They say mama knows best… Mom Calls Cops On Son Plotting To Shoot Up “Twilight” Theater NY Daily News A southwest Missouri man accused of plotting to shoot up a movie theater during the new “Twilight” film was charged Friday after his mother contacted police, telling them she worried her son had purchased weapons similar to those used during the fatal Colorado theater shooting. Blaec Lammers, 20, of Bolivar, is charged with first-degree assault, making a terroristic threat and armed criminal action. He was jailed in Polk County on $500,000 bond. “Thankfully we had a responsible family member or we might have had a different outcome,” Bolivar Police Chief Steve Hamilton told The Associated Press. He said Lammers is under a doctor’s care for mental illness, and court documents said he was “off of his medication.” A phone message left by The Associated Press at Lammers’ home wasn’t returned Friday. No attorney is listed for him in online court records. His mother contacted authorities Thursday, saying she worried that with this weekend’s opening of the final film in the popular Vampire movie series, her son “may have intentions of shooting people at the movie,” police wrote in the probable cause statement. Good thing his momma knows that he ain’t isht. She said she thought the weapons — two assault rifles and hundreds of bullets — resembled those used by a gunman who opened fire inside a theater in Aurora, Colo., during the latest Batman movie in July. That attack killed 12 people. Lammers was questioned Thursday afternoon and told authorities he bought tickets to a Sunday “Twilight” screening in Bolivar and planned to shoot people inside the theater. The town of roughly 10,000 people is about 130 miles southeast of Kansas City. According to the probable cause statement, Lammers also planned to “just start shooting people at random” at a Walmart store less than a mile away. He said he’d purchased two assault rifles and 400 rounds of ammunition, and if he ran out of bullets, he would “just break the glass where the ammunition is being stored and get some more and keep shooting until police arrived,” investigators wrote. Lammers stated he wanted to stab a Walmart employee to death and followed an employee around a Walmart store before officers got involved in 2009, according to police. This muhfugga is CRAZY! It’s sad that you can’t even go to the movies on opening weekend anymore because of fools like this guy and the one in Aurora Image via AP
If Quentin Tarantino ‘s demonstrative hand gestures don’t distract you too much, here’s an interesting clip in which the Django Unchained director discusses the influence that crime novelist Elmore Leonard had on his formative years as a screenwriter and filmmaker, as well as his appreciation of actress Pam Grier. Rolling Stone posted this exclusive video , which is part of the bonus material included in Tarantino XX , a 10-disc Blu-Ray box set that collects the eight movies from the first 20 years of his career: Reservoir Dogs , True Romance, Pulp Fiction , Jackie Brown , both Kill Bill films, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds . In what appears to be a Film Independent Q&A on Tarantino’s 1997 film Jackie Brown , which was adapted from a Leonard novel, the filmmaker explains that he used to read the writer’s books and “adapt them into movies in my mind,” asking himself: “How would I turn this into a movie?” He adds that engaging in that mental exercise, “years before I could ever afford to make a movie, really..helped me with my structure.” There’s also a curious moment at the end of the clip where Tarantino talks about wanting “to be Josef von Sternberg” to Pam Grier’s “Dietrich.” While I appreciate Tarantino’s appreciation of Grier’s talent, I think that line says more about him than her. Von Sternberg made the little known Marlene Dietrich a star when he cast her in The Blue Angel and then worked with her for five more films. Grier was hardly an unknown when Tarantino began working with her. Thanks to her roles in Coffy and Foxy Brown , Grier was already a cult icon. Tarantino merely reminded us of that. He also didn’t exactly make her a star. [ Rolling Stone ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
