Ghostbusters: Afterlife

 

Based on the film series written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis that was directed by Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the story set more than 30 years after events in New York City in which a single mother and her two teenage kids inherit a home from her late father who had discovered something terrifying as it related to his old job as a Ghostbuster. Directed by Jason Reitman and screenplay by Reitman and Gil Kenan, the film is the third part in a film series that began in 1984 with a sequel five years later as it explore a family in a small town in Oklahoma who discover what a woman’s estranged father had discovered. Starring Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Bokeem Woodbine, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Bill Murray. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is an exhilarating and adventurous film from Jason Reitman.

Set in a small town in Oklahoma, the film follows a single mother and her two teenage kids who have been evicted from their home in Chicago where they inherited the home of that woman’s father whom she never knew where her kids discovered an event that their grandfather was trying to prevent before his passing. It is a film in which a family doesn’t just discover a legacy this man had left behind but also a chance to finish something that he wanted to prevent in order to save the world. The film’s screenplay by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan opens with an old man driving out of a cave and waiting for a ghost to arrive at his home and then cut to another city where this woman in Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) has just been evicted from her Chicago apartment as she and her two teenage kids in Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) travel to Summerville, Oklahoma where they live in the home of Callie’s estranged father Egon whom the town refers to as the Dirt Farmer. The script is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it does a lot in exploring not just Callie’s resentment towards her father whom she felt abandoned her but also her two kids who are just trying to find themselves in this new town.

Phoebe is the most compelling of the Spengler kids as she is someone who loves science and is offbeat as she is the first to discover things in her grandfather’s home as it allowed her to get to know who he is. While Trevor isn’t as developed as his younger sister as he’s just a 15-year old kid trying to get a summer job and win over his co-worker in Lucky Domingo (Celeste O’Connor) at drive-in restaurant they work at. He does manage to discover something in the mountain above the cave as well as fix up a car he found in the garage that was the Ecto-1 car the Ghostbusters used in their exploits in the 1980s. The script also play into what Egon is trying to deal with and stop from preventing as it is clear that it related to events that happened in 1984 as Trevor, Phoebe, Lucky, and Phoebe’s classmate Podcast (Logan Kim) try to stop it while Callie is in a subplot where she finds herself fascinated by Phoebe’s science teacher Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) who is a fan of the Ghostbusters as he is suspicious about the earthquakes that is happening in Summerville leading to some big revelations over what everyone has to face.

Reitman’s direction is sprawling in terms of its setting as it is shot on location in areas around Calgary, Alberta in Canada along with a few bits in New York City as it play into a world as if nothing serious is happening though it opens with a chase in which Egon Spengler (Bob Gunton and Ivan Reitman) are awaiting for something to happen only to later be attacked and die of a heart attack. While there are some unique wide shots of the locations that Reitman uses in the film including the scale of Spengler’s farm what he has hidden under his crops. Reitman does maintain an intimacy as well as some style in the medium shots and close-ups that does include moments where Phoebe discovers things about her grandfather as including the ghost trap and the proton pack that her grandfather was updating. There are moments that are funny that involve Phoebe, Podcast, and Gary Grooberson trying to open a ghost trap as well as Grooberson geeking out over the proton pack that Phoebe was using during a chase with Trevor and Podcast.

Reitman definitely creates some callbacks to the previous films that his father helmed but also what happened to the Ghostbusters after the events from the second film and why Spengler went crazy though what Phoebe, Trevor, and eventually Callie discover is that there’s something bigger that is emerging with their old enemy Gozer (Olivia Wilde and Emma Portner, with the voice of Shohreh Aghdashloo) whose arrival in New York City back in 1984 was small compared to what she wanted to do in Summerville. The film’s climax is definitely grand as it doesn’t just have callbacks from the events of 1984 but with much bigger stakes as well as twelve-year-old girl who proves that she too can go against an evil spirit through just sheer will and brains. Especially as the film does serve as a fitting tribute to one of its creators as the film is sort about legacy but also what a parent does for their children. Overall, Reitman crafts a thrilling and enjoyable film about a single mother and her teenage kids finishing up a man’s quest to stop ghosts from creating havoc around the world.

Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in the way many of the daytime locations look in its natural setting along with some elaborating lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Dana Glauberman and Nathan Orloff do excellent work with the editing with its stylish approach to fast-cutting for some of the action scenes but also knowing when to slow down in order to have shots linger for a bit including some of the funnier moments in the film. Production designer Francois Audouy and supervising set decorator Peter Lando do amazing work with the look of the Spengler farm with some of its rooms including a secret basement as well as the look of the old Ecto-1 car that is in ruins as well as the look of the Shandor cave in its interiors. Costume designer Danny Glicker does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual including the Ghostbuster jumpsuits. Special makeup and live action creature effects designer Arjen Tuiten, as well as Muncher designer Brynn Metheney, does incredible work with the look of Gozer and some of the creatures as well as the Slimer-like creature known as Muncher who can eat metal.

