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Apparently, ‘Melancholia’ Will Make You Sick

traviswoods — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:25:46 +0000

Melancholia, Lars von Trier’s latest cinematic trip into the dark recesses of the human soul, will apparently make you sick… at least, according to a Toronto movie theater, which posted warnings letting patrons know the film might give them motion sickness and/or nausea, causing them to vomit more than a movie theater hot dog.

Allegedly, at least six to seven people left Toronto’s Varsity Cinemas complaining of nausea after a showing of the film in March. This has lead to Varsity Cinemas now posting warnings that “MELANCHOLIA MAY CAUSE MOTION SICKNESS DUE TO DEVICES USED TO FILM THE MOVIE Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause anyone. VARSITY MANAGEMENT.”

As for the “devices” used in the film? Handheld cameras, which have been used in filmmaking since, well, ever. However, von Trier often will use cinematic devices to put his audiences on edge, so it’s not hard to imagine the director taking a small measure of glee from this news.

As for the patrons who have apparently been given motion sickness by the handheld photography of the film, one has to wonder: did they think that attending a film in which Kirsten Dunst plays a woman suffering from debilitating depression while a giant planet comes to crush our own and end humanity was going to make them feel good?

Did Melancholia make you sick?

Source: The AV Club

Melancholia: Movie Review

angelbaker — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:00:12 +0000

A gorgeous depiction of despair and depression, Melancholia’s approach to the most basic human instincts is both unique and inspired. Even while using a science fiction premise, von Trier’s epic doesn’t pretend to be a real-life scenario of how earth goes down. Rather, the approach of the potentially life-ending planet is yet another minefield this one highly complicated family must navigate. With each character offering a vastly different emotional crutch for the other, the impending doom challenges them to surprising results. And visually, the film is exquisite…

The Players:

Director: Lars von Trier
Writer: Lars von Trier
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Keifer Sutherland, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgard.

The Plot:

An already troubled family faces the potential for the end of the world as the planet Melancholia nears earth.

The Good:

It’s All Like A Dream: Melancholia is visually stunning. Von Trier takes pains to make each scene like a moving painting. The first several minutes are entirely without dialogue while the story of the film is played out from beginning to end in epic slow motion fashion using minimum exposition. The intro is so unique it could be a successful short film in its own right. With disaster imminent, Melancholia highlights the beauty of life on earth as we know it without once feeling dogmatic.
Kirsten Dunst: There are two pillars of focus in Melancholia. Dunst’s character, Justine, is the embodiment of depression for the film. Dunst is thoroughly convincing as the struggling newlywed that feigns happiness for a few moments simply to please her sister. Her performance is brave and subtle. There are no lengthy speeches about her mental illness. Dunst takes us through it – through the heaviness, through the disillusionment, through the apathy. The buzz around Dunst’s performance is well deserved.
Charlotte Gainsbourg: The other pillar, Claire (Gainsbourgh), is the embodiment of caring in Melancholia. As Justine’s sister, she is supportive to her own detriment. She mothers her younger sister without asking for anything in return. In the beginning of the film, Claire appears to be controlling but over time we learn that she wants the best for Justine and has to force her to try to want the best for herself. Theirs is a nuanced relationship. Gainsbourgh interprets the character beautifully. The sisters’ relationship is also a testament to von Trier’s uncanny ability to accurately write women’s characters.
The Wedding Planner: Udo Kier as the wedding planner provides some occasional but much needed levity at Justine and Michael’s (Alexander Skarsgard) wedding reception. His looks of disgust that Justine would sabotage his masterpiece are priceless.

The So So:

Jack Bauer: Kiefer Sutherland’s performance as Claire’s wealthy husband, John, is quite average in comparison to Gainsbourgh and Dunst. John is the financial provider and the apparent core of strength during the crumbling wedding and impending disaster. He should seem confident and trustworthy. Instead, Sutherland plays him as constantly exasperated and out of breath. This is not entirely out of character for John but didn’t seem like a stretch from 24’s Jack Bauer.

The Bad:

The Cannes Debacle: I hope viewers will get past von Trier’s Nazi sympathizing comments at Cannes and watch this film. It’s too beautiful to dismiss and the actors shouldn’t be punished for the director’s poor taste.

