Crystal Ball for the Globes

The Golden Globes air tomorrow night, and while I did not post about the nominees, I may as well speculate on who I think will win. It's always a fun, loose event, enjoyable to watch - and that was before they got Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to host. Twice.

So! Predictions! If I haven't followed a category with "should win", it means the win I predict is also the one I want. And, of course, movies only, since I know next to nothing about what goes on in the TV world...

DRAMA 
PICTURE: Gravity
should win: 12 Years a Slave
ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
should win: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) or Robert Redford (All is Lost)
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

COMEDY/MUSICAL 
PICTURE: American Hustle
ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
should win: Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) or Joaquin Phoenix (Her)
ACTRESS: Amy Adams, American Hustle

IN GENERAL 
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
should win: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
SCREENPLAY: Eric Warren Singer/David O. Russell, American Hustle
should win: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
should win: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
should win: Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
SCORE: Steven Price, Gravity
should win: Alexander Ebert, All is Lost
SONG: "Let It Go", Frozen
ANIMATED: Frozen
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color

You May Also Enjoy:

ZergNet

Like us on Facebook

Casting Coup Tuesday: Young Frankenstein

One Sunday -- third grade, perhaps? -- I came home from a friend's house to see my parents watching a horror movie on TV. I was into old school horror for a while (still am): if it was black-and-white and had a Frankienstein or a vampire or a Chaney, I was in.

My parents seemed a trifle wary about my joining them...but my dad had a certain rule for even the most risque films: if it was awesome, it was the exception. So it was that I sat down and prepared to enjoy some creature feature thrills and chills.

But this Frankenstein movie seemed different. This one seemed....funny. And why were Mrs. White and Willy Wonka in this?

Well, you better believe by that Christmas I had Young Frankenstein on VHS. It was a favorite of mine, perfect for a rainy day. And as the years went by, I found more and more people who felt as I did. Imagine my excitement when, studying the original novel in high school, the teacher chose the Mel Brooks version as the finest cinematic execution of the conflict and themes Mary Shelley first portrayed. And even if it wasn't, it was entertaining enough to keep us quiet for a bit.

Since I was already a fan of the Universal films, Young Frankenstein offered more to me than just laughs. I appreciated Mel Brooks' affectionate homage on a technical level, from the sets to the cinematography to the acting to the music to...I mean, you get it. I was also surprised by the emotional depth: the Monster's climactic appeal for love and understanding for himself and his creator is beautifully written and performed, but it's Frederick's own acceptance of both the Monster and his family in the middle that has always struck me as the most moving scene in the film.

Young Frankenstein was equally successful with critics and audiences. At the box office, it was bested only by The Towering Inferno and Mel Brooks' other genre parody, Blazing Saddles. Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks found themsleves nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, while co-stars Cloris Leachman and Madeline Kahn earned Golden Globe nominations of their own. Richard Portman (who would eventually win for The Deer Hunter) and Gene Cantamessa (ditto for ET) were nominated for their sound work, but all the nominations in those "prestigious" awards bodies came to naught. Still -- when you're a black-and-white horror-comedy, going up against The Godfather: Part II on Hollywood's biggest night ain't bad.

Naturally, we can never let a good thing go, so it was inevitable that, following the success of his Broadway adaptation of The Producers, Brooks would choose Young Frankenstein as his follow-up. Actually, I think Young Frankenstein would be ripe for a musical transfer, but Brooks' music here is similar to that of The Producers. And let's face it, what's good for the satire about show business is not good for the homage to horror classics. But I bring this up not just to note the film's continued influence, but to mention that there is precedence for re-casting the roles of this classic comedy.

And here's mine:

ELIZABETH

Who is She: Frederick's fiancee, a high-maintenance city gal who surprises her love with an impromptu visit. She is kidnapped by the lustful Monster Frederick created....but finds herself not entirely displeased.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Paper Moon, Blazing Saddles), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Nixon)

Madeline Kahn (What's Up, Doc?, Clue)

My Choice: Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Doubt), Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Doubt, The Fighter), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress - Musical/Comedy (Enchanted), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Doubt, The Fighter)

Amy Adams (Trouble with the Curve, The Master)

She should play bitchy more often. And comedy.

INSPECTOR KEMP

Who is He: Transylvanian police inspector with the false arm, one eye and limp. Visits Frederick to assuage the village's fears, but later feels that it's about time to riot. His accent is so thick as to be barely comprehensible.

Originally played by:

Kenneth Mars (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, We're Back: A Dinosaur Story)

My Choice:

Matt Berry (Moon, Snow White and the Huntsman)

He of the distinctive voice, from the television shows "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" and "The IT Crowd". Could bring the authority that comes with being a police inspector, and certainly capable of executing the ridiculous.

