Ian McShane

Blu-Ray Review: Riveting ‘Coraline’ Makes For Fantastic Blu-Ray Release

BrianTT — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:54:23 -0600

CHICAGO – Great films refuse to go away. Since I saw Henry Selick’s excellent “Coraline” months ago it has lingered in my memory like a dream and watching it again on the recently-released Blu-Ray (“Coraline” is also available on DVD), I’m reminded of how clever, creative, and captivating this piece of film was in theaters and will be every time I watch it with a perfect home release.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Nothing gets old about “Coraline”. Actually, it gets richer with each viewing. That’s the mark of a great movie and exactly what most buyers willing to pay the still-too-steep purchase price of most Blu-Ray releases are looking for - something to watch again and again. You’ll watch “Coraline” again and again.

Coraline was released on Blu-Ray on July 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal

The word I think of when I watch “Coraline” is mesmerizing. Based on the beloved book by Neil Gaiman, “Coraline” features excellent voice work by Teri Hatcher, Dakota Fanning, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Keith David.

Coraline was released on Blu-Ray on July 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal

Fanning voices the lead character, a young girl who we meet after having moved to the first floor of a rental home with her writer parents (Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman of They Might Be Giants). Like a lot of children, Coraline is nearly bored to death. She wanders the grounds near the house, befriending odd characters like Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.), a drunken acrobat named Bobinsky (Ian McShane), and a pair of former stage stars (Jennifer Saunders & Dawn French) who live downstairs. But she finds true adventure through a secret door in her own house.

Like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” or Alice in “Alice in Wonderland,” Coraline finds an alternate universe that seens magical and inviting at first but quickly grows darker. Through the door, Coraline finds a world with another mother and father and far more entertaining versions of her housemates. Of course, as with all fables, everything is not what it seems and Coraline will have to fight her way back to the real world if she wants to survive.

One of many things that the creative team behind “Coraline” gets so right is that it’s okay to scare a kid. Some of the best children’s fiction - certainly the most timeless children’s fiction - has an element of honest, genuine fear. That’s something that modern family filmmakers too often forget. It’s good for kids to feel a shiver down their spine. Don’t be surprised if you adults feel one too.

The fearless design of “Coraline” sets the film apart from the very beginning. From the amazing character design to the gorgeous backdrops, “Coraline” looks incredible. It is such a visual accomplishment that you will almost forget that it’s all stop-motion animation. Great voice work by Fanning goes a long way to help the believability of the entire piece.

Seeing it in theaters, I couldn’t get over the amazing use of 3D and I still think - even after “Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Up,” and “G-Force” - that this is the best use of 3D to
date.

Coraline was released on Blu-Ray on July 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal

Sadly, “Coraline” looks better in 3D in theaters than modern technology could allow it to look on Blu-Ray. The old-fashioned glasses and the way Blu-Ray presents 3D has yet to be perfected. “Coraline” in 3D on Blu-Ray looks cool but the 2D version is so crystal clear and less headache-inducing that I have to recommend it instead. 1080P is practically 3D on its own and there are no annoying glasses to deal with.

Luckily, you won’t have to choose when you’re at the store. You can do so at home. The two-disc collector’s edition of “Coraline” includes a 2D version and 3D version and includes the film on Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital copy. It’s a complete presentation of the film, allowing fans to watch it wherever, wherever, and however they choose.

The stunning picture, perfect audio, and variety of ways to watch the film would make “Coraline” a remarkable release but the special features push it over the edge and into “one of the best of the year” material.

Universal’s amazing U-Control functionality allows for an immersive how-to experience with animatics, interviews, voice sessions, and behind-the-scenes footage playing picture-in-picture while you watch the film. ALL Blu-Rays should be this expertly laid out. Other amazing features include deleted scenes, “The Making of Coraline,” “Voicing the Characters,” “Creepy Coraline,” and a full-length commentary by Henry Selick.

It only came out a few months ago, but “Coraline” gets better every time I see it and even gets stronger in memory. It’s a cinematic dream that is proving harder to shake than any of us first thought and with an amazing Blu-Ray release like this one it’s timelessness seems apparent already.

