Posts with tag Heathers
How Very! 'Heathers' Gets New Anniversary DVD
Filed under: Comedy », New Releases », Fandom », Home Entertainment »
The last time that Heathers got a special edition, I got a ruler, a tin that bent pretty quickly, and a DVD that didn't work. It seemed that there was a problem with many of the DVDs, so I had to send away for a replacement. Still, the hassle was worth it for a DVD that offered all that Swatch dogs and Diet Coke heads could want.Now The Hollywood Reporter has posted that my beloved movie is getting a two-disc, 20th Anniversary DVD. God, I feel old, but then I have to remember that the last time I saw this film, I was a pre-teen with a Christian Slater crush. Anyhow, this new release will be hitting shelves on July 1, and it will include a newly remastered version of the film, plus a new documentary called Return to Westerburg High, which features interviews with writer Daniel Waters and director Michael Lehmann.
New features are cool, but this is sounding suspiciously like a fluff feature to tantalize fans who bought the other discs. That's fine, but I'd want a little more than just Waters and Lehmann, both of whom were featured on the last featurette and commentary. For example, some new interviews with Winona Ryder would be nice, especially since she just worked with Waters on Sex and Death 101.
But even as I type this, I know I'll pick it up, because I'm a sucker for Heathers. How about you?
Cinematical Seven: Men We Shouldn't Love
Filed under: Fandom », Cinematical Seven »
I have a problem. As a moviegoer, I'm always attracted to charisma over deed. More times than I can count, I find myself rooting for the bad guy and hoping that they bring the bland hero down. Of course, sometimes it's a fight between hero and villain for who has the most charisma, and sometimes the film wants us to love the villain, but whatever the case, the thorn is usually a lot more fun than the hero he's stuck onto. And this means that I'm often disappointed at the end, because the bad guy almost always dies.
Still, this is what's so great about film -- you can love the baddies without the real-world consequences. We've all heard about bad-guy lust, but this way, the baddie can do his bad thing for us to enjoy, without us getting all of the negative repercussions. We get the wild eye without the body count, the ripped muscles without the steroid set-up, and the twisted humor without the reality.
However, seeing that bad guys are my kryptonite, it's hard to pick just seven. While the following is, by no means, all-encompassing, it's a list of some of my favorite baddies. Some we're told to love, and others, well, they just steal the show.
Jason Dean -- Heathers
This is probably what started it all. When my friends and I gathered around the television to watch Christian Slater's new movie, we were immediately smitten. We didn't care that J.D. had a thing for doling out his own deadly justice. By the time he said: "Alright, so maybe I am killing everyone in the school... because nobody loves me!" We were exclaiming: "We love you!" J.D. had the drawling, Jack Nicholson voice, the sexy trench, and the need to row out to the middle of a lake somewhere with a bottle of tequila, his sax, and some Bach. He was very. Very very.
Watch Winona Ryder's Sex Scene from 'Sex and Death 101'
Filed under: Comedy », Romance », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », NSFW », Images », Trailers and Clips »
I'm not sure if this is true, but I've heard some movie geeks out there grew up crushing on Winona Ryder. I know I wasn't the only one. Actually, I know there were thousands of us, if not millions. Now, as a sensitive teen, one of the things I liked about the actress was that she was firm on her decision to keep her clothes on. Of course, as a hormonal teen, this was also one of the things that frustrated me about her. Well, now that it's been about twelve years since I met Ryder while selling her Shine tickets and came to the realization that she was a real person and not someone to obsess over, she is baring some skin. It's still not a lot of skin, and it's only noticeable if a certain gossip blog freeze frames it for us, but Winona Ryder is a bit naked in Sex and Death 101. Now, you might want to chime in and point out that, as MrSkin.com does, Ryder showed a dab of flesh in Autumn and New York (there were rumors of a full nude scene that was cut out), and this isn't that much better. But this is a little different; I would at least consider it more of a nude scene. And if you want to watch it, you better do it quick. The video and the NSFW photo are sure to be taken down soon.For those who don't know, Sex and Death 101 is the film that reunites Winona Ryder with Heathers screenwriter Daniel Waters, who also directs this time around. It stars Ryder, of course, as a serial killer named Death Nell, who targets sex criminals. Ryder's co-star in the film is Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada), who can be seen in the video, as a guy who one day receives a mysterious email detailing all the women he has and will have sex with in his life. Our own Scott Weinberg saw the film at Fantastic Fest and called it Waters' "best work in a very long time," and Ryder's, "best stuff in years." That may not say much to you, knowing their lack of success in recent years, but Scott continued to give the film praise. He wrote, "the movie juggles romantic comedy, dark humor, sex farce and slight slapstick with seldom a misstep, resulting in a surprisingly unpredictable flick that works on a small variety of levels." Sounds interesting. Oh, and don't forget that sex scene; that might interest you, too.
