James Franco

Film Review: ZEROVILLE (USA 2018)

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,
Zeroville Poster
Trailer

A young actor arrives in Hollywood in 1969 during a transitional time in the Industry.

Director:

James Franco

Writers:

Steve Erickson (novel), Paul Felten | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Megan Fox, Joey King, Seth Rogen

James Franco has made a name for himself in pictures primarily as an actor.  He received an Oscar nomination for 127 HOURS and acted in hits like PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and FREAKS AND GEEKS.  Though credited with 39 directorial credits, the films he has directed have been mediocre at best.

In ZEROVILLE, made a few years back and only just released, James Franco stars and directs himself as Vikar a wannabe Hollywood celebrity.  He more than meets his match in the form of outrageous characters such as Seth Rogen’s APOLCALYPSE-type director, Will Farrell’s producer, Megan Fox’s starlet and Jacki Weaver’s editor.  But it is though Dotty, the editor that Vikar learns the game.  “Fuck continuity.  It is the passion that is the editing.” is what Vikar believes after watching how the kissing scene between Elizabeth Tylor and Montgomery Clift was edited in A PLACE IN THE SUN.

ZEROVILLE requires one to have sufficient knowledge of old movies to fully appreciate what director James Franco intends.  One such movie is the 1951 George Steven’s film A PLACE IN THE SUN that starred Montgomery Cliff and Elizabeth Taylor.  Vikar (Vikar with a K is what he called himself) has a shaved head and ridiculous moustache.  He loves Montgomery Cliff and Elizabeth Taylor so much that he has both Taylor and Clift tattooed on his shaved head.

Franco must totally believe the spill on continuity as his film does not pay much attention to continuity.  One scene had him break a car widow.  No blood shown, nothing and another has his hand in a bandage.  Though his film aims high, it is a mess without much direction with the characters shouting all over the place a lot of the time.  The Vikar character in contrast just broods along with a sullen look.  But the film contains isolated hilarious bits.

The film funniest segment has what is supposed to be the filming of the Arthur Hiller 1970 film LOVE STORY based on the Erich Segal novel.  Ali McGraw cannot distinguish between the lines “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” and “Love means never ever having  to say you’re sorry” which requires so many takes that she storms out in frustration.  Another one that matches is the one where Vikar is interrogated by the cops, being a suspect in the Sharon Tate murders.  The film has shades of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.  Both films are set in 1969, Hollywood.

Of the classics, these must be Franco’s favourites, as their names keeping popping up. They are A PLACE IN THE SUN, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, SUNSET BOULEVARD, CASABLANCA, JOAN OF ARC and THE SEARCHERS, even though Vikar considers John Wayne as a hontytonk racist pig.  The film has clips from John Ford’s MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, JOAN OF ARC and a 3 Stooges clip.

ZEROVILLE ends up a pretty bad movie.  It just wanders around just as its protagonist Vikar with a little aim but loses purpose on its way.  At least it is good for a few laughs.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fw72WrOrlA

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Film Review: THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS (USA 2018) ***** TOP 10

festreviews 2018 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Poster
Trailer

An anthology film comprised of six stories, each dealing with a different aspect of life in the Old West.

Directors:

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Writers:

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Stars:

Liam Neeson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan

Made as a Netflix original movie, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS is the title of the first of six the Coen Brothers stories set in the American frontier.  It is also the best of the six stories.

Written and directed by the Coen Brothers (the name that is synonymous with solid entertainment), the film is comprised of six chapters that present a different story with a different attitude from the wild frontier.  

The odd thing is that instead of the best reserved for the last, the first chapter, and the title of the film is the best of the anthology.  Anthology films, so popular in the past are now not so common.  Each chapter lasts about 20 minutes or so, and stars a complete different cast of actors.

The first episode – The Ballad of Buster Scruggs-  tells the story of a sharp-shooting songster played by an unforgettable Tim Blake Nelson.  It is hilarious, unpredictable and fun from moment one.  Nelson shows up as the fastest gun in the west while breaking into song and dance unexpectedly as well.  Though predictable as to what will happen to him at the end, this is one chapter that one does not want to end.  And to watch again and again!

The second is called “In Near Algodones’, in which a wannabe bank robber (James Franco) gets his due and then some.  The bank clerk the robber has to deal with is someone totally unexpected, coming out a-shooting with his armour of pots and pans.

