Category Archives: Film Fodder

Cirque du Soleil film transports viewers “Worlds Away” with 3-D adventures

The Aerialist (Igor Zaripov) and Mia (Erica Linz) travers many worlds to find each other. Photo by Mark Fellman.

Cirque du Soleil is known for wowing crowds with its international athletic talents, elaborate set designs and impressive costumes. But audiences are typically only able to escape into one Cirque world at a time. But with Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away, moviegoers get to see snippets of several of Cirque’s non-touring Las Vegas shows in 3-D with a narrative that ties it all together.

The main story is of a young Mid-Western woman named Mia (Erica Kathleen Linz) who ventures to the other side of the tracks to visit a traveling carnival. But this is no Cirque show under the Grand Chapiteau. This is an old-fashioned carnival run by derelicts and featuring exploitative sideshow acts like the strongman and bearded lady. You know, the kind of place where professional wrestling was born.

While traversing the carnies and other dangers, Mia makes eye contact with a handsome carnival worker being forced to hammer tent spikes into the ground. When she receives a flyer for The Aerialist (Igor Zaripov), she realizes he is the same man and seeks out his performance. But when he misses his trapeze bar and plummets to the ground, both Mia and The Aerialist are sucked into an even darker world where Cirque shows such as Kà, Mystère, Criss Angel Believe and Zumanity are all just a few steps from each other under their own tents.

Mia (Erica Linz) is led through Cirque's many worlds by Le Vieux (Benedikt Negro). Photo by Mark Fellman.

Mia’s guide on her quest to find The Aerialist (as well as her way back to her wholesome home) is a silent Joker-esque clown (Benedikt Negro) who, despite his creepy demeanor, really does seem interested in helping her. A majority of the film seems to focus on Kà (a post-apocalyptic mix of Mad Max and Flash Gordon), the sensual water displays of O and The Beatles Love. And the Beatles soundtrack – particularly “Get Back” – provides a fitting narrative to Mia’s predicament. Mia also wanders in and out of Viva Elvis for surreal performances such as wall-crawling and trampoline-jumping masked superheros (or are they luchadores?). As impressive and frightening as all these illusions, battles, athletics and musical performances are, Mia only wants to see one performer, which is what keeps her going.

The Aerialist, in the meantime, is on a similar quest to find Mia. And his encounters with the various Cirque performers require him to utilize his own athletic talents in order to venture on to the next tent. Directed by Andrew Adamson and produced by James Cameron, Worlds Away becomes a splendorous display of the many Las Vegas attractions as well as an entirely new Cirque story that could easily play out in subsequent movies or live productions. And while such an endeavor could have come across as an infomercial-like marketing ploy in less-sophisticated hands, Worlds Away is able to introduce viewers to Cirque’s magic without it seeming contrived.

www.worldsaway3d.com

Kickboxer Gary Daniels goes toe-to-toe with Peter Weller in “Forced to Fight”

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After an accomplished kickboxing and karate career, Gary Daniels made the transition into acting in the late 80s. Since then, Daniels has been the lead in numerous B movies and performed alongside better-known action stars like Jackie Chan, Dolph Lundgren and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Daniels biggest mainstream exposure came in 2010 when he was part of the ensemble cast of Sylvester Stallone‘s The Expendables. But with the Dec. 18 release of Forced to Fight, Daniels gets the leading role again alongside the original RoboCop, Peter Weller (playing a crime lord villainously similar to the corrupt cop he played on Dexter). In the film, Daniels plays a retired fighter who has no choice but to get back into the underground fight scene in order to pay of his brother’s debt. With Forced to Fight now available in DVD, Blu-ray and digital download, Daniels talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about making this film and his career goals going forward.

You made the transition from kickboxing to acting many years ago…

I attempted to. I’m still working on that.

But with Forced to Fight you’re also the fight choreographer. Have you been a fight choreographer on many of your previous films?

I’ve actually choreographed a lot of fights in a lot of the films that I’ve done. It’s something I like to do, but unfortunately to really get your vision for a fight scene on film not only do you have to choreograph it, you have to direct it, choose the right lenses for the camera, get the right camera angles and get into the editing room to edit the fight. I choreograph the fights, but I don’t get a say on the direction or in the editing room. So very rarely do I ever get my vision.

How close would you say the fight scenes in Forced to Fight came to what you had envisioned them to be?

