ALFRED HITCHCOCK (1899-1980) directed more than 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He used very distinctive camera movement and pioneered a film editing style that created a new viewing experience. He was married to Alma Reville from 1926 until his death. She was his most valued behind-the-scenes collaborator on his films. If Alma didn’t like something, Hitch changed it. Hitchcock was nominated five times for a Best Director Oscar, but remarkably never won. In fact, the only two Oscars won for his films were: Best Actress for Joan Fontaine in Suspicion (1941), and Best Song for “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que sera, sera)” from The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). One of his trademarks was a small cameo in most of his movies. He overcame the challenge of Lifeboat (1944), which is filmed entirely on a small boat. Watch closely and you’ll see Hitchcock in a newspaper advertisement for weight loss … he was both the “Before” and “After” picture. His classic films include: Rebecca (1940), Lifeboat (1941), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Spellbound (1945), Notorious (1946), Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Vertigo (1958), North By Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963)
WILHELM SCREAM – first used in the 1951 film Distant Drums, this stock sound effect has taken on a life of its own. The name comes from the scream character Private Wilhelm makes after being shot by an arrow in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River. The actual scream was recorded in studio by Sheb Wooley, a well-known character actor of the day, who is probably best known as the singer of the 1958 novelty song “The Purple People Eater”. Including the Wilhelm Scream has become somewhat of an “inside joke” in Hollywood as it has been used in more than 225 films … including those of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Quentin Tarantino.
This compilation includes Private Wilhelm in The Charge at Feather River, as well as Star Wars and Indiana Jones.WARNING: Once you have it in your head, you can’t help but notice it in movies and TV shows (and even video games)
Greetings again from the darkness. We are accustomed to movies with men posing as women for comedic effect … Mrs. Doubtfire and Tootsie come to mind. Watching an extremely serious, even bleak, film with a woman (Glenn Close) posing as a man is quite rare, and I will say, downright uncomfortable. When Albert Nobbs is described by his co-workers as a strange little man, they have no idea!
The film is based on a novella by George Moore, and has been a pet project of Glenn Close since she starred in the off-Broadway play in the 1980’s. Her dream has been realized in this film directed by Rodrigo Garcia. The film has an extremely talented cast including Brendan Gleeson as a doctor, Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs Page, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson and Brenda Fricker as hotel staff, Pauline Collins as the hotel proprietor, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a frequent hotel guest. The song over the closing credits (co-written by Ms. Close) is sung by Sinead O’Connor.
Beyond that fabulous cast, the only thing that really makes the film worth watching is the curious performance of Ms. Close as Albert Nobbs and the much more colorful and lively turn by Janet McTeer as Mr. Page … the only one (we know of) who can understand what Albert is going through. Both are nominated for Oscars. During the film, we get the personal story from each of these characters on why they made their choice, but Albert’s story is a bit muddled. He/she seems to have just fallen into the life and been unable to stop for the past 30 years. Now, Albert has a dream that can only be achieved through the wages earned as the non-descript, efficient waiter in an 1890’s Dublin hotel.
There are many painful scenes to watch, but none moreso than Albert courting Helen so that he can have a partner for his new business. He has no idea how a real relationship works or why people are attracted to each other. Albert just sees Helen as a means to an end, and is following the blueprint set by Mr. Page. Some will enjoy this much more than I, as the thought of pretending to be someone you aren’t for 3 decades is just more than I can even comprehend. When Gleeson’s doctor spouts that he has no reason why people choose to lead such miserable lives, I concur whole-heartedly.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to see how little joy would be had spending one’s life pretending to be someone else OR you don’t want to miss two Oscar-caliber performances (Close, McTeer)
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: misery in 1890’s Dublin holds no more interest for you than misery in any other era or locale
Greetings again from the darkness. This is certainly not the typical lame, formulaic action movie that we have come to expect most every January. Director Joe Carnahan teamed with Ian MacKenzie Jeffers to write a strong script based on Jeffers’ original short story. With a touch of spirituality mixed with an excruciatingly intense story of survival, this film is more of an emotional experience than one might expect based on the trailer. It’s not just Man vs Nature. It’s also Man vs. Himself.
