Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of each of HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE on both Blu-Ray & DVD.
CHICAGO – We’re approaching an entertainment apocalypse as the new four horsemen arrive on the hill: Redbox, Comcast, Marketeers and Spencer Pratt. In a decade, we’re going to be watching puppet shows on network TV and not even Jeff Dunham level puppet shows. But let’s give a run down of trainwrecks that will claim the lives of entertainment business models.
Redbox is a simple concept – a kiosk that allows you to rent a hot new DVD title for a $1 a day. There will be 20,000 of them across the country in grocery stores, drugstores and Wal-marts by the end of the year. They’re a mini-Blockbuster that’s doesn’t required a zit-faced dreamer to run the register. What’s the problem with Redbox? It’s killing to DVD sales market faster than Blockbuster and Netflix. Having Redbox inside Wal-Mart wrecks the impulse buying temptation of the giant sale bin. Are you going to pay $15 for Transformers 2 when you can merely rent it on the way out the store for $1? It’s getting harder for a producer to declare, “It’ll turn a profit on video!” Films are tanking on DVD that would have made a profit in the VHS rental days. Because of the limited space inside the Redbox machine, non-blockbuster films finding themselves being squeezed out. Small films are getting miniature exposure on DVD. I haven’t seen a fat ass royalty check for my deconstruction producing work on Moving Midway after it hit DVD. This lack of revenue will kill interest in any small production that doesn’t have Tyler Perry’s name in the title. The offer money will dry up for mid-level and indie films if the studios don’t see DVD as a true revenue source. Word is studios want to restructure so DVDs won’t be rentable until a month after they’ve been released for sales. The one good piece of news about Redbox is that it’s making Blockbuster CEO Keyes look like the captain of the Titanic after he had the nerve to trash talk me to his backers.
Marketing departments have sucked the fun out of cinema. These are the guys who run the studio – not the creative dorks. The Marketeers don’t want to release a movie that they actually have promote creatively. They want audience recognition of the source material before a greenlight. They’re more satisfied cranking out films based on old TV shows, not so old movie or toys that their mothers want to throw out. Of course they hit paydirt on Transformers 2 since that touched on all three of those principals. They’re now developing Monopoly as a feature film? Sure Mario Puzo did it as a joke 30 years ago to prove studio executives were morons. Now the children of these executives are as dumb as daddy. Imagine the crowds going nuts when the Thimble lands on Park Place and has to pay the hotel rate! Thanks to loser in marketing, expect to be unwhelmed by Snuggie: The Movie next Christmas. When they get a creative film that isn’t based on those three elements, they tank the promotion and hope it finds an audience on DVD like Idiocracy.
Comcast buying NBC-Universal will be a worse conglomerate marriage than when AOL dry humped Time-Warner. Comcast barely has any business being in the world of cable channels. Have you seen what they’ve done to E! and G4 over the years? Versus is an extremely poor man’s version of ESPN. How can Comcast run a network, a movie studio, news channels and a dozen peacock branded cable channels? You think NBC is cheap with the Jay Leno Show? After Comcast takes over Burbank, they’ll have Jay’s set reduced to a green screen as he mocks Tyra Banks clips. What really makes me fear Comcast taking over is their insistence that Jeff Zucker won’t be replaced. He’s the man who has overseen NBC’s implosion to the point where 30 Rock lost out to Jeff Dunham’s puppets in the ratings. I’d rather hear Ryan Seacrest is the new CEO of NBC with Law and Order: Kardashians.
The final horseman of the Entertainment Apocalypse is Spencer Pratt. He gains this honor not because he’s the third biggest douchebag on reality TV. What makes Pratt so destructive is his label deal with Warner Music Group. That was the day the music died. What qualifies him to such a sweet gig? He’s the mastermind behind his talentless wife’s music. Anyone who ever had a dream of signing to a major label needs to just switch to their “safety dream.” The music industry will never recover from associating with him. Clive Davis might have had golden ears. Spencer Pratt has TB throat.
Now that we can see the major movie studios, DVD distributors, TV networks and music labels on the verge of implosions, let’s focus on the bright side of this story. Now is the time for people to just do things themselves. In the 21st Century, you can get your work seen, heard and read around the globe without paying a fortune in postage. Maybe you won’t have a massive budget to create stuff. But so what? Comcast won’t give you millions although they might loan you a green screen. As far as returns go, it’s not like the majors won’t be screwing you with every royalty statement as they prove your film hasn’t come close to making a profit. DIY will be the only hope of surviving the four horsemen. Entertain each other before the major bore you to death.
