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12 articles from 2009

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DVD Playhouse--November 2009

14 November 2009 6:25 PM, PST | The Hollywood Interview | See recent The Hollywood Interview news »

DVD Playhouse—November 2009

By

Allen Gardner

Watchmen—The Ultimate Cut (Warner Bros.) Director Zack Snyder’s film of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark graphic novel is as worthy an adaptation of a great book that has ever been filmed. In an alternative version of the year 1985, Richard Nixon is serving his third term as President and super heroes have been outlawed by a congressional act, in spite of the fact that two of the most high-profile “masks,” Dr. Manhattan (Billy Cruddup) and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) helped the U.S. win the Vietnam War. When The Comedian is found murdered, many former heroes become concerned that a conspiracy is afoot to assassinate retired costumed crime fighters. Former masks Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman) and still-operating Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley, in an Oscar-worthy turn) launch an investigation of their own, all while the Pentagon’s “Doomsday »

- The Hollywood Interview.com

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Shadows of Russia: Communism on TCM

3 November 2009 11:28 PM, PST | Alt Film Guide | See recent Alt Film Guide news »

Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas in Ninotchka (top); Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford in The Way We Were (bottom) From the Romanovs’ last stand to Warren Beatty’s first solo directorial effort: On every Wednesday in January 2010, Turner Classic Movies will present the 20-film festival "Shadows of Russia," a showcase of Hollywood movies portraying Russia (and/or the Soviet Union) and the sociopolitical reverberations of Communism throughout the 20th century. Among the scheduled films are classics such as Ninotchka, The Manchurian Candidate, and Reds, in addition to lesser-known fare like Counter-Attack, I Was a Communist for the FBI, and The Strawberry Statement. Get ready for some laughs and a few tears — mostly laughs. And mostly of the unintended kind. I must red-facedly [...] »

- Andre Soares

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Screwballs Let Loose On DVD

4 August 2009 12:49 AM, PDT | NYPost.com | See recent New York Post news »

It's even more slippery to define as a genre than film noir, but that hasn't stopped Sony from dipping into its Columbia Pictures vaults for a pair of sets titled "Icons of Screwball Comedy," out today on DVD.

The critic Andrew Sarris called screwball comedies "sex comedies without the sex."

Other recurrent elements include farce, slapstick and snappy repartee, with plots frequently focusing on mistaken identity, class issues and, of course, romantic complications.

Three of the four actresses showcased in the sets -- with two films apiece -- are certainly closely identified with the genre, »

- By LOU LUMENICK

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James Coburn Film Festival On Turner Classic Movies Tuesday August 4

3 August 2009 4:45 PM, PDT | Cinemaretro.com | See recent CinemaRetro news »

Coburn gives a deft comedic turn co-starring with Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas and James Garner in The Americanization of Emily.

Here's a great reason to be a couch potato for the day:  tomorrow, TCM's Summer Under the Stars series features an all-day James Coburn film festival including showings of The Americanization of Emily, The Carey Treatment, The President's Analyst, Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round, Hell is For Heroes, What Did You Do in the War Daddy?, Major Dundee, Harry in Your Pocket and Hard Times (which memorably pairs Coburn with streetfighter Charles Bronson). For full schedule click here »

- nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)

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Geoffrey Rush earns acting triple crown with Tony Award win for 'Exit the King'

7 June 2009 6:55 PM, PDT | Gold Derby | See recent Gold Derby news »

Geoffrey Rush became the 17th performer to win the acting triple crown of Oscar, Emmy, and Tony awards when he romped to victory tonight as best lead actor in a play.  Astonishingly, Geoffrey Rush won each of these prestigious prizes on his first try – the Oscar for "Shine" in 1996, the Emmy for "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" in 2005, and now the Tony for "Exit the King."

Geoffrey Rush not only stars in this acclaimed production of the absurdist play by Eugene Ionesco but translated the text with director Neil Armfield. The Australian actor edged out performances by "God of Carnage" stars Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini, Raul Esparza – who earned his third consecutive Tony nod for "Speed-the-Plow" – and newcomer Thomas Sadoski ("reasons to be pretty").

Only 2 of the 10 people to pull off the grand slam of all four major showbiz awards won their Oscar, Emmy and Tony for »

- tomoneil

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Jane Fonda vs. Geoffrey Rush for the Triple Crown

6 May 2009 6:10 AM, PDT | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

You know about the Triple Crown of Acting, right? It's when an actor manages to stretch across three mediums and snag all three of the top competitive prizes: Tony (theater), Emmy (television) and Oscar (film).

To date only 15 actors* have accomplished this but the number could jump to 17 soon. Currently the rarified list reads like so...

Jack Albertson (Tony: 65, Oscar: 69, Emmy: 75)

Anne Bancroft (Tony: 58, Oscar: 63, Emmy: 99)

Ingrid Bergman (Oscar: 45, Tony: 47, Emmy: 60)

Shirley Booth (Tony: 49, Oscar: 53, Emmy: 62)

Melvyn Douglas (Tony: 60, Oscar: 64, Emmy: 68) Did you know that this Hud star was Illeanna Douglas's grandfather? I certainly didn't.