You may be waiting in that line longer than usual if you’re shopping at Walmart next Friday. According to The Huffington Post : Organizers are planning a nationwide strike against Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, and are banking on a new strategy: online organizing. Labor organizers are working with social action nonprofit Engage Network as well as corporate watchdog nonprofit Corporate Action Network to pull off what they are calling a “viral” — meaning national and spreading online — strike. Brian Young, cofounder of the Corporate Action Network, said on a conference call coordinated by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union Thursday, that organizers cannot cover the roughly 4,000 Walmarts across the country, but enabling self-appointed leaders online has widened and decentralized the campaign. The campaign is also mobilizing strikers and supporters through a Facebook app, multiple Facebook pages, a Tumblr and Twitter with the hashtag #walmartstrikers. The outreach leading up to Black Friday follows a series of unprecedented actions taken by Walmart workers against their employer and working conditions. In October, for the first time in the company’s 50-year history, more than 70 workers at multiple Los Angeles-area Walmart stores walked off the job, even though their jobs are not protected by an official union. The strike had a ripple effect, causing strikes in 12 other cities, in large part through online organizing. The success of these strikes, as well as one over the summer touted as the largest ever protest against the company, and a six-day pilgrimmage of warehouse workers in September, would not have been possible without Facebook, Twitter and other web sites, Young said. “Making Change at Walmart,” which organized the demonstrations and is a campaign affiliated with the UFCW union, has over 25,000 supporters on Facebook. Corey Parker, a Walmart worker from Mississippi, said on the conference call that he became active with OUR Walmart after finding out about it through a HuffPost article on Facebook. Now, he has mobilized workers at his store to strike on Black Friday because, he said, he realized that “not being able to make a living was not just an issue at my store.” Adding fuel to movement, Walmart announced Thursday that it will kick off its Black Friday sale at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, its earliest start ever. “Lots and lots of Walmart workers are going to be forced to not have Thanksgiving because they’re going to be preparing all day for the busiest shopping day of the year,” Dan Schlademan, director of Making Change at Walmart, said on the conference call. “This essentially cancels Thanksgiving for hundreds of thousands of workers.” “It’s not like Walmart is financially hurting. It’s not like they’re not making unbelievable sums of money. The price of this is really decimating an important family day in our country.” But Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said of the sale, “Last year, our highest customer traffic was during the 10 p.m. hour and, according to the National Retail Federation, Thanksgiving night shopping has surged over the past three years.” “Most of our stores are open 24 hours and, historically, much of our Black Friday preparations have been done on Thanksgiving, which is not unusual in the retail industry,” he said, adding that the strikes planned for Black Friday, will not “have any impact on our business.” Regarding the action over the last few months, Restivo said, “While the opinions expressed by this group don’t represent the views of the vast majority of more than 1.3 million Walmart associates in the U.S., when our associates bring forward concerns, we listen.” In September, dozens of Walmart-contracted warehouse workers in Southern California’s Inland Empire walked off the job and went on a six-day, 50-mile pilgrimage to protest working conditions and retaliation for speaking up. More than a month later, the warehouse company NFI responded to some of the strikers’ working condition requests. “Just in the last week, we’ve seen the warehouse operators scrambling to replace broken and unsafe equipment, they’ve rented fans to increase ventilation, and they’ve added more water coolers,” Elizabeth Brennan, communications director for Warehouse Workers United, said on the conference call. However, the strikers who returned to work have continued to face retaliation, many times getting their hours cut from 35 down to eight, she said. Some of these warehouse workers will join striking Walmart workers on Black Friday, Brennan said. Do you support the strike?? Images via tumblr
