HollywoodChicago.com Content

Packed With Picturesque Majesty, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ Fights Nobly For ‘PG’ Rating

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:51:53 -0400

CHICAGO – For the life of me, I couldn’t exorcise it from my head. Amid all the splendor of such a picturesque film, this one question was like a gnat I couldn’t swat: “Is this really rated ‘PG’?” Indeed, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” is rated “PG”. But that didn’t come without great scrutiny and much editing.

For starters, Walt Disney Pictures contractually required the filmmakers for the epic film to achieve a “PG” rating. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) granted it following a wide array of amendments.

For example, director Andrew Adamson (who also directed “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” in 2005, “Shrek 2” in 2004 and “Shrek” in 2001 and wrote “Shrek the Third” in 2007) changed a scene with a fallen helmet to make certain it didn’t contain a decapitated head, according to the Los Angeles Times on May 4, 2008.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” in our reviews section.

View our full “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” image gallery.

After showing the film to young audiences and gauging their reactions, Adamson in fact made copious edits. Adamson said in a May 15, 2008 interview published on NarniaWeb.com:

“When you sit down and you’re watching it and you see the kids’ faces while making the film, you’re just making an attempt. You’re making it exciting. You’re doing all these things because you’re essentially making the film for yourself. When you start showing it to an audience, that then influences how you feel about the film.”

While the “PG” rating for the recently released “Speed Racer” felt more like an opportune financial decision, the rating for “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” instead felt an appropriate artistic decision. Props go to Disney and Adamson for pushing its importance.

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Despite “Troy”-like fight scenes, this was nothing like the ingenious bloodshed in “300” or the blood-spattering good time in “Gladiator”. In fact, aside from a dribble on a face or two here and there, there was no blood at all. As well, much of the brutality was implied.

Instead of swinging a sword and showing the final result, the film merely illuminated the intent without the follow through.

The decision didn’t detract from the purpose in the slightest, and along with making it more appropriate for younger audiences, it issued a renewed faith that Hollywood can spit out a money-generating product without having to spew gallons of blood and blow stuff up.

The MPAA says a “PG” film “should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The rating indicates … that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children and parents should make that decision. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or brief nudity.”

Liam Neeson (the voice of the lion Aslan) along with Georgie Henley (right) in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” review.

Wide Release of Divisive Film ‘Postal’ From Controversial Director Uwe Boll Canceled

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:13:57 -0400

CHICAGO – In response to our negative review of the divisive new film “Postal” from controversial director Uwe Boll, Boll e-mailed us with these simple words:

Uwe Boll wrote:“You should ask yourself: Who gave me my moral rules? Question yourself. Too bad you didn’t like the movie.”

Uwe Boll’s “Postal”.
Photo credit: MovieSet

We responded requesting an interview and he’s amenable. Before we had the chance, Boll at 7:43 p.m. on May 15, 2008 issued to us a statement announcing the cancellation of his film’s wide theatrical release by U.S. theater exhibitors.

Unless the boycott lifts, Boll says it’s his latest film that many audiences won’t see at most theaters.

“Theatrical distributors are boycotting ‘Postal’ because of its political content,” Boll said in the Thursday statement. “We were prepared to open on 1,500 screens all across America on May 23, 2008. Any multiplex in the U.S. should have space for us, but they’re afraid.”

Boll continued: “We have even tried to buy a few screens in New York and Los Angeles. They won’t let us even rent the theaters! I urge independent exhibitors to contact us and book ‘Postal’. Audiences have been expecting the film. I don’t think exhibitors should censor what gets played in U.S. theaters.”

As it currently stands, Boll says Event Film will only release the “R”-rated film in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver and Tucson, Ariz. Our full “Postal” image gallery can be found here. The film’s plotline is described from the studio with these words:

A religious charlatan (Dave Foley), his mild-mannered nephew (Zack Ward) and a gang of bosomy commandos face off against Osama bin Laden and the Taliban in an epic battle that will determine the fate of the world in “Postal,” which is the latest film from controversial director Uwe Boll (“BloodRayne”).