Jeremy Irons (Tony: 84, Oscar: 91, Emmy: 97)

Thomas Mitchell (Oscar: 40, Tony: 53, Emmy: 53)

Rita Moreno (Oscar: 62, Tony: 75, Emmy: 77)

Al Pacino (Tony: 69, Oscar: 93, Emmy: 04)

Vanessa Redgrave (Oscar: 78, Emmy: 81, Tony: 03)

Jason Robards (Tony: 59, Oscar: 77, Emmy: 88)

Paul Scofield (Tony: 62, Oscar: 67, Emmy: 69)

Maggie Smith (Oscar: 70, Tony: 90, Emmy: 03)

Maureen Stapleton (Tony: 51, Emmy: 68, Oscar: 82)

Jessica Tandy (Tony: 78, Emmy: 88, Oscar: 90)

All My Sons.

This year »

- NATHANIEL R

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Grandchild Liked His 'Being There'

16 February 2009 10:22 PM, PST | NYPost.com | See recent New York Post news »

The road to an Oscar is sometimes long and winding.

For Melvyn Douglas, it led through World War II Burma (now Myanmar) where he met a young British comedian named Peter Sellers.

Douglas, famed at the time as the dapper star of Hollywood comedies such as "Ninotchka" (1939) with Greta Garbo, was entertaining troops.

"And someone decided to introduce him to this very funny young British soldier nobody had ever heard of," recalls Douglas' granddaughter, actress Illeana Douglas, who appears in a »

- By LOU LUMENICK

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Being There Blu-ray Review -- Dellamorte says Peter Sellers has appeared in the two most cogent political satires of the 20th century

13 February 2009 | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

Peter Sellers has appeared in the two most cogent political satires of the 20th century. Being There and Dr. Strangelove. A friend was telling me that Sellers had to fight for the role in the former. Director Hal Ashby felt Sellers would be too broad, and so Peter pretended to be Chauncey Gardener at parties and would be in character for everyone. It worked, though that may be Hollywood legend. Sellers does play Chance (Symbolism) who is a gardener, and when his benefactor/father dies he is cast adrift in the word never learning to write or read, and being kinda dim and addicted to television. After experiencing the world for the first time, he is struck by a car, holding Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine), who immediately takes Chance in and thinks he’s Chauncey Gardener. Or that that is his name. Her husband is Benjamin (Melvyn Douglas), a »

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Blu-Ray Review: Chance the Gardener Makes it to Blu-Ray in ‘Being There’

4 February 2009 2:46 PM, PST | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0 Chicago – Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers), a character who notoriously said “I like to watch,” would probably be mesmerized by the 30th anniversary Blu-Ray release of “Being There” from Warner Brothers. Sadly, fans of the film that are more accustomed to the modern world may be a little underwhelmed.

“Being There” features an Oscar-nominated performance by Peter Sellers, in the final role that he would be alive to see make it to the big screen, and an Oscar-winning turn from the great Melvyn Douglas. The film arguably should have been nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Director, and even Best Picture as well. If you haven’t seen what Roger Ebert deems a “Great Movie,” catch up with a modern classic.

Being There was released by Warner Brothers Home Video on February 3rd, 2009.

Photo credit: Warner Brothers

Sellers plays Chance, a man who has spent his entire life living »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

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DVD: Natalie Wood 6 Times!, Nick & Norah

3 February 2009 1:10 PM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

Collections ~ It's Tuesday so there are new box sets available highlighting everything from tired hockey masked killers (you know who) to highly respected thespians (Peter Sellers and Alec Guiness) but the big ... make that B-i-g... deal for The Film Experience is the "Natalie Wood Collection" which includes six films. I haven't seen Bombers B-52 or Cash McCall but even if they're bad you still get to stare at her for two hours. Her beauty justifies most any running time.

Natalie Wood *swoon*

The other four are more notable players in her filmography. There's the Edith Head costumed Helen Gurley Brown comedy Sex and the Single Girl (1964) and two true classics: the musical Gypsy (1962) and the legendary 'Warren Beatty Destroys Lives!' teen angst of the unbeatable Splendor in the Grass (1961). Adventurous movie fanatics might be most interested in getting a good long look at the underseen and idiosyncratic inside »

- NATHANIEL R

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[DVD Review] Being There: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

1 February 2009 10:34 PM, PST | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »

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Being There took me back. Growing up I would watch the Peter Sellers film The Mouse That Roared and I really didn't understand what was going on the first few hundred times. As I got older I grew to appreciate the absurd tongue in cheek humor Sellers crafted with each of his characters and eventually, at age 13, my attention was drawn to the Kubrick masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. That movie blew my mind.

Fast forward 5 years. The attention once paid to Sellers has been dispersed among the film world I'd gone off to explore. One day a friend lends me this very plain looking DVD case titled Being There. I played the whole I'm-really-busy game, it may take me a few weeks to get around to this. And that was the truth. »

- Lex Walker

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Blu-ray Review: Being There

18 January 2009 11:37 PM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

This was the first time I had ever seen Hal Ashby's Being There and it didn't take long for me to begin asking myself just how in the hell Forrest Gump earned so much praise 15 years after this film was released when this film does it better than Gump ever could have. Yet, the Tom Hanks starring Gump goes on to win six Oscars while Being There is reserved for those that remember there were films made before the birth of the Internet and they still hold a greater value than most any film made today could. Sure, Being There went on to win an Oscar for Melvyn Douglas in a supporting role, but the fact many will never see this film is just a shame. In his second to last film role, Peter Sellers stars as the slow-witted Chance a man who finds himself left to his own »

- Brad Brevet

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12 articles from 2009

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