Feature number three for the Coen Brothers is an eccentric gangster saga with a wonderful slate of mugs — Gabriel Byrne, John Turturro, Albert Finney, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman, Steve Buscemi — slinging highly entertaining hardboiled dialogue. The witty, insightful story is at heart not a comedy, and the direction impresses in the formal sense — no superfluous camera acrobatics this time. Barry Sonnenfeld’s visual stick in the mind — the Byrne-Turturro execution scene in the woods is one of the highlights of 1990s filmmaking.
Miller’s Crossing
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1112
1990 / Color / 1:85 / 113 115 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date February 8, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman, Albert Finney, Mike Starr, Al Mancini, Richard Woods, Tom Toner, Steve Buscemi, Mario Todisco. Michael Badalucco, Frances McDormand.
Cinematography: Barry Sonnenfeld
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner
Art Director: Leslie McDonald
Costume Design: Ricahrd Hornung
Film Editor: Michael R. Miller...
Miller’s Crossing
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1112
1990 / Color / 1:85 / 113 115 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date February 8, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman, Albert Finney, Mike Starr, Al Mancini, Richard Woods, Tom Toner, Steve Buscemi, Mario Todisco. Michael Badalucco, Frances McDormand.
Cinematography: Barry Sonnenfeld
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner
Art Director: Leslie McDonald
Costume Design: Ricahrd Hornung
Film Editor: Michael R. Miller...
- 7/2/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Happy Canada Day from Queen Elizabeth!
On Friday, Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of the 91-year-old monarch to mark Canada’s 150th “birthday” on July 1. In the portrait, taken by Toronto-based photographer Ian Leslie Macdonald, the Queen wears the platinum-and-diamond maple leaf brooch she inherited from her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The symbolic jewelry came into the royal family when Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, gave it to his wife in 1939 for their visit to Canada – the first by a reigning monarch.
Since inheriting it upon the death of her mother in 2002, Elizabeth has loaned it to Camilla,...
On Friday, Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of the 91-year-old monarch to mark Canada’s 150th “birthday” on July 1. In the portrait, taken by Toronto-based photographer Ian Leslie Macdonald, the Queen wears the platinum-and-diamond maple leaf brooch she inherited from her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The symbolic jewelry came into the royal family when Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, gave it to his wife in 1939 for their visit to Canada – the first by a reigning monarch.
Since inheriting it upon the death of her mother in 2002, Elizabeth has loaned it to Camilla,...
- 6/30/2017
- by Simon Perry
- PEOPLE.com
David O. Russell’s dramedy Silver Linings Playbook took home top honors last night at the 17th annual Satellite Awards, presented by the International Press Academy.
The film received five awards: best motion picture, best director for Russell, best actor and actress for stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and best editing for Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers.
Anne Hathaway won best actress in a supporting role for her portrayal of Fantine in Les Misérables, while Javier Bardem won best actor in a supporting role for his Bond baddie in Skyfall. In the writing categories, Mark Boal received the best...
The film received five awards: best motion picture, best director for Russell, best actor and actress for stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and best editing for Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers.
Anne Hathaway won best actress in a supporting role for her portrayal of Fantine in Les Misérables, while Javier Bardem won best actor in a supporting role for his Bond baddie in Skyfall. In the writing categories, Mark Boal received the best...
- 12/17/2012
- by Maane Khatchatourian
- EW - Inside Movies
David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" danced atop the 17th Annual Satellite Awards winning Best Picture, Editing, Director, Actor (Bradley Cooper), and Actress (Jennifer Lawrence). In the supporting acting categories, Anne Hathaway took home the Best Supporting Actress award for "Les Miserables," while Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for playing the big bad in "Skyfall."
Winners were announced Sunday, Dec. 16, at the InterContinental Hotel at Century City in Los Angeles.
Here's the complete winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 17th Annual Satellite Awards (for a complete list of Awards Season winners/nominees, click here):
Motion Picture
Argo .
*** Silver Linings Playbook
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Les MISÉRABLES
Skyfall
Moonrise Kingdom
The Sessions
Lincoln Dreamworks/Touchstone
Life Of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Director
*** David O. Russell -- Silver Linings Playbook
Ben Affleck -- Argo
Kim Ki-duk -- Pieta Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin -- The Sessions
Steven Spielberg --...
