Four Part Article On Animation Starts Tomorrow

For the next four Wednesdays in October there will be a weekly installment of a four part article on animation. Make sure to bookmark the site and come back weekly for each installment.

Paul Newman 1925-2008

Legendary actor and director Paul Newman passed away at the age of 83 on Friday, September 26th, 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He was surounded by family and friends.

He was born on January, 26th, 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Throughout his career he has been nominated for 9 Academy awards for his acting, including one win for his leading role in The Color of Money in 1986. He was nominated for Best Picture in 1969 for directing Rachel, Rachel, and has also won two honourary Academy awards.

He was most famous for his roles in Hud, Cool Hand Luke, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In his last acting role, he voiced Doc Hudson in Cars.

He is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.

-John C.

Ghost Town

September 19th, 2008

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references.

David Koepp (dir.)

Ricky Gervais as Bertram Pincus D.D.S.

Téa Leoni as Gwen

Greg Kinnear as Frank Herlihy

Billy Campbell as Richard

Kristen Wiig as Surgeon

Aasif Mandvi as Dr. Prashar

Our reviews below:

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Ghost Town Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Ghost Town may not the funniest movie of the year, but it is one of the most likable. There are some big laughs in the first and second act, but by the third act it becomes surprisingly moving. It does not make up most of its comedy from sight gags, but most of the laughs come from the smart and witty dialogue of Ricky Gervais. A few scenes into the movie we see Gervais’ character Bertram Pincus, a dentist who, be it his patients or his colleagues, does not like people. When he goes for a routine colonoscopy, something terrible happens, he dies. But only for a few minutes. Now he is stuck with the ability to see ghosts, and they all want something. But the one that wants the most is the recently deceased Frank Herlihy, (Greg Kinnear) who asks him to break up the engagement of his widow Gwen, (Téa Leoni) to a humanitarian lawyer, who he does not think is good enough for her. All of the the actors get good lines, but the best ones come from Ricky Gervais, who is pretty much unknown outside of England, and Greg Kinnear, who achieved comic brilliance in Little Miss Sunshine, but also shines brightly in the upcoming drama Flash of Genius. Go see Ghost Town, and you will have a good time.

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Ghost Town Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

In Ghost Town, Ricky Gervais plays Dr. Betram Pincus, a dentist, who after a brush with death, can now see ghosts. These aren’t scary ghosts, instead, they are best described as people that only he can see and hear. Delighted that someone can finally communicate with them, they turn to him to help them. They start to follow him around, although, at first, he believes that he is hallucinating. The ghosts are still here because they have some unfinished business to deal with, and he is the only one that can help them. The main ghost Frank, played by Greg Kinnear, is one ghost in particular that won’t leave him alone, since his widow Gwen, played by Téa Leoni, is going to marry a ‘bad man’, and he needs Dr. Pincus to intervene. Unfortunately, Dr. Pincus is no good with people, (or ghosts for that matter).

What follows plays out nicely, as the whole story is very well written and acted. Although not all that complicated a story, it is funny to watch, and very entertaining. The comic timing worked very well, and towards the end of the movie, I found myself enjoying it even more than expected. From the opening scene to the movie’s conclusion, the story plays out perfectly. Thoroughly enjoyable, and unlike some other movies that I have seen, there are not really any parts that I would have preferred to see done differently. An entertaining romance-comedy that actually really works. This being said, Ghost Town is definitely worth seeing.

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Ghost Town Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of 4)

Ghost Town is a funny movie about a self-centered dentist named Dr. Bertram Pincus, who, during a routine medical procedure, is accidentally over sedated, and briefly dies and comes back to life. When he wakes up, he realizes he has a new, (but unwanted), ability, that is, to be able to see and hear ghosts! Pretty soon, he meets a ghost named Frank, who is jealous of his widow Gwen’s new boyfriend, Richard, so he gets Dr. Pincus to hook up with her. Dr. Pincus meets Gwen, an Egyptologist, by pointing out the dental problems in a museum mummy. He starts to question Frank’s motives when he meets Gwen’s boyfriend, a human rights lawyer for Amnesty International. Dr. Pincus’ relationship with Gwen and his encounters with Frank and the other ghosts, cause Dr. Pincus to slowly begin to look beyond himself, and care for others.

This movie is funny, clever, and heartwarming. Despite some adult language, this movie does not rely on gross out gags to be funny. Instead, it relies on good lines, and good comedic timing to make you laugh. This movie is nothing but fun.

