The fifth installment of Bruce Willis’ career-making ‘Die Hard’ franchise, ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’, hit theaters February 14, 2013. Unfortunately, seasoned moviegoers know February is the dumping ground for lazy, unimaginative, sloppy action flicks. ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ is without a doubt the final nail in the coffin for Detective John McClane, and Toonari is here to explain why the franchise needs to bite the dust for good. Mild spoilers ahead.

John McClane has nothing left to offer the audience

The original ‘Die Hard’ was a hit: the snarky New York officer ran around kicking butt, getting beaten up, and generally pissing off one of the greatest film villains of all time. John McClane is a household name because of his lack of respect for authority, his foul mouth, and his easy trigger finger. By the fifth film, McClane is no longer an honest, lucky guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. He comes across as boorish and arrogant in the Moscow setting. His character works so much better in the previous films, even in the lukewarm ‘Live Free or Die Hard,’ that in the fifth movie he seems like a hollow shell of himself.

The writers keep giving him annoying sidekicks

One of the reasons why ‘Die Hard’ was so awesome is because it was one guy hopelessly outnumbered by bigger, stronger, badder German mercenaries. Adding a foil to John McClane is unnecessary (with the exception of Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson) in ‘Die Hard 3’ because he was funny, useful, and a great character). Jack McClane (Jai Courtney) is nothing more than a younger, less interesting shadow of his father and served absolutely no purpose other than to bounce dialogue off of his much cooler predecessor.

The villains cannot hold their mud compared to Hans Gruber

By far, this new villain is the weakest threat of the bunch. The first ‘Die Hard’ characterized Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) so well that he is almost as much of a household name as McClane. He was vicious, articulate, and cunning. The new villain is dull, has weak motivations, and is stuffed full of clichés. Even worse, the villain in the trailer is not the true villain and dies in the third act with no build up. The real villain is revealed in the last thirty minutes of the film,but it does not add anything to the story.

The films are almost entirely independent of each other after the third movie

The first two ‘Die Hard’ sequels worked because they made references to the original and tied back into the story relatively well. However, the fourth and fifth films barely string anything from the previous flicks together, aside from a brief cameo by McClane’s daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Jack McClane’s continuous digs at his dad for not caring about national security make no sense when John McClane stops cyber-terrorist Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) from stealing millions of dollars that would have collapsed the U.S. government. Additionally, McClane’s previous cohorts are forgotten. The audience never finds out what happened to Al (Reginald VelJohnson), Zeus, Matthew (Justin Long) or any other characters who made it out of the earlier movies alive. It is foolish to continue making movies without referencing the characters who helped make them worthwhile.

The filmmakers seem to misunderstand why we love the ‘Die Hard’ series

There are a plethora of reasons why the first ‘Die Hard’ is an American classic. The action is relatively realistic and superb, the stakes are high, and the dialogue is wonderfully irreverent. It is an incredibly memorable film because it presented a great character with plenty of flaws, a nasty villain, an engrossing heist, and a metric ton of violence and profanity. By the fifth film, it is impossible to see any of the enjoyable aspects of the franchise any longer; it has been bogged down with sickening clichés and an invincible main character with no involvement in the story. McClane has no motivation to hunt down the villain in ‘Good Day’, and that is one of the movie’s worst flaws.

With any luck, this ‘Die Hard’ will be the last, as many reviews reflect our aforementioned issues with the flick. It is safe to say that McClane should lay down his gun and retire before he starts making the audience wish they would die. Hard.

The article Why the ‘Die Hard’ Franchise Needs to Die appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Rian Johnson’s time-travel action thriller ‘Looper’ hit theaters Friday, September 28, 2012 and competed with the family friendly ‘Hotel Transylvania.’ Initial reports show it holding up relatively well with a modest $21 million premiere and the reviews have been relatively positive. ‘Looper’ showcases stellar acting from its main protagonists, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, but falls short on some of the story elements and character development.

Spoilers ahead!

‘Looper’ takes place in the not-too-distant future where we follow the life of Joseph “Joe” Simmons (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who is the titular Looper, or someone who is paid by a future mob boss to murder people that the boss sends back in time. The Loopers are paid handsomely for their work until they are no longer of use. When this happens, the Looper’s future self is sent back and he is required to kill him.

Shortly after meeting our protagonist, Joe’s future self, played by Bruce Willis, is sent back, but the encounter does not go as planned. Future Joe is not tied up so he knocks the young Joe out and escapes. He leaves a note telling Young Joe to run, but Young Joe ignores it and returns home only to find his boss’ henchmen looking for him. The two Joes later meet up and discuss what the problem is. Future Joe lived a full life and eventually got married to a lovely woman in Shanghai, but when the Looper henchmen showed up to collect him, they killed his wife.

Future Joe found out who ordered all the loops to be closed and it turned out to be a mysterious man called the Rainmaker. He found out there are three children who potentially grow up to be the Rainmaker so he wants to kill them to prevent the future death of his wife. However, Young Joe doesn’t care about finding the woman who changed Future Joe’s life and pursues him through a cornfield.

Young Joe finds the scrap of paper with coordinates on it that Future Joe had been carrying and finds a farm with a young mother, Sara (Emily Blunt), and her son, Cid (Pierce Gagnon). He tells her he thinks his future self is going to come after them so he will stake out the farm until he shows up. She reluctantly agrees as long as Young Joe stays away from her troubled son. From there, the chaotic events tear the mother and son’s world asunder and force Joe to make harrowing decisions about his future.

‘Looper’ has great cinematography, good dramatic moments, and phenomenal acting by the main leads. Levitt’s body of work is already impressive with films like ‘Inception’ (2010) and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012), but this movie proves that he can handle the limelight as the main character. He imitates Bruce Willis’ grim smiles and verbal tics magnificently while still providing his own voice as the Young Joe. Willis is an action flick veteran and puts his best foot forward as the psychologically and morally tortured soul known as Future Joe. His pain is palpable and presents a load of questions for the audience to ponder over the course of the film.

However, ‘Looper’ has a few issues. First, the time travel concept always creates confusing continuity questions that are not always addressed. For instance, there is a bit where Young Joe does kill Future Joe right as he appears and then they later show the version where he does not kill Future Joe. Thus, which of these events actually happened? It is by far one of the strangest parts of the film.

Second, the morality theme the movie plays with is long, exhausting, and may be grating to some viewers. Neither version of Joe is a good person. He is violent, he is addicted to drugs, he is unbelievably selfish and shortsighted, and he is generally not a nice man. However, the film seems to imply that Young Joe is the one the audience should be rooting for because he protects Cid and Sara, but at the same time, Future Joe only wants to protect his future wife. Both of them do unspeakably horrible things so it is hard to relate to either one or want them to succeed.

