haber is a 2008 short-film written and directed by daniel ragussis .

the film recounts the work of fritz haber in developing chemical weapons for the german army during world war i. although the film has not yet been released to the general public , screenings have taken place at film festivals around the world , where it has received praise from the media .

there is also a non-commercial version of this film , used for educational purposes .

haber ( film )

haber
is extensively reviewed in an article covering three recent artistic portrayals of fritz haber .
haber
is featured in an article covering the newfound interest in the life and story of fritz haber .
jill haber : set painter work affected l . a . film , tv production exodus – variety
haber
is one of four short films mentioned in the coverage of the la shorts film festival .
“haber , ” a drama about nobel prize - winning german chemist fritz haber , took home the l . a . shorts film festival’s best of the fest award on friday .
, the
haber
feature script won a prestigious sloan development award at the 2010 tribeca film festival .
bafta la executive director don haber arrives at the bafta la student film awards at los angeles film school on june 20 , 2012 in los angeles , california .
haber
( usa ) directed by daniel ragussis : official selection of the 2009 san joaquin international film festival . urltoken
the bafta la student film awards winner for her film skunk annie silverstein . . .
, la shorts , the largest short film festival in the world , awarded
haber
its top prize , the best of fest award . this award officially qualified
haber
for the 2009 academy awards .
- actorse chat with katy haber and sandro monetti ( 2014 ) . . . herself
the rhode island international film festival awarded
haber
the grand prize for best student film . riiff is one of only about 70 academy - qualifying festivals in the world .
the bafta la student film awards winner for her film skunk annie silverstein attends the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
the bafta la student film awards winner for her film skunk annie silverstein with . . .
tanya vega , danny de lilao and bafta la executive director donald haber attends the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
haber
is again discussed in the lead - up to the 2009 academy awards .
bafta la community education outreach committee co - chair katy haber presents onstage at the bafta la student film awards at los angeles film school on june 20 , 2012 in los angeles , california .
haber
received the prestigious motion pictures award from the national board of review , which has been recognizing excellence in film for over 100 years .
filmmaker dan ragussis turns his lens to chemistry at war with his short movie on fritz haber .
tanya vega , danny de lilao and bafta la executive director donald haber attends the . . .
the movie about fritz shimon haber is a great dramatization of real life events that also allow a deeper insight into events surrounding the development of the
haber process
. it is very educational and well made and for me it was much more interesting learning the haber process from it than from a text book . i was most impressed with the quality of the film and the sensitivity it showed towards the subject matter , the complexity of fritz shimon haber ' s and his wife ' s characters and their relation to each other . haber ' s personality really comes through in the film , but for me personally , most poignant was the portrayal of haber ' s wife clara .
after winning the best of fest award at the los angeles international short film festival ( la shorts ) ,
haber
became an official qualifier for best short film at the 2009 academy awards .
“haber , ” a drama about nobel prize - winning german chemist fritz haber , took home the l . a . shorts film festival’s best of the fest award on friday . brett wagner’s “chief” drew the drama nod , and germany’s “positive prognosis , ” from director peter ladkani , took foreign film . “haber” director daniel ragussis , who also scripted the project , was presented with a [ … ]
chair of the board nigel daly attends the bafta la student film awards at la film . . .
a general view of atmosphere at the bafta la student film awards at la film school . . .
the bafta la student film awards winner for her film skunk annie silverstein with bafta la nigel daly attend the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
fritz shimon haber created zyklon a as a pesticide . in its more potent form , zyklon b was used to gas thousands of civilians in concentration camps - most of them jews . haber was himself jewish .
nigel daly attends the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , . . .
“haber” director daniel ragussis , who also scripted the project , was presented with a $ 60 , 000 camera package , and his film now qualifies for an academy award nomination .
bafta la member wayne watkins , film finalist madeline sharafian , chair of student film awards paul heller , bafta la ' s debroah kolar and bafta operations manager matthew wiseman attend the bafta la student film awards at la film school . . .
nigel daly attends the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
( see below ) , the alfred p . sloan foundation generously provided a film production grant of $ 20 , 000 . for over ten years the foundation has partnered with the sundance institute , the tribeca film institute , and various other film festivals and film schools to establish annual awards in screenwriting and film production .
haber
was one of only 18 short films to be chosen as an official selection for the 2008 telluride film festival , one of the most selective shorts programs in the world .
fritz haber developed germany’s poison gas program during world war i and supervised the first use of chlorine gas on the western front .
magazine after winning the expo competition grand prize for
freud
( the
haber
feature screenplay won two years later ) .
bafta la member wayne watkins , film finalist madeline sharafian , chair of student film awards paul heller , bafta la ' s debroah kolar and bafta operations manager matthew wiseman attend the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
a general view of atmosphere at the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
haber
won the student choice award for best cinematography at the 2009 columbia film festival , and was screened at both the new york festival and the los angeles festival for faculty selects & honors films .
chair of the board nigel daly attends the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
haber
wins the coveted top prize at la shorts ( the largest short film festival in the world ) , including a $ 60 , 000 panavision camera package , and officially qualifies for the academy awards .
finalist madeline sharafian and actor deepak verma attend the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
at the brink of world war i , fritz shimon haber was germany ' s greatest chemist . haber ' s nobel prize - winning synthetic fertilizers saved world ' s population from mass starvation . but as world war i broke out killing millions of german soldiers , the desperate german forces asks shimon haber to provide the army with new kind of weapon . haber has already sacrificed his and his family ' s jewish identity in order to become a respectable german citizen . with his decision to invent such a weapon , haber was the first scientist in human history to unleash a weapon of mass destruction . later he paid the ultimate price for his ambition as his wife clara committed suicide and his invention was used for murdering millions of jewish people during world war ii .
browse through all our coverage of the 2015 tribeca film festival by clicking here .
haber is a short starring christian berkel , juliane köhler , and wolf kahler . in 1914 , fritz haber is germany ' s greatest chemist . his nobel prize - winning synthetic fertilizers have saved the world from mass starvation . but as world war i breaks out across europe , . . . see full summary »
jill haber , 51 , believes that caution served her well last year when her work as a los angeles - based set painter was coming to a halt .
the jury award for fiction short film went to
the beast ( zvjerka ) ,
directed by daina oniunas pusić . the award for documentary short film went to
the gatekeeper ,
directed by yung chang . the audience award for short film went to
into darkness ,
directed by rachida el garani . the audience award for web series went to
instababy ,
directed by rosie haber .
movie news , screening invitations and reviews from the world of independent film and beyond .
finalist madeline sharafian and actor deepak verma attend the bafta la student film . . .
an interview with writer / director daniel ragussis is accompanied by a review of the film .
bafta la member wayne watkins , film finalist madeline sharafian , chair of student . . .
fritz haber was a brilliant german - jewish chemist with one of the most amazing dual legacies in history . his revolutionary process for creating synthetic fertilizers averted the greatest overpopulation crisis the world has ever known and won him a nobel prize in 1918 . however , haber used his genius to create the first chemical weapon , which was used during world war i .
in 1914 , fritz haber is germany ' s greatest chemist . his nobel prize - winning synthetic fertilizers have saved the world from mass starvation . but as world war i breaks out across europe , slaughtering millions of young soldiers , the desperate german military asks haber to invent an entirely new kind of weapon . already having sacrificed his jewish identity and his wife ' s career to achieve success , haber ' s decision not only unleashes weapons of mass destruction for the first time in human history , but also threatens to destroy his family as well .
dalí and film
ran at the museum of modern art through september 15 , 2008 .
the jerome foundation , one of the most prestigious film grant givers in the country , has awarded
haber
the new york city media arts grant . the foundation makes grants to support the creation and production of new artistic works by emerging artists , and contributes to the professional advancement of those artists .
photograph : with thanks to the sk film archives llc , warner bros . and university of the arts london
the world fiction award went to
heis ( chronicles ) ,
a french film directed by anaïs volpé . also starring volpé , the film explores the concerns of european youth in the face of economic upheaval .
daniel ragussis received his ba from georgetown university , where he was a rhodes scholarship finalist . he completed his mfa at columbia university , and his films and screenplays have won dozens of international awards . his thesis film , haber , won best of fest at la shorts , and became an official qualifier for the 2009 academy awards . it was also an official selection at telluride , and won the national board of review motion pictures award . the feature screenplay for haber has won or placed in 11 screenwriting competitions , including winning the
directed and written by daniel ragussis . produced by daniel ragussis , shannon factor , brian hwang , and chris spanos . photographed by carlos verón . edited by sara corrigan . music by simon taufique . production design by kay lee . principal cast : christian berkel ( as fritz haber ) , juliane köhler ( clara haber ) , wolf kahler ( ludendorff ) , mark margolis ( bremer ) , ted pejovich ( dean ostwald ) .
reviewed at sundance film festival ( competing ) , jan . 21 , 2016 . running time : 111 min .
an interview with writer / director boots riley about his incendiary new film ,
sorry to bother you .
dr : i heard about haber in 2001 or early 2002 . i saw a discovery channel special on him and immediately became obsessed . one of the things i love about the story is its massive historical sweep . it’s about the invention of weapons of mass destruction , the power of science , and the world at an incredible crossroads , but it’s also a personal and intimate story about haber as a human being and his relationship with his wife .
türkiye ' den ve dünya’dan son dakika haberler , köşe yazıları , magazinden siyasete , spordan seyahate bütün konuların tek adresi urltoken ; urltoken haber içerikleri kaynak gösterilmeden alıntı yapılamaz , kanuna aykırı ve izinsiz olarak kopyalanamaz , başka yerde yayınlanamaz .
silver bear for best actress : nina hoss for her yella in christian petzold ' s film of the same title .
the sloan foundation has supported two stories , in addition to abeel’s , about fritz haber : in 2003 columbia university granted a production award to daniel ragussis for his short film , and ten years later in 2013 nyu awarded dan hasse a screenwriting grant for his script . the short films were made , but a feature film has yet to make it to screen . this is true for a number of stories of historic scientific pioneers , including lise meitner and jane goodall .
finalists giovanni douresseau , camille stochitch , victoria rose , winner annie siverstein , will suto , madeline sharafian , patrick brooks and jp castel attend the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in . . .
