In Tribute....

Well, we are a little more than half way through 2009 and we've lost quite a few names in the entertainment industry. Here's a kinda morbid "who's who" of the talent we've lost so far this year...some you may know, some you may not, but all left their mark on the industry.

On June 25, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson passes on and stuns the world one last time, and the iconic Farrah Fawcett dies of cancer
Oxyclean pitchman Billy Mays on June 28Ed McMahon co host of The Tonight Show, died on June 23
Oscar winner Karl Malden, best known for The Streets of San Francisco, died on July 1
Golden Globe winner Harve Presnell died of pancreatic cancer on June 30
Impressionist, comedian, singer Fred Travelena died on June 28
Actress Gale Storm of My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show died on June 27
John Palermo of Everybody Hates Chris died on June 8
Kung Fu/Kill Bill star David Carridine died at 72 on June 3
Actor Shih Kien, who played mostly villians in Chinese Martial Arts films for 40 years, died on June 3
Stage actor Danny LaRue died May 31
Actor Steve Cinabro passed on on May 31
Radio actress Joan Alexander, who played Lois Lane in the 1940's and 1950's radio broadcast of "The Adventures of Superman", died on May 21
Spider Man 3 actress Lucy Gordon died May 20
Russian actor Oleg Yankovsky died May 20
Voice actor Wayne Allwine, the third actor to voice Mickey Mouse, died on May 18
Character actor Frank Aletter, who had more than 100 television, film and broadway credits to his name, died on May 13
Actor Mark Landon, son of actor Michael Landon, died on May 11
Actor Mickey Carroll, one of the last remaining "Munchkin's" from "The Wizard of Oz", died on May 7
Jane Randolph, star of 1942's Cat People, died on May 4
Actor, comedian, chef Dom DeLuise died on May 4, few were funnier, there will never be another like him
Vegas Entertainer Danny Gans died on May 1
Tony Award winning choreographer and dancer Frankie Manning died on April 27. Manning is best known for not only his Tony winning work on 1989's "Black and Blue" but for teaching the "Lindy Hop" during the 1930's
Legendary actress Bea Arthur of The Golden Girls/Maude died April 25
British cinematographer, director and photographer Jack Cardiff died on April 22
Broadway's Tony Award winning actress Marilyn Cooper, died on April 22
English director of The Battle of the Bulge, Ken Annakin also died on April 22...he and Jack Cardiff worked together on The Fifth Musketeer
The Infamous Marilyn Chambers died on April 12
1940's actress Jane Bryan, who starred in 18 films during her career, died on April 8
Broadway and off-Broadway actor Jack Wrangler(born John Stillman) died on April 7
Joel Dee "Jody" Mcrea, who starred in many of the "Beach Party" flicks of the 1960's died on April 4
Actor Andy Hallet who played "Lorne" on the TV Series "Angel" died at the age of 33 on March 29
Actor and singing cowboy Monte Hale(The Vanishing Westerner), died on March 25
Marilyn Borden, half of the acting and singing duo The Borden Twins, died on March 25
Tony Award winning actress, daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, wife of Liam Niesen, the always enjoyable Natasha Richardson died March 18
Director, producer, political activist and Tony Award winning actor Ron Silver (you may remember him as Anne Bancrofts son in 1984's Garbo Talks) died on March 15
Performer Altovise Davis, widow of Sammy Davis Jr, died on March 14
Actress Betsy Blair, most remember for her role in the 1955 film "Marty" died on March 12
Playwright Milan Stitt (The Runner Stumbles) died March 12
American playwright and screenwritter Horton Foote, best known for his screenplay for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he received an Academy Award,died on March 4
Tony Award winner Sydney Chaplin, son of Charlie Chaplin, died on March 3
Director Howard Zieff (Private Benjamin, My Girl) died on February 22
Actor Robert Quarry, best known for his role as Count Yorga, Vampire, died on February 20
Actress Dorothy Bridges, wife of Lloyd Bridges, died on February 16
Playwright and screenwritter Robert Woodruff Anderson(The Sand Pebbles, Tea and Sympathy)died on February 9
Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe winner James Allan Whitmore died on February 6. Whitmore starred in over 146 films.
Actress Shirley Jean Rickert, who was briefly part of the "Our Gang" series, died on February 6
Movie and Soap actor, who most will remember as "Asa Buchanan" on "One Life To Live", Philip Carey died on February 6
Soap actor Clint Ritchie, who played "Clint Buchanan" on "One Life to Live" died on January 31. Ritchie and Carey played father and son on the "One Life to Live"
Director of The X Files and Supernatural Kim Manners died on January 25
Film Producer Charles H. Schneer, most widely known for working with special effects pioneer, Ray Harryhausen, died on January 21
Actor Bob May, best known for playing "The Robot" on TV's "Lost in Space" died on January 18. May wore the actual "Robot" costume and did not provide the voice for "Robot"
Actress Suseanna Foster, best known for her role as "Christine" in the 1943 version of "The Phantom of the Opera" died on January 17
Legendary Actor Ricardo Montalban died on January 14..."KHAN!!!!!!"
Two Time Emmy winning actor Patrick McGoohan died on January 13
French director Claude Berri died on January 12. Berri won an Oscar for his short film, " Le Poulet" in 1965
American theatre and film director and composer("Hair/Jesus Christ Superstar"), Tom O'Hogan died on January 11
Actor Henry Endo, who played on TV's "Hawaii 5-O", died on January 9
Actor Don Galloway, who played on TV's "Ironside" as well as many feature films, died on January 8
Actress, singer, dancer and original Mouseketeer Cheryl Holdridge died on January 5
Actress, dancer Olga San Juan, known as "Puerto Rican Pepperpot", died on January 3
Actor Pat Hingle, known for playing judges, cops, and other figures of authority, died on January 3
Character actor Steven Gilborn died January 2
Well, it's by no means a complete list folks. But lets all take a moment to acknowledge those that have passed and thank them for all they did in this industry we all know and love so well.
The Magnificent Madame Mortem

