Joel Gretsch Standing Up to the Visitors by Jay S. Jacobs Joel Gretsch never planned to become a sci-fi star, but somehow, he keeps getting pulled inexplicably in that direction. In a decade-plus career that has spanned movies like The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Emperor’s Club and National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Gretsch has always been open to … Continue reading
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) Starring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Igor Jijikine, Alan Dale, Joel Stoffer, Neil Flynn, V.J. Foster and Chet Hanks. Screenplay by David Koepp. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Distributed by Paramount Pictures. 126 minutes. Rated PG-13. Twenty-seven … Continue reading
Julian Schnabel Continues to Dive Into Filmmaking with The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Brad Balfour Director Julian Schnabel comes to filmmaking under odd circumstances. Long before he made his first film, he was a world-class fine artist – the self-proclaimed lion of the New York art world – whose paintings and other works … Continue reading
GIL KENAN MAKES A MONSTROUS HOUSE by Brad Balfour What a break for first-time feature animation film director Gil Kenan. After Executive producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis saw his live-action/animated horror-fantasy short, The Lark he was awarded the directing seat for Monster House – and now is nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. The story goes something … Continue reading
MUNICH (2005) Starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler, Geoffrey Rush, Aylet Zurer, Gila Almagor, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Almaric, Moritz Bleibtreu, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Marie Josée-Croze and Yvan Attal. Screenplay by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Distributed by Universal Pictures. 164 minutes. Rated R. Munich isn’t an easy … Continue reading
KATHRYN MORRIS COLD CASE, HOT CAREER by Jay S. Jacobs Unlike the cases investigated by her TV alter ego, Detective Lilly Rush of the Philadelphia PD, there is nothing cold about Kathryn Morris. She is the face of Cold Case, the Sunday night police drama which has quietly become one of television’s biggest hits. The solidly crafted … Continue reading
Jake Steinfeld Business by Jake by Ronald Sklar “I’m looking for a kick-ass idea,” says Jake Steinfeld, of the “Body by Jake” fitness empire. “I’m looking for someone with a boatload of passion, and a ‘don’t quit’ attitude. It doesn’t need to be a zillion dollar idea – no one comes up with a zillion … Continue reading
Andrew Niccol The Art of Lord of War by Jay S. Jacobs New Zealand-born writer-director Andrew Niccol has been the brains behind some of the most mind-bending films in recent years. Though he was not the director of his first screenplay, the critically acclaimed The Truman Show, he has since had the opportunity to create and helm … Continue reading
WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005) Starring Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Rick Gonzalez, Yul Vasquez, Lenny Venito, Lisa Ann Walter, Ann Robinson, Gene Barry, David Alan Basche, Roz Abrams, Michael Brownlee, Camillia Sanes, Marlon Young, John Eddins, Peter Gerety and the voice of Morgan Freeman. Screenplay by Josh Friedman and … Continue reading
Mark Ruffalo, Peter Krause, Laura Dern and John Curran Adultery Education by Jay S. Jacobs We Don’t Live Here Anymore is a haunting, sometimes even devastating, look at modern marriage. Based on two short stories by Andre Dubus (“We Don’t Live Here Anymore” and “Adultery”), the movie focuses on two couples. The film chronicles the casually cruel … Continue reading
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