Everyone knows that the gem of the film The Hangover was Zach Galifianakis. Sure, Bradley Cooper brought his good looks and charm, but who else could have delivered the dead pan line, "Tigers love pepper...they hate cinnamon." Or, "It's where I keep all my things. Get a lot of compliments on this. Plus it's not a purse, it's called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one." Only Galifianakis.
So if you are missing his dryness or quirkiness, check out his "Between Two Ferns" interviews from Funny or Die. His interviews literally take place between two very depressing, almost-dead ferns and the production is very low caliber (just check out the spellings that run at the bottom of the screen). Whether he is trying to hit on Natalie Portman or forcing to get Michael Cera to touch his thigh, these videos below are classic Zach! When does TheHangover 2 come out again?!?!
Movie Review: District 9 High name actors and notorious directors weren't high on the list for alien thriller District 9. Instead, director Neil Blomkamp (who?) and producer Peter Jackson (oh, I know him...) create a film with an unknown actor and a multi-dimensional story line. And what was the result of this formula? A unique and interesting film that is--wait for it--successful at the box office.
But let's start at the beginning. 2001 to be exact. Jackson had hired Blomkamp to direct the film adaptation of the popular video game, Halo. After months of work, the studio producers (Universal and Fox) pulled out, citing the director was too inexperienced for the position. That is when Jackson stepped in and gave Blomkamp $30 million to make whatever he wanted. The end result was District 9, a feature film based on Blomkamp's short film Alive in Joburg. The premise is that aliens have landed in Johannesburg, sick and in need of help. They are sequestered to the town's ghetto, called District 9. Twenty years later, they still live in poverty, surrounded by alien racism (they are derogatorily called prawns). When a government agency goes in to move them to more "comfortable" surroundings (code for far away from humans) one of the leaders, Wikus Van De Merwe, comes across an alien substance that changes his life forever.
Who would be cast as the tortured and evolving Van De Merwe? Tom Cruise? Will Smith? Brad Pitt? Nope, Sharlto Copley (again, who?). This unknown actor was, well, unknown. In fact, he has never acted in a film besides being an extra in Alive in Joburg. So why such a casting? First, he and Blomkamp have been best friends for 15 years. And second, Copley gave such a believable job acting when shooting test footage for District 9 that Blomkamp and Jackson were convinced. And so will you after you see Copley's performance. You can just see his star rising as he transitions from a naïve Michael Scott-childlike character to an alpha-male hero. For someone who has never acted, Copley gives such a pure performance that audiences can connect with. And award panels everywhere will be taking notice.
Blomkamp better be the first one he thanks in his acceptance speech. Because the director creates such a chilling backdrop and racially driven script that it is easy for an actor to be inspired. Blomkamp's picture of aliens' existence is dreary, bland, and depressing. Never before do you feel the pain and desperation of an extraterrestrial in a film. Normally, they are hated, seen as the antagonists of the films. But with District 9, it is the other way around. You actually look at the humans in disgust and to the aliens with compassion. Only a talented director can turn these kinds of emotions.
And also produce such a box office success. In its first weekend, District 9 made $37 million and garnered the praises of critics everywhere. Most of all, the film proved that you do not need Hollywood's "best" to make a successful film. Do you hear that sound? It's big budget actors everywhere shaking in their boots.
Ryan Kwanten, the Aussie who plays a Cajun in the HBO popular series True Blood, heats up GQ this month with a gorgeous editorial spread. Famed celebrity photographer Carter Smith shot Kwanten modeling clothing trends for fall. Too bad this poor guy has to fall back on his acting skills, because he sure is hurting in the looks department (I say, very sarcastically).
Missing your SNL? Or perhaps Andy Samberg's musical parodies? Well, relive the best of SNL digital shorts right here. From the beloved Chronicles of Narnia rap to a love song for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, you will be laughing hysterically. So word to the wise, if you are at work shut your office door.
