INTRO: It’s a story we’ve all heard before. A group of friends stray off the beaten path and end up having to fight for their lives. This has served as the set-up for many classic horror films and thrillers. Back in the early ‘90s, director Stephen Hopkins used it as the set-up for an action movie that has an awesome cast. Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jeremy Piven, and Stephen Dorff play the friends fighting to survive. Denis Leary is the leader of the criminal gang out for their blood. Unfortunately, not a lot of people went to see the movie when it was released… but they did make the soundtrack a hit. The movie is called Judgment Night, and it’s time for it to be Revisited.

SET-UP: Judgment Night started out as a spec script written by Kevin Jarre, whose other credits include Rambo: First Blood Part 2, Glory, and Tombstone. Working from a story idea by Richard DiLello, Jarre wrote the initial script – copyrighted under the title “Judgment Night, a.k.a. Escape” – in the late 1980s. It was dark and violent, but production company Largo Entertainment snatched it up quickly and found a home for the project at Universal Pictures. Then the script went through a whole lot of rewrites. Halloween and Escape from New York filmmaker John Carpenter wrote his own draft of the script. So did The Terminator and Terminator 2 co-writer William Wisher. Braveheart writer Randall Wallace. Christopher Crowe, who worked on The Last of the Mohicansand the Mark Wahlberg thriller Fear. And novelist Jere Cunningham, who had written Hunter’s Blood. A similar story about friends on a hunting trip being menaced by backwoods psychos. All of the writers presumably held onto the basic idea of outsiders running into trouble with a gang of criminals. But the scope of the action sequences and the settings varied wildly. There were drafts of the script that involved bikers in the desert outside of Los Angeles. And motorcycle chases across rooftops.

Universal spent so much time developing and rewriting the project, they were in danger of losing their option on it. According to the website That Shelf, 20th Century Fox was interested in acquiring Judgment Night if Universal lost it. And since they didn’t want Fox picking up their scraps, Universal finally gave the film the greenlight. 

Director Stephen Hopkins had just worked with Largo producer Lawrence Gordon on Predator 2, which set a skull-collecting alien loose in Los Angeles. So Gordon brought him over to Judgment Night to have him tell another story of terrible things happening in a big city. Before the Predator sequel, Hopkins had directed the horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. After making those two outlandish movies back-to-back, he was interested in doing something more down-to-earth. Gordon had also produced the Walter Hill classic The Warriors, which was about the lead characters being pursued by gang members in New York. But Hopkins wanted to go more realistic than that film. Chicago was chosen as the setting for Judgment Night. The action was scaled down. The rooftop motorcycle chases were removed. They got Lewis Colick, who was working with Largo and Fox on the thriller Unlawful Entry, to write a fresh draft of the script. Judgment Night went into production in 1992 – and the script had changed so much in the three years since Jarre copyrighted his version of it, he’s not even credited. Colick received the sole screenwriting credit and shares story credit with Jere Cunningham. During filming, Larry Ferguson of Highlander and Alien 3 was brought on to do some uncredited rewrites.

The story all these chefs cooked up centers on a group of four friends from the Chicago suburbs. Frank Wyatt and his wife recently had a baby, and after sitting at home for over three months, Frank is stir crazy. So he heads into Chicago to see a boxing match with his hot-tempered younger brother John. Ladies man Mike Peterson. And Ray Cochran, who has lied his way into test-driving an RV for the night. When they get stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the venue, Ray decides to get around it by taking the nearest exit. In the age of GPS, getting back to the expressway would probably be quick and easy. But since this is the early ‘90s, they can’t find their way back. They get lost in a rundown, desolate neighborhood. Things get worse when a young man runs out in front of the RV and gets clipped. And that’s not the only injury he has sustained, as someone shot him for stealing the money he has in a small bag. That money was stolen from a criminal kingpin named Fallon, who shows up with three of his lackeys and puts the RV out of commission. The thief is executed in front of Frank and his friends. And, of course, Fallon has a strict “no witnesses” policy. The rest of the film consists of Fallon and his goons pursuing our heroes through this bad neighborhood where the police rarely venture.

For the role of Frank, Hopkins was originally considering John Travolta. But this was before his career was revived by Pulp Fiction, when Look Who’s Talking movies were his main source of income. So Hopkins wasn’t able to convince anyone that Travolta could carry a thriller at that time. Ray Liotta, Tom Cruise, and Christian Slater were offered the Frank role and passed on it. When Universal turned to Emilio Estevez, they were desperate. Judgment Night needed to start filming before they lost the rights. So even though Estevez asked for more money than expected, four million dollars, they agreed to it. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jeremy Piven were cast as Mike and Ray, and Stephen Dorff as Frank’s brother John.

The first choice for the lead villain, Fallon, was Kevin Spacey, as Hopkins had met him and found him to be suitably creepy. But then comedian Denis Leary came in and impressed with his intensity. So he became Fallon, with Peter Greene as his right hand man Sykes and Michael Wiseman as Travis, who isn’t fully on board with everything Fallon wants to do. Cast to play henchman Rhodes was Erik “Everlast” Schrody fromHouse of Pain, the group that had just had a huge hit with the song “Jump Around.”

The characters are out of their element in a rough neighborhood. And the same could be said about the cast and crew. As Hopkins told Consequence of Sound, filming in Chicago was, “pretty dangerous. I was sending dailies to Universal to show them what we were shooting, and they thought it was all matte paintings. These were areas that were destroyed in the 1968 riots, really close to downtown. We went to some extreme places. We were in a dark basement looking around, and it seemed like the whole room was moving. We got out our flashlights, and it turned out the entire floor, walls and ceiling were covered with rats. You’d be driving down these areas, and there would be people sitting on porches with their rifles out.” There was a shooting near the set one night, and the next day the authorities moved in and closed the area down.

REVIEW: The movie benefited from being filmed in these parts of Chicago. But, of course, Hopkins and his go-to cinematographer Peter Levy didn’t present the areas in an entirely true-to-life way. Their Elm Street and Predator sequels had a Gothic look and feel to them, and they carried that over to this film as well. It may be an action movie, but they tried their best to make it look like a horror film. Putting characters in locations with deep, dark shadows. Almost presenting the film as if it could have been shot in black and white. But instead of black and white, a lot of the film has a yellow look to it. Because Hopkins and Levy were trying to match the yellow lighting of the sodium-vapor streetlights in the area. The horror movie look and Gothic vibe help Judgment Night stand out among action films. But it also delivers plenty of action at the same time.

It’s a very simple movie that goes through its one hundred and ten minutes at a good pace. It only takes fourteen minutes for the story to get our suburbanite heroes into the wrong neighborhood. And it’s off and running from there. The movie becomes one long stalk, chase, and fight sequence, during which the thrills and suspense never let up for too long. It almost starts to feel like a video game, with the characters moving from one level to the next. The killers track Frank and his buddies through a railyard. Into an apartment building. Across rooftops. Into the sewer. And end up in department store after hours. The standout set piece involves the group making their way across a rickety ladder from one roof to another. The ladder doesn’t hold together, threatening to drop them into the alley far below.

While the characters run and fight for their lives, each of them reacts differently to the dangerous situation they’re in. Ray is scared to death, in a total panic. And he finds out that his fast talk doesn’t work in this situation. Mike always wanted to see how he’d do in combat, and he goes a little too far into that mindset. John realizes he isn’t as tough as he thought he was. He can pick road rage fights on the expressway, but gets frozen in fear when he’s being stalked by armed criminals. Everyone says that Frank has gone soft since he got married and became a father. He finds the fight he used to have in him, but also figures out that home life with his new family isn’t something he should be seeking to escape from.

We know from the start that Frank is going to become our lead hero. And not just because he’s played by Emilio Estevez, who got a major payday. Throughout the movie, Frank is always the most sensible and level-headed character. But it does take surprisingly long for him to fully switch into hero mode. We’re more than an hour into the movie before Frank steps up and brings back some of the man he used to be. But Estevez is great no matter what mode Frank is in, and Gooding, Piven, and Dorff do great work around him.

Denis Leary was an unexpected choice for the lead villain in a movie like this. But when you see him in action, it’s clear why he won the role of Fallon. Critic Bobbie Wygant described Leary’s work in the movie as a “red hot performance,” which is a fitting way to put it. It’s red hot due to the burning rage he is barely able to contain most of the time. And which he gets to unleash in a few scenes. Hopkins said Leary’s anger is what made him so appealing. He used it to turn Fallon into a very memorable character.

