Whether it’s an infidelity or a communication breakdown, reconnecting with lovers can be an arduous challenge. That’s the journey Neil Truman (Matt Passmore) and his wife Grace (Stephanie Szostak) encounter with the new USA Network series Satisfaction.
“I think Satisfaction, in this post modern era comes down to a contentment and being at ease with your own identity and your own skin,” said Passmore, who previously starred in TV’s The Glades. “Being satisfied at the place you are in life at any given and the people that you’re with. That’s the whole point, because that is incredibly elusive.”
Neil Truman (Passmore) chases that elusive dream of happines, and part of his journey deals with strengthening his union with Grace. Satisfaction’s strongest asset lies in the chemistry between Passmore and Szostak, as watching their characters experience their own personal struggles is compelling summer viewing. In the clip below, he talks about mining such emotional territory with his co-star.
Satisfaction airs tonight on USA Network (10 pm et/pt).
To play Doctor William Rush in the new USA Network series Rush, actor Tom Ellis uses music to set a tone for the character and his respective surroundings. Ellis grew up playing various instruments, including French horns, drums, and the guitar (his mother was a music teacher and his three sisters are also musically inclined).
“It’s all part of the same thing,” said Ellis on the interrelated disciplines. “Certainly for me (in) being instinctive about what I do. I don’t sit and think too much about stuff, but I just try and tap into something and it plays out musically in my head.”
Check out the video below as Tom Ellis explains how music is an important element to his acting process (he mentions Rush executive producer/writer Jonathan Levine in the clip):
Rush, co-starring Larenz Tate and Sarah Habel airs Thursday nights at 9 pm et/pt (USA Network).
Deadly Eyes (1982, 87 minutes, Shout! Factory), based on James Herbert’s novel The Rats, centers on a multitude of vermin that kills scores of people in Toronto. The cause of the rats’ violent behavior originates from their consumption of a dangerous corn grain, and it’s up to a health inspector (Sarah Botsford) and a basketball coach (Sam Groom) to save the day.
Directed by Robert Clouse, the filmmaker behind the Bruce Lee films Enter the Dragon and The Game of Death, the horror-thriller’s main attraction is watching dachshunds fit into rat suits and pretend to terrorize Toronto. One of the project’s screenwriters, Chic Eglee, is the showrunner for Hemlock Grove. Although Eglee lovingly describes Deadly Eyes as a “silly” film, it does have its merits.
Dachshund or rat..or both? (Deadly Eyes, Shout! Factory)
Lisa Langlois (Happy Birthday To Me) is particularly watchable as Trudy, a nubile teenager who overtly seduces the coach, who thankfully spurns her advances. Although Deadly Eyes is a rat film, the narrative’s middle section deals with the budding romance between the film’s adult leads (Groom, Botsford). All that lovemaking, however, takes a backseat during the film’s third act, as Coach Harris engages in a flame war with the terrifying rats. Scatman Crothers shot Deadly Eyes after The Shining, and he also has a pretty memorable encounter with the vermin.
Sam Groom and Sara Botsford in ‘Deadly Eyes’ (Shout! Factory)
During the Hemlock Grove press day, series showrunner Chic Eglee briefly reflected on his experience working on Deadly Eyes (he served as a writer/producer on the project).
Deadly Eyes Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)
The movie is a total guilty pleasure, and Shout! Factory has put a ton of extra trimmings into the Blu-ray DVD Combo Pack. Deadly Eyes Special Features include a TV Spot and the following segments:
Deadly Eyes: Dogs in Rats’ Clothing (24:05) – A behind the scenes look at the making of the movie with interviews from members of the crew. Art director Ninkey Dalton, screenwriter/co-producer Chic Eglee discuss the challenge of placing dogs in rat suits. Eglee and Dalton bonded during the production of Deadly Eyes and are still married to this day.
