JamesUrbaniak Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Scenes We Love: Henry Fool
Filed under: Independent », Scene Stealers », Trailers and Clips »
One of the most overlooked actors in the world of cinema is Thomas Jay Ryan, also known as Henry Fool. In Hal Hartley's world, he was a Fool by name, but only in the most dynamic and classic sense. Ryan served us one of the most dynamic and irresistible characters that quirky cinema has seen. He's an actor that oozes presence, and it's one of Hollywood's biggest oversights that this man can't get a big, and dramatically engaging break.
Writing about Henry Fool, I want to call it a masterpiece, and I don't use that phrase lightly. The film is wonderful, but it is more about the world that was created, and how Fool's adventures can morph from serious poetry and child rearing to spies, intrigue, and explosions (in Fay Grim). In Fool, Ryan even makes the simplicity and awkwardness of grammar seem intriguing, and below, you can watch him teach Simon Grim (James Urbaniak) the differences between there, their, and they're.
Yes, the scene taps into my writerly inclinations, but it's also a wonderful example of Ryan's skill -- taking such a simple notion and thought, and expressing it Just. So., punctuating thoughts with a simple tapping of the piano key, and deliberate pauses.
Fan Rant: 'The Venture Bros.' Need a Feature Film!
Filed under: Action », Animation », Comedy », Fandom », Fan Rant »
Cartoons ... For the most part, I am happy to do without them. Sure, I love myself a little Danger Mouse and his trusty assistant Penfold, and I'm still amused by the brief brilliance that was Clone High, but my animated television love is ruled by one show. No, it is not The Simpsons. It is The Venture Brothers.
Really, the fact that one of the show's creators, Jackson Publick, worked on both the animated and live-action offerings of The Tick should be enough. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. In case you're ignorant to the ways of the Ventures ... The show is a spoof of the retro series Jonny Quest, and parodies much more than just father and son Quest -- it takes on media from Indiana Jones and Scooby Doo to that light-saber Internet kid. The show focuses on the Venture family -- super-scientist Dr. Venture, sons Hank and Dean, and his bloody tough and unstoppable bodyguard and reluctant friend, Brock Samson. They are constantly having to deal with a number of dastardly assailants, the most determined being Dr. Venture's arch-enemy -- The Monarch. He's an ineffectual villain who has the heart of Dr. Girlfriend -- a paramour with the body of a goddess and the voice of a fat and hairy henchman. It's just comic gold.
If South Park and The Simpsons get their own feature films, it's about time Hank and Dean's adventures made it to the big screen.
'Fay Grim' Picture Palooza
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », Images », Cinematical Indie »
We're finally a month and a few days away from the limited release of Fay Grim, Hal Hartley's sequel to Henry Fool. The first was a mellow, quirky tale about James Urbaniak's strange garbageman Simon Grim, and the rogue Henry Fool who inspires him to become a poet when he hands over a crisp, black and white speckled notebook. Parker Posey played Fay Grim, Simon's sex-crazy sister who ends up marrying Fool. This sequel, which Kim Voynar reviewed during TIFF last year, deals with Fay ten years later -- just a bit amped up. The film still revolves around Henry and his notebooks, but now he's disappeared. Jeff Goldblum's CIA agent convinces Fay to help him find the notebooks, because they're believed to hold information damaging to US security. IGN has gotten a slew of images from the feature that show how the world of Fooling Grims has changed over the years. There are some shots of Hartley, as well as scenes from the film. We've got Liam Aiken, the same little boy from the original film, showing Simon something on the computer. In another, Saffron Burrows is wielding a gun and looking fairly unhappy. And then there's my personal favorite -- Parker Posey looking like a tough arse-kicker. If you're anxious for some media of the moving variety, I linked to some last month. Go out and see it! Go, go, go!
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