tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58466880964717783432024-03-11T21:51:12.165-07:00The Occasional CriticDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-36941030703853009642023-04-26T19:24:00.000-07:002023-04-26T19:24:04.143-07:00"State of Play" review, April 2009<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WSmLplmiRFCU4lNZnjPHToro5z6Rh2mZsI84Q2q1tM80OizoOR78PdJ9ILTiBOCeEF4EQ5n2I2RbND-sAQIWHarQF6lt65CxILZSMRnvyVxDYnCEEkY5wT6po-vY5B4pSwZapYMJwK43wlr2iZ5SSOB96-nVwoY4MJJJsSuGZa-T9Eif-SHyICc/s1500/_aaState%20of%20Play.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WSmLplmiRFCU4lNZnjPHToro5z6Rh2mZsI84Q2q1tM80OizoOR78PdJ9ILTiBOCeEF4EQ5n2I2RbND-sAQIWHarQF6lt65CxILZSMRnvyVxDYnCEEkY5wT6po-vY5B4pSwZapYMJwK43wlr2iZ5SSOB96-nVwoY4MJJJsSuGZa-T9Eif-SHyICc/w266-h394/_aaState%20of%20Play.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">DONALD PORTER</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ogden Independent<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“State of Play” arrives at a heartbreaking moment for the American newspaper industry. Financial pressures, technology and customer preferences have combined to shatter daily print journalism’s old business model. Its practitioners grow increasingly desperate to hang on, flailing for a way to stop the financial bleeding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The film argues, convincingly, that shoe-leather reporting is worth saving. It also admits salvation probably isn’t in the cards. It is of the opinion, and rightly so, that blogging – the heir apparent – is a hollow substitute when absent the employment of tried and true methods of information gathering. In the end, we are left with the impression that even if we get all the journalistic heroism this country needs to survive, it likely won’t be enough to alter the inevitable reduction of the Fourth Estate to a trivial, untrustworthy, marginalized corner of American life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Still, the telling of this tragic tale, against the backdrop of political intrigue, makes for splendid moviegoing. Based on a crackerjack six-hour British TV miniseries – bump it up to the top of your Netflix queue; you won’t be sorry – “State of Play” stars Russell Crowe as Cal McAffrey. His character continues the tradition of every tireless old newspaper scribe you’ve seen in the movies or, if you’ve worked in daily newspapering, witnessed in real life. His car’s a mess, just like his wardrobe, office cubicle and the downscale apartment he calls home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">McAffrey’s no star columnist. Rather, he’s the guy who grinds it out: dispatched by his editors at the Washington Globe – think: The Washington Post – to cover our U.S. capital’s never-ending homicides. As the film opens, he’s tracking down the facts of a double-homicide in which a drug dealer and pizza-delivery bicyclist were killed, execution-style, in a back alley.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Seemingly unconnected is the next-day’s apparent suicide of a congressional staffer. Writing that story is the job of Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), a Globe blogger for whom McAffrey has little respect and significant resentment because, he says, she traffics in rumor as opposed to fact. When she asks him for help on her story – McAffrey’s best friend from college is now a U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania’s 7<sup>th</sup> District, and he was having an affair with the dead staffer – the aging, rumpled reporter not so politely tells her to shove off.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It turns out the deaths are connected, the suicide was a murder and a Blackwater-like defense contractor’s tentacles embrace powerful congressional offices. In grand newspaper-movie style, the only thing standing between the criminally colluding forces of money and power are a handful of poorly dressed, over-fed, foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, ink-stained newspaper reporters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Just as a merciful God intended.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The reduction of the Brit series is not, as you might guess, without its trade-offs. That film luxuriated in the details of England’s quite-different media model – though the Web-based content of U.S. papers is beginning to look more and more like that of the tabloid press across the pond. And anyone would have to admit that this new version of “State of Play” has third-act difficulties: a little <i>too</i> neatly packaged, it could be successfully argued.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the whole, however, that’s quibbling. Generally speaking, the performances are quite good. Crowe carries the film, but McAdams (“Mean Girls,” “Wedding Crashers”) more than holds her own. She exudes confidence regarding the inevitable dominance of the blogosphere, but her Della still is willing to pause long enough to do a few things the old-fashioned way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Likewise, there’s solid work from Jeff Daniels as a corrupt House leader, Jason Bateman as an oily public-relations operator and the always-amazing Helen Mirren as the Globe’s editor – the latter of whom is trying, in vain, to satisfy the profit-earning mandates of the paper’s new owners while clinging to a tradition of solid reporting and service to the readers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Less successful: A wooden Ben Affleck as the philandering congressman. Here he takes a real step backward from his memorable performance as the doomed George Reeves in “Hollywoodland.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“State of Play” doesn’t get all the details right, but it evokes a romanticism about the world of daily newspapers that’s mostly true, and probably on the way out – at least as we now know it. Journalism, like politics, is rife with high-minded ideals, brutal compromise and fascinating, conflicted personalities. It’s perfect grist for the movie mill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And remember this, too: When you go see the film, stay through the credits. Admittedly, it might only be the mood of a middle-aged guy who spent decades of his life in a craft that’s fading away, but watching the physical production of that Globe newspaper – those stories reported, written and made into something you can hold in your hands – was perhaps what it might have been like to view one of the last wild bison herds in the late 19<sup>th</sup> century. You pray it will survive, and grow to magnificence again. But for the moment, it almost makes you weep to realize what could be lost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span> </span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-89824040744166148532023-04-26T19:06:00.005-07:002023-04-26T19:06:48.899-07:00Dumping "Some Girls": Outtakes movie column, March 17, 1989<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_46BwtfBqfuq1oan_YZy3Ttk0-gwg-AFH9qulsUjPnfkl4MmF0TXAqcqxr01Z7AZrE5ow29ERLasE_IsPjNU_6KmX9mzbFQdw6A0rxGvdDyg6MoTHbdQANoJOWd-nW5GXCz2W7kYx8p7Mx8wQ8vJvD7sbgoR7OE22R62eZaX9BoWB1WYvMldisc/s1567/_aaSomeGirls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1567" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_46BwtfBqfuq1oan_YZy3Ttk0-gwg-AFH9qulsUjPnfkl4MmF0TXAqcqxr01Z7AZrE5ow29ERLasE_IsPjNU_6KmX9mzbFQdw6A0rxGvdDyg6MoTHbdQANoJOWd-nW5GXCz2W7kYx8p7Mx8wQ8vJvD7sbgoR7OE22R62eZaX9BoWB1WYvMldisc/s320/_aaSomeGirls.png" width="204" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDAqgYncR_148gov1scmkKfBir50BppQUO0t6u-1TM8zU5Nw-5RcCpQdz0SKBU1kASdyFob53MF8jvMMBfymmEqIiccB0pArOpICVM0kv76rMKHujwH2df-3QAABFDp347w1Z81aAmzZRxufDtEADAl8I33JUy57O3u9YwSBjgCLIz5CHSkPNPoM/s1492/_aaBaron.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDAqgYncR_148gov1scmkKfBir50BppQUO0t6u-1TM8zU5Nw-5RcCpQdz0SKBU1kASdyFob53MF8jvMMBfymmEqIiccB0pArOpICVM0kv76rMKHujwH2df-3QAABFDp347w1Z81aAmzZRxufDtEADAl8I33JUy57O3u9YwSBjgCLIz5CHSkPNPoM/s320/_aaBaron.jpeg" width="214" /></a><br /><br /></span></div><i style="font-family: georgia;">("Some Girls" opened and died in some major markets in the fall of 1988. It played for one week in Ogden in March 1989, just before debuting on videocassette.)</i><p></p>
<p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 11px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">By DONALD PORTER</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 11px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you were running a business -- a multimillion dollar corporation, let's say -- and you had invested millions of dollars in a new product, wouldn't you try to market it, to recoup your money?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, not if you're calling the shots at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the motion picture studio. If you're the individual who makes distribution decisions for the financially troubled movie factory, you decide to take a perfectly pleasant, entertaining, fresh comedy called “Some Girls” and dump it into a few dollar theaters in remote locations for a week before shoving it out on videocassette.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Local moviegoers were treated to this very scenario last week, as “Some Girls” opened in a second-run theater, the Newgate Cinemas, for a dollar per person and one screening nightly, at 9:40 p.m.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is a good example of several things: the ruthlessness of the movie business, the willingness to write off millions of dollars as a loss without even trying to market a film and the horrifying effect a booming videocassette rental industry is having on Hollywood marketing decisions.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">When “Some Girls” was screened at the United States Film Festival in Park City two months ago, producer Michael Hoffman expressed doubts the film would receive any distribution. His fears, he said, were based primarily on recent management changes at the studio. As is so often the case, one regime will approve financing for a film and see it through production, only to be fired on or about the completion date. The incoming executives, not wanting to have any of their predecessors’ films do well, intentionally downplay or ignore the films and put their efforts into creating a brand new slate of pictures they can call their own.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I would have thought “Some Girls” might not fall into that danger zone, given that Robert Redford was the executive producer of the film. The fact that MGM was willing to dump a project Redford was associated with indicates to me that the studio is experiencing major difficulties; three-piece suits usually try to avoid offending powers like Redford.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">The studio has been rumored for months to be a possible target for a Japanese purchase, with the likely buyer being Sony Corp., which reportedly has been looking to buy an American movie studio for some time. MGM hasn't had a hit -- or released many movies -- for a long while. I'm no marketing executive, but “Some Girls” was a fine film with real potential. It's sexy, funny and smart -- fairly atypical qualities for many comedies these days.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anyway, it's gone from the Newgate now. There were about 50 people at the screening I attended Monday night, and people laughed a lot. If you missed it, “Some Girls” is due out on videocassette April 18. I suppose MGM will recover its original investment and then some from the sales to video, cable and network television. It's a pity more people couldn't see it on the big screen.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">And speaking of marketing decisions, Terry Gilliam's new movie, “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” is scheduled to be released next week. Gilliam previously directed “Time Bandits” and “Brazil.” And, once again, his studio doesn't seem to know how to sell his movie.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the March issue of American Film, the director said he disagreed with the scientific method used by the market-research team. The team ignored the differing reactions of blue-collar and white-collar workers in the test audiences.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Anybody in the theaters listening to the two audiences knows that (the white-collar crowd) liked it more,” Gilliam told the magazine. “Yet, the scientific method didn't distinguish. Both of (the separate groups’ reactions) looked pretty bad, so the panic level was rising. They may as well get witch doctors to shake bones or cut a sheep open and look at its entrails.”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Market research is “a way of avoiding individual responsibility, it seems to me,” Gilliam said. “It gives everybody an out. If the film doesn’t work, it’s not their fault. The scientific method showed that people </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">didn’t like it” even thought the white-collar crowd </span><i style="font-family: Georgia;">sounded </i><span style="font-family: Georgia;">as if they were enjoying themselves.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>In two weeks, when the box office reports are in, we’ll see who was right.</span></div>
<div><br /></div>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-26135083017469857662023-04-26T18:50:00.000-07:002023-04-26T18:50:03.105-07:00"Dumb and Dumber" review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkxxuaPqeBLA06aoYEsteF3GXlMgqUPiiKUu5RU9eYYkPRAN3h1PRrzHfYBNquon3GZg2TUX3BVsB-gO7bcEKdMNK80LJP4_iZkHV8oA0OOOEBb-EYMsLKy9zA_zbNLCWpga9kVQ5yoZJ4Iacv0ddtcYe5_4kFPDbgrP51PZmYBZkjrv3WpzIpnk/s1471/_aaDumb.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1471" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkxxuaPqeBLA06aoYEsteF3GXlMgqUPiiKUu5RU9eYYkPRAN3h1PRrzHfYBNquon3GZg2TUX3BVsB-gO7bcEKdMNK80LJP4_iZkHV8oA0OOOEBb-EYMsLKy9zA_zbNLCWpga9kVQ5yoZJ4Iacv0ddtcYe5_4kFPDbgrP51PZmYBZkjrv3WpzIpnk/s320/_aaDumb.jpeg" width="218" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">By DONALD PORTER</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Standard-Examiner staff <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The new Jim Carrey comedy “Dumb and Dumber” is another example of truth in advertising. It gets my vote for this year’s most pathetic, stultifyingly stupid and relentlessly moronic movie.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This isn’t a comedy that leaves you laughing – rather, it makes you wince.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The level of humor in “Dumb and Dumber” suits chug-a-lug night at the frat house, with umpteen scenes revolving around themes including – but not exclusive to – urination, defecation and nasal drainage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">To wit: Lloyd (Carrey), the dumb half of the “Dumb and Dumber” team of the movie’s title, slips a potent laxative into dumber-half Harry’s (Jeff Daniels) tea. Subsequently, Harry leaves for a date, and suffers a gastric attack upon arrival at the woman’s home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Bad enough, yes, but “Dumb and Dumber” takes us where no mainstream movie comedy has ventured before: into the bathroom and onto the toilet with the intestinally challenged character, complete with facial grimacing and surround-sound effects.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Some movies aren’t afraid to dabble in bad taste. “Dumb and Dumber,” however, embraces bad taste like Roseanne holds fast to vulgarity: with a passion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There seems no blow too low to strike at the audience, whether it be a gratuitous glimpse of Lauren Holly’s bare behind, a grade school prank performed with a cigarette lighter and flatulence, or an unwitting man swilling urine from a beer bottle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Why Daniels became involved with this project is a good question; apparently the desire to feed one’s family knows no bounds. Carrey, on the other hand, has found great financial success with this debased form of comedy: “Ace Ventura” was a smash.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">If you want an example of how low and completely unredeemable the popular cinema of our nation has become, you need look no further than “Dumb and Dumber.” Look for it to be a hit and, if so, heaven help us all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Some scenes in “Dumb and Dumber” were filmed at Utah locations – including Ogden, Park City and Salt Lake City – earlier this year.</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-37144808141666433862023-04-26T18:31:00.003-07:002023-04-26T18:33:21.876-07:00"Lorenzo's Oil" review, Jan. 22, 1993<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYl0Y6RthvfzQPjPIoeFmakXG8bJxoKhHB1GSSt8EJLYUXvSl900dsOttOTXtZW7TQeUS_0ZF1nuAgUQVmuFHxePLyI1mKtK2fEQMw4vSmjBf-IVZR1YLZfmAhkBwqLHMj-IpbYE3R-bFZ6JQhAodVCJY-usJxa8TE49vncJE53ibS50uLDhWXqw/s475/_aaLorenzo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="282" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYl0Y6RthvfzQPjPIoeFmakXG8bJxoKhHB1GSSt8EJLYUXvSl900dsOttOTXtZW7TQeUS_0ZF1nuAgUQVmuFHxePLyI1mKtK2fEQMw4vSmjBf-IVZR1YLZfmAhkBwqLHMj-IpbYE3R-bFZ6JQhAodVCJY-usJxa8TE49vncJE53ibS50uLDhWXqw/s320/_aaLorenzo.jpeg" width="190" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;">By DONALD PORTER</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Nick Nolte is one of my favorite actors</span><span style="color: #727063; font-family: Georgia, serif;">. </span><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">But, so help me, he should avoid doing Italian accents.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">He takes a stab at one in “Lorenzo's Oil,” and the result is catastrophic. Then he makes it worse by delivering most of his dialogue in a loud whisper. Not good.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">As for the rest of “Lorenzo's Oil,” well ... Susan Sarandon is great, and she deserves an Academy Award nomination for her work. The movie itself, however, plays little better than a disease-of-the-week</span><span style="color: #a09e93; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">TV docudrama. Which is not to diminish the incredible true story on which the film is based.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">In April 1984, Augusto and Michaela Odone were told their son, Lorenzo, was dying from ALD, or Adrenoleukodystrophy. The disease is found only in boys, and it destroys the human body's myelin – the sheathing material that insulates the nerves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Odones were told their son, Lorenzo, had about two years to live and that there was no cure. Furthermore, they found out not much research was being done on the disease.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">So Augusto, an economist, and Michaela, a linguist, resolved to find a cure themselves, even though they had no scientific credentials or training. Using their limited knowledge of Latin and Greek, they pored over medical journals and other published research from around the world in a desperate attempt to forestall Lorenzo’s demise. “Lorenzo’s Oil” is directed by George Miller, maker of the “Mad Max” trilogy and most recently “The Witches</span><span style="color: #776d84; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">of Eastwick.” A physician himself, Miller nonetheless takes a dim view of the world medical establishment’s behavior in this instance, portraying the participants here as obstinate foot-draggers whose plodding work lacks any sense of urgency.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Odones, with the clock running out on their son’s life, possess a fanatical sense of purpose and commitment. If they don’t get the help they require from physicians, researchers and chemists, their child will die.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">In this regard, “Lorenzo's Oil” is a fascinating detective story; piecing the puzzle together, at least for the Odones, is like trying to defuse a ticking nuclear bomb with no previous knowledge of electronics, physics or weapon design.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif;">But Miller succumbs to the temptation to play this already high drama even higher, and that’s unnecessary. The conflict, tragedy and passion inherent in the story would have been sufficient. Miller heaps it on so thick that it begins to be more about the condition of the Odones marriage than about the quest to halt the effects of ALD.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="color: #514f44; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Miller has taken a marvelous and inspiring and personal story and turned it into a big, hairy Hollywood production.