wnyxmcneal writes about movies

[wnyxmcneal]

I live near an arts theatre, that every once in a while brings in names to do Q-n-As on their movies. Since I write for the local newspaper, I get to attend these events for free, and then write articles about them. So here are some of the articles I've written, and we can discuss the films.

Everybody Must Get Stoned

Patrons at the Jacob Burns Film Centre received a rare treat on Thursday, as three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone showed up to discuss his movie Nixon.

Nixon, which came out in 1995, is a three-hour biopic of President Richard Nixon starring Anthony Hopkins. The film covers the important events in his life, including his controversial loss to Kennedy in 1960, and the Watergate scandal that brought him down. In true Stone fashion, the movie poses some theories about the assassination about the Kennedy brothers and what happened on the 18.5-minute gap tape.

Having made such renowned films as Wall Street, JFK, and Platoon, Nixon is one of Stone’s forgotten films. The movie was ignored when released in theatres in 1995. With the movie now being released on Blu-Ray, Stone wanted to bring some attention to his forgotten gem.

“This movie is one of my greatest disappointments,” Stone said. “I made Nixon ten years too early. I think it’s a great story. I don’t think people wanted to spend time with Richard Nixon. He was the bookend to John Kennedy for my generation.”

Stone, who is currently making a controversial biopic about George W. Bush called W., said he thinks people view Nixon in a different light today.

“Nixon seems harmless in comparison to what we have today,” Stone said. “He’s regarded by many people as liberal now.”

Anthony Hopkins, who was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of the president, was not Stone’s first choice for the role. After John Malkovich declined, Stone began to court him.

“Hopkins was not a studio choice,” Stone said. “But this guy is Richard Nixon. There’s something there that’s dark.”

Hopkins was reluctant to play such a taxing role, but Stone was able to convince him by asking him if he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing Eastern European art films or doing mainstream movies. The shoot was a difficult one, with Hopkins even quitting at one point.

Stone also talked about W. The movie, which began shooting in May, recently wrapped. Josh Brolin plays the current president, with Elizabeth Banks playing Laura. Stone is hoping to get it released in October ahead of the 2008 election.

“Bush is fun and dangerous,” Stone said. “He’s goofy and awkward. He has that endearing quality. I’m trying to understand the beast. Why do we keep doing the war? I want to know why.”

Stone, a Vietnam vet who has made three films on the war, said he was heartbroken by the Iraq war because it shows that people didn’t learn their lesson from Vietnam.

“Vietnam is forgotten,” Stone said. “What happened over there was a horror show. America should’ve learned a lesson.”

Stone, who made Nixon a year after he died and 21 years after his resignation, did not think it was too soon to make a movie about the president.

“Why not? He’s done enough,” Stone said.

Stephen Apkon, the Executive Director of the Burns, enjoyed having Stone appear at the theatre.

“I think it underscores the importance of film in our culture,” Apkon said. “It shows the enthusiasm industry has for mission.”

Apkon said he liked that they screened a forgotten Stone film, rather then one of his classics.

“ It’s important to show a range of filmmaker’s work,” Apkon said. “Sometimes a film becomes understood as time goes by. I think that’s the case of Nixon.”

This was Stone’s second appearance at the Burns. In 2006, he screened and held a Q-n-A about World Trade Center.

“When we got this call that he was going to be in town, we were interested to have him,” Apkon said. “He had a great time, I hope he comes back again soon.”

For more information on the Burns and their upcoming programs, visit burnsfilmcenter.org.

 

[wnyxmcneal]

wnyxmcneal writes about movies

Kevin Smith Makes a Porno



When you think of the Jacob Burns Film Center, you think of high quality artistic films with the finest acting, writing and directing. Films with the word “porno” in the title generally don’t come to mind.

That changed on Wednesday, when director Kevin Smith came to the Burns to screen his newest film, Zach and Miri Make a Porno starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. The film is about two friends short on cash that decide to make an adult movie, and the complications that arise from that. A Q-n-A with Janet Maslin followed after the movie, with Smith talking about the making of his movie, but going off on many tangents and stories, many of which are unprintable.

Smith, who hit it big with his low budget film Clerks and subsequent movies set in the same “View Askew” universe talked about the difficulties of getting an R-rating for his very adult film. He was originally slapped with the restrictive NC-17 rating, but was able to appeal to an R.

“I told the MPAA that in 2008 if I was a kid and I want to get titillated, it won’t be in this movie,” Smith said. “They can just find it online. And somehow that argument worked.”

Smith’s films have been known for their raunchiness. Clerks was also initially slapped with an NC-17 for its frank language, but compared to Zach and Miri, Smith feels that Clerks is almost quaint compared to his latest flick .

Smith, like most of America, discovered Seth Rogen in his breakout role, The 40-Year Old Virgin and wrote Zach for him. When Rogen became a big star, Smith was worried he wouldn’t be able to get his Zach, but luckily it worked out.

“Seth told me that when he first came to Hollywood, he always wanted to be in a Kevin Smith movie,” Smith said. “I had no backup plan, thank Christ it worked.”

The writer/director joked that Zach and Miri was a movie he had been researching since he was 19.

“I’m a big fan of do it yourself porn,” Smith said. “You’ve got to be so free to want to do that.”

The film, like any film with porno in the title, features raunchy dialogue and several gross-out gags, that are likely to offend, but Smith thinks he’ll do okay.

“I know there are people who share my sense of humor,” Smith said. “As long as I’m not uncomfortable, I don’t think most of the audience will be. No one is going to walk into this movie and not know what it’s about.”

Zach and Miri Make a Porno is Smith’s second film to take place outside his “View Askew” universe, meaning it features characters not previously seen in his movies. The first, Jersey Girl did not go over well with fans or critics, but Smith thinks Zach and Miri will please his fans.

“Jersey Girl was a very saccharine movie,” Smith said. “This film is more in the same vein as my other movies. I don’t think fans will dislike it just because it doesn’t have [View Askew characters] Jay and Silent Bob.”

This was Smith’s fourth appearance at the Burns, having come to promote two of his movies, and screen A Man For All Of Seasons.

“It’s great,” Smith said. “I love coming here. Janet is a pleasure to talk to. The Q-n-As are great, it’s nice and intimate here.”

Maslin, who befriended Smith when they were judges at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000, said she loves doing Q-n-As with Smith.

“You laugh so hard, you forget everything around you,” Maslin said. “Kevin is an extremely special friend.”

Smith’s appearance at the Burns is part of what Executive Director Stephen Apkon calls one of the Burns most packed calendars. Along with Smith, several other filmmakers are stopping by to screen their movies, and the centre is featuring retrospectives to Fritz Lang and United Artists.

Apkon said that having Smith come to the Burns opens up the centre to an audience that might not normally come to the Burns.

“He clearly appeals to broad audience and young audience,” Apkon said. “He’s a terrific guy. It’s very nice of him to come here and to be interested in everything we have here.”

Apkon conceded that he never thought the Burns would screen a movie with word porno in the title.

“There’s something about Kevin’s movies,” Apkon said. “They’re vulgar and people may take offence at times, but there’s a sweetness to it. Aside from being great DVD title, it’s ultimately a movie about two people getting past lots of dysfunction and moving forward in a positive way.”

And for those curious- Smith’s favourite pornographic movie?

“No title comes to mind,” Smith said.

 

[Matt Young]

Since there's no CTDWAT and I know you'll read this here... Band Slam looks like the type of bad movie that you and I (and no one else over the age of 18) would enjoy.