BillyCrystal Tagged Articles at Cinematical

On November 10, 2009, Walt Disney Home Entertainment is releasing a 4-disc Blu-ray set for Monsters, Inc., Pete Docter's feature directorial debut. Much like Finding Nemo set the stage for what Andrew Stanton eventually did on Wall-E, the 2001 Pixar film offers a glimpse of what was yet to come from Docter – who went on to direct this summer's Up, also out next week – but it also reiterates some of the themes that run throughout all of the studio's best work, including the concept of an alternate perspective on a place or idea that seems obvious, and the idea of families that are both familiar and unconventional. But how effectively does it examine and explore those things, particularly in light of what the studio has done since?

Suffice it to say that the Blu-ray set offers not only the best presentation of the film imaginable, but a bounty of extra content that expands the film's universe in new and interesting ways. As for the movie itself?

With never-ending zeal, Hollywood looks back to the good ol' days with remakes and re-imaginings. But it's always the plots; always the stories. What about the actors? If there was any way that looking to the past would be beneficial, it would be grabbing those actors of today and getting them to dip back into the roles of yesterday -- the gigs that made us love them, but were so soon forgotten or cast aside.

Between casting ruts and earnest attempts to foster specific career paths, actors all too often leave their well-loved roots in the past, becoming an entirely different sort of performer. Very rarely do we get glimpses of those early years, and as nice as it is to see glimpses of former glory in a skit that pops up on SNL or Funny or Die, it's not the same as a feature-length, starring gig.

What follows are seven actors and actresses who are ripe for a return to the past. Naturally, this is only the start of a very long list, so be sure to add your picks in the comments.

We haven't seen Billy Crystal on the big screen since Analyze That in 2002. Since then, he hasn't completely disappeared, but has only taken on a few voice projects and one brief stint as a Union Soldier on TV (I guess one could call him a City Slacker! Zing!). But now he's back, and it's all because of teeth.

Variety reports that Crystal has joined the cast of Tooth Fairy. (Get caught up here, here, and here.) This is that comedy where The Rock ... sorry, Dwayne Johnson, is a minor league hockey player skating around and knocking lots of dudes' teeth out. His disregard for dental gets him in trouble with the world of tooth fairies, and he's forced to become one for a week. Annoyingly, there's no mention of who, exactly, Crystal will play in the piece (Hockey coach? A fellow tooth fairy mentor? Perhaps the husband of Julie Andrews? -- I would hope fairy supervisors get more to their life than just teeth and glitter.)

So, there you have it. After 6 years, he's been lured back by tooth fairies. It's not what I would've expected, but hopefully it leads to more.

Two things I enjoyed about Definitely, Maybe, which came out on DVD today: the cheesy jokes about New York City in the early '90s and the fact that it is a chick flick for guys. What I mean by the latter is that the movie seems targeted to females yet it caters more to the male viewer. It's basically a male fantasy: Ryan Reynolds tells the story of how he dated three beautiful women (played by Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz and Elizabeth Banks), one of whom he married and later divorced -- meaning he's now single again. And he also got a cute, precocious daughter (Abigail Breslin) out of the deal who becomes beneficial to him in his return to bachelorhood.

But then is it really a chick flick? I guess it is if you count romantic comedies in that grouping, though the genre has never necessarily been aligned with the term, nor vice versa. And in the age of Judd Apatow, it's more likely that any new romantic comedy is actually a guy movie. Do many men realize it's a movie for them, though? Probably not. Though chick flicks are typically movies primarily populated by women characters and/or a female protagonist (think Steel Magnolias), romance films not made by either Apatow or the Farrelly brothers may be thought of as being for the ladies, even if they feature a male lead, like Reynolds in Definitely, Maybe.

I'll admit I've always been confused about chick flicks as a term. I apparently enjoy many so-called chick flicks, including even (especially) Beaches. So, I may not be using the term correctly in this list. However, I am a guy and I know what guys want. So, I'm going to do this my way, and answer the following question: What other films may have been initially perceived by males as being made for chicks but which turned out to be more for them (us)?

I live a ten minute walk from the Arclight Cinema in Los Angeles, easily one of the best movie theaters in the country. The American Film Institute hosts awesome screenings of new and classic films there weekly, and I try to see as many as I can. Just last week, I enjoyed the new Michael Douglas flick King of California, which was followed by an enlightening talk with the movie's writer and director -- Mike Cahill. Neat, right? But nothing could prepare me for the event that hit my inbox just now. Had I been a cartoon character, my bow tie would have spun around rapidly and smoke would have blasted out of my ears. Readers, if you live in Los Angeles -- KEEP OCTOBER 3RD FREE!

The AFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an almost unbelievably cool event. On October 3rd, they will screen eleven classic movies at the Arclight, all at the same time. But what truly sets this event apart are the people they've booked to host the screenings. Check this lineup out, and try to keep your jaw attached to your face: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, presented by Jack Nicholson. Spartacus, presented by Kirk Douglas. The Birds, presented by Tippi Hedren. The Sound of Music, presented by Julie Andrews. Bonnie and Clyde, presented by Warren Beatty. Rocky, presented by Sylvester Stallone. Star Wars, presented by George Lucas (settle down!). When Harry Met Sally, presented by Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal. Beauty and the Beast, presented by Angela Lansbury. The Shawshank Redemption, presented by Morgan Freeman. And Unforgiven, presented by Clint Eastwood. Um...wow. Just wow.

