Paul Dano intends to rock you — musically and emotionally — this fall. In the So Yong Kim-directed For Ellen , the indie-film darling plays Joby Taylor, a rock musician who puts aside his fading dreams of stardom to fight for custody of his six-year-old daughter Ellen, played by newcomer Shaylena Mandigo. After the struggling Taylor agrees to sign divorce papers in order to make some needed cash from the sale of his marital home, he discovers that the agreement requires him to forfeit custody of his child to his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva). Unable to reverse the decision, he negotiates a visit with Ellen to determine whether he is able to walk away from his little girl. Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder and Jena Malone ( Into the Wild ) round out the cast as, respectively, Taylor’s attorney and girlfriend. Here’s an exclusive look at the poster for the film, which Tribeca Film will release in select theaters starting September 5 and nationwide On Demand starting September 19. For more on the movie, check out the official website and Facebook page . Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
This Is 40 is being billed as a “sort-of-sequel” to Knocked Up , but the first trailer for the film showed a distinct lack of Mr. Skin influence. Now a new trailer has hit the ‘net, and it appears that Judd Apatow & Co. have taken our suggestions to heart…sort of. There’s still no boobies, but a pre-pregnancy Megan Fox in her bra and panties is nothing to sneeze at. Fast-forward to 1 minute, 55 seconds in to expel another sort of bodily fluid. And be sure to catch all the nudity from the original Knocked Up (2007) right here at MrSkin.com!
This Is 40 is being billed as a “sort-of-sequel” to Knocked Up , but the first trailer for the film showed a distinct lack of Mr. Skin influence. Now a new trailer has hit the ‘net, and it appears that Judd Apatow & Co. have taken our suggestions to heart…sort of. There’s still no boobies, but a pre-pregnancy Megan Fox in her bra and panties is nothing to sneeze at. Fast-forward to 1 minute, 55 seconds in to expel another sort of bodily fluid. And be sure to catch all the nudity from the original Knocked Up (2007) right here at MrSkin.com!
Also in Monday afternoon’s round-up of news briefs, Toronto ’12 doc heads for U.S. distribution, while an Occupy Wall Street doc is also set for theaters. Julia Louis-Dreyfun, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener and more begin work on a new comedy, while Bruce Dern and Will Forte are set for Alexander Payne project. And Joe Manganiello has boarded an action-thriller. Jennifer Lawrence Eyes The Ends of the Earth The Weinstein Company will produce and distribute the project. It picked up worldwide rights from Escape Artists, which will produce the film. Lawrence is in talks to star in the epic love story, based on true events as Lydie Marland. In the film Ernest Marland, an oil tycoon, risks losing everything after an affair with his adopted daughter, Lydie. The screenplay was written by Chris Terrio (ARGO). The director has yet to be chosen. Commented Harvey Weinstein: “I’m not sure that anything resonates more with an audience than a true story. Jennifer Lawrence shows the skill of a seasoned veteran in everything she does, and we’re thrilled to work with her again.” Stanley Kubrick’s First Feature Fear and Desire Set for Blu-Ray and DVD Release The 1953 release is an existential war film that is often compared with Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957) follows a squad of soldiers who have crash-landed behind enemy lines and must work their way down river to rejoin their unit. In the process, they encounter a peasant girl (Virginia Leith) and tie her to a tree, where she is tormented by a mentally unbalanced soldier (future director Paul Mazursky). Before making their escape, the soldiers determine the location of an enemy base and formulate a plot to assassinate its commanding officer. Kino Lorber will release the film on Blu-Ray and DVD October 23rd following a restoration by the Library of Congress. The Central Park Five Headed to Theaters The documentary is about five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of brutally beating and raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park, but acquitted later after a confession by a serial rapist and DNA evidence. The Central Park Five will screen at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival and will close Doc NYC in November. Jeff Deutchman, Director of Acquisitions & Productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films, with co-director, writer and producer McMahon on behalf of the filmmakers. Occupy Wall Street Doc Set for September Magnolia Pictures label Magnet Releasing will bring Occupy Unmasked by Stephen K. Bannon to a limited theatrical release day and date with VOD in late September. The film takes viewers into the Occupy Wall Street camps around the country in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Portland, Denver and Oakland for an up-close look at what’s happened there and who’s at the heart of the movement, documenting criminal activity and raw brutality