Quentin Tarantino loves film. Few filmmakers can boast such a wide knowledge of movies, especially the B-films and grindhouse works that have inspired his greatest cinematic accomplishments. Tarantino also loves to talk about future projects. Put those two passions together and you get a guy who often teases movies he never actually ends up making.
Of course, it’s not always talk. Many of his best movies, including Kill Bill and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood started as ideas that he blabbed about to anyone who would listen. But while that approach builds excitement, it also sets up fans for disappointment, such as when it was revealed that he had abandoned The Movie Critic, which for months was teased as the director’s 10th and final film.
Now including The Movie Critic, here are the most intriguing Tarantino projects that never got made.
Double V Vega
Perhaps the longest rumored unmade Tarantino,...
Of course, it’s not always talk. Many of his best movies, including Kill Bill and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood started as ideas that he blabbed about to anyone who would listen. But while that approach builds excitement, it also sets up fans for disappointment, such as when it was revealed that he had abandoned The Movie Critic, which for months was teased as the director’s 10th and final film.
Now including The Movie Critic, here are the most intriguing Tarantino projects that never got made.
Double V Vega
Perhaps the longest rumored unmade Tarantino,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
John Bailey, the cinematographer on Ordinary People, Groundhog Day, As Good as It Gets and dozens of other notable films who endured two “stressful” terms as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, died Friday. He was 81.
Bailey died in Los Angeles, his wife, Oscar-nominated film editor Carol Littleton (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), announced.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” she said in a statement. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
They worked on more than a dozen features together.
The Southern California-raised Bailey served as the director of photography for...
Bailey died in Los Angeles, his wife, Oscar-nominated film editor Carol Littleton (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), announced.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” she said in a statement. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
They worked on more than a dozen features together.
The Southern California-raised Bailey served as the director of photography for...
- 11/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One night, two struggling cartoonists had what turned out to be a billion-dollar idea. What if Frank Miller’s Daredevil had human-sized turtles in it? From that question came the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a quartet of brothers named after Renaissance artists who fought the Shredder and his Foot Clan (a spoof of perpetual Daredevil baddies the Hand). Who could have guessed that the self-published comic Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created would launch a phenomenon, one that survived its first boom in the late ‘80s and crash in the mid-1990s? It has since gone on to become an enduring pop culture franchise which is still going strong after several decades. Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael have leaped out of the sewers and into every type of media, including video games and toys. Nonetheless, the characters are never more exciting than when they hit the big screen.
Part of...
Part of...
- 8/2/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Yaya DaCosta and Torrey DeVitto have taken to Instagram with reactions following news today of their exits from NBC’s Chicago Med after six seasons.
DaCosta gave a special shout-out to series creator Dick Wolf, showrunners, producers and directors, cast and crew of the medical drama, as well as fans.
“After six amazing seasons of working with some of the most dedicated people in the business, learning wild medical jargon, growing as an actor and as a person… my time as April Sexton on “Chicago Med” has come to a close, DaCosta wrote. “I am so grateful to Dick Wolf, Peter Jankowski, show runners Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov, our producers (and stellar directors) Michael Waxman and Michael Pressman, and the entire Wolf Entertainment team for believing in me from the show’s very inception, and for giving April wings to explore such dynamic storylines.”
Saying “All good things must come to an end,...
DaCosta gave a special shout-out to series creator Dick Wolf, showrunners, producers and directors, cast and crew of the medical drama, as well as fans.
“After six amazing seasons of working with some of the most dedicated people in the business, learning wild medical jargon, growing as an actor and as a person… my time as April Sexton on “Chicago Med” has come to a close, DaCosta wrote. “I am so grateful to Dick Wolf, Peter Jankowski, show runners Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov, our producers (and stellar directors) Michael Waxman and Michael Pressman, and the entire Wolf Entertainment team for believing in me from the show’s very inception, and for giving April wings to explore such dynamic storylines.”
Saying “All good things must come to an end,...
- 5/12/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Two Chicago Med stars are reacting to the news of their exits from the NBC procedural.
Torrey DeVitto and Yaya DaCosta have taken to social media to reveal their thoughts on leaving the series after six seasons.
“All good things must come to an end,” DeVitto, who plays Dr. Manning shared.
“It has been such an honor and pure joy to bring Dr. Natalie Manning to life for all of you on Chicago Med for the past 6 seasons. But it is now time for me and her to bow out and say goodbye."
“Thank you to all you loyal watchers who adored her as much as I did,” DeVitto added.
“I can’t wait to share what’s to come with all of you. New adventures await!”
"After six amazing seasons of working with some of the most dedicated people in the business, learning wild medical jargon, growing as an actor and as a person.
Torrey DeVitto and Yaya DaCosta have taken to social media to reveal their thoughts on leaving the series after six seasons.
“All good things must come to an end,” DeVitto, who plays Dr. Manning shared.
“It has been such an honor and pure joy to bring Dr. Natalie Manning to life for all of you on Chicago Med for the past 6 seasons. But it is now time for me and her to bow out and say goodbye."
“Thank you to all you loyal watchers who adored her as much as I did,” DeVitto added.
“I can’t wait to share what’s to come with all of you. New adventures await!”
"After six amazing seasons of working with some of the most dedicated people in the business, learning wild medical jargon, growing as an actor and as a person.
- 5/12/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Yaya DaCosta is speaking out following the news that she will be leaving Chicago Med after playing nurse April Sexton since the NBC medical drama’s debut in 2015.
“After six amazing seasons of working with some of the most dedicated people in the business, learning wild medical jargon, growing as an actor and as a person… my time as April Sexton on Chicago Med has come to a close,” DaCosta wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
More from TVLineMae Whitman Addresses Good Girls' Precarious Fate: 'We Would Like Very Much to Not Get Cancelled'Law & Order: Oc's Chris Meloni, Dylan McDermott...
“After six amazing seasons of working with some of the most dedicated people in the business, learning wild medical jargon, growing as an actor and as a person… my time as April Sexton on Chicago Med has come to a close,” DaCosta wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
More from TVLineMae Whitman Addresses Good Girls' Precarious Fate: 'We Would Like Very Much to Not Get Cancelled'Law & Order: Oc's Chris Meloni, Dylan McDermott...