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photograph : nk guy / with thanks to the sk film archives llc , warner bros . and university of the arts london
brett wagner’s “chief” drew the drama nod , and germany’s “positive prognosis , ” from director peter ladkani , took foreign film .
ahead of the closing night screening of
desierto ,
the los angeles film festival announced its award winners thursday afternoon .
finalists giovanni douresseau , camille stochitch , victoria rose , winner annie siverstein , will suto , madeline sharafian , patrick brooks and jp castel attend the bafta la student film awards at la film school on june 19 , 2014 in hollywood , california .
paul haber did the impossible beating the world racquetball champion in a winner take all hands versus racquet match in memphis . sports illustrated called it the greatest mixed sport match in the history of athletic competition . in the world of handball , paul haber was arnold palmer , jack nicklaus , bobby hull , joe dimaggio , joe namath , and a dash of frank sinatra . a sports illustrated writer called him
the most colorful champion in sports since namath - and with better knees .
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 .
katherine haber mbe was born in 1944 in london , england . she is best known for her work on blade runner ( 1982 ) as well as her collaboration with sam peckinpah on 8 of his films including straw dogs , the getaway , pat garrett and billy the kid and cross of iron . she is a founding member of the british academy of film and television arts los angeles . . .
dr : after the film appeared in festivals , i started getting e - mails from high school and college teachers in the united states , australia , germany , switzerland , and the netherlands about using the film in an educational setting . i realized this would be a great educational tool to provoke discussion among students . by selling the dvd to teachers and educators we’re also demonstrating that there is a market for this subject matter . we can then turn to the film industry and say , “we’ve shown there is a market for this film ; now help us make a feature version . ”
what could have been an intriguing film - noir premise loses its spark as jason lew imagines the romance between an ex - con and a suspected murderess .
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…
hong kong - japanese films dominated the annual asian film awards ceremony in hong kong , scooping best picture , best director and best actor titles , and halting south korea ' s stranglehold over the event . ' tokyo sonata , ' a portrait of the breakdown of a japanese family , won the best film award
. his varied career has included work within the fields of film , marketing , advertising , and new technologies , affording him the great privilege of working with such luminaries as john lithgow , james garner , tony danza , dennis miller , and two - time academy award - winning director martin strange - hansen . his most recent project was producing the acclaimed film welcome to life , an official selection at the 2004 sundance film festival and a regional finalist for the student academy award .
the director had fun at the press conference of his film . as jury president he does not want to criticize but to cherish the films of his colleagues .
originally from buenos aires , carlos veron has worked on hundreds of projects , from commercials and music videos to shorts and feature films . his commercial credits include spots for nike , mcdonalds , swatch , coca - cola , 7up , axe , mtv , and saks fifth avenue . his narrative work includes films that have played at the hamptons , palm springs , rome , buenos aires , and berlin film festivals . he is currently in post - production on the columbia thesis film
st . paul
and the documentary film cuba libre ,  shot on location in the dominican republic , and in pre - production on the feature film asher .
began lessons and playing handball , racquetball , tennis and squash at the houston racquet club in 1970 . competed in local , regional and national tournaments in the 70 ' s , 80 ' s , 90 ' s and early 2000 ' s . my friendship with paul haber began at a national aau tournament in 1971 .
“virgin mountain” won the founders award for best narrative feature and the best screenplay prize at tribeca , while gunnar jónsson was named best actor in a narrative feature film .
the actress , who was awarded the silver bear for best actress for playing the role of anna in thomas vinterberg ' s kollektivet and the director of the winning film fuocoammare .
ursula ellis is a filmmaker and writer who assists at lydia dean pilcher’s production company , cine mosaic , which is working on the upcoming disney film queen of katwe about a prodigious chess champion . science & film will publish an interview with pilcher about two other projects she is producing : hbo’s the immortal life of henrietta lacks and the sloan - supported feature radium girls .
during filming of paul ' s tribute my research indicated paul was in an unmarked indigent grave in a cemetery that had graffiti . i raised funds and provided him a tombstone . my efforts have gotten my friend elected to the southern california jewish sports hall of fame . i have gotten files started on my friend at museums across north america . my personal collection of paul david haber historic memorabilia is the largest in the world . the milwaukee journal sentinel , san diego union tribune , fort bend star have articles on this film tribute for my friend .
the flickers arts collaborative , an organization with 25 years of experience presenting major artistic events as well as independent and foreign films to the public , produces the rhode island international film festival .
it’s a film which drifts onward in search for an epiphany which doesn’t quite materialise . it is indulgent , and features a scenery - chewing , furniture - smashing performance from shia laboeuf .
the audience award for fiction feature film went to
green / is / gold ,
directed by ryon baxter . the audience award for documentary feature went to
political animals .
jill haber , 51 , believes that caution served her well last year when her work as a los angeles - based set painter was coming to a halt . “i was actually looking for a house to buy , and almost purchased one , ” she recalls . “but as work slowed even more , i made the decision not to buy . looking back , [ … ]
during the awards reception , there was also an announcement for an initiative for next year ' s festival . composer danny elfman will offer free licenses for filmmakers from his latest album ,
rabbit and rogue ,
for a short film competition . winners will have their world premieres at the 2017 l . a . film festival . full information is expected to be announced next week .
sloan science and film is made possible by generous support from the alfred p . sloan foundation . © 2018 museum of the moving image | rss | site map | terms of use | privacy policy
dalí did not turn reverentially to a new medium . film helps julian schnabel keep his formidable ego almost in check , for a more patient vision of others . dalí was not a patient man .
yet there is much that is valuable in the film : a sense of mood and space , interesting ideas and a tense triangular dynamic between its chief characters . the title is taken from lady antebellum’s country single which is collectively , sentimentally sung by the cast towards the end of the film – atypical , to say the least , as most of music they’ve been listening to has been hardcore rap .
haber may leave l . a . and move to florida to live with a relative . “i might just pick and go … it’s really gotten cutthroat out here . ” money is so short that she’s unable to help out her dog , toby , who has a torn acl . “i haven’t been able to take care of it , ” she sayss . “that’s how bad it is . ”
political animals ,
directed by jonah markowitz and tracy wares , won the documentary award . the film looks at the first openly lesbian members of the california legislature and their efforts to push anti - discrimination laws .
the most important awards at the berlinale are the golden bear and the silver bears . they are presented by the international jury to films in the competition and belong to the most renowned awards in the international film industry .
honorary co - chairs for the 2008 edition of the rhode island international film festival are providence mayor david m . cicilline and us congressman james langevin . the festival ' s 2008 design and look were created by antonio cortez .
dr : my goal is that after viewing the film , audience members will have roughly the same sense of the people and the events that i have after doing all the research . some details may have to be changed , and that’s always a tough decision as i want to stay as true to the details as possible . the biggest change i made in the film was portraying haber as unwilling to go to the front to supervise the gas attack . in reality he was very involved in operations at the front—he felt a duty and an obligation to be there—and in the feature that will be how it’s portrayed . in the short i had to crystallize his dilemma in a short time frame , and the most effective way was to have him protest . everyone has to make up his or her own mind as to whether that’s appropriate or not , but i had to be able to dramatize his dilemma and reservations .
as in all the screen tests , the actor appears both casual and posed , candid and preening . he also appears twice—in the museum lobby , inviting one up to see some art , and in the last room of
dalí and film ,
as if to explain it all . for once he collaborates on an avant - garde project rather than for the film industry , with work credited to another . then again , in tribute to surrealist drawing or in mockery of the artist ' s self - image , he also appears upside - down . has a popular art form , the film industry , trickled up to the underground , or has an emblem of modernism at last trickled down ?
namour ,
directed by heidi saman , won the la muse section , focused on movies set in los angeles . saman ' s film follows an arab american valet parker as he tries to find his way in the city .