Meal Ticket is a gothic tale about two weary travelling performers with Liam Neeson.  This is the least strong of the stories and my least favourite.

Al that glitters is definitely gold.  All Gold Canyon is a story about a prospector mining for gold, with Tom Waits as the elderly prospector.  The scenes of him panning the sands for grains of gold nuggets are priceless with Waits eagerly waiting to strike the mother lode.  The next is a wagon trail in which  a woman finds an unexpected promise of love, along with a dose of life’s cruel irony, across the prairies in the chapter entitled The Gal Who Got Rattled. 

Finally, ghostly laughs haunt The Mortal Remains as a pompous Lady (Tyne Daly) rains judgment upon a motley crew of strangers undertaking a final stagecoach ride.  This is the most talky of the stories and clearly shows the film deserving of the Best Screenplay Award it won at the Venice International filmFestival.  The monologue by the uneducated trapper, played by Chelcie Ross in simple but and the superbly well-written prose is unforgettable.  

The common thread in all the 6 movie is the unforgettable central character.  Each story has one that stands out and each are performed by a famous actor trying on something completely different.

One can only wish for more of these priceless uniquely Coen Brothers stamped  stories.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2PyxzSH1HM

THE DISASTER ARTIST (USA 2017)

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Submit your Screenplay to the Festival TODAY

The Disaster Artist Poster
Trailer

When Greg Sestero, an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true.

Director:

James Franco

Writers:

Scott Neustadter (screenplay by), Michael H. Weber (screenplay by) |2 more credits »

Stars:

Eliza Coupe, Alison Brie, Zoey Deutch

 

James Franco has had dozens of credits as both director and actor.  His directorial debuts have never been too stellar unlike his acting (debuts).  He has proven his acting mettle in both comedy (THIS IS THE END, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) and drama (SPRING BREAKERS).  In his latest outing, he does both directing and acting in a comedic/dramatic portrayal of Hollywood filmmaker Tommy Wiseau.  The odd film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness section to a full house, the reason being that Franco and his gang showed up during the screening.

James Franco and friends appear in this uneven tribute to eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau (played by James) and his friend, actor Greg Sestero (played by brother Dave), whose notoriously awful film The Room has become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time.  (I have never heard of it though.)  Since its release in 2003, The Room has captivated cult audiences on the midnight movie circuit with its discombobulated plot, discordant performances, and inexplicable dialogue.  Drawing on the memoir of the same name, Franco chronicles the making of The Room as recalled by Greg.  The incredulous script supervisor is played by friend Seth Roger.  Other celebrity friends of the Franco’s like Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Zac Ephron also appear.  Franco’s portrayal of Wiseau is over-the-top, which is likely the character of the man himself.  Franco as Wiseau goes about the majority of the film speaking with an accent, shouting and speaking in broken English sentences. 

Films about directors of Hollywood bombs have been done before, most notable being Tim Burton’s ED WOOD.  But Franco’s DISASTER ARTIST bears more similarity to the 1970’s British/Italian comedy starring Peter Sellers as a mastermind Italian crook in Vittorio De Sica’s AFTER THE FOX.  In both movies, there are separate scenes of the film shot, that bear no sense, but when put together during a screening at the end of the film, bring on major laughs.  This is how best to describe Franco’s THE DISASTER ARTIST.  It is a shallow biography of Tommy Wiseau providing no new insight of the man, but it does provide some solid laughs.  The best scene is clearly the one where Wiseau does multiple takes on a segment, never getting it right until finally after uttering the line, “Oh, hi  Mike” generate spontaneous applause from the director and those watching on set (and loud laughs from the audience).

The Franco/ Rogen/Goldberg troupe has an uncanny sense of humour, and the humour and timing works magnificently at times.  The film ends with a split screen of the shots of the actual ROOM side-by-side of this movie.  

A so-so movie but one can always forgive a mediocre movie if it delivers a few good laugh-out loud laughs!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qab3TMg42k

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TIFF 2017 Movie Review: THE DISASTER ARTIST (USA 2017)

festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

The Disaster Artist Poster
Trailer

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tommy Wiseau‘s The Room (2003).

Director:

James Franco

Writers:

Scott Neustadter (screenplay), Michael H. Weber (screenplay) | 

Stars:

Alison Brie, Zac Efron, James Franco

James Franco and friends appear in this uneven tribute to eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau (played by James) and his friend, actor Greg Sestero (played by brother Dave), whose notoriously awful film The Room has become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time. (I have never heard of it though.)