FAUX TESTAMENT
According to a Wikipedia entry, Rabbi Shmuley is really Robert Steadman, a former Methodist minister from Ohio. He was exposed as a fraud when neighbors reported that during the Christmas holidays, he doesn’t go to the movies or have Chinese food.
OPEN LETTER TO SODERBERGH
Dear Steven Soderbergh,
The next time you have a major porn star playing a hooker in an R-rated movie, would you mind giving us at least one simulated sex scene? I sat through The Girlfriend Experience after watching Sasha Grey’s early work that’s on the internet. I wanted to know if she’d become the next Traci Lords and Ginger Lynn Allen. Instead of enjoying a film that ought to be reason why DVD scientists invented the frame-advance button, I was throughly bored. Was the script based on stereo installation instructions? You had a 20 minute film padded out to 80 minutes with all the wrong things. Where was the hot shower scene? The chilling hot tub moment? Maybe you have dreams of being emulating ’70s filmmakers with your disjointed editing style, but enough! I rented a film starring a major porn star playing a hooker that was rated R and not once did I slip into Cinemax After Dark mode. Now I know how Harvey Weinstein felt when he snuck into 400 Blows thinking it was a porn film.
As a little bit of advice, Soderbergh – don’t ever make another R-rated movie about a hooker being played by a porn star if you’re not going to give me the goods. The goal of these kinds of movies is to inspire your audience to wank – not for you to perform an “I’m a genius” tugjob in the editing room. Watch a Radley Metzger film to see how it’s really done.
LIFE SKILLS
OOOPPPPSSSS
Turns out Dan Aykroyd’s vodka brand is Crystal Head. This makes no sense since he sells you the booze in a skull bottle. That’s not a head – it’s a skull. Probably someone already has the trademark on Crystal Skull so he had to go with a back up name. To me it’s Crystal Skull. If you ask the liquor store for Crystal Skull vodka, they’ll give you Dan’s brand.
THE MARK OF THE Z
Disney Treasures series has been a DVD salvation over the last decade as the Mouse House neglects their heritage on 5 different cable channels. Each Disney Treasures wave normally consists of three or four titles that vary from animated theatrical shorts to live action shows from the Disneyland TV series. For Wave 9, there’s only two boxsets and they have the same subject: Zorro! Zorro: The Complete First Season 1957-1958 and Zorro: The Complete Second Season 1958-1959 gives us all the episodes and hour long specials featuring the dashing masked hero of old California.
Guy Williams (Professor John Robinson from Lost In Space) is Don Diego de la Vega. He returns from Spain to help his dad’s ranch operation in Southern California. Turns out the colony is turning nasty as Captain Monastario and other fat cats are corrupt. Diego has very little recourse since everyone in government is on the take. In such a moment of distress, Diego fights back by putting on a black mask and outfit. He becomes Zorro, the man who fights for the little guy. He uses his sword to cut a “Z”s whenever his mark is needed. His only real help is Bernardo (Gene Sheldon). The mute servant is faithful to both Diego and Zorro. Amongst the evil soldiers that do the various heavies business is a bit of slapstick in the form of the rotund Sgt. Garcia (Henry Calvin). He’s the early version of Sgt. Schultz. He’s the guy who gets the “Z” cut into his uniform during the opening credits.
The half hour show was a major hit when it aired. Walt Disney didn’t go cheap with his series. The sets look like they were designed for a major motion picture. There’s lots of location work instead of rear projection. There’s a dashing charm to the show as it comes off as more cinematic than stage bound. Guy Williams always delivers the sword fighting action. He defines macho with or without the black mask. He rocks the mustache. Each season had 39 episodes, but they weren’t merely stand alone shows. Many times, the episodes were serialized from a big adventure. This kept the shows from falling into a tempo rut. The first season established the origins and early adventures of Zorro. The second season has more guest stars including Cesar Romero in “The Gay Caballero.” Annette Funicello pops up for a few episodes. In a preview of Williams’ next series, Jonathan Harris (Lost In Space‘s Dr. Smith) in “Zorro and the Mountain Man.” Even though the show was a sensation, it only ran for two seasons when ABC and Walt Disney had issues over certain rights. By the time it cleared up, Walt felt the Zorro craze was dying down. Instead of making a third season, he made four Zorro specials that would be part of the Walt Disney Presents series. These are on the boxsets. Each season of Zorro is spread across 6 DVDs.
