Editors note: Alexis Allen Winter began her casting career in North Carolina in 2007 on One Tree Hill, and moved to L.A. in 2012 where she has worked in the offices of Laray Mayfield, Rich Delia, Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels, Tamara Notcutt, Gail Goldberg and Sheila Jaffe, winning an Artios in 2020 for her work on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Deadline asked her to weigh in on the current autition controversy involving self-tapes and how it is impacting her business.
I, like most of the casting community, have spent time reading over the latest articles on the current state of casting (and the comments on those articles). It has been gut-wrenching to read and try to digest, especially as someone who learned this industry in the Southeast, where self-tapes have been the prominent form of auditions since I started in 2007 working as a casting assistant and in extras casting.
I, like most of the casting community, have spent time reading over the latest articles on the current state of casting (and the comments on those articles). It has been gut-wrenching to read and try to digest, especially as someone who learned this industry in the Southeast, where self-tapes have been the prominent form of auditions since I started in 2007 working as a casting assistant and in extras casting.
- 3/16/2023
- by Alexis Allen Winter
- Deadline Film + TV
Before starring on HBO's hit prestige drama "The Sopranos," Steven Van Zandt's claim to fame was as a solo artist, hit songwriter, activist, and member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. He scored the memorable role of the wingtip-wearing consigliere Silvio Dante on "The Sopranos" despite no acting experience. As advisor to crime boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Van Zandt's Dante is more than a wise guy caricature; Silvio is among the most level-headed members of Tony's crew, mediating meetings and executing orders but unafraid to tell his boss the truth (which Van Zandt compared to working with The Boss). In Brett Martin's "The Sopranos: The Complete Book," Van Zandt describes Tony's lifelong friend as "the only member of the family who was happy where he was" with few ambitions beyond those in his backstory – a background created by Van Zandt himself.
Co-stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa...
Co-stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa...
- 11/3/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
The production of "The Sopranos" is littered with unrealized castings of characters. Imagine a world where Lorraine Bracco played Carmela Soprano instead of Dr. Jennifer Melfi or Robert Funaro (aka Eugene Pontecorvo) played Ralph Cifaretto and we didn't get Joe Pantoliano's Emmy winning two-season turn. Those are both worlds that came quite close to fruition.
One of the earliest "what could have been" castings goes back to the pilot. Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe, the series' casting directors, revealed on an episode of the "Talking Sopranos" podcast that the original pick for Herman "Hesh" Rabkin was a different Jerry. Instead of Jerry Adler, they were looking at Jerry Stiller. However, Stiller made a last minute decision to appear in a commercial that was shooting the same time as the "Sopranos" pilot. This last-minute back-out led to a minor crisis, as Stiller had been set to start shooting "The Sopranos" in two days' time.
One of the earliest "what could have been" castings goes back to the pilot. Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe, the series' casting directors, revealed on an episode of the "Talking Sopranos" podcast that the original pick for Herman "Hesh" Rabkin was a different Jerry. Instead of Jerry Adler, they were looking at Jerry Stiller. However, Stiller made a last minute decision to appear in a commercial that was shooting the same time as the "Sopranos" pilot. This last-minute back-out led to a minor crisis, as Stiller had been set to start shooting "The Sopranos" in two days' time.
- 9/30/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Roadside Attractions has scooped up the U.S. rights to “Call Jane,” the period piece abortion drama that stars Elizabeth Banks and made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
Phyllis Nagy (“Carol”) directed the film that also stars Sigourney Weaver. Roadside is planning a theatrical release for the film this fall.
“Call Jane” is set in Chicago in 1968 and follows a suburban housewife named Joy who has a life-threatening heart condition as a result of her pregnancy and finds an all-male medical establishment is unwilling to assist in her abortion. Her journey for a solution leads her to two women who are committed to women’s health and have the dream of giving all women access to abortions, and together they form an underground abortion service for women that puts every aspect of her own life on the line.
The film is based on a true story,...
Phyllis Nagy (“Carol”) directed the film that also stars Sigourney Weaver. Roadside is planning a theatrical release for the film this fall.
“Call Jane” is set in Chicago in 1968 and follows a suburban housewife named Joy who has a life-threatening heart condition as a result of her pregnancy and finds an all-male medical establishment is unwilling to assist in her abortion. Her journey for a solution leads her to two women who are committed to women’s health and have the dream of giving all women access to abortions, and together they form an underground abortion service for women that puts every aspect of her own life on the line.
The film is based on a true story,...
- 2/4/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Roadside Attractions is taking U.S. distribution rights to Oscar-Nominee Phyllis Nagy’s theatrical feature directorial debut, Call Jane. A theatrical release is planned for the film this year.
Chicago, 1968. As the city and the nation are poised on the brink of political upheaval, suburban housewife Joy (Elizabeth Banks) leads an ordinary life with her husband and daughter. When Joy’s pregnancy leads to a life-threatening heart condition, she must navigate an all-male medical establishment unwilling to terminate her pregnancy in order to save her life. Her journey for a solution leads her to Virginia (Sigourney Weaver), an independent visionary fiercely committed to women’s health, and Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku), an activist who dreams of a day when all women will have access to abortion, regardless of their ability to pay. Joy is so inspired by their work, she decides to join forces with them, putting every aspect of her life on the line.
Chicago, 1968. As the city and the nation are poised on the brink of political upheaval, suburban housewife Joy (Elizabeth Banks) leads an ordinary life with her husband and daughter. When Joy’s pregnancy leads to a life-threatening heart condition, she must navigate an all-male medical establishment unwilling to terminate her pregnancy in order to save her life. Her journey for a solution leads her to Virginia (Sigourney Weaver), an independent visionary fiercely committed to women’s health, and Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku), an activist who dreams of a day when all women will have access to abortion, regardless of their ability to pay. Joy is so inspired by their work, she decides to join forces with them, putting every aspect of her life on the line.
- 2/4/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Two decades ago, a twentysomething Vera Farmiga auditioned for a role on The Sopranos. She didn’t watch the show at the time, because she couldn’t afford cable and also liked to spend her Sunday nights studying lines for Monday morning’s auditions. But she knew the series was a big deal, and she had a good relationship with its casting directors, Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe. They brought her in during the groundbreaking HBO Mob drama’s fourth season to read for the role of Valentina La Paz,...
- 9/6/2021
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Emile Hirsch is joining Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films’ Force of Nature which stars Mel Gibson.
Hirsch will play a cop who must protect the remaining residents of a building in the midst of a hurricane evacuation while violent criminals attempt to pull off a mysterious heist within the structure. Gibson plays a stubborn retired detective who refuses to evacuate and fights back when the thieves show up at his doorstep.
Force of Nature will mark the second collaboration between Hirsch, and producers Randall Emmett, and George Furla as the trio previously enjoyed critical and commercial success with Peter Berg’s hit Lone Survivor in 2013 ($155M WW B.O.). Hirsch will next be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood opening on July 26 from Sony.
Michael Polish is directing and it’s his third collaboration with Emmett/Furla. Christian Mercuri’s Bluebox International, a division of...
Hirsch will play a cop who must protect the remaining residents of a building in the midst of a hurricane evacuation while violent criminals attempt to pull off a mysterious heist within the structure. Gibson plays a stubborn retired detective who refuses to evacuate and fights back when the thieves show up at his doorstep.
Force of Nature will mark the second collaboration between Hirsch, and producers Randall Emmett, and George Furla as the trio previously enjoyed critical and commercial success with Peter Berg’s hit Lone Survivor in 2013 ($155M WW B.O.). Hirsch will next be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood opening on July 26 from Sony.
Michael Polish is directing and it’s his third collaboration with Emmett/Furla. Christian Mercuri’s Bluebox International, a division of...
- 6/13/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Mel Gibson and Kate Bosworth are set to star in Force of Nature, an action film that Michael Polish will direct from a script by Cory Miller. Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films CEOs and co-founders Randall Emmett and George Furla will produce with Luillo Ruiz, with Tim Sullivan and Alex Eckert exec producing.
This will be the second Gibson vehicle on the Croisette, after his attachment was announced yesterday on Fatman. He is also getting close on directing The Wild Bunch, a new version of the 1969 Sam Peckinpah-directed classic Western at Warner Bros which Gibson has been writing with Bryan Bagby.
Force of Nature centers on a cop who must protect the remaining residents of a building in the midst of a hurricane evacuation while violent criminals attempt to pull off a mysterious heist within the building. Gibson plays the stubborn retired detective who refuses to evacuate, and fights...
This will be the second Gibson vehicle on the Croisette, after his attachment was announced yesterday on Fatman. He is also getting close on directing The Wild Bunch, a new version of the 1969 Sam Peckinpah-directed classic Western at Warner Bros which Gibson has been writing with Bryan Bagby.
Force of Nature centers on a cop who must protect the remaining residents of a building in the midst of a hurricane evacuation while violent criminals attempt to pull off a mysterious heist within the building. Gibson plays the stubborn retired detective who refuses to evacuate, and fights...