Third, one of the minor characters, Kid Blue (Noah Segan) is a thoroughly useless character who has no arc and serves very little purpose, but he uses up such a large part of the screen time that his ultimate fate is disappointing. It seemed unnecessary to include him when his story does not enhance anything else in the movie.

‘Looper’ takes some risks and loses a few times, but overall, it is worth a watch.

GRADE: 3/5

The article ‘Looper’ is Ambitious, But Falls Short of Perfection appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The action-powerhouse known as ‘The Expendables II’ hit theaters Friday, August 17, 2012, and reunited everyone’s favorite action stars to once again save the day. The previous film posted relatively successful numbers, topping $100 million domestically, but considering its hefty $80 million budget, it ended up being a trade off. The first film was widely liked by audiences and continued to do well in the foreign market.

Its sequel opened at $28 million, which missed the $34 million mark set by its predecessor. Interestingly, ‘Expendables II’, while an enjoyable film, is not quite the marvel that the previous film managed to be.

‘Expendables II’ starts in a crime-infested city in Nepal where the titular Expendables kick in the doors to rescue a client. After a spectacular opening sequence, riddled with violence and fantastic fight scenes, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and company rescue Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and a Chinese millionaire before escaping their pursuers.

Like the previous film, Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Hael Caesar (Terry Crews), and Toll Road (Randy Couture) are in tow. However, this time around there are two changes: Yin leaves right after the rescue and we meet Billy (Liam Hemsworth), an ex-Army sniper.

The crew returns to the states to celebrate their successful mission and Billy tells Barney he’ll go with them on one more mission before quitting to stay with his girlfriend in Paris. Barney then runs into Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), who is annoyed that the Expendables stole $5 million from him and killed a rogue CIA agent in the previous film, but he kept them out of jail because he wanted to use them later as a favor.

He orders them to retrieve the contents of a safe that were in a plane that was shot down. He also sends an expert safe cracker named Maggie (Yu Nan) to get the safe open. Barney reluctantly agrees and the team heads out on the mission.

They reach the plane and crack the safe, retrieving a miniature device with the blueprint to a mine full of plutonium. However, they are intercepted by Jean Vilain (Jean Claude Van Damme), who ransoms off Billy in exchange for the device. After they give it up, Vilain kills Billy and leaves. Barney and the crew are devastated and angry so they swear to kill Vilain before he can sell the plutonium to his buyers.

Like the first film, ‘Expendables II’ delivers on the high-octane action and impressive fight sequences. Each man pulls his weight in delivering the pain to the bad guys with absolutely no regrets whatsoever. It bears mentioning that initially, Chuck Norris wanted the film to be PG-13, but Stallone decided to keep in form with the first film’s R-rating and it is much appreciated. There are plenty of amazing actors and martial artists present that help make this cast one of the best in action movie history.

It is a welcomed sight to see Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis together, especially since there are a ton of in-jokes and film references flying back and forth between them. Additionally, Chuck Norris pops in twice to prove why he is one of the ultimate Internet memes and is a wonderful addition to the cast. Van Damme also proves the years have not taken away his ability to chew scenery and kick the crap out of anyone in his way.

However, while ‘Expendables II’ is tons of fun, it has its share of problems. The first is the death of Billy. The franchise is not shy about poking fun at 1980’s and 1990’s clichés, but it still falls prey to one of the big no-no’s in the writing world. That is, do not introduce a character only to kill them off twenty minutes into the film.

It is unfair to the character, the audience, and the plot itself. There were plenty of other ways to make a revenge plot without killing off Billy. It felt cheap and did not have much of an impact, since he only had about fifteen lines of dialogue.

Secondly, the CG was sub-par. The most noticeable instances were the fake blood spatters that erupted from bad guys when shot and the jungle scenes, which were badly rendered eyesores. The first film had a small problem with these effects but it got worse with this sequel because they used more effects that were not of high quality.

Thirdly, the dialogue is very hit-or-miss. The first film did not have brilliant dialogue, but it was serviceable and made better by one truly amazing scene from Mickey Rourke, who was sadly absent from this movie. There are several times where the characters are talking for little to no reason and their jokes are not very funny.

Lastly, the absences of Jet Li and Mickey Rourke are upsetting because both characters brought excellent energy in the first movie. Li’s interactions with Lundgren were hilarious and endearing. His disappearance is abrupt and it leaves a hole in the group. While Rourke’s part was small in ‘The Expendables,’ he is still sorely missed.

Overall, ‘Expendables II’ does what it set out to do, but it does not surpass the first one in terms of quality. Still, if ever there was an epic action film to see this fall, check it out.

Grade: 3.5/5

The article ‘The Expendables II’ Does Not Exceed Expectations: A Review appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

‘The Expendables 2’ not only brings back the star-studded action hero cast of the original, but also expands upon it, adding both more beloved icons and some fresh faces from a new generation of rising stars. Each arrived on set highly trained and ready for anything.

Sylvester Stallone once again takes the lead as Barney Ross, the team’s strong-willed leader who now must grapple with the sudden loss of one of his own. Stallone reveals, “The whole movie sets off on a course of, you might say… revenge . . . as our team sets out to get the people who have done one of us a great disservice. There’s this turn of events that you don’t expect. It’s a tough thing for Barney. At one point, Barney asks ‘Why is it the ones who deserve to live, that want to live the most, die — and the ones that don’t deserve to live, keep on going?’”

Jason Statham also reprises his role of Lee Christmas, the knife-wielding killing machine who wears his heart on his sleeve and struggles in his personal relationships. Statham says of his character: “He’s kind of a workingman’s hero… a guy you’d want to go out and have a beer with.”

In ‘The Expendables 2’, Stallone and Statham had a chance to further hone their irreverent, back-and-forth repartee as relentlessly competitive buddies. Stallone explains: “The relationship between Christmas and Barney was so good in the first movie that we’ve enhanced it with more humor and action. They’re a great team together… like the Odd Couple, really. They’re constantly fighting but have a great affection for each other.”

Producer King-Templeton adds, “Jason and Sly are very good friends themselves so when they’re in character as Barney and Christmas, their banter really comes alive.”

‘The Expendables 2’ also gives audiences another chance to see box-office behemoths Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger together with Stallone – after ‘The Expendables’ became the first time in film history that the three biggest action stars of the last three decades were seen as a trio on screen. Willis and Schwarzenegger return in the roles of the mysterious Mr. Church and the devastating Trench.

“I’m so glad we got Bruce as Mr. Church, because he’s the key to the beginning of the adventure. Mr. Church is an enigma. We don’t really know exactly what he does, but he’s in the thick of things and he’s extremely powerful and devious,” explains Stallone.

