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Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hey, It's Baz/Ba/Barry Sonnenfeld
True Stories from a Career in Hollywoodby Barry Sonnenfeld Hachette, 332 pp., $25 AS A LONGTIME DIRECTOR and cinematographer, Barry Sonnenfeld understands the importance of introducing characters quickly and succinctly. You see this principle of characterization in action throughout his latest memoir, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time, via the manner with which his famous interlocutors address him. For instance, when Sonnenfeld meets the dulcet-toned Delroy Lindo on the set of Get Shorty, we learn the following: 'By the end of the show, it was common for Delroy's vocal exercises to illicit cow mooing sounds from the crew. Delroy insisted on calling me BARRY SONNENFELD. [All caps in original.] Perhaps he learned this in acting school along with his 'Uuuuuuummmmmaaaahhhhhh' vocalizations.' And, indeed, Delroy Lindo is seen throughout the rest of the chapter thusly addressing his director, as when he makes the case for carrying a briefcase throughout a scene: 'Barry Sonnenfeld. I would not, my character would not, let go of this money. It is my whole raison d'être.' Lindo's intonation of Sonnenfeld's name here is practically audible off the page; it's nearly lyrical. The syllables roll together, and anyone who has heard the actor pronounce 'sesame cake' will pick up on it instantly. Speaking of: Getting access to all of The Bulwark's coverage of politics, culture, and ideas is a piece of cake. Just become a Bulwark+ member. Sometimes it's a matter of punctuation, as when Sonnenfeld recounts running into Martin Scorsese. They hadn't seen each other in 30 years, since Sonnenfeld shot the last two weeks of Goodfellas for the patron saint of gangster movies, and he wasn't sure if Scorsese would remember his well-dressed self. Writes Sonnenfeld: 'He came over to our table, took a look at me, and said, 'Barry. Where's your tie?'' Again, it helps that we know who Scorsese is and how he talks, but the clipped intonation here is key to visualizing Scorsese's rapid-fire patter. 'Mr. Barry' is how Number One, as the director is told to call his star, addresses Sonnenfeld. 'Mr. Barry. Can we do it tomorrow,' Number One begs, nervous about shooting his Men in Black II cameo. 'Mr. Barry. This is my dream. From the time I was a little boy—to be an agent of Men in Black.' But it was time to shoot and movie sets run on tight schedules and if Number One couldn't do it, well, so be it. Next shot, we're moving on. Unless, of course, the producer steps in, as Amy Pascal did when she got wind that Barry Sonnenfeld had just told the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, that they were going to move on without him. Then you find a way to make it work. While discussing the inclusion of a pivotal plot point in Men in Black III, Sonnenfeld hears from two bold-faced names. The backstory: Sonnenfeld and script doctor David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, and several dozen more movies that have grossed several billion dollars, combined) want to insert a MacGuffin that will help characters understand the time travel plot at the heart of the film. Producer (and general pain-in-Barry's ass) Walter Parkes hates the idea and demands it not be shot, threatening to go over everyone's head if Sonnenfeld persists. The director decides to shoot it both ways so they can choose which to use. Star Will Smith shakes his head. 'You're the director, Baz. I'm going to do it one way only. What do you want because that's the only version I'll do.' The 'Baz' diminutive is an interesting one: both familiar and friendly sounding, yet (as best as I can tell, not having an electronic version of this book to search) unique to Will Smith, almost inarguably one of the two or three biggest stars in the world during their working relationship. Which, naturally, gives it a different heft. On the one hand, Smith is technically deferring to Sonnenfeld: 'I'm only going to do the thing you want to do.' On the other, it's an ultimatum: 'I'm only going to do one thing, Baz.' Sonnenfeld shoots the MacGuffin, which leads to the other bold-faced name getting in touch: 'Hey, Barry. What's up with the chocolate milk?' The questioner is Steven Spielberg, and that cadence is all him. The disarming 'Hey,' the directness of the question. You can almost see the half-smile as he's asking it, brows furrowed just a hair, dipping them under the signature eyeglasses. (I imagine he's wearing an Indiana Jones hat, but pick whatever dome-topper you want.) This theory of introductory labeling is not foolproof; at various points, John Turturro (who Sonnenfeld worked with on Miller's Crossing), Rob Reiner (Misery, When Harry Met Sally), and Danny