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Ghost Town Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Ghost Town is a thoroughly enjoyable romantic-comedy. What made it so enjoyable for me was the smartly written dialogue and the impeccable comic timing of actors Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear. The main character, dentist Bertram Pincus, (Ricky Gervais), has a brief death experience that would lead most characters to take stock of their lives and change how the deal with others. But Dr. Pincus continues to be self-absorbed, abrupt and rude to all who come in contact with him, including the ghosts who come to him for help in getting a message out to those they’ve left behind. It is through Dr. Pincus’ reluctantly helping ghost Frank Herlihy, (Greg Kinnear), try to break up the engagement of Frank’s wife to a human rights lawyer, that Bertram Pincus starts to change. As unlikable as Bertram Pincus is, there is something about this jerk that you want to like and root for him to find happiness. The encounters with the various ghosts, including Frank, are funny without going over the top with slapstick or cheap laughs. The movie also has it’s tender side when Dr. Pincus finally decides to help the various ghosts complete their unfinished business and move on to the next world.

Overall, I laughed and I cried, and left the theater with a smile on my face. I really can’t find any faults with this movie other than a caution about some language for younger viewers. This would make a good date movie. Go see this one.

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Ghost Town Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Whether or not you believe in an afterlife, ghosts have always been popular, from tragedies like Macbeth to comedies like Topper and even soaps, where veteran actors in semi-retirement can reprise their roles beyond the grave to spook wayward offspring (e.g. Y.& R.)

In Ghost Town, the dentist Dr. Pincus (Ricky Gervais) has a near-death experience leaving him with the ability to see dead people–the ghosts of those who died with unfinished business. They soon mob him with requests to fix on earth whatever is keeping them from their final rest. Unfortunately, he is as misanthropic as Scrooge and wants nothing to do with them. A phantom adulterer (Greg Kinnear) forever stuck in the tuxedo he had on when the bus ran over him, promises to shield Pincus from the other spirits if his widow (Téa Leoni) can be prevented from marrying a lawyer that does not meet his approval. Despite his obnoxious personality, Pincus gradually endears himself to the widow, coached by the ghost in scenes reminiscent of Play it Again Sam. It doesn’t hurt that as a dentist he can provide valuable insight into the lives and probable causes of death of the Egyptian mummies that she is studying. With a few twists along the way the film moves at a leisurely pace toward a satisfactory ending.

Though not a masterpiece, Ghost Town is a charming comedy, with fine acting by the three principals and a good supporting cast of minor characters.

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Consensus: Enjoyable romatic-comedy with likable characters. Ghost Town is a charming, fun movie. ***1/2 (out of 4)

A Brief Review of The New At The Movies

By John C.

A new season of At The Movies is underway, this time around without Richard Roeper. If it did not share the name of the previous show, it would have nothing in common. It has new music, a new set, and two new hosts, Ben Lyons of E! Entertainment and Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies. There is also a new feature called the Critics Roundup where they are joined via satelite with three other critics, and it usually just turns into a shouting match, even though they never stop smiling. As far as TV entertainment shows go, this is one of the better ones. But, compared to Ebert & Roeper, I just have to say Skip It.

You can watch their reviews, and take a trip back in time all the way to 1985, with The Balconey Archive online at:

http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/index.html

This Month’s Overlooked Film

Chosen by: John C.

Northfork

Release Date July 11th 2003 (Limited)

Rated PG for brief sexuality

Michael Polish (dir.)

James Woods as Walter O'Brien

Mark Polish as Willis O'Brien

Nick Nolte as Father Harlan

Duel Farnes as Irwin

Daryl Hannah as Flower Hercules

Anthony Edwards as Happy

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Northfork Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

It has been said that to actually understand the Polish brothers Northfork, you would have to read a book about it. Well, I have. It’s called The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking, and is not as much a how-to guide, as it is their diary of writing and filming their third movie Northfork. It is both visually stunning and wonderfully shot, the landscapes of Montana are simply beautiful, and almost seem as if they are right off a postcard. The story of a town that will soon be flooded by a hydro-electric dam is haunting, and brings in a deeper message about life and ultimately, death. It has proven to be hard to track down, but is worth the trouble.

New Feature To Be Launched This Friday

Starting this Friday One Movie, Five Views will be profiling an overlooked or underrated film once a month. These will be short profiles and reviews of films that were either overlooked by reviewers or the public, but are definitely worth seeing.

