John Flynn’s Rolling Thunder is a lean, mean revenge thriller that could have only been made in the 1970s. It’s 1973, to be exact, and Major Charles Rane (William Devane) has recently returned to San Antonio after several years in a Viet Cong prison camp. Greeted with a hero’s welcome, Rane has little use for his neighbors’ praise, which he appears to regard (correctly) as an almost poignantly inadequate expression of collective survivor’s guilt.
Rane, along with his friend and fellow veteran Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), inhabits the film with a calm pragmatism that might be disconcerting for viewers accustomed to cinema’s more overheated depictions of soldiers coming home. The men don’t appear to resent the friends and family who’re blessedly ignorant of the atrocities they experienced abroad, but the soldiers no longer possess the facilities necessary to uphold basic social conventions such...
Rane, along with his friend and fellow veteran Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), inhabits the film with a calm pragmatism that might be disconcerting for viewers accustomed to cinema’s more overheated depictions of soldiers coming home. The men don’t appear to resent the friends and family who’re blessedly ignorant of the atrocities they experienced abroad, but the soldiers no longer possess the facilities necessary to uphold basic social conventions such...
- 4/23/2024
- by Chuck Bowen
- Slant Magazine
Controversial while he may be, Tom Cruise is the quintessential movie star. You can love him or hate him, but his on-screen charisma and willingness to go all in for all his roles is what makes him, even now, a considerable box-office draw.
He embodies cinema, and his dedication to pulling out all the stops in whatever he does—whether riding off a cliff on a bike or carrying out an impossible fight sequence on the top of a moving practically-constructed train—evidences his legacy and brand in Hollywood.
Tom Cruise in Cocktail (1988). Credit: Buena Vista Pictures
But this trait of his isn’t one he cultivated recently. Even before the plethora of Mission: Impossible films showed us Cruise’s knack for committing to the unimaginable, there was one movie, right after Top Gun and The Color of Money, called Cocktail (1988), where the actor’s diligence and tenacity spoke volumes of his character.
He embodies cinema, and his dedication to pulling out all the stops in whatever he does—whether riding off a cliff on a bike or carrying out an impossible fight sequence on the top of a moving practically-constructed train—evidences his legacy and brand in Hollywood.
Tom Cruise in Cocktail (1988). Credit: Buena Vista Pictures
But this trait of his isn’t one he cultivated recently. Even before the plethora of Mission: Impossible films showed us Cruise’s knack for committing to the unimaginable, there was one movie, right after Top Gun and The Color of Money, called Cocktail (1988), where the actor’s diligence and tenacity spoke volumes of his character.
- 3/28/2024
- by Debdipta Bhattacharya
- FandomWire
If you know your Quentin Tarantino lore, you’ll know that one of his favourite films of all time is John Flynn’s Rolling Thunder. A gritty revenge flick, the 1977 movie was such an influence on Tarantino that he named his short-lived distribution company, Rolling Thunder Pictures, after it. He explains his love of the film in detail in his epic film book, Cinema Speculation. Now, the film is set to get a 4K special edition courtesy of Shout Factory, which comes packed with extras.
If you’ve never seen it, Rolling Thunder is a pretty incredible film. Paul Schrader originally wrote it, but it was heavily rewritten by Heywood Gould (Cocktail). It follows a Nam P.O.W., Major Charles Rane (William Devane), who returns to his home in San Antonio after seven years in Hanoi. Having long come to terms with the fact that he was unlikely ever to return home,...
If you’ve never seen it, Rolling Thunder is a pretty incredible film. Paul Schrader originally wrote it, but it was heavily rewritten by Heywood Gould (Cocktail). It follows a Nam P.O.W., Major Charles Rane (William Devane), who returns to his home in San Antonio after seven years in Hanoi. Having long come to terms with the fact that he was unlikely ever to return home,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Linda Haynes, who notably appeared in films including “Coffy,” “Rolling Thunder,” “The Drowning Pool” and “Brubaker,” died July 17 in South Carolina — the news had not spread widely until Friday. She was 75.
“It is with great sadness that I report that my mother, Linda Haynes Sylvander has passed away, peacefully at home,” her son Greg Sylvander wrote on Facebook on Friday. She had moved to South Carolina three years ago to live with Greg. “As an only child, I have dreaded these times my entire life. I find peace in the knowing that my mother was at peace and had the most beautiful life these final years together with her grandchildren, Courtney Sylvander and I. We are going to miss my mom immensely.”
