THE MAG: Film Review - 'The Count of Monte Cristo'
'The Count of Monte Cristo' can't triumph over bland action scenes and miscasting
By Dan Lybarger Adaptations of Alexandre Dumas' novels pop up on movie screens with the regularity of seasonal foliage. With their combinations of adventure, romance and scenic locales, it's a safe bet the 19th century writer could be on the A-list for some time to come. Sadly, many of the recent takes on his books (such as the Leonardo DiCaprio version of "The Man in the Iron Mask" and last fall's "The Musketeer") slice through the material with dull blades.
THE MAG: Reality Check
Military advisors add to the authenticity of the hit move 'Black Hawk Down'
By Dan Lybarger Hollywood may be the fantasy capital of the world, but one man has made it his business to keep filmmakers from straying too far from reality.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'The Shipping News'
Kevin Spacey and cast add believability to the uneven drama 'The Shipping News'
By Dan Lybarger With its sterling literary pedigree, picturesque setting, proven creative team and dream cast, "The Shipping News" ultimately ends up less than the sum of its parts. In adapting E. Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, writer Robert Nelson Jacobs and director Lasse Hallström (the team behind "Chocolat") capture an intriguing folk-tale ambiance but have trouble making some of the exaggerated story consistently credible.
THE MAG: The ultimate player
Robert Altman reveals secrets to longevity in a cutthroat Hollywood environment
By Dan Lybarger Lady Sylvia: Mr. Weissman, tell us about the film you're going to make. Morris Weissman: It's a detective story about a murder in the middle of the night, a lot of guests for the weekend, everyone's a suspect.
THE MAG: Cover Story - End of the year film awards
By Loey Lockerby, Dan Lybarger and Jon Niccum The year 2001 didn't offer as many consistent cinematic delights as the movie of the same title. But the odyssey that was this film year had a number of things going for it, like the fact that it was a record-breaker at the box office. Despite all the glut of pay-per-view, DVDs and streaming Internet video, people still found the local theater to be the overwhelmingly preferred choice for entertainment.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'In the Bedroom'
By Dan Lybarger "In the Bedroom" is a grim, upsetting film that deals with painful subject matter in a vague, almost fatalistic way. Because it's neither neatly resolved nor cheery, it offers little solace to a viewer. Still, a great cast and rookie feature director Todd Field's sure and intelligent handling keeps the story riveting in an offhand sort of way. There have been other films dealing with vengeance and grief, but Field's unpredictable approach makes "In the Bedroom" seem richer and more vibrant.
THE MAG: 'Beauty' secrets
Composer Alan Menken prepares for re-release of Disney classic
By Dan Lybarger It's not surprising that the 1991 Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast" is heading back into theaters. A box office smash, it became the first animated feature to receive a Best Picture Academy Award nomination and has inspired video sequels, a TV-series and even a successful Broadway show.
THE MAG: Exhuming McCarthy
'Majestic' actor Landau remembers lessons of Hollywood's Commie witch-hunt
By Dan Lybarger In his new movie "The Majestic," veteran character actor Martin Landau delivers a stirring soliloquy about the joys of seeing vintage films and their deified stars in an opulent theater worthy of the content. It's a powerful experience he can recall from his own life.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'Amelie'
The French hit 'Amélie' presents one woman's wildly eccentric view of the modern world
By Dan Lybarger "Amélie" is less a movie and more a two-hour orgy of whimsy. French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet creates a world that is immersed with his brazenly aggressive artifice. With a seemingly endless supply of nifty visual tricks and story developments (Guillaume Laurant and Jeunet collaborated on the script), he winds up lulling an audience into delight and never loses his ability to enchant.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'The Majestic'
By Dan Lybarger Many first-rate Hollywood filmmakers were affected by the anti-Communist blacklist during the 1950s. Talented writers like Dalton Trumbo ("Spartacus") and Abraham Polonsky ("Force of Evil") were denied work and screen credit for years because of their refusal to name Reds to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. And the great director Elia Kazan ("On the Waterfront"), who did give up names, faced protesters (wearing rat costumes) outside the Academy Awards when he accepted a lifetime achievement award.
