Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[struth]

Dances With Wolves, 1990... extended version(which Costner hade no part in the making. His cut was 3 hrs; this is nearer 4)




Kevin Costner's daughter Annie Costner, playing Stands With A Fist as a child, is seen running away from the Pawnee party that killed her family in the dream sequence. She looks back over each shoulder as she runs because Costner told her to look over her right shoulder and she didn't know her right from her left - she was only 6 years old at the time.

Kevin Costner's spreading out of his arms while doing his suicide run at the start of the film was a completely spontaneous gesture that took his stunt coordinator by surprise.

The major studios wouldn't provide the proper funding. They took issue with the script's length and the amount of subtitles - the latter something that Kevin Costner and crew would not budge on - on top of the film being a western. The film ran over budget, forcing Kevin Costner to make up the overages personally. That caused rumors that the film would be another out-of-control, disappointing western like Heaven's Gate (1980). In fact, some studio people were referring to it as "Kevin's Gate", a mock title that was later given to Waterworld (1995). It went on to win the first Best Picture Oscar for a western since Cimarron (1931), almost 60 years before it. Costner realized upwards of $40 million in profit after the film made over $400m.

[struth]

Another classic western now with 'McCabe And Mrs Miller, 1971... Criterion BluRay Reg A..





For a distinctive look, Robert Altman and Vilmos Zsigmond chose to "flash" (pre-fog) the film negative before its eventual exposure, as well as use a number of filters on the cameras, rather than manipulate the film in post-production; in this way the studio could not force him to change the film's look to something less distinctive. However, this was not done for the final 20 minutes of the picture, as Altman wanted the danger to McCabe to be as realistic as possible. Note the change when McCabe wakes up, grabs a shotgun, and starts off to the church.

At the beginning of the film, there is a shot of McCabe lighting a cigar before crossing the bridge. According to Robert Altman, Stanley Kubrick loved that shot and called him up asking him: "How did you know you had it?"

During post-production on this film, Robert Altman was having a difficult time finding a proper musical score, until he attended a party where the album "Songs of Leonard Cohen" was playing and noticed that several songs from the album seemed to fit in with the overall mood and themes of the movie. Cohen, who had been a fan of Altman's previous film, Brewster McCloud (1970), allowed him to use three songs from the album - "The Stranger Song", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Winter Lady" - although Altman was dismayed when Cohen later admitted that he didn't like the movie. A year later, Altman received a phone call from Cohen, who told him that he changed his mind after re-watching the movie with an audience and now loved it.

[Barry]

Both good films; though I'm not sure I could sit through a near four hour long film. Costner's version is good enough for me.

[struth]

Both good films; though I'm not sure I could sit through a near four hour long film. Costner's version is good enough for me.

one of the few 'long' films ive not noticed the time going by and never wanted it to end really.

heaven's gate which i also love, isnt as long but seems longer.. pacing and story is all i guess

[struth]

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, 1970... Eureka BluRay...





By the time of filming, Sir Christopher Lee had become famous as Count Dracula. When he and Billy Wilder walked on the shores of Loch Ness at dusk, with bats circling overhead, Wilder said to him, "You must feel quite at home here."

In the scene with the Russian ballerinas, Billy Wilder's advice to Colin Blakely was that he should "dance like Nureyev and act like Laughton". After the first take, Wilder was heard to say, "Wonderful, Colin - but why did you dance like Laughton and act like Nureyev?".

[Macca]

'Holy Man' (1998)

Jeff Goldblum has to turn around a failing shopping channel and get off with Kelly Preston even though she's a lot younger than he is and doesn't like him. When he runs into mysterious guru Eddie Murphy he thinks he has the solution to his problems but needless to say....zzzzzzzzzz

This is just a terrible film. And I know what you're thinking - Jeff Goldblum is always good and Eddie Murphy can be very good - but even they cannot save this picture from stinking like the Mersey at low tide. Goldblum's character isn't likeable so you don't care if he saves the company or gets to shag Kelly Preston, and there's zero laughs and no suspense.

The only good thing in it is Robert Loggia, playing the owner of the network exactly the same way as he plays Feech LaManna in 'The Sopranos', but he's only in a couple of short scenes.

I couldn't make it all the way to the end but I figured out what would happen and checked on Wikipedia and I was right. Lame. Avoid.

[struth]

'Holy Man' (1998)

Jeff Goldblum has to turn around a failing shopping channel and get off with Kelly Preston even though she's a lot younger than he is and doesn't like him. When he runs into mysterious guru Eddie Murphy he thinks he has the solution to his problems but needless to say....zzzzzzzzzz

This is just a terrible film. And I know what you're thinking - Jeff Goldblum is always good and Eddie Murphy can be very good - but even they cannot save this picture from stinking like the Mersey at low tide. Goldblum's character isn't likeable so you don't care if he saves the company or gets to shag Kelly Preston, and there's zero laughs and no suspense.

The only good thing in it is Robert Loggia, playing the owner of the network exactly the same way as he plays Feech LaManna in 'The Sopranos', but he's only in a couple of short scenes.

I couldn't make it all the way to the end but I figured out what would happen and checked on Wikipedia and I was right. Lame. Avoid.

I've seen that. Your right!

[Roy S]

I know they're s**t but I like 'em

[struth]

Me, Myself and Irene, 2000.....





The soundtrack is almost exclusively covers of Steely Dan songs recorded specifically for this movie.

The scene where Charlie throws himself out of the car was done in only one take.

The glasses that Michael Bowman (Whitey) wears are his real-life glasses, including the little microscope on the end.

The scene where Renée Zellweger kicks Jim Carrey over the railing and down the hill was done by Jim Carrey (instead of a stunt double) after many pleadings. He did a few takes, but they used the first one. A mattress was used for him to pop back into frame.

[struth]

Poirot, series 3....1989..