Haynes’ first film was 1969’s “Latitude Zero,” an international co-production directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Ishirō Honda. The movie co-starred Joseph Cotton and Cesar Romero, among others. It was in the 1970s,...
“It is with great sadness that I report that my mother, Linda Haynes Sylvander has passed away, peacefully at home,” her son Greg Sylvander wrote on Facebook on Friday. She had moved to South Carolina three years ago to live with Greg. “As an only child, I have dreaded these times my entire life. I find peace in the knowing that my mother was at peace and had the most beautiful life these final years together with her grandchildren, Courtney Sylvander and I. We are going to miss my mom immensely.”
Haynes’ first film was 1969’s “Latitude Zero,” an international co-production directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Ishirō Honda. The movie co-starred Joseph Cotton and Cesar Romero, among others. It was in the 1970s,...
- 8/11/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Whenever Quentin Tarantino makes a movie, the movie news apparatus kicks into overdrive. Ideally, we would walk in cold to every movie, but with Tarantino there's a breadcrumb dropping game that invites us to suss out plot details. For years, it was common for his scripts to get leaked to the internet (and he seemed relatively okay with this), but he was furious when an early draft of "The Hateful Eight" made the cyber rounds prior to shooting. He wasn't done, and he didn't want the public taking a look under the hood before he was done calibrating the engine.
The plot of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was kept almost completely under wraps until its 2019 Cannes debut, and I expected more of the same with his next (and purportedly final) feature, "The Movie Critic." But minor details have been seeping out here and there, and Paul Schrader just...
The plot of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was kept almost completely under wraps until its 2019 Cannes debut, and I expected more of the same with his next (and purportedly final) feature, "The Movie Critic." But minor details have been seeping out here and there, and Paul Schrader just...
- 5/19/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In 1988 Tom Cruise was arguably the biggest star in the world. Top Gun came out in 1986 and was the year’s top-grossing movie. It wasn’t only a hit – it was a cultural phenomenon, and Cruise became a rare kind of movie star. He was a sex symbol for the ladies, but the guys liked him too. Speaking personally, having been born in 1981, I vividly remember owning the VHS tape of Top Gun and playing it on a loop. Cruise was my first concept of a movie star; to kids like me, he was like a cool Big Brother-type figure. He was the guy we all wanted to be with him riding motorcycles, rocking fantastic hair and an attitude which was never too threatening while blasting awesome 80s rock music and having the girls go crazy for him. He was the man, and if any movie ever cemented his big-screen stardom,...
- 3/19/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
If you’re a film fanatic, one book that’s absolutely worth checking out is Quentin Tarantino’s Cinema Speculation (buy it here). On the brilliant Video Archives podcast (which you really should be listening to), Tarantino downplays the autobiographical nature of the book, which is mostly about his reactions to the films that were seminal to him as a child of the seventies. But, along with the film analysis, there’s a lot of interesting, autobiographical material that adds up to a nostalgic depiction of a young film fan coming of age. For a lot of us, it’s tough not to relate.
With that in mind, Tarantino’s formative films are likely different than the ones from those of us who grew up a generation or so later, but every single movie that he mentions is well worth seeking out. Here are five to get started with:
Rolling...
With that in mind, Tarantino’s formative films are likely different than the ones from those of us who grew up a generation or so later, but every single movie that he mentions is well worth seeking out. Here are five to get started with:
Rolling...
- 12/26/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Stars: William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes | Written by Paul Schrader, Heywood Gould | Directed by John Flynn
This is a film that has a reputation. Regarded as somewhat of an exploitation classic, Rolling Thunder has – thanks to its unavailability – seemingly passed into legend amongst movie fans and after the last Blu-ray from a decade ago(!) went out of print, and now costs a fortune on the secondary market, next week’s [re]release has become one of the most anticipated of the year for some, myself included – for me mainly because I sold my Studio Canal Blu some time ago for mucho dinero and regretted it.
The plot goes something like this: after spending eight years in a Vietcong prison camp, Major Charles Rane (William Devane) returns home to a small town in Texas to be greeted as a hero with a Cadillac convertible and a couple of thousand dollars in silver coins,...
