heaven is a playground is a 1991 film based on rick telander 's book of the same name .

it was written and directed by randall fried , and stars michael warren , d.b. sweeney , victor love , bo kimble , richard jordan and janet julian .

telander himself has a cameo appearance in the movie .

the film was released on october 4 , 1991 , by new line cinema .

heaven is a playground ( film )

heaven is a playground ( film ) | warner bros . entertainment wiki | fandom powered by wikia
there are no critic reviews yet for heaven is a playground . keep checking rotten tomatoes for updates !
parker , a legendary new york city college basketball scout was featured in a bestselling basketball book , heaven is a playground , by chicago sun - times sports columnist rick telander .
is this heaven ?
ray ' s father , john , asks ray . ray replies ,
it ' s iowa .
iowa ?
john says .
i could have sworn this was heaven .
is there a heaven ?
ray asks .
oh , yeah ,
john replies .
it ' s the place where dreams come true .
ray , watching his wife play with their daughter on the front porch , says ,
maybe this is heaven .
paradise regained : heaven is a playground .
jordan walked out with a $ 50 , 000 award in compensatory damages , the amount the jury found jordan was owed in a contract dispute with heaven corp . , the makers of
heaven is a playground ,
a basketball movie that had been intended to be jordan ' s movie debut .
set in chicago , heaven is a playground is about an inner - city basketball coach and a young lawyer who set out to save a group of teen - aged boys from crime and drugs by giving them athletic scholarships and teaching them basketball .
five years before michael jordan made his acting debut opposite bugs bunny , in that exercise in synergy called ' ' space jam , ' ' a small and serious film about inner - city basketball entitled ' ' heaven is a playground ' ' quietly opened . it had no stars , no cartoons and no merchandising campaign . rather , ' ' heaven is a playground ' ' represented the decade - long effort of a first - time director to bring to the screen a classic book about one summer on the courts of brooklyn .
heaven corp . was the brainchild of randall fried , a university of southern california film school graduate , who wrote the lockhart part expressly for jordan .
jordan sought more than $ 12 million in a broad counterclaim , alleging that heaven corp . falsely informed him that it had sufficient financing for the movie . jordan ' s suit alleged the heaven contract prevent him from working on other film projects .
the resulting book , ' ' heaven is a playground , ' ' fused acute sports journalism with urban - affairs reportage , setting its playground dreamers in a landscape ravaged by crime , drug abuse and gang violence . if anything , mr . telander suffered for being too prophetic . published nearly 20 years before the 1994 documentary ' ' hoop dreams ' ' became a national hit by similarly chronicling the fleeting promise of deliverance offered by inner - city basketball , ' ' heaven is a playground ' ' sold fewer than 5 , 000 copies in hard - cover and has tumbled in and out of print ever since .
dean dickie , an attorney for d ' ancona & pflaum who represented heaven corp . , disagreed .
despite some weaknesses as both a film and a parable ,
in a better world
is a potent provocation .
bank is one of the producers of ` ` heaven is a playground , ` ` a ` ` low - budget ` ` ( i . e . , $ 2 . 6 million ) motion picture socked by financial and casting vicissitudes that , in a way , was 10 years in the making .
rugrats : saving the playground is a 2019 american animated direct - to - video film based on the nickelodeon animated television series , rugrats , and it is to be put on dvd and blu - ray on june 15 , 2019 .
what is strange about
heaven is a playground
is how this dynamite material is defused - how the movie meanders and loses its way , drags to a halt when it should be most exciting , and goes through strange shifts in tone and style . it ' s pretty clear that the filmmakers never sat down and took a cold , hard look at their script - asked themselves which way they wanted to go , and why .
regardless of how the legal matter is resolved , the story of mr . jordan ' s two movies presents a parable of art and commerce and the choice one gifted athlete made between them . put another way , ' ' heaven is a playground ' ' strove toward a complex , almost literary understanding of basketball while ' ' space jam ' ' has giddily reduced it to entertainment product .
andrew wasserstrom , jury foreman and a scientist at northwestern university , said jurors were sympathetic to heaven corp . and chose not to award jordan punitive damages .
this film  the only comic book film on ebert ' s official list  earned the worst picture of 2004 golden raspberry award .
and ' ' heaven is a playground , ' ' antithetical in so many ways to ' ' space jam , ' ' was a film that michael jordan was supposed to have made . for several years in the late 1980 ' s , he was contracted to play a featured role in the drama , but financial problems delayed the production . then in early 1990 , with the money apparently in place , mr . jordan withdrew from the project .
the jury ' s $ 50 , 000 award to jordan on his counterclaim represented the amount of an advance heaven corp . had given jordan . later , at heaven corp . ' s request , jordan returned the money so the fledgling company could use it to raise funds for the movie .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
“it was crazy to see people walking in that building , and we had been all over , ” west recalled to pucks and recreation . “it was our playground . ”
although this being a film by susanne bier , there is unfortunately a good measure of unneeded melodrama stirred in to trivialize the very important thematic concerns .
ominated for best director and original screenplay oscars and won best foreign film oscar .
due to this film being a massive box - office success , ebert chose this over spice world for the worst film of 1998 even though it has one - half of a star more than spice world . for the record , gene siskel actually liked the film and gave it a thumbs up .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
chaos is ugly , nihilistic , and cruel — a film i regret having seen . i urge you to avoid it . don ' t make the mistake of thinking it ' s ' only ' a horror film , or a slasher film . it is an exercise in heartless cruelty and it ends with careless brutality . the movie denies not only the value of life , but the possibility of hope .
jurors said they sifted through hundreds of exhibits , including bank records . they concluded that heaven corp . did not have the necessary financing for the movie by the june 30 , 1989 , deadline called for in the contract , a key issue that would have obligated jordan to act in the film .
for that , west had the physical maturity and the positional proficiency white and company needed . that , in turn , earned him the privilege of making his self - proclaimed “playground” out of the pond .
in mulholland drive , the 2001 film that made watts’ name . photograph : allstar / universal
a locally made feature by randall fried , adapted from rick telander ' s book , about inner - city playground basketball , starring d . b . sweeney , michael warren , richard jordan , victor love , and janet julian .
the lights switch on . naomi enters the room and congratulates castiel on killing dean quickly and brutally , with no hesitation . telling him he is ready . it is then revealed that the entire floor of the warehouse is littered with multiple deans , all dead . they are in heaven or inside castiel ' s mind and this was a training exercise devised by naomi .
contact briefly mentioned the heaven ' s gate incident in relation to the extreme reactions of some groups to the discovery of the eti . the producers were apparently trying to make contact as timely as possible .
when grandpa lou is telling tommy , dil , chuckie , kimi , phil , lil , angelica and susie the story about how the playground in yucaipah park came to be , look around for 2 pictures of ranger frank and ranger margaret on the living room wall .
another jane austen fan realizing a dream by participating in the film is tamzin merchant . she was cast as georgiana , darcy ' s sister , after writing a letter to the casting director and
the self - imposed degradation of bobby sands is the film’s climactic conclusion , and in it mcqueen puts forth his most uninhibited barrage of visual synesthesia .
a finished film after going through several others who dropped the project along the way . among the droppers was george miller of
he has a point . the speculation may never stop as to a potential d4 film . that is unless it actually happens , in which case it could pursue a two - time disney veteran with ample rink knowledge .
back to one podcast : keith poulson on developing as an actor in the ny indie film scene .
a decade after the pond , a smaller arena in vancouver posed as the lake placid rink and served as a whole new playground for the twentysomething west and company . for the u . s . - russia game that spawned the movie’s title , the canadian crowd was more out of its element than anyone .
i know it seems i have spent most of my time griping about contact the film , but i have not hesitated for a second to recommend seeing it to anyone . my complaints stem from my wish for the even better film that contact could have been . contact is more than just an above average film about finding extraterrestrial intelligence . it is a mirror on our society and our need to grow up and take personal responsibility as we emerge from the cradle called earth .
bosbok ses films is a production company based in south africa which strives to produce world class films with universal appeal as well as commercial viability . d street media pictures holds a first - look deal with bosbok ses films and served as executive producer on the film ‘background music’ and the upcoming film ‘lone hill . ’
and yet nearly every sports movie tends to elide the big moment . weirdly , it often seems to just slide by . in part , this is because the structure of the movie is usually based on the rhythm of a season and so the climax of the film is making it to the world series ; there ' s no time for the seven games of the world series . so , too , the world series is a kind of heaven on earth , and the movie can ' t show heaven on earth , so it shows the ascension . the movie got you there : the viewer can imagine the rest ( it ' s better that way ) . watching
field of dreams ,
we really want to know what ' s on the other side of the cornfield , but we never quite get there .
did it portray the detection of a transmission from an alien civilization with as much realism as can be done in a 2 . 5 - hour film ?
that version of the project , like all its predecessors , failed to find studio support . then , in 1986 , mr . fried acquired the rights to ' ' heaven , ' ' enabling him to direct the film . and early the next year , he began pursuing michael jordan to play a leading role as matthew lockhart , a splendid and reclusive athlete who inexplicably had walked away from a college scholarship .
