Keri Russell

TV Review: Great Concept, Strong Ensemble Carry FX’s ‘The Americans’

BrianTT — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:36:40 -0500

CHICAGO – FX has carved an impressive critical and commercial niche with hits like “Sons of Anarchy,” “The Americans,” “American Horror Story,” and “Louie” and they’re trying to add another success to their arsenal with tonight’s premiere of the highly-anticipated “The Americans,” starring Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, and Noah Emmerich. The show isn’t as creatively vibrant from the start as some of the best cable shows of recent years but there are numerous reasons to believe that it will get there soon. With incredible attention to period detail, strong performances, and a killer concept that has echoes of both “Breaking Bad” and “Homeland,” “The Americans” will almost surely be another hit for one of the most important networks on cable TV.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

Created by Joe Weisberg (“Falling Skies”) and Graham Yost (“The Americans”), “The Americans” is a spy thriller that transports viewers back to the early ’80s, as tensions between the U.S.S.R. and the United States were at a fever pitch that you young readers probably can’t even imagine. There were spies everywhere and honest concern that the increasing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by both super powers would lead to World War III. Paranoia and genuine fear seeped into suburbia and that’s the backdrop for “The Americans,” a show about how even your neighbors could hide deadly, international secrets with global repercussions.

The Americans
Photo credit: FX

“The Americans” opens with a dolled-up Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) having a sexual interlude with an important government employee. She doesn’t act or look like your average housewife. In the next scene, Elizabeth, her husband Phillip (Matthew Rhys of “Brothers & Sisters”), and a third spy are chasing down a target, a Russian who was planning to defect to the U.S. government and give up major Russian secrets. The Jennings stop him and throw him in the trunk but someone spots their car and the third member of their group ends up in the hospital. Their cover might be blown.

The Americans
Photo credit: FX

And what a cover. The Jennings were born in Russia and trained as spies but look like your average ’80s mother and father. They have two kids, perfect American accents, big hair, and goofy fashion. And yet they are killing machines. Elizabeth seems not only the tougher but the more loyal of the two. Phillip is considering defecting and giving up the spy life, especially when he hears how much the government was offering the traitor in his trunk.

Things get much worse for the Jennings when a notorious spy-hunting government employee named Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) moves in across the street. With the good guy growing suspicious of his sneaky neighbors and the sense that absolute chaos could be going on behind any picket fence, “The Americans” takes on tones of “Breaking Bad,” the best drama of the last decade.

The writing here is not quite up to the standard of the best of cable. I’m particularly disappointed in the borderline misogynistic characterization of Russell’s character, one who is seen in sexual context in not only her first scene but multiple times afterwards. And when the writers get a chance to make her strength truly come to the fore, they blow it. Russell makes such smart decisions, playing Elizabeth as a cool, calculated, unwavering killing machine that her character becomes nearly one who has multiple personality disorder. She is an average mom during the day and willing to gut a man at night. I want a bit more shading to both halves of Elizabeth but think that will come.

The Americans
Photo credit: FX

Much more successful in the premiere is the characterization of Phillip and how completely Rhys nails the part. After his role on “Brothers,” I was surprised to hear he was cast as the lead in a spy show but he never once feels false. In fact, he’s excellent in the way he balances his commitment to duty with a desire to leave it all behind. Emmerich is also fantastic and could end up being the one to watch. He’s been a great character actor for years. I’d be ecstatic if “The Americans” got him the attention he’s long-deserved.

I’ll admit that when I first watched “The Americans,” I was more hesitant than I am now. It feels long (they extended the premiere to over 90 minutes with commercials and I think that was a mistake) and it has a few tonal issues. But rarely has a new program displayed the kind of potential in this likely hit. A great cast, detail-oriented producers, and an amazing concept — I can’t wait to see where “The Americans” goes from here.

“The Americans” stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Maximiliano Hernandez, and Margo Martindale. It premieres on Wednesday, January 30, 2012 at 9pm CST on FX.

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

DVD Review: ‘Running Wilde,’ ‘Detroit 1-8-7’ Represent Unfulfilled Promises

BrianTT — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:44:07 -0400

CHICAGO – With stars that have found critical success before on television in shows like “The Sopranos” (Michael Imperioli), “Arrested Development” (Will Arnett), and “Felicity” (Keri Russell) there was reason to be excited around a year ago when it came to “Detroit 1-8-7” and “Running Wilde,” two shows with little in common other than the fact that their first seasons will be their only seasons and they were both recently released on DVD courtesy of Lionsgate.

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

What happens when a show doesn’t become a hit but you still have a commitment to release episodes on DVD? Lionsgate knows well that few people will be rushing out to buy the 13-episode, truncated season of “Running Wilde,” one of the biggest ratings failures of the 2010-11 season. But they need to release it anyway, and so here it is without a single special feature and without a Blu-ray edition. This is as lackluster a TV-on-DVD release as possible. It feels like it exists more to meet a contractual requirement than a fan base.