Winners were announced Sunday, Dec. 16, at the InterContinental Hotel at Century City in Los Angeles.
Here's the complete winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 17th Annual Satellite Awards (for a complete list of Awards Season winners/nominees, click here):
Motion Picture
Argo .
*** Silver Linings Playbook
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Les MISÉRABLES
Skyfall
Moonrise Kingdom
The Sessions
Lincoln Dreamworks/Touchstone
Life Of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Director
*** David O. Russell -- Silver Linings Playbook
Ben Affleck -- Argo
Kim Ki-duk -- Pieta Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin -- The Sessions
Steven Spielberg --...
- 12/17/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The International Press Academy has announced the nominees of the 17th Annual Satellite Awards. "Les Miserables" led the pack with 10 nominations including Best Picture.
Winners will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 16 at the InterContinental at Century City in Los Angeles.
17th Annual Satellite Awards Nominees:
Motion Picture
Argo .
Silver Linings Playbook
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Les MISÉRABLES
Skyfall
Moonrise Kingdom
The Sessions
Lincoln Dreamworks/Touchstone
Life Of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Director
David O. Russell -- Silver Linings Playbook
Ben Affleck -- Argo
Kim Ki-duk -- Pieta Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin -- The Sessions
Steven Spielberg -- Lincoln
Kathryn Bigelow -- Zero Dark Thirty
Actress in a Motion Picture Name
Jennifer Lawrence Silver Linings Playbook
Emilie Dequenne Our Children
Keira Knightley Anna Karenina
Emmanuelle Riva Amour
Laura Birn Purge
Laura Linney Hyde Park On Hudson
Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty
Actor in a Motion Picture
John Hawkes The Sessions...
Winners will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 16 at the InterContinental at Century City in Los Angeles.
17th Annual Satellite Awards Nominees:
Motion Picture
Argo .
Silver Linings Playbook
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Les MISÉRABLES
Skyfall
Moonrise Kingdom
The Sessions
Lincoln Dreamworks/Touchstone
Life Of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Director
David O. Russell -- Silver Linings Playbook
Ben Affleck -- Argo
Kim Ki-duk -- Pieta Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin -- The Sessions
Steven Spielberg -- Lincoln
Kathryn Bigelow -- Zero Dark Thirty
Actress in a Motion Picture Name
Jennifer Lawrence Silver Linings Playbook
Emilie Dequenne Our Children
Keira Knightley Anna Karenina
Emmanuelle Riva Amour
Laura Birn Purge
Laura Linney Hyde Park On Hudson
Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty
Actor in a Motion Picture
John Hawkes The Sessions...
- 12/3/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
I hope you’re still having fun with Covert Affairs, and I have another Q & A for you. This time, with Chris Gorham who plays Auggie.
I was a bit hesitant about this show after the pilot, largely because I wasn’t sure it was exactly clear which directions it was going to aim in a variety of ways. I’m pretty happy with it so far, and stay tuned, because in the next day or two I will have a preview review of the next episode, which focuses a good deal on Auggie.
Chris talked a lot about his character, past shows, and even Twitter. I hope you enjoy. Afterward, check out the preview for that episode, along with a couple of images.
By the way, very recently heard reports that the show has been renewed.
What can you tell us about Auggie and what it’s like bringing him to life?...
I was a bit hesitant about this show after the pilot, largely because I wasn’t sure it was exactly clear which directions it was going to aim in a variety of ways. I’m pretty happy with it so far, and stay tuned, because in the next day or two I will have a preview review of the next episode, which focuses a good deal on Auggie.
Chris talked a lot about his character, past shows, and even Twitter. I hope you enjoy. Afterward, check out the preview for that episode, along with a couple of images.
By the way, very recently heard reports that the show has been renewed.
What can you tell us about Auggie and what it’s like bringing him to life?...
- 8/20/2010
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Opens
Friday, Feb. 20
A young actress of impressive poise, personality and comic chops, Lindsay Lohan more than held her own with Jamie Lee Curtis in last year's "Freaky Friday" -- which makes the underwhelming "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" all the more of a letdown.
In the title role, Lohan gets to show off her song-and-dance talents, but mainly she models David C. Robinson's costume confections, the only consistently buoyant aspect of the film. Girls ages 6-14 will get a charge from the fashion show, animation effects and, to a lesser degree, the cartoonish antics. But like most adolescent histrionics, the pic's impact on adults will be limited to mild amusement alternating with annoyance. The cute factor isn't enough to stir up significant boxoffice returns for the Walt Disney Co.