©2018 mental floss , inc . all rights reserved . mental floss® is a registered trademark owned by felix dennis . urltoken is a trademark owned by felix dennis .
as for palmer ' s last name , if joss is a form of joshua , then the hebrew word meaning god is my salvation certainly applies to the palmer of both the novel and the film . for god is palmer joss ' vision of the ultimate truth . and the truth will set ye free - - or at least it is supposed to .
ominated for 10 oscars and won eight ( film , director , adapted screenplay , editing , cinematography , original score , original song , sound mixing ) . won four golden globes ( film , director , screenplay , score ) and seven baftas ( film , director , adapted screenplay , music , cinematography , editing , sound ) .
these are strong story elements : a white kid from downstate illinois comes to chicago because he wants to compete against the tough black basketball players in the playground leagues . he meets a coach who has dedicated his life to coaching these athletes - helping them toward their dream of college and professional careers .
in taking his name off the film , arthur hiller has wisely distanced himself from the disaster , but on the basis of what ' s on the screen i cannot , frankly , imagine any version of this film that i would want to see . the only way to save this film would be to trim 86 minutes .
there ' s trouble in yucaipah . an evil business man named peter claw , is planning to tear down the playground in the park to put up a fancy clothing store , and it ' s up to tommy , dil , chuckie , kimi , phil , lil , angelica and susie to save it before it ' s too late .
“might do . then there are other times when you’re certain that a film’s got all the elements . and that film can actually be really good . but it can be about audiences not being open to receive an idea at that point in time . ”
flynn’s robin is a revelation in how the choice of casting the lead star can alter the entire film’s production . his athleticism , the quips and brilliant jests the script gives him , and the subtle but beautiful and emotive ways he romances de havilland’s maid marian let him quite easily own the film . and the sets , both on the studio lot in hollywood and in the forested canopy of chico , california ( a better sherwood forest than sherwood forest could ever look like ) are his playground . he romps , rides , skips , swings and dashes through it with all the masculine grace that only a bonafide star could achieve .
i think carl sagan would have been pleased . after all , the film was for him . like most truly great gifts , it is one we can all revel in .
for a film about space with carl sagan as its creative source and consultant , one would expect the astronomical aspects of it to be quite accurate . happily , this is the case in the majority of instances where celestial objects and events are presented . the following are some selected examples from the film . back to top
there ' s little flash or surprise in bier ' s latest well - shot film , but plenty of substance .
the official warner brothers contact web site . contains useful seti and exobiology information in addition to promotion of the film .
inner of alexander korda award for best british film at the baftas , and anthony asquith award for film music . nominated for six other baftas , and five oscars , of which it won two ( for original song and sound editing ) .
. here the role they play is almost exclusively window dressing , but it is still nice to see a real radio observatory on the big screen .
to prepare , cunningham moved into fassbender’s belfast flat , and the two actors practiced their lines 15 - 20 times a day for five days . the scene in totality is around 23 minutes long – the only time that cunningham is in the film – and after doing four takes in those five days , mcqueen took the fourth as the choice for the film , a scene the director apparently seriously considered axing several times .
a case can be made for the movie , but it would involve transforming the experience of viewing the film ( which is excruciatingly boring ) into something more interesting , a fable about life and death . just as a bad novel can be made into a good movie , so can a boring movie be made into a fascinating movie review .
` when a friend of mine saw a trailer of our film , he told me , ` it looks like a real movie ! ` ` ` keith bank is saying . ` ` i mean , i think he expected it to be like a home camcorder with static and all . ` `
the preview makers tried hard to have these films seem suspenseful and exciting , but for me they were mostly numbing and only enhanced my desire to get to the main event . and this is coming from someone who loves a good film preview , if it is done just right .
you don ' t even realize anymore that that is a basketball star ; you don ' t even look at that ,
said arcille phillips , a juror who is a student at chicago state university .
actor john hurt is no stranger to aliens . as inquisitive astronaut kane , hurt had a close encounter of the most unpleasant kind with the main exobiological life form in the 1979 science fiction film , alien . fellow contact actor tom skerritt ( david drumlin ) also starred with hurt in this film , playing captain dallas of the mining starship nostromo .
the story of a man who is wrongfully executed , only to return to life as the savior of a dying world seems somewhat familiar to christians . only we’re not talking about jesus—we ' re talking about the hero of the 1987 action film robocop .
during the song “summer nights , ” danny and sandy recount how they first met and started a summer fling . the line , “i saved her life , she nearly drowned , ” suggests that sandy actually did drown and the whole movie is an elaborate musical fantasy due to the lack of oxygen getting to her brain . the flying red convertible also suggests that sandy is happily being whisked away to heaven at the end of the movie .
“looking back , i know why people weren’t hiring me . i went into auditions thinking , ‘what version of me do they want ? how should i shape myself in order to win them over ? ’” watts was in the playground , again , only this time the chameleon act wasn’t working .
the team is , needless to say , losing . some of this is simple narrative typology : a romantic comedy can ' t begin with the lovers in a happy embrace . but this goes beyond that . in film after film , it ' s a sort of plague of losing streaks . we ' re losing . we ' re losers . we ' re bums . we ' re in a state of infinite regress , of existential failure . in the land of opportunity , we are anti - matter .
back on earth . . . dean tells cas to fight it . cas strikes him again , and again dean blocks with the tablet . cas backhands dean , grabs his forearm and breaks it . we hear the bone snap , dean drops the stone revealing the tablet within , lightning flashes and thunder rumbles . cas continues to beat him . dean ' s face is bruised and bloodied . dean pleads with cas telling him they ' re family , that sam and him need cas , that dean himself needs cas . in heaven naomi tells cas to choose : them or heaven . cas makes his choice and stops beating dean .
the low - budget film ultimately was made in 1991 with loyola marymount basketball star and nba player bo kimble in the lockhart part . the movie was a box office bomb . the film cost about $ 3 million to produce , about how much it has made , primarily from video distribution .
two boys attempt to define masculinity in response to their respective family dramas . this danish film is oddly both ambitious and contained . its plot centers around only two families , one wracked by divorce , the other by death , but as the two male children of these families mature , we see that they ' re struggling with deep and difficult questions . what constitutes
being a man ?
what examples do fathers and mothers provide their kids ? where is the line between being a disciplinarian and being a child ' s friend ? what are parents ' roles in preventing violence ? these are ambitious ethical questions the plot brings up , but as a result of the film ' s reach philosophically , the plot starts to suffer when each of the film ' s conflicts resolve too conveniently . overall , this is a fine , ambitious , and interesting film until its pat conclusion .
is like waiting for the bus in a city where you ' re not sure they have a bus line . . . .
prior to the trial , circuit judge richard neville dismissed heaven corp . ' s complaint against jordan ' s agent , david falk , and falk ' s firm at the time , proserv , saying under illinois law they were shielded from personal liability for actions taken on behalf of jordan .
the beguiling final film of late japanese animation hero satoshi kon , which has a comparable plot about “dream therapy” and does more vivid justice to how dreams actually work .
as the truck rams the car over the cliff and falls off in the final film , there is a low roar sound effect that the filmmaker included to emphasize the death of the truck . spielberg , who wanted the truck to seem
joss is a token character when he should be almost as strong as ellie . i know that contact is not exactly in religion ' s court , but when you discover the depth of palmer joss in the novel , you will find how he and religious faith should have been portrayed in the film .