THE MAG: Shepherd's list of rights
Kansas City-based writer John Scott Shepherd fights back with 'Joe Somebody'
By Dan Lybarger John Scott Shepherd is one busy writer. His first produced screenplay "Joe Somebody" hits the big screen this week, and the film he co-wrote with Dana Stevens, "Life or Something Like It," starring Angelina Jolie, Edward Burns and Tony Shalhoub, is scheduled to open next year. His first novel "Henry's List of Wrongs" is slated to hit stores in April, and a film version should begin shooting around May. The University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate is even making plans to direct an adaptation of his second novel "Eulogy for Joseph Way" and is working on a pilot for a TV show.
THE MAG: Film review - 'Vanilla Sky'
By Dan Lybarger Tom Cruise is clearly a fan of Spanish-Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 thriller "Abre los ojos." Not only has he produced Amenábar's follow-up hit "The Others," but he's even produced and starred in a stateside remake of the movie that initially caught his attention. While writer-director Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous") loads the new version with his typically sharp banter, one wonders if Cruise's devotion might have been better served if he had merely left the original alone.
THE MAG: Off the Beatle path
The late George Harrison generated surprising contributions to world of cinema
By Dan Lybarger When George Harrison died of cancer last week at the age of 58, many recounted his guitar playing for The Beatles, his concert for the poor of Bangladesh, his stint as a Traveling Wilbury and his accomplishments as a solo artist.
THE MAG: Film Review - A tangled web
Richard Linklater's 'Tape' makes the most out of its stage-like claustrophobic setting
By Dan Lybarger "Tape" may take place entirely in a small motel room, but it packs an emotional wallop the size of an entire city. Working from Stephen Belber's one-act play, Richard Linklater proves the adage that "less is more" by getting uncomfortably close to the three people who occupy the film.
THE MAG: A century of treasures
Walt Disney's 100th birthday commemorated
By Dan Lybarger Before he died in 1966, former Kansas Citian Walter Elias Disney left an astonishingly prolific and diverse legacy. In addition to his obvious achievements as a cartoon mogul, he was a talented educator, World War II propagandist and an important pioneer for films, television, marketing and amusement parks. With Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and dozens of other Disney-supervised creations as part of the international vernacular, it's sometimes difficult to believe that, as of Dec. 5, he was born a mere 100 years ago.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'Sidewalks of New York'
'Sidewalks of New York' portrays a joyless existence within a vibrant city
By Dan Lybarger With the millions of folks who live in the Big Apple, it is astonishing that "Sidewalks of New York" writer-director Edward Burns has managed to find the five or six least engaging people to waste 107 minutes on. After his enjoyable debut with "The Brothers McMullen," Burns seems to have forgotten everything that made his first film memorable (likable characters and snappy dialogue) and inadvertently winds up insulting the title city.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'Spy Game'
Relationship between stars is held hostage in the remote thriller 'Spy Game'
By Dan Lybarger In his previous movie "Enemy of the State," director Tony Scott portrayed spies, particularly lead villain Jon Voight, as predators who use high-tech tools to trap anyone they imagine to be a threat. With "Spy Game," espionage is treated as a necessary evil. Subterfuge and betrayal may be the price of an agent's life, but the alternatives seem more abhorrent.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'Novocaine'
'Novocaine' offers Steve Martin another fine opportunity to play between drama and comedy
By Dan Lybarger Good oral hygiene can be important to the body as a whole. The mouth can contain all kinds of cancers, and there are links between gum disease and heart problems. Still, despite the importance of their work, there's something about dentists that makes it hard for people to take them seriously.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'The Man Who Wasn't There'
'The Man Who Wasn't There' adds one more twisted piece to Coen brothers' film noir puzzles
By Dan Lybarger There are two types of quiet people: The first are silent because little goes on inside their heads. The second type say little because words don't quite portray their complex inner discourses. They fear that no matter how diligently they try to explain their thoughts, others might not grasp them.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'Heist'
By Dan Lybarger Playwright and filmmaker David Mamet has a soft spot for crooks. From "Glengarry Glen Ross" (about ethically bankrupt real estate salesmen) to "The Spanish Prisoner" (about corporate scam artists), the writer has explored confidence games with voyeuristic glee that often rubs off on a viewer. His eighth film "Heist" in some ways explains and demonstrates this fascination, because Mamet hoodwinks an audience the way his characters rob their victims. This time around, the director is reminiscent of an acquaintance who charms his host to no end while pilfering him. Mamet retreads much of his earlier work, but at least it's still entertaining.