There are bonus features hosted by Leonard Maltin that explore the history of the show, the wardrobe and a tribute to Guy Williams. Getting the complete Zorro collection at once is a relief after the previous Disney Treasures only contained a fraction of “Elfego Baca” and “Swamp Fox” episodes in Wave 5. If you have any interest in these sets, grab them now. There’s only 30,000 copies of each in the limited edition release. Last year’s Dr. Syn set had 39,500 copies. It sold out within weeks and is now being sold for around $200 for merely 2 DVDs. Zorro: The Complete First Season 1957-1958 and Zorro: The Complete Second Season 1958-1959 are must grabs.
BLU-RAY HEAVEN
Food, Inc – Blu-ray is the scariest documentary of the year. Ever wonder what it takes for the food to end up in the supermarket? Forget those tales of Old McDonald’s farm. This movie takes us through the real process of chicken, hamburgers, corn and soybeans. It peeks around the agri-stock factories that can barely be called farms. They’re merely cogs on the conveyor belt for servicing the billions served at McDonalds. Wonder why every other week there’s an e-coli outbreak in the news whether it be peanuts, spinach or hamburger? The reason becomes evident in the race to create cheaper food. What’s frightening is that the makers don’t even have to explain “what goes in a hotdog” to gross you out. The biggest revelation is the politics of soybeans. Monsanto created a pesticide and then a genetically altered soybean that could survive that pesticide. Their patented soybean seeds are completely controlled by the company. Monsanto will destroy any farmer that dares to reuse their spare seeds in an upcoming planting season. They will destroy any farmer whose natural soybeans accidentally become hybrids through pollination. Monsanto comes off as the Goldman-Sachs of agriculture with their former employees sneaking into important government gigs. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas worked for Monsanto as a lawyer. That connection didn’t cause him to recuse himself from an important Monsanto case. In fact he wrote the majority opinion for his old boss. Luckily this is not a complete doom and gloom flick. There is hope in farmers that want to raise livestock the right way. You might want to watch this film on a weekend since your natural impulse will be to hit the nearest farmers market for veggies that come straight from the field. The bonus features include deleted scenes and a Nightline episode. In the 1080p vision, you’ll get an eyeful of details from inside chicken shacks and killing floors.
The Answer Man – Blu-ray has Jeff Daniel playing the author of Me and God. The book dealt with his conversation with the big guy and was a sensation two decades ago. Now he’s a slight recluse and a major jerk. Throwing his back out leads him to the eager hands of Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). She’s struggling as a single mom. She takes a liking to Daniels without knowing about his book. Is he going to be open to more than a spine straightening? Can he handle a kid without getting crabby? It’s a casually paced romantic comedy that doesn’t overplay its hand thanks to the leads. Kat Dennings pops up. The Blu-ray allows her to glow on the screen. The bonus features include a commentary track with Graham and a documentary about how the film came about.
THE DVD SHELF
Disney Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse is an hour long holiday special at Mickey’s nightclub. There’s plenty of winter themed shorts including iconic Disney characters. Donald and his nephews belt out snowman. They break out the old “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” cartoon with Pluto and Mickey battling Chip N Dale over a pine tree. They include the Mickey Mouse version of A Christmas Carol with Scrooge McDuck playing Scrooge. How did he luck into that gig? The big bonus is the premiere episode of House of Mouse. A nice holiday distraction for the kids and Disneyphiles.
JAG: The Ninth Season is the penultimate season of the Naval law show. The season opens with the resolution of “A Tangled Webb” episode. David James Elliot and Catherine Bell are stuck in Paraguay hunting down Sadik the terrorist. There’s a lot of emotions being stirred up in the jungle between Elliot and Bell. “Shifting Sands” has Elliot messed up when he returns to D.C. and finds his resignation has been processed. Is he out of a job? “The One Who Got Away” puts the unit in the middle of a North Korean hot spot. “Touchdown” has an airlift out of Libya. “People v. SecNav” places Elliot inside the terrifying International Criminal Court as he defends America against the world. There’s 23 episodes spread over 6 DVDs.
The Untouchables Season Three, Volume Two brings more raw justice from Eliot Ness and his crew of gangbusters. “Takeover” has John Banner (Hogan’s Heroes‘ Sgt. Schultz) running a non-alcoholic brewery. But who can be satisfied making near beer? Enter Robert Loggia (The Sopranos) and his secret how to put the kick back in the lager. The ultimate thrill is seeing Leonard Nimoy as a hitman. “The Stryker Brothers” are a trio of bottom feeders that impress the mob with their skills. The youngest brother is Frank Sutton (Gomer Pyle‘s Sgt. Carter). “Element of Danger” has Lee Marvin cutting dope. Lee looks like a natural when facing off with Robert Stack. “The Case Against Eliot Ness” makes Sid Haig a hitman. “The Contract” puts a hit on Frank Sutton as he’s now Smiley Barris. “The Monkey Wrench” goes ape with Claude Akins (Battle for the Planet of the Apes) being nutty in Chi-Town. This boxset has 12 glorious black and white episodes on 3 DVDs.
