The Things They Carried

Author: Brian C (NJ)

The Things They Carried

Cast and Crew:
Director- Alfonso Cuarón
Writers- Tim O'Brien (novel)-
Hawk Ostby (screenplay)-
Mark Fergus (screenplay)-
Alfonso Cuarón (screenplay)
Cinematography- Emmanuel Lubezki
Editing- Steven Weisberg
Musical Score- Thomas Newman

Tim O'Brien- James McAvoy (Narrator)
Jimmy Cross- Alexander Skarsgård
Kiowa- Adrian Grenier
Bob "Rat" Kiley- James Franco
Norman Bowker- Jamie Bell
Dave Jensen- Derek Luke
Lee Strunk- Jack Huston
Mitchell Sanders- Paul Dano
Ted Lavender- Giovanni Ribisi
Elroy Berdhal- Harry Dean Stanton

* The author of the novel The Things They Carried and the protagonist of the same book are both named Tim O'Brien. O'Brien named the character after himself in writing the book, although they are not the same person and the work as a whole is fiction.

Tagline: "They carried guilt, regret, and insanity, but most of all, they carried each other."

Synopsis:
Tim O'Brien is a hard-working and well intentioned young man whose life, like thousands of other men, was drastically changed upon the arrival of one letter in the mail. O'Brien receives his draft notice in the summer of 1968, and is immediately disheartened by the news. Angry and confused about his fate, O'Brien makes an impulse move to run away to Canada. He stays at an old inn where he meets Elroy Berdhal, a frail old man. Scared that he will not have the courage to fight at war, O'Brien pushes himself towards fleeing, ultimately realizing that he does not have the courage to run away either. Berdhal helps O'Brien rethink his priorities, and O'Brien eventually makes the trip back home.

Six months later, O'Brien is designated to a platoon in the Alpha Company. His platoon leader is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, a man who is distracted by his love for Martha, his love back home. Cross is completely consumed with everything about Martha, but he is most consumed with the fact that she does not return his love. This distraction eventually leads to the death of a fellow soldier, Ted Lavender. Cross burns all of his pictures of Martha out of frustration and guilt, vowing to stay focused on the lives of his soldiers and the orders that he is given. While Cross burns his pictures, the other soldiers mourn Lavender's death by smoking the marijuana that they found in his backpack.

Amidst the frequent battles and the deaths of his fellow soldiers, O'Brien watches everyone around him crumble under the pressure. O'Brien becomes friends with Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk, who are constantly fighting because they find it difficult to deal with the hardships of war. One argument becomes so heated that Jensen purposely breaks his own nose as an issue of apology. The two men develop an unspoken bond after this argument, and agree to kill the other if they should suffer a life altering injury in battle. When Strunk steps on a mine though, he begs Jensen not to kill him, and Jensen complies. The platoon receives word that Strunk died three days later as a result of the injury, leaving Jensen feeling depressed and relieved at the same time.

Shortly after Strunk's death, O'Brien also experiences the trauma of being shot while away at war. The first time O'Brien is wounded, the platoon's medic, Bob "Rat" Kiley is able to help him quickly, and he spends a few short weeks working at a base camp before returning to action. When he returns though, he sees distinct changes in Rat Kiley. The other soldiers tell him that the war has slowly been eating at Kiley's head, and after a few weeks Kiley shoots himself in the foot in order to get a discharge. Later, O'Brien gets wounded again, but he does not have the expertise of Kiley to help him through the situation. The new medic, Bobby Jorgenson, tries to help, but fails in his nervous state. O'Brien, angry about Jorgenson's struggles as a medic, enacts revenge with a fellow soldier in the form of a night of cruel pranks.

Only days after falling into an emotional downspiral, sparked by his first killing of a Vietnamese soldier, O'Brien loses his best friend in battle. Kiowa, a Native American soldier who wears moccasins instead of boots, befriended O'Brien initially seeing that he was scared and helpless in the war environment. After setting up camp in what was essentially the town latrine though, the platoon is ambushed at night and Kiowa is killed. Several soldiers, including O'Brien and another soldier named Norman Bowker, make attempts to pull Kiowa out of "shit field" in order to save his life, but they cannot overcome the smell or pick themselves up without revealing their cover. The soldiers blame Cross for not investigating the site before setting up camp, and they are led by Mitchell Sanders, a very argumentative soldier, in their blaming of Cross. Several years after the war, O'Brien visits Cross to discuss the events that they occurred. O'Brien reveals that Bowker hung himself out of guilt upon his return home, ashamed of the fact that he could not gather the courage to save Kiowa.

Twenty years later, O'Brien takes taken his daughter on a trip to Vietnam, mostly in hopes of trying to explain the events that occurred during the war. O'Brien stops at the field, and takes out Kiowa's old moccasins, the only thing he could salvage from his dead body. In an effort to finally gain closure on the events that surrounded him, O'Brien buries Kiowa's moccasins in the field, mourning for not only the soldiers who died, but also praying for the ones who lived.

What The Press Would Say:
The Things They Carried has officially marked the return of the Vietnam War epic and in stunning fashion no less. Bringing his own new taste to the once popular genre, Cuarón matches the intensity of classics such as Platoon and Apocalypse Now while also adding his personal touch. Cuarón manages to focus in on each soldier, showing the extreme emotional change that they endure, while still capturing the intensity of the Vietnam War as a whole. He shows the terror of the Vietnam War not only through the violence of the battles, but also through the deep emotional conflict that each soldier endures.