- 5/12/2021
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Verve talent agency is bolstering its roster with a number of high-level executive producers and directors from Dick Wolf’s camp, including Arthur Forney, Fred Berner, Reza Tabrizi, Jim McKay, Michael Pressman, as well as consultant Connie Rice. The additions follow Verve’s acquisition of Paul Alan Smith’s New Deal Mfg. Co. last month.
Forney has been an integral player in the Wolf Camp, overseeing all post-production. Since joining Wolf in 1990 with the launch of Law & Order, Forney has since been an executive producer on FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Law & Order: Svu, currently airing its 22nd season, and the recently debuted Law & Order: Organized Crime, starring Christopher Meloni, who returns as fan favorite Elliot Stabler.
Also joining Verve is Berner, who recently directed and executive produced the pilot of Law & Order: Organized Crime, which premiered last...
Forney has been an integral player in the Wolf Camp, overseeing all post-production. Since joining Wolf in 1990 with the launch of Law & Order, Forney has since been an executive producer on FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Law & Order: Svu, currently airing its 22nd season, and the recently debuted Law & Order: Organized Crime, starring Christopher Meloni, who returns as fan favorite Elliot Stabler.
Also joining Verve is Berner, who recently directed and executive produced the pilot of Law & Order: Organized Crime, which premiered last...
- 4/6/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise is building out its cast. Margaret Colin is joining NBC’s Chicago Med in a recurring role opposite Torrey DeVitto, and Hanako Greensmith will return to Chicago Fire, recurring as paramedic Violet Mikami.
Colin will play Dr. Manning’s (DeVitto) mother. Greensmith’s Violet Mikami had a previous relationship with Gallo (Alberto Rosende) that may or may not continue.
Also joining in guest roles are Jack Coleman (Dynasty) on Chicago P.D., and Charlie Farrell and Benny Mora on Chicago Med.
All will appear in the series’ current seasons.
Coleman returns to Chicago P.D. as “Disco Bob” Ruzek, Adam Ruzek’s (Patrick Flueger) father. Farrell joins Chicago Med as Mark Barragan, the executive in charge of Dr. Halstead’s (Nick Gehlfuss) drug trial. Mora plays Mike, a blue-collar...
Colin will play Dr. Manning’s (DeVitto) mother. Greensmith’s Violet Mikami had a previous relationship with Gallo (Alberto Rosende) that may or may not continue.
Also joining in guest roles are Jack Coleman (Dynasty) on Chicago P.D., and Charlie Farrell and Benny Mora on Chicago Med.
All will appear in the series’ current seasons.
Coleman returns to Chicago P.D. as “Disco Bob” Ruzek, Adam Ruzek’s (Patrick Flueger) father. Farrell joins Chicago Med as Mark Barragan, the executive in charge of Dr. Halstead’s (Nick Gehlfuss) drug trial. Mora plays Mike, a blue-collar...
- 3/19/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
A new physician is heading to Chicago Med. Wings alum Steven Weber has joined the NBC drama series’ current sixth season in a recurring role.
Weber will play Dr. Dean Archer, a wry, blunt, talented physician who has just relocated from a rural hospital to Chicago Med. A former Naval officer who oversaw Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) during active duty, he’s now struggling to be second -in-command at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s Emergency Department.
From Emmy-winning executive producer Dick Wolf, Chicago Med follows the emotional day-to-day chaos of the city’s newest state-of-the-art trauma center and the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together. Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Oliver Platt, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson, Yaya DaCosta, Marlyne Barrett, Dominic Rains star.
Chicago Med is a Wolf Entertainment Production in association with Universal Television, a division of the Universal Studio Group. Wolf,...
Weber will play Dr. Dean Archer, a wry, blunt, talented physician who has just relocated from a rural hospital to Chicago Med. A former Naval officer who oversaw Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) during active duty, he’s now struggling to be second -in-command at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s Emergency Department.
From Emmy-winning executive producer Dick Wolf, Chicago Med follows the emotional day-to-day chaos of the city’s newest state-of-the-art trauma center and the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together. Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Oliver Platt, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson, Yaya DaCosta, Marlyne Barrett, Dominic Rains star.
Chicago Med is a Wolf Entertainment Production in association with Universal Television, a division of the Universal Studio Group. Wolf,...
- 1/13/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
If Chicago Med made you do a double-take on Wednesday, that’s perfectly understandable. The episode featured a guest spot from Chicago Justice vet Joelle Carter, who starred as private investigator Laura Nagel on the short-lived spinoff. But on this week’s Med, Carter played a completely different character: a former patient of Will’s who became a drug addict after he prescribed her opioids.
Co-showrunner Andrew Schneider credits director/executive producer Michael Pressman with bringing Carter back into the #OneChicago universe in a very different way. “[He] had worked extensively with her on Justified and thought she would be great for this,...
Co-showrunner Andrew Schneider credits director/executive producer Michael Pressman with bringing Carter back into the #OneChicago universe in a very different way. “[He] had worked extensively with her on Justified and thought she would be great for this,...
- 1/9/2020
- TVLine.com
Cinematographer John Bailey will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 27th Camerimage cinematography festival, which runs Nov. 9-16 in Torun, Poland.
Bailey, who recently completed his term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has an extensive list of credits that includes Boulevard Nights, directed by Michael Pressman; American Gigolo for Paul Schrader; Ordinary People helmed by Robert Redford; and Honky Tonk Freeway for John Schlesinger.
For Lawrence Kasdan, he lensed The Big Chill, Silverado and The Accidental Tourist. For Michael Apted, Bailey shot Continental Divide, Extreme Measures and Always Outnumbered. His credits also include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Big ...
Bailey, who recently completed his term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has an extensive list of credits that includes Boulevard Nights, directed by Michael Pressman; American Gigolo for Paul Schrader; Ordinary People helmed by Robert Redford; and Honky Tonk Freeway for John Schlesinger.
For Lawrence Kasdan, he lensed The Big Chill, Silverado and The Accidental Tourist. For Michael Apted, Bailey shot Continental Divide, Extreme Measures and Always Outnumbered. His credits also include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Big ...
- 8/22/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Cinematographer John Bailey will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 27th Camerimage cinematography festival, which runs Nov. 9-16 in Torun, Poland.