` ` i tried to keep the spirit of the book , ` ` says fried , ` ` and contemporize it with issues that have since become much more prominent , like drugs and the addiction to stardom in the playground culture , and i weaved in the persona of the ruthless sports agent . ` `
here is a movie where the most amazing thing in the history of mankind occurs : their girlfriend is inside a man ' s body . incredible ! and so what is the first thing these ditzy airheads ask ? they wanna look at his family jewels . these characters are too stupid to be in a movie . about half an hour into the screening the film got trapped in the projector and it caught fire ; that was the good news ! the bad news was the screening continued , and hardly any of the film was destroyed .
ebert & roeper review .
the golden briefcase is the driving narrative force in pulp fiction . while it’s not important to know what’s inside of the briefcase to fully enjoy the film , there have been numerous theories out there relating to the case’s contents since the movie’s initial release in 1994 . although quentin tarantino has flat out said that nothing is in the briefcase and it’s merely a mcguffin , the popular belief is that crime boss marsellus wallace’s soul is inside of the briefcase .
my issue with the suicide pill is that they made the statement about it being a top secret standard issue item for astronauts since the beginning of the space program . not only is there no validity to this , but my main concern is that now viewers will come to believe that such a thing is carried onboard all manned space missions .
i sat there and i thought : life is precious , life is short , and the idiots who made this film are taking two hours of my life and robbing it from me in order to give me less than nothing ! i mean , a movie like this is a crime because what it does is it robs life from people by requiring them to spend two hours having such a terrible experience happen to them . . . . go stand in the lobby and talk !
siskel & ebert review
, about a young man who overcomes obstacles to become a football hero . basically a guy version of a chick flick .
susanne bier is one of the greatest directors ever . simple as that . her films deal with issues , but always with a fresh perspective . in a better world has a young boy called christian who has just lost his mother , return to denmark . he joins a new school where he soon makes friends with a boy who is being bullied . christian allows his anger to take hold , and events soon spiral out of control . the theme of bullying may seem like something best saved for after school specials , but bier shows bullying in all its forms , from the playground , to grown ups , to african warlords . questioning anger , revenge , and human rights , makes this a multi - layered film which is just begging for discussion . the performances are magnificent across the board and each character has a very well structured arc . with so much going on it would be easy for the film to trip over itself , but it never does . touching , inspirational , and quite possibly life changing . in a better world could honestly make the world a better place .
released towards the end of the wave of so - called
social problem films
that spanned the late 1940s to the early 1960s , violent playground was directed by one of the genre ' s most prolific practitioners , basil dearden . although the film initially comes across as a british response to the alarmist , hugely successful teen melodrama the blackboard jungle ( us , 1955 ) , james kennaway ' s script was inspired by an actual experiment that was carried out in liverpool in 1949 .
i guess in a film with such a heavy influence by carl sagan and with its theme of alien contact and heavenly wonder , i did expect something more like the music i heard in cosmos . instead i was left listening to a soundtrack that for me did not necessarily distinguish itself from the many other film soundtracks i have heard over the years . and i do like a good film soundtrack . in fact it does not have to contain such elements as singles that wind up on the top 40 radio stations for the next six weeks .
i was also struck by how the soundtrack did not contain any dialog or sound effects from contact , not even the throbbing vega signal . by contrast , the soundtrack of the 1995 film apollo 13 has loads of dialog which greatly heightens the listening experience for me . i do not have to guess what was going on in that film or what feelings i am supposed to possess when i listen to that soundtrack . nor did contact ' s liner notes contain anything special in terms of interesting messages , news , or other tidbits on the film . if this is a place in the film where sagan and druyan did not have much influence , it certainly shows .
rated ? yes , videodrome is very highly rated indeed by david cronenberg’s fans , who point to it as one of his most sophisticated early works , representing an evolutionary leap in his imagery and ideas . i yield to no one in my admiration for cronenberg . crash is an astonishing piece of work . this , though , is half - formed . it has brilliantly icky sequences and an outstanding james woods performance . but it’s a sketch for a film , a storyboard . it doesn’t get anywhere . roger ebert called it “one of the least entertaining films ever made” , and though he had yet to see ridley scott ' s kingdom of heaven when making this assessment , he had half a point . it’s a series of state - of - the - future concepts and squirmy images in serious need of urgent momentum , a destination that works .
when ellie first visited megabillionaire s . r . hadden aboard his flying home after the discovery of the message , he impressed her with his knowledge on ellie ' s life . the following is a transcript of what hadden said in the film :
i have two problems with the machine and the scenario : i doubt this is what will happen when we do receive a message from space . i am also disappointed that the filmmakers copped out again when it came to crowing about contact being a
realistic
science film .
to go one step even farther , their union symbolizes the film ' s desire to unite faith ( joss ) and science ( ellie ) . this is yet another forced marriage that i feel is both unrealistic and unnecessary . i discuss this issue further in the section science and faith .
susanne bier ' s latest meditation on grief and the boundaries of family - - which won this year ' s foreign - film oscar - - is a tough piece of work , subtle in some ways , obvious in others , viscerally affecting throughout .
goodbye stranger
is a reference to the song of the same name by british rock band supertramp .
he told mtv in 2010 .
it is about a guy who gets crucified in the first 50 minutes , and then is resurrected in the next 50 minutes , and then is like the supercop of the world , but is also a jesus figure as he walks over water at the end .
verhoeven also refers to robocop as “the american jesus .
ebert would have called this the worst film of 1996 , but when gene siskel also chose it for that title , they did a coin flip to determine who would actually get to denounce it . ebert lost , and went with the little indian , big city film seen in the
other hated films
list below .
the popular theory is that childs is the thing at the end of the movie . there are a few clues that point to this conclusion . one , you can’t see childs’ breath in sub - arctic weather ; two , childs takes a swig from a molotov cocktail that is believed to be made by macready as a test ; and three , john carpenter cues the audience with ennio morricone’s theme for the thing before the film cuts to black and the credits roll . macready smirks and quietly laughs , acknowledging that childs is the thing because he didn’t react to drinking gasoline .
in 1986 fried met keith bank , who had received an mba from northwestern and was working in real estate . ` ` the only thing i knew then about the movie business is that i went to one about every two weeks , ` ` bank says . ` ` but randy ` s project piqued my interest , and i decided to go after it and quit my job . we formed a company called heaven corporation .
this is it — located at last and with only six weeks to spare — the worst film of 1988 . last rites qualifies because it passes both acid tests : it is not only bad filmmaking , but it is offensive as well — offensive to my intelligence . many films are bad . only a few declare themselves the work of people deficient in taste , judgment , reason , tact , morality and common sense . was there no one connected with this project who read the screenplay , considered the story , evaluated the proposed film and vomited ?
the skulls is one of the great howlers , a film that bears comparison , yes , with the greek tycoon or even the scarlet letter . it ' s so ludicrous in so many different ways it achieves a kind of forlorn grandeur . it ' s in a category by itself .
chicago sun - times review
this is one of the issues i had with contact : is the film really about searching for eti , or a woman ' s quest to regain her father and lost childhood ? granted this event makes ellie a more three - dimensional character than most of the other roles in the film , but i can equally see the general audience thinking that seti is not so much about finding what is out there than what is in the human psyche . of course one of the search goals is to learn where we stand in the larger cosmos ( refer to the earlier sagan quote on this subject ) . however , if we make every human endeavor - - especially this one - - as nothing more than yet another way to make us seem like the center of the universe again , then we have lost a very major point in searching for life beyond earth .
to answer the first question , yes , i probably would have been less disappointed with certain places in the film had i never encountered carl sagan ' s novel , or most of his other works , for that matter . the novel was so rich in so many ways that the film could not be , due to its time constraints . jodie foster commented in an interview that had they followed the novel more faithfully , contact would have become a twenty - hour miniseries instead of a 2 . 5 - hour film .
how to account for the fact that larry david is one of the creators of seinfeld ? maybe he works well with others . i can ' t easily remember a film i ' ve enjoyed less . north , a comedy i hated , was at least able to inflame me with dislike . sour grapes is a movie that deserves its title : it ' s puckered , deflated and vinegary . it ' s a dead zone .
it’s a critical truism that ikiru , whose english translation is “to live” , is kurosawa’s “real” masterpiece , an impeccable work of contemporary humanism and rare compassion , from a director more regularly associated with blood and thunder , samurai intrigue , shakespeare interpretations and period garb . it gets praised for its philosophical grace and subtlety . let’s examine this last claim . it’s about an underappreciated middle - aged tokyo bureaucrat dying of stomach cancer , who decides to accomplish one last feat to give his life meaning , and breaks through red tape to get a children’s playground built where there was once a cesspool . he sings “life is short” while crying into the camera . the famous last shot has his ghost on a swing , gazing raptly upon what he has created .
several independent companies and charities from ireland both northern and southern picked up the film as a possible risk , but mcqueen would prove to be as talented and astonishing a debut filmmaker as an artist . his visual styling and stunning – bordering between strange beauty and vivid horror – imagery create and maintain the film , but the knowledge he applies in both his co - penned script and pieced - together situations with subtle but haunting dialogue make the subtext as engrossing as the subject . hunger is peerless in the historical drama genre , and is simply not only the most unique but best film to depict the effects of the conflicts of northern ireland since 1991’s in the name of the father .
