1963 #1-6 (1993)
Written by Alan Moore
Drawn by Rick Veitch, Dave Gibbons, Steve Bissette, Don Simpson, John Totleben and Jim Valentino
Colors by Marvin Kilroy and Tony Tollin
Published by Image Comics
If such a thing could be called it, 1963 is minor Alan Moore. In 1993, Image Comics was still a very young company created by the “hot” artists of the time when Jim Valentino, always the most old timey alternative rebel of the Image crew, got Moore, Steve Bissette, Rick Veitch, John Totleben and a bunch of their friends to create 1963, a pastiche on the early days of Marvel comics. The Fantastic Four becomes Mystery Incorporated. Iron Man becomes the Hypernaut. Spider-Man becomes The Fury, and the Avengers become The Tomorrow Syndicate. Image’s slick and calculated characters took a backseat to Moore and company’s retro insanity. To create a whole package, even the ads and editorial pages recreate the feeling of a bygone age.
Written by Alan Moore
Drawn by Rick Veitch, Dave Gibbons, Steve Bissette, Don Simpson, John Totleben and Jim Valentino
Colors by Marvin Kilroy and Tony Tollin
Published by Image Comics
If such a thing could be called it, 1963 is minor Alan Moore. In 1993, Image Comics was still a very young company created by the “hot” artists of the time when Jim Valentino, always the most old timey alternative rebel of the Image crew, got Moore, Steve Bissette, Rick Veitch, John Totleben and a bunch of their friends to create 1963, a pastiche on the early days of Marvel comics. The Fantastic Four becomes Mystery Incorporated. Iron Man becomes the Hypernaut. Spider-Man becomes The Fury, and the Avengers become The Tomorrow Syndicate. Image’s slick and calculated characters took a backseat to Moore and company’s retro insanity. To create a whole package, even the ads and editorial pages recreate the feeling of a bygone age.
- 9/30/2015
- by Scott Cederlund
- SoundOnSight
The leaking of a sex tape can make or break a celebrity. In Rob Lowe's case, it was the catalyst he needed to hit rock bottom and check into rehab in 1990 – and he's been sober for 26 years now. But even after that fall from grace, Lowe says his career wasn't completely dead.
"I've been fortunate that I've always, always, always worked. Even after the sex tape was made public, it was like: You're still a professional baseball player, but you're playing for Double or Triple A," Lowe, 51, says in the new issue of GQ, on stands Monday. "I lost...
"I've been fortunate that I've always, always, always worked. Even after the sex tape was made public, it was like: You're still a professional baseball player, but you're playing for Double or Triple A," Lowe, 51, says in the new issue of GQ, on stands Monday. "I lost...
- 9/22/2015
- by Michele Corriston, @mcorriston
- People.com - TV Watch
BBC’s The Gamechangers didn’t exactly do its GTA subject matter justice. Ryan explains why we need a great movie about game design...
There’s a moment in the BBC’s drama The Gamechangers where Sam Houser, the co-founder of Grand Theft Auto studio Rockstar North, says to one of his minions, “We need to make our own game engine.”
In the very next scene, the game engine’s finished and demonstrated to Jamie, another Rockstar co-founder. To the casual observer, it might seem as though the process of making a game engine is as simple as ordering a pizza.
It’s an example of the 90-minute show’s clumsy handling of its subject matter: the videogame phenomenon Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, its social impact and its controversy. This was the kind of drama that felt the need to carefully explain some things in painfully literal terms -...
There’s a moment in the BBC’s drama The Gamechangers where Sam Houser, the co-founder of Grand Theft Auto studio Rockstar North, says to one of his minions, “We need to make our own game engine.”
In the very next scene, the game engine’s finished and demonstrated to Jamie, another Rockstar co-founder. To the casual observer, it might seem as though the process of making a game engine is as simple as ordering a pizza.
It’s an example of the 90-minute show’s clumsy handling of its subject matter: the videogame phenomenon Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, its social impact and its controversy. This was the kind of drama that felt the need to carefully explain some things in painfully literal terms -...
- 9/16/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
"Was Basil Brush busy?" Developer Rockstar offers its response to the BBC's Grand Theft Auto film, The Gamechangers...
Nb: The following contains a bit of saucy language.
It's fair to say that Rockstar was never particularly thrilled at the BBC's decision to make The Gamechangers, a feature-length drama about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and its surrounding controversy. The game giant sued the BBC earlier this year for "trademark infringement", adding that it had an "obligation to protect our intellectual property."
Well, the drama finally appeared on British television last night, and it's fair to say that the resulting response has been far more interesting than the show itself - even if it does count Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton among its stars. Marred by stiff dialogue and some truly bizarre scenes - Paxton chatting to God on a golf course, a bearded Radcliffe staring affectionately at a poster of...
Nb: The following contains a bit of saucy language.