The problem with Forced to Fight was I wasn’t the original choreographer. Before I went to Romania to shoot the film, I asked if they already had a fight choreographer and they told me they had a local guy in Romania doing it. So when I went out there I hadn’t done any prep for any kind of fight scenes, I hadn’t done any prep on who I’d be fighting. That’s what you normally do is you prep the fights in advance before you actually get to the set. But once I got to Romania, about two or three days before the actual shooting, I looked at what the local choreographer had done and it was very substandard to what I was expecting, and what I expect of myself. So I had to re-choreograph, from scratch, all of the fights and I only had a couple of days. There’s, like, 15 fights in that film and each of them has to have a story in regards to where they fit in the film and where the characters are at emotionally in the film. Another problem was that the guys I had to fight were not film fighters. These guys were real kickboxers, real wrestlers, a couple of gangsters. One guy was 6’9″ – lovely fellow – and this guy had bullet wounds all up his arm because he had been in a shoot-out with the police when his brother was being killed. These are the kind of guys they brought me to fight. So not only was I trying to choreograph the fights, I was trying to teach these guys how to movie fight. It was a very difficult challenge.

So when you ask me how much of my vision did I actually get, if I had been working with real film fighters it would have been a lot better. When you do a film fight, it’s like doing a dance with a partner – you have to work in tandem with each other. One gives, one takes, one pushes, the other one pulls, you give each other the right distance. So when you work with proper movie fighters and stuntmen, they understand this. But when you’re working with real fighters, it’s a difficult concept for them because they’re used to winning and disrupting rhythm. In a real fight you’d disrupt your opponents rhythm, not work with it. I’m not going to say it’s the best fights I’ve done, but I think with the time we had and what we had to work with we did a pretty good job. If I had to give you a percentage, I’d say it would be maybe 40-50 percent of what I’d have like to have seen.

In many of your films, your character is based largely on your interaction with the bigger stars of each film like Jackie Chan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or, in this case, Peter Weller. How would you say working with Weller compared to some of the other actors and action stars you’ve worked with?

When you’re working with someone that’s the caliber of actor that Peter Weller is, it only elevates your own performance. Peter is a fantastic actor and he brought so much to the character he played in Forced to Fight that it was an absolute pleasure working with him. I know it helped elevate my character and my performance in the film. I’ve done about 60 films and early in my career, in about two-thirds of my films, I was the lead actor. What they’d do is bring in bigger name actors to support me for the sales. Sometimes you find that some of these bigger actors come onto these smaller films and just do it for a paycheck. It looks like they’re sleepwalking through the roles. But I have to say that with Peter, he truly brought it. He did a perfect performance in the film and it was an absolute pleasure working with him. You’re always apprehensive when you have these bigger name guys coming off these huge productions, and sometimes they show some apprehension coming to the set. But after the very first scene I did with Peter, I stepped out of the car where we were shooting and went straight to the director and said, “Well, I think we’e got something here.” He had a great presence and brought so much to the character.

You’ve worked with numerous big names, especially in The Expendables. Are there any particular action stars or bigger names you have yet to work with that you’d like to?

To be honest with you, I’m not really looking to work with certain action stars. I’d really like to work with some of the actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and some of the other bigger actors. It’s not working with these actors that’s going to help promote my career. It’s really just trying to work with a higher level of production with better writers and better directors. I’d love to work with Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan and some of these bigger directors. That’s what’s really going to help take my career up another notch. Just working with these B movie action guys like myself is not going to elevate my career. Having done 60 of these films, I’m probably closer to that level. But I really want to work with good writers, good directors, better actors. Like every other actor, I want to step it up a notch and move up another level. So I’m going to be looking for that break and I’m not going to do it by doing another Steve Austin movie. Nothing against Steve, I love the guy to death.

Forced to Fight is out today, but it looks like you have a few other films coming out soon.

One of the films I’m proud of is something I worked on last year in Thailand called Angels. The lead was Dustin Nguyen, who was the Vietnamese character on the original 21 Jump Street, and he’s a very good actor. We had a brilliant, fantastic script, but it was on a budget. We just had the world premiere screening in Vietnam and they took me over for the premiere. I was very, very happy with the way the film turned out. The director was a guy named Wych Kaos – he wrote it, directed it and produced it – and he’s a genuinely talented filmmaker. That should be coming out sometime next year and I think it could do some great things for me. It was a straight acting role for me without any fighting. I was happy with the performance in the film overall, so I’m looking forward to that coming out.

Any chance you might currently be working on something that might take you to that next level as an actor?

