The red band trailer for the 2008 comedy “Strange Wilderness” has finally hit the web, and though Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, is proudly mentioned in the opening seconds, it definitely feels more like “Grandma’s Boy” than “50 First Dates.” Of course, Sandler himself doesn’t appear in the film (as is common with most of the Happy Madison projects), which means that it’s probably going to suck.
The film follows the crew of a wilderness-themed TV program as they go in search of Bigfoot in order to score better ratings, and while red band trailers usually show a comedy for what it really is (“Walk Hard” looks that much better because of its very own red band trailer), “Strange Wilderness” has got flop written all over it. It’s too bad, really, since the movie has a decent cast of comedy up-and-comers including Steve Zahn, Justin Long, Jonah Hill and Kevin Heffernan. Unfortunately, the latter two are hardly featured in the trailer. If Paramount were smart, they’d re-cut a new trailer featuring as much of Hill as they possibly can. The kid’s not only talented – he’s one of the most talked about up-and-comers in the industry right now.
Check out the worldwide premiere here, and then come back to tell us what you think.
Anybody who made it all the way through to the third night of “Tin Man” was likely most intrigued by a certain moment that occurred about half way through the installment. It was the moment when the entire affair took on a new meaning, not as a remake or a reimagining – but as a sequel of sorts to any previous “Oz” saga. DG discovers the Gray Gale that she’s been searching for – which hold the coveted Emerald of the Eclipse – is some sort of spirit manifestation of Dorothy Gale, the first traveler to make it from our side to the O.Z. She’s also DG’s ancestor and the person after whom she was named. To be sure, this was a polarizing moment where I suspect viewers were either riveted to finish the piece, or it was the final straw where they turned it off in a fit of disgust. DG even says, “Of course – the Gray Gale!” — the audience probably mouthed the words along with her.
DG also met her father (unfortunately, I cannot locate the actor’s or character’s instantly forgettable name), a guy who also came to the O.Z. from Nebraska – via an air balloon. Glitch’s real name is Ambrose and the guy was clearly a freakin’ genius when he had all his faculties. (Was I the only person waiting for a scene where his brain was placed back into his head?) And the show went through the motions by proving Raw was courageous and that Cain had a heart — which was demonstrated by his attitude toward Zero (Callum Keith Rennie at his most Daniel Craigish). The Mystic Man (Richard Dreyfuss) did not come back, so I guess he’s dead. I was also wrong in my prediction that Cain and DG would hook up. A big part of my reasoning for that was that there needed to be a more concrete reason behind calling the series “Tin Man.” Cain was certainly the most engaging of DG’s companions, but why name the show after him? In the end, he didn’t seem to be any more important than the other two guys. I guess it just sounded cool.
The big finale was not so much a letdown, but really just a mixture of people chasing after a Macguffin and doing away with the witch was massive style over substance. It’s not that it didn’t work, it’s just that I was expecting a little more after all the buildup.
So was “Tin Man” worth its weight in emeralds or not? After three nights of gobsmacking effects & production design (by TV standards anyway), pretty good acting, and a script that was all over the place, my verdict is that it was certainly worth viewing. Will Sci Fi get a series out of it? Given their new scripted series track record as of late (“Painkiller Jane” and “Flash Gordon”), it would indeed behoove the network to greenlight a series based on the further adventures of DG in the O.Z. And the ratings were off the charts for Sci Fi; they’ve declared it the “Most-Watched Event in Sci Fi History” and the “Top Cable Miniseries of 2007.”
Here are some stats from a Sci Fi press release sent out today:
During its three-night primetime run (December 2-4 @ 9-11pm), “Tin Man” averaged a 3.6 HH rating/3.4 million HHs, delivering 5.3 million total viewers (P2+), more than 2.9 million viewers P25-54 and 2.7 million viewers P18-49.
In total viewers (P2+), “Tin Man” sailed past Sci Fi’s previous records – “TAKEN” (5.0 million) and “Dune” (4.6 million).
The six-hour, three-night event drew an even 50-50 split among male and female viewers.
“Tin Man” made Sci Fi #1 in primetime (8-11pm) among all entertainment cable networks for all three nights of its broadcast – averaging more than 2.3 million P25-54s and more than 2.1 million P18-49s. This beats the #2 network across the same three-day span by +77% and +40%, respectively.
In other words, expect to see more stories set in the O.Z. And if it isn’t too comical a move, they might want to consider naming the show “The O.Z.” – unless, of course, Zooey doesn’t sign on for the series and McDonough’s Cain becomes the main character. If you didn’t get to see it, Sci Fi will be rerunning the entire mini on Sunday, Dec. 9th starting at 5 PM (EST).