THE MAG: Midwestern canvas
Joshua Rose returns to his hometown to film the Vietnam feature 'The Painting'
By Dan Lybarger As a digital effects supervisor and producer, Joshua Rose has helped make animals talk to Eddie Murphy in "Dr. Doolittle" and space aliens and their vessels seem real in movies like "Men in Black" and "Star Trek: First Contact." With his first feature film as a director, "The Painting," Rose turns contemporary Kansas City into the 1960s version of itself.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'The One'
Action star Jet Li gets overwhelmed by digital effects in routine 'The One'
By Dan Lybarger Unlike some of his peers from Hong Kong, action hero Jet Li ("Kiss of the Dragon") is unique because he's willing to play a bad guy. Not only is he eager, but he's also remarkably adept. Despite his 5'6" frame, Li projects an unwavering confidence that makes him thoroughly intimidating. His intense eyes and calm expression helped him steal "Lethal Weapon 4" from the film's stars without opening his mouth.
THE MAG: May the farce be with you
Kansas City's annual Bad Film Festival tries to conquer space
By Dan Lybarger The "Star Wars" series and "2001: A Space Odyssey" take viewers to fantastic new worlds and make the realm of imagination seem tangible. Visitors to the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library at 625 Minn., however, will be transported to planets where spaceships shaped like hubcaps hung from strings, where landscapes look like finger paintings and where inept actors strut around in hideously garish spandex outfits.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'Thirteen Ghosts'
By Dan Lybarger With the onset of Halloween, October would seem a prime time for horror movie fans. Unfortunately, studios often use the month as a dumping ground, filling screens with fright-free flicks that wouldn't see the dark of a theater in a normal season. Past October releases include garbage like "John Carpenter's Vampires," which in its entire 108-minute length offered one quarter of the thrills as a single minute of an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
THE MAG: Cover Story - 'From Hell' to eternity
The fascination with Jack the Ripper continues
By Dan Lybarger Filmmakers have frequently turned to English folklore for inspiration, constantly re-examining the heroics of Robin Hood, the poetry of Shakespeare or the deductive wisdom of Sherlock Holmes. Often our understanding and appreciation of each can be enriched with every new interpretation. There is, however, a much less noble British character who continually makes his way into films. He has no name, his face is unknown, and more than a century after his most famous real-life misdeeds, he continues to get away with murder.
THE MAG: Indigenous chronicle
Filmmaker Stacey Fox selects Haskell as the subject of a new documentary
By Dan Lybarger New York-based musician and filmmaker Stacey Fox takes pride in work that is sometimes tricky to categorize. While she holds music degrees from the State University of New York Potsdam and Arizona State University, her short film "cultivating stillness" is silent and features a sound score that's adapted from the Taoist text of the same name.
THE MAG: Film Review - 'The Last Castle'
By Dan Lybarger Like the high stone walls of the title structure, director Rod Lurie's "The Last Castle" can be stately but sometimes seem a little too stiff for its own good. As with his last effort "The Contender," Lurie imposes so much gravity on his film (with somber music and other touches) that it is almost denied a chance to stand on its own.
THE MAG: Film review - 'Serendipity'
'Serendipity' meets all the expectations of a typical adult romantic comedy
By Dan Lybarger "Serendipity" is a romantic comedy with meager thematic ambition and no trace of originality. British director Peter Chelsom and writer Marc Klein almost seem to take pride in having made a cookie-cutter movie, and to be fair, they've made a rather tasty confection. "Serendipity" boldly asserts its escapist convictions, so the laughs come consistently even if the storyline never adds up to anything substantial.
Film Review - 'Don't Say a Word'
'Don't Say a Word' abandons all things logical in exchange for familiar thrills
By Dan Lybarger Even great movies can require that viewers ignore simple logic. For example, the opening images and sounds of "Citizen Kane" are so captivating that one doesn't give much consideration to the fact that no one is actually there to hear Charles Foster Kane's pivotal final word.