‘Coraline’ is released by Universal Home Video and features voice work by Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., Dawn French, and Ian McShane. It was written and directed by Henry Selick. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on July 21st, 2009. It is rated PG.

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

TV Review: Ambitious ‘Kings’ With Ian McShane Unlike Anything Else on Network TV

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:00:13 -0600

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – You won’t see many shows much more ambitious than NBC’s “Kings”. The multi-character drama borrows from the story of King David to create a tapestry piece about power, corruption, and war. It’s dense, layered, complex storytelling that you rarely see on network television. In other words, I don’t think it’s going to be on very long.

“We give up what we want when we want power.” - King Silas Benjamin (Ian McShane, “Deadwood”)

In the two-hour premiere of “Kings,” directed by “I Am Legend“‘s Francis Lawrence (as are all of the first four hours) and created by “Heroes”’ Michael Green, we meet the popular King of Gilboa, Silas Benjamin, played with driven perfection by the great Ian McShane. His people have recently emerged stronger from a horrible war and the King lives with his Queen Rose (Susanna Thompson of “Once and Again”), outspoken Daughter Michelle (Allison Miller), and son Jack (Sebastian Stan).

Ian McShane and Chris Egan in Kings.
Photo credit: NBC/Eric Leibowitz

After an intriguing introduction that nearly prophesies what’s going to happen (“Kings” is rich with prophecy and symbolism), the show jumps forward a few years and the kingdom has been pushed into yet another war with the neighboring nation of Gath.

Chris Egan in Kings.
Photo credit: NBC/Andrew Eccles

A commoner that we met in the introduction watching the King on TV soon becomes a part of his circle. David Shepherd (Chris Egan of “Eragon,” a dead-ringer for Matt Damon), a wide-eyed, earnest soul is fighting on the front with his brother. When the King’s son is kidnapped by the opposition, David leads a charge to save him, even facing down a Goliath tank. (Get it?!?! A soldier named David against a Goliath tank.)

When David’s bravery is revealed, he becomes an icon and is invited to the king’s castle to be honored. It’s there that “Kings’ really kicks in as our hero falls for the lovely Princess and watches as the peace with Gath that he has put his life in jeopardy to achieve falls apart. There are people in the king’s inner circle who don’t want peace.

The ‘A plot’ of a corrupt king and the young man looking to stop the war is merely one part of “Kings”. Silas is also torn in two by his militaristic brother-in-law (Dylan Baker) and his religious advisor (Eamonn Walker of “Oz”). His son Jack hides a secret of which his father doesn’t approve. And the great Brian Cox and Miguel Ferrer pop up in episode three. And that’s just the beginning but I wouldn’t want to spoil the revelations of future weeks.

Will you make it that far to discover them for yourself? “Kings” reminded me of a recent show that had a huge following and dealt with issues of corruption and warfare - “Jericho”. Not a bad critical comparison, but fans of “Jericho” know what happened to that show. “Kings” features the kind of storytelling that requires patience and commitment, two things less common in the era of “Deal or No Deal”.

Ian McShane and Susanna Thompson in Kings.
Photo credit: NBC/Eric Leibowitz

On Sunday nights, do people want escapism like “Desperate Housewives” and “Family Guy,” or two hours of Shakespearian drama? Clearly, HBO has thrived on Sunday nights with rich, layered storytelling, but I have a tough believing that people are going to turn to NBC looking for the same thing. This is the same network that recently announced they were handing over five hours of primetime to a talk show host. They’re not exactly the first place you think of for something like “Kings”.

Why bring popular response to a review? Because network TV has something called the axe of cancellation. As ambitious and well-made as it is, “Kings” is the kind of show that I’m hesitant to get into or recommend because we’ve all been burned by devoting time to something that a network cancels before a satisfying conclusion can be reached. Unlike HBO, where at least one season is guaranteed, the likelihood of cancellation should play into network TV reviews. Why praise something that’s not going to be on by the time you read the review?

What’s truly tragic about the way I think people are likely to respond to “Kings” is that it gets better week-to-week. I’ve seen the first three episodes - four hours of the show - and it takes that long for the show to really cohere into something interesting. The first two hours drag a bit and feel overblown, but by the end of the fourth episode I was totally hooked on “Kings”. Let’s hope the show stays on the air that long.