Interview with Actress Lisa Langlois (18:00) – Langlois admits that she hid Deadly Eyes from her work resume for years, but she’s warmed up to the film thanks to its cult status. The actress also talks about her early work with French filmmaker Claude Chabrol, collaborating with John Huston in Phobia, and auditioning for The Terminator. Langlois has a plethora of wonderful anecdotes in the feature, so it’s definitely worth watching.
Interview with Actress Lesleh Donaldson (13:48) – Most of the discussion has her reminiscing about Deadly Eyes, and she also talks about her experiences shooting Curtains and Happy Birthday to Me. The best anecdotes comes from her memories of working with Happy Birthday to Me filmmaker J. Lee Thompson. Towards the end of the interview, Donaldson also added that she’s focusing her career these days as a writer. “It’s a mess, and I think that’s what the charm is,” added Donaldson. “People go and want to see this car crash of a movie, but they also want to get freaked out and scared and watch great kills.”
Interview with Actor Joseph Kelly (13:22) – Most of the segment has Kelly discussing his memories of Deadly Eyes, but he also briefly reflects on his audition for Class of 1984 (the movie co-stars Michael J. Fox). Kelly ends the interview asking fans to check out his 2010 coming of age film Summer Eleven, a project he wrote and directed (it also stars Lisa Langlois).
Interview with Special Effects Artist Allan Apone (14:08) – If you want to know the intricate details of fitting dachshunds into rat suits, this segment is for you!! Apone also talks about his affection for actors Lisa Langlois and Scatman Crothers.
Here’s one of the more terrifying scenes from Deadly Eyes:
Grammy winning musician Ry Cooder has carved out a successful career as one of music’s most talented guitarists and composers. Cooder’s collaboration with some of film’s most revered directors (including Wim Wenders for The Buena Vista Social Club) has also garnered acclaim, and Rhino is releasing a retrospective boxed set spotlighting his film music work.
Ry Cooder: Soundtracks contains seven CDs from Cooder’s cinematic output from the 1980s and early 1990s. The set, available September 30 at retail outlets and as a digital download, will contain the soundtracks for The Long Riders, Alamo Bay, Paris Texas, Blue City, Crossroads, Johnny Handsome (which features a haunting MickeyRourke performance), and Trespass.
Artwork for the boxed set was executed by Tornado Design, the outfit that has worked on several of Cooder’s recent studio albums, as well as the 2008 Rhino release The UFO Has Landed. Muscians featured on the collection include guitarist David Lindley, drummer JimKeltner, and eclectic composer Van Dyke Parks.
Cooder’s moody, atmospheric, and ultimately evocative work is evident in these films (most of which were directed by Walter Hill). Paris, Texas was a collaboration with director Wim Wenders and yielded the sublime, Harry Dean Stanton performance of “Cancion Mixteca” (Stanton performed the tune at the 2013 LA Film Festival).
Whether it’s the Spaghetti Western inspired Casa De Mi Padre or the somber drama Smashed, Nick Offerman usually manages to steal the show. He and fellow character Christopher McDonald (Quiz Show, Happy Gilmore) are part of the cast for Believe Me, a comedy which opens September 26.
The story centers on a college student named Sam (Alex Russell of Chronicle fame) who, along with several friends, creates a fake charity to embezzle money and pay for their educational expenses. Sam’s quest for dirty money hits a snag when he falls in love with his fake charity’s tour manager Callie (Johanna Braddy). During the tour’s final night, he must decide whether to come clean with his shady operation or stay quiet and keep his share of the dough.
The Believe Me trailer is below, and Headline Features is coordinating a publicity outreach campaign where movie fans can take part in the project’s marketing process. Check out the trailer below, and if you want to see how to get involved and become part of Believe Me’s street team, check out the movie’s official website.
Believe Me also stars Max Adler (the closeted bully from Glee), Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings), and hip hop artist Lecrae.
If you want to pre-order the Blu-ray, DVD, or even purchase an “F Satan” T-Shirt, click on the following link.
