Armchair Commentary

Oh the Horror: Elementary School Production of "Scarface"?

Somebody thought it would be cute to have grade schoolers stage the climax of Scarface, substituting popcorn for cocaine, "fudge" for the f-word, and gussying up a little girl in Michelle Pfeiffer's platinum bob? Complete with the killing and the machine guns? SERIOUSLY???! 

Are you horrified? Or just fascinated? --Ellen

The Hong Kong Connection: Movies by the Shaw Brothers

I admit I had never heard of the Shaw Brothers till I saw Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and was struck by the funky '70s-flavored opening credits (see bottom clip). Fortunately the original movies have been coming out on DVD since then, including a new wave of 15 films from FUNimation Entertainment (better known for their anime line) called the Hong Kong Connection. The complete list is below.  --David

• 14 Amazons
  
• Shaolin Hand Lock
• Hong Kong Godfather
  
• Opium and the Kung-Fu Master
  
• Shaolin Prince
  
• Invincible Shaolin
  
• Shaolin Rescuers
  
• Bastard Swordsman
  
• Return of Bastard Swordsman
  
• The Lady Hermit
  
• The Sword of Swords
  
• The Supreme Swordsman
  
• The Duel
• Life Gamble
  
• Soul of the Sword
  
• 14 Amazons

Tina Fey does a Tracy Morgan impression on Letterman

I just caught up with Tina Fey's appearance on David Letterman.  She's there to promote Date Night but I got a laugh out of her impression of 30 Rock co-star Tracy Morgan.  --David

J.J. Abrams vs. Joss Whedon: Who's Your Icon?

You could say this battle royale echoes the Spielberg vs. Lucas matchups of the '80s. These two heavyweight multihyphenates have each given us some of pop culture's most geektastic contributions. While we're waiting for that mind-blowing alliance (e.g. like Spielberg & Lucas collaborating on Indiana Jones, for instance) that partners these two up--what a Comic-Con panel that would be--here's a look at their respective strengths.

Iconic TV Show With Cultlike Following
Abrams: Lost, which blew open the TV space-time continuum and actually stuck around for a (we hope) full-closure ending. (on a smaller scale, Felicity)
Whedon: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was sorely underappreciated by the Emmys and spun off the also-successful Angel.

Geektastic TV Series Canceled Too Soon (or in Danger of Cancellation)
Abrams: Fringe, which was (thankfully) renewed for a third season
Whedon: Firefly (R.I.P.)

Executing Ideas Anyone Else Would Be Stupid to Try
Abrams: Trying a new take on the Star Trek franchise; reinvigorating Mission: Impossible; and producing the crazily marketed, low-budget Cloverfield

Whedon: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog (and setting the director commentary to music!); turning his canceled Firefly into a successful film (Serenity)

Female Leads Who'll Kick Your Ass

Abrams: Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) in Alias; Olivia (Anna Torv) in Fringe
Whedon: Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Echo (Eliza Dushku) in Dollhouse

Usage of Nathan Fillion
Abrams: Lost (as Kate's policeman husband)
Whedon: Firefly/Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Buffy

...And He Composes! (AKA The Clint Eastwood Effect)
Abrams: Wrote the theme songs for Felicity, Fringe and Alias
Whedon: Wrote the theme song to Firefly (He wrote lyrics for Dr. Horrible but is not credited with the composing), Buffy's "Once More With Feeling" musical episode

 
Keeping Underused* Actors Employed
Abrams: Greg Grunberg (worked with Abrams six times); Amanda Foreman (four times); Terry O' Quinn (twice, on Alias and Lost)
Whedon: Felicia Day (worked with Whedon three times); Alan Tudyk (twice, if you count Serenity and Firefly as one) Gina Torres (twice); Amy Acker (twice). Incidentally, Acker and Torres were also on Abrams' Alias.

(*note "underused" refers to actors who are not nearly employed enough to match their talent. there are, in both producers' cast lists, actors who have since been employed quite enough--or beyond--their acting level, in this writer's opinion. names will remain anonymous.)

Which is your favorite? --Ellen

"Flash--Ahah!"