‘Kings,’ which airs on NBC, debuts on March 15th, 2009 at 7PM CST. It stars Ian McShane, Chris Egan, Susanna Thompson, Sebastian Stan, Allison Miller, Wes Studi, Eamonn Walker, and Dylan Baker. It was created by Michael Green.

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

Henry Selick’s ‘Coraline’ an Early Contender For Best Animated Film of 2009

BrianTT — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:59:41 -0700

CHICAGO – Henry Selick, the visionary director of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “James and the Giant Peach” has masterfully directed a mesmerizing journey into the world of imagination called “Coraline”.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Based on the beloved book by Neil Gaiman, “Coraline” is a nearly perfect stop-motion animated adventure featuring excellent voice work by Teri Hatcher, Dakota Fanning, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Keith David.

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

Last year was an incredible one for animation with moving masterpieces like “WALL-E” and “Waltz With Bashir” and crowd-pleasers like “Kung Fu Panda” and “Bolt,” so it’s hard to say that “Coraline” would have been the best animated film of 2008, but it’s also easy to believe that we won’t see one better in 2009. It’s that good.

What immediately distinguishes “Coraline” is the creative team’s understanding that it is okay to honestly scare a young audience. Some of the best children’s fiction from “The Wizard of Oz” to Roald Dahl features genuine fear, something that modern filmmakers often forget. Selick and Gaiman are unafraid to send a shiver down the spine of their audience, children and parents alike.

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

‘Coraline’ features voice work by Dakota Fanning, Dawn French, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, John Hodgman, and Teri Hatcher. ‘Coraline,’ which was written and directed by Henry Selick, opens on February 6th, 2009 and is rated PG.

Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) gets a surprise in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Photo credit: Focus/LAIKA

Interview: The Other World of Animation With ‘Coraline’ Director Henry Selick

BrianTT — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:01:03 -0700

CHICAGO – The limitations of the medium of animation are defined by the people who make it. As Henry Selick, the director of the upcoming and ground-breaking “Coraline” says, “Animation can be so much more than it is usually allowed to be.” Selick recently sat down with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss his new movie, the world of 3D film, and the legacy of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

“Coraline,” opening this Friday, February 6th, 2009. is a 3D, stop-motion, fantasy film based on a book by Neil Gaiman. Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, and Dawn French provide the voices for this fascinating story about a girl who discovers a secret door to the “Other World”.

Henry Selick, Director/Writer of the new stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Photo credit: LAIKA Entertainment/Focus Features

Like his work on “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “Monkeybone,” “Coraline” is not your standard stop-motion animation. It’s not for everyone with Selick himself noting that “We sort of figured 8 and up. It says PG, which means that the parents are supposed to know what works for their kids.”

Other Father (voiced by John Hodgman) engineers an assist at his piano in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Photo credit: LAIKA Entertainment/Focus Features

But Selick is quick to point out that parents know what their kids can handle and notes that TV animation is far more adventurous than what we usually see in film. “And I am not just talking about stuff like Robot Chicken or South Park. The current version of Batman is dark—it is great and beautifully art-directed and that is what my 10-year-old loves the most. I think it is a strange thing, with movies in particular, that people want to pretend that it is 20 years ago and there is no Internet or adventurous animation on television—that is where we are being prevented from reaching kids.”

And it’s not just kids being held back by accepted limitations on cinematic animation. But Selick sees a changing tide in his medium.

“There has been a constant fear that it is different when I think that the world is screaming for something different as long as it is good and well-done and original. I haven’t seen the film “Waltz with Bashir” yet but from what I have read and heard about it, regardless of how successful it is, I am just happy that someone in animation got the funding to take on that subject. “Persepolis,” “The Triplets of Belleville” - animation can be so much more than it is usually allowed to be. Obviously, if you are going to be more adventurous, you need to spend less money and we have - we can do a film like this for 1/3rd of the cost of a big CGI film.”

Selick’s love for “unusual and scary animation” started years ago with films like “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” and “Fantasia”. As he says, “I think every kid like a good scare. It was magic. It was terrifying.”