in the camps – much of which has not been reported by the mainstream media. The film also features the late conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette Start New Comedy Indie filmmaker Nicole Holofcener directing her fifth feature from a script she wrote. The Fox Searchlight project revolves around soon-to-be divorced empty nester Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) who meets Marianne (Keener) whom she considers the embodiment of her “perfect self.” Eva decides to take a chance on a new love interest, Albert (Gandolfini), but things get complicated when she discovers he’s in fact Marianne’s ex-husband. The film will shoot in and around Los Angeles throughout August and September. Around the ‘net… Bruce Dern and Will Forte Set for Alexander Payne’s Nebraska Paramount has green-lit the black and white production, which is set to begin production in mid-October. Bob Nelson and Dern wrote the $13 million project about a cranky alcoholic dad who believes he’s struck it rich in a sweepstakes and undertakes a road trip with his underachieving son (Forte) to claim the winnings. The film is apparently going to be ready for the 2013 Oscar season, Deadline reports . Joe Manganiello Eyes Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Thriller Manganiello is in negotiations to join Schwarzenegger’s Breacher , which David Ayer is directing. Written by Skip Woods ( Swordfish ), the film follows 10 DEA agents who pull off a heist during an operation, but afterward start dying one by one, THR reports .
Man, the puns just write themselves on this one. You’ve seen Indian-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone covered in Jism before, but not quite like this. Sunny returned to the motherland for a shot at Bollywood stardom in Jism 2 , which is supposedly some sort of thriller but looks more like series of excuses to show Sunny in a bikini combined with sappy Bollywood musical numbers . Sunny’s casting caused an uproar on the conservative subcontinent, where onscreen nudity is almost unheard of and the production of pornography is banned. So although there’s no actual nudity in the film, 628 million horny Indian men translated into a strong opening weekend for Jism 2 in India. But its long-term prospects appear flaccid as word-of-mouth caused a sharp decline in ticket sales after its opening weekend and it flopped miserably overseas. Twitch Film ‘s Charlie Hobbs, one of a handful of overseas critics to review the film, says: ” Even with an actual porn star in the cast, they couldn’t manage to make the sex scenes very sexy. Everyone looks really good semi-clothed, but no one seems comfortable at all, even Leone looks like she’s out of her element…This kind of film helped me transition from a boy to a man in the ’90s, thanks to the loving embrace of Skinemax, but those films were able to actually deliver on their promise enough to leave their audience satisfied. Jism 2 doesn’t, won’t, or can’t. Whatever the excuse, it adds up to failure. ” And Anupama Chopra of the English-language Hindustan Times (reprinted in the New York Daily News ), simply says ” For an erotic film, everyone talks way too much. ” Talk about a limp reception. Want to see Sunny Leone in a movie where she actually gets naked ? Then check her out in The Virginity Hit (2010), Busty Cops (2003) and more right here at MrSkin.com!
Man, the puns just write themselves on this one. You’ve seen Indian-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone covered in Jism before, but not quite like this. Sunny returned to the motherland for a shot at Bollywood stardom in Jism 2 , which is supposedly some sort of thriller but looks more like series of excuses to show Sunny in a bikini combined with sappy Bollywood musical numbers . Sunny’s casting caused an uproar on the conservative subcontinent, where onscreen nudity is almost unheard of and the production of pornography is banned. So although there’s no actual nudity in the film, 628 million horny Indian men translated into a strong opening weekend for Jism 2 in India. But its long-term prospects appear flaccid as word-of-mouth caused a sharp decline in ticket sales after its opening weekend and it flopped miserably overseas. Twitch Film ‘s Charlie Hobbs, one of a handful of overseas critics to review the film, says: ” Even with an actual porn star in the cast, they couldn’t manage to make the sex scenes very sexy. Everyone looks really good semi-clothed, but no one seems comfortable at all, even Leone looks like she’s out of her element…This kind of film helped me transition from a boy to a man in the ’90s, thanks to the loving embrace of Skinemax, but those films were able to actually deliver on their promise enough to leave their audience satisfied. Jism 2 doesn’t, won’t, or can’t. Whatever the excuse, it adds up to failure. ” And Anupama Chopra of the English-language Hindustan Times (reprinted in the New York Daily News ), simply says ” For an erotic film, everyone talks way too much. ” Talk about a limp reception. Want to see Sunny Leone in a movie where she actually gets naked ? Then check her out in The Virginity Hit (2010), Busty Cops (2003) and more right here at MrSkin.com!