Bailey, who recently completed his term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has an extensive list of credits that includes Boulevard Nights, directed by Michael Pressman; American Gigolo for Paul Schrader; Ordinary People helmed by Robert Redford; and Honky Tonk Freeway for John Schlesinger.
For Lawrence Kasdan, he lensed The Big Chill, Silverado and The Accidental Tourist. For Michael Apted, Bailey shot Continental Divide, Extreme Measures and Always Outnumbered. His credits also include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Big ...
Bailey, who recently completed his term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has an extensive list of credits that includes Boulevard Nights, directed by Michael Pressman; American Gigolo for Paul Schrader; Ordinary People helmed by Robert Redford; and Honky Tonk Freeway for John Schlesinger.
For Lawrence Kasdan, he lensed The Big Chill, Silverado and The Accidental Tourist. For Michael Apted, Bailey shot Continental Divide, Extreme Measures and Always Outnumbered. His credits also include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Big ...
- 8/22/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Pressman is expanding his relationship with Chicago Med and Dick Wolf, signing on as an executive producer and director on the NBC drama series beginning with Season 5 next fall.
Pressman has worked with Wolf directing episodes of his series Chicago Med, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. He directed the pilots for CBS’ Chicago Hope, The Guardian and The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire. His other episodic directing credits include Elementary, Sneaky Pete, Alpha House and Justified, among others. His feature directing credits include To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday, Frankie and Johnny Are Married and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
From Emmy-winning executive producer Wolf, Chicago Med follows the emotional day-to-day chaos of the city’s newest state-of-the-art trauma center and into the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together. Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Colin Donnell,...
Pressman has worked with Wolf directing episodes of his series Chicago Med, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. He directed the pilots for CBS’ Chicago Hope, The Guardian and The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire. His other episodic directing credits include Elementary, Sneaky Pete, Alpha House and Justified, among others. His feature directing credits include To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday, Frankie and Johnny Are Married and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
From Emmy-winning executive producer Wolf, Chicago Med follows the emotional day-to-day chaos of the city’s newest state-of-the-art trauma center and into the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together. Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Colin Donnell,...
- 4/3/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the most interesting filmmakers to emerge from Roger Corman’s New World Pictures in the 1970s – a period in which great directors like Jonathan Demme, Allan Arkush, and Joe Dante were making their first movies for the company – was Michael Pressman, whose 1976 action-comedy The Great Texas Dynamite Chase remains one of the smartest, funniest, and most energetic exploitation pictures of its era. Throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s, Pressman directed one distinctive film after another, exhibiting astonishing range – the only thing his movies of the era have in common is that they have nothing […]...
- 4/24/2018
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
One of the most interesting filmmakers to emerge from Roger Corman’s New World Pictures in the 1970s – a period in which great directors like Jonathan Demme, Allan Arkush, and Joe Dante were making their first movies for the company – was Michael Pressman, whose 1976 action-comedy The Great Texas Dynamite Chase remains one of the smartest, funniest, and most energetic exploitation pictures of its era. Throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s, Pressman directed one distinctive film after another, exhibiting astonishing range – the only thing his movies of the era have in common is that they have nothing […]...
- 4/24/2018
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
As is annual tradition, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has announced this year’s 25 film set to join the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Selected for their “cultural, historic and/or aesthetic importance,” the films picked range from such beloved actioners as “Die Hard,” childhood classic “The Goonies,” the seminal “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” and the mind-bending “Memento,” with plenty of other genres and styles represented among the list.
The additions span 1905 to 2000, and includes Hollywood blockbusters, documentaries, silent movies, animation, shorts, independent, and even home movies. The 2017 selections bring the number of films in the registry to 725.
“The selection of a film to the National Film Registry recognizes its importance to American cinema and the nation’s cultural and historical heritage,” Hayden said in an official statement. “Our love affair with motion pictures is a testament to their enduring power to enlighten, inspire and...
The additions span 1905 to 2000, and includes Hollywood blockbusters, documentaries, silent movies, animation, shorts, independent, and even home movies. The 2017 selections bring the number of films in the registry to 725.
“The selection of a film to the National Film Registry recognizes its importance to American cinema and the nation’s cultural and historical heritage,” Hayden said in an official statement. “Our love affair with motion pictures is a testament to their enduring power to enlighten, inspire and...
- 12/13/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Since 1989, the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress has been accomplishing the important task of preserving films that “represent important cultural, artistic and historic achievements in filmmaking.” From films way back in 1897 all the way up to 2004, they’ve now reached 725 films that celebrate our heritage and encapsulate our film history.
Today they’ve unveiled their 2017 list, which includes such Hollywood classics as Die Hard, Titanic, and Superman along with groundbreaking independent features like Yvonne Rainer’s Lives of Performers, Charles Burnett’s To Sleep with Anger, and Barbara Loden’s Wanda. Also making this list are a pair of Kirk Douglas-led features, Ace in the Hole and Spartacus, as well as Christopher Nolan’s Memento and more. Check out the full list below and you can watch some films on the registry for free here.
Ace in the Hole (aka Big Carnival) (1951)
Based on the infamous...
Today they’ve unveiled their 2017 list, which includes such Hollywood classics as Die Hard, Titanic, and Superman along with groundbreaking independent features like Yvonne Rainer’s Lives of Performers, Charles Burnett’s To Sleep with Anger, and Barbara Loden’s Wanda. Also making this list are a pair of Kirk Douglas-led features, Ace in the Hole and Spartacus, as well as Christopher Nolan’s Memento and more. Check out the full list below and you can watch some films on the registry for free here.
Ace in the Hole (aka Big Carnival) (1951)
Based on the infamous...
- 12/13/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Matt Edwards Feb 7, 2017
1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze lost its sausages, courtesy of the British Board of Film Classification...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a cause of controversy long before Michael Bay became involved in it. The original comic book was no troublemaker, but once it became a cartoon/toy/movie/pop culture phenomenon parents became concerned that it was too violent for children.
See related Inside No. 9 series 2: Pemberton & Shearsmith's twisted genius Inside No. 9: The Devil Of Christmas review 24 great comedy shows that deserve more love Den Of Geek's top TV episodes of 2015
In Great Britain it was subject to mondo censorship, dude. Ahem. The BBFC, the British Board of Film Classification, had chunks of the first film removed. The cartoon series was renamed Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, and weapons and violence were removed (television broadcasts are not subject...