Cuarón certainly outdoes his past films, such as Children of Men, and he owes much of this to his young, but still very brilliant cast. McAvoy is fantastic as the leading man of the film. His portrayal of a young, helpless, and confused soldier reminds the viewer that how innocent and naïve most soldiers were upon entering the war. McAvoy never lets the viewer forget that we were in fact sending young college students to become trained killers, and he does a terrific job of portraying that painful transition.

McAvoy is certainly not the only stunning performance of the film though. He gets great help from his supporting cast, particularly from Alexander Skarsgård and James Franco. Skarsgård takes on the soldier role once again, after being in the acclaimed HBO miniseries Generation Kill. His performance as a love stricken lieutenant truly shows the burdens that can come with the responsibility of a man's life though. Skarsgård plays a distraught soldier who is conflicted between his love interest back home, and the lives of the soldiers he is responsible for, and Skarsgård brings his character's guilt and regret to life. His character realizes that he must take the blame for the deaths of his soldiers in order to keep a high moral in the platoon, and Skarsgård does a tremendous job of portraying that struggle over the guilt.

Possibly giving the most powerful performance of the entire film though is James Franco. Franco plays a medic who is slowly reaching insanity, and he reveals this intensity in two particular scenes. The first involves Franco's brutal killing of a water buffalo out of anger after the death of a fellow soldier. Franco hurdles a blood-curdling scream as he brutally murders the helpless animal, and the rest of the platoon can only watch in horror. His second magnificent scene is when he finally snaps and makes the decision to wound himself so he can leave Vietnam. Franco does a particularly good job of showing his character's confliction, and how that confliction was worsened by his brutal surroundings.

This film truly has all the pieces to go down in history as one of the best war movies of all time. Certainly on the same level as other Vietnam War epics such as Platoon and Apocalypse Now, The Things They Carried has the stirs up emotions and intensity that few other films can even touch. Cuarón was certainly at his best with this film, and he had a realistic and enticing script thanks to his collaboration with acclaimed writers Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus, who he had worked with previously. With a terrific script, a terrific director, and a terrific cast, The Things They Carried has certainly managed to bring the Vietnam War back to life and Cuarón has certainly given Tim O'Brien's novel all the justice it deserves.

FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director- Alfonso Cuarón
Best Actor- James McAvoy
Best Supporting Actor- Alexander Skarsgård
Best Supporting Actor- James Franco
Best Adapted Screenplay

Sweet Empire

Maia (CA)

Sweet Empire

Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by Brian Grazer
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Editing by Daniel P. Hanley
Cinematography by Salvatore Totino
Makeup by Ivana Primorac
Costume Design by Michael O’Connor
Art Direction by Robert Gould & William Sandell
Original Score by Elliot Goldenthal

Principal Cast:
Russell Crowe as Milton Hershey
Bacon as Frank Mars
Terrence Howard as Desmond Williams
Rachel Griffiths as Julia Delano
Rosemarie De Witt as Kitty Hershey
Maria Bello as Veronica Healey-Mars
Ashton Holmes as Forrest Mars
And
Robert Duvall as Henry Hershey

Tagline: “Nothing is sweeter than betrayal”

Synopsis:
A parallel look at the rise of Milton Hershey and Frank Mars, founders of the chocolate empires; and their legacy of corporate rivalry:

New York City, 1990
You may have heard about Coke vs. Pepsi, McDonalds vs. Burger King but until now, the final day of trial in this consuming corporate battle, the American public had not paid much attention to the bitter competition between candy giants Hershey and Mars.

From industrial espionage to aggressive acquisitions, from devious marketing to political manipulation; both Hershey and Mars have been guilty of non-ethical business practices for decades. But what empire began the war? Was it the charitable but politically forceful Hershey Chocolate Company? Or was it the hostile but consumer-friendly Mars, Incorporated?

That’s what corporate lawyers Delano (Griffiths), for Mars, and Williams (Howard); for Hershey, are determined to finally settle down…

Hershey, Pennsylvania (1945)
Having returned home from Europe after supplying chocolate bars for the U.S. troops during World War II, benevolent entrepreneur Milton Hershey was ready to continue his charitable labor across his little utopia along his wife Kitty (who was still coping with her recently discovered infertility). However, as it had happened to many other good men during the war, Hershey came back as a different man. Now, in his dreams, Hershey would remember his disapproving father Henry; a baptist farmer and an alcoholic that grew old resenting his own son’s accomplishments, and while awake, Hershey’s optimistic nature had started to die out as the attacks from a rising rival increased.

Minneapolis, Minnesota (1950)
After losing the coveted right to supply the U.S. troops with chocolate during the war (and all the good publicity that came along), ruthless industrialist Frank Mars and his son Forrest were determined to bring down the market leader’s monopoly. Unfortunately, while father and son shared the same vision, they differed on their principles: Mars Sr. was an aggressive competitor but also a gifted businessman with a distinctive code of honor. Mars Jr. on the other hand, was a conniving personality unable to trust anyone, not even his own family. Father and son grew apart over the years and the rumored affair between Mars’ second wife, arrogant socialite Veronica Healey, and his offspring didn’t help their troubled relationship.

1990
Closing arguments told, lawyer Julia Delano questioned the veracity of her own words. She knew the Mars were merciless competitors but she also knew she had a job thousands of men had fought for. Compromising values for a nice paycheck was nothing to feel sorry for and yet, Hershey’s lawyer Desmond Williams couldn’t stop thinking about it. He knew the Hersheys had used their political muscle to stop most of their competitors but he also knew he had a job thousands of men had fought for and one a man like him could only dream of.

With the jury now in session, there was nothing left to do but wait for the verdict. Victory leaves a great taste in one’s mouth - both lawyers thought - but certainly; nothing is sweeter than betrayal.

