Review: ‘Graceland’

I’m not the biggest fan of foreign films and usually try and avoid them. I’m not really sure what my apprehension is… maybe because I think it’s like going back to school and that’ll it’ll be like homework? It’s honestly a stupid mental block I have against them and I definitely need to get over it because of the few foreign films I watch each year, I always end up liking them.

As is the case in Graceland.

Written and directed by Ron Morales, Graceland is billed as a thriller but I’d also add mystery into the mix. It’s about a family man named Marlon (Arnold Reyes). He works for Chango (Menggie Cobarrubias), a corrupt politician, doing everything from the mundane (driving the daughter to school) to the sick (cleaning up after his boss’ escapades with underage girls). When Marlon, his daughter and Chango’s daughter are kidnapped, things go from bad to worse. Chango’s daughter is accidentally killed and the kidnappers take Marlon’s daughter and hold her for ransom. Desperate, Marlon now must lie to Chango and the police about what really happened in order to get his daughter back. Read more

Actors Benefit More Financially Than Actresses After Oscar Wins, But What Are the Factors?

Winning an Oscar is a major artistic accomplishment for actors and actresses professionally, but how much does it affect their wallets?  I mean, wouldn’t you expect an Oscar winner to demand a higher salary on his or her next film just so the producers can put “Academy Award Winner” above his or her name on the poster?

Well, not always, but especially if you happen to be female.

An honor’s thesis by Colgate student Kevin Sweeney looked at the earning power of actors and actresses in the years before and after winning an Oscar.  It isn’t surprising that actors on average received an 81% bump in salary after winning an Oscar, since many of them become household names.  And while it isn’t surprising that actresses don’t receive the same bump — unfortunately, there is an obvious gender bias in Hollywood — what is surprising is that Sweeney’s findings discovered that actresses on average receive no financial benefit — in fact, it can be argued that Oscar wins could hurt their careers more than help! Read more

Q & A: Kurt Sutter on the Season Finale of ‘Sons of Anarchy’, Casting and Why He Cut Off His Characters Tongue

Capping off a great season of Sons of Anarchy, FX and show creator Kurt Sutter held a conference call to discuss the impact of the season and outcome of the bang-up finale.

I got a chance to ask him about how he cast’s the show and he told me that when they’re making casting decisions, most of the time, he’ll defer to that episodes director. But, other times, he said that he’ll “see something in a character or in an actor that I feel is not right or would be better served because I know where the story is going to, and then I’ll make a different choice than the director.”

He also talks about what might be coming for the show, dealing with the deaths of characters, social media and more.

Check it out! Read more

Trailer: ‘Broken City’ starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe & Catherine Zeta-Jones

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Director: Allen Hughes

Writer: Brian Tucker

Synopsis: In a broken city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) seeks redemption–and revenge–after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure, the mayor (Russell Crowe). Billy’s relentless pursuit of justice, matched only by his streetwise toughness, makes him an unstoppable force–and the mayor’s worst nightmare.

In Theaters: January 18th Read more

Q&A: The Last Resort’s Co-Creators Shawn Ryan & Karl Gajdusek

ABC’s Last Resort is one of the only shows I’ve been looking forward to watching in this new TV season. The show stars one of my favorite actors, Andre Braugher, as Marcus Chaplin, the Captain of the nuclear submarine USS Colorado. When he and his XO, Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman), disobey an order to nuke Pakistan, they are quickly attacked. After seeking refuge on a remote island, they set out to find out what happened and try and prove their innocence.

The show was co-created by Shawn Ryan (The Shield, Terriers) and screenwriter Karl Gajdusek who talked on a recent conference call about casting Braugher, Speedman and the rest of the cast, the lengths Braugher went to in researching his character, shooting in Hawaii and working inside a submarine.

Last Resort premieres on tonight at 8 pm ET on ABC   Read more

Q&A: Sons of Anarchy’s Harold Perrineau talks How He Went After His Role, His Musical Theater Background and Treating Himself Like a Brand

Harold Perrineau has starred in two of my favorite shows, OZ and Lost and now, he’s jumped into the cast of another of my favorites, FX’s Sons of Anarchy.

In the new season of SOA, he plays this years big bad, Damon Pope. Pope is out for revenge because of the death of his daughter at the end last season and now, he’s declared war on the SOA gang. If you watched the first 3 episodes of the season, you’ll know that he’s already accomplished part of plan.

Harold is such a fun guy to talk with and in this Q & A, he doesn’t disappoint. He chats about how he went after the role of Pope (thanks to some prodding from his wife), working with the cast, his musical theater background and how he treats himself like a brand.