Every Other Day is Halloween

It's late, your flipping the channels on the ol' boob-tube...same stuff, different night...so you keep flipping...that's when you find it...your local horror host show. For some of us it was Svengoolie, for some Elvira, for others it was Zacherly or Zamboo, but if you grew up in the Washington,DC area, then we all know who it was that brought you the ghoulish goodies on the scare-waves, none other than Count Gore De Vol and Creature Feature....or maybe you knew him as one of his other alter egos M.T Graves, Captain 20, or Bozo the Clown.... shoot, you may even still have your Channel 20 Club Card (over half a million were distributed during the 1970's and 1980's). He's the one, the only, Dick Dyszel. Creture Feature ran on DC's WDCA from 1973 to 1987. Mr. Dyszel also revolutionied the concept of "on demand entertainment" when he introduced the first-ever streaming horror host show in 1998, Creature Feature: The Weekly Web Program, predating Youtube, Hulu, and iPod.
From the director and founder of The Spooky Movie Film Festival, CW Prather, comes a comedic documentary on the career of Dick Dyszel, "Every Other Day is Halloween", with rare footage andinterviews with Dick as well as with filmmaker Jeff Krulik (Heavy Metal Parking Lot), "scream queens" Eleanor Herman and Leanna Chamish, writer Steve Niles(30 Days of Night), critic Arch Campbell, and horror hosts John Dimes (Dr. Sarcofiguy of Spooky Movie) and Jerry Moore II (Karlos Borloff of Monster Madhouse).The doc premiered June 27, 2009 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD. CW Prather, as well as being the founder of the Spooky Movie Film Festival, which is based in Fairfax, VA, is also a Telly Award winning director and producer, who directed the documentaries, Public Witness, Sharlene's House and the 1995 feature The Wave. For more info on the documentary you can contact Mr. Prather himself on the Spooky Movie site, http://www.thespookymovie.com. You can also check out Creature Feature: The Weekly Web Program first hand at http://countgore.com/gore/ and see Count Gore De Vol in action! Tell him Madame Mortem sent ya!

Ghoulishly Yours,

The Magnificent Madame Mortem

Exclusive Interview with Director Princeton Holt

TCW’s Editor in Chief Clifford Kiyabu sits down with Cookies & Cream director Princeton Holt for an exclusive interview. Princeton E. Holt has worked on several projects since graduating from the New York Film Academy in 2000 and launching his own film company called One Way or Another Productions LLC. He wrote and directed a 20 minute short called Phish in 2006 which gained him an “Official Selection" at film festivals including the National Black Media Conference Film Festival in Philadelphia, he is the writer, producer, and director of the upcoming flick Cookies & Cream, a film that I personally had the pleasure of reviewing not so long ago, but with all that I have already said about him, there is still much more to be said from the man himself.

CK: First off let me say thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to have this little interview session with me, you must be very busy with the film’s premiere just around the corner?

PH: Well first of all, I dig your interviews so thank you for having me. We are getting a little busier for the Cookies premiere on the 5th of July at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC as part of the NewFilmmakers Film Festival Summer Series. For those in the in the NY area, make sure you come see it while it’s still in NY before it heads to LA. Ryan Balas, who co-produced the movie, is the one doing most of the work. He says he just wants me to be able to enjoy the screening as a director this time, and not have to do the producing part of it when it comes to preparing for the screening. That’s a huge luxury, one I don’t get enough, and I’m grateful to Ryan for handling everything.

CK: Alright, before for we go into talking about your film, I think its best my readers get a chance to learn, just who is Princeton Holt?