What the Press Would Say:
A sour rivalry lies beneath the sweetness in Ron Howard’s elegant look at the perpetual competition of candy empires Hershey and Mars. Based on the acclaimed novel “The Emperors of Chocolate” and lusciously adapted to the big screen by Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman, Sweet Empire is a powerful dramatic piece that effectively brings back memories of the old Hollywood romanticism as it poignantly addresses several issues that are still relevant in our modern days.

Under Howard’s leadership for the third time, Russell Crowe plays wonderfully against type as the celebrated Milton Hershey. A benevolent figure that succeeded as a businessman and became a role model for every capitalist in the world but ultimately, one who died feeling he had failed as a man. Crowe portrays Hershey with class and dazzling charisma but he truly shines when the pathos of his sugarcoated on-screen persona is revealed. Tormented by bad dreams from the past, frustrated by the forces menacing his vision in the present and grief-stricken by the uncertainty of his legacy as he looks into the future without a heir; Crowe delivers once again an iconic and unforgettable performance.

Similarly, Kevin Bacon lands the role of a lifetime as the inscrutable Frank Mars. A seemingly brutal man willing to betray and crush everyone around him in order to succeed but at the core, a distant man incapable to connect with the people he truly loves. Bacon is exceptional and certainly seems likely to receive, at last, some appreciation from the Academy. And while Crowe and Bacon are never together on-screen, Howard ensembles a powerful cast that keeps both stories energized:

Rosemarie De Witt, as Hershey’s suffering wife, is given a very fleshy, moving role (contrary to what we would expect in a biopic). De Witt plays a woman trapped in a golden cage, breaking apart slowly and alienating herself from everyone around her as she finds herself unable to deal with her sterility. De Witt displays her acting range by presenting ‘Kitty’ as a soul battling feelings of sorrow, desperation and the understandable guilt that would haunt a woman of her time but simultaneously; she never allows her character to fall into overdramatic territory and by doing this, she ends up delivering a winning performance.

Ashton Holmes (A History of Violence) is incredibly effective as Mars’ ambitious son Forrest, the man who would ultimately turn the Mars into the richest family in America. Robert Duvall delivers a classy Hollywood performance as the bitter Hershey patriarch that becomes the catalyst in Milton Hershey’s life and Maria Bello provides a lot of the film’s comic relief (and sex appeal) as Mars’ catty wife.

Finally, Rachel Griffiths and Terrence Howard vitalize the contemporary (and the film’s most poignant) setting as the lawyers representing the rival empires. Goldsman and Howard create relevant, appealing characters that both excellent performers devour and transform into deep, tough-talking performances.

Overall, Howard’s stylish direction and the exceptional commitment displayed by the whole talent involved make Sweet Empire a gripping, multilayered experience of first-class filmmaking that just like good chocolate, it’s impossible to resist.

For Your Consideration:
Best Picture (Drama)
Best Director: Ron Howard
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Actor: Russell Crowe
Best Actor: Kevin Bacon
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Duvall
Best Supporting Actor: Ashton Holmes
Best Supporting Actor: Terrence Howard
Best Supporting Actress: Rosemarie De Witt (Lead, HFPA)
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Griffiths
Creativity Awards

Revolution

Author: Adrian James

Location: Nashville

"Revolution"

CREW:

Directed by: Olivier Dahan

Written by: Robert Rodat

Produced by: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks

Adapted loosely from the Hilary Mantel novel "A Place of Greater Safety"

Original Score by: John Williams

CAST:

Christian Bale - Maxmillien Robespierre

Eric Bana - Georges Danton

Michael Sheen - King Louis XVI

Sean Bean - Camille Desmoulins

Kate Winslet - Marie Antoinette

Mathieu Almaric - Napolean Bonaparte

Jeremy Irons - Jean-Paul Marat

Kate Beckinsale - Charlotte Corday

TAGLINE: Liberty. Equality. Fraternity.

SYNOPSIS:

Its a hot July day, when revolutionary minds in Philadelphia sign a declaration of their independence from Great Britian, their mother country. A war will begin this day. A war that will be remembered as one of the most influential wars in history. A war, that will cost England a great deal. And King Louis XVI of France will jump into the tangle. This will cost France millions of the taxpayers dollars, forcing their country into poverty, starvation, and a revolution of their own......

Maxmillien Robespierre sits in the park, waiting for his friend, Georges Danton, to arrive. He looks round at his fellow man, and sees the decrepid nature of them. How they beg for food at the feet of the wealthy. How a once honorable nation has turned into a breeding ground for the homeless. A child sits, lying in a filthy alleyway, freezing to death. Something must be done. And that is why he is taking action.

Charlotte Corday walks into the underground pub hall where many people from her neighborhood are gathered. The room smells of beer and sweat and anger. There is a man, speaking wildly to the crowd from atop the table. Speaking of oppression by the monarchy. The waste of taxpayers dollars on the American war. And then he speaks of the resistance. Of the chance to unite, and stand up against Louis XVI. On the next night, they would march.....

JULY 14th

It's quiet. The sun has been down for a while now, and the guards outside of the Bastille prison are just getting settled into their shift. An ominous glow fills the horizon across the streets of Paris. Slowly but surely, a crowd emerges with pitchforks, torches, and clubs. The guards are defenseless against the 20,000 Parisians who begin to tear the prison apart, brick by brick. The symbol of their opression was now in rubble, and they put the heads of the soldiers on pikes, and marched out of the city.

King Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette lounge in their Versailles palace as the sun rises. They look over the marshes of their country, and see a crowd of peasants moving toward the castle. Soon, it seems to be more than just a crowd. Robespierre and Georges Danton lead the people on a pillage throughout the castle. Burning books, breaking silverware, and smashing windows. They reach the King and Queen, and "escort" them into the courthouse of Paris. There, King Louis XVI is sentenced to death.

1 YEAR LATER

The people of France have been in a constant state of terror ever since Robespierre, their enthusiastic Minister, Georges Danton, the sidekick of Robespierre, and Jean-Paul Marat, the writer of the propaganda fueled newspaper began executing anyone who dared speak ill of their new Empire. Power hungry and paranoid, Robespierre begins to suspect the men around him of being the enemy. Of a plot to kill him. He sends to gaurds over to visit the two traitors. Georges Danton, Robespierre's best friend and partner, and Casmilles Desmoulins, the third of the original trio are now sentenced to death.

Marie Antoinette sits in her cell. She has seen the ruin of her country at the hands of these "revolutionaries" and weeps. She is soon to be sentenced to death, at the hands of the Guillotine. She looks out her window, as the crowd gathers to witness the execution of Georges Danton. Before the blade comes down, Danton speaks. "My only regret is that I should meet death before that rat, Robespierre."

Charlotte Corday stands in the crowd as the blade falls, executing the man who lead her rebellion. It has all deteriorated into pain and anguish. She sees the man who replaced Danton, Jean-Paul Marat. He is the same man who publishes the names of the naysayers in his newspaper, and the same man who is responsible for the corruption of freedom. She goes over to his house, posing as an informant. There, while he lays in his bathtub, she stabs him, with a conceiled dagger. Robespierre is all that is left, and Charlotte is executed for her "crime".

Robespierre is alone. The people around him all day are unfamiliar. Danton is dead. Marat is dead. He has no one. Marie Antoinette was executed today, and still he feels anxious. As if they are all against him. Soon he begins his new plan, of prison camps for all Anti-Revolutionary Minds. Its then that the peopel uproar. Robespierre is overturned. He is imprisoned, and sentenced to death for crimes against the people of France. The revolution is over. Robespierre's general, the young and ambitious Napolean Bonaparte, takes command of France, and his new Empire.......

WHAT THE PRESS WOULD SAY:

Olivier Dahan, director of the 2007 Oscar Winner "La vie En Rose" brings us back to another time in France. A time when the people are poor, and the upper class resents them for it. In a bleak, grayish color scheme, Dahan paints us a portrait of desperation in these people, and the tension before the uprising comes out at us in such subtle force, its hard not to be astonished.

Christian Bale commands the screen in his performance as leader of the revolution, Maxmillien Robespierre. His ambitious, and thought provoking speeches were he actually reaches out to the people, and inspires them truly are marvelous. But he really shows his character change as the film progresses, becoming the paranoid, power hungry emperor of France. Betraying his friends, destroying his enemies, and weeping for himself, Bale delivers an astounding performance that Oscar should take notice of.

Kate Winslet is absolutely heartbreaking as the once selfish queen, who ages away her beauty and power in a prison cell. The voice of reason comes out in the words she speaks to her guards. Her character's transformation from the beginning of the film, to her tear inducing execution, is only something someone as talented as Winslet could pull off, and pull it off she does. Truly a performance to be remembered for the ages.

The supporting players are truly incredible, and each plays an important role. Eric Bana has the meatiest supporting male role, as the longtime best friend, and eventual tragic character Georges Danton. He is the voice of reason inside Robespierre's head, the angel on his shoulder if you will. And Jeremy Irons' Jean Paul Marat is the devil on the other. Both competing for the soul of Robepierre, and this time good cannot overcome evil. Bana weeping at the feet of Bale before his execution is a scene in which some audience members will never forget, myself included.

Lastly, scene stealer Kate Beckinsale surprises everyone with her commanding, boiling-under-the-surface poor farm wife. She is the eyes in which we see the revolution, all of its flaws, all of its feats. She is the normal, working class person who witnesses all of this, and eventually has a hand in its downfall. A truly shocking scene in which she stabs Irons in a bathrub really made Beckinsale stand out, her understated aggression for a woman oppressed in a time when that was the norm. Look for this performance to be noticed come Oscar season.

Working off a script from "Saving Private Ryan" scribe Robert Rodat, and using the natural English accents of the cast, Dahan creates a visual nightmare, and a portrait of the sins of our past. Produced by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks, this film is not to be missed.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:

Best Motion Picture - Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg

Best Director - Olivier Dahan

Best Actor in a Leading Role - Christian Bale

Best Actress in a Leading Role - Kate Winslet

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Eric Bana

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Jeremy Irons

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Kate Beckinsale

Best Adapted Screenplay - Robert Rodat

Best Original Score - John Williams

The Exploding Plastic Inevitable

Author: Adrian James

Location: Nashville

"The Exploding Plastic Inevitable"

CREW:

Directed by Wes Anderson

Written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson

CAST:

Lou Reed - Justin Theroux

Andy Warhol - Owen Wilson

Nico - Gwenyth Paltrow

John Cale - Adrien Brody

Sterling Morrison - Jason Schwartzman

Maureen Tucker - Natalie Portman

Narrator - Bill Murray

TAGLINE: Witness the Rebirth. Witness the Rebellion. Witness the Banana!

SYNOPSIS: The year is not important. Its a cold, rainy day, and a young boy is about to be scarred for life. His parents, after constantly trying to tone down his rebellious ways, send him in for treatment from his ailment. The doctors strap him in a chair, and put a mouthguard in him. Then, they give him electroshock therapy, to get rid of the "rock'n'roll" that has flooded his brain. Ten years later, this boy would become one of the most influential musicians of his time. He would take drugs. He would make love to beautiful hippies, and then help create art from a banana. This boy is Lou Reed, and this is his tale.