Quentin Tarantino has one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012 and most audiences won’t get a first glimpse until Christmas, but that hasn’t stopped speculation that it may be an Oscar contender and may be one of the Pulp Fiction filmmaker’s best to date. Yet, Django Unchained may be the beginning of his filmmaking sunset, the director hinted. In an interview with Playboy , Tarantino said that he doesn’t want to be an “old-man filmmaker,” and saying flat-out that he wants to “stop at a certain point.” “Directors don’t get better as they get older. Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film fucks up three good ones … When directors get out-of-date, it’s not pretty.” Tarantino, who has the big 5-0 staring him in the face said he wants to come out on a creative high-note, but he’s not quite sure when that end may come, though he seems to think he’s most of the way there. “I’m on a journey that needs to have an end and not be about me trying to get another job,” he said. “I want this artistic journey to have a climax. I want to work toward something. You stop when you stop, but in a fanciful world, 10 movies in my filmography would be nice. I’ve made seven. If I have a change of heart, if I come up with a new story, I could come back. But if I stop at 10, that would be okay as an artistic statement.” Beyond retirement, Tarantino gave some insight to his creative process and the use of an occasional (or maybe not-so-occasional) joint while tapping his creative juices. While he partakes, he said he’s completely grounded while in production. “I wouldn’t do anything impaired while making a movie,” he offered. “I don’t so much write high, but say you’re thinking about a musical sequence. You smoke a joint, you put on some music, you listen to it and you come up with some good ideas. …I don’t need pot to write, but it’s kind of cool.” Continuing, he added that he is apt to take liberties with history in order to give the audience an unexpected twist and to simply make stories his own: “You turn on a movie and know how things are going to go in most films. Every once in a while films don’t play by the rules. It’s liberating when you don’t know what’s happening next. …I thought, What about telling these kinds of stories my way – rough and tough but gratifying at the end?” Initially, Tarantino had sought out Will Smith as Django, the title lead in the film about a slave-turned bounty hunger who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner, but then momentum segued toward Jamie Foxx. “[Will and I] spent quite a few hours together over a weekend when he was in New York doing Men in Black 3 . …I think half the process was an excuse for us to hang out and spend time with one another. …It just wasn’t 100 percent right, and we didn’t have time to try to make it that way.” About Leonardo DiCaprio’s villain, Calvin Candie, Tarantino said that he despised the character, which is an about-face of sorts for the filmmaker who typically finds an affinity with his bad guys. “I hated Candie, and I normally like my villains no matter how bad they are. …what I’m always trying to do…is get you to kind of like these guys, despite on-screen evidence that you shouldn’t. Despite the things they do and say and despite their agenda. I also like making people laugh at fucked-up shit.” And should the filmmaker retire as he has hinted, might he settle down? Tarantino gives his take on a more domesticated – Quentin Tarantino: “If I had a wife, I would probably be more polite. She would make me write thank-you notes, which I won’t do on my own. I wouldn’t be such a caveman. If I want to live in Paris for a year, what the fuck? I can. I don’t have to arrange anything; I can just do it. If there is an actor or director I want to get obsessed with and study their films for the next 12 days, I can do that. The perfect person would be a Playmate who would enjoy that.” [ Source: Playboy ]
Quentin Tarantino has one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012 and most audiences won’t get a first glimpse until Christmas, but that hasn’t stopped speculation that it may be an Oscar contender and may be one of the Pulp Fiction filmmaker’s best to date. Yet, Django Unchained may be the beginning of his filmmaking sunset, the director hinted. In an interview with Playboy , Tarantino said that he doesn’t want to be an “old-man filmmaker,” and saying flat-out that he wants to “stop at a certain point.” “Directors don’t get better as they get older. Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film fucks up three good ones … When directors get out-of-date, it’s not pretty.” Tarantino, who has the big 5-0 staring him in the face said he wants to come out on a creative high-note, but he’s not quite sure when that end may come, though he seems to think he’s most of the way there. “I’m on a journey that needs to have an end and not be about me trying to get another job,” he said. “I want this artistic journey to have a climax. I want to work toward something. You stop when you stop, but in a fanciful world, 10 movies in my filmography would be nice. I’ve made seven. If I have a change of heart, if I come up with a new story, I could come back. But if I stop at 10, that would be okay as an artistic statement.” Beyond retirement, Tarantino gave some insight to his creative process and the use of an occasional (or maybe not-so-occasional) joint while tapping his creative juices. While he partakes, he said he’s completely grounded while in production. “I wouldn’t do anything impaired while making a movie,” he offered. “I don’t so much write high, but say you’re thinking about a musical sequence. You smoke a joint, you put on some music, you listen to it and you come up with some good ideas. …I don’t need pot to write, but it’s kind of cool.” Continuing, he added that he is apt to take liberties with history in order to give the audience an unexpected twist and to simply make stories his own: “You turn on a movie and know how things are going to go in most films. Every once in a while films don’t play by the rules. It’s liberating when you don’t know what’s happening next. …I thought, What about telling these kinds of stories my way – rough and tough but gratifying at the end?” Initially, Tarantino had sought out Will Smith as Django, the title lead in the film about a slave-turned bounty hunger who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner, but then momentum segued toward Jamie Foxx. “[Will and I] spent quite a few hours together over a weekend when he was in New York doing Men in Black 3 . …I think half the process was an excuse for us to hang out and spend time with one another. …It just wasn’t 100 percent right, and we didn’t have time to try to make it that way.” About Leonardo DiCaprio’s villain, Calvin Candie, Tarantino said that he despised the character, which is an about-face of sorts for the filmmaker who typically finds an affinity with his bad guys. “I hated Candie, and I normally like my villains no matter how bad they are. …what I’m always trying to do…is get you to kind of like these guys, despite on-screen evidence that you shouldn’t. Despite the things they do and say and despite their agenda. I also like making people laugh at fucked-up shit.” And should the filmmaker retire as he has hinted, might he settle down? Tarantino gives his take on a more domesticated – Quentin Tarantino: “If I had a wife, I would probably be more polite. She would make me write thank-you notes, which I won’t do on my own. I wouldn’t be such a caveman. If I want to live in Paris for a year, what the fuck? I can. I don’t have to arrange anything; I can just do it. If there is an actor or director I want to get obsessed with and study their films for the next 12 days, I can do that. The perfect person would be a Playmate who would enjoy that.” [ Source: Playboy ]
The nominations for the 2013 People’s Choice Awards (Jan. 9) are in. After more than 93 million ballots were cast, and the nominees were announced Thursday, with the biggest of the big names leading the way. The Voice’s Adam Levine is up for six awards, while Justin Bieber earned five nods, including for favorite male artist and favorite pop artist. Sexiest Man Alive Channing Tatum leads men in acting nominations with four; Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence (pictured) are up for three each. On the TV side, people really love their Glee and Vampire Diaries apparently. Follow the jump for the full list of 2013 People’s Choice Awards nominees: MOVIES Favorite Movie: “The Amazing Spider-Man” “The Avengers” “The Dark Knight Rises” “The Hunger Games” “Snow White and the Huntsman” Favorite Movie Actor: Channing Tatum Johnny Depp Joseph Gordon-Levitt Robert Downey, Jr. Will Smith Favorite Movie Actress: Anne Hathaway Emma Stone Jennifer Lawrence Mila Kunis Scarlett Johansson Favorite Movie Icon: Emma Thompson Maggie Smith Meryl Streep Michelle Pfeiffer Susan Sarandon Favorite Action Movie: “The Amazing Spider-Man” “The Avengers” “The Dark Knight Rises” “The Hunger Games” “Men in Black 3” Favorite Action Movie Star: Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Christian Bale Robert Downey, Jr. Will Smith Favorite Face of Heroism: Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises” Emma Stone, “The Amazing Spider-Man” Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games” Kristen Stewart, “Snow White