the wendell baker story
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luke wilson stars in
the wendell baker story .
he also co - directed the movie with his brother andrew wilson .
“th e wendell baker story” is rated pg - 13 (parents strongly cautioned). it has sexual situations and off - color humor .
i liked the film the wendell baker story. i still have a huge grin on my face when i think of it. 8 / 10 .
though the wilsons are no threat to the coens as filmmakers, the wendell baker story is still a pleasingly human - scaled alternative to the big, soulless hollywood blockbusters .
this week' s round of new movie release information contains release dates for the wendell baker story, made of honor, star trek xi and more .
check out everything we' ve got on
the wendell baker story ,
paris, je t' aime ,
and
severance .
special dvd features include audio commentaries with owen wilson, luke wilson, and andrew wilson and a featurette :
behind the scenes of the wendell baker story
.
“the wendell baker story” premiered at last year' s sxsw' s film festival at austin (where the story is set), but it took a whole year for the picture to find a theatrical distributor, thinkfilm .
if the wendell baker story had as much good fortune as its protagonist, it wouldn' t be slogging into theaters two years after bowing at south by southwest .
that they' ve assembled a first - rate cast made up of veteran character actors and contemporary comedy stars to pursue this agenda makes the wendell baker story all the more effective .
i chuckled, i smiled and i covered my eyes on occasion, and left the 49th the times bfi london film festival showing of the wendell baker story with a big feel - good factor. the wendell baker story is not going to take the world by storm, but it will get extremely positive word of mouth advertising. it is a charming, lovely, funny, touching and unusual movie .
venture capitalist: that’s the misleading job description preferred by the title character of the slight and silly “wendell baker story. ” wendell (luke wilson), a cheerful texan slacker, runs a profitable operation on the tex - mex border selling fake driver’s licenses to illegal migrant workers .
director timothy reckart’s the star turns the greatest story ever told into just another kids’ movie .
just a shaggy dog story dressed up in cowboy boots and a cool belt .
the wendell baker story möbius entertainment presents in association with mhf zweite academy film; a mark johnson / david bushell production; produced by mark johnson, david bushell, luke wilson; written by luke wilson; directed by andrew wilson and luke wilson .
wendell baker isn' t perfect. the slacker humor grows cloying at times. still, there' s an undeniable charm to the texas tale as it celebrates nonconformity and redemption .
wendell baker (luke wilson) ends up in jail when his latest half - baked scam goes pear - shaped. his long - suffering girlfriend doreen (eva mendes) dumps him almost as soon as wendell gets to his cell .
originally released as a motion picture in 2005. aspect ratio: 2. 35: 1. additional copyright date on disc surface
c2003
. special features include: interactive menus; scene selection; afternoon at luke' s with harry dean stanton and seymour cassel ;
making wendell baker :
on location with the wilsons; bonus scenes ;
inside wendell baker :
a commentary from luke wilson and andrew wilson; special musical performance by billy joe shaver; the wendell baker photo album; theatrical trailer .
but unfortunately, it races inexorably toward a corny second half that loses the energy established in the first 15 minutes. in the movie business, there' s a thin line between quirky and trying too hard. fun as it may be, the wendell baker story unfortunately lands squarely on the latter side .
the wendell baker story [ videorecording ] / möbius entertainment presents in association with mhf zweite academy film; a mark johnson / david bushell production; produced by mark johnson, david bushell, luke wilson; written by luke wilson; directed by andrew wilson and luke wilson. – national library
neil wants wendell to join in all the fun—especially the medicaid scheme—but wendell’s a changed man. sort of. but as neil says, “you’re either for me or against me. ” wendell isn’t “for” neil, so he now has neil as an enemy .
the wendell baker story is a labor of love orchestrated by luke wilson, who recruited many family members and friends to help out, in front of and behind the camera. and while some of that love is evident on screen, one cannot escape the feeling that it was probably more fun making the film than actually watching it .
wendall baker' s dog, junior, is played by brother, luke wilson' s dog. on the dvd commentary wilson
considering the names involved in the production, the fact that the film has been sitting on the shelf for two years lends to the perception of damaged goods, though only the few who have seen it up to this point could answer definitively. jeffrey wells at hollywood - elsewhere had some positive notes on it, save for its ending. the wendell baker story opens in limited release on may 18th .
for its first act, the wendell baker story is a pleasant charmer as it shows wendells sleepy little universe, an existence where nothing is worth getting too stressed about. he may be suffering from arrested development, but the kindness he displays to those around him–including his girlfriend, who seems to have accepted his shortcomings, despite her reservations about their future–shows that he has only the best of intentions .