Cinematical Seven: Uber Cool & Quotable Gun-Toting Antiheroes
Filed under: Fandom », Cinematical Seven », Lists »
Shoot 'Em Up opens this week, and Clive Owen is making Bugs Bunny look all sorts of tough and cool. He banters. He sexes up the ladies. He handles guns like a pro. Heck, he even tries to buy them with food stamps. All this badness and guns has thrown me into an antihero state of mind. But before I can go a-listing, we've got to decide what an antihero is.
Blending all of the vague definitions together, your antihero is basically the person who doesn't imbue the classic attributes of heroism. This could mean being inept and stupid, but for the means of this list, I'm going for the antiheroes whose methods, manners and intentions can be questioned. Some are good guys who do bad things, some are bad guys who do good things. Some just don't care as much as a good hero should. But they're all so uber cool that whether you've seen the films or not, you know who they are, and you might just be quoting them.
Note: Only one cop is included on this list, and it isn't John McClane -- he's much more of a bitter hero than a questionable antihero.
Harry Callahan -- Dirty Harry (1971)
I know what you're thinking: "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
While I love most of the guys on this list, the one who has to be there above all others is Dirty Harry Callahan. He might be a cop trying to keep the streets safe, but instead of upholding the law, he enforces morality with his gun, boot, or whatever else he can find. In the first of the action series, Callahan is hunting down Scorpio, a serial killer loosely based on the Zodiac killer. He tortures suspects when he needs to, and does it all in a suit, tie and sweater. Most of all, he's "Dirty," but no one knows the specific reason why.
Retro Cinema: Heathers
Filed under: Comedy », Retro Cinema »
Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be.
The future's not ours to see...
Almost two decades have ticked by since Heathers quietly slid onto the big screen. The years have been kind to the film, and while it never made a big splash while projected for darkened theaters, it has become a cult legend that few films can even think to touch. Premiering in 1989, Heathers was the perfect, ironic final chapter to the decade of John Hughes, big hair and cheery optimism.
Winona Ryder stars as Veronica Sawyer, a young woman who had forsaken her unpopular friend Betty Finn (note the names) to join a popular triumvirate clique of Heathers – the red Heather Chandler, the green Heather Duke and the yellow Heather McNamara. She's displeased with the actions of her new circle, yet yields to the demands of their red-themed leader – that is, until she becomes mesmerized by the dark clothed, attitude-laden new kid named Jason Dean (Christian Slater).
One night, Veronica heads out with Heather Chandler to a frat party. She gets sick and soon the girls are in a bitter, cursing fight. Veronica finally stands her ground against her bossy friend, and Heather vows: "Monday morning, you're history." As Veronica later stews over the argument in her bedroom, J.D. pops up in the window, helping to turn her rage into old-fashioned revenge. The next morning they head to Heather's house to give her a hangover cure -- J.D. is itching for the fatal, chemical solution, while Veronica just wants Heather to have the same puke-filled embarrassing situation that she suffered.
Cinematical Seven: Sequels That Should Happen -- But Won't
Filed under: Action », Classics », Comedy », Documentary », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Fandom », George Lucas », Cinematical Seven », Remakes and Sequels », Lists »
There aren't too many movies that necessitate sequels. Unless a movie is part of a pre-proposed series or is an adaptation of a series of books, it should probably be able to stand alone. But a lot of sequels come from movies that are perfect by themselves -- sometimes the sequels compliment nicely; sometimes they are easily ignored; occasionally they actually take away from the previously regarded original.
It isn't often that a movie screams out for a sequel, but I think I've come up with seven that at least whisper a request for one. Two actually have source sequels that they would be adapted from. One has a lot of history to mine material from. Three of them have been discussed at length at different points in time by makers of the original(s). The problem is that none of these sequels is likely to ever grace your DVD player let alone your local theater. For whatever reason, they simply have too much against them in the minds of studio execs. For now, though, we can dream.
1. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
Even with the incredible cast and the surprisingly faithful-enough script, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was not the epic that I was hoping for. It also wasn't the blockbuster that Disney was hoping for. The filmmakers, Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith (aka Hammer and Tongs) and the necessary actors had signed on for the sequel, to be adapted from Adam's follow-up, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but it appears to be dead in the water. Despite my few reservations with the first film, I would love to see the sequel, as well as the rest of the series (they could end before The Salmon of Doubt, I guess). I remember being bored with some of the prehistoric Earth sequences in Restaurant, but I think they'd make for great cinema. In any event, I think Martin Freeman and Mos Def were a great duo in the original, and they alone should have been propelled to stardom following its release. Maybe they can appear in something else together.