I do have a few projects in the works, but not the kind of projects I’m looking for right now. I have three or four projects in the works for next year, but I’m still looking for that one break-out role. It’s pretty difficult when you come from a fighting or sports background. When you do make the transition into the film industry, it’s very hard to get people to take you seriously as an actor. When you come from a fighting background, you’ve learned to not show any emotions. So if you’re tired or hurt, you can’t show it. But in the movie industry, as an actor, you have to wear your emotions on your sleeve so everyone in the audience can see it and feel what you’re feeling. One of my early acting coaches would say, “Look, Gary. I know you’re feeling it but we have to see that you’re feeling it.” I have been working very hard on my acting and the only way you’re going to move up is not by being a good martial artist, it’s going to be by being a good actor.

www.garydaniels.com

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is an unexpectedly incredible start to new trilogy

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Even if you’ve been living under a rock in a troll cave for the past nine years, you have to be at least somewhat familiar with J. R. R. Tolkien‘s The Hobbit and the massive film trilogy Peter Jackson has been putting together for the past several years. And if you’ve read any of the early reviews of the first installment, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, it seems that there are many criticisms for this prequel to Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy that garnered both critical acclaim and enormous financial achievements.

Bifur (William Kircher), Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Bofur (James Nesbitt) and Oin (John Callen) have one last supper before their "Unexpected Journey." Photo by James Fisher.

From questions of why Jackson would turn a relatively short novel into a sprawling trilogy of films that are almost three hours each to complaints about his decision to present the film at 48 frames per second (a much higher frame rate than most films, resulting in a much clearer presentation), it seems that The Hobbit is fighting an uphill battle from the very beginning. But from the moment the high frame rate images hit the screen, I realized this film would be more impressive than most people were expecting.

As was often referenced in The Lord of the Rings, the story of Middle-earth’s biggest battle actually begins 60 years earlier when a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is visited by Gandalf the wizard (Ian McKellen). After a perplexing exchange, 13 dwarves (slovenly warriors with meticuously manicured facial hair) show up later that night to thoroughly disrupt not only Bilbo’s otherwise-routine dinner, but ultimately the rest of his life. After pillaging his food pantry and unnerving Bilbo with their seemingly careless treatment of his belongings, the dwarves set out to reclaim their kingdom from Smaug, a magnificent dragon that has taken over the dwarves’ home of Erebor and all of its treasures.

The Great Goblin (Barry Humphries) isn't going to let Gloin (Peter Hambleton), Ori (Adam Brown), Nori (Jed Brophy) and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) escape without a fight. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

As you might expect, this Unexpected Journey isn’t a simple one. And since hobbits aren’t typically the most adventurous creatures in Middle-earth, Bilbo constantly finds himself being doubted by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the dwarf leader who has some very personal issues with the orcs that are hunting his party, as well as the elves who eventually aid him in his quest. This turmoil not only creates constant in-fighting, but it also makes confrontations with orcs, goblins, trolls and other creatures that much more meaningful.

An Unexpected Journey sees the return of Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving as highly-regarded elven leaders, Elijah Wood as the young relative of Bilbo, Ian Holm as the older Bilbo and chillingly foreboding appearances by Christopher Lee as Saruman and Andy Serkis as the emaciated Gollum. There’s plenty of foreshadowing, given what we’ve already seen of these characters in The Lord of the Rings, but there’s also a lot of anticipation of how these characters will develop into the villains we know them to become.

As far as the high frame rate presentation of this movie, I really can’t comprehend what there is to complain about. Not only does it make The Hobbit look incredibly realistic, but it’s also impressive to find that the extra clarity doesn’t reveal any flaws in the special effects and computer-animated elements.

Stone giants battle as the dwarves flee Rivendell. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

And even though there are several superfluous scenes in this film, some of those moments make for the most breath-taking sequences in the movie, such as when gigantic rock creatures do battle in a canyon (verifying myths about the origins of thunderstorms) and the entire capture-by and escape-from the cavern-dwelling goblins (where Bilbo initially meets Gollum, and inadvertently obtains the cursed ring). There’s also an edge-of-your-seat showdown between the pursuing orcs and the dwarves during which Bilbo finally earns the respect of Thorin, and the heroic eagles make their first appearance (with every strand of each feather fluttering realistically in the wind). And as An Unexpected Journey nears its end (which really isn’t an end at all since there are two more epic films in the trilogy), one can’t help but laugh at Bilbo’s ironic proclamation of “I do believe the worst is behind us.”

www.thehobbit.com

Dystopian future is easier to comprehend with DVD release of “The Day”

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Just three months after its limited theatrical release, WWE Studios‘ The Day is now available on DVD and in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. In my initial review of the film, I praised the film’s stylistic approach to a bleak post-apocalyptic landscape where nomadic packs of humans do battle for survival. But even though the film’s washed-out look and masterfully low-budget special effects are impressive, I still feel like it wanders around the topics of why these two groups of people are at each other’s throats and how humanity has found itself in such a weary state.

