For Sunday’s Oscars 2019 ceremony, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic performed music by Oscar winner John Williams.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
- 2/25/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
While Academy Awards producers have strived for a much shorter ceremony this year, the annual “In Memoriam” segment will definitely remain. In fact this moment on Sunday’s 2019 event should be extra classy since Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic will be performing as part of the tribute.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
- 2/22/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Emmys paid their final respects tonight to dozens of industry notables who died over the past year, including 10-time Emmy-winning writer-producer Steven Bochco, who employed half the town on such shows as Hill Street Blues, La Law and NYPD Blue; five-time Emmy-winner Anthony Bourdain, whose suicide shocked his friends and fans; and three-time winning actress and humanitarian Nanette Fabray. Sen. John McCain also was honored, as was Neil Simon and Aretha Franklin, whose moving rendition of “Amazing Grace” was played throughout.
Presented by Tina Fey, the In Memoriam portion of the show also paid tribute to dozens of actors including Burt Reynolds, Rose Marie, Jim Nabors, Della Reese, Jerry Van Dyke, Charlotte Rae, Bill Daily and David Cassidy. Emmy-winning actors Robert Guillaume, Reg E. Cathey and Olivia Cole also were honored.
David Ogden Stiers, who was nominated for three Emmys – twice for his role as Major Charles Emerson Winchester...
Presented by Tina Fey, the In Memoriam portion of the show also paid tribute to dozens of actors including Burt Reynolds, Rose Marie, Jim Nabors, Della Reese, Jerry Van Dyke, Charlotte Rae, Bill Daily and David Cassidy. Emmy-winning actors Robert Guillaume, Reg E. Cathey and Olivia Cole also were honored.
David Ogden Stiers, who was nominated for three Emmys – twice for his role as Major Charles Emerson Winchester...
- 9/18/2018
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Sad news out of Hollywood today, as it has emerged that beloved actor, Peter Donat, is no longer with us.
According to The New York Times, he passed away on Monday following complications from diabetes.
He was 90 years old.
He is probably best known for his role on Fox's The X-Files in which he played Bill Mulder, the father of Mulder (David Duchovny).
Donat first appeared on The X-Files Season 2, and while his character was killed off in the sophomore finale, he went on to appear thanks to the power of flashbacks.
In total, he appeared on six episodes, with his final appearance on the sci-fi drama occurring in 1999.
Related: Gillian Anderson: I Quit The X-Files Because...
Aside from that show, he has appeared on the original Hawaii Five-0, Murder She Wrote, and even Dallas.
He was a beloved actor, and his extensive resume is a testament to that.
According to The New York Times, he passed away on Monday following complications from diabetes.
He was 90 years old.
He is probably best known for his role on Fox's The X-Files in which he played Bill Mulder, the father of Mulder (David Duchovny).
Donat first appeared on The X-Files Season 2, and while his character was killed off in the sophomore finale, he went on to appear thanks to the power of flashbacks.
In total, he appeared on six episodes, with his final appearance on the sci-fi drama occurring in 1999.
Related: Gillian Anderson: I Quit The X-Files Because...
Aside from that show, he has appeared on the original Hawaii Five-0, Murder She Wrote, and even Dallas.
He was a beloved actor, and his extensive resume is a testament to that.
- 9/16/2018
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Peter Donat, who played roles in both daytime and primetime soap operas, died on September 7 at his home in California. He was 90.
His wife, Maria, confirmed the news to The New York Times, citing the cause of death as complications with diabetes.
Born Pierre Collingwood Donat on January 20, 1928, in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Donat's primtime television credits included Flamingo Road (as Elmo Tyson), Dallas (Dr. Miles Pearson) and Hill Street Blues (as Schuster). Donat played William Mulder, father of David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder, on six episodes of The X-Files opposite Rebecca Toolan as Teena Mulder.
On the big screen, he appeared in The Godfather Part II, War of the Roses, The Game, and Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
Donat's soap opera roles included Stephen Markley in The Brighter Day (1958), Bert Stanton on As the World Turns (1959) and Vince Conway in Moment of Truth (1965).
He also performed through organizations like...
His wife, Maria, confirmed the news to The New York Times, citing the cause of death as complications with diabetes.