. . . contains a fair amount of cynicism toward media sensationalism and the political system , yet by always focusing on the politicians instead of the working - class gulf coast residents . . . the film indulges in that which it condemns .
providence , ri ( august 10 , 2008 ) . the 2008 rhode island international film festival ( riiff ) announced the winners in this year’s film competition at its annual awards ceremony held at the providence biltmore hotel ' s garden room in providence , ri . george t . marshall , riiff ' s executive director welcomed over 125 attending filmmakers at the ceremony . he was joined by adam short , producing director ; demetria carr , associate producing director ; and chase huneke , programming manager .
since riiff is one of only 62 film festivals ( out of 7 , 000 ) world wide that is accredited by the academy of motion picture arts and sciences ( ampas ) the opening night has become a crowd - pleasing salute to the art of the short film . actor , john ratzenberger was the master of ceremonies . hb communications and sony corporation showcased the latest media equipment in the lobby of the theatre as well as sponsoring the high definition exhibition of the evening ' s films .
the artist chose some amazing directors , but he preferred to play the scriptwriter . he has the scenarist ' s limits in paint as well—verbosity and a greater concern for the plot than for art . he dabbled in film , but in a sense he spent a whole lifetime dabbling in art . the fantastic landscapes on display often fall oddly flat , and the connections to film can feel tenuous . i had never realized , though , how long and how often dalí turned to the movies .
expo competition , and being recognized by the tribeca film institute with a sloan development award . his feature screenplay freud , about the young sigmund freud as he was developing his theory of dreams , has also won numerous awards , having been recognized by
there are glimpses here and there of the film exposed might have been , especially through the well - photographed upper manhattan locations that provide a memorably gritty atmosphere . but anyone looking for a good reeves thriller would be well advised to wait until john wick 2 .
what struck me about haber is that he thought in big historical terms , in big actions . he made decisions with big consequences and wasn’t always sensitive to the personal and human side of things . he could make a decision like inventing chemical weapons to save germany , end the war , and save millions of lives without looking at the personal ramifications of the people getting gassed and the implications for his own life . clara is a foil in that sense—someone who is rooted in the personal and tries to remind him of those concerns .
kay lee got her start pursuing dual careers in fashion and costume design for theatre . in addition to costume designing numerous off - broadway shows , she was a technical designer for major apparel companies , such as express , the gap and polo jeans . her theater experience enabled her to start a career in film , where she quickly advanced to production design . her film work includes :
jesus henry christ
( 2003 student academy award winner , dga award ) ,
seibutsu
( 2004 student academy award finalist ) and
payday
( 2003 sundance short selection ) , among others .
the rhode island international film festival was supported in part by the city of providence , the providence tourism council , the providence department of arts , culture & tourism , wjar tv10 , the providence phoenix , clear channel communications , sony , hb communications , sag / indie , cvs , newenglandfilm . com , the rhode island state council on the arts , amtrak , uri ' s college of arts and sciences , uri ' s feinstein college of continuing education , the uri film media program , rule broadcast / boston camera , enterprise rent - a - car , art new england magazine and contributions from members and community supporters .
water supply issues in west virginia , a boy struggling in the himalayas , the german “father of chemical warfare , ” the 2016 columbia university - sloan award winning stories span time and space to bring science to screen . three emerging filmmakers have been awarded a total of $ 70 , 000 : ursula ellis , iesh thapar , and christopher abeel . each filmmaker worked with a scientist who advised them on the accuracy of their script . ellis and thapar won production awards to make short films—crick in the holler and tv in the fish tail . abeel won for his script about fritz haber , the german - jewish nobel - winning chemist , who was also a friend of albert einstein’s .
did i say that the hero of wall - e keeps replaying another hollywood memory , hello , dalí ? okay , never mind . in
dalí and film ,
the star of the show actually spends very little time in hollywood . even there , he gets more acclaim than results . he may have found his real calling all the same .
in fact , he seems hardly to care for the medium , apart from its ability to toss off image after image . a formalist might have sought film language in jean renoir ' s layered narratives and deep focus , max ophuls ' s tracking shots , sergei eisenstein ' s montage , charlie chaplin ' s parting close - ups , or buster keaton ' s bursting of the screen ' s
fourth wall .
for dalí , film and painting alike simply freed up the imagination for rapid - fire images . he loved screen comedy—chaplin , keaton , and the marx brothers . a historian would look at animal crackers and see its stage origins . dalí saw surrealism and a wider public for art .
what then does film say about dalí ? on the one hand , the exhibition argues for his creative mark on the movies , although it must settle for a string of projects that barely got off the ground . could the artist have imagined the crowds lined up at the guggenheim for matthew barney video ? the rooms include ample paintings and drawings as sketches for film , at the risk of an often lifeless retrospective . as far as the influence of dalí and surrealism , however , case closed . hitchcock ' s shot of scissors cutting through an eye preceded hiring the painter , and his most terrifying debt to dalí comes as peck remembers his brother ' s death , only there the director worked alone .
the l . a . film festival provides proof that talented filmmakers with new voices are out there , they just need a platform , and that ' s what we ' re providing ,
festival director stephanie allain said in a statement .
one of the more satisfying aspects of this job is watching new directors blossom in the spotlight .
haber lives in the san fernando valley with a friend who helps her pay the rent , but she says a second extension of unemployment benefits has just run out . the savings she was going to use to buy a house is practically gone now , too , she adds . “i have started to sell some of ( the ) jewelry and antiques my mother had left me , ” she says . “i also am selling my horse equipment such as saddles ( and ) bridles . ” since nbc’s “ chuck , ” on which she worked for 2½ years , ceased production two years ago , work has been sporadic . “i was lucky to find anything , ” she says . “i don’t remember it ever being like that . ”
: ‘we couldn’t shoot by candlelight with the lenses and film stock available at the time , and stanley discovered a lens that had been developed for nasa satellites and could shoot in very low light . we had to customise an old mitchell to take it . but at that level , we had very little depth of field , which was a real pain – but even kubrick could not alter the laws of optics . ’
now in american honey she has created a long , often intriguing and humidly atmospheric film which sometimes dwindles into listlessness . it’s a road movie in the un - accented style of gus van sant – particularly his elephant and paranoid park . the drifting camera shots directed straight up into a blue sky , bisected occasionally with telegraph poles , are very similar to van sant’s elephant . there’s something of larry clark or harmony korine in the featureless , affectless approach to sexuality .
moviegoers , or far more likely , vod consumers , may well feel sorely resentful upon watching keanu reeves ' latest film , which is being advertised as a cop thriller but contains nary a trace of narrative suspense . having been re - edited by the producers to the point where its director gee malik linton removed his name from the project , exposed mainly serves to expose the often torturous process of moviemaking and distribution . the pic was quietly sneaked into theaters without advance press screenings .
) . kubrick’s teenage daughter vivian is next to the director . ‘stanley loved barry lyndon . he loved this upstart from nowhere , a conman , and he felt very strongly that barry was representative of our society . what you see here is the normal sort of track they would lay down to move the camera – there was no steadicam in those days . you had to be careful to point the camera in the right direction , otherwise you would film the track itself . ’
in recent years , festival director dieter kosslick has invited internationally recognised personalities from the world of film such as james schamus , wong kar wai , mike leigh , isabella rossellini , werner herzog , tilda swinton , darren aronofsky , meryl streep and paul verhoeven to head the seven - member jury . jury members include directors , actresses and actors as well as producers , but also writers and artists . one of the festive highpoints of every berlinale is the presentation of the bears on the penultimate day of the festival .
so boring . full disclosure , i watched like only 20 minutes of this and holy shit i started falling asleep . i expect nic cage ' s films , whether they ' re good or bad ( mostly the latter these days , but that ' s neither here nor there ) to be entertaining . i wouldn ' t call this a bad film , although i might have ended up feeling that way had i watched the whole thing . it just doesn ' t do a good job of keeping your interest .
by dalí ' s death in 1989 , the narratives had undergone a remix—or maybe a director ' s cut . pop art and robert rauschenberg had recast it one way , the untitled film stills of cindy sherman another . dalí ' s mustache and the slit eyeball had become cultural icons , while his paintings drew long lines and critical skepticism . charmingly , too , he gets the last word , but with another artist as director . the star at last , he has two segments of warhol ' s screen tests .
brian hwang , born and raised in michigan , graduated with a degree in economics from kalamazoo college . after working in finance for several years , brian left the field to travel throughout asia , australia and new zealand for two years . his most recent projects include production work for the short films celamy ( 2005 student academy award finalist ) and st . paul ,  and his current projects include acting as music supervisor for the independent feature film fireflies in the garden ( written and directed by 2003 student academy winner dennis lee ) .