and the Huntsman” Scarlett Johansson, “The Avengers” Favorite Comedic Movie: “21 Jump Street” “Dark Shadows” “Pitch Perfect” “Ted” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” Favorite Comedic Actor: Adam Sandler Ben Stiller Channing Tatum Will Ferrell Zach Galifianakis Favorite Comedic Actress: Cameron Diaz Emily Blunt Jennifer Aniston Mila Kunis Reese Witherspoon Favorite Dramatic Movie: “Argo” “The Lucky One” “Magic Mike” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” “The Vow” Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor: Bradley Cooper Channing Tatum Jake Gyllenhaal Liam Neeson Zac Efron Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress: Charlize Theron Emma Watson Keira Knightley Meryl Streep Rachel McAdams Favorite Movie Franchise: “The Avengers” “The Dark Knight” “The Hunger Games” “Madagascar” “Spider-Man” Favorite Movie Superhero: Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man Chris Evans as Captain America Chris Hemsworth as Thor Christian Bale as Batman Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man Favorite On-Screen Chemistry: Emma Stone / Andrew Garfield, “The Amazing Spider-Man” Jennifer Lawrence / Josh Hutcherson / Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games” Kristen Stewart / Chris Hemsworth, “Snow White and the Huntsman” Rachel McAdams / Channing Tatum, “The Vow” Scarlett Johansson / Jeremy Renner, “The Avengers” Favorite Movie Fan Following: Potterheads, “Harry Potter” Ringers, “The Lord of the Rings” Rum Runners, “Pirates of the Caribbean” Tributes, ” The Hunger Games ” Twihards, “Twilight” TELEVISION Favorite Network TV Comedy: “The Big Bang Theory” “Glee” “How I Met Your Mother” “Modern Family” “New Girl” Favorite Network TV Drama: “Gossip Girl” “Grey’s Anatomy” “Grimm” “Once Upon a Time” ” Revenge ” Favorite Cable TV Comedy: “Awkward” “Hot in Cleveland” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” “Melissa & Joey” “Psych” Favorite Cable TV Drama: “Burn Notice” “Leverage” “Pretty Little Liars” “The Walking Dead” “White Collar” Favorite Premium Cable TV Show: “Dexter” “Game of Thrones” “Homeland” “Spartacus” “True Blood” Favorite TV Crime Drama: “Bones” “Castle” “Criminal Minds” “CSI” ” NCIS ” Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show: “Doctor Who” “Once Upon a Time” “Supernatural” “The Vampire Diaries” “The Walking Dead” Favorite Comedic TV Actor: Chris Colfer Jesse Tyler Ferguson Jim Parsons Neil Patrick Harris Ty Burrell Favorite Comedic TV Actress: Jane Lynch Kaley Cuoco Lea Michele Sofia Vergara Zooey Deschanel Favorite Dramatic TV Actor: Ian Somerhalder Jared Padalecki Jensen Ackles Nathan Fillion Paul Wesley Favorite Dramatic TV Actress: Ellen Pompeo Emily Deschanel Ginnifer Goodwin Nina Dobrev Stana Katic Favorite Daytime TV Host: George Stephanopoulos, Josh Elliott, Lara Spencer, Robin Roberts, Sam Champion, “Good Morning America” Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, “Live with Kelly & Michael” Ellen DeGeneres, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales, “The Today Show” Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Whoopi Goldberg, “The View” Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host: Chelsea Handler Conan O’Brien David Letterman Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Kimmel Favorite New Talk Show Host: Jeff Probst Katie Couric Michael Strahan Ricki Lake Steve Harvey Favorite Competition TV Show: “American Idol” “America’s Got Talent” “Dancing with the Stars” “The Voice” “The X Factor” Favorite Celebrity Judge: Adam Levine Britney Spears Christina Aguilera Demi Lovato Jennifer Lopez Favorite TV Fan Following: Gleeks, “Glee” Little Liars, “Pretty Little Liars” Oncers, “Once Upon A Time” SPNFamily, “Supernatural” TVDFamily, “The Vampire Diaries” Favorite New TV Comedy: “Ben & Kate” “Go On” “Guys with Kids” “The Mindy Project” “The Neighbors” “The New Normal” “Partners” Favorite New TV Drama: “666 Park Avenue” “Arrow” “Beauty & The Beast” “Chicago Fire” “Elementary” “Emily Owens, M.D.” “Last Resort” “The Mob Doctor” “Nashville” “Revolution” “Vegas” MUSIC Favorite Male Artist: Blake Shelton Chris Brown Jason Mraz Justin Bieber Usher Favorite Female Artist: Adele Carrie Underwood Katy Perry Pink Taylor Swift Favorite Pop Artist Adele Demi Lovato Justin Bieber Katy Perry Pink Favorite Hip Hop Artist: Drake Flo Rida Jay-Z Nicki Minaj Pitbull Favorite R&B Artist: Alicia Keys Beyonce Bruno Mars Rihanna Usher Favorite Band: Green Day Linkin Park Maroon 5 No Doubt Train Favorite Country Artist: Blake Shelton Carrie Underwood Jason Aldean Taylor