But mystery can be a good thing, so the fact that we never find out the specifics of the war that has left a few stragglers fighting for survival isn’t a huge problem. Though bonus features are sparse on this DVD/Blu-ray release, the commentary track featuring director Doug Aarniokoski, producer Guy Danella and writer Luke Passmore does offer some insight into the things that weren’t apparent to me the first time I watched the movie.

The premise of The Day is that the protagonists (Shannyn Sossamon, Shawn Ashmore, Dominic Monaghan, Cory Hardrict and a viciously emotional Ashley Bell) find refuge in an abandoned farmhouse that is actually a trap set by another clan led by a Mohawked Michael Eklund. What wasn’t clear the first time around was why one group of humans had set a trap for another group of humans rather than working together to restore some semblance of civility to the world. But the audio commentary explains that the world is now devoid of animals, meaning that many people have resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. So those trapped in the house are intended to be the next few meals for Eklund and his carnivorous clan. (The commentary also points out that one of the bad guys is played by Shimon Moore from the band Sick Puppies, which I otherwise would probably not have realized.)

Well, that puts everything into an entirely different perspective. Now that I know specifically what these people are fighting over, and the consequences those trapped inside the house face if they lose the fight, I’m able to be much more emotionally invested in a movie that already hooked me with its visual prowess and cinematography. And that fact that The Day features people fighting for their lives in a futuristic wasteland that doesn’t include zombies, vampires or other supernatural threats is a refreshing nuance what could otherwise have been a tired rehashing of horror clichés. Despite my initial criticisms, I enjoyed The Day the first time around. But multiple viewings definitely make for a more enriching experience.

“Rise of the Guardians” reveals new secrets about the holidays

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If you’re looking to have your illusions about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy shattered, Rise of the Guardians is just the kind of animated adventure you’ve been waiting for. Don’t worry, though. I’m not talking about any of that “Santa’s not real” kind of stuff, because we all know that would just be ridiculous. There are a lot of things you probably didn’t know about Santa, the Sandman (no, not that Sandman) and all the other fantastical beings that have existed on the periphery of your imagination since your childhood, though.

Based on William Joyce‘s The Guardians of Childhood books (and reminiscent of Rankin/Bass‘s adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus), Rise of the Guardians reveals that Santa, the Easter Bunny and all the others are very much real. But the roles they play in the lives of children are far more involved than delivering presents or hiding Easter eggs. Collectively, they form the Guardians and they each have their own set of responsibilities towards protecting the world. Santa, a tattooed swordsman with an Alec Baldwin-voiced Eastern European accent, is the Guardian of Wonder and calls a meeting at his North Pole home when he gets a cryptic message from the Man in the Moon a few day before Easter. Like any ragtag group such as this one, there’s plenty of good-humored in-fighting between the Australian adventurer the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the hummingbird-like Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the benevolent Sandman, the oldest and first Guardian chosen by the Man in the Moon. (I’m just glad the Tooth Fairy isn’t The Rock in a hockey uniform.)

The reason the Man in the Moon has summoned all of the Guardians is because The Boogeyman (no, not that Boogeyman) has gathered his strength and is threatening to destroy all that is good in the world. Whether he’s turning the Sandman’s dreams into nightmares, preventing the Tooth Fairy from gathering teeth or keeping the Easter Bunny from hiding his eggs, the scare tactics of this Boogeyman (voiced by Jude Law) are quickly causing children to stop believing in the Guardians. As a result, the Guardians’ power is slipping while the Boogeyman is only getting stronger. But there’s a reluctant new Guardian in Jack Frost (Chris Pine), who’s used to being a prankster, not a protector. But as the Boogeyman grows more powerful – and as Jack learns more about himself and his purpose as a Guardian – it seems that Jack is the only hope for the Guardians to prevent the Boogeyman’s fear from enslaving all of humanity. Thankfully, there’s still one kid out there who believes, but his faith is dwindling as his friends try to convince him there’s no Easter Bunny.