Stallone says of Schwarzenegger: “Though our two characters are somewhat archenemies, we’re also compatriots when the stakes are high enough. Trench comes through for us this time! Last time was just a cameo. Here, Arnold’s role is more fleshed out and this will be the first time that we really join together, which we haven’t done in our entire careers.

It’ll be well worth the wait when people see it. Our styles are vastly different, which makes for a great contrast. Arnold has a different way of approaching a role. It’s certainly different than mine, but we arrive at the same destination, which is to entertain the audience.”

Image Courtesy of  Expendables

The article More Action Icons Than Ever in ‘The Expendables 2′ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The much expected sequel to Sylvester Stallone’s action extravaganza ‘The Expendables 2′ is opening in Los Angeles for the world premiere on August 3, 2012. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard — are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries.

But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — five tons of weapons-grade plutonium, far more than enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

That is done the Expendables way….

In a 2012 article, the New York Times Magazine declared the American action hero an endangered species. With the second installment of ‘The Expendables’ adventure, co-screenwriter and star Sylvester Stallone gives audiences an opportunity to appreciate this now rare breed like never before- assembling a group of the biggest, bravest and most bad-ass action stars of all time. Stallone’s aim with ‘The Expendables 2′ was to bring thrill-seeking audiences exactly what they’ve been missing:  that all-American, combustible combo of high-velocity adventure and rollicking, relatable heroes who, no matter the costs, are always ready to throw down for what really matters.

To accomplish this, he wanted to expand the already unprecedented team of blockbuster icons whose rapport formed the heart of the first film. It was a chance to bring together every single one of the larger-than-life personalities who built the great American action film as its own massive genre – who forged an indelible cinematic image, in the words of New York Times journalist Adam Sternbergh, of an America that is “strong, tough, independent and perpetually kicking much butt.”  And it was a chance to give these quintessential rough-hewn renegades a mission that would become a breakneck, personal quest for justice.

Some might not lament that the lone-wolf daredevils, hard-boiled justice-seekers and dogged defenders of such classics as ‘Die Hard’, ‘Rambo’ and ‘Predator’ have been replaced by caped superheroes and surreal special effects, but Stallone knows audiences are still very hungry for the genuine article.  “For ‘The Expendables 2′, we’ve pulled together the most phenomenal action-adventure cast that I’ve ever been involved with,” he says.  “We are bringing back that old time rock ‘n roll, and giving audiences what that they haven’t seen for a while:  visceral, true-to-life action.”

From Lionsgate and Millennium Films, ‘The Expendables 2’ is the highly anticipated sequel to the summer 2010 worldwide box-office success ($274 million worldwide). The film is directed by Simon West. Screenplay by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone. Story by Ken Kaufman & David Agosto and Richard Wenk. Based on Characters Created by David Callaham.

Image Courtesy of  Expendables

The article ‘The Expendables’ Return With a Kick This Summer appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Both the technical name and the more meaningful one of the young lovers refuge in the film ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ represent the creative attention to detail that moviegoers have come to expect from a Wes Anderson picture. Anderson collaborated with his fellow filmmaker Roman Coppola in writing the script for ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, marking the second time that the two have scripted Anderson’s ideas into the road map of a movie, following ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ (2007). Actor Bob Balaban notes that he was struck by how “Wes makes movies according to his own particular sensibilities. His is not just a talented mind; it is an organized and kind one. He makes movies like nobody else, and he’s not trying to do it to be different; he’s doing it because that’s who he is.”

What is evident to any and all working with Anderson is how precise his directing style is; he knows exactly what he wants, and how he will proceed to get it, before arriving on set each day. This, however, only makes him relish the process even more; he exhibits a sense of pure joy through his direction. Actors and crew alike are invited to share in, and contribute to, his vision. “He has a firm hand, yet things are very relaxed on the set,” reports Balaban. “Actors love him. He’ll let you alone if things are going well; if he has something to talk to you about, he’ll be very articulate.”

“As a writer, a producer, and the director, Wes is involved in every element of the film, from clothing design to casting,” adds producer Jeremy Dawson. “All of it contributes to the world that he wants to create.”

Anderson’s enthusiasm spreads to cast and artisans, many of whom will collaborate with him on more than one project. As one such returnee, Dawson notes, “He wants the movie to be an adventure for all the people involved in making it, whether it’s getting on a train in India or traveling on a boat in the Mediterranean. Making this movie definitely lived up to that tradition. “He is always trying to evolve as a director, trying new things and learning from his experiences on previous movies.”

“Wes cares about the process,” says set decorator Kris Moran. “But he also cares about everybody around him, about the on-set environment; it brings out the best in you. When you’re making a movie, that’s a creative place you want to be in.” Even when calling for multiple takes to get a scene exactly the way he’s envisioned it, Anderson remains calm and won’t press to “make the day.” This would serve him particularly well on ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ since key members of the cast, and most of the extras, were children. “Wes deals with children so well – in much the same way that Steven Spielberg does. He’s encouraging to them,” observes Balaban. Anderson was able to relate to the youngsters in part because his films combine a grown-up seriousness with pure make-believe; ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ directly accesses children’s worlds of secrets and the convergence of magical moments one associates with youthful summers.

“Wes had this concept for some time,” reveals Coppola. “He had the world and the characters and this feeling, and we spent some time together discussing it. We discovered a banter, and a manner of inquiry, between the two of us that seemed to gel and unlock all these ideas. After we had engaged in that dialogue, the writing process happened very quickly. It’s always mysterious how that all happens. “My role in writing was to draw out some of the ideas and to help define them. When you have a sounding board, it helps unlock things. That was sort of my main function; sounding board, shaper, editor.”

Image Courtesy of  Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com

The article Wes Anderson: An Actor’s Director appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is a new movie by two-time Academy Award nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’, ‘Rushmore’). Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way.

Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff, Captain Sharp. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader, Scout Master Ward. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban; and introduces Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as Sam and Suzy, the boy and girl.

It could have been a risky proposition for a film director to cast in key roles two newcomers with little or no experience. But, as ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ producer Jeremy Dawson notes, “Wes Anderson trusts his instincts, so it came down to whom he felt he could visualize in these two roles – and, once again, he’s hit it out of the park in terms of the casting.”

Youngsters Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward won Anderson over at different junctures of what was an extensive casting process. After an initial audition and three more callbacks over the course of six months, Gilman remembers, “I was getting in the car with my mom on the way home from school, and I asked her if she had any news. She didn’t answer; she called up my father instead, and he pulled a Ryan Seacrest [/American Idol results buildup] on me, before he told me I got the part. I screamed, I laughed, and I cried. It was probably the happiest day of my life.”

