ABOUT THAT ‘ANGEL HEART” SYMBOLISM

Yesterday, in the “Last Night’s Screening” section, I mentioned that after a dozen screenings I might have finally figured out what director Alan Parker was trying to tell us with the returning symbolism of that slow-turning fan.

WARNING: If you haven’t seen “Angel Heart” I’m about to spoil it completely — which, I promise you, would be a real shame.

In the story’s linear timeline, our first glimpse of the fan is seen in a shot outside a New York hotel room during the sacrifice of a sailor. If you remember, this was the ritual Johnny Favourite performed in the hopes of getting out of his contract for his soul with Satan. He ate the sailor’s heart and then stole his identity before becoming our intrepid P.I. Harry Angel. It’s also important to remember that Lisa Bone’s character informs us that Johnny (and therefore Harry) is/was the most truly evil person her mother had ever come across.

Unless I missed something, we only see the fan turn when Harry Angel is or is about to commit a murder off-screen. In other words, while Harry Angel suffers a blackout, evil Johnny Favourite returns to heinously murder those putting Harry on the trail of discovering who he really is.

Essentially, the fan tells us the evil in our protagonist is at work.

My two cents.

Man, I love talking  movies!

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Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

In many popular narratives of the period, it was the Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960) who “ruined” the movies. Here’s the pretentious film snob summary of the death of Hollywood’s alleged second Golden Age, as popularized by Peter Biskind. The seventies were filled with bold, dark art and transgressive intellectualism. Then the greedy Baby Boomers – like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas – made “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “E.T.” All of a sudden Hollywood did not want to make serious, grown-up pictures. Now it was the age of blockbusters so simple that 3-year-olds can summarize them.

It was the 1980s when Boomer Blockbuster filmmaking would arrive in the event pictures of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. We see this tendency further in the films of arch-Boomers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. For a definition of Boomer cinema just look at the output of their company Imagine Entertainment. These aren’t the New Wave-influenced pictures of Roger L. Simon’s generation.

It was the Boomers who also gave us our most strident and simpleminded cinematic leftists: Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, and Michael Moore. Think about these three careers. Over the past 30 years have any of them shifted an inch in their political thinking? Of course not and neither have most Boomers who are still arguing over sex, race, and the Vietnam War as though it were still 1975. (more…)

Early on in “The Dilemma,” one of the main characters asks how long it would take before a person can really know another person.  Considering that the character who asks that question is sneaking behind her husband’s back and having an affair, one would doubt if she knew the answer. However, the most important question in this film isn’t how long it takes to know someone. The biggest question is what should a person do if he finds out a secret that could destroy his best friend’s marriage.

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The man at the center of the story is Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn), a solid salesman who is business partners with his best friend Nick (Kevin James). Ronny and Nick are trying to develop a new type of car that would combine the sexiness of classic cars with the environmental friendliness of newer models. They are searching for a major car company that is willing to invest in their work.

Ronny is also thinking about proposing to his long-term girlfriend, Beth (Jennifer Connelly) and Nick’s wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) enthusiastically supports the idea. It’s surprising that Geneva is so pro-marriage considering that she’s having an affair, a discovery that Ronny accidentally makes while planning his proposal. (more…)

Have you ever learned a really bad secret that your best friend should know about, but you just don’t know how to tell them? What if you saw your best friend’s wife cheating on him? And what would you do if she had some dirt on you in return?

Those juicy ethical questions form the center of the new Ron Howard movie “The Dilemma,” a truly offbeat and intelligently adult comedy that stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, and Jennifer Connelly in a quartet of performances that rise far above the norm of most mainstream comedies. It marks a refreshing return by Howard back to the fun and human comedies he specialized in back in the ‘80s with “Splash” and “Gung Ho,” and away from the blockbuster and Oscar-baiting fare he’s been delivering in the decades since.

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“The Dilemma” appears to get off to a rocky start, as the storyline at first focuses on the efforts of longtime buddies Ronny (Vaughn) and Nick (James) to develop an electric car that macho guys won’t be ashamed to drive. Ronny is the smooth-talking fundraiser of the duo, while Nick is the engineering genius who can help them make a $400,000 deal a reality. Some of the negotiations and stress attendant to the business deal are funny, but they’re just not as compelling as what unfolds when the story gets to their personal lives.