considering the potential offered by the pic’s louisiana locations , it’s an opportunity missed that so little of the setting’s hothouse atmosphere come through , especially in the botched bayou chase that serves as the pic’s ludicrous climax . likewise , one can’t help but feel the actors’ best work has failed to register , as if either the cameras were in the wrong place or the best takes weren’t used . humanist intentions aside , though lew’s redemption - themed romance preaches forgiveness , it’s a cruel fact that the film community seldom offers newcomers such magnanimous second chances .
originally conceived as a mostly spanish - language drama featuring serious themes tinged with supernatural elements , the film , previously titled daughter of god , now mostly concentrates on the story of a dogged , burnt - out police detective ( reeves , largely conveying the latter attribute ) in his search for the murderer of his corrupt partner . his investigation , complicated by his troubled interactions with his less than helpful boss ( christopher mcdonald ) and his partner ' s ex - wife ( mira sorvino ) , is interwoven with the story of a young hispanic woman experiencing surreal visions .
a thought - provoking political drama , the runner explores the allures of power and corruption . nicolas cage stars as a louisiana congressman who champions the recovery efforts after the 2010 bp oil spill , but he ' s soon brought down by a sex scandal and must struggle to rebuild his life . while it ' s an interesting character study , the plot ' s fairly mundane and predictable . also , the pacing is rather slow and doesn ' t really build any tension . yet despite the film ' s weaknesses , the runner provides an intriguing look at the nature of politics .
his most shocking scenario came first—in collaboration with another spaniard and in his very first year in france—and its most lasting image comes right at the start . un chien andalou opens with a vulnerable young woman and a knife slitting her eyeball from right to left . louis buñuel ' s film , his first , runs only sixteen minutes , so one can see thick fluid ooze from her eye again and again . even on a third or fourth viewing , the scene has the impact of the unexpected . a hand firmly and abruptly subjects her to an almost unspeakable act . has it blinded her or set her vision free ?
what else do you expect from a kid thrown into “gladiator school , ” as spencer’s character calls the prison sentence that brought out mo’s violent streak ? when it comes to actual brawling , holbrook’s freshly bulked - up screen presence ( which transforms him from skinny indie waif to someone capable of landing roles once ear - marked for the likes of garrett hedlund and the hemsworth brothers ) makes him a force to be reckoned with , and the film’s ridiculous final stretch follows through on the idea that he’s willing to become exactly the kind of monster society believes him to be in order to protect doris from the real predators lying in wait .
doris’ panic in turn triggers a skirmish as mo tries to explain himself , and the next thing they know , two police officers are banging on the door in response to a domestic disturbance call . with that , lew springs the film’s single weirdest scene , as doris — who clearly fears cops more than she does her potential abductor — opts to clamber into his oversized dog carrier and hide out there while the police search the apartment . but there’s an important difference between a movie in which characters constantly find themselves holding their breath and one gripping enough to inspire the same behavior in audiences , and “the free world” repeatedly falls short in the suspense department .
the modern has some stretchers , too , when it comes to film ' s influence on painting . it points to tricks with perspective , as if di chirico had not punned on converging lines as painting ' s vocabulary before him . it asks one to see shadows across a jagged cliff or shroud as a parable of the projectionist , as if specters like these did not lurk everywhere in dalí ' s art . yet his love of the popular medium was real , and so was his envy of the celebrity it produced . then , too , shadow presences of the camera obscura had begun to merge with echoes of the movie camera starting at least with marcel duchamp .
jodi cottongim has been a designer for over a decade and has worked for companies such as anne klein , motown records and , most notably , coach leatherwear . her recent costume design work includes the theatrical productions of
ondine
and the
three ecstasies ,
the
chandelair
soap opera , the independent film
not of the flesh ,
and the fat boy slim video
joker .
she has had the opportunity to work with such celebrities as steve harvey , j . c . chasez ( insync ) , queen latifah , and new artist elsie muiz . she is a graduate of the fashion institute of technology and is originally from seattle , washington .
a year before , rené magritte had called a painting the treachery of images . dalí already earns that title , if only this once , and already he is surprisingly conventional . while the movie does not exactly have a plot , the woman survives injury , cowers before one handsome man , and escapes at last with another . most of the images along the way have the comforting familiarity of a campy melodrama . for all its surrealism , even the opening scene has a humble setting in a staged room , with a tone more clinical than terrifying . one can watch it over and over , although a razor flying toward the screen in film today might be too visceral to bear even once .
dr : at the acs [ american chemical society ] presentation of the film [ on 18 august 2009 ] , one of the issues that came up is the ethical responsibility that a scientist bears . someone said , “why is this responsibility any different than a chef who makes food used to feed soldiers ? ” my answer lies in the difference between what a scientist does and what a chef does . a scientist’s work changes the whole nature of the game—the rules we have to live by . the fascinating thing about science and scientists is that they alter the nature of reality . what is possible changes . we see that every day in how we communicate and how we get resources . how can that not have an ethical component ?
drawling like a character out of “the dukes of hazzard , ” this particular cop ( stephen l . grush ) demonstrates the film’s simple - minded notion that the so - called “good guys” are anything but , while murderers ( whether actual or falsely accused ) are all too often misunderstood . certainly , that could be said of both mo and the officer’s wife , doris ( moss ) , who returns to the shelter a day or two later covered in blood . struggling with the decision of whether or not to get involved , mo ultimately decides to take her back to his place — a low - rent apartment with no furniture , apart from a bare mattress on which he can’t bring himself to sleep ( preferring the closet ) .
british by birth , indian by heritage , and a citizen of the us and uk , simon ' s music is an exploration of intimate spaces and cultural borders , the computerized and the handmade , the personal and the global . simon ' s inspired musical experimentation in grad school lead to a commission for
wide awake
( miramax ) and culminated in music for the indie cult film ,
temps .
simon has since composed for award - winning shorts (
god is good ,
caroline by committee ,
st . paul ,
and
no shoulder ,
among others ) , cutting - edge filmmakers , and venues ( theater , web ) . simon is currently composing for a modern rock musical production in new york .
the other narrative mixes technological and material determinism . as new media like photography once , then film , and now data - driven art arise , the arts have to change , and artists , too , have to reflect the assumptions of the dominant culture . as david hickey puts this version , one can imagine jazz without jackson pollock or the artists in
blues for smoke ,
but not the other way around . each of these narratives has some truth , even if classical performers improvised extensively before jazz existed—and even if dalí posed more as an aristocrat than a moviegoer . the narratives elucidate the mess that goes by the name culture , even if they sometimes verge on truisms or lies . one can imagine jazz without abstract painting only because there was more of it , and one can hardly imagine a black musician of the time getting pollock ' s spread in life magazine .
a long - dead king lurks in a chf hallway . what can he tell us about science ?
michal meyer reviews marjorie c . malley’s book radioactivity : a history of a mysterious science .
what does science sound like ? read npr journalist joe palca’s take on talking about science .
focusing on learning the facts may impede real learning , argues chemist and education advocate bruce alberts . read what else he has to say in our interview .
chemical heritage interviews ullyot public affairs lecturer susan solomon , a senior scientist for the national oceanic and atmospheric administration , who is considered one of the leaders in atmospheric science .
at science cafés across the country , members of the public meet informally with science experts to discuss the latest innovations over a drink .
headquarters 315 chestnut street philadelphia , pa 19106 215 . 925 . 2222 get directions
html public
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urltoken
eric latek , george t . marshall , shawn quirk , j . scott oberacker , william smyth &
it ' s been an amazing and sensational year for us ,
said riiff executive director george t . marshall ,
we had films screened and filmmakers attend from all over the world . the box office and audience levels were up significantly over last year . and we were blessed to have bythe danner , john ratzenberger , richard jenkins , mark margolis , kevin sheridan , ron palillo , dan butler , jason clarke and marlyn mason on hand to join in the cinematic celebration .
audience feedback has been equally strong , a clear indication that we were able to achieve the right programming mix . of course , this is only due to the exceptionally strong films submitted to the festival ; so the kudos really belong to the filmmakers who made this year ' s event happen . we also had an exceptional staff in place that was filmmaker - centric and worked together as a team ; making a clear difference in how this festival was produced .
this year’s riiff ran august 5 - 10th and showcased 289 cinematic works submitted from over 53 countries , and 32 states in the united states . the 2008 riiff presented 58 world premieres and 41 us / north american premieres . following months of adjudication and review , festival films were selected from over 3 , 000 international submissions .


soapdish is a 1991 american comedy film which tells a backstage story of the cast and crew of a popular fictional television soap opera .

it stars sally field as a mature soap star , joined by kevin kline , robert downey , jr. , elisabeth shue , whoopi goldberg , teri hatcher , cathy moriarty , garry marshall , kathy najimy , and carrie fisher , as well as cameo appearances by tv personalities like leeza gibbons , john tesh ( both playing themselves as entertainment tonight hosts/reporters ) , real-life soap opera actors stephen nichols and finola hughes , and ben stein .

kline was nominated for a golden globe award for best actor – motion picture musical or comedy for the film .