PH: I'm the 34 year old son of a non-denominational, Brooklyn pastor/playwright/author with an honorary PHD, and an English professor/book editor/author with an academic PHD. My younger sister is a professional top model. Growing up with a family like that, ambition isn't a thought or even something we even consider an attribute. For us, constant ambition is like breathing. It’s something that also isn’t all positive at times, because when you realize you don’t know what it’s like to quit or slow down, you still aren't able to do much to change or alter it. So while the ambition "curse" of my family has been rewarding and you get a ton of things accomplished, you look around and realize that people around you may be living life a little more than you are. I'm also a professional unicyclist that fights crime on weekends.

CK: WOW, so you come from a family of hardworking career people?

PH: Yes Sir.

CK: So how does your family feel about you getting into filmmaking?

PH: They've been pretty supportive. My father and sister at times have helped me finance some projects including this one. I guess they are happy because I'm happy. My father is the "voice of purpose" you hear in the scene where Jodie comforts Jonathan after their breakup, and my sister plays a cameo as the woman who sets up the whole online webcam business. She's in another film I have coming up. My mother still hasn’t seen it, and I'm curious as to whether or not she will be able to appreciate my determination to not judge any of the characters.

CK: What is a typical day for you?

PH: I get up really early, and by noon have done more than people in a lot of other industries will do in an entire day. By 1pm, I have already had 2 conference calls, approved something on at least one project whether it’s an edit, a script, or a promotional trailer or something, have spoken at length with my brilliant and sometimes motor-mouthed lawyer Greg, and have talked to investors or signed some form of contract or agreement. Then 3 pm hits and I stop to take a half an hour for lunch. After that, the rest of the day is basically solving problems - production problems, or anxieties in other directors or actors I work with. When my Lakers are doing well in the playoffs as they are now, three nights a week end early so that I can scream at my flatscreen like a psycho. But most times, the day doesn’t end usually until 10 pm, and then the next day it’s time to do it all over again.

CK: How do you manage to keep a cool head with such a daily schedule?

PH: I make sure to try to have some fun with it all.

CK: What influenced you into wanting to become a filmmaker?

PH: Magnolia by Paul Thomas Anderson. I saw it the first time, and didn’t really understand what I had just seen. But it stayed with me for a week. So I drove all the way down to NYC from Massachusetts where I was living at the time and saw it again. And it changed my life. That night I immediately went home and enrolled in film school.

CK: So was opening your own production company part of the equation when starting out in the business or did it just simply happen?

PH: Well I went to the NYFA in Manhattan and my favorite professor (Dylan Kidd who went on to direct Roger Dodger and P.S.) mentioned something about having a credit placed in your thesis film. He didn’t demand it, but he mentioned something to the affect of making your thesis film the first official project by your production company on their dime or something like that. One Way or Another Productions sounded right because he said that if you do go that route then to choose a name that would be like a mantra for you, something that would drive the mentality of the company and something that would constantly remind you of something. That name was where I was mentally at the time, and maybe consequently, have been able to maintain to this day. I started doing music videos and commercials to get my feet wet as a director. Then when my brilliant partners Monica, Jenny, Crystal, and now Cassandra came along, that’s when real progress began to take place. Let me preface all of this with this revelation: the goal for me is, and will always be to be able to just write and direct feature films - whether independently or for studios. The company's producing part, came out of a survival tactic, almost by accident. Producing, from my personal experience, is nowhere near as fun as writing a script and directing it. But ironically, producing became the thing that made the phrase "full time filmmaker" a reality. Producing multiple works for people allows you to direct when you have free time away from your full time producing work. Either way, you are making films full-time. For me producing is the day job between directing movies. I wanted to direct so bad, that I became a producer to make sure I could.

CK: Where you always a fan of the cinema?

PH: I was a fan of good films but not as young as I have heard others say they were. Mine started mostly in my teen years being fans of films like Forrest Gump and Boomerang, and gorging on Spike Lee films. I grew up in a religious home. My father and mother could not have been more different parents; my dad was always a fan of mass media, my mother not so much. He brought home the laser disk for Superman when I was like 7 or 8, and of course it blew me away and opened up my imagination. But later when they divorced, we spent the first half of our teenage years with her. And she was such a stickler for education above all else, that she didn’t want us spending precious years in front of the television rotting away. And thank god she did that, because the movies, and TV world became this forbidden fascination that my sister and I developed, and when the TV was locked up (literally I might add), instead of looking at it as simply an alternative form of entertainment like most kids, we began to wonder what was inside of it, and the world itself. So when we did get those occasions where we would see movies, or watch a good TV show, our appreciation of the art of it was tenfold - much more than the average kids our age who had unlimited access to TV and movies. When it was denied to us, we would then go into our own imaginations in our separate rooms and write stuff. Hence, my sister's a full time model and musician, and I grew up to make movies for a living. We owe some of that to my dear mother, even though at the time we couldn’t see the "things happen for a reason" way of thinking. We certainly understand it now. So I appreciate all of the critical accolades the film has gotten, because according to the religion I came up under, I will have to use it to soothe me while we are burning in eternal hell-fire.