LEGACY/NOW: Judgment Night wrapped production in January of 1993 and was sent out to theatres that October. And given the horror influence, a Halloween season release didn’t seem like a terrible choice. But apparently it was, because not many people were interested in seeing Judgment Night on the big screen. It landed at number five at the box office its opening weekend and quickly sputtered out from there. Made on a budget of twenty-one million, it only earned twelve million during its U.S. theatrical run. Hopkins has saidthat one of the reasons why it didn’t do well was because there was a shootout at a Bronx screening of the movie. So it was blamed for inciting violence and pulled from cinemas. Whatever the case may be, it did poorly enough that there was a time when Hopkins simply wrote it off as “a real, absolute, total bomb.” Thankfully, he seems to have grown more fond of it over the years.

But even while few people were showing up to watch the movie, music fans were making its soundtrack album a hit. The film’s music supervisor Happy Walters – drawing inspiration from the Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. collaboration “Walk This Way” – decided to put together an entire album of rock and hip-hop team-ups. The result proved to be so popular that it made its way to the number seventeen spot on the Billboard 200. And there were four singles released. Helmet and House of Pain brought us the song “Just Another Victim.” Faith No More and Boo-Yaa Tribe did “Another Body Murdered.” Biohazard and Onyx teamed up for the title track. And Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul did the song “Fallin’,” which plays in its entirety right at the beginning of the movie as a slow-motion shot moves through Frank’s neighborhood.

The other artist collaborations featured on the album were Living Colour and Run-D.M.C. Slayer and Ice-T. Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill. Mudhoney and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Dinosaur Jr. and Del the Funky Homosapien. Therapy and Fatal. And Pearl Jam and Cypress Hill. Tool and Rage Against the Machine also recorded a song called “Can’t Kill the Revolution” for the album. But they weren’t satisfied with how it turned out, so it wasn’t included. That didn’t stop fans from getting a hold of the track and sharing it, though. Speaking about the album, Hopkins told Consequence of Sound, “I wasn’t even sure how we were going to use the tracks at first, but then when I started hearing it, it just felt fresh. I don’t think there’s been an album quite like it. I guess it sold huge numbers of records. My daughter thinks it’s the greatest album ever made. I think the only reason she likes me doing the film is because of that.”

A lot of listeners would probably agree that the album was the best thing to come out of this production. But Judgment Night was able to gather a cult following once it hit home video. You don’t often hear it being referenced as an action classic, but it has its appreciative fans. Now, more than thirty years after its release, it also has a nostalgic edge. Becoming a movie thatpeople like to put on because they remember watching it in their younger days. Decades ago. It does feel like a movie that was very much of its time. And while it doesn’t exactly have any really mind-blowing sequences in it… it does still hold up as an entertaining viewing experience. So if you haven’t seen Judgment Night yet, seek it out. And if you have seen it, it’s definitely worth revisiting.

The post Judgment Night – The Ultimate 90s Action Thriller appeared first on JoBlo.

Lydia Deetz, her stepmother Delia and her daughter Astrid stand over a casket, the burial services in progress. We can barely make out who the funeral is for but there he is on the headstone: Charles Deetz. While Charles was once part of the Beetlejuice sequel when the ghost with the most was to “go Hawaiian”, he was written entirely out of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice…for reasons that will soon be obvious.

Despite the original’s and sequel’s dalliances with the afterlife, Jeffrey Jones will not be in the Beetlejuice sequel– or pretty much any other legitimate movie – following his disgraceful tumble from his small but reliable spotlight. Perfectly fitting into prestigious period pieces and goofball funny flicks. Jones is a Golden Globe nominee with consistent work – a mix of villain, comedic and at times patriarchal roles, Jeffrey Jones went from Ferris Bueller baddie to Who’s Your Caddy?

So let’s find out: WTF Happened to…JEFFREY JONES?

But to truly understand what happened to Jeffrey Jones, we go back to the beginning. The beginning began when he was born on September 28th, 1946 in Buffalo, New York. It was Jones’ mother who encouraged him to pursue acting; and while he focused on pre-med at Wisconsin’s Lawrence University, he did soon take to stage productions. Soon, he fell in with legendary theater director Tyrone Guthrie, studying under him at Minneapolis’ Guthrie School. He, too, would study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Jeffrey Jones took to small theater, travelling the world and stepping into roles in prominent works like Trelawny of the Wells (1975) alongside John Lithgow and Meryl Streep and taking on various roles in The Elephant Man (1979-1981) with David Bowie as the lead.

Jones would move on to television, mostly in one-offs, miniseries and TV movies. His first notable credit would be in the Cold War actioner The Soldier (1982), next playing a sleazeball opposite Rodney Dangerfield in Easy Money (1983). But his true breakout came in the widely acclaimed Best Picture winner Amadeus (1984), playing Emperor Joseph II, who shows great support for Amadeus and Salieri. For his performance, he would earn his only Golden Globe nomination (Best Supporting Actor) to date, later missing out on an Oscar nod. More importantly to his career, it would land him his signature role: Dean Edward Mooney in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). The ultimate authoritarian, ego-tripping prick – at least to the teenage mindset – Mooney was on the hunt for the titular schemer and skipper. Jones played it perfectly, exuding a sleazy weasel quality that hadn’t been taken to that level ever before in a high school movie, moulding one of the genre’s quintessential heels.

His Amadeus role would also land him Howard the Duck, also out one year after Transylvania 6-500, in which he played the mayor. Here he was Dr. Walter Jenning, but Jones really comes undone when he gets possessed by the Dark Overlord (also voiced by Jones); the movie is a notorious rotten egg, but Jones plays the character to great effect, giving an over-the-top and unhinged performance. That same year, Jones played Thomas Jefferson in a TV movie. Now that’s some diversity right there!

1987 would be a casual waste for Jones, playing an army officer in The Hanoi Hilton and Buffalo Bill in a Kenny Rogers vanity project for CBS. But he had made the mark he needed to, being recognized by Tim Burton as just the man to play patriarch Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, showing a comedic timing that let him play the foil to hauntings and “Day-O.” Tim Burton would go on to cast Jeffrey Jones in two more movies in the ‘90s: Ed Wood (1994), in which he played real-life psychic personality The Amazing Criswell, and Sleepy Hollow (1999), playing the town reverend. He had become part of Burton’s growing fleet of frequent collaborators. Another friend and occasional face was that of Paul Reubens; but more important than Pee Wee or Batman Returns was his tie to Jeffrey Jones’ undoing.

Jones ended the ‘80s with Sherlock Holmes twist Without a Clue (1988), playing second billing to John Candy in Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989) and pairing again with Miloš Forman for Valmont (1989), an 18th-century period piece where in character desired to marry a 15-year-old girl…He, too, gave the sitcom scene a shot, playing a cartoonist who can bring his works to life in The People Next Door, which lasted all of 10 episodes (half of which never aired).

The ‘90s started off promising, playing a submarine commander in John McTiernan’s The Hunt for Red October (1990). Then came a trio of flops, all in 1992: Out on a Limb (reteaming with Ferris Bueller co-star Matthew Broderick), in which he played twin brothers; idiotic sci-fi family flick Mom and Dad Save The World; and Stay Tuned, another idiotic sci-fi family flick – but at least this time he got a chewy villain to play. After an uncredited turn in Oliver Stone’s Heaven & Earth (1993), he balanced out the rest of the decade with a mix of comedies and dramas. There was a small role in 1995’s Houseguest, then moved back to his stage roots playing Thomas Putnam in The Crucible (1996). Meanwhile, 1997 saw him playing a law firm partner whose big mouth gets him killed in The Devil’s Advocate, an over-the-top racist in The Pest and a part in indie Flypaper.

1999 was just as diverse for Jones, appearing in Stuart Little as Uncle Crenshaw (a role he reprised for a couple of episodes of the animated series) and horror flick Ravenous as a colonel who turns into a cannibal.

He, too, would spend a sizable portion of the 1980s and 1990s doing spots on shows like Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt and The Outer Limits, as well as lending his voice – one of his strong suits – to shows like Duckman and EEK! The Cat. As for movies before he got in trouble, there was a role as a senator in Company Men (2000), a hotel manager in Heartbreakers (2001), the primary antagonist in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), and even the vice president of the United States of America in How High.

In the early 2000s, Reubens was under a year-long investigation for lewd material. While no evidence was found and no charges brought, the search became a lead to Jones. And in 2002, he was arrested for possession of child porn, even supposedly hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose for explicit photographs. As such, Jones faced a felony count of using a minor in an explicit film and a misdemeanour of possession of child porn. Jones denied all accusations, saying, “All I want is for the truth to come out and for this matter to be resolved as quickly as possible.”