Boll roasts an entire herd of sacred cows and smashes taboos to smithereens in this over-the-top and hilariously subversive critique of modern-day America.

Inspired by the notorious video game of the same name, “Postal” is a jaw-droppingly original spoof of contemporary culture and an equal-opportunity offender that lampoons religious extremists, minorities, bureaucrats, immigrants, cops, women, the Holocaust, gun nuts and more with even-handed abandon.

The outrageous political and social satire stars Zack Ward (“Transformers”), Dave Foley (“News Radio”), J.K. Simmons (“Spider-Man”), Jackie Tohn (“On the Lot”), Larry Thomas, the Soup Nazi from “Seinfeld,” Erick Avari (“Mr. Deeds”) and Verne Troyer (“Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me”).

The film is produced by Boll, Dan Clarke and Shawn Williamson.

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

‘The Mark of Zorro’ Nails Swordsman, Markedly Complicates Cast, Botches Dialect

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:33:55 -0400

CHICAGO – Sometimes less, of course, is more. Live theater often knows that better than anyone. That’s exactly the shrill reminder Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre needed in Katie McLean’s adaptation of the beloved Zorro book by Johnston McCulley.

With 13 actors on stage and 19 additional among management and tech, it’s admirable to see so many components attempt to tick soundly together. Unfortunately, this decision didn’t yield an idyllic symphony. Instead, the choice revealed patently weak links.

Zorro (James Elly, top) teaches Captain Ramon (Robert Kauzlaric) a bloody lesson in “The Mark of Zorro”.
Photo credit: Suzanne Plunkett

“The Mark of Zorro” would have been exceedingly enhanced by replicating the talent of James Elly – who in his Clark Kent-like mode played Don Diego Vega and then played Zorro when it was time for Superman – as well as Rosa de Guindos as Lolita.

His no-romance attempts to woo her were surprisingly comical. Her disenchanted response to his worldly goods is what you’d expect from a highly desired maiden. The two – actually, the three of them – ultimately concocted chemistry as Don Diego Vega took a page from Zorro’s quixotic ways.

As Don Diego Vega, James Elly’s penchant for recurring “fatigue” was a pleasantly unexpected adaptation. Still, some could consider the script hokey and those turned off by the purposefully overdramatic and campy might find themselves repelled.

It’s difficult to know whether dialect coach Elise Kauzlaric was lacking in her critical duty to transform the overall speech of this production or if the predominantly non-Latino cast just couldn’t authentically sell the Latino theme.

While the Persian James Elly nailed the accent, Larry Baldacci and Don Bender also adapted well. Baldacci and Bender deliver sound performances and stand out as supporting characters amid a large cast of many who merely blended in.

I instantly recognized Hanlon Smith-Dorsey from his 2007 production of “Paradise Lost” at the TimeLine Theatre. This time around, he effectively disappears into the character of a friar and interchanges with the role of a governor.

Zorro (James Elly, right) wins the heart of the fiery Lolita (Rosa de Guindos) in Lifeline Theatre’s adaptation of “The Mark of Zorro” by Johnston McCulley, which was adapted by Katie McLean and directed by Dorothy Milne.
Photo credit: Suzanne Plunkett

Manny Tamayo, though, sticks out as the plays unfortunate sore thumb. While no one could possibly come away thinking he lacks energy, there are much subtler ways to redirect it where he’s truly feeling it rather than merely bellowing it. Tamayo is also a director at The Factory Theater in Chicago.

Though it’s unclear why production photography made such a stark statement about Zorro’s mark on James Elly’s back but then never showed it in the actual play, the illustrious “Z” did light up momentarily on a wooden post.

Despite palpable pros and cons in a play that was absolutely too lengthy, the fundamental tenant of romance and the importance of courting is an exquisitely worthy message to bring center stage.

“The Mark of Zorro” runs through June 22, 2008 at the Lifeline Theatre at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. in Chicago. The play runs on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $25.