Born Pierre Collingwood Donat on January 20, 1928, in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Donat's primtime television credits included Flamingo Road (as Elmo Tyson), Dallas (Dr. Miles Pearson) and Hill Street Blues (as Schuster). Donat played William Mulder, father of David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder, on six episodes of The X-Files opposite Rebecca Toolan as Teena Mulder.
On the big screen, he appeared in The Godfather Part II, War of the Roses, The Game, and Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
Donat's soap opera roles included Stephen Markley in The Brighter Day (1958), Bert Stanton on As the World Turns (1959) and Vince Conway in Moment of Truth (1965).
He also performed through organizations like...
- 9/15/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Peter Donat -- who appeared on several popular TV shows during his 50-year career and played Mulder's father on "The X-Files" -- has died ... according to his wife. He reportedly died Monday at his home in Point Reyes Station, California from complications of diabetes. Donat began his career in 1953 and was a familiar face on television for decades. He guest-starred and had recurring roles on shows like "Mission: Impossible," "The F.B.I.," "The Waltons," "Hawaii Five-o,...
- 9/15/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Peter Donat, best known as agent Fox Mulder’s father on “The X Files,” died on Monday due to complications of diabetes, his wife, Maria, told the New York Times. He was 90.
“Peter had an easy gravitas as a performer and seemed to come from that generation that took the art seriously but not too seriously,” his TV son David Duchovny tweeted Saturday. “It was an honor to know him and work with him.”
Peter had an easy gravitas as a performer and seemed to come from that generation that took the art seriously but not too seriously. It was an honor to know him and work with him. pic.twitter.com/ZsmXeqZm6e
— David Duchovny (@davidduchovny) September 15, 2018
The Canadian-born actor was a familiar face on television on the 1970s and ’80s, having appeared on shows like “Hawaii Five-o,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Waltons,...
“Peter had an easy gravitas as a performer and seemed to come from that generation that took the art seriously but not too seriously,” his TV son David Duchovny tweeted Saturday. “It was an honor to know him and work with him.”
Peter had an easy gravitas as a performer and seemed to come from that generation that took the art seriously but not too seriously. It was an honor to know him and work with him. pic.twitter.com/ZsmXeqZm6e
— David Duchovny (@davidduchovny) September 15, 2018
The Canadian-born actor was a familiar face on television on the 1970s and ’80s, having appeared on shows like “Hawaii Five-o,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Waltons,...
- 9/15/2018
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
Veteran character actor Peter Donat, best known in recent years for playing Agent Mulder’s father on The X-Files, has died at the age of 90.
Donat passed away on Monday at his California home of complications from diabetes, according to The New York Times. He made his X-Files debut as Bill Mulder in Season 2’s “Colony,” and reprised the role in five subsequent episodes, concluding with Season 6’s “One Son.” (Bill Mulder was dramatically killed off in the Season 2 finale, but continued to appear via flashback.)
Enjoying a screen career that spanned six decades, Donat also made appearances on Dallas...
Donat passed away on Monday at his California home of complications from diabetes, according to The New York Times. He made his X-Files debut as Bill Mulder in Season 2’s “Colony,” and reprised the role in five subsequent episodes, concluding with Season 6’s “One Son.” (Bill Mulder was dramatically killed off in the Season 2 finale, but continued to appear via flashback.)
Enjoying a screen career that spanned six decades, Donat also made appearances on Dallas...
- 9/15/2018
- TVLine.com
Peter Donat, whose long career spanned roles on Broadway, television and in films, has died. He passed on Monday at home in Point Reyes Station, Calif. from complications of diabetes, according to his wife.
The Canadian-born character actor was best known for his role in six episodes of TV’s The X Files, where he recurred as Agent Fox Mulder’s father.
While that role was memorable, it was just a piece of the actor’s broad creative career. He performed frequently with respected companies like the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and the Stratford Festival in Canada, playing Cyrano de Bergerac, Prospero, Shylock, King Lear and Hadrian VII.
In between the stage roles, Donat was a frequent presence as a guest-starr on such shows as The F.B.I., Hawaii Five-o, Mannix, McMillan & Wife, Hill Street Blues and Murder, She Wrote.
One well-received television role came on the original Dallas as the doctor treating J.
The Canadian-born character actor was best known for his role in six episodes of TV’s The X Files, where he recurred as Agent Fox Mulder’s father.