It's fair to say that Rockstar was never particularly thrilled at the BBC's decision to make The Gamechangers, a feature-length drama about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and its surrounding controversy. The game giant sued the BBC earlier this year for "trademark infringement", adding that it had an "obligation to protect our intellectual property."
Well, the drama finally appeared on British television last night, and it's fair to say that the resulting response has been far more interesting than the show itself - even if it does count Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton among its stars. Marred by stiff dialogue and some truly bizarre scenes - Paxton chatting to God on a golf course, a bearded Radcliffe staring affectionately at a poster of...
- 9/16/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton star in The Gamechangers, a drama about the making of the Grand Theft Auto series. Any good? Not exactly...
Nb: The following contains spoilers.
How do you make an interesting film about coding a videogame? It sounds like a difficult subject to dramatise on the face of it. But ultimately, all great stories are more about the relationships between characters than what they do for a living. A movie that contained nothing but boxing matches for 100 continuous minutes would leave audiences reeling. The Rocky movies were approximately 90 percent drama to 10 percent boxing, and audiences, for the most part, flocked to see them.
BBC's The Gamechangers takes the Rocky approach to Grand Theft Auto - specifically, the making of 2004's hit sequel San Andreas, the controversy surrounding a hidden sex scene on the disc, and the legal tussle that followed. In its dramatisation of real events,...
Nb: The following contains spoilers.
How do you make an interesting film about coding a videogame? It sounds like a difficult subject to dramatise on the face of it. But ultimately, all great stories are more about the relationships between characters than what they do for a living. A movie that contained nothing but boxing matches for 100 continuous minutes would leave audiences reeling. The Rocky movies were approximately 90 percent drama to 10 percent boxing, and audiences, for the most part, flocked to see them.
BBC's The Gamechangers takes the Rocky approach to Grand Theft Auto - specifically, the making of 2004's hit sequel San Andreas, the controversy surrounding a hidden sex scene on the disc, and the legal tussle that followed. In its dramatisation of real events,...
- 9/16/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
One of Hollywood's true maverick filmmakers, Sam Fuller was never a man to shy away from tackling important social and political issues in his films. Famously, he was the first American filmmaker to tackle the Korean War, in The Steel Helmet, mental illness (among other issues) in Shock Corridor, and child abuse in The Naked Kiss. So when Paramount executives Jon Davison and Don Simpson were scrambling to get a bunch of projects through production ahead of an upcoming writers' strike in 1981, who better to take on the long-gestating White Dog than Fuller, hot again after the recent success of The Big Red One.White Dog is adapted from an autobiographical novel written by Romain Gray, which told the story of how he and his...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/14/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Sundance Institute announced today the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. In case you missed it, here is our post about the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions as well as the out-of-competition sections Next, Spotlight, Park City at Midnight and Sundance Kids of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Sundance Institute, Sundance, Film Festival, 2014, Out-of-Competition, Premieres, Park City, Utah, Smells Like Screen Spirit, Don Simpson, Calvary, John Michael McDonagh, Frank, Lenny Abrahamson, Hits, David Cross, I Origins, Mike Cahill, Laggies, Lynn Shelton, Little Accidents, Sara Colangelo, Love is Strange, Ira Sachs, A Most Wanted Man, Anton Corbijn, Nick Offerman: American Ham, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, The One I Love, Charlie McDowell, The Raid 2, Gareth Evans, Rudderless, William H. Macy, They Came Together,...
- 12/9/2013
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Annie
A photo is out of Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Cameron Diaz and Rose Byrne filming "Tomorrow" number from the "Annie" musical remake in New York City. Sadly no sign of Kathleen Turner holding a lethal leg of lamb. [Source: Twitter]
Ghostbusters 3
Last month came word that both Emma Stone and Jonah Hill were offered roles in Ivan Reitman's "Ghostbusters 3". Now, comes word that one of them has dropped out of the running:
Emma Stone is passing on the role of 'Anna' but Jonah Hill still has an offer out for 'Jeremy'." They also add that Sony wants two major stars signed on or they will not green light the picture. [Source: Schmoes Know]
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer is reportedly looking to set up a lucrative film production deal at Paramount Pictures, returning to the studio where he and former producing partner, the late Don Simpson, had a long run in the 1980s.
A photo is out of Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Cameron Diaz and Rose Byrne filming "Tomorrow" number from the "Annie" musical remake in New York City. Sadly no sign of Kathleen Turner holding a lethal leg of lamb. [Source: Twitter]
Ghostbusters 3
Last month came word that both Emma Stone and Jonah Hill were offered roles in Ivan Reitman's "Ghostbusters 3". Now, comes word that one of them has dropped out of the running:
Emma Stone is passing on the role of 'Anna' but Jonah Hill still has an offer out for 'Jeremy'." They also add that Sony wants two major stars signed on or they will not green light the picture. [Source: Schmoes Know]
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer is reportedly looking to set up a lucrative film production deal at Paramount Pictures, returning to the studio where he and former producing partner, the late Don Simpson, had a long run in the 1980s.