Special effects supervisors Michael Gibney and Elia P. Popov, with visual effects supervisors Michael “Tiny” Alcorn, Sheena Dugal, Alessandro Ongaro, Shirkanth Patil, and Raul Perez, do terrific work with the visual effects in not just using practical effects for some of the design of the monsters and props but also digital effects in the look of the ghosts and a few other bits. Sound editors Will Files and Perry Robertson, along with sound designers Scott Sanders and Chris Terhune, do superb work with the sound as it has some unique sound effects as well as the sound of the Ecto-1 siren and the way the proton pack sounds when it’s on as it help add to the film’s tone. The film’s music by Rob Simonsen is wonderful for its exhilarating orchestral score that has elements of humor and adventure along with somber strings for some of the dramatic moments. The film’s music soundtrack not only features some motifs from the two previous films that was scored by Elmer Bernstein but also music from the Buzzcocks, Funkadelic, Shirley Ellis, the Shirelles, Otis Rush, Willie Nelson, the Delmore Brothers, the Newday, Kelly’s Lot, an original song by Mckenna Grace, and the iconic theme song from the 1984 film by Ray Parker Jr.

The casting by John Papsidera and Ali Safdari is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Tracy Letts as a warehouse store owner, Josh Gad as the voice of Muncher, the trio of Ira Heden, Sarah Natochenny, and Shelby Young as the voices of the mini-Stay Puft marshmallow men, Stella Aykroyd as deputy Medjuck, Bokeem Woodbine as Lucky’s father in Sheriff Domingo, and as the body doubles for Egon Spengler via shadows in Bob Gunton for the opening scene and Ivan Reitman as a stand-in for the ghost version of Spengler with digital effects utilizing the face of the late Harold Ramis. For the role of Gozer, Olivia Wilde brings an un-credited cameo as the physical version of the character with Emma Portner as the spiritual version of Gozer with Shohreh Aghdashloo providing the voice of Gozer as they do terrific work in that character. J.K. Simmons is superb in his cameo as Ivor Shandor as the man who created a temple for Gozer as he is seen as a sleeping body who only wakes up for Gozer.

From the previous films who makes special appearances, the performances of Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz, Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz, and Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett are an absolute joy to watch in not just being fan service but also playing a key role to the story with exception of Weaver whose cameo appears in a comical post-credit scene that is a call-back to Venkman’s exploits as a professor with Weaver being the one in control. Still, Aykroyd, Murray, Hudson, and Potts do help bring important moments that are inspirational to the younger cast but also set the seeds for a possible future. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Gary Grooberson as a science teacher who teaches at summer school who is also a geek for the Ghostbusters while is also someone who notices how smart Phoebe is where he would have an unfortunate encounter with a ghost. Celeste O’Connor is excellent as Lucky Domingo as a 16/17-year old girl who works at a restaurant as she befriends Trevor while also helps them in dealing with ghosts as she proves to be tough and resourceful.

Logan Kim is brilliant as Podcast as Phoebe’s new classmate who is fascinated by the paranormal and other strange things as he has a podcast of his own while also taking part in many adventures in chasing ghosts. Carrie Coon is amazing as Callie Spengler as the estranged daughter of Egon as she is just dealing with the chaos in her life as well as resentment towards her father where she would discover things about him in why he was never around. Finn Wolfhard is incredible as Trevor Spengler as a 15-year old kid who knows how to fix cars and such as he is trying to figure himself out where he takes part in the fun of catching ghosts as a way to get to know his grandfather while also realizing something bad is happening in Summerville. Finally, there’s Mckenna Grace in a phenomenal performance as Phoebe Spengler as the 12-year old granddaughter of Egon Spengler who is a total nerd that loves science and is always smarter than a lot of people older than her. It is a performance that is filled with humor as she says some bad jokes while also proving she is a lot more powerful and determined to kick some ass as it is a major breakthrough for Grace.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a sensational film from Jason Reitman that features great performances from Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd. Along with its supporting cast including people from the previous films, dazzling visual effects, a compelling story on loss and legacy, an exhilarating music soundtrack, and its sense of adventure. It is a film that isn’t just something fans of the film series from the 1980s would enjoy for its callbacks but it is also a film that offers something new while being a tribute to two of its creators in Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman. In the end, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a spectacular film from Jason Reitman.

Jason Reitman Films: Thank You for Smoking - Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) – Tully (2018 film) - The Front Runner

Related: (Ghostbusters) – (Ghostbusters II) – Ghostbusters (2016 film) - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman

© thevoid99 2022

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is the story of an insurance investigator who is hypnotized by a crook to steal some jewels with an efficiency expert. The film is another return to some of the earlier comedies of the 1970s that Allen did while infusing it with the suspense films of the 1940s where the film is set. Also starring Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Berkley, David Odgen Stiers, and Wallace Shawn. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a disappointing and humorless film from Woody Allen.