Whether it's a quirky romantic comedy or a sci-fi thriller, this fall brings a plethora of promising films. But for some of us skeptics, the trailer has to look pretty darn good if we are going to spend close to $15 for a ticket. So peruse this section of notable trailers and make a movie date. And, what the hell, spring for a Coke and popcorn (or Sour Patch Kids, in my case).
Coming to Theaters in August District 9 Peter Jackson (the producer) and Neill Blomkamp (director) bring us a fantastic film that forces one think on many levels. In their imaginative Johannesburg, aliens have landed and the humans don't like that they are asking for help. After being delegated to the slums, aliens become shunned, hated, and ultimately kicked out of town. But one man is caught in the middle after unforeseen circumstances. This film is a must-see (I saw it this weekend and was blown away. Review to come this week).
Paper Heart Limitedly released on August 7, this documentary-style film about being a skeptic of love hits mainstream cinema. It has been receiving great buzz from the likes of Peter Travers (Rolling Stones). "Charlyne Li [who not only stars in the film, but is the co-writer] is an enchantress." Not to mention, Michael Cera (Arrested Development) provides a charming prince for Li's character.
Gentleman Broncos Jared Hess, the director who brought us Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre is at it again. Gentleman Broncos is about a boy whose ambition to become a successful writer is thwarted by a pompous author who steals the boy's book and passes it off as his own. The shinning star of the trailer goes to Jermaine Clement's genius dialect.
Coming to Theaters in September The Invention of Lying Anything starring Ricky Gervais has got to be good. Add Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, and Tina Fey and you have an originative comedy about a man who lives in a world without lies. But things go awry when he suddenly develops this deceptive trait. P.S. Gervais also directs the film with Matthew Robinson.
Jennifer's Body For those who like scary movies that rely more on their future cult classic status than popcorn throwing special effects, well Jennifer's Body is for you. Written by Diablo Cody, whose impressive Juno script caught the eyes of the cinema (and mainstream) world, this film stars Megan Fox as a demon trapped in a hot girl's body. But her character doesn't maintain that hot bod by eating right and exercising. No, she kills boys, and lots of them. Intrigued?
Extract Leave it to director Mike Judge to always find humor in a work environment. Jason Bateman plays the owner of an extract plant who has many personal (a wife with a penchant for sweatpants) and professional problems (a temp with a penchant for pretty).
9 This animated film appears to be something we have never seen before. Set in a post-apocalyptic world with no humans, character 9 (Elijah Wood) sets out to find the other eight creations like him. But the real struggle arises when all nine must come together in hopes of saving their kind, and the world. Other voices include Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, and Crispin Glover.
Coming to Theaters in October The Road What was a gritting book by Cormac McCarthy about a father and son's journey through post-apocalyptic land is now coming to the big screen. The good news: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, and Guy Pearce are among the actors in the film. The bad news: the film has been postponed for over a year, never a good sign...
Shutter Island Martin Scorsese brings on the scary in this thrilling tale of a murderess who escaped from a mental institution and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a stellar cast of Mark Ruffalo, Emily Mortimer, and Michelle Williams. Just the names Scorsese and DiCaprio could get people to the box office.
Couple's Retreat Where do you go to ignite the love lost in a marriage? A couple's retreat in Tahiti, of course. Director Peter Billingsly (remember eager Ralphie Parker from A Christmas Story? Yeah, that's him) takes lovable and complicated characters played by Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and Jason Bateman on a whirl wind of hilarity with their respective wives. Looks cute and the scenery (filmed at the St. Regis Hotel in Bora Bora) is stunning.
The Informant! The exclamation on the end says it all. This film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a kooky and quirky look at an undercover informant in the corn industry. Matt Damon plays Mark Whitacre, a man who has no idea what he is doing, yet he thinks he does. Oh, and The Soup's Joel McHale also stars in the film. Score (EXCLAMATION POINT)!!!
Whip It! Drew Barrymore goes behind the camera to direct a movie revolving around a roller derby league in Texas. With Ellen Page, Jimmy Fallon and Kristen Wiig in the film, much comedy is sure to ensue.
