tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100509492009-08-17T08:05:59.471-07:00Interact! Post your comments, rants and raves.Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1161358267507209542006-10-20T08:26:00.000-07:002006-10-20T08:31:07.520-07:00

Early on in Stephen Frears’ The Queen, Elizabeth II sits for a portrait. It also happens to be Britain’s election day. When the painter remarks that he’s already gone to cast his vote, Helen Mirren’s QEII tells him she envies him—he and his private right to “the sheer joy of being partial.” It’s a telling moment, to be sure, and many reviewers have picked up on the line as a touchstone to

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1161357146268390422006-10-20T08:05:00.000-07:002006-10-20T08:12:27.116-07:00

Somewhere back in my teenage years, I sat down of a Saturday afternoon and watched a black-and-white film about Ira Hayes, the American Indian who was one of the soldiers in that famous flag-raising photo atop Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi. The film was The Outsider, starring Tony Curtis as Hayes and directed by Delbert Mann (Marty, Desire Under the Elms, That Touch of Mink). It was a startling

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1161356626686172392006-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:002006-10-20T08:03:47.476-07:00

When the Flags of Our Fathers press tour came to Seattle, MovieFreak’s Sara Fetters and I had a chance to talk with Barry Pepper, the veteran actor of Saving Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers, among other films. In Flags, Pepper plays Sergeant Mike Strank, the platoon leader who shepherds his grunts through the opening days of the battle for Iwo Jima.GW: What do you feel that Flags of Our

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1161354796147188602006-10-20T07:30:00.000-07:002006-10-20T07:39:57.053-07:00

The problem of leisure: what to do for pleasure?About three-quarters of the way into Sofia Coppola’s exploration of France’s pre-Napoleonic monarchy, I finally got some idea of what Coppola was after. Boy, was I relieved. To that point, all I seemed to be seeing on the screen was an extremely languorous tour of French cuisine and fashion at the height of pre-revolution excess. The 1979 Gang of

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1160742816179292862006-10-13T05:22:00.000-07:002006-10-13T05:33:36.323-07:00

Why bring a second Truman Capote biopic to the screen, particularly one that covers the same period of the writer’s storied career as the Oscar-winning Capote? Coincidence, business issues, and critical opinion aside, writer/director Douglas McGrath is simply interested in a different aspect of Capote’s persona.Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Carino Chocano remarked that Philip Seymour Hoffman

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1160741908760602832006-10-13T05:09:00.000-07:002006-10-13T05:18:28.780-07:00

Man of the Year is a sure-fire, topical, relevant Robin Williams comedic vehicle that simply sputters due to the wrong kind of fuel. Director Barry Levinson seems completely at home with the lightly amusing fable of a Stewart-esque cable-comedy icon named Tom Dobbs who runs as an independent candidate for President. Yet Levinson invests far too much of the movie’s second half in attempting to

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1160054629318282262006-10-05T06:20:00.000-07:002006-10-05T06:24:30.183-07:00

A fitting match for its subject, Kevin Macdonald’s The Last King of Scotland alternately charms and bludgeons, tells lucid truths and weaves fantastical fictions, walks the straight and narrow and then wanders off into the weeds.The bulk of the movie’s factual elements deals with the very real, very human, and very monstrous Idi Amin. Not unlike the fictive Willie Stark in Steve Zaillian’s All

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1159553801201849342006-09-29T11:12:00.000-07:002006-09-29T11:16:41.206-07:00

The prevailing trend in documentary filmmaking is to abandon the illusion of objectivity. Michael Moore might be most responsible for this development, stepping out from behind the camera to be an active participant in the filmmaking itself, in the entertainment that his movies provide, and in helping to shape the events that his films portray. This has been Moore’s shtick since Roger and Me.

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1159553145060859292006-09-29T11:04:00.000-07:002006-09-29T11:12:09.356-07:00

Time for me to put up or shut up.Earlier this year, in a commentary regarding Superman Returns published at Jeffrey Overstreet’s Looking Closer, I whined, “It’s always comforting, I guess, to know that my next $200 million Whopper will taste just like my last $200 million Whopper… Sure, [the summer] blockbusters have all been entertaining in their own way, and they delivered what the fan base

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1158951202594879742006-09-22T11:51:00.000-07:002006-09-22T11:53:22.596-07:00

We all have our suspicions. We have all found situations in which we think, “Something’s not quite right here.” And very often, we are correct. Many times it turns out that we have been lied to, taken advantage of, duped and deceived.Jack Burden, the narrator of All the King’s Men, describes that feeling as a nagging distraction, “the way an offstage noise bothers you.” He speaks, I think, as

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1158950824962383642006-09-22T11:45:00.000-07:002006-09-22T11:51:06.886-07:00

Well, not all films “based on a true story” are created equal. That’s just a fact.I’ve seen a lot of these in the last year or so. First there was The Greatest Game Ever Played, which was not the greatest movie ever made; it seemed more interested in CGI scoreboards than it was in golf, and what golf means to people. Then there was End of the Spear, which was a vast improvement, recognizing

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1158941288004717172006-09-22T09:06:00.000-07:002006-09-22T09:55:31.290-07:00

"NC-17: This rating declares that the Rating Board believes this is a film that most parents will consider patently too adult for their youngsters under 17. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not necessarily mean obscene or pornographic; in the oft-accepted or legal meaning of those words. The Board does not and cannot mark films with those words. These are legal terms for courts to decide.