The film revolves a brilliant insurance expert who is sparring with a new efficiency expert at their office where the two are hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist at a party where they both steal jewels as they’re unaware of their crimes. There, the two reluctantly have to work with each other to discover what is really going on as suspicion is occurring over the thefts. It’s an interesting concept as it is set in 1940 where it plays into that world of crime and mystery but Woody Allen’s screenplay often gets a bit repetitive at times where the humor is often forced at times while some of the plotting doesn’t have any weight to the story. Notably in the tumultuous love-hate relationship in its lead characters in investigator C.W. Briggs (Woody Allen) and the efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt) where they bicker and fall in love and so on. It’s that aspect in the script that really bogs the story down though there are a few moments that are funny but the eventual payoff in confronting the true criminal is disappointing.

Allen’s direction is quite straightforward as he aims to go for something that is reminiscent of the mystery films of the past though he wisely doesn’t go for any kind of voice-over narration. The compositions do have some flair in some of the tracking shots and wide shots to display the feel and chaos of the office though some of the intimate moments don’t have that same spark. Notably as there’s a lack of real suspense in many of the mysterious aspects of the film where it’s more about Briggs and Fitzgerald bickering and trying to find out what’s really going on. Even as its outcome is a bit flat and predictable where it becomes quite obvious and doesn’t really have a sense of surprise or fulfillment that endings have. Overall, Allen creates a film that doesn’t have much weight or broad humor despite a few moments that keeps the film being a total failure.

Cinematographer Zhao Fei does fantastic work with the film‘s photography as it has a lot of style in its look as well as its approach to lighting for many of its interior settings as it‘s one of the film‘s big highlights. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing to play up some of the humorous moments and montages of the thefts that happen throughout the film. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Jessica Lanier and art director Tom Warren, does amazing work with the set pieces from the office that Briggs and Fitzgerald work at to some of the places they go to in their investigation.

Costume designer Suzanne McCabe does brilliant work with the costumes with the look of the many dresses the female characters wear from simple and colorful to more radiant and dazzling in its different looks. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to play up some of the atmosphere in the office as well as some of the scenes in the theft. The film’s excellent soundtrack includes a lot of jazz music from Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Harry James, and several others.

The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Juliet Taylor is superb as it includes some notable appearances from Brian Markinson as a fellow investigator of Briggs, Wallace Shawn as another investigator/amateur magician who would play a key role in unveiling the mystery in the third act, Elizabeth Berkley as a secretary that works in the office, and David Odgen Stiers as the hypnotist Voltan who is the mastermind of the thefts. Dan Aykroyd is terrific as the company boss Chris Magruder who is having an affair with Fitzgerald while Charlize Theron is amazing as the seductive socialite Laura Kensington who tries to seduce Briggs.

Helen Hunt is alright as Betty Ann Fitzgerald as she brings some energy to her role though she’s not given enough material to make her character more interesting. Finally there’s Woody Allen as C.W. Briggs where Allen is miscast in a role that requires a much stronger personality where Allen brings a different spin on his persona but doesn’t really put a lot of effort into his character while he and Hunt have no chemistry in the scenes they have with each other.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a terrible film from Woody Allen despite some of its technical moments and Charlize Theron’s supporting performance. While there are moments that are worth watching, it’s not enough due to its lack of suspense while the humor feels flat. In the end, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a misguided and underwhelming film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2013

Behind the Candelabra

Based on the book Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace by Scott Thorson and Alex Thorleifson, Behind the Candelabra is the story about Thorson’s affair with the famed pianist Liberace during the late 1970s where they endured all sorts of trials and tribulations to keep the affair a secret from the public. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and screenplay by Richard LaGravenese, the film is a look into the life of one of the great entertainers of the 20th Century and the secret life he had with a young man as Liberace is played by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson. Also starring Dan Aykroyd, Scott Bakula, Cheyenne Jackson, Rob Lowe, Tom Papa, Paul Reiser, and Debbie Reynolds as Frances Liberace. Behind the Candelabra is a majestic yet sensational film from Steven Soderbergh.

Liberace was known as a man of flamboyance and showmanship who loved to dress in lavish designer suits that is often very excessive while his piano designs play up to his personality. Yet, the man was an entertainer who believed that too much of a good thing is wonderful. Still, there is the private side of Liberace that the public didn’t really know about until after his death in February of 1987 where it was revealed that he was gay. What this film is about is Liberace’s love affair with a young man named Scott Thorson who wouldn’t just be Liberace’s assistant and chauffer in his shows but the relationship they had was loving but also tumultuous. Largely as Liberace would start to stray from the relationship making Thorson more insecure as he becomes addicted to drugs. It’s a story that is told in the span of a decade where the relationship would have its ups and downs though there was a real love between these two men.

