Posts Tagged Michelle Pfeiffer
IN THE REALM: SCHOOL-THEMED FILMS
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD on September 4, 2013
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
–two seniors (Emma Watson and Ezra Miller) welcome an introverted freshman (Logan Lerman) into their group in this touching, brilliant film
October Sky (1999)
–true story of a coal miner’s son Homer Hickman (Jake Gyllenhaal )–a coal miner’s son inspired by the first Sputnik launch and his high school science teacher (Laura Dern) to take up rocketry. His strict father (Chris Cooper) disapproves. He later works for NASA.
Freedom Writers (2007)
–in her first teaching job, an English teacher (Hilary Swank) inspires her at-risk students to express themselves by keeping journals
Precious (2009)
–in Harlem in the late 80s, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen (Gabourey Sidibe), pregnant with her second child, is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Dangerous Minds (1995)
–an ex-Marine (Michelle Pfeiffer) takes a teaching job and struggles to connect with her students at an inner-city school
Easy A
–after telling a white lie to her best friend about having sex with a college freshman, high school student Olive Penderghast (sparkling Emma Stone) decides its best to use her school’s rumor mill to her advantage in this smart comedy.
Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
–prep school. Poetry. Robert Sean Leonard. Ethan Hawke. Robin Williams. Seize the day.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
–“To the outside world they were simply a Brain, an Athlete, a Basket Case, a Princess, and a Criminal, but to each other, they would always be the Breakfast Club.”
The School of Rock (2003)
–substitute teacher (Jack Black) attempts to turn his prep school class into a rock band
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Celebrate Women’s History Month: biopics about kick-ass, inspirational women
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD, Film, Women/ feminism on March 3, 2013
Erin Brockovich [2000]
starring: Julia Roberts, Aaron
directed by: Steven Soderbergh
–Brockovich fought against the US West Coast energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) which knew it had been contaminating a small town’s water supply with with hexavalent chromium leading to cancer
The Whistleblower [2010]
starring: Rachel Weisz
directed by: Larysa Kondracki
–a Nebraska cop, serving as a U.N. peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia, outs the U.N. for covering up a sex scandal.
Dangerous Minds [1995]
starring: Michelle Pfeiffer
–an ex-Marine starts teaching at at an inner-city school and ends up changing her students’ lives forever
Conviction [2010]
starring: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver
director: Tony Goldwyn
writer: Pamela Gray
–a single mom puts herself through law school in order to represent her brother who’s been wrongfully convicted of murder
Gorillas in the Mist [1988]
starring: Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, Julie Harris
director: Michael Apted
–story of Dian Fossey, a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them
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HAPPY WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY: Celebrity Vegans and Vegetarians [a select list]
Posted by Amy Steele in Uncategorized on October 2, 2012
Alanis Morissette
Alan Cumming
Alicia Silverstone, vegan
Alison Lohman
Amber Valletta
Angela Bassett
Anna Paquin
Anne Hathaway
Rosario Dawson
Betty White
Bryce Dallas Howard, vegan
Brandy
Carrie Underwood, vegan
Casey Affleck, vegan
Christian Bale
Sarah Cracknell (St Etienne)
David Duchovny
Kate Moss
Chris Walla, guitarist, Death Cab for Cutie
Daman Albarn
Christina Applegate
Daryl Hannah, vegan
Tobey Maguire, vegan
Natalie Portman, vegan
Dianna Agron
Olivia Wilde, vegan
Conor Oberst (Bright eyes)
Phylicia Rashad
Jared Leto, vegan
Mayim Bialik, vegan
Usher, vegan
Morrissey, vegan
Fran Drescher, vegan
Eddie Vedder
Erykah Badu, vegan
Ellen DeGeneres, vegan
Julianna Margulies
Kal Penn
Fiona Apple, vegan
Gillian Anderson
Kevin Nealon, vegan
Emily Deschanel, vegan
Michelle Pfieffer, vegan
Woody Harrelson, vegan
Michael Imperioli, vegan
Moby, vegan
Jessica Chastain, vegan
Johnny Marr, guitarist, vegan
Juliana Hatfield, vegan
Kristen Bell, vegan
Lisa Edelstein, vegan
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FILM: my summer must-see list
Posted by Amy Steele in Film on June 24, 2012
Magic Mike
release date: June 29
written by: Reid Carolin
directed by: Steven Soderbergh
starring: Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez
–Channing Tatum’s abs and hot male strippers. Bingo. Perfect for summer.