During the early sixties, nobody quite knew what they were doing. Teens were bopping along to "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" when years later, the same group would influence their acid trips with Magical Mystery Tour. Vietnam was just a police action when in less than 5 years it would become a national movement. And Lou Reed was working his way up the food chain with his band, "The Velvet Underground".

INTERVIEW - Sterling Morrison

"I was with Lou from the very beginning. When the band was formed, it was so new. It was so stylish. Nobody knew what to think. But one man really connected to what we were trying to do with our music. He was our biggest fan, and he was a huge riot at parties. Andy really helped us mature as a band, and with him we found our voice."

Andy Warhol was a Manhattan based, eccentric modern artist. He was an inevator in the "Campbell's Soup" area of artwork. He helped create a revolution of his own, using his taste for modern culture and expensive LSD. He had a taste for foreign women, and was an exceptionally good cook. Ironically, he was never any good at cooking Campbell's Soup. It always burned. But one thing that Andy was extremely good at, was creating hip clubs. And none were hipper than "The Exploding Plastic Inevitable".

INTERVIEW - Maureen Tucker

"I remember the first time the EPI was held. People gathered in one of Andy's warehouses to watch us play. The crowd was wild. These kids, who didn't have a clique, who didn't have an identity, finally found a place where they were accepted. They loved us. It was a great feeling to have."

The EPI was the launching point for all things Velvet, and definately all things Underground. Soon the world had taken notice of Warhol's factory, and in Lou Reed. With Reed's growing popularity this caused some slight trouble in the band. He was their leader. he was their face. But Reed assured his fellow bandmates that he wasn't going to leave them. Andy was happy with the band, but felt it needed a little something more. That's when he brought in his actress/model/performer/German friend, Nico.

Nico was a German born blonde beauty who quickly fell in with Warhol and his factory workers when she moved to New York. Andy liked her vocals, and so did Reed. He wanted her to help the band with their debut album. Reed was the only one who thought it was a good idea.

INTERVIEW - John Cale

"I never wanted Nico to sing on the album. She wasn't a musician, she was a factory rat. She was Andy Warhol's little pet. The only reason that Lou wanted her on the album was because she was banging him. Which wasn't really a surprise. She was also having relations with Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Iggy Pop, Jackson Browne, and......well, me. If you bang enough musicians, does that make you one?"

Arguably, John was very against Nico joining the Underground. After the recording of their first album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico", the band had hit a rough patch. Feuds between Warhol and Reed increasiing got more evident, and a dispute included throwing a can of soup at each other. The band was huge, and Reed decided to fire Warhol as their manager. They also fired Nico.

Over the next couple of years, Reed and his Underground released several more albums, and then called it quits. Maureen Tucker went on to have a less than successful solo career, but is always remembered as the chick drummer from the band. Sterling Morrison went on to not have a career in music, but instead became the captain of a tugboat. Andy Warhol died in 1987, but is always remembered as one of the most influential modern artists of the century. John Cale went on to have a successful solo career, and even once cut the head off a chicken while on stage, forcing his vegetarian drummer to leave. Nico died in 1988 from a brain hemorrhage in Spain. Lou Reed went on to become one of the biggest solo careers of all time, and is to this day performing and touring. But we will never forget them all, as the Velvet Underground.

PRESS SECTION:

Shot as a documentary, Wes Anderson makes "The Exploding Plastic Inevitable" a sometimes wacky, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes poignant dark comedy that traces the lives of artists. All forms of artists, as they clash, create, and then clash some more. The writing is sharp and witty, much like most Anderson films, but in this one it doesn't feel forced. The characters are eccentric and kooky, but they never feel written. They feel real. Anderson took the story of the Velvet Underground and just ever so slightly made it his own, and he actually pulled it off. Thanks in a large way to co-writer Owen Wilson(whose previous collaboration earned them both an Oscar nomination), "The Exploding Plastic Inevitable" is the most entertaining film of the year.

Headlining the cast in the only leading role is Justin Theroux, who somehow buries himself so deep in the mind and persona of Lou Reed. His gait, his looks, his voice; all match. He is astounding, and hilarious. A surefire contender. Adrien Brody is terrific as the other half of the headlining duo, John Cale. Jason Schwartzman is funny as always as the bass player in the innovative band, and Natalie Portman is completely out of character for herself, playing the quiet, secluded, and quirky Maureen "Moe" Tucker.

But the real scene stealers come from the supporting cast, with Owen Wilson portraying the ever interesting Andy Warhol. His quirks, his eccentricities, his delusions, all come out in terrific ways when Wilson is center stage. Wilson is the comic relief, and it seems we are laughing at him. But Wilson delves so deep into this performance, that we must, in fact, be laughing with him. The other half of the terrific supporting cast is Gwenyth Paltrow as the German-born singer Nico. Portrayed as much more than a factory slut, Paltrow makes us feel for the hardships of this war torn beauty, and how she expresses her inner emotions by trying to find the love of a man. Or by singing. Or by modeling. Either way, both of these performances are absolutely breathtaking, and absolutely funny.