CK: You know what you just said reminded me of an old saying, people always want what they’re denied, and in your case it’s quite true. [Laughs]

PH: Absolutely.

CK: What are your favorite films?

PH: My favorite film of all time is a foreign film - Federico Fellini's 8 1/2. That film is like the secret to what I actually see, live, and think like. Also in my top 10 is the hilarious Being John Malkovich, Le Goût Des Autres by Agnes Jaoui is absolutely incredible, Malcolm X, La Dolce Vita, Breathless, and an experimental narrative film few people have seen called Carter that I actually produced. It was directed by Ryan Andrew Balas, and I'm not doing some strange self-promotion thing. I truly think it’s one of the most original pieces of work I have seen in cinema in nearly a decade. And the fact that few people have gotten it or understood it so far makes me feel very superior and smarter than everyone else (smile).

CK: Who are your favorite filmmakers and actors?

PH: Hmm. When you imagine being in this business you have this answer all prepared. But for reason it always stomps me. I find it odd when directors get asked this question and don’t mention the people that made their film possible to begin with. I feel very fortunate to have now what I used to always dream of having and that was a repository of talent to work with on a continual basis - whether it’s my film or one I'm producing for someone else. But if Jace Nicole wasn't a favorite actor of mine, then I don't think I would have even made Cookies & Cream to begin with. I owe all of the love the film has gotten to her, because if she didn't pull it off, no one would have cared. The same for Naama Kates who I love. She played Jodie. Naama has told me some very nice things about her experience working with me, but I gotta say that working with her was just as awesome. Brian Ackley is an amazing talent I think. He fought me some of the way during production because I was intentionally more vague about his character than he would have liked me to be. Brian likes to have a certain amount of cognitive preparation on things, and it makes sense. But for some people it can be a crutch, and I wanted his first instincts to inform me, not the other way around. One of the lessons I was trying to get across to Brian during Cookies was the Woody Allen line in Manhattan. "The brain is the most overrated organ in the human body." And I think he did a great job. My favorite challenge on the film was directing comedian Ardie Fuqua in a strictly dramatic role. It was a challenge for me, not for him. He slipped right into it when he played Jonathan, and it’s one of my favorite performances in the movie. I have the same love for Danny Doherty, Chris Riquinha, Kent Sutton, Rick Borgia, Thyais Walsh, and Derek McAllister. How’s that for self-promotion? Also, I owe Chris Riquinha from Uptown 10 bucks from the other night, so he is my favorite actor overall.

CK: So Aside from directing Cookies & Cream you also wrote it?

PH: Yeah. I went away for 7 days to a hotel that even I can't remember the location of now. I struggled for two of those days not being able to write a word because there were so many places I could go with a subject matter like this. Ultimately I chose pure honesty above all else, and wrote it in 5 or 6 nights.

CK: What influenced you into writing it?

PH: I wanted to make my first film right away. I also wanted to do something with Jace that would challenge her as well as myself. I wanted to take away her ability to be aggressive in a way, and see what she would be like to watch if she had to keep all of her emotions bottled up. We came up with this idea of a character that society frowns on - this porn star who is a single mother, and we both wanted to challenge ourselves to make that character human no matter what. We worked very hard at doing that. Also at the time I was pissed about how long funding was taking for another film I am doing, and was watching a lot of DIY digitally shot films like Quiet City, The Puffy Chair, and Hannah Takes the Stairs. I even took Jace and Brian to see it at the IFC when it opened here in NY to show them what we were getting into. I also made sure to write something I felt could be done whether we had some money, or none at all. Luckily we had billions and billions of dollars.

CK: Your lead star of the film Jace Nicole told me in her interview that you picked her after watching an addition tape she sent you; could you tell us what you saw in her that made you pick her for the leading role?

PH: I saw her throw a table clear across the room in an improve exercise, that’s what. Cookies & Cream wasn’t even thought of at that point, but I wanted to use her in as much as I could. She was like a secret weapon. I had never seen an actor that dedicated - no matter what you put them through. I put her in Phish, a short film I did in 2005. Then it came time to make Cookies and we worked on the story together, so the plan was to make Cookies for her in a sense. Plus, she paid me $700 to choose her and at the time I had to pay rent.

CK: How many days did filming go on for?

PH: We scheduled it for I think 12 days. We shot exactly double that amount of time.

CK: Correct me if I’m wrong here, but I heard that making this film was an uphill battle for you, the cast, and the production crew?

PH: Oh my goodness, you must have been watching the "Making 'Cookies & Cream'" series, huh? That’s more than a shameless plug (we can’t make money off the web-series anyway), it’s a testament to how much went wrong while we made it. So much so, a documentary was made by Omar Hernandez the co-producer about it. You name it, it went wrong, and things you wouldn’t even think of went wrong too. It was literally a nightmare to get that thing made, that you don’t have enough space to print here. Seriously. That's what makes the reception to the film that much more gratifying for all of us involved. The website for the film has a section called "See It" and in there you will see all the episodes that are up (I think 6 so far). You will see for yourself why there was too much drama to begin to list here. The President is having an easier time fixing the United States economy than we had making Cookies & Cream.