Where the Wild Things Are Spike Jonze has taken a beloved children's book and turned it into a thing of beauty on the big screen. This trailer is full of whimsical creatures and wondrous backdrops that draw you in and leave you wishing it was already October. Not to mention, you will want to download Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" ASAP.
New York, I Love You Eleven directors from Brett Ratner to Shekhar Kapur to Natalie Portman (yes, that Natalie Portman) collaborate to tell individual stories of finding passion, excitement, and love in New York. Actors such as Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, and Rachel Bilson star in these various segments.
Coming to Theaters in November Nine For those looking for another great musical, director Rob Marshall (Chicago) is at it again. Nine stars Daniel Day Lewis, Nicole Kidman, and Kate Hudson. It centers around the famous film director Guido Contini and his struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives. Since Lewis is very picky on what he chooses to star in, just his name on the marquee gives this film an abundance of clout.
A Christmas Carol Jim Carrey is transformed into Ebenezer Scrooge in Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol. But don't expect heavy makeup and prosthetics. No, this film is done with the same CGI technology of Zemeckis' Beowulf and The Polar Express. Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Robin Wright Penn round out the voices. Here is a clip from the film.
New Moon For all you Twilight fans (closeted or not), the next installment of the series promises to be all your little tween hearts have hoped for. Edward takes on less cinema time, making room for Taylor Lautner and his biceps. The CGI of the wolf in this trailer looks a little cheesy, but I will still be in line on opening day.
2012 Director Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow) is bringing another end-of-the-world scenario to theaters. 2012 revolves around actual prophecies surrounding the end of the world on December 21, 2012. It is a story of human's struggle to survive. The special effects are stunning and look all too real... The film stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Danny Glover.
Fantastic Mr. Fox Wes Anderson + stop-motion animation = brilliance. Based on a Roald Dahl book, this story begins with Mr. Fox and his fantastic life. But when his existence is tested, he joins forces with other lovable creatures in order to fight back. With voices like George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson, this movie could be, well, fantastic.
Coming to Theaters in December Brothers This is a chilling story about a husband (Tobey Maguire) who goes off to war. When news travels that he has been killed in action, his wife (Natalie Portman) begins to move on--into the arms of her husband's brother (Jake Gyllenhaal). But their lives are turned upside down when the husband returns alive, yet with a piece of himself missing.
Sherlock Holmes Christmas Day marks the release of this gritty action film from director Guy Ritchie (Snatch). Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law play the notorious Sherlock and Watson while Rachel McAdams is the dame caught in the middle.
The Lovely Bones Based on the novel of the same name, this film, directed by Peter Jackson, centers around a murdered teen who posthumously watches over her family--and her killer--from heaven. From just the trailer's two minutes, it's evident that Jackson has captured the ethereal and mystic air of the novel. Also, he has rounded up a stellar cast, including Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Susan Sarandon.
Did You Hear About The Morgan's? Hugh Grant and rom-com go hand in hand. And with Sarah Jessica Parker by his side, this just might be one worth watching. Did You Hear About the Morgan's? is based on an unhappy couple who are forced into a witness protection program after they witness a murder.
Coming to Theaters: TBD The Imaginatium of Doctor Parnassus The eccentric mind of director Terry Gilliam (Brazil) never disappoints. He is a true visionary in the cinema world and paints whimsical pictures on the big screen. This movie is a notable one, because Heath Ledger was filming it when he died. Actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell came in to fill his role, honoring both Ledger and Gilliam's vision.
Check out the cool stunts Taylor Lautner performed during him and Kristen Stewart's photo shoot for Entertainment Weekly. I am slowly becoming a Jacob fan...
Top Chef is back and it's placing bets in Las Vegas. The sixth season begins with 16 very talented and diverse chefs. Here's a look at the culinary artists, who will be cooking up drama, cuisine, and much more in Sin City.