as the star, co - director and screenwriter of the wendell baker story, luke wilson proves to be a surer screen presence than a gifted filmmaker. though hes given himself a great role as the titular conman hero, which he plays with modest, easygoing appeal, his lack of storytelling skill is all too clear in this meandering, malnourished comedy that falters badly once the uninteresting narrative starts to take shape .
even the multitude of dvd extras adds little to this would - be slacker film, which is an exercise in patience from beginning to end. aside from a few scenes that might make you smile—like ferrell’s geeky grocery store cashier getting jealous—there’s nothing funny about this comedy at all. in fact, the wendell baker story shows how truly out of touch actors can become, once they hit the big time .
lots of drinking, especially in the beginning of the movie when wendell is selling fake ids. a male nurse abuses prescription drugs .
the retirement home is run by the vindictive neil king (luke wilsons brother owen) and his evil sidekick mcteague (eddie griffin), who make life miserable for both wendell and the residents. wendell plots to improve the living conditions of the retirees while trying to win back doreen .
additionally, the retirees attempts to help wendell get doreen back are insufferably cutesy. stanton and cassels characters are lazy hollywood approximations of older men–horny and ornery but full of hard - earned wisdom–and they too dont seem nearly as layered as wendell is .
when wendell finally gets arrested, the evidence is overwhelming, and he’s forced to do a long stint in the slammer. prison is little more than a summer camp for him, however—a place where wendell can read hilton conrad, hang out with the guys and play football. even visits from the girlfriend just get in the way of wendell’s many recreational pursuits. she finally wises up and dumps the guy, to his great surprise .
when wendell first arrives to shady grove and is adjusting the radio, the static that is heard is the same static from the beginning of the song
hip hop
by dead prez .
don' t get all pissed off cause i am about to say
wendell. . you rock
! ~
wendell baker is a dreamer and schemer whose latest scam lands him in jail and leaves him alienated from his longtime girlfriend, best friend and even his dog. eternally optimistic, wendell makes the most of his time behind bars and vows to turn his life around. upon release, he gets a job at a retirement hotel, where he befriends some of the colorful residents. wendell' s new friends advise him on how to win back his girl, while he helps them battle the hotel' s evil head nurse and his right - hand man .
houston - born wes anderson isn' t around to steer their whimsy toward the weird, as he did in the wilsons' early forays into film. but wendell baker isn' t trying to be rushmore or bottle rocket so much as a sunny, funny fable graced by a rainbow of texas color .
is an oscar - winning filmmaker with a diverse and acclaimed body of work. in 2005 hackford completed his 15 - year quest to tell the life story of ray charles .
wendell soon befriends residents boyd (seymour cassel) and skip (harry dean stanton), old lags keen on getting some girlie action for themselves and to advise wendell on how he might win doreen back from her new boyfriend, the wealthy grocer dave bix (will ferrell) .
as the movie progresses, it becomes apparent that, while care and attention have been given to wendell, the filmmakers havent bothered to develop the people around him to the same degree. this becomes increasingly problematic as wendell, as part of his desire to change his ways, tries to help the retirees, which requires other characters to take center stage .
it' s a wake up call for the lovelorn romantic, and wendell makes a vow to straighten up, fly right and win back the love of his life .
his parole board learn that wendell would like to working with people and perhaps run a hotel some day. releasing him, the parole board gets him a job at the shady grove retirement hotel run by the corrupt owner neil king (owen wilson) who has sinister plans afoot for wendell and more terminal plans for the retirees in his care .
, the story of a brutal professional thief who operates under his own stringent code. over the next 46 years, westlake went on to publish two dozen popular thrillers featuring the character, developing a worldwide following for the hardboiled noir series .
near the texas - mexico border, wendell baker has a few things going for him: his genial nature and optimism and the love of doreen. his troubles? he dances around telling her that he loves her, and his idea of work is illegal. he' s arrested, imprisoned, and she puts him behind her when she realizes that even prison is just a good excuse for him to play football with the guys. when he is paroled, it' s to a job in the
hotel industry
at a board and care home for seniors, where the head nurse is running a scam. three of the residents respond to wendell' s good heart. can they expose the scam and help wendell win back doreen ?