While that role was memorable, it was just a piece of the actor’s broad creative career. He performed frequently with respected companies like the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and the Stratford Festival in Canada, playing Cyrano de Bergerac, Prospero, Shylock, King Lear and Hadrian VII.
In between the stage roles, Donat was a frequent presence as a guest-starr on such shows as The F.B.I., Hawaii Five-o, Mannix, McMillan & Wife, Hill Street Blues and Murder, She Wrote.
One well-received television role came on the original Dallas as the doctor treating J.
- 9/15/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Donat, who played Agent Fox Mulder’s father on “The X-Files” and acted in two Francis Ford Coppola films, died Monday at his home in Point Reyes, Calif. He was 90.
His wife, Maria, told the New York Times the cause was complications of diabetes.
Donat, perhaps most recognizable for his recurring “X-Files” role, was also a frequent stage actor, playing Cyrano de Bergerac, Prospero, Shylock, King Lear and Hadrian VII over the years.
He also guest starred on TV series like “The F.B.I.,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “Mannix,” McMillan & Wife,” “Hill Street Blues” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
Francis Ford Coppola cast Donat as a lawyer in “The Godfather Part II” after he was considered for the role of Tom Hagen in “The Godather,” a part that eventually went to Robert Duvall. Donat also played Otto Kerner in Coppola’s “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” in 1980.
The Canadian-born actor originated from Kentville,...
His wife, Maria, told the New York Times the cause was complications of diabetes.
Donat, perhaps most recognizable for his recurring “X-Files” role, was also a frequent stage actor, playing Cyrano de Bergerac, Prospero, Shylock, King Lear and Hadrian VII over the years.
He also guest starred on TV series like “The F.B.I.,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “Mannix,” McMillan & Wife,” “Hill Street Blues” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
Francis Ford Coppola cast Donat as a lawyer in “The Godfather Part II” after he was considered for the role of Tom Hagen in “The Godather,” a part that eventually went to Robert Duvall. Donat also played Otto Kerner in Coppola’s “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” in 1980.
The Canadian-born actor originated from Kentville,...
- 9/15/2018
- by Erin Nyren
- Variety Film + TV
Peter Donat, the prolific character actor of the stage and screen who appeared in two films for Francis Ford Coppola and portrayed the father of Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files, has died. He was 90.
Donat died Monday of diabetes complications at his home in Point Reyes Station, California, his wife, Maria, told The New York Times.
The Canadian-born Donat was inspired to become an actor by his uncle, British star Robert Donat, who was known for his performances in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps (1935) and, in an Oscar-winning role, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939).
Peter Donat was married to ...
Donat died Monday of diabetes complications at his home in Point Reyes Station, California, his wife, Maria, told The New York Times.
The Canadian-born Donat was inspired to become an actor by his uncle, British star Robert Donat, who was known for his performances in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps (1935) and, in an Oscar-winning role, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939).
Peter Donat was married to ...
- 9/15/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
All but inventing the ‘new liberal exposé’ suspense format, James Bridges’ smart and effective thriller began as a star showcase with a political message. Its fictional nuclear accident hit screens just before a similar real nuclear accident happened in real life, at Three Mile Island. Historical synchronicity? Box office serendipity? One thing is certain — the show strongly affected the way we view the ‘miracle’ of nuclear-generated power.
The China Syndrome
Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator (UK)
1979 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date June 18, 2017 / Available from Amazon UK £14.99
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Wilford Brimley, Richard Herd, Daniel Valdez, Stan Bohrman, James Karen, Michael Alaimo, Donald Hotton.
Cinematography: James Crabe
Film Editor: David Rawlins
Production Design: George Jenkins
Written by James Bridges, Mike Gray and T.S. Cook
Produced by Michael Douglas
Directed by James Bridges
In 1979 Saturday Night Live was the hottest ticket on television; we were...
The China Syndrome
Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator (UK)
1979 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date June 18, 2017 / Available from Amazon UK £14.99
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Wilford Brimley, Richard Herd, Daniel Valdez, Stan Bohrman, James Karen, Michael Alaimo, Donald Hotton.
Cinematography: James Crabe
Film Editor: David Rawlins
Production Design: George Jenkins
Written by James Bridges, Mike Gray and T.S. Cook
Produced by Michael Douglas
Directed by James Bridges
In 1979 Saturday Night Live was the hottest ticket on television; we were...