I grew up a huge Western fan, so my early admiration of filmmakers Anthony Mann (Winchester’ 73, Bend of the River), John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven) and John Ford (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Searchers) was inevitable. It’s with a tinge of embarrassment that director Delmer Daves didn’t enter my narrow minded world well into my forties. I have a lot of catching up to do, but thanks to Warner Archive my mission has started with Daves’ excellent feature Drum Beat.
Since it’s a CinemaScope feature, expect a healthy share of wide vistas and beautiful compositions, and Daves (who also penned the film) gives his story ample room to breathe. Alan Ladd, best known as the sentimental and tough loner from Shane, stars as Johnny Mackay, a brave fighter who’s sent to Oregon to broker a peace deal with Modoc Indian chief Captain Jack (Charles Bronson in a scene stealing performance).
Although Johnny’s family was massacred by Indians, his vengeful nature is behind him, as President Grant (Hayden Rorke) orders Johnny to keep the mission diplomatic. Captain Jack’s motivations are purely centered on warfare and expanding his tribe’s influence over the lands. Marisa Pavan is Toby, the Indian woman in love with Johnny, with Audrey Dalton starring as Nancy, a determined lady who takes over her uncle’s homestead after he’s killed by Indians.
Credit goes to Daves for penning and directing a first rate story that was inspired by the Modoc War of 1872-3. He refuses to pull on sentimental heart strings, but instead delivers a savage picture on how the West was won. Peaceful homesteaders as well as Indians are victims to this conflict, and Mackay understands that unless peace is achieved, both sides will suffer the consequences.
Bronson, whose stoic nature was best served as Harmonica in Once Upon a Time in the West, does inspired work as Captain Jack, a bellicose leader who will kill anyone in his path. Captain Jack and Mackay also have a history together, and their uneasy friendship culminates into a memorable showdown at an all too active river.
Drum Beat starring Alan Ladd and Charles Bronson (Warner Archive)
Pavan, who is actress Pier Angeli’s twin sister, is also memorable as the woman who only has eyes for Johnny, even if it threatens her relationship with the tribe. Versatile character actor Elisha Cook Jr. co-stars as a greedy gunrunner whose business relationship with the Modocs ends on a karmic note.
Even the film’s minor characters are given full attention in Daves’ story, thus infusing Drum Beat with a gripping storyline that is a cut above the average B-movie Western. Since Daves has an estimated 50 screenplay credits, crafting a compelling tale is definitely one of his skill sets.
Drum Beat was the first feature produced by Alan Ladd’s Jaguar Productions, and it’s a Western that kept me glued to the screen for 107 minutes. This is a perfect introduction to Delmer Daves’ work, and since his distinguished career stems from his work as a director and screenwriter, it’s a shame that his name is only recognizable to diehard film buffs.
Drum Beat is a Manufactured on Demand DVD, so if you want to order this title, please go to the Warner Archive site.
Nicolas Cage stars in Left Behind, a film based on the bestselling 1995 novel of the same name. The story centers on pilot Ray Steele (Cage) whose jet plane is flying the skies when the Rapture takes place. Yahoo! Movies premiered the trailer today, and you’ll be able to check out the clip at the end of this post.
Whether or not you’re a huge fan of Cage, it’s hard to deny he’s starred in his share of classics (Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas, Moonstruck, Adaptation). His body of work may seem all over the place (I love his ability to easily move from project to project), but there is a method to the madness. During the Joe press conference (it’s one of Cage’s finest performances, if you haven’t checked it out), he explained why, when it comes to choosing movie roles, he beats to the sound of his own drummer:
“If you look carefully at my filmography, in between my adventure films, there have been a Bad Lieutenantor a World Trade Centeror a Lord of War or a Matchstick Men. I want to keep it eclectic. I see myself as a student. I would never consider myself as a master or a maestro and if you take the path of the student, that means you have to try a little bit of everything in the hopes that you’re going to learn something or strike some kind of new note or new sound or expression in the process. I’m not going for grades – I’m going for an education.”