'Hearts' in the right place
Australian filmmaker Scott Hicks draws on diverse skills for 'Hearts in Atlantis'
By Dan Lybarger Struggling for years from job to job has left Australian director Scott Hicks with a résumé that seems too diverse for one person. To American filmgoers, he's best known for helming "Shine," an engrossing biopic about pianist David Helfgott and his lifelong struggles with mental illness. Geoffrey Rush scored an Oscar for playing the musician, and Hicks earned two Academy Award nominations for his directing and for writing the script (with Jan Sardi).
Going off the rails on a crazy train
Gerald Potterton recalls his collaboration with Buster Keaton on 'The Railrodder'
By Dan Lybarger In a career that has spanned decades, British-born Gerald Potterton has made a name for himself in animation.
Film Review - 'An American Rhapsody'
Filmmaker Eva Gárdos reveals her family's tale of migrating from Eastern Europe to U.S.
By Dan Lybarger Like a lot of people, cinema editor Éva Gárdos, who has worked on movies as diverse as "Barfly" and "Mask," is proud to be an American. Her semi-autobiographical writing and directorial debut "An American Rhapsody" indicates she's had more reason for her pride than most. Regardless of how closely the film represents what actually happened to her family, it's safe to conclude that their journey to the United States was harrowing.
Film Review - 'The Deep End'
Blackmail and passion help keep seedy thriller 'The Deep End' above water
By Dan Lybarger The writing and directing team of Scott McGehee and David Siegel first came to prominence with its 1993 film "Suture," a black-and-white movie that featured an African American and a Caucasian playing half brothers and making the audience the only ones in on the joke. They give viewers similar privileges in "The Deep End." Like "Blood Simple" before it, the new film generates a good deal of suspense as characters wander into danger because they don't know information that has been made plain to the audience early on.
Without 'Warning'
Big Jeter unleashes bad cinema on unsuspecting moviegoers
By Dan Lybarger Leaving a tape recorder unattended during the middle of an interview can lead to dangerous consequences. When the recording of a recent conversation with Kansas City tunesmith Big Jeter is played back, a whispering voice offers a subtle but strong hint, "Give Big Jeter the cover. You are going to do whatever it takes to give us the cover. Do whatever it takes to put us on the cover of this week's issue and EVERY issue of The Mag."
Film Review - 'Two Can Play That Game'
Familiar battle of the sexes is fought in the comedy 'Two Can Play That Game'
By Dan Lybarger In writer-director Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game," love and war are indistinguishable. As with his previous flick "How to Be a Player," Brown's protagonist is a seasoned vet of the emotional battlefield and explains directly to the audience about how the skirmishes should be executed. His themes are about as tired as they were in the previous film, but with a more likable and believable star ("Player" had an annoyingly smug Bill Bellamy), they seem a lot more relevant.
'Ghost' writer
Daniel Clowes brings his underground comic 'Ghost World' to the big screen
By Dan Lybarger While history and prestigious novels like "Corelli's Mandolin" have inspired a lot of movies this year, it's interesting to note that a comic book adaptation is quickly becoming one of the best received films on the market. "Ghost World" Director Terry Zwigoff's ("Crumb") adaptation of Daniel Clowes' comic strip, has charmed critics and moviegoers with its tale of two girls, Enid Coleslaw (Thora Birch) and her buddy Rebecca (Scarlett Johannson), whose friendship falls apart after they leave high school. It finally opens in Kansas City this week.
Film review - 'Ghost World'
Top of the 'World'; Adaptation of 'Ghost World' comic book reveals stunning satire of modern life
By Dan Lybarger In his brief 80-page comic series "Ghost World," cartoonist Daniel Clowes manages to make the ennui of two sarcastic teen-age girls scathingly funny and often oddly moving. With a few sketches and some surgically sharp dialogue, Clowes has passages that make loneliness and gloom enchanting.
Uncle Walt's secret weapon
A Kansas City animator who helped create an entertainment dynasty is finally recognized
By Dan Lybarger If Walt Disney hadn't succumbed to lung cancer in 1966, he would have turned 100 this year. Coincidentally, a Kansas City native who made invaluable contributions toward Uncle Walt's success also would have reached the century mark this year.
Film Review - 'Ghosts of Mars'
John Carpenter continues to fumble the style he helped popularize with 'Ghosts of Mars'
By Dan Lybarger John Carpenter is one of the few directors who, like Frank Capra or Alfred Hitchcock, gets to put his name above the titles of his films. But after churning out such thrill-free flicks as "Escape from L.A.," "Vampires" and his latest "Ghosts of Mars," he should discontinue the practice for fear of sullying what's left of his good name.