This is a film that has a reputation. Regarded as somewhat of an exploitation classic, Rolling Thunder has – thanks to its unavailability – seemingly passed into legend amongst movie fans and after the last Blu-ray from a decade ago(!) went out of print, and now costs a fortune on the secondary market, next week’s [re]release has become one of the most anticipated of the year for some, myself included – for me mainly because I sold my Studio Canal Blu some time ago for mucho dinero and regretted it.
The plot goes something like this: after spending eight years in a Vietcong prison camp, Major Charles Rane (William Devane) returns home to a small town in Texas to be greeted as a hero with a Cadillac convertible and a couple of thousand dollars in silver coins,...
- 5/19/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
William Devane Respects The Text
By
Alex Simon
Few actors ruled the big and small screen with such vigor during the 1970s as William Devane. Using his classically handsome Irish features to embody parts best described as “Ivy League menace,” Devane hasn’t stopped working since making his film debut in 1967. McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Missiles of October, Marathon Man, Family Plot, Rolling Thunder, Yanks and Testament are just a few of the classic titles to which Devane brought his unique brand of charisma. The ‘80s saw him dominating the airwaves on the primetime soap Knots Landing as the nefarious Gregory Sumner, with dozens more memorable turns to follow.
Devane lends his gravitas to the new indie thriller We Gotta Get Out of This Place, a nifty neo-noir about a group of Texas teens (Mackenzie Davis, Logan Huffman, Jeremy Allen White) from a dead-end town who find themselves over their...
By
Alex Simon
Few actors ruled the big and small screen with such vigor during the 1970s as William Devane. Using his classically handsome Irish features to embody parts best described as “Ivy League menace,” Devane hasn’t stopped working since making his film debut in 1967. McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Missiles of October, Marathon Man, Family Plot, Rolling Thunder, Yanks and Testament are just a few of the classic titles to which Devane brought his unique brand of charisma. The ‘80s saw him dominating the airwaves on the primetime soap Knots Landing as the nefarious Gregory Sumner, with dozens more memorable turns to follow.
Devane lends his gravitas to the new indie thriller We Gotta Get Out of This Place, a nifty neo-noir about a group of Texas teens (Mackenzie Davis, Logan Huffman, Jeremy Allen White) from a dead-end town who find themselves over their...
- 11/10/2013
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
This article is dedicated to Andrew Copp: filmmaker, film writer, artist and close friend who passed away on January 19, 2013. You are loved and missed, brother.
****
Looking at the Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the film year 2012, the one miss that clearly cries out for more attention is Liam Neeson’s powerful performance in Joe Carnahan’s excellent survival film The Grey, easily one of the best roles of Neeson’s career.
In Neeson’s case, his lack of a nomination was a case of neglect similar to the Albert Brooks snub in the Best Supporting Actor category for the film year 2011 for Drive(Nicolas Winding Refn, USA).
Along with negligence, other factors commonly prevent outstanding lead acting performances from getting the kind of critical attention they deserve. Sometimes it’s that the performance is in a film not considered “Oscar material” or even worthy of any substantial critical attention.
****
Looking at the Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the film year 2012, the one miss that clearly cries out for more attention is Liam Neeson’s powerful performance in Joe Carnahan’s excellent survival film The Grey, easily one of the best roles of Neeson’s career.
In Neeson’s case, his lack of a nomination was a case of neglect similar to the Albert Brooks snub in the Best Supporting Actor category for the film year 2011 for Drive(Nicolas Winding Refn, USA).
Along with negligence, other factors commonly prevent outstanding lead acting performances from getting the kind of critical attention they deserve. Sometimes it’s that the performance is in a film not considered “Oscar material” or even worthy of any substantial critical attention.
- 2/27/2013
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
Killer Nashville is proud to launch its first Screenwriting Intensive as part of the Killer Nashville weekend, featuring Hollywood screen and television writers Heywood Gould, April Kelly, Steven Womack, and Philip Cioffari.
Heywood Gould’s screen credits include Cocktail; Rolling Thunder; The Boys from Brazil; Streets of Gold; One Good Cop; Trial by Jury; Mistrial; Double Bang; The Equalizer; N.Y.P.D.; and Fort Apache, the Bronx. Gould will kick off the event at the Killer Nashville Conference… More...
Heywood Gould’s screen credits include Cocktail; Rolling Thunder; The Boys from Brazil; Streets of Gold; One Good Cop; Trial by Jury; Mistrial; Double Bang; The Equalizer; N.Y.P.D.; and Fort Apache, the Bronx. Gould will kick off the event at the Killer Nashville Conference… More...
