This is one of my favourite movies ever, and as such this is less a review than a eulogy.. Having a tangentially medical background, I feel no abashment at admitting my fondness for anatomical anomalies (perhaps it also has something to do with seeing Romy Schneider’s webbed fingers in The Trialat an impressionable age) and Freakshas physical abnormalities galore.
The setting is a travelling circus, one of the olden days when the freakshow was de rigeur. The film opens with a hideous half-woman-half-chicken attraction, and the promise of revealing how she got that way. Flashback: Hans the midget is engaged to the similarly-sized Frieda, but pines for the beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra, herself happy in the ample arms of Hercules, the strongman. Until, that is, Hans comes into a sizable inheritance and Cleopatra starts to show an interest..
That’s right Myke Armstrong covered the Tropic Thunder red carpet this week for LA.CityZine. We had the chance to ask many of the celebs questions and some of them even answered!
Perhaps the primary reason why Woody Allen is actually a significant film-maker, before he started marrying his children and making shit movies. So good you can watch it twice in a row. Brilliant, neurotic, truthful comedy from start to finish, adorned with kooky Diane Keaton (when she too was actually funny), more one-liners (Jeff Goldblum: “I forgot my mantra”) and perfect comedy vignettes than one could imagine possible, sprinkled with awesome cameos (was Christopher Walken ever actually creepier?) and all totally personal. If by any chance you’ve not seen it you must do so immediately.
There are a LOT of potentially really good films to pick from this week and then are a few others that I know I’ll be passing on. I personally recommend Tropic Thunder. Unlike, PIneapple Express it’s not a requirment to be stoned, merely a suggestion. If you want a sexy, interesting, indie flick, you’ve got Vicky Cristina Barcelona or The Girl Cut in Two. Both have pretty ladies, weird sex and insane love. Henry Poole Is Here looks like it may be great as long as it doesn’t get too preachy. All the teens on summer break who might FINALLY be starting to get over Dark Knight will enjoy Mirrors, a good creepy horror film. As for, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I couldn’t even make it through the trailer. I just never caught that bug. I think is you’re going for animation, go for Fly Me to the Moon 3. It is a bit off they’re both opening the same weekend, no?
So there they are! This week’s movie releases with showtimes and tickets, reviews, cast and crew info, and of course, TRAILERS! Also, check out our Tropic Thunder red carpet coverage.
A few weeks ago, Wall-E was released and quickly received some of the best critical praise a film has gotten all year. Then The Dark Knight was released, and immediately dominated the summer movie market. But with the biggest movies of the summer out of the way, what are we supposed to do now? Sit through those again?
By the way, the answer is yes. Both of them. Over, and over, and over again.
However, once we’ve all had our fill of those two triumphsâjust when we’re wondering if their tremendous successes have signaled the end of blockbuster season, Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder charges in to remind us that this summer is not over! We do not have to want for movies with a nine figure budget! We can still blow things up!
The Downtown Film Festival begins tomorrow night August 13th and runs until Sunday the 17th. The Downtown LA Film Festival was created to celebrate the resurgence of Downtown L.A. in all its facets â its historic movie palaces core, its legendary cultural and ethnic institutions, and its thriving business and residential communities. And they happen to have a number of great movie picks as well. From Don Cheadle’s latest film “Traitor” to the much raved about new indie film “In Search of a Midnight Kiss” as well as an awesome kick-off party for the festival.
Angelina Jolie will replace…Tom Cruise? That’s right. After Cruise went back and forth on whether or not to star in the new espionage thriller called Edwin A. Salt, Jolie decided she wanted the role and everything seemed to be put together within a matter of minutes. Although I just don’t quite get the swap. I guess they’re both brunette?
J.J. Abrams is working on an earthquake - Not a remake apparently…but a whole new one. No one knows that city, what magnitude, or what will happen (does anyone ever with J.J. Abrams) but we all know it’s coming with help from writer David Seltzer.
TripAdvisor will be sponsoring the Southern California charity, Suitcases for Kids, by offering two nights of free movies outside for their Traveling Movie Tour. The event begins on Wednesday, August 13th with the classic Roman Holiday and continues on Thursday, August 14th with Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Both films will be screened at the Huntington Beach Pier Plaza after dark.
Everyone who attends is encouraged to bring a bag for donation to foster children in Southern California through our charity partner, Suitcases For Kids.
Last night in Westwood the Tropic Thunder premiere went off without a hitch (aside from a few silly protesters). LA.CityZine was lucky enough to be in attendance and here are some shots of your favorite faces to walk the carpet including Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be hiding behind Ben Stiller at times), Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Tobey Maguire, Amy Adams, Jodi Foster, Jena Malone’s new haricut and many more.
Keep an eye out on LA.CityZine for more red carpet coverage coming soon, including interviews from the carpet! Also, check out our review of the film now!
“These are great days we’re living, bros. We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns. These people we wasted here today are the finest human beings we will ever know. After we rotate back to the world, we’re gonna miss not having anyone around that’s worth shooting.”
Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 “Full Metal Jacket” is definitely worth checking out this summer because this masterpiece has got it all. You want violence, racism, wit, sexism, politics, suspense, hope, and more? As always, Kubrick never fails to deliver.
This is one of my favourite movies ever, and as such this is less a review than a eulogy.. Having a tangentially medical background, I feel no abashment at admitting my fondness for anatomical anomalies (perhaps it also has something to do with seeing Romy Schneider’s webbed fingers in The Trial at an impressionable age) and Freaks has physical abnormalities galore.