Lohan plays a budding Sarah Bernhardt who tosses aside her given name, Mary, for the more fitting handle Lola. She can't believe the calamity she's forced to endure when her divorced bohemian mother (Glenne Headly) moves Lola and her young twin sisters from New York to the netherworld of suburban New Jersey. A self-described flamingo among pigeons, the despairing Lola crosses the bridge as though into oblivion. She promptly clashes with Burberry-clad Heather-in-training Carla (Megan Fox, savoring every villainous taunt), nabbing the lead in the school play and thus displacing the reigning drama queen.
Lola flirts with Sam (Eli Marienthal) and becomes fast friends with the borderline-dowdy Ella (Alison Pill, in a disappointing follow-up to her high-strung turn in "Pieces of April"), who lives in a stuffy gated community and dares not disturb the universe -- until Lola comes along.
Ella and Lola share a passion for the rock band Sidarthur, whose lyricist, Stu Wolff (Adam Garcia), Lola considers the greatest poet since Shakespeare. A cataclysm of cosmic proportions takes place -- the band breaks up -- and the girls are determined to attend their New York farewell concert, though they don't have tickets. As fate would have it, Carla will be attending not only the show but the afterparty at Stu's Soho loft, and she won't let Lola forget it.
An adaptation of the book by Dyan Sheldon, Gail Parent's first feature script in 17 years captures teen-girl hyperbole but lacks fizz and certainly doesn't earn its supposed emotional climaxes. Helmer Sara Sugarman, making her studio debut, struggles to tap a comic vein, never establishing momentum. Her 2001 "Very Annie Mary", set in her native Wales, was a comic grotesquerie with a grounding connection to character and place. Here, striving for whimsy, she throws in an assortment of bells and whistles, but for the most part the material is stubbornly inert, and the actors at times appear to be flailing.
Dance sequences choreographed by Marguerite Derricks, including numbers from the school production, provide bursts of energy and flair. As the shrill drama teacher overseeing the present-day musical version of "Pygmalion", Carol Kane delivers an unfortunate caricature, while Garcia earns a laugh or two as a cartoon version of a besotted rock star. Stephen H. Burum's lensing puts a high sheen on Leslie McDonald's brightly colored production design.
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Credits:
Director: Sara Sugarman
Screenwriter: Gail Parent
Producers: Robert Shapiro, Jerry Leider
Director of photography: Stephen H. Burum
Production designer: Leslie McDonald
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Costume designer: David C. Robinson
Editor: Anita Brandt Burgoyne
Cast:
Lola: Lindsay Lohan
Stu: Adam Garcia
Karen: Glenne Headly
Ella: Alison Pill
Sam: Eli Marienthal
Miss Baggoli: Carol Kane
Carla: Megan Fox
Calum: Tom McCamus
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, Feb. 20
A young actress of impressive poise, personality and comic chops, Lindsay Lohan more than held her own with Jamie Lee Curtis in last year's "Freaky Friday" -- which makes the underwhelming "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" all the more of a letdown.
In the title role, Lohan gets to show off her song-and-dance talents, but mainly she models David C. Robinson's costume confections, the only consistently buoyant aspect of the film. Girls ages 6-14 will get a charge from the fashion show, animation effects and, to a lesser degree, the cartoonish antics. But like most adolescent histrionics, the pic's impact on adults will be limited to mild amusement alternating with annoyance. The cute factor isn't enough to stir up significant boxoffice returns for the Walt Disney Co.
Lohan plays a budding Sarah Bernhardt who tosses aside her given name, Mary, for the more fitting handle Lola. She can't believe the calamity she's forced to endure when her divorced bohemian mother (Glenne Headly) moves Lola and her young twin sisters from New York to the netherworld of suburban New Jersey. A self-described flamingo among pigeons, the despairing Lola crosses the bridge as though into oblivion. She promptly clashes with Burberry-clad Heather-in-training Carla (Megan Fox, savoring every villainous taunt), nabbing the lead in the school play and thus displacing the reigning drama queen.
Lola flirts with Sam (Eli Marienthal) and becomes fast friends with the borderline-dowdy Ella (Alison Pill, in a disappointing follow-up to her high-strung turn in "Pieces of April"), who lives in a stuffy gated community and dares not disturb the universe -- until Lola comes along.