</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-61828556354549166402023-04-26T18:20:00.006-07:002023-04-26T18:29:12.121-07:00"Used People" review, Jan. 22, 1993<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYpHSeW7Na74Hj5m9OHuE2kc7TljrnqLPDn_yJXu_ZHwijwH6FyVVkbqa22LO2euCfN7nKor8vyjd78J6Ct9SJisiOTDinr3BLRrGKac3ev1gT9lQ3esZDxHKpEuhGdoT5O-qbZAr2JQ4iIUQxjenRAcOJgF_saLWKBIQ6bx9p-LQUqed8BNb-Yo/s895/_aaUsed%20People.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYpHSeW7Na74Hj5m9OHuE2kc7TljrnqLPDn_yJXu_ZHwijwH6FyVVkbqa22LO2euCfN7nKor8vyjd78J6Ct9SJisiOTDinr3BLRrGKac3ev1gT9lQ3esZDxHKpEuhGdoT5O-qbZAr2JQ4iIUQxjenRAcOJgF_saLWKBIQ6bx9p-LQUqed8BNb-Yo/s320/_aaUsed%20People.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;">By DONALD PORTER<br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Good roles for women are so few and far between that it’s something of an event when a film like “Used People” comes along.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Basically a tale of women whose lives have been made miserable by their associations with men, “Used People” is offbeat and quirky, offering no easy conclusions or solutions for its characters. It’s also a film about loosening up after the tragedy of divorce and death, and the consequences of freeing oneself, or refusing to.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Shirley MacLaine plays Pearl, the cranky widow and matriarch of an eccentric New York City clan. Imagine the character she played in “Terms of Endearment” and you’re in synch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Pearl’s marriage was not a good one. Her husband, Jack, provided financially for the family, but the relationship between husband and wife wasn’t close or loving. Now, on the day of his funeral, an Italian named Joe (Marcello Mastroianni) – a casual acquaintance of Jack’s – has interrupted the family gathering to ask Pearl for a date.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Joe’s inappropriate but genuinely affectionate advances trigger a chain reaction in Pearl’s family, eventually causing the members of the dysfunctional brood to confront their myriad problems.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There’s Bibby (Kathy Bates), whose weight problem and failed marriage have been a constant source of friction between herself, Pearl and sister Norma (Marcia Gay Harden).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Norma, on the other hand, has taken flight from the depression surrounding the death of one of her children by masquerading as a series of movie stars: Marilyn Monroe, Barbra Streisand and Audrey Hepburn among them. In turn, her surviving son, nicknamed Sweet Pea (Matthew Branton), has retreated into a delusion of his own, believing he has become invincible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The calming character in this combustible mix is Joe, the love-sick romantic. He pleads with Pearl to cast aside her doubt and apprehension, and to go with her heart – to for once in her life be daring and carefree. His philosophy has a rippling effect on the other characters, including Frieda and Becky, played by Jessica Tandy and Sylvia Sydney, two longtime friends who disagree about almost everything. Soon, everyone’s thinking about change and taking chances.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Some have compared “Used People” to “Moonstruck.” While it’s not as dramatically cohesive or rigidly plotted as that film, “Used People” does have its charms – primarily contained in the odd assortment of characters. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The script by sometime actor Todd Graff – who also wrote the screenplay for the upcoming American remake of the Dutch thriller “The Vanishing” – ranges from cute to sarcastic to wacky. And director Beeban Kidron joins in the fun by employing more close-ups than a Sergio Leone Western.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“Used People” is a nice alternative to the kiddie-driven movie marketplace. Imagine that, a movie made for adults.</span> </p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-4769757443451819042023-04-23T07:02:00.001-07:002023-04-23T07:03:23.426-07:00'Damage' review, Jan. 22, 1993<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8k6iBfahHp9_0kz-Bp164OH3peFlUasSHv5vhARvu2gq3W63k-XUedkm_LwDImRK3qepibkj1_RtfIyrsucON5ZN3Df2wl79K1hkA6DK69POnLlyHIeQlOl-aNB0plN5KcffXzInMzOlSUC7rA_q2VKHJm-mbE2puUV0vka1uZiSENIwpJn-jdIU/s764/_aaDamage.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8k6iBfahHp9_0kz-Bp164OH3peFlUasSHv5vhARvu2gq3W63k-XUedkm_LwDImRK3qepibkj1_RtfIyrsucON5ZN3Df2wl79K1hkA6DK69POnLlyHIeQlOl-aNB0plN5KcffXzInMzOlSUC7rA_q2VKHJm-mbE2puUV0vka1uZiSENIwpJn-jdIU/s320/_aaDamage.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><br />By DONALD PORTER<p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">That old saw about the third time being the charm certainly applies to “Damage,” film No. 3 within a span of two weeks to address the subject of obsessive love and sex. Infinitely more thoughtful and a lot less explicit than either “The Lover” or “Body of Evidence,” “Damage” takes a clear-eyed approach to its topic, emerging as one of the most compelling adult dramas in months.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Based on the novel by Josephine Hart and directed by Louis Malle (“Au Revior Les Enfants”), “Damage” is a disturbing look at a doomed, destructive romance between Dr. Stephen Fleming (Jeremy Irons), an esteemed British politician, and Anna Barton (Juliette Binoche), the girlfriend of his son, Martyn (Rupert Graves).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">We are left to surmise that prior to this dalliance, Stephen has been perfectly monogamous in his marriage to wife Ingrid (Miranda Richardson). It’s plain to see by the way he charges<span style="color: #827f6d;"> </span>into the relationship that he’s been repressing his emotions for years, and that Anna affords him the opportunity to release a lifetime’s cache of frustration and sexual denial.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">What’s not so apparent is why Stephen is so willing to betray not only Ingrid’s trust, but also Martyn’s. Why would a father pursue an affair with his son’s lover?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Because he’s out of control, that’s why. Initially, he recoils from the affair when Martyn and Anna are finally engaged. But he’s hooked, and<span style="color: #938e7c;">-</span>shortly thereafter continues the liaisons.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">The film’s most horrifying moment comes just afterward, when Anna confides to Stephen that she surely wouldn’t have consented to marriage to Martyn if her older lover hadn’t been part of the package deal. Stephen’s response is a perfectly evil smile.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">What Stephen doesn’t understand, even though Anna warns him, is that she’s been “damaged” by love in the past – there are vague references to an incestuous relationship with her late brother – and since surviving that episode describes herself as “dangerous,” because she knows whatever crisis looms, she will be alive and kicking after the furor subsides.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">More than a dark infidelity drama, “Damage” is a film that perceptively investigates the dynamics of an extramarital affair. It’s something that happens all of the time in our society – everyone knows someone who’s been involved in, or touched by, adultery. But movies haven’t been all that great at dissecting the<span style="color: #a39e91;"> </span>phenomenon, opting more often for the sensational (“Fatal Attraction”) than for stories that possess the ring of truth.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Granted, “Damage” concerns people of privilege and position – not to mention the bizarre father-son-lover triangle – but that aspect of the story only serves to<span style="color: #827f6d;"> </span>compound the disaster of betrayal with the potential for public humiliation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Watching “Damage” is troubling, because you know all along that the affair can come to no possible good, and that people will be hurt when it blows up. Just how badly they are hurt is something we’re not altogether prepared for, though.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Malle’s direction is superb. He handles the sex with a frankness that, for the most part, avoids being graphic. There’s plenty of huffing and puffing, but not nearly the nudity contained in the aforementioned “Body of Evidence” and “The Lover;” the other two films that – along with “Damage” – were briefly tagged with NC-17s.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Even with Malle’s sure hand, “Damage” needs strong, believable, passionate actors. Irons is sensational, as is Binoche. But Richardson comes close to stealing the film as Ingrid. The scene in which she <span style="position: relative; top: -2pt;">takes her husband to task for his </span>betrayal is shattering. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;">Amazingly, this is Richardson’s third incredible performance since autumn – she previously co-starred in “Enchanted April” and “The Crying Game.” The only question now is: Which performance will be nominated come Oscar time?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-41359585440530254362023-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:002023-04-19T20:40:00.947-07:00Documentarian Bill Couturie, Jan. 22, 1993<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjYHEE4FpNpwLvFLfDteHEgLoyHv0UBH0JTzPM1ztB0Iw2diDxiJkgKcb4HHCLDO3jhdu_XlqDaSpQ-jT37BdSm6hbu1aNdwngMl1Dugajqb9bzGhg2yNjuGtl0umQvV_MUCBMaufSYOvBMmJUmIFau9ZUvSSG69-MykReuqp5V-oVxfui6hnzqU/s1519/Couturie.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1519" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjYHEE4FpNpwLvFLfDteHEgLoyHv0UBH0JTzPM1ztB0Iw2diDxiJkgKcb4HHCLDO3jhdu_XlqDaSpQ-jT37BdSm6hbu1aNdwngMl1Dugajqb9bzGhg2yNjuGtl0umQvV_MUCBMaufSYOvBMmJUmIFau9ZUvSSG69-MykReuqp5V-oVxfui6hnzqU/s320/Couturie.webp" width="270" /></a></div><br />By DONALD PORTER<p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bill Couturie laughs as he recalls a conversation about his 1988 documentary “Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam,” because it so perfectly illustrates the often absurd relationship between the art and commerce of filmmaking. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Someone from the company distributing the film into the TV market rang him up: “Now that it’s on commercial television, we need an extra 20 minutes,” this person told Couturie. “Could you add 20 minutes to ‘Dear America’? You must have some extra letters lying around.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Guys, it’s not a sausage,” was the director’s incredulous response. “You don’t just <i>add </i>20 minutes.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">In fact, Couturie turned the request into “Memorial,” a short companion piece to “Dear America,” which nabbed an Oscar nomination last year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Couturie’s latest film, “Earth and the American Dream,” is playing in competition at this month’s Sundance Film Festival. It’s a sweeping documentary, surveying American society’s relationship to the environment from the landing of Columbus in 1492 right up to present day. And, as you might guess, it takes a disheartening inventory of our society’s abuse of nature. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Couturie’s background is diverse. He began making animated films for “Sesame Street,” then segued into <i>cinema verite </i>documentaries as an associate producer on “Who Are the DeBolts and Where Did They Get 19 Kids?” – the Best Feature Documentary Academy Award winner for 1978. More recently, he produced “Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt,” which won the documentary Oscar for 1989 – the film looked at the lives of several people who have died from complications of the AIDS virus – and finished directing a music video for Michael Jackson’s song, “Gone Too Soon,” a couple of months ago. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Earth and the American Dream” utilizes a technique that Couturie pioneered with “Dear America”: Lots of famous actors – Mel Gibson, Jeremy Irons, Bette Midler and others – supply the dialogue in “Earth and the American Dream.” In “Dear America,” they read letters written by soldiers to their families, sweethearts and friends back home. In “Earth and the American Dream,” another stellar cast of voices reads from letters, journals, diaries, speeches, newspaper accounts and historical books.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Obviously, there is some thought to marquee value,” Couturie says from his San Francisco office, explaining his fondness for using major stars. “But it’s not simply that. It’s very hrd in a brief number of words to create a character and to create a sense of time and place. And there’s a reason these big stars are big stars: They’re very, very talented actors.” Rounding up the talent to provide the voices took some doing, the filmmaker insists, even though many of the actors in Hollyw0od agree with his film’s environmentalist point of view.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“They work a lot,” he says, “and when they’re not working, they want to spend time on vacation or with their families. To get through to Dustin Hoffman took me over a year, even though he did the narration on ‘Common Threads’ and helped win me an Oscar.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">For assistance, Couturie turned to the Environmental Media Association (EMA), which functions as a liaison between the environmental community and various media. EMA’s board of directors includes the heads of all of the studios, Couturie says, and super-agent Michael Ovitz, the head of Creative Artists Agency and the man widely regarded as the most powerful in the movie business. “Super heavyweights,” Couturie, a CAA client, calls them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“It takes all of that – the Oscar, the track record, CAA’s and EMA's credibility – to get through to these people,” Couturie says. Plus, now it’s <i>the </i>thing to do with documentaries: finding stars to read letters and such in films – a la Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” on PBS and the recent “Lincoln” documentary on ABC. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Frankly, these guys are getting deluged with requests. So it’s more difficult to get them, even for worthwhile projects, than it used to be.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">By sticking to the words of his subjects, and without commenting on them, Couturie avoids what he terms the “official interaction” created when a filmmaker interviews the people in a film. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“The very nature of an interview changes what people say,” the director says. “It can be for the better, because it can be entertaining. On the other hand, when you interview someone, they can’t not be aware of this big hunk of glass staring at them. Even in a good interview, they’re telling you what they want to tell you, and they’re not telling you what they don’t want to tell you – no matter how good an interviewer you are.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Couturie theorizes this is the reason he’s been drawn of late to historical subjects; it’s his desire to permit the story to tell itself. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“One way I describe these films is ‘history haiku,’” he says, referring to the distillation of some 10,000 hours of film footage reviewed by his staff of researchers – 200 hours of which he dragged into the editing room before whittling his film down to its current 80 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“With ‘Dear America,’ you could go into the library and say, ‘I'm looking for stuff on Vietnam.’ With this film, there was no limit to what we could look at. I liken it to finding hundreds of needles in a huge, huge haystack. It’s by far the most challenging film I’ve ever made.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-89035805815756471772023-04-19T20:15:00.003-07:002023-04-19T20:15:19.439-07:00‘Sundance Film Festival: Where Hollywood goes to find new talent,’ Jan. 22, 1993<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfWlTKsAJNyBkbbMaYNh7io58QdxLVvCHTvXZ07gPdSVFy45eaN3YeexD34uGhCL9imJHYeinNeYZ6KjmoEdN6X5oI75HuR3KLPy5jVGMYKLPB90WpB01dg7to08yb74kM2RYZ3_ci32zzt6inIPb9Yes6Ja05thS3B3kjM-NZXgNjHxvkPcPYtY/s750/aaIntotheWest.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfWlTKsAJNyBkbbMaYNh7io58QdxLVvCHTvXZ07gPdSVFy45eaN3YeexD34uGhCL9imJHYeinNeYZ6KjmoEdN6X5oI75HuR3KLPy5jVGMYKLPB90WpB01dg7to08yb74kM2RYZ3_ci32zzt6inIPb9Yes6Ja05thS3B3kjM-NZXgNjHxvkPcPYtY/s320/aaIntotheWest.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br />By DONALD PORTER<p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">SALT LAKE CITY – Left Coast chic and hometown conservatism met head-on at the opening of the 15th Sundance Film Festival Thursday evening. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The occasion was the world premiere screening of “Into the West,” an Irish-American co-production that marked the beginning of 10 days of what organizers hope will be the best and most representative of this year’s crop of American independent films.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">At a reception in the Utah Arts Center prior to the premiere, the Basic Black Crowd – filmmakers, film company employees and assorted others who wear black to fit in – literally rubbed elbows with festival sponsors, reporters and many Utah lawmakers taking a break from their duties up the street at the State Capitol Building. The tinkling of champagne glasses and the snarfing of finger food went hand-in-hand with discussions of all things related to film and the festival.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Gov. Mike Leavitt stopped by to congratulate the Sundance Institute for its efforts; Sundance has been running the festival since 1985. Leavitt stressed that the Beehive State’s quality of life is one of its prime assets, and that “a large part of that is quality of art in every form.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Gary Beer, president of the Sundance Institute, remarked that ticket sales for 1993 have exceeded all past festivals, and that some 300 media representatives from around the world will be covering this year’s gathering. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Additionally, Beer said, approximately 6,000 filmmakers, industry professionals and movie fans will descend on Park City during the next week or so, depositing an estimated $6 million into the local economy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Then the action moved across West Temple Street to the Crossroads Cinemas for the screening of “Into the West.” In remarks prior to the screening, the movie’s less-than-effusive star, Gabriel Byrne, called the film “a labor of love,” adding, “We are very proud that it’s been chosen as the opening night film for your prestigious festival.” Then he added, almost cautiously, “It's a genuine family film.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">And so it is: Directed by Mike Newell (“Enchanted April”) and written by Jim Sheridan (director<br />of “My Left Foot”), “Into the West” is a film about two motherless boys, their hard-drinking father (Byrne) and a beautiful white horse that leads them all on a wild chase from Dublin to Ireland’s western coast. It’s a sure sign of the gathering’s growing all-inclusiveness that the festival would kick off with a heartwarmer of a movie that’s safe for the kiddies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The festival’s stature is unmatched in its importance among American independents – those films made outside the film centers of Los Angeles and New York, and without major studio financial support. In 1985, Beer acknowledged, “the pickings were slim” at Sundance. Now the festival is <i>the</i> place where Hollywood comes fishing for new talent, waving money for distribution deals and hiring new directors and writers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Into the West” already has an American distributor, Miramax Films Corp. But most of the films playing in the dramatic and documentary competitions during the festival don’t, so their directors and/or producers will be hoping for success at Sundance and, consequently, a bright future ahead. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Today, the festival moves to Park City, with alternate screenings at the Sundance Resort and Salt Lake City’s Tower Theatre.