"The Exploding Plastic Inevitable" is one of those films that will be talked about for ages, and never fully understood. Many will think it is deep. Many will think it is pretentious. But the beauty of this film is that it is so simple. There are no messages. There are no allegories. There are no allusions. Wes Anderson does here what Wes Anderson does best. And that is tell a story.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:

Best Picture

Best Director - Wes Anderson

Best Actor - Justin Theroux

Best Supporting Actor - Owen Wilson

Best Supporting Actress - Gwenyth Paltrow

Best Supporting Actress - Natalie Portman

Best Original Screenplay - Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson

Best Costumes

At the Movies

Author: Kevin Klawitter



“At The Movies”


Cast:

Roger Ebert: Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Charlie "Chaz" Ebert: Jennifer Hudson

Gene Siskel: Kevin Spacey

Richard Roeper: Vince Vaughn

Oprah Winfrey: Viola Davis

Russ Meyer: Edward Norton

Hugh Hefner: Robert Downey, Jr.

Werner Herzog: Sir Ian McKellen



Crew:

Directed by Martin Scorcese

Screenplay by John Logan and Grant Hezlov

Director of Photography: Robert Richardson

Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker

Executive Producers: Martin Scorcese, Werner Herzog, Grant Hezlov, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Michael Mann


Tagline: His entire life was a trip through the art of cinema… now he gets a movie of his own.


Synopsis:
This movie on the life of film critic Roger Ebert begins as he joins the team of the Chicago Sun-Times in 1965. He had already gained an interest in movies, and after an unpleasant experience that day during an interview with the publicity-hungry Jackie Susann, he decides to try to use the power of film to his advantage. He starts to write the screenplay to a satire of her best-selling novel, Valley of the Dolls. Years later, he is contacted by legendary sexploitation director Russ Meyer, and together they make the movie, which gets the movie studio into trouble. Although Ebert is never called to the stand, the experience forces him to (at Meyer’s request) to do any more screenwriting under an alias.


Not long after the experience, he meets another film critic from the rival newspaper The Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel. Their meetings are uncomfortable, and the two find themselves arguing over which movies are the best, but they eventually become close friends. During one of their arguments, Siskel gets the idea of starting a TV show where the two compare their tastes. They go to a local public access station and pitch the idea. The head likes it, but is curious as to how they would decide which movies to recommend. Siskel wants to use the standard 4-star system, but Ebert comes up with a simpler, more novel idea: thumbs up or thumbs down.


The show is a hit, and the two are on their way to stardom. Ebert then begins to use his newfound celebrity to promote his movie tastes and get a show for his newfound girlfriend, Oprah Winfrey. However, years later disaster strikes as Gene Siskel becomes hospitalized with a brain tumor. He continues to screen movies and even contribute to his and Ebert’s show via telephone, but the disease is too much, and he dies during surgery.


Ebert falls into a depression, but soldiers on as a critic and television personality. He holds rehearsals for possible guest critics for the TV show, but none of them fill the hole left by Siskel’s death until he meets Richard Roeper, a young, quick-witted columnist from the Sun-Times staff. They start working together and eventually Ebert is lifted from his depression and begins have more fun. At one point, he has a feud with Vince Gallow, the director of a film known as “The Brown Bunny”, and Rob Schneider, for his movie “Deuce Bigelow: European Gigolo”. The former insults his weight, and he begins to exercise to lose it.


However, Ebert learns he has salivary cancer. He reluctantly leaves the show so he can have surgery to repair it, but the operation goes horribly wrong and he is forced to stay in the hospital under heavy sedation for several months. After his medication is reduced, he finds his attention span has disappeared and he can no longer watch movies or read novels. His wife Chaz eventually brings him out of it by reading to him in bed (starting with the Cormac McCarthy book Suttree), and after a while he gets back to work, starting by reviewing The Queen, and (at his publisher’s behest) beginning a blog. Despite several sugeries, he never regains his voice (which he lost after the failed operation), but still communicates to his friends and family via a computer-based voice simulator and his website.


The movie ends in 2009, when he and Chaz go to the Director’s Guild of America Awards Ceremony, where he is inducted as an official member. The award is presented to him by his longtime admiree (and DGA president) Michael Apted. Also at the ceremony are his two stepchildren and his friends Martin Scorcese and Werner Herzog. He starts using his voice simulator to read his acceptance speech, but a VO of his actual voice eventually replaces it while the image fades to documentary footage and flashbacks of the previous movie. As he finishes, he and Chaz walk off the stage together. A photographer asks for a picture, and Ebert gives a hearty “thumbs-up” to the camera. The picture freezes on that final image, and then fades to black.


Just before the credits roll, the audience is presented with a message about what happened to “At The Movies” since his absence, the fall of the art of film criticism, and how he thinks that since losing his voice, his “ability to communicate has increased”.


What the press would say:

Martin Scorcese has outdone himself this time, reuniting with his cinematographer and editor from his Oscar-winning The Aviator, and also teaming up with Grant Hezlov, producer and co-writer of the Oscar-nominated drama Good Night, and Good Luck, which also recreated a legendary TV show. Hoffman (chosen by Ebert himself) is cast in the lead role and recreates the man’s legendary voice and body language, giving his most remarkable performance since Capote, even going so far as to gain and lose weight in order to fit Ebert’s physical appearance throughout the years. In between the more dramatic scenes, we see montages of Roger watching movies, writing reviews, and speaking on his television show through split-screens, rapid cuts, and various film stocks representative of the different eras and moods.


FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
Best Picture
Best Director-Martin Scorcese
Best Actor-Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Best Supporting Actor-Kevin Spacey
Best Supporting Actor-Vince Vaughn
Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Hudson
Best Original Screenplay: Grant Heslov and John Logan
Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Best Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker

Until the Sun Goes Down

Author: George

Location: Atlanta

"Until the Sun Goes Down"

Directed by: Milos Forman

Written by: Milos Forman

Music by: Howard Shore

Starring:

Sam Riley as King George III

Kate Beckinsale as Sophia Charlotte

Sean Bean as William Pitt

Johnny Lee Miller as Charles James Fox

Michael Sheen as John Wilkes

Rutger Hauer as Lord North

Colin Farrell as Lord Bute

James D’Arcy as Prince Henry

Tom Hollander as Frederick, Duke of York

Emma Watson as Princess Amelia

With

Julie Christie as Augusta of Saxe-Gotha

And

Peter O’Toole as King George II

Tagline: “The sun would never set on the British Empire…”

Synopsis:

At 17, George III was different from the usual royalty. This was due mostly to the overly protective care from his mother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and her confident, Lord Bute. Her parenting kept George from the rest of the outside world. The one person who truly found something special in him was his father, King George II. He knew his reign was about over and his son would have to carry the mantel. The King gave something very special to his son: a necklace with the saint Michael hanging from it. It was special gift from father to son, and when George II died, George then became King.

When he was announced King, Augusta’s trusted servant, Lord Bute, arranged a marriage between the King and Sophia Charlotte of Strelitz. The King had very little experience with women and was very uncomfortable. Sophia Charlotte was able to resolve these issues with him and the two soon became very fond of each other and would support one another for the rest of their lives.

He was thrown almost immediately into political turmoil. Disagreement over their involvement in the Seven Years’ War turned into an uproar and the young King had no experience with politicians and the bureaucracy. He appointed the only man he trusted to the office of Prime Minister, Lord Bute. There was almost immediate uproar, and a charismatic member of parliament, John Wilkes published a disgracing portrait on Bute and his government, charging bribery, fraud, and above all, an affair with King’s mother. It did not matter whether these claims were true or not, the King was immediately embarrassed and started questioning his own abilities of being king. Wilkes was deported, and his paper never published again but the damage was done. After a begging plea from Bute to stay in the parliament, he was still thrown out and shunned from the upper classes for the rest of his life. The King’s mother stayed secluded throughout the incident.

Soon, the King was also thrown into a revolution in America, and, hastily trying to please his people, tried to create peace with the rebels, but to no avail. He was into two wars and was stuck there for another four years. The King found an ally with William Pitt, who was a good governor of the colonies for a while, and tried to appoint him to Prime Minister after the war. Both shared similar ideals and traits, but the King also found a kindred spirit in Pitt. He was someone just thrown into the problem, but took no self-pity on his circumstances.

The bloody napoleonic wars had ended with a British victory, but the King was not happy. The pressures and guilt from the wars caused his first bout of madness. Held up in his room for almost a week, he shivered constantly and started to yell, speak and laugh uncontrollably. Only by the nurturing of his wife was he able to come back to reality. Afterwards, the first thing he looked for was his necklace.

Political turmoil returned to the King’s life. A renewed conflict with France had taken place and three major players had fought for the spot of Prime Minister. William Pitt had the King’s support, but charismatic politician, and outspoken atheist Charles James Fox had the reputation. Aided by the shady Lord North (who had been curtly dismissed from his political office from the King), Fox endured a major political battle with Pitt, and the King was in the middle of it. Fox openly showed disgust for the King and his lofty ideals (mostly while he was drinking) and Lord North also used what influence he had to spread rumors of the King.. Pitt ended up winning the job of Prime Minister, but the King looked on with disdain as Fox was appointed a high position in Pitt’s cabinet. He looked at his father’s necklace, a source for comfort in a dark time.

As if more pressure couldn’t be added to his reign, John Wilkes returned to England and ran for parliament. His accusations against the King had just been the beginning. He was now thinking of getting rid of the royalty all together, starting first with King George III. The King was at a loss. His brother, Prince Henry, had just been accused of adultery from his wife and peers and the King had to take him in so no harm would come to him. Charles James Fox had just died and the King’s relationship with Pitt had been shattered. He had tried to reconcile but before he could meet with him, Pitt died of pneumonia. Wilkes was elected to office three times and each time the King had to remove him until he was forced to remove him from England all together. His wife had chastised him for taking in his brother. The King had also had some more lapses into madness. One time he was even caught yelling, and then talking with, a tree. Even for a King there is a breaking point, and when his favorite daughter, Princess Amelia died of tuberculosis he could handle it no more.

The King was then transferred to Windsor Castle where he would remain for five years. He soon went completely blind, unable to see anything except his past.. He soon lost all memory of that too, and was caught trying to kill himself twice. He even forgot where his necklace had come from or what it meant. His last visitor was his most accomplished son, Frederick, the Duke of York. On his deathbed and unable to recognize him, the King heard his voice: sad, loving, and understanding of all that he had been through. The King was now alert, his hand of Frederick’s face. He took the necklace around him and put it in Frederick’s palm, with a bittersweet smile on his face. He died in his son’s arms.

“I was the last to consent to the separation; but I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power." – King George III’s response to John Adams’ letter telling him he would be the American ambassador to Great Britain.

