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A Rave Review of Fox
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
We have now a rave review of “Prison Break.” Some may be HUGELY suspicious of it for at least two reasons.
a) It was written by Paul Schuering, whose claim to fame is the presumably quite poor Vin Diesel actioner “A Man Apart.” I’m among the billions who have not seen “A Man Apart,” but those heading over to rottentomaatoes.com will discover that “A Man Apart” received favorable reviews from only 10 percent of the nation’s critics. Only seven percent of the site’s “cream of the crop” reviewers gave it positive notices.
b) “Prison Break” was directed by Brett Ratner. Let’s now begin counting now all the super-shitty movies directed by Brett Ratner. “Money Talks” (1997), “Rush Hour” (1998), “The Family Man” (2000), “Rush Hour 2” (2001), “Red Dragon” (2002) and “After the Sunset” (2004). Now. Let’s list all the decent-to-excellent movies directed by Brett Ratner. Oh. I’m told there are no good, or even decent, movies directed by Brett Ratner. Ever. Who has had eight years to direct at least one.
I pray to my most mighty Lord Baby Jesus on His throne high in Heaven that Ratner is not given the reigns of “X=Men 3.” This third “X-Men” movie is written by Simon Kinberg (“XxX: State of the Union”) and Zak Penn (“Elektra”). “X3.” Needs. A. Better. Director. Or we may never get an “X4.”
But I digress. Here’s “Scream 27” with a five-star review of “Prison Break.”
What's it called? Pilot
Who's it by? Paul Scheuring
Who’s directing it? Brett Ratner
What is it about? An engineer concocts an elaborate plan to free his brother from death row.
Preconceived thoughts? Having read Herc’s list of commissioned shows this coming September, the premise of this show intrigued me. Seeing as one it is on Fox, and secondly that there were rumours it would be in a similar vein to 24, thirteen episodes of some guy trying to break out of a prison. Would there be a clock telling us what hour or day it is. Will there be an ugh plop at the end of each episode? Could this be the new Jack Bauer Power Hour?
The verdict? I will try to make this as spoiler free as possible. Right off the bat this is the best pilot I have every seen, this is right up there and exceeds Lost and Alias as my fave pilot of all time. There is some top notch acting, and dare I say this is a well directed pilot from Ranter; it gives me some light at the end of the tunnel if he is given the X-Men gig.
So we start off with Michael Scofield, robbing a bank, this is his way of getting into prison. As Michael gets five years, with the option of parole in two and a half for good behaviour. We have a few scenes ripped right out of shawshank redemption, first shower, and seeing the harsh reality of being banged up, and being the new kid on the block aka a fish.
As the episode unravels we learn that Michael’s brother LJ is on death row in the same prison for killing the vice presidents brother, and is getting the electric chair in three months time. We then get to meet secondary characters of prison life, the warden, the go to guy for drugs, the prison big fish and lastly the prison Dr. You can see that all of these people will have resources or that can get them for Michael needs to help him get him and hiss brother out of prison. But can he trust his new found friends?
We also get to meet LJ’s two ex-girlfriends and his son, a priest who wants to help him get off death row, and the FBI agents who want to make sure that he gets the midnight lights out special. In a series of flashbacks we learn that LJ feels he has been framed for this murder but some members of the mob, who are also looking for the whereabouts of a certain inmate, for some playback. So just like in 24 we have four or five storylines going on at once, so we can try and get the bigger picture of how this break out could happen.
At the end we are given the first major clue of how Michael thinks he has the upper hand on how he expects to break out. I would put it in invisotext, but that will lessen the ending like if you knew that Bruce Willis was dead in the sixth sense, it’s that big an ending.
After seeing this I can see why there is already a bidding war going on between all five major UK channels for this show. But if I was the BBC I would make sure that I pulled all the stops to get this, it would be an excellent addition to the other US shows that you picked up two weeks ago.
As for US ratings, I would say personally that this could be the highest rated new show this fall, but it is up against Monday night football, so it might have to stay behind those prison gates waiting to be set free.
