Dominic West

Blu-Ray Review: Marvel Character Strikes Out Swinging With ‘Punisher: War Zone’

BrianTT — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:22:49 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – It’s officially a strikeout for Marvel’s The Punisher, a character now featured in not one, not two, but three bad movies of his very own. Dolph Lundgren swung wildly and missed with his “The Punisher” and Thomas Jane nearly connected but went foul with his reboot of the franchise. Now, Ray Stevenson is the latest actor to fail to connect with this legendary character in “Punisher: War Zone,” now available on Blu-Ray.

There’s at least one thing that director Lexi Alexander and writers Nick Santora and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway get right with “War Zone” - they’re not kidding around. Gone is the attempt at a PG-13 like the Thomas Jane & John Travolta version and the hero is finally the dark, relentless killer that he should be.

Punisher: War Zone was released on Blu-Ray on March 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

The problem with “War Zone” is that gore does not equal dark. Yes, there’s extreme violence in “War Zone,” but it’s never allowed to be effective because Alexander and his cast play the whole thing as broad as can be. Dominic West (“The Wire”) as the villain Jigsaw should be terrifying, but he comes off cartoonish, like a twisted, deformed version of Paulie Walnuts from “The Sopranos”.

Punisher: War Zone was released on Blu-Ray on March 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

Ray Stevenson of “Rome” (it’s sad to watch two great actors from HBO in Stevenson and West reduced to paper-thin parts like these) plays ex-Special Forces officer Frank Castle, still seeking revenge for the murder of his wife and child. The Punisher is the target of both the mob he’s been decimating in vigilante crimes and the police forces trying to bring him down. After an undercover agent is killed in a Castle shoot-out and Jigsaw is born, The Punisher’s problems multiply.

Stevenson brings a chiseled, nearly-silent strength to the title role that I would actually just barely choose as the best of the three if I had to compare Ray, Thomas, and Dolph. And the action is appropriately R-rated. But the script for “War Zone” is horrendous and I could never shake the feeling that I was watching a relic, a film closer to the mindless action more prevalent in the ’80s.

Ultimately, “Punisher: War Zone” suffers from too many tone shifts, not enough interesting characters, and some of the worst dialogue in the history of Marvel movies. Hardcore action junkies may be satisfied but this is merely proof that this character doesn’t work on the big screen like he does on the page.

The 2-Disc Special Edition of “Punisher: War Zone” is an impressive release from Lionsgate, a company that always knows how to treat their action fans well. First and foremost, movies like “War Zone” depend on a great audio track. If the film works for you, it could only possibly work LOUD and the English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio will rock your “Punisher”-loving world. The video isn’t particularly notable but also doesn’t register as flat.

Special features include a digital copy of the film, a commentary by Alexander and director of photography Steve Gainer, and the following featurettes - “Training to Become the Punisher,” “The Making of Punisher: War Zone,” “Creating the Look of Punisher: War Zone,” “Meet Jigsaw,” and “Weapons of the Punisher”. It’s a more-than-adequate collection for the film.

‘Punisher: War Zone’ is released by Lionsgate Home Video and stars Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Colin Salmon, Doug Hutchison, Dash Mihok, and Wayne Knight. It was written by Nick Santora and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and directed by Lexi Alexander. It was released on March 17th, 2009. It is rated R.

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

DVD Review: HBO Bids Farewell to ‘Deadwood,’ ‘The Wire’ With Series Sets

BrianTT — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:05:48 -0700

CHICAGO – “Deadwood” and “The Wire”, two of the best television programs of the last decade, have been given lavish, must-own treatment by HBO with spectacular season sets available just in time for the holidays.

HBO has been criticized for stretching their shows out over too many discs with bloated season sets that take up twice the actual shelf space as most shows with double the actual episodes. The three seasons of Deadwood take up more than a foot of shelf space for only 36 episodes. But when shows have run their course, HBO Home Video does a spectacular job of compressing everything previously available into a well-packaged and space-saving complete series set.

Whether or not simply saving space and providing only a few new special features is worth the upgrade depends on how rabid a fan of “Deadwood” and “The Wire” you are, but if there’s anyone in your circle of gift-giving this holiday season who doesn’t own the entirety of these spectacular shows, these are clearly the way to go. There’s no reason at all for stores to even sell the individual season releases of “Deadwood” or “The Wire” again.

Deadwood: The Complete Series is available on DVD December 9, 2008.
Photo credit: © HBO Home Video.