After pleading no contest, Jones received five years probation and had to register as a sex offender, also being made to undergo counselling. Following the sentencing, Jones stated, “This concludes a really painful chapter in my life. I am sorry that this incident was allowed to occur. Such an event has never happened before and it will never happen again.” But troubles would haunt him still, as in 2004 he failed to update his sex offender status in Florida and in 2010 failed to do the same in California, receiving 250 hours of community service as punishment.

And that was pretty much the end of Jeffrey Jones’ career…Pretty much. Before this, Jeffrey Jones had solidified himself as a familiar face among movies and television; he wasn’t quite a character actor but he was undoubtedly a character, a certified “Hey, it’s that guy!” kind of guy.

Despite his troubles, Jeffrey Jones still landed a vital role on a key show in the Golden Age of Television: that of newspaper editor A.W. Merrick on HBO’s Deadwood, tagging along to a cast SAG nomination and even being invited back for the 2019 movie. Outside of that, Jones appeared in junk like Who’s Your Caddy? (2007) – his first “major” movie since his arrest – and 2014 disaster flick 10.0 Earthquake.

And that’s just the sort of fare we would expect from Jeffrey Jones now…if he gets a role at all. Once a familiar face and recurring part of Tim Burton’s repertoire, he fell from his minor grace with a thud. To most of us he’ll always be Ed Rooney and Charles Deetz, and while his disgraceful behaviour doesn’t take anything away from the movies – they’re just too good to have one pervert ruin it. How appropriate that his acts buried his career and his Beetlejuice family closed the casket on his legacy.

The post What Happened to Jeffrey Jones? appeared first on JoBlo.

In this new ongoing series, a revival of our old C’Mon Hollywood op-eds, we will examine the current political climate surrounding all things “woke” when it comes to the cinematic arts. Are Hollywood studios pushing an agenda or is this idea overblown? Is this creating a division among us peasants? Is it even possible to critique or watch a film without politics coming into play anymore? 

Our hot shot team of dedicated researchers may have found out that things might not be so black and white… Pun intended? Who knows anymore?! It is an exciting and scary time to be making and watching movies but that type of chaotic environment allows this medium to experiment and grow. Controversy can always inspire conversation and that’s what we are hoping to do with this new show. 

So what’s all the fuss about?

I believe it was the Disney+ flick Peter & Wendy that responded with a “So!?” when asked why The Lost Boys were not exactly Boys. And I believe it was South Park’s Cartman who, while poking fun at Kathleen Kennedy said, “Put a chick in it and make her lame and gay.” Sooooo…. What did she mean by “So?” and what did Cartman mean by “Put a chick in it and make her lame and gay.’? I don’t exactly understand all of that but do I understand LAME. Trust me, I identify as lame.

Like it or not, in the minds of many, the definition of “woke” has changed to mean “lame”. It used to be cool. “Stay woke” was seen as a battle cry to fight injustice and bring equality to the people. But the phrase got overused to the point of parody and social justice morphed into a business and even almost a religion. Wokeness began with the best of intentions but evolved/mutated/transitioned into something well…lame. The definition of the word lame is “uninspiring and dull”. That is what many of these new films and characters have been feeling like… uninspiring and dull. Unfortunately, many of these new dull sources of art and entertainment fall under the category of “Woke”. This unfortunately creates a connection in our collective minds that “woke” content equals “lame” content. This word “lame” also means “unable to walk without difficulty” which is what’s happening to Disney and other studios, who seem to be doubling down on the pandering of “wokeness” in their content, rather than quality entertainment. 

Good woke vs bad woke

Context is key when a film is labelled “woke” and it depends on who is doing the labelling and if the movie is good or not. “Lame Wokeness” is very forgivable when the film offers other “cool” cinematic aspects. You got Good Woke, Bad Woke and Ugly Woke and somehow the Good Woke is overshadowed by the abundance of Bad Ugly Woke… which is lame…. and confusing… but that’s why we are trying our best to tackle these issues. Cinema is still a relatively new tool for artistic expression and we are still making mistakes when it comes to how to tell the best story in the most effective way possible. This new call to arms for our content to be more woke or less woke is the next frontier to explore and who knows what we will find in this new wild west of wokeness. 

At first, “Woke Cinema” was all about telling new stories from new points of view from people who may not have had their stories told in the past due to actual hate and discrimination and racism or sexism or any-ism you wanna ism. But maybe those good intentions went too far, lost focus and began to feel forced, done out of fear and almost hateful themselves; potentially creating enemies out of lifelong allies and supporters. Was it intentional or an accident? Is this argument overblown?

Future episodes

Of course, this is a big topic and in this video, we’re only scratching the surface. This debate has been raging on for a long time now, and likely won’t cease anytime soon. If there’s something about the topic you’d like us to cover, or maybe you even have a counter-point, make sure to let us know in the comments! In the meantime, please check out the video above and let us know what you think!

The post C’Mon Hollywood: What Exactly Is WOKE CINEMA?! (And Why Do Some People Hate It?) appeared first on JoBlo.

The episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? covering Insomnia was Written and Narrated by Mike Holtz, Edited by Jaime Vasquez, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

In 2002, Christopher Nolan directed a film set in a small town in Alaska where the sun doesn’t go down for days at a time. The film starred the great Al Pacino as a once again decorated but tortured Detective at full Heat level intensity, squaring off against the legendary Robin Williams in an against-type role as a creepy, cerebral murderer of a teenage girl. And somehow……some way…..it’s considered underrated. Christopher Nolan. Al Pacino. Robin Williams. Underrated. These are not words that go together. So, let’s talk about just WTF Happened to Insomnia.

These days, in the year of our dark lord 2024, Christopher Nolan is an undeniable titan in Hollywood. After films like his Batman trilogy, Interstellar, and his most recent film Oppenheimer, he’s as much of a household name as a director can be. He’s won everything there is to win. The guy could direct a movie about a toasted cheddar chalupa and just the sound of the words leaving his lips with his smooth accent would make it sound regal and grandiose: “Toasted Cheddah Chalupa” and you just know it’s going to be huge. As it should be. They are delicious. So, when I tell you this next bit, it’s going to sound strange. When Christopher Nolan heard Warner Brothers was trying to remake a 1997 Norwegian thriller directed by Erik Skjodbjaerg and starring Stellan Skarsgard called Insomnia, his agent couldn’t even get him a meeting with the studio. Baffling, considering the same studio executives would probably do a cannonball into the needle pit from Saw II just to get Nolan to eat a bagel with them in 2024. But again… they hadn’t even seen Memento yet at this period in time. Which is the movie that would change everything for Nolan. But not without a little help. According to the book The Nolan Variations by Tom Shone, established Hollywood director, producer, and experimental filmmaker Steven Soderbergh was the catalyst that made all this happen. After screening Memento for himself and hearing of Nolan’s inability to get in a room with Warner Bros, Soderbergh allegedly stormed across the lot of Warner Bros and told the head of the studio at the time, whoever it was, (I’m picturing Satan personally, you go with whatever you like) and said, “you’re insane if you don’t meet with this guy” and eventually offered to Executive Produce the film himself, along with George Clooney, were they to give Nolan a chance. In Christopher Nolan’s own words, “Steven Soderbergh basically got Insomnia made”.

What was it that made Nolan so interested in remaking a film like Insomnia so early in his directing career? Nolan had stumbled across the film while working on the unreleased at-the-time Memento and was so enamored he watched it twice in one sitting. Of the experience, Nolan said, “I’d love to do this in a slightly different way. If you take that situation you can make it into a Hollywood movie with big movie stars. You could make it like Heat.”

At the time when Warner Bros finally decided to give Nolan a chance to direct the film, they had already given the script writing duties to an extremely new to the scene Hillary Seitz. Because of this and the lack of official writing credit on the film, many cite Insomnia as the only film of his that Christopher Nolan didn’t write. This is factually correct if IMDB is watching but it isn’t the full story.

The truth is, Nolan did his own rewrites of the script in 2000. Of this situation, Nolan said, “I don’t have a writing credit on the film and I didn’t ask for one. Because when I came on as director, Hillary Seitz really rewrote the script in the ways that I wanted her to, but I did do a set of rewrites for Pacino that were reasonably substantial.” So, take from that what you will. I definitely consider Nolan a writer on this one.