- 5/9/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Country star Jessie Chris was recently named ambassador for an exciting new partnership between Sylvania Light Bulbs and the Be The Light Campaign.
Holding the elevator for a stranger. Buying a coffee for the next person in line. Cheering up a friend who is down. Giving a warm smile while working the drive-thru window. These are just some of the small ways people make the world a brighter place. Ledvance, the makers of Sylvania general lighting in the United States and Canada, and the non-profit Be the Light Campaign are announcing the “Who Lights Up Your World?” Contest to find, recognize and reward people who give off positive energy, joy and light.
“Be the Light is focused on the importance of hope. We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health, and that small moments of kindness can alter the course of someone’s day. These can...
Holding the elevator for a stranger. Buying a coffee for the next person in line. Cheering up a friend who is down. Giving a warm smile while working the drive-thru window. These are just some of the small ways people make the world a brighter place. Ledvance, the makers of Sylvania general lighting in the United States and Canada, and the non-profit Be the Light Campaign are announcing the “Who Lights Up Your World?” Contest to find, recognize and reward people who give off positive energy, joy and light.
“Be the Light is focused on the importance of hope. We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health, and that small moments of kindness can alter the course of someone’s day. These can...
- 4/11/2019
- Look to the Stars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the names on Monday of 928 individuals who have been invited to join its ranks this year. The list includes many eminently worthy individuals, such as actors Miles Teller and Lea Seydoux, directors Luca Guadagnino and Bela Tarr, writers Arnaud Desplechin and Jonathan Nolan, producers Lisa Bruce and Charles Gillibert, documentarians Simon Kilmurry and Tj Martin, executives Lisa Nishimura and Tessa Ross, casting director Sheila Jaffe and PR specialists Nicolette Aizenberg and Michael Kupferberg, to cite but a few examples. But it also raises a few concerns.
1. Is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
The Academy invited ...
1. Is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
The Academy invited ...
- 6/26/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the names on Monday of 928 individuals who have been invited to join its ranks this year. The list includes many eminently worthy individuals, such as actors Miles Teller and Lea Seydoux, directors Luca Guadagnino and Bela Tarr, writers Arnaud Desplechin and Jonathan Nolan, producers Lisa Bruce and Charles Gillibert, documentarians Simon Kilmurry and Tj Martin, executives Lisa Nishimura and Tessa Ross, casting director Sheila Jaffe and PR specialists Nicolette Aizenberg and Michael Kupferberg, to cite but a few examples. But it also raises a few concerns.
1. Is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
The Academy invited ...
1. Is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
The Academy invited ...
- 6/26/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Greenlit means a project is officially a go, so all you have to do is follow these leads to stay up to date. You never know where you’ll find an opportunity to land an audition! “The Sopranos” Prequel Film Where do you go after creating the most infamous series finale of all time? The only way is back. As reported by Deadline last week, New Line is developing a movie prequel (working title “The Many Saints of Newark”) to the hit HBO series “The Sopranos.” Show creator David Chase and fellow “Sopranos” writer Lawrence Konner have written the script, which will bring the return of many of the series’ favorites, and while what’s done cannot be undone, at least some of them may get a few parting shots in before the film cuts to black. Keep an eye out for those casting notices, New Yorkers, once the flick gets out of script phase.
- 3/12/2018
- backstage.com
Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our weekly write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles! “Captive State”Mother is about to meet the end of the world. Vera Farmiga may have just wrapped the final season of “Psycho” precursor “Bates Motel,” but the scream queen isn’t stepping away from spooky fare. Her next gig will find her embattled with some unfriendly little green men. A decade after extraterrestrials have colonized Earth, a Chicago suburb finds itself divided between two sides of an ongoing conflict. Joining Farmiga are John Goodman, whose recent turn in “10 Cloverfield Lane” proved his affinity for the subject matter; Colson Baker, also known by his rap moniker Machine Gun Kelly (“Beyond the Lights”), Jonathan Majors, and Ashton Sanders. Lead casting director Sheila Jaffe will add more actors prior to the production’s start date. Chicago and surrounding...
- 2/1/2017
- backstage.com
To say the remake of “The Crow” was a difficult ball to get rolling is a huge understatement. The reboot of the 1994 film, which saw a tragic setback with the on-set death of its star, Brandon Lee, has been in production limbo for around five years. While the timespan may be typical in Hollywood, the production also saw its backer, Relativity, go bankrupt, stalling the production enough for its cast and director to flip over a number of times. But the production has finally set dates and it looks to be plodding along for an early 2017 shoot. The film, which is based on a comic series by James O’Barr, will follow a rock musician who returns from the grave to seek vengeance on those who killed him. Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo in Season 1 of “Game of Thrones,” will take on the lead role with Jessica Brown Findlay,...
- 9/12/2016
- backstage.com
Run Dmc's Darryl ''Dmc'' McDaniels has been helping youth who have fallen on "Hard Times" for a decade. The Felix Organization - the foster child charity McDaniels founded with Emmy-winning casting director Sheila Jaffe - will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year. And to mark the occasion, the hip-hop pioneer's organization will throw a dance-a-thon benefit, Dance This Way, in conjunction with Foster Care Awareness Month in New York on May 15, People can announce exclusively. "Sheila and I had a dream a decade ago," McDaniels, 51, said. "And now we are amazed and humbled how that dream has turned into a reality.
- 4/19/2016
- by Jeff Nelson, @nelson_jeff
- PEOPLE.com
Run Dmc's Darryl ''Dmc'' McDaniels has been helping youth who have fallen on "Hard Times" for a decade. The Felix Organization - the foster child charity McDaniels founded with Emmy-winning casting director Sheila Jaffe - will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year. And to mark the occasion, the hip-hop pioneer's organization will throw a dance-a-thon benefit, Dance This Way, in conjunction with Foster Care Awareness Month in New York on May 15, People can announce exclusively. "Sheila and I had a dream a decade ago," McDaniels, 51, said. "And now we are amazed and humbled how that dream has turned into a reality.
- 4/19/2016
- by Jeff Nelson, @nelson_jeff
- PEOPLE.com
At a recent casting panel during Atlanta’s fourth annual aTVfest at Savannah College of Art and Design (Scad), some of the top casting directors from Georgia, New York City, and Los Angeles doled out the advice for attendees—and working actors everywhere. Here are five of the most important takeaways from their valuable advice. Nail your self-taped audition:nyc casting director Maribeth Fox of Laura Rosenthal Casting had plenty to say about actors’ self-taped auditions. She recommended setting up your shot with a background by savagepaper.com (gray is industry standard), a Canon R500 camera on HQ setting—which creates video suitable for the web—and a lightbox. Also, don’t slate shooting until the last minute; casting director Sheila Jaffe (“The Fighter”) insisted, “Just get to it!” All of the casting directors echoed the importance of a natural reader—someone not in character. And above all else...know how to hold your phone.
- 2/11/2016
- backstage.com
The new Eli Roth film starring Keanu Reeves will be cast by Sheila Jaffe, Backstage has learned. Titled “Knock Knock,” the film is being described as a psychosexual thriller. Reeves stars as a married man seduced by two young girls who unexpectedly arrive at his house and later wreak havoc on his life. Shooting starts April 14 in Santiago, Chile. Meanwhile, Richard Hicks, president of the Casting Society of America, is set to cast “Meadowland.” The thriller, about a woman whose son disappears and her relationship with a neglected boy, is set to star Olivia Wilde. It shoots in July in New York.
- 4/9/2014
- backstage.com
An advertisement for an unpaid internship that came through the Casting Society of America seems to go against federal labor laws, especially against the backdrop of a class action lawsuit winding its way through the court system over the case of two former interns that were treated as employees during their work on Fox Searchlight’s Black Swan. Here is the advertisement, confirmed by the Csa, that came through its website via the Sheila Jaffe casting agency: Busy casting office in Los Angeles looking for a very organized intern to start immediately. Basic administrative duties such as heavy phones, scheduling appointments, running errands and typing. Reading / breakdown of scripts. Assisting department with sessions. Must be Mac efficient and able multi task with ease. Previous experience, knowledge of iMovie and editing video is ideal. Unpaid internship. When Applying Please Include “Intern” In The Subject Line Of The Email. Please send resume...
- 1/31/2014
- by ANITA BUSCH
- Deadline TV
Casting directors on series including HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” features such as “The Sessions,” and the Broadway production of “Matilda The Musical” are some of the nominees for the Casting Society of America’s Artios Awards. The awards, named for the Greek word meaning “perfectly fitted,” are given to Csa members using the criteria of originality, creativity, and contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project. A bi-coastal awards ceremony is set for Nov. 18 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles and at Xl Nightclub, Cabaret & Lounge in New York City. The full list of 2013 Artios Award Nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Casting is below. Big Budget Feature – Comedy “Oz the Great and Powerful,” John Papsidera “Pain & Gain,” Denise Chamian, Lori Wyman (Location Casting), Ania Kamieniecki-O’Hare (Associate) “Silver Linings Playbook,” Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham, Diane Heery (Location Casting) “Ted,” Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri (Location Casting) “The Watch,...