to be the first movie to put the parker character on screen because it includes all of the most important elements. “we chose to start here because this story has everything, ” explains alexander. “it has parker’s unrelenting quest for vengeance when he is wronged, as well as his devotion to his girlfriend claire even when tempted by another woman, which humanizes him. i really think it is the best parker story. ”
the characters never really get much depth, the plot has wholes in it you could drive a london bus through, but it doesn' t matter, this is a lovely movie telling a simple story of redemtion .
statham’s other recent credits include the mechanic (2011), in which he starred as professional hit man arthur bishop, originally played by charles bronson; killer elite (2011), co - starring clive owen and robert de niro; and safe (2012), directed by boaz yakin. statham received strong notices for his performance in roger donaldson’s the bank job (2008), the critically acclaimed true story of the notorious 1971 baker street bank robbery .
pierce’s early tv credits include “the weber show, ” “the gregory hines show, ” “maloney” and “the brian benben show. ” more recently, he has played recurring roles on series such as “numb3rs, ” “law & order, ” “third watch, ” “new york undercover” and “i’ll fly away. ” he appeared in the miniseries “with two lumps of ice” and “advocate’s devil, ” the cbs telefilm “never give up: the jimmy v story, ” and the hbo movies “strapped” and “vietnam war story. ”
to hear wendell baker (luke wilson) tell it, he’s just a “dreamer” and a “venture capitalist. ” to the rest of the world, however, he’s a felon who sells fake ids to illegal immigrants. he’s also a braggart who mooches off his girlfriend (eva mendes), a former client. he takes the stunning beauty for granted and has never even said he loves her, but she stays true .
wendell knows how to make the best of a dicey situation. caught by the border patrol and sent to prison, he negotiates peace between the crips and the aryan brotherhood while studying hotel management, an ideal occupation for someone with his obvious people skills .
author. “donald westlake set his story in palm beach for a reason. it was essential to the movie. where else would you have an auction of $ 50 - $ 75 million of jewelry? there, it happens all the time. ”
wendell pierce, who has worked with hackford on three previous films, including ray, plays carlson, the group’s most vigilant and forward - thinking member. “wendell is a fabulous actor who also appeared in ‘the wire’ and ‘treme’ on hbo, ” says the director. “he carries a certain presence, so you know he is not just an everyday criminal. he’s somebody who has thought everything out in detail. ”
with much of a fine cast wasted playing caricatures–including ferrell in a tiny part–the one bright spot is jacob vargas, whose turn as wendells best friend reyes is highlighted by a subdued charisma thats the equal of wilsons. reyes is featured prominently in the films first act, but when wendell tries to recapture his old life after serving time, reyes will no longer associate with him because his wife disapproves of wendell. consequently, his absence deprives the film of one of its most engaging characters .
the film reinforces the idea that it’s the job of those with disabilities to inspire the jerks of the word to be nicer .
the production eventually got unprecedented cooperation from both west palm and palm beach. “the palm beach county film commission was fantastic, as was the town council, ” says hackford. “did they give me permission to do everything i wanted? no. but i did get what i needed of palm beach in this film. you see the main roads, the neighborhoods, the famous bridges, which are integral to the story. ”
wendell pierce (carlson) is universally hailed for his portrayal of detective bunk moreland on all five critically acclaimed seasons of “the wire, ” hbo’s classic crime drama. he currently stars as antoine baptiste on “treme, ” reuniting him with hbo and the core creative team behind “the wire. ”
dreaming of a career in the hospitality business (hotels), wendell instantly bonds with shady grove' s soulful, neglected residents. feisty oldsters played by seymour cassell and harry dean stanton — and a mysterious recluse played by kris kristofferson — then help turn him around. at last, he wants to grow up, take responsibility and seize bevo by the horns. wendell will — not may — set things right at shady grove, while also winning back his lady love from the boorish clutches of grocer will ferrell .
distraught, wendell starts pursuing his new career goal: working in the hotel industry. but the first job he lands is at a retirement community taking care of the elderly, which includes some crusty but goodhearted codgers, played by eccentric vet actors like harry dean stanton, seymour cassel and kris kristofferson .
wendell (luke wilson) lives in austin, texas, where he makes money selling fake ids to illegal immigrants. his longtime girlfriend doreen (eva mendes) wants him to put his life in order, but nothing gets through to him. when the authorities bust his illegal operation, he lands in jail for a spell. once released, wendell decides to go straight, but doreen has moved on without him and is dating a new man (will ferrell) .
