August 22nd marked the 37th anniversary of the release director Tobe Hooper‘s sequel to his 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A sequel appropriately titled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (get it Here). Many fans celebrated the film with star Bill Moseley on social media – and the occasion inspired Moseley to reminisce about the moment when he ad-libbed one of the most popular lines in the film: “Lick my plate, you dog dick!”
In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Moseley played the maniacal goofball Chop Top, who is revealed to have had a metal plate placed in his head after he received a head wound during the Vietnam War. He wrote on Facebook, “Damn, a whole lotta love for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 yesterday on the occasion of its 37th birthday! Love the movie, love the memories, love Chop Top! Funny, I’ve done so many different characters over the years,...
In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Moseley played the maniacal goofball Chop Top, who is revealed to have had a metal plate placed in his head after he received a head wound during the Vietnam War. He wrote on Facebook, “Damn, a whole lotta love for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 yesterday on the occasion of its 37th birthday! Love the movie, love the memories, love Chop Top! Funny, I’ve done so many different characters over the years,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Now up for pre-order, Vinegar Syndrome is bringing Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 to 4K Ultra HD later this month, the film newly scanned and restored in 4K!
Pre-orders ship on or around the ship date of October 25, and you can grab the Standard Edition or the Limited Slipcase Edition from Vinegar Syndrome’s website right now.
The special limited edition hard case + slipcover (designed by Tony Stella) is limited to 10,000 units and is only available at VinegarSyndrome.com.
Special Features for the release include…
4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray Set 4K Uhd presented in High-Dynamic-Range Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative Presented with it’s original 2.0 stereo theatrical mix Brand new audio commentary with film critic Patrick Bromley Audio commentary with director Tobe Hooper Audio commentary with actors Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special effects makeup creator Tom Savini Audio commentary...
Pre-orders ship on or around the ship date of October 25, and you can grab the Standard Edition or the Limited Slipcase Edition from Vinegar Syndrome’s website right now.
The special limited edition hard case + slipcover (designed by Tony Stella) is limited to 10,000 units and is only available at VinegarSyndrome.com.
Special Features for the release include…
4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray Set 4K Uhd presented in High-Dynamic-Range Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative Presented with it’s original 2.0 stereo theatrical mix Brand new audio commentary with film critic Patrick Bromley Audio commentary with director Tobe Hooper Audio commentary with actors Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special effects makeup creator Tom Savini Audio commentary...
- 10/3/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Image Source: Getty/George Pimentel/WireImage
In a May 11 interview on "The Late Late Show With James Corden," Jessica Biel went into detail about the romantic, if risky, way her husband of 10 years, Justin Timberlake, proposed.
"We were in Montana on a piece of property that we owned at the time. We had snowboarded all day. It was in the middle of the winter. Waist-high snow. We were [in] head-to-toe snowboarding outfits - hats, gloves, everything," Biel said. "And we go up to the property to just check out how the foundation is looking. And all of a sudden, he gets down onto his knees and just . . . sinks into the snow," she continued. "And then he looks up at me and pulls up this ring and it was the most lovely, surprising, hilarious . . . "
Corden was a bit skeptical of the whole thing, saying, "Bold to go skiing with a ring in your pocket!
In a May 11 interview on "The Late Late Show With James Corden," Jessica Biel went into detail about the romantic, if risky, way her husband of 10 years, Justin Timberlake, proposed.
"We were in Montana on a piece of property that we owned at the time. We had snowboarded all day. It was in the middle of the winter. Waist-high snow. We were [in] head-to-toe snowboarding outfits - hats, gloves, everything," Biel said. "And we go up to the property to just check out how the foundation is looking. And all of a sudden, he gets down onto his knees and just . . . sinks into the snow," she continued. "And then he looks up at me and pulls up this ring and it was the most lovely, surprising, hilarious . . . "
Corden was a bit skeptical of the whole thing, saying, "Bold to go skiing with a ring in your pocket!
- 5/12/2022
- by Laura Marie Meyers
- Popsugar.com
Sic transit gloria means “thus passes worldly glory,” and is used to serve as a reminder of the transitory nature of life and earthly honors.
Former CBS Records/Sony Music head Walter Yetnikoff died earlier this week at age 87 as a symbol of that ancient saying. While his death didn’t go totally unnoticed, it wasn’t in proportion to the accomplishments of a man who played such a dominate role in the popular culture from 1975 to 1990..
