al pacino Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Making The (Up) Grade: Heat
Filed under: Warner Brothers », Fandom », Home Entertainment »
Every few years, it seems necessary in the course of critiquing home video releases to clarify and designate the difference between all of those terms that distributors and producers come up with to describe films that arrive in stores in a version other than their theatrical iteration. For example, "unrated" no longer simply means that a film is too bawdy or offensive to garner a proper MPAA rating; rather, in many cases it means that the studio re-inserted footage, and didn't bother to screen it for the ratings board at all. "Director's cuts," meanwhile, sometimes really reflect the original vision of a filmmaker for his movie, and sometimes just qualify as an alternate version that was supervised or approved by the director. And most importantly, none of these changes are an automatic indication that the film will be superior to the one that you saw in theaters, even if there's a little more gore or nudity or (God forbid) character development.
Ironically, the new Blu-ray for Heat carries no such designation – to anyone buying it, this is the same film they saw in theaters and on standard-definition DVD. However, at the top of the list of the disc's special features, the topline attraction is "new content changes supervised by director Michael Mann." Even for someone who's seen more than his share of extended, alternate, unrated and director's cuts, this was particularly intriguing, which is why Heat is the subject of this week's "Making The (Up) Grade."
Discuss: Movies That Everyone Seems To Love But You
Filed under: Action », Drama », Fandom »
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a little post about Movies That Nobody Seems To Like But You, and it was an awful lot of fun for you (over 100 comments) and me -- so today I thought we could flip it around because I happen to know for a fact that there are movies that everyone seems to love but you ... because for me, that movie is Heat.
Released in 1995, Michael Mann's crime drama was an unofficial remake of his made-for-TV film, L.A. Takedown, and is still considered one of the greatest crime films of all time. The story centered on an LAPD homicide detective and a career criminal (played by 'Method heavies' Al Pacino and Robert De Niro) in a battle of wits with Mann's trademark themes of masculine identity and how our work can define us as people. But, no matter how many times I have tried to give this movie just one more chance, I still walk away wondering what I'm missing. In fact, it's a great example of how it doesn't matter how good a movie may be, it will always come down to your personal tastes.
After the jump: it's not a 'guy thing' and what's the big deal with that diner scene?...
Our Favorite Montages: Scarface
Filed under: Drama », Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
There are plenty of different kinds of montages in the language of film, and they can fill you in on everything from the emotional state of your characters to a wacky makeover. So while a good montage sequence will explain everything you need to know in the most economical way possible, one of my favorite kinds is the "Rise to Power" montage -- which brings me to Scarface. I love Brian De Palma's crime opus for so many reasons, but I think when it comes to the art of the montage, I have a soft spot for cheese -- and it doesn't get much more pungent than Giorgio Moroder, the patron saint of 80's movie music.
By the time the power chords of Moroder and Paul Engemann's Push it To The Limit kicks in, we've already been watching Tony Montana work his way up the criminal ladder and this segment occurs after he has killed Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) and taken over as the head cocaine trafficker in Miami. This montage has it all: bags of money, weddings -- hell, there's even a tiger.
Sure, this montage is a little over the top, and you can see Tony's downfall coming from a mile away. In just over two minutes there are enough ominous glances that you just know things are not going to end well for our cocaine dynasty. So even though this sequence has every crime cliché front and center, remember, it isn't a cliché it you were the one to do it first.
After the jump: the rise of Tony Montana, and another Moroder movie classic...
You Don't Know Jack... Kevorkian!
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Home Entertainment »
I really don't know who thought You Don't Know Jack would be a great title for an HBO biopic about Jack Kevorkian, the doc who spent eight years in jail for his role in assisting the terminally ill to commit suicide, but whoever you are, I applaud you. It adds a smidge of levity (and inappropriate humor, my favorite kind!) to what is sure to be a rather dark feature, indeed.Al Pacino has taken on the role of Kevorkian, a friendly enough looking older fellow whose name has become synonymous with assisted suicide. (Now is not the time for jokes about his roles in Righteous Kill or 88 Minutes and what effects either might have had on movie-goers.) Kevorkian's interest in dying patients, his creation of a device to assist the terminally ill in their own suicides, and his own work helping 130 people with terminal diseases end their own lives earned him the nickname Dr. Death, about eight years in jail, and a Time magazine cover.