- 12/5/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
While he is under contract to Disney until next year, it looks like producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s next home is going to be either Warner Bros or Paramount. Both studios are vying hard for the producer to come to their lot and ramp up tent poles, and a decision is coming soon. His exit from Disney came after the pricey disappointment The Lone Ranger. While that left a bitter taste, you can’t argue that Bruckheimer is one of the few brand names in the non-writing producer category. When he takes a big swing and connects, the result often leads to franchises that are such high commodities these days. At Disney, these included Pirates of the Caribbean, and National Treasure. His deal is about the most expensive in the business, with generous overhead, 7-figure producing fees and gross. Bruckheimer already has his TV deal at Warner Bros, and that studio...
- 11/8/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Finnish director Renny Harlin, the maker of Die Hard 2 and The Long Kiss Goodnight, has now decided to tackle one of the eeriest mysteries in Russian history. Here he explains why
'Oh, you'll have fun with Renny," says his assistant as I'm ushered into his office in Venice, Los Angeles, three blocks from where Orson Welles filmed the opening sequence of Touch of Evil. "He's been doing his homework on you."
My mind fills with horrifying possibilities, recalling how Don Simpson would have a journalist's credit rating, divorce papers, and even criminal record to hand for an interview. But Finland's most successful director simply appears before me with a grin and says: "Hello, John, I very much enjoyed your – " and he quotes something I wrote a month back. "I laughed all day!" he adds.
Renny Harlin, a lean, ginger-haired man of medium height with a wind-burned, tough-guy sort of face,...
'Oh, you'll have fun with Renny," says his assistant as I'm ushered into his office in Venice, Los Angeles, three blocks from where Orson Welles filmed the opening sequence of Touch of Evil. "He's been doing his homework on you."
My mind fills with horrifying possibilities, recalling how Don Simpson would have a journalist's credit rating, divorce papers, and even criminal record to hand for an interview. But Finland's most successful director simply appears before me with a grin and says: "Hello, John, I very much enjoyed your – " and he quotes something I wrote a month back. "I laughed all day!" he adds.
Renny Harlin, a lean, ginger-haired man of medium height with a wind-burned, tough-guy sort of face,...
- 8/12/2013
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Summer 2013 has delivered another throwback action movie following last month’s White House Down, the type of movie that would have been the big summer tentpole had it been released in the 80‘s or 90’s. 2 Guns is in the same vein of a Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer production and would have made a great Tony Scott […]
Read Review: 2 Guns on Filmonic.
Read Review: 2 Guns on Filmonic.
- 8/5/2013
- by Andrew Shuster
- Filmonic.com
Review Michael Noble 24 Jul 2013 - 09:00
Now airing in the UK on Sky, lauded Showtime series Ray Donovan may have had a bumpy start, but is worth persevering with...
This review contains spoilers.
1.1 The Bag or the Bat & 1.2 A Mouth is a Mouth
With running length of half a day, it can be somewhat unfair to judge a show on a single episode. A series opener has so much introductory work to do that it’s only reasonable to expect that it will take more than a single instalment for a show to hit its stride. This is particularly the case with Ray Donovan, a programme that suffers from as many problems as it dramatises.
The trouble is that the opener is so heavily expositional it feels a little like a 'Previously on…' recap that happens to last for an hour. We’re introduced to Ray, his family, his...
Now airing in the UK on Sky, lauded Showtime series Ray Donovan may have had a bumpy start, but is worth persevering with...
This review contains spoilers.
1.1 The Bag or the Bat & 1.2 A Mouth is a Mouth
With running length of half a day, it can be somewhat unfair to judge a show on a single episode. A series opener has so much introductory work to do that it’s only reasonable to expect that it will take more than a single instalment for a show to hit its stride. This is particularly the case with Ray Donovan, a programme that suffers from as many problems as it dramatises.
The trouble is that the opener is so heavily expositional it feels a little like a 'Previously on…' recap that happens to last for an hour. We’re introduced to Ray, his family, his...
- 7/24/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Feature Np Horton 30 May 2013 - 06:28
A 90s hit for Will Smith and the late director Tony Scott, Enemy Of The State's still an entertaining ride, Nick writes...
Oh Enemy Of The State. Released at the tail end of the 90s, it already seemed an out-of-date high-concept action film so beloved of that decade, and time hasn't been kind to it.
Laugh at the high tech equipment used by the National Security Agency (videotapes) and their undercover spy methods at capturing Will Smith (driving muscle cars the wrong way down a traffic-filled tunnel). Cringe at the subtle and not-so-subtle racial slurs spread throughout the script (numerous references to Smith’s lawyer character being an ‘eggplant’, and a bunch of other racial insults), and finally, enjoy the utter crap out of the sheer ludicrous spectacle of it all. Yep that’s right, I said enjoy. Because while it might not...
