William Dear Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Thanks to Biloxi Blues and Big Top Pee-Wee, Penelope Ann Miller was one of my childhood crushes. I think the attraction continued for a few years until I found her completely annoying in Kindergarten Cop. Since then, I haven't really watched her in anything except Carlito's Way, and that wasn't until fairly recently. Still, I always felt kinda bad for her, mostly due to those rumors that ex-boyfriend Al Pacino had purposefully ruined her career. Of course, Pacino neither ruined her career nor ruined her love life (who knew she was shortly married to Will Arnett?). Now, Miller is married and she's adding another movie to her resume. According to the Hollywood Reporter, she's been cast in Free Style, a coming-of-age action-drama set in the world of motocross. Unfortunately, she doesn't appear to be gearing up to ride. Instead, she'll be playing a single mom to one of the riders. Her part doesn't sound too small, though, as her character is given even more description than that: she's a single mom who "strives to provide for her family while studying full-time to become a nurse."

Free Style, which was previously titled Metal Birding, began filming last month and stars Corbin Bleu (High School Musical) as a motocross racer attempting to win the Amateur National Championships while also helping to provide for his own family (no connection between Bleu and Miller's characters are given, but it would seem they'd be son and mother). Also in the cast are Sandra Echeverria (Crazy), as Bleu's girlfriend, Matt Bellefleur (Christmas in Wonderland), who plays Bleu's rival, nine-year-old Madison Pettis (Barney & Friends) and motocross star Grant Langston, who cameos as Bleu's idol. The movie is now being helmed by William Dear (Harry and the Hendersons), who is replacing original director Jeff Woolnough, whose reason for leaving is unknown.

Sixteen years ago, Clifton Collins Jr. had his first movie role as "Carlos' Friend #2" in Lawrence Kasdan's Grand Canyon -- and it wasn't his last numero dos role. He was also "Vato #2" in Menace II Society and "Jarhead #2" in One Tough Bastard. Since those days, he's moved out of the number realm with a lot of side-work in high profile movies like Traffic, Capote and Babel. But personally, I always remember him from his crazy drug-dealing Rupert Guest from The Rules of Attraction. Having just wrapped some films like Sunshine Cleaning, he's now got some starring nibbles with the true, feel-good story about Mexican Little League all-stars called The Perfect Game.

Collins is getting to go beyond his ne'er-do-well acting chops by leading the film as Cesar Faz, a baseball player who returns to Mexico after being defeated by racism in the Major Leagues. There, he becomes coach of a youth team and ends up leading them to the Little League World Series in 1957, where they won 4-0 over La Mesa, California. The baseball feature is being directed by William Dear, the man behind Harry and the Hendersons and Angels in the Outfield, from a script by W. William Winokur. The Mexico shoots have been completed, and the production will begin filming in Los Angeles on June 15 with a supporting cast of: Cheech Marin, Emilie de Ravin, Lou Gossett Jr., Bruce McGill and Patricia Manterola. As for the kids, they include Nacho Libre youngin' Moises Arias and invincible hero Hayden Panettiere's younger brother, Jansen.

Back around 1982 -- just around the time a little movie called E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was dazzling everyone and their grandmother -- young director Steven Spielberg instantly morphed into an absolute juggernaut of an executive producer. Along with partners Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, Spielberg lent his name/stamp of approval to a whole bunch of family-friendly comedies and adventure flicks. During the Amblin' Era, the trio gave us Gremlins, The Goonies, Back to the Future, The Money Pit, An American Tail, Young Sherlock Holmes, Innerspace, Three O'Clock High and Batteries Not Included. Oh, but wait... I'm forgetting one...

Ah yes, 1987's Harry and the Hendersons, which was little more than a slightly sitcommier version of E.T., but it boasted more than enough assets to warrant its own loyal fan base. (For those who don't remember, it's a flick about the craziness that occurs when a Sasquatch is invited to live in a nice little suburban home.) Starring John Lithgow as the dad, Melinda Dillon as the mom and Don Ameche, Lainie Kazan and M. Emmet Walsh in supporting roles, Harry proved to be quite the decent little hit for the Amblin' gang and their Universal partners. The flick was in heavy HBO rotation for a while and (of course) it made its way to VHS ... but thousands of hardcore Harry fans have bemoaned the lack of a DVD release for some time now. (Geek Tidbit: The guy who played Bigfoot in this movie also played the title characters in Prophecy and Predator!)

Although Fantastic Fest is only in its second year, the Austin sf/horror/fantasy film festival is picking up some great premieres. Last month, the festival announced that its closing-night film will be The Fountain. The latest additions to the lineup include the U.S. premiere of William Friedkin's film Bug, which I'm not sure is classified as horror, suspense, or just plain creepy. In addition, Lucky McKee will attend festival screenings of The Woods (pictured), which he directed and which is finally getting a DVD release this fall, and Roman, in which he plays the title role. (I am embarrassed to admit I am the kind of person who knows The Woods only as "a film with Bruce Campbell in it.")

But wait, there's more: filmmaker William Dear will be on hand for screenings of the 1974 biker film Northville Cemetery Massacre and his latest film, Simon Says, a horror film that stars Crispin Glover. And Fantastic Fest's opening-night film hasn't even been announced yet. Anyone want to join me in Austin in late September?