It might seem a bit early if you don’t live in New York or LA, but the 2007 awards season was kicked off today courtesy of the National Board of Review, and the Coen brothers’ “No Country For Old Men” got a head start in the Oscar race by nabbing top honors as Best Film, as well as taking home awards for Best Ensemble Cast and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film’s cinematographer, Roger Deakins, was also honored with an award for career achievement in his field.
Miramax’s good fortune continued with additional wins for Best Supporting Actress (Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”), Best Foreign Film (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”) and Best Directorial Debut (Ben Affleck, “Gone Baby Gone”), proving that the studio is just as much of an awards juggernaut without the Weinsteins.
Check out the rest of the winners after the break.
Best Director: TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd Best Actor: GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton Best Actress: JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her Best Supporting Actor: CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Best Documentary: BODY OF WAR Best Animated Feature: RATATOUILLE Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: ELLEN PAGE, Juno Best Original Screenplay (tie): DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl
Career Achievement – MICHAEL DOUGLAS William K. Everson Film History Award – ROBERT OSBORNE The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression – THE GREAT DEBATERS and PERSEPOLIS
Top Ten Films: (In alphabetical order)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD ATONEMENT THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM THE BUCKET LIST INTO THE WILD JUNO THE KITE RUNNER LARS AND THE REAL GIRL MICHAEL CLAYTON SWEENEY TODD
Top Five Foreign Films: (In alphabetical order)
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS THE BAND’S VISIT THE COUNTERFEITERS LA VIE EN ROSE LUST, CAUTION
Top Five Documentary Films: (In alphabetical order)
DARFUR NOW IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON NANKING TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE TOOTS
Top Independent Films: (In alphabetical order)
AWAY FROM HER GREAT WORLD OF SOUND HONEYDRIPPER IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH A MIGHTY HEART THE NAMESAKE ONCE THE SAVAGES STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING WAITRESS
Like most anyone over the age of 30, I grew up on a yearly diet of network showings of “The Wizard of Oz.” Loved the movie so much as a child that I read the book by L. Frank Baum when I was 11 or so. Someone who fits into such a category should instantly be wary of SciFi’s new miniseries “Tin Man,” right? Yet I’ve never viewed “Oz” as such a sacred cow that reworkings of the material are considered an outrage. If anything there’s a wealth of fantastic material that Baum created that hasn’t been adequately adapted into live action movies and/or TV. Yet as far back as the ‘70s musical “The Wiz,” the original story has been blatantly reworked into new forms. Even David Lynch took a bold, peculiar stab at it in 1990 with “Wild at Heart.” And “Tin Man” wants to have another go at it? Great, go for it – but count me as someone who’d still like to see a series of straightforward movie adaptations ala “Harry Potter” or “Narnia.” Indeed, 1985’s “Return to Oz” is probably more faithful to Baum’s vision than the classic Judy Garland film.
The producers of “Tin Man” certainly want to get on my good side by casting Zooey Deschanel (Trillian from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide” movie, amongst many other credits) as the lead character, DG. And bringing guys like Alan Cumming, Neal McDonough and Richard Dreyfuss onboard certainly doesn’t hurt. But casting aside, the story needed to be a good one.
Having only seen Part One of Three thus far, the results were mostly engaging. It’d be easy to write off “Tin Man” right away as having strayed too far from the source material, but as I viewed the first installment, it slowly seduced and pulled me in. It seems that one of its biggest strengths, in fact, is exactly how far it’s strayed from the original work. “Tin Man” seems to be less fantasy and more sci-fi. Rather than being an adaptation of Baum’s novel, it’s instead a piece that takes cues and iconography from the source material to set up its own brand new universe, referred to here as the O.Z. (the Outer Zone). Turns out that DG (Dorothy Gale) is actually the sister of Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson), the O.Z.’s version of the Wicked Witch (although she seems to owe even more to “Narnia’s” White Witch). To protect DG from her sister, she was sent to live in our world under the care of a couple who were actually robots from the O.Z. As if her heritage isn’t enough of a departure, each other classic icon has been given a spin as well. McDonough’s Tin Man is actually a cop out for revenge for the killing of his family. The sequence where he’s released from an iron maiden of sorts – after having to endure years of viewing a repeated holographic depiction of the murder of his family – is chilling and effective. Cumming’s Glitch has a zipper on his head to mark the spot where valuable info was taken out (brains). Raw, the lion figure, is of a race that’s telepathic (this old school “Doctor Who” fan was reminded of the time sensitive Tharils from “Warriors’ Gate”). Dreyfuss’ drug-addled Mystic Man seemed even more of a clueless charlatan than anything out of the movies or books. The Munchkin city smacked of Endor and Ewoks. Yeah, “Tin Man” is getting its influence from material far outside of the work of L. Frank Baum.