A 90s hit for Will Smith and the late director Tony Scott, Enemy Of The State's still an entertaining ride, Nick writes...
Oh Enemy Of The State. Released at the tail end of the 90s, it already seemed an out-of-date high-concept action film so beloved of that decade, and time hasn't been kind to it.
Laugh at the high tech equipment used by the National Security Agency (videotapes) and their undercover spy methods at capturing Will Smith (driving muscle cars the wrong way down a traffic-filled tunnel). Cringe at the subtle and not-so-subtle racial slurs spread throughout the script (numerous references to Smith’s lawyer character being an ‘eggplant’, and a bunch of other racial insults), and finally, enjoy the utter crap out of the sheer ludicrous spectacle of it all. Yep that’s right, I said enjoy. Because while it might not...
- 5/29/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
The We and the I, the latest feature film from Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind), is a glimpse at a bus ride home on the last day of school in the Bronx. Flirtations flicker, bullies torment, obnoxious guys are obnoxious and friends tease and giggle with each other.
There is not much of a constant adult presence in the movie (except for the bus driver, played by a real-life Mta driver), which leaves the teens to be themselves -- or at least however they want their peers to see them.
Gondry brought over his sketch of an idea for The We and the I to an afterschool program, The Point, after a screening of his movie Be Kind Rewind there. The kids he found through the program not only acted in the eventual film, but also collaborated on it. Indeed, most of the teenagers...
There is not much of a constant adult presence in the movie (except for the bus driver, played by a real-life Mta driver), which leaves the teens to be themselves -- or at least however they want their peers to see them.
Gondry brought over his sketch of an idea for The We and the I to an afterschool program, The Point, after a screening of his movie Be Kind Rewind there. The kids he found through the program not only acted in the eventual film, but also collaborated on it. Indeed, most of the teenagers...
- 4/11/2013
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
Austin's own Kat Candler is building up quite the cinematic reputation, following up her well received 2012 Sundance short Hellion with her equally strong 2013 Sundance short Black Metal. Clocking in at just nine minutes, Black Metal intensely scratches the surface of the story of a black metal singer who is blamed by proxy for a murder by a young fan, looking at the aftermath in his personal life. Brilliantly crafted and featuring stunning performances by Austin actors Jonny Mars and Heather Kafka, Black Metal draws you in and leaves you hungry for more. I had a chance to chat with Kat about the film, her background in black metal, Jonny Mars and her thoughts on Sundance. (Also, check out Don Simpson's review of Black Metal.)...
- 1/17/2013
- by Linc Leifeste
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a vision for the future. A future where greatness and dedication are recognized and rewarded. This is why I stand before you today (actually sitting and not in front of anyone) and nominate Don Simpson for Film Critic in the The Austin Chronicle Best of Austin 2012 campaign. [Don-bama] Let's help put an end to the mediocrity and nepotism of election years past. You only have four more days (through 9/10/12) to do your duty and proudly cast your vote as a fan of thoughtful and intellectual film criticism. My plea to you is to click the link below or on the very original campaign image above, and vote for Don Simpson (the hardest working and producing film critic in Austin...maybe the world) under Film Critic. While you're there it would also be very Austin-y, and quite frankly, American of you to vote for Smells Like Screen...
- 9/6/2012
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Considering our exhaustive coverage of SXSW and Fantastic Fest; our nomination of Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League for a Nobel Peace Prize; and our weekly spotlight on Austin filmmaking from Don Simpson, Film School Rejects has embraced its headquarters home since even before we moved there. We recognize that we’re a small part of a very large movie family here, but we hope that we’re a unique voice advocating for this fair city to the rest of the world. As a fan of the site, we’re humbly asking you to please vote for us in The Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin Poll Ballot. It requires that you give your address information (to confirm your Austin-ness), and the list is extensive, but it also gives you a chance to share your opinion when it comes to the best restaurants, concerts, hiking trails and more. For your consideration: Film School Rejects for “Local Entertainment...
- 8/29/2012
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Here's the latest in Austin film news.
Don Simpson's Film School Rejects column "Austin Cinematic Limits" reports that Pj Raval's Untitled Gay Retiree Documentary, Kat Candler's and Kelly Williams' Hellion, as well as Clay Liford's script-in-progress Cutlet were selected as part of next month's 34th Annual Independent Film Week's Project Forum. The purpose of the project is to provide opportunities for independent filmmakers to connect with industry professionals. Ut alums Will James Moore's and Jonathan Case's independent film Satellite of Love (Jette's review) won a Golden Ace Award at the Las Vegas Film Festival. The Central Texas-shot film, about a love triangle between friends that unfolds over the course of a week, will screen at next month's Ruby Mountain Film Festival in Nevada. Fantastic Fest 2011 favorite Juan of the Dead (Rod's review), about a Cuban slacker who capitalizes on a zombie invasion, is...