Nash Bridges The Third Season firmly establishes Don Johnson as the title character and not merely an extension of his role on Miami Vice. He’s lost that brooding feeling. And how can one brood when their cruising around San Francisco with Cheech Marin? The contact high off smelling his shirt ought to put a buzzed smile on your face. “Lost and Found” introduces the Kelly Hu (Top Chef Masters) as Inspector Michelle Chan. She’s deep cover in a stolen car ring. Nash needs her help to locate stolen military weapons. Cheech’s car gets blown up real good in the opening. Willie Nelson pops up as a convict sprung from San Quentin to nab his old partner in “Payback.” The smoke cloud over the trailer when Cheech and Wille practiced their lines together must blocked the sun from touching the Golden Gate Bridge. There’s music replacement, but somehow the lack of songs makes me not confuse this with Vice.
7th Heaven: The Ninth Season gives us more antics from the minister’s family. Stephen Collins (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) can barely keep sane. He’s got kids moving back in with a baby on the way. Nothing like having a newborn in the house to keep things interesting with sleep deprived characters zombie walking into the kitchen. They’ve got new kids roaming the rooms. The twins are now in school so there’s grammar school grief. The big highlight is a singing, dancing musical episode for Valentine’s Day. There’s 2 more seasons to go. Twenty two episodes are spread over 5 DVDs in this boxset.
Gabriel Iglesias: I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy Live From El Paso lets the large comic explode with manic routines that revolve around food, his girlfriend and more food. Iglesias breaks down a new level of flat that’s above “fluffy” and “damn.” He reminds us that you shouldn’t let your girlfriend spend a night alone with a bottle of wine and Cheaters on TV. The guy does an amazing set of voices on stage to create characters. He’s like Jonathan Winters without losing focus. He becomes the snide women working the hotel’s front desk at night. He might have one of the best tales of hanging with Paul Rodriguez that involves tacos, strippers and border cops. The DVD gives the 68 minute show along with an 8 minute deleted bit about his high school reunion.
The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series: Volume 2 beams down another 4 episodes from the original show. “Where No Man Has Gone Before” is the second pilot done for the series. Gary Lockwood (2001) and Sally Kellerman (Back to School) become silver eyed gods and they’re bent on taking down Captain Kirk (William Shatner). “Space Seed” is essential viewing for anyone who has seen Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan since this is the birth of Khan (Ricardo Montalban). He and his crew are defrosted from suspended animation. Turns out they weren’t nice folks back in the day. Khan wants to take over the Enterprise. “A Piece of the Action” allowed the futuristic series to dip into the props from The Untouchables. Kirk and Spock beam down into a planet that has based it’s culture on Al Capone. “Journey to Babel” brings Spock’s dad on board for a diplomatic summit. The 4 episodes on this DVD are from the remastered transfers with CGI ships replacing the old model effects. This is a good gift for people who want to learn more about the show after seeing the re-imagining Star Trek.
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Volume 2 has 4 episodes from the Riker-Picard era. “Relics” is the most important of the batch since it brings back Scotty (James Doohan) from the original series. He’s stuck on a shipwreck. “The Inner Light” has an amnesiac Picard wake up to a wife on a new planet. What is the mystery behind this other life? “Cause and Effect” gives us a space-time anomaly. “Tapestry” has Picard bite it. His only hope lies in the power of Q to let him change time. Can he afford to alter things to save his own life? It’s a fine sample of the second series voyage of the Enterprise.
One Christmas is a holiday tradition in my house because my brother was an extra in it. The film is based on a Truman Capote story. The story has a young boy going from his home in Alabama to visit relatives in New Orleans for Christmas. This is a little bit of a shock for the boy. The film has the final performance from Katharine Hepburn. Although in our house, we gather around so that Matt can tell us the heartwarming tale about how he got his haircut at the same time as Henry Winkler. They sat in neighboring barber chairs. My brother got to swap idle chitcat with the Fonz. During the trimming, Fonzie got news that his show Monty had been picked up. He was so excited to get another sitcom. This would be an amazing Christmas story except Monty got canned after only 6 of the 13 episodes aired. At least the DVD is now going to be out so we don’t have to watch the VHS that mom accidentally taped at EP speed. In DVD, we can freeze frame my brother’s big background extra moment.
