It’s no secret that an actor/director collaboration that most people have probably had enough of as of late is Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. The duo clearly like working with each other, having collaborated on eight films together since the 90s. But with their last movie being Dark Shadows, fans of the two are most …
Watching Jack Nicholson in The Departed it would be easy to think “Wow, this guy can’t be real” but that would be incorrect.
So as Birdman heads into Oscar season, the screenwriter reveals that the movie almost ended with a massive cameo that would’ve made us forget (at least a little bit) about Mortdecai. While on The Q & A with Jeff Goldsmith podcast, Birdman screenwriter Alex Dinelaris talked about how the ending of the film almost didn’t …
The 1990’s introduced the world to Quentin Tarantino, saw the creation of the NC-17 rating, and began the slow call toward fully computer animated films. It began the slow (still slow) movement toward a more diverse industry, with the first African-American director earning an Oscar nomination (John Singleton for “Boyz in the Hood”). And the …
Seemingly late in the game of David Koepp’s Mortdecai, the eponymous character (played by Johnny Depp) asks his wife, “Are you quite finished with your barrage of insults?” It’s an apt question for the film itself, a cataclysmically unfunny, unbelievably tedious disaster of baffling misjudgments and multiple career lows that feels as long as Shoah, and only a little less harrowing. No such luck, though, as the film goes on for another 25 minutes. It then ends on people about to throw up. Also apt.
Normally, I’m a fair and agreeable chap who approaches each movie with an open mind. I must warn you, however, that my review of Into the Woods will be neither fair nor agreeable. I will not be fawning over director Rob Marshall, who seems clueless as to what his own movie is about, nor will I be singing the praises of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, who has probably written grocery lists more pleasing to the ear than these tunes. What I will be doing is trying to deconstruct one of my most grueling cinematic experiences of 2014.
Into the Woods Written by James Lepine, based on a musical by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Rob Marshall USA, 2014 What is there to say about a film that is destined to succeed in spite of its weak ambitions and generic form? Rob Marshall’s newest project, Into the Woods, has been granted a Christmas Day …
I spent my Halloween attending the tale of Sweeney Todd. Though I did go out later (I’m not a total shut-in), most of my day consisted of watching four versions of the Stephen Sondheim’s razor sharp musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street back to back to back to back. (There was a …
All movies have rules, even parodies… especially parodies. Ranging from the virgin being saved in a horror film to the black person usually being killed first in the same genre, movies have limitations and constructs that they all must abide by. Accordingly, film enthusiasts around the world have seen enough movies to create lists of …
Kevin Smith’s early work, guerilla-style films about disenfranchised geeks and losers, helped gain him a strong and dedicated audience. While many of his most dedicated fans seem to find the best in even his weakest films, Smith has never found the same success in critical circles. The negative critiques of his films has only been exasperated by Smith himself, who seems to struggle with dissenting takes on his work, leading him to withdraw into podcasting. Though this was not a strategic choice on Smith’s part, it seemed to pay off as his audience only grew and he is now among the most influential people in the ‘Twittersphere’. This allowed Smith to distribute his 2011 film Red State himself. He described the entire process as “Indie Film 2.0.”; it was no longer about just making the film yourself but distributing it as well.
Transcendence Written by Jack Paglen Directed by Wally Pfister United Kingdom, China, and USA, 2014 It’s been more than a decade since Johnny Depp moved from being a bundle of quirky nerves in the body of a heartthrob to a full-fledged movie star, and it may be the worst thing that happened to his career. …
Following are some supplemental sections featuring notable director & actor teams that did not meet the criteria for the main body of the article. Some will argue that a number of these should have been included in the primary section but keep in mind that film writing on any level, from the casual to the …
Almost no one expected Pirates of the Carribean to be what it turned out to be. A movie based on a theme park ride? Starring that guy from all the Tim Burton movies and Legolas? And yet, despite all odds, it was a critical and commercial darling and launched one of Disney’s most successful franchises in years.
The Lone Ranger Directed by Gore Verbinski Written by Justin Haythe & Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio USA, 2013 Sincerity is in dire need of being resurrected in modern popular culture. This is not to say that cynicism doesn’t have a place in society, or that naivete should be widely embraced by the masses. But …
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Directed by Rob Marshall Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane We’ve reached the Pirates of the Caribbean finish line, and I’m exhausted. Watching Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides for the second time in advance of the podcast, I …
Alice in Wonderland Directed by Tim Burton Written by Linda Woolverton Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Stephen Fry, Helena Bonham Carter Alice in Wonderland is a truly inexplicable, baffling, painful film to watch. I don’t know what anyone involved in the film was thinking in making it. Did they want to honor the vision from …
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Directed by Gore Verbinski Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy When I think of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, somehow my mind first jumps to Paul Thomas Anderson. (Bear with me as I give …
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Directed by Gore Verbinski Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy The phrase “less is more” comes to mind when thinking of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (hereafter referred to by its subtitle), though it’d be more …
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Directed by Gore Verbinski Written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, and Jay Wolpert Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush Captain Jack Sparrow is the worst thing that ever happened to Johnny Depp’s career. The prevailing wisdom is that the constantly …
Frankenweenie Directed by Tim Burton Written by John August USA, 2012 Tracking Tim Burton’s career path is watching a cliché come to life. The trajectory is as follows: a shy, awkward young man becomes a star by staying true to his idiosyncratic ideals, but over time, his most ardent fans are let down as his …
If there was an ever a cinematic partnership to have lasted the years, it is Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Ever since Edward Scissorhands, these two seem to be each other’s go-to guys for new films. With Dark Shadows being released this week, let’s take a stroll down memory lane to see the hits (and …
Dark Shadows Written by Seth Grahame-Smith Directed by Tim Burton USA, 2012 Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, based on the late-1960s cult soap opera, suffers badly from wanting it both ways. One half wants to be Gothic horror centered on a doomed love triangle; the other half wants to be a glib, deadpan comedy set during …