Since its release in 2003, The Room has captivated cult audiences on the midnight movie circuit with its discombobulated plot, discordant performances, and inexplicable dialogue.

Drawing on the memoir of the same name, Franco chronicles the making of The Room as recalled by Greg. The incredulous script supervisor is played by friend Seth Roger. Other celebrity friends of the Franco’s like Zac Ephron also appear.

The Franco/ Rogen/Goldberg troupe has an uncanny sense of humour, and the humour and timing works magnificently at times. The film ends with a split screen of the shots of the actual ROOM side-by-side of this movie. A so-so movie but with a few good laughs!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qab3TMg42k

 

THE DISASTER ARTIST

 

Film Review: WHY HIM? (USA 2016). James Franco. Bryan Cranston.

festreviews 2016 movies, movie, Movie Review , , , , , , , , ,

why_him_movie_poster.jpgDirector: John Hamburg
Writers: Jonah Hill (story), John Hamburg (story/screenplay), Ian Helfer (screenplay)
Stars: Zoey Deutch, James Franco, Tangie Ambrose, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Megan Mullally

Review by Gilbert Seah

There are smart dumb comedies and there are dumb, dumb comedies. WHY HIM? directed and co-written by John Hamburg (who wrote MEET THE PARENTS, MEET THE FOCKERS and the ZOOLANDER movies) falls into the latter category. But all is forgiven for like the hit comedy DUMB AND DUMBER, WHY HIM? is quite funny.

As in MEET THE PARENTS and MEET THE FOCKERS, it is the story of the guy trying to impress his future in-laws. The hitch in WHY HIM? is that the guy is a weird monstrous hip games designer millionaire who swears in every sentence he utters. So will Laird (James Franco) be able to charm his future father-in-law Ned (Brian Cranston) so that he can give him permission to wed Stephanie (Zoey Deutch).

The audience is set up for an all-out gross film with the beginning scene where Laird is close to show Stephanie his almost black blue balls in a video chat. The scene shifts to Stephanie’s dad’s birthday celebration where she is video chatting him when Laird suddenly appears in the background and takes off his pants. There is nothing highly original about this comedic set-up but it still brings on the laughs.

Stephanie (Zoey Deutch) invites her father Ned Fleming (Bryan Cranston) and mother Barb (Megan Mullally), along with their 15-year old brother Scott (Griffin Gluck), to stay with her wealthy and famous boyfriend, Laird Mayhew while visiting her at Christmas. Laird’s vulgar, gregarious, and blunt personality is slightly overwhelming for Barb and Scott, but causes Ned to downright despise him. However, Stephanie insists that Laird is a nice person, and that he makes her happy. But when Laird reveals he plans to propose to Stephanie in only five days, the race to prove himself worthy of her love so Ned can give them his blessing begins. Laird goes out of his way to win over Barb and Scott, while Ned schemes to make sure Laird goes down in flames.

Laird throws a Christmas party for the Flemings that goes out of control. But the three minute Christmas party segment puts OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY to shame. The segment moves on fast, furious and funny and generates more laughs in the three minutes that the entire party section in OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY.

For a film about a wild person, the film stays away from lewd scenes. There are no hard core drugs only marijuana and no smoking is shown – only the after effects (the horny mother inching her husband for sex in the bedroom). Swearing, however is plentiful but done in a humorous manner. There are also bukkake and double dicking jokes (but nothing seen) – which the gays in the audience should be familiar with. The film also steals from the Kato and Inspector Clouseau fights in the PINK PANTHER films with Laird’s man-servant, Gustav (Keegan-Michael Key) always laying in wait to fight him. But these scenes are still funny.