Preeti Mistry
Age: 33 Hometown: San Francisco, Calif. Profession: Executive Chef, Google, Bon Appetit ManAgement Company Culinary Education: Le Cordon Bleu, London Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Fennel Crust Marin Sun Farms’ Rack of Lamb, Saffron Parsnip Puree, Heirloom Carrot and English Pea Ragout with Pinot Noir Reduction Foodie Fact: Preeti’s commitment to seasonality, and her relationship with small local farmers are at the core of her cuisine. If she were a food, what food would she be? “I would be a green zebra tomato – extremely distinctive from all the others, a little hard on the outside, but pure love at the center.”
Ash Fulk
Age: 29 Hometown: Pleasant Hill, Calif. – currently resides in New York City Profession: Sous Chef at Trestle on Tenth Culinary Education: Self-Taught Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Mayonnaise – with a sweet tea to wash it down. Foodie Fact: Fulk enjoys working with foods that are regional and seasonal and follows the motto "if it grows together, it goes together." Ash enjoys whipping up custards and cooking with leeks, and some of his favorite chefs include Dan Barber and Claudia Fleming.
Eli Kirshtein
Age: 25 Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. Profession: Executive Chef, Eno Restaurant and Wine Bar Culinary Education: A.O.S. Culinary Arts, C.I.A Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Sous-Vide Octopus, Watermelon, Lemon Vinegar, and Nasturtiums Foodie Fact: Kirshtein worked at restaurant Fishbone under Chef Richard Blais before moving to New York to attend school at the Culinary Institute of America. After graduation, Kirshtein returned to Atlanta to reunite with Blais, as Sous Chef at One, Midtown Kitchen.
Michael Isabella
Age: 34 Hometown: North Jersey – currently resides in Washington, D.C. Profession: Executive Chef, Zaytinya Culinary Education: Self-Taught Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Squash Blossoms Foodie Fact: Isabella has traveled far and wide to perfect his culinary technique. While traveling through Greece and parts of the Middle East, he picked up the slight flavors and nuances of Greek cuisine. His favorite dish to prepare is octopus!
Jennifer Zavala
Age: 31 Hometown: Cromwell, Conn. – currently resides in Philadelphia, Pa. Profession: Sous Chef, Xochitl Culinary Education: Self-Taught Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Fiddle Head Ferns Sauteed in Butter Garlic Wine and Crushed Red Pepper. Foodie Fact: Zavala is all about bringing "border food" to the city of Brotherly love, and takes great pride in her ability to cook Latino food - particularly Norteña and Tejas cuisines. She would have her last meal with Julia Child, and she'd let Julia do the cooking!
Eve Aronoff
Age: 40 Hometown: Ann Arbor, Mich. Profession: Chef-Owner, Eve Culinary Education: Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Salad of Ripe Tomatoes, Avocado, Red Onion and Fresh Lime – with Mozzarella di Bufala and some good bread Foodie Fact: Aronoff has showcased a multi-course dinner before The James Beard Foundation, she's the author of her own cookbook - Eve: Contemporary Cuisine Methode Traditionelle - and she served as a delegate to Terra Madre, the bi-annual international slow food meeting in Italy.
Ashley Merriman
Age: 32 Hometown: Center Sandwich, N.H. – currently resides in Seattle, Wash. Profession: Chef at Branzino in Seattle, Wash. Culinary Education: Institute of Culinary Education, New York, N.Y. Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Pan-Fried Soft Shell Crabs with Ramps and Morels Foodie Fact: You don't have to become a chef if you hail from a town named Center Sandwich, but don't tell that to Ashley Merriman. Merriman five kitchen must-haves are quality extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemons and thyme.
Bryan Voltaggio
Age: 33 Hometown: Frederick, Md.—currently resides in Urbana, Md. Profession: Chef/Partner, VOLT Restaurant Culinary Education: A.O.S Culinary Arts, C.I.A. Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak, Silver Queen Corn and Fava Bean Succotash, Cherokee Purple Heriloom Tomatoes, Rick’s Arugula Foodie Fact: Voltaggio has become a strong advocate for meats, seafood, and produce that are local, sustainable and organic. He explains, “Through our choice of ingredients we become engaged in more than creating a great dining experience, but in supporting local agriculture.”