Things improve greatly when the story shifts focus to Ronny’s attempt to set up an incredibly romantic proposal for his girlfriend Beth (Connelly). He is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nick and his wife Geneva (Ryder), whom he calls his “hero couple,” but then he catches Geneva cheating with a hunky young thug (played by Channing Tatum in one of the greatest scene-stealing supporting roles since Brad Pitt rode away with “Thelma and Louise”). (more…)

Director Ron Howard’s “The Dilemma” isn’t going to be released until January but is already generating big press. In case you haven’t heard, in an early trailer for the film one of the stars, Vince Vaughn, who plays an auto designer, says:

“Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars are gay. I mean, not ‘homosexual’ gay, but, you know, ‘my parents are chaperoning the dance’ gay.”

Even though Universal Studios withdrew the trailer after protests, Howard says he will keep the line in the film. Now more protests are threatened unless the joke is cut entirely from the actual movie. This line has sent gay activists into a tizzy and has now made any reference to “gay” in a humorous way, the moral equivalent of carrying Mein Kampf into a synagogue.

One gay activist is quoted as saying the joke promotes “hate and homophobia.” Ellen DeGeneres says it is a form of bullying. Anderson Cooper of CNN agrees, ”We’ve got to do something to make those words unacceptable ’cause those words are hurting kids!” Good for you, Andy. And I’m sure you’ll be apologizing to all the Tea Party activists you called “tea baggers” (indirectly mocking them as“gay”), now that you have seen the light.

I’m sure the people at GLAAD would have come down on Mr. Cooper had they realized what he had said, but they were probably just really busy that year and missed the “joke” that was all over TV and the Internet. Thankfully the folks from GLAAD have finally spoken up and are now trying to end “gay” jokes. I say “bravo,” it’s about time to end all of this “attack” humor.  

We must take a stand and stop letting comedy and comedians offend people.

I know! Let’s get a whole list of banned words and topics together! For the children… (more…)

GLAAD’s latest anti-free speech rampage is so misguided that for what might be the first time ever, they’ve actually forced actress Susan Sarandon over to the correct side of an issue:

Sarandon is adamant [GLAAD's] views on political correctness are becoming too extreme – likening them to animal-rights crusaders People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

When quizzed about the controversy by the New York Daily News, she replied, “What should they (Glee) have said? (GLAAD is) getting like PETA – way out of control.”

Careful Susan, you might end up in one of GLAAD’s Gay Re-Education Camps along with the producers of  “Jersey Shore.”

Thankfully, even more of Hollywood’s pushing back though Daniel Frankel’s story in “The Wrap,” which is boldly titled “Is GLAAD Hollywood’s Latest Bully?” — and I say boldly in all sincerity since the latest left-wing cause du jour is anti-gay bullying and the throwing of that word right back in GLAAD’s face isn’t by accident, nor is it the usual timid approach left-wing special interest groups have become accustomed to in the press. 

Though I urge you to read the whole thing, below are some choice snips that pretty much prove Hollywood’s losing their patience with these neo-fascists. And what immediately follows is a truly frightening look at how the bulies at GLAAD operate, which should chill the spine of anyone who believes in free speech and artistic expression: (more…)

Patrick Goldstein of the L.A. Times proclaims, Ignorance should be a punch line. Identity should not:

 Ignorance should be a punch line. Identity should not. Humor can be a tricky thing to analyze and can be easily (and lazily) defended against criticism by saying “it’s just a joke.” Vaughn himself, when defending this line in his film, said “Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together.” And while Vaughn is wrong about the joke in his movie accomplishing this end, “The Office” is a perfect example of humor getting it right.

“The Dilemma” is hardly the first movie to use the word “gay” in this way, but it has come along at a watershed moment in our culture. Hearing one’s very identity regularly used as a synonym for “inadequate” or “undesirable” on a daily basis does more than just hurt feelings. Recent events have made it abundantly and tragically clear the effect that anti-gay language and attitudes can have on young people who are gay or are perceived to be gay AND on the bullies who target them.

Would it change hearts and minds if Howard had made the decision to pull this line from the film? Would bullies suddenly realize the harm their behavior was causing and stop tormenting their victims? Would spontaneous hugging break out in the hallways of America’s schools? Of course not. But it would create a tiny space in our culture -– a window in which people could draw their own conclusions about what it means to be gay, without being told it’s something negative.

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GLAAD is just one of those organizations like PETA that you can’t help but feel sorry for.  Their stars are waning; their time has passed.  PETA can only grab a headline if they cough up enough money for some D-lister to disrobe for a photoshoot, and GLAAD can’t accomplish much beyond the occasional censorship potshot in Hollywood.  It’s odd that we’ve been highlighting the political divide between Clint Howard and his brother, Ron, for the past week or so, as it’s Ron, the orthodox progressive, who’s catching heat from GLAAD currently.  Howard is the director of a new Vince Vaughn picture titled The Dilemma, and GLAAD has deemed it homophobic, offensive– all that stuff– because Vaughn’s character says “Electric cars are gay.”