For those unfamiliar, Yetnikoff was president/chief executive of CBS Records, which became Sony Music largely thanks to his initiatives. He worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Public Enemy – the list goes on, all part of music’s explosive growth in the era as it rode the CD boom and MTV wave.
He was widely considered the most powerful executive in the...
Former CBS Records/Sony Music head Walter Yetnikoff died earlier this week at age 87 as a symbol of that ancient saying. While his death didn’t go totally unnoticed, it wasn’t in proportion to the accomplishments of a man who played such a dominate role in the popular culture from 1975 to 1990..
For those unfamiliar, Yetnikoff was president/chief executive of CBS Records, which became Sony Music largely thanks to his initiatives. He worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Public Enemy – the list goes on, all part of music’s explosive growth in the era as it rode the CD boom and MTV wave.
He was widely considered the most powerful executive in the...
- 8/14/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal City, California, December 4, 2019 – Everyone’s favorite creepy and kooky family is back in the “frighteningly funny and fresh” animated feature film, The Addams Family, arriving on Digital December 24, 2019 and on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand January 21, 2020 from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
The very first full-length animated film about the eccentric and unconventional family,
The Addams Family on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital showcase the wonderfully weird world of the Addams family with a variety of exclusive bonus features not seen in theaters including deleted and extended scenes, an interactive charades game with Thing, behind-the-scenes footage, music lyric videos and more! Filled with wildly funny moments and a fresh take on the beloved characters created by Charles Addams, The Addams Family celebrates the uniqueness of every family and delivers spooky fun all year long.
From directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, The Addams Family boasts...
The very first full-length animated film about the eccentric and unconventional family,
The Addams Family on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital showcase the wonderfully weird world of the Addams family with a variety of exclusive bonus features not seen in theaters including deleted and extended scenes, an interactive charades game with Thing, behind-the-scenes footage, music lyric videos and more! Filled with wildly funny moments and a fresh take on the beloved characters created by Charles Addams, The Addams Family celebrates the uniqueness of every family and delivers spooky fun all year long.
From directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, The Addams Family boasts...
- 12/5/2019
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
The creepiest, kookiest, and altogether ookiest cinematic family returned to the big screen in a new Addams Family animated movie this Halloween season, and if you missed it in theaters or you want to experience it again from the comfort of your own home this winter, you may be delighted to know that the family-friendly film is coming to Digital on December 24th, followed by a Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD release on January 21st (the same day Zombieland: Double Tap comes out on physical home media) via Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment:
Press Release: Universal City, California, December 4, 2019 – Everyone’s favorite creepy and kooky family is back in the “frighteningly funny and fresh” animated feature film, The Addams Family, arriving on Digital December 24, 2019 and on Blu-ray™️, DVD and On Demand January 21, 2020 from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
The very...
Press Release: Universal City, California, December 4, 2019 – Everyone’s favorite creepy and kooky family is back in the “frighteningly funny and fresh” animated feature film, The Addams Family, arriving on Digital December 24, 2019 and on Blu-ray™️, DVD and On Demand January 21, 2020 from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
The very...
- 12/4/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Amiable “Giant Little Ones” treads familiar ground in the teenage coming-out narrative subgenre, from the protagonist’s suddenly confused Bff relationship to photogenic swim-team participation and the usual array of seriocomic support types. But Canadian writer-director Keith Behrman’s first big-screen feature since debut “Flower & Garnet” in 2002 is also polished and lively, with just enough fresh angles to avoid feeling like a rote recycling of gay cinema tropes. It has decent potential to attract niche offshore theatrical exposure in addition to digital-format sales.
Floppy-haired Franky (Josh Wiggins) is a popular high-schooler just turning 16, inseparable from longtime best bud Ballas (Darren Mann). Both have girlfriends, though Ballas claims to have done the deed — a lot — with his, while Franky remains a virgin. Landing in the same bed at the end of Franky’s drunken birthday celebration, the two boys “experiment.” The morning after, both are discomfited by their interlude, Franky in...
Floppy-haired Franky (Josh Wiggins) is a popular high-schooler just turning 16, inseparable from longtime best bud Ballas (Darren Mann). Both have girlfriends, though Ballas claims to have done the deed — a lot — with his, while Franky remains a virgin. Landing in the same bed at the end of Franky’s drunken birthday celebration, the two boys “experiment.” The morning after, both are discomfited by their interlude, Franky in...