Michael Voltaggio
Age: 30 Hometown: Frederick, Md. – currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif. Profession: Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa Culinary Education: The Greenbrier Hotel Culinary Apprenticeship Program Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Soft Poached Egg with Morel Mushrooms, Fava Beans, Jamon Iberico Consommé Foodie Fact: Voltaggio has quite the impressive resume, with a number of culinary awards, include the "AAA 55 Diamond" and "Mobil Award." In addition, he was finalist for the James Beard "Best New Restaurant" award.
Kevin Gillespie
Age: 26 Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. Profession: Executive Chef & Partner, Woodfire Grill Culinary Education: Art Institute of Atlanta Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Creamed silver queen corn with a warm salad of small tomatoes and pole beans. Foodie Fact: Name a prestigious restaurant in Atlanta, and Gillespie has probably worked there. He's held positions at Atlanta Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Two Urban Licks, and Woodfire Grill. Gillespie's kitchen is never without banyuls vinegar, smoked pork, espelette pepper, lemon oil and lard, and if Gillespie had to pick a favorite junk food, it would be hot wings.
Mattin Noblia
Age: 29 Hometown: Biarritz, France – currently resides in San Francisco, Calif. Profession: Owner, Iluna Basque Culinary Education: C.A.P. de cuisine in southern France, the Basque Region Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Grilled Sardines and Fresh Tomato Sauce, or Boudin Noire with Caramelized Apples, or Stuffed Calamari in Ink Sauce over Rice Foodie Fact: Noblia became enamored with cooking as a small boy watching his mother prepare “piment d’ espelette” –Basque chili. Noblia admires French chefs Hubert Keller and Rolland Passot, but for his last meal, Mattin would cook a candle-lit dinner for two for himself and Jessica Alba.
Robin Leventhal
Age: 43 Hometown: Sun Valley, Idaho – currently resides in Seattle, Wash. Profession: Chef, Artist and Teacher Culinary Education: Self-Taught Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with a great piece of fish or meat. Foodie Fact: Robin discovered her passion for food while pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts. The chef/artist currently uses her cooking and culinary connections to help raise money for Lymphoma research.
Jennifer Carroll
Age: 33 Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa. Profession: Chef de Cuisine 10 Arts by Eric Ripert Culinary Education: The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Philadelphia Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Compressed Watermelon, Chesapeake Bay Jumbo Lump Crab, Fennel Pollen and Wild Boar Prosciutto Chips Foodie Fact: Carroll's culinary star is on the rise - she was personally selected by Chef Ripert as the Chef de Cuisine of 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia. After a long day in the kitchen, Carroll likes to kick back late night with a great sandwich.
Jesse Sandlin
Age: 30 Hometown: Baltimore, Md. Profession: Executive Chef, Abacrombie Fine Foods Culinary Education: Self-Taught Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Julienned Summer Squash Tossed with Lemon, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, and a Little Bit of Butter Foodie Fact: She may be young, but Jesse has spent 14 years working in professional kitchens everywhere from Maryland to Australia. She's trained under chefs Andre Tescher and Kurt Spataro, and you can always find Bacon, butter, duck fat, cumin and trash bags in her kitchen!
Hector Santiago
Age: 41 Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico – currently resides in Atlanta, Ga. Profession: Chef-Owner, Pura Vida ~ Latino Tapas Restaurant & Bar Culinary Education: AOS Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Charcoal Grilled Skirt steak with a Vegetable Ceviche (celery, radishes, tomatoes and whatever else is available from local farmers) Foodie Fact: Santiago has a long list of culinary accolades - including two James Beard nominations for "Best Chef, Southeast." Santiago hopes to raise the cultural awareness of Latin American products and cuisine, and is currently working on a hot pepper-inspired culinary venture he refers to as "taming the heat."