The early inspiration led Selick to the world of stop-motion animation when he was in college. He had been in the arts, doing a lot of drawing, painting, and sculpture, trying to combine different art forms. He saw a short film that combined a couple of different styles of animation and he was hooked. Even in his sculpture days, he was doing figures that could be constantly re-posed.

Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is eager to enter the doorway to another world in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Photo credit: LAIKA Entertainment/Focus Features

Selick went on to do 2-D work at Disney but it was challenging because he hadn’t grown up on Disney animation like his colleagues and had other interests.

“I got a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts while I was at Disney and I did a film where I did more stop-motion than I ever had - large figures sitting by a pool having discussions about the story. Finally, after leaving Disney, I moved to the Bay Area and I really started getting into stop-motion animation. I did a bunch of work for MTV doing station ID’s during the late 1980s. That is where I found myself - I had low budgets but freedom as long as I put the logo on at the end. I was just finding myself engaged in stop-motion pretty much all of the time - I did some commercials as well - and then I reconnected with Tim Burton years after knowing him at Disney and then we did “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.”

Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.) goes exploring with his new neighbor Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Photo credit: LAIKA Entertainment/Focus Features

Of course, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has become a beloved film for an entire generation. Even Selick is unsure why the film has had such staying power. “There is no doubt that Tim Burton’s original idea, inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas, is wonderful—a collision of holidays and a well-intentioned but semi-insane Jack Skellington who thinks he is doing to world a great favor. Danny Elfman’s songs are great.”

“Even though that film is very different from “Coraline,” I remember going through very similar things with that one. Disney was afraid of that movie and I still don’t know why. Obviously, they aren’t now but back then, they wouldn’t put the Disney name on it—it was a Touchstone film—and they didn’t spend a lot promoting it and were surprised that it did as well as it did. It took many years before it became a Disney film and now it is ‘the beloved classic’ and it still makes me smile that they didn’t get it right away.”

After “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Henry Selick made “James and the Giant Peach,” which he revealed is getting a Blu-Ray release soon. As he says, “They arne’t going to pull out all the stops in the same way [as “The Nightmare Before Christmas”], but it is in the works.”

Which brought Selick to “Coraline”. Selick worked with Neil Gaiman, who wrote the highly acclaimed book, but Gaiman was not a constant collaborator - “I made a deal with Neil for him to do regular check-ins but I wanted to do a lot of work first. With the artwork and character designs, I wanted to get Coraline to a very good place before showing him and not have him look at a lot of preliminaries. That is how it has been throughout—same with the storyboards and the story. We did a lot of work and Neil has almost always had a positive response with maybe two or three notes that were always right and always doable. You couldn’t ask for a better association between an author and a filmmaker.”

And “Coraline” presented a new challenge design-wise for Henry Selick. “Coraline was very hard to design. I worked with a lot of artists and there were a lot of very cartoony versions of Coraline. It took months and months and many different sculptures and trying to work out how she would be expressing things with her face took a very long time as well.”

Finally, Henry Selick hinted that “Coraline” may not be the end for him and Neil Gaiman, saying, “I am also looking to collaborating with Neil again and we have talked about a couple of projects. The problem is that everything that he has done is already set up someplace because he has become so successful, but I would say there is a very good chance we will collaborate again.”

‘Coraline’ features voice work by Dakota Fanning, Dawn French, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, John Hodgman, and Teri Hatcher. ‘Coraline,’ was written and directed by Henry Selick, opens on February 6th, 2009.

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

Slideshow: 21-Image Gallery For Henry Selick’s ‘Coraline’

BrianTT — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:51:23 -0700

CHICAGO – This 21-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Coraline”, which was directed by Henry Selick (“The Nightmare Before Christmas”) and features the voice work of Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, John Hodgman and Dakota Fanning. The Focus Features release of the LAIKA Entertainment produced film opens on Friday, February 6th, 2009.