- 8/19/2013
- backstage.com
The Casting Society of America‘s 29th annual Artios Awards for outstanding achievement in casting will be awarded November 18 at simultaneous ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton and at the Xl Nightclub, Cabaret & Lounge in New York. The 22 categories repping film, TV and theater recognize Csa members who use the criteria of originality, creativity and contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project. Here are the 2013 nominees announced today: 2013 Artios Award Nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Casting Big Budget Feature – Comedy “Oz the Great and Powerful,” John Papsidera “Pain & Gain,” Denise Chamian, Lori Wyman (Location Casting), Ania Kamieniecki-O’Hare (Associate) “Silver Linings Playbook,” Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham, Diane Heery (Location Casting) “Ted,” Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri (Location Casting) “The Watch,” Alyssa Weisberg, Shay Bentley Griffin (Location Casting), Yesi Ramirez (Associate), Karina Walters (Associate) Big Budget Feature – Drama “Argo,” Lora Kennedy “Les Misérables,” Nina Gold “Life of Pi,” Avy Kaufman “Lincoln,...
- 8/19/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
In the high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat thriller The Call, a thin thread of survival separates a teenage kidnap victim from her only hope: a compassionate, steady voice on the other end of a cell phone marshaling all the resources she can to find her.
Veteran 911 Emergency Call Center operator Jordan (Halle Berry) has the kind of job that’s not for the faint of heart: navigating the public’s distress in order to save lives. But when a young woman’s frantic report of a prowler ends tragically, Jordan is devastated. Reassessing her life, Jordan wonders if perhaps she’s experienced her last fraught-filled phone call. With a supportive cop (Morris Chestnut) for a boyfriend, maybe it’s time to step back, enjoy life, and teach others the ins and outs of her high-pressure profession.
That lifeline to strangers isn’t over yet, though. When average American teenager Casey (Abigail Breslin), is...
Veteran 911 Emergency Call Center operator Jordan (Halle Berry) has the kind of job that’s not for the faint of heart: navigating the public’s distress in order to save lives. But when a young woman’s frantic report of a prowler ends tragically, Jordan is devastated. Reassessing her life, Jordan wonders if perhaps she’s experienced her last fraught-filled phone call. With a supportive cop (Morris Chestnut) for a boyfriend, maybe it’s time to step back, enjoy life, and teach others the ins and outs of her high-pressure profession.
That lifeline to strangers isn’t over yet, though. When average American teenager Casey (Abigail Breslin), is...
- 3/7/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Over the course of a career spanning more than two decades, casting director Sheila Jaffe has cast a variety of independent films, big-budget studio movies, cable television pilots, and even Broadway plays. Her credits include the HBO series "Entourage," "The Sopranos," and "How to Make It In America," along with more than 100 feature films, from "The Daytrippers" and "Basquiat" to "City Island" and "The Fighter."But this year gave Jaffe her first experience casting a network TV pilot, when she brought Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jason O'Mara together for CBS's "Untitled Ralph Lamb Project." A drama set in 1960s Las Vegas, the series is based on the true story of Ralph Lamb, a former cowboy who became a longtime Las Vegas sheriff and made enemies of the mob and Hells Angels. Jaffe says she was shocked at the frenetic pace of her first pilot season and the.
- 5/21/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
Imagine a movie in which the actors are interchangeable, each the same gleaming-toothed, perfectly coiffed, spray-tanned mannequin. Would you be able to follow the story? Would you even care? That's exactly the problem that casting directors, such as the award-laden Sheila Jaffe, work to circumvent."It's a really important job, and I think it gets forgotten because it is the first job [on a production]," Jaffe says of her behind-the-scenes role. "So by the time the movie is out or the TV show's aired, everybody forgot how it started. But there is an art to assembling a cast. It's like painting a canvas."Jaffe has more than two decades of experience and more than 120 credits to her name, including recent films "MacGruber" and "Rocky Balboa" and a new CBS drama pilot starring Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis, and Carrie-Anne Moss. With casting partner Georgianne Walken, she won a primetime Emmy Award in...
- 5/18/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
Susan Paley Abramson and Justine Hempe have partnered on a new casting venture, Back Stage has learned.Paley Abramson was the casting director for HBO comedy "Entourage," which ended its eighth and final season in September. She started on the show as an assistant in its first season, working for casting directors Sheila Jaffe and Georgianne Walken. She was promoted to associate for the second season, and to director when Walken left in 2008. She also continued to rack up associate credits on Jaffe's film projects, including "Secretariat" and "Rambo."After Entourage wrapped it's final season, she stayed with Jaffe to cast "40," an HBO pilot project from "Entourage" writer/executive producer Doug Ellin.Hempe was a longtime associate in the office of Margery Simkin. Most recently, she worked with Simkin on Warner Bros.' sci-fi epic "Pacific Rim," which is currently in-production. In recent years she's also worked on bird-watching comedy "The Big Year,...
- 2/10/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Pete Keeley)
- backstage.com
Lauren Grey Casting will cast Louis C.K. and Spike Feresten's comedy pilot for CBS. The untitled project centers on an ensemble of young people who are trying to achieve their creative dreams in these tough financial times. Shoot dates are Tba.C.K. is a stand-up comic who also produces, writes, directs, edits, and stars in "Louie" on FX. Grey is the casting director for the Showtime series "Boss," and she has worked as a casting associate on feature films such as "Moneyball," "Milk," and "Tropic Thunder."Also for CBS, Sheila Jaffe and Gail Goldberg are casting the pilot for an untitled period drama based on the true story of Ralph Lamb, a former cowboy who became a longtime Las Vegas sheriff and made enemies of the mob and the Hell's Angels. The project is set in Las Vegas in the 1960s. "GoodFellas" screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi and "Without a Trace" writer Greg Walker.
- 2/10/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
Whenever Mark Wahlberg is a producer on a film he's starring in, he sits down with the director and the casting director (usually Sheila Jaffe) and comes up with a wish list of who he'd like to be in the cast -- "Contraband" is the first time he got "our first choice for most of the parts in the film." "We were so lucky to get the cast we got," Wahlberg said, rattling off his co-stars names: Kate Beckinsale as his wife, Ben Foster as his best friend, Giovanni Ribisi as the antagonist. "[Director] Baltasar [Kormákur] is an actor first, so his choices were really smart." Kormákur originally brought the idea to remake his Icelandic heist film "Reykjavik-Rotterdam" to Wahlberg's agents for him to star as the lead character Chris and produce -- and Wahlberg thought an American version would only work with the right cast. "At first, I was also concerned about Balt directing,...
- 1/12/2012
- The Playlist
The Casting Society of America unveiled nominations for its 27th annual Artois Awards, recognizing the best in casting. The honors will be bestowed Sept. 26 in simultaneous ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton in L.A. and at District 36 in New York. The Csa also is giving lifetime achievement awards to Whoopi Goldberg (the New York Apple Award), Dick Wolf (the Career Achievement Award) and Meg Liberman (the Hoyt Bowers Award). Here's the full list of nominees: Big Budget Feature – Drama “The Fighter,” Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri (Location Casting) “Inception,” John Papsidera “The Social Network,” Laray Mayfield “The Town,” Lora Kennedy, Carolyn Pickman (Location Casting) “True Grit,” Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner, JoEdna Boldin (Location Casting) Big Budget Feature – Comedy “How Do You Know,” Francine Maisler, Lynn Kressel (Location Casting) “Morning Glory,” Ellen Lewis * “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” Francine Maisler * “Red,” Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood, Craig Fincannon (Location Casting), Lisa Mae Fincannon...
- 8/16/2011
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
The Casting Society of America announced today the nominees for the 27th annual Artios Awards, honoring artistic achievement in casting. The awards will be presented in duel ceremonies Sept. 26 in New York and Los Angeles. In addition to honoring film, television, and theater casting directors in 23 categories, Csa will present three special awards. This year, Whoopi Goldberg will receive the New York Apple Award; Meg Liberman will receive the Hoyt Bowers Award; and Dick Wolf will receive the Career Achievement Award.Below is the list of nominees:Big Budget Feature – Drama“The Fighter,” Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri (Location Casting)“Inception,” John Papsidera“The Social Network,” Laray Mayfield“The Town,” Lora Kennedy, Carolyn Pickman (Location Casting)“True Grit,” Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner, JoEdna Boldin (Location Casting)Big Budget Feature – Comedy“How Do You Know,” Francine Maisler, Lynn Kressel (Location Casting)“Morning Glory,” Ellen Lewis *“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” Francine Maisler *“Red,...
- 8/16/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Holloway)
- backstage.com
The great thing about international film festivals is the sheer breadth and variety of projects that they allow audiences to engage with, giving you the opportunity to discover cinematic gems from around the world that would never have made it anywhere near your local multiplex.
Mourning for Anna – a title that hits the nail right on the head – is no easy sell. While there will no doubt be those who marveled at its skeletal story and honest portrayal of the grieving process, I found no such classic in this offering from director Catherine Martin – a French language ode to misery.