Ella and Lola share a passion for the rock band Sidarthur, whose lyricist, Stu Wolff (Adam Garcia), Lola considers the greatest poet since Shakespeare. A cataclysm of cosmic proportions takes place -- the band breaks up -- and the girls are determined to attend their New York farewell concert, though they don't have tickets. As fate would have it, Carla will be attending not only the show but the afterparty at Stu's Soho loft, and she won't let Lola forget it.
An adaptation of the book by Dyan Sheldon, Gail Parent's first feature script in 17 years captures teen-girl hyperbole but lacks fizz and certainly doesn't earn its supposed emotional climaxes. Helmer Sara Sugarman, making her studio debut, struggles to tap a comic vein, never establishing momentum. Her 2001 "Very Annie Mary", set in her native Wales, was a comic grotesquerie with a grounding connection to character and place. Here, striving for whimsy, she throws in an assortment of bells and whistles, but for the most part the material is stubbornly inert, and the actors at times appear to be flailing.
Dance sequences choreographed by Marguerite Derricks, including numbers from the school production, provide bursts of energy and flair. As the shrill drama teacher overseeing the present-day musical version of "Pygmalion", Carol Kane delivers an unfortunate caricature, while Garcia earns a laugh or two as a cartoon version of a besotted rock star. Stephen H. Burum's lensing puts a high sheen on Leslie McDonald's brightly colored production design.
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Credits:
Director: Sara Sugarman
Screenwriter: Gail Parent
Producers: Robert Shapiro, Jerry Leider
Director of photography: Stephen H. Burum
Production designer: Leslie McDonald
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Costume designer: David C. Robinson
Editor: Anita Brandt Burgoyne
Cast:
Lola: Lindsay Lohan
Stu: Adam Garcia
Karen: Glenne Headly
Ella: Alison Pill
Sam: Eli Marienthal
Miss Baggoli: Carol Kane
Carla: Megan Fox
Calum: Tom McCamus
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Opens
Friday, Feb. 20
A young actress of impressive poise, personality and comic chops, Lindsay Lohan more than held her own with Jamie Lee Curtis in last year's "Freaky Friday" -- which makes the underwhelming "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" all the more of a letdown.
In the title role, Lohan gets to show off her song-and-dance talents, but mainly she models David C. Robinson's costume confections, the only consistently buoyant aspect of the film. Girls ages 6-14 will get a charge from the fashion show, animation effects and, to a lesser degree, the cartoonish antics. But like most adolescent histrionics, the pic's impact on adults will be limited to mild amusement alternating with annoyance. The cute factor isn't enough to stir up significant boxoffice returns for the Walt Disney Co.
Lohan plays a budding Sarah Bernhardt who tosses aside her given name, Mary, for the more fitting handle Lola. She can't believe the calamity she's forced to endure when her divorced bohemian mother (Glenne Headly) moves Lola and her young twin sisters from New York to the netherworld of suburban New Jersey. A self-described flamingo among pigeons, the despairing Lola crosses the bridge as though into oblivion. She promptly clashes with Burberry-clad Heather-in-training Carla (Megan Fox, savoring every villainous taunt), nabbing the lead in the school play and thus displacing the reigning drama queen.
Lola flirts with Sam (Eli Marienthal) and becomes fast friends with the borderline-dowdy Ella (Alison Pill, in a disappointing follow-up to her high-strung turn in "Pieces of April"), who lives in a stuffy gated community and dares not disturb the universe -- until Lola comes along.
Ella and Lola share a passion for the rock band Sidarthur, whose lyricist, Stu Wolff (Adam Garcia), Lola considers the greatest poet since Shakespeare. A cataclysm of cosmic proportions takes place -- the band breaks up -- and the girls are determined to attend their New York farewell concert, though they don't have tickets. As fate would have it, Carla will be attending not only the show but the afterparty at Stu's Soho loft, and she won't let Lola forget it.
An adaptation of the book by Dyan Sheldon, Gail Parent's first feature script in 17 years captures teen-girl hyperbole but lacks fizz and certainly doesn't earn its supposed emotional climaxes. Helmer Sara Sugarman, making her studio debut, struggles to tap a comic vein, never establishing momentum. Her 2001 "Very Annie Mary", set in her native Wales, was a comic grotesquerie with a grounding connection to character and place. Here, striving for whimsy, she throws in an assortment of bells and whistles, but for the most part the material is stubbornly inert, and the actors at times appear to be flailing.