- 9/14/2018
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Several generations of female musicians were center stage on day two of the Ascap I Create Music Expo at Loews Hollywood Hotel, with a mix of relative veterans like JoJo, Lindsey Stirling, the Go-Go’s Charlotte Caffey and that dog’s Anna Waronker as well as fresh newcomers like Billie Eilish and Gizzle.
While questioners asked whether they should post their music on YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud or wait for someone who’ll pay to release it, there wasn’t much question where the panelists stood: The Diy mentality held sway, and most said the ease of streaming and the lack of record label interference allows them the freedom to pursue their creativity in any number of ways.
On the morning’s Renaissance Women in Music panel, Priscilla Renea, who has been an outspoken enthusiast during several discussions, talked openly to Ascap Svp Membership Nicole George-Middleton about being dropped by...
While questioners asked whether they should post their music on YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud or wait for someone who’ll pay to release it, there wasn’t much question where the panelists stood: The Diy mentality held sway, and most said the ease of streaming and the lack of record label interference allows them the freedom to pursue their creativity in any number of ways.
On the morning’s Renaissance Women in Music panel, Priscilla Renea, who has been an outspoken enthusiast during several discussions, talked openly to Ascap Svp Membership Nicole George-Middleton about being dropped by...
- 5/9/2018
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Here you have another Scream Factory title, which will be judged a little harsher than usual. MGM recently released its own Blu-ray version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and for the most part, it was just fine. In addition to the MGM Region A release, there was also an Arrow Video-released Region B Blu-ray, which most fans have considered the “definitive edition” until now. I have nothing but respect for Arrow Video. They are basically the Criterion of B-movies right now. But I think this new TCM Blu-ray may just trump their excellent release, at least ever-so-slightly in the Pq department. As for the movie itself, I’m a big fan, always have been. I know it’s a divisive title among fans because it abandoned the relentlessly terrifying tone of the first movie, and opted for a more humorous approach, but it’s utterly fascinating. That opening scene is...
- 4/23/2016
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
Recognizing that it’s more than likely an unpopular opinion, I need to come clean and confess that I prefer Tobe Hooper’s 1986 sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, to its predecessor, which I’m also quick to point out is an unparalleled masterpiece of the genre. This has everything to do with personal taste. Tobe Hooper is one of my favorite filmmakers of all-time, and while I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen his 1974 classic, I probably revisit Part 2 every year. It’s one of my very favorite horror movies.
The third film in a trilogy Hooper made for Cannon Films in the 1980s (the other two being the brilliantly bonkers Lifeforce and Hooper’s remake of Invaders From Mars, released just a couple of months before TCM2 in ’86), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 was the movie the director had to...
The third film in a trilogy Hooper made for Cannon Films in the 1980s (the other two being the brilliantly bonkers Lifeforce and Hooper’s remake of Invaders From Mars, released just a couple of months before TCM2 in ’86), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 was the movie the director had to...
- 4/21/2016
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
This third week of April has some exciting home entertainment offerings for us genre fans, including the special edition releases of two cult classics I adore, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and The Stuff. An indie film I’ve been hearing about for a while now, Grimewave, also makes its way to DVD this Tuesday and while it may not be traditional horror, Oscar-winner The Revenant certainly has enough badassery contained within its cinematic frames to be worthy of mentioning this week, and it arrives on both Blu-ray and DVD on April 19th.
Other notable releases this week include Smothered (which features a ton of horror icons and was directed by John Schneider of Smallville and Dukes of Hazzard fame), 15 Till Midnight, Classroom 6, Ip Man 3, German Angst and She Wolf Rising.
Grimewave (Wild Eye Raw, DVD)
When the legendary, unstoppable serial killer Cfk stumbles upon a drug deal, he accidentally...
Other notable releases this week include Smothered (which features a ton of horror icons and was directed by John Schneider of Smallville and Dukes of Hazzard fame), 15 Till Midnight, Classroom 6, Ip Man 3, German Angst and She Wolf Rising.
Grimewave (Wild Eye Raw, DVD)
When the legendary, unstoppable serial killer Cfk stumbles upon a drug deal, he accidentally...
- 4/19/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory pays tribute to the Sawyer family on April 19th with their Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and we’ve been provided with three copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray copy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on April 22nd. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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From the Press Release: “The buzzz is back! On April 19, 2016, Scream Factory will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Collector’s Edition] in a comprehensive 2-disc...