In the film, we follow Pacino’s character, LA Detective Will Dormer (whose name actually means “sleep” in multiple languages) as he’s being investigated by Internal Affairs for allegedly going too far to have his criminals put behind bars. He’s sent to the small town and Halibut fishing capital of the world, called Nightmute, Alaska to get away from it all and help solve the case of a murdered teenage girl. The kicker here is that the town is currently in one of its phases of the year where the sun doesn’t go down. Like, at all. For days. Now, if you’re like me and you’ve had your brain go coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs after working the night shift for an extended amount of time, you can already feel this situation taking hold. It’s not good for someone like Dormer who’s already stressed and exhausted and whose partner just informed him he’s going to cut a deal with internal affairs to cover his own ass, possibly putting child murderers Dormer put away back on the streets and ruining his life’s work. To make it worse, this jerk (played perfectly by actor Martin Donovan, who would later work with Nolan again on Tenet) just casually tells him all this as if it’s no big deal, then tries to use the waitress as a human shield of awkwardness to which Dormer gives him this amazing stare.

Eventually, in one of those unforgettable movie scenes, that just make films such as the diner scene in Heat or the pool sequence from The Strangers Prey at Night, Dormer is giving chase to the killer in an intense fog when he fires his weapon and realizes he’s mistakenly shot and killed his partner Hap instead. Hap thinks that Will has done this on purpose and screams “Get away from me!” in his last moments as Will tries to help him and the killer watches from the fog. Will has to lie and say that the killer was the one who shot his partner, knowing that no one would believe him once it gets out his partner was about to cut a deal with Internal Affairs. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game with Dormer and everyone else, including the killer who’s blackmailing him to frame someone else for the crime, as he struggles with the weight of his guilt and decisions. While also going seven straight days and nights unable to sleep. And for those of you wondering, that’s really f*cking hard to do. No human being on record has ever gone more than eleven days straight without sleeping and lived to tell the tale.

Though the film was a remake, it was the rare version of a remake that changed enough to have its own identity, even pleasing the director of the original film who said, “It was quite close, stylistically, to the original. I felt lucky that it’s such a well-crafted, smart film and that it had a really good director handling it, because as a remake I think it did really well, and it doesn’t hurt any original if a remake is well done.” Nolan’s Insomnia not only honored the film it was remaking but was also clearly inspired by the others who had come before. There’s a Hitchcockian feel to the movie that Nolan himself mentions several times as well as multiple similarities to Johnathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs. Ironic, considering Demme was at one point attached to direct the film himself. But Nolan had the job and the rest was history. He would use his cast to make one of the biggest changes between the original and his own, stating “The original film is very brilliant in its process of slow alienation from the protagonist. My film’s the opposite. You go with him on the journey and in a way you get closer to him at the end than you are at the beginning. I love the idea of going okay, take this exact plot but you just change a few things. You change your relationship with them. That’s the point of stars. They have a relationship with the audience. You tend to trust them.” The studio, though still wary of Nolan agreed with him on this point. Which led to the hire of maybe the biggest star of all… Al Pacino.

Pacino was coming off a ten-year stretch that included some of his most fun and intense roles. Movies like Heat as mentioned earlier, The Devil’s Advocate, Any Given Sunday, and Carlito’s Way. He brought that same intensity to the set of Insomnia. With limited time to rehearse, Nolan and Pacino worked hand in hand in either reigning in that intensity or letting it off the leash. Nolan said that Pacino would request to do multiple takes with varying levels of intensity during his scenes but that Pacino was one of the greatest actors to ever live and he very easily could have simply used the first take each time.

On the opposite side of the spectrum was the late Robin Williams, one of the funniest people on planet Earth, taking a turn for the dark side for the second time in 2002 (as the film One Hour Photo released the same year) in the role of an author turned teen murderer, Walter Finch. Though Nolan noted that Williams was a delight on set, there was a method to Williams’ madness as well. Williams said that he had watched an interview of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer where Dahmer calmly explained to a TV crew how he would store the bodies of his victims and how it freaked them all out. He said “The creepier, the more normal and regular it seems… the creepier it is because that’s the way it is. To play it just straight and regular and much like this because people like that feel like they are not entitled, but it’s how they function.” In the end, Williams would deliver an amazing subdued, and complex villain that is hard to shake….even as you see his body disappear into the cold Alaskan water after being shot by Dormer at the end of Insomnia. He disappears into the nothingness as if he were never there… which was exactly the intent. Nolan would later say of the character, “In my conversations with Robin, I did actually say to him ‘This is something we’ll only talk about, but the guy could be unreal… as in he might not exist. He’s very much Dormer’s conscience”.

An interesting idea that would give you a great excuse to watch Insomnia again, although that isn’t the reality they decided to go with. It’s fascinating to consider. But as Lucas from Empire Records once said, “Always play with their minds.” Nolan would go on to praise William’s work in Insomnia further, saying, “I wound up watching the film hundreds of times as we cut it, and I never hit that point with the performance where you start to see the acting. Most performances, at a point, bits start to peel off and away…but with Robin’s, he was very much in that character. Not that he’s a very dark person to work with- he’s very lively and friendly and amusing to work with. He really found something within himself. I think it’s a very underrated bit of work on his part.”

Hillary Swank was cast as Detective Ellie Burr, who idolized Dormer’s work and was eager to get her chance to affect the world in the same way. Her character in the end would use all she learned from Dormer to realize that he was indeed the one to shoot his partner and the final conduit for Dormer to finally receive a cathartic release for his guilt, telling her not to “lose her way” by throwing out the evidence, though she knew it was an accident. And though it was the last moment of his life, he was finally able to get some sleep, his soul finally unburdened.

It was this guilt that was the main theme of Insomnia and the reason that if you wanted to you could watch the film under the spell that its killer was simply a figment of Dormer’s imagination. Watching such a talented actor as Pacino in his bag of goods, playing a character being broken to the very core by his guilt and lack of sleep is something to behold and by all accounts the main story at play here. Nolan himself said, “To me, the film is about responses to guilt and you’ve got two characters who deal with guilt in opposite ways. In fact, that’s what makes the relationship between them quite interesting.” On the lack of sleep front, Soderbergh was quoted as saying that was the most difficult task in making the film, saying, “The biggest challenge in a movie like this is creating the impression of fatigue and what it means to be tired without making the audience tired. You have to come up with some interesting visual ways to suggest that state of mind without lulling people into some stupor” Which, Insomnia did in spades using fragmented editing, up close camera shots, and the acting talents of Al Pacino. Yeah, I know, I know. You get it. I love Al Pacino.

The sunlight and setting played as important a role as Pacino, Williams, or Swank. The sun becomes an unrelenting metaphor for Dormer’s guilt and his inability to escape his current situation. The setting of Alaska (though mostly filmed in British Columbia), framed beautifully by Christopher Nolan’s right-hand man Wally Pfister, provides the ambiance for multiple memorable moments. From the plane ride at the beginning of the movie to a chase scene that ends with Dormer trapped in the water under a series of logs smashing together violently, to the famous and aforementioned fog scene. Pfister and Nolan also used the sun to their advantage in terms of cinematography with Nolan noting “We wanted to make a very dark film that had ever-present light.” Amidst all the beautiful settings, cinematography, metaphors, and intrigue…we were still treated to one-of-a-kind moments and one-liners like this one between Pacino and Williams: “You’re about as mysterious to me as a blocked toilet is to a plumber.”

So, Nolan had his cast, his cinematographer, his locations, and the wind at his back. But he still didn’t have the full trust of the studio. Who put him through multiple test screenings and even made him film an ending where Pacino’s character lived. Nolan explained “Probably the trickiest thing with Insomnia was we had to shoot two endings. I changed the (original) ending actually at Steven’s suggestion. He said to me, ‘He should die at the end and then it is like a John Ford film’. And I thought ‘yeah, that makes a lot of sense’. The whole thing becomes much more about the man’s interior and ethical journey. The studio was not happy about this. And so, they made me promise to shoot it both ways. And I did shoot it both ways. Pacino was not happy about it. But basically, I said to him ‘Look, I gave them my word I would do it’…and he respected that.”

Warner Bros never even as much as asked to see the other ending and Nolan never even edited it together. But the test screeners were still a pest for Nolan who said, “First Alcon, then Warner Bros made us test it. I haven’t done it since, but that is where they literally write you a book of how to fix your films, and it’s a brutal process. We had to do it three or four times over many months and it was a very, very stressful process of being almost pitted against the audience in a way, which is not what filmmaking is.”

Regardless, the film would be released on May 24^th, 2002 to the tune of 114 million worldwide (on a 46 million dollar budget). The reviews were overall outstanding, the director of the original was pleased, and all was right with the world. Nolan specifically calls it his most underrated film, saying “I’m very proud of the film. I think, of all my films, it’s probably the most underrated….That’s not really for me to say, but every now and again I meet a filmmaker and that’s actually the film that they’re interested in or want to talk about.” He also goes on to say that the film was one of the best-reviewed of his entire career at the time, which “helped a lot”. Which, it clearly did considering Warner Bros. trusted him enough to hand him the keys to the Batman universe afterwards…..and we all know how that turned out.