Cult classic coming out on Blu-ray, with one of the all-time-great theme songs! --David

Armchair Daily: News From the World of Movies & TV

ROBERT CULP DIES: Robert Culp, who teamed with Bill Cosby in the comedy series I Spy and also starred in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and The Greatest American Hero, has died at the age of 79. Los Angeles police say he accidentally hit his head while on a walk outside his home. 

TV CASTING NEWS: Debra Messing, Carrie Fisher and Cheryl Hines will star in the ABC comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong, a single-camera comedy about a conservative political personality (Messing).

NO MORE THUMBS UP: Disney has pulled the plug on the resurrected movie-critic series At the Movies, which was originally hosted by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, continued with Ebert and Richard Roeper, then derailed with younger hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz. It most recently tried to right itself with The New York Times' A.O. Scott and The Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips.

CAPTAIN AMERICA CAST: Chris Evans is reportedly being offered the role of Captain America in Marvel Studios' upcoming big-screen version. The role will repeatedly mean appearing in the long-awaited Avengers movie, alongside Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

--Ellen

George Takei's Sharp Quattron commercial

I was watching Lost when I stopped fast-forwarding through the commercials so I could see this pitch for Sharp TVs by George Takei, who played my favorite old-school Star Trek character, Sulu. (I like how it says "Actor Portrayal" so we won't think Takei is really an electronics engineer.)  --David

Q&A with Gina Torres: "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths"

Gina Torres mixes equal parts evil, sexy, and powerful to conjure the hypnotic voice of Superwoman in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, an all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie now available from Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video, DC Comics, and Warner Bros. Animation.

In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, a "good" Lex Luthor arrives from an alternate universe to recruit the Justice League to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, a gang of villainous characters with virtually identical super powers to the Justice League. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both planets and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril. Torres plays Superwoman, the evil doppelganger to Wonder Woman and one of the leaders of the powerful Crime Syndicate.

Torres had an unanticipated assist in bringing about the powerful, yet sultry voice of Superwoman, coming into the booth in the final days of a bad flu that slightly lowered her vocal range and added a smoky sexiness to the outstanding performance. Even more impressive is her perfect match with the voice of Owlman, James Woods--considering the two actors recorded on opposite coasts, weeks apart, and have never met each other.

She is well known throughout the fanboy realm for her standout roles in Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity, and Angel, her performance at Cas in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, as well as 28 episodes in Cleopatra 2525. Torres has since been a mainstay across primetime television with recurring roles on 24, Alias, and Standoff, in addition to guest appearances in CSI, Without a Trace, Boston Legal, Bones, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies, Criminal Minds, Dirty Sexy Money, The Unit, FlashForward, Gossip Girl, and The Vampire Diaries, to name just a few. Torres has also spent some time in the animated world, working with Warner Bros. Animation as Vixen on Justice League.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Justice League). Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer, and Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight) and Sam Liu (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) are co-directors. The full-length animated film is available from Warner Home Video as a Two-Disc Special Edition DVD and on Blu-Ray (both with an Amazon-exclusive lithograph), as well as single-disc DVD, all available in the DC Comics Store.

Torres spent a few minutes after her recording session--and during the Los Angeles premiere of the film at the Paley Center for Media--to chat about her performance as Superwoman, the importance of strong female role models, the acting strengths of Whedon alums, her childhood obsession with Wonder Woman, and the fun of allowing her evil side to come out and play. Listen up... or else.

QUESTION: As you stepped into the sound booth to voice Superwoman, were you actually feeling wickedly sexy, delightfully cruel and ultimately powerful... or was that all just acting?

GINA TORRES: I'm so glad they called me to do Superwoman [laughs], because I was in the mood to get back in there and be a badass. Superwoman is one of those super heroes that knows her power, and is very comfortable in her power. And it's all cat--it's no mouse with her. She likes to bat around her prey and she really enjoys what she's doing.

In the booth, you sort of have to become this person. When you're not on stage with other actors and you're not on camera, you really get to free up your body and do all kinds of things that maybe aren't as pretty on camera. You get to have a good time getting your whole body involved in the interpretation.