1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze lost its sausages, courtesy of the British Board of Film Classification...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a cause of controversy long before Michael Bay became involved in it. The original comic book was no troublemaker, but once it became a cartoon/toy/movie/pop culture phenomenon parents became concerned that it was too violent for children.
See related Inside No. 9 series 2: Pemberton & Shearsmith's twisted genius Inside No. 9: The Devil Of Christmas review 24 great comedy shows that deserve more love Den Of Geek's top TV episodes of 2015
In Great Britain it was subject to mondo censorship, dude. Ahem. The BBFC, the British Board of Film Classification, had chunks of the first film removed. The cartoon series was renamed Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, and weapons and violence were removed (television broadcasts are not subject...
- 2/5/2017
- Den of Geek
Recently, CBS served up the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Elementary" episode 4 of season 4. The episode is entitled, "All My Exes Live in Essex," and it turns out that we're going to see some pretty interesting stuff take place as the murder of a fertility lab tech, prompts Holmes and Watson to investigate, and more. In the new, 4th episode press release: Holmes And Watson Investigate The Murder Of A Fertility Lab Technician Who They Discover Had A Secret Life, On "Elementary," Thursday, Nov. 26. Press release number 2: When Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a fertility lab technician, they are going to discover the woman had a secret personal life that leads them to multiple suspects. Also, the tables will get turned on Watson when she's investigated by an NYPD detective. Guest stars feature: Gabriel Olds (Mark Lawton), Robert Manning, Jr. (Dr. Branford Fisher), Jenn Colella...
- 11/19/2015
- by Eric
- OnTheFlix
I’m not exactly sure why Richard Pryor’s 1982 Paramount film, "Some Kind of Hero," rarely gets mentioned, if it’s even remembered at all. Granted it’s not perfect, and it suffers from inconsistent shifts in tone, but it’s never less than interesting, and provides Pryor with one of his more fascinating characters. Although it was compromised in the studio process. The film gave Pryor some opportunities to explore his acting chops, and one feels that if the studio hadn’t gotten so chicken about the film, it might have been regarded as one of Pryor’s best. Directed by Michael Pressman, Pryor plays a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War in the 1970’s who is captured...
- 7/29/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Justified, Season 6, Episode 12: “Collateral”
Written by Chris Provenzano and VJ Boyd
Directed by Michael Pressman
Airs Tuesdays at 10pm Et on FX
“I don’t give a shit about the Ballad of Boyd Crowder. I’ll be dead and gone’n that song gets sung.” – Boyd Corwder
As could reasonably be expected, “Collateral” hones in on Boyd Crowder, the man who should not be. It’s fascinating now to recall that Boyd wasn’t even supposed to survive Justified‘s pilot, “Fire in the Hole.” In Elmore Leonard’s original story, Boyd died. In the original conception of the series, Boyd died. At some point between Graham Yost watching Walton Goggins’ first dailies and the series getting picked up, all concerned decided that Goggins was simply too good to let go of, and here we are, one week from the series finale, and 76 episodes later, Boyd’s still kicking.
Written by Chris Provenzano and VJ Boyd
Directed by Michael Pressman
Airs Tuesdays at 10pm Et on FX
“I don’t give a shit about the Ballad of Boyd Crowder. I’ll be dead and gone’n that song gets sung.” – Boyd Corwder
As could reasonably be expected, “Collateral” hones in on Boyd Crowder, the man who should not be. It’s fascinating now to recall that Boyd wasn’t even supposed to survive Justified‘s pilot, “Fire in the Hole.” In Elmore Leonard’s original story, Boyd died. In the original conception of the series, Boyd died. At some point between Graham Yost watching Walton Goggins’ first dailies and the series getting picked up, all concerned decided that Goggins was simply too good to let go of, and here we are, one week from the series finale, and 76 episodes later, Boyd’s still kicking.
- 4/8/2015
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
In its penultimate hour, Justified opens with a Harlan gone mad. Raylan’s left his badge and star behind, and is now a fugitive from his own people. Boyd’s in an officer’s uniform, which allows him to “commandeer” a truck driven by a local boy (played by Boardwalk Empire’s Shea Whigham). Before we even get to the opening credits, Raylan’s written his will, and Ava’s digging a grave. “One bad omen on top of another,” Ava says of her current predicament. “I ain’t superstitious,” Zachariah replies. Guess the guy probably doesn’t watch much TV.
If we’re looking for an oracle to divine where all this bad mojo is coming from, there’s no one better to ask than the guy who has relied on luck the most to survive Justified: Wynn Duffy. “Raylan Givens, Boyd Crowder, and Avery Markham are soon to converge,...
If we’re looking for an oracle to divine where all this bad mojo is coming from, there’s no one better to ask than the guy who has relied on luck the most to survive Justified: Wynn Duffy. “Raylan Givens, Boyd Crowder, and Avery Markham are soon to converge,...
- 4/8/2015
- by Sam Woolf
- We Got This Covered
Justified, Season 5, Episode 12: “Starvation”
Written by Chris Provenzano
Directed by Michael Pressman
Airs Tuesdays at 10pm Et on FX
- Watching a season of Justified expand and contract its narrative can be a thing of beauty, even when it feels like the show isn’t necessarily at its best. “Starvation” continues down the sullen path of Season 5, a year that’s seen Raylan grow increasingly distant amidst a particularly nasty and bleak set of circumstances, but does so in a way that honors its main character’s histories and relationships. For longtime viewers, it’s a welcome sign of things likely to come. Probably. - I complained last week that the season had really begun to lose sight of Raylan as a character, and that this absence had led to the season feeling somewhat unmoored. “Starvation” doesn’t quite fix that – not yet – but there are indications that the...
Written by Chris Provenzano
Directed by Michael Pressman
Airs Tuesdays at 10pm Et on FX
- Watching a season of Justified expand and contract its narrative can be a thing of beauty, even when it feels like the show isn’t necessarily at its best. “Starvation” continues down the sullen path of Season 5, a year that’s seen Raylan grow increasingly distant amidst a particularly nasty and bleak set of circumstances, but does so in a way that honors its main character’s histories and relationships. For longtime viewers, it’s a welcome sign of things likely to come. Probably. - I complained last week that the season had really begun to lose sight of Raylan as a character, and that this absence had led to the season feeling somewhat unmoored. “Starvation” doesn’t quite fix that – not yet – but there are indications that the...
