True Blood ratings continue to grow
Viewers are tuning into HBO’s vampire series True Blood in record numbers. The offbeat program attracted 3.9 million viewers on Sunday night which was the biggest audience the show has had in its two seasons on the air. Viewership has now doubled from its premiere episode last year, a solid sign that it’s been building from terrific word of mouth. From creator/ producer Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), this show is perhaps the quirkiest program I can remember since David Lynch’s night time soap, Twin Peaks which aired for two seasons starting in 1990. Twin Peaks was a true water cooler show but it burned itself out pretty quickly, ending after only 30 episodes.
The amazing thing about True Blood is that it really doesn’t have straightforward narrative to propel it along week to week. It mostly relies on its solid cast and wacky offbeat tone. Like Lynch’s Twin Peaks, strange things often happen that are not fully explained. This really helps build intrigue and that alone keeps me tuning in every week. The opening credit sequence is by far and away the strangest and most interesting for any show on television.
True Blood has also become a monster hit on DVD. Sales for season one have grossed more than 43 million dollars in just over two months, mind-blowing for a program with a viewership of less than 4 million. Those sales are great news for its two main leads, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) and Stephen Moyer (vampire Bill Compton). I’m sure they will use these very profitable figures as leverage when they eventually renegotiate their contracts for the show. Alan Ball has said that he plans to start shooting the third season before Christmas 2009. All things considered, True Blood appears destined to have a long life on the air.
Whether it’s a cult, a fad or a force here to stay, True Blood is generating a lot of positive buzz and becoming a very profitable entity. It’s the biggest hit HBO has had since the landmark Sopranos ended. Check out the opening sequence below…
The Towering Inferno on Blu-ray
20th Century Fox releases The Towering Inferno today, July14, on Blu-ray in all of its high definition glory. It’s actually hard to believe that it will be 35 years come December that this 1974 disaster classic was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. If all of the so-called popcorn films released nowadays were half as GREAT as The Towering Inferno I would be one very happy moviegoer. Released two years after Producer Irwin Allen’s blockbuster hit The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno went on to become the year’s highest grossing film, pulling in $116,000,000 domestically on a budget of $14,000,000. If only Hollywood could maximize a profit like that now on big studio movies.
Both Fox and Warner Bros financed the film which was considered a gamble at the time because of its sizable budget. Actually it’s only $58 million today adjusted for inflation – pretty cheap for a studio tent-pole. 57 stage sets established records for a single film on the Twentieth Century Fox lot and, while John Guillermin (King Kong-1976), helmed the overall film Irwin Allen himself directed the action scenes.
Initially, the fire chief’s role was relatively minor. The architect was the lead and hero and Ernest Borgnine was planned to be Fire Chief Mario Infantino to Steve McQueen’s architect Doug Roberts. However, when McQueen signed on, he requested the fire chief’s role (renamed Chief O’Hallorhan) and Paul Newman was signed to take the architect’s role. Both actors who had equal lines and billing were terrific and their star power was as big an attraction as the movies stunning special effects. In an era pre-GCI – quite impressive.
Supporting turns by hollywood legends Fred Astaire (Oscar nominated for Supporting actor) and Jennifer Jones (her last film role) also elevated the whole project. The film, which had a running time of 2hrs and 45 minutes, was the last movie I can remember attending that had an intermission at its halfway mark. At the time movie theaters were single screened houses so it was much easier doing this than it would be nowadays with multiplexes. While the film had many highlights, Robert Wagner’s heroic death scene has always stuck out for me as it’s just so beatifully done. It’s truly a genre classic.
It was also a time when OJ Simpson was a really likable guy. Actually he’s quite good in the film. Originally released December 14, 1974, The Towering Inferno is one of my all time favorite films and well worth owning on Blu-ray. The behind the scenes featurettes are a must see for diehard fans. Watching Irwin Allen in action is just fascinating. I said it before and I’ll say it again, they don’t make ‘em like they used to. The Towering Inferno is a classic.
Primary cast • Steve McQueen as Chief Michael O’ Hallorhan • Paul Newman as Doug Roberts • William Holden as James Duncan • Faye Dunaway as Susan Franklin • Fred Astaire as Harlee Clairbone • Susan Blakely as Patty Duncan Simmons • Richard Chamberlain as Roger Simmons • Jennifer Jones as Lisolette Mueller • O.J. Simpson as Harry Jernigan • Robert Vaughn as Sen. Gary Parker • Robert Wagner as Dan Bigelow • Susan Flannery as Lorrie • Mike Lookinland as Phillip Albright
Bruno- Offensive YES, but still extremely Funny stuff!
I must say that Bruno is one the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had at the movies. While I was buckled over from laughing I couldn’t help but wonder how far Sacha Baron Cohen will go to get a laugh and whether comedians have pushed boundaries so far that there’s no more elasticity left to stretch. There’s no doubt in my mind that Sacha Baron Cohen is a truly fascinating and unique comic talent; a method actor who never cracks a smile and has the amazing ability to stay in character no matter how absurd the situation. The man might be the funniest and most comedically creative person on the planet right now.