- 6/23/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Cult movie classic ‘Pretty Poison’ filmmaker Noel Black dead at 77 (photo: Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins in ‘Pretty Poison’) Noel Black, best remembered for the 1968 cult movie classic Pretty Poison, died of pneumonia at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on July 5, 2014. Black (born on June 30, 1937, in Chicago) was 77. Prior to Pretty Poison, Noel Black earned praise for the 18-minute short film Skaterdater (1965), the tale of a boy skateboarder who falls for a girl bike rider. Shot on the beaches of Los Angeles County, the dialogue-less Skaterdater went on to win the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film and tied with Orson Welles’ Falstaff - Chimes at Midnight for the Technical Grand Prize at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. Besides, Skaterdater received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Short Subject, Live Action category. (The Oscar winner that year was Claude Berri’s Le Poulet.) ‘Pretty Poison’: Fun and games and...
- 8/10/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Jane Fonda: From ‘Vietnam Traitor’ to AFI Award and Screen Legend status (photo: Jason Bateman and Jane Fonda in ‘This Is Where I Leave You’) (See previous post: “Jane Fonda Movies: Anti-Establishment Heroine.”) Turner Classic Movies will also be showing the 2014 AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony honoring Jane Fonda, the former “Vietnam Traitor” and Barbarella-style sex kitten who has become a living American screen legend (and healthy-living guru). Believe it or not, Fonda, who still looks disarmingly great, will be turning 77 years old next December 21; she’s actually older than her father Henry Fonda was while playing Katharine Hepburn’s ailing husband in Mark Rydell’s On Golden Pond. (Henry Fonda died at age 77 in August 1982.) Jane Fonda movies in 2014 and 2015 Following a 15-year absence (mostly during the time she was married to media mogul Ted Turner), Jane Fonda resumed her film acting career in 2005, playing Jennifer Lopez...
- 8/2/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Tom Laughlin: ‘Billy Jack’ movie franchise comes to an end; U.S. government, Hollywood studios blamed (See previous post: “‘Billy Jack’: Tom Laughlin Revolutionized Film Distribution Sytem.”) In 1975, Tom Laughlin’s self-produced Western The Master Gunfighter — a remake of Hideo Gosha’s samurai actioner Goyokin, co-starring Ron O’Neal and Barbara Carrera — bombed at the box office after opening at more than 1,000 locations. Laughlin reportedly had spent $3.5 million to market the $3.5 million production, having hired John Rubel, assistant secretary of defense under Robert McNamara, to plan the film’s distribution tactics. Financially depleted and embroiled in more lawsuits against Warner Bros., Laughlin embarked on the Billy Jack series’ fourth — and, as it turned out — final film, Billy Jack Goes to Washington. A 1977 Frank Capra Jr.-produced reboot of Frank Capra’s 1939 classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Laughlin’s final directing effort was barely seen even in its drastically edited form.
- 12/19/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
By Nick Schager
Most film fans have never seen 1981's "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains," the hard-charging, potent tale of an all-girl punk band's meteoric rise and fall, which featured supporting performances by members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash (and a young Ray Winstone, who played the lead singer of the Stains' tourmates The Looters). That's because Paramount Pictures never saw fit -- save for a couple of random screenings -- to give the film any sort of theatrical release, or even put it out on VHS. Yet despite the studio's attempts to forever shelve the film, it (like punk) wouldn't die, finding renewed life through bootlegs and airing on USA Network's "Up All Night," where frequent broadcasts of the film during the midnight shift helped turn it into a cult classic that would later influence, among others, future riot grrrl pioneers Courtney Love, Bikini Kill and...
Most film fans have never seen 1981's "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains," the hard-charging, potent tale of an all-girl punk band's meteoric rise and fall, which featured supporting performances by members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash (and a young Ray Winstone, who played the lead singer of the Stains' tourmates The Looters). That's because Paramount Pictures never saw fit -- save for a couple of random screenings -- to give the film any sort of theatrical release, or even put it out on VHS. Yet despite the studio's attempts to forever shelve the film, it (like punk) wouldn't die, finding renewed life through bootlegs and airing on USA Network's "Up All Night," where frequent broadcasts of the film during the midnight shift helped turn it into a cult classic that would later influence, among others, future riot grrrl pioneers Courtney Love, Bikini Kill and...