Sons of Anarchy airs on Tuesdays at 10pm on FX  Read more

Emily Van Camp: “I went through a whole audition process to win the role” on ‘Revenge’

After stirring the hearts of fans as Amy Abbott in Everwood for four seasons Canadian actress Emily Van Camp has  traded in her wholesome character for the likes of Amanda Clark, her new villainous alter ego that has viewers awaiting Revenge on Sunday nights. 

Ready to enter into season 2 after an amazing first year run on ABC, Van Camp recently discussed her beginnings with the show and how she became involved with the series.  “I read the script for Revenge and I loved it, so I went and met with [Revenge executive producers] Marty Bowen and Mike Kelley to hear their thoughts on the project,” she said. “We talked and talked about it, and then I went through a whole audition process to win the role. When I tested for the part, Marty called my agent and said, “I just don’t know if she can go dark. I didn’t see that in our meeting. She really doesn’t give that off.” When I heard that, I thought to myself, ‘OK, great. Let’s go in and I’ll try to prove it to them.” Read more

Biography: Gillian Jacobs

Gillian Jacobs vibrant presence has been noted by audiences in the film, stage, and television mediums.

In the latter,  she has portrayed Britta for all three seasons of the acclaimed comedy series Community, with Joel McHale.  Her guest appearances include ones on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Royal Pains, The Good Wife, Fringe, and in an arc on The Book of Daniel.

In addition to Richard Kelly’s cult film The Box, Ms. Jacobs’ movie work has included such independent features as Clark Gregg’s Choke, opposite Sam Rockwell and for which she shared the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize with her fellow actors; Damian Harris’ Gardens of the Night, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and which was a Prism Award nominee; Kathy Lindboe’s NoNAMES, opposite James Badge Dale, for which she was a Best Actress nominee at Method Fest and for which she won a Special Jury Award for Best Acting Achievement at the Phoenix Film Festival; Joseph Infantolino’s Helena from the Wedding, in which she played the title role; Brian Koppelman and David Levien’s Solitary Man, alongside Michael Douglas; Will Frears’ Coach, with Hugh Dancy;  and  four recently completed movies.  The latter are Shimon Dotan’s Watching TV with the Red Chinese; Billy Federighi’s Sin Bin; Brian Jett’s Let Go; and Chadd Harbold’s Revenge for Jolly!, starring as part of a stellar ensemble. Read more

Biography: Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson has become one of the leading international motion-picture actors today. Whether it is his Academy Award®-nominated role of Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg’s highly acclaimed Schindler’s List (1993), his award-winning portrayal of the legendary Irish Republican hero in Michael Collins (1996), or his role as controversial sex therapist Alfred Kinsey in the critically acclaimed Kinsey (2004), Neeson continues to display an acting range matched by few.

In January 2012, Neeson starred in the box-office hit The Grey. Directed by Joe Carnahan, this action-adventure featured an oil drilling team that struggled to survive after a plane crash that stranded them in the wild of Alaska. Hunting the humans was a pack of wolves that saw them as intruders.

In February 2011, Neeson was seen opposite Diane Kruger and January Jones in Unknown, a psychological thriller about stolen identity. Neeson also co-starred in the Warner Bros. remake of the 1981 film Clash of the Titans, which tells the myth of Perseus and his quest to battle both Medusa and the Kraken monster in order to save the princess Andromeda. A sequel is currently in the works for release in 2012. Read more

PaleyFest 2012: “Vengeance is Coming” on Revenge

The creators of the hit ABC show Revenge were more than generous providing teasers for the rest of season one, promising more flashback episodes (including one set entirely in 2002) and another giant cliffhanger, when they gathered for the 2012 Paleyfest (William S. Paley Festival) in Beverly Hills on Sunday. 

The cast and creative team behind the drama/soap held a panel, moderated by TV Guide’s Debra Birnbaum, at the Saban Theatre as part of the festival’s celebration of quality television.

On hand to answer questions were executive producers Mike Kelley (Swingtown) and Marty Bowen and members of the cast including: Emily Van Camp, Madeline Stowe, Josh Bowman, Henry Czerny, Nick Weschler, Gabriel Mann, Connor Paolo, Christa Allen, and Ashley Madekwe. The event began with a special screening of the first half of episode 17, which is set to air April 11.

Kelley explained that the show won’t get caught in the common trap plaguing other dramas—the long dragging out of storylines.  The trial of Daniel Grayson will end by episode 18, and the plot will speed up, so that the audience checks back in with the story around December.  By the end of the 22-ordered episodes the main plot will be resolved, but Kelley said they will “tease another giant event, and set up new drama and new alliances” to intrigue viewers to come back for a second season. Read more

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