As far as why Insomnia feels underrated when you look at Nolan’s filmography? It’s hard to say. Nolan thinks it may be because it wasn’t genre-changing enough, saying, “Of all the films I’ve made, it sits the most squarely or comfortably within the genre that I was trying to make it in. It doesn’t really change the genre, and that’s what people have come to expect from the other films I’ve made. But I think the film holds up very well.” And I would agree. Insomnia is one of those movies that you kind of forget exists for whatever reason but then get really excited to watch it when it creeps through the fog and back into your brain again. And that, my friends, is just WTF happened to Insomnia. Thanks for watching and remember to catch Christopher Nolan’s Toasted Cheddar Chalupa, in theaters this Summer.

A couple of the previous episodes of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

The post Insomnia (2002) – WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? appeared first on JoBlo.

Folks, I love the X-Men. When I was a kid, Professor Charles Xavier and his band of mutant outcasts were at their peak with Chris Claremont’s X-Men bringing the super-team into the households of young comic book readers everywhere. Needless to say, I’m absolutely stoked by the recently released Disney Plus continuation of the 1990s animated TV series and have had X-Men on the brain 24/7 these days… seriously guys, I’ve worn this sweatshirt like every day since mid-March… And seeing as I’ve been let down by the last couple of movies I’ve covered on this show- Today I’m going to be selfish and talk about an entry in the Fox X-Men universe that I love. A film that breathed new life into the decaying franchise with exciting new timelines and a fresh filmmaker with bright eyes and a passion for comics. A movie that promised a very exciting future for the coming X-Men adventures… And we were almost immediately let down. But we did get a few great entries in the First Class saga and that’s where we’re going to begin for today. I just can’t handle any more bad superhero movies right now without getting depressed. So, in today’s video I’m going to revisit Matthew Vaughn’s X-cellent 2011 prequel film, X-Men: First Class.

Now, this movie (and really this entire collection of movies) is sort of a soft reboot of the X-Men series that was originally led by Brian Singer. This film introduced Charles Xavier as a young man in the 1960s whose life purpose is found through his discovery of a way to help other mutants hone their abilities and use them for good. The film feels like a new telling of the X-Men altogether with some continuity changes and switcharoos being present throughout the film, but it also is the same film that came before Fox brought back the original cast for a time-travel crossover film adaptation of “Days of Future Past”- so honestly- don’t get too caught up on the timeline and continuity of these movies because, boy is it fucked.

But in any scenario- First Class truly represents what makes the X-Men such a juggernaut (pun very intended) in the comic book community. It’s a story about family, purpose, sacrifice, and rebirth, and it really is one of those movies that I swoon over every time I watch it so, let’s see if today’s video goes better than the last few on Marvel Revisited.

2011’s X-Men First Class follows the early years of Charles Xavier and his ambitions to find others like him and show them that they are not alone. The movie serves as a prequel to the original Fox trilogy but does rewrite some history here and there to make the movie a little less tethered to its predecessor. We see an 11-year-old Raven Darkholm sneaking around Xavier’s childhood home looking for food in the middle of the night. When Charles senses her with his blossoming abilities, he confronts her and immediately befriends her as he notes that she is the first mutant he’s encountered outside of himself. This sets up Charles and Raven for a lifelong friendship lasting well into their adult years. More on that later.

In contrast, we also get an extended version of Magneto’s origin scene from the 2000 X-Men film, with Erik Lencher being taken from his family at a Nazi camp when his magnetic abilities show themselves for the first time. This scene is very similar to that of the original X-Men movie and it nicely paints a contrast between Erik and Charles that will ultimately lead to their rivalry down the line. See, this movie is interested in showing us the roots of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants and how they started as one singular cause that split into two opposing factions. This shit is X-Men through and through, true believers.

Now, what’s the conflict here? Well, similar to many other entries in this franchise- The X-Men will find themselves at odds with the United States Government, as well as the Russian military and an underground group of extremist mutants known as The Hellfire Club, led by Sebastian Shaw, AKA Black King- A nazi mutant who was responsible for killing Erik’s parents in the camps, and whose abilities allow him to absorb energy and store it inside his body to be dispensed at his will. Meaning, if you shoot this guy, he can absorb the force of the bullet and send it back to you with the ease of a hand wave. The energy he absorbs keeps him almost ageless, so while he was an adult when Erik was a child in the camp, he’s now the same age as Erik and Charles as the years have not affected him. Also rolling with the Hellfire Club is Emma Frost (played by January Jones), Azazal (played by Jason Flemyng), and Riptide (played by Alex Gonzalez).

The grand plan is that The Hellfire Club plans to hijack some nukes from Russia and the US and fire them at each other which would prompt a massive War between countries and lead to the overall destruction of humans, so that mutants can rise as the next step in human evolution. Pretty standard X-Men stuff again, and I love it. When Shaw and his goons start their plans, the CIA recruits Charles and Raven to help them locate other mutants and defend the US from an all-out war with Russia. Now, in the 1960s, mutants were barely understood and made known by the masses. So, Charles is excited to find more mutants and continue his discoveries of his species.

The first half of this movie is mostly putting the chess pieces in place and getting us adjusted to this team dynamic. There’s a sense of kinship between Charles and the other mutants that really illustrates the honorable nature of Xavier’s school. See, Charles in these movies starts off as a total empath. If nothing else, this movie shows his abilities as being able to feel what others feel and truly understand the pain of everyone. His motivation is to learn more about people of his kind, but also to allow mutants to serve alongside humans as equals in harmony. This effort will seem futile most of the time as humans think they’re freaks, mutants don’t feel safe, and the bad guys are both parties. It’s about 45min into the film when Charles meets Magneto for the first time and the two become fast friends. Charles saves Erik’s life when Erik attacks Shaw’s yacht and nearly drowns. Charles demonstrates his bond with Erik from the very beginning, as when Charles senses him in the water below the ship- he refuses to abandon him and instead dives into the dark water to save him- and recruits him to the CIA’s new Mutant division.

The relationship between Magneto and Professor X is also something to be appreciated in this movie. The scene in the middle of the film where Erik and Charles go on the road to find and recruit other mutants is so much fun and full of character moments that make these two surrogate brothers a believable duo. The recruits include Zoey Kravitz as Angel, of course J-Law as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, Edi Gathegi as Darwin, and Lucas Till as Havok. Oh, and how about when they TRY to recruit Wolverine and we get this:

Okay, so up until this point there’s been mostly enjoyable and somewhat soapy character and plot development. It’s difficult to establish believable dynamics between each character when there’s this many on screen and they’re all so vastly unique. But Vaughn does well at keeping it light and interesting the whole time- But then we get to a scene in the film that I don’t love…

The scene where the new recruits are sitting around the military base and demonstrating their powers started off kind of cute. It’s just a bunch of young kids who are discovering that they’re not alone for the first time. They’re bonding over their differences and united purpose- but it goes on for a while and starts to feel a little bit too overstuffed with cheese. For example, when they’re coming up with their code names- I just don’t buy it. I think it was cool that this movie goes out of its way to explain the origin of like everything in the X-Men universe, but some stuff was just too on the nose. I didn’t dig it. I also didn’t like that for most of this movie Beast isn’t blue- as it’s explained that his physical mutation wasn’t genetic but self-inflicted when trying to cure his ugly feet syndrome. I get that sitting in the makeup chair for 6-10 hours a day can be troubling- but I don’t want to see Jennifer Lawrence as Jennifer Lawrence if she’s meant to be Mystique. ALTHOUGH- This line from X2 has so much more bite behind it now because of this prequel so… Actually, maybe I don’t hate it THAT much.

I mentioned some retcons that happen in this movie, and I guess now is the time to explain that. While some of these changes aren’t as blatant, they do have some impact on the original story. For example, it’s never explicitly said in X-Men 2000 that Mystique and Charles weren’t family- but if this movie is canon to that movie (which it is) it is very weird that that never gets referenced or hinted at in the original trilogy. Or how Shaw is the first owner of the Magneto helmet that blocks Charles from getting into his head- not quite a retcon but also Charles seems surprised by the helmet in X-Men 2000 which wouldn’t make sense if this movie is their history. I mean, it’s no secret that the Fox X-Men franchise has a seriously fucked up timeline and so many continuity errors that even a movie like Days of Future Past couldn’t fix them all. But here’s the thing- it’s not enough to distract me from how much I like this movie. Remember folks, The X-Men is meant to be sort of a soap opera that focuses on misfit mutants that choose to anonymously protect the very humans that fear and hate them. It’s meant to be bold with its interpersonal relationships and make us care about the person behind the superpowers. Continuity aside, this film does that.