To hear the full audio of Nicolas Cage talking about his acting process, check out the media bar below:
Left Behind, co-starring Chad Michael Murray and Cassi Thomson, opens October 3.
Opening August 15, The Giver centers on a seemingly halcyon society where violence and crime has been erased. The citizens’ memories of their past have also vanished, however, and when a young prodigy named Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) discovers that the government is restricting the individual freedoms of its people, he goes on a quest to find a newer way to live. Jeff Bridges is the titular character, a sage mentor who teaches Jonas about how the beauties and horrors of humanity’s past.
Brenthon Thwaites in ‘The Giver’ (Weinstein Films)
For Thwaites, having a more relaxed yet inquisitive approach to acting was a lesson he learned (or maybe reaffirmed) from his work with Jeff Bridges. “I guess every movie has its uniqueness,” says Thwaites, who was recently seen in the first rate sci-fi feature The Signal. “That’s the wonderful thing about being an actor. . . every job is kind of a different thing. Every movie is its own wild beast that you have to kind of roll with it and do the best you can and try to enjoy it along the way.”
One of Thwaites’ more endearing aspects is his sense of humor, and during the press conference he was asked about working with the baby twins on The Giver. In his answer, Thwaites gave a ribbing to fellow Aussie Phillip Noyce, the stoic and talented director behind The Giver.
Click on the audio link to hear Thwaites joke around about his bond with the babies, with Noyce chiming in with a rather dry response.
Noyce’s impressive body of work includes Salt, Patriot Games, The Quiet American, and Catch a Fire. Along with The Giver and The Signal, Thwaites was also starred in Oculus and Maleficent.
The new studio Gloomywood have released a teaser trailer for their retro survival game 2Dark. Credit the developers for not holding back on the storyline, as gamers will play a father who must save his children and their friends from a serial killer. One of the Gloomywood developers behind the game is French designer and Alone in the Dark mastermind Frederick Raynal.
“With Alone in the Dark, I worked first on the game technology thinking of what it could bring to the game mechanics, and that’s what created the gameplay and set the track for story. I am rather confident to my methods,” said Raynal. “For 2Dark, I started tinkering by defining the graphical rendering I want. Now, as it was never done, I am creating the necessary tools…”
To read about Raynal’s development of the these tools, check out the studio’s blog. The team will be available at Gamescon from August-15 to answer questions about the game, which fellow Gloomywood member Thierry Platon describes as an “uncompromising” experience.
The teaser is intentionally creepy, and anything that involves the endangerment of children certainly ups the dramatic stakes. Check out the vid below and tell us what you think!
Now playing in select theaters, Calvary features Brendan Gleeson as Father James, a man of the cloth who is the target of one of the members of his parish. Father James has one week to get his life in order and find the person who wants him dead, and during his journey his resolve and faith strengthens his spirit.
Whether he’s playing Winston Churchill (Into the Storm) or a rueful hitman (InBruges), Gleeson brings a hard earned sense of realism to his characters. “I can empathize with characters when I’m reading a script to the extent where I can feel impact, or I can feel the lack of it,” says Gleeson, who previously worked with McDonagh in The Guard. “It’s been an important thing in my arsenal. I’ve been able to distinguish pretty well on what’s a good script and what isn’t.”
Brendan Gleeson as “Father James” in CALVARY. Photo by Jonathon Hession.
Once Gleeson reads the script, an important element of building a character has already started. “You’ve already read the thing, in possibly kind of a voice in your head,” he adds. “That’s really the beginning of whatever the character is, and then you do what you need to.”
Click on the audio link below to hear Brendan Gleeson talk about his acting process and why mastering accents, as fellow actor John Hurt believes has to be part of one’s DNA (Gleeson also references his work as Winston Churchill in Into The Stormin the cilp).