What the press would say:

Tyrant. Fiend. Oppressor of the American People. These are the thoughts that usually come to us when someone mentions the name King George III. The writers of the Declaration of Independence blamed everything directly on the tyrannical King and this thought of him as gone down from generation to generation. Milos Forman’s new epic, Until the Sun Goes Down, is a massive, three hour account on the essence and true nature of King George III. Most historians now agree that the King was a good man who was tossed into a fearful parliament and had to hurriedly deal with major wars with America and France, while dealing with his own bouts of madness. Forman traces the King’s life from when he was 17 and under special care from his mother and father (played by Christie and O’Toole to subtle perfection) to his death when he was 81 years old: completely blind and completely insane. Forman picks a seemingly unusual choice to play the King, in choosing 29 year old Sam Riley (Control). Riley pulls out all the stops to play this incredibly complicated character and starts naïve, young, and quick to smile, but ends old, decrepit and truly mad. He undergoes a Citizen Kane like makeover in the film making him almost unrecognizable at the end of the film. Riley is given the very difficult task of making King George III a human being with doubts, guilt, and feelings like any other man and succeeds to perfection. Guided by an incredible script (penned by Forman himself) Riley embodies his character and makes us forget it is an actor on the screen. His bouts of madness (which could have been laughable if another actor had been in the part) are incredibly real and striking which makes the audience really feel for this King. The rest of the supporting cast is also terrific. Beckinsale is through as much of the film as Riley is and brings a very real and sensitive touch to her character. Lee Miller and Sheen are very convincing in their showy, villainous turns but it is Sean Bean who really stands out from the pack. His portrayal of William Pitt is astonishing and makes him the one true friend to the King during his reign. The technical aspects of the film are top-notch as well. The cinematography and sets are first rate as well as the costumes and make-up.. While Forman is the magician behind the camera, the film really does belong to Riley, whose tour-de-force performance carries the film to a completely new level and makes it different from every other period piece out there.

FYC:

Best Picture

Best Actor (Sam Riley)

Best Actress (Kate Beckinsale)

Best Supporting Actor (Sean Bean)

Best Director (Francis Ford Coppola)

Best Original Screenplay (Francis Ford Coppola and James Schamus)

Best Score

Best Cinematography

Best Art Direction

Best Costume Design

Best Sound

Best Make-up

The Runner

Author: Evan (NY)


“The Runner”


Written by: Cynthia Voigt

Directed by: Jay Russell


Cast:

Bullet Tillerman – Adam Butcher

Tamer Shipp – Dominic Daniel

David Tillerman – Jeff Daniels

Mona Tillerman – Alberta Watson

Patrice – Karl Urban


Tagline: “in a time of protest, one boy ran.”


Synopsis:
Bullet Tillerman ran. He ran to get away from the harsh realities of histeenage existence. Bullet was a loner in a time of young rebellion. It’s1967, and Bullet Tillerman is running for himself.



Bullet is only a nickname though. His actual name is Samuel Tillerman. Buthis nickname came from his talents as a cross-country runner. Bullet wasthe number one runner in the state of Maryland, even though he went to abadly funded school in the middle of nowhere. As a runner, Bullet wasextraordinary. But as a member of the team, he was far less thanexemplary. Bullet didn’t run for the glory, or the awards and praise, heran for himself. He ran to not get “boxed in” by his father. He ran to bein complete control of his life.



He ran every chance he got; it was the only way he could think straight.He didn’t have any friends, as he was often distant and brooding, so healways ran alone. He ran to escape the house that his father David ruledwith an Iron fist, and to get away from his mother, who angered him withher weakness and submissiveness. He ran to forget that his father haddriven his two older siblings from the house. On his free time he workedon a boat with a cheery man named Patrice. They went out crabbing, andclamming.



At school, Bullet didn’t speak up in class, and made sure never to attachhimself too strongly to one specific group of students, so that theywouldn’t interpret his actions as an invitation for friendship. When hisschool is integrated, Bullet at first only observes the tension betweenthe whites and black, as he himself believes they’re to be fundamentaldifferences between the two races. But when his coach asks him to make tocoach a new black runner, Tamer Shipp, Bullet’s views overtake him, and hequits the team, thinking it bad to mix whites and blacks.As the student protests against the Vietnam War heat up, Bullet staysdetermined to be uninvolved with the rioting, devoting even more time tocrabbing with Patrice. But when Bullet tells Patrice why he quit the trackteam, he learns a valuable lesson about making assumptions. Patrice admitsto himself being 1/8th black.



With his mind whirling, Bullet begins to run again, and it feels good. Herejoins the team and agrees to coach the conceited, proud Tamer. Theobvious tension between them, over time, turns to something resemblingfriendship, and when they both realize this, their prejudices begin tosubside. While the school still quietly wars, the two runners workedtogether, to try and make their team successful.As soon as he turned 18, Bullet joined the army and went to Vietnam. Itwas his way of running for one last time. He had to escape his father, andhe had to make his mother brave. He had to run towards his fate, weatherit was good or bad. And Bullet Tillerman liked that.


What the press would say:

In his introspective, and small film, Jay Russell takes the audience on ajourney. “The Runner” is an incredible film about a boy’s journey towardsmaturity as he struggles with the conflicting ideas and ideals thatconstruct his world. It studies weather one person can remain an entirelyseparate entity, or, if by being born, one must become a member ofhumanity. These themes and more are prevalent through out the film, whichis a story about a 17-year-old boy, who is trying to escape his family,and remain his own person in Vietnam era Maryland. “The Runner” is basedoff of Cynthia Voigt’s 1985 novel, and boasts a mostly unknown, but highlytalented cast. On his first Dramatic lead, Adam Butcher gives a heartstopping performance as a boy who just wants to get away. Alberta Watsonalso gives a phenomenal performance as his mother, who is overshadowedpermanently by Bullet’s father. Wonderfully directed and filled withbeautifully done lighting and sweeping cinematography, “The Runner” is oneof the years finest little gems.


FYC:

Best Picture

Best Director – Jay Russell
Best Actor – Adam Butcher

Best Supporting Actress – Alberta Watson

Best Supporting Actor – Karl Urban

Best Supporting Actor – Dominic Daniel

Best Supporting Actor – Jeff Daniels