TDKR will likely rule the big box office for a third weekend in a row and Total Recall is a re-make that should bring out a decent mass of humanity. But there are a number of new specialty releases also braving the theaters this weekend that are more than worth your $$. Among this weekend’s new “”indie/specialty/limited release” newcomers are 360 with Rachel Weisz, Jude Law and Anthony Hopkins. The Babymakers with Paul Schneider and Olivia Munn and Celeste and Jesse Forever , starring Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood and Ari Graynor and Soldiers of Fortune with Christian Slater, Sean Bean, Ving Rhames and Dominic Monaghan. Also on tap are Girlfriend Boyfriend by China/Taiwan/Hong Kong specialty outfit China Lion and doc Sushi: The Global Catch . 360 Directed by Fernando Meirelles Written by Peter Morgan (screenplay), Arthur Schnitzler Cast: Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Foster, Lucia Siposová Opens: New York and Los Angeles and will reach more cities over the next two weeks. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Oscar-nominated writer Peter Morgan ( The Queen ), specialty distributor Magnolia Pictures picked up 360 out of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival in part due to its pedigree of filmmakers and actors. “It’s a sophisticated team of filmmakers and a lovely cast,” said Magnolia exec Matt Cowal. “It’s a smart and elegant movie that will appeal to the classic art-house audience. It’s an ensemble character-driven film and we’ve been pushing this online.” Synopsis: From two acclaimed artists: director Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener) and writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon). With a stellar international cast that includes Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Ben Foster, Jamel Debbouze and Moritz Bleibtreu, 360 is a moving and exciting dramatic thriller that dazzlingly weaves together the stories of an array of people from disparate social backgrounds through their intersecting relationships. The Babymakers Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar Written by Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow Cast: Paul Schneider, Olivia Munn, Kevin Heffernan, Noureen DeWulf, Aisha Tyler] Opens: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver, San Diego, Phoenix and San Francisco and will continue from there. Director Jay Chandrasekhar said that the big studios have all but abandoned comedies that fall in the $5 million to $30 million range and noted that his film’s distributor Millennium Films is filling the vacuum left. “”With Smaller films like American Beauty – who knows if that would be green-lit today,” he said, adding, “”We made it independently and cast it how we wanted it to be. We sold it to Millennium at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.” The film, which centers on a couple high-outta-luck in getting pregnant take some unconventional matters into their own hands. The guy grabs his buddies and plots to steal his own sperm – from a sperm bank. “”I think there’s a real relationship at the center of this movie,” said Chandrasekhar. “The goal is to have a baby and you can feel for them, but there is a lot of comedy centered around the sperm bank heist,” said Chandrasekhar. “He has to get his only good sperm left. It’s wild but also grounded.” Synopsis: After failing to get his wife pregnant, a guy (Schneider) recruits his pals to steal the deposit he left at a sperm bank years ago. Celeste And Jesse Forever Directed by Lee Toland Krieger Written by Rashida Jones, Will McCormack Cast: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, Ari Graynor, Eric Christian Olsen, Rob Huebel, Shira Lazar, Will McCormack Opens: New York and Los Angeles with more cities coming over the summer. [ Movieline’s Review of Celeste and Jesse Forever ] After a roller-coaster beginning with the project and landing at at least two companies before the filmmakers found financing through an individual, Celeste and Jesse Forever finally hit production. “We finally ended up making the movie for under $1 million and took it to Sundance,” said producer Jennifer Todd. Director Lee Toland Krieger came on board after Todd sent him the script and he “fell in love with it” after reading. Krieger said that he had