Your goal is to try to see this film before the next months special feature is listed.

Keep an eye on the website for the first installment tomorrow.

Henry Poole is Here

August 22nd, 2008

Rated PG for thematic elements and some language

Mark Pellington (dir.)

Luke Wilson as Henry Poole

Radha Mitchell as Dawn

Adriana Barraza as Esperanza

George Lopez as Father Salazars

Cheryl Hines as Meg

Richard Benjamin as Dr. Fancher

Morgan Lily as Millie Stupek

Rachel Seiferth as Patience

Beth Grant as Josie

Our reviews below:

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Henry Poole is Here Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

I could start off by saying how good the acting is, or that the writing is great and the direction is perfect, but I could also just simply say that I truly loved this movie. It starts off with lonely and depressed Henry Poole being shown around his new house by a real estate agent, who says that she can sell him the house, but before he moves in they’re just going to re-stucco the outside wall. He says “No, don’t bother, I’m not going to be staying very long”, but she doesn’t listen and gets it done anyway. And if she had listened to him, the face of Jesus would probably have never appeared on the side of his house. It is the kind of movie where everything happens for a reason, even when his kitchen sink backs up.

The face is first seen by his next-door neighbour Esperanza Martinez (Adriana Barraza), who’s boyfriend used to live in that very house. She declares it a miracle, and even brings in Father Salazar (George Lopez) to check it out. He says that a face is very clear, but they cannot necessarily assume that it is the face of Christ. But, when miracles start happening to those around him, Henry is still in doubt, and maybe he is the one in most need of a miracle. If none of this sounds that interesting to you, than this movie is probably not for you. I have read reviews from people who did not like it, and I can see why, but back on topic, I absolutely loved this movie.

One of the best things about it is the soundtrack, every song fits its scene perfectly (Thanks in part to director Mark Pellington, who has directed music videos for different bands, including U2) and not one song is out of place. There are two scenes part way through and one scene at the end that are absolutely beautifully done, and I had tears in my eyes. I could not help being moved by it. Like Northfork, Millions, Stranger Than Fiction, and August Rush, this is one of those special movies that only come once in a while, and sadly are not for everyone. One of the best movies of the year.

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Henry Poole is Here Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

Henry Poole is Here opens with the title character, (Luke Wilson), buying a house in an older neighborhood. When he moves in, his new next door neighbor, Esperanza, (Adriana Barraza), comes to his door to welcome him to the area. Henry Poole just wants to be left alone. Later on, he sees Esperanza in his yard looking at the side of the house. He asks her what she was doing there. She shows him that she sees the image of Christ’s face on the side of his house. All he sees is a bad stucco job. She wants him to believe. He doesn't want to be disturbed from staying at home, depressed and drinking. There is a little girl, Millie, (Morgan Lily), who lives next door on the other side of Henry’s house. She doesn't speak, but carries a tape recorder around with her. In this small suburban community everyone knows everyone else, and Henry just can’t be left alone. Be it Millie’s mother Dawn, (Radha Mitchell), or Patience, (Rachel Seiferth), the cashier at the local supermarket, they won’t go away. No matter how much he fights everyone and their beliefs around him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The use of music in the film was especially interesting. I suppose that we can expect this from the director Mark Pellington. There are a few scenes that were done in a music video type style, which added to the unique feel of this film. Some people might find it moves at a bit of a slow pace at times, although I found it to be a nice change from the mainstream. And that is what this film is not - mainstream. It is more special then that. This is an art film, a festival film, and a truly moving story of a man who just needs to let go and believe.

Henry Poole is Here opens in Canada this week.

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Henry Poole is Here Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

It is a rare treat to see such a lovely movie about faith, such as Henry Poole is Here. Henry Poole is a lonely, depressed man who moves into a new California home, preferring to be left alone. This all changes when his nosy next door neighbour, Esperanza, knocks on his door and excitedly tells him that the image of Jesus has appeared on his stucco outside. Henry Poole scoffs at her and asks her to leave. However, miracles start to happen, and despite Poole’s refusal to believe, his own life starts to improve, along with the lives of a single mother, and her electively mute daughter. Little by little, the image of Jesus brings the whole community to Poole when he refuses to reach out to them. This is a wonderful Christian movie, with no sex or violence, and only minimal swearing in context of the movie. While too slow moving for kids under 10, this is still a good movie to bring the family to. You will laugh at times, and cry at others. Henry Poole is Here is one movie you do not want to miss.