While that makes sense for “Running Wilde,” fans of “Detroit 1-8-7” deserve better treatment. The Michael Imperioli cop drama had a loyal fan base who bit their nails as the cancellation clock ticked away. The fact is that this show was very nearly renewed and so doesn’t deserve the same DVD treatment as a program that was done before the World Series. I’m sure there were some interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes filmed during the production of the show and a Blu-ray release is in order for any program with an entire season of airtime. It’s understandable why Lionsgate may assume there’s not much of an audience for a better DVD release than this one, but that doesn’t make this one any good.

Detroit 1-8-7 was released on DVD on August 30th, 2011
Photo credit: Lionsgate

“Detroit 1-8-7: The Complete First Season”

Synopsis:

What does it take to be a detective in one of America’s toughest cities? Get an in-depth look at some of Detroit’s finest and watch the crisis and revelation, heartbreak and heroism of the cops assigned to an inner-city homicide unit.

Detroit 1-8-7 stars Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Detective Louis Fitch, John Michael Hill as Detective Damon Washington, James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds (True Blood) as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, Natalie Martinex as Detective Ariana Sanchez, D.J. Cotrona as Detective John Stone and Shaun Majumder as Detective Vikram Mahajan.

“Running Wilde: Season One”

Synopsis:

From the team behind Arrested Development comes Running Wilde, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett as Steven Wilde, the playboy son of a rich oil tycoon trying desperately to win the heart of his childhood sweetheart, Emmy Kadubic (Keri Russell), the eco-liberal humanitarian who got away.

With Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good-for-nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?

“Detroit 1-8-7: The Complete First Season” and “Running Wilde: Season One” were released on DVD on August 30th, 2011.

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

DVD Review: Uneven ‘Leaves of Grass’ Delves Into High-Minded Farce

mattmovieman — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:59:14 -0400

CHICAGO – As special effects technology continues to become more advanced, filmmakers have found increasingly convincing ways of allowing actors to give dual performances in the same movie, and often in the same frame. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, from the exquisite trick photography in “Moon” to the seamless digital creation of the Winklevi in “The Social Network.”

Yet as flawless as the technology may be, the success of the performance still hinges on the level of authentic chemistry an actor can generate between two interacting personas. Nicholas Cage pulled off this feat brilliantly in “Adaptation,” and now Edward Norton rises to the challenge in Tim Blake Nelson’s “Leaves of Grass,” a weirdly uneven mixture of “Adaptation” and “Pineapple Express.” Like Cage, Norton is given the task of playing identical twins whose personalities couldn’t be more different. It’s a splendid showcase role, enabling Norton to deliver his most inventive work in years, and his performance is the only wholly successful thing about this wildly ambitious, thoroughly entertaining mess.

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

The film’s first half-hour seems to be directing the plot toward a predictable destination, as it sets up the mismatched comic duo of Bill Kincaid (Norton), an uptight classics professor, and his brother Brady (also Norton), an Oklahoma pothead. Bill has spent his adult life advancing in his career, while extricating himself from his family, and who can blame him? His brother is the type of hopeless screw-up who leaves a trail of destruction everywhere he goes. Now faced with a loving girlfriend and a baby on the way, Brady must pull off an elaborate scheme to end business deals with a series of redneck drug dealers. The scheme, of course, involves his brother, and soon Bill reluctantly finds himself homeward bound, where he’ll learn the true meaning of a balanced life under the most chaotic of circumstances. Of course, the film is anything but balanced. It lurches uneasily between scathing dark comedy and tender drama, intellectual insight and pothead farce, heightened satire and gritty violence. While Martin McDonagh’s “In Bruges” found a masterful way of melding these diverse elements into a cohesive whole, “Leaves of Grass” often plays like a series of jarringly juxtaposed sketches, some more successful than others.

Edward Norton in Tim Blake Nelson’s Leaves of Grass.
Photo credit: First Look Studios

One of the most memorable sketches involves Ken Feinman (Josh Pais), a nosy orthodontist who surely must be the unluckiest Jewish character since Larry Gopnik in “A Serious Man.” Pais is a natural born scene stealer, nailing the brutally comedic elements in his character’s tragic predicament. Yet his subplot seems to exist in an entirely separate film from the sweetly observed romance that blooms between Bill and Janet (a radiant Keri Russell), or the gory showdown that erupts between Brady and Pug (Richard Dreyfuss), a foul-mouthed dope dealer. Pug is the latest in a series of aggressively unpleasant roles for Dreyfuss that could be aptly described as “Mr. Hyde’s Opus.” Perhaps Dreyfuss is relishing the opportunity to repeatedly play against type, or perhaps he’s still exorcising all the pent-up rage he felt toward Marsha Mason in “The Goodbye Girl.” Either way, Dreyfuss’s unfunny cameo is the first of several sequences that racket up the film’s body count while decreasing its fun factor. In some ways, the film is as uneven as the directorial career of Nelson, who previously helmed the problematic “O” and the superb “Grey Zone.” Here, Nelson ultimately bites off far more than he can digest, which may leave many viewers with a stomachache, yet it’s difficult to not be grateful for such a filling meal.