DeVito (Throw Momma From the Train) all refer to Sonnefeld as 'Ba.' And none of this should distract from the fact that Sonnenfeld is telling hilarious stories spanning four-plus decades with brilliant actors like Tommy Lee Jones, visionary directors like the Coen brothers, and minor monsters such as Scott Rudin. (Indeed, the story of Rudin accidentally getting a free rewrite out of the Coens is like something out of a Coen brothers movie.) His work as a cinematographer doesn't get a ton of play in this book, but he was crucial to the look and feel of both Blood Simple and Raising Arizona, two early masterpieces that cemented the fraternal directing duo's placement in the pantheon. It's always amusing to be reminded that he, the Coens, and horror visionary Sam Raimi all ran in the same circles during this period. (Indeed, a key shot in Raising Arizona owes its existence to Raimi's The Evil Dead.) I would read a whole book about Sonnenfeld's theory of cinematography; his discussion of film stocks and screening rooms and projector brightness is endlessly fascinating and explained in such a way that even a layman like myself can grok it. All of which is to say that I emphasize the name thing not to diminish his work or reduce it to a series of silly anecdotes; rather, I hope to highlight for you that Sonnenfeld is a masterful storyteller, one who sets the tone with remarkable efficiency throughout. Yes, it helps that we know many of his subjects already. But you work with what you've got, and he's had a career filled with remarkable work. Share
BBC News
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Gene Hackman 'loved acting and hated everything that went with it'
"He loved being an actor, and hated all the stuff that surrounds being an actor."That, for film director Barry Sonnenfeld, is how he'll remember Gene Hackman, who has died at the age of endless hours in hair and makeup, repeated takes, and studio notes all frustrated Hackman, Sonnenfeld told BBC too did actors who showed up not knowing their lines - notably John Travolta, who Hackman clashed with on the set of 1995 film Get Shorty, which Sonnenfeld the days since the news of Hackman's death, I've been speaking to people who, like Sonnenfeld, knew and worked with immediately clear is how seriously Hackman took acting, and how meticulously he dealt with what's also clear is that he was wary of the trappings of we know about the death of Gene HackmanHackman, a two-time Oscar winner, died alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, and their dog at his home in New Mexico. No cause of death was given, but police said the situation was "suspicious enough" to merit investigation. Officials said on Friday that evidence points to Hackman having been dead since 17 February, 10 days before the couples' bodies were found. 'He put the fear of God into me' Here in Los Angeles, Hackman's face is everywhere on television bulletins and on death was all anyone was talking about as stars gathered for pre-Oscars parties. At an event on Thursday night, the American actor John C Reilly told me that he expected the Academy to commemorate Hackman on Sunday. "I don't see how you could have the Oscars without mentioning a great like him who's passed."For Sonnenfeld and for the Irish director John Moore – who directed Hackman in 2001's Behind Enemy Lines – it was Hackman's way of dealing with scripts that demonstrated his brilliance. He would remove all of the scriptwriter's notes about how his character should deliver his lines."Because he didn't want any screenwriter to tell him how he was supposed to feel at that moment," Sonnenfeld said."So he had unique cut and pasted scripts that had no information from the writer about anything, because he wanted to make those choices, not the writer." Moore recalls a similar incident from the very first time he filmed with Hackman. "He was just quietly sitting there, taking script pages out, cutting them up, removing extraneous stuff like scene descriptions, and then sticking them back onto blank pages," he said Hackman told him: "Acting is my job, you do the rest.""It put the fear of God into me," Moore said, laughing."It was essentially him saying: 'I don't need anything, as I'm that good. You better bring your A-game, as I'm bringing mine.'" It wasn't just superfluous studio notes that bothered Hackman."He had this conflict in that he was this brilliant actor but he hated the tropes of what it took to act in movies," said Sonnenfeld."