Overall:

This film is unlike any film in the recent and distant past. But for the end-of-the-world as a backdrop for this personal reflection on family, relationships, and mental illness, there is little else to liken Melancholia to any other picture. It is positively dreamlike.

Rating: 9/10

Melancholia hits theaters November 11.

Melancholia Trailer

Sundance 2011: Beastie Boys ‘Fight for Your Right Revisited’ Review

Christie Ko — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:31:36 +0000

Adam Yauch’s Fight for Your Right Revisited, featuring Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and John C. Riley delivers big time. Just imagine every actor you can think of packed into a hilarious 30 minute music video. This is Hollywood the way I like to see it, poking fun at itself and reminding everyone that the very best actors are not only able to make you laugh, but they’re able to laugh at themselves.

The Players:

Director: Adam Yauch
Written By: Adam Yauch
Cast: Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, John C. Riley, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Rashida Jones, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Ted Danson, Roman Coppola, Steve Buscemi, Amy Poehler, Alicia Silverstone, Milo Ventimiglia, Jody Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Chloë Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, Orlando Bloom, Jack Black, Adam Horowitz, Mike D, Adam Yauch, Martin Starr, etc.

Review:

This short takes place the morning after the party featured in the Beastie Boys original music video, Fight for Your Right in 1986 (watch it here). The film comes complete with cameos from a cast I couldn’t believe, including Susan Sarandon, Jason Schwartzman, Rainn Wilson, and Stanley Tucci, to name just a few. It’s almost as if Seth Rogen, Elijah Wood, and Will Ferrell just walked through the studio lot and grabbed any actors they happened to come across, and they came across a few, including Steve Buscemi and Kirsten Dunst. The film has the feel and tone of a long SNL music video skit that you never want to end, even after a metaphorical pissing contest turns into a literal pissing contest and Chloë Sevigny stabs someone.

This film accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, and that is show amazing actors really playing with an idea and having fun with each other. The Beastie Boys have come a long way since 1986, and I think this parody is their way of saying they know how absurd and ridiculous they were back then and are inviting everyone to join them in laughing at it. Even if you aren’t a huge Beastie Boys fan, this is still going to make you laugh.

Overall:

When this thing hits the interwebs, it’ll go viral and you’ll be able to watch it over and over again. Believe me, you will want to.

Rating: 6/10

Kirsten Dunst Discusses New Spider-Man and Its Cast

Krystal Clark — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:39:08 +0000

It’s been almost a year since Sony put an end to Sam Raimi’s Spider-man run and we’ve had plenty of time to get used to the new director and cast. We haven’t heard much from Raimi, Tobey Maguire, or Kirsten Dunst regarding their feelings about the whole thing — that is until now. Dunst recently spoke about how she thinks the Spider-Man reboot will handle the origin story and whether or not the new actors can pull it off.

First off, Raimi and the old cast had plans to return for a fourth installment of their Spider-man series before Sony decided to scrap the whole thing. It was going to be a reunion that would hopefully get rid of the bad taste that Spider-man 3 left in our mouths but it never happened. According to Dunst,

“I mean, everyone was coming back, and they were casting a villain. I knew it wasn’t ready to go, but I knew they were working on it. And they decided not to.” It was only sad because we didn’t know the last one was going to be our last. So we didn’t have that extra little ‘This is the last time, guys.’ We didn’t get to have that grieving. It was a little like, ‘Oh, we’re not doing it, bummer.’”

That does suck. Unfortunately, I along with a lot of other viewers weren’t fans of Dunst’s take on Mary Jane. Even though she’d starred in three films as the character she was always the weak link in the series. As for the new actors, she seems to think that they have what it takes to bring Spidey back to his former glory.

“They have a lot to live up to. I do really like Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield. I know that Emma’s playing Gwen Stacy, but I wonder what story they’re gonna tell, because it wasn’t that long ago — we’re not, like, old people. That’s why I’d be nervous. They’re gonna tell the story, I guess, from the beginning again — but in a different way. But it wasn’t that long ago that we told that story. So the pressure’s on again a little bit in that way. Yeah, they’re in a funny position. But, hey, I’m sure they’re gonna work it out.”"