The film opens with a minimalist animation, effectively foreshadowing the slight characterization and sketchy plotting that will befall the feature proper. Anna (Sheila Jaffe) is an accomplished violinist who we meet in the midst of concert as she harmonizes an intimidating rendition of Bach. From the audience her adoring mother beams up at the spectacle,...
Mourning for Anna – a title that hits the nail right on the head – is no easy sell. While there will no doubt be those who marveled at its skeletal story and honest portrayal of the grieving process, I found no such classic in this offering from director Catherine Martin – a French language ode to misery.
The film opens with a minimalist animation, effectively foreshadowing the slight characterization and sketchy plotting that will befall the feature proper. Anna (Sheila Jaffe) is an accomplished violinist who we meet in the midst of concert as she harmonizes an intimidating rendition of Bach. From the audience her adoring mother beams up at the spectacle,...
- 6/30/2011
- by Steven Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"Entourage" fans can have the chance to brush shoulders with the stars of the HBO hit series at the show's Season 6 premiere.
Fans can join Vince, Drama, Turtle, Eric and Ari at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9. The auction winner will also get to attend the show's after-party and meet casting director Sheila Jaffe.
The auction is happening on CharityFolks.com, with proceeds going to the Felix Organization. The Felix Organization was founded by Darryl McDaniels of Run Dmc and help children who are growing up without parents to experience fuller lives.
The winner will also enjoy hotel accommodations in a Wow Suite at The Standard Downtown La and dinner at Koi Restaurant.
Fans can join Vince, Drama, Turtle, Eric and Ari at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9. The auction winner will also get to attend the show's after-party and meet casting director Sheila Jaffe.
The auction is happening on CharityFolks.com, with proceeds going to the Felix Organization. The Felix Organization was founded by Darryl McDaniels of Run Dmc and help children who are growing up without parents to experience fuller lives.
The winner will also enjoy hotel accommodations in a Wow Suite at The Standard Downtown La and dinner at Koi Restaurant.
- 6/23/2009
- icelebz.com
"Entourage" fans can have the chance to brush shoulders with the stars of the HBO hit series at the show's Season 6 premiere.
Fans can join Vince, Drama, Turtle, Eric and Ari at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9. The auction winner will also get to attend the show's after-party and meet casting director Sheila Jaffe.
The auction is happening on CharityFolks.com, with proceeds going to the Felix Organization. The Felix Organization was founded by Darryl McDaniels of Run Dmc and help children who are growing up without parents to experience fuller lives.
The winner will also enjoy hotel accommodations in a Wow Suite at The Standard Downtown La and dinner at Koi Restaurant.
Fans can join Vince, Drama, Turtle, Eric and Ari at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on July 9. The auction winner will also get to attend the show's after-party and meet casting director Sheila Jaffe.
The auction is happening on CharityFolks.com, with proceeds going to the Felix Organization. The Felix Organization was founded by Darryl McDaniels of Run Dmc and help children who are growing up without parents to experience fuller lives.
The winner will also enjoy hotel accommodations in a Wow Suite at The Standard Downtown La and dinner at Koi Restaurant.
- 6/23/2009
- icelebz.com
The following is a list of the top 25 Power Casting Directors in film and television (including Casting Director of the Year, Debra Zane; see page 9). We began with more than 100 candidates. In some cases, collaborations were so closely tied that we considered multiple people as one entity. Several drafts later, all 25 spots were cast.Notably omitted from the list are in-house casting executives at studios and networks, the inclusion of whom would have ballooned our list to 50 or more. But read about them online at www.backstage.com/spotlight. Focusing on independent casting directors leveled the playing field and highlighted people whose puissance is not affected by one scale-tipping affiliation. Now, on to the top 25!Kerry BardenCan you imagine Monster's Ball starring Erykah Badu, or American Psycho starring Leonardo DiCaprio? Kerry Barden can, because he saw them read the parts. "There are so many great actors that sometimes it's a...
- 4/2/2009
- backstage.com
PARK CITY -- The land of Goshen, namely the barren burg in Indiana, is the grim setting for this tale of despair and renewal. In these biblical terms, it's the story of the prodigal son as Jim, an apathetic 27-year-old, trudges home to dwell with his parents.
Etched in subdued hues and featuring a terrific indie cast of Casey Affleck, Liv Tyler, Mary Kay Place and Seymour Cassel, Lonesome Jim may find most hospitable company as a cable offering, as well as a DVD possibility for the indie connoisseur.
Director Steve Buscemi's hand is alternately edgy and mushy as Lonesome Jim meanders from the darkest recesses of the spirit to an atonal, feel-good finale. Indie fans who usually associate Buscemi's acting with a creepy cynicism will be mystified by the film's uplifting, studio-ish resolution. Jim, however, might be most noteworthy for the finely nuanced scripting of writer James C. Strouse, who kindles a resonant spark from the bleakest of settings and circumstance. In the end, Buscemi seemingly pushes the film's aesthetics, especially the strummy upbeat music, beyond the story's succinct philosophical duality.
Set in the gray of the post-Christmas holidays, Goshen is a netherworld that looks like neither winter or spring. Similarly, Jim's family is devoid of vitality or distinction. They are a sorry, if somewhat well-off lot: Dad (Cassel) owns a ladder-making factory, while Mom (Place) busies herself selling snacks to workers and doting on her two sons, including the newly returned Jim (Affleck) and ever-present Tim (Kevin Corrigan). All are weary, and none are happy; in fact, Tim has repeatedly tried to kill himself behind the wheel. Even by Midwestern standards, they are laconic and uncommunicative.
Permeating this flat family tract is the overall philosophical question: What is the point of going on with lives so drab? Aspiring writer Jim papers his walls with mugs of the most celebrated of the distressed writers -- Platt, Hemingway, Beckett, et al. No one connects, and Mom's incessant chirpiness and neediness only alienates them further. In this world, we never expect to see the spring.
Under Buscemi's overall smart direction, the acting is terrific. Affleck brings credible fiber to a weak-willed loser, while Tyler is warm as a small-town nurse with no hopes. Veteran indie players Place and Cassel are terrific as a husband and wife who ignore and alienate one another. Place is particularly sympathetic as a woman who tries too hard to find love and goodness within her sad-sack family. As a skull-collecting druggie, Mark Boone Junior is a blast of manic energy and evil.
Technical credits are apt and accomplished. Cinematographer Phil Parmet's stark compositions and pallid hues clue us to the characters' inner emptiness, while Chuck Voelter's Midwestern gothic production design is a deadening blend of kitsch and emptiness.
LONESOME JIM
Plum Pictures
Producers: Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Jake Abraham, Gary Winick, Steve Buscemi
Director: Steve Buscemi
Screenwriter: James C. Strouse
Executive producers: Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan, John Sloss, Reagan Silber, Anna Waterhouse
Co-produce: Derrick Tseng
Associate producers: Saxon Eldridge, Emily Gardiner, Mandy Tagger
Director of photography: Phil Parmet
Editor: Plummy Tucker
Productionj designer: Chuck Voelter
Costume designer: Victoria Farrell
Casting directors: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Cast:
Jim: Casey Affleck
Anika: Liv Tyler
Sally: Mary Kay Place
Don: Seymour Cassel
Tim: Kevin Corrigan
Ben: Jack Rovello
Rachel: Rachel Strouse
Sarah: Sarah Strouse
Evil: Mark Boone Junior
Running time -- 87 minutes...
Etched in subdued hues and featuring a terrific indie cast of Casey Affleck, Liv Tyler, Mary Kay Place and Seymour Cassel, Lonesome Jim may find most hospitable company as a cable offering, as well as a DVD possibility for the indie connoisseur.
Director Steve Buscemi's hand is alternately edgy and mushy as Lonesome Jim meanders from the darkest recesses of the spirit to an atonal, feel-good finale. Indie fans who usually associate Buscemi's acting with a creepy cynicism will be mystified by the film's uplifting, studio-ish resolution. Jim, however, might be most noteworthy for the finely nuanced scripting of writer James C. Strouse, who kindles a resonant spark from the bleakest of settings and circumstance. In the end, Buscemi seemingly pushes the film's aesthetics, especially the strummy upbeat music, beyond the story's succinct philosophical duality.
Set in the gray of the post-Christmas holidays, Goshen is a netherworld that looks like neither winter or spring. Similarly, Jim's family is devoid of vitality or distinction. They are a sorry, if somewhat well-off lot: Dad (Cassel) owns a ladder-making factory, while Mom (Place) busies herself selling snacks to workers and doting on her two sons, including the newly returned Jim (Affleck) and ever-present Tim (Kevin Corrigan). All are weary, and none are happy; in fact, Tim has repeatedly tried to kill himself behind the wheel. Even by Midwestern standards, they are laconic and uncommunicative.