Leaves of Grass was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on Oct. 12, 2010.
Photo credit: First Look Studios

“Leaves of Grass” is presented in its 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and includes a brief making-of featuette where Nelson reveals that the twins’ story was loosely based on his relationship with an older brother who had long hair and an affection for illegal substances. Norton says that he approached the challenge of playing against himself by avoiding to let go of the impulses he would normally have when working with another actor. An amused Russell recalls her experience of reciting Walt Whitman to Norton while gutting a catfish during her first day of shooting. The theatrical trailer clearly portrays the film as more of a straightforward comedy, which is perhaps the easiest way to market such a bizarre picture.

What truly enhances this disc is the pleasurable commentary by Norton, Nelson and producer Bill Migliore. Norton says that people who actually bother investing in commentaries are always interested in the little details, and he makes sure to highlight a bundle, from repeated references to the great singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt (chosen as Brady’s spiritual influence), to throwaway comic nuances (in one crucial moment, Bill grabs a Plato book to ward off sexual advances). He also proves that the film’s similarities to “Pineapple Express” aren’t merely of a thematic or tonal nature; the plants in Brady’s lab were the exact same ones used in “Express.” As for Brady’s appearance, Norton based him off of a Tom Petty album cover from 1977. The commentary also includes a rich dissection of the film’s intellectual subtext, as Nelson discusses how both brothers are Neoclassicists at heart, and that Brady is indeed the brighter of the two siblings. The director also makes sure to acknowledge each member of the ensemble, including Pais, who made it mightily difficult for Norton to maintain a straight face. Norton likens his initial encounter with Pais to the plane scene in which he met Tyler Durden in “Fight Club.” “Whereas Durden is the man you want to be,” the commentators quip, “Pais is the guy you’re afraid you’ll become.”

‘Leaves of Grass’ is released by First Look Studios and stars Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson, Keri Russell, Josh Pais, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Lynskey and Richard Dreyfuss. It was written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson. It was released on Oct. 12th, 2010. It is rated R.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: Will Arnett, Keri Russell Star in Disappointing ‘Running Wilde’

BrianTT — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:51:18 -0400

CHICAGO – I love Will Arnett, Keri Russell, David Cross, and Mitchell Hurwitz. And yet, I don’t love “Running Wilde.” If you need any proof that quality television takes something more intangible than just getting talented people together, look no further than this sporadically-entertaining FOX sitcom, a show with more-than-enough talent to get over the common growing pains of the first few episodes of a sitcom if the ratings are strong enough to give it time to do so but is undeniably disappointing at the start.

Television Rating: 2.5/5.0

The broad moments of the last show on which Mitchell Hurwitz and Will Arnett collaborated — the undeniably-brilliant “Arrested Development — were balanced out by the heart and humanity of the performances by Jason Bateman and Michael Cera. And yet, “Running Wilde” lacks that same heart despite the best efforts of Keri Russell to provide a similar emotional backbone to counterbalance Arnett’s cynical style. There are a few decent jokes from talented actors but the pilot of “Running Wilde” just doesn’t work. The chemistry isn’t there and it could easily develop with time but ratings can be cruel to sitcoms that don’t immediately click.

A lovable but immature playboy (Will Arnett, C) tries desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart (Keri Russell, second from L), the über-liberal humanitarian who got away in RUNNING WILDE, the new romantic comedy debuting Tuesday, Sept. 21 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also pictured: Robert Michael Morris (L), Mel Rodriguez (third from L), Stephania Owen (second from R), and Peter Serafinowicz (R).
Photo credit: ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: FOX

Arnett stars as Steven Wilde, an immature man-child who has no idea how the real world works after living his whole life in a palatial estate funded by oil money. When Wilde was young, he found love with a childhood sweetheart named Emmy Kadubic (Russell) and circumstance brings the lovely lady back into his life and even living in his house by the end of episode one. The oil-and-water dynamic is that Wilde is a spoiled, privileged jerk while Emmy is a humanitarian who has spent months working with a tribe in the middle of nowhere. What could a man who gives himself humanitarian awards and a woman who honestly deserves one have in common?

To make a set-up of personalities this distinctly different work in a sitcom, there’s an intangible chemistry necessary that Arnett and Russell simply don’t have to start the season. It’s never once believable that Wilde still loves Emmy or that Emmy wouldn’t dismiss this moron on-sight. They both tell stories about their sweetheart past but the lack of believability in their dynamic leaves a black hole in the entire pilot. None of it rings true. And the addition of incredibly broad bits like a girl who chooses to stop speaking, an aggressively-coddling nanny/assistant, and a tribe in a swimming pool drain the piece of any believability at all.