caligula is sickening , utterly worthless , shameful trash . if it is not the worst film i have ever seen , that makes it all the more shameful : people with talent allowed themselves to participate in this travesty . disgusted and unspeakably depressed , i walked out of the film after two hours of its 170 - minute length . that was on saturday night , as a line of hundreds of people stretched down lincoln ave . , waiting to pay $ 7 . 50 apiece to become eyewitnesses to shame . . . . caligula is not good art , it is not good cinema , and it is not good porn . . . . ' this movie , ' said the lady in front of me at the drinking fountain , ' is the worst piece of shit i have ever seen . '
i doubt that either david drumlin or michael kitz were meant to have symbolic names , unless a sense of irony was implied . david is hebrew for beloved one ( and drumlin was hardly loved by the others , especially ellie ) and michael is another hebrew word for like god . judeo - christian religion is in for quite a tumble if kitz is an accurate representation of god .
much has been made about the characters in contact , both as what they stand for and the actors who portrayed them . certainly a film starring a strong , intelligent , and independent woman is just as uncommon in hollywood as a science fiction film about aliens who are not trying to take over earth . but did contact have realistic characters , or just stereotypes to make its various points ? i would have to say the answer is both . some characters are discussed primarily in the section the meaning of the names . and now to analyze . . . back to top
relatively few viewers , though , ever saw it . ' ' heaven ' ' opened in chicago , the home city of mr . telander and mr . fried and the site of its shoot . it generated neither the critical nor commercial support to gain national distribution and soon went onto home video . still , variety lauded the film as a ' ' gritty , poetic and humanistic portrait , ' ' and encore and home box office ultimately showed it . in a happy conjunction with the nba playoffs next spring , tnt will broadcast the film on april 22 , on april 26 and on april 27 and those who see it can ponder the very different path michael jordan ' s cinematic career might have taken .
you know , there is one area , though , gene [ siskel ] , where this movie breaks important new ground , and this is something that movie trivia experts are going to . . . . yes , i am , i ' m going to be funny . this is the first horror movie in which a chainsaw is used against a tree !
siskel & ebert review
patrick warburton is to voice stu pickles , replacing the late jack riley respectively .
so in the early 1980 ' s mr . telander began writing the film with randall fried , a partner in pickup basketball games and the winner of a student academy award for his thesis film at the university of southern california . together the men created fictional equivalents to the book ' s major characters while preserving its grit and underlying tragedy . their plot largely turned on the rise and fall of truth harrison , a mercurial college star who slips into cocaine addiction just when he is on the verge of signing a lucrative pro contract .
or you could roll with it . “if you could tell a customer was kind of down , you could keep going and see what happens , ” baker said . “that happened with many customers . we would simply approach them afterwards and say , ‘we’re shooting an independent film , there’s a camera , will you kindly sign this release for us ? ’ a few customers in tangerine actually made it into the final film .
hunger is not a straight - laced film , and follows no distinctly formulaic plot line until the last thirty minutes , in which the literal meaning of the title comes into play . it opens with the introduction of prison officer lohan , who gets ready in the morning before going out to start his vehicle – a moment watched with close anxiety from the parlor window by his wife – before making his way to the film’s main setting – maze prison and its inmates .
dean : okay , bottom - line it for me , bill nye . is it lethal ? bill nye is a science educator best know for his tv show : bill nye the science guy .
according to the lawsuit , which was filed in 1993 by heaven corp . and sought between $ 14 . 5 million and $ 16 . 3 million , jordan had agreed to play the role of matthew lockhart in the movie . the movie , set in chicago , was based on a book of the same name written by chicago sun - times sports columnist rick telander , then a writer for sports illustrated .
watching the today show in a hotel room in los angeles , i saw jerry lewis being interviewed by gene shalit . jerry was convinced that the critics had it in for him . he hinted , none too subtly , that the chances were shalit would dislike the film when he saw it ( shalit claimed not to have seen it already , which was an excellent ploy ) . in variety , id read that the critics were barred from the miami premiere of the film because , and i paraphrase , jerry lewis makes films for the masses and critics are unequipped to understand his appeal . horse manure . hardly working is one of the worst movies ever to achieve commercial release in this country , and it is no wonder it was on the shelf for two years before it saw the light of day . it is not just a bad film , it is incompetent filmmaking .
the movie is an utterly meaningless waste of time . there was no reason to produce it , except to make money , and there is no reason to see it , except to spend money . it is a dead zone , a film without interest , wit , imagination or even entertaining violence and special effects . . . . parents : if you encounter teenagers who say they liked this movie , do not let them date your children .
chicago sun - times review
the final moments of john carpenter’s the thing are one of the most ambiguous endings to a major hollywood movie . after a violent melee with the shape - shifting alien invader , the film’s hero macready ( kurt russell ) is exhausted as he re - unites with childs ( keith david ) and the pair wait to “see what happens . ” the question remains : is childs or macready the monster ?
to instill interest among the indifferent - to - hockey majority of the american populace , disney unquestionably needed a flare of compelling intensity in its miracle trailer . the film’s reenactment of brooks’ confrontation with the injured mcclanahan was a natural fit .
the most clearly seen character in the film is the coach , byron harper ( played by michael warren of
hill street blues
) . he coaches out of love of the game and the players , and otherwise supports himself by a variety of hustles , including ticket scalping .
if you’re a filmmaker , it may seem like the city is your playground . it’s not . everything costs money . every public space you want to shoot in requires permits and insurance . it all requires planning , hard work , negotiations , or simply lots of pleading . one issue that’s cropped up in multiple talks during ifp week has been this : what do you do when you want to shoot in a place of business ? how do you get a bodega owner or a restauranteur or the owners of a giant mall in flushing to let you run around with cast and crew , even though they might remain open for business ?
the issue i have here is that sagan ' s novel went beyond being just another action - adventure work of the genre . in many respects , until ellie and her companions ( there were four additional star voyagers in the novel version ) are whisked off to meet the eti who signaled from vega , the story is a fairly realistic portrayal of how humanity would deal with a message from alien beings as seen through the scientific , religious , political , cultural , and social realms . sagan got in many good points he has made about humanity and the cosmos over the years through the story . it is apparent that he wants them to be taken seriously by his readers . therefore , when we come to the realization that the milky way is not just a happenstance event , the reader could conceivably end up believing that the universe is one big testing laboratory and playground for the more advanced eti .
natural or not , the moviegoing public never got to decide . mr . jordan extended his contract without cost for two more years while mr . fried tried and failed to arrange financing for ' ' heaven . ' ' finally , in january 1990 , as plans were taking shape for shooting to begin that summer , mr . jordan left the project .
the green berets simply will not do as a film about the war in vietnam . it is offensive not only to those who oppose american policy but even to those who support it . at this moment in our history , locked in the longest and one of the most controversial wars we have ever fought , what we certainly do not need is a movie depicting vietnam in terms of cowboys and indians . that is cruel and dishonest and unworthy of the thousands who have died there .
corey burton is to voice dr . lipschitz , replacing the late tony jay respectively .
kevin michael richardson is to voice randy carmichael , replacing the late ron glass respectively .
julia duffy is to voice grandma lulu pickles , replacing the late debbie reynolds respectively .
is aggressively bad , as if it wants to cause suffering to the audience . the best thing about it is that it runs for only 75 minutes . . . . speaking in my official capacity as a
and there is a venal , racist sports agent who wants to call all of the shots for the athletes he represents .
all this begs me to ask my original question : could a man have played ellie ' s role just as well ? i say yes . i know many would respond that there are more than enough white males heroes on the big screen and women need the chance to be shown a strong role model and that a career in the sciences is not the remote possibility it used to be in past decades . i agree with all this . however , this is really carl sagan ' s story with all his philosophies and goals deeply entrenched in both the novel and film . remove some of the sexism comments and change the romantic partner ( or get rid of the role completely ) and eleanor arroway could easily become edward arroway ( sagan ' s middle name is edward ) . after all , even this deepest of the contact characters is overall a symbol of the pure scientist in search of truth . perhaps what i am hoping for is a film about sagan himself . contact was a good start , but it just scratched the surface that is carl sagan and his cosmos .
columbus encounters friendly indians , of which one — the chief ' s daughter — is positioned , bare - breasted , in the center of every composition . ( i believe the chief ' s daughter is chosen by cup size . ) columbus sails back to europe and the story is over . another columbus movie is promised us this fall .


the ghastly love of johnny x is a 2012 american musical science fiction comedy film written , produced , and directed by paul bunnell .

it stars will keenan , creed bratton , and de anna joy brooks , reggie bannister , les williams , jed rowen and features , in supporting roles , kate maberly , paul williams and kevin mccarthy .

it was the last feature film shot in kodak plus-x .

the film is an homage to 1950 's sci-fi , teen and the rock and roll of the era .