Don Simpson's Film School Rejects column "Austin Cinematic Limits" reports that Pj Raval's Untitled Gay Retiree Documentary, Kat Candler's and Kelly Williams' Hellion, as well as Clay Liford's script-in-progress Cutlet were selected as part of next month's 34th Annual Independent Film Week's Project Forum. The purpose of the project is to provide opportunities for independent filmmakers to connect with industry professionals. Ut alums Will James Moore's and Jonathan Case's independent film Satellite of Love (Jette's review) won a Golden Ace Award at the Las Vegas Film Festival. The Central Texas-shot film, about a love triangle between friends that unfolds over the course of a week, will screen at next month's Ruby Mountain Film Festival in Nevada. Fantastic Fest 2011 favorite Juan of the Dead (Rod's review), about a Cuban slacker who capitalizes on a zombie invasion, is...
- 8/20/2012
- by Jordan Gass-Poore'
- Slackerwood
V/H/S is an anthology horror film with segments directed by David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, and Adam Wingard. The premise is that a group of guys are sent on a job to steal a VHS tape from an old man’s house. It sounds like an easy enough gig. An old man living alone in the country; he will most likely be asleep, but if worse comes to worst the young guys can certainly handle an old man. When they arrive at the house they find the old man stone cold dead, sitting in front of a haphazard stack of television monitors. Then, down in the basement, they discover a treasure trove of VHS tapes. Uncertain of which tape is the tape, they alternate watching the footage to see what is on each one. Surely they’ll know the correct tape when they see it.
- 6/1/2012
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Norwegian writer-director Joachim Trier’s second feature — Oslo, August 31st — follows Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) as he nears successfully completing treatment at a drug rehab in the Norwegian countryside. Anders is permitted to travel to Oslo for a job interview, but he uses the opportunity to attempt to reconnect with friends and family. Anders is as smart and handsome as ever, but he is deeply haunted by all of the past opportunities he has wasted and all of the people he has disappointed. He may feel like his life is already over but he tries to maintain a fleeting glimmer of hope. An official selection at Cannes Film Festival 2011 (Un Certain Regard), AFI Fest 2011, Toronto International Film Festival 2011, Sundance Film Festival 2012 and New Directors/New Films Festival 2012, Oslo, August 31st is a harrowing character study that is certain to leave no viewer unscathed. This is our second interview with Trier...
- 5/23/2012
- by Anna Bielak
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Not many films are set at music festivals. D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary, “Monterey Pop” is vital, we’ll grant you, and other rock docs that expose something fundamental about the artists they’re profiling (“Don’t Look Back,” “Gimme Shelter”) remain compelling portraits of some of the most important artists of the twentieth-century. But, much like stand-up comedy or running for high office, fictional recreations of what compels a human being to get up onstage in front of thousands of people and expose themselves to the public at large, are far and few between.
With this in mind we turn to “You Instead,” which is director David Mackenzie’s seventh feature film, not that you’d known it from anything on display here. It has all the manufactured, forcible ‘fun’ of a T-Mobile flash-mob advert although it attempts to weave a spontaneous star-cross’d romance out of a happenstance meeting...
With this in mind we turn to “You Instead,” which is director David Mackenzie’s seventh feature film, not that you’d known it from anything on display here. It has all the manufactured, forcible ‘fun’ of a T-Mobile flash-mob advert although it attempts to weave a spontaneous star-cross’d romance out of a happenstance meeting...
- 5/7/2012
- by Sam Price
- The Playlist
Disney And Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ Epic Adventure “The Lone Ranger” Begins Production
Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and International Cast Star in Thrilling Reinvention of Classic Tale Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Directed by Gore Verbinski
Production has commenced on location in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado on Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. epic adventure .The Lone Ranger.. The film reunites the filmmaking team of the first three .Pirates of the Caribbean. blockbusters.producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski.with Johnny Depp, who created Captain Jack Sparrow in his iconic, Academy Award®-nominated performance and contributed the voice of the title character of Verbinski.s Academy Award-winning .Rango..
Depp plays spirit warrior Tonto in .The Lone Ranger,. with Armie Hammer (.The Social Network,. .J. Edgar.) starring in the title role. Depp and Hammer are joined by a prestigious international cast which includes Tom Wilkinson, two-time Academy Award nominee (.Michael Clayton,...
Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and International Cast Star in Thrilling Reinvention of Classic Tale Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Directed by Gore Verbinski
Production has commenced on location in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado on Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. epic adventure .The Lone Ranger.. The film reunites the filmmaking team of the first three .Pirates of the Caribbean. blockbusters.producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski.with Johnny Depp, who created Captain Jack Sparrow in his iconic, Academy Award®-nominated performance and contributed the voice of the title character of Verbinski.s Academy Award-winning .Rango..
Depp plays spirit warrior Tonto in .The Lone Ranger,. with Armie Hammer (.The Social Network,. .J. Edgar.) starring in the title role. Depp and Hammer are joined by a prestigious international cast which includes Tom Wilkinson, two-time Academy Award nominee (.Michael Clayton,...