- 8/19/2012
- by HorrorNews.net
- Horror News
Publisher/editor Mike White is planning a new edition of his classic film zine, Cashiers du Cinemart, and is looking for article submissions. Cashiers has long been the premiere publication on cult movies, interviews with under-appreciated filmmakers, reconsiderations of unloved movies, pop culture analyses of forgotten film classics and other essays about the fringes of cinematic culture.
White characterizes himself as a “fairly harsh editor” and it’s that devotion to publishing quality, well-researched and well-thought-out articles that has made Cashiers du Cinemart such a beloved publication for film buffs over so many decades.
If you’re a film writer who has what it takes, here are the deadlines for article submission:
Idea/pitch of what you want to write about by Feb. 29, 2012
Rough draft by May 31, 2012
Final version by July 4, 2012
Details on how to submit can be found on the Impossible Funky blog.
You can also still buy Cashiers...
White characterizes himself as a “fairly harsh editor” and it’s that devotion to publishing quality, well-researched and well-thought-out articles that has made Cashiers du Cinemart such a beloved publication for film buffs over so many decades.
If you’re a film writer who has what it takes, here are the deadlines for article submission:
Idea/pitch of what you want to write about by Feb. 29, 2012
Rough draft by May 31, 2012
Final version by July 4, 2012
Details on how to submit can be found on the Impossible Funky blog.
You can also still buy Cashiers...
- 2/7/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Film Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Think back to 1993′s the Fugitive, and you’ll find an actor at the top of his game in the shape of Harrison Ford: he knew how to make block-busters and was the kind of actor studios could hang a big budget on without too much concern. Tommy Lee Jones on the other hand had pretty much landed out of nowhere: prior to 1991, when he appeared in JFK, Jones was a bit part player in Hollywood with a number of TV movies and lowly movies under his belt.
But he had been involved in one stand out movie earlier in his career – a vengeance flick with one foot firmly in the exploitation world. And now that film – Rolling Thunder – is available to buy on blu-ray for the first time, after all but missing the DVD market entirely.
The film follows Major Charlie Raine (great...
Think back to 1993′s the Fugitive, and you’ll find an actor at the top of his game in the shape of Harrison Ford: he knew how to make block-busters and was the kind of actor studios could hang a big budget on without too much concern. Tommy Lee Jones on the other hand had pretty much landed out of nowhere: prior to 1991, when he appeared in JFK, Jones was a bit part player in Hollywood with a number of TV movies and lowly movies under his belt.
But he had been involved in one stand out movie earlier in his career – a vengeance flick with one foot firmly in the exploitation world. And now that film – Rolling Thunder – is available to buy on blu-ray for the first time, after all but missing the DVD market entirely.
The film follows Major Charlie Raine (great...
- 2/6/2012
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
Rolling Thunder
Stars: William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes | Written by Paul Schrader, Heywood Gould | Directed by John Flynn
This is a film that has a reputation. Regarded as somewhat of an exploitation classic, Rolling Thunder has – thanks to its unavailability – seemingly passed into legend amongst movie fans and this Blu-ray release has become one of the most anticipated of the year for some, myself included.
The plot goes something like this: after spending eight years in a Vietcong prison camp, Major Charles Rane (Devane) returns home to a small town in Texas to be greeted as a hero with a Cadillac convertible and couple thousand dollars in silver coins, one for each day of his imprisonment. Struggling to go back to his former life, Rane faces another ordeal as a gang of thugs set their sights on his cash prize – taking his hand and killing his ex-wife and kid.
Stars: William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes | Written by Paul Schrader, Heywood Gould | Directed by John Flynn
This is a film that has a reputation. Regarded as somewhat of an exploitation classic, Rolling Thunder has – thanks to its unavailability – seemingly passed into legend amongst movie fans and this Blu-ray release has become one of the most anticipated of the year for some, myself included.
The plot goes something like this: after spending eight years in a Vietcong prison camp, Major Charles Rane (Devane) returns home to a small town in Texas to be greeted as a hero with a Cadillac convertible and couple thousand dollars in silver coins, one for each day of his imprisonment. Struggling to go back to his former life, Rane faces another ordeal as a gang of thugs set their sights on his cash prize – taking his hand and killing his ex-wife and kid.