FRAU BLUCHER

Who is She: Loyal housekeeper of Castle Frankenstein, she lures Frederick to Victor's diary, tempting him to also play God and create the Monster. In the past, she helped Victor...loved Victor...he was her boyfriend!

Originally played by: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Young Frankenstein), Academy Award/BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (The Last Picture Show), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress - Musical/Comedy (Charley and the Angel, Young Frankenstein) and Best Supporting Actress (The Last Picture Show), SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Spanglish)

Cloris Leachman (Sky High, The Oogieloves in: The Big Balloon Adventure)

My Choice:

Catherine O'Hara (Penelope, Away We Go)

One of the very best comic actresses in the business, so effective because she doesn't play comic characters, but people who happen to be amusing or funny or embarrassing. She's a master of voice-work: witness her playing multiple parts in Nightmare Before Christmas and Frankenweenie. Can't you just see her climbing up those stairs, fiddle in hand, screaming, "He vass my BOYFRIENNNNN'!"?

INGA

Who is She: Frederick's beautiful assistant, fiercely loyal, often up for a roll in ze hay.

Originally played by: Academy Award/BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Tootsie)

Teri Garr (Oh, God, Pret-a-Porter)

My Choice:

Malin Akerman (Watchmen, Rock of Ages)

Her work with the alum of The State on "Children's Hospital" and Wanderlust, and with Lisa Kudrow on "The Comeback", showcase her comic chops. Never playing down her beauty, yet never relying on looks alone, Akerman's one of the more exciting comediennes the decade's offered us. I'm pretty sure she can do the accent -- I know she's Swedish, which isn't the same at all as Transylvanian, but I feel like she could probably do a good German voice. And she's just so lovely!

IGOR

Who is He: Frederick's hump-backed assistant, grandson of the original Ygor. Eager to please, almost child-like, one of my favorites.

Originally played by: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Young Frankenstein), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Silent Movie)

Marty Feldman (The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins, The Last Remake of Beau Geste)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Frost/Nixon)

Toby Jones (Finding Neverland, City of Ember)

The man deserves every possible chance to prove himself. Although he gets funny bits in some of his roles, he has yet to really showcase his comic talents on film. Now is the time.

THE MONSTER

Who is He: Frederick's creation, blessed with a talent for Irving Berlin and an enormous schwanz.

Originally played by:

Peter Boyle (Taxi Driver, The Adventures of Pluto Nash)

My Choice:

Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement)

FREDERICK FRANKENSTEIN

Who is He: The American grandson of the Dr. Victor Frankenstein, seeking to distance himself from Grandpa's reputation by offering a different pronunciation of his name (Fronk-en-steen). Inheriting his grandfather's estate, he travels to Transylvania and finds himself caught in the same madness that haunted Victor: the creation of human life.

Originally played by: Hollmann Award Winner for Best Adapted Screenplay (Young Frankenstein), Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Producers) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Young Frankenstein), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor - Musical/Comedy (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Silver Streak), WGA Award Nominee for Best Adapted Comedy (Young Frankenstein)

Gene Wilder (Haunted Honeymoon, The Woman in Red)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (The Cider House Rules)

Paul Rudd (Clueless, Wanderlust)

His understated delivery works for him as much as it did Gene Wilder. But his more laid-back, everyman approach, even when playing prude, would guarantee a new interpretation that would still kill.

Casting Coup Tuesdays: The Swarm (a DISASTERPIECE)

I love The Swarm. I wish I owned it so I could watch it all the time always, maybe skip around to my favorite moments (but what isn't my favorite moment here?), watch the made-for-TV companion doc where they claim The Swarm is a warning. That would be awesome. As it is, I don't own it, so I have to make do with Netflix Instant Watch, and that's...that's just fine. Because no matter what, I get to bask in the glorious awful that is...The Swarm.

How does one describe it? Opening with a bunch of military men marching into a small military base, they find an alarm sounding off, a civilian van outside, and every uniformed man dead. The civilian is entomologist Brad Crane, and he is there to stop the killers of those men: African Killer Bees, brought to Texas by...storms, I guess? And anger? Anyway, Dr. Crane has been warning of the inevitable African Killer Bee invasion for years, and now his warnings have come true! Meanwhile, the small town of Marysville is preparing for their annual Flower Festival, which apparently attracts thousands of people from all over, what with Marysville's varied floral beauties. Of course, bees and flowers mix like chocolate and ice cream, so it's a natural target for the villains of the piece. Plus, they're right next to the military complex! It's only a matter of time!

There's so much to love here, from the awful effects to Jerry Goldsmith's genuinely awesome score to those performances. Oh, those performances! Thrill as Michael Caine SHOUTS. EVERY LINE.  Marvel at Richard Widmark's boredom. Wonder what the hell Katharine Ross is doing here -- the character does nothing, and Ross sees no reason to give her purpose. Olivia de Havilland and Henry Fonda are the major standouts by sheer virtue of the fact that they give surprisingly sincere, honest, real, GREAT performances. How classy was old Hollywood? So classy they could get into The Swarm and still deliver the hell out of it.