Ron Duprat
Age: 40 Hometown: Mare Rouge, Haiti—currently resides in Hollywood, Fla. and Naples, Fla. Profession:: Executive Chef Culinary Education: College Aimee Cesaire and La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Jumbo Scallop, Sweet Chili Tahini Sauce, Watermelon and Avocado Slaw. Foodie Fact: Duprat is known for daring experimentation with exotic flavors, often incorporating his own Haitian Creole influences with French-Asian Fusion cuisine. His favorite dish to prepare? Flourless chocolate cake.
Laurine Wickett
Age: 38 Hometown: Rochester, N.Y. – currently resides in San Francisco, Calif. Profession: Chef / Owner Left Coast Catering Culinary Education: A.O.S Culinary Arts, C.I.A Favorite Simple Summer Recipe: Grilled corn salad with summer beans and chanterelles Foodie Fact: Wickett began her catering career preparing dinners for the executives of Silicon Valley. She went on to become the chef and owner of Left Coast Catering - preparing cuisine based on the hodgepodge of cultures found in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Why True Blood Doesn't Suffer From the Sophomore Slump Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Samantha Who?. Television series like these received such a big buzz during their first seasons, but headed south the second year around. And there is a large dossier of other shows that have fallen under this same fate. But not True Blood. Its sophomore season is filled to the brim with great writing, the perfect amount of drama, and terrifying characters. Why it Sucks You in (Pardon the Pun) It glamours us with story lines. True Blood does a wonderful job of making sure each episode brings you in at the show's opening before completely shutting you out by the credits. Is Layfayette going to become a vampire? Is Sam really going to die by a sacrificial killing??? Did Luke just blow everyone up??????? These questions are left to ponder through seven torturous days. True Blood fans are actually counting down to Sunday night--even though the workweek begins come sunrise (vampires have all the luck).
What Lies Ahead: Great upcoming stars. Evan Rachel Wood makes her appearance on August 30, playing the vampire leader of Louisiana: Queen Sophie Ann. "Nobody’s ever entirely happy to see her," series creator Alan Ball tells Entertainment Weekly. "She’s very powerful, capricious, and most likely insane." And she's around the rest of this season--and the next one, too (which means True Blood has been picked up for a third season. Yay!).
The Eric/Sookie/Bill love triangle. This is a big arc in the True Blood book series and Ball promises that we will see it on the small screen...soon! Just another reason to look forward Sunday nights!
If you have not become a fang-banger, it's never too late. The first season is available on DVD and iTunes and the second season is also available on iTunes and can be viewed On Demand for Comcast customers.
Since June 2008, Michael Ausiello is why I am such a big Entertainment Weekly fan. He is in tune with what defines great television and supports the little shows that could (Chuck!). Here are the links to some of his interviews at the annual press tours, which promote the upcoming fall television seasons.
For The Office gossip: http://www.ew.com/ew/video/ausiello_tv?bcpid=1670076574&bclid=31798222001&bctid=32420416001
For a sneak peek at Chuck: http://www.ew.com/ew/video/ausiello_tv?bcpid=1670076574&bclid=31798222001&bctid=32420421001
On the big hookup on Bones: http://www.ew.com/ew/video/ausiello_tv?bcpid=1670076574&bclid=8902304001&bctid=7243112001
What's next for Fringe: http://www.ew.com/ew/video/ausiello_tv?bcpid=1670076574&bclid=8902304001&bctid=7203982001
Two words: Will Arnett: http://www.ew.com/ew/video/ausiello_tv?bcpid=1670076574&bclid=8902304001&bctid=7118675001
A look at Scrubs: http://www.ew.com/ew/video/ausiello_tv?bcpid=1670076574&bclid=1675979320&bctid=1675939905
Set the DVRs for August 16, because AMC's Emmy-winning series Mad Men is back and better than ever. To celebrate its premiere, Vanity Fair shot a beautiful editorial with actors Jon Hamm and January Jones, who play the tumultuous husband-wife duo on this hit series. And, of course, it was the legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz who shot them in these dramatic elements. Check out the beautiful images below...
