Here’s another movie moment inspired by A Blog Supreme, this time two clips featuring probably my favorite singer, period: Ella Fitzgerald. These clips are both from “Pete Kelly’s Blues” a strangely interesting film directed by Jack Webb (aka Joe Friday of “Dragnet”) who was also the primary creative voice on the show which set the pattern for today’s TV police procedurals. Considering it has both Webb and Lee Marvin in major roles, it’s probably the most macho jazz film ever, and considering Clint Eastwood‘s investment in jazz on film going back to his debut as a director, “Play Misty for Me,” that’s saying something. It also featured another great singer, Peggy Lee, who may turn up here another time.
You can read my PH review of “Pete Kelly’s Blues” and some other notable jazz films gathered under Clint Eastwood’s name here.
Can you imagine being an actor who’s worked in TV for the past few years and, when you finally score your first movie gig, it’s “Star Trek”? Nice work if you can get it, as the song says, and Antonio Elias – who plays one of the officers of the Kelvin in the opening sequence of the film – will be the first to tell you that the work was very nice, indeed. We chatted with Elias about how he got into the acting game, got the story on how close he came to picking up a series-regular gig with Dylan McDermott a few years ago, found out a bit more about how “Star Trek” originally would have opened, and learned about his next film, “Spoken Word.”
I’m trying to get out of the house this evening for a change, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I jump the gun slightly on this week’s b.o. preview. That means we won’t be hearing from Bullz-Eye critics this week or some of my other usual suspects, though updates are not impossible if something earth shattering grabs my attention.
Anyhow, we’ve got an interesting weekend shaping up as two superstar vehicles, starring a total of three veteran megastars, do battle with yet another ultra-powerful Pixar/Disney feature, “Up,” and a genuine sleeper, “The Hangover.” In fact, the modest, no-star, R-rated comedy surprised almost everyone last week by narrowly defeating the wildly popular PG Pixar film.
As the Hollywood Reporter‘s Carl DiOrio reminds us, the well-received comedy did about twice as well as it was expected to do (and it was already expected to do quite well), grabbing $45 million on its opening weekend and additionally doing strong business during the week, when some of us adults decide to hit the movies. Variety says largely the same thing.
Still, there is one potential powerhouse this week in what, again per DiOrio, turns out to be the third version of the NYC subway thriller, “The Taking of Pelham 123,” first seen in 1974 with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, and then again in a 1998 TV movie with Edward James Olmos and Vincent D’Onofrio. This a fifty-something superstar two-for-one package in which Denzel Washington’s transit nerd will face off against badass hijacker John Travolta, backed up by a very strong supporting cast led by James Gandolfini, who seems to be getting the best reviews of anyone connected with the film.
Indeed, the critical consensus on this one is not especially kind, perhaps hurt by the recent resurgence of interest/respect for the original film by those of us in the Filmgeek-American community. Critics can’t help comparing it to the compelling and blackly humorous original. The Onion‘s always interesting Nathan Rabin has hard words for “L.A. Confidential” screenwriter Brian Helgeland (stepping into the shoes of Peter Stone, one of the wittiest screen-scribes of his day), hyper-maximalist director Tony Scott, and especially the former Vinnie Barbarino:
John Travolta’s wildly successful post-comeback crusade to become synonymous with crap continues with…Tony Scott’s bracingly awful remake/desecration of the classic ‘70s thriller. The miscalculations begin with Travolta’s distractingly Tetris-shaped facial hair—long rectangular sideburns paired with a geometric Fu Manchu—and extend to every facet of the production. Cursed with following in the outsized footsteps of world-class heavy Robert Shaw, Travolta devours the scenery; his performance is 0% inspiration, 100% perspiration.
Nevertheless, a picture like this is not made or broken by reviews, though word of mouth (or word of Blackberry and text message or cell phone) is another story. It’s expected to do well, and possibly hit the #2 spot, but I wouldn’t bet on it doing any better. On the other hand, it’s got Denzel Washington, who should never be discounted. (And, for pity’s sake, read my new Bullz-Eye feature on the actor’s back catalog: “Washington Insiders.” Plug, plug, plug.)
