R. Lee Ermey Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Indies on DVD: 'Indie Sex,' 'Jimmy and Judy,' 'Solstice'
Filed under: Documentary », Horror », Independent », Thrillers », New on DVD », Home Entertainment », Remakes and Sequels », Cinematical Indie »
The Christmas Day indie releases were sparse, but the schedule for New Year's Day looks positively barren. Still, I have a couple of recommendationsIndie Sex is a four-part series that was created for the Independent Film Channel, which is where I first caught it. The interview subjects include a good range of well-known indie directors (John Waters, Atom Egoyan, Catherine Breillat) and actors (Rosanna Arquette, Peter Sarsgaard, Ally Sheedy). Filmmakers Lisa Ades and Lesli Klainberg examine each of their topics ("Censored," "Taboos," "Teens," "Extremes") with respect and cover all the bases. It's both a good primer and a reminder of the industry immaturity that still tends to rule the day. The two-disk DVD includes all four episodes.
Jimmy and Judy features Edward Furlong and Rachael Bella as two kids on the run who film their own bloody -- and sometimes naked -- exploits. Jeffrey M. Anderson didn't think there was much new in the film, despite that gimmick; Eric D. Snider felt it might be worth watching out of curiosity "and for Furlong's compelling performance, and that's about it." Mmm, decisions, decisions ... The DVD includes an audio commentary with the filmmakers, deleted and extended scenes, and two trailers.
I'm both intrigued by and wary of Solstice, which went into production in 2006 but is just now getting released direct to DVD. Daniel Myrick (The Blair Witch Project) remade the Danish/Swedish thriller Midsommer with an attractive cast (Elisabeth Harnois, Shawn Ashmore, Tyler Hoechlin, Amanda Seyfried), plus the great R. Lee Ermey. But it's another PG-13 "horror" film, not to mention the long delay in getting released, so it's got huge question marks plastered all over it. Proceed with caution.
Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Beginning -- Jette's Take
Filed under: Horror », New Releases », New Line », Theatrical Reviews », Remakes and Sequels »
The Texas Chainsaw franchise has either roared through the box office or limped along, by turns, since 1974. I'm sure Tobe Hooper, Kim Henkel and other cast and crew involved with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre had no idea it would spawn three sequels, a remake, and now a prequel: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. (Hooper and Henkel are listed as executive producers on this latest film, but seem to have little to do anymore with the series.)
I'd heard that Beginning would recount the story of Leatherface and his family (the Hewitts) before those days when the young people in the van picked up a hitchhiker and ended up in a world of trouble ... and chainsaws. I imagined the prequel would recount the story of young Tommy "Leatherface" Hewitt growing up -- would it be an idyllic childhood, spoiled by some traumatic event or would he have a miserable youth, taunted and mocked endlessly until he had an epiphany, perhaps while sawing firewood? Perhaps he was a child genius who suffered some tragic accident. The imagination presents so many possibilities.
However, in Beginning, Tommy Hewitt's birth and childhood are disposed of quickly during the opening credits. In fact, the opening credit sequence was one of my favorite parts of the film -- a smooth, intriguing montage hinting that Tommy was considered a disturbed child by teachers and doctors, practically from birth. His birth, in the teaser before the credits, is also a fascinating little story.
Kubrick: Cruise and Kidman Ruined Eyes Wide Shut
Filed under: Drama », Celebrities and Controversy », Tom Cruise »
Iconic film director Stanley Kubrick apparently considered R. Lee Ermey his own personal Linda Tripp, confiding in him by phone shortly before his death that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman "had their way with him" and ruined Eyes Wide Shut. Ermey starred as the sargeant from hell in Kubrick's classic Full Metal Jacket (and can currently be seen as the uncle from hell in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning), and the two kept in close contact until Kubrick died in 1999. Kubrick went on to tell Ermey that the was film a piece of sh*t, and figured the critics would eat him alive. Which they did. That brings to mind a famous quote by Kubrick. He was watching Jerry Lewis edit a film, and Lewis was increasingly dissatisfied with the cut. He turned to Kubrick and said, "Well, I guess you can't polish a turd." Kubrick carefully thought about it and said, "You can if you freeze it."
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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