“Running Wilde” doesn’t necessarily need to be believable. It could be seen as very broad satire of, as Fox’s press site says, “when ego meets eco.” But for it to be successful it still needs to be funny. The premiere of “Running Wilde” just isn’t funny. Arnett, Russell, and co-stars David Cross and Peter Serafinowicz are very talented comedians but they haven’t been given the right material to match those talents.

Having said that, with a cast this notable, all it takes is a few tweaks (and perhaps some house-cleaning on the writing staff) to immediately pull “Running Wilde” from disappointment to success. The fact that they’ve produced two versions of the pilot already and that neither has worked isn’t very promising, but there’s enough talent here to believe that the show could start running instead of this limp start to the TV race.

‘Running Wilde,’ which airs on FOX, stars Will Arnett, Keri Russell, Robert Michael Morris, Mel Rodriguez, Stephania Owen, Peter Serafinowicz, and David Cross. It was created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It premieres on Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 8:30PM CST.

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

Interview: Harrison Ford Goes to ‘Extraordinary Measures’ With Loner Scientist Role

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:33:25 -0500

CHICAGO – A very subdued and scientific Harrison Ford recently spoke with HollywoodChicago.com and two other Chicago film critics on the subject of his new true-story film “Extraordinary Measures”. Ford stars in the film and served as its executive producer since inception.

At one point in our interview, the 67-year-old Chicago native calmly uttered a minor expletive and then reminded us that we have the choice about whether or not to print it. While the interview style of some actors can fall into the more eccentric bucket, the Ford experience on this day was decidedly professional, conservative and relatively serious.

Hollywood legend Harrison Ford poses for his hometown HollywoodChicago.com red-carpet portrait at
the premiere of “Extraordinary Measures” on Jan. 12, 2009 at the AMC River East movie theater in Chicago.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

In other words, Ford clearly wasn’t wearing his extreme adventurer hat from his 1980s days as Indiana Jones. For many reasons, he was mostly laser focused on discussing his current film. Ford often used words such as “righteous” and “fair” in our discussion about his latest project.

While “Extraordinary Measures” is a true story of an “orphan disease” (i.e. one that affects only a few hundred thousand people in the U.S.) called Pompe, Ford said he’s not a “crusader for righteous health care,” he didn’t “want to indict the pharmaceutical industry” and he didn’t simply want to “make a film about Pompe”. Rather, he wanted to “explore the issues of health care” and “explore the issue of living with disease”.

Harrison Ford has also starred in “Star Wars,” “Apocalypse Now,” “The Frisco Kid,” “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Blade Runner,” “Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Witness” and “The Mosquito Coast”.

Ford also starred in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “Patriot Games,” “The Fugitive,” “Clear and Present Danger,” “The Devil’s Own,” “Air Force One,” “Six Days Seven Nights,” “Random Hearts,” “What Lies Beneath,” “K-19: The Widowmaker,” “Firewall” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. Our interview with Harrison Ford on “Extraordinary Measures” can be found below.

Question: This is the second film you’ve produced. Both have been inspired by real-life incidents. How do you balance between conveying the reality of the story and making it into an entertaining film?
Harrison Ford: That’s the first time I’ve ever thought about that the two times I’ve taken executive producer credit they’ve been true stories. It has to do with the amount of work that has to be done and how early on you have to be involved to take the credit in a righteous sense. I usually only want to take the credit when I’ve been involved before the director or since the inception of the material.

Very often in the past I’ve been involved in a collaborative level. I had enough success early on in my career that I [can get] story approval and casting director approval. I’ve always been interested in collaborating.

Harrison Ford (left) and Brendan Fraser in “Extraordinary Measures”.
Photo credit: CBS Films

But let’s just talk about this case. The Crowley story is true. We had a lot of rich material there. In order to manipulate and manage the time scale and the drama of the piece, we had to create a character who would represent a lot of the different scientists and researchers that John Crowley worked with. We had to make choices about how to present the science and create a character for myself. That was my true ambition in becoming involved in this development.

I did my research on the science so I understood the science. Then I did particular research on the University of Nebraska and other places to be informed of the reality of academic science and research. The character is invented to take advantage of the dramatic opportunity to have both ally and adversary in the same character. It’s a character who makes it both difficult and possible for Crowley.

His passion is similar, but he has a very different point of view and reality. He’s a guy who’s interested in the disease on an intellectual and cellular level. He probably has never met a patient with Pompe. He probably has no ambition to meet one.

He’s a guy who works alone or with a group of students who look up to him and is used to that. He’s a guy who fishes alone, lives alone and is the master of his own universe. But he’s watching his own universe shrink. His time is running out to make his life’s work into something that others will recognize. When he meets Crowley, he sees the opportunity of his lifetime. Crowley is reaching out desperately to someone with an equal passion to him.