Dance sequences choreographed by Marguerite Derricks, including numbers from the school production, provide bursts of energy and flair. As the shrill drama teacher overseeing the present-day musical version of "Pygmalion", Carol Kane delivers an unfortunate caricature, while Garcia earns a laugh or two as a cartoon version of a besotted rock star. Stephen H. Burum's lensing puts a high sheen on Leslie McDonald's brightly colored production design.
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Credits:
Director: Sara Sugarman
Screenwriter: Gail Parent
Producers: Robert Shapiro, Jerry Leider
Director of photography: Stephen H. Burum
Production designer: Leslie McDonald
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Costume designer: David C. Robinson
Editor: Anita Brandt Burgoyne
Cast:
Lola: Lindsay Lohan
Stu: Adam Garcia
Karen: Glenne Headly
Ella: Alison Pill
Sam: Eli Marienthal
Miss Baggoli: Carol Kane
Carla: Megan Fox
Calum: Tom McCamus
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, Feb. 20
A young actress of impressive poise, personality and comic chops, Lindsay Lohan more than held her own with Jamie Lee Curtis in last year's "Freaky Friday" -- which makes the underwhelming "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" all the more of a letdown.
In the title role, Lohan gets to show off her song-and-dance talents, but mainly she models David C. Robinson's costume confections, the only consistently buoyant aspect of the film. Girls ages 6-14 will get a charge from the fashion show, animation effects and, to a lesser degree, the cartoonish antics. But like most adolescent histrionics, the pic's impact on adults will be limited to mild amusement alternating with annoyance. The cute factor isn't enough to stir up significant boxoffice returns for the Walt Disney Co.
Lohan plays a budding Sarah Bernhardt who tosses aside her given name, Mary, for the more fitting handle Lola. She can't believe the calamity she's forced to endure when her divorced bohemian mother (Glenne Headly) moves Lola and her young twin sisters from New York to the netherworld of suburban New Jersey. A self-described flamingo among pigeons, the despairing Lola crosses the bridge as though into oblivion. She promptly clashes with Burberry-clad Heather-in-training Carla (Megan Fox, savoring every villainous taunt), nabbing the lead in the school play and thus displacing the reigning drama queen.
Lola flirts with Sam (Eli Marienthal) and becomes fast friends with the borderline-dowdy Ella (Alison Pill, in a disappointing follow-up to her high-strung turn in "Pieces of April"), who lives in a stuffy gated community and dares not disturb the universe -- until Lola comes along.
Ella and Lola share a passion for the rock band Sidarthur, whose lyricist, Stu Wolff (Adam Garcia), Lola considers the greatest poet since Shakespeare. A cataclysm of cosmic proportions takes place -- the band breaks up -- and the girls are determined to attend their New York farewell concert, though they don't have tickets. As fate would have it, Carla will be attending not only the show but the afterparty at Stu's Soho loft, and she won't let Lola forget it.
An adaptation of the book by Dyan Sheldon, Gail Parent's first feature script in 17 years captures teen-girl hyperbole but lacks fizz and certainly doesn't earn its supposed emotional climaxes. Helmer Sara Sugarman, making her studio debut, struggles to tap a comic vein, never establishing momentum. Her 2001 "Very Annie Mary", set in her native Wales, was a comic grotesquerie with a grounding connection to character and place. Here, striving for whimsy, she throws in an assortment of bells and whistles, but for the most part the material is stubbornly inert, and the actors at times appear to be flailing.
Dance sequences choreographed by Marguerite Derricks, including numbers from the school production, provide bursts of energy and flair. As the shrill drama teacher overseeing the present-day musical version of "Pygmalion", Carol Kane delivers an unfortunate caricature, while Garcia earns a laugh or two as a cartoon version of a besotted rock star. Stephen H. Burum's lensing puts a high sheen on Leslie McDonald's brightly colored production design.
