Does Produced by Steven Spielberg Mean Anything Anymore?

After seeing Super 8 last night, I remembered the  the thing the studios highlighted most (you may argue) but that this film in produced by Steven Spielberg, and not that it was directed by J.J. Abrams.  Sure they mentioned Abrams as the director, but the named highlighted most is Spielberg name.  I get the it!  Spielberg is a big name; he has made some of the best films as a director: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple, Jaws, Catch Me if you Can, and has had had numerous blockbusters: Jurassic Park, E.T.: Extra Terrestrial, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Between these two lists there are films that were both successful and critically acclaimed, and I admire what Spielberg has done to transcend the concept of blockbusters and well made films.

Now onto my point, before I saw Super 8, I actually said to my friend Keith-does attaching your name as a producer to everything make your brand less valuable.  The Spielberg name is a brand these days; he has helped put together some of the best most successful films of all time.  His name as producer has also been linked to most all of the films he has directed and lately now films like Super 8, the Transformers films, the Men in Black films, and numerous television series and mini-series.  After looking at his list of films he has produced the only series I wish he took back, was the Transformers series, but there are true fans out there that enjoy these films.  I still think anything with Michael Bay attached is terrible, but that is another topic.

After looking at Spielberg's track record in both film and television he has helped bring to life someone of the best, there have also been some misfires.  To me, this man is one of the hardest working men in Hollywood; he has created so much quality material.  The one problem I think I have with this is that he has become more of a brand like McDonald's that helps finance things and pushes them forward.  I admire his work ethic and the fact that he has taken film to a whole new level.

Movies have become too production focused and too concerned with number rather than focusing on a well written screenplay.  In my opinion Spielberg's films have never had the strongest writing.  His films rely more on grandeur of his directing style.  The same can be said for Spielberg as a producer.  When he is not in the directors chair his films fit within that same realm.

I hope Spielberg keeps bring wonderful cinematic gems to both television and film.  I also want him to
explore filmmaking outside of his comfort zone so that he can make films that not only have a great production value but a script that is worth moving mountains.  I think having a brand helps make films successful financially, but I also think that it can make things more commercial than creatively driven.  In the future when we have a director/producer who doesn't have as strong a balance and uses the brand wrong we filmmaking may move into more uncreative territories with constant sequels and unoriginal ideas...oh wait, maybe we are there already.

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Super 8 has a Super Start but Falls Short in the End

Super 8 (3 out of 5 stars)

Directed and Written by: J.J. Abrams

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, and Ron Eldard


As I sat back in my seat last night I could feel the nostalgia of the 1980s Spielberg movie.  I feel like the theme with both the films I saw for this week was nostalgia.  Super 8 takes the viewers back on a journey to the late 1970s, through the vantage point of children.  J.J. Abrams the writer and director takes the viewer on a journey to a time when technology was still in the early stages, while kids had walk men and film could be developed in only three days, and there was ability to use your imagination.

The film starts with a man changing the numbers at a factory for the amount of numbers they have not had an accident, and then pans to a funeral.  The funeral is key to the emotional status of of some of the main characters, and drivers their actions (some done well, some not).  The films follows around a group of young friends who encounter a train accident as they are filming their own zombie movie for a film festival.    Soon after the accident there are a lot of strange things that start happening and the group sets out to not only finish their film, but find out what is going in their town.

Without giving too much of the plot away this film does a great job of using its younger actors.  Joel Courtney who plays the lead of the film Joe Lamb the son of the sheriff and Elle Fanning who plays Alice Dainard the older girl with drunk father are the best.  I would go as far as to say that if this film picks up steam Miss. Fanning could beat her sister to an Oscar Nomination.  The other members of the group Cary (Ryan Lee), Preston (Zach Mills), Charles (Riley Griffiths), and Martin (Gabriel Basso) help add both heart and comic relief to this film.  In fact this group of younger actors is on of the best assembled since probably the 1980s in the vein of films  like Stand By Me.

The adults in the film deputy Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler), the Louis Dainard character (Ron Eldard), and the air force man Nelec (Noah Emmerich) are all under developed characters.  Like in those old movies that center around younger children, the adults come across as cliche caricatures.  I think this element takes away emotional heft from the film, but the children do such a great job that is almost does not matter

The one thing that takes away from this film is that J.J. Abrams starts with such strength, and the film loses the steam it had in the beginning of the film.   With a film like like this there is a natural build up to what is causing the problem in the town.  The end reveal is not a let down, but it loses the pacing that the beginning of the film.  Like with Cloverfield (2008) the film starts out with a strong emotional pacing and falls flat in the end.  This film is much better than that, and Abrams has done a great constructing a solid summer blockbuster.

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Movies that Put Life into Perspective: 500 Days of (Summer) Edition

I am a romantic, when I meet someone and feel a connection I become a ball of mush and wear my feelings on my sleeve.  In times like these there are certain things I cling to to help give me perspective, usually I use my friends to help give me guidance in situations like this.  As my regular readers know,  I am home in Albany, NY and there aren't many friends around here for me to talk with.  My friends have been great via phone and face book, but there was something that helped put things into perspective even more today, the film 500 Days of Summer (2009).