Richard LaGravenese’ screenplay takes it time to explore how this relationship was formed with Thorson attended a show with another gay man in Bob Black (Scott Bakula) who knew Liberace as he would introduce Thorson to the man. Since Thorson was a young animal trainer who aspired to be a veterinarian, Liberace invited to his home to help tend one of his sick dogs as a love affair ensued though Thorson isn’t aware that he’s becoming one of many lovers Liberace has had previously that had come and gone including his protégée Billy Leatherwood (Cheyenne Jackson) and a butler named Carlucci (Bruce Ramsay). What wasn’t expected is that the affair would become much deeper to the point that Liberace would hire a drug-addicted plastic surgeon in Dr. Jack Startz (Rob Lowe) to make Scott look a bit like Liberace himself.

That would eventually play to some of the troubles of the relationship as Thorson begins to feel insecure as he is addicted to drugs while he isn’t taken seriously by some of Liberace’s personnel including manager Seymour Heller (Dan Aykroyd). Adding to the insecurities is the fact that Liberace likes to sleep with other men including a young dancer named Cary (Boyd Holbrook) which would eventually play to their split where Thorson would try to expose Liberace in the early 80s only to fail. While there are some dramatic liberties that LaGravenese does with his screenplay in order to dramatize the story, he does make sure that it is still a love story that has an element of camp but also drama. The dialogue is also quite stylish as it plays up to some of Liberace’s own campy personality on and off the stage as well as maintaining some realism over the intensity of the relationship between the two men.

The direction of Steven Soderbergh definitely plays up to that sense of excess that Liberace is known for where he utilizes a lot of stylish compositions but also keep things at a minimum to explore the complexity of this relationship between Liberace and Thorson. With the use of tracking shots, wide shots, and other camera angles, he creates a film that is about the secret life of a man seen from the perspective of a younger man. There are also shots that would mirror similar situations where Thorson is watching Liberace talking to younger men that also echoed a similar scene where Billy Leatherwood is shot in a close-up while Thorson and Liberace are blurred in the background though their dialogue can be heard quite clearly.

There are also moments in the direction where Soderbergh creates an element of camp that includes a very funny scene of Liberace and Thorson watching Johnny Carson where Liberace is aghast over how old he looks. Even the scenes of Liberace playing the piano in his stage performances maintain that sense of decadence where Soderbergh knows that excess is best. Through his very colorful yet lavish cinematography, under his Peter Andrews alias, where he uses lights to create a sense of atmosphere in the film’s humor and drama. Soderbergh also creates an element of drama in its third act where not only does Thorson deal with loss in a big way but also betrayal. Through his editing, under the Mary Ann Bernard alias, where Soderbergh creates some fantastic montages and rhythmic cuts to play up the drama that comes in that third act.

Even in some of the attention to detail where it reveals a moment in time when all of that excess would finally come to haunt Liberace in the end. It’s in these moments where Soderbergh does restrain things to create a sense of calm and normalcy where it definitely has a melancholia in the imagery that he’s conveying. Since the film is about Liberace, Soderbergh knows that he can’t end the film on a down note. It has to end in style and the way he chooses to end the film isn’t just about Liberace but also the love he had with Scott Thorson. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very heartfelt and engaging film about Liberace and his secret relationship with Scott Thorson.

Production designer Howard Cummings, along with set decorator Barbara Munch and art director Patrick M. Sullivan Jr., does brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of Liberace‘s home to his stage shows where everything is excessive and lavish that includes two of everything and little model pianos to play up Liberace‘s sense of generosity to those he love. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does amazing work with the costumes as they‘re always filled with style from the fur coats, the suits, capes, and everything else that is all a part of Liberace‘s world of decadence. The makeup and hair design work is also worth noting for the hair styles that play up the world of the late 70s and early 80s as well as Liberace’s own hair and how his face evolved through his plastic surgeries including Thorson who also looked a younger version of Liberace after his surgery.

Visual effects supervisor Thomas J. Smith does superb work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the TV stuff that Liberace watches that he‘s in along with some backdrop dressing for some scenes in Las Vegas and Palm Springs. Sound editor Larry Blake does excellent work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the performance as well as some of the intimate moments between Liberace and Thorson as it would also play into their dissolution. The music adaptation by the late Marvin Hamlisch is fantastic for the piano pieces Hamlisch selects as well as some playful score music from the composer as he makes the music a major highlight that isn’t just about Liberace but also a great tribute to Hamlisch himself whom the film is dedicated to.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is marvelous for the actors that is assembled for this film as it features appearances from David Koechner as an adoption attorney, Josh Meyers as Liberace’s attorney in Thorson’s palimony suit, Jane Morris as Scott’s adopted mother Rose, Nicky Katt as the drug dealer Mr. Y, Cheyenne Jackson as Liberace’s protégée Billy Leatherwood, Bruce Ramsay as Liberace’s gay butler Carlucci, and Boyd Holbrook as a Young Americans dancer named Cary whom Liberace gets interested in as he would usurp Scott. Other notable small performances include Paul Reiser as Thorson’s attorney in the palimony suit, Tom Papa as Liberace’s head assistant Ray Arnett, and Scott Bakula as Bob Black who would introduce Scott to Liberace.