Predators is the Animal Planet series about what happens when people encounter animals that aren’t ready for the petting zoo. “After the Attack” has people discussing what it was like to be nearly turned into a snack. “Up Close and Dangerous” has wilderness filmmakers recount the most temperamental of TV stars. Christian Bale wasn’t nearly as nasty as the talent that turned on these cameramen. Killer Crocs of Costa Rica follows a croc through motherhood. It’s kinda like Knocked Up for a future luggage set.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
In conjunction with Eagle Rock, we’re giving away five (5) copies each of MONTY PYTHON: ALMOST THE TRUTH on both DVD & Blu-Ray.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies each of OBSERVE & REPORT on both DVD & Blu-Ray.
In conjunction with Universal Home Video, we’re giving away ten (10) copies of THE OFFICE: SEASON 5 on DVD.
In conjunction with Universal Home Video, we’re giving away ten (10) copies of HEROES: SEASON 3 on DVD.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of THE SIMPSONS: SEASON 12 on DVD.
In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of SUPERNATURAL: SEASON 4 on Blu-Ray.
In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of SONS OF ANARCHY: SEASON 1 on DVD.
In conjunction with Cartoon Network Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND on DVD.
In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of ONE TREE HILL: SEASON 6 on DVD.
TALLADEGA — When a filmmaker wants to depict America’s legendary rugby coach in a film, only a legend actor can handle the job. Forever Strong shines a light on Highland High’s Coach Larry Gelwix. How good is he? His teams are 361-9 in the last three decades. He’s brought 18 of the last 24 National High School titles back to Salt Lake City. Who could dramatically play such an imposing figure behind such figures? Gary Cole took the whistle.
The star of Pineapple Express and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby dialed up the Party Favors hotline to discuss his role in Forever Strong which has recently been released on DVD. Oddly enough, the star of Midnight Caller rang me in the afternoon.
Being in the right place at the right time was the key to Cole landing the role of Coach Gelwix.
“I was in Salt Lake City in the summer of 2006 making a baseball movie (American Pasttime) when Forever Strong was being prepped and set to go,” Cole said. “I got a call barely two weeks before they were set to shoot. They had the rugby guys in bootcamp for five weeks. I got the call and switched my bags from one hotel to another.”
With such a short time, how did Cole tap into playing a real life figure?
“I got the script and I was able to meet with Larry (Gelwix). We talked about the team and his experiences,” Cole said. “Far as the rugby was concerned, he was around all the time. We just went on the fly. It wasn’t like I had two months to bone up on my rugby knowledge – which is still limited. It’s kinda of a difficult game to grasp.”
After this experience, was Cole inspired to coach a rec league rugby team?
“I would say no,” Cole declared. “I’ve played a lot of coaches. If it’s a sport you know, you can throw semi-intelligent ad libs from the sidelines because you know the game.” However rugby didn’t fit into the tested coach cliches since there’s no forward passes. “We were always dumbfounded. What should we be saying other than ‘go faster!’ Most of the time you couldn’t hear us and we were shouting out showtunes to crack each other up. They just needed some kind of syllables.”
There are very little signal calling action for the coaches during the game. The nature of the action ended up dictating the game action captured on film.
“There’s very little Xs and Os. It’s dictated by the movement of the ball. It’s pretty improvisational,” Cole said. This improv nature of the game became a part of filming the action on the filed. “They just let them play a lot of times. There were scripted things that had to happen in terms of story. But a lot of times they put the camera on a length of track and just let them play.”
Rugby is known for its brutal action with lack of pads and helmets. The slogan “give blood, play rugby” is truth. How much bloodshed was there on the field during the shoot? Was there a disabled list on the call sheet?
“Nothing that took anybody out like ‘Oh God, here we go. We got to shut it down. Sean (Faris) earned his money. He had to take most of the shots and they were in the scripts. They were headhunting him and he was the ball carrier. He got his share of bruises, fingers dislodged and a couple of groin pulls here and there. He took plenty of Advil and abuse,” Cole said.
Even though he didn’t have to take the physical abuse, Cole suffered for the shoot.
“It was the middle of summer in Salt Lake City,” Cole said. “It was 102 degrees. The coaches hardest job was finding shade on the sidelines and sipping our Gatorade.”