The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom) and Zooey Deschanel (Summer) a pair of friends/lovers.  The film takes us on a journey throughout the different days of their relationship, and as the narrator says at the beginning of the film "This is a story of boy meets girls but you should know up front this is not a love story."  Tom is a hopeless romantic who believes that love exists, and is powerful, while Summer is the opposite and thinks that love is silly.   Without giving any of the plot of the film away, 500 Days of Summer highlights those key moments when you meet someone and how those moments make you feel.  After their first time having sex Tom has a dance number choreographed to a Hall and Oates song.

I have to say I connect with the Tom character (a lot).  I too may have misread The Graduate (until I grew up) and well like Tom idealizes Summer and the relationship that they have; he makes too much out things and there are moments where his idealizations become a hopeful reality.  There are moments in all of our lives when everyone does this with someone they like, but none more than Tom in this film.  Usually this film makes me mope and hope for love, but today this film made think how relationships are complicated and there are so many ways in which they can be defined.  I think film (realistic well-made films) can shed light on things going on in our lives.  Now I just saw Super 8 tonight and I do not think that will help me solve any unsolved mysteries, but there was something that told me to turn on HBO today and this movie was on.  It put a smile on my face, and as I type to the soundtrack I will close this with a big smile on my face.

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Midnight in Paris proves the City of Love Still has Power

Midnight in Paris (4 out of 5 stars)

Directed  and Written by: Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Bullets Over Broadway)

Starring: Owen Willson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates)

What can I say about Mr. Allen's latest film, but  that this film is a beautifully crafted and witty love letter to Paris.  The opening sequence of this film is a set of images of the city Paris at different times of the day, with different types of weather.  Darius Khondji and Johanne Debas do a great capturing the the beauty of the city of love and set the stage for this tale which not only stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, but the scene stealer in this film is the city of Paris.

The film follows Gil (Owen Wilson) a successful Hollywood screen writer who wants to be a novelist.  Gil is engaged to Inez (Rachel McAdams) and is Paris with her parents and her father is closing a business deal.  Gil and inez run into a man she used to be in love with Paul (Michael Sheen) and his wife Carol played by one of the funniest newcomers Nina Arianda.  Paul is this know-it-all who tries to impress Inez and show up Gil.  As Paul, Carol, and Inez go out dancing one night this leave Gil to explore Paris at Midnight and the story goes into a dreamlike state that is amazing and beautiful.  Without giving much of the unique plot away this story is mostly about the idealization of the past, and the connection that we all have to nostalgia of the time past.

Wilson does a good job playing the role of playing the neurotic role Allen always uses for his leading man. When I see a Woody Allen film (even that does not star Woody) I know his leading male will have similar characteristics.  Wilson does a great balancing neurotic tendencies with genuine idealism and hope that he will be inspired by Paris and his experiences throughout the film with the different literary figures and Adrianna (a captivating Marion Cotillard).  Allen's writing is sharp and one his best films in years (which not be saying much), but I just was sucked into the story.

Midnight in Paris is of course a love letter to not only Paris but the historical figures that inhabited this city, and it creates a story with beauty and grace that leaves the viewer thinking about their own nostalgic experiences.

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Living at Home in Your Late Twenties Part Seven: No Man is an Island

Being back in Albany, New York has been interesting for me.  After a great day on Tuesday, filled with many fun times (mini-golfing, swimming, going to a drive-in and cuddling) it has come to my attention that I don't have any friends left who live in this city.  Most of my other time here has been spent watching 30 Rock, sitting by my pool and relaxing (I am not going to complain.  Moving back home has been a lonely experience, because well it is often difficult to just put yourself out there.


Last night,  I watched the film About a Boy (2002) which stars Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and introduced a young Nicholas Hoult.   The film centers around a man named Will (Grant) and his interactions with an odd single mother, Fiona (Collette) and her son Marcus (Hoult).  The film starts off with the British version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the the first question is "Which famous person said No Man is an Island?"  The question is answered seriously by Will with the answer by Bon Jovi (but the audience gets the joke or should) that sets up the story this man is alone, doesn't work, and needs more in his life.  This is my favorite film with Hugh Grant; he is great and has such great acting chemistry with Nicholas Hoult.  Hoult has proven himself to be a great talent, and his starring role in this film has helped him to land terrific roles.

The main point of the film is that "No Man is an Island" and we need people to help us get through the day to day crap that we deal with.  This film has terrific performances, the writing is sharp, and this is a truly solid film.  The message is great, and made me think about how excited I am to move to Boston, and start a new experience.