“Deadwood: The Complete Series”

The 36 episodes of David Milch’s brilliant deconstruction of the television Western are included on 19 discs in the complete series set with over two hours of new bonus content, including a discussion with “Deadwood“‘s creator about the early conclusion of the spectacular show. “Deadwood” is named after the real American frontier town that served as a dramatic backdrop for the convergence of law, greed, and even love. Set in a place where businessmen, soldiers, Chinese laborers, prostitutes, and gunfighters all struggled to survive, “Deadwood” was a consistently riveting program, not just one of the best television Westerns of all time, but also a great example of the genre in any medium.

Deadwood: Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Earl W. Brown, Titus Welliver..
Photo credit: Doug Hyun

“Deadwood” won multiple awards, including Emmys, a Peabody Award, and a Golden Globe and was massively critically acclaimed through its tragically short run. There were rumors of TV movies to come after HBO pulled the plug on “Deadwood” after only three seasons, but those appear less and less likely with cast and crew moving on to other projects.

Each one of the season sets have been imported untouched. That means that the excellent video and audio from the individual seasons remain intact and that previously available special features are once again included. New special features include “The Meaning of Endings”, “The Real Deadwood: Out of the Ashes”, “Q&A With Cast and Creative Team”, “Deadwood 360 Tour”, and “Al Swearengen Audition Reel (as performed by Titus Welliver)”. “Endings” is the real catch, a 23-minute discussion with Milch about the controversial end of the show in which the creator walks the set and talks about where he would have gone in season four and basically closes the door on any future adventures in the town of Deadwood. The panel discussion is also informative and includes Milch and most of the major stars of the show including Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, John Hawkes, Powers Boothe, and Robin Weigert.

The three season sets of Deadwood were must-owns for TV fans and their collection into a complete series set with gorgeous packaging and two hours of must-see, new bonus features is even more so.

The Wire: The Complete Series is available on DVD December 9, 2008.
Photo credit: © HBO Home Video.

“The Wire: The Complete Series”

Hailed as one of the best programs in the history of television by outlets as esteemed as The New York Times, “The Wire” never got the awards or the buzz of a program like “The Sopranos” or “Sex and the City,” but already feels like as important a part of the HBO story as those more high-profile shows. Each of the five seasons of “The Wire” focuses on a different part of the fabric of the modern city including drug dealers, blue-collar workers, politicians, the school system, and the journalists who cover it all.

The Wire.
Photo credit: Paul Schiraldi

“The Wire” is a stronger series when it’s viewed as a whole experience instead of season by season. Each new season of “The Wire” felt like a new chapter in one overall book, making the series a perfect fit for a complete series set. It’s one of the most insightful statements on the political, economic, and social realities of the modern city that has ever been produced.

The 23-disc DVD set of this Peabody Award-winning series takes up roughly the space of a season-and-a-half of the original season sets and includes new bonus features. The new extras on “The Wire” are less remarkable than those on “Deadwood”. It feels like the history of this spectacular show has yet to be fully chronicled and the inclusion of a “Never-before-seen Gag Reel” and “Three Prequels That Explore Life Before The Wire” doesn’t really change that feeling.

Where are the retrospective featurettes with the cast and crew? The documentary about the history of the show and the controversy over its constant snubbing by the Emmys (five years - two nominations and never for Best Dramatic Series)? It feels like there’s something missing in this “Complete Series” although fans may argue that the quality of this incredible show speaks for itself.

‘Deadwood: The Complete Series’ is released by HBO Home Video and stars Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Jim Beaver, W. Earl Brown, Dayton Callie, Kim Dickens, Brad Dourif, Anna Gunn, John Hawkes, Jeffrey Jones, Paula Malcomson, Leon Rippy, William Sanderson, Robin Weigert, Sean Bridgers, Titus Welliver, Brent Sexton, Bree Seanna Wall and Powers Boothe. It was created by David Milch. It will be released on December 9th, 2008.CST.

‘The Wire: The Complete Series’ is released by HBO Home Video and stars Dominic West, Sonja Sohn, Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Deirdre Lovejoy, Clarke Peters, Reg E. Cathey, Domenick Lombardozzi, Seth Gilliam, Jamie Hector, Michael Kenneth Williams, John Doman, Andre Royo, Corey Parker Robinson, Tristan Wilds, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jermaine Crawford and Isiah Witlock, Jr.. It was created by David Simon. It will be released on December 9th, 2008.CST.