We discussed the unusual nature of a movie about the ultimate overdog. Sports movies are always about the scrappy underdog going against the well oiled machine. Whether it be Rocky, The Bad News Bears or the 1980 US hockey team; the big dog is meant to be taken down in these films. How did Cole work his version of Gelwik so that he wasn’t Vic Morrow? How do you make the audience embrace the winner who always wins?
“I think (the movie) had less to do with the success of the team as it did with why and how they’re a success. His methods more than winning and losing,” Cole said. “The story isn’t centered on him. The center is Sean. It’s seen through his eyes. He’s the one changing more drastically in the movie. Larry, the coach, is there doing what he does and has been doing for a long time.”
There is a Vic Morrow character in the form of Sean’s father played by Neal McDonough. He’s a vicious field coach who hates Gelwik. His anger builds when his troubled son ends up on Highland. Did Cole find the level of his character by balancing his Gelwik off McDonough’s rat bastard coach?
“No. I didn’t base anything I was doing by viewing him when I wasn’t working. We didn’t have all that much to do together. That’s more of a job of the director to balance out,” Cole said.
How does Larry Gelwix measure up to the ultimate coach that Cole has played: Reese Bobby in Talladega Nights?
“They both had different methods, but the results were the same,” Cole declared. “Reese had his own methods. He was pretty one-dimensional in his approach. I don’t think he would have had the patience for a rugby team.”
Would Reese have released a live cougar on the Highland team bus?
“He could have done that, but then there would be a lawsuit. Ricky Bobby wasn’t a minor,” Cole said.
Seeing how Gelwik has only lost 9 games, I ask Cole if he found the coach sensitive about those defeats?
“I don’t know,” Cole admitted. “He’s emotionally an even keel guy. He’s more Phil Jackson and less George Karl.”
?What makes the coach even more amazing of a figure is that this is not his day job. He’s not pulling in the big bucks from Nike.
“He’s a volunteer. He’s a travel agent,” Cole said. “That says something about him and his method as well.”
Gary Cole has been on a great roll over the last decade. As Bill Lumbergh in Office Space, Cole delivered the greatest comic sex scene in motion picture history. He was the Vice President of the United States on The West Wing. But I wondered if people ever got him confused with Gary Collins.
“Gary Collins – no. Gary Coleman – yes,” Cole declared. “I’ve been introduced as Gary Coleman on several occasions.”
Coincidentally, if you type Gary Cole’s name into the imdb, the first actor on the list is Gary Coleman.
His role as Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie was marked a stellar dadfro. Did he hang onto the curly haired wig?
“I did at one time. I think it’s burned up in the atmosphere,” Cole admitted. “The thing about The Brady Bunch is that when I wasn’t on the set, rarely people knew that it was me. You take that hair off, you’re a different person. I didn’t get a lot of association with the movie until later.”
Gary has a massive filmography. Does he ever take a day off?
“I’ve been fairly busy. I’m doing this season of Entourage. There’s plenty of days off. Most of the parts I get are wrapped up in two to three weeks in the course of a two to three month movie,” Cole said.
Besides working live action, Cole has been busy behind the microphone in animated shows including Kim Possible, King of the Hill and Family Guy. His crowning achievement was the lead in Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. Stephen Colbert voiced Phil Ken Sebben, the owner of the Hanna-Barbera themed legal firm. Did Cole and Colbert rock the microphones at the same time?
“We never did the voices together. We never met until after the show had wrapped. I met him at what turned out to be the last Aspen Comedy Festival. They were doing a tribute to him. Most of the time he was in New York,” Cole said.
Back in the ’80s, Cole was a finalist for the role of Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice. I had to know if he had landed the gig instead of Don Johnson; would Gary Cole have released a rock album?
He laughed for a while. “Highly doubtful,” Cole declared.
In an alternate universe, there isn’t a Rolling Stone magazine cover insisting “Gary Cole: Rock n Roll Star.”
WHY NOT THE SHE-TEAM?
Why exactly are they going to make A-Team into a feature film? Must we watch another batch of actors dress up in Halloween costumes for two hours? Liam Neeson playing Col. Hannibal Smith? He was going to retire from acting after Phantom Menace. Is he really going to get the rejuvenation spark from saying, “I love it when a plan comes together?” The guy would be so much better off just making Banacek: The Movie. Bradley Cooper is supposed to be Face and Common as Mr. T. How sad and predictable. Why not get semi-creative and cast Katee Sackhoff as Face. She’s already proven to be an equal of Dirk Benedict as Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica. Why not let her tackle his other big TV role? Or just cast her as B.A. Baracus? The woman has more attitude than the snoozer cast being floated by Scott Free.