The film opens as Ottway (Liam Neeson) is composing a letter (and narrating) to his beloved wife (Anne Openshaw). At first we aren’t sure of their story, only that this was a painful loss for him and he is washing away his sins with an apparent final letter. We later learn more through flashbacks as she is the “happy place” into which he retreats in moments of stress … and there is certainly no shortage of those! We also learn that Ottway is a hired sharpshooter to protect the roughnecks on assignment in the Alaska oilfields. We see him in action as he quickly and precisely nails a charging wolf.
After the first spiritual interruption at a key moment for Ottway, we next see him and a group of the workers boarding a plane to escape the storm. The plane crashes, killing most onboard and stranding the small group of survivors in a barren, frozen wasteland of Alaskan wilderness. If only that were their biggest problem. As if no food or water, and sub-freezing temperatures during a blizzard weren’t quite challenging enough, they are being systematically hunted by a pack of ferocious wolves. Ottway’s experience and personality lead him to the position of group leader as they look for a way out.
There have been many fine survival movies including The Edge (Alec Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins), Deliverance, and The Thing. We even get a wise-crack about the movie Alive, where the plane crash survivors stooped to cannibalism. While I am a fan of all of those movies, none are as full of tension and intensity as this one is, from beginning to end. What really sets this one apart from many is not the action scenes, but the character development. We actually see the character of these men evolve as their plight worsens. Watch for the similarities between man and beast as Diaz (Frank Grillo) challenges Ottway. Also observe Ottway’s transformation as he goes all out to fight for life.
The other supporting cast members include Dallas Roberts and Dermot Mulroney, but the strength of this movie stems from the script and the casting of Liam Neeson. Supposedly Bradley Cooper was originally cast, and later replaced by Mr. Neeson. It’s probably safe to say that my comments would not be as favorable if that change had not occurred. Kudos to director Carnahan who gave us another very intense film called Narc. Since then, he has only delivered shallow works like The A-Team and Smokin’ Aces. Here he pays so much attention to detail … like a wolf paw print in the snow as it slowly fills with blood. Don’t be scared away thinking this is just another macho action film. It is much more and, at times, even a very quiet and deep piece of filmmaking … that will leave you exhausted!
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are up for an intense story of survival that shows how hard some will fight to keep on living.
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are a member of one of the protesting groups who believe the film portrays wolves in an unfair manner. If that’s you, I recommend Never Cry Wolf instead (very good movie that shows wolves in a more positive light)
The first “Saturday Night Live” cast member to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar: Robert Downey, Jr. He was nominated for Chaplin (1992) after having been on SNL for the 1985 season.
* Joan Cusack and Dan Aykroyd had both been nominated for Best Supporting Oscars prior to Downey’s nomination
ELVIS PRESLEY made 31 movies, from Love Me Tender (1956) through Change of Habit (1969)
He also has 349 soundtrack credits
His co-stars included actresses such as: Angela Lansbury, Ann-Margret, Barbara Eden (Jeannie in “I Dream of Jeannie”), Barbara Stanwyck, Carolyn Jones (Morticia in “The Addams Family”), Delores del Rio, Donna Douglas (Elly May in “The Beverly Hillbillies”), Hope Lange, Joan Blondell, Mary Tyler Moore, Maureen Reagan (daughter of Ronald), Nancy Sinatra, Shelley Fabares (Christine on “Coach”), Sue Ane Langdon, Tuesday Weld, Ursula Andress
And actors such as: Bill Bixby, Burgess Meredith, Charles Bronson, Dabney Coleman, Dick Sargent, Ed Asner, Gig Young, Harry Morgan, Jack Albertson, John Carradine, Leif Erikson, Rudy Vallee, Vincent Price, Walter Matthau
He starred in films directed by Michael Curtiz (known for Casablanca) and Don Siegel (known for Dirty Harry) , and had NINE of his films directed by Norman Taurog. Taurog became the youngest to win a Best Director Oscar at age 32 for Skippy (1931). His final Elvis film Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) was also his final film as a director.
Elvis’ long-time manager, Col. Tom Parker, made him turn down the role in A Star is Born (1976), when the producers refused to give him equal billing with Barbra Streisand. Kris Kristofferson took the role instead. Elvis died a year after the movie was released.