Synopsis: “A high-definition stop-motion animated feature - the first to be originally filmed in stereoscopic 3-D - based on Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book. A young girl (Dakota Fanning) walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life - only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents (including Other Mother [Teri Hatcher]) try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home - and save her family.”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited © 2008 Laika, Inc. All rights reserved.to

Coraline_01: Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) travels through a portal between worlds in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features
Coraline_02: Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) gets a surprise in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_03: Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (voiced by Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French) are startled by a tea leaf reading in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_04: Mr. Bobinsky (voiced by Ian McShane) shares a secret with Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_05: Other Mother (voiced by Teri Hatcher) welcomes a visitor to her immaculate kitchen in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_06: Other Father (voiced by John Hodgman) engineers an assist at his piano in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_07: Coraline (at center, voiced by Dakota Fanning) tries to get the attention of her harried parents (voiced by [l-r.] John Hodgman and Teri Hatcher) in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_08: Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is eager to enter the doorway to another world in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_09: Other Father (voiced by John Hodgman), Other Mother (voiced by Teri Hatcher) and Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) share a delicious breakfast in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_10: In the Other World, Mr. Bobinsky (voiced by Ian McShane) heralds a surprise circus attraction in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_11: In the Other World, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (voiced by Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French) perform a trapeze act in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_12: Other Mother (voiced by Teri Hatcher) prepares to hide the portal-between-worlds key away forever in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_13: Other Mother (voiced by Teri Hatcher)’s creepy true nature is revealed to Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_14: Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.) goes exploring with his new neighbor Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_15: In the Other World, Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) finds a welcome-home note and tasty treats in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_16: In the Other World, Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.) and Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) are drawn to a circus in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_17: Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) finds Other Mother’s (voiced by Teri Hatcher) snack treat to be distasteful in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_18: Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) and Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.) cautiously take a look down an old well in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_19: Other Father (voiced by John Hodgman) gives Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) a ride on the praying mantis in the stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.
Coraline_20: Poster Art for Coraline.
Coraline_21: Henry Selick, Director/Writer of the new stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline, from LAIKA Entertainment for release by Focus Features.

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

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Death Race’ Movie Loses, Blu-Ray Wins

BrianTT — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:07 -0700

CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of “Death Race” with Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson tests the critical concept of reviewing the movie itself or purely its home presentation.

“Death Race” is easily one of my least favorite movies of 2008, an absolute train wreck of an action film that solidifies Paul W.S. Anderson’s standing as a cinematic criminal, but the Blu-Ray presentation of the disaster is nearly flawless.

I can’t possibly recommend a single thing about the film to anyone who hasn’t seen it, but if you’re somehow a fan of the Jason Statham bloodbath then you will be thoroughly satisfied by how well Universal has treated you with their presentation of “Death Race”.

“Death Race” is a loud, ridiculous, annoying movie that is more abusive than entertaining. The set-up is so inherently stupid that one would expect Anderson, the same man who gave the world “Mortal Kombat” and “Resident Evil” and set the bar incredibly low for video-game-to-screen adaptations, to turn “Death Race” into a tongue-in-cheek thrill ride. But he honestly believes that this mess is an action commentary on our current desire for bloodlust in entertainment.

The set-up for “Death Race” is that the country is plunged into chaos in only a little over three years and to distract the depressed masses and lower prison populations the most infamous jail in the world starts the Death Race.

Led by Warden Hennessey (a shockingly mis-cast Joan Allen), the Death Race makes millions off its most popular character, Frankenstein. If he gets one more victory, he’ll be set free. Small problem - Frank was killed by Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson) in the last race and the Warden needs a new masked man. Enter Jensen Ames (Jason Statham), a man who the Warden frames just to get behind the wheel.

To call “Death Race” brutal would be an understatement. Anderson believes that the volume should be as loud as possible, sound effects need to be damaging, and every shot is better if it’s herky-jerky and nauseating. There’s honestly not one single, truly well-made action scene in the film.

And the dialogue? Allen, an Oscar-nominated actress, says “F*ck with me and we’ll see who sh*ts on the sidewalk.” The sad thing is that if there were more hilariously over-the-top lines like that than the film might have been more effective as B-movie fun instead of just morally corrupt torture.

“Death Race” is presented in 1080p high-definition widescreen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that suits the film perfectly. Nothing Anderson has ever done has been subtle. His motto might be “turn it up” and that fits perfectly with the clarity of Blu-Ray audio.