Hayward’s mother was more straightforward in delivering the good news. The actress recalls, “I had just come home from school, and my mother said, ‘Guess what?’ and I said, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘You got the role.’ It took me a minute to digest. It was thrilling. My little five-minute video from the open call got me the movie.

“I love my character. Suzy Bishop is misunderstood at home; she is among three little brothers, a father with issues, and a mother who is having an affair. She’s very sensitive yet also a tough girl.”

Gilman saw his character of Sam Shakusky as “a good kid with amazing scouting skills; he’s earned all these badges. But he’s mistreated by his foster brothers – Sam is an orphan – and by the other Khaki Scouts. He meets Suzy at a church pageant and, over a year, they create a plan to run away together.”

Despite being new to films, the two young stars applied themselves with aplomb and dedication. Both of them memorized the entire script as preparation before arriving on location. “People tell me I have a good memory,” states Hayward. “So that didn’t really take me long. I read it over until I finally knew it.” For Gilman, the process was by necessity a little lengthier. He explains, “I had to memorize some of the script for the callbacks. Then, before filming, I went to several rehearsals with Kara for which I memorized basically all of my part. By the time we started officially shooting, I really had the script down; it was recorded read onto a file, and I listened to that over and over again on my phone.”

Image Courtesy of  Moonrise Kingdom

The article ‘Moonrise Kingdom’: Selecting the Young Lovers appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Production designer, Adam Stockhausen oversaw the entire look of ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, now playing in theaters, and would have to coordinate with every department on the look of the final production. His research was therefore multifaceted. He comments, “I researched everything from general lifestyle to very specific objects. For example, I wondered, ‘In what exact year did switches develop on night lights?’ so that we wouldn’t make a mistake.” Producer Jeremy Dawson says, “Adam did an amazing job, especially with his research into the origins of scouting and camping.” Stockhausen’s crew proved inventive and resourceful, making camp signs out of sticks and logs tied together.

The story’s requisite canoes were built to design specifics; many mornings at the local Holiday Inn Express, crew members would test out the newly built and painted canoes in the hotel pool. Since these were made out of plywood, buoyancy was not always achieved; ultimately, for many of the scenes involving canoeing, off-camera ballast of weighted keels had to be rigged underneath, helping to maintain the actors’ immersion in the moment rather than risk their immersion in the drink.

Rhode Island’s existing pool of craftsmen joined the group effort. Citing their contributions, set decorator Kris Moran enthuses, “A local artist, James Langston, carved little raccoons on the front of the canoes, and he also made some totem poles for us. Chris Wiley made corn finials [e.g., sculpted ornaments] for Scout Master Ward’s tent. Another artist made all the stick furniture inside that tent – all matching out of chicory, an entire suite! We even had a chainsaw artist make some of the totems on top of the signage for the Khaki Scouts’ camp.”

For the Bishop family home, the hope was to find a house that could immediately assume the role. The house chosen to portray the Bishop home exterior was Conanicut Light, in Jamestown, RI – a former lighthouse. For the interior, four candidates had such strong qualities that the production sought to re-create elements of each. The decision was made to build the house interiors on a soundstage in a vacant retail space at a local strip mall in Middletown, RI. On the soundstage, all the best elements – whether architecture or furnishings – of the favored locations were re-created.

Dawson notes, “At each of these homes, we picked up inspirations and reference points. There were things that we just loved and wanted to see up on-screen. Adam would run those through his brain. When he went back to Wes, a hybrid was created – one that comes fully alive in the opening sequence of the film.”

“All of them were unique houses,” marvels Stockhausen. “Together, our favorite pieces of them inform and convey the eclectic and individual family that lives within.” The four houses that went into the DNA of the Bishop home interior were Comfort Island, in Alexandria Bay on the St. Lawrence River, at the border between New York and Canada; Stafford House, on Cumberland Island in Georgia; the Cottage at Ten Chimneys, in Wisconsin; and Clingstone in Narragansett Bay, which is visible from the shore of Newport, RI.

“The wall murals, with the trees, are replicas of the walls at Comfort Island,” reveals Moran. “The interior shingles are a defining feature of Clingstone. The kitchen set is part of Alexandria Bay. On-screen, it all coheres as the Bishop family home.”

“There is definitely that certain New England feel to it,” states art director Gerald Sullivan. “Some of that architecture you just wouldn’t see anywhere else. The sets and the environment were meant to bolster the characters – and the actors.”

As with the Spartanette trailer in its original state, the camera movements that Anderson and Yeoman envisioned for the opening sequence necessitated something of a dissection of the home’s interior. Stockhausen notes, “It all developed once Wes decided to go with his idea of moving through the house in a very specific manner – from room to room without cuts – for the opening sequence. It was broken down shot by shot for us with storyboards.

“We sat down and started to figure it out from a design point of view, and also from a budget point of view. It was like a puzzle; is this piece of research right for that shot? We took a deep breath, and we went for it. It was a lot of fun.”

Working on a soundstage allowed the filmmakers to slightly bend the rules of architecture and physics so that they weren’t constrained by congruent placement of windows, doors, and rooms. Sullivan remarks, “Wes was a constant collaborator, a total partner all the way who was always receptive to input. He would augment things a day, or an even an hour, before shooting.” Unique features that were built in to the Bishop house, such as the bead board, contribute to an eclectic interior with a hint of age. Books pervade the home, reflecting the parents’ vocations as lawyers; some are vintage books, while others were crafted by the crew. A good portion of the furniture and artwork was rented from Comfort Island, including works by painter Alson Skinner Clark.

With the home being a former lighthouse, a nautical theme also flows through the Bishops’ interior. Although the time of the story is 1965, the house itself is not meant to be from any particular time period but rather an amalgamation of period details through the mid-1960s. Moran notes, “We made room for stuff in their lives from the 1940s and 1950s; there are random objects that they might have found, reflecting a strong love of the arts.” “It’s a beautiful set, with all its handmade work,” Bill Murray says admiringly. “It’s one of the nicest ones I’ve worked in. The crew spent a lot of time making it feel authentic – how a house gets decorated by the first person who lives there, and then later you’re sort of stuck with it – so we could feel authentic when we were acting.

“There was cool stuff around, a lot they didn’t keep track of – if you wanted something you could walk right out of there with it.” Moran laughs, “Bill thinks we weren’t keeping track of the record albums, but I know exactly which ones he took.”

Image Courtesy of  Moonrise Kingdom

The article Elaborate Production Design to Benefit ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The technology and the creativity of Wes Anderson’s imaginary ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ went hand-in-hand. The “pre-shoot” encompassed “a lot of unscripted stuff, and improv,” explains child actor Jared Gilman. “We spent a whole week in the forest.”