Now having said all that, it felt strange that at least 10% of the paying audience I saw the film with on a Saturday night got up and walked out before the film’s halfway point. Clearly they were highly offended. Yet I sat in my seat and laughed so hard I thought I would hurt myself. Like his previous hit Borat, Bruno hinges on interviews with people who don’t know that the flamboyant ultra gay Bruno is not a real person.
Some of his subjects in this film are so clueless, pathetic and make such fools of themselves that it’s hard not to believe they were in on the act. Bruno is a character Cohen created for his sketch comedy but, unlike Borat who is a foreign television commentator, Bruno is a gay Austrian fashion reporter who loses his job and comes to America looking to become famous just about anyway he can.
At a running time of just 82 minutes the film bounces from one scene to the next and I can honestly say they all work. The film is briskly paced without a dead spot to be found.
What Borat showed for race issues in America, Bruno does for sexuality – at least to some extent. The difference between the two characters is Borat was looked at as a likeable foreigner while Bruno is so flamboyant that the people he comes in contact with aren’t exactly comfortable with him. I have to admit I didn’t look at this film for social commentary (although there is some) I just wanted to laugh and I certainly did. Bruno is an even funnier film than Borat, and that’s saying a lot.
The setups here include: an interview with Paula Abdul, who has no problem sitting on the backs of Hispanic men who are used as makeshift furniture, and; Bruno and his agent sitting at a focus group meeting watching his pilot for a celebrity interview show with the promise of a Harrison Ford interview. This scene includes an extended sequence of Bruno’s penis (it even talks) that pushes the boundaries of anything ever seen in even an R-rated film. Except for a Ron Jeremy movie I can’t imagine full frontal male nudity being more prevalent. It was at this point that some of the walkouts started.
Other highlights include: an interview with a high ranking terrorist; an uncomfortable hotel room interview with Senator Ron Paul; a stunningly hilarious interview segment with parents who are trying to get their kids into commercials (a mother agrees that she will have her 30 pound little girl lose 10 pounds in a week if she gets the job), and; a very funny encounter at a swingers party. The true show stopper involves a mock talk show with former TV host Richard Bey and an audience of outraged African Americans as they question Bruno on the adoption of his African boy. The still shots of Bruno and the boy are priceless, especially the one where the kid is strapped to a cross.
The final scene involving Bruno and another man stripping each other and making out in the ring at an MMA event is also hilarious. While the film is outrageous, offensive and had me uncomfortable at times (the mili vanili psychic bit was pushing it big-time), what can I say other than I laughed throughout. I found Bruno incredibly funny. While I’m fully aware that this type of material will offend, and in some cases disgust, it made me laugh as hard as I’ve ever laughed in a movie theater. So for me Bruno gets 4.5 out of 5 Zombies. Whether this is the start of the fall of western civilization is a discussion for another day – I’ll keep an open mind.
NBC’s DAY ONE Trailer
Since I was a big fan of the CBS show Jericho, I’m hoping this promising looking new NBC fall program might fill the void of that show’s cancellation for fans like myself who like a little ‘end of the world’ in there life. It’s pretty evident that the network has put a decent chunk of change into the pilot episode. The Trailer is pretty self explanatory. Take a LOOK
Synopsis: From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander (”Heroes,” “Lost,” “Alias”) and director Alex Graves (”Fringe,” “Journeyman”), “Day One” tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world’s infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors — played by Adam Campbell (”Date Movie”), Catherine Dent (”The Shield”), Julie Gonzalo (”Eli Stone”), David Lyons (”ER”), Derek Mio (”Greek”), Carly Pope (”24″), Thekla Reuten (”Sleeper Cell”) and Addison Timlin (”Cashmere Mafia”) — strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories — and heroes are born every day. “Day One” is a Universal Media Studios production
Jennifer’s Body Poster
When people tell you looks don’t count, do not believe them. Megan Fox is clearly carving out a very respectable movie career with her role in the Transformers franchise and leading parts in a handful of high profile projects in development (including Jonah Hex opposite Josh Brolin). Trust me when I say she’s not getting these roles for her top notch acting skills. This is the poster to Jennifer’s Body, a horror comedy scripted by the Oscar winning writer of Juno, Diablo Cody. The poster is actually a nice throwback to the 80’s and has a similar design to the horror film Student Bodies. The very appealing actress Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia) co-stars ands gets equal billing. If you ask me who will be working in movies in ten years between Seyfried and Fox, I would easily say Seyfried, but celebrity is a powerful force and Fox certainly has celebrity in spades right now.
