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Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Stephen King Shares His Thoughts on Mike Flanagan's THE LIFE OF CHUCK – "I Love That Movie" — GeekTyrant
With a wave of upcoming Stephen King adaptations headed our way, The Long Walk , The Running Man , and more, it's easy to focus on the familiar, the terrifying, the classic King. But right around the corner is a quieter release that's already made a powerful impression on the master of horror himself. The Life of Chuck , based on King's 2020 novella and hitting theaters next week, is not your typical King fare. This isn't horror. It's not about haunted hotels or killer clowns. It's about life… fleeting, beautiful, and strange. Directed and adapted by Mike Flanagan, who previously brought us Doctor Sleep , Gerald's Game , and The Haunting of Hill House , this film marks a shift into something more tender, more reflective, and, if you ask King, something truly special. King recently opened up about the Tom Hiddleston-led film, and this is what he said: 'It's a wonderful movie. I don't know if it will do any business or not. I don't know if people are in the mood for that sort of warm-hearted thing. 'It's not what I would call syrupy and sentimental because it does have an acknowledgment that life can be very, very difficult. But Hiddleston did a great job as Chuck. I love that movie.' A 'wonderful movie.' A 'warm-hearted thing.' From the guy who gave us Pet Sematary and The Shining , and that's an emotional endorsement. The story structure of The Life of Chuck is unconventional. It's told in reverse starting with Chuck's death from a brain tumor at 39, then moving backward through three linked vignettes that paint a portrait of a life lived, lost, and remembered. The result is something intimate and surreal, an 'apocalyptic version of It's a Wonderful Life,' as it's been described. As for Flanagan, King has nothing but respect for the guy. Over the past few years, Flanagan has carved out a niche for adapting King in ways that feel deeply personal and cinematic. With The Life of Chuck , he's traded in horror for grace, and according to King, it's great! The cast also includes Mark Hamill, David Dastmalchian, Chiwetel Ejiofor ( Doctor Strange ), and Jacob Tremblay ( Doctor Sleep ), as well as Mia Sara, Trinity Bliss, Harvey Guillen, Rahul Kohli, and Heather Langenkamp. Chiwetel Ejiofor ( 12 Years a Slave ), a school teacher trying to apply logic to the planet's troubles; Karen Gillan ( Guardians of the Galaxy ) is his ex, a hospital worker determined to save everyone she can; Matthew Lillard ( Scream ) is a construction worker neighbor who finds zen amid the chaos; and Carl Lumbly ( Alias ), plays a funeral director who has dedicated his life to easing people through death. As King put it, the film is 'a happiness machine.' And honestly? We could all probably use one of those right now.
CTV News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Judy Blume's ‘Forever' gets modern retelling in Netflix original
Judy Blume's 'Forever' gets modern retelling in Netflix original Michael Cooper Jr. tells CP24 Breakfast about his starring role in the film.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Nicolas Cage's Best Performances Onscreen
We've reached the point in Nicolas Cage's career when it's easiest to refer to every new movie he's in by just describing his antics in them. Dracula Cage, terrible boss — that's 'Renfield.' Moody chef Cage, retriever of beloved animal — that's 'Pig.' Serial killer Cage, servant of Satan — that's 'Longlegs.' The tactic works because it's easy to imagine Cage donning any of those guises, and a thousand more besides. Many a commenter has noted Cage's propensity for roles that can be described only as crazy, but the actor's career is too expansive, and often more nuanced, to be reduced to his unhinged characters. Tell me he's going to play, I don't know, a ballet master or a mob boss or an enraged father (as in his latest movie, 'The Surfer') and I'll believe you, because Cage has proved that he contains multitudes, over and over again. Sometimes he even plays more than one guy in the same movie — as in my favorite of his films, 'Adaptation,' in which he appears as twins. That means the best way to get a grip on Cage as an artist is to consider him through his many faces. Even when he occasionally takes that face, um, off. 'Moonstruck' (1987) Video Credit Credit... Early on, Cage worked to establish a career apart from his family name. (The 'Godfather' director Francis Ford Coppola is his uncle, and the directors Roman and Sofia Coppola and the actor Jason Schwartzman are his cousins.) He managed it swiftly in a string of movies that included many performances as a tousled, passionate, somewhat unpredictable young man. What shines through each is a full-bodied commitment to whatever the character's emotional reality is — all the roiling desires, the suffering, the ecstasy. A great representative performance from this era is his turn as the lovelorn hothead Ronny, who's smitten with his brother's fiancée (Cher) in the 1987 romantic comedy 'Moonstruck.' Ronny may be missing a hand thanks to a freak bread-slicer accident, but he's not missing any gallantry, rough-hewn as it is. It's a charming, uncouth, amorous role, and versions of that Cage show up in the Coen brothers' 'Raising Arizona' (1987) and David Lynch's 'Wild at Heart' (1990). (Stream 'Moonstruck' on the Roku Channel and the Criterion Channel, or rent it on most major platforms.) Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Boston Globe
