best performance and one that should have earned him an Oscar nomination. Think about it. If he had landed the nod that he should have received for this excellent film and then received the deserved-but-missed one for “Man on the Moon,” then perhaps we wouldn’t be subjected to lackluster films like “Yes Man” in 2008. Carrey plays Truman Burbank, a man born into a world created solely for reality television. Peter Weir’s amazing film was not only ahead of its time in predicting the onslaught of reality programming that would dominate television airwaves but it has held up amazing well as pure entertainment.

Carrey, Laura Linney and Ed Harris do some of their best work in one of the better films of the late ’90s and a great addition to any Blu-Ray collection. “The Truman Show” includes a two-part making-of documentary called “How’s It Going to End?, “Faux Finishing, The Visual Effects of The Truman Show,” 4 deleted scenes, a photo gallery, 2 TV spots, and 2 trailers, both in HD.

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

Bryan Singer’s ‘Valkyrie’ With Tom Cruise Mistakes Morose For Intense

BrianTT — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:07:04 -0700

CHICAGO – Tom Cruise can be a powerfully vibrant actor in the right material but he’s horrendously miscast in Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie,” a casting decision amplified by poor direction that drains this true story of an assassination attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler of its inherent power.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Tom Cruise can be a powerfully vibrant in the right material but he’s horrendously miscast in Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie,” a casting decision amplified by poor direction that drains this true story of an assassination attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler of its inherent power.

When he’s in the right material, like his great work in “Magnolia,” “Minority Report,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” and “Rainman,” Cruise can be impossible to take your eyes off. He’s a generally underrated actor who has watched his off-screen antics steal the thunder from his actual talent.

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

Having said that, he’s quite simply bad in “Valkyrie”. It’s arguably his worst performance. Cruise and Singer have mistaken being morose for being serious and have made a film that, consequently, ends up dull instead of intense. Cruise’s character needs to be the passionate lynchpin for one of the most infamous assassination attempts in world history, but the actor’s lack of on-screen resonance and Singer’s general weaknesses as a storyteller punch a hole in the potential of their story.

As World War II drew to a close, even officials close to Hitler knew that he was leading Germany and all of Europe down a very dangerous path. There were several attempts on his life. The most widespread and nearly effective attempt came in the summer of 1944 and was spearheaded by a recently-wounded soldier named Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise).

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Valkyrie” review.

‘Valkyrie’ stars Tom Cruise, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, and Carice van Houten. ‘Valkyrie,’ which was written by Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander and directed by Bryan Singer, opened in Chicago on December 25, 2008.

Family of Heath Ledger Responds to ‘The Dark Knight’ Golden Globe Nomination

BrianTT — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:11:00 -0700

CHICAGO – Heath Ledger’s searing performance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” has been earning acclaim all year and the late actor landed a posthumous Golden Globe nomination this morning when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association revealed their choices for the best of 2008.

The family of Ledger responded this morning with a statement republished by People Magazine. The father of the nominee for best performance by an actor in a supporting role said, “We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath’s performance in The Dark Knight.”

Kim Ledger went on to say, “This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy’s work is being recognized in this way.”

Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros., copyright DC Comics

To win the posthumous Golden Globe award, Heath Ledger will have to beat both Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. from “Tropic Thunder”, Ralph Fiennes from “The Duchess”, and Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Doubt”. The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be broadcast live on NBC at 8 p.m. EST on January 11th from the Beverly Hilton.

Heath Ledger passed away on January 22nd from an accidental overdoe of prescription drugs in his New York apartment.

Heath Ledger has already been nominated for best actor for “The Dark Knight” from The Australian Film Institute and supporting actor from the Golden Satellite Awards. This morning’s Golden Globe nomination is the second for Ledger with the HFPA choosing him for his work in “Brokeback Mountain” in 2005, a nomination echoed by the Academy Awards that year.

Read about all of the Golden Globe nominees.

Get the details on the Dark Knight Blu-Ray release.