————
Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray copy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on April 22nd. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
————
From the Press Release: “The buzzz is back! On April 19, 2016, Scream Factory will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Collector’s Edition] in a comprehensive 2-disc...
- 4/16/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory celebrates the upcoming 30th anniversary of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in style on Tuesday with their Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of the beloved sequel, and we have a clip and a trailer that tease the film’s high-def makeover, as well as a look at the new episode of Horror’s Hallowed Grounds that is included in the bonus features.
From the Press Release: “The buzzz is back! On April 19, 2016, Scream Factory will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Collector’s Edition] in a comprehensive 2-disc set with 10 hours of bonus features, including nearly 5 hours of exclusive content.
In 1974, horror fans rejoiced upon the release of Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie raised the stakes of in-your-face filmmaking and changed the face of horror. Twelve years later, Hooper and the Sawyer clan are back with this deviously entertaining sequel, starring Dennis Hopper in one of...
From the Press Release: “The buzzz is back! On April 19, 2016, Scream Factory will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Collector’s Edition] in a comprehensive 2-disc set with 10 hours of bonus features, including nearly 5 hours of exclusive content.
In 1974, horror fans rejoiced upon the release of Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie raised the stakes of in-your-face filmmaking and changed the face of horror. Twelve years later, Hooper and the Sawyer clan are back with this deviously entertaining sequel, starring Dennis Hopper in one of...
- 4/16/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and to celebrate, Scream Factory revealed the release details for their upcoming Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of the sequel, which includes nearly five hours of new bonus features content:
Press Release: The buzzz is back! On April 19, 2016, Scream Factory will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Collector’s Edition] in a comprehensive 2-disc set with 10 hours of bonus features, including nearly 5 hours of exclusive content.
In 1974, horror fans rejoiced upon the release of Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie raised the stakes of in-your-face filmmaking and changed the face of horror. Twelve years later, Hooper and the Sawyer clan are back with this deviously entertaining sequel, starring Dennis Hopper in one of the most deliciously crazed performances of his career.
For a decade, Texas Ranger Lefty Enright (Hopper) has sought to avenge the brutal...
Press Release: The buzzz is back! On April 19, 2016, Scream Factory will release The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Collector’s Edition] in a comprehensive 2-disc set with 10 hours of bonus features, including nearly 5 hours of exclusive content.
In 1974, horror fans rejoiced upon the release of Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie raised the stakes of in-your-face filmmaking and changed the face of horror. Twelve years later, Hooper and the Sawyer clan are back with this deviously entertaining sequel, starring Dennis Hopper in one of the most deliciously crazed performances of his career.
For a decade, Texas Ranger Lefty Enright (Hopper) has sought to avenge the brutal...
- 3/10/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Two-time Oscar nominated director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) has wrapped principal photography on "The Sea of Trees", which filmed on location in Japan and Massachusetts, starring Oscar winner Mathew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, Mud, The Wolf of Wall Street), Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (Inception, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai) and two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts (The Impossible, 21 Grams, King Kong, Mulholland Drive). The cast also includes actors Katie Aselton (star of FX's The League) and Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black). Arthur Brennan (McConaughey) treks into Aokigahara, known as the The Sea of Trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of Japan's Mount Fuji where people go to contemplate life and death. Having found the perfect place to die, Arthur encounters Takumi Nakamura (Watanabe), a Japanese man who has also lost his way. The two men begin a journey of reflection and survival, which affirms...
- 9/30/2014
- by Press Release
- Dark Horizons
David Bowie has announced that he is to release a new Ep and iPhone application this summer. The Golden Years Ep, which is to be released on June 6, will be a record of newly-remixed Bowie tracks by Anthony Valadez, Eric J. Lawrence, Chris Douridas and Jeremy Sole. It will be available as a digital download, CD and 12" vinyl. The Golden Years app, which is to be released alongside the Ep, will allow (more)...
- 4/4/2011
- by By Lewis Corner
- Digital Spy
CANNES -- As magic potions go, Shrek 2 may not have the marvelous kick of the original movie -- that dazzling combination of heart and soul and of magic and satire. But the new movie has a most definite kick. Relying this time more on gags and slapstick comedy, Shrek 2 reunites one of the best voice casts ever for an animated film to create a shrewd entertainment that again successfully aims its jokes at various age groups.