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Just the two of us: Splitting the screen with some memorable dual roles
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up De Niro's performance got me thinking about actors who have played dual roles, which led to this list. The criteria here are simple: The actor only plays two roles and — this is most important — they have to appear onscreen together in at least one scene. Advertisement Nicolas Cage appears in the dual roles of Charlie and Donald Kaufman in "Adaptation." Ben Kaller Nicolas Cage in 'Adaptation' (2002) As several movies have proven, one Nicolas Cage can be too many. But he does a great job playing a fictionalized version of the film's screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, and Kaufman's twin brother, Donald. Charlie has writer's block while trying to adapt 'The Orchid Thief,' a real novel by the real author Susan Orlean (played here by Meryl Streep). Unfortunately, Donald, his freeloading brother, turns out to be the more successful screenwriter. The movie spirals out of control from there. I was in the critical minority on this one — I hated the last third of it — but the Oscars disagreed. Cage, Streep, and Chris Cooper all received acting nods (Cooper won), and Charlie shared a best adapted screenplay nod with Donald, his nonexistent twin brother. Bette Davis in 'A Stolen Life' (1946) and 'Dead Ringer' (1963) In both films, La Davis plays an identical twin who replaces her deceased sister. 'A Stolen Life' finds both Bettes in love with Glenn Ford, who isn't aware that the twin he married has died and has been replaced by the twin who actually loved him. Advertisement The awesome twist here is that this is a remake of the 1939 film starring Elisabeth Bergner. According to writer Mary Orr, who wrote the source material for 'All About Eve,' Bergner is the inspiration for that film's theater diva, Margo Channing. We all know who played Margo, don't we? Evil twin Davis kills her good twin and assumes her identity in 'Dead Ringer,' a better-than-expected thriller directed by the man who lit two iconic cigarettes in Davis's 1942 classic, 'Now, Voyager,' Paul Henreid. Big mistake, Bette! This one's a lot of fun, and it shouldn't be confused with the next movie on this list. Jeremy Irons and Genevieve Bujold in "Dead Ringers." 20th Century Fox Jeremy Irons in 'Dead Ringers' (1988) Irons plays twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg's psychological nightmare. 'Dead Ringers' is one of the body-horror director's sicker movies, which is really saying something. The Oscar-worthy Irons is fantastic here, giving two distinct performances and blurring the lines of identity. How disturbing is this film? Allow me to quote Irons's Claus von Bulow in 'Reversal of Fortune': 'You have no idea.' Lupita Nyong'o in 'Us' (2019) In Jordan Peele's excellent horror film follow-up to 'Get Out,' Lupita Nyong'o gives the best dual performance on this list. As the film's hero and her identical 'tether,' Nyong'o gets to fight herself in a climactic battle. Nyong'o should have beaten up the Academy, which ignored her brilliant work. While Peele follows the usual 'good twin, bad twin' formula, the surprise here is that, depending on your perspective, we're not sure which is which. Edward G. Robinson in 'The Whole Town's Talking' (1935) A rare comedy from Eddie G. (it's more of a farce) puts him in a dual role as a killer mafioso on the lam and the shy clerk who gets mistaken for him. Legendary director John Ford helms this entertaining movie based on a story by W.R. Burnett (he wrote 'The Asphalt Jungle'). The great Jean Arthur plays clerk Eddie's love interest, and the F/X work is pretty damn good for 1935. The only film on this list where the two roles have no explainable connection whatsoever. Advertisement Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin in 'Big Business' (1988) 'Airplane' co-director Jim Abrahams steps away from his partners David and Jerry Zucker for this occasionally funny comedy. Tomlin, no stranger to multiple roles, plays twins born at a West Virginia hospital. Midler also plays twins born there. An old nurse accidentally switches the twins, giving one Midler and one Tomlin twin to each parent. As farce is wont to do, all four women end up in different ranks of the same corporate conglomerate. Mistaken identities abound. This movie is confusing as hell, and not very good, but there's fun to be had watching Midler and Tomlin ham it up. Lee Marvin in 'Cat Ballou' (1965) In this comic western, quintessential tough guy Lee Marvin stars as Tim Strawn, an evil killer working for the men who want to steal the Wolf City, Wyo., family ranch of Cat Ballou (Jane Fonda). For protection, Cat hires perpetually drunk gunslinger Kid Shelleen (Marvin), who rides an equally drunk horse and happens to be Strawn's brother. (It's easy to tell them apart — Strawn doesn't have a nose.) Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole play the singing Greek chorus who propel the plot through song. 