- 1/30/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
[The following review features a number of spoilers]
Rolling Thunder is the story of Major Charles Ranes (William Devane), a Vietnam vet who returns from years of imprisonment and torture in a Vietcong Pow camp to his home in Texas. He and his prison mate Johnny (Tommy Lee Jones) are greeted at the airport with a heroes welcome and Charles is given a brand new Cadillac and a suitcase of silver dollars in honour of his return. Charles is not the same man who went to war though and even comments that when in prison they referred to the time before imprisonment as when they were alive; the implication that he is now dead rings true in the cold performance by William Devane and the hollow and dark life that the character now lives.
Charles’ wife has moved on and is planning to divorce him and remarry, and his son cannot connect with this stranger that he cannot even remember.
Rolling Thunder is the story of Major Charles Ranes (William Devane), a Vietnam vet who returns from years of imprisonment and torture in a Vietcong Pow camp to his home in Texas. He and his prison mate Johnny (Tommy Lee Jones) are greeted at the airport with a heroes welcome and Charles is given a brand new Cadillac and a suitcase of silver dollars in honour of his return. Charles is not the same man who went to war though and even comments that when in prison they referred to the time before imprisonment as when they were alive; the implication that he is now dead rings true in the cold performance by William Devane and the hollow and dark life that the character now lives.
Charles’ wife has moved on and is planning to divorce him and remarry, and his son cannot connect with this stranger that he cannot even remember.
- 1/27/2012
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Cult film fans rejoice! Classic revenge flick Rolling Thunder has finally been given its long-overdue release on DVD and Blu-Ray. The 1977 movie features a star cast including William Devane (Marathon Man, 24), Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, Men in Black), and Linda Haynes (Human Experiments). Surprisingly, this is the 1977 movie’s first digital release having previously only been available on VHS.
Aside from the cast, the film has great pedigree as the screenplay was co-written by Paul Schrader shortly after he wrote Taxi Driver. Indeed, there are some clear parallels between the two stories. Like Taxi Driver, Rolling Thunder tells the story of a haunted Vietnam vet who exacts bloody vengeance on his transgressors. In this case, we follow the newly-escaped prisoner-of-war, Major Charles Raine (Devane), who has returned to a hero’s welcome in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Presented with a new cherry red Cadillac, a suitcase of...
Aside from the cast, the film has great pedigree as the screenplay was co-written by Paul Schrader shortly after he wrote Taxi Driver. Indeed, there are some clear parallels between the two stories. Like Taxi Driver, Rolling Thunder tells the story of a haunted Vietnam vet who exacts bloody vengeance on his transgressors. In this case, we follow the newly-escaped prisoner-of-war, Major Charles Raine (Devane), who has returned to a hero’s welcome in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Presented with a new cherry red Cadillac, a suitcase of...
- 1/24/2012
- Shadowlocked
To mark the release of Rolling Thudner on Blu-ray Double play 30th January, Studio Canal have given us three copies of the classic movie to give away. The film is directyed by John Flynn and stars William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones and Linda Haynes.
A revered revenge classic co-written by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) and starring William Devane in a stoic performance as Major Charles Rane, a man who has been pushed beyond his limits during an eight year incarceration in the Hanoi Hilton. He returns to his Texas hometown with his friend Sergeant Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), just a vague shadow of the man he used to be. Finding himself a local celebrity and awarded with a briefcase of silver dollars- one for every day he was a Pow, he tries to adapt to civilian life with his wife (Linda Haynes), who is now engaged to another man, and his son,...
A revered revenge classic co-written by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) and starring William Devane in a stoic performance as Major Charles Rane, a man who has been pushed beyond his limits during an eight year incarceration in the Hanoi Hilton. He returns to his Texas hometown with his friend Sergeant Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), just a vague shadow of the man he used to be. Finding himself a local celebrity and awarded with a briefcase of silver dollars- one for every day he was a Pow, he tries to adapt to civilian life with his wife (Linda Haynes), who is now engaged to another man, and his son,...
- 1/20/2012
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Studiocanal have announced the UK Blu-ray release of the cult classic Rolling Thunder, starring WIlliam Devane and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver), on January 30th 2012.