it follows the adventures of johnny x , an alien on earth who is chasing his ex-girlfriend after she steals his powerful invention : the resurrection suit .

the ghastly love of johnny x

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the ghastly love of johnny x near you .
the ghastly love of johnny x
is terrible . i loved it . i would have paid $ 117 just to see it .
the ghastly love of johnny x creative team includes writer / producer / director paul bunnell , director of photography francisco bulgarelli and music composer ego plum .
the ghastly love of johnny x delivers a unique blend of hip genre moviemaking and timeless entertainment for what is sure to become a motion picture classic .
what ' s up with johnny ?
music & lyrics by scott martin with permission of scott martin musicals ( ascap ) from the motion picture the ghastly love of johnny x . . .
the fun begins as johnny x and his misfit gang of juvenile delinquents from outer space are sentenced to earth where
ghastly
is the word ! with highly stylized musical numbers , genuinely humorous dialogue and wacky plot twists , the ghastly love of johnny x makes filmmaking history as the final feature to be beautifully photographed onthe last of kodak ' s 35mm black - and - white plus - x film stock .
the university of southern indiana film studies department will host a free , public screening of the ghastly love of johnny x at 7 : 30 p . m . friday , may 12 in forum i located in the wright adminstration building on the usi campus . . . .
advance tickets to the 2 : 45 p . m . , wednesday , june 6 screening of the ghastly love of johnny x at dances with films are available at urltoken or at the chinese theatre box office . tickets are $ 10 prior to may 31st and thereafter , tickets are $ 13 . for more information on the ghastly love of johnny x or to view the trailer , visit urltoken . for more information on dances with films , may 31 – june 7 , 2012 at the chinese theatres in hollywood , visit urltoken .
on demand and in theaters now : urltoken the ghastly love of johnny x is a truly mad concoction—the only sci - fi dark comedy musical romance you need to see in your lifetime ! starring will keenan , creed bratton , de anna joy brooks , reggie bannister , les williams , jed rowen , kate maberly , paul williams and kevin mccarthy . copyright © ghastly johnny x , llc all rights reserved .
when bunnell and bulgarelli were ready to shoot what turned out to be only the first round of footage on the ghastíy love of johnny x , clairmont supplied a full moviecam package with hawk c - series anamorphic lenses .
the ghastly love of johnny x is paul bunnell ' s first 35mm feature film . in 1994 bunnell released his cult film that little monster which features a cameo appearance by the legendary comedian bob hope . his next project is a big screen adaptation of the classic victor hugo novel the man who laughs .
when one contemplates paul bunnellls retro sci - fi rock musical , the ghastly love of johnny x1 the lyrics of bob dylan come to mind . the film has been
a long time comin '
- production started in 2004 and was completed in late 201 1 - and the medium with which it was photographed , eastman kodak plus - x 5231 , is going to be
a long time gone .
kodak has stopped manufacturing the stock , and whatever the movies reception may be . the ghastly love of johnny x will go down in history as the last feature to be shot on it .
ghastly love
tries to work the same campy vibe as
the rocky horror picture show
but learns how hard that is to pull off .
the ghastly love of johnny x is a 35mm independent motion picture presented in ghastlyscope – an exciting retro - style hybrid feature film about a gang of juvenile delinquents from outer space that blends 1950s sci - fi , melodrama , song - and - dance , and a touch of horror into a mesmerizing big screen spectacular .
paul williams has written some of the most beloved songs of his generation , but he ' s also a prolific actor , including a recent stint in the ghastly love of johnny x , and here ' s a new clip featuring him as
cousin quilty
. the film is directed by paul bunnell ; written by steve bingen , paul bunnell , mark d . murphy , and george wagner ; and produced by paul bunnell , john duffy , ezra kemp , kristina west , mark willoughby , ramzi abed , and joe rios . synopsis : the ghastly love of johnny x is a truly mad concoction – a mesmerizing big screen spectacular ! johnny x and his rebellious gang of juvenile delinquents from outer space ( called the ghastly ones ) have been banished to planet earth until they can pay for their crimes . the ghastly ones are in hot pursuit of a mysterious femme fatale named bliss , who has stolen their most prized possession—a strange suit with magical powers known as the “resurrection suit .
, who was oscar - nominated for his role in 1951 ' s
death of a salesman
and starred in the original
invasion of the bodysnatchers .
his appearance in
johnny x
is the kind of cameo that would excite
macklemore & ryan lewis - same love feat . mary lambert ( official video )
this is a movie everyone needs to see . best sci fi / musical ! so funny ! and entertaining . i love this movie so much ! johnny x is amazing . i loved the retro 50s style and delinquency of johnnyx and his gang saving mankind . the storyline was so entertaining and well scripted . i loved the music and dancing . it ' s a fun movie and very comical . johnny x is amazing ! watch this movie !
it ' s ghastly ! light on the muscle numbers , this piece still gives rocky horror a run for its money . a musicale sci fi comedy , what ' s not to love ?
icona pop - i love it ( feat . charli xcx ) [ official video ]
dances with films is setting the stage to bring the 15th year of its unique brand to los angeles audiences with more world premieres and original films from across the u . s . and abroad . the ghastly love of johnny x is proud to be among the films chosen to play at this year ' s festival , which will be showcased at the famed chinese theatres in hollywood , 6801 hollywood blvd . , at 2 : 45 p . m . on wednesday , june 6 , 2012 .
being ; big green bug eyed monster , these lips that never lie and what ' s up with johnny ? i recommend this movie to those who love it campy and fun , those with a love for old b movies or for those that love it weird and wacky . criswell predicts that this movie will become a cult classic eventually
— from the imaginations of tim burton and johnny depp comes sweeney todd . extended spot features clips from the film plus video interviews with tim burt
will keenan plays johnny xavier , alien leader of gang of teenage toughs who call themselves
the ghastly ones .
they are expelled from their orderly home planet for constantly kicking up a ruckus and sent to the ghastliest place the grand inquisitor can imagine : earth . ( the grand inquisitor is , incidentally , the last part ever played by the late
you know , just the other day someone asked if we knew of any films that combine 1950s sci - fi melodrama , song - and - dance , and a touch of horror . good thing info on the premiere of the ghastly love of johnny x has just landed in our inbox ! the ghastly love of johnny x will have its world premiere at this year’s cinequest film festival in san jose , california , on march 3rd with two additional showings on the 6th and 10th . screening times are as follows : saturday , march 3rd at 9 : 30 pm – california theatre ( world premiere ) tuesday , march 6th at 7 : 00 pm – san jose repertory theatre saturday , march 10th at 4 : 45 pm – san jose repertory theatre the film is directed by paul bunnell ; written by steve bingen , paul bunnell , mark d . murphy , and george wagner ; and produced by paul bunnell , john duffy , ezra kemp , kristina west , mark willoughby , ramzi abed , and joe rios .
— johnny knoxville and friends are back to raise the stakes higher and lower the bar further . an improvement over the first installment , jackass number
i imagine you have heard of joss whedon ' s
the avengers .
of all the 657 films released in us cinemas in 2012 it took in the most money , with a total gross of $ 623 , 357 , 910 . i imagine you have not heard of paul bunnell ' s
the ghastly love of johnny x .
of all the 657 films released in us cinemas in 2012 it took the least money , with a total gross $ 117 . it has been reported that the gross was actually $ 116 . 15 but when i email bunnell to check , he is adamant it was a full $ 117 . bunnell is a film - maker to whom 85 cents really matters .
on the fence about the ghastly love of johnny x , which is billed as
the only sci - fi dark comedy musical romance you need to see this year
? then watch this trio of promo clips , and if you live in or around san jose , check it out in early march at the cinequest film festival . the ghastly love of johnny x will have its world premiere at this year’s cinequest film festival in san jose , california , on march 3rd with two additional showings on the 6th and 10th . screening times are as follows : saturday , march 3rd at 9 : 30 pm – california theatre ( world premiere ) tuesday , march 6th at 7 : 00 pm – san jose repertory theatre saturday , march 10th at 4 : 45 pm – san jose repertory theatre the film is directed by paul bunnell ; written by steve bingen , paul bunnell , mark d . murphy , and george wagner ; and produced by paul bunnell , john duffy , ezra kemp ,
banished to earth for intergalactic juvenile delinquency , johnny x and his gang of ghastly ones set off in search of a piece of alien technology that could change the fate of the universe forever the so - called resurrection suit . soon , the extraterrestrial no - goodniks are embroiled in a wacky scheme involving a femme fatale named bliss , a shifty concert promoter with schemes of his own , and a recently deceased musician who won t let a little decomposition stop him from rocking . bonus features : paul bunnell ' s ghastly vision featurette - commentary track with director paul bunnell , composer ego plum & de anna joy brooks - deleted scenes - outtakes
university of southern indiana spring films : “swiss army man” ( 2016 ) , 11 a . m . and 1 : 30 p . m . tuesday in forum i ; “the neon demon” ( 2016 ) , 7 : 30 p . m . friday ; “the ghastly love of johnny x” ( 2012 ) , 11 a . m . and 1 : 30 p . m . april 25 ; “falstaff : chimes at midnight” ( 1965 ) , 7 : 30 p . m . april 28 . admission is free .