Jeffrey M. Anderson's 400 Screens, 400 Blows -- Lehmann's Terms
Filed under: Comedy », Columns », 400 Screens, 400 Blows »
What do you do when a hero takes a fall? For years I've been tracking the career of director Michael Lehmann, convinced that he had a kind of hidden brilliance packed somewhere in the corners of his films. If I persevered, I would have been the first to discover the hidden connection and trace the line that would lead to a major re-discovery. But then I saw Because I Said So (152 screens). I breathlessly arrived at the screening, excited by the possibilities the evening would have in store for me. The movie started, and I re-adjusted my expectations, thinking that maybe I'd have to work a bit harder to find something good. The movie kept going and I began to despair that I'd find anything good. The movie went a little further and I became convinced: this movie doesn't have anything good. It's one of the worst, most annoying movies I've ever seen. This was re-affirmed when the critic sitting directly to my right leaned over at one point and whispered, "kill me."
Quickhits: McShane on the Case, Intermedia is Drowning and Ryder Keen on Heathers 2
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Paramount », RumorMonger », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
Odds and ends from Tuesday:
- Is it me, or is Ian McShane "The Man" lately? Seems every day I find his name associated with another project. And I like the guy -- so that's a good thing. Well, chalk another one up for this cowboy: Variety reports the Deadwood star has signed to star alongside Renée Zellweger (man, she's still acting?) in Case 39 for Paramount Pictures. Directed by Christian Alvart, pic centers around a social worker (Zellweger) who rescues an abused girl from her parents, then later learns things aren't exactly as they seem. McShane will play a cop who helps the social worker with her case.
- Don't you just love movies that feature characters who suddenly realize they're part of some big, elaborate government experiment? Well, don't you? How come no one is raising their hand? Are you alive out there? Is anyone even reading this free information? If you are, then I'll tell you Intermedia has optioned Adam Alleca's spec script The Drowning Man, which is based on Hideshi Hino's Living Corpse. The sci-fi thriller revolves around a guy who wakes up without a heartbeat, then realizes the government has something to do with it. Damn government! Why can't a guy just enjoy his freedom?
- One of the greatest dark comedies ever made might be heading back our way, this time in super-cool sequel form. According to Entertainment Weekly, Winona Ryder and Heathers scribe Daniel Waters are interested in producing a sequel to the hit 1989 film. Currently, the two have teamed up once again for Sex and Death 101, in which Water both wrote and directed. Ryder was quoted as saying, "There's Heathers in the real world! We have to keep going!" This might mean a possible sequel could find our characters out of high school and locked inside cubicles. Personally, I'd be very interested to see something develop here. How about you?
Sex and Death for Winona
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Newsstand »
Why is everyone calling Sex and Death 101 "the return of the guy who wrote Heathers," rather than "the return of the guy who wrote Hudson Hawk?"* Come on, people -- let's give Daniel Waters his due! Anyway, back in March we told you about the movie, which revolves around a man receiving "a mysterious e-mail containing the names of every woman he has had sex with and, eerily, every woman he will have sex with in the future." So there, you see, we have the "sex" part of the title -- no idea where the "death" comes in, though. (Personally, since the man is being played by Simon Baker, I'm fervently hoping someone else bites it.)Since the movie went into production without a female lead, it's a good thing that Waters finally worked his Heathers connections to bring Winona Ryder on-board. Supposedly, she was his one and only target for the role -- Waters says he wrote it her in mind. (Do you think he really did, though? I mean, how often do people pull that line out in an effort to flatter stars into appearing in their movies? "Denzel -- I wrote the part for you! Really! You can totally play fat, old, and white.") Also in the film are Dash Mihok and Boston Legal's Julie Bowen; release is planned for some time next year.
*There is no sarcasm whatsoever in this statement. I'm going to be buried with a Hudson Hawk DVD.
Heathers screenwriter returns with more Sex and Death
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Deals », RumorMonger », Scripts », Remakes and Sequels »
A maddeningly vague and typically eloquent
item over at Ain't It Cool points to the news (first spread
by Variety) that Daniel Waters, the writer of
Heathers is back with a project that could legitimate that early flash of brilliance. Called Sex and Death
101 (sounds like an alternate title for the film that introduced , no?), the film, which looks to be in
pre-production, takes off when a guy receives an anonymous email detailing his entire sexual history – past,
present, and future. Though casting is said to be underway, but the project doesn't have an IMDB entry yet. Waters hasn't been heard from in a while. He had a brief stint as a scribe-for-hire in the early 90s, after Heathers introduced gems such as "what's your damage?" and "fuck me gently with a chainsaw" into modern parlance, receiving credit on the screenplays for Batman Returns and Demolition Man ... as well as those of the Adventures of Ford Fairlane (yep, the Andrew Dice Clay movie) and everyone's favorite debacle (or, at least, Martha's), Hudson Hawk. A rumored Heathers sequel never materialized, and Dan's career then seemed to go dormant as his brother Mark's ascended, with the latter cranking out five films, including Mean Girls, since debuting with The House of Yes in 1997. Dan's directorial debut, called Happy Campers, made barely a splash in 2001. Let's hope that he's been putting the last five years to good use, and that Sex and Death reverses the trend.
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