bad lieutenant Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Looking Ahead to the 2009 Denver Film Festival
Filed under: Festival Reports »
Denver may not be a city that attracts the amount of movie industry buzz that centers around our Western neighbors of Telluride, Sundance and Austin, but we do have a solid and fervent community of film lovers here. We don't have a ton of film events, but what we do have is cherished and obsessed over enough to rival the Alamo Drafthouse.
One of these events is the Starz Denver Film Festival, which is going strong in its 32nd year. After partnering with Starz, over the years, we've played host to Crispin Glover, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, Will Smith, Ang Lee, and enjoyed every on-the-cusp-of-Oscar movie of the past three seasons. This year is no exception as the festival kicks off this week with Precious, which was produced by the Denver-based Sarah Siegel Magness and Gary Magness. Denver will also get a chance to "meet" the film's buzzed about star, Gabourey Sidibe. Three legendary actors will be receiving the spotlight while enjoying our thin air: Ed Harris and his latest film, Touching Home will be the focus of a special evening, and will receive the Mayor's Achivement Award. Hal Holbrook will be receiving the Excellence in Acting Award, and be on hand with his new film, That Evening Sun. Last but not least, J.K. Simmons will be receiving the Cassavetes Award, and be presenting his new film, The Vicious Kind.
But hey, that's the glitzy statuette stuff. If you're a Colorado native, you need to check out the impressive schedule which includes big films such as Leaves of Grass, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, The Last Station, The Young Victoria, and Best Worst Movie with special screenings of its star, Troll 2. If you want to avoid the buzz, there's enough intriguing indies, documentaries, and foreign film selections to make your eyeballs fall out.
Should Herzog Have Made 'Bad Lieutenant'?
Filed under: Remakes and Sequels »
Werner Herzog's new film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans has raised all kinds of hackles, mainly over the "remake" issue. Some movie buffs are crying foul over the remaking of Abel Ferrara's classic Bad Lieutenant (1992), including Ferrara himself, who launched some famously acid comments in the press. This fuss has caused most critics to address the issue of how closely the two films resemble one another. In most cases, critics have concluded that the two films are entirely different with totally different feels and approaches.
Frankly, I'm fascinated by the two films, given that both directors are crazy mavericks, both indulging in their looniest personal whims, no matter what the cost or the outcome. This is not a remake in which anyone is concerned with "staying true to the material" or anything boring like that. Ferrara went nuts on his original film, and Herzog has gone nuts on the new film. Herzog has claimed that he never even saw Ferrara's film, and indeed, it more closely resembles his own earlier films with Klaus Kinski, with Nicolas Cage playing the part of the unhinged, psychopathic terror onscreen. (Most people I have spoken to have compared Cage's performance with some of his earlier, more extreme work, such as Vampire's Kiss).
Cinematical Seven: The Pen...is Mightier Than the Sword
Filed under: Cinematical Seven », Lists »
It's funny over here. You're quite safe from penis shots in America because American people don't have penises, so you can't see them in film. Whereas in Britain you can see your penis in film. So since it's an American picture, it's just a bum you see. Ewan McGregor, interviewed by MTV
I apologize for the lame joke in the title, but in this case it rings true. As McGregor insinuated above, there's a certain phobia about male genitalia, so much so that the mere sight of it -- even in its inactive state -- leads to uproar. Why would I mention this today? Watchmen is now out on DVD, and that means full-frontal Dr. Manhattan.
While it's probably one of the most necessary uses of nudity (fake flesh at that), Manhattan's penis sent many conservative critics and moviegoers into a rant-filled panic. Never mind the fact that he's a full-stop superhero who is naked, and has a fulled developed body. Some of the masses expected him to keep prudish sensibilities in mind and Ken-ize his genitalia as he saves the world or works in his natural state. In honor of the Manhattan uproar, here are seven cases where male nudity became the main talking point of the film.