but he is also a film - maker to whom film really matters .
the ghastly love of johnny x
is a tribute to film in both senses of the word , a paean to science - fiction films of the 1950s and to the benefits of shooting on film rather than with digital cameras . it is a black and white widescreen science - fiction musical about
juvenile delinquents from outer space
, which is enough to make it memorable . but what entitles it to an entry in the annals of film history is that it was the final film ever to be shot on kodak ' s now discontinued 35mm black and white plus - x film stock , which had been manufactured since 1938 . that made bunnell ' s film significant enough for nbc nightly news to run a feature on it and for the library of congress to hold a copy .
a decade in - the - making , the ghastly love of johnny x really comes together in the details . in order to make such a concept pop , this one needed as much research as guts and gumption to see it over the line , and filmmaker paul bunnell has obviously invested a significant amount of time and money into making sure his film rises to its many , many sources of inspiration . i can see john waters in here ; i can see alien invasion films ; i can see the big monster movies of the atomic age ; i can see west wide story ; i can see james dean ' s oeuvre ; i can even see a bit of frankenstein and re - animator . the fact that bunnell has managed to rope all these influences together into one cohesive package is a feat that deserves ' high five ' recognition . the songs by ego plum and lyricist scott martin aren ' t quite that of bacharach or leiber & stoller , but they ' re tight , finger - snapping ditties that recall the show tunes of a bygone era and ornament the film perfectly without overwhelming it . ultimately , the ghastly love of johnny x is just too unique and beautiful not to recommend . you may like it , you may not . either way , i guarantee it will be unlike anything you have seen before .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
. ) the ghastly ones arrive in a version of 1950s america that seems deliberately littered with anachronisms . the fashions are from the ' 50s . the cars are from the ' 60s . there is a rock star —
the man with the grin
mickey o ' flynn — who seems to come from the ' 70s . we are told he is a member of the rock ' n ' roll hall of fame , which was founded in the ' 80s . the camera one of his fans uses to take a picture of him is clearly from the 21st century .
) , from the attentions of several unscrupulous loan sharks . by this point , we ' re about a third of the way through the film .
spends a significant period of the film playing a motionless corpse slumped in an armchair . it ' s one of the better examples of acting on show . the songs are dreadful and yet , when i woke up the morning after first watching
johnny x
, i had one of them stuck in my head . my lips soon sang along . francisco bulgarelli ' s cinematography is the real triumph : it recreates the peculiar beauty of low - budget 1950s sci - fi films better than any movie i have seen besides tim burton ' s
this film is woefully underrated . for me it sparkles as a loving homage to the stuff i enjoyed in the 50s , when movies were honest fun and not just vehicles for the purveyance of slut and filth as they are today . it hearkens back to what hollywood once was while maintaining technological currency . additionally it is the last feature shot on actual black - and - white kodak plus - x 35mm film stock . i predict
the ghastly love of johnny x
will grow to become a cult favorite like
the rocky horror picture show .
mark my words ! i have had the opportunity to see this picture in both dcp and on real 35mm film . it looks great in either medium , but the film print adds a certain hard - to - define quality that is woefully missing in most cinema presentations today .
it has a similar zest and campiness as the musical
little shop of horrors .
. lots of humor . excellent music and dance numbers in this strange sci - fi story that also echoes the flavor of a twilight zone and a touch of
rocky horror picture show
. surprisingly entertaining - a low budget labor of love by a talented director .
paul bunnell loves retro horror / sci ~ fi . and his masterwork
the ghastly love of johnny x
proves it . otherwise known as
juvenile delinquents from outer space
, this visual achievement is a blast ! it is a horror - scifi - pop culture - musical all in one . you get aliens , wild women , a
zombie elvis / roy orbison mutation
as i call it , and endless retro tributes to the golden age of american horror - scifi ( 1950 ' s - 1960 ' s ) . not a cheap b - movie , this is an art film and a labor of loving obsession with yesteryear ' s movie classics of the cult cinema .
60s but this is no b movie this is a work of art . the cast are perfect , will keenan & de anna joy brooks as johnny x & bliss are delicious ! paul
swan
williams turns up as cousin quilty , reggie bannister as king clayton and kevin mccarthy as the grand inquisitor
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
there is surrealism in even the film ' s smallest details that recalls something of the work of david lynch . but in lynch ' s films the surrealism is inexplicably unsettling . here it is inexplicably amusing . when johnny x ' s former girlfriend , bliss ( de anna joy brooks ) , persuades square - jawed soda jerk chip ( les williams ) to take her away from johnny , chip drives her to a dilapidated drive - in and talks about the double features he used to see there long ago , before it was abandoned . it is the sort of scene we would expect to see in a wistful drama set , at the earliest , in the 1970s . chip talks as if the era of the soda jerk and the drive - in movie is lost to the past but at the time the film is set it would have been at its height .
when i showed the early footage of johnny x to terry [ clairmont ] , he nodded his head in approval and said , ? want to watch this movie /
recalls bulgareili .
that left me with a great feeling because terry was a very genuine person who meant what he said .
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this is the world premiere release of the rat race original soundtrack recording . there was an lp release of the sam butera version of the theme – an album called “sam butera and the witnesses play the music from the rat race , ” but it was just the theme ; the rest of the album was filled with standards . the original tapes , housed in paramount’s vaults , were in excellent condition and we present bernstein’s score in its entirety in stereo . in the bonus section we’ve included some mono source cues ( all by bernstein ) and a couple of demos .
— moving picture released this vfx breakdown for sweeney todd . tim burton has directed the movie version of sweeney todd ; the demon barber of fleet str
finally got around to watching a film i ' ve been excited to see since i discovered it ' s existence 2 months ago .
the ghastly love of johnny x
from director / writer , paul bunnell and starring will keenan , creed bratton , reggie bannister & the late , kevin mccarthy . i loved it . it ' s a retro 50 ' s period piece involving a gang of greasers from outer space called , the ghastly ones ,
serving time
on earth for their intergalactic shenanigans . a post - dead rock star , a straight edge hero , a slime ball concert promoter , manipulative heroines , and a tor johnson - esq thug . . . . all brought together with fantastic musical numbers and perfect locations / sets . . . . it ' s a pure , fun popcorn flick great for all ages and highly recommend checking this gem out !
university of southern indiana assistant professor of art alisa “al” holen exhibits her ceramics in the john streetman alcove . . . .
— terry malloy ( marlon brando ) is a washed - up ex - prizefighter in his late twenties working on the docks for the local gang boss , johnny friendly ( lee j .
— a city of ten million people , los angeles is built on dreams of fame where glitz and glamour dominate the topical landscape . but beneath the tabloid h
in a fittingly strange way , america ' s least successful movie was a victim of its own success . the only reason
johnny x
was shown in a theater at all was that it won the audience award at the kansas international film festival , where its prize was a week - long run on a single screen at a single local cinema . officially , that meant it had been released theatrically and entered in the same box office race as
the avengers .