Major Charles Rane (Devane) is a man who has been pushed beyond his limits during an eight year incarceration in the Hanoi Hilton. He returns to his Texas hometown with his friend Sergeant Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), just a vague shadow of the man he used to be. Finding himself a local celebrity and awarded with a briefcase of silver dollars- one for every day he was a Pow, he tries to adapt to civilian life with his wife (Linda Haynes), who is now engaged to another man, and his son, who doesn’t remember him. But any chance at healing is destroyed when a gang of thugs show up at his house to steal the silver. Tragedy thus descends...
Major Charles Rane (Devane) is a man who has been pushed beyond his limits during an eight year incarceration in the Hanoi Hilton. He returns to his Texas hometown with his friend Sergeant Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), just a vague shadow of the man he used to be. Finding himself a local celebrity and awarded with a briefcase of silver dollars- one for every day he was a Pow, he tries to adapt to civilian life with his wife (Linda Haynes), who is now engaged to another man, and his son, who doesn’t remember him. But any chance at healing is destroyed when a gang of thugs show up at his house to steal the silver. Tragedy thus descends...
- 11/16/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Cashiers du Cinemart, the legendary cult movie zine that puts all other movie zines to shame, has returned with a brand new print edition that is available in a variety of formats, from an old school photocopied version to a glossy high-end print-on-demand version to an electronic Kindle edition and more.
After a four-year hiatus, publisher and editor Mike White has returned to the printed page as part of a wider “Print Is Not Dead” movement. In typical fashion of it’s earlier print editions, Cashiers du Cinemart #16 is a massive 100-plus page endeavor with contributions from numerous writers, including White himself, riffing on classic cult movies, taking apart mainstream films, analyzing obscure genres, interviewing filmmakers a ton more fun stuff.
This new print zine comes hot on the heels of the hit book Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection, which gathered the best articles from the zine’s previous 15 issues,...
After a four-year hiatus, publisher and editor Mike White has returned to the printed page as part of a wider “Print Is Not Dead” movement. In typical fashion of it’s earlier print editions, Cashiers du Cinemart #16 is a massive 100-plus page endeavor with contributions from numerous writers, including White himself, riffing on classic cult movies, taking apart mainstream films, analyzing obscure genres, interviewing filmmakers a ton more fun stuff.
This new print zine comes hot on the heels of the hit book Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection, which gathered the best articles from the zine’s previous 15 issues,...
- 8/22/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Stage makeover planned for 1988 Tom Cruise vehicle about a bartender who dreams of shaking things up with his own cocktail barThe mania for turning movies into musicals continues apace with the news that boozy Tom Cruise classic Cocktail is to get a stage makeover.The film's screenwriter, Heywood Gould, told the New York Post that he was at work on a script during a 20th anniversary party for the movie.The 1988 original starred Cruise as a talented stick-swizzler who relocates to Jamaica with Bryan Brown's grizzled mentor to try and raise the money to fund a classy new bar called...
- 10/29/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
Tom Cruise's movie Cocktail is being turned into a Broadway musical to mark its 20th anniversary. The film's creator Heywood Gould hinted that he wants Cruise's wife Katie Holmes to replace Elizabeth Shue as Cruise's love interest in the storyline. He told the New York Post: "I am writing it as we speak. Marty Richards is on board (more)...
- 10/28/2009
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
Are you ready for another hippie, hippie shake? The New York Post reports that Cocktail is getting turned into a Broadway musical by producer Marty Richards, and Heywood Gould, the pen behind the book and film, will write it. But that's not all. Gould told them: "I am writing it as we speak. Marty Richards is on board and he's working on the score. It's far too early to talk about casting. We haven't approached anybody yet. But I do like Katie Holmes." Yes, original star Tom Cruise's wife. Gould might not be the end-all on decisions, but since he's involved with all the story's incarnations, I bet he has some sway.
The 1998 film focuses on a young guy (Cruise) who drops out of school and becomes a famous bartender. Eager to have his own bar, he heads to Jamaica to earn enough money. While there, he must choose...
The 1998 film focuses on a young guy (Cruise) who drops out of school and becomes a famous bartender. Eager to have his own bar, he heads to Jamaica to earn enough money. While there, he must choose...
- 10/27/2009
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
Tom Cruise's movie hit Cocktail is set to be turned into a Broadway musical.
Creator Heywood Gould is marking the 20th anniversary of the film's release by turning his script into a New York stage show.
He has recruited Chicago producer Martin Richards to help write the music, and he has hinted he wants Cruise's wife Katie Holmes to reprise Elizabeth Shue's big screen role onstage.
