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Capone, well known lover of sweet n sour, sees THE LADYKILLERS & SCOOBY DOO 2...
Hey folks, Harry here.... Capone's insane... he saw SCOOBY DOO 2... why why why... the poor man, once the top of Chi-town, now on all fours mounted by a cg Great Dane. Sad how the bootleggers have fallen... See THE LADYKILLERS!
Hey, Harry. Capone in Chicago here. Allow me to introduce the lovely readership to opposite ends of a spectrum...THE LADYKILLERS
If you've never seen the original 1955 British masterpiece THE LADYKILLERS starring Alec Guinness, don't, at least not until you've savored every deliciously decadent frame of the Joel and Ethan Coen's (who are, for the first time, credited as co-directors and co-producers) gloriously evil redo. As you sit and watch this masterpiece, a thought will likely cross your mind: this is the film the Coen Brothers have been working toward. This is the culmination of all that is good about these darkly rich filmmakers. The Brothers Coen have assembled the perfect cast in the perfect location (baptist-centric Georgia), the perfect situation (a very OCEAN'S 11-ish underground casino robbery), and the perfect music (again pulled together by T-Bone Burnett of O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? and COLD MOUNTAIN fame) to make their most perfect movie. I know some of you Coen diehards will cry foul at this claim. You'll say that this isn't an original screenplay, which seems sacrilegious when you consider that the Coen Brothers are two of the best writers working today. Trust me, this film is as original as it gets, even if the premise is borrowed from some pretty solid source material. You'll whine that by enlisting Tom Hanks and not casting any of their regularly used troop of actors, the Coens have lost their indie credibility. Horsecrap! Hanks reminds us what we should be ashamed to have forgotten: he is the single greatest comedic actor alive today. He made me laugh so often and without telling a single joke. His performance is the stuff of legend. So all you Coen purists, get over yourself. THE LADYKILLERS will knock your smelly socks right the hell off.
Hanks plays Prof. Goldtwait Higginson Dorr, Ph.D., a man of letters, who loves his poetry and dressing like Robert E. Lee apparently. His teeth are a mess, his goatee is perfectly groomed, and his manners are impeccable. He smooth southern manners are also top notch, and he uses them to great effect when he knocks on the door of the widow Marva Munson (a Chicago force of nature named Irma P. Hall, who some of you may remember as Big Mama in SOUL FOOD), an elderly black woman who is a faithful churchgoers (a wonderful excuse to hear some great gospel music) and typically sits in her living room under an extremely expressive painting of her late husband. Mrs. Munson has a room to let, and Prof. Dorr wants to rent it. He informs her that he's a member of a small band of musicians who play renaissance-era religious music and wonders if he might invite the group to her house to rehearse in the root cellar. She agrees along as there's no loud rap music (which she refers to constantly as "hippity-hop music") and no smoking in the house. As you probably know, Hanks and his band of merry men are actually criminals using the earthen walls of the root cellar as an easy way to dig a tunnel from Mrs. Munson's house to the offices of a nearby riverboat casino's counting house. Other members of this gang are explosives expert J.K. Simmons as Mr. Pancake (there's a scene with him accidentally killing a dog with a gas mask that is a scream); Tzi Ma as a digging expert (a skill he picked up in his native Indochina) known only as The General; Ryan Hurst as the thankless brute strength of the group named Lump; and the mouthy janitor Marlon Wayans as Gawain, the inside man at the casino whose every utterance contains at least 10 curse words. He swipes every scene he's in out from under whoever is in the room.
Most of the film involves in-fighting among the gang members, tricking Mrs. Munson to get her out of the house when the use of explosives is required, and finding new and original ways of concealing their thieving deeds from everybody. When Tom Hanks speaks in THE LADYKILLERS, the rest of the world goes silent. His mannerisms, accents and gestures almost force you to listen intently. At first you think he's putting on these airs to charm the old lady, but you soon realize that this is who this guy is: a scholarly, old-fashioned southern gentleman with an solid criminal streak. On the other hand, Irma Hall is a blessing. When you see her act, you don't see her act. Everything about her looks and feel natural, as if they found this wonderful woman walking down the street and just pointed cameras on her. I've seen her in other films and in plays here in Chicago before, and she never ceases to floor me with her effortless performances. The supporting gang members are terrific too. Simmons and Wayans will be remembered because they have the most lines, but you can't ignore the two men of few words. The General's dialogue consists of one or two words at a time, and Lump's idiot lines are essentially variations on the word "Duh!" But both have their great moments. Among all of these clashing personalities, your eyes cannot help but drift back to Hanks. You always wonder how he's going to react to Wayans' string of obscenities or the threat of violence between two members of his crew. You can always see the wheels turning behind his eyes. He has, once again, created a character that will be remembered and celebrated by film lovers everywhere. Prof. Door needs waffles just to think straight. Does it get any better than that? THE LADYKILLERS delivers on every promise of greatness Hanks and the Coen Brothers have ever wordlessly made to us. Revel in it, people.SCOOBY DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED
One of the most visually stunning, emotionally perfect films I've seen in years I saw over this past weekend. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND is not confusing for those who bother to pay attention and revel in the rare opportunity to open you brain as well as your heart to a film. In ETERNAL SUNSHINE, a broken hearted Jim Carrey goes through a surgery of sorts that removes all memory traces of ex-girlfriend Kate Winslet. In a related story, I saw SCOOBY DOO 2. You may not be aware but I self-performed a surgery similar to that in ETERNAL SUNSHINE right after I saw the original, live-action SCOOBY DOO movie a couple years ago. Gone was the bad acting, the god-awful special effects, the piss-poor interpretations of characters that I actually loved as a child. Gone, even, was the memory that I had endured another film starring "special needs" actor Freddie Prinze Jr.