initially only been meant to read it. “This is a real labor of love that took so long to get to the screen,” he said about the film, which stars Rashida Jones (who co-wrote the film) about a divorcing couple who try to maintain a close friendship even as they move on romantically. Synopsis: Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) met in high school, married young and are growing apart. Now thirty, Celeste is the driven owner of her own media consulting firm, Jesse is once again unemployed and in no particular rush to do anything with his life. Celeste is convinced that divorcing Jesse is the right thing to do — she is on her way up, he is on his way nowhere, and if they do it now instead of later, they can remain supportive friends. Jesse passively accepts this transition into friendship, even though he is still in love with her. As the reality of their separation sets in, Celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship, and her decision, which once seemed mature and progressive, now seems impulsive and selfish. But her timing with Jesse is less than fortuitous. While navigating the turbulent changes in their lives and in their hearts, these two learn that in order to truly love someone, you may have to let them go. Girlfriend Boyfriend Directed by Ya-che Yang Written by Ya-che Yang Cast: Joseph Hsiao-Chuan Chang, Lun Mei Gwei, Rhydian Vaughan Opens: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Toronto and New York with targeted locations added later. Distributor China Lion specializes on Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong films for the North American market, typically targeting audiences of Chinese descent, but for Girlfriend Boyfriend , it is also hitting gay audiences. The story focuses on three rebellious students to leave their hometown for the big city. Their relationships face pressure as the ’80s era socio-political reformation movement unfolds in Taiwan. “It’s a drama and a rom-com,” said China Lion CEO Milt Barlow. “It’s a great real life story and found that young Chinese audiences are keen to have more modern stories. Synopsis: When three rebellious students leave their hometown to pursue their lifelong dreams in the big city, their relationships start to face the pressures of real life as the 1980s Taiwanese sociopolitical reformation movement unfolds in the background. Soldiers of Fortune Directed by Maxim Korostyshevsky Written by Robert Crombie, Alexandre Coscas, Joe Kelbley Cast: Christian Slater, Sean Bean, Ving Rhames, Dominic Monaghan, Colm Meaney, James Cromwell, Freddy Rodriguez Opens: In select locations now. Synopsis: A former U.S. special forces soldier is reluctantly appointed to protect a group of millionaires who want to experience the thrills of war first-hand. But when their excision goes horribly awry, the unlikely team must band together in order to get out alive. Sushi: The Global Catch Directed by Mark Hall Opens: New York only with targeted locations throughout the country to follow. The Global Catch won a a special jury award last year at the Seattle International Film Festival, which brought the film to the attention of Kino Lorber Films. In 2011, the New York-based distributor released Gereon Wetzel’s El Bulli: Cooking In Progress, which went on to make over $237K domestically, enough incentive for the company to crave more food docs. “We found that combining the culinary aspect of the [film] with the conservancy issue was really compelling to us,” Kino Lorber VP Elizabeth Sheldon said. “It appeals to people who care about environmental issues and care about food.” Synopsis: In this meticulously researched documentary, filmmaker Mark Hall traces the origins of sushi in Japan to its status today as a cuisine that has spawned a lucrative worldwide industry. This explosion in demand for sushi over the past 30 years has brought with it problems of its own, as fish stocks have steadily depleted, threatening the balance of the ocean’s ecosystems. Through extensive interviews with prominent industry representatives and environmental activists, Hall carefully presents the various solutions being proposed to the vexing issue of overfishing. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival, Sushi: The Global Catch raises some pressing questions that all sushi lovers should seek to address.