My feelings on the film itself are crystal clear, but there’s no fault to be found with how well Universal has treated fans of “Death Race”.

First, the interactivity on the Blu-Ray release is remarkable. Fans can chat with buddies while they watch the movie (ten bucks says most of that chat is about how hot Natalie Martinez is) and even record their own movie commentary to share. Just what we needed - fan-driven audio commentaries. Honestly, most viewers could probably improve on the dialogue in “Death Race”.

“My Movie Commentary” and “My Chat” would be impressive enough, but they’re just the beginning of the “Death Race” experience. With the great U-Control, fans can watch picture-in-picture, scene-related featurettes and interviews as the movie plays and even access “Tech Specs,” which provide all the details on the characters, cars, and races as they’re going on in the film.

RELATED READING
Adam Fendelman’s Theatrical Review of ‘Death Race’

“Death Race” includes two Hi-Def featurettes - “Start Your Engines: Making a Death Race” and “Behind the Wheel: Dissecting the Stunts” - and a commentary from Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt on the unrated version, which runs six minutes longer than the theatrical one.

Six more minutes of “Death Race” sounds like a threat to me, but fans won’t possibly be dissatisfied with one of the more thorough Blu-Ray releases of the season.

‘Death Race’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Jason Statham, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Joan Allen, and Natalie Martinez, and was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. It was released on December 23rd, 2008.

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

In Purely Exploiting Gratuitous Violence, Paul W.S. Anderson’s ‘Death Race’ Remake Kills All Comedic Value

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:56:45 -0600

CHICAGO – While 2008’s “Death Race” makes no secret about being a remake of 1975’s “Death Race 2000” with David Carradine as the title character Frankenstein and Sylvester Stallone as his archrival Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, what’s perhaps less obvious but still clear is how the film steals from others.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Though the “Death Race” story has a different book cover, Jason Statham’s character as Jensen Ames and then the masked Frankenstein can be directly correlated to (as just one example) Nicolas Cage’s character in 1997’s “Con Air”. We’ve certainly seen this before: a man who’s supposedly in the slammer innocently and has a monster axe to grind.

While films today can be rewarded for being quality remakes of compelling yesteryear memories, 2008’s “Death Race” not only disappoints in its unoriginal ripping from other films but ultimately loses face in its mission merely for unadulterated and gratuitous violence.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Death Race” in our reviews section.

View our full, high-resolution “Death Race” image gallery.

“Death Race” is yet another film along the lines of so many second-rate Hollywood products we see today feeling pressured to blow stuff up bigger and badder while servicing the human need to fantasize in the utterly ridiculous.

All the while, a weak story is slapped on top of what essentially just amounts to an anthology of big booms.

Sometimes films succeed in being pure entertainment and don’t attempt to have underlying meaning or instigate inspirational change. When they do, though, they’re most successful when their fundamental purpose at least has some redeeming value.

The unfortunately simple message of “Death Race” merely says we’re living in a time and place where financial corruption can allow us to prostitute ourselves to charge $250 to watch one guy violently off another for our viewing pleasure. In the film, 70 million morbid viewers take the plunge.

“Death Race,” which is written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, stars Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez, Ian McShane, Max Ryan, Jason Clarke and Frederick Koehler. The film opened everywhere on Aug. 22, 2008.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Death Race” review.

Navigator Case (Natalie Martinez) arrives from the women’s prison in an action-thriller set in the near future with the world’s most brutal sporting event as its backdrop in “Death Race”.
Photo credit: Takashi Seida

Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) drives Frankenstein’s Monster in an action-thriller set in the near future with the world’s most brutal sporting event as its backdrop in “Death Race”.
Photo credit: Takashi Seida

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Death Race” review.

Interview: Directors Mark Osborne, John Stevenson Create Balance Between Action, Zen in ‘Kung Fu Panda’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – In this summer movie season of old men with whips, gals in stilettos and superheroes a go-go, you may ask: “Where’s the cartoon?” (“Speed Racer” doesn’t count.) Indeed, the most highly anticipated animation event of the summer is “Kung Fu Panda”.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Filled with the voices of “A”-list Hollywood stars and featuring a classic combination of well-choreographed action, laugh-out-loud comedy and feel-good philosophy, “Panda” doesn’t pander and works on all levels.