Permeating this flat family tract is the overall philosophical question: What is the point of going on with lives so drab? Aspiring writer Jim papers his walls with mugs of the most celebrated of the distressed writers -- Platt, Hemingway, Beckett, et al. No one connects, and Mom's incessant chirpiness and neediness only alienates them further. In this world, we never expect to see the spring.
Under Buscemi's overall smart direction, the acting is terrific. Affleck brings credible fiber to a weak-willed loser, while Tyler is warm as a small-town nurse with no hopes. Veteran indie players Place and Cassel are terrific as a husband and wife who ignore and alienate one another. Place is particularly sympathetic as a woman who tries too hard to find love and goodness within her sad-sack family. As a skull-collecting druggie, Mark Boone Junior is a blast of manic energy and evil.
Technical credits are apt and accomplished. Cinematographer Phil Parmet's stark compositions and pallid hues clue us to the characters' inner emptiness, while Chuck Voelter's Midwestern gothic production design is a deadening blend of kitsch and emptiness.
LONESOME JIM
Plum Pictures
Producers: Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Jake Abraham, Gary Winick, Steve Buscemi
Director: Steve Buscemi
Screenwriter: James C. Strouse
Executive producers: Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan, John Sloss, Reagan Silber, Anna Waterhouse
Co-produce: Derrick Tseng
Associate producers: Saxon Eldridge, Emily Gardiner, Mandy Tagger
Director of photography: Phil Parmet
Editor: Plummy Tucker
Productionj designer: Chuck Voelter
Costume designer: Victoria Farrell
Casting directors: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Cast:
Jim: Casey Affleck
Anika: Liv Tyler
Sally: Mary Kay Place
Don: Seymour Cassel
Tim: Kevin Corrigan
Ben: Jack Rovello
Rachel: Rachel Strouse
Sarah: Sarah Strouse
Evil: Mark Boone Junior
Running time -- 87 minutes...
- 1/25/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The closing-night film of the Deauville American Film Festival on Sept. 8 and slated soon for a theatrical release by Fox Searchlight, The Banger Sisters is an uneven comedy about two old girlfriends -- once legendary groupies -- reuniting in an initially unpleasant fashion when one of them is financially down-and-out and the other is trying to forget their wild pasts. It's got more frank talk about sex than most youth comedies, while its portrayal of a model American family almost disintegrating is some kind of new boomer fantasy/nightmare.
Starring Goldie Hawn -- in one of her best performances -- and Susan Sarandon as the title characters who are not related but teamed up to seduce many of the rock music icons of the 1960s, writer-director Bob Dolman's first feature manages to celebrate middle-aged women and revel in them as fully dimensional and sensual while also making a welcome defense of the era in which they flourished.
Its commercial prospects are subject to the vagaries of critical response, marketing department patience and awards consideration.
Where the film fails to find many contrasts between people and things from then and now beyond the transformation of Sarandon's character into a strict mom, Sisters lets clunky plotting and an uninteresting character creep into a potentially funnier and more endearing scenario. Not to knock the professionalism of Geoffrey Rush, but his performance as a depressed screenwriter who hasn't had sex in 10 years is a mood killer.
Much of the mood of Sisters is orchestrated by Suzette (Hawn), a big-hearted honey who never settled down. Still working on the Sunset Strip at the Whisky a Go Go, where decades before she had as lovers the likes of Jim Morrison and Jimmy Page, Suzette is like an old baseball catcher watching younger players run on and off the field. Her glory days are over, but with a little money, maybe she can hang around and keep watching.
With no advance warning, Suzette drives to Phoenix to borrow money from Lavinia (Sarandon). The two haven't seen each other in 20 years, and each is surprised by how the other has turned out. But first, cashless Suzette takes on a passenger who offers to pay for gas. A fussy eccentric who quickly gets the picture that Suzette is a frank-talking, aggressive female who feels sorry for him, Harry (Rush) has an old manual typewriter and a gun with one bullet.
To his credit, Harry comes around and realizes what a grand time a loveless guy like him can have with Suzette, but the plot machinations needed to keep him in the picture underscore Dolman's overall lack of a strong central theme. Similarly, though individual scenes are hilarious and the performances are more than adequate, the way Suzette crashes into Lavinia's life and causes turmoil is satire reminiscent of American Beauty but with even less cogent results.
When it's Goldie vs. Susan, with the former's character scoring many points early for being upfront and genuine, Sisters has the feel of a classic movie in the making, but Dolman and cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub are unable to keep the momentum going. Eventually, in a partly successful scene, Lavinia can't bear it when her teenage daughters, Hannah (Erika Christensen) and Ginger (Eva Amurri), and lawyer husband Raymond (Robin Thomas) laugh at the thought that she was ever rebellious or "less than perfect."
Snapping back to her old ways, Lavinia cuts her hair, borrows some clothes and goes dancing with Suzette. Getting in the groove with the Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House," Lavinia proves that Bob Seger was right: "Rock 'n' roll never forgets." Later, she brings out a box of mementos, including an old joint and a fistful of Polaroids. The latter, rock star "cock" shots, are the stuff of a straitlaced clan's meltdown, which almost occurs when the rest of Lavinia's family bursts in on the stoned gals.
Although Raymond is largely silent and unseen, Lavinia's daughters provide an easy entry into the less-than-perfect younger generation. Hannah is on every page of the high school yearbook and pessimistic on the eve of delivering the school's graduation speech. In their somewhat forced introduction at a hotel, Suzette helps her get through a bad acid trip and later checks out the tush of her boyfriend (Matthew Carey) when the youngsters are caught making love in the family pool.
Sarandon's daughter in real life, Amurri in Sisters plays a much shriller sibling than the charmingly upbeat daughter she plays in the upcoming Made-up. Here, she's loud and physical and almost steals the show. As for the big sisters, Sarandon goes through a bigger transformation, but she has less raw charisma than Hawn, who dominates the film. It's impossible not to think of Kate Hudson, Hawn's daughter, in Almost Famous. Only in movies can one cheer a mother for burning up the screen as a sexy woman, showing one way to survive in a tough business.
THE BANGER SISTERS
Fox Searchlight
A Gran Via/Elizabeth Cantillon production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Bob Dolman
Producers: Mark Johnson, Elizabeth Cantillon
Executive producer: David Bushell
Director of photography: Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Production designer: Maia Javan
Editor: Aram Nigoghossian
Costume designer: Jacqueline West
Music: Trevor Rabin
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Cast:
Suzette: Goldie Hawn
Lavinia: Susan Sarandon
Harry: Geoffrey Rush
Hannah: Erika Christensen
Ginger: Eva Amurri
Raymond: Robin Thomas
Jules: Matthew Carey
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating R...
Starring Goldie Hawn -- in one of her best performances -- and Susan Sarandon as the title characters who are not related but teamed up to seduce many of the rock music icons of the 1960s, writer-director Bob Dolman's first feature manages to celebrate middle-aged women and revel in them as fully dimensional and sensual while also making a welcome defense of the era in which they flourished.
Its commercial prospects are subject to the vagaries of critical response, marketing department patience and awards consideration.
Where the film fails to find many contrasts between people and things from then and now beyond the transformation of Sarandon's character into a strict mom, Sisters lets clunky plotting and an uninteresting character creep into a potentially funnier and more endearing scenario. Not to knock the professionalism of Geoffrey Rush, but his performance as a depressed screenwriter who hasn't had sex in 10 years is a mood killer.
Much of the mood of Sisters is orchestrated by Suzette (Hawn), a big-hearted honey who never settled down. Still working on the Sunset Strip at the Whisky a Go Go, where decades before she had as lovers the likes of Jim Morrison and Jimmy Page, Suzette is like an old baseball catcher watching younger players run on and off the field. Her glory days are over, but with a little money, maybe she can hang around and keep watching.
With no advance warning, Suzette drives to Phoenix to borrow money from Lavinia (Sarandon). The two haven't seen each other in 20 years, and each is surprised by how the other has turned out. But first, cashless Suzette takes on a passenger who offers to pay for gas. A fussy eccentric who quickly gets the picture that Suzette is a frank-talking, aggressive female who feels sorry for him, Harry (Rush) has an old manual typewriter and a gun with one bullet.
To his credit, Harry comes around and realizes what a grand time a loveless guy like him can have with Suzette, but the plot machinations needed to keep him in the picture underscore Dolman's overall lack of a strong central theme. Similarly, though individual scenes are hilarious and the performances are more than adequate, the way Suzette crashes into Lavinia's life and causes turmoil is satire reminiscent of American Beauty but with even less cogent results.
When it's Goldie vs. Susan, with the former's character scoring many points early for being upfront and genuine, Sisters has the feel of a classic movie in the making, but Dolman and cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub are unable to keep the momentum going. Eventually, in a partly successful scene, Lavinia can't bear it when her teenage daughters, Hannah (Erika Christensen) and Ginger (Eva Amurri), and lawyer husband Raymond (Robin Thomas) laugh at the thought that she was ever rebellious or "less than perfect."