I'm always confused by the climax of the film. I dare not spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it, but if you don't care about such things -- or have already seen it -- join me in this thought, will you?: an oil slick? After two and a half hours of preaching about the dangers pesticides have on the environment, the great solution is to cover the Gulf of Mexico with an oil slick and set it on fire? Did BP sponsor Dr. Crane's research? It's absurd.

The Swarm is already tapped for a remake, somehow. Can one improve on the audacity, the self-seriousness, the insanity of the original? I doubt it, but God bless 'em for trying. Perhaps they'd consider some of my suggestions?

DEATHS: 10

ROMANCES: oh my God...all out of nowhere...I'm gonna say 3, but one of those is a love triangle

Casting Coup Month: Elmer Gantry

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture

Best Actor - Burt Lancaster (WON)

Best Supporting Actress - Shirley Jones (WON)

Best Adapted Screenplay - Richard Brooks (WON)

Best Score, Drama/Comedy - Andre Previn

I think I saw Elmer Gantry in the fall of 2009 or thereabouts. It was one of those things that happens on a Sunday afternoon: bored, channel-surfing, checking out what's on TCM. Well, as it happens, I saw Robert osborne talking, which meant that either I just missed or was just in time for whatever was happening; and when he said, "Here, from 1960, Elmer Gantry," I sat the fuck down. I had no idea what it was about, but I did know that it won the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress for Burt Lancaster and Shirley Jones. As an Oscar completist, it was VITAL that I check this out.

It had me from the first title card, a disclaimer reassuring its audience that the depiction of evangelists within the film was not reflective of the majority, but of a small minority exploiting the faith of their congregation. Now, I don't know what y'all know about me, but I went to church for years -- YEARS. I'd say I was probably sixteen or seventeen when I stopped going. I went through four pastors and three churches, with occasional visits to other places of worship. Jewish, non-denominational, Catholic, Baptist...and my family is Adventist. One of my last days at church was an argument with my Sabbath School teacher and fellow students about homosexuality. Apparently, I was wrong for not believing that prayer makes gayness go away, for thinking gay people were not headed to Hell, nor did they need saving. At the same time, you will never see a more devoted, loyal, there-for-you group of people than churchgoers. Warm and loving, truly a group that loves the sinner even while they hate the sin. Hell, our Sabbath School teacher was a rabid liberal otherwise, outright saying that Bush was ruining the country and Clinton was a sexy man. Church is funny.

Anyway. My point is, stories about religion, the church, the faithful, etc., hold an interest for me. That Elmer Gantry boasted this and Oscar cred was enough to keep me in front of that TV for at least an hour. By the end of the movie, I knew I had seen one of my favorites. I was taken aback by the masterful performance given by Burt Lancaster in the title role. You can hear Jesus in Elmer's voice, even when you know that's the furthest from his mind. Shirley Jones plays the bad girl well, while Jean Simmons was unfairly snubbed for her powerful performance as the lady preacher who believes in her work...and her own press. The score by Andre Previn had me from the first note. By the time the movie ended, my jaw was dropped, my arms were goosebumped, and I felt lifted.

So of course I read the original novel by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1927. And man, was that a difference. It's about 500 pages, I think, but the material that provides the basis of the film takes up only five chapters, with details from later and earlier chapters thrown in. For example: My favorite character from the movie is Arthur Kennedy's atheist journalist who is both Elmer's conscience, rival, and friend, Jim Lefferts. While the novel does feature an atheist friend of Elmer's named Jim Lefferts, he is only an influence in the first couple of chapters, taking place at the University. The Lefferts of the film is probably writer-director Richard Brooks, with some influences from the novel's Frank Shallard, a rival of Elmer's at seminary who, though he becomes a preacher, secretly turns to atheism. The film spans a year or two; the novel spans thirty years. Elmer's ex-lover Lulu Bains is a dumb housewife in the novel; in the film, she is a cynical prostitute. And, of course, there's Sister Sharon Falconer, who Lewis portrays as more crazy and less Christian than her celluloid counterpart.

They are interesting as companion pieces, as a look at methods of adaptation. Sinclair Lewis himself told Brooks to make extensive changes, advising him to read criticisms beforehand so that he wouldn't make the same mistakes (Sinclair Lewis was awesome). Since the material is so ripe, however -- and since the subject matter is as timely now as it was back then -- I've often wondered when a remake would come...and what it would look like. I invite you to take a look for yourself...apres le jump:

A Jive with Five

Oy, how to put five reviews up lickety-split? I may have to go shallow on this one.