Let’s look at some scenes that REALLY make this movie worth the rewatch:

• The scene where Magneto kills the pig farmer and the tailor is iconic. Seeing Michael Fassbender’s rage and lust for revenge fuel his power is classic Magneto. See, Magneto relates his power to anger. He thinks the key to maxing out your potential is getting angry enough to master it. This of course contrasts Charles’ belief that calmness is the key to unlocking your ability.
• The scene where Banshee learns to fly is perfect. The team dynamics during this entire training
• montage is brilliant and it really shines in both capturing the tone of the Giant Sized X-Men, but also creating that foundation of hope and empathy that the X-Mansion is built on. Love it.
• The first scene of Charles using the prototype of Cerebro is also very well done. The way they depict Charles’s connection to the mutants looks very similar to the original trilogy so i like that- and James Macavoy as Professor X is literally spot on casting. Look at his eyebrows! Also- this pickup line that Charlie boy uses to get girls at bars is so much fun.
• The costume reveal scene took a little too long for my liking but man was it glorious. Now, this movie IS an origin so I can forgive the X-Men symbol not being on the suit as the team wasn’t yet known as the X-Men. And the blue and yellow color scheme is everything for X-Men fans. Although, I do not love the look of Beast in this movie… yikes.
• Shaw’s mutant breakout attempt is another favorite of mine. It shows how Shaw’s motivations, while misguided, aren’t exactly unrelatable for the young mutants.
• The Rebecca Romjin cameo is a nice moment for fans of her portrayal as Mystique and the timing of it in the movie was definitely appreciated.

And finally, the entire final battle of the movie is FANTASTIC. This movie has a lot of ground to cover as a prequel, but Vaughn and his editors did a great job of keeping the pacing mostly on point- But anywhere that the film drags in the first half is immediately made up for when the 25-minute-final battle sequence sets off. Shaw is in a submarine with a nuke and his plan is to absorb the bomb’s energy to basically be a walking warhead. Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Havok, Banshee, Beast, and the CIA are on their way to stop him while the US and Russian military are aiming cannons at each other waiting for the World War to begin. 

This final act will give us iconic X-Men action, cruel revelations, heartbreak, betrayal, death, and rebirth all in one shot with Magneto attacking Shaw and finally killing him as he completes his revenge. This leads to a conflict between the X-Men and their co-leader as Magneto realizes that there is no sense in fighting to be equal with humans as they will blame mutants for the war in the end. Magneto recruits Mystique, Azazel, Angel, and Riptide to form the brotherhood of mutants after he mistakenly paralyzes Charles in a scuffle. And just like that, the divide between The X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants begins, and we pick up with the official opening of Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters.

Whoo, this movie is 2 hours and 15 minutes long and I kind of want it again just for that final act. This movie shines in it’s casting and strong leads in James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, it delivers on action, humor, political thrills, and even a cute group dynamic- all things that I want from my X-Men. 8/10 this movie kicks ass.

What did YOU think of X-Men First Class? When was the last time you saw it and do you plan on going back to revisit it? Also, who else is watching X-Men ’97 and what do you think of it so far?

The post X-Men: First Class Revisited appeared first on JoBlo.

I love me some damn dirty apes, and I’m not alone. Ever since the first Planet of the Apes movie in 1968, it’s been one of Hollywood’s most consistent (on a quality level) franchises. Think about it. Has there ever really been a lousy Planet of the Apes movie? Not really. Yet, it’s often unheralded when we talk about the great franchises. So, let’s look at the series as a whole, with this Planet of the Apes movies ranked list (from worst to best). And don’t worry – you’ll get to have your say tomorrow with a poll I’ll be publishing, so check back for that.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Tim Burton’s remake of the original 1968 classic is a mixed bag. Mark Wahlberg was a little too green at this point in his career to make a captivating action hero, with him paling compared to Charlton Heston’s powerhouse performance in the original. The film itself is more than a little inconsistent, and I can see why it couldn’t launch a big new franchise for the studio, even if it did pretty well financially ($362 million worldwide). However, the makeup from Rick Baker is incredible, and the fact that it’s the last Apes movie to use the old, practical makeup FX instead of CGI makes it a must-see. Also, it’s one of Paul Giamatti’s favourite roles ever. 

Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1972)

In the sixties and seventies, sequels were made differently. The general consensus was always that a sequel would make less money than its predecessor, so the budgets were lower. As the Planet of the Apes series went on at 20th Century Fox, the studio started pumping less and less money into them, and Battle for the Planet of the Apes had a minuscule budget, resulting in the cheapest-looking Apes film of all time. However, it still has Roddy McDowell acting his ass off in the culmination of the original Caesar trilogy. It also has a very eccentric supporting cast, with director John Huston and singer Paul Williams (The Phantom of the Paradise) turning up as Apes. Williams loved playing the part so much that he was known to turn up on talk shows wearing John Chambers’ makeup. Like all the other Apes movies, it made money for Fox, but rather than make an even cheaper sequel, they opted to spin the series off into a short-lived TV series they managed to get McDowell to return for. 

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

When Planet of the Apes was a smash hit, 20th Century Fox immediately committed to a sequel. But, as was the general thinking about sequels those days, it was not designed as an “A-feature” in the vein of the first film. That movie’s director, Franklin J. Schaffner, never considered returning, with him making the Oscar-winning Patton for the same studio instead. The budget was only a fraction of the first film’s, partly because the studio had suffered a series of costly flops. The result is a reasonably cheap-looking film, with TV actor James Franciscus taking over for Charlton Heston in the lead. However, they did manage to entice Heston back for an extended cameo, which allows the film to end on a provocatively gloomy note, making the movie worth watching. This is the only classic Apes movie that didn’t have Roddy McDowell in it, with him shooting another film while doing this – and his absence is sorely felt.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Wes Ball’s new entry into the Apes saga is half a great movie. It’s terrific when it focuses on Ape culture and the new characters, such as Owen Teague’s Noa. But, when it starts to emphasize the humans and tee up yet another interspecies war, it becomes more of a mixed bag. We already have a pretty good trilogy on that very topic, so it would be nice to see this potential new series heading in another direction.

Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)

This one starts on a deceptively light note, with us seeing that Apes Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) escaped the destruction of the planet of the apes (a future version of Earth) and have gone through a time warp that sends them back in time to 1973. Initially, they become celebrities, with the movie adopting a silly, sitcom-style tone, only to take a HARD left turn towards the finale, when it becomes a tragedy that expertly sets the stage for all the movies to come. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

In my review of Kingdom, I mentioned this movie being a mixed bag, and I was surprised at how upset some folks got with me in the comments, as this is almost universally beloved among fans of the series. I remember it getting more of a mixed reaction when it originally came out, and I stand by the idea that it’s a GOOD film, but the sequels are better. James Franco phones in his performance, but it doesn’t matter in the end because the movie wisely focuses on Andy Serkis as our new ape hero, Caesar. John Lithgow is excellent in this as Franco’s dementia-affected father, who becomes a surrogate parent to Caesar, leading to a heartbreaking conclusion.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

The reboot trilogy ended with this all-out war film depicting how humans lost control of the planet due to their desire to re-establish dominance over the Apes. Some found the film overly self-serious and dark, but it brought the reboot trilogy to an operatic end and gave Serkis a platform to deliver (perhaps) his best mo-cap performance to date. Woody Harrelson also makes one of the most despicable human villains in the series (to date).

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

For me, this stands as the best entry in the reboot trilogy. It was Matt Reeves’ first time making a super large-scale blockbuster, and he does a better job than most other films in the series of juggling the screen time between humans and aes, with Gary Oldman playing the most sympathetic antagonist the series ever had. 

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

While Beneath and Escape the Planet of the Apes were hits, Fox continued slashing every subsequent instalment’s budget. Yet, the silver lining was that the movies were able to tackle riskier material, with director J. Lee Thompson and his writer Paul Dehn making the film a metaphor for fraught race relations in the U.S, with this very much informed by the battle for Civil Rights, the rise of the Black Panthers, and more. The film’s theatrical cut was toned down a bit by Fox, but if you watch it on Blu-ray, you’ll see the legit, uncompromised cut, with it standing as one of the more radical sci-fi films of the era.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Of course, no movie in the series can match Franklin J. Schaffer’s original entry, one of the best science fiction movies ever made. It’s a very influential film, with stunning makeup effects courtesy of John Chambers, a superb musical score by Jerry Goldsmith, and an iconic performance by the great Charlton Heston in the lead. It also has one of the most unhinged, disturbing endings of all time. As good as every other movie in the franchise is, this one is arguably the only true masterpiece of the series. That said, in my opinion, again, there’s never actually been a bad Planet of the Apes movie. 