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Jennifer Lawrence is a True Shape Shifter with her Acting Style

After seeing X-Men: First Class, for the third time yesterday at the drive-ins (what wonderful night).  I realized I was not just blown away by Michael Fassbender, but Jennifer Lawrence is another talent on the rise.  In X-Men Lawrence plays the shape shifting mutant Mystique and adds so much more layer to the role than her former portrayer.  In this film Lawrence does more than kick butt, we learn more about her character, and what Raven aka Mystique had to deal with with her blue skin.

Lawrence first came onto my radar last year in the film Winter Bone (2010) where Ree a young girl who lives with her family in the Ozark; she has to take care of younger brother and sister because her mother is sick, and her father is a criminal, drug addict, and he has disappeared.  When a cop arrives at their door; he informs Ree that her father posted bail and has disappeared.  Ree has to find her father in order to keep their house and protect her siblings.  Lawrence fights her way through the male dominated world, and and asks her uncle to help her keep her family from losing everything.  Lawrence was nominated for several awards for this role, including the Academy Award for Best Lead Actress.  Lawrence is stunning in this film, and I was blown away by her tour de force performance.  She is a fierce actress, and I look forward to seeing her in more movies.

Lawrence has in fact landed one of the most coveted female roles in Hollywood, in book to film adaptation of The Hunger Games, which will be released in 2012.  My cousin and my friend Keith told me about this book, and I am looking to start to read this after I get The Girl Who Played with Fire.  Lawrence's talent will take her far in films.

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New York City Adventures Day Three: From Big Screen to Broadway

On this past Saturday I went with my friend Keith to see the musical version of the film Catch Me if You Can.  The film version was released on Christmas Day in 2002, directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Leonardo DiCaprio as the precocious Frank Abignale Jr. who stole money, posed as a pilot, posed as a doctor, and posed as a lawyer.  The film also starred Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty the FBI agent chasing Frank Jr., and Christopher Walken as Frank Abignale Sr., Frank Jr.'s father who just never succeeded at life.  The film score two Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score (composed by John Williams), and Christopher Walken in the Best Supporting Actor category.  I personally think DiCaprio was so great in this film and should have been nominated for Best Actor, but DiCaprio still is not taken seriously.  This is a great film, and I went in to the musical with excitement, but also trepidation.

The trend of turning films into musicals started of course with Disney, and the Broadway musical, Beauty and the Beast.  Disney also has done The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins on Broadway as well.  Disney  has had commercial success, with each of these shows (except The Little Mermaid).  Beauty and the Beast was on Broadway for 13 years, Mary Poppins is still a big hit and has been on Broadway for 5 years (a long time these days), and The Lion King is still one of the hardest tickets to get, and does amazing with a show in Vegas.  In these rough economic times Broadway producers have tried to ensure their shows would be a huge commercial success (sometimes instead of a better show).

After Disney's success many other producers started to look to other types of films.  Classic films like Sunset Boulevard (with Glen Close).  The oddball comedies have been some of the greatest success stories and some of the greatest flops.  Mel Brooks created and produced the The Producers (starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) and then tried to capture lighting in a bottle for a second time with Young Frankenstein, Frankenstein like his head fell flat.  John Waters had a huge hit in turning his darker film Hairspray into a musical (with the likes of Harvey Fierstein, and Matthew Morrison), but audiences left the theatre wanting to cry with his adaptation of Cry Baby.  Then came the modern film adaptations like Legally Blonde the musical, which has done well on tour (not my cup of tea) and the ever endearing tony winning musical Billy Elliot.  I saw Legally Blonde on MTV and just did not like the show at all.  I think it loses the heart of the movie and just isn't a great show.  Billy Elliot is a great show, but to me the dancing is the star (my favorite musical that year was the original and off beat Next to Normal.

I have seen two musicals within the past year that were adaptations of films: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Catch Me if You Can.  The first show was adapted from a film with the same title by Pedro Almodovar.  I was so excited to see this musical, despite reviews I was going to see a show that starred Sherie Rennee Scott, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Laura Benanti, and the infamous Patti LuPone (all big talents), and it was the worst show I have ever seen on Broadway.  Individually the acting wasn't bad and the singing was good, but the show was a big mess.

Now, onto the show I saw this past Saturday.  Catch Me is You Can is an uneven show, although entertaining.  Aaron Tveit who starred in Next to Normal plays Frank Jr. and is very charming, but he overshadowed Norbert Leo Butz who plays Carl Hanratty.  Butz's number "Don't break the Rules" is the showstopper and he plays the cranky FBI agent with gusto.  This is a musical so lighthearted and fun it is difficult to walk away hating it.  Sure there are issues with the adaptation and the overuse of Frank's parents, and rushing the ending but overall this is a fun show.


With more shows currently on Broadway right now like Sister Act, and more coming like Bring it On: The Musical, Dirty Dancing, Father of the Bride, and Revenge of the Nerds.  I think with some of these musicals being great fun, and often successful.  My hope is that Broadway sticks to creating original work, and they don't lose their backbone they once had and continue to defy gravity.

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