Check out Adam Fendelman’s Five-Star Review of The Dark Knight.

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

Slideshow: 13-Image Gallery For ‘Valkyrie’ With Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson

BrianTT — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:59:18 -0700

CHICAGO – This 13-image slideshow contains official press images for “Valkyrie,” which stars Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, and Eddie Izzard from director Bryan Singer. The film opens on Dec. 25, 2008.

“Valkyrie” is based on the actual events surrounding an assassination attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler during the height of World War II. The operation codenamed “Valkyrie” was carried out on July 20th, 1944. The blockbuster film opens on Thursday, December 25th, 2008.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to United Artists.

Valkyrie01: Tom Cruise and director Bryan Singer on the set of Valkyrie.
Valkyrie02: Tom Cruise in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie03: Tom Cruise in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie04: Carice van Houten and Tom Cruise in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie05: Tom Cruise in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie06: Tom Cruise and Kenneth Branagh in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie07: Tom Cruise and Christian Berkel in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie08: Tom Cruise and director Bryan Singer on the set of Valkyrie.
Valkyrie09: Tom Cruise in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie10: Tom Cruise and Kenneth Branagh in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie11: Kenneth Branagh in Valkyrie
Valkyrie12: Eddie Izzard in Valkyrie.
Valkyrie_Final1Sheet: Final One-Sheet Poster.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Brandon T. Jackson of ‘Tropic Thunder’ Breaks Out With ‘Booty Sweat’ Calling Card

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:30:45 -0600

CHICAGO – For “Tropic Thunder” star and Chris Tucker protégé Brandon T. Jackson, the fictional Booty Sweat literally is his Hollywood calling card.

The Red Bull-like energy drink is a scripted creation of writer, director, producer and star actor Ben Stiller in the new comedy. The film’s talent list, which includes both “A”-list actors and up-and-coming actors, is longer than two or three typical films today combined.

Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller, left) and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr., right) are shooting an epic war movie and wind up in a real battle in the action-comedy “Tropic Thunder”.
Photo credit: Merie Weismiller Wallace

Rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) tackles his first serious acting role in “Tropic Thunder”.
Photo credit: Merie Weismiller Wallace

Along with recognized actors Robert Downey Jr. (who plays the memorable role of an actor who surgically blackens his skin), Ben Stiller, Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black, Nick Nolte and rising actors Danny McBride, Bill Hader and Steve Coogan, director Stiller takes a chance on newcomers Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel.

“Tropic Thunder” serves as the first major roles for both Jackson and Baruchel. The film also features cameos from Jason Bateman, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alicia Silverstone, Jon Voight and Tyra Banks.

While the film is an offensively complicated picture that certainly has figured out how to whirl about a laugh around every corner, so does its complication sometimes force the story to tug about in many different directions.

“Tropic Thunder” sometimes feels like it clearly knows where it’s going and at other times is completely lost in the black hole of Stiller’s uniquely melodramatic brain.

Along with Justin Theroux and Stiller, the film also lists Etan Cohen as a co-writer of the film’s screenplay. This Cohen is not to be confused with Oscar-winning phenomenon Ethan Coen (the brother of Joel Coen) of “No Country for Old Men,” “The Big Lebowski” and “Fargo” fame.

Left to right: Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) are actors shooting a war movie who get caught up in a real battle in the action-comedy “Tropic Thunder”.
Photo credit: Merie Weismiller Wallace

Rating: 4.0/5.0

While the drink Booty Sweat is a smash hit in the film and merely serves as one of its comedic asides, in real life the liquid isn’t nearly as renowned. It’s currently selling at novelty stores such as Spencer’s Gifts (as well as Amazon.com) and is one of many ways the movie is drumming up buzz.

Still, it’s trying to explode virally for the film at BootySweat.com and Alpa-Chino.com. Clearly borrowed from actor Al Pacino, Alpa Chino is Jackson’s character name in the film. In addition to Chris Tucker, Jackson names Jim Carrey as another comic inspiration.