The post Planet of the Apes Movies Ranked: From Worst to Best! appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Black Swan by SINOSSI

Darth Vader by John Gallagher

The Godfather by Ruiz Burgos

Mega Man X by Jerry Padilla

Planet of the Apes by Jason Edmiston

Reservoir Dogs by El Caballeros

Scorpion by Flavio Luccisano

Superman by Buffy2ville

The Thing by Joris Longuet

The Wizard of Oz by Leah Kellaway

The post Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: The Godfather, Planet Of The Apes, Superman, The Wizard of Oz appeared first on JoBlo.

Fresh off of the launch of JoBlo Horror Originals’ first-ever livestream, Friday Night Frights with Tyler Nichols, comes the debut of another livestream show, Friday Night Flicks, on JoBlo’s flagship Originals channel, TONIGHT at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. The show, which will be hosted by the channel’s director, Kier Gomes (who you’ve seen host a ton of videos on the channel), is set to tackle all the big movie news of the week. 

To note, the two shows, Friday Night Frights and Friday Night Flicks, will air on a rotating basis (every second week).

So, what’s Kier going to talk about during his first episode? One of the big stories he’s planning to tackle is our first look at David Corenswet in character as Superman in James Gunn’s first entry into his new DCU. This story has already proven to be something our readers have been divided over, with us posting a poll earlier this week that garnered a blockbuster number of results. Kier will deconstruct the super-suit as well as fan reactions, which have been all over the map.

Other stories he’ll weigh in on include the news that Peter Jackson is returning to Middle Earth as the producer of a Lord of the Rings Gollum spin-off to be directed by none other than Andy Serkis. Plus, there will be loads of other movie-centric topics tackled, so make sure to watch live tonight at 8ET/5PT in the video embedded above or RIGHT HERE. We’re very excited to get these livestream shows going, and we were blown away by the response to Friday Night Frights; as always, we need your support!

What else would you like to hear Kier weigh in on tonight? Let us know in the comments! 

The post Check out JoBlo Originals’ first Movie Talk LIVE STREAM! appeared first on JoBlo.

No man is an island. As much as we hate to admit it, sometimes, no one gets anywhere in life without someone believing in them. The same is true for Hollywood. It takes the stars aligning (pun intended) for any success story for anyone to really make it, and especially to escape the shadow of how they may be initially perceived.

There may be no better example of that than Mr. Channing Tatum. He told GQ in 2009, “I got crazy lucky. Like, sometimes I think I won the lottery or something. I don’t really know how I got here. But I just keep moving forward, and it just keeps getting better and better.” Had the stars aligned differently, he could have been just an exotic dancer and never entered the public consciousness. Or just a model. Or just played a jock. Or just played generic romantic leads. Or just played generic action roles. Or faded into obscurity after 2018 like so many others have before. Or remained purely in front of the camera. Or maybe just been loved instead of beloved. But WTF happened to Channing Tatum to make him beloved? To learn that, let’s start, as we do, at the beginning, where the beginning began.

Channing Matthew Tatum, Chan to his friends and family, was born on April 26, 1980, in the small town of Cullman, Alabama, USA. His family moved to Mississippi when he was 6. He wasn’t born on the bayou, but he got there pretty quickly. Football was one of his first loves, but after receiving a football scholarship, he soon realized that it wasn’t something he wanted to make a career of. He found himself having to work for a living (tragic, I know) and worked construction like his father had before landing a job at a Dillard’s perfume counter. He was soon fired (he says he quit) for breaking into dance while on the job. He figured he may as well get paid to dance and started work as an exotic dancer. That experience would serve him well later. In 2000, a man saw Channing Tatum on the street and told him that he should be a model and that all he had to do was come back to his apartment. Luckily, Tatum only listened to the first part, didn’t get “Weinsteined,” and went to a modeling agency of his own volition.

Tatum walked the runway for brands like Marc Ecko and Sean John and was in ad campaigns for brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Pepsi/Mountain Dew. His first acting gig came when he appeared in Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” music video in 2000 as a bartender with face paint and a mohawk. His 2002 Mountain Dew spot, in particular, may have earned him the right people’s attention. More on that in a bit.

His first and really only television acting gig, since portraying himself on The Simpsons in 2014 doesn’t count, was on CSI: Miami in 2004, wherein he was spotted as aspiring white rapper Bob Davenport. His first major movie role was in 2005’s Coach Carter. Samuel L. Jackson certainly carries the movie on his shoulders, but Tatum showed his acting potential as one of a group of basketball players, and the coach uses his unique approach to inspire. Tatum originally had a small speaking role in 2005’s War of the Worlds, but he was reduced to a background extra in editing.

After supporting roles in Supercross: The Movie and Havoc, Tatum landed his first leading and real breakout role in 2006 with She’s the Man. Amanda Bynes said this took her championing for his inclusion after she saw him in his Mountain Dew commercial. Obviously, casting directors Sarah Halley Finn and Randi Hiller, who would go on to contribute to the success of the MCU, and director Andy Fickman, fresh off Reefer Madness, deserve credit, as well. Channing Tatum rewarded them for their trust. Fickman would go on to praise Tatum’s character and work ethic. His character is one of the most endearing aspects of a movie that, while it wasn’t initially commercially or critically successful, has gone on to cult status. He showed his dedication by training for weeks to look convincing as a skilled soccer player. He offered early glimpses of the comedic chops he would later come to be known for with one-liners that have persisted in the minds of viewers for decades since. But more poignant and relevant is when he quotes the play upon which the movie is loosely based: Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Knight: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I think we’re finding that all three apply to Mr. Channing Tatum.

Next up, Tatum would step up with 2006’s Step Up. Depending on who you ask, his charm was one of the few redeeming aspects of the formulaic and shallow movie. He rounded out his busy 2006 with A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. He steals every scene he’s in in the best possible way in a movie where he proves his dramatic acting ability. After serving as a member of a loaded ensemble cast for 2007’s Battle in Seattle, Channing Tatum appeared in the solid if depressing wartime movie Stop-Loss in 2008. The marketing for 2009’s Fighting leaned hard into Tatum’s sex appeal, and his physicality in performing the top-notch fight choreography goes some distance toward masking a derivative and underwhelming story.

Channing’s 2009 started with Public Enemies, in which he portrayed “Pretty Boy” Floyd, which is…fitting. The film leans more toward style than substance, but Tatum showed he could hold his own with Hollywood heavyweights Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. His first smash hit, since War of the Worlds doesn’t count, was 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which is basically a cartoon shot in live-action, for better or mostly worse. Maybe if director Stephen Sommers had allowed for more levity like he did in his timeless masterpiece The Mummy, critics would have been fonder of it. But more importantly to our story, G.I. Joe proved that Channing Tatum could carry a blockbuster franchise. For his part, he’s since said he regrets his participation, largely due to his reverence for the source material, but also because he…ahem…”fucking hated the script.”

In 2010’s Dear John, Tatum portrayed…John. The movie did what all romance movies have tried to do since 2004: recapture the lightning in a bottle of that other movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. Channing’s chemistry with costar Amanda Seyfried is…fine…but the movie treads over too much old ground to be worth seeking out. Tatum’s next film was 2011’s The Dilemma, which is also a dilemma for the viewer. A Ron Howard-helmed dark comedy with THIS cast? Sign me up…in theory. In practice, not so much. But Channing is kinda perfect as 2011’s version of a f***boi.

Channing Tatum played a soldier again in 2011’s The Eagle, this time one from ancient Rome. This may be one of the few times where the movie’s poor reception can be placed on Tatum’s shoulders for his wooden delivery, but it can be tough to discern sometimes where it’s the fault of the actor or if the writer should have showcased a defter hand or the director a firmer one. Next up for Channing Tatum was the crime drama The Son of No One, which no one saw, despite Tatum and Al Pacino in top billing. If you have a strange itch to see a Dito Montiel/Channing Tatum flick, just watch A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. And maybe see a doctor.

2011’s Haywire was director Steven Soderbergh’s consolation prize after being dropped from Moneyball as well as lightning rod Gina Carano’s acting debut. The movie wasn’t a hit with audiences, but it did mark the start of Soderbergh’s working relationship with our hero, Channing Tatum, who would go on to be called Soderbergh’s “muse”. You could even say they’d go on to make magic together. Tatum finished up 2011 with 10 Years, where the core message is “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” It’s tough to say things were staying the same for Channing Tatum, who in 2012 starred in box office smash romance film The Vow opposite Rachel McAdams. Maybe she’s the romance movie linchpin.

