He was a leading member of the L.A. Rebellion movement that brought African-American filmmakers together in solidarity, and, more importantly to our purposes, he made a movie about a man who gets his revenge on a corrupt justice system using his eight-foot dong ( Welcome Home Brother Charles , 1975). Jamaa Fanaka ‘s stock in trade was the grindhouse and the drive-in, but his movies, including Emma Mae (aka Black Sister’s Revenge ) (1976), the aforementioned Welcome Home Brother Charles , and the Penitentiary films ( Penitentiary , 1979, Penitentiary 2 , 1982, and Penitentiary 3 , 1987) all embody a defiant spirit that wouldn’t be out of place at a Black Panther Party meeting and inspired intense excitement and passionate fandom in the inner-city kids who saw his movies ( Snoop Dogg is a particularly vocal Fanaka fan ). Fanaka, who was born in Mississippi and grew up in Los Angeles, had a natural aptitude for movies and wrote, directed and got distribution for his first three feature films while still enrolled in UCLA’s film school. Penitentiary was the highest-grossing independent film of 1980, but Fanaka’s career unfortunately slowed down with his worsening health throughout the ’90s and early 2000s. He passed away this week at the age of 69. Fight the power with the Blaxploitation sensations of Jamaa Fanaka right here at MrSkin.com
So did all that MPAA ratings nonsense and media outcry pay off for Bully ? What do you think? Lee Hirsch ‘s film achieved the year’s best documentary opening to date with $115,000 on five screens in New York and Los Angeles — a $23,000-per-theater average that amounted to the best of the week by nearly $10,000 over The Hunger Games . But now that The Weinstein Company has to take its unrated baby out of the doc-friendly megamarkets and into the mainstream wilds, a new report suggests that Harvey Weinstein may be preparing to make the cuts required for a PG-13. Surprise! Per the LAT : The new cut of the teen-bullying film, which would minimize in some manner the profanities featured in a controversial schoolbus scene, would hit theaters April 13, when the movie widens to 25 markets, and allow children of any age to see it without adult accompaniment. The film, which centers on five families affected by teen bullying, plays in limited release in Los Angeles and New York this weekend. The Weinstein Co. denied that changes were being made now but allowed for the possibility in the coming weeks. “At this time, there are no plans to change the film for a PG-13,” Stephen Bruno, the company’s head of marketing, told 24 Frames on Friday. “We are in constant conversation with the MPAA and hope a compromise can be reached.” The MPAA has been steadfast that the existing cut wll not be given anything lower than an R. Hmm. Where have we seen this before? Oh, right . Also from the LAT : “I did that on The King’s Speech , and Colin and Tom killed me for it,” Weinstein said, referring to a new PG-13 cut for the 2011 Oscar winner, and to star Colin Firth and director Tom Hooper’s criticism of the move. That was another April gambit, for the record — after the R-rated Speech was already out of theaters with $134 million in its pocket. A little more than two months and $3 million later , kids didn’t want to see that either. Anyway, if you need any more evidence that all this “controversy” is just another hustle, then I can’t help you. [ LAT ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
He’s about to embark on his ambitious one-man Mark Twain show , and soon enough Val Kilmer will also be a doctor, courtesy of William Woods University ! Kinda. “It’s embarrassing if you have a brother with a real doctorate. [Laughs.] I called him up without thinking — I was so excited! — and said, ‘You won’t believe it! They called me out the blue. I’m going to be just like you! Dr. Kilmer.’ There was a long pause, and I immediately realized what a mistake this phone call was.” [ Vanity Fair ]
James Franco , Selena Gomez , and Harmony Korine are down in Florida filming Spring Breakers , a movie about four coeds (including Disney tween queen Gomez) indebted to a rapping dealer named Alien (Franco) after they rob a bank to finance their spring break trip and he bails them out. All of this sounded innocent enough, at least as much as a Korine film can seem, until images of Franco emerged from the set. Some called his look Kevin Federline-esque ; rapper Riff Raff stepped forth to actually claim, proudly, that Franco’s cornrowed, blinged-out drug dealer persona was based on him . In any case, get a look at your 2011 Oscar nominee James Franco as… I don’t even know what to call this. Movieliners, caption away! Via INF Daily – click for more . Here’s a bonus look that confirms that this isn’t just a shared psychotic Friday afternoon daydream we’re all having, posted by Gomez to her Twitter account yesterday with the message “This is where the trouble begins…” (The shoot is being heavily documented both on Tumblr and Twitter , for those interested in candid shots of Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, and Vanessa