Speaking of age, Garfield is only one year older than Dunst in real life. When she appeared in the first Spider-man she was still a teenager. The lack of time between the reboot and the previous trilogy is something weighing heavily on all of us. I’m not sure if this movie will be nearly as successful as Raimi’s record breaking films.

What do you think of Dunst’s take on the new cast and story? Is she right about the time between films?

Source: ComicBookMovie

All Good Things: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:00:41 +0000

Well, they definitely took a risk on this film! Whether or not it worked out is another story. There are some extremely strong moments, an amazing supporting cast and a hell of a performance from the star of the film Ryan Gosling, the film didn’t quite add up the way it needed to in order for the audience to feel any real of sense of satisfaction. My guess is Blue Valentine will be his Oscar winning film this year, not All Good Things, though he was the best thing in this.

Players:

Director: Andrew Jarecki
Writer: Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling
Actors: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Wiig, Frank Langella, Lily Rabe, Philip Baker Hall, Michael Esper, Diane Venora, Nick Offerman
Original Music by: Rob Simonsen
Cinematography by: Michael Seresin

The Plot:

Inspired by true events surrounding the life of Robert Durst, All Good Things chronicles one of the most notorious missing person’s case in New York history. It’s a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s.

The Good:

Fearless: There are a number of fearless performances in this film, but none quite as strong as Gosling’s. Often times actors will go to a certain point knowing that because they have enough charisma audiences with forgive them/side with them/go with them. From beating and later killing his wife, dog and friend to his problems with interacting with people, Gosling is (in the most positive way possible) quite hate-able in this film. He doesn’t just play with the line but jumps off the cliff and gives an absolutely fearless performance that I imagine would scare off most well-known actors. Once again he’s proved he’s a real actors, not some movie star.
Guest Appearances: The supporting cast that showed up for bit rolls is impressive. From Wigg to the attorney — they had an extremely strong cast which helped the film develop as a whole.
Kirsten Dunst: This was one of her strongest roles yet with is impressive considering she had a LOT of extra work to do in order to fill in some of the holes in the script. Why is she obsessed with him? Why does she stay? Why does she confront a man she KNOWS will kill her? If she’s willing to give it all up, why not just leave him and give it all up? If she’s staying for the money we need to know that. She gave one hell of a performance but I was still left baffled by her character.
Ryan Gosling in Drag: Despite the fact that while hiding out he randomly decides to disguise himself as a woman (which doesn’t work with the story), the seriousness in which he does it added some much needed disturbing humor to his character. That being said, if we really wanted to appear as a “real” women, he should have toned down the makeup — no woman I know runs in blue eyeshadow.
Music: The start of this film is NOTHING like the end, the ONLY thing that helps hint at where the story is going is the music. The opening score sets a tone that the film loses and only gets back near the end. With such a divided piece it was nice to have such a coherent scores to help keep the audiences on track and guide them through the story even when the film didn’t.

The Bad:

Ryan Gosling in Drag: If this was a part of the story they needed to tie it in sooner. In a way they did, but it was so hidden from us that we weren’t able to figure it out until the very end, which doesn’t really help the development of the story.
Too Much: I get that this is based on a real story, and that in many ways some of the crazy things that happened where true. But when you bring a story to the big screen you have to figure out the best way to adapt it and they didn’t. They threw everything in the pot, which took away from the much needed details of the characters.
Some un-realistic human responses: From Gosling’s character grabbing Dunst’s character by the hair and dragging her out of her own graduation party and NO one, not even her own brother chasing her or trying to protect her, to her staying with him — the way the characters acted didn’t seem real. The unrealistic actions worked for Gosling but not the characters around him. Now again, this may have been what ACTUALLY happened, but when telling a story in 90 minutes you have to make some changes for the big screen otherwise we get caught up in the snags and can’t appreciate the entire story.
Multiple Films in One: And not in a good way. There are many different films within this one film that don’t entirely ever come together. This is an incredibly hard feat to pull off and sadly this film only moderating succeeds.

Overall:

This is definitely an interesting, brave film, but it’s not entirely successful as a cinematic experience.