Debbie Reynolds is amazing as Liberace’s mother Frances where Reynolds looks unrecognizable as an old European woman who adores her son while is one of the few people who is very kind to Thorson as Reynolds steals every scene she’s in. Rob Lowe is hilarious as the freaky-looking plastic surgeon Dr. Jack Startz as a man who looks like he’s had too many facelifts while doesn’t really know what he’s talking about as he claims to know so much. Dan Aykroyd is superb as Liberace’s manager Seymour Heller who doesn’t have much of an opinion towards Scott as he’s very straightforward while being Liberace’s great protector from all sorts of things as he is also the guy who takes care of things.

The film’s best performances definitely go to the duo of Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in their respective roles as Liberace and Scott Thorson. Damon exudes all of the naiveté and frustrations of a young man who is caught up in Liberace’s world as he seeks to find himself while dealing with Liberace’s affairs with other men. Douglas is a real surprise as he plays up all of the charm that is Liberace while not being afraid to go camp as he can be funny but also quite dramatic. The two together make a fantastic duo in the way they play off each other in all of its moments whether it’s funny, romantic, or dramatic as they are key reasons for the film’s success.

Behind the Candelabra is a tremendous film from Steven Soderbergh that features outstanding performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. The film isn’t just a very genuine and compelling love story but also a look into the life of one of the great entertainers of the 20th Century and the secret life that he had. If this film is Steven Soderbergh’s final contribution to cinema, at least he goes out with a winner and in grand style. In the end, Behind the Candelabra is a fabulous and sensational film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2013

Your Film Fucking Sucks #2: North

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/17/07 w/ Additional Edits.

The son of comedy actor Carl Reiner and famous for playing Meathead in All in the Family, Rob Reiner came to greater fame as a director for such films like the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, the college comedy The Sure Thing, the coming-of-age story of Stand By Me, the romantic fantasy of The Princess Bride, the romantic-comedy of When Harry Met Sally, and the intense horror of Misery. From 1984-1990, Reiner was on a winning streak, commercially and critically, with six different films. Then in 1992, Reiner reached a peak creatively with the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, and Jack Nicholson that gave Reiner a nomination for Best Director. At that point, it seemed like Rob Reiner could do no wrong. In 1994, Reiner returned to comedy to tell a story about a neglected young boy who divorces himself from his parents to find a new family. The idea at first seemed like another surefire hit from Reiner but the resulting film would mark the beginning of the end for Reiner's string of hits.

Written by Alan Zweibel that was based on his novel with scribe credit to Andrew Scheinman, North tells the story of a young boy who after watching his parents argue and neglect them decides to split from them. With help from another kid, a lawyer, and a guide dressed in a bunny suit, the boy goes on a trip around the world to find the perfect family. With Rob Reiner at the helm, it seemed like a movie that would be very funny with then-child star Elijah Wood in the title role. Instead, the film was a disaster of epic proportions. While the film included an all-star cast like Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bruce Willis, Reba McEntire, Dan Aykroyd, Jon Lovitz, Graham Greene, Kathy Bates, Abe Vigoda, Kelly McGillis, Ben Stein, Faith Ford, John Ritter, and in her film debut, Scarlett Johansson. North is an extremely mean, insulting film that looks like a family film but ends up being very vicious.

To the eyes of many in a small town, North is a kid who has it all and is probably one of the best kids around. He's a brilliant, bright student, a great ballplayer, a gifted actor in school plays, and the friends of many. Unfortunately, North doesn't get the attention of his parents (Jason Alexander & Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as they often bicker about their own lives. The arguments and neglect starts to affect North in everything he does as he goes to his secret spot. A large armchair in a mall where he finds himself talking to a man dressed in an Easter Bunny suit (Bruce Willis).  After turning to his friend and school editor Winchell (Matthew McCurley), North is convinced that he's neglected as he decides to split from his parents for good. When Winchell's report attracts the attention of the town including an attorney named Arthur Belt (Jon Lovitz), North's parents are in total shock as a media circus and trial occurs. When the judge (Alan Arkin) decides to give North his freedom until Labor Day. By Labor Day, North had to get either new parents or return to his old parents but if he doesn't, he will be taken to an orphanage.

North takes his trip to find new parents where he arrives in Texas and meets a Texan couple (Dan Aykroyd and Reba McEntire) where he's greeted lavishly. He sees the bunny guy being a farmer as North learns the Texan couple wants him to replace their dead son. North decides to leave where back in his old town, Winchell and Belt decide to make a liberation movement for children with Belt as a political candidate. North goes to Hawaii to meet another new set of parents (Keone Young & Lauren Tom) but finds out that he's being used as a tourism advertisement. North then goes to Alaska for another set of parents (Graham Greene & Kathy Bates) where things go fine until they decide to drop off North's new grandfather (Abe Vigoda) away for good. With Winchell trying to take control, North's parents recover from their state of shock but unaware of what Winchell and Belt are trying to do.