Film Review - 'American Outlaws'
'American Outlaws' makes mockery of the cowboy genre
By Dan Lybarger Probably the best way to describe the manner in which "American Outlaws" approaches the story of Clay County, Mo.-native Jesse James is by recalling the chilling pronouncement that comes at the end of John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence." Carleton Young flatly declares, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." This remark begs the question: What if the filmmakers can't even get the legend right?
The 'Last' will be first
By Dan Lybarger With the advent of Ken Burns' ambitious documentary "Jazz" and the museum at 18th and Vine in Kansas City, Mo., it's hard to believe that for a while much memory of K.C.'s jazz scene had almost faded for good.
Film Review - 'American Pie 2'
Comedy sequel 'American Pie 2' improves on gross-out recipe
By Dan Lybarger Screenwriter Adam Herz works with bodily discharges and fetishes the way a jazz musician handles melodies and instruments: The tune may be the same night after night, but with a slight tweak it seems new and exhilarating. In the case of "American Pie 2," Herz, who wrote the first flick, and director J.B. Rogers, who was an AD on the first movie, follow the same template and manage to elicit a surprising amount of guilty chuckles for a retread.
Film Review - 'Osmosis Jones'
Mixture of live action and animation makes kiddie comedy hard to digest
By Dan Lybarger "Osmosis Jones" solves a persistent question: Can Peter and Bobby Farrelly, the brothers who directed such entertaining exercises in tastelessness as "Kingpin" and "There's Something about Mary," make an enjoyable flick that doesn't cause a viewer to feel the need to take a shower afterwards.
Film Review - 'Sexy Beast'
By Dan Lybarger "Sexy Beast" starts off as a conventional British heist film but progresses in delightfully strange and unpredictable ways. From the beginning, music video director Jonathan Glazer (who has previously teamed with Radiohead) comes up with oddly gripping images that enhance the harsh story they accompany.
His finest 'Hour'
Legendary composer Lalo Schifrin continues as nation's leading scorer
By Dan Lybarger Argentinean-born Lalo Schifrin's enduring music is often easy to recognize. Trying to label it is another matter. The tense theme he wrote for the TV-show "Mission: Impossible" has been followed by memorable scores for films like "Cool Hand Luke," Carlos Saura's "Tango" and the Bruce Lee classic "Enter the Dragon." From the more than 100 film scores he has penned, six have earned him Oscar nominations. At the same time, he composed and arranged (and played piano on) jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's 1960 album "Gillespiana" and has even written arrangements for the Three Tenors concerts featuring Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras.
Film Review - 'Songcatcher'
'Songcatcher' uncovers the sights and musical sounds of Appalachian culture
By Dan Lybarger Like some of the tunes on its soundtrack, writer-director Maggie Greenwald's "Songcatcher" has elements that walk a fine line between timeless artifacts and worn clichés. At times the film's familiar themes seem a bit tired and hokey, but Greenwald's eye for atmosphere and some fine musical performances make the more awkward moments seem less dissonant.
In the 'Closet' of the king
French star's talent translates to any language
By Dan Lybarger In her native France, 41-year-old actress Michèle Laroque is no stranger to the spotlight. She's appeared in dozens of films and television shows and has twice been nominated for the César (the French Oscar). While her work in "Ma vie en rose," "Pedal Deuce" and other flicks has earned her acclaim, she became famous merely by being born.
Film Review - 'The Closet'
French comedy 'The Closet' comes out with different twist on sexual identity
By Dan Lybarger Watching French writer-director Francis Veber's latest comedy "The Closet" is about like observing the work of a highly skilled aerial acrobat. At any moment, the movie looks as if it could fall into sermonizing or trip into prejudice. Veber's ability to dodge these pitfalls is often as engaging as the gags he creates.
Film Review - 'The Score'
Big-name cast can't resuscitate routine heist thriller 'The Score'
By Dan Lybarger With the talent involved, "The Score" promises to be a worthy caper flick. Instead, it tediously swipes ideas from better films and robs viewers of two hours and the cost of a ticket.
Older Newer