Take This Waltz
release date: June 29
written and directed by: Sarah Polley
directed by: Steven Soderbergh
starring: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman
–Sarah Polley. Extremely talented.
People Like Us
release date: June 29
written by: Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci
directed by: Alex Kurtzman
starring: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde
Savages
release date: July 5
written by: Shane Salerno and Don Winslow
directed by: Oliver Stone
starring: Taylor Kitsch, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Benecio DelToro Blake Lively
–crime drama from Stone about a Mexican drug cartel
Trishna
release date: July 5
directed by: Michael Winterbottom
starring: Freida Pinto
–a remake of Tess of the d’Urbervilles set in India could work with one of my favorite directors at the helm
Ruby Sparks
release date: July 25
written by: Zoe Kazan
directed by: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas
–Zoe Zazan wrote it and stars in it and it’s about a novelist. Sounds like a charming romantic comedy.
Total Recall
release date: August 3
written by: Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback
directed by: Len Wiseman
starring: Colin Farrell
–I crush Colin Farrell.
Celeste and Jesse Forever
release date: August 3
written by: RAshida Jones and Will McCormack
directed by: Lee Tolad Krieger
starring: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts
–I’m a big fan of super smart Rashida Jones.
Cosmopolis
release date: August 20
written and directed by: David Cronenberg
starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche
years ago I interviewed David Cronenberg. He reminded me of a very cool college professor. And Juliette Binoche is a favorite.
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DVD reivew: Cheri
Posted by Amy Steele in DVD on October 20, 2009
Title: Cheri
Director: Stephen Frears
Written by: Christopher Hampton [based on novel by Colette]
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Kathy Bates
Running time: 93 min.
Release date: October 20, 2009
Film Company: Miramax
Review source: Click Communications
Rating: C+
A good body lasts a long time. Everyone knows that.
–Lea
Cheri is my least favorite work by Colette. But Colette can write wonderful stories and this film could have worked particularly with Michelle Pfeiffer back in a Dangerous Liaisons-type role. It is a period film, set before WWI in Paris, when courtesans held the power. Lea [Pfeiffer] is a well-known courtesan to the rich and famous and has been living a luxurious, richly fitting lifestyle for years. Now she’s facing a time [or AGE] when she feels that she might retire. One of her old rivals, played with sufficient bitterness and contempt by Kathy Bates, asks Lea to take her son Cheri and “teach him” about women. The 19-year-old Cheri and Lea fall in love and stay together for six years until Cheri’s mother decides it’s time for Cheri to have children and she arranges his marriage to a daughter of another courtesan. Unfortunately Lea and Cheri are obsessed with each other. Lea wants to remain young and Cheri refuses to take on grown up responsibilities.
The male narrator detracts from the female power of the courtesans, particularly Lea. Cheri is visually stunning with verdant gardens and lovely ornate costumes. Cheri is a bit too melodramatic. Pfeiffer holds her own and she’s gorgeous and regal in every scene. There’s little chemistry between Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend [Cheri]. Pfeiffer fills the screen and is too overpowering for Friend. He lacks the experience to rise to her acting talent even in this poorly scripted film.
Cheri needed a much better script and a different younger actor as Cheri to make it work.
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, The Making of Cheri [superfluous viewing as the film isn’t that good]
GRADE: C+
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About Me
covering mostly music and books. focus on alternative/indie and women in music, literature and the arts. feminist. vegan. mostly alternative, a bit bohemian. Masters in journalism from Boston University. BA from Simmons College.
Entertainment Realm by Amy Steele is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at entertainmentrealm.comCopyright © 2009. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Amy Steele.
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