Nic Cage's Awesome 'Bad Lieutenant' Remake Trailer
Filed under: Drama », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
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It's almost too obvious that this so-called Bad Lieutenant remake from Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage is destined to become the crack junkie of Netflix a year from now; an instant guilty pleasure -- the sort of film some folks will hate, but some will adore. The original 1992 Bad Lieutenant from Abel Ferrara (and starring Harvey Keitel in the lead) was like a shock to the heart; a gritty, nasty, foul-mouthed dirty cop flick that made you immediately want to take a shower once the end credits began to scroll. This new version, which carries its own original story and isn't a remake (according to Herzog), definitely looks to keep a lot of the nastiness, but injects it with that odd Cagian humor as well. How can you not laugh at Cage when he spits out sentences like, "What, you don't have a lucky crack pipe?" Eva Mendes (reteaming with her Ghost Rider co-star), Val Kilmer and rapper-actor Xzibit also star. If anything, this looks like a fun film for those old school Nicolas Cage fans desperate to see the guy take on non-commercial fare for a change. Herzog fans? I don't know what to tell you; this looks nothing like a Herzog film -- though this "trailer" does look like a promotional tool used to help sell the film (at Cannes?) and not an official, finished (and polished) piece of marketing.
But you be the judge -- we've included the trailer after the jump because it's definitely NSFW. Be warned.
Val Kilmer and Xzibit Join Werner Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant'
Filed under: Action », Thrillers », Casting », Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant cast just became a whole lot crazier. Variety is reporting that Val Kilmer and Xzibit are joining Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes in the much-maligned remake / re-imagining / re-something of Abel Ferrara's cult classic.Kilmer will be playing Cage's police partner, presumably the straight arrow to complement Cage's cop-on-the-edge. This comes right on the heels of Kilmer being cast in Silver Cord, so I think it's safe to say someone's trying to make a comeback. (Am I the only one who laments the passing of years, and what it has done to one of my biggest crushes? Has it really been so long since The Saint?)
Xzibit, fresh off The X-Files: I Want to Believe, will be playing their nemesis, Big Fade.
Remember, folks, it's a re-imagining, which is why you don't remember any of these characters from the original.
If there aren't shockingly hilarious tales of egos and fistfights from the Lieutenant set, I'll be among the bitterly disappointed. While I suspect Kilmer has chilled with the passing of years, I'm thinking that combining him with Herzog is bound to be tempestuous. Is it too much to ask that Herzog just goes even further, and hires Sean Young and Gary Busey? Perhaps even Mike Myers? Throw the script out the window, and just film the production. I think it would be far more fun than any re-imagining.
Eva Mendes Spices Up 'Bad Lieutenant'
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Deals », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
I'm not sure what to think of this Bad Lieutenant remake (or re-imagining) since the first one was so ridiculously off the charts that when news first broke about a re-do, most folks gave a look like they just stepped on a cockroach and the thing was still squirming around all half-squashed and whatnot. Translation: "Yuck ... really? They're remaking THAT film?" Nevertheless, if anyone can make this sucker shine, it's Werner Herzog, and Variety now tells us that Eva Mendes is eying a role opposite the already-cast Nicolas Cage. Apparently they're straying quite a bit from the original, so all we know at this point is that Cage will play a corrupt cop who likes to play dirty. In the original, Harvey Keitel starred as a corrupt cop investigating a nun's rape, though there's no word on whether that storyline will remain in this new version. If so, will Mendes play the nun (originally played by Frankie Thorn)? Mendes and Cage last worked together on Ghost Rider, which I haven't seen, so I can't comment on their chemistry. However, I've been waiting to see Mendes get a little nutty on screen since she usually plays it safe. This should be an interesting one to watch, whaddya think?
Herzog Responds to 'Bad Lieutenant' Backlash
Filed under: Action », Drama », Independent », Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Cannes », Noir », Celebrities and Controversy », Movie Marketing »
Things weren't so peaceful in the movie buff land when word got out a few weeks ago that Werner Herzog plans to remake Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage in the lead role. Even noted trash auteur Abel Ferrara publicly complained about having his work redone. Bad Lieutenant isn't anybody's idea of a good time: Harvey Keitel puts on a freakishly raunchy performance. Still, it definitely sounds like Herzog's pumped about the gig. Defamer cornered the director in New York today for a few questions about the project, and the responses are kind of amazing. Herzog tends to do a great job of explaining himself, no matter what crazy scheme he has cooked up, but the best part of this interview arrives when the guy claims utter cluelessness about Ferrara's work. Way to stick it to the source material. To hear Herzog tell it, his version of Bad Lieutenant isn't a remake, although he wouldn't know, since it sounds like hasn't actually seen the original. However, he says that Cage's character's name and the plot are entirely new. Herzog apparently liked the "very, very dark story," written by William M. Finkelstein, and he can't wait to work with Cage (given Herzog's notorious appreciation of Anna Nicole Smith, this last bit actually makes sense). Hearing about Ferrara's discontent, Herzog just eggs him on: "Let him fight the windmills, like Don Quixote." It's a feud made in heaven, almost too good to be true. You might just call it ecstatic truth.