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed “Kung Fu Panda” co-directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson about putting together a major animated project for the first time and how their lead actor, Jack Black, helped shaped the destiny of the final product.

After having spent 20 years in the inescapable Chorh-Gom Prison, Tai Lung (Ian McShane) makes his daring escape in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“There was a general desire to return to that classic, timeless sense of story that Mark and I remembered as we were growing up,” Stevenson said. “We just wanted to make a story and a world that would endure and would be its own, self-contained universe.”

Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and train in the art of kung fu, giant panda Po (Jack Black, above) begins his study under Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, below) in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“As for the films that inspired us most with animated action, there is no higher bar than ‘The Incredibles,’” Osborne said. “That was a film we looked at not necessarily as a template but for the level of quality and sophistication of the action.”

Jack Black is cast perfectly as the voice of Po: a lumpy panda bear working at his father’s noodle shop in China’s Valley of Peace. Po is an advocate of the fighting cult of kung fu and has kept up with the heroics of the “Furious Five” – Monkey, Mantis, Crane, Viper and Tigress – animals based on the fighting style.

They have been trained to protect the valley by Master Shifu (the voice of Dustin Hoffman) against the rages of evil, avenge-seeking tiger Tai Lung (Ian McShane). One of the five is about to be crowned the top warrior, which is also known as the “Dragon Master”.

Osborne praises the lead voice actor: “We rewrote and rebuilt the original story around Jack Black. That was one of the great things that happened in the genesis of the project. It is perfect casting.”

He added: “There was a lot of inspiration from Jack as a person, Jack’s movie characters and what we knew of Jack especially in association with Tenacious D. We took a lot of inspiration from all that in creating this ultimate fanboy character.”

Seth Rogen voices the fast and quick-tempered Mantis (one of the legendary Furious Five) in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“Jack gave a huge gift really early on about bending the concept to make it work,” Stevenson said. “There were interesting choices to be made and it all came from Jack.”

He added: “When he started doing his first sessions as Po, we all imagined that it might be Tenacious D Jack or something more cocky and abrasive. But Jack himself started to do these more vulnerable and ‘self aware of your failings’ kind of readings.”

Through a series of misadventures, Po becomes the Dragon Master and must endure the rejection and jealously of the Furious Five along with Shifu’s reluctant training. When Tai Lung escapes from prison, it’s up to Po to put into practice the teachings of his master and trust what he has learned to defeat the foe.

The story evolved through several renderings before Osborne and Stevenson found the right tenor.

Stevenson explained: “While we knew Po would eventually have to go one on one with Tai Lung, we didn’t want him to cheat, use magic, turn into Bruce Lee all of a sudden or have him do things you hadn’t seen him do before.”

He continued: “In the Tao Te Ching, there was this stanza in there: ‘The sapling that bends in the breeze is greater than the mighty oak that is rigid.’ It ends with this couplet: ‘The hard and strong will fall. The soft and weak will overcome.’ When we read that, we said ‘hurrah’! We found our overall philosophy.”

“Also, the philosophical underpinning of the story is that Master Shifu and Po are a balance of opposites,” Osborne expressed. “Villain Tai Lung and Po are a balance of opposites. We thought to build everything on that and we started to discover things.”

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our huge, high-resolution “Kung Fu Panda” image gallery.

RELATED READING
Read more film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

The fluid nature and the excitement of the action sequences – epic without being cartoony – are the centerpiece of the film’s legitimacy.

“One of the big conceits of the film was to use the five original animal fighting styles,” Stevenson said. “The Furious Five in the film actually personify them. It was kung fu in such a way that honored its source, but it also did it in a way you’ve never seen before because it was animals doing it instead of human beings.”

Bring the kids and line up for the popcorn as the result is a fundamental balance and a perfect summer animated classic. Osborne concluded: “It had to be authentic and still feel like kung fu, but at the same time, we knew we had to find our own path and our own way of doing things.”

In all, “Kung Fu Panda” features the voice talent of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Dan Fogler and Michael Clarke Duncan.

“Kung Fu Panda” opened everywhere on June 6, 2008.

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