Once the main leg of the shoot got underway, “there was a feeling that we were all at camp, or maybe a well-run playground with rules,” says actor Bob Balaban. All of this was as hoped-for; director Wes Anderson wanted cast and crew to have as communal an experience as possible in filming the story. Bill Murray remembers, “My first day at work was on a camp set, and I realized that they didn’t have trailers and so forth. We had tents, pup tents.

“It was about 40 degrees outside and raining, but once you get 51 people crammed inside a tent, it gets plenty warm. We were cozy after a while.”

Another factor bringing cast and crew closer together was the collective make-believe effort; whether they were alive in 1965 or not, each member of the unit had to work together to help the actors slip into their characters and the world they inhabit. Producer Jeremy Dawson notes, “This story is Wes’ take on 1965. From my perspective, his previous movies always existed in a time that you couldn’t quite place, mixing past and present.

“Wes has always storyboarded in pre-production; something that we had done on ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’, which we also applied here, was to edit the storyboards together with voices and music, pre-testing some of the sequences.”

“Our starting point was visual research,” says costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone. “That came primarily from photography.” Art director Gerald Sullivan concurs, saying that “the biggest thing for us in the art department was researching the architecture of the time, and of the area; meaning, both interiors and exteriors. So, we looked at houses on islands, lighthouses, shingled houses – all in constant collaboration with Wes, who had collected reams of research photos for us to make use of in our designs.”

So many photos accrued that a private production website had to be set up in order for departmental staffs and crew members to have access to them all. Set decorator Kris Moran, who had first worked alongside Anderson as “on-set prop” on ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, notes, “Wes cares about every detail so much. We scoured antique shops and borrowed things from crew members and people we met. If Wes had been out walking and seen something on someone’s porch that he liked, we chased it down. When I was dressing a set, it was often with something that wasn’t necessarily iconic of the time, but tertiary and interesting so that it could get more at the characters’ history.

“This movie has a bit of a different aesthetic than Wes’ other movies; it’s a little more rough around the edges, and a little more livedin.”

Yet there often proved to be little in the way of vintage props, set dressing, or wardrobe that could be found on the scale needed for the production. One exception was the trailer home for Captain Sharp, Bruce Willis’ character; the desired 1952 Spartanette was found through a dealer in Texas. But for Robert Yeoman’s camera to be able to move around inside, Moran says, “We actually had to cut it apart and then rebuild it. The interior was intact, but we reconfigured it so there could be a 360-degree field of vision inside. We then re-dressed it in full.”

Moran recalls her team looking for tents needed to colonize the fictional Khaki Scouts of North America’s Troop 55 at their camp under the command of Scout Master Ward, played by Edward Norton. After they scoured the country to locate a stash of old stock tents, they found that even Army/Navy stores were coming up short. Only a couple of vintage tents had been found – and these mostly weren’t the right color or shape or size; Anderson had specified the Khaki Scouts tents’ piping (bright yellow) and interior lining (plaid, including a plaid wall for Ward’s own tent).

Efforts to refashion the existing tents didn’t take. Moran recounts, “We realized that every tent would have to be custom-made. That way we wouldn’t have to hide or cheat anything, and we could control the color and shape.”

A New Hampshire company, Tentsmiths, specializes in fabricating historical reenactment tents. Although geared towards replicating tents from pre-1950, Tentsmiths staff rose to the challenge of moving their aesthetic forward to 1965. Moran says, “We sent someone up there to rally them, and to convey an understanding of the visuals we were trying to achieve. Everyone at Tentsmiths really got into it, and the tents they made for us looked fantastic!”

Image Courtesy of  Moonrise Kingdom

The article Life ano-1965 Recreated for New ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The young stars of the wondrous ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, now playing in cinemas around the world, would rehearse together in the production office before going to the set. But preparation entailed much more than merely learning their lines; director Wes Anderson wanted them to explore their characters, to feel comfortable in their skins, and to understand who they were and why Suzy and Sam do what they do. So, he assigned the kids some homework. Jared Gilman recounts, “I took canoeing lessons, a couple of karate lessons, and learned some cooking – there’s scenes where I have to cook over a fire.” With a nod to the movie’s 1965 setting, Gilman notes that “Wes also had me watch a [1963-set] Clint Eastwood movie, ‘Escape from Alcatraz’; it was very good. And I had my parents to rely on, since they grew up in the 1960s.” Kara Hayward reveals, “Wes had Jared and I write letters to each other. Because in the story, Sam and Suzy write letters for a year to each other after they meet. He would have us start with the beginnings of their sentences –”

“Because in the script, the letters cut off [into the next ones] midsentence,” adds Gilman. “Wes thought maybe we could finish them.” Given the world they live in and have come of age in, the two young performers began the assigned homework of their own correspondences through e-mails. But Anderson swiftly put a stop to that. “I don’t think he felt that the e-mails were authentic enough,” Hayward says. “He wanted the letters.” Once they abandoned electronic transmission for old-fashioned epistles, they embraced the task wholeheartedly. Hayward says, “I learned a lot about Jared. He’s very entertaining!” Gilman remarks, “Kara’s letters even had a little label on the top that said, ‘Suzy Bishop,’ with a fake address.” Once production began, Gilman found the most difficult part to be “the early mornings,” while Hayward was “shocked” to discover that films are typically shot out of sequence. Then again, she notes, “I had no clue what to expect because I’d never been in a movie or a commercial or anything, just school plays and plays at summer camp. From reading the script on, it was all more than I thought it was going to be. My favorite part about the production was watching the other actors work. That was inspiring.

“What helped me get into character was listening to Wes. He would say, ‘This is what’s happening. This isn’t Kara doing these things. This is Suzy.’” Picking up on those cues from his leading lady and his director, Gilman would get into character “on the set. Whenever I put on Sam’s coonskin cap and his glasses – a change from my normal glasses – it was, ‘Now I’m Sam.’”

On a weekend day off, Anderson would invite the pair to see edited dailies and would discuss screen chemistry with them. However, Gilman notes, “Wes had us rehearse scenes, but not the kissing one; he wanted that to feel natural, since it’s the first time kissing for Sam and Suzy.” Another discovery came when Frances McDormand, who portrays Suzy’s mother Mrs. Bishop, pointed out to Hayward the typewriter in her character’s office. Hayward had never seen one before “in real life,” and said so. “Fran thought that was so funny,” Hayward laughs. “She showed me how it worked, typing out our names. The props helped me feel like I was in the 1960s.”

McDormand made a strong impression on the younger actress. Hayward reflects, “Fran is amazing. My favorite scene is probably the one where Suzy is in the bathtub and talking with her mother. It’s very tender and loving, and emotional; it shows how Suzy is feeling. “Seeing Fran become a different person, and me having to do the same, was awesome. I loved being able to be so different from who I normally am.”