The full-fledged ire of GLAAD, straight from the top of the organization, is laughable.  President Jarrett Barrios says, “There has been a rash of bullying, some leading to suicides, much of it because of the widespread belief that it’s somehow OK to say things about gay people that it is not OK to say about other groups. Comments like those in the movie make it seem OK to beat up gay people.”  So, electric cars are gay = it’s okay to commit violence against gay people.  Check.

Make no mistake:  it is an awful tragedy that Tyler Clementi killed himself because of the malicious, despicable humiliation he was subjected to.  To equivocate that with a goofy putdown of electric cars (and GLAAD does not know the context of this line; sounds like something to establish early on in Vaughn’s character arc that he’s insensitive) is not only moronic but as hypocritical as Fred Phelps asking for some peace and quiet at a funeral.  Why, you may say? One word:  teabaggers. (more…)

Still, he said, it would be wise for young Hollywood conservatives to exercise caution when speaking their minds.

Politico:

Since Clint [Howard] isn’t an A-List Hollywood celebrity, he’s not too worried about how his conservative beliefs might affect his career.

“I’m in a good spot because, you know what? It doesn’t really matter,” he said. “The fact is, the studios aren’t banging down my door, the networks aren’t banging down my door. I work in a lot of little funky movies … so it’s not like I’m throwing everything away by stepping out of the closet.”

In fact, Howard said that he hopes his Heritage videos might actually help his acting career.

After playing so many goofy characters, he said, “selfishly for me, this was an opportunity for me to get a piece of tape of myself that is attorney-like, doctor-like, politician-like. … It was a nice opportunity as an actor to step up and show my skills.”

Still, he said, it would be wise for young Hollywood conservatives to exercise caution when speaking their minds.

“I’d tell young people trying to break into and succeed in the business: Be careful about this stuff,” he said. (more…)

A frequent cavil by participants in the Angels & Demons debate is, “It’s just a movie!” (Or, “It’s fiction!”)

The implication is that the filmmakers made this movie just so they could tell a ripping good yarn. Stipulating for the moment that it is a good yarn, there’s no way to show that the filmmakers were indeed fully cognizant of their movie’s cultural impact. There’s no way we can get inside their minds, right?

Hassassin Assassin

Well, I’ve figured out a way to do just that. No, I don’t have ESP or a special mind-reading device. But I do have common sense (pace my wife).

Now, whenever someone adapts a book into a movie, it’s instructive to examine where the movie differs from the book. If the movie version alters a key detail in the book, you can’t blame the original author for that decision. It’s clearly a deliberate choice on the part of the filmmakers. (more…)

On the heels of a public-relations juggernaut with the inspiring (and arguably false) message that it’s “not as anti-Catholic as The Da Vinci Code!”,the cinematic conspiracy thriller Angels and Demons finished first at the U.S. box office during the past weekend, providing some useful evidence about the effects of church boycotts.

Based on a novel by Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, and featuring the same director-star team as the lucrative 2006 film adaptation of that novel (Ron Howard and Tom Hanks), Angels and Demons brought in approximately $48 million during its first weekend. While enough to edge out Star Trek’s second-weekend take of $43 million, it’s a good deal less than Da Vinci, which snagged a gaudy $77 million during its first three days.

Simple Hollywood film economics explains the matter quite well without reference to any hypothetical backfire effect from church boycotts. (more…)

Warning: This post divulges the entire “Angels & Demons” plot. If you haven’t seen the movie and intend to, go no further for there be spoilers…

People whose opinions I respect have defended A&D as not being anti-Catholic. This is probably due to the end of the film which delivers a trumped up moment of warmth and reconciliation between Tom Hanks’ Robert Langdon character and the Church in the form of a new Pope.  From my perch, this moment is a subtle but devious cherry on top of a blisteringly unfair and wholly dishonest attack on the Church.

Serial adulterer Martin Luther King, Jr.

Serial adulterer Martin Luther King, Jr.

Serial adulterer Martin Luther King, Jr.

One way to dishonestly destroy someone or something is to repeat only the negative about that someone or something. DreamWorks has just announced a new film about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and were it to focus solely on King’s extra-marital affairs no one would argue that the movie was anything other than a propaganda tool produced with the goal in mind of assassinating his character. (more…)

“Angels & Demons” upset me.

