Eye Candy Break [Avengers Edition]
While not wetting myself like most fanboys ... I can say that the eye candy factor of Double Chris's has me getting excited about "The Avengers."
Upcoming [Theater Edition]
Take a wild guess what I am now directing!
I saw "The Pillowman" several years ago on a trip to NYC and loved it. Obviously, I have been wanting to see HART mount a production of it. The show has been bandied about in discussion for a few years ... even going so far as to be suggested for the main stage. But, it's not really the kind of show that our main stage audiences would support very well. Too much language and violence (or at least talk of violence). A few years ago I started passing the script around to folks for a possible production in the Feichter Studio. It never seemed to work out with the people I was bugging. And then suddenly last year, actors started to commit! So, now I am finally directing "The Pillowman" with a cast of four super fine actors (and a cameo by one super cute girl). We had our first rehearsal tonight and have a few more weeks to go before we open on February 24th. Viva la Theatre!
Gold Box Blues
Damn that Amazon and their Gold Box Deals!!! I just couldn't pass up all five seasons of the original series of "The Twilight Zone" on Blu-ray for a super sweet price. I am never gonna get that credit card paid off.
Photo Evidence: “Spelling Bee”
Finally you can see some photos from the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre's production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" ... directed by yours truly and starring a bunch of damn fine actors. See more after the jump!
Out and About: The New Year
David and Myself at the annual end of the year party at HART.
Midnight zaniness at an excellent party host by Kiki and Franke.
“Tattoo” vs. “Tattoo”
David Fincher movies get me all excited. So, when it was announced he was at the helm of the American-ized version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," I got super excited. I really enjoyed the Swedish film, so I was curious as to what Fincher would do with the material.
Now the results are in theaters and it stacks up well (and sometimes not so well) against the original Swedish film.
For the most part, Fincher's version works very well. The tone of the movie is very cold, clinical and precise. Fincher seems more interested in presenting the mechanics of the investigation rather than making it a more lurid thriller. It's kinda like a lighter and more user friendly version of "Zodiac." Some plot elements from the book that were ditched in the original movie show up here which make a nice addition. All the actor's are solid and the pacing clicks along fairly well (except for wrapping up all the loose threads at the end). Plus, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deliver another very interesting soundtrack.
So, does Rooney Mara kick it as Lisbeth Slander? She does and then some. I liked Mara's take of the character more than Noomi Rapace's. It's more dark, internal and withdrawn.
The major problem with the movie is that it has about five endings. They catch the killer and then there are about four more plot points to resolve which drags out the ending. And the movie is fitted with a bizarre James Bond-esque opening credit sequence. It looks cool and plays under the blasting sounds of "Immigrant Song" (covered by Reznor/Ross/Karen O) ... but it doesn't really serve any other purpose than to look cool.
There are better Fincher films ... but, on the whole, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" worth checking out.