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Henry Poole is Here Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

‘Henry poole is Here’ is worth seeing. I was skeptical at first, expecting that a movie about the face of Jesus appearing on a stucco wall would be either preachy, overly sentimental or anti-religious. Instead I got a warm, often funny, touching movie about faith, hope, and the human spirit.

The people in the movie are completely believable. Luke Wilson’s Henry Poole is appropriately miserable yet likable. Henry’s neighbor Esperanza, and Patience, the cashier at the local store, are both charming and funny and worth the price of admission. I smiled and laughed and rooted for these characters throughout the entire movie. It was my caring for these characters that kept me watching during the often slow pace of the film. Overall, I enjoyed the dialogue and the music, but would have preferred fewer tight close-ups of the actor’s faces. I definitely could have done without the close-ups of Henry Poole’s blood tests during his flashback hospital scene. I wasn’t the only one audibly cringing and looking away during those scenes.

The real beauty of this film was to watch how the faith and hope of each individual strengthened the other over time, and how their connections to one another proved to be the real miracle. For anyone who believes in the miracle of love and caring this is a must see movie. I’m a believer.

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Henry Poole is Here Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Henry Poole’s attempt to be left alone in his new home, to lie around subsisting on a diet of pizza and donuts washed down by various wines and spirits, is constantly interrupted by neighbours. A selectively mute little girl with a tape recorder lives with her single mother on one side, and the pushy but disarmingly pious Esperanza on the other. After Esperanza perceives a likeness of the Lord on Henry’s stucco wall, the inevitable crowds of pilgrims and apparent healings fail to convince Henry of any possibility of a miracle, even though, as is gradually revealed, he may need one most of all. The conclusion is just ambiguous enough for believers to feel affirmed and skeptics not to feel ripped off by fantasy. Good acting all around sustains Mark Pellington’s extreme closeups and brooding pace, which may be too art house slow for some.

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Consensus: An answer to prayers for those who have been hoping for a movie that’s not afraid to have faith and God as a central theme. A wonderful indie gem. ***1/2 (out of 4)

Until Next Week...

A History of “At the Movies”

Written by John C.

Before Siskel and Ebert, television didn’t have a movie review show. All of that changed in September 1975. Once a month on Opening soon at a theater near you, created by Thea Flaum to air locally on PBS affiliate station WTTW in Chicago, Illinois, Gene Siskel from the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times would get together and discuss new and soon to be released movies. It became very popular not only for their honest opinions, but also because people could relate to them. The concept was simple, just two guys sitting in a balcony discussing movies, and they would rate them by a simple and universal thumbs-up or thumbs-down. It featured a segment titled Spot the wonder dog which was cued by a bark, and they would pick the worst movie or the “dog” of the Week. It ran for two seasons before being renamed sneak previews in 1977 when it became a biweekly show airing nationally on PBS. Later each episode would end with the tagline 'until next week, save us the aisle seats'.

By 1979 it was a weekly series on over 180 stations, and was the highest rated weekly entertainment show in the history of public broadcasting. The show was hugely popular, and they made the decision to syndicate it to commercial television, and in 1982 Siskel and Ebert were offered a new contract and told to take it, or leave it. They decided not to renew their contract with WTTW, stating that they did not like the direction PBS wanted to go. They were replaced by Neal Gabler and Jeffrey Lyons. Neal Gabler would leave in 1985, because of philosophical differences with the direction of the show. He was replaced by Michael Medved, who had already had cameo appearances on the show presenting the Golden Turkey Awards for the worst movies of the year. Sneak previews was unable to sustain it’s popularity without Siskel and Ebert, and was canceled by PBS in late 1995, just before the 1996 season.

Siskel and Ebert were soon signed by Tribune Entertainment, and became the hosts of At the Movies, in 1986 they left the show because of a dispute with Tribune entertainment. They were replaced by film critic Rex Reed and ET gossip correspondent Bill Harris. The show expanded to also have show business news as well as the regular movie reviews. Harris left in 1988, and was replaced by former ET host Dixie Whatley. It was canceled in 1990. Siskel and Ebert were signed on in 1986, by the Disney owned company Buena Vista, and the name was changed to Siskel & Ebert & the movies. It aired weekly on ABC. In 1989 the title would change again to simply Siskel & Ebert. They had special episodes called Take 2 where instead of reviewing new movies, they would discuss different topics such as Woman in Danger: slasher films of the 1970’s and early 80’s and even a show done in black and white to protest colourization. The show was extremely popular, because despite all the changes they still just seemed like two ordinary guys sitting in a balcony discussing movies, and they didn’t always agree. Some of the most remembered episodes are when they would argue with each other, over which one had a better opinion. They did not just fight on camera, they continued a friendship backstage. One minute they would be arguing and the next, sharing jokes and laughing with each other.