Shrek 2 may not replicate the original's huge boxoffice accomplishment, but it will be a major hit for DreamWorks. Like the first film, Shrek 2 debuted at Cannes, where it is screening In Competition.
For much of the movie, a savvy viewer may feel that he is in a pitch meeting where teams of screenwriters are tossing ideas around. Where Shrek followed a clearly delineated path in its storytelling, the sequel jumps here and there in search of plot threads. Writers Andrew Adamson, Joe Stillman, J. David Stem and David N. Weiss are forced to begin where most fairy tales end, at the "happy ever after" bit. What does come with "happy ever after"?
Well, there would be the in-laws, of course. Which leads to the "racial" question: After all, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) did marry an ogre in Shrek (Mike Myers again with that distinct brogue). Perhaps out of sympathy, Fiona in the second movie is looking a lot like Shrek, only just not as green. Nevertheless, when the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) of the Kingdom of Far Far Away invite the newlyweds over for a meet-and-greet, their shock is palpable.
And what if Fiona's Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) is the scheming mother of immaculately attired Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), the guy who was supposed to marry Fiona and actually looks the part? And what if Shrek and Fiona return from the honeymoon to find motormouth Donkey (Eddie Murphy, hilarious once again) still ensconced at their swamp-land hovel? And what if the shocked King and the furious Fairy Godmother scheme to eliminate Shrek, and the King slips into the Poison Apple Inn to hire famed ogre-killer Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas)? And what if Shrek and Donkey sneak into Fairy Godmother's potion factory and steal a formula that turns Shrek from a hulk to a hunk and Donkey into a stallion?
Yes, it's a nervous narrative, to say the least. One figure, Puss in Boots, is a delightful character, wonderfully animated and voiced, yet he serves no real purpose in the fractured story. Nevertheless, the genial wisecracks and hilarious characters put one in a forgiving mood. Plus the film is filled with so many delicious gags, it's impossible to spot them all on first viewing.
The Kingdom of Far Far Away, for instance, has a distinctly Beverly Hills/Hollywood look. A towering Far Far Away sign dominates the hill overlooking palm tree-lined streets where subjects shop at Saxxon Fifth Avenue, Versarchery, Pewtery Barn and Armani Armoury and grab coffees at Farbucks. The movie spoofs just about every fairly tale from childhood with cameos by Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs and Sleeping Beauty, who literally falls ... asleep. And, what's this, Joan Rivers kidding herself doing the arrivals at the palace and Larry King as a drag-queen Ugly Stepsister?
Music supervisor Chris Douridas drops many coins into a juke box to deliver a soundtrack filled with disco, Counting Crows, David Bowie and even the themes to Rawhide and Mission: Impossible.
While the story is lame, you cannot dislike this movie. The quips fly back and forth between Shrek and Donkey with timing worthy of the Marx Brothers. The 3-D animation under the direction of Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon has gotten even better, especially in the modeling of the human faces and the play of light within individual scenes.
Shrek 2 again presents a world of sight gags, puns, anachronisms and satire within the confines of an off-center fairy tale filled with richly detailed characters and a vibrant sense of fun.
SHREK 2
DreamWorks
A PDI/DreamWorks production
Credits:
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
Screenwriters: Andrew Adamson, Joe Stillman, J. David Stem, David N. Weiss
Story by: Andrew Adamson
Based on the book by: William Steig
Producers: Aron Warner, David Lipman, John H. Williams
Executive producer: Jeffrey Katzenberg
Production designer: Guillaume Aretos
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Visual effects supervisor: Ken Bielenberg
Editors: Michael Andrews, Sim Evan-Jones
Voices:
Shrek: Mike Myers
Donkey: Eddie Murphy
Princess Fiona: Cameron Diaz
Queen: Julie Andrews
Puss in Boots: Antonio Banderas: King: John Cleese
Prince Charming: Rupert Everett
Fairy Godmother: Jennifer Saunders
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Shrek 2 may not replicate the original's huge boxoffice accomplishment, but it will be a major hit for DreamWorks. Like the first film, Shrek 2 debuted at Cannes, where it is screening In Competition.
For much of the movie, a savvy viewer may feel that he is in a pitch meeting where teams of screenwriters are tossing ideas around. Where Shrek followed a clearly delineated path in its storytelling, the sequel jumps here and there in search of plot threads. Writers Andrew Adamson, Joe Stillman, J. David Stem and David N. Weiss are forced to begin where most fairy tales end, at the "happy ever after" bit. What does come with "happy ever after"?