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-87999745666032425832023-04-19T06:10:00.004-07:002023-04-19T06:10:36.596-07:00'Hamlet' review, Jan. 18, 1991<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLU2o4uga7BeyfHKRpr7rv1Mtj1DzLkjlhGJEMY8G-Zfjli_iLKTIP41pCbA5xWT6q-k6Udgs-8jWUaN21_YOzudjsUOF7zC0zZsaCeyYBlvgAQn5YgWcQxOyY7tm6M36H_VsmRgAjVvKNmAojaO6uPrsOCoppErn9UCE-ezJbAp_tv2QedR1ef0/s475/aaHamlet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLU2o4uga7BeyfHKRpr7rv1Mtj1DzLkjlhGJEMY8G-Zfjli_iLKTIP41pCbA5xWT6q-k6Udgs-8jWUaN21_YOzudjsUOF7zC0zZsaCeyYBlvgAQn5YgWcQxOyY7tm6M36H_VsmRgAjVvKNmAojaO6uPrsOCoppErn9UCE-ezJbAp_tv2QedR1ef0/s320/aaHamlet.jpeg" width="177" /></a></div><br />By DONALD PORTER<p></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">I confess. When I heard Mel Gibson was set to play the lead in “Hamlet,” I feared a cataclysmic screen disaster on the order of Clint Eastwood singing in “Paint Your Wagon.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">But the fears were unfounded. Gibson is good. Capable, even. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sure, he’s no Larry Olivier. And he seems aware of his limitations. So he plays Hamlet, the vengeful Dane, as ferocious instead of introspective and brooding. Amazingly, it works. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Purists may protest, but this film adaptation of Shakespeare’s 400-year-old play is accessible and energetic. Therefore, it has the potential to introduce the Bard of Avon to a wide spectrum of the American public. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">It will come as no surprise that the man behind “Hamlet,” the Mel-movie, is director Franco Zeffirelli, who made popular cinematic adaptations of “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” He aims to make audience-pleasers, and with those films he succeeded. Time will tell for “Hamlet,” but neither Gibson’s fans nor those of classic theater should be able to find much to whine about here. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Hamlet” is the complex tale of a Danish prince, Hamlet, who grieves over the loss of his father, the king. Even more distressing is the appearance of the dead monarch’s ghost, informing Hamlet that the death was, in fact, murder – committed by the king’s own brother, Claudius (Alan Bates). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">This knowledge, coupled with the immediate marriage of his mother, Gertrude (Glenn Close), to Claudius, effectively drives Hamlet ’round the bend. And as his madness flowers, drawing more and more characters into the fracas, danger and intrigue mounts and multiplies; loyalties are suspect, treachery awaits his every move and even good people are destroyed in the havoc wrought by Hamlet in his quest to avenge his father's death. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">In short, this is a great story, full of passion, romance and skullduggery. And all of it hinges <span style="position: relative; top: 1pt;">on Gibson’s ability to carry it </span>off, which he does. He’s a blustering presence on the screen, constantly on the move, a raving lunatic with a dark purpose in mind. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Zeffirelli buys considerable insurance for his star in the form of his supporting cast. Close plays a youthful-looking Gertrude with a wide-eyed openness that deflects suspicion. Ian Holm is rock solid as Claudius’ loyal Polonius, and his tragic end – even though we know it’s coming – still shocks and dismays. And Bates’ performance as Claudius is a fine contrast to Gibson’s Hamlet. Claudius, wary of his nephew’s fury, is reserved, cautious. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Hamlet” is a revelation. Gibson is more than an action star. What a nice surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-86259569957410349232023-04-19T05:45:00.002-07:002023-04-19T05:46:32.157-07:00Lawrence Bender, producer of "'Reservoir Dogs," Jan. 8, 1993<p><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYrTv1yLqpqZ9qfTAJsWSjCYdW931X5_mYG15N3YuJBq7cOIY9ptLW3x3l0bHgRGFX7yGTEEwBDnpGEFt9PsM7s6gWwhXDVKZohvauhrduTqa4Zo0hyjwdWJuzbm8ekHg4EpbE3FOtrVMDAuukCPdYibzGKNQ-9XosFMGfi2SBJjFEHXr6koMZmA/s1370/Bender.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYrTv1yLqpqZ9qfTAJsWSjCYdW931X5_mYG15N3YuJBq7cOIY9ptLW3x3l0bHgRGFX7yGTEEwBDnpGEFt9PsM7s6gWwhXDVKZohvauhrduTqa4Zo0hyjwdWJuzbm8ekHg4EpbE3FOtrVMDAuukCPdYibzGKNQ-9XosFMGfi2SBJjFEHXr6koMZmA/s320/Bender.jpeg" width="234" /></a></i></div><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />EDITOR'S NOTE: This interview was conducted at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. </i><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;">By DONALD PORTER<br /></span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard</span><span style="color: #23231c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">-</span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Examiner staff<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">PARK CITY - Lawrence Bender sits at a table in the hospitality suite o f Z Place, where press and filmmakers come to </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">mingle, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">do business and </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">escape</span><span style="color: #918e84; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the crush of </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">humanity </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">on Main Street during the Sundance </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Film Festi</span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">val. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bender has a broad smile on </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">his face, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">conveying his feelings of wonder and excitement to all who see him. He’s been </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">that way </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">for a couple of days, since “Reservoir Dogs,” a gritty crime film he produced, began </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">getting </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">most of the ink and much-coveted </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">buzz at </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">this 1992 edition of the premiere </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">festival for </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">American independent filmmakers. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“This is a really great </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">time </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">for </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">me,” </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bender says </span><span style="color: #a5a399; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">,</span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">with barely contained enthusiasm. </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“I’m </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">like a kid in a candy shop. </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">I’ve made </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">a </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">couple </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">of other movies, but I was a production assistant on a TV commercial </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">two months before </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">we went into production on ‘Reservoir Dogs’ because I had no money.” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Then Bender, formerly an actor, </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">had </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the good fortune to pass along a script by his friend and former video store clerk, Quentin Tarantino, to his acting teacher. The </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">teacher, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">in turn, gave the script to actor Harvey Keitel (“Mean Streets,” “Bugsy”), who read it, </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">loved </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">it and helped Bender and Tarantino get </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">movie</span><span style="color: #918e84; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">made.</span><span style="color: #a5a399; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Harvey Keitel is one of mine </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">and </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Quentin’s all-time favorite actors,” </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bender </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">ex</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">plains. </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“And when </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">I </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">got a message on my </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">answering machine </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">from Harvey Keitel that </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">he </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">loved </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">script, it was the dream of my </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">life </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">come </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">true.” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">But Keitel became </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">so involved – financing early casting sessions in New York that landed Steve </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Buscemi </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">(“Barton Fink,” “In the </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Soup”) </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">as one of the</span><span style="color: #a5a399; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">lead actors – that Bender asked </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Keitel, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">over supper one evening at </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the Russian Tea Room, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">if he would become a </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">coproducer </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">on </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">film. To which Keitel re</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">plied: </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Lawrence, </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">I’ve </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">been waiting for you to </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">say this. What </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">took you so long?’”</span><span style="color: #a5a399; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Inspired </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">by Stanley Kubrick's “The Kill</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">ing,” “Reservoir </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Dogs” is a film about the af</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">termath </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">of a botched diamond heist; as the</span><span style="color: #918e84; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">tough </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">guys who took part meet afterward in a </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">warehouse to </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">sort out what went wrong, why </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">and, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">most </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">important, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">who’s to blame. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“But what’s </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">different about this film is that </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">you never </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">actually see the robbery,” Bender </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">explains with the </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">kind of verve he might have </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">used </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">when scrounging for money to make the $1.1 million production. “And when they </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">come </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">back </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">to </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">this warehouse where they’re supposed to </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">meet, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">it’s like ‘Rashomon’ – ev</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">eryone </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">comes back with a different story. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“And as </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">an audience member, you really </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">don’t know what </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">actually happened. ... And </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">then at </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">a certain point in the movie, you start </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">to understand </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">a little bit more than they </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">know. </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The movie’s sort of structured in chap</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">ters, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">and </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">it’s </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">very intriguing. In most movies, you get </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">questions and then you get the an</span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">swers. But </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">in </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">this </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">movie, sometimes you get </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the answers </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">and </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">then </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">the questions.” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">And you get something else: unvarnished violence. Point-blank shootouts, sadistic torture and bleeding wounds are included in the price of admission – which, Bender asserts, is precisely the point. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“The script is</span><span style="color: #918e84; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">a very visceral, brutal depiction </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">of </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">a group of guys,” he says, looking like he’s answered this question more than a </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">cou</span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">ple of times this week. “And the movie is really about loyalty – not among robbers, </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">but </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">amongst men. And loyalty taken to an <i>extreme </i>– such an extreme that extreme things happen because of loyalty. And you start questioning, ‘What is loyalty all about, </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">any</span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">way?’</span><span style="color: #918e84; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“And as far as the violence, Quentin actually feels </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">that </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">film is a place where violence should be shown, because violence and action are very cinematic, and that kind of material can really be shown in a very cinematic way.” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">In </span><span style="color: #6b6b60; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">this regard, </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Tarantino’s film recalls the more violent and machismo-infused films </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">of </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Martin Scorsese, Sam Peckinpah and John Woo – influences Bender eagerly acknowledges. (In fact, Tarantino is currently at work on a project with Woo.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“We actually shot certain scenes that could have been cut to be more graphically violent, but we didn’t do it because it didn’t work the way we wanted it to,” Bender explains. “And actually, most of the violence happens </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">off- screen.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“So, to me, I’m really glad that people </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">come </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">out with that reaction; because when you </span><span style="color: #47473a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">see </span><span style="color: #5b5b51; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">a picture and you don’t see a lot of graphic violence but you get a feeling of brutality, we feel like we’ve done our job.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-19150619277432367162023-04-18T16:02:00.002-07:002023-04-18T16:04:17.819-07:00'Reservoir Dogs' review, Jan. 8, 1993<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaJuCTxdrWC149bhp7e7RWvr_Ex23difea_RK19PLKYuI5AquOU_BVvqGJ1MzRiIk5Je0mtt5Vhl-CZYn8usA7zkR3uayHkXQDX4c-j_FFfr7AdztOipPo2DY3nE5NVWOdwK6dDgn67nj9a7NMoQsgr9-IjSJ6tFzc-cThwFrC892FprbaGZgLNY/s2780/Reservoir-Dogs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2780" data-original-width="1877" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaJuCTxdrWC149bhp7e7RWvr_Ex23difea_RK19PLKYuI5AquOU_BVvqGJ1MzRiIk5Je0mtt5Vhl-CZYn8usA7zkR3uayHkXQDX4c-j_FFfr7AdztOipPo2DY3nE5NVWOdwK6dDgn67nj9a7NMoQsgr9-IjSJ6tFzc-cThwFrC892FprbaGZgLNY/s320/Reservoir-Dogs.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div><br />By DONALD PORTER<p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The title, all by itself, gives a pretty good indication of what’s in store when you sit down to watch “Reservoir Dogs.” It’s as visceral a moviegoing experience as you’ll get anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The film was something of a sensation at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, and is only now making its way back to a Utah theater. Its writer-director, first-timer Quentin Tarantino, has done himself proud with “Reservoir Dogs,” creating a bold genre film that’s repulsive, hilarious, sexist, violent, profane and utterly – <i>utterly </i>– engrossing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s ’50s heist film “The Killing,” Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” opens with a gang of robbers gathered in a coffee shop. They’re analyzing the lyrics of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” debating the etiquette of tipping waitresses and preparing to rob a jewelry store. The language is blunt and offensive, but we realize we’re onto something different here; Tarantino is a style- and violence-wonk in the tradition of Martin Scorsese: There’s artistry galore, but he makes you pay for the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">From the restaurant scene, Tarantino cuts forward to minutes after the caper </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">– we never actually see the robbery, but that's OK ... <i>really. </i>The crime went down badly, and a robber named Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) is gut-shot, screaming and bleeding profusely in the back seat of a getaway car driven by Mr. White (Harvey Keitel). They rush back to the prearranged meeting place, an empty warehouse, and wait for the others to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Soon enough, the rest have returned, including Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) and Mr. Blond (Michael Madsen). The ringleader, Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney), has mandated the color-coded aliases to prevent each of his men from knowing the others; only Cabot and his son, Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn), use their real names. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">As Mr. Orange bleeds to death , on the floor, the rest of the gang discusses, excitedly, the possibility that they were betrayed by an informer. If so, that would mean one of them is a cop. And so Tarantino uses a series of flashbacks to provide background on each of the remaining robbers </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">– Mr. Brown, played by Tarantino himself, buys the farm early on – detailing how they came to be involved in the diamond heist. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Reservoir Dogs” is in many ways similar to the hyperstylized crime films of white-hot Hong Kong action master John Woo (“The Killer,” “Hard Boiled”). And Scorsese and Sam Peckinpah are other obvious influences. What seems to set Tarantino apart from these others </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">–the professed adherence to “professionalism” and an intense friendship between Mr. White and Mr. Orange notwithstanding – is an overall emotional detachment and a vision that’s ultimately nihilistic. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Where his predecessors scoop some form of redemption, however meager, from the ruins of his protagonists’ ordeals, Tarantino appears to revel in the brutalization of both his characters and the audience. The scene that’s been getting all the attention, and rightfully so, is the one in which the psychotic Mr. Blond produces a cop he’s taken hostage and – to the tune of the annoying ’70s pop tune “Stuck in the Middle With You” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">– proceeds to carve the patrolman’s ear off. While the actual removal of the ear takes place off-camera, the experience is unusually harrowing; Tarantino plays the violence in his film realistically, as opposed to the cartoonish brand of mayhem we typically receive via mainstream Hollywood. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Reservoir Dogs” is by no means a “fun” movie. It is, however, a well-made film and one that should be seen by those interested in exciting talent </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">– both in front of, and behind, the camera.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-11036836680290008862023-04-18T15:33:00.007-07:002023-04-18T15:43:18.221-07:00'Scent of a Woman' review, Jan. 8, 1993<p><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 9pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPeUqziGyv-Qo9hN4GbiKidZD2sri3V6n_U8nElbtTlQIFSjN5XBlYBHxiXDPflhTmkAite1hftCC9e4gpAaDtAqllkPqidDsZpIM3FW6NJrCp_4CuCS9tJvsWpFMBDbA4vXI91URh2O9GbsBNJYmg4_LgrPqcyqwLoQ4e9AQTocImF4aAUp08fE/s1104/scent.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPeUqziGyv-Qo9hN4GbiKidZD2sri3V6n_U8nElbtTlQIFSjN5XBlYBHxiXDPflhTmkAite1hftCC9e4gpAaDtAqllkPqidDsZpIM3FW6NJrCp_4CuCS9tJvsWpFMBDbA4vXI91URh2O9GbsBNJYmg4_LgrPqcyqwLoQ4e9AQTocImF4aAUp08fE/s320/scent.jpeg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />By </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;">DONALD PORTER</span><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard-Examiner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">In the course of living, we inevitably encounter people who are so persistently obnoxious that we go to great lengths to avoid them. Al Pacino plays just such a jerk in “Scent of a Woman.” But we’re supposed to pay good money to spend more than two hours with him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s the same sort of bizarre miscalculation director-star Billy Crystal made with last year’s “Mr. Saturday Night,” which also was a movie about a jerk. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">There are some people you just don’t want to spend a couple of hours with. As cinematic torture goes, there are worse movies to punish yourself with (“Toys,” for example). Still, “Scent of a Woman” is not the only other movie in the marketplace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pacino plays Frank Slade, a former military man whose loud, boorish behavior worked fine for him while he was on LBJ’s White House staff a quarter century ago – LBJ, after all, was probably worse than Slade in the crude department. But somewhere along the line Frank’s career derailed, and he wound up playing hot potato with live hand grenades to relieve boredom, or prove his mettle, or whatever. The stunt blinded him, and he’s been living on a disability pension ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bottom line: Frank’s life, as he views it, isn’t much fun anymore. He’s been living with his niece, her husband and their two kids – and hating every moment. Now’s his chance to make a break for it: They’re leaving home for the weekend and have hired a teenager, Charlie (Chris O'Donnell), to look after him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Unbeknownst to everyone, Frank’s been stashing his pension checks away, saving for a big trip to New York City. He hauls Charlie along, of course, and once in the city they eat the best food, drink the best liquor and Frank spends time with the best call girl. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Inevitably, the two males wind up teaching each other about life over the course of their eventful weekend. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Regrettably, the one major plot twist that’s supposed to take us by surprise is shockingly easy to anticipate – a flub that further deflates the movie. (I won’t reveal it, but rest assured that if you see the film you’ll catch on early.) After that, all that’s left is to watch Pacino slam dunk all the other actors who venture into the frame alongside him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The man can act ... with a vengeance. There, hasn’t been this much acting going on in a movie since Dustin Hoffman wore a skirt in “Tootsie.” It’s a shameless play for Oscar consideration, a big bold “Look, Ma, I still have what it takes!” message for a Hollywood currently obsessed with younger talent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The thing that makes you cringe is the knowledge that, yes, Pacino has talent to spare; he really is the genuine article, one of our best actors. It’s precisely his ability to remain truthful to the character of Frank Slade that does the movie in: Frank is so easy to dislike that we stop caring precisely when we should be caring the most. Frank’s a goon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-50599220188271937662023-04-18T14:49:00.004-07:002023-04-18T15:42:03.238-07:00"Chaplin" review from Jan. 8, 1993<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6cUkZRoBCI49bWKJVqXICm5eAYQ4-LD79_FND3ilE9jMYOozyMGHmm9JkE8Y-sEzDPJ5JnmnoPPHBJUQ4t1qEslyHxmJ1Xdllpy2oiIgjWN_E_LZloiPB7mMOcRCgzO2CYbBa7qtu-PzUoNUH64x9abkHoIWUtfgRe9idnrypYa__R0VsB9i2zc/s1000/CHAPLIN.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6cUkZRoBCI49bWKJVqXICm5eAYQ4-LD79_FND3ilE9jMYOozyMGHmm9JkE8Y-sEzDPJ5JnmnoPPHBJUQ4t1qEslyHxmJ1Xdllpy2oiIgjWN_E_LZloiPB7mMOcRCgzO2CYbBa7qtu-PzUoNUH64x9abkHoIWUtfgRe9idnrypYa__R0VsB9i2zc/s320/CHAPLIN.jpeg" width="165" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 34pt;">‘Cha</span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 33pt;">plin’ </span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 35pt;">offer</span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 36pt;">s </span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 33pt;">little </span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 34pt;">new </span></b><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;">By DONALD PORTER<br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Standard</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">-</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">Exam</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">i</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 7pt;">ner staff </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The equivalent of a Reader's Digest Condensed Version of Charles Chaplin's life opens in movie theaters today under the title “Chaplin.” It’s adequate, but by no means revealing – or, for that matter, perceptive. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">After all, Chaplin’s career – as an actor first, and director-star later on – was marked by a series of ground-breaking, hilarious films. He was consistently good at what he did.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">And while “Chaplin” gives us an inkling of the filmmaker’s obsessional perfectionism, it seems more preoccupied with detailing his many affairs with underage and</span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">/</span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">or overwrought females.</span><span style="font-family: HiddenHorzOCR, serif; font-size: 6pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Director Richard Attenborough (“Gandhi”) displays an eerie fascination with the breasts of his actresses; as a result, you walk away from “Chaplin” thinking the filmmaker may have been a genius, yes, but he was also a leering, dirty old man. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chaplin is played by Robert Downey, Jr. (“Less Than Zero”), who displays an impressive talent for physical mimicry. Furthermore, he captures –</span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">insofar as the shallow script allows – the frustration, self-doubt and ego that made Chaplin the man he was. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Born and raised in England, Chaplin was a child of poverty whose mother (Geraldine Chaplin, who plays her own grandmother here) was mentally ill. Chaplin began on the vaudeville stage, and was summoned to Hollywood by comedy director Mack Sennett. He was a natural, and before too many years had passed, was running his own studio and making his own movies – the most popular comedian in the world.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">But Chaplin's personal life was a disaster, as friends like Douglas Fairbanks (Kevin Kline) were wont to point out. Chaplin only seemed to settle down late in life, when his physical decline slowed his randy impulses. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Aside from Downey’s marvelous performance, there are a few surprises. For instance, did you know that Chaplin hid away in a Salt Lake City hotel to edit “The Kid,” so as to avoid having the movie seized in a bitter divorce battle? Or that he apparently saw his first movie in Butte, Mont.? Or that he insulted J. Edgar Hoover at a dinner party years before Hoover headed the FBI, and that apparently Hoover’s vendetta against Chaplin – which eventually resulted in the filmmaker's exile in Switzerland – arose from that incident?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Attenborough also manages to restore some luster to Fairbanks’ reputation by way of Chaplin’s continual praises. And the judicious use of clips from actual Chaplin films serves to validate the film’s reason for being: Charlie Chaplin was the best at what he did, despite the shambles of his personal life.</span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-17689508035048719292015-04-04T07:17:00.000-07:002015-04-04T07:17:17.309-07:00Stevenson plunges in- again – after ‘M*A*S*H’<b><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">From the Standard-Examiner, published sometime in 1985:</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">By </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">DONALD </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PORTER</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Standard-Examiner staff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEQpsWCA2jAVJxGc0suEI-UlG0vsFuyn4jsW2CR_fibCAYfsSuZ4rqJyFiLpWuAq9VK9QkvLMvT53890h5eJTnARLGFhBFOvwANGpTgzaPkWzLBEw14nVEFoolJQ84F7Ip0wh3qa5X34/s1600/McLean+Stevenson_040415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEQpsWCA2jAVJxGc0suEI-UlG0vsFuyn4jsW2CR_fibCAYfsSuZ4rqJyFiLpWuAq9VK9QkvLMvT53890h5eJTnARLGFhBFOvwANGpTgzaPkWzLBEw14nVEFoolJQ84F7Ip0wh3qa5X34/s1600/McLean+Stevenson_040415.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McLean Stevenson in "M*A*S*H" (credit: IMDB.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SALT LAKE CITY - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829004/?ref_=nmmd_md_nm">McLean Stevenson</a> had been on the road for days,
hyping his new show </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: HiddenHorzOCR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: HiddenHorzOCR;">"America." </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">His suits were rumpled, he
was tired and irritable. It was only 10:30 a.m., but be had been speaking to
groups of journalists and potential advertisers for several hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, the man who gained fame in the role of Lt. Col. Henry
Blake on “M*A*S*H” was taking a break, eating breakfast and making small talk with
KSL-TV newscasters Shelley Thomas and Dick Nourse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The laughter and chatter came to a sudden halt when his
publicist appeared at the table, reminding him it was time for another
interview.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: HiddenHorzOCR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: HiddenHorzOCR;">“Now?” </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">he protested, fixing a scowl on his face and
treating the plebe like Henry Blake did Radar O'Reilly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes,” the publicist answered in an apologetic tone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A short but fruitless argument ensued, and Stevenson lost. So he
put on a professional happy face, made apologies for his mood and submitted to
questioning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Surprisingly, Stevenson is a lot like Henry Blake. Not Henry
Blake the half-wit, but the Henry Blake who was always quick with a humorous
remark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
55-year-old actor was born in Normal ("Promise you won't laugh?"),
Ill., and raised in its twin city, Bloomington, where his father was a
prominent cardiologist. He played basketball in high school (his team won the
state championship when he was a senior), but did virtually no acting. Upon
graduation, be joined the Navy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“In
those days (the late ’40s) you had the option of joining for a definite period </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">of
time, or taking the chance of being drafted and staying in there for God knows
how long,” he said. “So I joined the Navy and saw Memphis, Tenn. I did not see
the world. Why they ever put a base in Memphis, I'll never understand."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And
just what does a Navy recruit do in Memphis?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I was defending the shores
of the Mississippi River against the onslaught of the Japanese horde that might
attack Memphis at any moment,” Stevenson said. “I have no idea what I did. My father
was a doctor, so I put in for hospital corpsman. I figured that would be
something that I would have a shot at doing and might enjoy doing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"So
I took all their tests – you know, the wiggly blocks, the multiple choice: ‘Would
you rather kiss a girl, eat peanut butter or climb a tree?’ Then I ended up in
the construction-and-repair division. I was a carpenter making sidewalks at the
officers’ quarters; never did understand that."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
he left the Navy, Stevenson landed basketball scholarships to two colleges, the
University of Illinois and the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque. He
chose New Mexico, but left after one semester because he didn't like the school
or the atmosphere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“At
that time -- right after the war -- everybody was getting out and it was full
of veterans and guys that just wanted to drink beer and get mononucleosis and
didn’t give a damn about going </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">to
class.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“So
</span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">transferred and got a
partial scholarship </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">to N</span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">orthwestern
(University) and played basketball there for four years. </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">wasn't a very outstanding team. Our
best finish was eighth out of 10 schools, but we did have an extremely
attractive team -- all good-looking guys."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Stevenson
graduated from Northwestern with a degree in theater arts, and shortly thereafter
a new head football coach, Stu Holcomb, was hired at the university. Holcomb
was committed to strengthening the football program, and be hired Stevenson as an
assistant director of athletics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"He
hired me to go out and raise money and to recruit players. That was my primary
function. I got a hundred guys together and they each gave us $1,000. We took
their $100,000, and for that they got two 50-yard-line tickets and two hot dogs
and we went out and just bought kids -- that's the bottom line. We violated
every rule in the NCAA and it still goes on no matter what anyone tells you.
It's impossible to live within those rules, although everyone tries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"We
had winning football teams. But I got tired after about three years of running
up and down a football field in a trenchcoat yelling at kids, 'Knock somebody down
or we're not gonna <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">pay you!’”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tired
of sports, Stevenson decided to pursue an acting career. So with $75 in his
pocket, he set out in his Volkswagen for New York City and “hasn't been out of
work since.” He was awarded a scholarship to the Music Theater Academy in New
York, where he studied by day, working nights at the Upstairs/Downstairs
Theater as an understudy. He sang, danced and appeared in comedy skits at the
theater, as well as appearing </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">in </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TV
commercials.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Stevenson's
biggest break came when he arrived in Hollywood and met Tommy Smothers, who agreed
to let him work as a comedy writer for a week – without pay -- on his show. When
the week was up, Stevenson was put on the payroll of "The Smothers Brothers
Comedy Hour."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">From
that point on, Stevenson was in demand. From 1969-71, he was a regular on
"The Doris Day Show." He also made several guest appearances on
"The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" in 1970, then landed the role of Henry Blake
in 1971. He speaks of the role with affection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"When
I read the script, met the cast and understood what we were going to do – we weren't
going to emulate the movie; we weren't going to try to do what the book did; we
were going to do our own thing in our own way -- I knew the show was going to
be successful.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And, as you know, I was </span>nominated and
did win the Fool of the Year award for having quit the series in 1974, along
with Harvey Kormann (a close friend), who took a hike from 'The Carol Burnett Show.'"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed,
the departure from "M*A*S*H" caused his star to dim, and Stevenson had
a string of unsuccessful series, including "Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes,"
"Hello, Larry" and "The McLean Stevenson Show." He was also
a frequent guest on "The Donnie and Marie Show," so he was a frequent
visitor to the Osmond Studios in Orem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I
used to come here and spend five days without a drink, a cup of coffee or a
cigarette. I started finding myself out back sneaking smokes, so (Mrs. Osmond) finally
started stocking the dressing room with ash trays, C0ca-Cola, coffee and all
the bad stuff, and said, 'Well, it's your life. Just do a good show.'"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And
that's precisely what Stevenson said he is trying to do now -- a good show.