"The Ballad of Davy Crockett"

A follow-up to our earlier post about Fess Parker. If you grew up watching TV during this era, you'll probably recognize this theme song. --David

Air-Guitar Picks and Pans: Movies About Rock Bands

I was a teenage Runaway wannabe. Growing up, I copied Cherie Currie's shaggy feathered hair and dreamed of having a band like The Runaways. But, as usual, reality spoils the fantasy and if I’d sneered “Hello daddy, hello, mom!” my parents would have told me to quit being a goofball and go clean my room. So, as The Runaways --the biopic on the long-overlooked ‘70s teen rocker chicks--opens in selected theaters this week, I’m hoping Hollywood won’t break my still-adolescent heart. Can Dakota Fanning hold a torch to the real Cherie? Is Kristen Stewart too one-dimensional as Twilight’s Bella to be a decent Joan Jett? We’ll soon see. Until then, here’s a look at a few faux rockers who didn’t disappoint – and some that barely struck a chord.

• The Doors:  In this 1991 film by director Oliver Stone, a svelte Val Kilmer plays the late Jim Morrison  and bears an eerie resemblance to the singer, who died in 1971. Say what you will about Stone's heavy-handed treatment of the '60s in some of his films, this one holds a few surprises, such as Crispin Glover as the best Andy Warhol ever.

• Sid and Nancy:  Gary Oldman is the goofily, drugged-out Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in this 1986 film directed by Alex Cox. Chloe Webb gives a memorable performance as Sid’s screeching girlfriend Nancy Spungeon (best quote: “I look like @$#*$) Stevie Nicks!”). The tragic tale of the ill-fated lovers is marked by ethereal cinematography – and it’s also worth watching for a glimpse of a pre-plastic surgery Courtney Love as one of Nancy’s punker pals.

• Buddy Holly Story:  Long before Gary Busey’s stint on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, he received a Best Actor nomination for this 1978 tale of rocker Buddy Holly.  Holly’s blooming career was cut short in a tragic plane crash that also took the lives of fellow stars Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson in 1959. Valens was later memorialized by Lou Diamond Phillips in 1987’s La Bamba.

• Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story: My friend Jim owns a DVD of this made-for-VH1 movie. “It’s pretty bad,” he said, popping it into the DVD player. So I braced myself for the worst. No, this tale of the UK's metal rockers is GREAT-bad in the same way that Showgirls is GREAT-bad. Why it hasn't become a cult classic is beyond me.

• Control:  As a major Joy Division fan, I thought Sam Riley did a brilliant job as Ian Curtis, lead singer of the influential British band who took his own life in 1980. I was cynical at first, but director Anton Corbjin won me over quickly by staying remarkably true to his subject. 

• Ray: Jamie Foxx took home an Oscar for his electrifying performance as Ray Charles in this 2004 biopic which chronicles the life and struggles of the blind singer/pianist. I'd always thought of Foxx as just this funny guy from TV, but he's earned his stripes as an actor – even going so far as to wear prosthetic eyelids in order to relate to his blind character.

   

  Here are a few more biopics worth noting that overlap the country, R&B and rock boundaries. For a music lover, that's a great thing.

  • Jacksons: An American Dream: After the death of Michael Jackson, this 1992 TV miniseries can now be considered a time capsule of sorts. It's interesting to watch family patriarch Joe (played Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs AKA Freddy “Boom Boom’ Washington to us Welcome Back, Kotter kids) in light of his actions since his son's death. With Angela Bassett as mom  Katherine and Billy Dee Williams as Berry Gordy.
  •  Walk the Line: Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in this 2005 film about the life of singer Johnny Cash (played by Joaquin Phoenix – before he got weird).
  • Coal Miner’s Daughter: Michael Apted directed Sissy Spacek in her Oscar-winning role in this 1980 tearjerker bio of country singer Loretta Lynn.
  •  What We Do Is Secret – As a longtime Germs fan, I couldn’t wait to see this movie. I was sorry when I finally watched the DVD. Shane West (E.R.’s Dr. Ray Barnett) growls and thrashes his way through this otherwise boring mess as late singer Darby Crash. It's difficult  to  tell what's on Bijou Phillip’s head (maltese? bichon frise?) as she mangles her role as bassist Lorna Doom.

  --Francine Ruley