So as I plopped my sorry behind in the seat last Saturday morning to see SCOOBY DOO 2, I honestly couldn't remember just how miserable I was for the first film. The good news for anyone contemplating checking this film out when it opens this Friday is that, in fact, it isn't as unbearable as the original. Surprisingly enough, SCOOBY DOO 2 reminded me more of an actual episode of the Scooby Doo cartoon than the first film. The jokes were a little more adult, as veiled drug and sexual references seem to have made it in this time. Be sure to check out very butch female members of Velma's fan club in the film's opening red carpet sequence. And I'm 99.9 percent sure the stoners in the crowd shots were clapping for Shaggy. The members of Mystery Inc. are now heroes in the city of Coolsville after defeating faux ghost after faux ghost. The local museum (currated by Seth Green as Patrick, who is as taken with Velma as her lesbian fan base is) is even opening an exhibit displaying the costumes of the defeated baddies (many of which loyal viewers of the television series will recognize). But during the grand opening, the party is crashed by a couple monsters bent on stealing the costumes. When Mystery Inc. fails to stop the destruction and theft, a local T.V. reporter (Alicia Silverstone) spins the story to make the kids look at fault, so they set out to discover the identity of the thief and clear their name.
Let's got through this one-by-one. Freddie Jr. is still as bland and talentless as ever, but it somehow suits him in his role as Fred. His handing out of ascots instead of autographs to his fans is kind of funny, but that's about as high as the comedy gets with him. For "Buffy" fans, you may get a kick out of seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar's Daphne get to high kick some monster butt again, and having Seth Green in the film with her is cool except I don't think they say two words to each other in the whole movie. Matthew Lillard certainly seems a bit more at east acting with a CGI dog (that still looks incredibly fake, by the way), but something bugged me less about him this time around. I particularly liked his quick whippit hit off a can of whipped cream.
The absolute best part of SCOOBY DOO 2 is Linda Cardellini as Velma. There's a sequence with her trying to be more sexy and alluring to Green that killed me. They've got her poured into a red leather jump suit that got me squirming and may put a little ecoplasm in your pants if you're not careful. But beyond the hot get-up, Cardellini actually seems to be trying harder to pull together a real character from Velma's two-dimensional origins. She's a genuine treat to watch here. Others in the supporting cast are largely wasted. Peter Boyle embarrasses himself as Old Man Wickles, an ex-baddy trying to turn a deserted mine shaft into a theme park. He look old and lost. Tim Blake Nelson is Dr. Jacobo, another former foe of the kids who supposedly died breaking out of prison, but we know better. Nelson is barely in the film and is completed underused. More than the awful Scooby Doo effects, I actually liked the way the ghostly creatures were portrayed. In particular the monster made of tar was pretty sweet, but since special effects aren't scary, they exist here simply to keep you mind from realizing that the story of a machine that can turn the missing costumes into actual ghosts and monsters is stupid as shit.
Capone
Send me CG Scooby mounting Velma Shots Now!
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Mar 25, 2004 12:04:02 AM CST
Alas, I'm Taking My Three-Year Old to See This One on Sunday...
by hipcheck13
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http://www2.warnerbros.com/scoobydoo2/img/photo/photos/scd2-photo_15.jpg ...in other news, the one monster reminds me of Y'Golonac. I hope Scooby Doo 3 is Lovecraftian. "Shaggy, why do you smoke dope all the time?" "To try and forget the forbidden realties my feeble human eyes have had seared into them by a merciless universe!"
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This has looked like something great from the get-go, to me, but Touchstone doesn't seem to be promoting it all that well going into the big duke-out weekend with Scooby and Jersey Girl. I know Hanks is making the rounds, but he always makes the rounds. Anyway, he looks hilarious, Simmons looks hilarious, they all look hilarious. I'm guessing the underpromotion is because Touchstone/Disney doesn't quite want to back the darkness of the film, huh?