the actor found that he and hackford were very much on the same page about the character and the story. “taylor guided me right down the same track i was heading, ” he says. “i have been involved in pieces like this in the past and i thought this was done really well. and i like what jason has done with parker. it reminds me of some of steve mcqueen’s best work in the way it combines action, comedy and character. ”
the film itself is very light hearted and fun but almost a tad cheesy at times. while the actors all gave superior performances, some of the story plot is lost in silly scenarios that place the main character in strange situations. the backdrop of austin, texas and surrounding area is beautiful and well displayed as an additional costar to this film. some of the film is still somewhat rough and with a true indie film approach to filmmaking but overall well done in capturing the vision of the filmmaking brothers .
the script, written by john mclaughlin (who also penned the screenplay for black swan and hitchcock), stays true to the essence of westlake’s honor - bound criminal while updating and expanding the story. “john mclaughlin did a brilliant job on the script, ” says alexander. “there’s a big difference between a translation and an adaptation. a translation means to just copy the book down. john really adapted it. he found the character’s spirit and captured what is magical about him. ”
unfortunately, once wendell returns from prison and begins work at the retirement home, the film, which was co - directed by lukes brother andrew, begins its steep and irreversible descent. luke wilsons screenplay finds little humor in wendells interaction with the residents, and owen wilsons performance as the mean head nurse is so broad that it clashes with the movies otherwise low - key vibe .
under wendell’s tutelage, summer and boyd team up with nasher (kris kristofferson), a mysterious shady grove resident who suggests a benign howard hughes, to liberate the farm and engineer neil’s downfall. as the movie winds down, it softens into an earthbound, feel - good answer to “cocoon. ”
families can talk about how movies make audiences sympathize with characters who aren' t entirely sympathetic. how does the movie make wendell seem
good
even though he' s actually an alcohol - guzzling lawbreaker? does his
badness
make his redemption in the end even more striking? can you think of other similar characters in other movies or tv shows? and what about wendell and doreen? do they seem like a good match? why does doreen put up with him early on? is her character a positive portrayal of women ?
as filmmakers, luke and andrew wilson let their influences show. not only do 1970s films come to mind, but also traces of the coen brothers and wes anderson (whose bottle rocket starred luke and owen wilson) pop up in the movies irreverent, ironic tone. these clear influences dont result in a slavishly derivative film, but as the story becomes less involving, the nods to other directors grow more obvious .
luke' s wendell is a rascally but congenial con man who' s in love with low - maintenance doreen (eva mendes). but he loses her when he' s busted for selling fake texas driver' s licenses to undocumented immigrants .
into a jaunty comedy. it' s best when it' s effortlessly irreverent - - as when wendell and dave cross swords over doreen, or when cassel' s character tries to pick up a girl by dropping the
g
word (
g - spot
). and
that scene takes place at the john ringling museum of art. “at the turn of the century, the ringling brothers were gigantic, ” hackford explains. “forget all the broadway impresarios and the hollywood moguls—
for the crucial role of claire, parker’s live - in love, the filmmakers launched an extensive search. “she is vital to the story, ” says hackford. “she’s the person that parker has chosen to be with, although he does not share much of his past or professional life with her. he knows that if she knows too much, it will hurt her. they had to be able to communicate a lot in very few words. ”
, the highest honor bestowed by the society. under the pseudonym richard stark, westlake wrote 16 novels about the relentless and remorseless professional thief
even luke wilson, who’s generally an affable actor, isn’t particularly believable. in fact, i found his character very annoying. i didn’t buy that wendell suddenly started loving his girlfriend or that he had changed in prison. frankly, he seems too stupid for either .
after six years at icm chasman’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to start current entertainment, a management and production company. chasman and current recently produced killer elite (2011), starring jason statham, robert de niro and clive owen; and blitz (2011), based on the novel by ken bruen, also starring statham. chasman collaborated with charles roven and atlas entertainment on roger donaldson’s the bank job (2008), based on the 1971 baker street bank robbery, with statham in the lead role .
marks the first time that the westlake estate has allowed filmmakers to use the character’s name in a movie .
wendell, who works with a partner, reyes (jacob vargas), out of an airstream trailer he calls the ellis island of the southwest, means no harm. a panglossian eternal teenager at heart, he is madly in love with his girlfriend, doreen (eva mendes). she, however, is running out of patience with his protracted adolescence .
no one actually has sex, but there' s plenty of talk about it. men at the retirement home ask wendell if he can get them
laid .