[He] hated putting on makeup. The putting on of wardrobe. The wardrobe person after takes, taking their lip brush and rubbing down their wardrobe. The makeup person recombing his hair while he's talking to me," he said."All that sort of fussy hair and makeup and all that stuff, I think that drove him crazy."Nor did he often want to socialise after filming, said Moore."I'd try and have a drink with him after we'd shoot, and go up to the minibar," he said."He'd have one, that was it. [Betsy] would give him that look, and off it would be to bed. And he was in great shape in the morning as a result.""For Gene, it was all about the acting," added Sonnenfeld. "End of story. Get me out of here as fast as possible." Showdown with John Travolta Hackman could be "a hard actor" to work with, said Sonnenfeld. "He suffered no fools."In Get Shorty, Hackman starred alongside Travolta, who plays a Miami mobster sent to collect a debt."Gene was a consummate actor, both technically and artistically. So he came to set every day knowing his lines," Sonnenfeld said."John came to set not knowing his lines, probably not having read the script the night before."Obituary: One of Hollywood's greatest 'tough guys'Pilates, painting and bike rides: Gene Hackman's life in Santa FeThat resulted in a showdown on the first day of recalls Travolta – who he describes as "charming but not self aware" – asking Hackman what he had done on the responded: "Nothing except learn the lines," to which Travolta replied, "Well that's a waste of a weekend," according to filming went on, Hackman grew "angrier and angrier" at his co-star not knowing his said he let Hackman take out his rage on him."For the next 12 weeks, he would yell at me whenever John didn't know his lines," he said."But he's great in a movie. And I knew he was never really mad at me." Travolta reportedly wasn't the only one to rub Hackman the wrong reportedly clashed with others, including The Royal Tenenbaums' director Wes and possibly coincidentally, Hackman named one of his novels Escape from Andersonville."Gene was really rough on Wes," recalled Bill Murray, who co-starred with Hackman in the hit 2001 film, in an interview with the Associated Press."He was a tough nut, Gene Hackman. But he was really good."Moore, for his part, said he didn't ever feel Hackman was difficult to work with."He was patient and relentlessly, flawlessly professional," he said."My memories are of him laughing and smiling, and telling very funny jokes."Moore admitted Hackman might have become irritated with anyone on set who made their role bigger than it was."So I could see how he might be funny about actors who were peacocking themselves," he said."But again it goes back to the point - he just really wanted to make the films exceptional." Hackman retired from acting in 2004 and from then on lived a quiet life in New Mexico with his wife."I suspect that one of the reasons he moved to Santa Fe, again, great outdoors and as far away from Hollywood as you can get," said 2008, Hackman gave a rare interview with Reuters, in which he was asked if he missed responded by saying the business was, for him, "very stressful"."The compromises that you have to make in films are just part of the beast, and it had gotten to a point where I just didn't feel like I wanted to do it anymore."But, he added: "I miss the actual acting part of it, as it's what I did for almost 60 years."And I really loved that."
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Late Oscar winner Gene Hackman remembered as 'inspiring and magnificent'
Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The world woke up Thursday to news that two-time Oscar-winner Gene Hackman has died, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa and dog, at their home in New Mexico. The circumstances of their deaths have not been disclosed, but foul play is not suspected. The film industry was quick to react on social media, mourning the loss of the beloved 95-year-old star, whose dozens of credits include Runaway Jury, The Royal Tenenbaums, Get Shorty, Mississippi Burning, Hoosiers, The Birdcage, Superman and Bonnie and Clyde. He retired from acting after 2004's Welcome to Mooseport. Director Francis Ford Coppola wrote on Instagram: "The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution." "I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog). Crushed. He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in Peace," actor Josh Brolin said on Instagram. "Gene Hackman -- what a life! So strong and such presence in every role. We salute you. You made a deep mark on the world of cinema. Now sleep well," entertainer Eddie Izzard posted on X. "We have lost one of the true giants of the screen," actor George Takei wrote on X. "Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That's how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever." "We are saddened to hear that the much-celebrated actor Gene Hackman has died aged 95," said the official BAFTA X account. "Hackman's illustrious career spanned over six decades and earned him BAFTA wins for his work in Unforgiven, The French Connection and The Poseidon Adventure."