Along with Sarah Purcell and Stuart Damon, he will host the daily, hourlong
“soft news” entertainment and feature program <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923039/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_10">“America,”</a> to be broadcast on KSL
weekday afternoons.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I've
done seven situation comedies," he said, "two of which were
successful, five of which were not. … I'm on a press junket now, and I have yet
to hear any actor say, ‘I'm gonna tell ya, I just signed up for the worst piece
of crap you have ever seen. This sucker'll be lucky to go six weeks.’ You don't
do that. You find yourself hyping stuff because you are genuinely hoping it
will </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">work."</span></div>
</div>
Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-29250416493606912432013-08-09T07:42:00.002-07:002013-08-25T09:36:40.518-07:00“The Sandlot” interviews, April 9, 1993<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER<br />Standard-Examiner staff</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kYMTozgQYlsAZHA75OuZwZo3dazd4Kq_7wDqfZEoqXmsEtPfLjLjx-QZcrwoBPDDw6VpCSMgHEW-vSHpfgUngBtrFUAn1MgyfWujdpI9jICNLs-F0jJnpsfg_vgMnkShAC3P6QV92es/s1600/Renna-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kYMTozgQYlsAZHA75OuZwZo3dazd4Kq_7wDqfZEoqXmsEtPfLjLjx-QZcrwoBPDDw6VpCSMgHEW-vSHpfgUngBtrFUAn1MgyfWujdpI9jICNLs-F0jJnpsfg_vgMnkShAC3P6QV92es/s320/Renna-1.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renna</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">SALT LAKE CITY -- <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0719606/?ref_=tt_cl_t3">Patrick Renna</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0503140/?ref_=tt_cl_t4">Chauncey Leopardi</a></b>, two youthful co-stars of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108037/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">"The Sandlot,"</a></b> are sitting in a suite at the Hilton Hotel, attempting to verbalize their feelings about acting in the movie. It's a nostalgic kiddie-baseball fantasy, very much in the vein of the vintage "Our Gang" series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Renna, a husky 14-year-old, plays Ham, the team's slugger and chief trash-talker. Leopardi, 11, plays Squints, a bespectacled half-pint with a taste for older, buxom women.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before shooting started, Renna says, "I watched a <b><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0001276%2F&ei=OP0EUp-SAaugyAGe5YCYDw&usg=AFQjCNFdCiRsT4DTWcAOlosHrUWrJcmFxw&sig2=YZ_WQyNWVVQu7tasfdbXhw&bvm=bv.50500085,d.aWc">Jackie Gleason</a></b> movie, because that's who they wanted me to be like. You know, how he's outgoing?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Leopardi looks puzzled: "Who's Jackie Gleason?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"He's a star," Renna explains. "He was in 'The Honeymooners.' "</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Leopardi</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>Was</i> a star, the kids are told -- he's been dead a while.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Oh," the two reply in unison, shrugging their shoulders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Too young to know about The Great One? Inconceivable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Renna and Leopardi were in Utah a couple of weeks back as part of a four-city publicity tour for "The Sandlot," which was filmed in the Salt Lake City and Ogden areas during the summer of 1992. When the film's writer-director, <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262693/?ref_=tt_ov_dr">David Mickey Evans</a></b>, set out to recreate California's San Fernando Valley, circa 1962, for "The Sandlot," he came to Utah to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"The San Fernando Valley and the Salt Lake Valley are not dissimilar," Evans said by phone from Los Angeles, "even though they are several thousand feet different in elevation. The hills around Salt Lake and Ogden look a lot like the hills around the (San Fernando) Valley."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Although Evans and his co-writer, Bob Gunter, played plenty of ball when they were kids, Evans says none of the characters in his film are patterned after either writer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"What we did was we made composites -- the characters are all really composites of a bunch of kids he and I knew as we were growing up." Evans is from Pennsylvania originally, but spent most of his childhood in Southern California, where he and his brother played T-ball and Little League. He says the days of the sandlots are over, and laments that basketball has replaced the National Pastime as the sport of choice for most kids in the cities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"The Sandlot" marks Evans' debut film as a director. (He previously wrote the screenplay for, and was set to direct, "Radio Flyer," but he was replaced after a few days by another director.) The film is an old-fashioned evocation of a simpler America, as it tells the story of nine friends who lose a very important baseball over a fence. On the other side of that fence is the meanest junkyard dog imaginable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The casting process was laborious, says Evans. "I first started out looking for Little League players -- guys who could play ball. But we sort of got rid of that idea at an early stage, and said, 'You know, what we should do is cast this picture with the same sorts of ideas we had when we wrote it.' And we wrote it under a big poster of one of the 'Our Gang' comedies, which I am like the world's greatest fan of."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Evans also found himself working with <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000469/?ref_=tt_cl_t12">James Earl Jones</a></b>, who plays a pivotal character near the film's end. The director recalled that he never imagined Jones would want to play the character.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"I talked to Mr. Jones a couple of times on the phone -- in fact, I re-wrote the part for him. Originally, the part was written (for him to be) a frail old baseball fan who sort of sat around in his house all day. But it seemed to be a more natural thing that if Mr. Jones was going to play it, we would make this a much bigger deal."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Directing a talent like Jones on his first film, Evans says, was "awe-inspiring."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Truthfully, I'd worked three months with nine kids all over Utah and attention span was a problem," Evans said with a laugh. "And then suddenly (Jones) comes onto the set and the first assistant director and one of the producers know him -- had worked with him on other films -- and I was standing right next to him and he was sort of looking over me. Somebody introduced me, and he looked at me and said, 'Oh, my God, you're so young.' And I said, 'I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.'</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"And then we got to doing the first shot with him and I called 'Action.' He did it, I called 'Cut,' then stood there for about two minutes: 'Well, I guess that's it -- we don't need to do this another 20 times.' So that was quite a treat. He's phenomenal."</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-63313518779128511892013-04-07T10:39:00.001-07:002013-04-07T10:44:37.030-07:00Penelope Spheeris, Jan. 18, 1991<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By DONALD PORTER<br />Standard-Examiner staff<br /><br />For the past year or two, filmmaker <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0790715/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Penelope Spheeris</b></a> has been smack-dab in the middle of it.<br /><br />She spent a year working as a story editor on the TV sitcom <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094540/"><b>"Roseanne,"</b></a> then segued into a gig as director of the rap band <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F2_Live_Crew&ei=2KxhUeiIJoaWrAHAmYGQDA&usg=AFQjCNGZLrzKi90WyXDaoN9NsXTGN2vjXg&sig2=_3PEze1Uux4gFdElau59Yg&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>2 Live Crew</b></a>'s long-form video, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBanned_in_the_U.S.A.&ei=Ea1hUZ3SKpKgqwHx5ICoAg&usg=AFQjCNHvdcOiXVBkKmD2u1DnCKZMlqLWvg&sig2=8oMDfM5DfqE-RZHrdmKdyA&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>"Banned in the U.S.A."</b></a> It's as though she went mining for showbiz controversy and struck the mother lode.<br /><br />Of her experience on "Roseanne," a TV series now legendary for battles between writers, producers and stars, Spheeris likens it to "having a belated Hollywood boot camp. It was pretty horrendous."<br /><br />And the matter of her touring with and filming 2 Live Crew, the music industry's bad boys? Well, we'll get to that later.<br /><br />First of all, who is this Penelope Spheeris, anyway?</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br />Not a household name, that's for sure. But she is a unique talent in terms of Hollywood filmmakers, and a breed apart when it comes to most female directors. She began as a producer of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albertbrooks.com%2F&ei=Oa1hUZCDHYTJqQGgkYHAAg&usg=AFQjCNFVhYe5buUY-Gqk7VXkH5B9gcbeHw&sig2=wljz7vhWaSLjNInIjBrbVQ&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Albert Brooks</b></a>' short films in the early, heady days of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072562/"><b>“Saturday Night Live,”</b></a> then produced his comic pseudo-documentary, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079781/"><b>“Real Life.”</b></a> She's worked with <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEoQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lilytomlin.com%2F&ei=ba1hUdjVNcSVqgHbzoDoBg&usg=AFQjCNEymrkrWIXQzrCk6rr4AimCTt-ArA&sig2=_ImpJB64-l4hl9oZP_wWpw&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Lily Tomlin</b></a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEUQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0001640%2F&ei=gK1hUfHgG8T7qAGP1YG4BQ&usg=AFQjCNEZR9c94EWPzFvGiopQV6gUa4HnQg&sig2=YP9Gd035u2zCIHHFIbJdLg&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Richard Pryor</b></a>.<br /><br />And her first directing credit was <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082252/"><b>“The Decline of Western Civilization,”</b></a> a documentary chronicling the rise of punk music in Los Angeles clubs.<br /><br />Her latest work, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102714/"><b>“Prison Stories: Women on the Inside,”</b></a> will air later this month on HBO, and is scheduled to screen at the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sundance.org%2Ffestival%2F&ei=wa1hUY3JCIedqQH6tYCIDA&usg=AFQjCNFD8QNndikZcQPtd079usQol8QLKw&sig2=ER7rM1v6XG2V3i2DU9V1nA&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Sundance Film Festival</b></a> in Park City <b>... </b>.<br /><br />The "Prison Stories" project -- a collection of three episodes directed by three women – appealed to her, she explains, because "when I was a teenager, I hung out with girls like that – I could have been one of those girls, you know what I mean?"<br /><br />Another reason she liked it: The made-for-cable movie wasn't “one of those women-in-chains kinds of things." A film about women in prison made by Spheeris is hardly surprising, if you know anything about her career in film. A common theme in Spheeris' dramatic work has been how dysfunctional families and relationships fray into violence and pain. It's something the director knows from her own upbringing.<br /><br />“That is what I know as a personal experience," Spheeris said last week by phone from Los Angeles. “I personally was raised in a very chaotic family, had seven stepfathers, most of whom were violent alcoholics. "<br /><br />She's used the anger of her early years to compete with others in her field and to fulfill her ambitions, she says, rather than to destroy.<br /><br />“But now I'm coming to the point where it's a bad motivation, and you just have to do the work because you love the work, not because you're mad and vengeful."<br /><br />Having achieved critical success, her new goal is to have a box office hit. To that end, she has written two scripts -- one a comedy, the other a thriller -- both of which she feels are commercially viable. She sees other female directors like <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0001508%2F&ei=Aa5hUaWlGsWiqwHm9IDACA&usg=AFQjCNG1uFmEEY4FonP0YGDG_aie3f-BSA&sig2=cKBerT7JB8aZ9D3doFPfnw&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Penny Marshall</b></a> ("Big," “Awakenings") and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0002132%2F&ei=F65hUcqYOciWqQHZ9YD4DA&usg=AFQjCNG-BbXdlKjPwn_0EguAhNQClbn0Og&sig2=Pay5InghJ-FXUDk2mtLITA&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Amy Heckerling</b></a> (“Look Who's Talking"), and it fills her with hope. But that hope is tempered by the knowledge that Hollywood is still a club run by men who like to hire other men to make their films. Doors are opening for women, but they are swinging ever so slowly.<br /><br />"In general, I would say now that I'm getting older it's fine, because I've acquired a little bit of respect from the various crew members, et cetera," Spheeris says in her husky, often downright scratchy voice. "Early on, it was really, really difficult, because it's like you're guilty until you're proven innocent with them – because you're a woman. So you have to really prove yourself. Now it's OK, though; it's one of the few advantages to getting old."<br /><br />And there are ways around it, she says. "There certainly is a group of very powerful men who are chronic misogynists that are making films. ... However, I won't work with those people, and they probably won't work with me. But you can pick and choose who you deal with, and there are certainly a lot of people who don't think that way."<br /><br />Which brings us back to her work with 2 Live Crew. Why, oh, why would a woman sign on with a record company to make a film that promotes a band many criticize as aggressively misogynist?<br /><br />Initially, she says, the band members' behavior and beliefs didn't matter to her.<br /><br />"I didn't care whether these guys talked like that or not," she says. "Whatever." She just went about the business of doing her job, and the band members went a long way toward doing themselves in.<br /><br />"What I try to do as a documentary filmmaker, which is my first and foremost love, is to present a subject in a very objective way. And I believe that I did that with that band – even though I was working for the record company that was trying to make money on these guys.<br /><br />"It was received very well critically, for which I'm very appreciative. And for that very reason, I think there was plenty in there that made them look as stupid as they are."<br /><br />(Penelope Spheeris will discuss issues related to being a female director, along with fellow directors <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnadeitch.com%2F&ei=WK5hUYzMHsiWqQHZ9YD4DA&usg=AFQjCNGjxJQ6Sr1l2f1Yh7SHiRRO_Q3eZw&sig2=ACB32PTG3phEb4py4fNEXw&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Donna Deitch</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0798717%2F&ei=bK5hUdi5DdKhqwHyrYGYBA&usg=AFQjCNF0FjkRPwbGJiohYy3Vnrj1opmpxw&sig2=JZs94AGTFJFKX1sY73_cFA&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Joan Micklin Silver</b></a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CD4QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0579690%2F&ei=gK5hUf3INciyqQHtj4GYDQ&usg=AFQjCNFzyy5-soyxCQtbSMcaj_NoXTNgCw&sig2=w6Ibwm76AXvZzPjQMHViiQ&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Nina Menkes</b></a>, at 1 p.m. Monday at the Prospector Square Theater in Park City.)</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-67060228977913148782013-04-06T11:08:00.001-07:002013-04-07T10:44:23.983-07:00Altman's angles put off studios, Jan. 18, 1991<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By DONALD PORTER</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Standard-Examiner staff</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000265/?ref_=sr_1"><b>Robert Altman</b></a> is on the phone from his office in Los Angeles, laughing ruefully that many journalists are labeling <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100873/"><b>"Vincent and Theo,"</b></a> his new film, a "'comeback."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"I wish I could make a comeback," he says. "At first, I resented that by saying, 'Jeez, I haven't been anywhere.' But now I have no work. I'd like to make a comeback, whatever that means."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The currently unemployed film director will be attending the <a href="http://www.sundance.org/festival/"><b>Sundance Film Festival</b></a>, running today through Jan. 27 in Park City, in conjunction with a six-film retrospective of his work, and to host the regional premiere of "Vincent and Theo" at 7 p.m. Thursday in <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&ved=0CF0QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMary_G._Steiner_Egyptian_Theatre&ei=SWBgUb3kNsqAqgG_4oHwBg&usg=AFQjCNEu6xAS20TKy6M07aFis5Ko6XOJ7w&sig2=rT1aBLkdNHg0OzkiUSzdlw&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Park City's Egyptian Theater</b></a>. The new film is his look at the relationship between painter Vincent van Gogh and his brother, Theo, who supported the artist's nine-year career.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When Altman was first approached about the project, he says the script called for a four-hour miniseries, and was "a little solemn or sacred. I finally said, 'Yes, I'll do this. but (only) if I can make a film, if I have total control over the artistic content of this thing -- and execution.' They gave me everything I asked for, so I did it. And I must say, I'm really happy I did."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The result is a film that demystifies van Gogh, drawing the character out of the legend that has grown around him and making him real. This is something the director has been doing for decades now, putting a new spin on material in such a way that it in no way resembles anything you've seen before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Altman is the man responsible for some of the most startlingly original films of the 1970s: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066026/"><b>"MASH,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067411/"><b>"McCabe and Mrs. Miller,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070334/"><b>"The Long Goodbye"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073440/"><b>"Nashville"</b></a> among them. But after that streak, he belly-flopped with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079770/"><b>"Quintet"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081353/"><b>"Popeye,"</b></a> and his relationship with Hollywood was terminated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"I worked in all the genres in the '70s," Altman recalls. "I'd say, 'Oh, this is a nice detective picture. This is a nice western. This is a nice so and so.' And (the studio) would say, 'Well, that works.'</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"And then I'd put a turn on it and if it worked, fine. If it didn't work, then they'd say, 'That guy's bad news. He's not doing what he said he would, or what we expected him to do."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Throughout most of the '80s, Altman worked from a European base, moving into television and adapting numerous plays for the big and small screens, including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083745/"><b>"Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086377/"><b>"Streamers,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092646/"><b>"Beyond Therapy"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094826/"><b>"The Caine Mutiny Court Martial."</b></a> His work was as innovative as ever, but his audience was limited.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then in 1988, the director teamed with "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau to create <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094562/"><b>"Tanner '88,"</b></a> a fictional, satirical look at presidential campaign politics shot in cinema verite style, in which the filmmakers' own candidate, Jack Tanner, hustled votes alongside real presidential hopefuls. The series played on HBO to critical raves, and Altman claims it's "probably the best work I've done."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Garry Trudeau and I are talking about the possibility of running Jack in '92," Altman says, obviously pleased at the prospect. "We have to get a war chest. It takes money to do it, and Jack is a funny guy - he wouldn't take <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCharles_Keating&ei=RmFgUajaGcLorAGm9oD4Dg&usg=AFQjCNFoUowCBaLZSTaOaekKFgtOWaNKGA&sig2=00CBzaN4RRp3XIsDKydUUA&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Keating's</b></a> money before, so we'll have to find a pure source somewhere."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the meantime, Altman is trying to get another project, "L.A. Shortcuts," [subsequently filmed and released as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108122/"><b>"Short Cuts"</b></a>] off the ground. An ensemble piece he compares to "Nashville," it's based on several short stories by the late <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FRaymond_Carver&ei=mGFgUfvLFcinqwGPhoGoCA&usg=AFQjCNG6wnM_Iuw7ERFQf5e-obqKJudwsA&sig2=giA20NSYqWjoHBziqtpt4A&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM"><b>Raymond Carver</b></a>. A deal was set at Paramount, he says, until a management change at the studio killed it last summer. Then Sydney Pollack tried to sell it to Universal, but they, like everyone else so far, passed on it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Altman admits the experience is frustrating him. And frankly, he says, it's worrisome that he's not getting offers to direct films given the critical and commercial success of "Vincent and Theo."