soapdish was directed by michael hoffman , from a screenplay by robert harling and andrew bergman .

the film was produced by aaron spelling and field 's then-husband alan greisman , and executive produced by herbert ross .

soapdish

soapdish follows the behind the scenes scandals on the set of a fictional soap opera .
if you want to answer the questions ,
who starred in the movie soapdish ?
and
what is the full cast list of soapdish ?
then this page has got you covered .
soapdish aims at a satiric target as big as a macy ' s float and intermittently hits it .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing soapdish near you .
this cast list of who was in soapdish includes both lead and minor roles . ( 45 items )
photo : “the soap scum in the soapdish we were greeted with as we enetered our first room . ”
soapdish was meant to be read through a camp sensibility . which instantly disqualifies it as camp , itself .
soapdish cast list , listed alphabetically with photos when available . this list of soapdish actors includes any soapdish actresses and all other actors from the film . you can view additional information about each soapdish actor on this list , such as when and where they were born . to find out more about a particular actor or actress , click on their name and you ' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career . the cast members of soapdish have been in many other movies , so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .
further information about soapdish the musical are yet to be announced . sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date !
soapdish is pure joy , a lemon - fresh spoof of daytime drama that does the dishing and may even soften your hands .
soapdish is a flurry of activity without a dedicated core , neutering displays of slapstick and the force of the satiric crescent kick .
according to sources , wicked and glee star kristin chenoweth could be set to return to london in stiles and drewe ' s soapdish .
i think there’s a key criterion that soapdish fails at , in order to be a true camp classic : it’s trying to be campy .
the soap scum in the soapdish we were greeted with as we enetered our first room . - picture of nh collection barcelona gran hotel calderon , barcelona
families can talk about the many stereotypes in soapdish . are stereotypes more acceptable when the main purpose is humor and they are presented in a satire or spoof ?
the soap scum in the soapdish we were greeted with as we enetered our first room . - picture of nh collection barcelona gran hotel calderon , barcelona - tripadvisor
after shooting would wrap each day , the cast would get together to eat and play games - - and that ' s how
soapdish
was born .
broadway star kristin chenoweth has announced via watch what happens live that she is set to star in the new stiles and drewe musical adaptation of soapdish in london .
soapdish may not be one of those misuses fortunately , but it still falls into the same category of movie where the writers and directors are in on the joke .
during watch what happens live with andy cohen , a savvy caller asked tony - and emmy - winning actor kristin chenoweth if the rumors are true that she will headline the west end musical adaptation of soapdish .
considering the intricacy of the plot and how easy comedy is to belabor ,
soapdish
is amazingly streamlined and coherent . a new and improved approach to summer comedy , it brightens as it lightens the days of our lives .
since all of the characters in
soapdish
are shamelessly venal and banal ( the big motivations are lust , greed , jealousy and vanity ) , the movie has the purity of a marx brothers comedy . also some of the anarchy .
whoopi gave in , and perhaps entertainment history has been made . for all its zany turns and self - parodies , its splendid tackiness and glorious venality , soapdish may ultimately be remembered as the movie in which whoopi goldberg made a fashion statement .
in 2010 , at the show ' s first reading , baz bamigboye reported in uk daily mail that
gavin creel and sally ann triplett were among the cast doing a workshop today in london for another stiles and drewe show , a musical based on the comedy film soapdish .
soapdish is based on the 1991 film directed by michael hoffman and written by robert harling and andrew bergman that tells the backstage story of a cast and crew working on a popular fictional television soap opera . the film starred sally field , kevin kline , robert downey , jr , whoopi goldberg and teri hatcher .
one new plot development proposed during the course of
soapdish
involves a brain transplant performed in a restaurant . another introduces a young woman who is mute and homeless ( elisabeth shue , as the story ' s ingenue ) with
a chemical imbalance ,
which someone refers to casually as
the bill styron thing .
soapdish the musical first had a reading in new york back in 2010 with gavin creel and sally ann triplett and was last workshopped in 2012 with kristin chenoweth starring alongside jane krakowski . it is thought that the musical might have its london premiere at the other palace theatre in victoria which has recently opened as a home for new musical theatre .
crowned the “unknown king of comedy” by new york magazine , andrew bergman is the writer and director of the freshman , honeymoon in vegas , it could happen to you , so fine and striptease . he has also written the in - laws , fletch , and co - wrote soapdish , as well as the scout and oh , god , you devil .
urltoken soapdish : sally field , kevin kline , robert downey jr . , cathy moriarty , elisabeth shue , whoopi goldberg , teri hatcher , garry marshall , kathy najimy , arne nannestad , paul johansson , sheila kelley , michael hoffman , aaron spelling , alan greisman , herbert ross , joel freeman , victoria white , andrew bergman , robert harling : movies & tv
soapdish
is pure joy , a lemon - fresh spoof of daytime drama that does the dishing and may even soften your hands . an uproarious look behind the scenes of a fictional soap opera , it soaks the conventions of the genre with unfailing zest to leave a shine so bright you can see your face in it - - art mirroring life and all that .
in the 1991 comedy soapdish , sally field plays celeste talbert , a middle - aged soap opera star at the peak of her career whose life suddenly turns upside down when her daughter ( that’s a spoiler , but who cares ) lands a high - profile role as her co - star while her coworkers secretly begin plotting to have her written off the show entirely . sad !
soapdish
is rated pg - 13 ( parents strongly cautioned ) . it includes mild profanity and sexual references . soapdish directed by michael hoffman ; screenplay by robert harling and andrew bergman , story by mr . harling ; director of photography , ueli steiger ; edited by garth craven ; music by alan silvestri ; produced by aaron spelling and alan greisman ; released by paramount pictures . running time : 100 minutes . this film is rated pg - 13 . celeste talbert . . . sally field jeffrey anderson . . . kevin kline rose schwartz . . . whoopi goldberg david barnes . . . robert downey jr . montana moorehead . . . cathy moriarty lori craven . . . elisabeth shue betsy faye . . . carrie fisher edmund edwards . . . garry marshall
i’m all for agreeing to disagree . it’s mostly that i find it hard to see text that isn’t on the surface with soapdish . what’s there is hilarious , but my argument is that’s not what makes camp . lines and costumes weren’t enough to make to wong foo particularly campy , and it was trying its dear little heart out . although big ups for stockard channing — fierce !
soapdish is one of my guilt pleasures . . . such a funny movie with such good actors such as : sally field , whoopie goldberg , elizabeth shue , robert downey jr , cathy moriarty , kevin kline , and teri hatcher . this movie directed by michael hoffman shows you what happens behind closed doors on a soap opera . . . . apparently another drama ensues . . . too funny !
films that discuss sunset boulevard in their screenplays or pay homage in scenes or dialogue include soapdish ( 1991 ) , the player ( 1992 ) , gods and monsters ( 1998 ) , mulholland drive ( 2001 ) , [ 6 ] inland empire ( 2006 ) and be cool ( 2005 ) . the ending of cecil b . demented ( 2000 ) is a parody of sunset boulevard ' s final scene .
then : carrie fisher , known to audiences best as princess leia from the & apos ; star wars & apos ; films , played betsy faye sharon , an executive on the show . that same year , fisher appeared in the film & apos ; drop dead fred & apos ; with phoebe cates , wife of fisher & apos ; s & apos ; soapdish & apos ; co - star kevin kline .
ouch . i see your point , but i have to stand by my opinion . i’m certainly not saying that soapdish isn’t a great flick , but it’s a great flick that isn’t traditional camp . the very definition of camp is subversion . it’s hard to make a case for outright parodies and satire to really qualify as camp — i don’t think anyone would make the same claim for airplane ! or dr . strangelove .
nonetheless it was field who actually helped jump - start soapdish . while filming steel magnolias , from robert harling’s off broadway play , she and harling began scheming . ”i’d been trying to develop a film about actors , ” she says , ”and bobby thought it would be fun for me to play an out - and - out bitch . i thought , great ! a bitch with a heart of gold ; someone who is just very , very crabby . ”
released in 1991 , & apos ; soapdish & apos ; starred sally field as an aging soap opera star challenged by a bitter rival and struggling to retain her role in the spotlight . bolstered by co - stars like robert downey jr . and kevin kline , this satirical comedy took audiences behind the scenes of the world of daytime soaps . twenty - three years later , we revisit the cast of this delightful classic and see what they & apos ; re up to now .
but then
soapdish
seems akin to a playground for all its stars . a dizzy ensemble piece directed by michael hoffman , it also finds kevin kline at the top of his form as a former soap star , jeffrey , who is currently playing willy loman at a florida steak ' n ' play house for mostly deaf patrons . poor jeffrey has been unable to make a comeback since his legendary feud with celeste . and then to his delight he is invited to return to the series .
bergman began his motion picture career at the very top , writing the story and co - writing the screenplay of the classic blazing saddles . he went on to write such other memorable comedies as the in - laws , fletch , and soapdish . in fact these four bergman movies , plus the freshman , were nominated by the american film institute as among the greatest comedies of all time . in 2007 the writers guild of america awarded him the ian mclellan hunter award for lifetime achievement in writing .