"Scream27's" rating for Prison Break 1.1?
*****
If anybody out there has a copy of the "Prison Break" pilot or its teleplay, kindly forward it my way at once. TV is a writer's medium. The movies? Not so much. Scheuring's "Man Apart" script might have been great. "A Man Apart" might have been ruined by director F. Gary Gray ("Friday," "The Italian Job," "Be Cool"). But I think I need to see "Prison Break" for myself.
Were Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader two different people in the early drafts of “The Empire Strikes Back”? All is revealed in The Annotated Screenplays (Star Wars, Episodes IV-VI)
Look! A fabulous new “Serenity” book co-edited by big-deal "Buffy"-"Firefly"-"Gilmore Girls" TV writer Jane Espenson. She introduces each of the essays, and the whole book besides:
Finding Serenity : Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly
Difficulty putting the best TV series in the history of history behind you? Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Television Show
Material the “24” creators have created in the past:
La Femme Nikita 1.x
La Femme Nikita 2.x
La Femme Nikita 3.x
24 1.x
24 2.x
24 3.x
Herc says “24” fans (or anyone, really) are likely to enjoy:
Murder One: The Complete First Season
Finding Serenity : Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly
La Femme Nikita 1.x
La Femme Nikita 2.x
La Femme Nikita 3.x
24 1.x
24 2.x
24 3.x
Murder One: The Complete First Season
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+ Expand All
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but being first rocks
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I will have to admit, I enjoyed the first Rush Hour and After The Sunset was good if for nothing else than really nice shots of Salma Hayek. This interested me, I hope he doesn't fuck it up.
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I didn't think so. I haven't seen any of Ratner's other work, but I thought Red Dragon, although without much soul, kept the mood and ferocity of Lector intact, and did a decent job of moving the story along. I think Manhunter looks like a terribly dated film now.
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from the writer of a man a part and the directer of rush hour ,says alot for hollywood I bet fox snap up the rights a.s.p how long is it before the words uwe boll and paul w.s anderson create some fucking shit together I can not wait.
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Rush Hour was a fun movie. After The Sunset wasn't bad. The Family Man wasn't great by any means, but the whole genre sucks. And I liked Red Dragon as well. Why do people give him so much shit? Sorry Herc, but you are definitely overstating how bad he is, even if you are being genuine.
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I know the terrific Wentworth Miller
is in the mix somewhere in there, but who does he play? I love him -- sometimes I call him the "male Jennifer Beals" or "the Vin Diesel Who Can Act," because like them he moves effortlessly from white roles to black roles and back again (and with no comment from the PC police). Anyway, I'm glad he's gotten a better gig than playing Satan on the now-cancelled "Joan Of Arcadia." I only wish I knew what that gig *is.* -
But I'm a girl and somewhat of a sucker, so what'cha gonna do. I'm also going to cry if X3 sucks. I have so much love to give it, it must be somewhat worthy.
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Jun 04, 2005 8:13:58 PM CDT
Unless this is a chick show, I don't see it doing well
by cornstalkwalker
It has to go against Monday Night Football, so I would assume that Fox is planning on cancelling it unless it gets stellar ratings.
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Jun 04, 2005 8:42:02 PM CDT
X-MEN means as much to me as Star Wars....which is why.....
by lhombresiniestro
They should give the directing job to ME. I don't know how to direct yet, but I know what this movie should be. I'll stay SOMEWHAT faithful to the other movies, but I will make the X-Men flick I've always wanted to see. And it'll be fucking awesome!! And I wont put any new stuff from the newer books in it because I have no idea whats going on in X-Men right now (i stopped reading in 1996, when it started to get subpar and confusing), my knowledge is of the first 34 or 35 years, but theres a goldmine of stories to flesh out from that time frame. I'm a little rusty on X-Men "mythology" but I can re-brush up right quick. I will re-cast JEan Grey with the REAL redheaded chick in GoldenEye, and I will cast a total nonobvious badass as Gambit, but it wont be "THe GAmbit Show". And the movie will segue somehow into Age of Apocalypse, which will be the 2nd movie of MY trilogy. Third movie I dont have planned out yet, but I can come up with something. And Rogue will be HOT! If Anna cant meet the requirements, I'll recast. Come on Avi, call me!