Snapping back to her old ways, Lavinia cuts her hair, borrows some clothes and goes dancing with Suzette. Getting in the groove with the Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House," Lavinia proves that Bob Seger was right: "Rock 'n' roll never forgets." Later, she brings out a box of mementos, including an old joint and a fistful of Polaroids. The latter, rock star "cock" shots, are the stuff of a straitlaced clan's meltdown, which almost occurs when the rest of Lavinia's family bursts in on the stoned gals.
Although Raymond is largely silent and unseen, Lavinia's daughters provide an easy entry into the less-than-perfect younger generation. Hannah is on every page of the high school yearbook and pessimistic on the eve of delivering the school's graduation speech. In their somewhat forced introduction at a hotel, Suzette helps her get through a bad acid trip and later checks out the tush of her boyfriend (Matthew Carey) when the youngsters are caught making love in the family pool.
Sarandon's daughter in real life, Amurri in Sisters plays a much shriller sibling than the charmingly upbeat daughter she plays in the upcoming Made-up. Here, she's loud and physical and almost steals the show. As for the big sisters, Sarandon goes through a bigger transformation, but she has less raw charisma than Hawn, who dominates the film. It's impossible not to think of Kate Hudson, Hawn's daughter, in Almost Famous. Only in movies can one cheer a mother for burning up the screen as a sexy woman, showing one way to survive in a tough business.
THE BANGER SISTERS
Fox Searchlight
A Gran Via/Elizabeth Cantillon production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Bob Dolman
Producers: Mark Johnson, Elizabeth Cantillon
Executive producer: David Bushell
Director of photography: Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Production designer: Maia Javan
Editor: Aram Nigoghossian
Costume designer: Jacqueline West
Music: Trevor Rabin
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Cast:
Suzette: Goldie Hawn
Lavinia: Susan Sarandon
Harry: Geoffrey Rush
Hannah: Erika Christensen
Ginger: Eva Amurri
Raymond: Robin Thomas
Jules: Matthew Carey
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating R...
John Leguizamo, Rosie Perez, Marisa Tomei and the late Justin Pierce, all of whom appeared in New York indie filmmaker Seth Svi Rosenfeld's promising first film, "A Brother's Kiss", released three years ago by First Look, are fully submerged in the Upper West Side Hoi Polloi of the well-intentioned drama "King of the Jungle".
Showcased recently at Outfest and screening Saturday as part of the L.A. Latino fest at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, writer-director Rosenfeld's "Jungle" is as deadly serious but more accomplished than the downbeat "Kiss". Although the market for such fare currently is uninspiring, the cast and merits of this project should garner it limited exposure beyond the festival circuit.
A movie seemingly eager to take on controversial issues and show underrepresented people, "Jungle" centers on Leguizamo's gutsy portrayal of "mildly retarded" Seymour, who lives in an apartment with his politically active Latina mother, Mona (Julie Carmen). With a low IQ and the social skills of a child, friendly and adventuresome Seymour is easy to please and easy to frustrate.
One is pleased and sometimes frustrated to see the film so boldly paint the world around Seymour. Mona is a hothead with a lesbian girlfriend (Perez), and they are heavily involved in protesting police violence against minorities. At one such nighttime neighborhood rally, a cop is mysteriously gunned down, and Seymour is fatefully there to see the blood flow.
Seymour's unlikable father, Jack (Cliff Gorman), avoids his Knicks-loving son, but a rough outburst of violence from an unexpected source forever alters their worlds, and the two come together as a consequence. When Mona is shot dead by a sociopathic goon (Pierce) who resides with a stark femme fatale of a mother (Annabella Sciorra), Seymour is understandably fearful and seeks out street buddy Francis (Michael Rapaport), but there's not much he or anyone can really do to change a toxic world.
In one hellacious sequence at the police station, certainly a medium-mild condemnation of "New York's finest", Perez's distraught character is treated antagonistically by the cops, including a snappy detective (Tomei).
With fragments of memories confusing him constantly, punctuated with moments of clarity, Seymour is not about to avenge his mother. But in the climax, he does get a gun to cause alarm, and he gets to dribble and shoot at Madison Square Garden in an earlier episode (filmed during a real March 1999 NBA game).
In the retelling, "Jungle" is not airtight by a long shot, nor particularly memorable, but the multitalented Leguizamo suits up and plays his difficult character without a hitch. Carmen, Gorman and Perez are all excellent, while Sciorra and Pierce's freaky scenes together are confusingly cut short.
KING OF THE JUNGLE
Bombo Sports & Entertainment
Director-screenwriter: Seth Svi Rosenfeld
Producers: Bob Potter, Scott Macaulay,
Robin O'Hara
Director of photography: Fortunato Procopio
Production designer: Deana Sydney
Editors: Katherine Sanford, Andy Keir
Costume designer: Richard Owings
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Seymour: John Leguizamo
Mona: Julie Carmen
Jack: Cliff Gorman
Joanne: Rosie Perez
Francis: Michael Rapaport
Detective Costello: Marisa Tomei
Li'l Mafia: Justin Pierce
Mermaid: Annabella Sciorra
Running time - 86 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Showcased recently at Outfest and screening Saturday as part of the L.A. Latino fest at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, writer-director Rosenfeld's "Jungle" is as deadly serious but more accomplished than the downbeat "Kiss". Although the market for such fare currently is uninspiring, the cast and merits of this project should garner it limited exposure beyond the festival circuit.
A movie seemingly eager to take on controversial issues and show underrepresented people, "Jungle" centers on Leguizamo's gutsy portrayal of "mildly retarded" Seymour, who lives in an apartment with his politically active Latina mother, Mona (Julie Carmen). With a low IQ and the social skills of a child, friendly and adventuresome Seymour is easy to please and easy to frustrate.
One is pleased and sometimes frustrated to see the film so boldly paint the world around Seymour. Mona is a hothead with a lesbian girlfriend (Perez), and they are heavily involved in protesting police violence against minorities. At one such nighttime neighborhood rally, a cop is mysteriously gunned down, and Seymour is fatefully there to see the blood flow.
Seymour's unlikable father, Jack (Cliff Gorman), avoids his Knicks-loving son, but a rough outburst of violence from an unexpected source forever alters their worlds, and the two come together as a consequence. When Mona is shot dead by a sociopathic goon (Pierce) who resides with a stark femme fatale of a mother (Annabella Sciorra), Seymour is understandably fearful and seeks out street buddy Francis (Michael Rapaport), but there's not much he or anyone can really do to change a toxic world.
In one hellacious sequence at the police station, certainly a medium-mild condemnation of "New York's finest", Perez's distraught character is treated antagonistically by the cops, including a snappy detective (Tomei).
With fragments of memories confusing him constantly, punctuated with moments of clarity, Seymour is not about to avenge his mother. But in the climax, he does get a gun to cause alarm, and he gets to dribble and shoot at Madison Square Garden in an earlier episode (filmed during a real March 1999 NBA game).
In the retelling, "Jungle" is not airtight by a long shot, nor particularly memorable, but the multitalented Leguizamo suits up and plays his difficult character without a hitch. Carmen, Gorman and Perez are all excellent, while Sciorra and Pierce's freaky scenes together are confusingly cut short.
KING OF THE JUNGLE
Bombo Sports & Entertainment
Director-screenwriter: Seth Svi Rosenfeld
Producers: Bob Potter, Scott Macaulay,
Robin O'Hara
Director of photography: Fortunato Procopio
Production designer: Deana Sydney
Editors: Katherine Sanford, Andy Keir
Costume designer: Richard Owings
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Seymour: John Leguizamo
Mona: Julie Carmen
Jack: Cliff Gorman
Joanne: Rosie Perez
Francis: Michael Rapaport
Detective Costello: Marisa Tomei
Li'l Mafia: Justin Pierce
Mermaid: Annabella Sciorra
Running time - 86 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/20/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A remorseful young man convicted of a serious drug-dealing charge is sent to the Big House and soon appears headed for a lengthy, possibly deadly descent into the criminal underworld. But he's befriended by an unrepentant lifer who quotes John Milton's "Paradise Lost" in this gritty, absorbing prison drama.
Actor Steve Buscemi's second feature as director measures up well against his equally melancholic but well-crafted, insightful 1996 debut, "Trees Lounge". After bowing at the Sundance Film Festival and being acquired recently by indie distributor Silver Nitrate, "Animal Factory" was released locally at Outfest, Los Angeles' annual gay and lesbian film fest. Its commercial prospects are no doubt limited, but such a compassionate, thoughtful peek into hell deserves the chance to find an audience.
Based on Edward Bunker's novel of the same name and written for the screen by Bunker and John Steppling, "Animal Factory" has a matter-of-fact approach to inmate violence, inmate drug use and prison authorities who are fighting a losing battle trying to reform and educate felons in the always-tense atmosphere inside the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary.
In the two lead roles, Edward Furlong as Ron Decker, a prison newcomer, and Willem Dafoe as Earl Copen, Decker's protector and mentor, deliver powerfully convincing performances. Spared initially from any life-shattering incidents, Decker witnesses a stabbing and gets the message. In order to survive in a place where even the strongest are quickly cut down, he must make friends, but the nature of prison society makes that difficult to accomplish.