The Guardian
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Get Shorty: a madcap, loving spoof of the film biz
There's a scene in Get Shorty when the mob-connected loan shark Chili Palmer, played by John Travolta, watches a screening of Orson Welles' classic noir Touch of Evil. Coming out of it, he tells the actor Karen Flores (Rene Russo): 'You know, Welles didn't even want to do this movie, he had a contract he couldn't get out of. But sometimes you do your best work when you have a gun to your head.' The essential joke of Get Shorty is that Hollywood often operates like organised crime. Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard – the US author whose works also inspired everyone from Quentin Tarantino to Steven Soderbergh – Get Shorty follows Chili from Miami to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Trying to persuade the B-movie schlock producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) to pay a gambling debt, Chili ends up pitching him an idea for a movie. His pitch sounds like a certified gangland flick: about a dry-cleaner who owes money to the mob and scams an airline out of a financial settlement after a flight crashes. Turns out it's based on a real associate of Chili's – a shmuck named Leo Devoe (David Paymer) – which puts Leo and Chili in the crosshairs of a nasty kingpin. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning If it seems as though I'm throwing a bunch of names at you, you're right. Get Shorty is well aware of its complexities. 'Where do you get all these names?' Harry asks Chili at one point, spoofing the film's own kitschy characters. And its self-satire is what makes the film so enjoyable. Everyone here plays a movie type with wonderful hard-boiled delivery. Hackman is brilliant as the bumbling movie guy Harry. Russo is sexy and tough as Flores, an actor tired of the trashy parts she's been playing for Harry. She takes a liking to Chili and tries to help him and Harry recruit her former partner and now 'A-list' actor, played with pretentious sleaze by Danny DeVito – the 'Shorty' of the title. As great as the whole cast is, it's Travolta as Chili who owns the film. He is an effortlessly charismatic, street-smart lead. In one great scene he coaches DeVito on how to play a wiseguy: 'Look at me the way I'm looking at you.' Travolta's work here followed on the heels of his memorable turn in 1994's Pulp Fiction, and Get Shorty can be seen as a cheerier companion to that film, delivering a similar brew of profane but witty humour with a noirish story. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Get Shorty is about some of the lowlifes and wannabe players in Hollywood but it's also about those who, like Chili, are a sucker for the movies. Harry's office is full of invented movie memorabilia; the soundtrack is pure jazz pastiche. This is a film enamoured by the flickering light of the cinema screen. Outside that screening of Touch of Evil, Chili tells Karen about wanting to get away from his old racket. He complains about his bosses, 'having to laugh at all their stupid comments, pretending they're so funny'. She replies: 'You think the movie business is any different?' Chili softens. 'Yeah, but I like movies.' Get Shorty is available to stream on MGM+ in Australia, ITVX in the UK, and Prime Video in the US. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette: a Wacky Minivan with a Hollywood Past
The aerodynamic replacement for the Chevy Astro, this generation of GM minivan is sometimes called the Dustbuster. The Oldsmobile version found some unexpected fame in 1995's . This example has low mileage and an all-California history, and the auction ends on Monday, February 3. "I ordered a Cadillac." "Oh, well, you got the Cadillac of minivans." And just like that, an Oldsmobile Silhouette became the unlikely transportation of John Travolta's Chili Palmer in Get Shorty, a lighthearted mid-Nineties comedy that sees a mafioso romping through Hollywood, breaking all the rules (and a nose or two). It's great fun, and the Oldsmobile is always either in view or just offscreen, as much of a character as Danny DeVito's slightly clueless movie star or the wonderfully scenery-chewing performance by Dennis 1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette in gorgeous Medium Garnet is up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It's got just 69K miles on the odometer and has a sunny California history since new. Also known as the Dustbuster van (because, well, look at it), this Oldsmobile was one of a trio of three GM products that was aimed at ending Chrysler's dominance of the minivan segment. The previous Chevy Astro and GMC Safari hadn't quite done the job, and so GM's design department tasked Pontiac with coming up with an exciting did they. The Trans Sport concept van was first shown at the 1986 Chicago auto show, and it featured futuristic styling—with rear gullwing doors, decades before the Tesla Model X. There was even an integrated onboard Nintendo system. Of course, the production version was a lot more conventional. As usual, GM spread the product among its brands, giving each version slightly different flavors. The Chevy Lumina APV was the workhorse. The Pontiac Trans Sport was the sporty one. And the Olds Silhouette, that was the luxury which version didn't sell very well. Part of the joke in Get Shorty is that a Silhouette is exactly something you'd find in a rental lot, because plenty of them went to fleet sales. Those vans were chewed up and scrapped, but this example has remained in the same family since new, and it shows like it's been cared that aerodynamic hood is a 3.8-liter V-6 that was good for 170 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. It has had some recent service including replacement of the water pump and serpentine belt, and it passed California emissions testing last year. With leather, air conditioning, cruise control, and plenty of power features, this is one loaded-up minivan. Sixteen-inch alloy wheels add a further element of bling. A sliding-door Escalade? Perhaps not quite, but it's still a very tidy example. The auction ends on February 3. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