Here is the official site for the event. Tickets go on sale September 19th. which is this Wednesday. Tickets are $25, and include popcorn and soda. The first 100 people to show up for each screening get a 40th Anniversary AFI Book. Dress is "festive attire," all screenings begin at 7PM, and doors are at 5:30. For you non-Angelinos, which screening would you choose if you could go? And if you plan on attending, which one are you going to? I'll be at either Unforgiven or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for sure. Both movies are in my personal top ten, and where else am I going to be up close and personal with Jack Freaking Nicholson or Clint Freaking Eastwood? This is going to be a tough choice! See you there?

Every once in a while, news about a potential sequel makes some people ooh and ahh, rather than hawk up a phlegm globber. Is that the case with a potential Throw Momma From the Train 2? I wouldn't think so, but both Josh Horowitz at MTV and our beloved EIC, Erik Davis, seem into the idea. The former spoke with Danny DeVito recently about the possibility of a Momma return, and it seems the dude doesn't think his train days are done.

DeVito said: "I actually haunt Billy [Crystal] all the time. I always call him and say we should do a sequel. I called Billy at 7 AM one morning. I must have woken him up and I was like: 'I have this idea.' He was like: 'Are you done?' He went back to sleep." So really, this is only in the vague musing stage if he's serious, although I'm sure it would gear up soon if movie companies caught wind of some audience interest. But do the rest of you really want it?

I enjoyed Throw Momma from the Train and Horowitz is right -- it has some great lines. However, as he also notes -- Anne Ramsey is no longer with us. I would have trouble seeing The Goonies return without Ma Fratelli just as much as I couldn't see a new Throw Momma without the actual, wonderfully-mean mom. Heck, she got an Oscar nomination for the role! If she was still around, I'd be all for it, but I don't know if I could watch a sequel without her. Could you?

After a couple bad choices (A Lot Like Love; The Guardian), Ashton Kutcher is again working with his usual co-producer Jason Goldberg (Guess Who; "Punk'd"). The two have been tapped to make a comedy for Columbia Pictures called Father's Day, which will be scripted by Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson. The plot is not given in Variety's report, but we can assume it isn't another remake of Francis Veber's Les Compères (the 1997 Hollywood version was also called Father's Day and starred Robin Williams and Billy Crystal). The only description we're given is that this Father's Day will be a multi-generational comedy. So, I'm thinking something like It Runs in the Family or Parenthood, but I could be way off. Kutcher isn't yet confirmed to star in the movie, but the studio picked up the pitch as a potential vehicle for him (hopefully John Cusack wasn't interested).

Though I haven't liked any Ashton Kutcher vehicle since Dude Where's My Car? (well, I did think The Butterfly Effect was hilarious, but I don't think it was supposed to be) and I believe his stardom is fading a bit, I think that his partnership with Goldberg could at least produce a much-needed hit for the guy. Remember, Kutcher was once the box office champ of "That '70s Show" actors, even winning a head-to-head opening-weekend battle against Topher Grace in 2004 with The Butterfly Effect versus Win a Date With Tad Hamilton. Now, thanks to Spider-Man 3, Grace is on top, and I think he will stay there for awhile. Next up for Kutcher is What Happens in Vegas, co-starring with Cameron Diaz.

Ellen DeGeneres takes the stage on February 25 as host of the 79th Academy Awards ceremony -- and if she thinks hosting the Oscars is as easy as showing up and tossing off a few one-liners, she's got another think coming. Luckily, she can learn tons from those who came before her, from revered hosts like Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal to unfortunately maligned hosts like David Letterman and Chris Rock.

Take a look at our advice to Ellen, based on the best and worst moments in Oscar host history, and then help her out with your own pearls of wisdom.

CHECK IT OUT: Do's and Don'ts for Ellen DeGeneres

POST: What advice would you give Ellen?

POST: What are the best and worst moments in Oscar host history?

Last September, when Ellen DeGeneres was first announced as this year's Oscars host, I gave my opinion that she was all wrong for the job, that she isn't funny or hip enough for the young audience that ABC is hoping for. More than twenty comments were posted by readers that stated the opposite. I have begun to realize I could be wrong, although I'm getting very tired of that commercial featuring her and a bunch of animals. I admit that my judgment of DeGeneres is based primarily on my annoyance with her voice work on Finding Nemo. Otherwise I have been known to chuckle at her jokes from time to time.

This week DeGeneres spoke about her preparations for the February 25 telecast. She said that her concentration thus far has been on making sure there aren't too many industry-specific jokes because a lot of the audience hasn't seen the nominated films. She knows she won't please everybody, and she stated that she plans on just being herself and doing what she finds to be funny. Those who enjoyed her previous experience as host of the Emmys and the Grammys can probably expect to enjoy this, I figure.

DeGeneres will not be copying Billy Crystal with a musical number, though she is hopeful for something as spontaneous and surprising as the Jack Palance one-armed push-up incident, which allowed for a lot of fun improvisation from Crystal in 1992. That reminds me: considering Palance died this past November, it would be a good idea if all the winners this year pay him tribute by doing at least one push-up on stage. I bet Helen Mirren can even do the one-armed variety.