BLACK SWAN

One of the best horror films in recent years. Sexy and psychotic, something Brian de Palma, Dario Argento and David Cronenberg could have cooked up together. Natalie Portman's lead performance as the fragile innocent falling into madness is mesmerizing. It's a rush to see her transformation, from a virginal ballerina to a sexually-charged performer. I often thought to myself, "Where is this going to go? What happens next? Is she really going to pick at that? ew ew ew ew AHHHHH THAT WOULD STING!" Whether it be those scratches on her back, a hangnail, or even the fluttering of arms, the body is a thing of horror and beauty in the film: we see the dancers from a wide shot and are enamored of the grace and elegance, only to see the blistered toes and broken nails beneath the slippers. Portman sells it, though, convincing in both triumph and agony...or as Diablo Cody might put it, "Every score and sore".

My favorite shot

Mila Kunis manages to play sexy, scary, friendly and devious fluidly. Barbara Hershey is surprisingly sympathetic as the pathetically smothering Momma, Vincent Cassel wounds as the ballet director, and Winona Ryder's brief screen time reminds us why we fell in love with her in the first place. As if that weren't enough: effortless VFX (especially near the end), gritty but beautiful cinematography (Matthew Libatique, I salute you), costume and production design that is not only lovely to look at, but appropriate for the characters contained within. Like I Am Love, a truly operatic piece; the Big Finale literally had me gasping for breath. Three straight minutes of my jaw hanging open, aghast at the haunting splendor of this film. Aronofsky and the trio of writers get into the lead's head: I swear I felt her madness. What starts out slow soon spins out of control. What. A. Movie.


THE FIGHTER

Just as engaging, just not as insane. Mark Wahlberg gives a quiet, deliberate performance as boxer Micky Ward, a boxer ready for a comeback. Amy Adams once again proves that she's one of the best, this time playing against type as a foul-mouthed, college drop-out barmaid who falls for Ward; she even hates foreign films! Believe what you read about Christian Bale: his performance as crack-addict/former boxer Dicky Ecklund is wild, stealing the show with his wide-eyed glassy gaze, goofy smile, and unbelievable energy; it's his best performance to date. Melissa Leo absolutely nails Momma/Manager/Enabler Alice, who doesn't realize how much damage her form of love is doing to her children. It's truly frustrating, sometimes, to watch Dicky and Alice and the sisters, because they don't seem to ever get it. They can justify everything they do, and it's remarkable how charming a family of ignorant loudmouths can be. There's a scene where Adams actually calls out Dicky on his truancy and crack addiction, and I had to laugh when Leo says, "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are or why you're talking." And Adams' caustic response is just hilarious in its honesty. Truly great ensemble work from everyone. It's embedded below:



David O. Russell and the quartet of writers are wise to focus so much on the family dynamics. Ward isn't just fighting for himself, no matter how much he may insist that he's the only one fighting, "not you, not you, and not you".  No, this is about the always genuine but rarely healthy love and bond of this family. Wahlberg and Bale are real brothers, Leo is a real mother to them, etc., etc., etc. The cinematography by Hoyte von Hoytema, as well as the decision to film the boxing scenes with the same HBO cameras and crew from the original fights, emphasizes the veracity of this world, these relationships. Boxing movies have been pretty of late; The Fighter gets us back to the nitty-gritty. Every hurt and every triumph is all the more heartbreaking and satisfying because it feels so real. Serious career highs for all involved.


HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

It begins typically enough, with a voice-over by protagonist Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) explaining the whosit and whatnot of his Viking village and the dragons that terrorize it. You've seen the kind of monologue in every animated movie before: "Let me tell you about my life...first of all...and then there's...oh, and one more thing..." Since Baruchel was already on my Nnnngh List for The Sorceror's Apprentice, I feared that I would soon grow annoyed. Tired tropes + Nnnngh = Mediocrity, at the very least.

I was so dead wrong. I laughed, I teared up, I loved. It's a story of friendship, acceptance, believing in yourself, using what talents you have to better yourself and others. The need for patriarchal approval, the worry that you're not good enough, the feeling that the girl you like will never see you as a real prospect...I connected with all of it. The flying sequences thrill even on a small screen, assisted of course by the dazzling visuals and the score by John Powell. Oh, ho, that song by Jonsi is a catchy one, too!


CITY ISLAND

I was surprised by how delightful this film was. Andy Garcia plays a corrections officer with a secret: he wants to be an actor. He takes secret acting lessons at night, making his wife (Julianna Margulies) think he's having an affair. His daughter's (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) a stripper, but nobody knows it. His son (Ezra Miller) has a strange fetish and hates everyone in the house. And he's just brought home a young prisoner (Steven Strait) who, unbeknown to anyone but our hero, is his illegitimate son. And let the screwball comedy and life lessons begin.