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

Star-Crossed Lovers Create Road to Ruin in ‘Before the Rains’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:37:25 -0400

CHICAGO – By its very nature, colonialism is bad karma waiting to happen. You are a sovereign nation with weaponry and a desire for treasure. While you invade and take over a country with that treasure, it also comes with a society you don’t understand.

You stir in religious dogma, native slavery and the defiling of lands and create an evil stew that’s ripe to boil over. The country of India was a prime example of this scenario. The British got their bad karma handed back to them as depicted in the new film “Before the Rains”.

Read Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Before the Rains” in our reviews section.

View our full, high-resolution “Before the Rains” image gallery.

Set in 1937, the film begins with a British spice baron named Henry Moores (Linus Roache) who’s surveying a mountain upon which he plans to build a road.

His right-hand man, T.K. Neelan (Rahul Bose), is a native of the surrounding Indian territory who lends his support to the outsider project by recruiting village laborers.

At his home nearby, Moores is shown participating in a honey-gathering errand with housekeeper Sajani (Nandita Das). On this expedition, it’s revealed that the two are lovers. At the same time, though, they’re caught in the act by two boys from the village.

Rahul Bose in “Before the Rains”.
Photo credit: Alphonse Roy

Linus Roache (left) and Nandita Das in “Before the Rains”.
Photo credit: Alphonse Roy

Read Patrick McDonald’s full “Before the Rains” review.

Interview: Chiwetel Ejiofor on American Samurai Journey ‘Redbelt’ From Mind of David Mamet

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:04:22 -0400

CHICAGO – Chiwetel Ejiofor (pronounced choo-ih-tell edge-o-for) has been a stalwart film actor ever since his dramatic debut in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad”. Since then, he has been a go-to character actor for directors as diverse as Spike Lee, Woody Allen and Stephen Frears.

His latest film is “Redbelt,” which is written and directed by the great Chicago playwright David Mamet. Ejiofor plays Mike Terry: a jujitsu master caught between his passion for the martial art discipline and the outside forces that want to exploit his talent for commercial means.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (left) and John Machado in “Redbelt”.
Photo by Lorey Sebastian | © The Redbelt Company | Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Mamet weaves a compelling tale that’s set in modern Hollywood. It mixes the movies, an emerging new spectator sport and the men who desire the power associated with ownership in both media.

Cyril Takayama in “Redbelt”.
Photo by Lorey Sebastian | © The Redbelt Company | Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

HollywoodChicago.com recently conducted a one-on-one interview with Ejiofor to tackle all aspects of the unique film including working with Mamet and his new respect for art of jujitsu.

“The first part of the pre-production area was dominated psychologically by my growing appreciation for the martial art form that is Brazilian jujitsu, which is so complex and brilliant,” Ejiofor said. “It’s one of those things that – once you have a plethora of moves you understand – you start to apply them. Then you realize truly how complex it is.”

Ejiofor plays Mike Terry. He’s a noble character, but with a sense of real-world propriety, he accepts that the world is sometimes a bitter place. The people around him don’t share his morality.

Chiwetel Ejiofor in Chicago on March 31, 2008 for “Redbelt”.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

His wife frets about bills, his connected brother-in-law doesn’t understand him and even a new student (played with jittery effectiveness by Emily Mortimer) seems determined to unbalance his world.

Ejiofor added: “He has an unerring belief in his own moral code. Nothing that happens in the film ever comes close to breaking that.”

He continued: “Mike Terry is a man who has found a way to live in the present. Not to project into the future or reflect on what has happened, he lives in the now moment, which is part of the philosophy of being in martial arts. What I was communicating is the sense that he is still and always will be himself.”

David Mamet combines his famous rat-a-tat dialogue rhythms with a story that he describes as “American samurai”. While he populates the film with stock players like Joe Mantegna, he surprises with casting like comedic actor Tim Allen (here playing an action-film star whose sad cynicism reveals a finer acting depth).