Expectations are more modest for a new family vehicle for Eddie Murphy from Nickelodeon, “Imagine That.” The film pairs Murphy in a comedic father-daughter situation with young Yara Shahidi. Between a rather soft premise and that Nickelodeon imprimatur, especially with a sub-meh 36% on RT, it’s hard to imagine this one having much appeal outside of pre-tween girls, die-hard Eddie fans, and families who’ve already seen “Up” five times. Still, the family mojo is always good for something. Let’s see if our nation’s dutiful parents push this one into the top five or six… [Update: I also note, via our own now-linked to review by David Medsker, that the premise is somewhat simliar to both “Up” (which I haven’t seen yet) and the Adam Sandler vehicle “Bedtime Stories” (which I will likely never see, not matter how accurate Dave is when he says that Keri Russell “oozes cuteness”…if she oozes anything, that would be it). Though Dave has some mild kind words for the Murphy film, I don’t think that it helps with its’ appeal much, either.]
That’s pretty much it except for three interesting films in limited release. For starters, we have a well-reviewed (though not ecstatically so), moody science fiction film called “Moon” from Duncan Jones — who can’t escape being David Bowie‘s son — with Sam Rockwell as a cloned astronaut and Kevin Spacey as the voice of a HAL-9000/Marvin-the-Paranoid-Android-esque ship’s computer. Film geeks will also be curious about a new film from filmic godfather Francis Ford Coppola, “Tetro” which has been getting a mixed response. (Currently 50% at RT — that’s pretty precisely mixed.) It’s opening just on the coasts.
It’s also only opening in L.A. and New York, but look to be hearing more about the new RT 95 percenter documentary “Food, Inc.“, on the hot topic of the politics of what we’re all eating, as the year wears on. It’s also got a great trailer — the notional tomatoes are on me.
Friday’s big release is Tony Scott’s remake of a relatively obscure, but beloved, seventies suspense-action flick, “The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3.” I haven’t seen the new version, but the original is notable for surprisingly large amounts of comedy given the deadly subject matter, and one of the most authentic recreations on film of what it feels like to be in New York City. It’s also one of a handful of action/tough guy films to feature the unlikely but always effective presence of Walter Matthau.
But while the original had Matthau, the new one has another actor who, in a very different way, is also in a class by himself: Denzel Washington. To celebrate the career of the charismatic, old-school movie star and true master thespian (and an personal favorite of mine), Bullz-Eye is covering ten films from the actor’s past you may not be familiar with. Even playing in a frequently tasteless, shtick-based, comedy as a complete unknown, he had class and hard-earned talent to boot. Read “Washington Insiders” here.
And the most fun part of working on a feature like this? It’s discovering surprising moments from a star you thought you already knew. Like this moment, featuring a bit of New Orleans/Professor Longhair style piano blues and some reggae Bob Dylan. I don’t think that’s him playing piano, but I believe he’s actually singing there, and not badly.
With NPR launching its jazz page, A Blog Supreme (the title is a play on John Coltrane’s signature recording), I thought for the next week or so we’d highlight some great jazz moments from classic, or at least interesting, movies. For whatever reason, some of those may involve beautiful women.
Today, we’ll lead off with a scene from one of the movies we’ll be highlighting in an upcoming Bullz-Eye feature on Denzel Washington. This is Cynda Williams in my favorite sequence from Spike Lee’s beautiful, problematic follow-up to “Do the Right Thing,” 1990’s “Mo’ Better Blues.” You’ll see some very familiar faces pretending to play instruments, but that’s really Cynda’s voice we’re hearing. (You’ll also see those fake musicians uttering brief Italian phrases via the magic of cinema — you take what the the great god YouTube has to offer.)
As the Hollywood Reporter‘s 