Tony Montana will be joined by Susan Sarandon and John Goodman in You Don't Know Jack, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The pic is a "loose" adaptation of the book Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie. I haven't read the book, but it seems like a somewhat empathetic look at this controversial man. Noted political activist Sarandon has been cast as Janet Good, an advocate of the right-to-die movement who took her own life because of pancreatic cancer.
Al Pacino to Play Dr. Death, Jack Kevorkian
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand », HBO Films »
Let's just point out the elephant in the room, shall we? Al Pacino is one of the all time greats, but his recent work has been anything but. If he was anyone but Pacino, a story like this would be phrased as a hopeful, can he come back sort of piece ... but it's Al Pacino. You don't say those kinds of things, do you? Well, you can think it if you like, as The Hollywood Reporter says that Pacino is currently circling Barry Levinson's biopic on Dr. Jack Kevorkian. I doubt there's anyone reading who doesn't remember who Dr. Kevorkian is. Known as Dr. Death, he assisted in more than 150 cases of suicide / euthanasia with his "Mercy Machine." After beating the Michigan court system for years, he was convicted of second degree murder after sending a tape of one euthanasia patient to 60 Minutes. He served eight years, and was released in 2007 on account of good behavior, and has been doing public appearances since. The media frenzy and emotional fury that surrounded him seems to have dissipated for the moment, but perhaps Levinson and HBO Films can stir it up again.
Levinson's film will trace Kevorkian's career as he builds his famous "Mercy Machine," conducts his first assisted suicide, and creates a firestorm with his advocacy for providing assisted suicide as "a medical service." It's the kind of role Pacino could really excel at ... but it's also something he could probably do in his sleep. So, is it promising? Predictable? The first step on the road back to exciting brilliance? You be the judge.
'Righteous Kill 2' -- The Video Game!
Filed under: Tech Stuff », Movie Games »
The predictably and sadly stinky Righteous Kill, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as cranky old cops trying to solve a possible serial killer case and make old rights wrong etc. etc ad infinitum, has a video game. No, I didn't know it either! Probably because it was put out by Merscom and Starz Media and is a downloadable PC game that can be yours for just $6.99 via Big Fish Games. And now there's a sequel called Righteous Kill: Revenge of the Poet Killer, which can also be yours for $6.99. Both games have the barest connections to the actual movie. Here's the description of the first game:
"Step into the shoes of Erica Dean as she investigates crime scenes in New York City. It`s a man hunt for a vigilante on a killing spree through 16 locations containing over a thousand hidden objects. With the help of Sergeant Vasquez, Erica will use clues she collects in a number of detective-themed mini games. Inspired by the motion picture film, Righteous Kill features clips from the movie and 15 animated levels."
Scenes We Love: Serpico
Filed under: Classics », Drama », Thrillers », Scenes We Love »
I may have disagreed with many of Esquire's "essential" manhood movies, but I heartily second their recommendation of Serpico as any sane person would. I revisited this film a few weeks ago, and it doesn't matter how many times you see it in your lifetime, it never ceases to be absolutely terrifying. It may be a biopic (and perhaps even more frightening because of it), but I think of it as The Turn of the Screw set in 1970s New York thanks to the beginning. Sidney Lumet doesn't tease you with Serpico's fate, he kicks off the film with it, and the entire movie is a long, tense, paranoid ride to get to that gunshot.
Everyone points to Dog Day Afternoon as the fiilm that really flaunts Al Pacino's skills -- and I wouldn't dare argue with that, but I don't think this performance gets enough love. Pacino is another reason I love this scene, as it quickly switches between the battered and bleeding detective, and the young, idealistic rookie who is celebrating graduation with his family ... and all to that melancholy, unconventional theme. It's all in the performance (and mostly the eyes), and not in cheesy age make-up or hammy "Oh, it's tough out here for an undercover cop" handwringing. I don't know if it's an essential man movie, but it's certainly one that should be watched more often.