Rating: 6.5/10

All Good Things in theaters December 3rd!

Photos:

Trailer:

Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst in All Good Things Trailer

Krystal Clark — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:16:11 +0000

Magnolia Pictures has released the first trailer for the real life drama, All Good Things. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst, as a young couple surrounded by murder and kidnappings. It’s based on a true story, which makes the events in the film even more disturbing. It’s great to see Dunst back in a movie again and judging from this trailer she’s bringing her A-game. Take a look…

Official Synopsis:

Inspired by the most notorious missing person’s case in New York history, ALL GOOD THINGS is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Produced and directed by Andrew Jarecki (director of the Academy Award-nominated doc Capturing the Friedmans and producer of Catfish), the film was inspired by the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family.

Mr. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Kathie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella as the powerful patriarch, and captures the emotion and complexity of this real-life unsolved mystery.

All Good Things is scheduled to hit theaters in NY on December 3rd (and other select markets) and is not yet decided for LA.

What do you think of the first trailer for All Good Things?

Source: Apple

Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland Join Melancholia

Krystal Clark — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:28:43 +0000

If you’ve been wondering where Kirsten Dunst has been hiding since hearing about Spider-Man 4 being scrapped in favor of a hipper, cheaper reboot we’ve got your answer. According to Deadline, the actress has landed a role in controversial director Lars Von Trier’s next project entitled Melancholia. She’ll play the lead in the film that will also feature Jack Bauer and Eric Northman in supporting roles.

Originally the lead in Melancholia was supposed to go to Penelope Cruz but she opted out in favor of a part in the Disney tentpole, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. This film is said to fit into the “sci-fi disaster” genre but besides that the storyline has been kept under wraps. Besides Dunst, Melancholia will star Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard his dad Stellan Skarsgard, and Charlotte Gainsburg who previously worked with the director on AntiChrist.

Currently, Dunst is working on a film called Upside Down opposite Jim Sturgess, which is due out next year. It’s been a while since she’s been in anything that the general public has seen. How To Lose Friends & Alienate People came out two years ago and the drama All Good Things she recently shot doesn’t have a release date yet.

Maybe her performance in Melancholia will show us something new that we haven’t seen before. Perhaps it can breathe new life into her career?

What do you think of Kirsten Dunst replacing Cruz in Melancholia?

Spider-Man 4 Over, Sony Reboots With New Cast

Krystal Clark — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:13:40 +0000

Are we surprised that the latest Spider-Man movie has been pushed back an entire year? Are we shocked that it will no longer be Spider-Man 4, but some reboot that includes new actors and a new premise? If this announcement throws you for a loop, you haven’t been following the play by play of drama that has surrounded the film since its inception. According to Comingsoon, Sony has decided to start from scratch with the Spider-Man franchise, which means no Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, or Sam Raimi.

The last time we heard about the development of the film, Sony and Raimi were both having issues with the script. They couldn’t settle on a story that they both liked, so the studio has released a statement revealing their solo plans for the web slinging series. Instead of going Raimi’s route, they will produce the James Vanderbilt screenplay that focuses on “a teenage Peter Parker grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.”

Even though Tobey Maguire still has a youthful face he can’t pull off a teenager anymore, which means he’s no longer in the picture. This also means that a new director will take over the project, and Raimi is no longer attached. He released an official statement regarding his feelings about Sony’s decision to move along without him or his cast.

“Working on the ‘Spider-Man’ movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.”

Apparently, Raimi didn’t feel as if he could make the deadline needed to complete the film so he pulled out of Spider-Man 4, before the studio made their final decision to scrap the whole thing. There’s some speculation that the reboot may be in 3-D, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. The new film is slated for a 2012 release, one year after the pitched 2011 date that Sony set for Spidey 4.

My opinion on this is hot and cold. I would have loved to see Raimi redeem himself in the eyes of comic book fans everywhere, but unfortunately it’s not going to happen. I’m more than happy that we won’t have to see Kirsten Dunst in the role of Mary Jane. That was some of the worst casting ever, and if anything or anyone needed to be scrapped it was her. In the coming weeks after the announcement settles, Sony will have more info on the Spider-Man reboot, so until then stay tuned!