The final half hour devolved into a lot of action and I’d need to give that section another once over before commenting. Truth be told, the first installment covered so much ground, that I can’t even begin to imagine where it’s all going if it keeps up at this pace. You know what “Tin Man’s” biggest disappointment thus far is? The winged monkeys, which just go to show that CGI can never replace little people in creepy makeup and costumes.
As a DVD, “Fired!” may be one of the funniest viewing experiences of the year. As an actual movie, however, it isn’t nearly as successful…but, wait, I’m getting ahead of myself a bit.
The story behind “Fired!” began when actress Annabelle Gurwitch was…you guessed it…fired. Fired by Woody Allen, to be precise, when he was in the process of prepping the cast for a play he was putting together and declared that Gurwitch looked “retarded” when she followed a particular stage direction. Having already told tons of her friends and family members that she was going to working with Allen, Gurwitch was decidedly wounded by this act, but instead of wallowing in her depression, she ended up in conversation with various folks who sympathetically shared their own stories of being fired. She soon realized that, as a performer, there was something that could be done with this material, and, voila, the “Fired!” stage show was born, where various performers would get up on stage and read the tales of various people’s experiences.
This documentary sprang forth from that show, but, unfortunately, it’s lost something in the translation. This is mostly because the flick trumpets appearances from Tim Allen, David Cross, Andy Dick, Jeff Garlin, Bob Odenkirk, Jeffrey Ross, Harry Shearer, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stein, Fred Willard, Illeana Douglas, and Anne Meara, then ends up feeling like it’s far more about Gurwitch herself. And, of course, it is about Gurwitch. Unfortunately, most of the other contributors just have funnier stories, which means we spent as much time waiting for them to come back as we do appreciating Gurwitch’s own humorous experiences as she struggles to find her way back from the abyss. Also, directors Chris Bradley and Kyle La Brache make the decision to chop up several of the stories being told at a performance of the stage show and come back to them periodically throughout the film for more of each story, which proves reeeeeeeally annoying.
So if I’ve got these complaints, why am I calling “Fired!” one of the funniest DVDs of 2007?
Well, like I said, the stories from the various contributors are pretty damned funny. Jeff Garlin talks about losing a stand-up gig because he couldn’t compete with the magician who opened for him, Fred Willard sits in a hot tub (with Harry Shearer loitering just outside the waterline) and recalls how he was dropped from a sitcom because he was honest and admitted that he wasn’t the guy who played Herb Tarlek on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” and Illeana Douglas concedes that she was once fired from a job as a coat check girl despite her years of experience in placing coats on hangers and then taking them off again. Andy Dick revisits the world of fast food and finds that he still can’t hack the pace, while Bob Odenkirk provides Gurwitch with a great it’s-not-you-it’s-us speech to show how you can be let down easy in situations like that.
Better still, however, are the outtakes from the film. David Cross talks about getting fired from a hardware store, numerous telemarketing jobs, and the Paul Simon Presidential campaign, but the best bit comes when he discusses how he was let go from a mail-room job in a law firm by a guy who was the perfect combination of Mr. Smithers and Mr. Burns. (“He said, ‘Just get out,’ and I said, ‘But I haven’t had a chance to take a dump in your desk yet!’ And, then, that was it; I knew I had no chance of coming back. ‘Oh, c’mon, guy, lighten up! That was a joke! Seriously, can I just work through the summer?'”) Paul Feig, co-creator of “Freaks and Geeks,” tells an awesome story about his experiences as a teenage Ronald McDonald, comedienne Hillary Carlip tells a dy-no-mite story about getting dumped from her gig as Jimmie “J.J.” Walker’s juggling instructor, Dana Gould talks about being let go from the Fred Savage sitcom, “Working,” Harry Shearer explains how he got fired from several radio stations, once for playing a Mel Torme record on an all-rock station (calling the experience “the sincerest form of ‘don’t do that again'”), and…oh, hell, pretty much every single story in the outtake section is hilarious.
Great concept, less than perfect execution, but given that your sides will hurt by the time you’re finished with the DVD, I guess the best description of “Fired!” is to call it an eventual success.
