By Nick Maylor Kevin Smith took a brief sabbatical from filmmaking after the perceived failure of Zack & Miri Make a Porno (2008), a film that saw the worst box office opening for star Seth Rogen. With Zack & Miri, Smith was clearly trying to make a film that would play to a certain type…
By Nick Maylor Since Ridley Scott’s original Alien (1979), “synthetic” characters (androids/robots) have been a tradition in the franchise, starting with Ian Holm’s character Ash. In Aliens (1986), it was Bishop (Lance Henriksen) and so on. These characters are seen as virtually (if not totally) indistinguishable from humans. In Prometheus (2012), Ridley Scott sought to…
By Melissa Houghton Do you remember the ABC TV comedy Bosom Buddies? It was my introduction to actor Tom Hanks as Kip Wilson, a struggling New York City ad writer who resorts to cross-dressing alongside his buddy to live at the only apartment they can afford, the female-only Susan B. Anthony Hotel. The series aired…
By John H. Foote Long ago Jack Nicholson passed Marlon Brando as the greatest screen actor of his generation. As good as his friend Brando was, Nicholson had greater range and was fearless with his image. He knew what audiences liked and could not care less, he took roles that interested him, that challenged him…
By Nick Maylor Bill Murray is a comedic legend that has firmly cemented himself as a great dramatic actor. With his appearance in Lost in Translation (2003), Murray showed that he had serious skill for the dramatic in addition to his omnipresent, unrivaled mastery of being one of the funniest people in the world. I…
By John H. Foote He had been rising in the ranks slowly but when he shared the screen with Harvey Keitel in Mean Streets (1973) a trio of stars were born. De Niro, Keitel and Director Martin Scorsese were about to embark on a journey that would alter American cinema. De Niro would – zenith…
By John H. Foote There was a time he was the most electrifying actor in movies, his performances earning raves from film critics around the world, legions of fans following his work, his peers celebrating his artistry, from film audiences around the globe. In the seventies his work was astounding, seeing him nominated for four…
By Nick Maylor Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) has left quite a legacy since its release. Referred to (affectionately) by the cast during filming as “Death of a fucking salesman” (due to the prevalent profanity) Glengarry Glenn Ross is responsible for a long-running character on The Simpsons. Gil Gunderson Is a constantly down on his luck,…
By Nick Maylor Two of Al Pacino’s most famous characters are icons of organized crime. Pacino’s fame exploded after the release of The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974) cemented Michael Corleone as America’s quintessential cinematic crime-lord, the ultimate representation of the dark side of the American dream, and how absolute power corrupts absolutely.…
By John H. Foote (***) Let me begin by stating that the performance given by Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland in Judy is the odds-on favourite to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Yet it is so much more, less a performance than a merging of Garland’s broken, damaged soul to that of Zellweger.…