- 2/28/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Editor’s Note: For several years, Film School Rejects has called the city of Austin, TX home. And throughout that time, we’ve enjoyed the always rich film scene in our own backyard. Starting today, we’re going to celebrate that love with the world through this new column written by new writer and Austinite Don Simpson. With Austin Cinematic Limits, we’ll share with you stories from the Austin film scene, give our friends and neighbors in Central Texas a weekly guide to what’s happening and celebrate all that’s great about the city in which Reject HQ resides. Yes, I admit it, Richard Linklater’s Slacker played a majorly geeky role in my fateful decision to pack my bags and relocate my butt to Austin during the summer of 1998. It was not until recently, however, that I honed in on the precise moment — the proverbial flapping of the butterfly’s wing — that propelled my...
- 1/16/2012
- by Don Simpson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
So what were the top films of 2011? It's a really tough question to ask, and a pretty bold one to answer among peers with equally strong opinions. I've been reading through a lot of the 2011 film retrospectives, top 10's, and best of lists with many critics complaining about 2011 being a light year for great film. I personally disagree. Sure the mega-plexes didn't offer much substance in 2011, but cheer up Charlie because if you stuck close to the arthouse theaters then you found the golden tickets. The nominations and votes of the Smells Like Screen Spirit staff have been tallied and scored to represent the collective opinion of the total results. As always we encourage you to agree or debate in the comments section; so without further ado I give you Smells Like Screen Spirit's Top 10 Films of 2011: 10. Bellflower "Painfully discussing the highs and lows of love, as well...
- 12/29/2011
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Director, producer and distributor Roger Corman's world seems suspended between magnetic poles: At true north he could be described as the godfather of independently produced and independent-minded film; way down south is the Corman who looks more like the godfather to Don Simpson, a crude flipper of hot cake flicks who originated the high concept, sensation-pummeling mainstream cinema we're stuck with today. Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel, director Alex Stapleton's annotated filmography of the filmmaker's wildly tentacular career, is less an attempt to reconcile those poles than to show how neatly and necessarily they are bound together, by both the financial nature of filmmaking and the stubborn question of taste.
- 12/15/2011
- Movieline
"At first I was a bit surprised by the tearjerker ending of Jeff Who Lives at Home, mainly because it seemed like such a blatantly Hollywoodesque attempt to tug at the audience’s heartstrings. But as time passed, it dawned on me that Jeff Who Lives at Home is essentially commenting on the concept of writers and directors playing god, albeit with significantly more subtlety than The Truman Show and Stranger Than Fiction. As the Duplass brothers toy with Jeff, they simultaneously play with the viewers’ emotions, thus reminding us of the highly manipulative powers of filmmakers." -Don Simpson Be sure to check out our interview below with Jay and Mark Duplass in support of their upcoming film Jeff Who Lives at Home, from the 2011 Austin Film Festival in Austin, Texas:...
- 11/8/2011
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
“Film Criticism no longer has any meaning, it is reality we must analyze in a cinematic way.” – Hanns Zischler
There’s nothing more inducive of genuine pathos than a man who is bored with a franchise. Inevitably, he starts skeezin’ “his” subordinate labor, loses the things that are dear to him, and suffers in multiple paternity suits. Michael Bay is bored. How awesomely pathetic! What sort of industrial filmmaker are you, man? Yamada Yoji made forty-eight Tora-san movies, pal, and you can’t even push out three without whining like the free-spirited Wesleyan bluestocking you are in your crippled soul. You’ve even lost the truest dear, Armond White: “Now, there’s no poetry; just idiotic, unintelligible machine combat. While it easily out-astonishes Chris Nolan’s glum Inception, it defames the action-movie tradition and embarrasses the talent that makes Bay a great filmmaker.” Too much wild ink spilled in the...
There’s nothing more inducive of genuine pathos than a man who is bored with a franchise. Inevitably, he starts skeezin’ “his” subordinate labor, loses the things that are dear to him, and suffers in multiple paternity suits. Michael Bay is bored. How awesomely pathetic! What sort of industrial filmmaker are you, man? Yamada Yoji made forty-eight Tora-san movies, pal, and you can’t even push out three without whining like the free-spirited Wesleyan bluestocking you are in your crippled soul. You’ve even lost the truest dear, Armond White: “Now, there’s no poetry; just idiotic, unintelligible machine combat. While it easily out-astonishes Chris Nolan’s glum Inception, it defames the action-movie tradition and embarrasses the talent that makes Bay a great filmmaker.” Too much wild ink spilled in the...
- 10/23/2011
- MUBI
Ruben Fleischer's high-concept comedy 30 Minutes Or Less is out in UK cinemas today. But is it worth your time? Here’s Luke’s review…
Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on Jesse Eisenberg. If Eisenberg doesn't rob a bank and get a hundred thousand dollars for Danny McBride, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?