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View our high-resolution “Redbelt” image gallery.

RELATED READING
Read more film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

“I think Tim was great. He really seemed to be right into the role,” Ejiofor said. “He certainly disappeared into it. You felt that he was there and you weren’t working with someone who was trying to find something.”

Regarding the Mamet dialogue style, Ejiofor said: “I was well versed in it just by growing up with Mamet. I studied him in school. I was very familiar with his plays and screenplays. I did have a great love for his dialogue. I knew a bit about rhythms and enough about Mamet himself. I was happy to try and find a way in making that my own.”

Though the mixture of martial arts and modern American commerce make strange bedfellows in this unusual tale, Mamet makes it sing. He even adds Rocky-like fight sequences that work essentially.

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“If anything, the film is commenting on the way of how people through their own volition favor a simple way of living within their own moral framework, but find themselves at times vulnerable to the bigger machines at work,” Ejiofor concluded. “The lesson within the film is that if you maintain your own position, you’ll find ways of engaging if not defeating anything that comes your way.”

This collaboration of Mamet, Ejiofor and the purity of martial arts join forces for a captivating and one-of-a-kind film experience.

David Mamet’s “Redbelt” – a Sony Pictures Classics release – opened on May 9, 2008 at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema in Chicago along with other U.S. theaters.

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

Chicago’s ‘Shout! The Mod Musical’ an Infectiously Groovilicious, Estrogen-Only Stew

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:17:32 -0400

CHICAGO – Meg Ryan, eat your heart out. Since “When Harry Met Sally,” the salacious Danielle Plisz as Green Girl in “Shout! The Mod Musical” takes Ryan’s infamous restaurant eruption to a whole new level on stage.

“Shout! The Mod Musical” in Chicago.
Photo credit: Ben Strothmann

Blue Girl (Lauren Fijol), Red Girl (Megan Long), Yellow Girl (Maggie Portman), Orange Girl (Amy Steele) and Amanda Danskin in the ensemble match Plisz’s energy in a performance that flips through the 1960s like a musical diva songbook.

All cast members of the Chicago production are local talent. The musical is the story of five fab women in London being liberated as children of the swinging 60s with the hair, heart and soul of the twist-and-shout generation.

Though you miss Mike Myers as the seminal 1960s Austin Powers character, there’s plenty of sass and sauce in this exclusive estrogen stew.

The performance is replete with feel-good tunes you’re sure to recognize (regardless of your age) including “These Boots Were Made For Walking,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” “Shout!,” “Downtown,” “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” and many more.

Most notable about this female-only cast is its strength in numbers without a weak link. Each performer embodies a clearly composite personality and effectively etches a lasting memory.

“Shout! The Mod Musical” in Chicago.
Photo credit: Ben Strothmann

As the women evolve with the London times over the course of this soulful period in history, the narrative voices of an influential magazine advise them on how they should behave. While they progress through this story, some listen ever-so vigilantly while others buck the trend of the times.

The musical is based on a backdrop of 1960s events including the FDA approval of the pill in 1960, the founding of Weight Watchers in 1961, the publication of “Sex and the Single Girl” in 1962 (which encourages women to have careers and pre-marital sex) and the introduction of the male contraceptive pill in 1963 (that they don’t use).

As well, women were first arrested in 1964 for wearing topless dresses, the introduction of the mini-skirt came in 1965 along with the world’s first supermodel, the beginning of the hippie movement in 1966, flower power in 1967, the opening of “Hair” in 1968 and Woodstock in 1969.

“Shout! The Mod Musical” in Chicago.
Photo credit: Ben Strothmann

“Shout! The Mod Musical” is marked as an indisputable crowd pleaser not only by these themes and catchy numbers but by its ability to engage the crowd and even launch them out of their seats.

By the end, men and women of all ages were standing, clapping and singing with infectious vigor.

As a testament to the high-energy fitness associated with the musical’s pace, some of the microphones of the performers even unknowingly peaked out from atop their foreheads.