Channing Tatum’s career to this point wouldn’t make his assignment to a buddy comedy reboot of a beloved 80s police procedural especially intuitive, but costar Jonah Hill, writer Michael Bacall, and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller looked at Tatum and saw their guy. His performance in 2012’s 21 Jump Street perhaps did more to change perceptions about him than any other movie. Mostly shoehorned into romantic and action films, to that point, Channing Tatum showed that he had a funny bone, in addition to his square jaw and chiseled abs in a movie that called for precise comedic timing and leaned on improv. His expanded range begat expanded appeal in one of the most pivotal years in his career.

When the original director fell through for Channing Tatum’s next very loosely autobiographical passion project, he remembered how well he vibed with Steven Soderbergh, who was excited for the reunion. This partnership spawned the Magic Mike franchise, with the namesake debuting in 2012. It was a really big hit with women, for some reason, and went a long way toward earning Tatum People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2012. 2012 also marks the peak popularity of the first name “Channing.” Our guy was on top of the world.

Tatum was back with Soderbergh for 2013’s Side Effects, a tight thriller about how the effects of drugs can amplify, magnify, and cascade. Soderbergh trusted Channing Tatum to once again act against type in the subdued supporting role.

Channing returned to his blockbusting ways with 2013’s GI Joe: Retaliation. I don’t ever care to see it, again, but it made nearly $400m at the box office, so what do I know? Spoiler Alert: Tatum’s contract with the studio obligated him to be in the movie but didn’t dictate how much, so he asked to have his character killed off right away, and the studio complied. Some former wrestlers took the reins from there. Also in 2013, Tatum appeared as one of many famous faces playing facsimiles of themselves in This is the End and in the action thriller White House Down, wherein his earnest performance is diluted by loose direction and distracting editing. This is one of those movies that’s gone on to be called self-aware parody, which I think is sometimes a crutch for underwhelming movies.

Channing was back with Lord and Miller in 2014 for The Lego Movie, with Tatum voicing Superman. He’d aptly embody the necessary gravitas and reprise the role in 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie and 2019’s The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. Can Lord and Miller do no wrong? The band was back together again for 2014’s 22 Jump Street. The success of the first film justified the sequel we didn’t know we needed and yet appreciated even more than the “original” or “reboot” or whatever you want to call it. Tatum builds on his prior performance in a movie that’s a bit more meta, a bit more topical, and a bit more fun.

In 2014’s beautifully animated The Book of Life, the most unbelievable thing in the mythical tale is that Tatum was the odd man out in a love triangle. The next trio he was a part of was a trio of Oscar baiters for 2014’s Foxcatcher. Unfortunately, while his costars Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo were deservedly nominated, he wasn’t, despite critical acclaim.

2014 also marked the formal announcement of Fox’s unmade Gambit film, with Channing Tatum attached in the titular role. The journey of that unmade film could be its own video. Suffice to say that development hell and the Disney acquisition put the kibosh on it. Rumors persist that Tatum will embody the Ragin’ Cajun in an upcoming film, and he was long passionate about the character, so we can certainly hope one of those rumors comes true.

Channing Tatum proved his ruggedness when he ran wild with Bear Grylls on Running Wild with Bear Grylls in 2014 and again in 2019. Tatum’s first 2015 film was Jupiter Ascending. I think back in 1999, people would have thought, “Oh, The Wachowskis and sci-fi! What could go wrong?” but by 2015, they would have probably realized, “Oh, yeah, a whole lot.” 2015 also saw Magic Mike XXL, directed by Soderbergh collaborator Gregory Jacobs. Tatum’s enthusiastic cheering for Joe Manganiello’s “Big Dick Richie” as he tries to seduce a store clerk is a highlight. Channing Tatum went from leading an ensemble to a small role in one for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. Tarantino, as a director, has maybe the highest floor in film history, but to many, this film is that floor.

In 2016, Channing Tatum made a memorable appearance on Lip Sync Battle, though his then-wife Jenna Dewan may have been even better. He worked under the Coen Brothers for 2016’s Hail, Caesar!, a meta film appreciated more by critics than audiences because Hollywood types love movies about themselves. For his critically triumphant return from self-imposed retirement, director Steven Soderbergh looked to his muse, Channing Tatum, along with a positively unhinged Daniel Craig, for 2017’s Logan Lucky. Channing Tatum elevates a flick that grabs you by whatever bits you have and doesn’t let go.

Tatum kept the adrenaline flowing with the 2017 follow-up Kingsman: The Golden Circle, wherein he played a member of the Kingsman’s American counterpart, the Statesman. And you just know he had to dance in it. Channing Tatum lent his voice to the lead role in 2018’s Smallfoot, where, subversively, we follow his character, Migo the Yeti, as he discovers the existence of humans.

Following 2018, Channing seemed content to be behind the scenes for a couple of years, earning a couple of producer credits as the world went into hiding and he entered into a messy if amicable divorce. We’d next see him on the silver screen in a cameo-level appearance for his friend Ryan Reynolds in 2021’s Free Guy. He got to be silly and nerdy, something he’s grown to be really good at. He also led the Netflix animated revisionist history feature America: The Motion Picture as a chainsaw-wielding George Washington.

2022’s Dog perhaps marked the true comeback of Channing Tatum. The movie, which he starred in and co-directed with Reid Carolin, represented a major bet on himself. Most of the runtime features just Tatum and the titular dog, the Belgian Malinois Lulu. For all the dog’s talents, Tatum did much of the heavy lifting. If Tatum leaned on anything comfortable, he did so in once again portraying a soldier. The movie made its budget back on its opening weekend during a time when movie theaters were still recovering, a testament to Channing Tatum’s enduring talent and star power. 

Channing Tatum returned to his romance roots with 2022’s The Lost City…kinda. The hit movie serves to emphasize Tatum’s versatility, as he’s tasked to balance elements of romance, action, adventure, and comedy. I think the then 41-year-old Tatum and 57-year-old Sandra Bullock look better in this movie than most of us have looked in our entire lives. Also, in 2022, Tatum cameoed in David Leitch’s Bullet Train as a character that fans have speculated may be far more multifaceted than he initially appears.

Channing Tatum was named one of Time’s most influential people in 2022. The feature, penned by Matthew McConaughey, is about as vague and cryptic as you’d expect. It’s worth seeking out if you’re a fan of either man. Tatum’s only 2023 film was Magic Mike’s Last Dance, wherein he showcases a chemistry with Salma Hayek that would make his Hateful Eight director Quinten Tarantino jealous.

If 2005 was the debut, 2012 the peak, and 2022 the return, then 2024 might be the year of the Channing Tatum renaissance. He’s set to appear opposite Scarlett Johansson in Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic comedy-drama set against the backdrop of the 1960s space race. He’s playing tech entrepreneur Slater King in beau Zoë Kravitz’ directorial debut Blink Twice. He’s been attached to Soundtrack of Silence, Roofman, Calamity Hustle, and Bloodlines, which are all in pre-production, as well as the announced Wingmen opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is also the writer and director. 

I think it’s safe to say he’s escaped the shadow of his exotic dancer and model origins and joined the realm of the auteurs. He says he got lucky, but sometimes luck also means good genetics, natural talent, hard work, and the right people taking a chance on you. It looks like we’ll be getting more Channing Tatum for the foreseeable future, and I’m sure your mom and sister are happy about that. And I’d bet Amanda Bynes, Steven Soderbergh, Jonah Hill, and Channing Tatum himself are, too.

The post What Happened to Channing Tatum? appeared first on JoBlo.

Whether it’s large Marge in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure or the Ark being opened in Raiders of the Lost Ark, horror can spring up in all sorts of genres. Those moments excite you and work as an entry point into the true world of horror. Today, we’re looking at a film that checks all the boxes. We’re revisiting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and why it’s the perfect entry into the world of horror.

Are you in the mood to watch the ’90s TMNT movies again? BUY HERE to purchase a collection of the ’90s trilogy!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was directed by Steve Barron and written by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Bobby Herbeck. Here’s the synopsis: Four teenage mutant ninja turtles emerge from the shadows to protect New York City from a gang of criminal ninjas.

Tyler Nichols wrote, narrated, and edited the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ’90 episode of Revisited. John Fallon and Tyler Nichols produced it, with Berge Gerabedian as the executive producer.

What do you think of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!

The post Why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ’90 is a Gateway Into Horror appeared first on JoBlo.