Celeste and Jesse Forever star Rashida Jones and director Lee Toland Krieger at the after-party for their film Wednesday night in NYC. Photo by Amanda Schwab/Starpix . Indie pic Celeste and Jesse Forever played Sundance back in January and achieved that much sought-after hallmark of success: an acquisition deal with a big-name distributor – in this case the venerable Sony Pictures Classics. But the movie that had some false starts before shooting began did make it to the screen and if a gala screening of the film last night in New York is any measure, it should see more success. In addition to cast members Rashida Jones (who also co-wrote the film) and Rebecca Dayan as well as writer Will McCormack and director Lee Toland Krieger, Anne Hathaway , Paul Rudd , David Schwimmer , Amy Poehler , Aziz Ansari , Andy Cohen and Max Greenfield turned out for the event, hosted by The Peggy Siegal Company and the International Rescue Committee. A second-floor bar with a view of the Williamsburg Bridge at the Hotel Chantelle in Manhattan’s Lower East Side played hotspot for the after-party where Hathaway and others mingled with cast and invitees. Krieger told Movieline that producer Jennifer Todd approached him with the Celeste and Jesse Forever script back in 2010. “I thought I’d just read it, but then I fell in love with it,” he said. “I am a big Woody Allen fan and especially love Husbands and Wives . Both movies are full of comedy, but they’re about heartbreak.” Earlier at the screening, Sony Classics co-president Michael Barker praised Krieger and the cast. “We came to realize they’re major talents,” said Barker. “We think with this movie, you’re in the hands of a major American independent filmmaker.” Also in the crowd were Brady Corbet ( Simon Killer ), Olivia Culpo (Miss USA), Nadia Dajani ( Delocated ), Abby Elliott ( SNL ), Alex Karpovsky ( Girls ), Matthew Settle ( Gossip Girl ), Joey Slotnick ( Too Big to Fail ), Tennessee Thomas, ( Scott Pilgrim vs the World ), Mike Nichols & Diane Sawyer. Sony Classics will open Celeste and Jesse Forever in New York and Los Angeles beginning this Friday; stay tuned for our Movieline chat with Rashida Jones. Plot: Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) met in high school, married young and are growing apart. Now thirty, Celeste is the driven owner of her own media consulting firm, Jesse is once again unemployed and in no particular rush to do anything with his life. Celeste is convinced that divorcing Jesse is the right thing to do, and if they do it now instead of later, they can remain supportive friends. While navigating the turbulent changes in their lives and in their hearts, these two learn that in order to truly love someone, you may have to let them go. View the trailer on YouTube .
The Colin Farrell-starring sci-fi remake Total Recall is readying for release this weekend ( read Movieline’s review here ) and while Len Wiseman’s adaptation of the 1990 Paul Verhoeven film that mixes up bullets, muscles and abstract notions of Cartesian dualism and the specious present isn’t the worst thing in the world, it is hardly memorable. (A bit of an unfortunate situation, as the whole thing is about memory.) Still, it’s important that we don’t present ourselves as the type of dweebs who get all hung up over sci-fi remakes. Sometimes, they’re damn good, as this list of ten shall prove. 10) War of the Worlds , Steven Spielberg, 2005 No masterpiece, but a thrilling piece of work with some genuinely shocking imagery. Despite the four year gap, this was the first major mainstream film that was able to take 9/11 imagery and have it make sense in an entertainment context. It lacks the cheeseball zip of the 1953 version, but it certainly works on a visceral level. (It is not my top adaption of the H.G. Wells story, however. That will forever go to Jeff Wayne and his 1978 prog rock opera. The dorks in the back know what I’m talkin’ about.) 9) The Omega Man , Boris Sagal, 1971 Charlton Heston is so secure in his house he’s not going to pay those cloaked mutant zombies no never mind! A quick shot of a vaccine prior to the deployment of biological weapons in a Russian-Chinese war keeps Heston alive, but his wits keep him safe. When he discovers he’s not the last person alive, he takes the fight direct to the horrible clan of beasts. The Omega Man is a remake of The Last Man on Earth , but also based on the novel I Am Legend . This was, of course, remade again into a film starring Will Smith which will not be seen anywhere on this list. The Omega Man is also notable for featuring an interracial love story back in 1971. Who said Heston’s politics were wholly predictable? 