Hitch Tac Toe

 

 

 

HITCHCOCK-2012-The genesis of the movie PYSCHO and it's controversial road from book to screen is basically the plot of this film bio of the great director (Anthony Hopkins never out of his suit and tie). Despite the success of his previous film (the classic NORTH BY NORTHWEST) no studio would touch the new project. It also practically says that wife Alma (Helen Mirren) salvaged the whole picture after Hitchcock had filmed it. The director comes across as a bit of a loony, insulting everyone and imaging his wife is having an affair but Hopkins portrayal is admirable and mostly the film is a positive look at his career to that point. However the film really insults Anthony Perkins (played by James D'Arcy) and his contribution. Instead of showing him and his portrayal as the focal point of PYSCHO, his character is brushed off as being nothing but a homo mama's boy who understood nothing that was going on. But of course Janet Leigh's role was played by film darling Scarlett Johansson so the director Sacha Gervasi was probably so enamored of her he focused everything on her character (not that that Janet Leigh's role wasn't crucial to the original story; it was). I wonder if the future Sir Alfred really did talk to Ed Gein (Michael Wincott)?

Despite it's faults I like HITCHCOCK better than most Hollywood bios I've seen recently. It could be because although Hopkins and Mirren are fine Academy Award winner actors they are also both hacks who would do anything for money and there for having them both in the same film made me wary, yet it wasn't as bad I thought it could have been.
 
It also features Danny Huston as screenwriter Whitfield Cook, Ralph Macchio as Joseph Stefano and Jessica Biel as Vera Miles. It's based on a book by Stephen Rebello with a screenplay by John McLaughlin (THE BLACK SWAN). Director Gervasi's claim to fame before this was his screenplay for the Tom Hanks flop THE TERMINAL.

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Iron Ass

IRON MAN-2010-2-This film is the biggest joke of 2010! Iron Man is reduced to a clown in this talky nonsensical hit which is too long, over acted and just plain annoying. The first 30 minutes had me wondering if I was actually watching an Iron Man sequel or weird promotional short about Tony Stark.

Still in Academy Award nominated mode Mickey Rourke (with Russian accent) shows up as Whiplash, a revenge seeking super villain but the initial fight is him against an Iron Man-less Stark. Don Cheadle returns as Rhodey Rhodes and dons the War Machine armor to battle a drunk Iron Man in a lounge at the Stark Expo in Flushing Meadow Park. Samuel L. Jackson has a bigger role this time as Nick Fury who says witty things like "I've got my eye on you". Scarlett Johansson is the Black Widow (this is also unfortunately seems like a major introduction for a her character). Sam Rockwell is Justin Hammer, Stark's moronic villainous rival and Gary Shandling plays a senator who wants the Iron Man suit turned over to the evil US. Oh yeah, Gwyeth Paltrow is back as Pepper Potts who somehow becomes in charge of Stark Enterprises.

Later Whiplash programs War Machine to go after Iron Man and the all out climax begins when giant Transformer like robots are let loose. Director Jon Favreau (from Queens, NY) plays Happy Hogan. I hope he sticks to acting.

Also with John Slattery, Kate Mara, Leslie Bibb, Clark Gregg and the voice of Paul Bettany. Stan Lee has a cameo and there's a post credit scene relating to Thor.

I have to admit though Downey plays a great asshole

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