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed the 24-year-old Jackson about his breakout role, today’s struggle to best the masses competing for Hollywood work and why he’s trying to build his own “star brand” that’s nothing like Kanye West.

“I know how to be funny to black audiences,” Jackson told HollywoodChicago.com, “but the challenge in ‘Tropic Thunder’ was having universal appeal.” He added: “It’s very difficult getting work in Hollywood right now especially for a young black comic. I’m trying to build a brand. I’m not just doing one-off projects. I’m always doing comedy and will never hit up a 9-to-5 desk job.”

Cody (Danny McBride) is a trigger-happy explosions expert on an epic war film that goes awry in the action-comedy “Tropic Thunder”.
Photo credit: Merie Weismiller Wallace

The Detroit born and bred Jackson makes the clear differentiation between how he’s crafting his nascent “star brand” as a “young black comic” in stark contrast to “all that hip-hop stuff” in which people like Kanye West are rolling in fat rolls of dough.

Jackson also says he’s continuing to use the concept of a “class clown” in his branding that he just hasn’t been able to shake since high school.

In 2005, Jackson was also seen in the lesser-known, coming-of-age comedy “Roll Bounce” about rollerskating, which was filmed in Chicago and also starred Mike Epps, Bow Wow and Meagan Good.

The young comic describes his first role of prime Hollywood prominence in “Tropic Thunder” as his “most proud and challenging role” thus far. As for working for director Stiller (who also directed 2001’s “Zoolander,” “Reality Bites” and a few others), Jackson said: “Ben knows what he wants. You’d better be funny or go home.”

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “Tropic Thunder” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Adam Fendelman.

We spoke with Jackson at a time in his career where he describes being in “mystery mode”. He’s attempting to delicately navigate a balance between “taking any work I can just to get paid” and “being selective” with the roles like in “Tropic Thunder” that’d get him the biggest bang for Hollywood’s buck.

While 2008 still has many more performances left to see, in Jackson’s view the two he’d pick for an Oscar would be Robert Downey Jr.’s role in “Tropic Thunder” (yes, he’s biased) and Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker in the epic film “The Dark Knight”.

While Jackson was mostly business in our Chicago interview, he also enjoyed lounging about in the hotel room’s plush couches. He left us with the following line in describing his favorite aspect of being in film as compared to stand-up comedy: “The best thing about doing film is the food. It’s just magical.”

“Tropic Thunder,” which is directed by Ben Stiller, stars Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black, Nick Nolte, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Steve Coogan, Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel with cameos from Jason Bateman, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alicia Silverstone, Jon Voight and Tyra Banks. The film opened everywhere on Aug. 13, 2008.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise, Diane Keaton Walk ‘Mad Money’ Red Carpet

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:42:52 -0700

CHICAGO – “Mad Money” rolled out a glitzy red carpet in Los Angeles on Wednesday and we have the photos to show it. We selected the best 14 and created a new image gallery for the film premiere, which marks the first film release by Katie Holmes since her marriage to Tom Cruise.

Cruise, who’s not in the film, was there at the Overture Pictures shindig along with co-stars Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Ted Danson. A few Getty Images photos from the event can be seen below and the rest are in our new “Mad Money” gallery.

The film, which centers around three female Federal Reserve employees who plot to steal money that’s about to be destroyed, opens on Jan. 18. “Mad Money” is directed by Callie Khouri who can be remembered for the appalling 2002 film “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”.

Click here to view the entire “Mad Money” red-carpet gallery!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Robert Redford to Walk ‘Green Carpet’ Tonight in Chicago For ‘Lions For Lambs’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:28:15 -0700

I just learned moments ago that Robert Redford will be in Chicago tonight at AMC River East 21 to walk an environmental “green carpet” to promote “Lions For Lambs”. The event is a private benefit.

Robert Redford in “Lions For Lambs”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Redford directs and stars in the film along with Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. “Lions For Lambs” opens wide on Nov. 9.