Where the film starts to slack is when it gets emotional with the different relationships (father/boyfriend; father/daughter and boyfriend/girlfriend). The ending 20 minutes drags too long and is a bit of a let down considering the fast pace of the rest of the film. There is a surprise appearance of a famous band at the end of the film. Still WHY HIM? succeeds as quite a hilarious though quite a dumb comedy.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6qLC4cL8E
 

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Happy Birthday: James Franco

festreviews acting, actors, Happy Birthday, Uncategorized , , ,

jamesfranco.jpgHappy Birthday actor James Franco

Born: James Edward Franco
April 19, 1978 in Palo Alto, California, USA

Read reviews of the best of the actor:

127 HOURS127 HOURS
dir. Danny Boyle

Spider-ManSpider-Man
2002
dir. Raimi
starring
Tobey Maguire
Kirsten Dunst
Willem DaFoe

EAT PRAY LOVEEat Pray Love
dir. Ryan Murphy
Stars
Roberts
Javier Bardem

Spiderman 2Spider-Man 2
2004
dir. Raimi
starring
Toby Maguire
Alfred Molini
James Franco

Date Night Movie PosterDate Night
dir. Shawn Levy
Stars
Steve Carell
Tina Fey

Spiderman 3Spider-Man 3
2007
dir. Raimi
starring
Toby Maguire
Thomas Haden Church
Topher Grace

Milk MovieMilk
2008
dir. Van Sant
Starring
Penn
Emile Hirsch
Josh Brolin

Nights in RodantheNights in Rodanthe
dir. George C. Wolfe
Starring
Lane
Richard Gere

YOUR HIGHNESSYOUR HIGHNESS
dir. David Gordon Green
Stars:
Danny McBride
Zooey Deschanel

Pineapple ExpressPineapple Express
2008
dir. David Gordon Green
Starring
Rogen
James Franco

MOVIE POSTERRISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
dir. Rupert Wyatt
Stars:
James Franco
Andy Serkis

MOVIE POSTERCAMILLE
2008
dir. Gregory Mackenzie
Starring:
James Franco
Sienna Miller

MOVIE POSTEROZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
2013
dir. Sam Raimi
Stars:
James Franco
Mila Kunis

MOVIE POSTERTHE DEAD GIRL
2006
dir. by Karen Moncrieff
Stars:
Toni Collette
Brittany Murphy

MOVIE POSTERTHIS IS THE END
2013
dir. Evan Goldberg
Seth Rogen
Stars: James Franco
Jay Baruchel

 MOVIE POSTERSPRING BREAKERS
2013
dir. Harmony Korine
Stars:
Vanessa Hudgens
Selena Gomez

MOVIE POSTERANNAPOLIS
2006
dir. Justin Lin
Stars:
James Franco
Jordana Brewster

 MOVIE POSTERLOVELACE
2013
dir. Rob Epstein
Jeffrey Friedman
Stars:
Amanda Seyfried
James Franco

MOVIE POSTERFLYBOYS
2006
dir. Tony Bill
Stars:
James Franco
Jean Reno

TOP JAMES FRANCO PHOTOS

2011 – See the best of his pictures.

ABS – See the best of his pictures.

BANGS – See the best of his pictures.

BEACH – See the best of his pictures.

BLACK AND WHITE – See the best of his pictures.

BEFORE AND AFTER – See the best of his pictures.

BOB – See the best of his pictures.

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CASUAL – See the best of his pictures.

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FACE – See the best of his pictures.

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FEET – See the best of his pictures.

FACIAL HAIR – See the best of his pictures.

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HAIR – See the best of his pictures.

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JEANS – See the best of his pictures.

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LONG HAIR – See the best of his pictures.

MEASUREMENTS – See the best of his pictures.

MODEL – See the best of his pictures.

MUSCLES – See the best of his pictures.

MAKEUP ON – See the best of his pictures.

NOSE – See the best of his pictures.

ON THE STREET – See the best of his pictures.

PHOTO SHOOT – See the best of his pictures.

POSE – See the best of his pictures.

PROFILE – See the best of his pictures.

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RED CARPET – See the best of his pictures.

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WALLPAPER – See the best of his pictures.

YOUNG – See the best of his pictures.

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GAY KISS – See the best of his pictures.

ESQUIRE – See the best of his pictures.

GQ – See the best of his pictures.

VOGUE – See the best of his pictures.

NEWSWEEK – See the best of his pictures.

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – See the best of his pictures.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY – See the best of his pictures.

CATS – See the best of his pictures.

ART – See the best of his pictures.

AS JAMES DEAN – See the best of his pictures.

GUCCI – See the best of his pictures.

AND KRISTEN DUNST – See the best of his pictures.

HEADSHOT – See the best of his pictures.

AND ANNE HATHAWAY – See the best of his pictures.

OSCARS – See the best of his pictures.

AND KESHA – See the best of his pictures.

AT SCHOOL – See the best of his pictures.

AND AHNA O’REILLY – See the best of his pictures.