CK: Are there any memorable moments in making the film you’d like to share with us?

PH: Having my girlfriend hold a stick with a microphone taped to it for several twelve minute scenes pretty much takes the cake, don’t you think?

CK: Yeah, I guess so [Laughs]

CK: What type of problems, if any, did you encounter while filming?

PH: The entire shoot was a problem that would not have been fixable had it not been for Damon my sound designer/composer, and Hector, my editor. The fact that you were even able to see it is a miracle.

CK: I may have said some harsh things about the acting in the film with my review, I will say that after allowing the film to maul over in my mind I kind of see what you mean about the cast giving a realistic performance.

PH: Well Cliff, you keep saying you were harsh on the actors but I don’t think you were at all. Harsh is saying they sucked. Mentioning that a few of them did "okay" is not half as bad. Overall, I thought your review was great. And I do appreciate you still having it on your mind even now. A director's job is to look thru the lens or at the monitor or the editing screen and constantly ask themselves, "Do I believe him?" "Do I believe her?" For nearly every frame of the film you see, the answer for me was "Yes."

CK: Well you’re right now that I think of it, after all if you’d really like to see me being harsh to a film than just check out every review I’ve done on Uwe Boll films.

PH: Now I can't wait to read it!

CK: I was kind of curious about something regarding your film C&C and the other two films in the Naked Series: do all three films co-exist in the same reality?

PH: Wow. You stomped me again. Now that I have a moment to think about it, the films do not co-exist in the same reality. They are the sole interpretations of each filmmaker's sensibility. We do share things as artists. But besides some shot-types we may all have an affection for, they were just really human stories about everyday people who fascinate us. Where some people may love extraordinary people that always look great, think fast, and are super strong or super smart, we happen to be fascinated by the true story of a lonely guy who falls for a married woman, or a girl whose boyfriend decides to commit suicide in the midst of their happiness, and in this case, a single mother who accepts an adult film gig to take care of her daughterj and herself. Besides the fact that we stole each other’s actors (Chris Riquinha is in Cookies and Uptown, Deirdre Herlihy is in Uptown and Carter, and Derek McAllister is in Cookies and Uptown), the main thing they all share is they are all produced by 3 at-times neurotic young men that happen to hang out off the set as much as we do on it. But just in case you wanted to know, Brian's the wild one, Ryan is the nervous one, and I'm the black one.

CK: This next question I’m about to ask you has become somewhat of a tradition for interviews here at TCWreviews.com, so don’t worry, you’re not the only one I’ve asked this question to. [Laughs]

PH: No I'm not going to get naked.

CK: Darn it, you know how much my readers were looking forward to it? [Laughs]

PH: Of course! Sorry to disappoint so many people.

CK: As a filmmaker how far are you willing to go for the sake or art?

PH: As far as the source material says we should go. I may even go further. For instance, from here on out, could you please refer to me as "the director formerly known as Princeton?"

CK: Whatever floats your boat buddy [Laughs]

CK: Are there any actors you’d like to work with one day?

PH: Catalina Sandino Moreno. Mos Def. Rochelle Aytes. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Zoe Saldana. Shia Labeouf. And of course, Sandra Bullock. Right after Brian's done making out with her, I'd like to ask her why she's been in so many crappy movies.

CK: Well if you ever get an answer out of Sandra Bullock please send it my way. [Laughs]

PH: I'll tell her you said 'hello.'

CK: Last question; can you tell us what the next project you’ll be working on will be?

PH: My next film as a director is an alternate reality comedy called American Woman, which features nearly the entire One Way or Another Productions repository of actors we like to work with. Then a relationship comedy called The Butterfly Chasers, the one that Cookies was made out of frustration because of. Hopefully after that, I can finally get the chance to direct a script I wrote called, "I Wish My Lawyer Would Stop Calling Me During My TcwReviews Interview."

CK: Well it seems you’re going to be busy for quite a while then. Plus that last one you mention sounds like it’ll be a real award winner for you, but I’ve got to ask, who would play me in the film? [Laughs]

PH: Probably Brian Ackley.

CK: Good choice!