On opening night, a couple of the girls came out of the gate with performance concern but all were on fire by the curtain call.

“Shout! The Mod Musical” runs through June 22, 2008 at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place at 175 E. Chestnut St. in Chicago on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Tickets cost $45 to $55.

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

Interview: ‘Son of Rambow’ Director Garth Jennings Unleashes Power of Childhood Imagination

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:41:23 -0400

CHICAGO – A preacher delivering a sidewalk sermon followed by a boy’s inventive doodles and drawings are the opening images that launch “Son of Rambow”. This sets the tone for the unyielding power of childhood imagination that the filmmakers unleash upon moviegoers.

Set in the 1980s, two boys obsessed with the Rambo film “First Blood” are on a mission to make their own home video for a BBC screen test titled “Son of Rambow”. A hilarious and touching story ensues about cultural differences, friendship and boyhood dreams.

Will Poulter (left) and Bill Milner in “Son of Rambow”.
Photo credit: Paramount Vantage

In the HollywoodChicago.com interview with “Son of Rambow” director Garth Jennings (director of 2005’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) and producer Nick Goldsmith, these two have exposed not only their heart and soul in creating this feature but they have also touched on experiences from their own childhood adventures.

After learning that Jennings based some of its story after his own boyhood filmmaking and both Jennings and Goldsmith have been great friends for many years, the intimacy and spirit of this film became the focus of our interview with them.

Not only is this film absolutely enjoyable from every angle but it’s also refreshing to find two filmmakers both on screen and behind the scenes who have so much passion and boyhood spirit involved in their filmmaking processes.

This is a must-see film that will not only touch your heart but also your funny bone. It’s a heartwarming and familiar tale of adventure and imagination that will bring you back to your childhood and send you down your own memory lane.

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HollywoodChicago.com: Because this film is so close to your heart, did you take a different stance with it on distribution?
Director Garth Jennings: Because “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” was a much different experience and it was sort of sucked out into the abyss of Hollywood and we had nothing to do with the distribution, this was all new for us.

Initially we had a delay because of the name of the film. (The “w” was added for legal reasons.) We took that time to go to lots of film festivals with it. We didn’t have a full marketing plan at that point and got to show the film raw to audiences.

It made for genuine experiences and responses from the audience. Since we did want to protect the film because it was so close to our hearts, we designed our own posters and we were involved with all the making of the trailers.

Bill Milner (left) and Will Poulter in “Son of Rambow”.
Photo credit: Paramount Vantage

HollywoodChicago.com: Did the production design and the fantastical scenes come out the way you had both visualized?
Director Garth Jennings: The special effects and animation came out better than we could have ever imagined. Basically it was all spot on and exactly how we wanted. In many senses, it came out much better.

Producer Nick Goldsmith: As far as production design, they bought lots of props off eBay that made the film even more hilarious.

When the brother talks on the giant cell phone, it came off as hilarious. While it wasn’t planned to be that way, the 1980s really had enormous phones. We seem to have forgotten that.

“Son of Rambow” director Garth Jennings on Jan. 22, 2007.
Photo credit: Fred Hayes, WireImage.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the most difficult aspect of making this film?
Director Garth Jennings: It took five months to find the right kids. We went to regular schools to find them. Also, financing was probably the most difficult aspect. Getting people to invest in our idea was tough, but as a whole, it was an absolute joy to film. Everything went smoothly.

Producer Nick Goldsmith: We had one issue with a location where we had signed a release to use an area that ended up not being owned by the person we signed with. They ended up holding our lights at ransom, but it was all part of the process and just a little snag.

HollywoodChicago.com: How was it working with such young and inexperienced actors?
Director Garth Jennings: They actually had no experience at all – well, one of them was a munchkin in a play – but basically this was an after-school program for them.

The two main actors were both very instinctive. We gave them very specific instructions and it worked out great. They were all economical. We would say ‘do this and say this very fast and stand on the blue line’ and they would follow very well. They had a great time.