Question: Why make a film about this orphan disease as opposed to any other?
Harrison Ford: Because it’s a real story and it’s the one I read about. There’s a lot of opportunity in the context of this story.

Question: Do you want people to be more aware of this disease?
Harrison Ford: Well, that’s a nice byproduct, but no. I wanted to make a movie whether or not people are interested in Pompe. I didn’t make this film because I’m a crusader for righteous health care or I wanted to indict the pharmaceutical industry or to make a film about Pompe.

Brendan Fraser (left) and Keri Russell in “Extraordinary Measures”.
Photo credit: CBS Films

I wanted to make a film that explores the issues of health care and explores the issue of living with the disease. I wanted to be fair. But I also wanted to be entertaining and [give] an experience that is cinematic in nature.

[I wanted people] to go to the theater and exercise not their particular ire about the health care system but their common humanity. [I wanted them to] feel good about spending two hours in the theater and leave it without suffering simply a kinetic experience. [I wanted people to] have the opportunity to have an emotional experience.

That’s what I value in the theater. That’s what I want to sell. I’m not looking for a pulpit to tell people about Pompe. It’s a worthy part of our ambition that people have a fair understanding of the Crowleys, but this is not about Pompe. This is about human nature and perseverance and the qualities that it takes to get [things] done.

Question: Science and research are an intellectual process, but you also had to make this an entertaining film.
Harrison Ford: That’s the first thing we set out to do. We had to get science out of the head and into visual storytelling.

Question: That scene in the bar with you and Brendan Fraser (as John Crowley) is good where you were walking him through the disease.
Harrison Ford: The bar scene represents one of our most challenging scenes. We had the basic time scale here. John Crowley (as Brendan Fraser) left work without telling his wife where he’s going. He traveled to Nebraska.

He’s reaching out desperately to a guy (Harrison Ford as Dr. Robert Stonehill) who he thinks hung up on him on the phone. [Stonehill’s] work is mentioned in a lot of research that he’s doing. [Stonehill] has a lot of focus on how to mitigate the disease. When [Crowley] says his kids have Pompe, [Stonehill] says: “Aw, Jesus. You should have called me before you came out here. I don’t see patients.”

So, what is it that attracts Crowley to [Stonehill]? How can we give the scene emotional context? How can we let the audience learn what’s special about Stonehill’s research and to find out why this guy might be the one to grab onto? It’s his passion. It’s his belief. That’s the right hook.

Question: What does this project mean to you personally?
Harrison Ford: I was looking for material to develop for myself and to work with the Shambergs (producers Carla Santos Shamberg and Michael Shamberg). I found a Wall Street Journal article [about Pompe]. There was no part in it for me at that point. The first notion was that I would play the father, but I said I was too old. So, I suggested something on the science side would be good for me. This material gave back. The good stuff always gives back. It supports your ambition and the depth of the well.

Brendan Fraser (left) and Harrison Ford in “Extraordinary Measures”.
Photo credit: CBS Films

Question: When you were developing this character, did you set out to create a character unlike any one you have played before?
Harrison Ford: No. I always think you make a character out of what helps to tell the story. What’s going to sustain the drama? What kind of personality would present obstacle and opportunity? That’s how you end up with a character. Once you’ve made those decisions, you give it depth and believable behavior.

The strongest position for an actor is to be an ally to the story. I’m not an actor who says “my character wouldn’t do that”. Then they’d just get someone else to do it. My character does whatever helps to tell the story. If I can’t make it real, then I’ll figure out why. But usually there’s a way to make it real.

Question: This character reminded me of your role in “Mosquito Coast” where you had tunnel vision and an obsession with doing one thing without seeing the bigger picture.
Harrison Ford: Sure. There’s something in that. That’s the last time I played a guy who was a bit of a prick.

Question: How do you keep a movie like this from being overly sentimental?
Harrison Ford: It’s a conscious choice not to do that. It’s a recognition that that’s not a virtue. Being sentimental and being in love with the opportunity to make people sad is not a fulsome movie experience. You have to be careful about that when you’re doing something like this.

Question: How do you make the film feel like it’s not exploitative?
Harrison Ford: You have to allow the audience to experience the characters in the story rather than feel like they’re being lectured, manipulated and managed. You have to let the audience learn by experiencing the emotional consistency with the characters.

Question: What about the scene where the kids can’t raise an arm and throw the ball?
Harrison Ford: You have to think about how to visually and emotionally present information rather than how to just tell the audience things.

Brendan Fraser (left) and Harrison Ford in “Extraordinary Measures”.
Photo credit: CBS Films

Question: What was it like to show the film to the Crowleys?
Harrison Ford: I wasn’t there, but their reaction was favorable. They felt positive about our efforts. But I’m not going to quote them. That feels self-serving.