Well, there would be the in-laws, of course. Which leads to the "racial" question: After all, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) did marry an ogre in Shrek (Mike Myers again with that distinct brogue). Perhaps out of sympathy, Fiona in the second movie is looking a lot like Shrek, only just not as green. Nevertheless, when the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews) of the Kingdom of Far Far Away invite the newlyweds over for a meet-and-greet, their shock is palpable.
And what if Fiona's Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) is the scheming mother of immaculately attired Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), the guy who was supposed to marry Fiona and actually looks the part? And what if Shrek and Fiona return from the honeymoon to find motormouth Donkey (Eddie Murphy, hilarious once again) still ensconced at their swamp-land hovel? And what if the shocked King and the furious Fairy Godmother scheme to eliminate Shrek, and the King slips into the Poison Apple Inn to hire famed ogre-killer Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas)? And what if Shrek and Donkey sneak into Fairy Godmother's potion factory and steal a formula that turns Shrek from a hulk to a hunk and Donkey into a stallion?
Yes, it's a nervous narrative, to say the least. One figure, Puss in Boots, is a delightful character, wonderfully animated and voiced, yet he serves no real purpose in the fractured story. Nevertheless, the genial wisecracks and hilarious characters put one in a forgiving mood. Plus the film is filled with so many delicious gags, it's impossible to spot them all on first viewing.
The Kingdom of Far Far Away, for instance, has a distinctly Beverly Hills/Hollywood look. A towering Far Far Away sign dominates the hill overlooking palm tree-lined streets where subjects shop at Saxxon Fifth Avenue, Versarchery, Pewtery Barn and Armani Armoury and grab coffees at Farbucks. The movie spoofs just about every fairly tale from childhood with cameos by Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs and Sleeping Beauty, who literally falls ... asleep. And, what's this, Joan Rivers kidding herself doing the arrivals at the palace and Larry King as a drag-queen Ugly Stepsister?
Music supervisor Chris Douridas drops many coins into a juke box to deliver a soundtrack filled with disco, Counting Crows, David Bowie and even the themes to Rawhide and Mission: Impossible.
While the story is lame, you cannot dislike this movie. The quips fly back and forth between Shrek and Donkey with timing worthy of the Marx Brothers. The 3-D animation under the direction of Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon has gotten even better, especially in the modeling of the human faces and the play of light within individual scenes.
Shrek 2 again presents a world of sight gags, puns, anachronisms and satire within the confines of an off-center fairy tale filled with richly detailed characters and a vibrant sense of fun.
SHREK 2
DreamWorks
A PDI/DreamWorks production
Credits:
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
Screenwriters: Andrew Adamson, Joe Stillman, J. David Stem, David N. Weiss
Story by: Andrew Adamson
Based on the book by: William Steig
Producers: Aron Warner, David Lipman, John H. Williams
Executive producer: Jeffrey Katzenberg
Production designer: Guillaume Aretos
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Visual effects supervisor: Ken Bielenberg
Editors: Michael Andrews, Sim Evan-Jones
Voices:
Shrek: Mike Myers
Donkey: Eddie Murphy
Princess Fiona: Cameron Diaz
Queen: Julie Andrews
Puss in Boots: Antonio Banderas: King: John Cleese
Prince Charming: Rupert Everett
Fairy Godmother: Jennifer Saunders
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
"The Blackboard Jungle" is now even scarier: One in nine teachers has been attacked in school, and nearly 3 million thefts and violent crimes occur in our high schools every year.
"187", nomenclature for Murder 1, is a stirring and vividly horrifying depiction of the status of our big-city schools. Starring Samuel L. Jackson as an idealistic teacher who has been pushed beyond his capacity for tolerance, this Warner Bros. release will appeal to select-site audiences who will appreciate its savvy, sociological insights.
In this grim saga, Jackson stars as Trevor Garfield, a Brooklyn high school teacher who is savagely stabbed by a gang-banger for giving him a failing grade. Enduring a painful recuperation, Garfield decides a change of venue will improve his outlook; unfortunately, he selects North Hollywood and begins a stint at a public school whose joy for learning is, to say the least, in the toilet. Attitude, intimidation and hostility are his daily reaction from his defeatist-minded students, a throng of nitwits who have, not surprisingly, been brought up in single-parent environments.