- 4/3/2014
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Spoiler alert! If you haven’t watched this week’s episode of Justified, “Starvation” written by Chris Provenzano and directed by Michael Pressman, stop reading now. As he’ll do throughout the season, showrunner Graham Yost takes us inside the writers room. And bonus, he offers a few teases for the April 8 season finale.
Entertainment Weekly: Last episode had a physical bomb; this one had emotional ones. Let’s start at the beginning. The episode opened with Wynn lying to cartel muscle Alberto and claiming he’d killed Boyd.
Three things: When we get toward the end of the season,...
Entertainment Weekly: Last episode had a physical bomb; this one had emotional ones. Let’s start at the beginning. The episode opened with Wynn lying to cartel muscle Alberto and claiming he’d killed Boyd.
Three things: When we get toward the end of the season,...
- 4/2/2014
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW - Inside TV
Elementary, Season 2, Episode 3, “We Are Everyone”
Written by Craig Sweeny
Directed by Michael Pressman
Airs Thursdays at 10pm Est on CBS
This week, on Elementary: Joan tries out a dating site, Sherlock puts a shoe on his head, and they both get hacked
“We Are Everyone” continues Elementary’s strong start to its second season, with a fun case of the week and interesting character moments for both Joan and Sherlock. It’s been interesting seeing such a minimized role for the NYPD characters, with Gregson and Bell only appearing significantly in one of the first three this season, but their slack is more than made up for this week by the examination of Joan and Sherlock’s lives, friendships, or lack thereof, and choices. Elementary doesn’t often rip from the headlines, Law & Order style, so their take on Anonymous and a Snowden-like figure is a fun change of pace.
Written by Craig Sweeny
Directed by Michael Pressman
Airs Thursdays at 10pm Est on CBS
This week, on Elementary: Joan tries out a dating site, Sherlock puts a shoe on his head, and they both get hacked
“We Are Everyone” continues Elementary’s strong start to its second season, with a fun case of the week and interesting character moments for both Joan and Sherlock. It’s been interesting seeing such a minimized role for the NYPD characters, with Gregson and Bell only appearing significantly in one of the first three this season, but their slack is more than made up for this week by the examination of Joan and Sherlock’s lives, friendships, or lack thereof, and choices. Elementary doesn’t often rip from the headlines, Law & Order style, so their take on Anonymous and a Snowden-like figure is a fun change of pace.
- 10/12/2013
- by Kate Kulzick
- SoundOnSight
The economic losses from Hurricane Sandy are projected to be enormous.
With theater closings, cancelations, and production schedule interruptions, the entertainment industry was hit hard.
The overall estimate from Ihs Global Insight puts losses at between $30 billion and $50 billion and THR is reporting the entertainment industry alone is set to see losses in the millions.
"With showbiz people, it's always where there's a will, there's a way," Michael Pressman, executive producer of "Blue Bloods" said in an interview THR. But "once they pulled the permits and closed the bridges and tunnels, we couldn't get actors to the set."
With movie theaters shuttered across the Northeast, ticket sales brought in $6 million on Monday, 40% lower than sales from the same Monday in 2011. Multiple concerts from big names such as The xx and Ghostface Killah were canceled, meaning they must either be rescheduled or face the cost of refunding ticket-holders. Television and movie...
With theater closings, cancelations, and production schedule interruptions, the entertainment industry was hit hard.
The overall estimate from Ihs Global Insight puts losses at between $30 billion and $50 billion and THR is reporting the entertainment industry alone is set to see losses in the millions.
"With showbiz people, it's always where there's a will, there's a way," Michael Pressman, executive producer of "Blue Bloods" said in an interview THR. But "once they pulled the permits and closed the bridges and tunnels, we couldn't get actors to the set."
With movie theaters shuttered across the Northeast, ticket sales brought in $6 million on Monday, 40% lower than sales from the same Monday in 2011. Multiple concerts from big names such as The xx and Ghostface Killah were canceled, meaning they must either be rescheduled or face the cost of refunding ticket-holders. Television and movie...
- 10/31/2012
- by Madeline Boardman
- Huffington Post
DVD Playhouse June 2011
By
Allen Gardner
Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion) Robert Aldrich’s 1955 reinvention of the film noir detective story is one of cinema’s great genre mash-ups: part hardboiled noir; part cold war paranoid thriller; and part science- fiction. Ralph Meeker plays Mickey Spillane’s fascist detective Mike Hammer as a narcissistic simian thug, a sadist who would rather smash a suspect’s fingers than make love to the bevvy of beautiful dames that cross his path. In fact, the only time you see a smile cross Meeker’s sneering mug is when he’s doling out pain, with a vengeance. When a terrified young woman (Cloris Leachman, film debut) literally crossed Hammer’s path one night, and later turns up dead, he vows to get to the bottom of her brutal demise. One of the most influential films ever made, and perhaps the most-cited film by the architects...
By
Allen Gardner
Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion) Robert Aldrich’s 1955 reinvention of the film noir detective story is one of cinema’s great genre mash-ups: part hardboiled noir; part cold war paranoid thriller; and part science- fiction. Ralph Meeker plays Mickey Spillane’s fascist detective Mike Hammer as a narcissistic simian thug, a sadist who would rather smash a suspect’s fingers than make love to the bevvy of beautiful dames that cross his path. In fact, the only time you see a smile cross Meeker’s sneering mug is when he’s doling out pain, with a vengeance. When a terrified young woman (Cloris Leachman, film debut) literally crossed Hammer’s path one night, and later turns up dead, he vows to get to the bottom of her brutal demise. One of the most influential films ever made, and perhaps the most-cited film by the architects...
- 6/11/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Sun City - What are you going to when it comes time to retire? Do you really have enough money saved up to last you for the rest of your life? Can you hold out till Willard Scott puts you on the Smuckers jar and wishes you a happy 100th? Will you really be enjoying the good life with round the clock sponge baths from young orderlies? Have you done the math to figure out how much it’ll cost for a day at a retirement community in 20 years? Can your 401K hold out?
Odds are the answer is a resounding, “Maybe?”
The golden years require platinum reserves. With talk that Medicare is about to be destroyed, your budget for health insurance is about to go completely out of control. When is the last time Blue Cross hyped individual policies for people hitting 90? Even the most frugal of senior citizens...