Early on, Decker's experience is contrasted with a young black man who enters the pen at the same time. The latter is swiftly snapped up by a veteran inmate who makes him his "punk," or sexual plaything, a fate that Copen insists marks a man for life -- or at least as long as he considers his reputation among inmates his most precious possession.
While Copen is not shy about hinting at more than brotherly love between the two, he's nobly motivated to keep Decker out of the danger zone. One close encounter with a gang rape-minded character known as Psycho Mike is diffused by Copen, but when Decker is targeted by a predatory brute (Tom Arnold), he seeks revenge and succeeds. Another bloody, random attack by a crazed black inmate in the shower threatens to set off a racial tit for tat, but levelheaded Copen keeps the peace.
Watched closely by a sympathetic prison authority (Seymour Cassel), educated Copen is unable to keep Decker out of trouble enough to get out early. (Buscemi has a small supporting role as a prison staffer who reviews the status of inmates.) One thing leads to another, and Copen comes up with a plan to escape that leads to a very tense but surprisingly upbeat finale.
Although he's in only a few scenes, barely recognizable Mickey Rourke makes a lasting impression as Decker's cellmate, a gruff cross-dresser dubbed Jan the Actress. Veteran tough guy Danny Trejo is likewise effective as one of Copen's drug-consuming pals, and John Heard is well-cast as Decker's increasingly frantic but helpless father.
John Lurie's excellent score is also a major contribution.
ANIMAL FACTORY
Silver Nitrate
Franchise Pictures presents a Phoenician
Entertainment/Industry Entertainment/
Artists Production Group production
Producers: Julie Yorn, Elie Samaha,
Andrew Stevens, Steve Buscemi
Executive producers: Allan Cohen, Barry Cohen
Director: Steve Buscemi
Screenwriters: Edward Bunker, John Steppling
Director of photography: Phil Parmet
Production designer: Steve Rosenzweig
Editor: Kate Williams
Costume designer: Lisa Parmet
Music: John Lurie
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Earl Copen: Willem Dafoe
Ron Decker: Edward Furlong
Lt. Seeman: Seymour Cassel
Jan the Actress: Mickey Rourke
A.R. Hosspack: Steve Buscemi
Buck Rowan: Tom Arnold
James Decker: John Heard
Vito: Danny Trejo
Running time - 94 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Actor Steve Buscemi's second feature as director measures up well against his equally melancholic but well-crafted, insightful 1996 debut, "Trees Lounge". After bowing at the Sundance Film Festival and being acquired recently by indie distributor Silver Nitrate, "Animal Factory" was released locally at Outfest, Los Angeles' annual gay and lesbian film fest. Its commercial prospects are no doubt limited, but such a compassionate, thoughtful peek into hell deserves the chance to find an audience.
Based on Edward Bunker's novel of the same name and written for the screen by Bunker and John Steppling, "Animal Factory" has a matter-of-fact approach to inmate violence, inmate drug use and prison authorities who are fighting a losing battle trying to reform and educate felons in the always-tense atmosphere inside the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary.
In the two lead roles, Edward Furlong as Ron Decker, a prison newcomer, and Willem Dafoe as Earl Copen, Decker's protector and mentor, deliver powerfully convincing performances. Spared initially from any life-shattering incidents, Decker witnesses a stabbing and gets the message. In order to survive in a place where even the strongest are quickly cut down, he must make friends, but the nature of prison society makes that difficult to accomplish.
Early on, Decker's experience is contrasted with a young black man who enters the pen at the same time. The latter is swiftly snapped up by a veteran inmate who makes him his "punk," or sexual plaything, a fate that Copen insists marks a man for life -- or at least as long as he considers his reputation among inmates his most precious possession.
While Copen is not shy about hinting at more than brotherly love between the two, he's nobly motivated to keep Decker out of the danger zone. One close encounter with a gang rape-minded character known as Psycho Mike is diffused by Copen, but when Decker is targeted by a predatory brute (Tom Arnold), he seeks revenge and succeeds. Another bloody, random attack by a crazed black inmate in the shower threatens to set off a racial tit for tat, but levelheaded Copen keeps the peace.
Watched closely by a sympathetic prison authority (Seymour Cassel), educated Copen is unable to keep Decker out of trouble enough to get out early. (Buscemi has a small supporting role as a prison staffer who reviews the status of inmates.) One thing leads to another, and Copen comes up with a plan to escape that leads to a very tense but surprisingly upbeat finale.
Although he's in only a few scenes, barely recognizable Mickey Rourke makes a lasting impression as Decker's cellmate, a gruff cross-dresser dubbed Jan the Actress. Veteran tough guy Danny Trejo is likewise effective as one of Copen's drug-consuming pals, and John Heard is well-cast as Decker's increasingly frantic but helpless father.
John Lurie's excellent score is also a major contribution.
ANIMAL FACTORY
Silver Nitrate
Franchise Pictures presents a Phoenician
Entertainment/Industry Entertainment/
Artists Production Group production
Producers: Julie Yorn, Elie Samaha,
Andrew Stevens, Steve Buscemi
Executive producers: Allan Cohen, Barry Cohen
Director: Steve Buscemi
Screenwriters: Edward Bunker, John Steppling
Director of photography: Phil Parmet
Production designer: Steve Rosenzweig
Editor: Kate Williams
Costume designer: Lisa Parmet
Music: John Lurie
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Earl Copen: Willem Dafoe
Ron Decker: Edward Furlong
Lt. Seeman: Seymour Cassel
Jan the Actress: Mickey Rourke
A.R. Hosspack: Steve Buscemi
Buck Rowan: Tom Arnold
James Decker: John Heard
Vito: Danny Trejo
Running time - 94 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/14/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
PARK CITY, Utah -- "The 24-Hour Woman" needs a rest in this contemporary satire of the frazzling of modern women sucked into believing they can do and have it all with little or no downside. Featuring Rosie Perez, this well-intentioned comedy is unfortunately packed with so many loose threads, instantaneous shifts of plot and motivation that it more resembles a network sitcom pilot than a feature film.
That is not to say this Sundance Film Festival selection, which premieres at the fest tonight, is not without its dramatic and comic charms -- overall, it makes some solid points about how child-raising is denigrated in this smugly enlightened, careerist age.
In this Shooting Gallery presentation, Perez stars as a frenzied TV producer of a morning show geared toward the distaff demographic. Grace is clearly on the way up in her career and new marriage to one of the show's hosts, aspiring action hero Eddie (Diego Serrano).
When it's learned that Grace is pregnant, the show's piranha-like executive producer (Patti Lupone) decides to milk the pregnancy for ratings hay: The show goes into a deep-pregnancy mode in which all facets of Grace's changing condition are explored, poked and put up for public view -- glamorizing pregnancy while propagandizing for the ability of the career woman to do it all.
Not surprisingly, pregnancy itself is not all happy talk and fun times: Grace's weight gain and the emotional drain of having her life put on public display begin to fray at her pretensions of being a superwoman.
One part "Network", two pinches of "Mr. Mom" and a dose of satire on "Oprah/Rosie/Roseanne"-ish talk shows," "The 24-Hour Woman", like the film's heroine, often tries to juggle too many divergent tasks. It never settles into a comfortable narrative rhythm, gyrating with tonal swings and often repeating itself with redundant comic scenes.
Still, its central theme -- that pregnancy and child-rearing is underappreciated in this society -- is smartly detailed as Grace endures the slings and arrows of snide careerist women, as well as the callow smugness of her "supportive" husband. Particularly touching is a subplot involving Grace's assistant, Madeline (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a mother of three returning to the workplace whose truculent husband Roy (Wendell Price) is none too happy to emasculate his manhood by being a househusband. The exhausting balancing act that Madeline must maintain between family and work is perhaps the film's most powerful thread.
The players deserve praise for their adroit performances. In particular, Perez is engaging as the woman who feels pressured into doing it all. Jean-Baptiste's measured performance as the working mother of three brims with smart detail, while Price is well-cast as the feisty, old-time male provider. Serrano is appropriately charismatic and callow as Grace's immature husband, while Lupone is industry-perfect as a callous, cold-hearted careerist.
Despite the sometimes scattered nature of the storytelling, screenwriters Nancy Savoca and Richard Guay have created credible, sympathetic characters and cleverly shown the incredible demands and talents it takes to raise children. Under director Nancy Savoca's empathetic guidance, the story, even when it fails to jell, rings true.
Unfortunately, the sometimes scattered scripting and the film's laggardly pacing often sink it into the doldrums. Technically, Bob Shaw's production design is first-rate, telling and funny, while Kathleen Mobley's costumes captures the frenzy of the workplace as well as the insecurities of people who try to balance too much and, ironically, become out of balance themselves.
Unfortunately, the production is marred by some dreadful sound work, with the dialogue sometimes nearly inaudible, particularly when the background score and noise kick in with action-movie gusto.