Hudgens in bikinis.) Meanwhile, Fuse TV got Riff Raff on the line to explain that he was originally offered a part by Korine before Franco came to adopt his style in the film, which also supposedly stars Gucci Mane, AKA that rapper with the ice cream cone tattoo on his face : “I sent him a few things. But all you gotta do [to see how I dress] is search through my videos. I got a pretty distinct style, with the braids, the jewelry.” Damn. Somewhere in Florida, where they’re shooting Spring Breakers, at this very moment, James Franco looks exactly like this. On the movie as a whole, Riff Raff said, “I feel really kind of privileged because I got this big actor playing the role of me but at the same time, like, damn, I wish I was there… “Even though I couldn’t be a part of this project, I’m still glad that James Franco could play the role of me. That’s like if Denzel Washington was playing the role of O.J. Simpson. Even though it’s not O.J. Simpson, O.J. Simpson still gotta be like, ‘Denzel Washington is playing me.'” Sure thing, Riff Raff. In other words: This is my new most-anticipated movie of 2013. [via INF Daily , @SelenaGomez ]
To close out his popular live-reading program at LACMA Thursday night Jason Reitman selected a film that seemed to tie the series and the room together: The Coen brothers’ 1998 noir-comedy opus The Big Lebowski . In the hot seat filling Jeff Bridges’ slippers as The Dude sat Seth Rogen , whose own slacker charm proved oddly suitable, with folks like Hank Azaria (as Donny), Rainn Wilson (as Walter) and Christina Hendricks (as Maude) alongside him re-enacting one of the most quotable films of the past two decades. The cherry on top? Playing the role of The Stranger originated by Sam Elliott and written explicitly for an actor like Sam Elliott, perhaps… was none other than Sam Elliott. Also onboard for the final night of the series’s first run? (According to Reitman, the live-reads will resume again in October – blame the gap on his “day job.”) Jason Alexander as Jeffrey Lebowski; Fred Savage replacing Patton Oswalt at the last minute as the Big Lebowski’s assistant, Brandt; Nick Kroll as Jesus ; and Reitman’s sister, actress Catherine, as Bunny. And of course all the while there was Reitman himself, reading along all the stage directions and fantastically detailed scene descriptions, including both of the film’s trippy dream sequences. (But, strangely enough, not Jackie Treehorn’s mysterious moment of artistic inspiration, scribbled on a notepad, which was conspicuously skipped over.) Elliott’s surprise appearance was the special casting move of the night, a fitting gesture following Reitman’s previous strokes of genius which included tapping original director Rob Reiner to narrate the excellent Princess Bride live-read and re-envisioning Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs with an all-black cast. With his first line Elliott drew applause (and subsequently flubbed a few words, saying his eyesight wasn’t what it used to be) but whenever he came back around to deliver another deep, mellifluous nugget of wisdom – the film’s narrator, sitting right there, narrating The Dude’s story right to the audience! — the theater was rapt. Elliott’s vision may have gotten worse over the years, but his sarsaparilla-soaked cowboy flair is as rich and twangy as ever. Besides, this was a “Los Angeleez” story being retold in L.A., right down the street from a Ralphs to boot. How could Reitman not invite the man who so specifically inspired a character that his name was used in the script to describe the role?? In many ways, Elliott had it the easiest; the rest of the cast, through no fault of their own, battled the specter of their onscreen counterparts the whole night – a testament to the indelible performances Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, David Huddleston, Ben Gazzara, Julianne Moore and Co. gave in the Coens’ film. Rainn Wilson’s Walter Sobchak was at times uproarious, especially when he, Rogen, and Azaria cross-talked like a well-rehearsed comedy trio. But his Walter was perhaps the most conspicuous example of the film’s performances overshadowing the live-read’s; no matter how well Wilson nailed Walter’s aggro-cluelessness, comparisons to Goodman’s unforgettable work kept creeping into my brain, and it was no contest. Advantage: Goodman. In fairness to Wilson and his cohorts, the live-read can be an extremely limiting setting for an actor. Performance here is primarily aural rather than physical, and one has to establish as best one can, within seconds of spoken dialogue, the kind of character nuance that is otherwise built through months of preparation and rehearsal. Instead of costuming and sets, you’re chair-bound on a stage staring at pages. This can work well with the right script – say, one reliant on dialogue or especially well-suited to alternate forms of storytelling, like, say, a movie about storytelling – but tackling a well-known and beloved film like Lebowski adds the additional challenge of having to compete, in the hearts and minds of your audience, with the