Top: Early poster art for the new 'Bad Lieutenant,' snapped at the Cannes Film Festival last month.
Independent Film Enjoys SAG Waiverland
Filed under: Deals »
When the writers' strike was looming, folks were rushing to get things done. This time around, with SAG, we've got some big-budget films trucking ahead, or scheduling re-shoots, without worry of the actors heading for the picket line. It almost feels like it's just some wild rumor. But it's not, and Variety reports that there is a pretty large "Waiverland" in case things go ahead.SAG has set up 300 waiver deals with indie producers for post-June 30 production, should the strike go on. Now, Variety also points out that some of the big productions (like Terminator, which seemed surprisingly carefree about the possible strike), have scheduled in a hiatus just in case (hopefully long enough to cover it, should a strike begin), but others are going on the hope that there won't be one, like Angels and Demons and Prince of Persia. Risky business.
So, if you're wondering what some of the films are that got waivers, Variety shared the following: Edge of Darkness, W, My One and Only, Big Eyes, Labor Pains, Pandorum, Bad Lieutenant, Killing Pablo, and Brooklyn's Finest. Plus an earlier waiver list that included The Rebound, Law-Abiding Citizen, and Brothers in Arms.
We're in June now, so we'll know soon enough what will happen. Hopefully this can all be resolved without a big strike, but only time will tell.
David Lynch and Werner Herzog Team for Wacky, Guerrilla-style Murder Drama?
Filed under: Drama », Deals », Mystery & Suspense », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
I'm not sure what they're putting in the water over in Cannes, but some pretty wild deals are beginning to emerge from that fest in France. Only a day after Werner Herzog signed to direct Nicolas Cage in a remake of Bad Lieutenant comes word from The Hollywood Reporter that Herzog and David Lynch have teamed up on a film called My Son; a murder drama to be tentatively shot next March. Based on a true story, My Son will tell of a "San Diego man who acts out a Sophocles play in his mind and kills his mother with a sword." HR says the film will jump between the murder scene and this disturbed man's story. Nice family film from two completely sane directors.Additionally, and this shouldn't come as a surprise (considering the two guys we're talking about), My Son will be shot guerrilla-style with digital video. Herzog, who co-wrote My Son with Herbert Golder, will first shoot Bad Lieutenant in July before directing the Victorian-era drama The Piano Tuner for Focus Features. One can only imagine what the finished product will look like when you've got Herzog and Lynch working together on the same movie -- especially one with a nutty storyline like this one. Not for nothing, but I think I'd rather watch the documentary of them making this film rather than the film itself. You?
'Bad Lieutenant' Is Getting a Rewrite
Filed under: Drama », Scripts », Remakes and Sequels »
It has been 15 years since the release of Abel Ferrara's controversial film, Bad Lieutenant, but the LA Times reports that Producer Edward R. Pressman is looking to update the film by using, "...the raw material of the original film and weave it into 21st century, post- 9/11 New York". The original starred Harvey Keitel as the unnamed NY policeman, a drug and gambling addict who finds redemption while investigating the rape of a nun. The film was written by actress-model Zoë Tamerlis Lund and Abel Ferrara. The producers brought in Billy Finkelstein last year to rework the script, with the working title, Bad Lieutenant '08. Finkelstein has turned in scripts for a variety of crime TV; including Law and Order and NYPD Blue. Some the changes that Pressman and company have planned for the script are the addition of a back story of the lieutenant character, as well as finally giving their lead character a name: Terence McDonough. While the original was famous for shocking audiences with scenes of misogyny, drugs, violence, and all kinds of bad behavior, Finkelstein told the LA Times that, "I don't know that the same sorts of things that caused us to sit up and take notice 15 years ago are necessarily gonna have the same effect now." The man has a point, but it doesn't get much more disturbing than Harvey Keitel doing full-frontal nudity. Neither Keitel or Ferrara are attached to the film, but Pressman said that he has spoken to both of them about the update. So what do you think? Is Lieutenant due for an update? Or will this be just another in a long series of bad remake ideas?
[via Big Screen Little Screen]
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