THE 24-HOUR WOMAN
Artisan Entertainment
The Shooting Gallery presents
a Redeemable Features/Exile Films production
in association with Dirt Road Prods.
Producers: Richard Guay, Larry Meistrich, Peter Newman
Director: Nancy Savoca
Screenwriters: Nancy Savoca, Richard Guay
Executive producers: Steve Carlis, Donald C. Carter, Daniel J. Victor
Director of photography: Teresa Medina
Co-producer: Rosie Perez
Editor: Camilla Toniolo
Production designer: Bob Shaw
Music: Louie Vega, Kenny Gonzalez
Music supervisors: Barry Cole, Christopher Covert
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Line producer: Diana Schmidt
Color/stereo
Cast:
Grace Santos: Rosie Perez
Madeline Labelle: Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Joan Marshall: Patti Lupone
Margo Lynn: Karen Duffy
Eddie Diaz: Diego Serrano
Roy Labelle: Wendell Price
Dr. Suzanne Pincus: Melissa Leo
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
That is not to say this Sundance Film Festival selection, which premieres at the fest tonight, is not without its dramatic and comic charms -- overall, it makes some solid points about how child-raising is denigrated in this smugly enlightened, careerist age.
In this Shooting Gallery presentation, Perez stars as a frenzied TV producer of a morning show geared toward the distaff demographic. Grace is clearly on the way up in her career and new marriage to one of the show's hosts, aspiring action hero Eddie (Diego Serrano).
When it's learned that Grace is pregnant, the show's piranha-like executive producer (Patti Lupone) decides to milk the pregnancy for ratings hay: The show goes into a deep-pregnancy mode in which all facets of Grace's changing condition are explored, poked and put up for public view -- glamorizing pregnancy while propagandizing for the ability of the career woman to do it all.
Not surprisingly, pregnancy itself is not all happy talk and fun times: Grace's weight gain and the emotional drain of having her life put on public display begin to fray at her pretensions of being a superwoman.
One part "Network", two pinches of "Mr. Mom" and a dose of satire on "Oprah/Rosie/Roseanne"-ish talk shows," "The 24-Hour Woman", like the film's heroine, often tries to juggle too many divergent tasks. It never settles into a comfortable narrative rhythm, gyrating with tonal swings and often repeating itself with redundant comic scenes.
Still, its central theme -- that pregnancy and child-rearing is underappreciated in this society -- is smartly detailed as Grace endures the slings and arrows of snide careerist women, as well as the callow smugness of her "supportive" husband. Particularly touching is a subplot involving Grace's assistant, Madeline (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a mother of three returning to the workplace whose truculent husband Roy (Wendell Price) is none too happy to emasculate his manhood by being a househusband. The exhausting balancing act that Madeline must maintain between family and work is perhaps the film's most powerful thread.
The players deserve praise for their adroit performances. In particular, Perez is engaging as the woman who feels pressured into doing it all. Jean-Baptiste's measured performance as the working mother of three brims with smart detail, while Price is well-cast as the feisty, old-time male provider. Serrano is appropriately charismatic and callow as Grace's immature husband, while Lupone is industry-perfect as a callous, cold-hearted careerist.
Despite the sometimes scattered nature of the storytelling, screenwriters Nancy Savoca and Richard Guay have created credible, sympathetic characters and cleverly shown the incredible demands and talents it takes to raise children. Under director Nancy Savoca's empathetic guidance, the story, even when it fails to jell, rings true.
Unfortunately, the sometimes scattered scripting and the film's laggardly pacing often sink it into the doldrums. Technically, Bob Shaw's production design is first-rate, telling and funny, while Kathleen Mobley's costumes captures the frenzy of the workplace as well as the insecurities of people who try to balance too much and, ironically, become out of balance themselves.
Unfortunately, the production is marred by some dreadful sound work, with the dialogue sometimes nearly inaudible, particularly when the background score and noise kick in with action-movie gusto.
THE 24-HOUR WOMAN
Artisan Entertainment
The Shooting Gallery presents
a Redeemable Features/Exile Films production
in association with Dirt Road Prods.
Producers: Richard Guay, Larry Meistrich, Peter Newman
Director: Nancy Savoca
Screenwriters: Nancy Savoca, Richard Guay
Executive producers: Steve Carlis, Donald C. Carter, Daniel J. Victor
Director of photography: Teresa Medina
Co-producer: Rosie Perez
Editor: Camilla Toniolo
Production designer: Bob Shaw
Music: Louie Vega, Kenny Gonzalez
Music supervisors: Barry Cole, Christopher Covert
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Line producer: Diana Schmidt
Color/stereo
Cast:
Grace Santos: Rosie Perez
Madeline Labelle: Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Joan Marshall: Patti Lupone
Margo Lynn: Karen Duffy
Eddie Diaz: Diego Serrano
Roy Labelle: Wendell Price
Dr. Suzanne Pincus: Melissa Leo
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 1/22/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What with last year's "Boogie Nights" and "The Ice Storm", the big 1970s nostalgia-fest continues in style with "Slums of Beverly Hills", a bracingly funny, knowing, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy set during a time when success was measured by the height of one's brown shag carpeting.
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell, Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell, Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/14/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What with last year's "Boogie Nights" and "The Ice Storm", the big 1970s nostalgia-fest continues in style with "Slums of Beverly Hills", a bracingly funny, knowing, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy set during a time when success was measured by the height of one's brown shag carpeting.
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell,
Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
A remarkably assured debut for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, the semi-autobiographical picture scores with biting originality and a terrific ensemble featuring young Natasha Lyonne in a breakout performance, the always effective Alan Arkin and an irrepressible Marisa Tomei in her best role since "My Cousin Vinny".
This quirky, smiley-face of a fish-out-of-water story should hold universal appeal for female adolescents and family members from virtually any generation and economic standing. Careful marketing could earn Fox Searchlight some pleasingly modest numbers.
Jenkins' poignantly dysfunctional reminiscence is seen through the somewhat cynical eyes of 15-year-old Vivian Abramowitz (Lyonne), who, along with her divorced, well-meaning car dealer father, Murray (Arkin) and her two annoying brothers, Ben and Rickey, (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal), are constantly moving from dump to dump with alluring names such as "The Paradise" and "The Capri", located on the fringes of the 90210 zip code so that the kids can attend the better Beverly Hills schools.
As if that isn't humiliating enough, there's the matter of Vivian's breasts, which have blossomed rather voluminously for the whole world to abruptly take notice. Suddenly Vivian's dad is insisting she wears her brand-new underwire bra beneath her halter tops -- a somewhat unsightly look even by 1976 standards.
Things begin to look up, sort of, when Murray's benefactor brother Mickey (Carl Reiner) agrees to supplement his meager income if he takes in his messed-up daughter, Rita (a sparkling Tomei), who's about to be released from drug rehab. The financial infusion means the Abramowitz family can move across the street into a luxury furnished apartment that looks like one of those swinging bachelor pads from a vintage "Love, American Style" episode.
Ultimately, despite the monetary and mammillary gain, Vivian learns how to accept both herself and her flawed but lovable family for what they are.
Filmmaker Jenkins has crafted a seldom-seen female rite-of- passage story that is equally outrageous and tellingly truthful. And, unlike the previous, somewhat jaded depictions of the era, she presents a quaintly bemused version of the '70s that neatly reflects Vivian's own personal upheaval -- both aggressively defiant and affectionately clunky at the same time.
As the heart and soul of "Slums of Beverly Hills", Lyonne delivers a perfectly rendered performance, one that painfully and comically captures the conflicting child-woman impulses of her character. As her unofficial mentor, meanwhile, Tomei is a free-spirited firecracker who has struggled, albeit disastrously, to come out from under the oppressive domain of her overbearing parents (nicely played by Reiner and Rita Moreno).
Effective also, are Krumholtz and Marienthal as Lyonne's all-too-real siblings: Kevin Corrigan, as a drug-dealing, Charles Manson-obsessed but nevertheless sweet neighbor and Jessica Walter as Arkin's starchy girlfriend.
Similarly on the money are the technical contributions, with fine, cringe-inducing period touches from production designer Dena Roth and costume designer Kirsten Everberg. Music supervisors G. Marq Roswell and Gary Calamar have dusted off an evocative mix of period tunes serving as gentle reminders that '70s music can be more than just disco.
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Fox Searchlight
A South Fork Pictures production
Director-screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins
Producers: Michael Nozik, Stan Wlodkowski
Executive producer: Robert Redford
Director of photography: Tom Richmond
Production designer: Dena Roth
Editor: Pamela Martin
Costume designer: Kirsten Everberg
Music: Rolfe Kent
Music supervisors: G. Marq Roswell,
Gary Calamar
Casting: Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken
Color/stereo
Cast:
Vivian: Natasha Lyonne
Murray: Alan Arkin
Rita: Marisa Tomei
Eliot: Kevin Corrigan
Doris: Jessica Walter
Belle: Rita Moreno
Ben: David Krumholtz
Rickey: Eli Marienthal
Mickey: Carl Reiner
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 5/22/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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