Jennifer’s Body hits theaters September 18, 2009. The poster comes courtesy of Bloody Disgusting. Here’s the films TRAILER
Spiderman 4 writer update, G.I Joe marketing push and Cameron Diaz in The Green Hornet
Sony has hired a third screenwriter to rewrite Spiderman 4. Gary Ross, responsible for Big, Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, has been brought in to work on the script that already has had James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, David Lindsay-Abaire (Inkheart), taking stabs at creating a winning storyline for the comic book heros’ fourth outing on film. It’s pretty clear that director Sam Raimi will be under a lot of pressure to deliver a film that will please hardcore fans as the backlash of Spiderman 3 is pretty strong and long lasting.
Personally I don’t get that. While Spiderman 3 had its flaws (a few too many characters) I found it to be a solid and very entertaining entry in the overall franchise. If you tell me Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen are bad films I’m in total agreement, but not Spiderman 3. I just don’t see it that way. As for this fourth entry, it’s pretty clear that there’s a lot of serious writing talent on hand so hopefully director Raimi will knock this entry out of the park in the way he did Spiderman 2. Fans are still wondering what villain will be used to lock horns with Spiderman this time around.
Paramount has ramped up its marketing push for the August release of G.I Joe as we’re starting to see trailers being shown heavily on television. It’s no secret that the studio is facing a nice sized hurdle with some serious negative buzz running rampant on the internet for the last few months. While this buzz could be unwarranted it’s probably more true than not as many influential and credible sources have written stories documenting problems between director Stephen Sommers and the studio. Let’s face it, the trailers look pretty cheesy and far from story oriented – a one weekend wonder at best. If there is one person I hope walks away unscathed it’s actress Rachel Nichols (P2) who I think is very talented . She plays the role of Scarlett in the film. G.I Joe literally, and probably sadly, flies into theaters August 7.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Cameron Diaz has been offered the female lead opposite Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet, although they don’t confirm exactly what role she will play. My question – does it make a difference? This whole project seems all wrong from the get go. While the film has a competent and interesting director in Michael Gondry (Be Kind, Rewind), is Seth Rogen playing The Green Hornet even plausible? While my only real understanding of the character is based on an appearance on the Batman television show in an episode that aired in the 1960’s, I just don’t get it. What tone will Rogen and Gondry go for? Will it be serious or comedic or a mixture of both. Anyway you slice it the project doesn’t appeal to me. If it’s a spoof I’m not interested at all. If it’s a serious adaptation why is Rogen involved.
For anyone thinking so it is not even in the same universe as Michael “Beetlejuice” Keaton being cast as Batman in 1989. Not by a long shot. Keaton earned his dramatic stripes in the 1988 drama Clean and Sober (he was great and deserved an Oscar nomination) and, like Tom Hanks, can easily transition from comedy to drama. Rogen might be able to do drama but not superhero drama. It’s not just about acting skills; he doesn’t have the look and that’s IMPORTANT! While I congratulate him on the weight loss I’ll never accept him as The Green Hornet so I just don’t understand the thinking behind the whole idea. So while I’m down with Cameron Diaz, I think I’ll pass on the idea of getting excited. For those who are let me know why! Personally I think this was a part tailor made for George Clooney, albeit a decade ago.
Capitalism: A Love Story-The official title of Michael Moore’s new Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has announced the title of his new film that will chronicle the financial meltdown, Wall Street’s greed and the bailout. It will be titled Capitalism: A Love Story. It’s a perfect title for thi s film and I’m very much looking forward to seeing it this October.
If The Dark Knight’s Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) were describing the film he would probably say “This is the film we don’t want but the one that we need.” I fully support Moore’s effort here to call out Wall Street and the massive GREED of many who have paralyzed our economy. While movies usually only have a short term effect on the public’s overall thought patterns one can only hope that many of the massive mistakes and criminal acts that got us here in the first place will not be repeated. A film like this can only help.
“It will be the perfect date movie,” Moore said in an announcement Wednesday. “It’s got it all—lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day. It’s a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, lets just say it: It’s capitalism.”
While this is a free country and everyone is entitled to their opinion I’m amazed at some of the Michael Moore hate on the internet. I guess I didn’t realize everybody makes more than 250K a year and believes Wall Street has their greatest interest at heart. Joe the plumber syndrome appears to be alive and well. I know people who have worked on Wall Street and they sure don’t feel that way. Personally, I’m a fan of Moore’s work as I believe it’s both relevant and important. Roger and Me, Fahrenheit 911, and Sicko are all films I’m glad I saw and feel the better for it. I’ll be there on Oct 2nd to see Moore’s next venture Capitalism: A Love Story. I have no doubt Moore will deliver something quite thought provoking.
About
Chuck’s World: it’s a strange and mysterious place filled with the laughter of small children, the Poseidon Adventure running on a continuous loop and a vast collection of zombie movies. Chuck’s movie commentary has been heard on nationally syndicated talk radio program, Doug Stephan’s Good Day, every weekday morning at 8:50am EST since 1994. EMAIL Chuck@EntertainmentTodayandBeyond.com
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