They rode around in cranes and in jeeps and loved it every day.

It became infectious for them and the two became great friends. They still hang out all the time. It was really the easiest thing in the world. We were very careful to have no monitors or playback so we didn’t make them self-conscious on the set. It was awesome.

HollywoodChicago.com: How much of the filmmaking styles in “Son of Rambow” were like you as a kid?
Director Garth Jennings: That’s the easiest question in the world: none whatsoever. I mean, I did lots of dangerous stunts that could have killed me as a kid, but we heightened the drama aspect for the audience involvement.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full “Son of Rambow” image gallery.

RELATED READING
Read our “Son of Rambow” news.

More film reviews from critic Allison Pitaccio.

HollywoodChicago.com: Will your childhood Rambo footage be on the DVD extras?
Director Garth Jennings: Absolutely. We plan on having some.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the best part of making this film?
Director Garth Jennings: We were a small unit. We were hands on in all aspects just like they are in the jeep making the film. That was pretty much how our crew was. We became one big gang.

Producer Nick Goldsmith: The actual filmmaking was great. Our film crew was a huge mob. We enjoyed the shoot so much. The best part for me was about three or four weeks after we wrapped when I was able to see the footage and realize what we had. I was really proud of it. That feeling was amazing.

Along with other cities, “Son of Rambow” from Paramount Vantage opened on May 9, 2008 at AMC Loews Pipers Alley in Chicago and the Cinemark CinéArts 6 in Evanston, Ill.

By ALLISON PITACCIO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
allee@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Speed Racer’ Condemns Franchise Dignity, Delivers Sensorial Explosion

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:45:52 -0400

CHICAGO – While Hollywood slapped “PG” on the hotly anticipated “Speed Racer” to line its pocketbooks with the widest hodgepodge of people (ahem: kids) everywhere, those same kids will leave the theater with that lollipop nearly sucked to the stick but then yanked away with confusion.

Rather than the “go!” marketing hype, this is a stop-and-go proposition. Chicago brothers Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski are ultimately wrangling with a clear identity crisis of who this film is meant for.

Is it the 1967 crowd who adored the American anime version following the Japanese manga creation? Is it for today’s children who didn’t grow up with the franchise but will magically identify with it from scratch because it’s on the big screen? Perhaps it’s for “The Matrix” crowd who slobber over the Wachowski’s sensory orgy?

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Speed Racer” in our reviews section.

View our full, high-resolution “Speed Racer” image gallery.

A slathering of all of the above will be influenced by the omnipresent advertising and power of the Wachowski name, which has been catapulted to stardom with the trail-blazing triumph of “The Matrix” films.

But with summer blockbuster season in full effect for 2008, moviegoers won’t spend in droves the way they recently did with “Iron Man,” which is so far the best-reviewed film of the year.

With a production budget of $140 million, “Iron Man” has already earned $220 million in worldwide box-office receipts in its first six days of release, according to Box Office Mojo. With a production budget of $100 million, “Speed Racer” won’t compare.

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Despite its bevy of blemishes, you can’t deny its color. There’s an intense vibrancy to the environment that – while unrealistic in the real world – is beautifully charming in Hollywood’s CGIville.

Knowing they had to hop beyond another planet in the solar system following 2003’s “The Matrix Revolutions,” the Wachowskis don’t disappoint in the “Speed Racer” special effects department.

The brothers continue to break new ground, and in doing so, they play an important role in inspiring other visionaries to forge new lines of thinking.

Just as “The Matrix” in 1999 had sequences that have been among the most emulated in Hollywood today over the past decade, the Wachowskis continue to up their own bar.