No, this is not Speed 3. A UB40 concert on a 20mph ocean liner killed off the possibility of that threequel. Rather, this is 30 Minutes Or Less, a film whose plot owes more than a passing resemblance to a piece of classic 90s action cinema, but whose heart lies in the decade before it. Barely seconds in, and we're already being treated to a Ferris Bueller homage.
Director Ruben Fleischer's first feature, Zombieland, was big on concept (it's the end of the world… and that's actually quite a fun thing...
Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on Jesse Eisenberg. If Eisenberg doesn't rob a bank and get a hundred thousand dollars for Danny McBride, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?
No, this is not Speed 3. A UB40 concert on a 20mph ocean liner killed off the possibility of that threequel. Rather, this is 30 Minutes Or Less, a film whose plot owes more than a passing resemblance to a piece of classic 90s action cinema, but whose heart lies in the decade before it. Barely seconds in, and we're already being treated to a Ferris Bueller homage.
Director Ruben Fleischer's first feature, Zombieland, was big on concept (it's the end of the world… and that's actually quite a fun thing...
- 9/16/2011
- Den of Geek
Every other Sunday in Austin, TX from May 29th - Sept 4th, Cinema East is hosting outdoor film screenings at the French Legation Museum. On August 7th we had the pleasure of speaking with Alison Bagnall about her film The Dish & the Spoon. "Bagnall (who co-wrote Buffalo ‘66 with Vincent Gallo) takes a fairly extreme risk allowing Gerwig to portray Rose’s turmoil and anguish with intense sincerity during some scenes while playing the same emotions for comedic affect in other scenes. Bagnall also reveals a real (or reel) knack for never allowing The Dish & the Spoon to veer too far into the realm of overly precious tweeness. Recalling Blue Valentine, an all-so-cute song and dance scene is one of the lighthearted highlights of an otherwise emotionally emancipating film. The Dish & the Spoon is incredibly sincere and brutally honest in its portrayal of the highs and lows of relationships -- especially...
- 8/24/2011
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Humans are naturally curious creatures. When presented with the prospect of something new or unknown, we want to examine it to find out what it’s all about. Film is no exception, with audiences and theorists feverishly devouring information about upcoming releases. The very act of watching a film is one of curiosity: Alfred Hitchcock spoke of audiences “dipping their toe in the cold waters of fear”, while classics like Peeping Tom and Blue Velvet have characterised audiences as being profoundly voyeuristic.
But recently this insatiable curiosity has taken a worrying turn. Anyone who has seen a recent trailer for any Hollywood production cannot have failed to notice that most give away almost of all the plot of the film they are meant to be selling. It has become common practice for studios to put out several trailers in succession, each revealing more and more about the plot and look of a given film.
But recently this insatiable curiosity has taken a worrying turn. Anyone who has seen a recent trailer for any Hollywood production cannot have failed to notice that most give away almost of all the plot of the film they are meant to be selling. It has become common practice for studios to put out several trailers in succession, each revealing more and more about the plot and look of a given film.
- 8/2/2011
- by Daniel Mumby
- Obsessed with Film
This is regarding the Your Highness: Swords & Sorcery Supreme event we posted on Facebook. If you’re just hearing about it now, the RSVPs are closed and counted and we will not be taking anymore. Thanks for your understanding.
Wow. We had quite a day trying to get this event set up, and due to some miscommunication, things got… well.. miscommunicated. Let’s start from the beginning! We get a lot of opportunities to bring you guys advanced promotional screenings for soon-to-be-released films. These opportunities usually come in the form of a studio request and are usually promoted via Facebook. Facebook isn’t necessarily the strongest system for managing the sheer volume of excited people RSVPing to these events, however, and this became very clear today.We are already moving forward on a new system that will allow us to announce RSVPs to our loyal Facebook followers but use...
Wow. We had quite a day trying to get this event set up, and due to some miscommunication, things got… well.. miscommunicated. Let’s start from the beginning! We get a lot of opportunities to bring you guys advanced promotional screenings for soon-to-be-released films. These opportunities usually come in the form of a studio request and are usually promoted via Facebook. Facebook isn’t necessarily the strongest system for managing the sheer volume of excited people RSVPing to these events, however, and this became very clear today.We are already moving forward on a new system that will allow us to announce RSVPs to our loyal Facebook followers but use...
- 3/24/2011
- by Caitlin Stevens
- OriginalAlamo.com
Rob Lowe is one funny man, as witnessed by his outstanding performance as over-the-top Eddie Nero on Showtime's "Californication," and now as the returning diva-man on NBC's "Parks & Rec." Rob is cast as Eddie Nero in Californication on Showtime this Sunday, January 16, 2011 and then as regular cast member Chris Traeger on NBC Thursday, January 20, 2011 when Parks & Recreation begins Season 3. The video below shows how the hiatus of "Parks and Recreation" is played as a total shocker by Lowe, who in this clip pulls a classic Don Simpson-esque temper tantrum, replete with scathing profanity and violence towards fellow cast members. All network teaser ads should be this entertaining: Rob...