Gould tells the New York Post, "I am writing it as we speak. Marty Richards is on board and he's working on the score.
"It's far too early to talk about casting. We haven't approached anybody yet, but yes I like Katie Holmes."...
Creator Heywood Gould is marking the 20th anniversary of the film's release by turning his script into a New York stage show.
He has recruited Chicago producer Martin Richards to help write the music, and he has hinted he wants Cruise's wife Katie Holmes to reprise Elizabeth Shue's big screen role onstage.
Gould tells the New York Post, "I am writing it as we speak. Marty Richards is on board and he's working on the score.
"It's far too early to talk about casting. We haven't approached anybody yet, but yes I like Katie Holmes."...
- 10/26/2009
- WENN
"When he pours, he reigns." In another sign that New York City is losing its edge, prominent stage producer, Marty Richards (Chicago), is bringing the straight-laced yet tutti-frutti Tom Cruise vehicle, Cocktail, to Broadway. *Attempting to hold back a smirk* Richards is teaming up with the film's screenwriter Heywood Gould---who actually adapted the flick from his book Cocktail, see below---to create a musical based on the story of a young man thriving in the world of "flair bartending" who vacates NYC for a gig (and two romantic female flings) in Jamaica. So, who would play Elisabeth Shue's heartbroken, humble, and secretly rich cutiepie who is left preggo after a one-night stand with Cruise...mon? Gould tells the Nyp: "Marty Richards is on board and he's working on the score. It's far too early to talk about casting. We haven't approached anybody yet. But I do like Katie Holmes.
- 10/26/2009
- by Hunter Stephenson
- Slash Film
The creator of Tom Cruise movie Cocktail will be honoured this week (beg19Oct09) at a New York ceremony to mark the film's 20th anniversary.
Former journalist and bartender Heywood Gould will be guest of honour on Thursday at a celebration of the movie at the Penn Station Tgi Friday restaurant, where much of the picture was shot.
He'll be accompanied by America's top Tom Cruise look-a-likes and guests will be able to enjoy cocktail shaking and bottle spinning demonstrations.
As well as writing the role that helped Cruise become a Hollywood superstar, Gould also penned the screenplays for movies The Boys from Brazil and Rolling Thunder.
Former journalist and bartender Heywood Gould will be guest of honour on Thursday at a celebration of the movie at the Penn Station Tgi Friday restaurant, where much of the picture was shot.
He'll be accompanied by America's top Tom Cruise look-a-likes and guests will be able to enjoy cocktail shaking and bottle spinning demonstrations.
As well as writing the role that helped Cruise become a Hollywood superstar, Gould also penned the screenplays for movies The Boys from Brazil and Rolling Thunder.
- 10/21/2009
- WENN
An obsessed federal attorney manipulates the law to try to nail a ruthless crime boss. The ruthless crime boss bumps off the main witness against him. A world-weary ex-cop turned heel-for-hire carries out a campaign of intimidation against a vulnerable juror. The vulnerable juror, well, she caves in with fear and then gets madder than hell.
Novelist-screenwriter-director Heywood Gould's slick courtroom thriller ''Trial by Jury'' features a valiant effort by top-billed Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, but she tends to hide behind those big dark eyes and not reveal enough of her normal-gal-in-deep-yogurt character. The Warner Bros. release of a Morgan Creek production boasts potent boxoffice enticements in its trio of male stars -- Armand Assante, William Hurt and Gabriel Byrne -- but the evidence points to an early dismissal at the boxoffice.
The film's chief problem is taking for granted the audience warming up to cool, untalkative Valerie (Whalley-Kilmer), a divorced New York City antique shop owner called in for jury duty. Gould and Jordan Katz's screenplay tries to portray all the major male characters as opportunists with deep-rooted cynicism toward the judicial system. Valerie joins the club, but do we really care?
Valerie's evolution from upstanding citizen to major league femme fatale is the story's thrust, beginning with threats and more threats from lurking Loose Cannon Vesey (Hurt), working for accused mobster Pirone (Assante). She moves her son to dad's rustic digs, but Vesey makes it abundantly clear that even from the grave, the long arm of Pirone will get her if she doesn't push for acquittal in jury deliberations.
The least believable aspect of the film -- the court and jury room scenes -- slow down the pace and add little. Media-savvy prosecutor Graham (Byrne) smells a rat when the jury is dismissed, knowing nothing about Valerie's dilemma, or that she has had to endure the unwanted advances of Pirone.