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Plant plant, plantety plant plant? Plant plant PLANT!!! Plant plant plant plant plant plantety plant.
I was going to watch it too. Emphasis on "was". -
Mostly cause the guy has a good PR agent. Not saying he puts out good films, but he doesn't put out cringe inducing crap either, just competent, fickle flicks. But it boggles me that he has any kind of reputation, with this guy's resume I shouldn't know what his name is at all, much less see movies come out as "Brett Ratner" films, he's just one of a large list of forgettable directors churning out forgettable movies. He's a subpar director, but he has a good PR firm that's bought him a reputation bigger than his briches, and that's pretty much what gets him hated on.
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Jun 04, 2005 10:44:51 PM CDT
"There is some top notch acting, and dare I say this is a well d
by shan
Ranter?
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...to me, it goes beyond his movies. I thought Money Talks was weak, the first Rush Hour was entertaining but bland, Family Man was mediocre, Rush Hour 2 was a huge piece of shit, and Red Dragon was mediocre to bad (nothing on Manhunter). I didn't see After the Sunset but its reviews were terrible. However, beyond this, I think he is hated on for these reasons: 1) He's very successful, for no apparent reason. Despite his not very impressive resume, After The Sunset was the only film of his that wasn't a hit. The Rush Hour movies were huge hits. How can this bland action franchise make money, while no one goes to see the latest Spike Jonze, PT Anderson, Wes Anderson, etc. ? It's a sad comment on the country's tastes. 2) He comes from the Michael Bay school of obnoxious action directors, but without any of Michael Bay's talent. Yes I did just say Michael Bay and talent in the same sentence. At least when you watch a Bay movie, you know it's his work. In a sick way, he's an autuer (Andrew Sarris would probably slap me for saying this, but still). Ratner has no visual style, nothing at all to suggest his presence. His staging of scenes is flat and ovbious, like a TV director. His only trademark is Chris Tucker talking really fast. 3) He came out of music videos, where a lot of obnoxious, hacky directors come from. But unlike a Fincher or a Romanek, he didn't even come out of good, visually innovative music videos. He did shitty rap videos with Chris Tucker, and his ex Rebecca Gayheart in them. 3) His student film is beyond awful, even for a student film. It's on the first Rush Hour dvd, and is one of the worst student films I've ever seen. Of course, he finagled a steadicam, got the rights to a bunch of expensive songs, etc. But the movie is still a huge piece of shit. Also, his intro to the movie is longer than the movie itself(talk about ego), and in it he talks about getting a check from Amblin, blowing it up at putting it on his dorm wall, and then walking around, taking the check to parties to impress women. What a creep. 5) He got a photo booth installed in his mansion in the Hollywood Hills, and he throws lots of parties there where it is used by drunken starlets to take pictures of themselves. 6) when he guest edited the Variety V life magazine, he wrote an entire article ridiculing the Hotel du Cap in cannes, because they offended him with a small, out of the way room. Again, what a jerk. 7) He manages to get one of the best casts assembled in the last ten years for Red Dragon, and then somehow makes them all give some of their weakest performances. Seriously, I don't think Phil Hoffman and Ed Norton have ever been as bad as they were in that film. And I could go own. Ratner is terrible. He will be the death of X3
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Jun 04, 2005 10:48:54 PM CDT
((X-MEN3 (XxX:STate of the Union + Elektra) - Bryan Singer) Fraz
by sydbarretsmydad
That said....there was nothing wrong with Rush Hour. Did I miss some sort of bad fan-boy karma with a little buddy cop movie that hit home at the box office?
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It's one of the better Christmas movies.
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Whoever asked, super creepy from JoA plays super smug and creepy new inmate Michael Scofield.