I have to admire this film for not taking itself too seriously. Everybody's doing these great Bronx accents, with Margulies and Garcia-Lorido getting the most out of their voice work. At times, that lightness gets to be a little too much. Emily Mortimer has a self-consciously played fairy godmother role that is a wee twee. Miller's entire subplot -- entire character! -- could easily have been cut without effecting a single thing. It's a shame, because he's a good actor, but the material he's given is awful and obnoxious, and ultimately leads nowhere. Strait, I'm shocked to say, has great chemistry with everyone, though I don't know that I buy his character as someone who'd hold up a pharmacy. He's just too nice!

Really, it's all about Garcia and Margulies as the clashing spouses. They hold it together, and despite all their yelling and screaming and frustrations, you sense the intimacy between the two. It's just a nice story, well-told. Who doesn't like those?

TRUE GRIT

The Coen Brothers have made a Western. Those who remember the original will sigh with relief when they realize Hailee Steinfeld can actually act! As Mattie Ross, the 14-year-old who hires Marshall Rooster Cogburn to track down the man who shot her father, Steinfeld shows pluck and seriousness. The character is as no-nonsense here as in Charles Portis' source novel, and Steinfeld' haughty portrayal does a justice Kim Darby barely touched. Thankfully, too, a real actor is playing the Texas ranger LaBoeuf -- Matt Damon plays the smug Texan perfectly, with a self-satisfied drawl and a well-clipped mustache that he simply luxuriates in. Josh Brolin's brief turn as murderous coward Tom Chaney, funnily enough, is the one that stuck with me after the film, such is the impact of his abbreviated performance.


And, of course, there's Jeff Bridges, slurring hoarsely as the oft-drunk Rooster Cogburn. He's quite good in the role, especially in his first couple of scenes. The relationship between him and Mattie is well-done: he's impressed with and protective of her, but not in the most obvious ways. In one scene, she rides her pony through a lake, swimming along side it. The look on Bridges' face then was the high point of the film for me: he clearly underestimated her, and it's impressive. The play between him, Steinfeld and Damon is well-done, though there's a long sequence where he rides drunkenly and makes a fool of himself trying to shoot corn fritters in mid-air. This is meant, I suppose, to be a character-building moment, and it also drives certain events of the plot forward, but I couldn't help feeling that it went on too long, and Bridges' performance went from character to caricature.

Seriously, though, Deakins rocks

Actually, I have to say that I admire the film more than I like it. As I said, the Coens made a western...and that's all they did. It was straightforward and impersonal, and though the novel is told in much the same way, there was still a sense of adventure. It helps that everything is written in first-person by Mattie, and I can't help but wish the Coens had taken the time to add that voice to it. Oh, sure, they do it literally, with an adult Mattie providing a prologue and epilogue, but there's very little let me confess: the original did a better job of emotionally getting you into the film. There was a lead up to the final confrontation between Rooster and gang leader Ned Pepper (played here Barry Pepper); in this version, it suddenly happens. We're at the end of the movie. There are also too many exits for Damon's character. Each disappearance and reappearance is jarring; once is effective, twice is lacking. The technicals are all there, but Steinfeld and Bridges are left to supply all the heart the script lacks. And frankly, I prefer John Wayne's more poignant Rooster Cogburn.

I liked it, I did. It's a solid B for me. I just wish I liked it more.

Casting Coup Tuesdays: Cheers

I've discovered many shows by just watching whatever followed reruns of The Golden Girls. The Nanny, Designing Women, Cybill...and eventually, Cheers. Naturally, Cheers was different from these other shows for many reasons. For one, it appealed to men more. For another, it was a show I remembered from childhood, having watched it in syndication with my parents during lunch. I remembered nothing except the opening credits and Norm, except what I had gathered by watching Frasier. So, when Hallmark offered, I accepted.

It's a hilarious show, if you've never seen it. The ensemble is a collections of employees and regulars at a bar in Boston. The protagonist, Sam Malone, is a former baseball star and recovering alcoholic. We never see him partake of what he proffers, though he indulges liberally in women. His unquenchable lust meant the first couple of seasons centered around the on-and-off relationship with snobby, intellectual barmaid Diane Chambers (She would later fall for, bring along, and eventually leave psychiatrist Frasier Crane; he, in turn, would meet and marry Dr. Lilith Sternin). Diane looks at the patrons of Cheers as below her intellectually, but divorcee/head barmaid Carla Tortelli always managed to outsmart her, especially in the clever insults department. The most notable of the barflies are mailman Cliff Clavin, who lives with his mother, and Norm Peterson, an accountant who LOVES his beer. Sam's old Coach served as bartender until his passing, then farmboy Woody came in. And, of course, there was rich, neurotic Rebecca Howe, who bought the bar from Sam after Diane left Boston. It's a rich mythology.