Gilman was also taken under the wing of accomplished costars; Bruce Willis encouraged him to review and run lines before shooting, even if the words were already committed to memory. Additionally, reveals Gilman, “Bill Murray overheard me tell one of the costumers that I didn’t know how to tie a tie, so he called me over. He basically put his hands around mine and did it, and then had me try it. That’s how I learned to tie a tie.” Murray offers, “Well, you do what you have to; once I showed a kid how to shave, and this time I showed a kid how to tie a tie.”

Hayward confides, “Bill also told Jared and me to hum in the morning to get our voices ready for filming. It really works!” Another cast member had to get his voice ready even when no other actors did; Bob Balaban is both heard and seen as the Narrator in ‘Moonrise Kingdom’. “When I first read the script, I couldn’t put it down,” says the veteran actor and filmmaker, who then spent weeks growing out his beard to meet Anderson’s conception of the character of the Narrator. “It was really entertaining, with great characters and dialogue that was shot pretty much exactly as written; the words we had to say were so good.”

He adds, “That you see the Narrator reflects the style of the movie. Suzy, the young girl, reads a lot and loves adventure books for kids. I’d say I’m kind of like the voice of the book, her own adventure, that she’s writing in her head. But my character also has an on-screen connection to the boy.”

“What’s universal and relatable about ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is that this is a story about first love and a magical summer,” comments producer Jeremy Dawson. “It’s about a young boy and girl who run away to be together. There is a sweetness and charm to this movie, and it’s also funny.

“The title references the cove that the two kids run away to. It has the technical name of Mile 3.25 Tidal Inlet on the map – but for them it’s a secret, magical place, so they re-name it: Moonrise Kingdom.”

Image Courtesy of  Moonrise Kingdom

The article Wes Anderson Brings Together Eclectic Casting Mix appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Director/write Wes Anderson and writer Roman Coppola created a rich tapestry of colorful characters in ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ with overlapping connections that draw us into the realm of the movie’s island community, New Penzance. The community is a richly realized place populated by rounded and complex denizens. Accordingly, actors were captivated by the story immediately. “It takes you into a completely new world from the first page,” says Tilda Swinton. “A world that is as beautifully designed and completely conceived as this one is always going to be a thrill in cinema.” Bill Murray, who also appeared in ‘The Darjeeling Limited’, adds, “It’s a really fine script. There is an electricity that moves through it; Roman and Wes are really wonderful together.” To film their movie about the discovery of first love and an adventure for two children, the filmmakers honed in on Rhode Island as an allpurpose location – after what producer Jeremy Dawson refers to as “Google-scouting.”

“It was an unusual scouting process,” adds production designer Adam Stockhausen. “Everyone – myself, Wes, Jeremy, [co-producer] Molly Cooper – was in New York and researching islands.” Dawson elaborates, “The story was written to take place on an island, and was envisioned as a New England coastal island. But we looked all over the world – albeit often from our living rooms – the Eastern seaboard, the West Coast, even the coast of Cornwall.”

With a modest population and few automobiles allowed, New Penzance lends itself to being a place that sparks the children’s imaginations and senses of adventure. Rhode Island’s miles and miles of beautiful coastline and its contained geography sealed the deal, finalized through the Rhode Island Film & TV Office. The state’s topography encompasses rolling fields and craggy ravines, points of elevation, forests and beaches, and rocky coves.

Among the state’s many shooting locations for ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ were Narragansett Bay; the 1,800-acre Camp Yawgoog, lensed in just ahead of the summer season; and the historic Trinity Church in Newport, where George Washington was a parishioner. Particular care was taken by the cast and crew when working at the latter location, which was redressed twice as New Penzance’s church; initially, for the pageant at which Suzy and Sam first meet one year before the main events of the story transpire, and then for the climactic sequence of the movie which brings their adventure full circle.

The filmmakers wanted the physical production to be focused, not bloated. Accordingly, there were no big trucks, and no actor or filmmaker trailers. Actors were encouraged to arrive camera-ready, requiring them to don their costumes in their hotel rooms before coming to set. Prudence Island, in Narragansett Bay, provided probably the most unique location for the production. Dawson comments, “There’s no infrastructure there; there’s one tiny little store at which to buy things. We had to get local environmental clearance to set foot on some of the pebble beaches, and charter a ferry boat to get crew members on-site. It pays off on-screen; Prudence really does look untouched.”

With Rhode Island’s geographical versatility and the unit’s leanness, it wasn’t uncommon for the production to move to and film at three or four different locations around the state on a given day – a park here, a beach there, a waterfall down the road. Anderson had prepared for this part of the process as well, with an advance shoot weeks prior to the commencement of principal photography; he recruited a skeleton crew and shot footage – much of it amidst natural foliage – that would be included in the finished film. This minimal unit enjoyed a great amount of freedom. Dawson remembers, “We drove around in a van and just went around the state and shot, including with the child actors. The cameras were light and small, so we weren’t bogged down with heavy gear.”

Image Courtesy of  Moonrise Kingdom

The article ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Finds Suiting Scenery in New Penzance appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

For what the actors would be wearing in the new film ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, “Wes had done a lot of initial research,” comments costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone, who with Wes Anderson, the director, pored through a multitude of photography, mostly in book form, looking for inspirations “that would enrich and expand the characters,” as she notes.

From a clearly articulated vision and framework, she could enhance and execute his concepts. She says, “The next steps were to produce collages and very rough sketches. He would give me immediate feedback and we would further define what was needed.

“In the fittings, there would always be a moment of adjustment; not just, ‘Do we need to change a color or a shape?’ but, ‘Does what we created resonate?’”

Producer Jeremy Dawson remarks, “The costumes are detailed and intricate, and have little elements drawn from different reference points.

“The animal costumes in the Noah’s Ark church pageant sequences were influenced by ‘Carnival of the Animals’ as interpreted by Leonard Bernstein and Benjamin Britten; as a kid, Wes was in a production of that, so we looked at photos from his family and from the production’s conductor.” In line with the creative track the production was taking, the majority of the costumes were handmade.

“A lot of them had starting points in real vintage pieces or research,” Walicka Maimone says. “But then we would make it our own, while always adhering to Wes’ vision.” The actors’ input was solicited, although flattering fitting results were not a given; Bill Murray sighs, “[My character of] Mr. Bishop’s pants are made out of separate squares of loud material sewn together – and they’re so short.” Even so, clarifies Walicka Maimone, “Mr. Bishop’s costumes are the most toned-down of anyone’s; his character is more conservative than the others.