Question: So, it felt authentic to the Crowleys even though decisions had to be made to change time lines and compress characters?
Harrison Ford: Yes. It did. That’s important because they were giving us permission to tell their story. We cared a lot about whether they felt they were served fairly.

Question: In your research and in meeting scientists, did you find several of them with these anger management issues?
Harrison Ford: No. I never did. I found very well-adjusted and nice people who like living in Nebraska and thought it was a good place to raise their kids. I didn’t find anyone like [my character]. But I can see [that the perfect storm of] circumstances could produce a guy like that.

In the film, one of the lines in the bar scene is that the football coach makes more money personally than the entire science budget for his department. Go figure. The administrator will tell you that football is what pleases the alumni. They contribute to the school in support of their old alma mater’s football team. They don’t [care] about the science that’s going to affect 400,000 people in the developed world.

The pharmaceutical companies are willing to do it because of the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. It’s a federal government program to give them tax subsidies and patent rights because there’s no expectation of a reasonable profit.

“Extraordinary Measures” stars Harrison Ford (as scientist Dr. Robert Stonehill), Brendan Fraser (as father John Crowley), Keri Russell (as mother Aileen Crowley), Meredith Droeger (as daughter Megan Crowley), Diego Velazquez (as son Patrick Crowley), Courtney B. Vance, Sam Hall, Jared Harris, Patrick Bauchau, Alan Ruck, David Clennon, Dee Wallace, Ayanna Berkshire, P.J. Byrne and Andrea White from director Tom Vaughan and writer Robert Nelson Jacobs.

The film is based on the book “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million – And Bucked the Medical Establishment – in a Quest to Save His Children” by Geeta Anand. “Extraordinary Measures” opened on Jan. 22, 2010, has a run time of 105 minutes and is rated “PG” for thematic material, language and a mild suggestive moment.

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

Blu-Ray Review: Adam Sandler’s ‘Bedtime Stories’ Family Friendly Entertainment

BrianTT — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:37:16 -0400

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Adam Shankman’s “Bedtime Stories” is far from perfect but it also was undeservedly lambasted by critics. Is this great family fare? Heck no, but I’d still take this variation of Sandler’s persona over his cartoonish characters in most of his silly comedies and the movie has an easy-going likability that’s hard to deny. The Blu-Ray leaves a lot to be desired but the movie itself is probably better than you think.

The plot of “Bedtime Stories” is simple enough and something the little ones in the family will probably adore. In fact, Sandler has said he made the film for his kids. Adam plays Skeeter Bronson, a hotel worker who was promised that he would one day take over managing the place but has had to watch fellow employees (including Guy Pearce and Lucy Lawless) jump over him on the corporate ladder.

Bedtime Stories was released on Blu-Ray on April 7th, 2009.
Photo credit: Disney

Skeeter ends up having to babysit his sister’s (Courteney Cox) children and discovers that he has the same skill for bedtime stories as his father (Jonathan Pryce) had with him. But his niece and nephew have something more. Whenever they add something to the story it starts to be reflected in Skeeter’s real life.

Bedtime Stories was released on Blu-Ray on April 7th, 2009.
Photo credit: Disney

The idea that a child’s imagination can bring about wonderful things is certainly a solid one for fiction and when “Bedtime Stories” sticks to that concept it can be very effective. Keri Russell, as a love interest for Skeeter, is as charming as she usually is (which is very), newcomer Teresa Palmer is interesting, and Russell Brand does very funny supporting work.

Like a lot of “Bedtime Stories,” the film kind of goes off on tangents and isn’t that well-paced. At 99 minutes, it still felt long, which is a product of a screenplay by Matt Lopez and Tim Herlihy that wanders more than it should, usually to fit in cameos by Sandler regulars like Rob Schneider or spends WAY too much time with a bug-eyed guinea pig named, you guessed it, Bugsy.

Despite these flaws, I found “Bedtime Stories” enjoyable. It won’t be the first family movie I reach for with my little ones, but it also won’t be something I dread watching with them. On a rainy Sunday night when you’ve seen the Pixar movies a thousand times and want something new, you could do a lot worse than “Bedtime Stories”.

Having said that, the Blu-Ray is a bit of a letdown. The video is nearly perfect. Disney is rocking the 1080p lately. And the audio in 5.1 DTS-HD fits well. No, it’s the special features that are lackluster, especially for a company that usually rocks in the bells and whistles department.

Disney employs the awesome 3-disc Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy packaging again with “Bedtime Stories” and that earns them a few points, but the total of the bonus features that accompany the movie run less than an hour. There are a few mini-featurettes (and I do mean MINI at under five minutes) about the making of the movie, some deleted scenes, and some outtakes and that’s it. Fans deserve more and this is a film that I expect to quietly build fans over the years.