they also proposition two young women by talking about how they' d make them reach orgasm. two male nurses strip down to their bare behinds (which aren' t really seen) and attempt to seduce two underage girls. a male nurse has a retiree sit on his lap and then flirts with her. wendell and his girlfriend kiss, though much of their interaction is fairly chaste, even sweet. one piece of graffiti refers to
blue balls .
with the headline: a charming slacker fights the power in a retirement home .
the movie’s story hopscotches through memphis, houston and new orleans, before settling in for a huge caper in palm beach, florida. “parker butts up against another fantastic character when he gets to palm beach, a woman named leslie, ” says hackford. “she’s not a professional like he is. she’s a real - estate agent, but her life is in ruins, she’s reached the end of her line, and suddenly she finds that a little larceny may be the solution to her problems. ”
getting the permits and permissions they needed to shoot in palm beach was not easy, however. the city put a moratorium on filming there in the 1990s in order to preserve the privacy of its elite residents. but hackford was determined to shoot the film in the location intended by the
upon release, wendell decides to go into the “hotel” business, like hilton and win the girlfriend back. he lands a job in a rundown retirement home, where he soon discovers that the head honcho, named neil (owen wilson), is skimming money from all the residents. neil periodically sends them off to his mother’s farm and, in their absence, collects the medicaid checks. neil also insults and humiliates his geriatric patients. not to be outdone, his partner in crime (eddie griffin) does the same, adding a little physical abuse for good measure .
wendell is almost always up to no good (he forges texas driver' s licenses for illegal immigrants, etc .), is sometimes condescending to his girlfriend, and can' t seem to stay legit (he also faked an insurance claim). a character is thought to have molested a child. disrespectful treatment of the elderly (including faking their deaths and stealing their medicare checks) .
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“not killing the guy off at the end of the first book was a brilliant stroke, ” he adds. “it was pure serendipity, which is often how the best things happen. ”
lupone was the first american performer to win the coveted olivier award in london for her performances in “the cradle will rock” and the original production of “les miserables, ” playing fantine. lupone created the role of norma desmond in the musical “sunset boulevard, ” receiving another olivier award nomination .
other television credits include rowan woods’ miniseries “three acts of murder” and the telefilms “underbelly: the golden mile, ” “the shark net, ” “small claims, ” “the circuit” and “all saints. ”
mitchell co - founded a chapter of the young presidents’ organization and is now a member of the world presidents’ organization. he serves on the board and finance committee of the ucla foundation and is a life member of the board of governors of the technion – israel institute of technology. he is also on the board of jewish life television (jltv) .
go behind the scenes of jason statham and jennifer lopez' s new heist film, parker, with everything you wanted to know about the production. in the official production notes for parker, read about the casting, the stunts including statham performing his own action scenes and commentary from the filmmakers and stars .
just for the new trailer, but i already geeked - out over that site when the first trailer came out. in the end there just wasn' t a site worthy of the award this week .
common sense is the nation' s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century .
i think it' s one of the worst movies of the year. i think it' s one of the worst movies i' ve ever seen .
her previous recordings include “patti lupone at les mouches, ” the 2008 broadway cast recording of “gypsy, ” “the lady with the torch, ” “sweeney todd” and “patti lupone live. ” lupone’s “matters of the heart” was named one of the best recordings of 1999 by both time out / ny and the times of london .
daddy’s home 2 portrays parenting as the death of manhood, a final surrender to the castrating effects of domesticity .
management issues huge online magazine about management issues in the workplace. created, maintained and powered by the sedasoft siteengine
this film was originally produced by the now defunct franchise pictures but finished its production through mobius entertainment. at the time of this review, the film is searching for distribution of the film so it would be anyone’s guess as to when we will see this film in the theater .
prior kimmel releases include marc forster’s the kite runner, based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, and craig gillespie’s oscar - nominated dramedy lars and the real girl, starring ryan gosling, patricia clarkson and emily mortimer .
when parker’s secretive demeanor raises leslie’s suspicions, she senses an opportunity and wants in on whatever he has going. but she quickly realizes she’s out of her depth. “leslie is not a criminal, ” says hackford. “she’s just desperate. she’s looking for a way out, but she’s not aware of how serious this is. this isn’t a love story—they become partners. a hardened professional and a novice, both with strong personalities, come together and it’s a fascinating character study. jennifer and jason create true interest and electricity together. ”
but the bulk of the film’s action takes place in what may be the richest place in the united states. “the melander gang’s big caper is planned for palm beach, ” says hackford. “it’s a community that has been legendary since its first days. the richest of the rich in the east went down early in the last century and built a xanadu for themselves on what is essentially a tropical island. it reeks of wealth. there are more mansions and clipped ficus in palm beach then you have ever seen in your life and it gives the film incredible style. ”
. blu - ray finally gets on the board and scores a dvd pick of the week, but it won' t be the last. in fact, i have a funny feeling the format will score its second award soon .