'Half of this [Oscar] belongs to a horse someplace out in the Valley,' Marvin Advertisement Lindsay Lohan as Hallie "Hal" Parker and Annie "Ann" James in "The Parent Trap." Disney Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan in 'The Parent Trap' (1961 and 1998) In both versions of this Disney fan favorite, Mills and Lohan play a twin raised by one of their divorced parents. Neither knows of the other's existence until they are teenagers. Once they're properly introduced, they switch places in order to reunite their divorced parents. With kids like these, who needs alimony? Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'The 6th Day' (2000) In this sci-fi actioner, Ah-nuld discovers he's been cloned, and that clone has taken over his unsuspecting family. In his positive review, my predecessor Jay Carr wrote that this film 'puts the fun back into going to Arnold Schwarzenegger movies.' This may come as a complete shock to you, but Boston Globe film critics can be wrong! Adam Sandler in 'Jack and Jill' (2011) I had to put Adam Sandler's second-worst movie here for two reasons: One, the twins Sandler plays are, for a change, brother and sister; and two, Bobby De Niro's frequent acting partner, Al Pacino, Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Los Angeles Times
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Oscars flashback: Charlie Kaufman expresses ‘Eternal' gratitude
Although there are original screenwriters aplenty in Hollywood, it's hard to imagine anyone more truly sui generis than Charlie Kaufman. After all, he's the guy who managed to earn two nominations for the same film, when his fictitious twin brother, Donald, was nominated as co-writer on 'Adaptation,' a mind-bending 2002 film starring Nicolas Cage in dual roles. So it seemed all but inevitable that one day Kaufman would take the stage at the Oscars — which is exactly what happened in 2005, when he scored his first (and so far only) golden statuette, this time in the original screenplay category. Kaufman had solo WGA writing credit for the film based on a story by director Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth and himself. A romantic bit of magical realism, the movie imagined what it would be like if humans could wipe clean some of their memories, with Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey playing onetime lovers who underwent the procedure to forget one another — or maybe not. All three men took to the stage to accept their Oscars from presenter Samuel L. Jackson, becoming the first team of writers to win in the category since 1999, when 'Shakespeare in Love' duo Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard were victorious. It was Kaufman's third (or fourth, depending on how you look at it) nomination; in addition to his 'Adaptation' twofer, he'd also been nominated for original screenplay on 1999's 'Being John Malkovich.' This was Gondry's and Bismuth's one and only nomination so far, but Kaufman would pick up an animated feature nomination for 'Anomalisa,' a 2015 film he wrote and co-directed. Taking the stage, Kaufman said he found the 30-second speech countdown clock 'intimidating.' He then thanked the 'people who worked so creatively on this movie' and gave special shoutouts to Winslet (who was in the audience, cheering him on) and Carrey. 'And I'm supposed to wrap up now,' he noted; then someone in the audience shouted out at him. 'No, I don't want to take my time,' he answered back. 'I want to get off the stage. So, thank you. Hi to my daughter, Anna.' Terry George and Keir Pearson were nominated for writing 'Hotel Rwanda.' George, who also directed the film, had previously been recognized for co-writing 'In the Name of the Father' with director Jim Sheridan and would go on to win an Oscar in 2012 for the live-action short film 'The Shore,' which he wrote and co-produced with his daughter, Oorlagh George. This was Pearson's first and only nomination. John Logan, who was competing for his work on 'The Aviator,' would go on to receive recognition for writing 'Hugo,' another film directed by Martin Scorsese, and was first nominated for the screenplay to Ridley Scott's original 'Gladiator' film, shared that recognition with co-writers David Franzoni and William Nicholson. Mike Leigh, recently BAFTA-nominated for his work on 'Hard Truths,' was nominated for 'Vera Drake,' both as director and for the screenplay. He has received seven Oscar nominations to date, first for writing and directing 1996's 'Secrets & Lies,' followed by screenplay recognition for 1999's 'Topsy-Turvy.' He would go on to be nominated for 2008's 'Happy-Go-Lucky' and 2010's 'Another Year,' both times for his screenplay. He has yet to walk away with a little gold man. Finally, the category included one animated film: 'The Incredibles,' written by Brad Bird. He has five nominations, including two wins for animated film: He picked up his first Oscar earlier that night for 'The Incredibles,' and would get a second win in that category in 2008 for 'Ratatouille.' No animated film has ever won in the original screenplay category: All seven nominees from animated films in the category have been Pixar films, starting with the original 'Toy Story' film released in 1995 and ending (thus far) with 'Inside Out,' a 2015 film that spawned a sequel that has been nominated in this year's animated feature category.