Through out the course of Siskel & Ebert, the show was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, most recently in 1997 for outstanding information series.

In 1998, Gene Siskel underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. On February 3rd, 1999, he announced that he was taking a leave of absence, but that he should be back writing by the fall. He wrote “I’m in a hurry to get well because I don’t want Roger to get more screen time than I”. Sadly, Gene Siskel passed away on February 20th, 1999, due to complications from the surgery. The last few shows he co-hosted, he was heard via telephone from his hospital room. The last movie he reviewed was the romantic comedy Simply Irresistible. Roger Ebert continued the show with the title Roger Ebert & the Movies and rotating guest critics, including celebrities like Martin Scorsese and well known critics Joel Siegel from Good Morning America and The Washington Posts TV critic Tom Shales to name but only a few. But, the one that co-hosted the most was Richard Roeper, who was also from the Chicago Sun-Times. The show continued in this format through out the 1998-1999 season and even into 2000. Soon after, Roger Ebert announced that Richard Roeper was to be the new permanent co-host. On September 10th, 2000 the show’s name was changed to Ebert & Roeper & the Movies. A year later the name was shortened to just Ebert & Roeper.

In 2004, Roger Ebert was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland, and underwent radiation treatment for tumors on his thyroid and salivary gland. In 2006 the cancer came back, and he had to take a leave of absence. Shortly after, they released reviews that had been written or taped before his surgery. For the remainder of the 2006-2007 season the show continued with guest critics, including Jay Leno, Kevin Smith, A.O. Scott, Robert Wilonsky and Michael Phillips. In June 2007, the show’s name was officially changed to At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper. In August 2007 it was announced that Richard Roeper and any guest critics would not be allowed to use the thumbs-up or thumbs-down trademark which is owned by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s widow, and saying that Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer and HDnet.com would be the permanent co-host until Roger Ebert could return. In October, Robert Wilonsky never returned to the show, and they went back to switching between A.O. Scott of The New York Times and Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune. Roger Ebert would never return to the show, and Michael Phillips became the new host. Once again, a Chicago Sun-Times critic and a Chicago Tribune Critic would get together and discuss movies. This also came with the creation of a new segment titled, Three to See, where both critics would alternate between naming the best three movies in theaters right now. On May 24th, 2008 they started reviewing movies by saying See-it, Skip-it, or Rent-it.

On July 21st, 2008 Richard Roeper announced he was leaving the show, saying that he and Disney-ABC TV could not reach an agreement on a new contract. Roger Ebert also announced that he has cut all ties with the TV show. The last episode of At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper will air on August 17th, 2008. On September 6th, 2008 Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips will be replaced by Ben Lyons (son of well known film critic Jeffrey Lyons) a Hollywood reporter and film critic for E! news and Ben Mankiewicz whose grandfather Herman Mankiewicz won an Academy Award for the screenplay for Citizen Kane.

His great-uncle, writer-director Joseph Mankiewicz has won Oscars for All About Eve and A Love Letter to Three Wives, his cousin Tom Mankiewicz has written several of the James Bond movies including The Man with the Golden Gun and Diamonds are Forever, and his father Frank was the campaign director for the 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern’s campaign and was Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s press secretary.

The new hosts will probably keep pretty much the same style that the show is in now, but changes to the music, set, and graphics are to be excepted. They will also introduce new segments, such as a critics roundup where they will be joined via satellite with reviewers from around the world.

The last episode of At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper will air on Sunday, August 17th, 2008 at 10:30 PM on CW 23 and at 1:05 AM on CTV. Please check local listings.

'Star Wars: Clone Wars' Series on CTV This Fall

CTV has acquired the rights to the "Clone Wars" series for the fall. It will air on both CTV and SPACE with air dates still to be announced.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080812/ENT_review_clone_wars_080812/20080812?hub=Entertainment

20th Century Fox Shooting Three Big-Budget Movies in Montréal This Year.

There are three big-budget movies being shot in Montréal this year. Each has a budget of at least $100 million. Read more from The Montréal Gazette at the link below.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=5d8321ec-4d55-40bd-ae6c-742949303ea9