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"I don't understand it," he says. "It's like I don't exist." But, he emphasizes, the people who finance movies "don't have any obligation" to provide him or anyone else with work. The problem, according to Altman, is studios don't want pictures that might be difficult to sell to the public.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"I think what these companies are doing is trying to serve what they consider an existing market, rather than to create a market. ... That's why you see so many numbers (in the titles) of these pictures."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Altman, in fact, is no stranger to this mindset. He succumbed to the seduction, but managed to escape before his reputation was sullied. It all happened a few years ago, when he was approached about making "Nashville 2."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"What intrigued me about it was getting those same 24 or 22 people together and see them after 14 years," the director explains. So he wrote a script and obtained commitments from the surviving cast members. Then the studio "got worried that the ending wasn't upbeat enough -- I didn't put enough hope in it -- and I just said, 'I don't want to do this.' I worked on it for a whole year and then dropped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Still, Altman refuses to fix blame for his estrangement from the motion picture establishment: "This big battle that's gone on between me and Hollywood is a myth and an exaggeration. ... I think they sell shoes and I make gloves."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The current affection studios have for testing films in front of what Altman calls "lowest common denominator audiences" also concerns him. If an audience responds negatively to a film's ending, he says, it will be changed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As a result, Altman says, the quality of the American cinema is in disrepair. "I think they're not getting worse, I think it's that they're not getting better. There's a cap on them."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then, perhaps sensing that his thoughts and opinions have been too gloomy, he adds: "I don't mean to be serious and ultra-solemn about these kinds of things. ... I've been doing this for too long, maybe."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Say it ain't so. Robert Altman, one of the chief promoters and practitioners of alternative action -- and art -- in the movie business, despairing? Growing tired of the battle?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"No, I'm not the least bit tired. I'm still as frustrated as I ever was. I just get scared that I'm not gonna get another gig. Absolutely, I want another job. I'm anxious to go to work. I've got several projects, but they're all just a little too" difficult to market. "But I'll beat 'em at least once again."</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-80160372628504607042013-02-19T19:15:00.001-08:002013-02-19T19:15:55.336-08:00Patrick Bergin, "Mountains of the Moon," March 9, 1990<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV5WtWBInnQyq60_u8jCZdLRo02QokwpJRmqbQ0bsx9CMnLEs4k46drffDal1dLnH8NzXIfu1BsSj7eYBYDeJa_CEnNwyoZ8t7454NihxBw80aDBhLm5BE3BRkvFURtM9eOjrR3HOkUc/s1600/PatrickBergin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV5WtWBInnQyq60_u8jCZdLRo02QokwpJRmqbQ0bsx9CMnLEs4k46drffDal1dLnH8NzXIfu1BsSj7eYBYDeJa_CEnNwyoZ8t7454NihxBw80aDBhLm5BE3BRkvFURtM9eOjrR3HOkUc/s320/PatrickBergin.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick Bergin in "Mountains of the Moon"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER<br />Standard-Examiner</span><br /><br />For <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000920/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Patrick Bergin</b></a>, star of the new film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100196/"><b>"Mountains of the Moon,"</b></a> the glamor part of movie stardom took a little time to kick in. When he was shooting the film in Kenya, the experience was anything but. There's nothing particularly romantic about having lions thrown at you.<br /><br />"Having a quarter of a ton of lion thrown on top of me was pretty fantastic and lousy at the same time," he says, laughing. "It certainly nearly killed me."<br /><br />The scene involved his character, 19th century writer and adventurer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton"><b>Richard Burton</b></a>, being chased and attacked by a male lion. Fortunately for Burton, the beast was fatally wounded as it leaped through the air at him.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br />"They had to tease the lion to my heels with meat, so he got very close to me," Bergin recalled last week by phone from San Diego. "Then, in order to show me coming out from underneath him they had to drop him on top of me. He was sedated, but one was never sure just exactly how sedated he was."<br /><br />The actor laughs again. "And he bad bad breath. "We must have done it at least four or five times," he said. Then, after waiting a beat, he adds: "And of course the first take was the best."<br /><br />"Mountains of the Moon" is a Hollywood anomaly -- a big-budget epic starring a cast of relative unknowns. It's a device you expect from a director like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0706182/?ref_=tt_ov_dr"><b>Bob Rafelson</b></a>, an unorthodox filmmaker if there ever was one. Rafelson's credits include <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065724/"><b>"Five Easy Pieces,"</b></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5846688096471778343"> </a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068805/"><b>"The King of Marvin Gardens,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075268/"><b>"Stay Hungry"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082934/"><b>"The Postman Always Rings Twice"</b></a> -- all unusual tales about people locked in unusual relationships. "Mountains of the Moon" is a film filled with relationships, most of them between Burton and his contemporaries -- both male and female -- and between the explorer and the land. So, going in, Bergin had a tall order to fill.<br /><br />The actor has appeared in a few feature films, including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094912/"><b>"The Courier"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096211/"><b>"Taffin,"</b></a> but the roles were on the small side. In "Mountains of the Moon," Bergin receives top billing and is the undisputed star. The casting process, he said, was a long one. But ultimately, Rafelson saw something he liked and hired him. Bergin theorizes he might have landed the job because of his "curiosity about the world and my sort of renegade nature."<br /><br />"Mountains of the Moon" tells the story of two explorers, Richard Burton, an Irishman, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanning_Speke"><b>John Speke</b></a>, an Englishman, who set off together in the 1850s to search for the headwaters of the Nile. The men made two expeditions together into the uncharted interior of the African continent. The first was aborted quickly, after a skirmish with hostile tribesmen, but the second proved more successful. While Burton lay ill in a tribal community, Speke continued to explore, finally locating Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile.<br /><br />But Speke's scientific research was sorely lacking -- he didn't take accurate elevation readings or circle the lake to find out whether a significant amount of water was flowing out of it. As a result, Burton doubted the veracity of his partner's claims. After both men had arrived back home in Britain, Speke went public with his "discovery" and left Burton in his dust. Burton, an intensely loyal friend, remained silent on the subject for some time.<br /><br />But now, according to Bergin, the Irish author and adventurer is becoming respected for the many great things he accomplished -- such as his numerous anthropological studies of indigenous tribes in the areas where he traveled, including meticulously detailed descriptions of mating rites and other sexual practices.<br /><br />"Well, in the Royal Geographical Society you'll see a portrait 0f Speke and you will not see one of Burton to this day, yes," Bergin said. "And most of Burton's books and papers have been taken out of the Royal Geographical Society and bought up by dealers and other people. But he, certainly from an establishment point of view, is less regarded. However, I think ... with the general public of the world, Burton's character and personality is much more sought after and much more intriguing."<br /><br />Bergin, who like Burton was born in Ireland, is also said to bear a striking resemblance to Burton.<br /><br />"When they had the bust of my head made it was remarkably similar," he said, referring to a model that makeup artists used to make certain Burton's facial scars fit correctly. "Even I was shocked. There was an expert on Burton who walked into the room and said, 'Where did you get the bust of Burton?' And it was quite remarkable."<br /><br />Although Burton wrote some 43 volumes about his travels, he is still most widely known for his translation of erotica -- including the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kama_Sutra"><b>"Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana"</b></a> and a 16-volume edition of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Thousand_Nights_and_a_Night"><b>"Arabian Nights."</b></a> Bergin, too, said that was about all he knew about him prior to auditioning for the part in the movie.<br /><br />"I think he'd more or less disappeared from the pantheon of heroes," the 36-year-old Bergin said, recalling what he knew of Burton during his own childhood, "but my father had a copy of the 'Kama Sutra' on the bookshelf, which I read. So I knew about his erotic background, but less so about his adventures."<br /><br />(Another footnote to Burton's life which might interest Utahns is that immediately after publishing his own book, "Lake Regions of Central Africa, refuting the claims of Speke in 1860, Burton crossed the Atlantic and hopped aboard a stagecoach to Salt Lake City. The information he gathered during his stay here was published in <a href="http://www.burtoniana.org/books/1861-The%20City%20of%20Saints/index.htm"><b>"City of the Saints"</b></a> in 1861. The book detailed life in the Mormon community, including what has been referred to as a "dispassionate" view of polygamy.)<br /><br />All of America, of course, will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Burton's remarkable life when "Mountains of the Moon" opens in theaters around the country today. But with a cast of unknowns, it faces an uphill battle for success.<br /><br />For now, though, Patrick Bergin is in the spotlight and loving it. In addition to doing a mess of interviews to promote the film, he's preparing to start work on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/"><b>"Sleeping with the Enemy,"</b></a> a thriller directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0747849/?ref_=tt_ov_dr"><b>Joe Rueben</b></a> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094035/"><b>"The Stepfather"</b></a>). And the attention doesn't bother him a bit.<br /><br />"I'm like a duck to water. No problem at all," he says with a laugh. "And it's a great privilege and I'm enjoying it. And that's what the important thing is -- to enjoy it."</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-76674826228957339102012-12-30T05:59:00.002-08:002012-12-30T06:01:24.371-08:00Jeffrey Katzenberg, Dec. 4, 1992<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Standard·Examiner staff</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Somehow, this fits: <a href="http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/"><b>Walt Disney Studios</b></a> Chairman <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005076/"><b>Jeffrey Katzenberg</b></a> is squeezing in a phone interview view while tooling through Los Angeles morning traffic, on his way to do more satellite interviews for and TV stations around the country. It serves to reinforce the popular image of Katzenberg, the mogul who is said to complete some 200 phone calls each morning -- after reading several newspapers during his daily rise-and-shine physical workout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No time to waste. Literally.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And from a business standpoint, who could argue? Katzenberg and Team Disney, transplanted from <a href="http://www.paramount.com/"><b>Paramount Pictures</b></a> in 1984, took the studio that Uncle Walt built from a dead-last 3 percent market share that year to a first-place 20 percent in 1988. And since then, his motion picture division – including movies released under the Walt Disney Pictures, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchstone_pictures"><b>Touchstone Pictures</b></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Pictures"><b>Hollywood Pictures</b></a> banners -- has been hanging tough, never out of the race.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/"><b>"Aladdin,"</b></a> Disney's newest release, is sure to keep the company's stockholders smiling; it grossed $25.8 million over the Thanksgiving holiday, about 2-1/2 times what <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101414/"><b>"Beauty and the Beast"</b></a> did during the same time period last year. And critics have lavished so much praise on the film, there's already talk <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/"><b>Robin Williams</b></a> may be nominated for an Oscar in an acting category -- for his voice performance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Katzenberg, interviewed a few days before "Aladdin" opened, resisted making box office predictions or comparisons with the likes of "Beauty and the Beast" or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097757/"><b>"The Little Mermaid."</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"These movies are so different from one another and really incomparable," he said. "All we can do is keep trying to do something that's unique and original and take some chances and be a little daring and as creative as we can."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Aladdin" was conceived more than four years ago, before Disney realized what significant cash cows well-made animated films could be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"It was the movie that it is today a year ago, before 'Beauty and the Beast' was ever in a movie theater," Katzenberg explained. Only now are filmmakers and studio executives able to begin planning future animated films based on knowledge gleaned from their last few hits -- and those films won't be coming along for two, three or four more years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The 41-year-old Katzenberg is eager to proclaim his love for animation: "I adore it. I don't know how to explain it, but there is something so unique about an enterprise in which 600 people kind of become one in pursuit of a great piece of storytelling. … I'd rather do that than anything else. It's not even close. If I could get in my car and drive past the TV studio I'm heading off to and veer over to the <b><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSan_Fernando_Valley&ei=VkTgUNGoHtHbqwHHxIGAAw&usg=AFQjCNEvdmjIWWz5xIq1XELBZc5q6nSukg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">Valley</a></b> and head toward <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Animation_Studios"><b>animation</b></a>, I'd be much happier."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But he's willing to make the tough decisions a studio head -- even a studio head with an affinity for animation -- has to make. To wit: In April 1991, he didn't much care for the way "Aladdin" was shaping up, and instructed everyone involved to revamp the film, from the story on up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"We didn't throw the whole kit and caboodle out," he recalled. "There were aspects of the story, primarily surrounding the character of Aladdin, that were not really strong enough -- they were not dramatic enough, they weren't thematic enough. So we went to work on that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Every one of these movies has had that equivalent moment. It came a little bit later in process in this movie than, say, 'Beauty and the Beast.' With 'Beauty and the Beast' we literally went to work on the movie and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard"><b>storyboarded</b></a> the first couple of reels -- the first 30 minutes of the movie -- and literally threw that out and started over again."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Being forceful, opinionated and willing to make the Big Decisions is what it takes to be a studio chief. And Katzenberg, a New York University dropout, has never been accused of timidity. Under the direction of Katzenberg and associates, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiere_magazine"><b>Premiere</b></a> magazine reported, wags had dubbed Disney "Mauschwitz," claiming the movie factory was stingy with its money and dictatorial in its dealings with talent -- actors, writers, directors and so forth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Furthermore, entertainment media enjoyed whacking Disney for pandering to mainstream tastes: Put rye bread in the Disney toaster and it'll pop up white. It didn't help when filmmakers such as director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002653/"><b>Joe Johnston</b></a> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097523/"><b>“Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102803/"><b>"The Rocketeer"</b></a>) publicly announced they'd never do another film for the studio. Johnson said he was irritated with Disney's bottom-line fixations -- both his films for the studio were heavy on costly special effects -- and the pressure to homogenize plots so as not to exclude any segment of the potential audience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When asked if he got a bum rap, Katzenberg's candid reply was this: "Not necessarily," followed by a hearty laugh. "There were things we were doing that we could be doing a lot better, and a little more sensitively. I also think there were a couple of instances where people also got out of hand. So it was a little of both. But I think we've made some enormous strides; it's been a phenomenal year. I think most of the people in town who worked at the studio in the last year enjoyed themselves and have done good work."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's more than he'll say for the industry as a whole. "Very few people will argue (against the notion) that there was and frankly still is something fundamentally wrong in the sort of balance between creativity and commerce that is unique to moviemaking. … There's no doubt that things cost too much money, but there's another equally big problem and that is that movies today seem to be for the most part unambitious. And that's a much more difficult thing to correct."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A 20-year veteran of the movie business, Katzenberg calls the approximately 150 films released by mainstream studios in 1992 "a pretty unimpressive group of films."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While it might be argued the Disney Studios' Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures divisions typically toss as much scrap on the cinematic heap as their competitors around town, the G-rated, family-oriented movies from Walt Disney Pictures have been more highly acclaimed by critics. And Katzenberg seemed optimistic for the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Keeping to the plan of one new animated film each year, Disney's 1993 offering is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/"><b>"Nightmare Before Christmas,"</b></a> a stop-motion project from the mind of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/"><b>Tim Burton</b></a>, the director of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/"><b>"Batman,"</b></a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/"><b>"Beetlejuice"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099487/"><b>"Edward Scissorhands."</b></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"It's not hand-drawn animation," Katzenberg said, clearly enthused. "It's characters, puppeting characters that actually move a frame at a time. If you remember the old original <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024216/"><b>'King Kong,'</b></a> how he climbed up the building, I would give you this analogy: What <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096438/"><b>'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'</b></a> was to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076538/"><b>'Pete's Dragon,'</b></a> 'Nightmare Before Christmas' is in stop-motion animation to 'King Kong.' It's a breakthrough, breathtaking, pioneering movie."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In 1994, there may be two hand-drawn animated films ready to release. The first is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/"><b>"The Lion King,"</b></a> in which there are no human characters, with songs by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005056/"><b>Elton John</b></a> and lyricist <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005358/"><b>Tim Rice</b></a> ("Aladdin").</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Elton John was out here day before yesterday for a charity," Katzenberg said, "and he came by the animation studios and saw two of his songs up on storyboards for the first time and was just blown away."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Next comes <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114148/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><b>"Pocahontas,"</b></a> a 17th century romance that Katzenberg revealed will not have a traditional happy ending. "It's not a tragic ending, it's reality."