soapdish
is
network
crossed with
beyond the valley of the dolls ,
a soap opera about a soap opera , with a plot that churns together sex , scandal , jealousy , secrets from the past , television in - jokes and the supreme sacrifice of becoming a brain donor . it ' s the funniest movie since
the freshman ,
and was written by the same man , andrew bergman , this time with the collaboration of robert harling and the screwball timing of director michael hoffman .
a remake of soapdish has been proposed ; if it must proceed , celebrity tabloids would make more sense than reviving the idea of the country ' s eyes fixing with such interest on one of the few remaining daytime soap operas ( unless it ' s a period piece ) . moreover , though , it seems unlikely that a remake could match this film ' s craft , which only looks easy and silly ( well , okay , it is silly ; gloriously so ) - - even on another bare - bones dvd .
soapdish is also blessed with the gilded touch of miller , he of dynasty fame , whose costumes are synonymous with soapery . at the moment , he is admiring his handiwork : an array of principals decked out in custom couture , an army of extras in dynasty hand - me - downs . there’s field , dressed in a strapless gold ball gown , punching the floor with her stilettos . and there’s whoopi , wearing a demure maroon satin floor - length number . her gibson girl hairdo and a pearl choker render her almost unrecognizable .
no , i completely disagree with you motard . i feel like “soapdish” has been taken by people to be something outside of its original text . i think , yes , it was made to be outrageous , but it was supposed to be a send - up of soap operas , soap operas to the extreme . the fact that makes it campy has nothing to do with the soap element it was intended to lampoon . instead it’s all of the lines and costumes and little things that make it draggy and campy that have nothing to do with the intended idea .
particularly nice touches in
soapdish
include its jaunty neo - 1950 ' s title sequence , in which ms . goldberg ' s rose takes celeste for
a trip across the george washington bridge
( their code for surprise appearances at new jersey shopping malls , where rose pretends to be a fan and triggers a stampede of autograph seekers to bolster celeste ' s wobbly ego ) and mr . kline ' s explanation of why jeffrey envisions himself as a one - man hamlet , since he thinks all the play ' s action essentially takes place in hamlet ' s head .
ah yes , ‘tis tuesday morning once again…the time of the week when your intrepid soapdish columnist turns his steely gaze to our fair city’s urban streets , its hearty inhabitants , its bon vivants… . its neighborhoods…and , as of last wednesday’s little reception at bang nightclub , its , um , “soapbox district” ? that’s right folks , apparently some enterprising and eager entrepreneurs on west 4th street decided to designate their little corner of downtown the “soapbox district . ” [ note of disclosure : urltoken is in no way connected to this nascent and plucky new “soapbox district , ” other than as an interested observer and booster , of course ]
perspective in the frenetic new comedy
soapdish
is provided by jeffrey anderson ( kevin kline ) , a down - at - the - heels actor appearing in a dinner - theater production of
death of a salesman
in opa - locka , fla . dinner theater : this means jeffrey performs in the corner of a big room that is otherwise filled with restaurant patrons , many of whom are hard of hearing .
death of a salesman
: that means a poster touting jeffrey ' s appearance as
willie
loman and a stage manager who insists on calling him
mr . loman
because she doesn ' t remember his real name .
too bad . even if the movie ' s plot engine is approaching time - capsule quality , soapdish itself is an uncommonly well - executed farce . the film ' s obvious but satisfying gimmick is that the set of the long - running soap opera the sun also sets is a twisty soap opera unto itself , with a cast full of dark secrets and entanglements to match its characters . the center of both the show and the movie is celeste talbert ( sally field ) , an aging actress convinced that some of her coworkers , including costar montana moorehead ( cathy moriarty ) and producer david barnes ( robert downey jr . ) , are plotting against her .
the surprising stumbling block in all this was finding an actor to play jeffrey . ”basically , in the 40 - year - old age group , after you get past michael douglas , william hurt , and harrison ford , who is there ? ” asks hoffman . ”mostly people who have proven themselves not to be leading men . ” kline had been considered , but he’s so choosy that he’s known at caa , his agency , as kevin decline , and nobody thought he’d go for soapdish . but kline turned out to be a fan of hoffman’s promised land . after hours of conversation ( ”kevin likes to talk , ” says hoffman ) , kevin signed on .
soapdish ,
an uneven but often sidesplitting look at the soap opera cast and its conspiratorial backstage antics , needs jeffrey anderson to open up its otherwise very small world . mostly confined to a deliberately infernolike studio set , with offices extending from its sound stage and with decor and costumes often a hellish red , it enters wholeheartedly into the iffy mental state of longtime soap opera denizens living in a weirdly elastic universe . after years of experience , the show ' s creative team has learned to believe that no plot development is too contrived , dishonest or counterproductive if it helps to further the private interests of at least one staff member with an ax to grind .
soapdish ,
directed with good - natured zest by michael hoffman , has as serious a split - personality problem as any of its characters , perhaps because its screenplay is the work of robert harling ( who wrote the story ) and andrew bergman , two screenwriters with decidedly different comic sensibilities . the story ' s antic off - camera melodrama about the actors ' real lives has the ring of mr . harling ' s
steel magnolias ,
and thanks to too many dread secrets it often feels like overkill ; the problems between the newly reunited celeste and jeffrey wear thin long before celeste climbs a fire escape to peer into jeffrey ' s apartment window .
these aren’t regular shoppers , of course . they’re hired hands clutching prop bags from gucci and f . a . o . schwarz . ( the real fans are behind security ropes . ) and although the escalator scene could be a moment of cinema verité — the sally field version of truth or dare — it’s actually a moment from soapdish , paramount’s just - released ensemble comedy . directed by michael hoffman ( promised land ) , the spoof takes aim at the surreal terrain of daytime - tv soapland , sending up the very notion of celebrity . this is daring fare for a hollywood movie that reportedly cost $ 25 million . this is most certainly daring fare for sally field .
although the film ' s milieu feels dated , especially the notion of glamorous soap stars that capture the public ' s imagination , soapdish maintains a certain amount of currency . at this point , celebrity culture has become its own soap opera , supplanting , to a large degree , the daily scripted version in favor of more efficient
real
versions . the genre has been divided in two : the reality soaps , with their time - killing anti - twists ; and celebrity - centric tabloids , which essentially script their own twists and turns and apply them to famous faces against their will . the latter is not so different from the heightened melodrama played for laughs in the film .
really , though , they do this throughout the movie , just as the actual actors use these characters to indulge in heedless screwball silliness . the plotting of soapdish illustrates the thin line between soap and farce ; its twists and revelations are accompanied by lots of entrances , exits , screaming , and pratfalls , which could add up to off - key camp if director michael hoffman didn ' t show such command of his actors and material . hoffman makes strong use of the depth of the physical depth of a soap opera set and surrounding studio , as the camera tracks characters , finds them in the background of other shots , and whips around the room with perfect timing . was this a particularly ambitious technical undertaking for a comedy , or has studio farce - craft been in a precipitous decline since 1991 ?
as long - running soaps disappear from the air or migrate online , it ' s an odd ( if not unwelcome ) time to reissue the 1991 behind - the - soaps comedy soapdish on home video . even given the ostensible reason - - the film ' s 20th anniversary - - paramount ' s release strategy is bizarre : rather than putting out a blu - ray version of the film and / or adding some special features , the studio has simply reissued the exact same dvd ( not even yet out of print ! ) with uglier cover art and a sticker touting the 20th anniversary . paramount upgraded initial bare - bones of other comedies like airplane ! and clueless , but michael hoffman ' s farce is afforded no such treatment , still bearing only the original trailer and a musty making - of featurette from the year of its release .
in the comedic farce soapdish , the behind - the - scenes lives of several soap opera actors are just as melodramatic as those of their television counterparts . sally field stars as celeste talbert , the star of a declining tv show . to make matters worse , talbert ' s career is thrown into turmoil when her rival , montana moorehead ( cathy moriarty ) , tries to persuade producer david barnes ( robert downey jr . ) to write talbert off the show . smitten by moorehead , barnes comes up with a scheme to get talbert off the show by hiring her niece lori ( elisabeth shue ) and then jeffrey ( kevin kline ) , an old flame and cast member who was written out of the show 20 years prior . soon , mayhem rules on the set as the cast and crew tangle , culminating in a special episode , broadcast live .
together , they have written betty blue eyes , just so , tutankhamun , honk ! , peter pan , and the new songs for the cameron mackintosh / disney production of mary poppins . they have two new shows in development , soapdish and soho cinders . honk ! has received almost 5 , 000 productions and has been seen around the world by over 7 million people . mary poppins is playing on broadway , in amsterdam , is touring the usa and opened last summer in melbourne to rave reviews . in 2008 stiles and drewe celebrated 25 years of writing together with a sell - out concert at her majesty’s theatre , which resulted in a live cd , a spoonful of stiles & drewe . george and ants first met cameron mackintosh in 1985 when they won - and he judged - the vivian ellis prize and they have been friends ever since . they are delighted that he fell in love with their pig , betty .