‘Bedtime Stories’ is released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and stars Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce, Courteney Cox, Lucy Lawless, and Teresa Palmer. It was written by Matt Lopez and Tom Herlihy and directed by Adam Shankman. It was released on April 7th, 2009. It is rated PG.

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

DVD Review: ‘Wonder Woman’ Continues Series of Interesting DC Universe Releases

BrianTT — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:20:52 -0500

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Even though I once had a weekly comic book addiction, I was never a big Wonder Woman fan. Maybe it was a trapping of my gender, but I always tended toward books with male heroes like Superman, Batman, and The X-Men. Having said that, I can still respect what the team behind DC Universe’s latest film have accomplished with “Wonder Woman,” another installment in an increasingly intriguing series of straight-to-DVD movies.

When you tell a lot of people that an animated straight-to-DVD movie is worth their time, a lot of them glaze over, smile, and nod. Trust me. “Superman: Doomsday,” “Justice League: The New Frontier,” “Batman: Gotham Knight,” and, now, “Wonder Woman” would make for a better superhero marathon than most live-action blockbusters of men (or a woman) in tights. If I had to rank the four, “WW” would be the lowest, but that’s largely just because of how highly I think of the other films, particularly the must-see “New Frontier”.

“Wonder Woman” takes the feminist roots of its heroine and turns them up to eleven. It’s essentially the classic origin story for the girl with the invisible jet, told with a lot more Shakespearian intensity than usual. Maybe a bit too much. Maybe it’s because I grew up on Lynda Carter, but this take on “Wonder Woman” sometimes felt a little too serious for its own good. They could have had more fun with it.

Wonder Woman was released on DVD on March 3rd, 2009.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Princess Diana (Keri Russell), the girl who would become Wonder Woman, is raised to be a warrior on an island with no men after her mother Hippolyta (Virginia Madsen) defeats the god of war Ares (Alfred Molina) and imprisons him, vowing to never deal with the opposite sex again. When pilot Col. Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion) crashes on the island, Diana wins a contest to take him back home.

The journey for Steve and Diana becomes fraught with peril when it turns out that Ares has been set free by a traitor on the island and is trying to contact Hades (Oliver Platt) to be released for good and take over the world. With very strong feminist undertones, Diana learns that she can be both a strong woman and that not all men are evil.

As I said, I was never a big “Wonder Woman” fan. And the script for this origin story feels like the weakest to date in the DC Universe line. I was struck more by the cheesy dialogue - “Maybe I think the world’s not worth saving if you’re not in it.” - than in previous installments.

And it feels the least ambitious of the DC Universe titles by far. Superman dies in “Doomsday,” “New Frontier” balances multiple heroes and arcs, and “Gotham Knight” is anime-influenced. “Wonder Woman” feels the most like a standard, Saturday morning cartoon, even if it’s a really good one.

One of the things that has set the DC Universe titles apart is the incredibly accomplished voice work and the people behind the drawings are the best thing about “Wonder Woman”. “Waitress” stars Nathan Fillion and Keri Russell are reunited and they have much of the same quick-and-clever chemistry as they did in that film. Rosario Dawson, Virginia Madsen, Alfred Molina - they are all fantastic.

The video and audio on the two-disc special edition of “Wonder Woman” are typically excellent for this line of releases. The colors are vibrant and clearly defined. Upconverted on a Blu-Ray player, it looks practically HD. And the audio in 5.1 Dolby Surround is similarly strong.

One of the elements of these DC Universe releases that have helped set them apart are the excellently designed, produced, and organized special features. Each title has come with a great documentary/featurette about the history of the character and “Wonder Woman” is no exception.

The second disc featurettes - “Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream” and “Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth” - combine to give viewers a great history of this legendary character from her origin to her influence. The first disc includes an informative commentary by producers Gregory Novak and Bruce Timm, writer Michael Jelenic, and director Lauren Montgomery, and a first-look at the fifth title in the series, “Green Lantern: First Flight”.

For the fourth time, DC has taken a legendary comic book hero and created almost the equivalent of a DVD reference book about that character through excellent featurettes and supplemental material. While “Wonder Woman” doesn’t stand up to the other three for me personally, it comes from the same desire of the team behind these titles to really make something to satisfy the fans. That’s more than you can say for most live-action supehero movies.

‘Wonder Woman’ is released by Warner Bros. Home Video and features voice work by Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, Virginia Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, and Oliver Platt. It was written by Michael Jelenic and directed by Lauren Montgomery. It was released on March 3rd, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

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

Slideshow: 16-Image Gallery For ‘Bedtime Stories’ With Adam Sandler, Keri Russell

BrianTT — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:14:11 -0500

CHICAGO – This 16-image slideshow contains official press images for Disney’s “Bedtime Stories,” which stars Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Teresa Palmer, Richard Griffiths, Lucy Lawless, and Courtney Cox from writers Matt Lopez and Tim Herlihy and directed by Adam Shankman. The film opens on Dec. 25, 2008.