FINALLY
Shutter Island finally brings together the superstar teaming of Martin Scorsese and Jackie Earle Haley. Leonardo DiCaprio better give full respect to the man who perfected the troubled teen persona when junket time rolls around.
BLU-RAY HEAVEN
The Siege Blu-ray gives a new life to a thriller that deserves a second viewing based on its story and amazing list of supporting actors. A decade after its release, this “It can’t happen here” story of radical Islamic terrorists striking New York City is almost a text book of what people have seen happen in the post-9/11 Manhattan. The terrorists are blowing up buses and Broadway theaters to the point where the military takes control of Brooklyn to weed them out. The ending is a bit too optimistic compared to the harsh reality of what happened when they struck in New York City. But it is rather good at foreshadowing the nature of the enemy we’ve been fighting for the last 8 years. While the film stars Denzel Washington, Annette Bening and Bruce Willis, it’s the faces that have become familiar over the last decade that make this movie more surprising than a backpack of C-4. Denzel’s main FBI man is Tony Shalhoub (Monk). The Daily Show‘s Aasif Mandvi is tied in with the terrorists. Also in minor roles are Lance Reddick (The Wire and Fringe), David Proval (The Sopranos) and Mark Valley (Keen Eddie). The Blu-ray brings out the explosions detail. The battle of Brooklyn is exceptionally vivid in the format. There are no bonus features which is a shame since it’d be nice to have terrorism experts pondering if this was a vision of the future.
Predator 2 – Blu-ray brings an intergalactic hunter out of the jungle and into Los Angeles. What’s the best way to stop the carnage? Have him sign a development deal with Pax-TV. Danny Glover is the cop who finds himself the target of the semi-visible target. The movie doesn’t have the complete punch of The Predator. But it’s fascinating to see the alien killing machine wrecking the urban jungle as he looks for the most dangerous game in Hollywood. The high definition picture makes the alien effects glow. The strange thrill will come from seeing Morton Downey Jr. in 1080p. The bonus features give a sense of what the writers and director went through to bring this sequel to the city.
Lost: The Complete First Season – Blu-ray and Lost: The Complete Second Season – Blu-ray give the 1080p love to one of the most complex network TV shows since The Prisoner. The Complete First Season jolts everything as Oceanic flight 815 crashes onto an uncharted island. The passengers learn quickly to survive as they realize there’s little hope for a quick rescue. Each episode allows us to explore the various survivors as they explore the mysterious island. What is the deal with polar bears in the tropics? What is the force that drags people into holes? Why did John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) become such a survivalist stud even though he had an issue before takeoff. What are “The Others” that lurk on the island? It’s a frightening time around the campfire. And with the higher resolutions, you’ll be scared by things that go bump in the jungle. The big cliffhanger has them bust into a mysterious metal hatch. What’s down there? The Complete Second Season answers the hatch question with startling results. Not to spoil the fun, but Clancy Brown (Highlander) plays a startling guest role. He will remind you to push the button or else. Another big thing is a flashback that allows us to discover what happened to the Oceanic passengers that got stuck at the back of the plane. The passengers at the front finally encounter the Others. It ain’t a good meetin. The hi-def video quality is stunning on the big screen. The lush tropical nature of the show will make you sweat if you marathon the episodes. You can reach out and touch Matthew Fox’s beard. These first two seasons help set up the weirdness that would come. In case you’re wondering, next season will have the final 17 episodes. Time to catch up before the TV event of 2010 strikes when everything gets answered. For those pondering upgrading your original DVDs, there is a $20 rebate on each boxset. This is a geek out recommend.
Home – Blu-ray is a lush aerial documentary of the Earth. Yann Arthus-Bertrand takes his camera around the globe to let us see what’s going on. Besides the artistry of these bird’s eye views, the movie reminds us that our actions do have reactions. Many of them aren’t that pretty. Glenn Close narrates the footage. If you like to watch Baraka after a few refreshments, Home deserves a spot on your Blu-ray shelf.
Friday 13th, Part 2 – Blu-ray gets the upgrade action. The film starts off with the final showdown between what we think is Jason and Alice Hardy (Adrienne King). Watch the high definition picture, the entire opening scene really does make little sense. Who is the killer and who is the victim? It’s a really disjointed opening scene. The main story has Camp Crystal Lake reopening with a whole new batch of eager camp counselors. Do these kids not understand what happened to the last batch? Maybe it has been five years, but they’re going to get it. Why? Cause Jason is back although he hasn’t started wearing his hockey mask. He goes crazy with the new staff. Who will live to tell the tale? There’s quite a few fun bonus features for fans wanting to know more about this low budget slasher series that made a major profit at the box office. They even take us to a horror convention to get a sense of the film’s fans.