After a group of searches all over the world including a visit to an Amish land with parents (Kelly McGillis & Alexander Godunov) as it doesn't go well. North finally finds the perfect family in the Nelsons with a nice group of parents in Ward & Donna Nelson (John Ritter & Faith Ford, respectively) and siblings Bud & Laura (Jesse Ziegler & Scarlett Johansson, respectively). Things at first go great but when North receives an edited tape of an interview with his real parents, North is disillusioned and sad as he leaves the Nelsons. When Winchell learns that North hasn't found a family and threatens to kill the kids liberation law. When North is being hunted by a Winchell's security guard Al (Robert Costanzo), North finds out the truth and gets guidance from the man in bunny suit being a comedian and a Fed Ex driver.

While the film and its plot tells a simple story of a kid wanting to split with his parents and then, goes into a moral judgement. The pay off and final result however, is a total mess. Instead of being this warm, life-lesson family film. It ends up being a film where it starts out pleasant yet very silly into something darker and suspenseful that doesn't work. Obviously, Rob Reiner has no idea what he wants to make. A funny family film, a satire, a thriller, a drama. There, the audience is confused and being insulted by everything that's shown towards them. The film does lean towards sentimentality towards the end when North decides to return to his parents but there's no payoff. The ending ends up making the entire film a waste of time.

The script fails to not even present some moral lesson but also create characters that are very one-dimensional with very little development. Plus, some of the families that North sees end up being displayed as stereotypes. The narration even becomes distracting to let the audience make up their mind and interpretation of what goes on. While the character of North is interesting who goes through the most serious of development, the character ends up being lost in the situations he's in and the result isn't rewarding or fulfilling to him or the actual story. Much of the blame should go to Reiner for really making a family film that tries to pander down to its audience with its bland, manipulative style that only becomes a parody of a bad sitcom.

Not even the film's technical work in Adam Greenberg's cinematography or Robert Leighton's editing should be worth noting since there's nothing unique. Even the score by Marc Shaiman isn't memorable where it just plays up to the lame, sentimental tone of the film. This is part of the film's big failure. Even its casting filled with some great talents being wasted in the roles they're given. They're not given a chance to play real people but rather awful caricatures. The performance Alan Arkin gives as a judge is pretty bad. Arkin, a very talented actor, looks like he went through a bunch of takes and looks very haggard during the performance where he's not even sure why he's even in the film. The roles of the adoptive parents like Dan Aykroyd, Reba McEntire, Keone Young, Lauren Tom, Graham Greene, and Kathy Bates aren't given any material and end up being pandered down to the stereotypes they play.

The cameos from Alexander Godunov and Kelly McGillis playing the Amish from Peter Weir's Witness is very silly and pointless as well as a reference to Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor in another sequence. The late John Ritter and Faith Ford as the perfect model of the typical American parents doesn't have any amount of life. They just smile and act really bland which is a waste for a real comedic talent like Ritter. Even the Nelson kids played by Jesse Ziegler and Scarlett Johansson don't add anything. Still, that's not Johansson's fault. She was only eight-years old in her first movie. She was cute but still had a long way to go in being the famous star we all know. Jussie Smollett in the role of North's friend Adam is very awkwardly performed where he has to play spy and such and doesn't feel natural. Jon Lovitz is largely wasted along with Robert Costanzo in a very stereotypical role as a security hitman. Oh, there's also a worthless cameo from Rita Wilson as a parent who fawns over North.

Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus from Seinfeld are forced to play caricatures where they're not given a chance to be funny or real. Even in their attempts to gain sympathy feels contrived and bland which is a shame to the comedic talents. One of the film's worst performances is Matthew McCurley as Winchell. It's a very unnatural performance of this smarmy, little kid who looks like the poor man's Macaulay Culkin (well him and that other little bastard from Full House). McCurley tries to act like some adult that doesn't work and as a villain, it's very cartoonish. Bruce Willis is also in a very bad performance (he's done worse though) as a guy dressed up as an Easter Bunny, no wait, a cowboy, no an eskimo, no a surfer, comedian, Fed Ex guy. Willis acts some strange guardian angel/moral guide that feels very out of place and his narration doesn't even have any life.

Finally, there's Elijah Wood in what has to be one of his worst performances. It's a shame since Wood at the time was a brilliant, gifted child actor. Here, he is forced to try and be funny, be dramatic and it doesn't come off in a way that is relatable to kids. It feels very detached and awkward. The blame isn't entirely Wood's fault but Reiner's direction as he doesn't give Wood anything to do. Wood is forced to observe every situation he's in and it looks like he's overwhelmed to the point that he doesn't know where to take his character. It should also be noted that Wood was 12-13 during filming and was definitely starting to grow out of his adolescent phase which can explain the sense of detachment in his performance.