ZOOEY DESCHANEL has struck TV gold with her new comedy series “New Girl”
Previously she was best known as “the Queen of Indies” due to the number of independent and arthouse films she was part of. It started with Mumford (1999) and Almost Famous (2000), and her status jumped after Elf (2003) and again in 2009 with (500) Days of Summer.
Zooey was born into a show-biz family. Her father Caleb Deschanel is a 5 time Academy Award nominated cinematographer (The Right Stuff, The Natural, The Passion of the Christ) and her mother Mary Jo Deschanel is an actress best known for the TV series “Twin Peaks” (she was also Annie Glenn in The Right Stuff). Of course, her older sister is Emily Deschanel, the star of the long running TV series “Bones”.
According to her parents, they named her for the lead male character in the novel “Franny and Zooey” by J.D. Salinger.
Zooey’s two year marriage to Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie recently ended in divorce.
She is half of the indie musical duo, She & Him, with M. Ward
She currently has no new movies in the works as she concentrates on her hit TV series
YUL BRYNNER was born in Russia and came to the US in 1941.
In 1959, Mary Martin (Larry Hagman‘s mother) recommended Brynner for the lead Rodgers and Hammerstein’s new Broadway production, “The King and I”. He went on to also star in the film version in 1956 with Deborah Kerr, and he won an Oscar for Best Actor. Mr. Brynner had a strong film career, while being most associated with his clean-shaven head.
He played Rameses against Charleston Heston‘s Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956)
In 1960, he was one of The Magnificent Seven … with Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Bucholz
In the 70’s he returned to the stage and, for the rest of his life, he toured the world performing “The King and I”.
One of only eight actors to have won both a Tony and an Oscar for having portrayed the same roles on stage and screen. The others are Joel Grey in Cabaret (1972), Shirley Booth in Come Back, Little Sheba (1952), Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady (1964), Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker (1962), Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons (1966), Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) and Jack Albertson in The Subject Was Roses (1968).
Mr. Brynner died of lung cancer in 1985 at the age of 65.
“X-MEN” originated in comic form through Marvel. They first appeared in September 1963 and were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
Many have written of the analogy of minority groups as represented by the mutants … and the subsequent sociological issues within.
The most recent film franchsise began with X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003), both directed by Bryan Singer. Mr. Singer also directed an instant classic before he was thirty years old, The Usual Suspects (1995). Next up in the series was X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), directed by Brett Ratner. Then came two prequels: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and X-Men: First Class (2011), directed by Gavin Hood and Matthew Vaughn respectively.
It has been reported that each of the two prequels will turn into their own trilogy (which would mean four new movies in the franchise). Wolverine has already been announced for 2013.
The five X-Men films have grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide, making it one of the most successful franchises in history.
WES ANDERSON is the writer and director of such off-beat films as: Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
His roommate at The University of Texas was Owen Wilson. They have since collaborated on most of Mr. Anderson’s films.
His next film is Moonrise Kingdom and does not include Owen Wilson. Instead Mr. Anderson co-wrote the script with Roman Coppola (son of Francis Ford and brother of Sophia). Expected release date is May 25, 2012
ALFRED HITCHCOCK (1899-1980) directed more than 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He used very distinctive camera movement and pioneered a film editing style that created a new viewing experience. He was married to Alma Reville from 1926 until his death. She was his most valued behind-the-scenes collaborator on his films. If Alma didn’t like something, Hitch changed it. Hitchcock was nominated five times for a Best Director Oscar, but remarkably never won. In fact, the only two Oscars won for his films were: Best Actress for Joan Fontaine in Suspicion (1941), and Best Song for “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que sera, sera)” from The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). One of his trademarks was a small cameo in most of his movies. He overcame the challenge of Lifeboat (1944), which is filmed entirely on a small boat. Watch closely and you’ll see Hitchcock in a newspaper advertisement for weight loss … he was both the “Before” and “After” picture. His classic films include: Rebecca (1940), Lifeboat (1941), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Spellbound (1945), Notorious (1946), Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Vertigo (1958), North By Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963)
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 