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Looking past 1994, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120910/"><b>"Fantasia Continued"</b></a> [it actually was released as "Fantasia 2000" in 1999] may be ready for 1996. "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004877/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Roy Disney</b></a> is personally supervising the work on that and has an extraordinary team of artists who are, again, I think, doing some breakthrough pieces. They have homed in on four or five pieces of music, and, I think, some surprising and interesting things (that) are really going to have an incredible impact on 'Fantasia.' "</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-26797275897853707042012-12-29T06:29:00.000-08:002012-12-29T06:29:37.759-08:00Brains and eggs at Bill and Nada'sYeah, Oct. 30, 1992<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWQWJMiKcXFhYyjqZGh0Fqvu9mo8-3l0vzP0twpZiAnaoCrxLiQHZFX91cFgdiHpN1f5AEge0_QDLznAt9scIT11UgrWCZ_4mAOWrvzMRx7duYeJF_5LvpDLI5RV0hbMhyU4yQbR9n_k/s1600/brains+and+eggs+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWQWJMiKcXFhYyjqZGh0Fqvu9mo8-3l0vzP0twpZiAnaoCrxLiQHZFX91cFgdiHpN1f5AEge0_QDLznAt9scIT11UgrWCZ_4mAOWrvzMRx7duYeJF_5LvpDLI5RV0hbMhyU4yQbR9n_k/s320/brains+and+eggs+photo.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, that's my plate of brains and eggs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>One of the features I wrote in 1992 was a food story. I had some fun with it.</i></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER<br />Standard-Examiner staff</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">SALT LAKE CITY -- If you know anything at all about <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48849230@N02/4721747152/"><b>Bill and Nada's</b></a>, the landmark eatery north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_Square"><b>Trolley Square</b></a> in Salt Lake City, it's probably that the establishment serves brains and eggs.<br /><br />That's right -- brains and eggs.<br /><br />A local radio station, KLZX-FM, has fun with the dish in one of its promotions: <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/58142/EXTENDED-LEAVE-FOR-JON-AND-DAN-WILL-END-SEPT-21.html?pg=all"><b>"Jon and Dan in the morning,"</b></a> an authoritative voice intones. "A Utah institution -- like brains and eggs at Bill and Nada's."<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deseretnews.com%2Farticle%2F711222%2FBill-McHenry-cook-and-owner-of-Bill--Nadas-Cafe-dies.html%3Fpg%3Dall&ei=W_zeUI-RBMKdqQHL7YA4&usg=AFQjCNEd5oBYU0MVngOBOx2fOBy9Bt40ZQ&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc">Bill McHenry</a></b> has been running the eatery since 1946, and brains have been on the menu since he opened the doors. Which means, of course, people have always eaten enough of his brains -- well, not his, exactly, but you know what we mean -- to make them a profitable dish.<br /><br />"During initiation time at the university," McHenry says with a grin, "we go through a lot of 'em."<br /><br />And that brings us to the obvious question: Why would anyone, of their own volition, eat the brains of any animal?</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />With a gun to the head? Yes, perfectly understandable. Starving on a remote island? Yes, who wouldn't? But to actually purchase brains from a meat case, or order them from a menu, when all manner of hot dogs, pork chops, T -bones and chicken are available?<br /><br />Taqueria Piedras Negras, a Mexican restaurant on Ogden's Washington Boulevard, serves brain tacos. "We sell quite a few of them," said owner Jesus Hores.<br /><br />Naturally, being the nosy types we are, we asked him for his recipe. Hores paused a moment, then politely declined, explaining that he'd prefer to keep the secrets of his business secret.<br /><br />So we called Kay Evans, a home economist for the Weber County branch of the Utah State University extension service, and asked her if she had any recipes for preparing brains. Our thinking was: Those home economists have recipes for everything.<br /><br />At first, Evans sounded appalled. "Didn't you do the story on tongue a while back?" she asked.<br /><br />"Well, yes."<br /><br />"I thought so," she said, sounding like a stern mother who just caught her child drinking milk straight from the carton. "You know, brain isn't a very popular item."<br /><br />Then she admitted it: The USU home economists can tell you it's a good idea to boil brains and then plunge them into cold water before you prepare them by frying, baking or other means -- it firms the tissue for easier handling -- but they have no brain recipes!<br /><br />Shocking. Still, we thanked Evans and her associates for their help, because when we get around to doing that planned expose on eyeball parfaits, we'll be contacting them again.<br /><br />Back at Bill and Nada's, McHenry's recipe is so simple, you can't really call it a recipe. He buys his brains frozen -- sometimes they're beef, sometimes pork -- thaws them, boils them for about 20 minutes, plunges them into cold water and places them in the refrigerator.<br /><br />When a customer orders brains and eggs, he slaps some brains on the grill, salting them lightly -- "That's all the seasoning you need," he says cheerfully -- and browns them. Then he mixes in a couple of stirred eggs, with a touch more salt, and scrambles them up together.<br /><br />It's that simple.<br /><br />Not so easy, at least for the uninitiated, is actually getting those brains past your lips. It makes it easier, though, when the cafe is full of Bill and Nada's regulars -- they all seem to be on a first-name basis -- who thoroughly enjoy staring you down until you scoop up a forkful, chew and swallow. (We suspect few of the regulars have actually sampled the brains, but in the interest of avoiding a brawl we didn't challenge them.)<br /><br />Surprisingly, the brains have a light and fluffy texture, not unlike the eggs. And the flavor is on the bland side, but pleasant -- at least we thought so. And we confess to being slightly worried about possible side effects of cow-brain eating, but as yet we've demonstrated no desire to stand motionless in rural pastures and watch cars go by, or to make doo-doo where we stand. Although there was that moment last week when, fleetingly, a pile of freshly mowed lawn looked appetizing.<br /><br />Mooooooving right along, we called Warren Gamble, a partner in Oscar's Wholesale Meats, an Ogden meat distributor serving some area restaurants, cafeterias and the like. We wanted to know if there were any other restaurants who ordered up brains.<br /><br />"We have no brains down here," Gamble said, playing along. "And you can quote me on that."<br /><br />Brains are a specialty item, he explained, and the process of ordering them is somewhat more complicated than more traditional cuts of meat.<br /><br />"What are the names of the restaurants that do order them?" Gamble wanted to know, "so I'll know not to go there."<br /><br />Another ringing endorsement.<br /><br />Seriously, though, buying brains is not as easy as walking up to the meat counter in your favorite grocery store. All of the stores we contacted said you have to special-order brains, and some said that while they could get beef brains, they couldn't obtain pork brains through their particular wholesalers. So you can find them, it just takes a little extra work.<br />Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-82014557172921980762012-12-29T06:04:00.001-08:002012-12-29T06:05:12.708-08:00Bugs Bunny at 50, April 15, 1990<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94MncZlod-IPYYmgzgMOv11s3g3OsMPbBNNCWPqDkSeMxRrtxK_zsQqzsMyZyXYRWlhDS68oUbhVQ19SataAxAJnh5ADn6lFAYvuRn0CXbJnLBc2uhkqBNDAnbQTtTMPjgXtpw90QPcc/s1600/bugs-bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94MncZlod-IPYYmgzgMOv11s3g3OsMPbBNNCWPqDkSeMxRrtxK_zsQqzsMyZyXYRWlhDS68oUbhVQ19SataAxAJnh5ADn6lFAYvuRn0CXbJnLBc2uhkqBNDAnbQTtTMPjgXtpw90QPcc/s320/bugs-bunny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the occasion of Bugs Bunny's 50th anniversary, I wrote a feature page cover appreciation of my favorite cartoon character. One of our staff artists, Larry Stephens, drew a great Bugs in a trenchcoat, looking very much like Humphrey Bogart -- cool. We decided to run it by Warner Bros. since Bugs is trademarked and the studio warned us against using it -- because Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy" was coming out and they thought it looked like something from that film. So we used some WB stock art instead. After the thing was published, I sent a clip to the WB press people as a courtesy, and they were so thrilled with it they had it cleaned up from the newsprint version on beautiful white Velox paper and sent me back a rolled copy suitable for framing.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER<br />Standard-Examiner staff</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They say <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugs_Bunny"><b>Bugs Bunny</b></a> turns 50 this year. Which is like saying the Bible is a thick book -- it simply doesn't begin to tell the story. Bugs Bunny is ageless, so his being 50 years old is irrelevant -- except that it gives us one helluva good excuse to think about him.<br /><br />So, on Easter Sunday as bunnies come to mind, let's do just that: Picture ol' Bugs in your mind. What do you see? Maybe he's casually nibbling a carrot and asking, "What's up, Doc?" while <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_fudd"><b>Elmer Fudd</b></a>'s double-barreled shotgun rests on the bridge of his nose. Or he has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_Sam"><b>Yosemite Sam</b></a> in such a snit that the mustachioed hothead is bouncing up and down on the heels of his boots like a superball on concrete. Or perhaps <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daffy_Duck"><b>Daffy Duck</b></a> is trying -- in eternal futility -- to outwit that wascally wabbit.<br /><br />Whatever image springs to your mind, one thing's certain: You are smiling. It's impossible to ponder the Bugster and not smile. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_einstein"><b>Einstein</b></a> proved that; look it up.<br /><br />Nobody ever gets the best of Bugs, because even in defeat -- which is rare -- Bugs has the last word. He is the coolest. The hippest. The best that's ever been.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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Bugs' humor is sharp, timely and heavily sarcastic. He is fearless, as every heroic figure should be, yet he knows when to pick fights and when to scram outta there.<br />
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And Bugs is a man's man. Except when he's dressed in drag. And yes, he has been known to plant big, wet kisses on the lips of his male foes -- but only to exasperate them. Understand? From an early age, Bugs knew what sex was, and was unafraid to toss out a handful of double-entendres in virtually every short.<br />
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To challenge the nation's repressive mores was crucial to his schtick. Bugs unleashed real comedy on the land. He was cutting edge. He spoke to audiences, not <i>down</i> to them. He wasn't remotely like that squeaky-voiced pansy, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_mouse"><b>Mickey Mouse</b></a>. Bugs and his pals at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_bros"><b>Warner Bros.</b></a> were the antithesis of the staid, safe and terminally cute characters at <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000370/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Uncle Walt</b></a>'s shop. Put Mickey and Bugs in the same room with only words to fight with, and inside of 10 minutes the mouse would be a grease spot on the floor.<br />
<br />
Yet Bugs seldom went looking for trouble -- "I knew I shoulda taken dat left toin at Albuquerque." But once confronted and challenged, he never backed down. When he uttered the words, "Of course, you know, this means war!" we cheered inside.<br />
<br />
Because with Bugs you got danger, violence, mayhem. It is not unreasonable, then, to suggest that Bugs Bunny is responsible for the entire baby boom generation's collective sense of humor. Indeed, it's probable. Bugs and his buddies, under the guiding hand of lunatic directors like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362041/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Ben "Bugs" Hardaway</b></a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005062/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Chuck Jones</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293989/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Friz Freleng</b></a> -- and the brilliant voice characterizations of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000305/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Mel Blanc</b></a> -- not only expanded the scope of<br />
American humor, they defined new parameters and dragged all of us along for the ride.<br />
<br />
After Bugs, there was no going back.<br />
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In fact, we might safely say that Bugs contributed significantly, and in some cases gave birth, to the humor of comedians as diverse (and similar) as <a href="http://www.lennybruceofficial.com/"><b>Lenny Bruce</b></a>, <a href="http://www.mortsahlofficial.com/"><b>Mort Sahl</b></a>, the early <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillcosby.com%2F&ei=J_XeULnHNYHLqgHPxoCYDg&usg=AFQjCNH6JQELDNPXWzGLZOyC5SkC50Q_Cw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Bill Cosby</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJohnny_Carson&ei=RfXeUJbaM4KjqQHgu4HwDQ&usg=AFQjCNFqfdAXv5tECL77XpNcCMue-gETlA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Johnny Carson</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.richardpryor.com%2F&ei=WPXeULbuK8rArQG6zoGgDw&usg=AFQjCNGUTPhG28bNRSxmkjj1bkwlEPk2qg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Richard Pryor</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstevemartin.com%2F&ei=cfXeUN-qO4GErAGi94Ag&usg=AFQjCNF96G4fbyi0Q-gmF2NfuHokWaC2LQ&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Steve Martin</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FEddie_Murphy&ei=iPXeUMzUEIqXrAHry4GYBg&usg=AFQjCNEl4mgdmuJdAI0tSHHQ1iw27fdpqg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Eddie Murphy</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CD8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJay_Leno&ei=p_XeUNeJK4y9qQHX_oGwBQ&usg=AFQjCNFqipRyAN2tek16P24NUpZfDLizDw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Jay Leno</b></a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CEYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDavid_Letterman&ei=vPXeUIzsL4LsqwGH2IC4Dg&usg=AFQjCNH1aQ8xtGUnrlxfJAeFaRXtFMtHdw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>David Letterman</b></a>. Especially Letterman, whose late-night comedy show embodies all the self-mockery, derisiveness, meanness and let's-let-the-audience-in-on-the-joke style of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. To American humor of the past half-century, Bugs Bunny is the guy.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072562/?ref_=sr_1"><b>"Saturday Night Live"</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075578/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><b>"SCTV"</b></a> are direct descendants of Bugs' lampooning of classic fairy tales. If you saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036452/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><b>"Tortoise Wins by a Hare"</b></a> or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037022/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><b>"Little Red Riding Rabbit"</b></a> or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042766/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1"><b>"Mutiny on the Bunny"</b></a> or anyone of scores of others, the rabbit's trashing of famous stories and people and performances was the pattern later used by the likes of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000004/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>John Belushi</b></a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000101/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Dan Aykroyd</b></a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000195/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Bill Murray</b></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000331/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1"><b>Chevy Chase</b></a>.<br />
<br />
And Bugs was the master of disguise. So believable were his impersonations that he convinced many a dumbbell he was anyone but Bugs Bunny, causing them serious grief in the process. He would set 'em up, knock 'em down, then giggle, "Gee, ain't I a stinker?"<br />
<br />
Elmer Fudd probably got the worst of it, because he was, after all, the densest cartoon character ever. In Bugs' words, an "ultra-maroon." One time, Bugs made Elmer so despondent he attempted suicide by drowning. But Bugs jumped in and saved his life ... then threw him back. ("He don't know me very well, do he?")<br />
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Bugs' confrontations with Yosemite Sam were the most action-packed. Sam was like a pit bull. No matter what curves Bugs threw Sam, the tenacious little man kept coming back for more. But of course, Bugs delighted in getting the best of him. Frustration was his specialty.<br />
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Another unfortunate co-star was the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CD4QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTasmanian_Devil_(Looney_Tunes)&ei=yfbeUPTaEMqpqgHag4GADA&usg=AFQjCNEy0TilfghpDHbnTIiDWpBQy8c-Xg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Tazmanian Devil</b></a>. All bluster and teeth, the baggy-eyed beast did his best to no avail. After giving it his shot and being bested again, about the best retort he ever mustered was a weak "Why for you bury me in the cold, cold ground?"<br />
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But the main event -- the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMuhammad_Ali_vs._Joe_Frazier_II&ei=6PbeULPSAdCtqQHE5YEo&usg=AFQjCNGJgId3Fqy6lc6HyNHyo_dn1YnhfA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Ali-Frazier</b></a> of cartoon match-ups -- was the ongoing battle between Bugs and Daffy Duck. Daffy was the rabbit's most formidable opponent, but he almost never triumphed. As everyone knows, Daffy was far too neurotic to win; Daffy was <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.woodyallen.com%2F&ei=APfeUJ_bLcurqQHhj4DQAw&usg=AFQjCNGHp7o8NTzMkXbzPrq18RwWiymj2Q&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Woody Allen</b></a> to Bugs' <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGroucho_Marx&ei=FPfeUMvQIsusqAGZwoDQCw&usg=AFQjCNHdIB6IW9wTE1vOploIYyir0OMEyg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Groucho Marx</b></a>. Bugs was armed with the self-confidence of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGeorge_S._Patton&ei=KffeUI-dHtOHqwGq7YCYCg&usg=AFQjCNFoHu0R5bD4Nd-g9ZFLXVqigizL0Q&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>George Patton</b></a>, the wit of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albertbrooks.com%2F&ei=PffeULW-JIHsqgGP4oHAAw&usg=AFQjCNFVhYe5buUY-Gqk7VXkH5B9gcbeHw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Albert Brooks</b></a> and the intelligence of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.carlsagan.com%2F&ei=VvfeUJ2hMcqGrgGZw4CADw&usg=AFQjCNGTJzbtUmq0dGJ_xRVB7iPhDAdo-g&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Carl Sagan</b></a>.<br />
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Bugs' cockiness and anarchic ways eventually landed him in hot water. In the late '70s and early '80s his cartoons -- as well as most of the Warner Bros.' library of shorts -- were the object of witch hunts. "Too violent," proclaimed the self-appointed protectors of American values. So the gunplay and dismemberments and torture were excised from many of his films, gutting them like so much fish.<br />
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Bugs, no doubt, found all this snipping highly ironic, since the very people who were calling for censorship had loved his harmless but warped animated shorts when they were growing up -- the only difference being they saw the cartoons for the first time in movie theaters, not on TV screens.<br />
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Then one day some bright TV executive (an oxymoron if ever there was one) realized that if, indeed, Bugs warped youthful minds, we shouldn't be listening to these ranting censors, since their minds had been poisoned, too. Thankfully, the hysteria subsided.<br />
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It was later learned that the would-be censors had watched too many Disney cartoons -- Mickey and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMinnie_Mouse&ei=h_feUO3EM5HPqQHu9oDwCA&usg=AFQjCNGiaZwIuoL1cUFHl8PVmyxNp1R1OQ&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Minnie Mouse</b></a>, mostly -- and their funny bones had suffered marked deterioration. Therapists prescribed high doses of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFoghorn_Leghorn&ei=mffeUPH5NsmjrAGgvoGgBw&usg=AFQjCNEaTOHa7DPyQT2EoGSnFcCP19Wp1w&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>Foghorn Leghorn</b></a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWile_E._Coyote_and_Road_Runner&ei=uPfeUNSqCcmjrAGgvoGgBw&usg=AFQjCNErvBmJNxlYExeOD5qNx5Yh0JQroA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc"><b>The Road Runner</b></a> and, when they were finally strong enough, lots of Bugs. To the patients' astonishment, they didn't become crack addicts after the treatment was completed. But they had developed a tendency to laugh at jokes.<br />
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Once again, the world is safe for silliness and it is possible to introduce your own children to unadulterated Bugs.<br />