If it wasn't for the fact that I'd found the perfect new Sam Malone, this CCT might not have happened. But one night, I was watching it, and thought to myself, "Oh, you know who'd make a GREAT Sam...?" It all just snowballed from there. Perhaps I had grown used to the idea of recasting TV shows from the increase of film adaptations and TV reboots of old series. The cineplexes this year got The A-Team, a new Hawaii Five-O series is on its way, and there's no end in sight. Why not hop on and join in the (possible, but not guaranteed) fun?

ERNIE "COACH" PANTUSSO

Who is He: Sam's former coach on the Red Sox, he came to Cheers to bartend. Having taken a number of pitches to the head, Coach isn't the brightest of the group, but he's the kindest man, a father to everyone in the bar.

Originally played by: Three-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Cheers)

Nicholas Colasanto (Family Plot, Raging Bull)

My Choice: Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Actor (Hard Eight), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Boogie Nights, Magnolia)

 Philip Baker Hall (Rush Hour, Fired Up!)

WOODY BOYD

Who is He: An old pen pal of Coach's (they exchanged pens), Woody comes to Cheers to meet him. Upon learning of his death, Woody takes over as bartender. Hailing from a small town Indiana, Woody is a naive innocent, frequently misunderstanding the goings-on at the bar. He's a gentleman and pretty handsome, too, which means girls tend to find him attractive.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor [in a Drama] (The People vs. Larry Flynt) and Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (No Country for Old Men), Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Cheers), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger)

Woody Harrelson (White Men Can't Jump, Zombieland)

My Choice:

Michael Angarano (Man in the Chair, Gentlemen Broncos)

He's handsome, young (but not too young), and has played naive, goofy kids before. Maybe not ever this dim, but that's acting, right?

DR. LILITH STERNIN

Who is She: A cold, analytical psychiatrist with a hidden libido, Lilith dates and eventually marries Frasier.

Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

Bebe Neuwirth (Celebrity, The Faculty)

By the way, Neuwirth only did one Woody Allen film? For shame!

My Choice: SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Sideways)

Sandra Oh (Bean, Blindness)

Too obvious? She has that voice, after all.

FRASIER CRANE

Who is He: A well-to-do psychiatrist from Seattle. Despite a childhood of pretensions and snobbery, Frasier warms to the beer-and-nuts crowd of Cheers. At first in love with Diane, he is eventually set up with, and marries, Dr. Lilith Sternin.

Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Frasier)

Kelsey Grammer (Toy Story 2, Swing Vote)

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It?), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Mystic River, Bobby)

Laurence Fishburne (Othello, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

The man's voice is almost British in its lyricism. And he's surprisingly funny, too: in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he plays the bear in the beer commercial!

CLIFF CLAVIN

Who is He: A mailman with little to no social skills, a mind full of useless trivia, and a bedroom in his mother's house.

Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)

John Ratzenberger (The Empire Strikes Back, House II: The Second Story)

My Choice:

Ed Helms (Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Hangover)

Not much of a stretch from his previous roles, maybe...but we could still give him a mustache!


NORM PETERSON
Who is He: Accountant, house painter, interior decorator. Norm is the most beloved of the regulars, greeted by a chorus of "Norm" whenever he enters. Norm loves the bar, loves the beer, and loves his friends. He's Cliff's bestie, which means he's the only one subjected to invitations to craft days with Cliff and his mother.

Originally played by: Six-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)

George Wendt (House, Dreamscape)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy and Best Song - "Walk Hard" (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Anniversary Party, The Good Girl), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Chicago)

John C. Reilly (Dark Water, Step Brothers)
Isn't this obvious? He's like the skinnier George Wendt (think about that). Pudgy and lovable, he has an easygoing-ness about him. He's also one of the best at both understated and over-the-top comedy, which could serve him well here.


CARLA TORTELLI
Who is She: Head waitress/barmaid of Cheers. Carla is a tough-talking, wise-cracking, working-class broad with three marriages and eight kids under her belt. Though unlucky with men, she does get lucky quite often. She hates Diane and Cliff with equal disdain.

Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

 Rhea Perlman (We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Matilda)

My Choice:

Wanda Sykes (Pootie Tang, Monster-in-Law)
So she's not Italian. So what? She's sassy, funny and tiny, and that's all I need to know to cast her as Carla. Tortelli's just her married name, anyway.


REBECCA HOWE
Who is She: After Diane leaves Boston, Sam sells Cheers to a corporation. Rebecca is assigned to manage it, and boy is she nuts. She wants to present herself as a poised, in-charge woman, but she's often clumsy and neurotic. Rebecca often goes after rich men, though there is considerable tension between her and Sam.

Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

Kirstie Alley (Look Who's Talking, Drop Dead Gorgeous)

My Choice: Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug, Doubt), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee/Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress/SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Doubt), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy (Enchanted), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug)

 Amy Adams (Drop Dead Gorgeous, Serving Sara)
Neurotic. Funny. Hot. I think we've got these bases covered.


DIANE CHAMBERS
Who is She: The only child of a wealthy family, Diane arrives at Cheers after being jilted by her lit professor/lover Sumner Sloan. She begins waitressing there, but considers herself intellectually superior to everyone around her. Intelligent yet naive, elitist yet attracted to Sam, Diane is a hodgepodge of sexy and awful. She and Sam are perpetually on-again-off-again, due less to their compatibility than to their sexual chemistry.

Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)

Shelley Long (Irreconcilable Differences, The Brady Bunch Movie)

My Choice:

Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth)
She is Diane. In interviews, she comes off as smart, but not as smart as she thinks. She declares herself to be a feminist, but she stars in films in which she surrenders to an alpha male. But she's also a fine actress who could excel in this role.


SAM MALONE
Who is He: Former relief pitcher for the Red Sox, recovering alcoholic, owner/bartender of Cheers. Sam is a notorious ladies' man, regaling Norm and Cliff with tales of his conquests. He frequently proposes to, and is denied by, Diane Chambers, until she leaves to pursue a writing career. He then turns his attentions to Rebecca, though Diane still haunts him.

Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)

Ted Danson (Saving Private Ryan, Little Danson Man)

My Choice:

Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, The Hangover)
Handsome, fit, funny, and a little smirky, Cooper has that great combination of humor and charm -- and MAN -- that is Sam Malone. Expect the fireworks between him and Heigl, or him and Adams, because it would be explosive. He's also got great chemistry with most of his co-stars, which would work with an ensemble-heavy project like this.

The Sunshine Land of Rudo Y Pelham 1-2-Up

A few more reviews, five sentences each. GO TIME.


UP
Great opening sequence, if a tad manipulative. That little kid is so fucking annoying. And the characters aren't as well-drawn as in previous Pixar movies (cry me a river, Russell; bitching ain't an arc). Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer (especially) do fantastic voice work, though. Lord, that first moment with the balloons is amazing.


LAND OF THE LOST
Not terrible. Some jokes fall flat, and this is mostly due to the filmmakers' desire to "appeal" to a more "adult" crowd with crass humor. But when it plays it straight, God is it fun. Out of the leads, Danny McBride is the most charismatic (which is whoa). Michael Giacchino's score is tops.


THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
FREEKING AWESOME! Denzel Washington, James Gandolfini, John Travolta, John Turturro, etc., are all amazing! Edge of your seat excitement 100 percent! I got jumpy and nervous and sweaty, it was so immersive! Def buy it on DVD!


RUDO Y CURDSI
Nice little drama about soccer effecting the lives of the titular brothers. Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna are as engaging as always, but it is Guillermo Francella, as their manager, who really steals the show. Great use of Cheap Trick. Carlos Cuaron proves that talent runs in the family. And those costumes!


SUNSHINE CLEANING
It's interesting when a movie pulls punches and still tries too hard, but that's what this movie does. Alan Arkin is in full Little Miss Sunshine mode, while Emily Blunt tries her darndest with a sketchily-written character. Hollmann Award Winner Amy Adams is totally NOT Amy Adams, and also does her best with a role that doesn't give much. But she rocks it anyhow. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this ultimately dull attempt at dramedy.

Julie & Julia Trailer

It's here it's here IT'S HERE!!!

It looks like adorable, harmless fun. Amy Adams and La Streep will always get my butt in the theater, so I'm already there. And please, let's not discuss "golden" opportunities this film may have; let's wait until September for that.

Shexy

Seen on AwardsDaily, I simply have to share these two incredible items with y'all.



Yay, poster for Julie & Julia! If you recall, Julie & Julia was my Number Nine most anticipated film at the beginning of the year. Looking back at that list now, though... I mean, Wolverine? Really?

Anyway, also coming soon...



Oh, I love Michael Caine. And this kid rocked in Son of Rambow. Can't wait for this one, either. Old people and magic and Michael Caine (did I say that yet?)! Hooray!

Casting Coup: Citizen Kane

*From the original Casting Coup Month. I knew I was taking a risk in re-doing Citizen Kane, but the point of CCM is to spark debate and conversation. Also, to have fun. By the way, this was done ten months before the release of Doubt, so I think I can claim firsties on Streep/Adams pairings. As with all other LJ posts, hot-linking did abound. All pictures have been replaced with brand new ones because of this. Non-hot-linked ones.*

CASTING COUP MONTH presents an American classic...reborn!