cinematic specter of the movie they already know and love. Also suffering from inescapable comparisons to the film: Hendricks’ perfectly good Maude, still much flatter and straighter than Moore’s wonderfully condescending version; Alexander’s Big Lebowski, highly entertaining in his pomposity but naggingly reminiscent of George Costanza; and Rogen’s Dude, effective for the most part in a highly entertaining Rogenesque way but still lacking the subtle variations that made Bridges’ turn so iconic. On the other hand, colorful vocal performances from a few supporting players provided much-needed jolts of creative energy, including voice-over pro Azaria’s multitude of distinct voices (including an off-the-cuff Bush impersonation dropped into the opening supermarket scene as Reitman realized he hadn’t assigned the line to anyone beforehand) and Kroll’s Tony Montana-like Jesus and other assorted delightful side characters. But the biggest discovery of the night, aside from the fact that Reitman’s sister is herself quite talented at accents, was Savage, of all people. The former Wonder Years child thesp-turned-director had done a spunky version of himself months ago at The Princess Bride , but he earned some of the biggest laughs playing Jackie Treehorn’s thug, the third Nihilist, and, most impressively, doing an uncanny Philip Seymour Hoffman impression as Brandt. I’m glad to hear that the live-read series will continue in October, because that gives Reitman time to choose his next selections and cast wisely. One flaw in his group casting Thursday night was the relative similarity in vocal range of many of his actors; variety of tone and register should help differentiate one voice from the next, giving the audience more to paint the imagination with. Viewer familiarity can be both a blessing and a curse; oftentimes during the Lebowski read it felt as if the room was just waiting to hop from one iconic line to the next, laughing along more out of recognition than from the discovery of new and unexpected nuance in the way, say, our hero wakes up to find his rug missing, or struggles to spit out the simplest of platitudes. And while live-read regulars like Kroll (not to mention Mindy Kaling and Oswalt) have absolutely killed, I’d encourage Reitman to think more and further outside the box as he plans his next run. A friend suggested gender-switching as a potential way to keep the energy of these sold-out shows going while daring to push the envelope – why else stage a live-reading, except to explore “what might have been” (i.e. Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones, Christopher Walken as Han Solo) and “what will probably never be?” I’m still convinced that the live-read concept may never turn out as magically as it did with The Princess Bride , a quotable classic built on unforgettable film performances and a fantastic script that nonetheless lent itself well to re-imagination. Following along those lines, with a varied and vocally interesting cast in place, what films should Reitman consider next? Here are my suggestions, off the top of my head: Pulp Fiction , The NeverEnding Story , The Goonies , Annie Hall , Casablanca , Fight Club . But, you know. That’s just, like, my opinion, man. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Screenwriter David H. Steinberg’s credits include two American Pie sequels, National Lampoon’s Barely Legal , the 2002 Devon Sawa vehicle Slackers , and, yes, Puss in Boots … which makes him an expert on adapting for the screen, of course! “…Ultimately I was underwhelmed. The movie simply failed to capture the emotion of the book… (No one in the movie ever looks hungry!)” [ Yahoo ]
“Going into a conversation where you’re defending Adam Sandler is normally not going to work in your favor. I learned this six years ago when I was doing my shift hanging out with Holocaust survivors, and one of the old guys actually turned to me and said, ‘This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” and this was coming from a man who was in Auschwitz. There was no way I was going to try to defend the merits of Sandler talking gibberish to a room full of men who lived through one of the darkest periods in all of humanity. If he thought Sandler making a bottle of shampoo battle a bottle of conditioner was bad, then I had to agree.” [ Splitsider ]
Can you guess the most-rented DVD of 2011? Hint: It wasn’t the most-bought DVD of 2011, but you probably already knew that . Another hint: Despite all odds, it doesn’t star Danny Trejo . Give up? Don’t we all! Per the LAT : The Bruce Willis action-comedy Red was the most rented DVD of 2011 but wasn’t even close to the top of the sales charts. The most rented movies are a mix of films that largely enjoyed solid but not spectacular runs at the box office. They seemed to leave theaters with good word-of-mouth, leading people to sample the films via rental. Among the most bought DVDs, meanwhile, are many of the top-grossing hits of last year. Animated films sold particularly well. Since children often watch their favorite animated movies multiple times, making a purchase was more economical than rental. No. 1 on the list was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 , while other big sellers included Deathly Hallows: Part 2 , Tangled , Transformers: Dark of the Moon and The Help . The only film to make both Top 10 lists: breakout comedy Bridesmaids . So if there’s any doubt that the bulk of midgrade theatrical releases are just commercials for DVDs that studios don’t really want you to rent anyway, and/or that better blockbusters have the potential to influence stronger DVD sales, let it be put to rest. [ LAT ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