sally field , in a vanity - free performance , hits all the right notes and takes a profusion of fine actors along for the ride in this show biz farce that holds up after decades . subtlety is not the goal here . actors chew scenery with delight in soapdish . costumes , makeup , and set design don ' t get any broader . the pace is brisk ; the dialogue is crisp and features cultural references that still hit the mark for older viewers . younger ones , even those without a fan ' s passion for the passion that rages in daytime drama , will still get the jokes , and find the send - up of show biz types as relevant as ever . whoopi goldberg is the only reality - based character , and she ' s the touchstone that gives all the other comedic roles someone to play against . while there ' s occasional swearing , sexual innuendo and flirtations , even a hero on a drunken binge and a plot point that involves ( spoiler alert ) a transgender character , circa 1991 , there ' s a wholesome quality to the fun , and it ' s never mean - spirited .
the actress stars in soapdish as celeste , a histrionic scene chewer who has endeared herself to a fawning public as maggie , leading lady of that beloved soap the sun also sets . whoopi plays rose , sun’s head writer , who has just brought celeste to the mall and orchestrated a show of fan support in an effort to buoy her spirits . celeste , alas , is having some really bad days . she’s being edged out of sun by the show’s scheming costars , montana ( cathy moriarty ) and ariel ( teri hatcher ) . they’re in cahoots with the slimy producer , david ( robert downey jr . ) , who is motivated by visions of kinky sexual recompense . hoping to unsettle celeste , and thereby finally seduce montana , david hires celeste’s old flame jeffrey ( kevin kline ) back to the show . and while jeffrey , who has fallen on bad times and vodka at a godforsaken dinner theater , still carries a torch for celeste , he also seems to be falling for lori ( elisabeth shue ) , who plays the beautiful , homeless deaf woman . trouble is , lori might be… ( music up ) celeste’s niece !
the popular 1908 children’s novel the wind in the willows will receive new life in london . playwright julian fellowes and composer and lyricist duo george stiles and anthony drewe will team up for a new musical adaptation of the classic tale . the three first collaborated on disney and cameron mackintosh’s hit musical mary poppins . the production will be developed and produced by jamie hendry productions ( legally blonde , spring awakening , la cage aux folles ) . no dates or casting have been announced at this time . the wind in the willows , written by kenneth grahame in 1908 , follows the adventures of mole , rat , badger and toad on the river , in the countryside and in the wild wood . this will be the eighth stage adaptation of the novel , the most famous being the 1985 tony - nominated production starring nathan lane as toad . fellowes’ credits include the emmy award - winning downtown abbey , the oscar - winning gosford park , the importance of being earnest and an upcoming remake of romeo & juliet . music duo stiles and drewe won an olivier award for honk ! ; other credits include betty blue eyes , peter pan and the upcoming stage adaptation of soapdish .
it’s a saturday morning in january , and whoopi goldberg and sally field are making a scene at the topanga plaza mall outside los angeles . goldberg has just parked the balance of her greek gyro ( hold the lettuce , tomato , and ”that sour yogurt sauce” ) , donned a winter coat ( never mind that it’s 70 degrees outside ) , and now heads for the mall’s balcony . field , who has stocked up at gap kids , hands her 3 - year - old son , sam , off to his father , soapdish coproducer alan greisman , loses her gum , and joins goldberg at the top of the freestanding escalator . ”ready ? ” asks goldberg . ”ready , ” says field . off come field’s dark glasses and head scarf ; on comes the serene look of a public deity as she begins a regal descent . as the cameras roll . goldberg suddenly gets antic . ”look who it is ! ” she announces loudly , pointing at field . ”aren’t you on that show ? ! ” in a matter of seconds field is where many an actress would want to be : in the center of a giddy crush of autograph seekers who really , really like her .
there weren ' t many nightlife options in natchitoches , which today has a population of about 18 , 000 , so the cast would play games like pictionary and charades in the evenings . one night , after they ' d exhausted most of their typical options , the group took to posing questions for everyone to answer . harling asked each actress to name the role she ' d most like to play . dolly parton ' s was medea . shirley maclaine said she ' d never portrayed an alcoholic ( that changed the following year when
postcards from the edge
came out ) . julia roberts reminded everyone she still
just wanted to work .
and sally field , after pondering it , said she always played
really noble , earnest women that wear crummy clothes . for once i ' d like to play a bitch that gets to wear nice clothes .
and that was how
sopadish
came about . harling found himself thinking about the idea of america ' s sweetheart actually being someone who
really destroyed the lives of everyone around her .
he put the concept to use in the 1991 comedy , which starred field as an aging soap - opera actress who conspires to ruin the career of her co - star . (
soapdish
will soon become a broadway musical starring kristin chenoweth . )
one can only feel sympathy for celeste talbert ( sally field ) , the put - upon star of
the sun also sets ,
a soap opera with sagging ratings in soapdish . celeste ' s live - in boyfriend has left her with only a message on her answering machine . there ' s a conspiracy against her promoted by her by a jealous co - star , montana moorehead ( cathy moriarty ) and the show ' s producer ( robert downey , jr . ) , who desperately wants to bed montana . and , part of their evil plan involves bringing celeste ' s old paramour and leading man back to the show , a man whom she loved and hated with equal passion . jeffrey anderson ( kevin kline ) , whose career has fallen like a rock , is thrilled to come back , not only for the decent role , but to get revenge on the woman he feels has destroyed his career . enter celeste ' s niece , lori ( elisabeth shue ) , who has left college to join her aunt in nyc and become an actress . when jeffrey begins a flirtation with lori , who has been given a tiny role on the show , celeste is apoplectic . soon aware of the conspiracy against her , the treachery of jeffrey , and constant efforts by the crew to
age
her relentlessly , it ' s only a matter of time before celeste risks all , dredges up long - hidden secrets , and reveals the true heart of the woman who was once called america ' s sweetheart .
parents need to know that soapdish , released in 1991 , is a send - up of television ' s daytime dramas (
soap operas
) , with an outstanding cast of solid comic actors , broad slapstick story elements , and loving comic attention paid to the personal lives of the show ' s characters that make their fictional personalities seem tame in comparison . abounding in intrigue , romance , show biz insincerity and boorishness , along with outrageous revelations about past indiscretions and youthful mistakes , the story moves from one outrageous character and / or situation to another in short order . comic flirtations , seductions , and large bosoms mean that farcical sexuality is a constant thread , hovering just beneath the surface of the story . that is , when those flirtations , seductions , et al , are not right up on the screen . occasional sexual jokes (
can i touch your breasts ?
) , cursing and profanity are heard :
s - - t ,
bitch ,
hooters ,
peeing ,
t - ts ,
one each use of
f - - k ,
and
coloreds .
spoiler alert : reference is made to a transgender female . a leading character gets drunk in one scene ; another uses alcohol to dull a disappointment . characters smoke cigarettes . far from mean - spirited , all the players seem to relish the chance to play big , exaggerated show biz types , and they appear to be having as much fun as their prospective audiences . teens and up .
is an american actor who made his screen debut at the age of five , appearing in his father ' s film pound . he has appeared in roles associated with the brat pack , such as less than zero and weird science . other films he has starred in include air america , soapdish , and natural born killers . he starred as the title character in the 1992 film chaplin , earning him a nomination for the academy award for best actor . after being released from the california substance abuse treatment facility and state prison in 2000 for drug charges , downey joined the cast of the tv series ally mcbeal playing calista flockhart ' s love interest . his performance was praised and he received a golden globe award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series , miniseries , or television film . his character was written out when downey was fired after two drug arrests in late 2000 and early 2001 . after one last stay in a court - ordered drug treatment program , downey finally achieved sobriety . his more recent films include the singing detective , kiss kiss bang bang , a scanner darkly , gothika , zodiac and tropic thunder . in 2008 , downey played the role of marvel superhero tony stark / iron man in the live action film iron man . he reprised the role in iron man 2 and the avengers , and will do so again in iron man 3 , set to release in 2013 . in 2009 , he played the title character in guy ritchie ' s sherlock holmes and again in 2011 ' s sherlock holmes : a game of shadows .