Odds are the answer is a resounding, “Maybe?”
The golden years require platinum reserves. With talk that Medicare is about to be destroyed, your budget for health insurance is about to go completely out of control. When is the last time Blue Cross hyped individual policies for people hitting 90? Even the most frugal of senior citizens...
- 6/10/2011
- by UncaScroogeMcD
More fresh blood is being added to CBS' Blue Bloods as the cop/family drama is undergoing creative tweaks going into its second season. Veteran series director-producer Michael Pressman has joined the CBS TV Studios-produced series as co-executive producer/director. He directed two episodes of Blue Bloods' first season and has a long history at CBS, where he served as executive producer on Chicago Hope, The Guardian and two David E. Kelley series, Picket Fences and The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H. Another veteran, Law & Order alum Ed Zuckerman, was recently tapped as the new showrunner on Blue Bloods, succeeding the series' creators Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green, who exited at the end of last season.
- 6/3/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Given the success of Warner’s Archive program, we’re thrilled to see other studios scouring their vaults for content aimed at the discerning cinephile. Here’s a release showcasing the latest coming from MGM via Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment:
Los Angeles (April 14, 2011) – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is bringing even more classics to DVD in April through its unique “manufacturing on demand” (“Mod”). The newest group of films will be part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection and available through online retailers. The vast catalog ranges from 1980’s Defiance to 1965’s four-time Academy Award® nominated A Thousand Clowns.
Enjoy your favorite movies from across the decades including:
1950′s
● Davey Crockett, Scout (1950): A U.S. military scout is assigned to stop Indian attacks on a defenseless group of wagon trains making their way West. Stars George Montgomery, Ellen Drew, Noah Beery Jr. Directed by Lew Landers.
● Cloudburst...
Los Angeles (April 14, 2011) – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is bringing even more classics to DVD in April through its unique “manufacturing on demand” (“Mod”). The newest group of films will be part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection and available through online retailers. The vast catalog ranges from 1980’s Defiance to 1965’s four-time Academy Award® nominated A Thousand Clowns.
Enjoy your favorite movies from across the decades including:
1950′s
● Davey Crockett, Scout (1950): A U.S. military scout is assigned to stop Indian attacks on a defenseless group of wagon trains making their way West. Stars George Montgomery, Ellen Drew, Noah Beery Jr. Directed by Lew Landers.
● Cloudburst...
- 4/21/2011
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
With the words “Action Packed” adorning the upper portion of the latest release from Shout! Factory and their long running series of genre films from the iconic B-movie God himself, Roger Corman, the latest Corman Cult Classics set is quite an interesting one.
A relatively bare bones triple feature, the “Action Packed Collection” edition of this series features three of Corman’s New World Films more action heavy products. Georgia Peaches, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase and Smokey Bites The Dust all get their day in the sun here. And while this release itself may not be the strongest features wise, these are three of the more interesting releases to see the light of day thanks to Shout! Factory.
Batting lead-off for this release is the middle release seen on the front cover, the 1977 release, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase. Directed by Michael Pressman, the film stars Claudia Jennings (seen in the fellow Corman release,...
A relatively bare bones triple feature, the “Action Packed Collection” edition of this series features three of Corman’s New World Films more action heavy products. Georgia Peaches, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase and Smokey Bites The Dust all get their day in the sun here. And while this release itself may not be the strongest features wise, these are three of the more interesting releases to see the light of day thanks to Shout! Factory.
Batting lead-off for this release is the middle release seen on the front cover, the 1977 release, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase. Directed by Michael Pressman, the film stars Claudia Jennings (seen in the fellow Corman release,...
- 4/7/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Confessions of a Bad News Bear
by Jon Zelazny
The Reverend David Stambaugh is the Pastoral Associate at Hollywood United Methodist Church. He earned his BA from Messiah College, a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary, and a Masters of Sacred Theology from Drew University.
Prior to entering the ministry, he portrayed infielder Toby Whitewood in The Bad News Bears (1976), The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977), and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978).
Dave Stambaugh: I was actually playing Little League at that time, so it was a world I really knew. I remember one time I couldn’t make it to a callback audition because our team was in the area play-offs. I like to think that helped me get the job: “Hey, that kid can’t come in for our movie today— because he’s playing baseball!”
The first auditions were readings in NYC casting offices,...
by Jon Zelazny
The Reverend David Stambaugh is the Pastoral Associate at Hollywood United Methodist Church. He earned his BA from Messiah College, a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary, and a Masters of Sacred Theology from Drew University.
Prior to entering the ministry, he portrayed infielder Toby Whitewood in The Bad News Bears (1976), The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977), and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978).
Dave Stambaugh: I was actually playing Little League at that time, so it was a world I really knew. I remember one time I couldn’t make it to a callback audition because our team was in the area play-offs. I like to think that helped me get the job: “Hey, that kid can’t come in for our movie today— because he’s playing baseball!”
The first auditions were readings in NYC casting offices,...
- 10/13/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
"Life on Mars" next episode will be aired on ABC network, October 23, at 10/9c, and entitled "My Maharishi Is Bigger Than Your Maharishi". The episode will provide some answers to the mysteries made on the pilot, which was aired on October 9.
The episode will present a murder case of a returning Vietnam veteran which make the 125th precinct area have to deal with the controversial case. The lieutenant Gene Hunt who is shocked by the case, wants to solve it right away. Meantime, Sam Tyler will struggle with his own past where he finds clues about the reasons why he was brought into the year of 1973. Sam will have a deal with both the case investigation and his past life.
"My Maharishi Is Bigger Than Your Maharishi" is written by Tracy McMillan and directed by Michael Pressman.
The episode will present a murder case of a returning Vietnam veteran which make the 125th precinct area have to deal with the controversial case. The lieutenant Gene Hunt who is shocked by the case, wants to solve it right away. Meantime, Sam Tyler will struggle with his own past where he finds clues about the reasons why he was brought into the year of 1973. Sam will have a deal with both the case investigation and his past life.
"My Maharishi Is Bigger Than Your Maharishi" is written by Tracy McMillan and directed by Michael Pressman.
- 10/17/2008
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Ridea Prods.