But as long as someone still believes, there’s hope for the Guardians. And though they normally like to be more secretive, the Guaridans realize that by revealing themselves to Jaime (Dakota Goyo) and his friends, they’re able to stand up to the Boogeyman and his legion of black stallions. In the process, Jack is able to figure out who he is and why he has been chosen as a Guardian. Even the Boogeyman learns a few things about himself, which ends up being his ultimate undoing, at least for now. And the greatest thing about Rise of the Guardians is that, much like The Nightmare Before Christmas did almost two decades ago, this film creates a new mythology where all holidays are created equal.

www.riseoftheguardians.com

“The Twilight Saga” comes to a sparkly conclusion in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2”

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In 2008 fans of all ages fell in love with a new breed of vampire with the box office smash Twilight, the first installment in The Twilight Saga, based on the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. The much-anticipated Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the fifth and final installment in this sparkly saga, offers such an explosive conclusion that it gives new meaning to the phrase “going out with a bang.”

Undead newlyweds Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) in Breaking Dawn - Part 2. Photo by Andrew Cooper, SMPSP.

Having already won numerous awards for their portrayals of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, respectively, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson give emotionally-charged performances as the new parents of Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), their half human/half vampire child. And as a newly-changed vampire, Bella must discover all the hidden new talents that a vampire possesses. Circumstances take a terrible turn for the worst when a distant relative comes for a visit and mistakes the child for an immortal child, which happens to be completely unlawful under Volturi rule. As a result, their new family becomes a target for assassination as the demented Volturi set out to destroy Renesmee and the Cullen family.

With no other options, they resort to asking for help from surrounding covens in hopes that they will stand with them and possibly fight against the Volturi. Edward and Bella find they have to do what they must to protect and save their family. And for those of you who think you know how it all ends because you’ve read the books, there’s a new nail-biting twist that no one is likely to expect. So be prepared to spend a lot of time on the edge of your seat because Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is a must see conclusion for fans of this sanguine saga.

www.breakingdawn-themovie.com

“Lincoln” portrays struggles of one of America’s most influential presidents

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Photo by David James, SMPSP

Given that we’re just days away from one of the most heated presidential elections in recent memory, and that our nation’s first black president was just re-elected for a second term, Steven Spielberg’s new docku-drama Lincoln couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. Focusing on the final months of Abraham Lincoln‘s presidency (and life, for that matter), Lincoln‘s focal point is the Emancipation Proclamation and the struggle it created in a country already tearing itself apart at the height of the Civil War.

In hindsight, most of today’s American society would fervently agree that slavery is (no pun intended) one of the darkest periods of this country’s history. But at the time, that institution had become so engrained in the United States’ culture, economy and infrastructure that a sudden emancipation of an entire race of people you had previously oppressed and mistreated had to be a frightening proposition for many reasons. But Lincoln was determined to not only free the slaves, but also to end the war and reunite his country.

Though his intentions are noble, Lincoln’s somewhat manipulative proposition of simultaneously ending the war and freeing the slaves creates quite a dilemma, even for some of his closest allies and supporters. Ending the war is pretty much a given, regardless of one’s political affiliation. But what if the war ends before the proclamation (and the 13th Amendment, freeing all slaves) is passed? What if one is in favor of ending the war, but not necessarily in favor of freeing the slaves? These are the polarizing issues addressed in Lincoln.

Photo by David James, SMPSP.

Daniel Day-Lewis portrays Lincoln with both the heroism of a president whose radical thinking changed the course of this country, and the strategic plotting required of such a monumental task (he was a politician, after all). But aside from the very public battles he faces, Lincoln also shows his personal struggles with his wife (Sally Field), their son (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his even more radical political ally Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones), and his own colored servants, who he treats like any other friends. As has been noted in numerous historical texts, Lincoln points out that in the year leading up to the vote to free the slaves, Lincoln appears to age ten years. While times were stressful for the entire country during the Civil War, Lincoln shows us a president unwilling to give in to that stress.

The ongoing death and destruction of the war weighs heavily on Lincoln, and having such a huge responsibility is something most of us will never understand. But Day-Lewis captures the weariness of a president whose ongoing determination to do what he feels in his heart is the right thing for his country, and humanity, means lives will continue to be lost. And Lincoln doesn’t shy away from such issues, giving the viewer reason to believe that maybe Lincoln’s approach is a little too drastic or abrupt. Of course we all know Lincoln’s steadfast resolve allowed him to achieve his goal. But we also know it cost him his life not long thereafter. And even though Lincoln shows this president’s flaws as much as his strengths, it ultimately portrays Lincoln as a man with a good heart more influenced by his own compassion than the logic of those around him.

www.thelincolnmovie.com