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written by robert harling of
steel magnolias
and andrew bergman of
blazing saddles ,
it is a kind of blazing magnolias with sally field and cathy moriarty as rival divas on
the sun also sets .
field is marvelously shallow as the reigning queen of bubbledom , celeste , a bitch goddess thrown off - kilter by the machinations of the ferocious moriarty . the actresses and their characters go after their roles with the freedom of gals who have just shucked their girdles .
never mind that his character was decapitated , says the show ' s producer ( robert downey jr . ) to his chief writer ( whoopi goldberg ) . she tries to explain that the character can ' t talk because he no longer has a head , but the slippery young executive is undeterred . in league with moriarty ' s blond dominatrix , he hopes to bump celeste from the show . instead , the move provokes a fiery reconciliation between celeste and jeffrey , and
the sun also sets
becomes even more popular than before .
elisabeth shue , carrie fisher and teri hatcher join the party as an extra , the casting director and a third - string diva . garry marshall , who directed
pretty woman ,
is wryly on target with a toothy portrayal of a bottom - line - oriented network executive with a heart .
cheap and peppy , cheap and peppy ,
he intones . a facile hollywood type , he hopes to make the show more socially relevant by adding a huddle of attractive homeless people .
the plot of the tv show spins about like laundry in a dryer but is no less strange than the ups and downs in the players ' not - so - private lives . an overstuffed celebration of the happy improbabilities of life , it is reminiscent of pedro almodovar ' s frenzied
women on the verge of a nervous breakdown .
so too is hoffman ' s quirkily melodramatic direction , which he pioneered in the inventive but unsuccessful
some girls
and
promised land .
urltoken has exclusively learned the cast for an upcoming late october reading of soap dish the musical , directed by rob ashford , with a book by robert harling , music by george stiles and lyrics by anthony drewe .
the cast of the new reading will include kristin chenoweth , john stamos , jane krakowski , cristin milioti , anne l . nathan , michael park , miriam shor and daniel torres . at this time there has been no formal announcement , or set timetable for the show . the reading is being presented by laurence mark , donald de line and broadway across america .
an ambitious tv soap actress connives with her producer to scuttle the career of the show ' s long - time star , but nothing works as they plan . celeste talbert has been the queen of the soaps for over two decades . montana moorehead needs to get her out of her way before she can move on and begins her program to get her to leave . she hires an old boyfriend of celeste to be on the show and has celeste become a murderer in the script , but each attempt has unforseen consequences
the musical theatre songwriting partnership that is george stiles ( music ) and anthony drewe ( lyrics ) have been writing together since they met at exeter university over twenty years ago .
st . louis : backstage bite : deluca celebrates the muny ' s 100th season w / ooey gooey st . louie bars
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 .
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 .
this movie certainly has its dopey moments , but if you ' re feeling indulgent you ' re likely to have a good time with it .
not as funny as the real thing and unlikely to be anywhere near as successful as the leading real - life exponents of the art .
a funny , sharply - written film more pertinent in the noughties than it was upon its first release .
the show within a show concept is the thing here with the question being : isn ' t the business of making a show more interesting than the show itself ? played , as daytime television frequently does , larger than life . . . the result is the guilty pleasure of this film . fields and kline are marvelous .
mildly amusing spoof of daytime soap operas with an amiable cast . but the laughable soap opera scenes are far funnier than the behind the scenes antics , and the similar tootsie is better .
i love you , tawny , wardrobe mistress :
and for tomorrow ' s fight with bolt , you ' ll wear this , and then for when blade accidentally shoots the contessa . . . . . .
i love you , tawny , wardrobe mistress : and for tomorrow ' s fight with bolt , you ' ll wear this , and then for when blade accidentally shoots the contessa .
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an ambitious television soap actress connives with her producer to scuttle the career of the show ' s long - time star , but nothing works as they plan .
check out highlights from some of the best recent trailers including mandy , the predator , zoe , and the king of thieves .
robert downey , jr . movies : 20 greatest films , ranked worst to best , include ‘iron man , ’ ‘tropic thunder , ’ ‘chaplin , ’ ‘zodiac’
want to share imdb ' s rating on your own site ? use the html below .
a businessman is reunited with the four lost souls who were his guardian angels during childhood , all with a particular purpose to joining the afterlife .
a reincarnated man unknowingly falls in love with his own daughter from his previous life . once he realizes this , he tries to end their relationship before angels erase his memory .
a college freshman returns to l . a . for the holidays at his ex - girlfriend ' s request , but discovers that his former best friend has an out - of - control drug habit .
a womanizer meets his match when he falls for a woman in debt to the mafia .
after losing her job , making out with her soon - to - be former boss , and finding out that her daughter plans to spend thanksgiving with her boyfriend , claudia larson faces spending the holiday with her family .
celeste talbert has been the queen of the soaps for over two decades . montana moorehead needs to get her out of her way before she can move on and begins her program to get her to leave . she hires an old boyfriend of celeste to be on the show and has celeste become a murderer in the script , but each attempt has unforseen consequences .
( 1984 ) ,
a prime - time soap opera
. stephen nichols would appear as dr . skyler gates in seven episodes of
in the scene where david and montana are conspiring on the
beach
set , david is wearing his glasses , but when the angle switches to an over - the - shoulder shot from behind him , his glasses are suddenly off .
early in the opening credits we see the words
a hamon cheimafflo film
. the letters of the two middle words then rearrange themselves , one
o
slipping off the side of the screen , to form the name of director
this is one of the best comedy ever ! the writing of this parody of soap is brilliant and the cast , well just look at the names of the cast and you ' ll understand why it is so great . if you ' re a kevin kline fan , he does ( as always ) an fantastic performance , and robert downey jr is perfect . if you don ' t laugh while seen this movie , you don ' t have any sense of humor .
30 of 36 people found this review helpful . was this review helpful to you ? yes no | report this
explore popular sci - fi movies and tv shows available to stream with prime video .
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 . …
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…
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 .
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…
a look back at robert zemeckis ' half - animated classic , who framed roger rabbit , on its 30 - year anniversary .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
the movie takes place onstage and backstage at one of those long - running daytime soaps with endless plot twists and an almost acrobatic ability to combine sex with the headlines . the current plot line involves the homeless in jamaica , neurosurgeons , lascivious nurses , and a mute girl in a bathing suit who turns out to be a long - lost daughter , and miraculously regains her power of speech , but contracts a rare condition that will cause her brain to explode within a few days unless her mother agrees to a brain transplant , to be undertaken on the bar of a jamaican resort , as the surgeon mutters ,
i ' ve operated under worse conditions .
the plot , as i have briefly sketched it ( and believe me , i ' ve left out most of it ) , intertwines shocking events that are happening to the characters with equally shocking events affecting the actors in the soap . it literally defies description . and yet the actors somehow hold it together with gifted farcical acting , which involves playing everything completely seriously - especially the completely goofy parts .
sally field stars as
america ' s sweetheart ,
the beloved and famous long - running heroine of the soap , who is now the victim of a conspiracy involving the predatory montana moorehead ( cathy moriarty ) , a blond sex bomb who promises the show ' s callow young producer ( robert downey jr . ) a roll in the hay if he will write field out of the part .
field ' s interests are defended by her best friend and longtime head writer ( whoopi goldberg ) , who can ' t believe downey wants to resurrect a character who was beheaded in an old episode , but will now be miraculously restored to life . the character was played by field ' s long - ago flame ( kevin kline ) , who is now reduced to appearing in
death of a salesman
in a florida dinner theater .
the movie knows a lot about television , and has fun with such characters as the network boss ( garry marshall ) and the producer , who is played by downey as a shameless liar who will blame anything on anybody just to protect his position on the show . then there is a surprise subplot involving a balloon messenger girl ( elizabeth shue ) , who wrangles a bit part as one of the jamaican homeless , only to suddenly finding herself playing a leading role , both on camera and behind it .
if it doesn ' t work , it fails spectacularly , but it does work , and it succeeds in making its plot clear even though the basic story device is unending confusion . the bravura scenes are distributed nicely among the cast ( kline in front of a senile dinner theater audience , goldberg and field artificially staging a scene in a mall to inspire autograph hounds , moriarty seducing downey with promises of unimaginable sexual license , if only he writes field out of the show ) . even a teleprompter is funny for a scene .
of the filmmakers , the one best known to me is andrew bergman , who wrote and directed
the freshman
and wrote the hilarious
the in - laws .
his inventions are like a juggling act , in which three or four plots are kept simultaneously in the air , while the connections between the characters grow increasingly bizarre .
an interview with terry gilliam , director of
the man who killed don quixote .
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
sally field leads an all - star cast in this sidesplittingly funny look at a scandal - ridden tv soap opera . kevin kline , robert downey , jr . , whoopi goldberg , cathy moriarty and elisabeth shue star as the zany cast and crew of the sun also sets , america ' s hottest
soap ,
where on - screen drama and off - screen craziness combine for outrageous hilarity ! there ' s enough dirty laundry to keep everyone in hot water in this unadulterated comedy hit that ' s
99 and 44 / 100 percent fun !
- joel siegel , good morning america .
sally field , kevin kline , robert downey , jr . , cathy moriarty , whoopi goldberg
an ambitious tv soap actress connives with her producer to scuttle the career of the show ' s long - time star , but nothing works as they plan . ( paramount pictures )
i ' m doctor monica demonico , the neurosurgeon assigned to this case . . .
roman j israel , esq . official trailer # 1 ( 2017 ) denzel washington , colin farrell drama movie hd
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