Swift Tim McGraw Favorite Breakout Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen Fun. Gotye One Direction The Wanted Favorite Song: “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen “One More Night,” Maroon 5 “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift “We Are Young,” Fun. ft. Janelle Monae “What Makes You Beautiful,” One Direction Favorite Album: “Believe,” Justin Bieber “Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood “Overexposed,” Maroon 5 “Some Nights,” Fun. “Up All Night,” One Direction Favorite Music Video: “Boyfriend,” Justin Bieber “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen ” Gangnam Style ,” Psy “Part of Me,” Katy Perry “Payphone,” Maroon 5 Favorite Music Fan Following: Beliebers, Justin Bieber Directioners, One Direction KatyCats, Katy Perry Lovatics, Demi Lovato Selenators, Selena Gomez
This is not magically delicious… Man Finds Bat In Cereal Via Metro UK : The hungry German man’s start to the day was completely ruined when he discovered the dead bat in his bowl of cereal at his home in Stuttgart. He was left feeling more horrified than hungry when he realised the mummified mammal was not a Halloween themed toy. The incident was reported to health officials who are attempting to establish how the errant bat managed to fly into the box of corn flakes. They believe the bat may have flown into the plastic packaging by mistake and suffocated to death. Scientists are investigating whether the bat had flown into the box of Mini-Zimties cereal at the factory or after they had been opened. Food safety official Jorg Sturmer said: ‘I have never seen anything like it. This really is an unusual case.’ We would have gone bat isht! CEN
In the last couple years, Alexander Skarsgård has taken on roles ranging from controversial Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier’s Melancholia to Peter Berg’s Battleship , but now it looks like the 6′ 4″ heartthrob may be heading to the dense foliage of the tropics. The Swedish-born actor has risen to the top of the contender list to star in David Yates’ Tarzan for Warner Bros., Variety said . The film still is awaiting the official go-ahead from studio brass, but a late summer shoot is expected. Come summer, Skarsgård may don the character of John Clayton III, aka. Tarzan. The story follows the “re-assimilated” Clayton who is asked by H.M. Queen Victoria to team with mercenary George Washington Williams to save the Congo from a warlord who controls a rich diamond mine. Samuel L. Jackson is a possibility to play Williams who is a Civil War vet who wants to repair his name following his involvement in a massacre of Native Americans. Yates officially committed to the project last week, which, given all the colonial subtext, risks running afoul a sensitivity issue or two. Yates directed the last four installments of the Harry Potter franchise. Toronto premieres Disconnect and What Maisie Knew will be Skarsgård’s next starrers. [ Source: Variety ]
Even Jean-Luc Godard , the bad boy of the French New Wave, loved a good car crash. And Mel Brooks loves sitting down with an erudite interviewer just as much as he loves a good fart joke. Together these auteurs climb the peaks and plumb the depths of this week’s High and Low with new DVD releases that belong on the shelf of any film lover who enjoys a good Marxist dialectic leavened with the occasional showtune-singing Nazi. HIGH: Weekend (The Criterion Collection; $29.95 DVD, $39.95 Blu-Ray) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Starring Mireille Darc, Jean Yanne, Juliet Berto. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: A fairly despicable bourgeois couple (Darc and Yanne), who are both cheating on and planning to kill each other, travel to the country to attempt to get money from the wife’s dying father, even if that involves patricide. They get stuck in a mammoth traffic jam and auto accident that appears to run the entire length of France. The further along they travel, the closer they seem to get to the end of civilization itself. WHY IT’S SCHMANCY: A brutal satire on capitalism that tests its audiences with repeated musical cues and a lengthy static shot of workmen eating sandwiches while the narrator goes off on a lengthy tangent about colonialism — the “I Am John Galt” speech for the far left — Weekend is one of Godard’s most daring and entertaining movies, with the always-provocative auteur throwing everything at the screen. (The film’s final title card declares “ fin du cinema .”) WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT (AGAIN): Besides marking the film’s Blu-Ray debut, this Criterion release features a thicker-than-usual booklet with color artwork, an essay by Gary Indiana and excerpts from a 1969 Rolling Stone interview with Godard. There are also archival interviews with cast and crew members, excerpts from a French TV show about Godard that was filmed partially on the Weekend set by filmmaker Philippe Garrel, and other goodies. LOW: The Incredible Mel Brooks (Shout Factory; DVD/CD $89.93) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: This five-DVD, one-CD collection features some of the many highlights of Mel Brooks’ career in film, television and recordings. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: This is one-stop shopping for fans of Melvin Kaminsky (Brooks’s given name). The set includes a five-part documentary about his filmmaking career ( Mel and His Movies ), interviews (vintage and contemporary) with Dick Cavett, hilarious appearances on The Tonight Show and Mad About You , episodes of programs he created ( Get Smart and When Things Were Rotten ), and much, much more. WHY IT’S FUN: This compilation makes it into “Low” only because Brooks himself famously noted that his work “rises beneath vulgarity.” But while he’s always been a rule-breaker — has anyone dared to satirize racism as sharply and hilariously as Brooks did in Blazing Saddles ? — his comic genius has made him an icon of 20th-century popular culture. WHY YOU SHOULD OWN IT: Like Shout Factory’s recent box set of Steve Martin’s television work, this is a meticulously curated collection of an extraordinary artist. (Where else are you going to find a 60 Minutes segment on the same DVD collection as sketches from The Electric Company and vintage Mad Men –era TV spots directed by Brooks before he took his vision to the big screen?) In addition to all the digital treats, there are also essays by Leonard Maltin, Gene Wilder and Bruce Jay Friedman. Here’s as good a glimpse into the wonderfully warped mind of a director-writer-actor-producer-songwriter as you’re probably ever going to find. Alonso Duralde has written about film for The Wrap, Salon and MSNBC.com . He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network) . He is a senior programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival. He also the author of two books: Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (Limelight Editions) and 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (Advocate Books). Follow Alonso Duralde on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
There’s a ballyhooed sex scene between Bella and Edward that received a respectable 8 on ML’s Scream-O-Meter , but it apparently was some violence that almost earned Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which would have caused quite a stir and conundrums in Twi-hard Land, which still counts quite a large crowd of teens among its ranks (not that that crafty crowd wouldn’t have found a way). Still, the ” Restricted: Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian ” would smack of potential box office blues for a franchise riding on a gangbuster turn-out and a final cash infusion for Summit, the franchise’s distributor. Initially, Breaking Dawn Part 2 received the R because of some extreme violence by way of beheadings, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Certainly, with any other movie, there are a thousand ways to kill people,” director Bill Condon told the Times. “With this one, it’s a variation on the same theme. If they were going to be offended by the idea of beheadings, we would have had no movie.” But the MPAA holds the ratings whip and the filmmaker said that some parts of the film were modified in order to give the multi-billion dollar franchise’s finale a more access-friendly PG-13 (The offending ‘R’ scenes should make for great marketing come DVD time at the end of the day). Sill, this isn’t the first time the world’s favorite vampires have sashayed with the only over 17 threat. Breaking Dawn Part 1 nearly received the R due to a sex scene (sex is often more titillating to the MPAA than violence which it more frequently tolerates, so those beheadings must’ve been doozies!) Kristen Stewart told Glamour that the original sex scenes in the first Breaking Dawn had even surprised her. “It was so weird, it didn’t even feel like we were doing a Twilight film. I was like, ‘Bella! What are you doing? Wow! What is happening here?!’ It was very surreal. We [originally] got rated R. They re-cut it.” [ Sources: The Huffington Post , Glamour , Los Angeles Times ]