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1158261341465168352006-09-14T12:13:00.000-07:002006-09-14T12:22:41.506-07:00

One of the things I hate worst about most football movies is that the night games seem to be played during a power outage. This frustrating trend became popular years ago, beginning with the opening scene of Tony Scott's The Last Boy Scout (1991), during which Damon Wayans' Jimmy Dix scampers around a football field seemingly lit with a single desk lamp. I think I had more light than that when I

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1157088931934020082006-08-31T22:31:00.000-07:002006-09-22T12:36:01.676-07:00

What’s the lame cliché? “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” In the lame cliché that is Crossover, those who can, do; and those who can’t, leech.Vaughn (Wayne Brady) once aspired to be a big-shot NBA agent. He even sports a championship ring that one of his clients ostensibly gave him as a thank-you gift. But somewhere along the line, this wuz-gonna became a once-did. He set up shop

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1156527765444894502006-08-25T10:35:00.000-07:002006-08-25T10:42:45.483-07:00

Idlewild is the tale of Rooster and Percival, two young boys from opposing sides of the tracks who grow up in a fictional, gangster-ridden Georgia town. Percival’s father is a mortician, and the dutiful, motherless son grows into his father’s intimidating footsteps—becomes a reserved, respectable contributor to civilized society. Rooster’s father, on the other hand, dies prematurely, and the

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1155821166394527442006-08-17T06:24:00.000-07:002006-08-17T06:26:06.413-07:00

Entertainment Weekly recently reported that a remake of Revenge of the Nerds is in the works. Why bother? After all, do nerds really need revenge these days? Wasn’t Ross on Friends kind of nerdy? The X-Files’ Mulder even made nerds sexy, reportedly, and Drew Carey has made a career out of being a nerd — and, of course, there’s the Verizon guy. Can you hear me now? Besides, Accepted

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1154644410450061702006-08-03T15:31:00.000-07:002006-08-03T15:33:30.453-07:00

I couldn’t wait to see The Descent, the latest horror film from writer/director Neil Marshall. It’s not that I love horror films. I don’t. What hooked me was hearing that The Descent was set in a cave.I used to be an avid spelunker. Back in 1997, I found myself stuck in a narrow passage of Capricorn Caverns on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. My friend Dave and I had signed up for the cavern’s

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1154644296554728542006-08-03T15:29:00.000-07:002006-08-03T15:31:36.566-07:00

I never know quite what to expect from Steve Oedekerk, the mind behind such films as the Ace Ventura series, Patch Adams, The Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty. His movies tend to range anywhere from high-concept comedy to low drama—so it’s no surprise, I suppose, that Barnyard is a mixed bag.Oedekerk is very up front in admitting that the concept behind his latest film is of the highest

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1151006346967547932006-06-22T12:46:00.000-07:002006-06-22T12:59:07.016-07:00

Michael Newman is a talented architect for a high-powered firm. He wants to be partner. Michael Newman is also a father and husband. He wants to be a partner there, too. But he’s stretched too thin, and can’t fully satisfy his ridiculous boss while paying attention to his family, too.One evening, while dead tired, he goes in search of a universal remote control in order to help him simplify his

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1150427841598384272006-06-15T19:50:00.000-07:002006-06-15T20:17:21.613-07:00

My wife and I are really into word games. In airports, we draw stares when we crossword-race. To do this, we buy two copies of identical crossword puzzle books, and race to connect opposing corners. By and large, Jenn wins—but we're fairly matched. But word search races? She usually beats me by seven or eight words. And the first time we played Boggle? I had maybe 23 points to her 100. And the

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1149595787113766242006-06-06T05:01:00.000-07:002006-06-06T05:25:10.176-07:00

I missed out on the original Omen/Exorcist craze in the 70s. By the time I caught up with things, it was 1984 and The Exorcist III had just come out. I went to see it at the old UA Cinemas in downtown Seattle, and was one of only four or five people at a late-night midweek screening. The experience creeped me out to such an extent that to this day I shudder at the thought: William Peter Blatty

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1149213640728762472006-06-01T18:42:00.000-07:002006-06-03T09:22:51.420-07:00

An Interview with Mia FarrowOn Tuesday, June 6 (06/06/06—get it?), director John Moore (Flight of the Phoenix) and 20th Century Fox bring us a remake of the 1976 horror "classic" The Omen. Mia Farrow, who opened her career long ago with another horror film, Rosemary's Baby, brings her list of roles full circle with a turn as Damien's nanny, Mrs. Baylock. I sat in on roundtable interviews on press

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1149212496617198542006-06-01T18:35:00.000-07:002006-06-02T06:16:18.640-07:00

The Break-up not only carries on the tradition of romantic comedies, it dares to make them grow up. Think “When Sally Left Harry.” Think of all the Boomers you know whose marriages have busted. Think of how humorous all that can be.Given the genre, I was expecting a movie along the lines of so many Meg Ryan romantic comedies, movies in which there’s plenty of angst on the journey toward a (more

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1147983377589767622006-05-18T12:55:00.000-07:002006-05-28T15:41:47.700-07:00

Singer-actor Bjork and artist-auteur Matthew Barney have collaborated to produce the ninth entry in Barney's series of artworks based on his theory of artistic and creative resistance. This particular effort is cinematic, and represents arthouse cinema at its best—and its worst.It's hard to know what to say about a movie like this. I'm fortunate, I imagine, that my computer ate my first attempt

Greg & Jenn Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11673366398466811918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10050949.post-1146190524660618212006-04-27T19:10:00.000-07:002006-04-27T19:29:06.836-07:00

LINKS:— Overview— Cast and Crew— Photo Pages 2005 was all about winning. Cinderella Man, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Dreamer, Glory Road (okay, that was early 2006)—coming out on top was a major part of all these stories. 2006 is shaping up a little differently.Not because Glory Road taught us that winning doesn’t change quite everything—no, we already knew that. No, this spring’s crop of

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