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
with dnematography experience mainly in short films and music videos , bulgarelli saw johnny xas an opportunity and a challenge .
few things can match the beauty of the anamorphic format
he observes .
it offers two things : more resolution , because it uses the full dimension of the academy 35mm frame , and the shallower depth - of - field that is inherent in anamorphic optks . but paul wanted to shoot in black - and - white on plus - x , which meant an asa of 80 . my first thought was , 1we are going to need quite a bit of light / and we sure did ! our lighting package at times required five 20ks , several 1 0ks and 5ks and some smaller units . i have to say , we cheated a bit : we used [ 200 - speed ] double - x 5222 for a few scenes , mainly night exteriors .
the concept for johnny x began to take shape in 1 997 , when bunnell saw teenagers from outer space ( 1959 ) , tom graeff ' s cult favorite . the script was developed over several years with input from bunnetl and several other writers , including steve bingen , mark d . murphy and george wagner . the idea to add songs came just as the film was about to go before the cameras , and scott martin was tapped to write lyrics and music while ego plum did the orchestrations .
an interview with terry gilliam , director of
the man who killed don quixote .
the opening shot of a movie can tell us a lot about how to view and interpret what follows . it can even represent the whole movie in miniature . the opening shots project collects illustrated analyses of some of jim emerson ' s favorites , and contributions from scanners readers .
krannert gallery : krannert hall of fine arts on the university of evansville campus , an exhibit of the work of digital painters , jenna citrus , jan frick thompson and heather landry , through may 6 ( reception , 5 : 30 p . m . thursday ) . call 207 - 650 - 6073 .
the bizarre joy to be taken in the plot reflects the bizarre joy to be taken in the whole production . all the performances are intentionally absurd . as mickey o ' flynn ,
the cast includes hot new stars will keenan and de anna joy brooks , as well as seasoned professionals creed bratton ( the office ) , reggie bannister ( phantasm ) , paul williams ( phantom of the paradise ) and the late kevin mccarthy ( invasion of the body snatchers ) in his final role .
the cannes international film festival is the most talked - about film festival of the year , where directors from around the world showcase their newest work , from the most challenging art cinema to the big blockbusters . for many years , roger ebert and a team of contributors have covered cannes , and we are continuing that tradition with start - to - finish coverage from around the festival .
i could tell you the whole plot but you might think i had been drinking . it concerns johnny ' s search for o ' flynn , who he knows is his father . ( how a musician came to conceive a child with an alien on a distant planet is not disclosed , nor even discussed . ) when johnny finds o ' flynn , o ' flynn is already dead and johnny is asked to use his special suit to resurrect him so he can put on a comeback concert and save his manager , king clayton (
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the old gallery features large - scale plein - air paintings of spanish artist ramon vilanova . . . .
an unusual swan song for plus - x
by birchard , robert s . - american cinematographer , vol . 93 , issue 3 , march 2012 | online research library : questia
after getting 30 minutes of footage in the can , bunnell had to suspend production when his resources thinned . …
robbie is new jersey ' s favorite wedding singer until his fiancée leaves him at the altar . to make everyone else as miserable as he is , robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own until he finds his true love julia . . . .
moscow , or moscou in flemish , is a densely populated working class neighbourhood on the outskirts of ghent , belgium . matty ( 41 ) , mother of three , bu ( more… )
since he started as film critic for the chicago sun - times in 1967 , and began covering movies locally and at international film festivals , roger ebert has met and interviewed countless movie idols , artists and unknowns - - some of them even before they became famous . there ' s hardly a major figure in the history of movies , from the last part of the 20th century into the 21st , that he hasn ' t encountered .
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as much of a leading character as those played by curtis and reynolds is the incredibly dynamic score by elmer bernstein . right from the get - go , his electric , jazzy , and spectacular theme grabs you and never lets go . that theme recurs throughout the score – pulsing with the teeming life of the city , with wailing brass and insistent rhythms . some cues keep the big - band jazzy feeling , while others are mournful and tender , as the story requires . it is , simply put , one of bernstein’s best . nobody did this kind of score better than elmer bernstein – it’s just filled with memorable melodies and stunningly gorgeous music . 1960 was a great year for bernstein , what with the rat race and then one of his all - time masterpieces , the magnificent seven . the theme from the rat race enjoyed some popularity and radio play when it was recorded by cast member sam butera and the witnesses .
days of caring are community - wide events in which the united way connects volunteers with nonprofit agencies in need of help . more than 900 volunteers donate their time and talents to meaningful projects that nonprofits might not otherwise have the resources . . .
this exhibit features the field study done during the 2016 first brush of spring workshop along with a studio painting related to the original . a reception occurs 5 to 7 p . m . april 19 . . . .
from the inception of the project , bunnell wanted to shoot the film in black - and - white and widescreen . this was partly an homage to the films that inspired him , but he also felt monochrome would work best for his tale of an outcast teenager from another planet whose ticket home is to commit one selfless good deed . potential financiers did not share bunnell enthusiasm for black - and - white , however , so he financed the first phase of production on his own . that meant tapping into his home equity , a move that seemed much less risky in the mid - 2000s than it later proved to be . with faith in his vision , bunnell produced and edited a 20 - minute section of the movie that would show off the concept , music and talents of the cast and aew . he hired cinematographer francisco bulgarelli to shoot the film .
urltoken the art directors guild ( adg , iatse local 800 ) is celebrating its 75th anniversary with numerous high - profile special events planned throughout the year . these events will include exhibitions , screenings , receptions , panel discussions , proclamations and celebrations to be announced . the guild was established in 1937 . the 2 , 000 members of the adg and special guests will be invited to all celebratory events . the year’s celebrations open with the guild’s participation in the santa clarita cowboy festival to be held at the melody ranch motion picture studio april 21 - 22 . the guild will have a “store - front” on the ranch’s main street with an exhibition titled “the artistry of making a cowboy movie , ” featuring members’ work from classic motion picture and television westerns including silverado , the lone ranger , deadwood , wild bill and gunsmoke . for more information : santa clarita cowboy festival a reception celebrating the publication of the coffee table book m - g - m : hollywood’s greatest
it is a truth accepted by all but the most humorless film fans that a bad movie can be good fun . this is very bad movie that is very good fun . that it was the lowest grossing film of 2012 and the last film ever shot on plus - x gives viewers two reasons to seek it out . i hope this review , and the few like it that are dotted across the internet , provide a third . any film made with this much spirit deserves an audience far bigger than the one it can get by playing on one screen in one theater in kansas .
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best , and last , film to be shot on kodak b & w pan - x film ! a rock - n - roll , sci - fi , juvenile deliquents from outer space kind of thing . truly a fun romp with catchy tunes and fun characters . loved it ! ! ! ! !
highly entertaining movie . jed rowen is an awesome and underrated actor . no relation , i just love low - budget b - movies and he ' s in a lot of them . this is a goofy , musical , comedy . it ' s a throwback to 1950 ' s sci - fi with a dab of beach blanket bingo . accept it for what it is and you should enjoy it .
southwestern indiana daylily society program : presented by georgia hybridizer bill waldrop of kennesaw mountain daylily gardens , marietta , georgia , 6 p . m . at the ohio township public library / bell road library , 4111 lakeshore , newburgh . waldrop has introduced many award winning daylilies . an auction of some of his daylily plants will follow his presentation . the event is free and open to the public .
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the ebert club is our hand - picked selection of content for ebert fans . you will receive a weekly newsletter full of movie - related tidbits , articles , trailers , even the occasional streamable movie . club members also get access to our members - only section on urltoken
the rumjahn gallery presents ( this is not an ) art exhibit . group show featuring a group of talented young artists known as the arts council of doom . pieces range from paintings , photography , mixed media , and sculpture . free admission and refreshments . . . .
— on july 1st , meet the man behind the myth . tv spot for public enemies shows new never before seen footage from the film with focus on john dillinger
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the rat race is limited to 1200 copies only . the price is $ 19 . 98 , plus shipping .
free 5 - 8 business - day shipping within the u . s . when you order $ 25 of eligible items sold or fulfilled by amazon .
own all of the previous ' mission : impossible ' movies to watch at home for just $ 3 . 99 each with ticket purchase . buy tickets
assembled from private and public collections , this exhibition details the life and work of evansville courier cartoonist and city booster karl kae knecht . . . .
book review one might think that by this time , every conceivable film - related topic has been covered in book form…but the newest releases prove that this isn’t so . perhaps the most unusual , and exciting , addition to the library of movie books is m - g - m : hollywood’s greatest backlot by steven bingen , stephen x . sylvester , and michael troyan , with a foreword by mgm veteran debbie reynolds ( santa monica press ) . as the authors explain in their introduction , “our purpose in producing this book is not to discuss the films that mgm produced . that particular road has been well traveled elsewhere . our interest here is not…
— italian mob leader big louie costillo is killed by tony camonte , setting off gang wars over the control of chicago ' s bootlegging business . under order
the place for everything that doesn ' t have a home elsewhere on rogerebert . com , this is a collection of thoughts , ideas , snippets , and other fun things that roger and others posted over the years .
roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the
11th hour
series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .
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an affectionate and consistently amusing homage to a whole bunch of movies that probably shouldn ' t go together .
and he ' s right . something this amazing will not stay hidden for long . buy it , see it , show it to all of your friends , family and even your mad aunt kept locked up in the attic ! ! paul bunnell will one day be regarded rightly as the true genious that he is ! ! ! ( this review is a copy of the review i put on amazon ! ! )
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any unauthorized duplication , copying , distribution , exhibition or use may result in civil liability , and / or criminal prosecution and the wrath of sluggo .