- 1/18/2011
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Ryan Reynolds stars in the high concept thriller, Buried. But can a film set in one location, with just one actor possibly sustain our interest? Here’s Luke’s review…
Sometime around the mid 1980s, the phrase ‘high concept' became intertwined with a certain type of blockbuster. Tom Cruise is a fighter pilot, Eddie Murphy is a cop in Beverley Hills, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito are twins.
It came to be frowned upon, spelling out a film's storyline on the poster and giving little beyond that. Yet, even before the age of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, two men synonymous with the art, people were making high concept movies. And perhaps none did it better than Alfred Hitchcock. Rear Window, The Birds, Strangers On A Train and countless others could all be lumped under that banner. Though you suspect that Hitchcock's motives were less about the easy sell, and...
Sometime around the mid 1980s, the phrase ‘high concept' became intertwined with a certain type of blockbuster. Tom Cruise is a fighter pilot, Eddie Murphy is a cop in Beverley Hills, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito are twins.
It came to be frowned upon, spelling out a film's storyline on the poster and giving little beyond that. Yet, even before the age of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, two men synonymous with the art, people were making high concept movies. And perhaps none did it better than Alfred Hitchcock. Rear Window, The Birds, Strangers On A Train and countless others could all be lumped under that banner. Though you suspect that Hitchcock's motives were less about the easy sell, and...
- 9/27/2010
- Den of Geek
Last night Smells Like Screen Spirit Executive Writer Don Simpson (Winnebago Man | Review) and I had the pleasure to attend the Winnebago Man homecoming screening at The Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar in Austin, TX. Not only did we get to sit and enjoy the film with an Alamo Drafthouse crowd, but the filmmakers (Director: Ben Steinbauer, Producer: Joel Heller) were also in attendance to bring the documentary full-circle by introducing and holding a special Q&A after the screening. What made this Q&A so special you ask? Well, just as the Q&A was getting fired up, director Ben Steinbauer pulls out his mobile phone and calls up the legendary Winnebago Man himself, Jack Rebney. For those of you that are unaware of the man who is also known as 'The Angriest Man in the World"... Winnebago Man tells the story of an unlikely folk hero named Jack Rebney,...
- 8/23/2010
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Winnebago Man – Comes Home To Austin! This Weekend Join the Austin filmmakers for the theatrical premiere of the acclaimed comedy documentary, Winnebago Man! Friday night, August 20th, and Saturday night, August 21st at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar Screenings begin at 7:30 Pm both nights, followed by Q&As with Austin filmmakers Ben Steinbauer (director) and Joel Heller (producer). The star of the film, Jack Rebney, will join the audience by phone to answer questions. Afterwards, meet the filmmakers at the Highball next door to celebrate. The film will continue its initial one week run at the Alamo Ritz Sun-Thu, with nightly screenings, also followed by filmmaker Q&As. Seating is limited. Reserve your Advance tickets for Friday & Saturday. About the film: Winnebago Man tells the story of an unlikely folk hero named Jack Rebney, an 80-year-old curmudgeon, who The New Yorker describes as a cross between John Wayne, Robin Williams and a Royal Tenenbaum.
- 8/17/2010
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
By Ali Naderzad - July 20, 2010
We live in strange times. A red-haired thirtysomething British man with the face of a Roman consul is beating all B.O expectations with his latest cerebral action drama, and Jerry Bruckheimer, our clean-cut and celebrated big-shot producer who survived his partnership with Don Simpson and lined up one hit after monstrous hit since is in trouble, spelled out to the tune of multimillion dollar losses.
The straw that may break the camel’s back for Bruckheimer's role with Disney is the disappointing performance of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which cost Disney 150M but more importantly was supposed to start a new franchise. Franchising is essential to the long-term prospects of top-tier studios like Disney, since one succesful tentpole, a financial buffer no longer, is not as interesting as a Godzilla-like franchise generating three or four blockbusters and slaying the box office everytime. That is...
We live in strange times. A red-haired thirtysomething British man with the face of a Roman consul is beating all B.O expectations with his latest cerebral action drama, and Jerry Bruckheimer, our clean-cut and celebrated big-shot producer who survived his partnership with Don Simpson and lined up one hit after monstrous hit since is in trouble, spelled out to the tune of multimillion dollar losses.
The straw that may break the camel’s back for Bruckheimer's role with Disney is the disappointing performance of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which cost Disney 150M but more importantly was supposed to start a new franchise. Franchising is essential to the long-term prospects of top-tier studios like Disney, since one succesful tentpole, a financial buffer no longer, is not as interesting as a Godzilla-like franchise generating three or four blockbusters and slaying the box office everytime. That is...
- 7/20/2010
- by Screen Comment
- Screen Comment
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