Much is made of Citizen Kane, a controversial classic that kinda sorta bombed upon its first release. Saved from obscurity by film scholars, Citizen Kane is a shining testament to both America and the genius of young Orson Welles.

Citizen Kane (1941) was nominated for nine Academy Awards. It won one. One Oscar. It lost Film Editing (Robert Wise), Sound Recording (John Aalberg), Art Direction (Al Fields/Darrell Silvera/Perry Ferguson/Van Nest Polglase), Cinematography (Gregg Toland), Dramatic Score (Bernard Herrmann), Director (Orson Welles), Actor (Orson Welles) and Picture. The winners were, in that order: Sergeant York (William Holmes), That Hamilton Woman (Jack Whitney), How Green was My Valley (Richard Day/Nathan Juran/Thomas Little), How Green was My Valley (Arthur Miller), All That Money Can Buy (Bernard Herrmann), John Ford (How Green was My Valley), Gary Cooper (Sergeant York), and How GReen was My Valley.

It won Best Original Screenplay (Herman J. Mankiewicz/Orson Welles), one of the most important categories in the Oscar race (the others are adapted screenplay, actress, and supporting actor). Orson had to be content with that Oscar, and although he was later nominated for his work on The Magnificent Ambersons, he would never quite achieve the heights promised by Citizen Kane.

He got the last laugh, supposedly. In both 1997 and 2007, Citizen Kane was named the #1 Film of All Time by the American Film Institute. The box office debacle, the bridesmaid at the Oscars, became the most well-respected film in history (that's not Casablanca), the one film teachers use to illustrate what you will never achieve. But you know, it might have done more good if Citizen Kane had gotten recognition in previous years, before its writer/director/star was reduced to this:



Anyway, let's take a look at who I consider capable of filling those formidable shoes:

JIM W. GETTYS
Who is He: Kane's rival for governor, an amoral, unscrupulous man who dips his hand in blackmail and treachery.

Originally played by: Ray Collins (the man on the stairs)



My Choice: An Englishman



Popular character actor Ciaran Hinds (There Will Be Blood, The Phantom of the Opera)


JERRY THOMPSON
Who is He: A reporter investigating Kane's last words, he spends all his time in the shadows, his back to the camera.

Originally played by: William Alland



My Choice: Seriously, after Lord of the Rings, where did he go?



Elijah Wood (Everything is Illuminated, Sin City)


EMILY MONROE NORTON KANE
Who is She: Kane's first wife, the niece of the President of the United States, who dies in a car accident with Kane's only son (not a spoiler).

Originally played by: Ruth Warrick



My Choice: One of my top ten favorite living actresses.



Academy Award Nominee Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, The Hours)


WALTER PARKS THATCHER
Who is He: Kane's boyhood guardian, a banker that Kane never really gets along with. Like, at all.

Originally played by: George Coulouris (in the top hat)



My Choice: One of my top five favorite living actors.



Former Hollmann Awards host Philip Baker Hall (The Amityville Horror, The Matador)


MR. BERNSTEIN
Who is He: Kane's accountant or something, a man who genuinely believes that Kane is, like, Jesus or something. Except he's Jewish, so Jesus is probably not the most accurate comparison here. Messiah, maybe?

Originally played by: Everett Sloane, who wears glasses



My Choice: Another old favorite, who gets mad respect over in Britain.



Richard Schiff (Ray, Se7en)


MARY KANE
Who is She: Kane's mother, who gives him over to Thatcher early in his life.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee Agnes Moorehead (Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte)



My Choice: Oh, please, like I could resist this...



Academy Award/Hollmann Award Winner Meryl Streep (A Prairie Home Companion, Sophie's Choice)


SUSAN ALEXANDER KANE
Who is She: Kane's number two wife, a "singer" he has an affair with while still married to Wife #1. Fond of jigsaw puzzles.

Originally played by: Dorothy Comingore (not with the mustache)



My Choice: The challenge here is to get her to sing worse than she does.



Academy Award Nominee Amy Adams (Junebug, Enchanted)


JEDEDIAH LELAND
Who is He: Kane's best friend, a writer for the paper (he specializes in the arts), more scrupulous and honest than Kane.

Originally played by: Joseph "How You Like My Bad Ass" Cotten, to the left



My Choice: Bigger than Joe, but just as good an actor.



Academy Award Winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote, Charlie Wilson's War)


CHARLES FOSTER KANE
Who is He: A newspaper magnate who personifies America.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner Orson Welles (Citizen Kane)



My Choice: Amazingly, this, to me, was the most obvious and easiest pick of the cast.



Josh Brolin (Milk, Melinda and Melinda)


How about that? And by the way, every picture of the original stars is from the movie. Hoo-ah!


*Um, that last line was quite true at the time, and important because it was a first. Now I make it a point to find stills from the film.*