But not for the reason you may think.

The new movie, based on the Dan Brown book of the same title, is, of course, full of nonsense. But most of it I expected.

The boots, I didn’t.

I know that the Vatican didn’t grant Ron Howard and his team all of the access they wanted. But after seeing the movie, I wonder if anyone having to do with the film even went to Rome. Or, more specifically, if any women associated with the movie went to Rome. (more…)

I didn’t get permission to see Ron Howard’s “Angels and Demons” film from anyone official but as a member of the media as well as the Catholic Church my gut feeling was that I should see it, but not pay for it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull that off because although the program I host on St. Joseph Radio is heard on EWTN, it’s really not on anyone in Hollywood’s radar, and my in-box at Indie 1031 has got Internet radio written all over it’s empty enclosure. Somehow I was invited to a screening at the ArcLight in Hollywood presented by Flemming’s Steakhouse. Perfect!

We could debate for a while whether A&D is really a movie at all or just a series of scenes with silly dialogue propelling an action filled scavenger hunt through Vatican City. Instead I will try to be as informative as I can about whether the movie is offensive, blasphemous, inaccurate, or just a joke; or all of those things like “The Da Vinci Code.” (more…)

With a haul of $16.6 million, “Angels & Demons” nabbed the top spot from “Star Trek” yesterday, but fell short of “The Da Vinci Code’s” $28.6 million Friday debut in May of 2006.

Compared to “Spider-Man,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Narnia,” and “National Treasure” this is a pretty steep drop for a sequel, but while everyone saw “The Da Vinci Code,” have you met anyone who liked it? For a sequel to perform close or even better than the original, it has to engender some goodwill and on no front did “Da Vinci” do that. (more…)

Have at it.

Discuss. Debate. Write your own review…

Big Hollywood’s review can be found here.

There’s a lot of “It’s better than ‘The Da Vinci Code‘” flying around about director Ron Howard’s “Angels & Demons,” but that’s a lot like saying “It’s smarter than Nancy Pelosi” or “It’s less involved with the Nazis than George Soros.” For starters, A&D is not better than “Da Vinci,” which at least made some sense in helping us to understand how the mind of Symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) worked. Instead, this follow-up offers the same plodding plotting, outrageously dishonest Catholic bashing and numbing over-length … but now Langdon’s mental methodology is made completely incoherent to the point of gibberish.

The Pope is dead and to elect the new Holy Father, the ancient ritual of the Conclave is set to begin when the four Cardinals most likely to be chosen, the preferiti, are kidnapped. An ancient brotherhood known as the Illuminati takes responsibility. They have no demands and only wish to teach the Church a lesson for a violent purging of their scientific “free thinkers” hundreds of years ago and to do that they have promised to violently kill one Cardinal an hour, each in a different location, with the grand finale being the complete destruction of Vatican City with an anti-matter bomb stolen in the film’s opening scene.

The only clues offered that might save the day are also meant to further the Illuminati’s pro-science stance. Each clue is based on the four altars of science: earth, air, wind, and fire and to help unravel these symbols, Harvard Professor Robert Langdon is called in. Joining him is Vittorio Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), the gorgeous Italian scientist who helped create the anti-matter and the best hope to disarm it. (more…)

How much of the box office of “Angels & Demons” will end up in the Democrat campaigns? If it makes money, it could be a lot. 

Tom Hanks, the star of “Angels & Demons”, endorsed Barack Obama, claiming he represents a “seismic shift” in our political and social fabric. He said an Obama victory will “redefine our republic” (see his YouTube video here).

He backed this endorsement with $29,800 in contributions (see here). He also gave to the campaigns of Al Franken ($14,600), one of the most deceitful public figures in the United States; Henry Waxman ($500); Barbara Boxer ($500); Patrick Kennedy ($250); and, Ethan Berkowitz ($250), all Democrats. He also contributed $12,300 to the Franken Recount Fund! In addition to his political contributions, Tom gave $50,000 (the maximum) to President Obama’s Inauguration Fund.

Ron Howard, the famous director of “Angels & Demons,” was equally smitten by Barack Obama. (more…)

Hollywood Reporter:

If the world could be rendered as simple as “Angels & Demons,” we’d all be living in a less confusing place. Taking to heart the critics’ lament that the first Dan Brown novel-to-film “The Da Vinci Code” was talky, static and arcane, director Ron Howard and his crew have worked hard to make Professor Robert Langdon’s return a thrilling, faster-paced walk in the park. (more…)