“The longest search came for Suzy’s Sunday school saddle shoes, because after our research we realized we were looking for ones with leather soles, as they had in the 1960s; contemporary ones don’t have leather soles. We ultimately got a blue pair and a red pair, one in a store in New York City and one online.”

But the biggest sartorial challenge was the design for, and subsequent manufacture of, the uniforms for the Khaki Scouts. After consulting with Anderson and production designer Adam Stockhausen, Walicka Maimone and her department created every single element of the uniforms, from the socks to the activity buttons. It was a massive amount of work, completed in a short amount of time; raccoon mascot insignia patches, made out of felt, were hand-sewn onto the uniforms.

The group of Khaki Scout extras was made up largely of scout troops from Narragansett Bay, who were happy to report for extras duty and experience moviemaking firsthand; as Murray reports, “Some of them earned a merit badge in cinematography.”

But the boys did have to leave their 21st-century uniforms at home. “We had a lot of Khaki Scouts in large-scale scenes,” says Walicka Maimone. “I think the final number of uniforms we created was 350.”

She adds, “The Scout uniforms and Suzy’s outfit were my absolute favorites, but I also particularly enjoyed doing the ones for Scout Master Ward, Mr. Bishop, and Social Services.” In ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, the latter is neither a department nor a group, but rather the name of a character; Tilda Swinton was cast as Social Services. Real-life social services workers did not wear uniforms, so Walicka Maimone turned to the Salvation Army for inspiration as well as to women-in-service uniforms. She then accentuated shapes and extended capes until she came up with the final outfit – one eagerly donned by Swinton, hat-wig and all.

“Social Services’ uniform was the most structured, the most physically tailored piece we had,” says Walicka Maimone. Swinton elaborates, “Social Services represents authority, force majeure; when mayhem erupts, she is called in to impose order. Social Services wears a blue-and-white uniform, a pantsuit. Atop her head is a Salvation Army officer-style hat. Tied around her neck is a red ribbon, in a bow.

“There are several cinematic references, and actresses and actors, which inspired us; I loved playing that out with Wes.”

In contrast, the costume for Frances McDormand’s character of Mrs. Bishop reflects an amalgamation of women artists, painters, and writers from the 1960s. The back story proffered by Anderson was that, though Mrs. Bishop is a lawyer, she grew up in a house full of creative types and so her costuming is infused with more colorful elements. As Swinton notes wistfully, “My mother wore clothes like those that Fran wears. I remember all these colors from my early childhood in a very visceral way; the costumes are so accurate.

“In this story, our community of adults doesn’t really know what they’re doing and in the process find themselves to be no less childlike, and no more grown-up, than the two children. It was great fun, a real joy, to be part of this movie. There is such a playfulness in it because there is absolute structure.”

Swinton and McDormand were but two of the first-time acting collaborators with Anderson on ‘Moonrise Kingdom’. The majority of the cast, including Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, had not worked with the director before. Dawson opines, “It’s a different look and feel for both Bruce and Ed in this movie, and I think people are going to respond to them.”

Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman had first starred for Anderson in his acclaimed ‘Rushmore’ back in 1998, and have since reteamed with him multiple times apiece. Dawson notes, “Bill and Jason are always great to have around. Bill keeps us all going; he’s our pep captain.”

Whether learning about typewriters or ties, the two youngest newcomers realized that their first moviemaking experience was something special. “Moonrise Kingdom is such a sweet story,” says child actress Kara Hayward. “It’s beautiful. I love everything about the movie – how the story is told, the relationship between the characters – and I hope audiences love everything about it too.” Jared Gilman enthuses, “It’s got action. It’s got comedy. It’s got drama. It’s got romance. It really packs a punch!”

Image Courtesy of  Moonrise Kingdom

The article Costumes an Intriguing Challenge for ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Here are the Top Movies You Never Watched But Should, continued.

5. ‘Meet Joe Black’ (1998)

‘Meet Joe Black’ is a fantasy drama inspired by ‘Death Takes a Holiday’ (1934) about Death (Brad Pitt) inhabiting the body of a handsome man and shadowing a wealthy media mogul Bill Parish (Anthony Hopkins). Bill’s sixty-fifth birthday is coming up and he was scheduled to die, but Death, who is given the name Joe Black to blend in with other people, promises to let him live a few more days if he shows him what life is like as a human being. During his journey, Joe falls in love with Bill’s lovely youngest daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) and she falls in love with him, causing bad blood between Joe and Bill and complicating all of their lives even further.

The film showcases one of Brad Pitt’s best performances as Joe, struggles with understanding the simplest emotions and later the more complex ones, especially love. The love story sets up a beautiful, heartbreaking examination of each character and how they are affected by Joe’s sudden intervention in their lives, though only Bill knows his true identity. The phenomenal supporting cast populates the film with a great spread of characters and everything is set to a sweet yet haunting soundtrack.

4. ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)

‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ is an animated film born from the award-winning cartoon ‘Batman: The Animated Series.’ It tells the tale of a mysterious entity called the Phantasm who appears in Gotham City and starts killing several crime bosses. Batman (Kevin Conroy), who is currently under fire from the new district attorney, starts investigating the murders and bumps into his first love, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany).

The two become entangled once again as he suspects her father is responsible for the murders. Things become even more complicated when one of the crime bosses who fears he is next to be killed hires the Joker to kill the Phantasm, creating even more danger for the Dark Knight and the city he protects.

‘Mask of the Phantasm’ is critically acclaimed and beloved by fans of Batman, but the general public has little exposure to the animated adventures of the Caped Crusader. While Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the character is nothing short of genius, ‘Mask of the Phantasm’ deserves just as much praise for handling Bruce Wayne with such care. The film, like the cartoon series, deals with many mature subjects that appeal to adults while still being entertaining enough for younger audiences. Furthermore, it is beautifully animated and features a powerful soundtrack.

3. ‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ (2003)

‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ is an animated adventure film about a pirate, Sinbad (Brad Pitt) who wants to steal the Book of Peace, a magical book that wields untold power, a noble prince of Syracuse, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes), who wants to protect it, Proteus’ beautiful fiancée, Marina (Catherine Zeta Jones), and the evil goddess Eris, who also wants to steal the book to cause chaos among the kingdom.

Unfortunately, the film came out right around the time when most animated films were switching to 3D rather than the traditional 2D and so it did not perform well, but the box office does nothing to reflect the quality of the film.

Its strength comes from the talented voice work of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Joseph Fiennes, the thrilling adventures the characters undertake, and the fantastic script that switches from hilarious to heartwarming with relative ease. Fans of animated film ‘The Road to El Dorado’ (2000) will find immediate kinship with the movie as it has a similar tone and attention to detail with its animation and well-rounded characters.

2. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)

‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ is a crime noir comedy about small time crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr) who accidentally stumbles into a role as an actor and is flown off to Hollywood to consult with Perry van Shrike, aka “Gay Perry” (Val Kilmer), a snarky private investigator. While in LA, Harry bumps into his high school crush, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whose sister is murdered and she asks for his help to solve the case. Harry agrees and the three become embroiled in two violent murder cases that are more related than they think.

The film is a dark comedy that pays tribute to the classic crime noir stereotypes but remains self-aware throughout, featuring wicked humor from Downey Jr. and Kilmer, as well as a fast paced, action heavy plot that keeps the audience guessing. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Kilmer is its true selling point and the script is nothing short of brilliant.

1. ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ (2006)

‘Lucky Number Slevin’ is an action thriller about a down-on-his-luck guy named Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who goes to visit his friend Nick Fisher and is mistaken for him by two warring crime bosses, The Boss (Morgan Freeman), and The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). He is recruited by The Boss to kill The Rabbi’s son and then forced to come up with a huge amount of money by the Rabbi. The Boss and the Rabbi also hire an assassin named Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) who suggested forcing Nick Fisher, whom they mistake Slevin for, to take each other out. Meanwhile, Slevin bumps into Nick’s sweet neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), and the two slowly fall for each other while Slevin tries to figure out how to stay alive in the middle of all the chaos.

‘Slevin’ is simply the kind of film that gets everything right. The casting, the action, the humor, the cinematography, and the dialogue are all sublime, perfect, and unforgettable. There is something here for everyone—comedy, action, adventure, mystery, and a truly sweet love story. Furthermore, its ending is by far one of the most amazing, unpredictable ways to finish a film in years.

Do yourself a favor: check these films out. You won’t regret it.

The article Ten Movies You Never Watched But Should (Part 2) appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Twentieth Century Fox announced on February 22, 2012 that the fifth Die Hard film, ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’, will be heading to theaters on February 14, 2013 with Bruce Willis returning as the punchline cop John McClane and Jai Courtney playing his son, Jack McClane. However, is this latest installment inspiring excitement or a collective groan from the viewing public?

For example, examine the film that precedes the upcoming Die Hard 5. The fourth installment in the Die Hard franchise, ‘Live Free or Die Hard‘ (2007), made a scarce $134 million domestically, which barely covered its roughly $110 million budget.

Furthermore, the film did not receive overwhelming praise from both critics and fans who were less-than-enthused about the inclusion of Matt Farrell (Justin Long) the hacker who tagged along on McClane’s mission to take down cyber terrorist Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant), nor were they pleased with the PG-13 rating the film boasted: a departure from its predecessors that joyfully used coarse language and violence to their benefit.

All of these detractors suggest that trying to update a franchise widely beloved in the late 1980′s and early 1990′s may not be the way to go. The return of Bruce Willis as John McClane has always been an entertaining experience, but one cannot help but wonder if it is at all necessary considering he seems to be doing well for himself otherwise. Willis is set to star in ‘G. I. Joe: Retaliation’ as well as ‘The Expendables II’—two large budget sequels coming later in 2012.

It is no secret that Willis enjoys playing the character that helped make him the household name he is today, but Willis is getting older and may not have much left to add to his famous role.

An additional worry is the inclusion of Jai Courtney as John McClane’s son, who has yet to appear in any of the previous films. Courtney’s biggest role as of today has been playing Varro in the Starz original series ‘Spartacus: Vengeance.’ His film resume is rather short and while that does not disqualify him from being a good actor, it does generate worry among fans if he can hold up against Bruce Willis. Willis is known for having a commanding presence and Courtney will have his work cut out for him catching up to Willis’ hard-edged portrayal of McClane.

Finally, the initial synopsis for the fifth installment is that the McClanes are dealing with Russian bad guys in Moscow, therefore introducing international issues rather than the usual domestic terrorism that McClane usually gets tangled up in. While this is an interesting development in the plot, early reports say that Jack McClane is a chip off the old block, meaning he and his father will be competing for the tough guy award.

This interaction can get tiring when John McClane has already proven the fact that he is without a doubt one of the toughest (and funniest) detectives in cinema history and needs not prove himself to his estranged son.

The script has been written by Skip Woods, whose resume may cause some anxiety among Die Hard fans. Woods wrote the screenplay for ‘The A-Team’ (2010), which had excellent dialogue, but also wrote the screenplay for ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, the universally panned X-Men spin-off, and ‘Hitman’ (2007), which was widely slammed by fans of the original video game and by nearly every film critic in the business.

So far, A Good Day to Die Hard is not off to a good start, but the cast and crew have a year to change the fans’ minds. Use it well.

The article ‘Die Hard 5′ Worries Fans of the Franchise appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Die Hard franchise is one of the most recognized series in the action genre.  With Bruce Willis as the unlucky police officer John McClane it has become his iconic role when the original released in 1988.  Now 23 years later the fifth sequel is being developed with McClane going to Russia along with his song and clashes against local forces.  With the new change of setting different directors are named to possibly direct the movie.

The Die Hard movies have led McClane into all different kinds of trouble, ranging from terrorists in Airports, Subways, and even the Internet.  But now it seems like instead of staying state side, McClane and his son will be going to Russia.

No one is completely sure why McClane finds trouble in Russia, maybe he is on a vacation, or hired by the United States government?  Just some ideas on why McClane would be abroad, nothing official has been released yet.  The really big question for the series is who will direct the upcoming film?

There is a pretty short list of prospects on who will direct the film.  At first, Noam Murro, the director of Smart People, was slated to direct the film but when he landed the job for 300: Battle of Artemisia he dropped out.  Now, the studios are looking at the Irishman John Moore, the director or Max Payne, Behind Enemy Lines and The Omen.

It seems like it is his to leave or take or studios have a small list of back ups including Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), Justin Lin (Fast Five) and Nicolas Wedning Refn (Drive).

Joe Cornish is in the industry spotlight at the moment because of his direction of critically acclaimed Attack the Block, which tells the story of a group of friends in south London who defend themselves against an alien invasion.  He is also credited for writing The Adventures of Tintin screenplay, slated to release in December.

Justin Lin who is known mostly because of his directing work on the Fast Five, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.  If set to direct, he could give the movie a huge adrenaline rush with his car chases, that he has perfected on since 2006.

Nicolas Wedning Refn has directed the recent movie, Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and Bryan Cranson which will release in the States on the 19^th of September but his previous work that is well known is Bronson with Tom Hardy.

With Live Free or Die Hard releasing in 2007, the fifth installment has been long awaited.  Right now, directors and casts are being set to bring McClane back for one more heart-pumping mission.  The release is yet to be decided and but one thing is for sure, McClane will never “be too old for this.”

cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

The article Die Hard 5-McClane is Back appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.