When the film was released in the summer of 1994, the film was expected to do well with Reiner's box office and critical winning streak along with Elijah Wood's young fanbase. Instead, the film bombed in the box office while also receiving negative reviews. Making things worse was probably one of the most notorious film reviews ever written from the famed Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert. Ebert not only bashed the film but it was in this review, he would state probably one of the most infamous statements:

I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.

The review and its failure in the box office marked the beginning of the end for Reiner. Though he did recover briefly with The American President starring Michael Douglas and Annette Benning. His subsequent films, Ghosts of Mississippi, The Story of Us, Alex & Emma, and 2005's Rumor Has It... were all critical and commercial failures.

For anyone who enjoys family films should stay away from North. The film's message is pretty bad while it also features some coarse language that should a no-no for kids. Fans of Rob Reiner will no doubt hate this film and are convinced that this was the movie where he jumped the shark. So in the end, stay away from North. It's not entertaining, it's not very intelligent. It's a film that will make you angry like Roger Ebert himself. Oh, and the late Gene Siskel thought it sucked too.  He called it junk.  He and Ebert weren't being kind.  After all, North is a piece of shit film that will make anyone hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate this movie and the man who made this in Rob Reiner.

Rob Reiner Films: This is Spinal Tap - (The Sure Thing) - (Stand By Me) - The Princess Bride - (When Harry Met Sally) - (Misery) - (A Few Good Men) - (The American President) - (Ghosts of Mississippi) - (The Story of Us) - (Alex & Emma) - (Rumor Has It...) - (The Bucket List) - (Flipped) - (The Magic of Belle Isle)

© thevoid99 2012

Trading Places

Directed by John Landis and written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod, Trading Places is the story of two billionaire brothers who make a bet to switch the lives of two very different men. One is an upper class commodities broker who has lives the life that everyone wants while the other is a homeless street hustler where their lives are changed by this experiment. The film is a comedy about what happens when the lives of two different men are changed in an experiment of nature versus nuture where it leads to a revenge scheme from the two different men. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliot, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Trading Places is a witty yet entertaining comedy from John Landis.

Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is a well-educated and rich commodities broker who has it all. A loyal butler named Coleman (Denholm Elliot) and is engaged to a beautiful young woman named Penelope (Kristin Holby), who is the grand-niece of billionaire brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, respectively). Yet, Randolph is unconvinced by an article on breeding versus environment as he wants to prove a group of scientists wrong. During an encounter with a poor street hustler named Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) where Valentine accidentally bumps into Winthorpe, the Duke Brothers decide to hold a secret experiment to switch the lives of Winthorpe and Valentine as a bet.

With the help of their secret henchman Clarence Beeks (Paul Gleason), the Dukes publicly frame Winthorpe of theft as Beeks also bribes a corrupt policeman (Frank Oz) to stash angel dust into Winthorpe’s coat. Meanwhile, Valentine is bailed out by the Dukes as he lives in Winthorpe’s home with Coleman as he uses his street-smarts to become a very successful commodities broker. After being bailed out by Penelope, Winthorpe’s life is further ruined after meeting a hooker named Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is paid by Beeks to talk dirty to him as Winthorpe loses Penelope and everything else. Living with Ophelia, Winthorpe learns about Valentine’s success as he hopes to get him trouble.

The plan backfires as Winthorpe was caught by Valentine and the Dukes putting Winthorpe more into despair. When Valentine later overhears a conversation between the Dukes about their bet and experiment, he seeks to find the already troubled Winthorpe as he brings him back to Coleman with Ophelia’s help. After learning what the Dukes did, Winthorpe seeks revenge where the two learn about the Dukes wanting to corner the frozen orange juice market with Beeks’ help. The two along with Coleman and Ophelia decides to go after Beeks and the crop report in a plan to get revenge on the Dukes.

While the storyline is based on Mark Twain’s The Prince & the Pauper about two different lives being changed, the film uses that plot device to explore the idea of how two different men can be changed in this experiment between nature versus nurture. In turn, the lives of these two very different men would change as both would gain something from this experience. For Louis Winthorpe III, he would gain a perspective of what is life like outside of all of the things rich people have while Billy Ray Valentine would learn about how to make big money and be a part of society. The downside is that Winthorpe would face a certain prejudice for everything that has happened to him from the people he had known all of his life. For Valentine, he would learn that having lots of money would only bring trouble to people he knew back in the inner-city.

The screenplay by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod is very smart for the way they use the theme of breeding vs. environment by injecting humor into it. A lot of the humor is improvised yet manages to play into the story. There’s also some very well-rounded characters in the script such as the Dukes, Coleman, and Ophelia. The Dukes are these greedy men who care about money and nothing else while using this experiment as a bet where the big shock of that bet was how much all of it was worth. In Coleman, here’s a butler that is loyal though at times seems neglected only until he’s forced to play into the Dukes’ scheme where he would later help out Winthorpe and Valentine. Ophelia is a character who may be a hooker with a heart of gold but is a woman that is very intelligent and doesn’t take gruff from anyone as she is trying to save money to have a good life.