“‘I’m very proud of John Carter . Box office doesn’t validate me as a person, or as an actor. I’d love to go do John Carter 2 . I really would. It’s just shitty I don’t get to work with the [ John Carter ] family. It really was a special thing.” [ EW ]
‘Hunger Games’ fever has us wondering about the prospects for Tim Burton’s adaptation. By John Mitchell Johnny Depp in “Dark Shadows” Photo: Warner Bros Everyone has “Hunger Games” fever , and it’s understandable; the film is absolutely everywhere, critics are saying it’s pretty good and star Jennifer Lawrence’s candid, funny interviews are a welcome change from the uncomfortable sit-downs granted by, um, some other YA adaptation stars when their films hit the big screen. Anyway, “Games” just crept into theaters, and talk of the sequel is already ramping up. Filming on “Catching Fire” is set to begin later this year, and a November 22, 2013, release date is already in the books. That got us thinking about our own little mini-obsession: “Dark Shadows.” While it’s nowhere near as fervent or large as “Games,” “Shadows” has a devout following too, and if the film is a hit at the box office, which seems quite possible if not bet-on-it likely, at least one sequel would be justified. And with an extensive catalog of 1,225 episodes, there is plenty of plot for, well, as many follow-ups as Tim Burton could come up with. But the approach the director has taken with the film makes us wonder if it’s the sort of thing that could sustain a franchise. Let’s talk this out. First, the direction Burton has chosen to take with the film has already divided fans . Over on MTV Movies Blog, we asked readers whether they liked the “Shadows” trailer , and the reaction was pretty much split down the middle. Just over half of those who voted (52.35 percent) were into the trailer, checking our “Love it! Burton knows what he’s doing” box. That leaves 47.65 percent of respondents who instead “Hated it! Burton is ruining everything!” It’s a pretty radical reinvention, to be sure, and the trailer reminds us most of the big-screen version of “The Addams Family.” “Addams,” of course, was a sitcom to start with, and all director Barry Sonnenfeld really did was turn up the volume on the weird. Much of the humor derived from people reacting to the macabre-but-good-natured family of weirdos, and the film was a hit — a big enough hit to merit a sequel. The “Addams” sequel didn’t connect quite the way the first film did, perhaps because the shtick that was so fresh the first time around had worn out its welcome. So even if it’s a hit, will people really want multiple “Shadows” films once the novelty has worn thin? The thing about (good) sequels is that they generally require emotional investment from the audience to be successful. We want to know what happens next with Katniss in “The Hunger Games.” There’s an entire mythology attached to Bruce Wayne in the “Batman” films. It’s hard to form that connection when the characters are hyper-realized and a little bit caricatured. And though there is a definite mythology to “Shadows,” Burton has opted to ignore it in favor of some brave, maybe even fun, stylistic choices he no doubt hopes will make the film unique and set it apart, both from the series itself and from anything else hitting the big screen this summer. But zany absurdity is hard to maintain across multiple films. By the time the second “Addams” movie came around, the crux of the joke — playing off other people’s reactions to the goth family — was a bit tired, so they had to put Wednesday and Pugsley into an awkward situation (summer camp) to try and keep it fresh. Had Burton hewed a little closer to his source material, this wouldn’t be a concern, but in taking such liberties with the style of “Shadows” he kind of backs himself into a corner when it comes to whatever comes next. He’d have to up the ante in some way for a sequel, but since he’s already operating so over the top, is that even possible? We’re super excited for “Shadows” but we’re just curious if — unlike “Hunger Games” fans — we should learn to quell our excitement that there may be more films coming. After all, maybe there’s a reason we only ever got one “Beetlejuice” ( hey, wait a minute … ). What do you think, “Shadows” fans? Did Tim Burton blow his shot at a franchise by making his “Shadows” so niche? Let us know in the comments below and tweet me @JohnMitchell83 with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