And that concludes the interview with Director Princeton Holt. I enjoyed doing this interview with Holt as he showed to have a level head throughout the entire interview as well as off the record afterwards. But this of course is all due to the fact he puts a 110% of himself into everything he’s doing including the very interview we did. I welcomed him to come back for a second interview in the possible near future. Holt’s film Cookies & Cream will be premiering on the 5th of July at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC as part of the NewFilmmakers Film Festival Summer Series. More information about the Festival can be found HERE. If you’re not in the NY area or are unable to make it out to the Festival than you can purchase a DVD copy of Cookies & Cream HERE. More information about Director Princeton Holt and his production company can be found HERE

Copyright 2009 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

The Expendables 2010

Ever want to see all your favorite action stars in one movie? Well, you wish has been granted in the form of the upcoming film, "The Expendables", coming April 23,2010! Written, directed and starring Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables looks like it's an action film for the ages!! Just about everyone you can think of is in this thing...Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Mikey Rourke, Jet Li, Danny Trejo,Terry Crews, Randy Couture, David Zayas, Gary Daniels, Steve Austin(no, not the bionic man, dorks) Eric Roberts, and wait....even the governa-tor himself, Ah-nold Schwarzenegger has a cameo!! Shoot, the only ones missing are Steven Segal and Jean Claude Van Damme! Well, Van Damme was offered a role, but he apparently turned it down. Segal? Same story. Van Damme turning the role down led to Lundgren being cast instead and Ben Kingsley was offered the role that Eric Roberts latter landed. Stallone wanted Sandra Bullock for the role of Agent Diane Lickson, but her schedule didn't work with the film so she passed. Brittany Murphy is still listed as being part of the cast, but news has it she's out. Forrest Whitaker got the role that was originally conceived for Wesley Snipes, but then rewritten for Whitaker, but due to a scheduling conflict prior to filming Whitaker was replaced by Curtis (50 Cent) Jackson. Kurt Russell was offered a role as well, but his agent told Stallone that Kurt's not interested in "ensemble acting at the moment" and Bruce Willis passed as well as he was filming for another film, A Couple of Dicks. Stallone wanted a big name action star for the cameo of Mr. Church, which is what Willis was offered. Crap! That would have been off the hook had Kurt and Bruce signed on for this, but the cast that we already have, HOT DAMN!!! Even if the movie sucks, it will be fun to see all these guys on the screen together! It's an action film fans wet dream!!

The Expendables follows a team of six highly trained mercenaries(Stallone, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Crews, Couture) that head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator known as General Garza. Rourke plays an arms dealer known as Tool who helps the expendables out. The team is hired by the mysterious Mr. Church, but they have to deal with a CIA agent, Monroe (Roberts) who's as crooked as they come. Monroe has the help of his slightly off in the head bodyguard, Dan Paine(Austin) and a former expendable member, The Brit(Daniels) who wants revenge against the team.
"The Expendables has a seventy million-dollar budget," says Dolph Lundgren,"and it's an old-school, kick-ass action movie where people are fighting with knives and shooting at each other." (quote from wikpedia) Production began on March 3, 2009 with filming beginning on March 28, 2009 in Brazil. Filming later moved on to New Orleans and Los Angeles. Speaking for myself, I can't wait for this one, kiddies!

Ghoulishly Yours,

The Magnificent Madame Mortem

Review: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (2008)

Directed by: Bharat Nalluri
Written by: David Magee (screenplay) and Simon Beaufoy (screenplay)
Genre: Comedy / Romance
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some partial nudity and innuendo.
Released: 7 March 2008 (USA)
Starring: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Shirley Henderson, Lee Pace, Mark Strong, Tom Payne, Ciarán Hinds.

Plot: Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse.

Review: 8/10

My Thoughts: Based off the 1938 British novel written by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is a deliciously delightful comedy about a about taking risks, and enjoying what life gives out in the moment. To be completely honest I’ve never read the book so there is no way possible that I can compare them together, however I can say from my experience from watching the theatrical adaption of this wonderful story was nothing short of brilliances, I can only imagine how even more better the book will be, the movie is basically about one day in the life of Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand) a woman who has always lived at the edge of total poverty most of her life, and on one particular day when her luck had struck to its lowest point she acted out of her usual self and portended to be something she wasn’t, this of course set the film’s comedic and adventurist plot in motion for an exciting thrill ride, but as much as there is laughter in this film there is also a very valuable lesson to be learned as well, that when it comes to love you must chose what’s in your heart, and not what’s in your mind because in many cases the two can be very much different things.

As I’ve stated already, I’ve never read the book this film is based off of, but I very much enjoyed the film, and as we all know the book is always a hundred times better then the film, so I’m assuming if I really liked the film then I will love the book even more, now was there problems in the film? Yes, did it ruin the film in any way? No. the film is in some parts hard to fallow due to it being based on a signal day and there is just so much going on with these characters that can make one feel somewhat exhausted , but then again isn’t that how life is? Anyways there isn’t much character development going on here, but again this film is only about one single day and not a life time so characters development would be pretty pointless for a film such like this, and even though there isn’t much development going on in this flick, you still feel as though you’ve known these characters your entire life. Also the overall back setting to this film was spot on with a very authentic 1930’s Fashion London era which of course also gives the film this light tone to the ever so depressing WII era which was sweeping all of Europe and quickly approaching the borders of the United Kingdom at an incredibly fast rate, one could say that the over tone to the film presented itself as the calm before the storm. The film shows both the humor to the story’s plot as well as the drama of the war nearing soon, but of course talks of the war does not play a big role in the film, more like hints and small talk here and there is all.

