MovieJuice

MovieJuice meets Marc Adler, co-writer/director of "Delgo"

By Mark Ramsey | December 22, 2008 | Permanent link

Meet Marc Adler, the mad genius behind the new animated adventure fantasy Delgo.

What was it like tag-teaming Malcolm McDowell and Kelly Ripa? Does Burt Reynolds have lots of dinner theater stories? Are Michael Clarke Duncan and Ving Rhames really the same person, and would you ever ask them that to their face(s)? What's it like being the filling in a Mel Brooks / Anne Bancroft sandwich?

Those questions and much more will be answered in this interview.

Enjoy!

And take the kids to the movie!


MP3 File

MovieJuice meets Paul W. S. Anderson, director of Death Race

By Mark Ramsey | December 20, 2008 | Permanent link

It's not every filmmaker that aspires to make a movie where Joan Allen drops an "F-bomb" before being blown up by a real one, but that's half the fun for writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson.

Check out this interview I did with Paul to celebrate the DVD release of his latest, Death Race.

And discover what it's like to be confused for the guy who directed There Will Be Blood, why Tyrese Gibson may actually be related to Debbie Gibson, why Roger Corman puts me to sleep, and whether or not Paul plans a remake of The Tomb of Ligeia.

I know you're on pins and needles about that last one.

Enjoy, gang.


MP3 File

The Day the Earth Stood Still

By Mark Ramsey | December 18, 2008 | Permanent link

It's 1928 and there's a sphere in the snow. There's a snow-angel too, but only the sphere can be authentically linked to the heavens.

Back to the present day, where we see Jennifer Connelly lecturing to her class. Jennifer is a brilliant scientist because her statuesque good looks doom her to a life of bookish pursuits.

The government swoops in to gather her up along with a batch of other scientists. Because the only time you see a scientist in a movie is because the world is about to end.

The same holds true when you see Madonna in a movie, but that's another story.

A bright light descends over Manhattan, marking the first time "Keanu Reeves" is featured in the same sentence as the word "bright."

If the Earth really stood still it would burn up, but if that's what it takes to deliver us from another Keanu performance, I say bring on the blaze.

An injured alien looks amazingly like Keanu, to which I can only say "whoa!" Keanu is Klaatu, an alien in human form named after one of the members of ABBA.

"This body will take some getting used to," says Keanu about his human body.

Now he knows how we feel.

It doesn't surprise me that another planet sent Keanu to Earth any more than it fails to surprise me that they won't take him back.

Will Smith's son Jaden is the cute and cuddly juvenile character you'll remember from the original Day the Earth Stood Still directed by the great Robert Wise. What? You don't remember the cute and cuddly juvenile character in that version of the story? Well that has to be because the makers of this version improved on it, don't you think?

"Having a cute and cuddly sidekick worked for Bambi," said director Hacky McHack. "So it can certainly work for Keaunu Reeves who has in common with a 2D cartoon character the same emotional depth."

Jaden is this movie's version of puppies on a live webcam.

Cut to the giant robot, GORT, who looks like he spends a lot of time in the CGI robot gym. "GORT" evidently stands for "Genetically Organized Robotic Technology," meaning he can dissolve into a massive swarm of civilization-devouring CGI insects, as if this movie doesn't devour enough civilization on its own.

"Why have you come to our planet?" Kathy Bates asks Keanu.

"To over-extend a notable turn in Point Break to a twenty year career despite all good evidence to the contrary," replies Keanu.

"I came to save the Earth," Keanu adds, after which the Earth burst into simultaneous and raucous laughter and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen attempted to inject Keanu directly into the world's financial system.

Dangerous spheres lurk over every city!

"Send in the drones!" commands Kathy Bates.

"Present and accounted for!" said Keanu.

What are these spheres for? Never mind - we don't understand them. Let's kill them!

Keanu wants to be taken to our leader, so Jennifer takes him to John Cleese.

"No, not your leader of Monty Python, your world leader!"

"You lack the will to change!" says a typically emotionless Keanu. "Especially the will to change this script!"

Will the the people of the Earth be saved or extinguished?

"What aspect of humanity is worth saving?" he asks.

"Surely the one that makes Dancing with the Stars one of America's favorite TV shows," says Jennifer.

The original Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic. This version is a classic mess.

Now I know why they call them "disaster movies."