All Eyez on Geronimo, Psycho, and the Pink Ladies
Friday, June 16, 2017 at 12:00PM Happy weekend... almost. I'm in the Berkshires with a girlfriend and she informs me very emphatically that it's not the weekend until 5 PM. Why rush to the end of her vacation as its back to work with her on Monday.
5 ways to honor this day (June 16th) in showbiz history
1995 Batman Forever opens in movie theaters to a then record-breaking weekend with new Bruce Wayne Val Kilmer and rising star Nicole Kidman as his love interest. Curiously it's the second most nominated Batman movie at the Oscars (3 nominations to The Dark Knight's 8). Isn't that strange?
In its honor today: Risk garishness in your fabulousity.
1978 Grease opens in movie theaters. Becomes one of the most successful movie musicals of all time.
In its honor today: Make sure to quote it with abandon today. There are so many useful quips. "Tell me about it, stud"... "with relish!"... "she looks too pure to be pink" etcetera...
1971 Tupac Shakur is born. The rapper becomes a household name in the 1990s but is murdered at only 25 years of age. Given his records and even his skill as an actor (see Poetic Justice) what would he have brought us if he had lived?
In his honor: Go see All Eyez on Me, a new biopic, which opens in theaters today on what would have been his 46th birthday.
1960 Psycho has its world premiere in New York City and becomes a true no-one-allowed-in-the-theater-late sensation upon release later that year. Alfred Hitchcock's horror masterpiece is one of the most influential movies ever made and also one of the best.
In its honor today: Take a long shower, scream, then towel off. Nobody murdered you -so cathartic!
1956 Writer Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar) married poet Ted Hughes on this day. She committed suicide half a year after they separated seven years later. They were played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig in the movie Sylvia (2003).
In their honor today: If you are experiencing depression or someone you know is, seek professional help. There's no shame in it and you can lead a much fuller life. Also, wish Kirsten Dunst well in her attempt to make a movie of The Bell Jar.
More anniversaries
MOVIE RELEASES: The Reluctant Astronaut with Don Knotts (1967), Ghostbusters II (1989), The Lake House reuniting Sandra & Keanu (2006); ACTORS BORN: Stan Laurel (1890), Dame Eileen Atkins (1934), Joan Van Ark (1943), Leland Palmer (1945) of All that Jazz fame, Emmy and now Tony winner Laurie Metcalf (1955), Clifton Collins Jr (1970), John Cho (1972), Eddie Cibrian (1973), Daniel Bruhl (1978), Sibel Kekili (1980), Nathan Parsons (1988);
Wes Studi as Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
OTHER LUMINARIES BORN: Geronimo, Apache leader. Remember that movie the movie Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)? I only vaguely remember it but was so thankful that Wes Studi managed a big lead role after his terrific turn in The Last of the Mohicans (1992). [Tangent: The Cherokee actor popped up again recently in the 3rd season of Penny Dreadful which, I know this is confusing given the air dates, is eligible for this year's Emmys. Not that Emmys will honor it but one can always dream. ] Fire Over England director William K Howard (1893-1954), Genius cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (1930-2016), writer Joyce Carol Oates (1938), Oscar nominated production designer David Gropman (1952), and Model Jenny Shimizu (1967), and Oscar winning makeup artist Tami Lane of Lord of the Rings fame (1974).
Reader Comments (13)
Batman Forever is a guilty pleasure of mine. TLJ hamming it up to the Moon and back. And Kidman war just RRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......
Batman Forever is the second *worst* in the franchise (and, yes, that includes the two most recent). The cameos and soundtrack, however, are choice and delicious.
I have to say, "Batman Forever" is a film I really like... at the moment, I thought that it was a fresh restart of the franchise, going to a more campy, fun, homage to 60's TV Batman but also to the asthetics of the Carmine Infantino run on the comic book. Jim Carrey was a great choice for Enigma, Val Kilmer did make a more believable body for Batman than Keaton's (but his Bruce Wayne wasn't on par), and Chris O'Donnell was a letown as Robin (too old)... but Schumacher's direction was mostly on target and the film was, again, more fun than both Burton's combined. I do prefer it, actually to any other Batman film but The Dark Knight and The Lego Batman Movie.
On Dame Eileen Atkins... she was Oscar-worthy in "The Lost Language of Cranes", starring along / opposite Brian Cox (who also was at that level)... a pity the film was made for TV and didn't have a theater qualification run because it's not only great, it was a nomination slam-dunk for both stars, had the film been promoted.
Batman Forever was quite good.
@Sonja
Co-sign. I have a theory that every actress has one film they can always look back on as the movie where she looked the best and will never look better. I don't know if it is BF or To Die For
Palrtow's best performance in Sylvia,noone mentions it now.
I miss Gwyneth as an actress, not Goop. She really can be luminous when she tries.
Kidman looks gorgeous in "Batman Forever". Kilmer was very good too.
As far as Tupac goes: In his honour: Dust off an old album of his, and bathe in his words.
I'm still not sure how Batman Forever snabbed a Cinematography nomination, but I'm all for it.
Paltrow getting the Sylvia Plath part was a wasted opportunity. I would have rather seen Kate Winslet for example, meaning someone who can emote and add depth to this complicated woman.
I live for the Nolan Batmans (I DO!), but I think Joel Schumacher is the only other film director to understand the series and the characters, even given some of the missteps. His treatment of Alfred in Batman & Robin, for instance, recognizing the importance of this father figure and how it's sometimes at odds with the master-servant relationship....
Also love Batman Forever for letting Tommy Lee Jones have a genuine blast on screen, which he rarely seems to do.
If reports are to be believed, the reason Tommy Lee Jones was so hammy and over-the-top in Batman Forever was because he didn't get along with Jim Carrey and was angry that he--an Oscar-winning actor--was being paid less than him--who had *just* become a star at that point. So TLJ decided to take every opportunity to try and upstage Carrey and beat him at his own game.