Friday 13th, Part 3 3-D- Blu-ray really lets you absorb the coming at you action versus the recent DVD release. If you’ve decided to buy the 70 inch widescreen set versus sending the kids to Harvard, prepare to jump behind the sofa. Jason is coming for you. And they’ll be coming for your friend since there’s two set of 3-D glasses in the plastic box. The movie has Jason finally move on from slaughtering camp counselors. Now he’s killing people in the area around the camp. It’s so touching when a mindless killing machine branches out. And with the red and blue lensed glasses, you’ll be able be a part of this moment. This is also the film where he dons the hockey goalie mask. “Legacy of the Mask” deals with the mask over the next several films in the series. “Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror” lets us know why the producers decided to make the terror jump out of the screen. The films was such a hit, they ran out of glasses. There’s also a 2-D version of the film for people who don’t want to be super scared. This is the perfect gift if you’re attempting to give someone a case of nightmares for the next summer.
DVD SHELF
Another three Friday 13th installments arrive as Deluxe Editions. You might want to spread some plastic on the floor in front of the TV to keep the blood from staining the carpet.
Friday 13th: The Final Chapter – Deluxe Edition was supposed to wrap up the saga of Jason Voorhees. They brought back make up man Tom Savini to kill off his creation. They even brought in major star power with Crispin Glover and Corey Feldman. Guess who survives? You’re wrong! Really wrong. For what was supposed to be a finale, Jason decides to crash a house party in the woods. Crispin Glover and his pals can’t even find the place. But Jason has no problems locating the residence. He must have used Google Slaughter Earth. Corey Feldman is the creepy kid who lives next to the party house. He’s a lonely dork who loves making monster make up. He’s like a young Tom Savini. During the scenes where Corey gets chased by Jason, it’s easy to think that this would foreshadow his relationship with Michael Jackson. Not to spoil the film, but Jason’s death is extremely gruesome. Damn shame this moment wasn’t shot in 3-D. The big bonus feature is the deleted ending of the film. There’s no soundtrack so it gets described. “Jason’s Unlucky Day” lets the director talk about all the moments that had to get snipped by MPAA orders to get the R rating. It’s more brutal than the action on the screen.
Friday 13th Part V: A New Beginning – Deluxe Edition brings back Corey Feldman for the opening scene. He fears that Jason isn’t really dead. Two dumb jocks dig up a sloppy grave and get slaughtered by the hockey mask wearing killer. Turns out that this might be a dream. In fact it’s been years since Corey Feldman (SPOILER ALERT) had his way with Jason. Now he’s a grown up played by John Shepherd. Trouble is he’s stuck in a nut house. Jason returns from the grave and sends the troubled teens to a violent end. At least we think he has. Someone with a machete and a hockey mask is slashing away. The best victim is the new wave girl with the funky hair and Walkman. “New Beginnings” gives the background on this production. They went out of their way to hide the fact that this was another Friday 13th movie. They didn’t want the fans to think they were ripped off at the death of Jason. You won’t want to watch this first since there’s a montage showing everyone who gets killed in the film. It’s a major spoiler. There’s another installment of “Lost Tales From Camp Blood” and “Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited.” These two shorts are goofy as they ad to the weirdness of Jason’s history.
Friday 13th Part VI: Jason Lives – Deluxe Edition really does revive Jason. Corey Feldman’s character is now played by Thom Matthews. He and a pal dig up Jason’s grave to cremate the body. This plan goes severely wrong. Jason ends up making a major comeback. Hopefully that clue didn’t ruin the truth of Part V. But now Tommy and Jason get to battle once more. Although it’s not as fun since it’s not Corey Feldman being chased around. There’s more killing and carnage. Do not mistake this DVD for the Baby Einstein series. The DVD contains various scenes that were slashed to get the R-rating. Why couldn’t Tommy just let Jason rot in his grave?
All three boxes have cool 3-D graphics on the covers. They’re perfect for decorating your veal pen.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!
TALLADEGA — When a filmmaker wants to depict America’s legendary rugby coach in a film, only a legend actor can handle the job. Forever Strong shines a light on Highland High’s Coach Larry Gelwix. How good is he? His teams are 361-9 in the last three decades. He’s brought 18 of the last 24 National High School titles back to Salt Lake City. Who could dramatically play such an imposing figure behind such figures? Gary Cole took the whistle.