“Bedtime Stories” is Disney’s family comedy for the season and stars Adam Sandler is a hotel handyman who finds his world turned upside down after the bedtime stories that he reads his niece and nephew start to come to life. The blockbuster film is rated PG and opens on Thursday, December 25th, 2008.

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

BedtimeStories01: Bedtime Stories Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories02: Bedtime Stories Keri Russell, Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories03: Bedtime Stories Keri Russell, Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories04: Bedtime Stories Adam Sandler, Keri Russell.
BedtimeStories05: Bedtime Stories Richard Griffiths, Guy Pearce, Teresa Palmer, Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories06: Bedtime Stories Adam Sandler, Teresa Palmer.
BedtimeStories07: Bedtime Stories Russell Brand, Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories08: Bedtime Stories Courtney Cox, Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories09: Bedtime Stories Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories10: Bedtime Stories Guy Pearce, Lucy Lawless.
BedtimeStories11: Bedtime Stories Lucy Lawless, Guy Pearce.
BedtimeStories12: Bedtime Stories Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories13: Bedtime Stories Adam Shankman, Adam Sandler.
BedtimeStories14: Bedtime Stories Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Lawless, Adam Shankman.
BedtimeStories15: Bedtime Stories Adam Shankkman, Jennifer Gibgot.
BedtimeStories16: Bedtime Stories Jack Giarraputo, Russell Brand.

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

DC Universe Releases Images, Premiere Details For ‘Wonder Woman’

BrianTT — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:55:19 -0500

CHICAGO – Warner Brothers announced this week that their fourth original DC Universe animated original film, “Wonder Woman”, will debut at the New York Comic Con in February and sent along a couple of brand new images to get audiences excited.

Preceding the March 3rd, 2009 release of “Wonder Woman” on Blu-Ray, DVD, OnDemand, Pay-Per-View, & Digital Download all simultaneously, the original animated movie will receive a big screen premiere at the New York Comic Con on February 6th, 2009 at the IGN Theater at the Javits Center.

A full month before the availability of “Wonder Woman” on the home market, fans can see the entire film and participate in a panel discussion featuring members of the film’s cast and crew that will follow the 8:30 p.m. screening. Exact talent available for the Q&A is not yet clear.

Wonder Wonder prepares to take on Ares in battle in “Wonder Woman,” the all-new DC Universe animated original movie will be distributed by Warner Home Video on March 3, 2009.

“Wonder Woman” is presented by Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation, and DC Comics and will be distributed by Warner Home Video on March 3rd, 2009. It will be available as a Single Disc DVD, 2-Disc Special Edition DVD, and Blu-Ray Disc. “Wonder Woman” will also be available OnDemand, Pay-Per-View, and available on digital download on the same day as the film’s street date.

Steve Trevor gets his first look at the Amazons in “Wonder Woman,” the all-new DC Universe animated original movie will be distributed by Warner Home Video on March 3, 2009.

“Wonder Woman” is being produced by the legendary and Emmy Award-winning animation king Bruce Timm and features voice work by Keri Russell in the lead role and Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Virginia Madsen, Rosario Dawson, Oliver Platt, and David McCallum in supporting roles. Bruce Timm will actually be a Guest of Honor at the New York Comic Con along with previously-announced Guests of Honor including Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, George Perez, J. Michael Straczynski, and Michael Uslan.

The DC Universe series of animated PG-13 films written and directed by acclaimed comic book directors have been very successful for Warner Brothers and include the acclaimed “Superman: Doomsday”, “Justice League: The New Frontier”, and “Batman: Gotham Knight”. Films in development include works based on Batman, Superman, Justice League, Green Lantern, and The Flash.

‘Wonder Woman’ will be released by Warner Home Video and includes voice work by Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Virginia Madsen, Rosario Dawson, Oliver Platt, and David McCallum. It will be released on March 3rd, 2009.

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

First-Look Production Still: ‘Leaves of Grass’ With Edward Norton, Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:40:26 -0500

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com has just received a first-look production still for the comedic thriller “Leaves of Grass” in which Edward Norton stars as twin brothers.

The film recently wrapped production in Shreveport, La. “Leaves of Grass,” which is written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson (who also co-stars), is due out in 2010. Richard Dreyfuss, Keri Russell and Susan Sarandon also star in the film. The first-look production still is below.

The first-look production still of Edward Norton in the 2010 film “Leaves of Grass”.
Image credit: Glen Wilson

Here’s the plot description for “Leaves of Grass”:

In “Leaves of Grass,” Bill Kincaid – a college classics professor (Edward Norton) – is lured home from the Ivy League to the backwoods of southeastern Oklahoma by his identical twin (also Norton).

The twin is a hedonistic, pot-smoking career criminal. Kincaid finds that Plato and Marcus Aurelius have ill-prepared him for dealing with a gang of homicidal yokels.

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