Emile Hirsch in “Speed Racer”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Matthew Fox (middle) in “Speed Racer”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “Speed Racer” review…

Interview: ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ Director Errol Morris Discusses Evil From Iraqi Prison

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:39:28 -0400

CHICAGO – Here is the legendary documentarian Errol Morris on the infamous 2003 photographs taken at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, which are the subject of his new film entitled “Standard Operating Procedure”:

There was another bad thing about the photographs. They led into a kind of weird dogmatism: ‘Oh, I know what is in that photograph. I understand what is in that photograph. [Sic] you. It means this or no it doesn’t it means that. Whatever.’

You can’t just do that. Investigation is therapy. You have to investigate. You have to make an effort to find out (not once and for all) but you have to – to the best of your abilities – ascertain what was going on.

Director Errol Morris on the set of “Standard Operating Procedure”.
Photo credit: Nubar Alexanian | © 2007 Max Ave Productions | Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

This latest film is an intense and sorrowful examination of the morality behind these infamous digital pictures. Most of them depict American soldiers conducting bizarre prisoner-humiliation procedures including the iconic black-hooded detainee on a box photo and soldier Lynndie England’s “cigarette” picture with naked Iraqi prisoners.

On the set of “Standard Operating Procedure”.
Photo credit: Nubar Alexanian | © 2007 Max Ave Productions | Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Morris interviews most of the key military personnel who were involved at Abu Ghraib, the soldiers who took the pictures, the soldiers who posed so callously with their charges and the investigators who were called upon to make sense of the mess.

HollywoodChicago.com on April 15, 2008 interviewed Morris in Chicago to gain insight into his powerful new film.

“Everybody dumps on the [soldier participants] and dumps on the bad apples,” Morris said in our interview. “As far as everyone is concerned, they are evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. End of discussion.”

He added: “The left wing says they are evil because of Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George Bush. The right wing says it’s because they are just evil, rogue soldiers. You need to go into the story. You need to do more than just posture.”

Through the interviews and dissection, the pictures are presented starkly and uncensored. There’s a fascinating overview of the detective work that was done to discover the order in which the pictures were taken and an examination into the nature of what we see when presented with a photographic image.

“Standard Operating Procedure” director Errol Morris in Chicago on April 15, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Morris explains this phenomenon through the picture of sergeant Sabrina Harmon: an Abu Ghraib guard who took a picture with the beaten corpse of a dead Iraqi prisoner.

“You see the smile,” Morris said, “and you don’t see the murder. The fact [that] there is a body in the frame [means] Sabrina didn’t kill him. Sabrina didn’t try to cover up the murder. They took a picture of the corpse.”

On the set of “Standard Operating Procedure”.
Photo credit: Nubar Alexanian | © 2007 Max Ave Productions | Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Morris continued: “That’s pretty amazing – that we see the picture one way and yet the picture shows us something really different. My catch-all phrase is that photographs reveal and conceal. They do both and they do both at the same time.”

The most famous interviewee – private Lynndie England (now on parole after serving part of a three-year sentence) – surprised Morris the most.

“In anticipation [of] the day we interviewed her, [England] was a person described as a ‘hillbilly’. She was mentally deficient,” Morris recalled. “She comes into the studio, we don’t know what to expect and she turns out to be perfectly articulate. I can tell you – no ifs, ands or buts – we were all shocked. Just plain shocked.”

Morris added: “One of England’s speeches in the film includes the line: ‘It’s drama. It’s life.’ She says it right together as if she’s making that connection for herself. It’s very powerful, very disturbing and a very sad interview.”

While reenactments – an Errol Morris trademark in his documentaries – are a controversial tool, he feels they best convey emotion.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our high-resolution “Standard Operating Procedure” image gallery.

RELATED AUDIO CLIP
Listen to our clip with Errol Morris on a filming trade secret.

RELATED READING
Read more film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

“It is [probably] a mistake to call them reenactments,” Morris countered, “but I can tell you the images to me that are really powerful. [There’s] the drop of blood on (Abu Ghraib guard sergeant Tony) Diaz’s uniform when he’s wrestling with the question: ‘Am I involved in this?’ I feel Diaz looking at his uniform like Lady MacBeth. He’s looking at the spot of blood and wondering what it means.”