, the first book westlake published after his 23 - year break from the character. while several earlier films, including
booth made her feature film debut in cherie nowlan’s clubland (aka introducing the dwights), which premiered at the 2007 sundance film festival. her performance earned booth the best supporting actress award at the 2007 australian film institute awards and the film critics circle of australia awards. she was also named best australian newcomer at the 2008 movie extra filmink awards .
most recently nolte starred in the mixed martial arts drama warrior, for which he received academy award, screen actors guild and broadcast film critics nominations for best supporting actor. he was also seen in ben stiller’s hollywood spoof tropic thunder, mark waters’ the spiderwick chronicles, hans petter moland’s the beautiful country, olivier assayas’ clean, victor salva’s the peaceful warrior and joshua michael stern’s neverwas. nolte also voiced the character of vincent the bear in the animated feature over the hedge .
upon his release, the parole board assigns him a job working at shady grove, a run - down retirement hotel run by head nurse neil king (owen wilson), a nasty man with a drug problem and a scheme for bilking elderly people out of their medicare payments. wendell, who is happy for the chance to start his life over afresh in a new place, takes a fancy to three of the most interesting old men at shady grove: boyd (seymour cassel), skip (harry dean stanton), and nasher (kris kristofferson). together, they decide to take on king and his partners in crime .
after his role on “the commish” wrapped, chiklis went to broadway, starring in the one - man show “defending the caveman. ” written by rob becker, the play has been seen by more than 8 million people in 45 countries .
lopez recently won best latin artist of the year at the american music awards and glamour magazine named her “woman of the year. ” in 2011 lopez released the album “love? ” and its first single, “on the floor” (featuring pitbull), became a worldwide phenomenon. the song shot to no. 1 in 18 countries and became the most downloaded song of her career. lopez also set a vevo milestone for female artists as the music video racked up 100 million views in record time. with a staggering 600 million views, and counting, “on the floor” became the most - watched music video by a female artist in the history of youtube .
kimmel is extremely involved in philanthropic endeavors benefiting jewish education and his hometown of philadelphia. he oversaw the opening of the kimmel center for the performing arts, home of the world - renowned philadelphia orchestra. he is also a partner in cipriani international, the acclaimed restaurant and catering establishment. kimmel is a part owner of the nba championship - winning miami heat .
the producer enjoyed a three - decade friendship with the late, great writer donald e. westlake, whose name opened the door into the world of publishing. currently alexander has several feature films based on westlake’s characters that are being readied for production .
the fourth member of the gang is hardwicke, played by micah hauptman. “he’s not really part of this gang, ” according to hackford. “he’s the guy who is going to make the deal happen. he is the nephew of a big mafia don and can use his family connections to fence the loot, but he’s not a made man. even though he’s very intelligent and very ambitious, he’s a bit of a screw up. from the get - go you know that he is the weak link in the chain. parker recognizes that immediately. ”
most recently lopez starred in the romantic comedy the back - up plan, alongside alex o’loughlin, and joined the ensemble cast of what to expect when you’re expecting. she also lent her voice to the character of shira, a saber - toothed tiger, in the animated smash ice age 4: continental drift .
parker follows its protagonist’s quest for revenge from the sunny optimism of the ohio state fair to the honky - tonk bars of bourbon street to the opulent allure of palm beach, with stops in between in the violent neighborhoods and industrial wastelands where the character learned his trade. “in this film, the locations are also characters, ” says hackford. “it’s mostly exterior shooting and we have some sensational settings that aren’t often seen in movies. ”
during the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. the winner this week was
“in those days, a criminal had to die at the end of the book, ” recalls abby westlake, the writer’s widow. “donald had followed tradition and killed off the character, but he was convinced to keep him alive for another book. ”
the character had already built a huge international following through the first books, but something essential seemed to have shifted in him that made the new parker even more intriguing, according to alexander. “parker had changed during the hiatus, ” he says. “the later books have more richness, warmth and humanity to them, while the early novels are more cold, classic noir. ”
lopez has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and starred in multiple hit movies. in 2001 the wedding planner was the nation’s top - grossing film while her album “j. lo” was no. 1 on the billboard top 200 chart. the simultaneous honors made lopez the first woman in history to have a no. 1 movie and no. 1 album in the same week .