And whoever said this guys was a plant? No. I've read the script and seen it, too. It's f***ing awesome. I probably wouldn't go as far as to say it tops Lost or Alias's pilots. But it's worth checking out BY FAR. One of the best, if not the best, drama pilot of the season. You just have to worry that it may burn itself out too quickly, or, worse, strings itself out too long.
And, Agenet Alonzo, it's something else. The thing in the promo comes out at the midpoint. -
Lost is stopped mid-season here in the Netherlands. The TV Nazis, Net5, have stopped it to air crap movies during the summer and shitty TV shows. We are a little behind here and Lost is one of my favourite shows currently (not) on TV. And they stopped it. All will be resumed on September 27th. I might pick up the DVD box set before that and I hope everyone else does the same. Fucking cocksucking fags.
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thought he was great in that Anthony Hopkins movie Human Stain. He's definetly one of the better up and coming actors to watch. I'll check out the first couple episodes based on that. Never would admit to seeing Joan of Arcadia, even if he was on it...
Petros. -
...I've seen (and liked) most of Brett Ratner's movies. They weren't GREAT films, mind you, but they were worth my ticket money, and that's more than I can say for some of the trash that editors and talkbackers on this site geek out about (HELLBOY, anyone?).
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Jun 05, 2005 2:29:35 AM CDT
By the way, I would like to call out this garbage about a direct
by aerob
Get a fucking grip, people. The director's job is to PRESENT THE STORY, not show off his visual panache. I think it's the highest compliment you could pay a director if the typical audience member *never notices he was involved*. They should be totally absorbed in the story, and if some visual touch enhances it and seamlessly melds with it, great. But if it calls attention to the director and makes him the star of the movie? Not so great. Listen up, Quentin Tarantino, you overrated hack. You AREN'T the star. You have one job, and that's to present the story as well as you possibly can. I'm not speaking out against doing cool stylistic things, but they have to FIT the film and ENHANCE the story--they shouldn't be a specific "style" you can go back and see in every film by the director. In any case I'd rather a director be "bland" and not call attention to himself than have all of the artistic skill in the world and have no clue when to leave things the fuck alone and just tell the fucking story.
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Michael has the blueprints of the prison on his body, hidden in all of his tattoos.
Not a bad pilot. -
Go to a BT searcg site and you can find it.
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I can't believe talkbackers are defending the work of Brett Ratner. What has happened to talkback pride? And if you think Brett Ratner's movies are "pretty good" or "entertaining" you need to see more movies. As to not having a distinct visual style, I agree, although it is fun to spot with some directors, the story should take precedence. Still, look at someone like Peter Weir. None of his films look alike, yet he is a brilliant director. And it's not just because he chooses better material than Rush Hour 2. It's because he has talent, and Ratner has none. At all.
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I'd like to know what we have in store.
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The BBC doesn't pick up any US dramas, only the odd comedy (they have arrested season 2, family guy and american dad). Other shows will be on 4, 5, sky one, hallmark or FX, but no rights have been made available yet.
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Jun 05, 2005 5:56:50 AM CDT
So, some guys writing crappy stuff cant pull a golden goose at l
by lordenigma
This talent pool not exactly knocking it out of the box Herc. Yet, without the McG, you have no OC to watch. I bet Zak Penn would not write as shitty a finale as the writers of LOST. Everyone has the ability to pull one out once in a while. Even Mendoza hit one homerun. I mean, what would the world be if the Kuzuis never got behind the idea of a Buffy TV show? Have some faith man. The scribe of Man Apart might have just proven he can write good TV and Brent Ratner has directed at least one good TV show.
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Really? But the guy in the article talks about stuff that the BBC picked up 2 weeks ago - they bought American Dad and Family Guy months ago. I read on a Channel 4 forum that the BBC had picked up Threshold 2 weeks ago, but that may be in conjunction with Sky. Be good if the BBC went back to picking up US dramas on their first run like the first 2 seasons of 24 which appeared on BBC2/3 first. If the Threshold rumour was true I wondered what else they had picked up.