8) The Wiz , Sidney Lumet, 1978 No one said you’d be able to ease on down this list without some challenges. Look, The Wiz is a cool flick. Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor and music by Ashford and Simpson. Maybe Diana Ross doesn’t have the same je ne sais quoi as Judy Garland, but I’ve found that most friends of Dorothy are friends of the Supremes, too. And, yes, it’s sci-fi. The wizard’s practically steampunk. 7) Solaris , Steven Soderbergh, 2002 While Andrei Tarkovski’s version from 1972 is certainly the heavier of the two, Soderbergh’s streamlined and very slick production is a fascinating tone poem on loss, regret and memory. Those looking for action will find the film almost lifeless, but if you get on its wavelength you may find it quite rewarding. It ranks as one of the best gifts one filmmaker ever gave to another, as James Cameron used his considerable clout as producer to secure a budget that everyone had to know would never be recouped. 6) 1984 , Michael Radford, 1984 The 1954 version with Edmond O’Brien is a good enough adaptation, but this gem of new wave cinema really captured the essence of Orwell’s dystopian universe. This movie tends to get forgotten, overshadowed by Terry Gilliam’s Brazil , with which it shares many story and formal similarities. Nevertheless, John Hurt’s sympathetic portrayal of Winston Smith is one of his great performances, and the heavily washed out cinematography from Roger Deakins is quite extraordinary. The Eurythmics’ soundtrack album did a number on me as a kid, as well. 5) Invasion of the Body Snatchers , Phillip Kaufman, 1978 Leonard Nimoy as a sexed-up pop psychologist in ’70s San Francisco. I think it’s a given this should be on ALL the top ten lists. Loaded with lots of gratuitous nudity and plenty of icky gore, you’ll be shocked when you discover this one was actually rated PG. 1978! It’s got Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright owning a groovy mudbath parlor and that iconic last shot of the very hirsute Donald Sutherland pointing at the camera, making THAT SOUND. Dammit, I’m gonna go on a limb and say this is a remake that’s better than the original. 4) 12 Monkeys , Terry Gilliam, 1995 A riff on Chris Marker’s miraculous short film of still images, La Jetee , this fatalistic time-travel tale is bursting with visual creativity but stays on course as a gripping, propulsive doomsday race. Bruce Willis lets his tough guy guard down a bit and no matter how many times I see this it, the ending always gets to me. By Gilliam standards, it’s his least weird movie; by Hollywood standards, a real standout. 3) Battlestar Galactica , Michael Rymer, 2003 Wait, who said anything about including TV? Well, when the material is this good you make special considerations. Besides, the 1978 BSG did have a theatrical release, and the miniseries that aired on 2003 ranked with the best entertainment that came out that year. (The fact that the original played in theaters then went to TV, as opposed to a TV show that went to the movies, is the reason that Star Trek isn’t on this list. In my mind, it makes sense.) This whacked-out Mormon parable (some say) was the perfect science fiction treatment for the onset of Bush’s War on Terror. There has probably never been a more paranoid show on television and its interplanetary setting oftentimes led to a more constructive forum in which to discuss the issues of the day. Our heroes’ attitudes swung left and right, but loyalty never wavered. I swear to you I’d still take a bullet for Edward James Olmos if the old man needed me. If you’ve been putting it off (or were scared away by some naysayers who didn’t like the conclusion), check out the 2003 miniseries. Then take the week off as you blaze through the rest of the seasons. 2. The Thing , John Carpenter, 1982 I’ve seen The Thing at least ten times. And every time, during the blood testing sequence, I jump. If John Carpenter bills himself as The Horror Master, I think we can safely call this his masterpiece. Some forget it is a remake of Howard Hawks’ The Thing From Another World , a fine film, but Carpenter’s version is a bubbling cauldron of great tough guy characters and outstanding set pieces that’ll have you cheering and puking at the same time. 1. The Fly , David Cronenberg, 1986 It was close, but this one squeezes ahead just a little bit. It’s Goldblum that makes it, really – the way he calmly remarks “That’s disgusting” as he discovers his new way of eating sugar. (If you haven’t seen it, words won’t