— the trailer for george ryga ' s hungry hills courtesy of twitch . snit mandolin ( keir gilchrist ) just wants to go home . after two years in a welfare resi
brown bag performance series : university of evansville opera previews “orpheus in the underworld , ” noon at the arts council of southwestern indiana bsf gallery , 318 main st . ( free ) . attendees are encouraged to bring lunch . other performances include rena bever “almost” all mozart on april 26 . call 812 - 422 - 2111 or visit artswin . org .
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50 ' s style sci fi musical . lots of stars you will recognize in this one . i loved it
choose 1 of 2 free * posters with ticket purchase ( * shipping & handling not included ) . buy tickets
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cd will ship the first week of november – however , never fear , preorders placed directly through kritzerland usually ship one to five weeks earlier ( we’ve been averaging four weeks early ) .
nothing here makes much sense or strives to . what ' s worse ( or better ) is that any scene with more than three lines of dialogue will have you craving a copy of ' jane eyre ' to reconstitute your brain cells .
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hoosier salon new harmony gallery : 507 church st . , new harmony , “field to finish” exhibit featuring field studies painted by plein air artists at the annual first brush of spring paint out and the finished works produced in the studio during the year , through may 28 ( public reception , 5 - 7 p . m . wednesday ; awards presented at 6 p . m . ) . call 812 - 459 - 9851 or visit urltoken
the rat race began life in 1949 as a broadway play by garson kanin . eleven years later , paramount pictures brought the rat race to the screen , starring debbie reynolds as a down - on - her - luck model and dancer , and tony curtis as a new to new york aspiring musician . the great supporting cast included jack oakie , kay medford , norman fell , and a very young don rickles . as with the broadway play , several notable musicians were also in the cast – reprising his broadway role was joe bushkin , and gerry mulligan and sam butera also appeared . the film was directed by robert mulligan ( it was his second film , after fear strikes out – also for paramount ) , and the screenplay was by kanin . curtis and reynolds deliver star performances – it’s one of reynolds’ best performances , and the large supporting cast is wonderful ( especially rickles , who is really effective as a sleazeball ) . the photography of robert burks ( at that time , alfred hitchcock’s regular cameraman ) is stunning and mulligan’s direction is terrific – he would , of course , go on to direct to kill a mockingbird just three years later .
not as good as the trailer made it look . could have been better .
evansville museum : 411 se riverside drive , “stillness : drawings” by skip steinworth , through may 14 ; “the far - reaching impact of karl kae knecht , ” april 23 through july 9 ; on april 27 at 6 : 30 p . m . , james macleod , professor of history at the university of evansville and author of the book “the cartoons of evansville’s karl kae knecht : half a century of artistic activism” will speak about the life and work of karl kae knecht ; first thursdays artist alicia lachance , through may 3 . open 11 a . m . to 5 p . m . tuesday , wednesday , friday and saturday ; 11 a . m . to 8 p . m . thursday and noon to 5 p . m . sunday . science with a twist : alaskan science , 6 : 30 - 9 p . m . wednesday , bokeh lounge ; museum shark adventures , 6 - 7 p . m . the fourth thursday of each month ( $ 10 per child ; caregivers are free ; museum members pay $ 5 per child ) ; super saturday : coal , diamonds , graphite , oh my ! , 11 a . m . to 3 p . m . saturday ; date night spirit tasting , 5 : 30 - 8 p . m . april 27 , diamond galleria ( hors d’oeuvres , open bar with spirit tastings and live music ; tickets are $ 75 per couple ) ; sciencepalooza , 11 a . m . to 5 p . m . april 29 ; call 812 - 425 - 2406 .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
— in an uncertain world , few things are as dependable as the british secret service . so when an unthinkable plan to filch the country ' s beloved crown je
it’s been a while since i surveyed new film books , and while ( as usual ) i haven’t had time to read these cover - to - cover i’ve gleaned just enough from skimming to feel confident in recommending them to you . warner bros . hollywood’s ultimate backlot by steven bingen with marc wanamaker , bison archives ; foreword by doris day ( taylor trade publishing ) in the wake of his eye - opening book about mgm ( mgm : hollywood’s greatest backlot ) , steven bingen has produced another wondrous look behind the scenes of a great movie studio . whether you browse through the hundreds of unfamiliar photos detailing the famous burbank facility or read the complete text , this book will take you . . . [ [ this is a content summary only . visit my website for full links , other content , and more ! ] ]
seussical is a musical by lynn ahrens and stephen flaherty that combines many of dr . seuss ' s most famous books . . . .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
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roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
alien juvenile delinquents are exiled to earth , where they scheme to control a
resurrection suit
that can bring a recently deceased rock and roll star back from the dead . in black and white with musical numbers . the hepcat influences here are so cool you root for the movie to work , but the incoherent script , flat musical numbers and lame attempts at comedy lead to nowheresville . still , there are a few campy kicks along the way , including
the office
' s creed bratton as an unlikely rock idol .
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the texas theatre ( view ) 231 w jefferson blvd . dallas , tx 75208 united states
a truly mad concoction , blending 1950s juvenile delinquents , sci - fi melodrama , song - and - dance , and a touch of horror , everything in just the right combination to create an engaging big . . . see full summary »
university of evansville music events : university orchestra and university choir , 7 : 30 p . m . tuesday , neu chapel ; string ensemble , 6 p . m . thursday , wheeler concert hall ; ue opera presents “orpheus in the underwo
mind ! i am the target audience for this ! but alas not available here in the uk ! ! ! and so i bought a multi regional dvd player just so i could see it , i watch it at least once a month now . this is the most sensationa
roger ebert has attended international film festivals and events for almost half a century , from the kolkata international film festival to the academy awards . in addition to his coverage , our contributors report the latest from cannes , telluride , toronto , sundance and other movie showcases world - wide .
the public education foundation of evansville is hosting its ultimate bake sale offering pre - baked breakfast casseroles and quiches . perfect for your mother ' s day brunch . cheesecakes , brownies , cupcakes , cookies , homemade candies , and pies . . . .
visit the beautiful victorian gardens , 1885 architecture , lankford archives reading room , and browning gallery at indiana ' s oldest library . peruse a selection of items for purchase and enjoy hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants . a cash bar is available . guests must be . . .
first brush of spring paint out : new harmony ; “field to finish” exhibit and public reception , 5 - 7 p . m . wednesday at the hoosier salon new harmony gallery , 507 church st . awards will be presented at 6 p . m . on thursday , artists are invited to bring a blank canvas , have it stamped , and be ready to participate in the competitive quick draw event beginning at the holy angels community center by 5 p . m . artists must keep their canvases blank until a signal is given for them to begin painting . the entries will be judged at 7 p . m . , and awards will be given at a reception which follows immediately . kids’ mini - workshop will be saturday from 9 - 11 a . m . at murphy park shelter house on south main street . participants must register for the workshop by contacting maggie rapp at 812 - 459 - 9851 . completed art work may be entered into the youth competition at paint out . the annual plein air paint out art sale will be saturday from 9 a . m . to noon at the ribeyre gymnasium . the art sale offers the public an opportunity to view and purchase art created at the paint out . for more information , contact maggie rapp at urltoken or 812 - 459 - 9851 or visit urltoken
clairmont camera served as bulgarelli ' s film school .
denny and terry clairmont were always willing to share their knowledge with me ; they knew i wanted to shoot and always offered their support , either by answering technical questions or allowing me to take out equipment on the weekends . having the opportunity to work in the lens department proved to be very valuable later on , when i decided to go freelance . working with lenses for all those years came in handy when it was time to choose the right tools for the job .
former seinfeld writer pat hazell stars in this fast - paced salute to americana . baby boomers everywhere enjoy this production , which is a combination of standup and theater . . . .
calendar for april 16 university of evansville music events : university orchestra and university choir , 7 : 30 p . m . tuesday , neu chapel ; string ensemble , 6 p . m . thursday , wheeler concert hall ; ue opera presents “orpheus in the underwo check out this story on urltoken urltoken
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our far - flung correspondents are cinephiles from all over the world , hand - picked by roger ebert to write about movies from their unique international perspectives . they include contributors from ( alphabetically ) brazil , canada , egypt , great britain , india , mexico , the philippines , south korea , turkey and the u . s . they converge every year at ebertfest .
angel mounds art gallery : 8215 pollack ave . , original works of local artists members of angel mounds . open 9 a . m . to 5 p . m . tuesday through saturday , 1 - 5 p . m . sunday . onsite painting classes are offered tuesdays and thursdays from 9 : 30 a . m . to 12 : 30 p . m . call 812 - 853 - 3956 .
as we ponder this , bliss bursts into a musical number announcing she is an alien who needs chip ' s help to escape the extraterrestrial ex - boyfriend from whom she has stolen a magic suit that allows its wearer to control other people like puppets , and promising sexual favors in return . it ' s that kind of movie .
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