Links: Video Game Movies, Big Lebowski Reads, Oscar Site Purchases
Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 11:37AM David Poland won't review Pixels 'because... why?'
Variety Our Brand is Crisis starring Sandra Bullock gets an October 30th release date. With that film, The Walk and Freeheld all coming out it could be a huge year for features based on documentaries at the Oscars
TFE in case you missed it Ann Dowd is in that film, too and loved being part of the ensemble
Towleroad I interviewed the director/star of Do I Sound Gay?, a documentary on the gay voice that's out right now
The Guardian reviews the latest Jason Reitman live read (The Big Lebowski) and loves on Michael Fassbender as "The Dude" and Patton Oswalt (in John Goodman's role of "Walter" and Mae Whitman (multiple parts) in particular. Not so much Jennifer Lawrence in Julianne Moore's original part
Variety interviews legendary documentarian Barbara Kopple. My shame: I've still never seen Harlan County, USA but people always say it's amazing
Comics Alliance on rumors about "Robin" in Batman v Superman. He might be played by Zach Snyder's son Eli who has only worked for his dad but it's "not entirely" and only "sort of" nepotism. (Related: on the internet, words continue to lose their meanings)
/Film looks at upcoming video game based movies. I don't play video games so none of this means anything to me but if you do... (I amend. There's one I'll see called Assassin's Creed but that's only because Fassy and Cotillard are both in on the heels of co-starring in Macbeth)
Awards Daily loves Grandma and agrees with us that Lily Tomlin needs to be in the Best Actress conversation
Gold Derby I forgot to mention that they were bought up by a larger media company so congrats to Tom O'Neill. That leaves David Poland, Jeffrey Wells, Sasha Stone and little ol' me as the last of the original indies still doing this. Not everyone wants to be bought up... I'm not sure who I'd be without The Film Experience... but on the other hand, money is nice. green. useful.
Off Cinema
Esquire has a fascinating/terrifying long read on climate scientist 'what if the end of the world was your day job?'
Stage Buddy for Kander & Ebb's 50th anniversary, a ranking of their top 50 songs. Wow this is comprehensive. The order is all out of whack (Cabaret and Chicago combined only get 3 songs in the top 25!) but still, good job Andrew! This reminded me how much I loved the music in The Visit and how great the music is in New York New York.
Speaking of... here's your Showtune to Go from The Scottsboro Boys (2010) which I'm so sad I never saw during its Broadway run (this song "Go Back Home" which comes fairly early in the show is so gorgeous). I only heard raves and it won 12 Tony nominations but in the season of The Book of Mormon there was no oxygen for the competition. Maybe someone will one day make it into a movie?
Reader Comments (14)
"Maybe This Time" is such a good choice. Perfect scene from a perfect movie.
That Kander and Ebb piece is a great read, with plenty of unexpected selections. Multiple selections from "Woman of the Year" but NOT "The Grass is Always Greener"?
Kander and Ebb stat: They have the three biggest 'losers" in Tony history. The Scottsboro Boys lost 12 Tony nominations (0 for 12). Steel Pier and the original production of Chicago went 0 for 11.
The Scottsboro Boys was sublime on stage. Caught it mere days before it closed and I'm so happy I did, but god is that entire song list a vivid reminder of K&E's talent!
The seven video game movies and level of excitement?
Assassin's Creed: 6/10 (The team alone deserves that much credit, but I'm not sure something that's this blatantly a medium self commentary should have been looked at for adaptation. It's like making a Rear Window film.)
Warcraft: 8/10 (Team's good, won't be an awkward adaptation. Should be an easy, plausibly done in one fantasy story.)
Splinter Cell: 5/10 (It sounds like the script could be overwritten to the point of being swiss cheese and the last time Hollywood tried to capture the tone of an actual stealth game, we got HITMAN.)
Minecraft: 7/10 (Mostly, I just want someone of the Always Sunny team to be successful outside of the show. Good on ya man for getting a gig that'll make a KILLING.)
Metal Gear Solid: 1/10 (If there was EVER a game that DEMANDED full blown Miniseries treatment, it was MGS. There's way too much for any movie to get to nearly enough of it. The first Metal Gear Solid game that they'd presumably want to do? 194 minutes of cutscenes. Yeah, just go with a suite of miniseries', guys, because the narratives only get LONGER from the first entry.)
The Last of Us: 4/10 (Even if they know what they're doing, The Last of Us is mostly just okay. There's nothing it spectacularly messes up, but there's also nothing it really nails.)
Portal: 3/10 (JJ Abrams. What a waste of a promising sci-fi comedy. And let's be clear, Portal is the job of a comedy director. JJ Abrams is not good at comedy and if he's going to touch anything Valve related it should probably be Half-Life.)
Sorry, that "Rear Window film" should say "Rear Window video game". Brain cramp.
Surprised but happy to see 'My Colo(u)ring Book' in the Kander and Ebb Top 10. My favourite version is by Agnetha Faltskog from ABBA, recorded in 2004.
Hopefully Gold Derby's new owner will make the Forums a bit busier.
Loved that Kander and Ebb list. I was happy to see "But the World Goes Round" up so high. Such an underrated song by one of the all time best. Liza never phones in a goddamn thing. The way she uses her hands, face, and body...so reminiscent of her mother, but uniquely her all the same. You just feel everything she's feeling. Kids should be forced to watch this stuff in elementary school. See, this is what a real artist looks like!
The Kander & Ebb top 10 is almost impeachable, but I would put "The Money Tree" in it and move "Life Is" down a notch.
UNipeachable (or impeccable)
I was at the live read and it was so much fun! I thought Fassbender was just okay, but Patton Oswalt was indeed brilliant. I'd also say TJ Miller was really good and Mike Judge does a mean Sam Elliott impression. Who knew?
I'd cut Jennifer Lawrence some slack here. Maude's dialogue is not the easiest to read in any context, especially a glorified table read, and looks like she was only cast a few days ago on top of that.
Here's hoping you can stay indie, and that Kris Tapley finds his way back to the game soon.
I thought Fassbender was just okay, but Patton Oswalt was indeed brilliant. I'd also say TJ Miller was really good and Mike Judge does a mean Sam Elliott impression. March 2017 calendar template can use to note the date and timeing of all movies.
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