His scripts spoke to a generation. His direction turned unknown actors into iconic characters. His name was John Hughes and he will be terribly missed.
Hughes wrote such memorable films as Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The Brat Pack read their lines like the prose of a teenager in The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles (films he both wrote and directed). Molly Ringwald wouldn't have been, well, Molly Ringwald without Hughes.
A tidbit of trivia: For certain films, he used the pen name Edmond Dantès, a homage to the protagonist from Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo. These movies included Beethoven and Maid in Manhattan.
All in all, Mr. Hughes was a visionary that left a memorable mark on Hollywood. There will never be another one like him. Here's a look at some of his memorable scenes.
There's something so thrilling about the prospect of an inventive and original film hitting movie theaters during a time of tired sequels and lackluster comedies. And as the lights dimmed and the first scene was revealed, it was obvious that (500) Days of Summer was this type of film--and so much more.
The novelty that this film carries is endless, beginning with the script. Writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber create pure and original dialogues that you watch with a stew of jealousy. As the story unravels about a boy named Tom who falls in love with a girl and figuratively dies on impact, you sit in your seat just wishing you had thought of it first. Fitting of the title, the story spans over 500 days of Tom's love, laughter, tears, and confusion with a girl named Summer. But don't expect it to take place chronologically. No, it switches back and forth from the highs and lows of their relationship: from the euphoric couple on Day 32 to the stormy destruction Day on 288. This film was what many wished from the film Revolutionary Road--to properly catalogue the demise of a relationship from the early happy moments to the later not-so-happy ones.
And you couldn't have asked for two more qualified actors to portray Tom and Summer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has gone somewhere few child actors go--film success in adulthood. He is the king of indie films, with memorable roles in films like Havoc and The Lookout. And he continues his streak with (500) Days of Summer. Gordon-Levitt successfully captured the rose-colored innocence of Tom, whose character whole-heartedly believes in fate and that one true love. Through Tom's blissful stroll/musical number through the park (a cartoon bird is involved, natch) and his depressed state amongst black and white penciled environment, Gordon-Levitt presents a lovable and real character that you root for.
Zooey Deschanel is a breath of fresh and beautiful air. With her innocent appeal and quirky wardrobe, Deschanel perfectly captures the lust and appeal Summer has over Tom. And for audiences, it is easy to see why Tom succumbs to her will. The camera desperately loves her. With her smooth as silk voice, dark cascading hair, and quirky style, Deschanel has this classic Hollywood look that has been missing for decades. Not to mention she is also a very talented singer and songwriter (if you haven't heard her avant-garde voice, not to worry. She belts out karaoke in the film). She is a rare beauty whose beautiful blue eyes will grace silver screens for years to come.
The dark horse of the film is Tom's geeky best friend McKenzie. Actor Geoffrey Arend was well cast in this film. His mix of quirkiness and addiction to karaoke comes off as lovable and entertaining. Most of the film's laughs come from Arend.
Another shining star is the director, Marc Webb. This is his first big venture (he previously has directed music videos) and it was a big success. For a film that could have come off as trying too hard, he brings it down a notch and makes it lovable and real. He successfully nurtured a chemistry between Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel and gave them characters traits that define human connection. Their mannerisms and actions encapsulate what any lover would do in their position. From his camera close-ups of Summer's eyes to his slow deconstruction of Tom, Webb creates a film of utter beauty.
All in all, (500) Days of Summer is not one to miss. On rare occasions do films like this strike a chord with both the romantic and skeptics. And this film does so in the most original way. You will never want Summer to be over.
Here are some clips from the film to whet your appetite:
Here is another bonus: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and director Marc Webb teamed up again for a She & Him music video, which is Deschanel and boyfriend M. Ward's band. It's cute and quirky. Check it out...
A Texan girl in heart and a Californian in spirit, I have spent my adulthood writing magazine articles of all sorts. My journalistic passion is fashion and styling for photo shoots. But a true passion of mine is entertainment, hence this blog. I hope you enjoy!