previously, chiklis starred in the marvel comics adaptations fantastic four and fantastic four: rise of the silver surfer as ben grimm, aka the thing. other film credits include eagle eye, rise, the tax man, last request and body and soul .
the action starts at the ohio state fair, which is the largest state fair in the united states with close to a million attendees during its 12 - day run in 2012. “it’s where the common man goes to have a good time, ” says hackford. “the fact that we were able to shoot there was incredible. the people were so gracious. we have 40, 000 or 50, 000 extras in the scene. we couldn’t stop the fair, so it continued on around us. we could never have paid for that kind of production value. it’s fantastic. ”
for the actors, the real - life action of the fair made shooting those scenes especially intense, according to micah hauptman. “everything was on the fly, ” he says. “when you’re shooting in the midst of all these real people, you never know what’s going to happen, which was a lot of fun. ”
“he’s a wonderful actor, ” the director adds. “when he came on the set, there was a feeling of ‘what is this guy going to be like? ’ and everybody loved him, the crew and the cast. he added immeasurably to this. ”
more recently collins starred alongside amy adams and emily blunt in the sundance hit sunshine cleaning. the film opened to the best per - screen average of any film released in 2009 and matched the per - screen openings of hits such as little miss sunshine, sideways, about schmidt and the wrestler. that same year collins played the romulan ayel as a member of an all - star cast in the summer blockbuster star trek, directed by j. j. abrams .
were real entertainment. john ringling was one of the richest men in america and he built this incredible terracotta mansion on the water in sarasota and we used that as the site of this auction. ”
the climactic robbery takes place in a magnificent mansion overlooking the water. “many people are going to think we shot at mar - a - lago, which is the most famous estate in palm beach, ” says hackford. “in fact, the big mansion where the culmination of this heist takes place is clear across florida in sarasota. ”
when he first conceived the character, westlake figured parker was doomed by the literary conventions of the time to become a one - hit wonder—a charismatic bad boy who would get his just desserts in the first novel’s final pages. but after reading the finished manuscript, westlake’s editor came back to him with an unusual request: allow parker, a ruthless criminal with a passion for revenge, to escape justice in the first book, leaving the door open for a sequel or two .
statham says it may not have been the most dangerous stunt he ever did, but it was up there. “parker was in the back of an suv with the motley crew of robbers and they’re all armed to the teeth, ” he explains. “he has to get out of the car and stay alive. it was very tricky. i had to get out of a moving vehicle through the window. the many years i spent as a diver came in handy. i was able to slot myself right out of the window hole. ”
another massive week for releases with dozens of releases mentioned below (and in the first part). of these numerous releases, there were several that were in contention for the dvd pick of the week, but i was able to narrow the selection down to just two :
it' s a bad week for limited releases with only a couple managing to earn overwhelmingly positive reviews, and none of the wider releases earning even moderately positive reviews. of the films on this week' s list, the one i' m cheering for the most is
trippy indie madeline' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .
in 1995 lopez made her feature film debut in the highly acclaimed drama my family (mi familia), which garnered her an independent spirit award nomination for her role as young mother maria sanchez. lopez earned great acclaim for playing the title role in selena, which brought her a golden globe award ® nomination. in 2002 lopez was named showest female star of the year and in 2006 she received the women in film crystal award. additionally, the national council of la raza, the largest latino advocacy group in the nation, named her entertainer of the year at the american latino media arts (alma) awards .
in 1979 hackford won an academy award in the category of best live - action short film for his first dramatic effort, teenage father. the following year hackford began production on his feature directorial debut the idolmaker, starring ray sharkey and peter gallagher. the tale of a talented rock ‘n’ roll songwriter and manager who lived vicariously through the teen idols he created, the idolmaker has become a classic of its genre .
lupone has enjoyed a long association with writer and director david mamet, appearing in his plays “the water engine, ” “edmond” and “the woods. ” she was recently reunited with mamet when she starred opposite debra winger in the broadway production of his latest play, “the anarchist. ”
) and academy award nominee nick nolte. set amidst the unparalleled wealth and glamor of palm beach, jason statham and jennifer lopez team up to get their cut in the crime thriller parker based on the crime novel
no stranger to the small screen, collins shot a starring role in 2010 in nbc’s drama “the event, ” an emotional, high - octane conspiracy thriller. the series ended after 26 episodes in early 2011 .