What do you think about Sony’s decision to reboot Spider-Man? Should they have given Raimi another chance?

Kirsten Dunst Confirmed for Spiderman 4, Villain Updates!

Krystal Clark — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:00:23 +0000

This is not the kind of news I enjoy reporting, especially when it has to do with the comic book genre of film. Not too long ago I wrote an article on the “will she or won’t she” debate of Kirsten Dunst reprising the role of Mary Jane Watson in Spiderman 4. I personally was never a fan of her portrayal, so imagine my disdain when it was confirmed by film producer Todd Black that the actress will indeed return for another go round.

According to the NYPost, Black assures that Dunst will once again play the red headed love interest to Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spiderman. According to the article she is “definitely on board,” but the film won’t focus on a wedding for the couple as online rumors have suggested. The producer also nixed the story that the vampire-like Morbius will be the film’s featured villain. While being overtly cryptic he did say this much about who they’ll choose.

“We’re just coming up with who the villain’s going to be now. We’ll be shooting in New York again. Trust me, people will appreciate who we pick, because it’ll be a big part of New York.”

Hmmm, a part of New York City? Let the online speculation begin! Black said that the villain will stem from the comic and won’t be someone specifically created for the film. The author of the article suggested Kraven the Hunter and Kingpin as possible bad guys but I have some issues with both of them.I don’t know how open I’d be to Kraven, his character is more than just “out there,” and we’ve already seen Kingpin in Daredevil, as portrayed by Michael Clarke Duncan. I personally think the villain should be The Lizard. We’ve already seen him in two previous Spidey films as the one armed professor, Curt Connors. He would make so much more sense!

What do you think about Kirsten Dunst return as Mary Jane? Who should be the villain in the fourth film, Kraven, Kingpin, or The Lizard?

Should Kirsten Dunst Return for Spiderman 4?

Krystal Clark — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:33:56 +0000

Sam Raimi has once again dropped some news regarding about his upcoming fourth installment of the Spiderman film franchise. With the director and star Tobey Maguire officially on board to return, the biggest question is will Kirsten Dunst as well? Mary Jane and Peter’s relationship wasn’t on the best terms throughout the the last film, but seemed to mend after the unfortunate death of their close friend Harry. Even with that story opening Dunst hasn’t been confirmed for a fourth go around. Can you think of Peter Parker without Mary Jane? If MJ does return should Dunst come with her or would another actress be more suitable?

According to Screenrant Raimi had this to say about Dunst’s involvement in the next film.

“I’m hoping that she is going to come aboard, and I’ve got a meeting coming up with her… I think she would like to. But I don’t want to speak on behalf of her.”

My question is how many of you want her back? I have never been shy about the fact that I’m not a fan of her as Mary Jane. A lot of viewers have openly complained about their dislike of her casting, which I’m sure Dunst is more that aware of. This may be one of the reasons she’s stayed away from Spiderman 4 talk, and kept a low profile. Either way it wouldn’t be Spiderman without his right hand lady, so what can they do to rectify this situation?

If Dunst decides against appearing in the film it wont be a deal breaker for me. But the absence of Mary Jane as a whole would be. I’m not against a recast. If they can find a capable actress who has the look and talent why not give them a shot? I’m not sure if Raimi is hellbent on keeping the original leads together or not since James Franco’s gone. When and if she comes back I would like to see some changes in her character’s story. Changes that don’t include her blending into the backdrop. The writing for her hasn’t been that great. If anything the character has become more annoying than interesting.

Where should Peter and MJ’s relationship go from here? I personally would like to see the introduction of Felicia Hardy aka the Black Cat. Another female with a strong presence who leads a double life mimicking Peter’s would be a nice change of pace. Plus, it would make up for how horribly they treated Gwen Stacy in the third. I think that new blood needs to be pumped into this franchise so there can be some retribution for the last film.

What do you think should happen to Mary Jane in the fourth film? Should Dunst return or should they recast? Should Peter and MJ separate or should they stay together?

ScreenCrave.com » kirsten dunst

Apparently, ‘Melancholia’ Will Make You Sick

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