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

Slideshow: 18-Image Gallery For ‘Punisher: War Zone’ With Ray Stevenson

BrianTT — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:21:43 -0700

CHICAGO – This 18-image slideshow contains official press images for “Punisher: War Zone,” which stars Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchinson, and Julie Benz from director Lexi Alexander. The film opens on Dec. 5, 2008.

“Punisher: War Zone” features the return of vigilante-hero Frank Castle, who aims his vengeance on mob moss Billy Russoti. The mobster is left horribly disfigured by Castle and turns into a deadly nemesis named ‘Jigsaw’. The Punisher’s enemy recruits an army to take down the hero and only one man can win the war. The film opens on Friday, December 5th, 2008.

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

punisher2_1: Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Lionsgate
punisher2_2: Ray Stevenson stars as Frank Castle — a/k/a The Punisher — in Punisher: War Zone, directed by Lexi Alexander. Photo credit: Lionsgate
punisher2_3: Billy “The Beaut” Russoti (Dominic West, second from right) and his crew in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_4: Det. Martin Soap (Dash Mihok), Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon) and The Punisher Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_5: Angela (Julie Benz) and Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_6: Wayne Knight as Micro in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_7: The Punisher Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_8: Jigsaw (Dominic West, right) outside the Bradstreet Hotel in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_9: Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_10: Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_11: Jigsaw (Dominic West) and his brother Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_12: Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) is The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone, directed by Lexi Alexander. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_13: Billy Russoti/Jigsaw (Dominic West, seated, left) in a scene from Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_14: The Punisher Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson, standing, right) and Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon, left) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_15: Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) and Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_16: Dominic West as Jigsaw in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_17: Director Lexi Alexander and star Ray Stevenson on set during production of Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_poster: Theatrical Key Art.

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

‘The Punisher: War Zone’ Director Lexi Alexander Posts Detail-Packed Filming Update

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 18:07:03 -0700

“The Punisher: War Zone” director Lexi Alexander has just posted an update about the film, which is slated to open on Sept. 12, 2008, on her official site. Though you can tell she’s a director rather than a writer, she does shed some interesting details. It’s below in full.

From left to right: Lexi Alexander, Terence Jay,
Deborah Del Prete and Linda McDonough.
Photo credit: Lexi Alexander

All right, people. It’s done – well, except one exterior scene we couldn’t shoot because of the snowstorm, which we will have to shoot in the near future.

I’m sorry I haven’t been blogging, but trust me when I tell you every spare minute I had outside work was used to catch as much sleep as possible.

[We had] 40 nights of shooting in the freezing cold. I’m surprised my cast and crew showed up every single night. I was lucky. Everybody was great and really involved in the film.

There were a few surreal incidents that happened during the shoot. One was that for the first week of shooting every time Ray Stevenson stepped in front of the camera it started raining.

It gave us all goosebumps because Ray portrayed Frank Castle with all his pain and history so well that the rain was perfect for the dark mood and feeling of those scenes.

I’m sure everybody will think I used rain machines, but [I] cross my heart and hope to die there were no rain machines.

The other even more bizarre incident was during a scene we call the “alley fight”. The location looked beautiful and pretty much everybody was mesmerized by the colors and lights we had chosen for it.

It wasn’t until the next day when we watched dailies in my trailer that we realized there was a huge, lit-up skull – identical to the Punisher skull – glowing through the front door of a building in the background.

I immediately complimented my DP and the key gaffer on the great idea, but they were as stunned as I was. Nobody had planned that. It just appeared.

That’s pretty much how the whole movie went for us, and other than the two major snowstorms we had to endure, the movie gods were clearly on our side. The cast was fantastic and they all exceeded my expectations.

Ray was so intense and he really, really became the Punisher. Dominic [West] made Jigsaw so much more than he was on the page. I finally got to work with Doug Hutchinson and boy oh boy does he have some acting chops!

Colin Salmon and Dash Mihok were brilliant in their respective roles as agent Paul Budiansky and detective Martin Soap.

They also received a huge standing ovation from the crew when they wrapped because of their constant professionalism and kindness to every member of the crew. Julie Benz as Angela Donattelli was amazing and she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

There are two actors I cast once I was on location (Marc Camacho as Pittsy and Keram Malicki-Sánchez as Pittsy’s son) whom I haven’t introduced. I’m so glad they were available because they are both very, very special. I hope I get to work with them again.

In the new year, I will get back into it with refueled energy and enthusiasm. No time to waste with a [Sept. 12, 2008] release date. Stay tuned. I’m sure more stories about the shoot will pop back into my head that I’d like to share with you all.

Thank you for your support and Happy New Year!

~ Lexi