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Im telling you right now I saw this movie and his fucken performence ruined the film. Hanks carried this movie and it was funny but every fucken time this dumb shit unfunny actor from the "hood" was on screen it was painfull, and unfunny and annoying. There was too much of him, and why was he IN the gang anyway, they couldn't find anybody else to work in that stupid ass casino? the guy wouldn't have lasted that long in ANY job with the way he acted.
fuck him, let him never be in another comedy. -
the coens have slowly been getting worse since FARGO. LEBOWSKI, while thoroughly enjoyable, was the last hurrah in that it began the Coens' descent into caricature over characterization, but at least Walter and the Dude had real personality and some heart to them. Similarly, the cons in O BROTHER, Thornton in MAN and Clooney again in INTOLERABLE had some human characteristics, although each of these movies has moved more towards cartoonish buffoonery. LADYKILLERS, easily the worst film by the Coens EVER, is the end result of this trend; Hanks is hilarious and Irma Hall is great buy Wayans is indeed awful and should have been shot sooner, while all the characters are just cartoonish one dimensional cut outs. This cannot be called a "bad film" by normal standards, but by Coen standards it is abysmal. Someone fund TO THE WHITE SEA, and fast.
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Mar 25, 2004 5:13:39 AM CST
Sweet Jesus. Did you just say that Marlon Wayans was in this!?!!
by cash bailey
And that he has most of the dialogue!?!? For the first time ever I am hesitant to see a Coen Brothers film.
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So many white liberals terrified of being thought of as racist.
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Velma
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www.futuremovies.co.uk
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Mar 25, 2004 8:37:14 AM CST
If I didn't know better I'd swear Capone never even watched Scoo
by theginger twit
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One Garofalo is enough. And Cardellini is hubba-hubba.
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The original is a classic film a brilliant script and fantastic directing with Alec Guiness as usual showing why he is one of the greatest actors who has ever been born.########################### But a run of the mill Hollywood clap trap remake SHOULD be seen. Hmm for a so called film lover that seems pretty weird.
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Was the first one really that bad i ask you? Was it really? I think not, and i should now, since AOL gave me a free copy of it on DVD when i got broadband, and i'll probably watch it someday. Maybe. I saw it when it was in the picture-houses mind you, with mine two neices, who seemed to enjoy the whole shebang. I myself had to console my weary glands with the knowledge that this film was indeed for them. Not specifically, not like a dedication came up like comes up to tell you you better not be filming this film with a phone that can take video and also administer oral pleasure and play the mp3. But it wasn't really meant for me, i suposse, since i probably would just complain about the daft carry-ons, and what the hell is Mr Bean doing there? And of course the dog looks fake. Was it ever supossed to look real? What would be the point of that? Where would you find a dog that looks like scooby-doo? Manybe in some bizarre labratory where they spray CK1 on gophers or something, but i've never seen one, and if i did i'd probably frreak myself asunder, and be unlikely to laugh and say "ha! it looks just like the scooby doo dog!" Anyway, i doubt i'll see this any time shortly, unless i go to see Being Jim Carrey and this comes on instead. That would be a fucking dispicable action on behalf on the motion picture association. www.geocities.com/mondoirlando
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i think what them slyboots Coens are working up to is their blaxploitation movie. They've gradually been adding black people and idioms into major notes in their movies. It's coming, boys. I just don't want to be anywhere near it if that huge slice of irritation, Marlon Wayans (or any Wayans) is in it. yeesh! Who's writing the playbook for black film actors thes days anyway? "Be as urban, obnoxious, tedious, and vulgar as you can be, and cut left whenever the movie goes right." A Don Cheadle or Taye Diggs isn't enough of a breakwater against this lethal riptide of Amos & Andyism. I'm for calling in a precision strike on Anthony Anderson right this minute. Um, what was I on about? Oh, yeah. Thank God for Scooby Two.
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Mar 25, 2004 12:56:25 PM CST
The Ladykillers is the Coen's masterpiece like Someone to Watch
by carson dyle
I've seen the movie. Tom Hanks is great, the cinematography is great, the music is great, but the writing -- as with Intolerable Cruelty-- is underwhelming. I'm a huge Coen Brothers fan, but their last two efforts have a "phoned-in" feel. Diehard Fans will enjoy The Ladykillers, but everybody else will be nonplused.
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Is it that difficult to take a look at your post and check for gross grammatical errors before hitting the "post" button? I mean, Jumping Jesus at a spelling bee, are we that illiterate? This is really distressing...