do justice.) And the fact that he can sell lines like “Drink deep, or taste not, the plasma spring!” Apart from its nifty high concept and groundbreaking special effects, The Fly is a true transcendent work in the way it treats its characters. Who’d have ever expected you’d be crying at the end of what looked like just another gross-out? Certainly no one who’d only seen the ’58 version with Vincent Price. — So there are our ten. If we’ve done our job, we’ve pissed you off. Feel free to let us have it in the space below. Just go easy on The Wiz , is all I ask. Follow Jordan Hoffman on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Before there was Django Unchained , there was Django , and the star of that 1966 spaghetti western, Franco Nero, can be found in the 1970 surreal comedy Compañeros, which also inspired Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming anti-slavery opus. The Film: Compañeros (1970) Why It’s an Inessential Essential: With Django Unchained on the way, it’s a good time to revisit the films that inspired Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming pastiche. The winningly surreal action comedy Compañeros is the third installment of a trilogy that spaghetti-western director Sergio Corbucci’s shot with Franco Nero, the star of the original Django (1966) and the mysterious man who makes a prominent cameo at the end of the Django Unchained trailer. Like most spaghetti westerns, Compañeros is a mish-mosh of narrative tropes that takes the kind of mercenary outsider made popular in the genre by A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Django and places him in the political, revolutionary-centric context of “Zapata westerns” like Tepepa (1969) and Duck, You Sucker! (1971). Compañeros stars Nero as “The Penguin,” a Swedish mercenary who blows into town and is instantly plied with requests to join two warring factions: the current political regime and the revolutionaries. Soon enough, he bumps into the effusive Vasco, played by spaghetti-western staple Tomas Milian, a shoe-shine man who accidentally becomes a captain in the revolutionary cause. Through a series of convoluted events that inevitably involve double- and triple-crosses, Vasco and the Penguin team-up to help protect a scientist (Fernando Rey!) who knows the combination to a hulking bank vault that everyone suspects houses a huge bounty. But to get to the safe, the trio has to avoid Jack Palance’s mustachioed, pot-smoking baddy. (Did we mention that his character keeps a pet falcon? ) Almost everyone betrays everyone else along the way, making the film’s uplifting finale a welcome one. How the DVD Makes the Case for the Film : Blue Underground has re-released Compañeros in a very tempting box set with three other spaghetti westerns starring Milian: the middling Lucio Fulci’s Four of the Apocalypse (1975) and the manic Sergio Sollima’s Run, Man, Run (1968). The box set is basically a re-issue of their previous editions of the films, but there are some worthwhile special features, including commemorative featurettes on the films, that nicely complement the collection. The 17-minute documentary included on the Run, Man, Run DVD boasts some entertaining soundbites — such as when Milian proudly exclaims, “If there’s one thing in this life I’m sure of: I am fucking talented.” The “In the Company of Compañeros ” featurette is especially informative. In it, Nero and Milian look back at their work in the film and even music composer Ennio Morricone talks a little about the main theme he composed (“a kind of joyful requiem, but also dramaticit was a kind of reggae with a Gregorian theme.”). Milian’s anecdotes are the juiciest of this bunch. He explains that the way he he wore his beret in any given scene indicated how his character was feeling in that sequence. He also hilariously describes Jack Palance: “The way you see him behave in the movie? That’s the way he behaved on the set. He knows he has a scary face and he uses it.” Other Trivia: Milian and Nero joke about their rivalry during the production of Compañeros and how they went on to become great friends. Milian has an especially funny anecdote about the time he showed up to the set of Compañeros an hour and a half before filming started, only to discover that Nero had already been there two hours prior to his arrival! According to Milian, Nero would get to set early so that he could have crow’s feet applied to his face to make him look older. When a younger Milian asked Nero why he did this, Nero supposedly replied, “30 years from now, people are going to say: he never ages.”