Morris tackled the subject – among the mass of recent Iraq war documentaries – because he “wasn’t sure anyone else would tell it if I didn’t tell it”. There was something he saw in the photographs and the shocking admission of one of the major witnesses when he actually interviewed the participants.

Morris added: “When I look at a photograph from Abu Ghraib, am I looking at policy? Am I looking at just the actions of a few lone soldiers? To me, it was really powerful when one of the major government witnesses tells you that the iconic picture of torture and abuse in the Iraq war (the black-hooded picture) is standard operating procedure for U.S. prisoner interrogation.”

How does Morris sum up the “fog of war” in Iraq in association with the Abu Ghraib photographs?

“We have picked scapegoats and haven’t really been able to understand this war. That is unfortunate,” he said. “The war has been costly in the sense that it has completely undermined what is great about America. Somebody has to acknowledge that fact and start to make it right.”

More From Errol Morris

On his notorious film and interview subject “Dr. Death”:

I once read that ‘art is extending compassion where it has never been extended before’. There is some truth to that. I do like the idea of these people who are utter pariahs.

Fred Leuchter is beyond the pale in many, many ways. An electric-chair repairman and designer and a Holocaust denier, Fred has a lot of politically incorrect notions floating around in his head. For large groups of people, that limits his social acceptability.

But I like Fred. I found him endlessly fascinating. I don’t understand Fred, but I find him to be one of my all-time favorite characters.

On working with famed soundtrack artist and writer of “The Simpsons” theme Danny Elfman:

Danny is a great collaborator. He is really a fabulous person to work with and this will not be the last film [we] do together. We like working together. I’m saying something completely obvious. He knows how to write for movies.

In a way, it’s defeating some of those impulses not to score immediately to underline emotion or specific content of a scene. He wrote a lot of cues. He allowed me to spot them in different places once I had spotted them.

He then developed them and made them work better. It was a back and forth constantly. It was fast and good. I love the guy.

Finally, on his future projects:

I wanted to do another version of ‘Fast, Cheap & Out of Control’. I wanted to go back to something more romantic and quirky and funny.

I’d like to do a hybrid film: a documentary and a narrative. If I could get the right actors and the right amount of money, I’m going to have a go at it.

“Standard Operating Procedure” opened on May 2, 2008 at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema in Chicago, Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema in Highland Park, Ill. and the Century CineArts 6 in Evanston, Ill.

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

‘Iron Man’ Sits Indisputably in Club of Highest-Rated Superhero Movies Ever

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:53:58 -0400

CHICAGO – Move over, Superman. This lush, high-octane playboy never tasted so good.

Robert Downey Jr. fittingly opens “Iron Man” with a cocktail in hand and all the arrogance in the world. As the story goes, his conceit is indeed respected as Earth is his oyster both for the playing and for the taking. With the American marketing machine in full effect for 2008’s first summer blockbuster, the inaugural one lives up to the buildup.

“Iron Man” has already not only etched itself the mark of the first indisputable blockbuster of 2008 and one of the best-reviewed films so far in 2008 but also one of the highest-rated superhero movies of all time – yes, of all time. The film deserves every million it makes.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Iron Man” in our reviews section.

View our massive, high-resolution “Iron Man” image gallery.

Even before he’s Iron Man, Downey Jr. is authentically transformative as the lush, cash-flushed, comedic, all-powerful and all-knowing Tony Stark.

Even those who aren’t fans of the comic series and just enjoy quality entertainment with fall prey to his allure as well as the blockbuster power of the film in general.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts – Stark’s assistant who keeps him functioning and even remembers his social security number for him – is indeed the subservient, selfless character she’s written to be. Hollywood gives her great hair, too. Paltrow took the role only after Rachel McAdams turned it down.

Iron Man is in the throes of a pitched battle with a determined nemesis in “Iron Man”.
Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in his battle-scarred Mark III armor in “Iron Man”.
Photo credit: Zade Rosenthal

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “Iron Man” review…