John Landis’ direction is very engaging in the way he presents the film as he creates some amazing scenes to contrast the different world of these two men. One key scene is where a downtrodden Winthorpe is outside a posh restaurant as it’s raining where he sees Valentine eating dinner with the rich. The scene cuts back and forth to what is happening while there’s another scene of the two men encountering each other where Winthorpe is in a cab while Valentine is in a limo. The framing of the film is pretty straightforward yet it does delve into the chaos of what goes on during the film’s climatic scene at the commodities trading floor. There is lot of scenes that are very funny but also some very low-key dramatic moments to help advance the story. Overall, Landis creates a truly funny and engrossing comedy that is filled with great one-liners and lots of memorable moments.

Cinematographer Robert Paynter is excellent for the dark-look of some of the interiors in the posh homes while a lot of it is straightforward including colorful shots of the winter scenes in Philadelphia. Editor Malcolm Campbell does a nice job with the editing as a lot of is straightforward while doing some great montages of scenes where Winthorpe and Valentine would encounter each other during this bet as well as playing up the humor of the film. Production designer Gene Rudolf and set decorators George DeTitta Sr. and George DeTitta Jr. do a great job in creating the posh home of Winthorpe that Valentine would live in along with the very old-school yet wooden look of the office that Valentine works at with the computers of the time.

Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman does a very good job with the costumes from the suits and clothes the men wear to the more stylish look that Jamie Lee Curtis wears along with the costumes in the New Years Eve party scene. Sound editor Charles L. Campbell does a terrific job with the sound work from the party atmosphere of Valentine’s posh party to the chaos that goes on the climatic stock trading scene. The film’s score by Elmer Bernstein is superb for the playful yet flourishing orchestral pieces he uses that borrows elements of Mozart’s Overture, Marriage of Figaro for its main theme. The music soundtrack features a wonderful mix of different kinds of music from disco-funk like Sylvester, holiday music, and doo-wop by the Silhouettes.

The casting by Bonnie Timmermann is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some fantastic appearances from James Belushi as a guy in a gorilla suit, James Eckhouse as precinct guard, Giancarlo Esposito as one of Valentine’s cellmates, Frank Oz as a corrupt cop, Bill Cobbs as a bartender, Philip Bosco as a doctor, blues legend B.B. King as a pawnshop merchant, and as two bumbling baggage handlers, Al Franken and Tom Davis. In notable small roles, there’s Kristin Holby as Winthorpe’s snobbish fiancee Penelope and Paul Gleason as the Dukes’ vile henchman Clarence Beeks.

Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche are great, in their respective roles, as Randolph and Mortimer Duke who device a scheme that would ruin the life of one man and play games on another. Denholm Elliot is excellent as Winthorpe’s butler Coleman who reluctantly becomes part of the Dukes’ scheme as he befriends Valentine and later aids them both in their revenge scheme. Jamie Lee Curtis is amazing as Ophelia, a kind-hearted hooker who helps out the despaired Winthorpe while providing some great humor during the revenge scheme on Beeks.

Dan Aykroyd is terrific as Louis Winthorpe III, a pampered rich man whose life is changed by a bet where he tries to get revenge on Valentine only to realize he was played for a scheme. While Aykroyd is the straight man of the film, he does get to be funny in scenes later in the film while making the Winthorpe character a sympathetic one. Finally, there’s Eddie Murphy in an outstanding yet hilarious role as Billy Ray Valentine as a poor young guy who becomes a rich broker while using his street skills to make deals and such. Murphy brings a youthful enthusiasm to his role where he plays it cool and be very funny while having some great scenes together with Aykroyd as it’s one of Murphy’s essential performances.

Trading Places is truly one of the great comedies of the 1980s due to its witty approach to humor to a very provocative theme of breeding vs. environment. With a brilliant ensemble cast and a lively direction by John Landis, the film is definitely one of those comedies that is always watching over and over again while still being very funny. In the end, Trading Places is a whimsical yet charming comedy from John Landis.

John Landis Films: (Schlock) - (Kentucky Fried Movie) - (National Lampoon’s Animal House) - (The Blues Brothers) - (An American Werewolf in London) - (Coming Soon) - (The Twilight Zone (1983 film)) - (Into the Night) - (Spies Like Us) - (Three Amigos!) - (Amazon Women on the Moon) - Coming to America - (Oscar) - (Innocent Blood) - (Beverly Hills Cop III) - (The Stupids) - (Blues Brothers 2000) - (Susan’s Plan) - (Slasher) - (Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project) - (Burke & Hare)

© thevoid99 2012