One thing leads to another and still-not-safe Valerie finally takes the initiative. Through it all there is remarkably little insight into her character beyond a throwaway line pegging her as a potential silent-but-deadly type. Whalley-Kilmer has enough talent and presence to carry the film, but is left tongue-tied through most of the concluding section.
Hurt underplays and stands out as the heavy for a change, even though the writers can't resist making him sympathetic. Byrne brings authority to his role, one of his best to date. Assante adds another suave stinker to his resume. Director David Cronenberg slips in for a cameo that alludes to the element in Hollywood that's attracted to the Pirones of the world.
Toronto locations double well for New York, while cinematographer Frederick Elmes creates a shady, unsettling atmosphere well-supported by Terence Blanchard's standard-but-effective score.
TRIAL BY JURY
Warner Bros.
James G. Robinson presents
A Morgan Creek Prod.
A Heywood Gould Film
Director Heywood Gould
Producers James G. Robinson
Chris Meledandri, Mark Gordon
Writers Jordan Katz, Heywood Gould
Executive producer Gary Barber
Production designer David Chapman
Director of photography Frederick Elmes
Editor Joel Goodman
Music Terence Blanchard
Casting Heidi Levitt
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Valerie Joanne Whalley-Kilmer
Pirone Armand Assante
Graham Gabriel Byrne
Vesey William Hurt
Wanda Kathleen Quinlan
Jane Lyle Margaret Whitton
John Boyle Ed Lauter
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Novelist-screenwriter-director Heywood Gould's slick courtroom thriller ''Trial by Jury'' features a valiant effort by top-billed Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, but she tends to hide behind those big dark eyes and not reveal enough of her normal-gal-in-deep-yogurt character. The Warner Bros. release of a Morgan Creek production boasts potent boxoffice enticements in its trio of male stars -- Armand Assante, William Hurt and Gabriel Byrne -- but the evidence points to an early dismissal at the boxoffice.
The film's chief problem is taking for granted the audience warming up to cool, untalkative Valerie (Whalley-Kilmer), a divorced New York City antique shop owner called in for jury duty. Gould and Jordan Katz's screenplay tries to portray all the major male characters as opportunists with deep-rooted cynicism toward the judicial system. Valerie joins the club, but do we really care?
Valerie's evolution from upstanding citizen to major league femme fatale is the story's thrust, beginning with threats and more threats from lurking Loose Cannon Vesey (Hurt), working for accused mobster Pirone (Assante). She moves her son to dad's rustic digs, but Vesey makes it abundantly clear that even from the grave, the long arm of Pirone will get her if she doesn't push for acquittal in jury deliberations.
The least believable aspect of the film -- the court and jury room scenes -- slow down the pace and add little. Media-savvy prosecutor Graham (Byrne) smells a rat when the jury is dismissed, knowing nothing about Valerie's dilemma, or that she has had to endure the unwanted advances of Pirone.
One thing leads to another and still-not-safe Valerie finally takes the initiative. Through it all there is remarkably little insight into her character beyond a throwaway line pegging her as a potential silent-but-deadly type. Whalley-Kilmer has enough talent and presence to carry the film, but is left tongue-tied through most of the concluding section.
Hurt underplays and stands out as the heavy for a change, even though the writers can't resist making him sympathetic. Byrne brings authority to his role, one of his best to date. Assante adds another suave stinker to his resume. Director David Cronenberg slips in for a cameo that alludes to the element in Hollywood that's attracted to the Pirones of the world.
Toronto locations double well for New York, while cinematographer Frederick Elmes creates a shady, unsettling atmosphere well-supported by Terence Blanchard's standard-but-effective score.
TRIAL BY JURY
Warner Bros.
James G. Robinson presents
A Morgan Creek Prod.
A Heywood Gould Film
Director Heywood Gould
Producers James G. Robinson
Chris Meledandri, Mark Gordon
Writers Jordan Katz, Heywood Gould
Executive producer Gary Barber
Production designer David Chapman
Director of photography Frederick Elmes
Editor Joel Goodman
Music Terence Blanchard
Casting Heidi Levitt
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Valerie Joanne Whalley-Kilmer
Pirone Armand Assante
Graham Gabriel Byrne
Vesey William Hurt
Wanda Kathleen Quinlan
Jane Lyle Margaret Whitton
John Boyle Ed Lauter
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
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