Scripted by a former substitute teacher (Scott Yageman), "187" is a searing, insider depiction of the hellholes that are modern urban schools. Yageman's writing is sharp and, on the whole, sympathetic to the kids who are the victims of dysfunctional families and societal hideousness.
No saccharine generic polemic in the manner of "Dangerous Minds" and others of its dewy ilk, "187" is a taut, intelligent portrait of the horrors of today's schools. To its credit, the film does not romanticize the "underprivileged" youth who wreak these atrocities on well-meaning teachers.
As the generous but wounded teacher, Jackson is superb, conveying integrity with guts in a performance that exudes a caring individual. As his burned-out counterpart, John Heard is convincing as a teacher who has endured the limits of mental and physical aggravation and can no longer tolerate the stress. In addition, Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez is truly terrifying as a classroom bully.
Highest praise to Kevin Reynolds for the tight telling and compassionate viewpoint: The "Waterworld" director is able to concentrate this time out on aesthetics rather than logistics. Technically, "187" is a gem: Ericson Core's dynamics framings, coupled with Chris Douridas' edgy music, put "187" at the head of its technical class.
187
Warner Bros.
An Icon production
A Kevin Reynolds Film
Producers: Bruce Davey, Strephen McEveety
Director Kevin Reynolds
Screenwriter Scott Yageman
Director of photography Ericson Core
Production designer Stephen Storer
Editor Stephen Semel
Music supervisor Chris Douridas
Costume designer Darryle Johnson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Trevor Garfield Samuel L. Jackson
Dave Childress John Heard
Ellen Henry Kelly Rowan
Cesar Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez
Rita Karina Arroyave
Stevie Middleton Jonah Rooney
Benny Chacon Lobo Sebastian
Running time -- 117 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
"187", nomenclature for Murder 1, is a stirring and vividly horrifying depiction of the status of our big-city schools. Starring Samuel L. Jackson as an idealistic teacher who has been pushed beyond his capacity for tolerance, this Warner Bros. release will appeal to select-site audiences who will appreciate its savvy, sociological insights.
In this grim saga, Jackson stars as Trevor Garfield, a Brooklyn high school teacher who is savagely stabbed by a gang-banger for giving him a failing grade. Enduring a painful recuperation, Garfield decides a change of venue will improve his outlook; unfortunately, he selects North Hollywood and begins a stint at a public school whose joy for learning is, to say the least, in the toilet. Attitude, intimidation and hostility are his daily reaction from his defeatist-minded students, a throng of nitwits who have, not surprisingly, been brought up in single-parent environments.
Scripted by a former substitute teacher (Scott Yageman), "187" is a searing, insider depiction of the hellholes that are modern urban schools. Yageman's writing is sharp and, on the whole, sympathetic to the kids who are the victims of dysfunctional families and societal hideousness.
No saccharine generic polemic in the manner of "Dangerous Minds" and others of its dewy ilk, "187" is a taut, intelligent portrait of the horrors of today's schools. To its credit, the film does not romanticize the "underprivileged" youth who wreak these atrocities on well-meaning teachers.
As the generous but wounded teacher, Jackson is superb, conveying integrity with guts in a performance that exudes a caring individual. As his burned-out counterpart, John Heard is convincing as a teacher who has endured the limits of mental and physical aggravation and can no longer tolerate the stress. In addition, Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez is truly terrifying as a classroom bully.
Highest praise to Kevin Reynolds for the tight telling and compassionate viewpoint: The "Waterworld" director is able to concentrate this time out on aesthetics rather than logistics. Technically, "187" is a gem: Ericson Core's dynamics framings, coupled with Chris Douridas' edgy music, put "187" at the head of its technical class.
187
Warner Bros.
An Icon production
A Kevin Reynolds Film
Producers: Bruce Davey, Strephen McEveety
Director Kevin Reynolds
Screenwriter Scott Yageman
Director of photography Ericson Core
Production designer Stephen Storer
Editor Stephen Semel
Music supervisor Chris Douridas
Costume designer Darryle Johnson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Trevor Garfield Samuel L. Jackson
Dave Childress John Heard
Ellen Henry Kelly Rowan
Cesar Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez
Rita Karina Arroyave
Stevie Middleton Jonah Rooney
Benny Chacon Lobo Sebastian
Running time -- 117 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/28/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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