Montreal International Film Festival
MONTREAL -- This very funny story dramatizes Los Angeles television producer-director Michael Pressman's true-life attempt to stage a performance of the play "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune." Pressman and his actress-wife, Lisa Chess, play themselves in a witty, well-paced tale of professional hubris, actorly squabbles and marital tenderness that hits all the right tragicomic notes.
At Montreal, where the film had its world premiere, Pressman cheerfully announced that he was having difficulty getting a distributor because the leads -- that's him, his wife and actor Alan Rosenberg -- weren't big enough names. But lack of marquee value shouldn't obscure the fact that this is a tender, amusing drama. Marketing-wise, the story behind the movie could generate some press.
Although the comedy revolves around the L.A. biz scene, it's by no means self-indulgent. The story begins when Pressman ("Picket Fences") and Chess decide to stage a nonequity performance of Terrence McNally's play. Pressman wants a change from TV, while Chess is feeling disillusioned with the audition treadmill. So Pressman puts up $25,000, calls in his friend Alan Rosenberg to play Johnny opposite Lisa's Frankie and books a 99-seat theater.
Things go wrong from the start. Rosenberg admits to Pressman that he's always lusted madly after his wife and will use this desire to fuel his characterization. Then Rosenberg and Chess' acting styles clash, and he threatens to punch her out during a rehearsal. Pressman's costs climb as the production suffers glitch after glitch. The preview show is a disaster, with a pot-addled Rosenberg making up 50% of the lines, then storming out. But the fun doesn't stop there. To his wife's horror, Pressman -- who hasn't been onstage for 30 years -- decides to take over the role of Johnny.
The script would be funny enough if it were just fiction, but knowing that the events really happened adds extra spice. It's certainly brave of Pressman and company to display their insecurities and problems for all to see, even if the story does end on a kind of upbeat note -- the show gets rave reviews but doesn't make any money.
Mandy Patinkin appears in a cameo as himself, having a creative freak-out in his trailer on the set of "Chicago Hope", and CBS president Leslie Moonves shows up to berate Pressman, incredulous that he wants out of a TV pilot to do the play.
Montreal International Film Festival
MONTREAL -- This very funny story dramatizes Los Angeles television producer-director Michael Pressman's true-life attempt to stage a performance of the play "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune." Pressman and his actress-wife, Lisa Chess, play themselves in a witty, well-paced tale of professional hubris, actorly squabbles and marital tenderness that hits all the right tragicomic notes.
At Montreal, where the film had its world premiere, Pressman cheerfully announced that he was having difficulty getting a distributor because the leads -- that's him, his wife and actor Alan Rosenberg -- weren't big enough names. But lack of marquee value shouldn't obscure the fact that this is a tender, amusing drama. Marketing-wise, the story behind the movie could generate some press.
Although the comedy revolves around the L.A. biz scene, it's by no means self-indulgent. The story begins when Pressman ("Picket Fences") and Chess decide to stage a nonequity performance of Terrence McNally's play. Pressman wants a change from TV, while Chess is feeling disillusioned with the audition treadmill. So Pressman puts up $25,000, calls in his friend Alan Rosenberg to play Johnny opposite Lisa's Frankie and books a 99-seat theater.
Things go wrong from the start. Rosenberg admits to Pressman that he's always lusted madly after his wife and will use this desire to fuel his characterization. Then Rosenberg and Chess' acting styles clash, and he threatens to punch her out during a rehearsal. Pressman's costs climb as the production suffers glitch after glitch. The preview show is a disaster, with a pot-addled Rosenberg making up 50% of the lines, then storming out. But the fun doesn't stop there. To his wife's horror, Pressman -- who hasn't been onstage for 30 years -- decides to take over the role of Johnny.
The script would be funny enough if it were just fiction, but knowing that the events really happened adds extra spice. It's certainly brave of Pressman and company to display their insecurities and problems for all to see, even if the story does end on a kind of upbeat note -- the show gets rave reviews but doesn't make any money.
Mandy Patinkin appears in a cameo as himself, having a creative freak-out in his trailer on the set of "Chicago Hope", and CBS president Leslie Moonves shows up to berate Pressman, incredulous that he wants out of a TV pilot to do the play.
Actor-comedian Brian Haley has been cast as the third brother in David E. Kelley's series for CBS The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H., while Broadway leading man Craig Bierko has been tapped for the lead role in Michael J. Fox's comedy pilot for ABC, Hench at Home. In other casting news, Michael DeLuise has been added to the cast of ABC's untitled Dan Finnerty comedy pilot, while Antonio Sabato Jr. and Al Santos have been cast in the WB Network's comedy pilot The Help. Haley rounds out the cast of Poland, from David E. Kelley Prods. and 20th Century Fox TV, about three brothers (Haley, Randy Quaid, John Carroll Lynch) in the small town of Poland. Michael Pressman is directing the pilot and executive producing with Kelley.
- 3/17/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Pressman is back in business with David E. Kelley, signing on to serve as an executive producer and director on Kelley's CBS drama pilot The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.. Pressman and Kelley go back more than a decade to the era of Kelley's Emmy-winning CBS drama Picket Fences, which Pressman co-executive produced during its four-season run. Pressman also worked with Kelley on another CBS drama, Chicago Hope, serving as showrunner during the 1998-99 season. Most recently, Pressman spent the 2001-02 season as an executive producer on CBS' critically praised drama The Guardian. "I have been trying to reunite with Michael for years, and I'm thrilled to have finally pulled it off," Kelley said in a statement. Pressman was equally enthusiastic about returning to the David E. Kelley Prods. fold. "It's good to be back working with David, whose talent and tirelessness has always inspired me to do my best," Pressman said. "We've developed a shorthand over the years that makes working with him a true collaboration." Brotherhood, from David E. Kelley Prods. and 20th Century Fox TV, has a 13-episode commitment from CBS. The series revolves around the lives of three very different brothers in a small New England town.
Blending elements of "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Ghost", Triumph Films' "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" is a quiet romantic drama about loss and learning when to finally let go.
But unlike the higher concepts of its forerunners, the delicate "Gillian" definitely takes the low-key approach. If it is held up to any significant degree of scrutiny, its limitations become readily apparent. There just isn't a lot to it.
That said, the bittersweet, offbeat picture features a number of fine performances (with particularly impressive work from Claire Danes) and is certain to strike a significant chord with anyone who has ever gone through the grieving process.