But all of this of course is all thanks to director Bharat Nalluri, a British director whom I can’t help but say was perfect for the job, giving the film just the right touch to make it a very enjoyable film all around. Sadly there are some flaws; one in particular lies in the plot which lacks direction at times, there are times in the film where there are just so many things going on at once it can be heard to keep track, this could partly be blamed on director Bharat Nalluri part, and even though I had just given him a high praise on his directing style no film is flawless, and in all cases it will either be the director’s fault or the actor, either way there will always be a fault, you just have to look out for them, but aside from this little problem, the film was a lavish delight, a pleasure for any moviegoer looking for some good old fashion light hearted romantic comedy that will put a smile on your face. Overall I had a great time with this film, to rare is it that we see a film like Miss Pettigrew to come along and do what it manages to do in its genre, and when one such as this dose come around we must seize the moment and enjoy every bit of it.

The story is about; In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must--for the first time in two decades--seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level--as "social secretary." Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse. Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu--and, within hours, living it up. Taking the "social secretary" designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in Delysia's orbit; devoted pianist Michael, intimidating nightclub owner Nick, and impressionable junior impresario Phil. Miss Pettigrew herself is blushingly drawn to the gallant Joe, a successful designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe--the one person who senses that the new "social secretary" may be out of her element, and schemes to undermine her. Over the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower each other to discover their romantic destinies.

As for the acting; Frances McDormand was outstanding, she’s an Oscar worthy actress that gives us nothing short of an Oscar worthy performance. Amy Adams was breath taking, she alone steals the show as Delysia Lafosse, her performance came natural and matched the era of the film spot on, and her attitude is just downright irresistible, I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the part as great as her. Shirley Henderson did a marvelous job as Edythe Dubarry, much like Adams; she too gives off a charismatic performance that matches the times the film is set in. Lee Pace did a fine job, although I felt it could have done a little better, at time his performance was lacking and a little off key, but that’s just my opinion. Mark Strong did a great job, he in some why (more than others) plays the story’s villain and he does a great job in doing so. Tom Payne is…. Ok in a way, I feel as though he wasn’t picked for the role of Phil for his acting qualities but rather for his looks, because I honestly felt nothing from his performance but someone who’s there as eye candy for the ladies to look at, and yeah, the female audience could argue with me that Amy Adams showing off her nearly perfect figure (And what a beauty it is I might add) is the same equivalence to what Mr. Payne does for the female audience, that’s true, but there’s one difference that separates them, Adams can actually hold her own ground on camera as where Payne cannot. Ciarán Hinds was magnificent; he’s one of the best actors in his class, there isn’t a film or show that he’s done that I don’t like. He gives a strong performance in each of the roles he plays, and his presence can always be felt in a film.

Final Say: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day was a very enjoyable film, it gives its viewers a fine combination of an old fashion screwball comedy meets a classy romance tale which hasn’t been seen often enough these days, the film is a true class act for it’s fine qualities despite its few flaws and is recommended for anyone who wants to curl up next to that special someone of theirs and enjoy a magical evening of lighthearted humor that is Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I recommend it!

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All Rights Reserved

The Horror Revue: Fright Night

GAMES to FILM in the near future!

Super Mario Bros. the Movie, Double Dragon, Street Fighter the Movie, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Resident Evil: Extinction, Bloodrayne, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. What do these titles have in common? They’re all failed attempts at trying to create a successful video game movie. People, how hard can it be to follow the plot outlines set forth by a video game? Take Super Mario Bros. for example. The game was as simple as can be…a big bad guy has a princess you have to save…along the way, you encounter enemies which you kick the shit out of. You grow to be a giant, you obtain a fire throwing flower and when you touch glowing stars, you become temporarily invincible. You run, jump, swim, slide down on flagpoles and always meet a little mushroom boy in castles. So how did the movie become such a cesspool of crap that hardly resembled the video game? Now, not all video game films suck.

There have been some decent video game films in the past. The numbers are small, but they’re good nonetheless. Films like Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Doom….damn I can’t think of anymore. Video game films seemed to die out after Mortal Kombat II flopped but started to emerge once again after the turn of the century. While most may be a waste of time and money, here is a sneak peek at some upcoming video game movies.

Resident Evil 4
2010

After following the celluloid stink-bomb that was Resident Evil: Extinction, one must wonder where this film will fall into place. Nothing has been confirmed as to plot, chronological setting or cast just yet. However, Milla Jovovich is said to be returning again as Alice. This new film will be introducing Leon Kennedy to the film series who, is rumored at the moment to be played by Jensen Ackles. While I was really disappointed with the third film, I found the full length animated feature, Resident Evil: Degeneration to be a more worthy film for the series. The appearance of Leon Kennedy really helped Degeneration out so hopefully that aid will be transferred over to this sequel, or whatever it will be.