les alexander, producer of the movie parker and long - time member of donald and abby westlake’s inner circle, remembers the shock of the first book’s ending. “back then the bad guy had to die, ” he recalls. “but the truth was, readers found themselves rooting for parker even after he killed people, because he’s smarter than most of the people around him and he has a code of honor that is impeccable .
a 2010 obie award winner, pierce starred in the world premiere of “queenie pie” at the kennedy center. broadway stage credits include “the piano lesson, ” “serious money” and “the boys of winter. ” he has appeared in off broadway productions “the good times are killing me” and “psychoneurotic phantasies” for playwrights horizons as well as “tis a pity she’s a whore, ” “cymbeline” and “two gentleman of verona” for the new york shakespeare festival .
even at the beginning of his career collins found himself working with many of the town’s brightest young filmmakers. collaborations included the hughes brothers’ menace to society and dead presidents, john singleton’s poetic justice, kevin reynolds’ 187 and antoine fuqua’s the replacement killers. in traffic, directed by steven soderbergh, collins played the unforgettable role of assassin frankie flowers opposite benicio del toro .
. published between 1962 and 1974, the novels depicted parker as a ruthless career criminal with almost no traditional redeeming qualities aside from efficiency and professionalism. his first name is never mentioned in the novels, and there are many details about the character that remain unknown. several parker novels have been adapted for the screen, though each of them changed the protagonist’s name: 1967’s
the almond toe in the front gives these boots the added panache and comfort too. it is found in a survey that many of the blue - collar women love luxury brands, but they don’t care if they have to buy a knockoff. china has become a leading supplier in this regard .
so not byy far the most excting coment ever, but i wanted to say thanks forr taking the time to contemplate annd come up with seo topics. without people endlessly considering what the hell search engines like yahoo aree doing !
though the first wilson brothers' effort, bottle rocket, is far superior, the trio of brothers working together creates a light and enjoyable comic romp .
hurley understands parker in ways that no one else in the world can. “he humanizes parker, ” says the director. “he’s the only person parker completely lets his guard down with. and hurley embraces parker like a son. ”
born in england, statham was one of the top divers on the british national team and eventually placed 12th in the world. while training at the famed crystal palace national sports centre in london, he was pursued by film crews and photographers and eventually met the executive producer of an upcoming film. statham then met with the film’s director, guy ritchie, which led to his feature acting debut as bacon in lock, stock and two smoking barrels (1998) .
hackford replicates the gritty realism of westlake’s novel with the film’s utterly believable action, stunts and fights. “i wanted the action and the violence to be very real, ” hackford says. “i did not want a kind of fantasy element to that part of the film. i appreciate that kind of movie, but that’s not what we went after in parker. i want audiences to look at him and say, this guy is the real thing. when he gets hit, he feels it. when he’s put in grave danger, we know it. at the end of the film, he’s debilitated. he’s hurt. at the same time, that refusal to give up comes through. i wanted to deliver a film so real that it’s on the knife’s edge. ”
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“there is a good reason that this is the first adaptation that’s ever received permission from the estate to use that character’s name, ” he adds. “donald westlake received the ultimate compliment when he was called the modern inheritor of raymond chandler, and john mclaughlin fit right into westlake’s style. he utilized the most important elements and then built on others in a wonderful way that maintains the integrity of donald westlake and, at the same time, made it more of a film project. he has wit and added a little piquancy of his own. it was sanctioned by abby, so you know it’s true to the original author. ”
melander, the team’s leader, is played by michael chiklis, an actor who won critical acclaim for his work as the pragmatic detective vic mckay in the television series, “the shield. ” “i have great respect for michael chiklis, ” says the director. “he is an extremely intelligent and dynamic actor. you know you’re up against somebody substantial and dangerous and smart when you see michael. ”
the wendell baker story is a 2005 american film . it is the first film directed by luke wilson and his eldest brother andrew wilson . it premiered at the 2005 south by southwest film festival in austin , texas , in march 2005 . the film stars luke wilson , along with his brother owen . 
the wendell baker story is a 2005 american film. it is the first film directed by luke wilson and his eldest brother andrew wilson. it premiered at the 2005 south by southwest film festival in austin, texas, in march 2005. the film stars luke wilson, along with his brother owen.
the wendell baker story is a 2005 american film. it is the first film directed by luke wilson and his eldest brother andrew wilson. it premiered at the 2005 south by southwest film festival in austin, texas, in march 2005. the film stars luke wilson, along with his brother owen.