Al Pacino's Next Iconic Role: Napoleon!
Filed under: Casting », Family Films »
Napoleon seems to be all the rage these days, conquering his way to the big screen. But rather than have dueling pictures for the same audience, we've got one adult romance and one child's tale coming our way. The first is Napoleon and Betsy, a historical romance that grabbed Emma Watson last year. To add to the French flavor, we're now getting an adaptation of Staton Rabin's children's book, Betsy and the Emperor, and The Hollywood Reporter posts that Al Pacino has signed on to play the infamous Frenchman.While the first project takes some liberties, morphing the true story of friendship between a defeated emperor and young girl into a romance, this keeps things platonic for its tween audience. (A welcome note because the thought of a Pacino/Watson romance is, well, unseemly.) Based on the true story of Betsy Balcombe, Rabin's tale follows the 14-year-old as she breaks out of her family's fear of Bonaparte and becomes his friend while he's exiled on St. Helena. The relationship is based in fact, but the book then adds a bunch of flair with accidental death and hot balloon adventures.
Apparently Al has been itching to tackle Bonaparte for a while, and I imagine this is a bit of a compromise -- as a big-name actor often busy with iconic drama, who yearns to play a certain historical figure, a tween-themed film isn't usually the project of choice. Nevertheless, it's great to see Pacino walk beyond that Righteous Kill and get some more worthy gigs. Lear, Bonaparte ... what's next? Thomas Jefferson?
Pacino and De Niro Angry at Being Portrayed as Watchmen
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy »
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro finally co-starred together last year in Righteous Kill, and now they're teaming up again: to sue the film's distributor, Overture, and the Tutima watch manufacturer for allegedly misusing their names to sell watches. Yes, these two will appear in terrible films until the cows come home -- but don't you DARE suggest they endorse a particular brand of wristwatch. According to the Reuters news service, a series of ads last year (such as the one pictured) used the actors' names, voices, and faces to endorse Tutima watches. In addition to print advertisements, a clip from Righteous Kill appeared on Tutima's website. The actors claim they never gave permission for such an endorsement, and that they'd have said no if they'd been asked.
In the words of the lawsuit, De Niro has only ever endorsed a product "under very specific and compelling circumstances," and Pacino "has never commercially endorsed any product or service in the United States." The stars of 88 Minutes and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle have standards, you know. (I suspect one of those standards is that they'll do whatever you want; you just gotta pay them.)
Actors do have the right to control when their names, images, and voices are used for commercial purposes, of course. If Overture really didn't make the proper arrangements with Pacino and De Niro before allowing Tutima to use them, well ... they're gonna be in trouble. According to the Associated Press, Overture was surprised by the lawsuit, takes all legal action very seriously, etc., etc.
Camilla Belle Going Biblical With Al Pacino?
Filed under: Drama », Casting », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Religious »
I scanned this Variety article in vain, looking for some mention that Cecil B. DeMille had arisen from the grave purely to revive bombastic Biblical epics. But no. Nor is it April 1, so this has to be legitimate, as unlikely as it seems.Apparently, Aloe Films is producing a film called Mary, Mother of Christ with Camilla Belle in the title role. But it's the rest of the cast and characters that sends this into truly "Whoa, really?" land. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is signed to play the duel roles of Gabriel and Lucifer, while Peter O'Toole will be playing Symeon. Currently in talks to join in are Al Pacino and Jessica Lange, who are interested in playing King Herod and Anna the Prophetess.
Start to think that over in your mind -- the crazy eyed Rhys Meyers as archangel and devil, and Al Pacino as King Herod. That's like John Wayne /Greatest Story Ever Told territory, and will either end up cinematic gold or mocked on YouTube.
The film will be helmed not by a resurrected DeMille, but by Alejandro Agresti, and it's currently aiming for a April 2, 2010 release which will coincide with Good Friday, making it one of those event films on par with The Passion of the Christ or The Nativity Story.
I don't mean to sound snarky at all, though I wince at the political and religious frenzy that seems to surround such releases. I'm merely surprised at the level of talent that's attached to this, yet it warranted such a whispery mention in Variety -- it's almost like they can't quite believe it either.
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