Gears of War
2010

I'm not much a fan of this game. I enjoyed the first one but didn't see where it would make such a great film. I would much rather see a studio make a film adaptation of Contra or Super C. However, this film is in the works and Contra is not so until then all I can do is hope that Gears of War can hold me over. The violence is obviously the biggest attribute to the game but depending on which studio makes the movie, the violence may be watered down to a dull PG-13. Can a studio bring the oversized soldiers, guns and violence to real life? Very doubtful, but I’m sure the soundtrack will be 10 times better than the film anyways.


Mortal Kombat 3
2010

After the series experienced a fatality with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation the studios decided to take the series from the big screen to prime time with the failed TV series that appeared on TNT in the late 90s. The video game franchise was also in a slump and wasn't the king of fighting games anymore. In the last few years, however, the video-game series has begun to make its way back up to the top even with 10 times the number of competitors as before. Maybe now that the studio (which I am assuming is still New Line) has had a little over 10 years to come up with something, maybe NOW we can get the sequel we really deserved. Hopefully we’ll have Johnny Cage back, Scorpion and Sub-Zero will appear for longer than just 3 minutes and maybe….just maybe….this film will actually be WORTH WATCHING! One of the working titles for this film is Mortal Kombat: Devastation....let's just hope the film doesn't take its title too literally.


The Legend of Spyro
2010

One of the most successful games from the first Playstation system, adorable little Spyro will be soaring onto the silver screen and being voiced by Elijah Wood in this upcoming animated film. Spyro himself will not be the only thing coming over from the games as Ignitus, voiced by Gary Oldman will be joining Spyro in this more than likely, cute flick for the kiddies. I’m sure the film will have its fair share of flaws and imperfections just like every other video game-to-film adaptation, but I think this one may be one of the better video game movies we’ve seen yet…when it comes out that is.


Return to Castle Wolfenstein
2010

From game consoles to the PC world, Wolfenstein was one of the first FSP (first person shooter) games I ever played and I loved every second of it. Shooting Nazis in the face, finding secret rooms, looking at goofy pictures of Hitler, Wolfenstein was one of the games I never really imagined being turned into a movie. The original game was as simple a game as any other shoot’em up deal. There was hardly a story to it much less developed characters. The games have obviously evolved since then and the plots have thickened as well. Now, if all goes well, we may get an alright war movie out of a video game! Bring on them damn Nazis and find those secret locations by running straight into walls, we’re storming Castle Wolfenstein!


Earthworm Jim
2010

Remember this guy? Some of you might and some of you are probably saying “What in the blue hell is that?” Nintendo had Mario, Sega had Sonic but I had Earthworm Jim. From his bizarre appearance to the foul game itself, Earthworm Jim was a game loved by kids but not by too many parents. It wasn’t sexual (not that I remember) and there was no cursing…it was just loads of potty humor which was a rare thing to find in a video game back then….Christ I’m saying “back then” about something when I was a kid….I feel old. Douglas TenNapel (Earthworm Jim creator) rumored to be directing this is the only piece of information I can find out about this film right now.


Manhunt
2011

Very little is known about this project as of right now other than it's been announced. No names have been connected to it just yet but I wouldn't expect much from this. Yeah I know this is one of the most brutal and violent video games ever but so was Mortal Kombat and look at what that got reduced to as a movie. This movie will probably be too wrapped up in acting and story and may get off only 3-4 kill scenes which will be weak so the film can score a PG-13 in order to get all the kiddies into theaters.


Metal Gear Solid
2011?

Creator Hideo Kojima stated a few years back that the live action Metal Gear Solid movie would meet a 2008 release. Well 2008 came and went and we're already passed the halfway mark for 2009. As much as I would love to see this movie made, I don't think it's going to happen for another year or two bare minimum. There’s no script, no cast, no director, only the idea for the studio and the hopes and dreams of fans.


Halo
????

2008....2009...2012??? The guess-timations just keep coming for this highly acclaimed video game franchise's big screen debut. The rumors have been running heavy for the last few years. Many claimed the project was delayed due to writing. Others said the project was canned altogether. Another batch of rumors was that the upcoming film District 9 was the Halo film only with a fake name to prevent leaks. Unfortunately, the official trailer for District 9 was released a month ago and it definitely wasn't Halo. Producer Peter Jackson claims that the movie WILL be done....in time. What does that mean? Don't expect this one for at least another 3-4 years.


There are some other films announced but I’m not sure if they are related to the video game of the same title or not and some of these have hardly any information about them and some I just don’t care for. Those titles include Joust, The Paperboy, The Untitled Tomb Raider reboot, Duke Nukem, Shinobi, Rainbow Six, Bioshock, Silent Hill 2, and God of War. More details will be announced throughout the upcoming months.