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It's not fair to lump him in with the Martin Lawrence eye-bugging minstrel-show type actors. He's in a lot of stupid movies, sure, but he's also consistently funny, does well across a wide range of characters, isn't afraid to "play gay," etc. Wayans may be annoying in the Ladykillers remake-- hell, as a hillbilly type (no shoes, cars in the yard) I found the "dumb hick" stuff in O Brother unbearably offensive-- but Anderson has made a lot of otherwise stupid movies more enjoyable. Remember him more than holding his own bantering with Tom Arnold in the credit sequence of one of those stupid DMX/Segal/Romeo Must Die flicks? Some of the funniest shit I saw that year, better than the rest of the flick combined. So back off Anderson; the man does well for himself. He was also about the funniest thing in Scary Movie 3 (although Latifah stole that movie in a way I've never seen anyone do with such a small role, my god).
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That's not very funny, Brother!
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needs to get spanked. Only she could make Velma hot. I heard she gets naked and rubs herself in Scooby Snacks in this one.
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Mar 25, 2004 7:39:47 PM CST
so it's finally happened. the AICN apocolypse... SCOOBY DOO gets
by jackburtonlives
is this a protection racket you've got going? a positive review for SCOOBY DOO???? you've got to be kidding. and "Freddy Prinze jr. wasn't THAT bad". my god... where's my helm... it's obviously Ragnorak time.
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Mar 25, 2004 9:16:11 PM CST
They gotta give JK Simmons more screen time in the Spidey films!
by frankdrebin
I have an old VHS of the original LADYKILLERS and the print quality is hideous--hopefully, they've done a major restoration for the DVD. Favorite scene: "Mrs. Lopsided" walks into the hallway and sees Guniness, Sellers and Lom on the stairs, hitting "One Round" with blackjacks. They act all innocent, like it's just something musicians do.
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What horse's ass first decided that the abuse or murder of animals in movies was funny?Ever since A Fish Called Wanda almost every so called hip comedy contains a scene of animal cruelty.More often than not they include the scene in the trailer as if it's a selling point.Just another example of this culture's devaluation of life.
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Wow!You mean nothing that happens in movies is real?And just because something happens in a comedy,no matter how tasteless,it's automatically funny?Thanks for clearing that up,Professor.
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I was psyched for this movie a long time. Something about Hanks and the Coens and the reputation of the original (a fine film, but not as well known as, say, "Psycho")had me going. It's uneven, the pace is wrong for awhile -- but it works, and it gets better (a lot better) as it goes along. I think this is one of those Coen movies that needs to be seen more than once to pick up all the detail. (Like Garth Pancake's girlfriend Mountain Girl and everything about her, for instance.) And there is a real beauty to the matte shots of the garbage scows heading out to the island. These had that " Hitchcock" feel. Hanks gets it done -- dialogue, accent, looks, and, importantly, how he looks at and listens to the other characters (as if Goldthwait simply can't believe he's hired such a gang of dangerous nitwits) I thought JK Simmons as Pancake was very funny (this would have been William H. Macy's role a few years ago); General very funny -- and sinister in his own way; Lump, surprisingly funny (he's closer to Peter Storemare in "Fargo" than you'd think); and Wayans -- overdone but funny enough. Perfect? No. Some big laughs? Absolutely. It worked a lot better than Intolerable Cruelty to me. Top-third value Coen Bros -- but mainstream and different from all their other stuff. I'd like to see it again. P.S. I thought the dog joke was too cruelly set up and realistically staged to be really funny. They could have cut it.
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I don't think the film critics are completely in tune with what the coen's are about. I have read a few reviews for "The Ladykillers" that criticized them for spending too much time on the characters and not enough on the story. Anyone who is a fan of the Coen's knows that their stories are mere excuses too show case interesting characters in interesting settings, uttering brilliant dialogue. This film is no different. Typical Coen brothers brilliance. I can honestly say from the opening credits on, I had a sustained giggle that was frequently interupted by a belly-laugh.
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Mar 28, 2004 4:32:23 AM CST
Hatred against a black actor on this site? Why should I be surpr
by the founder
I saw Lady Killers, and Wayans was not as bad as some people are making him sound. Wayans has potential to be a good actor, but he gets in his own way. A good director needs to reel his @ss in, and not let him over act, but then again it's them and the big wigs who run Hollywood, who wants black actors to behave in this annoying manner.
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I thought Hanks was great in "The Ladykillers" but with a 13 mil opening, it doesn't look to hit or pass $100 million domestic like his last 10 or so movies. On the other hand, it was good for him to take this risk, and he's got big ones coming for summer (Spielberg's "The Terminal") and Xmas (Zemeckis' "Polar Express.") So what should he care? I'm glad he did this one. He was hilarious -- and got a final scene that might just be a classic. P.S. Why no big BO this time? Cuz usually, Tom Hanks Makes You Cry! (Philadelphia, Sleepless, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, ya see?)
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