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Credits:
Director: Sara Sugarman
Screenwriter: Gail Parent
Producers: Robert Shapiro, Jerry Leider
Director of photography: Stephen H. Burum
Production designer: Leslie McDonald
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Costume designer: David C. Robinson
Editor: Anita Brandt Burgoyne
Cast:
Lola: Lindsay Lohan
Stu: Adam Garcia
Karen: Glenne Headly
Ella: Alison Pill
Sam: Eli Marienthal
Miss Baggoli: Carol Kane
Carla: Megan Fox
Calum: Tom McCamus
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 2/19/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The holidays are all hustle and bustle, and Arnold Schwarzenegger has it all compacted into Christmas Eve day as he dashes and crashes through a last-minute obstacle course to find the perfect toy for his young one. Like fast food, this fast film -- under 90 minutes with a thin story center but heaps of slapstick garnishes -- should hit the spot among young holiday viewers, chiefly elementary schoolers, and fill 20th Century Fox's boxoffice cup with a merry bit of cheer.
As one would expect with "Home Alone" director Chris Columbus listed as one of the producers, "Jingle All the Way" doesn't exactly dawdle along in its storytelling. In fact, narratively it's akin to a two-reel silent, one of those madcap ditties that Hal Roach or Mack Sennett might have cranked out at their laugh factories. "Jingle" is, essentially, a frantic race against time as the story's straight man careens along in his quest on a course completely booby-trapped by banana peels and obstructing oddballs.
The star and straight man in this outing, of course, is Schwarzenegger, who hunkers down into the role of Howard Langston, a workaholic father whose booming business has left him little time for his wife (Rita Wilson) and young son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd). Unlike Ozzie Nelson, good-hearted Howard seems never to be around the house and, as he realizes, he's down to his last chance with his wife and child. If Howard doesn't get Jamie the Turbo Man toy for Christmas (he white-lied to his wife that he had bought it ages ago) he might as well pack it up and take a permanent cot down at his factory. Naturally, the Turbo Man has slipped his mind and now he's down to the day before Christmas to get one. And, of course, all the stores are sold out.
For modern-day warrior Howard, the Turbo toy is the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail rolled into one. Quite sagely, screenwriter Randy Kornfield has pitted Schwarzenegger against an array of obstacles where neither his brawn nor his brain are assets: feisty female shoppers; a dastardly mall Santa (James Belushi); a disconsolate postal employee (Sinbad) and a role-model neighbor (Phil Hartman), who gets an A+ in dad-stuff. Borrowing from the classic farces, there's a running-gag authority figure, a cop (Robert Conrad), as well as a cute reindeer who doesn't take kindly to him. Most winning, the story has its heart in all the right places.
Director Brian Levant's ("Beethoven") expert wrapping, including its tightly drawn slapstick and zesty pacing, decks "Jingle" out with all the right trappings. That much of the slapstick mauling takes place in Minneapolis' gargantuan Mall of America, as Arnold is bedeviled by cute kids and irate moms, adds a fittingly spectacular toy-store look to the holiday hilarity.
As the frazzled suburbanite, Schwarzenegger is well-cast as the well-meaning but overworked Everyman. Admittedly, the part is not sprinkled with as many characteristic ticks and quirks as, say, the well-intentioned but neurotic Clark Griswold in the "Vacation" movies, but Schwarzenegger's sincere vexation and earnest tenacity are well-suited for the role. The remainder of the cast is similarly well-selected, including Wilson as his exasperated wife and Lloyd as their confused kid.
Like the tinsel on a tree, the supporting cast adds the perfect shine, namely Sinbad as a pent-up postal worker, Conrad as the running-gag cop and Hartman as the unctuously "perfect" neighbor. The technical contributions are also fitting ornaments, highlighted by Leslie McDonald's warm and spirited production design and David Newman's jaunty, shimmering score.