And given a budget that reportedly came in at less than $10 million, "Gillian" could still yield many happy returns for the Sony Pictures division.
Originally taking the form of a 1985 play by Michael Brady, the story has been adapted for the screen by "Chicago Hope" and "Picket Fences" creator David E. Kelley, with Michael Pressman once again handling directing chores.
Peter Gallagher, given the welcome opportunity to play someone sympathetic for a change, stars as David Lewis, a widower who is still very much fixated on his late wife Gillian (Michelle Pfeiffer), who died two years earlier in a boating accident.
Despite the efforts of his teenage daughter, Rachel (Danes), his sister-in-law Esther (Kathy Baker in a "Picket Fences" mode) and her husband Paul (Bruce Altman) to distract him during a traditional Labor Day weekend get-together on Nantucket Island, David would rather run along the shore talking and laughing with the woman only he can still see.
While David might find the situation comforting, Gillian's worried sister Esther thinks his fantasy life has taken its toll on effective parenting and takes advantage of the family gathering to issue an ultimatum.
Gallagher shows an effective vulnerability in his refreshingly cad-free role, while Pfeiffer, whose ethereal beauty makes her a natural as his caught-between-two-worlds wife, is fine considering the part itself hardly qualifies as more than an apparition. The picture really belongs to Danes, whose lovely, deeply felt performance never hits a false note -- whether she's trying to get through to her distracted father or coming home blissfully drunk from a date with a boy (Freddie Prinze Jr.), of whom Daddy does not approve.
It would have been nice if Kelley's script and Pressman's direction showed that same sense of genuine esprit de corps, but its rhythms feel a little too manufactured. Although this is supposed to be a motion picture, you can almost spot where all the commercial breaks would have gone. And in the interest of underplaying virtually every moment for fear of selling out, "Gillian" fails to hit a number of its emotional posts, both comic and tragic.
Elsewhere, lensman Tim Suhrstedt ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure") crisply captures the idyllic New England coast, while James Horner's trademark piano tinkling (a little more subdued here than in "The Spitfire Grill") works in tandem with the story, gently but persistently coaxing the requisite hankie action.
TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY
Sony Pictures Releasing
Triumph Films
A Rastar/David E. Kelley production
A Michael Pressman film
Director Michael Pressman
Screenwriter David E. Kelley
Producers Marykay Powell and David E. Kelley
Based on the play by Michael Brady
Director of photography Tim Suhrstedt
Production designer Linda Pearl
Editor William Scharf
Music James Horner
Costume designer Deborah L. Scott
Casting Lynn Stalmaster
Color/stereo
Cast:
David Lewis Peter Gallagher
Rachel Lewis Claire Danes
Esther Wheeler Kathy Baker
Kevin Danford Wendy Crewson
Paul Wheeler Bruce Altman
Gillian Lewis Michelle Pfeiffer
Cindy Bayles Laurie Fortier
Joey Bost Freddie Prinze Jr.
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
But unlike the higher concepts of its forerunners, the delicate "Gillian" definitely takes the low-key approach. If it is held up to any significant degree of scrutiny, its limitations become readily apparent. There just isn't a lot to it.
That said, the bittersweet, offbeat picture features a number of fine performances (with particularly impressive work from Claire Danes) and is certain to strike a significant chord with anyone who has ever gone through the grieving process.
And given a budget that reportedly came in at less than $10 million, "Gillian" could still yield many happy returns for the Sony Pictures division.
Originally taking the form of a 1985 play by Michael Brady, the story has been adapted for the screen by "Chicago Hope" and "Picket Fences" creator David E. Kelley, with Michael Pressman once again handling directing chores.
Peter Gallagher, given the welcome opportunity to play someone sympathetic for a change, stars as David Lewis, a widower who is still very much fixated on his late wife Gillian (Michelle Pfeiffer), who died two years earlier in a boating accident.
Despite the efforts of his teenage daughter, Rachel (Danes), his sister-in-law Esther (Kathy Baker in a "Picket Fences" mode) and her husband Paul (Bruce Altman) to distract him during a traditional Labor Day weekend get-together on Nantucket Island, David would rather run along the shore talking and laughing with the woman only he can still see.
While David might find the situation comforting, Gillian's worried sister Esther thinks his fantasy life has taken its toll on effective parenting and takes advantage of the family gathering to issue an ultimatum.
Gallagher shows an effective vulnerability in his refreshingly cad-free role, while Pfeiffer, whose ethereal beauty makes her a natural as his caught-between-two-worlds wife, is fine considering the part itself hardly qualifies as more than an apparition. The picture really belongs to Danes, whose lovely, deeply felt performance never hits a false note -- whether she's trying to get through to her distracted father or coming home blissfully drunk from a date with a boy (Freddie Prinze Jr.), of whom Daddy does not approve.
It would have been nice if Kelley's script and Pressman's direction showed that same sense of genuine esprit de corps, but its rhythms feel a little too manufactured. Although this is supposed to be a motion picture, you can almost spot where all the commercial breaks would have gone. And in the interest of underplaying virtually every moment for fear of selling out, "Gillian" fails to hit a number of its emotional posts, both comic and tragic.
Elsewhere, lensman Tim Suhrstedt ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure") crisply captures the idyllic New England coast, while James Horner's trademark piano tinkling (a little more subdued here than in "The Spitfire Grill") works in tandem with the story, gently but persistently coaxing the requisite hankie action.
TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY
Sony Pictures Releasing
Triumph Films
A Rastar/David E. Kelley production
A Michael Pressman film
Director Michael Pressman
Screenwriter David E. Kelley
Producers Marykay Powell and David E. Kelley
Based on the play by Michael Brady
Director of photography Tim Suhrstedt
Production designer Linda Pearl
Editor William Scharf
Music James Horner
Costume designer Deborah L. Scott
Casting Lynn Stalmaster
Color/stereo
Cast:
David Lewis Peter Gallagher
Rachel Lewis Claire Danes
Esther Wheeler Kathy Baker
Kevin Danford Wendy Crewson
Paul Wheeler Bruce Altman
Gillian Lewis Michelle Pfeiffer
Cindy Bayles Laurie Fortier
Joey Bost Freddie Prinze Jr.
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 10/14/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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