Category: External Entertainment (Page 73 of 513)

RIP Sally Menke (updated)

September 28, 2010 / Bob Westal

I’ve rearranged previously-scheduled posts slightly this morning because of the very sad and unexpected death of editor Sally Menke at age 56. Ms. Menke was best known as the editor of all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies and, it was obvious from interviews, a hugely valued collaborator to the director. It appears she may have been a victim of the record heat yesterday. (It’s not unusual in Southern California for the highest temperatures to come right about this time.)

It’s sometimes hard for people to understand who’ve never worked on a movie to understand how important a good editor is and how much of a truly creative task it is. It’s also not that easy for outsiders to understand an editor’s contribution because we don’t see all the raw material they work with. I’ve seen editors take some pretty horrible stuff and make it usable and they can take good-to-okay material and make it near perfection. It’s a kind of alchemy. In any case, our sincere condolences to all of her friends and family, including Mr. Tarantino. I’m sure he’ll agree that his movies from this point forward will be inevitably somewhat different. I think you’ll get an of just how crucial Sally Menke was from what’s below.

After the flip, the final “Hi Sallys.”

External Entertainment, External Movies, Movies, News

Gloria Stuart Inglourious Basterds Quentin Tarantino Sally Menke

Iron Man II — alternate opening

September 27, 2010 / Bob Westal

What is it about the Hollywood de-flavorizing machine that allows this vastly superior, and more honest, opening for “Iron Man 2” to be cut, while many mediocre scenes managed their way into the finished movie?

H/t Mike Ryan at Movieline, who I think I completely agree with about this.

Action Movies, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movies, Sci-Fi Movies

Iron Man 2 Iron Man 2 alternate opening

“Retribution this Christmas”

September 27, 2010 / Bob Westal

The Coen Brothers certainly have been no strangers to the American West or movie Western iconography. Still, there’s a difference between borrowing Western tropes for such more or less contemporary tales as “Raising Arizona” or “Fargo” or “No Country for Old Men” and making an actual western with six-shooters and cowboys and all of that. Hence, this teaser for “True Grit” makes me very, very happy.

H/t the Film Drunk, who very correctly reminds us that this may perhaps be more fairly described as a new adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel. I haven’t read the book yet — at least I don’t remember ever reading it — and its been decades since I’ve seen the hit John Wayne/Henry Hathaway version from the sixties, but I understand from people in the know that, surprisingly, that version was mostly very faithful to the book.

Action Movies, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movies, News, Trailers

Charles Portis Fargo Headlines Henry Hathaway John Wayne No Country for Old Men Raising Arizona the Coen Brothers True Grit

“It’s amazing how much a person can cry”

September 27, 2010 / Bob Westal

It’s a Monday morning, so a lot of you probably feel like crying anyway. Now, thanks to Pajiba’s Harry Hanrahan, you could let the crying expert, Ms. Julianne Moore do it for you. It doesn’t matter whether the flick is great, bad, or indifferent, she never fails to be effective.

The crying hall of fame has just too members in my view and, oddly enough, both of them are named “Moore.”

External Entertainment, External Movies, Humor, Movie Dramas

crying Julianne Moore

Mad Men 4.10 – Do You Promise Not To Tell?

September 26, 2010 / Will Harris

Joan wants a chat with Roger…and the talk is serious: “I’m late. Very late.” I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at how Roger immediately did his best to calm her down, speaking to her in a tender voice and assuring her that he’d take care of everything. His doctor, however, isn’t nearly as tolerant of the fact that Roger’s gotten Joan pregnant, but he still passes along information so that she can get an abortion…if she decides to actually get one, that is.

The mere fact that Roger broached the possibility of Joan keeping the baby made me sure that we were going to spend the rest of the episode playing “will she or won’t she,” and I was right on the money about that. Even now, Joan’s impossible to read. I hate to believe that she actually went through with it ’til we get formal confirmation on the matter, but she probably did, as it would go against standard “Mad Men” storytelling for her to do something as cliched as say, “I changed my mind, I’m keeping the baby.”

Lee Garner, Jr. is back…but not for long. After the Christmas episode, you’d think they’d be glad to see him go away for good, but since Lucky Strike is basically the client that’s keeping Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce afloat, their departure could literally sink the firm. It’s a little disconcerting to see Roger shift from angry into being legitimately upset. Will he be able to save SCDP in 30 days…or before he has another heart attack?

Isn’t it amazing how the promise of a ticket to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium – which dates the events of the episode as taking place near August 15, 1965 – can make up for years of half-assed parenting? But, my God, even Betty’s icy exterior cracked when Don told her where he was taking Sally…and, perhaps even more impressively, mother and daughter actually shared a smile. Unfortunately, the way Don kept having to put pressure on Harry about the tickets, coupled with Harry’s expression while assuring him that he’d get the tickets, had me worried almost immediately that the grand event wouldn’t go off as planned. Little did I know that it’d be the only thing that would pan out.