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Three out of four doctors recommend it.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-79621166595826373692012-12-25T06:49:00.000-08:002012-12-25T06:51:58.927-08:00Michael Moore, "TV Nation," Aug. 11, 1995<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Standard-Examiner staff</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">PASADENA, Calif. -- Professional nose-tweaker</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0601619/"><b>Michael Moore</b></a> <span style="color: black;">is a man with a mission: to inform, irritate and stimulate the American TV-viewing public.<br /><br />The creator of </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108951/"><b>"TV Nation,"</b></a><span style="color: black;"> Moore met with TV writers at the Summer Press Tour here to promote the late-summer run of his show on the Fox network, which played a year ago on NBC.<br /><br />"This is satire," Moore explained. "It's not a stunt, it's satire, and the purpose of it is to expose a system that somehow has drifted away from the bulk of the American people.<span style="font-family: sans-serif;"> </span>People don't care about politics anymore and they don't vote and in some cases for good reason."</span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: blue;"><br /><br /><span style="color: black;">Whatever label you choose to paste on "TV Nation" -- call it advocacy journalism, documentary news with an attitude or leftist propaganda -- it probably fails to capture the essence of a show without a definable style. The whole point is to stir the mix, make people question their assumptions and have fun in the process.<br /><br />Or, as Moore puts it: "We're trying to ignite a spark in an American public that is otherwise very discouraged right now."<br /><br />Moore and his correspondents have, for example, set off car alarms outside the home of a car alarm manufacturer at 6 a.m. -- just for kicks. And since Mississippi only recently ratified the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution"><b>13th Amendment</b></a><span style="color: black;">, which abolished slavery, Moore sent an African-American to the state to purchase six white slaves, shackle them and make them work.<br /><br />"I think there's nothing like this on TV and I think that it's good for television that there's an hour of this on every week, and I'd like to see this on the air on a permanent basis," Moore said, knowing that</span> <a href="http://www.fox.com/"><b>Fox Entertainment</b></a> <span style="color: black;">chief</span> <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/john-matoian"><b>John Matoian</b></a> <span style="color: black;">remains unconvinced, having ordered up only eight episodes.<br /><br />"After our run last year on NBC, I met with each of the four network presidents, who all wanted either the show or something like it from me. And we came to Fox because we felt that there was a chance that the show would go beyond the summer here."<br /><br />"TV Nation" is owned and financed by Tri-Star Television and the British Broadcasting Corp., and Fox pays a licensing fee to air it in the United States.<br /><br />"The BBC audience loves the show," Moore said. "There are a few things we have to change so that they understand certain things. They don't know who</span> <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rushlimbaugh.com%2F&ei=zrvZUPWnBpSuqAGBlYC4Dg&usg=AFQjCNE9khAKJQc9IIGrqnn-mOONR1Z8jw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM"><b>Rush Limbaugh</b></a> <span style="color: black;">is, for instance, things like that. So we have to spend 15 or 20 seconds explaining Rush Limbaugh."<br /><br />The secret of the show's success, Moore said, is easy to explain: "Most of us who work on the show have no intention of having any career in television. So, you know, we operate each week as if we'll be kicked off the air the next week. And I think if we keep having that attitude, we'll keep doing the kind of work we should do."<br /><br />Moore was previously best known for the documentary</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098213/"><b>"Roger and Me,"</b></a><span style="color: black;"> in which he dogged then-General Motors CEO Roger Smith, who had closed factories in Moore's hometown of Flint, Mich. It was a model for the kind of satiric approach he takes with "TV Nation."<br /><br />With that in mind, one upcoming show will feature what Moore is calling a "Love Night."<br /><br />"Throughout the show we are going to love people who hate," Moore said. "The idea there is, like, get (African-American singer)</span> <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barrywhite.com%2F&ei=_bvZUNriN5DyqAGX0YDgBg&usg=AFQjCNG5Uvi-FRNWQ94Vex4Oqh3TtwF0pg&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM"><b>Barry White</b></a><span style="color: black;"> to go to a Klan rally. ... We're going to go to the</span> <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAryan_Nations&ei=HbzZUKvNNoi8qQH-lIDwDA&usg=AFQjCNFeFYzFKIURYwiTEEgQWHU8Z8gtog&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM"><b>Aryan Nation</b></a> <span style="color: black;">conference and love them.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;">"You know, we just feel like these people didn't get something along the way, and if we just give them a little love, serenade them with a mariachi band, whatever, you know, maybe we can tum them around."<br /><br />Moore's having a good time, and it shows.<br /><br />"I think it's good, you know, people see that we go into places we're not supposed to be, but yet I think that's where the media should be. And I think it's good that we don't take no for an answer."</span></span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-24409335437669922262012-12-25T06:27:00.001-08:002012-12-25T06:27:55.397-08:00Mandy Patinkin interview, July 24, 1995<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCtMIuTqXy5M0t_JmFoSpdMMmP2eV34DsTXKIA5IQjZt9wvZb-w_Yx-7z6-4wYqa-iLAIWYgFkFckMdwIN3z6xuNmu-YTfhO8uHyfTf5xS1XQJWbLKzEHRD7XKRzr0N7X14tEXcc-8zs/s1600/emmy-mandy-patinkin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCtMIuTqXy5M0t_JmFoSpdMMmP2eV34DsTXKIA5IQjZt9wvZb-w_Yx-7z6-4wYqa-iLAIWYgFkFckMdwIN3z6xuNmu-YTfhO8uHyfTf5xS1XQJWbLKzEHRD7XKRzr0N7X14tEXcc-8zs/s320/emmy-mandy-patinkin.jpeg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He won an Emmy in 1995 for "Chicago Hope"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Two days after it was announced that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001597/"><b>Mandy Patinkin</b></a> was out of full-time work on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108724/"><b>"Chicago Hope,"</b></a> he showed up -- along with CBS' roster of series stars -- at the Ritz for a big lawn party. I sat down with Patinkin at one point and he told me why he was stepping away.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">DONALD PORTER</span><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Standard-Examiner staff</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">PASADENA, Calif. -- Mandy Patinkin says he was ready to lose everything: his job, his house, his bank account. Everything but his family, that is, which was the point to begin with.<br /><br />He's leaving "Chicago Hope," his hit series, to spend more time with his family. The star must live in Los Angeles to film the show, while his wife and two sons, age 9 and 13, live in New York City.<br /><br />Patinkin, seated at a table on the expansive, carefully manicured lawn in the early evening shade of the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel, leaned forward to emphasize a point to his interviewer. He said after nine months away from his family last season, the recent three-month hiatus was a blissfully happy time.<br /><br />"Boy," Patinkin said, "that made my tough decision for me."</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Patinkin, a film and Broadway star, had never worked on a TV series before, and wasn't prepared for the massive time commitment involved. So within the past couple of weeks, upon his return to Los Angeles to begin working on "Chicago Hope's" second season, he told the producers he was through -- this despite the significant matter of a five-year contract to star on one of CBS' biggest hits.<br /><br />"I went into it knowing if there was a legal problem. I was totally prepared to be sued and lose everything I had," the actor said, shrugging his shoulders. "Because I don't care about that stuff, and they can't take away my kids and my wife, and that's all I wanted. I would've just gone to a repertory theater somewhere and worked, which would have been fine -- probably a much better life for our family."<br /><br />Patinkin's decision was not a complete surprise for the "Chicago Hope" production team. He says there were ongoing discussions all last year about his desire to find more time to be with his family, and that when he finally decided to pack it in -- he's committed to eight shows this year, with the possibility for more if his schedule permits -- the producers and the network were "completely helpful and understanding."<br /><br />"Whenever they have a story line they want me in, if my schedule will allow it, I'll be there," the actor explained. "The idea is that I'm not leaving at all -- they have no intention of killing me off -- and that I hope to be there for the duration of the show, on and off, over the years."<br /><br />Actress <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001441/"><b>Christine Lahti</b></a> has been cast to replace Patinkin's outgoing character, and will play a cardiothoracic surgeon on the series.<br /><br />Co-star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035060/"><b>Adam Arkin</b></a>, whose character in the series plays the best friend of<b> </b>Patinkin's character, was ambivalent about Patinkin's leaving the show.<br /><br />"I think there are things about it that are regrettable, obviously," said Arkin, who was standing about 20 feet away from where Patinkin was seated. "His contribution to the show is immeasurable. I also think it's a healthy opportunity to explore some of the other strengths in the company. And it'll be a challenge to find out what else we've got going on, viably, as far as characters, their relationships and the stories."<br /><br />The reactions of his fellow actors aside, Patinkin said he's greatly relieved.<br /><br />"I'm ecstatic about my family, and the decision I've made for them," he said, gesturing with his hands and smiling broadly. "I'm sad that I ... couldn't do both. But I had two families, and one of 'em had to suffer. And I thought the grown-ups in the TV world would understand far better than the boys. And they did. They were great, and I'll do anything for these people as long as I live."<br /><br />As long as it doesn't involve long-term separation from his family, that is.<br /><br />Patinkin explained that his own father, who died when his son was 18, was always home -- except for one three-day trip when Mandy was 8.<br /><br />"It always haunted me, that memory, because of how much I'm away, and how I remember those three days when I was a little boy. It haunted me because those three days seemed like a lifetime."<br /><br />And then there are the heart-wrenching comments made by his children.<br /><br />"My little son, Gideon, said, 'I don't understand why you can't get a job as a doorman in our building.' I said, 'I could probably get a job as a doorman. I just don't want to be a doorman.' He said, 'But you could be home then.' It killed me. The blessing of my life is that I can do other things."<br /><br />Patinkin is a popular singer, and has a recording studio in his home. And he frequently acts in feature films, which commonly take much less time for an actor than do TV series.<br /><br />Patinkin reports that his wife and children were "thrilled and grateful" about his decision to quit -- or cutback, whatever -- "Chicago Hope."<br /><br />"You can use every excuse in the world that you have to go with your career first, but your kids aren't gonna give a damn about that in the end," Patinkin said, plopping his hand, palm-down, on the table to drive home his point. "And what's going to happen in the end is they'll grow up and you'll have whatever career you have and they won't want to spend any time with you."<br /><br />Armed with this newfound information, Patinkin says he won't agree to do another series, full-time, until his sons are in college.<br />Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-79772327624943757232012-12-25T06:01:00.001-08:002012-12-25T06:29:19.066-08:00Mandy Patinkin out of "Chicaho Hope," July 22, 1995<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH2Buntnp5TR1mCZEdlvSpsd14C27lKGw1DbQ6D6djL3y6yzhFohHFnNQJgOwGRC5AmAvQy8OzXEh-jlbYsMmJHsO-XbK4BomCvVtaakCWKffrFz0209I5N0SsRxU3PfPvLkMUjo-VNk/s1600/mandyCH.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH2Buntnp5TR1mCZEdlvSpsd14C27lKGw1DbQ6D6djL3y6yzhFohHFnNQJgOwGRC5AmAvQy8OzXEh-jlbYsMmJHsO-XbK4BomCvVtaakCWKffrFz0209I5N0SsRxU3PfPvLkMUjo-VNk/s1600/mandyCH.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandy Patinkin in "Chicago Hope"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>One of the bombshells of the Summer Press Tour in 1995 was <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001597/"><b>Mandy Patinkin</b></a>'s decision to leave <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108724/"><b>"Chicago Hope,"</b></a> a hit series, one year into its run. Earlier that year, in January, the actor and his fellow cast members had been quite defensive at the Winter Press Tour when questioned by TV critics about the ratings war between <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108757/"><b>"ER"</b></a> and "Chicago Hope." ("ER" was winning.) Years later, Patinkin -- currently in the hit "Homeland" -- would make headlines again when he departed <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452046/"><b>"Criminal Minds"</b></a> after only a couple of years.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By DONALD PORTER</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Standard-Examiner staff</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">PASADENA, Calif. -- It looks as though Mandy Patinkin, star of the CBS hospital drama "Chicago Hope," will joining the short list of stars who have left hit shows early in the run.<br /><br />Entertainment industry trade papers Variety and The Hollywood Reporter were abuzz with the news of Patinkin's imminent departure.<br /><br />Other actors to leave high-profile shows early in the game include <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829004/"><b>McLean Stevenson</b></a> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/"><b>"M*A*S*H"</b></a>) and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000325/"><b>David Caruso</b></a> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106079/"><b>"NYPD Blue"</b></a>).</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001441/"><b>Christine Lahti</b></a>, making her network series debut, will be introduced as an "irreverent cardiothoracic surgeon" -- which sounds awfully close to Patinkin's current character -- in the new season's first episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lahti has starred in numerous films, including <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101746/"><b>"The Doctor"</b></a></span> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096018/"><b>"Running on Empty."</b></a><br />
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Patinkin, the publication noted, will probably stick around for a while, with his character being written out of the show around episode eight. Apparently, Patinkin is eager to return to New York C<b>i</b>ty.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846688096471778343.post-42761578234723164072012-12-22T06:40:00.003-08:002012-12-22T06:41:35.026-08:00David Letterman, July 1995<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">PASADENA, Calif. -- <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001468/"><b>David Letterman</b></a> trekked to the West Coast Saturday to speak with assembled TV critics at the Summer Press Tour, once again proving he can play a room like no one else in show business.<br /><br />Over the course of his 45 minutes with the media, he artfully dodged the hot topics of his <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106053/"><b>"Late Show"</b></a> 's first-ever ratings loss to Jay Leno's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103569/"><b>"The Tonight Show"</b></a> last week in favor of laughs. Lots of laughs.<br /><br />Of his much-criticized hosting of the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268875/"><b>Academy Awards telecast</b></a> earlier this year: "I was so traumatized by that Oscar experience that I couldn't watch 'The Odd Couple' for a month," Letterman said, making a borderline obscure Oscar Madison joke. "At first when it<span style="font-family: sans-serif;"> </span>happened, I thought, 'I'm out here in Hollywood and I've screwed up the Academy Awards,' and I'm thinking, 'I'll be arrested.' Or, 'What if they stop making films altogether? Oh, no!'</span><br />
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"So that was kind of unpleasant. And then -- and this is the way the human mind and personality works, the rationalization process takes over -- a couple of weeks later I thought, 'OK, face up to it. I screwed up the Academy Awards. I don't care.' And now I've come to feel I screwed up the Academy Awards and I couldn't be more proud."<br />
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Still, Letterman let slip a few telltale signs of what some have described as his obsessively self-critical nature and drive to be better, never believing he has achieved a level of quality he can be content with.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Little about Leno</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />For example, Letterman said he's never watched "The Tonight Show" since Leno took over hosting chores after <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001992/"><b>Johnny Carson</b></a>'s retirement. Letterman had campaigned for the job, but lost out to his old friend Leno, which in no small part prompted Letterman to move his act to CBS, where he has dominated late night, all but one week, for nearly two years.<br /><br />Another thing: Letterman has never read Bill Carter's book <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116835/"><b>"The Late Shift,"</b></a> which chronicles the jockeying between Leno and Letterman for "The Tonight Show" gig.<br /><br />"I have no interest in reading the book. I went through that," Letterman said. Now the book is about to be made into a movie for HBO, about which Letterman has this assessment: "My personal feeling here is, I think it's probably the single largest waste of film since my wedding photos."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Obsessed about role?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />But, the question stands: Does he obsess about his performance?<br /><br />"It's true," he allows. But a quick explanation follows: "We do a one-hour show, five nights a week. And if I just suck ... it troubles me because I feel that there's a huge responsibility incumbent on me -- not just financially, but we're trying to provide some kind of colorful, lively diversion for people at home each and every night. And if I can't do that, I think there's something wrong and I have to find out why I couldn't do it."<br /><br />In an interesting peek behind the curtains of the talk show universe, "The Late Show" host said there was some discussion about how to handle upcoming guest <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000424/"><b>Hugh Grant</b></a>, who had been arrested, charged and sentenced for soliciting a prostitute in Hollywood.<br /><br />"At the time he had his misfortune -- like it was an accident, he slipped in the tub and picked up a hooker, never seen anything like it -- we had a small decision to make because we had heard that Jay and 'The Tonight Show' had called Hugh and said, 'Look, we're not going to make jokes about this. We want you to honor the booking.' But we felt like, good heavens, we have to make jokes about this; we make jokes about virtually everything. So when he came out (on the show), I thanked him for being honorable enough, his arrest notwithstanding, to be on the show."<br /><br />"The Late Show" 's methodology for success, Letterman half-joked, goes like this: "We like to get a good idea, do it two or three times and then just beat it to death."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tough year</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />And who can argue with success. Leno's recent victory of nabbing one out of nearly 100 weeks is nothing, in the grand scheme of things, for Letterman to get worried about. This year has, nonetheless, been a trying one for Letterman and his show. Longtime director Hal Gurnee, Letterman's director since the days of his first morning show 15 years ago, recently retired, and Rob Burnett, Letterman's former head writer, left the show to produce <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001372/"><b>Bonnie Hunt</b></a>'s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111898/"><b>new sitcom</b></a> (albeit for Letterman's own production company).<br /><br />"I'm still having a good time of it," Letterman said, indicating he's not yet dreaming of moving on to other projects. "It's still the best fun I've had in my entire life and I'll keep doing it. The nice thing about television is, this is a decision you don't necessarily have to make for yourself." Ratings, he acknowledges, are the final arbiter of a TV performer's future.<br /><br />And the TV star waves off criticisms that his brand of humor is too acerbic and biting for some mainstream tastes, and that he sometimes comes off as being cruel.<br /><br />"I can't be concerned about that. If something comes to mind that I think might get a laugh, I'm going to say it. Obviously, I never intend to hurt anybody's feelings," he says, pausing to enter the humor mode, "but most of the time they've got it coming. You know what I mean?"<br /><br />Letterman also said he continues to feel fortunate that he got his own show, since he wasn't really cut out for the life of a stand-up comedian.<br /><br />"I would not have gone very far if the only way that I could have made a living was stand-up," he explained. "Some people have the constitution for it, and the iron will and the determination and find great satisfaction in that. ... Each and every time I was a nervous wreck. It comes down to the simple, 'Do they like me?' And if they didn't like me, it was right back up to the room and room-service Scotch."</span>Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08183618523896519983noreply@blogger.com0