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
20th Century Fox
A 1492 Picture
A Brian Levant Film
Producers :Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
Director :Brian Levant
Screenwriter:Randy Kornfield
Executive producer:Richard Vane
Director of photography:Victor J. Kemper
Production design:Leslie McDonald
Editor: Kent Beyda, Wilton Henderson
Co-producers:Jennifer Blum, James Mulay
Associate producers:Paula DuPre'Pesmen
Music :David Newman
Costume design:Jay Hurley
Casting :Judy Taylor
Visual effects supervisors:Gregory L. McMurry, Glenn Neufeld
Visual effects supervision:Rich Thorne
Sound mixer:Edward Tise
Color/stereo
Cast:
Howard Langston:Arnold Schwarzenegger
Myron Larabee:Sinbad
Ted Maltin :Phil Hartman
Liz Langston :Rita Wilson
Officer Hummell:Robert Conrad
DJ :Martin Mull
Jamie Langston:Jake Lloyd
Mall Santa: James Belushi
Johnny: E.J. De La Pena
First Lady: Laraine Newman
Billy :Justin Chapman
President :Harvey Korman
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
As one would expect with "Home Alone" director Chris Columbus listed as one of the producers, "Jingle All the Way" doesn't exactly dawdle along in its storytelling. In fact, narratively it's akin to a two-reel silent, one of those madcap ditties that Hal Roach or Mack Sennett might have cranked out at their laugh factories. "Jingle" is, essentially, a frantic race against time as the story's straight man careens along in his quest on a course completely booby-trapped by banana peels and obstructing oddballs.
The star and straight man in this outing, of course, is Schwarzenegger, who hunkers down into the role of Howard Langston, a workaholic father whose booming business has left him little time for his wife (Rita Wilson) and young son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd). Unlike Ozzie Nelson, good-hearted Howard seems never to be around the house and, as he realizes, he's down to his last chance with his wife and child. If Howard doesn't get Jamie the Turbo Man toy for Christmas (he white-lied to his wife that he had bought it ages ago) he might as well pack it up and take a permanent cot down at his factory. Naturally, the Turbo Man has slipped his mind and now he's down to the day before Christmas to get one. And, of course, all the stores are sold out.
For modern-day warrior Howard, the Turbo toy is the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail rolled into one. Quite sagely, screenwriter Randy Kornfield has pitted Schwarzenegger against an array of obstacles where neither his brawn nor his brain are assets: feisty female shoppers; a dastardly mall Santa (James Belushi); a disconsolate postal employee (Sinbad) and a role-model neighbor (Phil Hartman), who gets an A+ in dad-stuff. Borrowing from the classic farces, there's a running-gag authority figure, a cop (Robert Conrad), as well as a cute reindeer who doesn't take kindly to him. Most winning, the story has its heart in all the right places.
Director Brian Levant's ("Beethoven") expert wrapping, including its tightly drawn slapstick and zesty pacing, decks "Jingle" out with all the right trappings. That much of the slapstick mauling takes place in Minneapolis' gargantuan Mall of America, as Arnold is bedeviled by cute kids and irate moms, adds a fittingly spectacular toy-store look to the holiday hilarity.
As the frazzled suburbanite, Schwarzenegger is well-cast as the well-meaning but overworked Everyman. Admittedly, the part is not sprinkled with as many characteristic ticks and quirks as, say, the well-intentioned but neurotic Clark Griswold in the "Vacation" movies, but Schwarzenegger's sincere vexation and earnest tenacity are well-suited for the role. The remainder of the cast is similarly well-selected, including Wilson as his exasperated wife and Lloyd as their confused kid.
Like the tinsel on a tree, the supporting cast adds the perfect shine, namely Sinbad as a pent-up postal worker, Conrad as the running-gag cop and Hartman as the unctuously "perfect" neighbor. The technical contributions are also fitting ornaments, highlighted by Leslie McDonald's warm and spirited production design and David Newman's jaunty, shimmering score.
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
20th Century Fox
A 1492 Picture
A Brian Levant Film
Producers :Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
Director :Brian Levant
Screenwriter:Randy Kornfield
Executive producer:Richard Vane
Director of photography:Victor J. Kemper
Production design:Leslie McDonald
Editor: Kent Beyda, Wilton Henderson
Co-producers:Jennifer Blum, James Mulay
Associate producers:Paula DuPre'Pesmen
Music :David Newman
Costume design:Jay Hurley
Casting :Judy Taylor
Visual effects supervisors:Gregory L. McMurry, Glenn Neufeld
Visual effects supervision:Rich Thorne
Sound mixer:Edward Tise
Color/stereo
Cast:
Howard Langston:Arnold Schwarzenegger
Myron Larabee:Sinbad
Ted Maltin :Phil Hartman
Liz Langston :Rita Wilson
Officer Hummell:Robert Conrad
DJ :Martin Mull
Jamie Langston:Jake Lloyd
Mall Santa: James Belushi
Johnny: E.J. De La Pena
First Lady: Laraine Newman
Billy :Justin Chapman
President :Harvey Korman
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 11/20/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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