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I heard that the BBC
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has picked up a few sci-fi shows. Mostly new runs for us in the UK. Thats what was on the digitalspy forums. This is where I heard that prison break was of the loose. So I thought that I would take a look see. Also thanks for calling me a plant. But seeing as I dont work in the tv or movie industry, as I am a football coach.
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-R ebert
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But it is all part of the BBC's remit and why they got their funding again. The said that they would stop importing shows. But that might have changed, I haven't heard anything about shows being picked up though.
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Jun 05, 2005 10:00:07 AM CDT
Brett Ratner must have gobbled Satan's black worm semen to g
by tonywilson
I cant believe i have had to post this on four seperate articles...the man is getting everywhere....he is a tubby shit with a good agent and NOTHING more.
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The qualifications for "brilliant" mind have sunk to abyssmal lows.
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Jun 05, 2005 10:20:36 AM CDT
So FOX is basically expanding an old MacGyver ep into a series?
by fred
I propose that FOX remake "Manimal", only with a woman. A woman fitting of the title "Wowmanimal".
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What happened to my gaping an*l comment? Cross masturbation fine? but Brett Ratner in a prison rape scene bad?
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Jun 05, 2005 12:43:36 PM CDT
Man, I was joking about Ratner being a step away from doing tele
by genro
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Taylor Hackford is doing one this year too. It is an exec producer thing, they make alot of money from it.
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Just downloaded the pilot in bittorrent after reading this. Thought it was fucking great and now I'm bummed I have to wait until the Fall to see the rest of it.
Definitely will hold me over until the Bauer Power Hour returns.
Does anyone know if this is just going to run for one season? I can't imagine it going past that, unless they don't manage to get out of prison. -
both rush hours were great movies. not that I want this guy directing X3, but i can't really take you seriously when you say rush hour 1+2 weren't good movies.
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You can't take me seriously because I said the Rush Hours weren't good films. God damn, you have some low standards. I guess you can't take the Village Voice seriously, since they said Rush Hour 2 "doesn't just kill time but tortures it," or the Wall Street Journal, who called it "a course imitation of a stylish star vehicle," or the LA Times, which called it "out of shape and self-satisfied," or LA Weekly, who called it "insufferable." What exactly do you like about it? Chris Tucker as an obnoxious jerk? Jackie Chan struggling to do stunts he used to do with ease? Zhang Ziyi and Roseyln Sanchez having nothing to do except sit around looking pretty? Tired racial and buddy humor? Shitty action? Are you, by any chance, in high school? Or retarded in some way?
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Jun 05, 2005 9:17:28 PM CDT
Hey, anyone remember how hack director Stephen Hopkins...
by christopher3
Jumpstarted a little show called "24"? Despite the miscasting of Ralph Fiennes, "Red Dragons" was the redemption of the Lecter series after Ridley Scott's cock-up. I don't see Ratner as anything more than a journeyman director, but these projects are not necessarily bad for TV.
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That prison break apparently ends with them getting out of the prison with end the first season. This was in some early description I read of it. Of course, that can change, but two brothers escaped from prison. Would make for an interesting show.
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A screener of the first episode is on bit torrent.
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I saw this today, it was mediocre.. Watchable at best, it had serious problems with the storylines of the people outside of the prison (like that guy at the butchers). The teenage son was annoying and useless.. and I could see the "shocking ending" coming from the very first scene.
I understand that 24 fans might like it (except there are no 'action' sequences, even tho there are some shots fired and some fist fights, all extremely inconsecuential), but will "lost", or "giligan's island" fans like it? It seems like they need to keep them in prison for as long as they can in order to keep the show making sense.. the premise is cool, I might watch a couple more episodes to see if anything actually happens. -
Jun 06, 2005 4:42:24 PM CDT
Whoever said the best thing about Ratner movies was Chris Tucker
by hail
..was right on the money.
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Hi
Who gets raped in the shower in Prison break?
Is it Michael?
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