- 9/16/2008
- by Nick Schager
- ifc.com
MGM's "Red Corner" is a hot potato politically, but cinematically it's strictly leftover genre parts stirred together around a rousing human-rights theme. On the plus side, the thriller has already caught the ire of China's Ministry of Radio, Film & TV, which objects to the film's depiction of the civil-rights hellhole that China has become under Communist thuggery.
With Richard Gere starring as a U.S. lawyer unjustly facing a death sentence in China, the film has obvious marketing potential. Further, MGM marketeers could have a field day if visiting Chinese bigwig Jiang Zemin grouses about the film, potentially winning mainstream voters, err, viewers with his negative endorsement. We can see the Sunday quote ads now.
Except for the People's Republic of Berkeley and some old-time lefties at the universities, expect "Red Corner" to win some friendly, mainstream viewership.
In this timely scenario, Gere stars as Jack Moore, a smooth corporate lawyer for a communications conglomerate who has traveled to China to close the first satellite deal with the Chinese government. A man of the world (or as we say in the biz, the global community), Moore celebrates his salesmanship with a fetching Chinese beauty who lures him to her boudoir and, clink-clink, after a night of amour, Moore is jolted upright by Chinese soldiers: He is covered with blood and the woman is dead on the sofa.
Due process in China is not a protracted affair: It largely means a four-hour trial and a 99% conviction rate. For capital offenses, it means a bullet to the head within a week of sentencing and a bill to the survivors for the bullet. Even Marcia Clark and Tom Darden might prosecute successfully there.
"Red Corner" is gripping drama during these scenes of incarceration, as Moore is ramrodded through the system. Not allowed U.S. counsel, and with no leading barrister in China willing to the take the case, he is assigned the system's version of a lowly public defender (Bai Ling).
While screenwriter Robert King's scenario is a scorching indictment of Communist-court thuggery, it's structured along the lines of an old-time melodramatic potboiler. The smart viewer will soon notice that it's buttressed by the standard, film-noir framework, as "Red Corner" begins to box itself in on too many fronts. Essentially, the film has the feeling of being perfected to death.
From its "Midnight Run" pinion, the film wobbles under the weight of too many cinematic ingredients: the psychologically wounded hero (the death of Moore's wife and daughter is glibly noted), basted over with an emerging romance between, natch, Moore and his comely defender, rushed to climax with an ending that is straight out of the Perry Mason school of case-solving and then ended with a schmaltzy, airport departure that would have been the wonk ending for "Casablanca" had the market-manic, star-power types been in charge of the studios back then.
Although narratively it's all a bit much, one must commend director Jon Avnet for keeping things generally on track and our interest maintained. Except for some expressionistic camera angles at the end, "Red Corner" is played close to the vest aesthetically and is somewhat lackluster visually.
In this everybody's-a-victim age, Gere's character truly is a victim as he endures a Kafkaesque, brutal and terrifying experience with no support or personal recourse. However, the character himself is too polished with knight-in-shining-armor characteristics.
The well-chosen cast is distinguished by Ling as the honorable public defender and Peter Donat as a gray-suited government careerist. As the hanging judge, Tsai Chin's apt performance is stitched straight out of Madame Mao's cretinous cloth. Chin's icy performance is, perhaps, the year's scariest.
RED CORNER
MGM
A Jon Avnet film
Producers Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner,
Charles B. Mulvehill, Rosalie Swedlin
Director Jon Avnet
Screenwriter Robert King
Executive producers Wolfgang Petersen,
Gail Katz
Director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Production designer Richard Sylbert
Editor Peter E. Berger
Music Thomas Newman
Co-producers Martin Huberty, Lisa Lindstrom
Casting David Rubin, Pat Pao
Costume designer Albert Wolsky
Supervising sound edior George Waters III
Visual effects supervisor Kevin Mack
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jack Moore Richard Gere
Shen Yuelin Bai Ling
Bob Ghery Bradley Whitford
Lin Dan Byron Mann
David McAndrews Peter Donat
Ed Pratt Robert Stanton
Chairman Xu Tsai Chin
Lin Shou James Hong
Li Cheng Tzi Ma
Running time -- 119 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
With Richard Gere starring as a U.S. lawyer unjustly facing a death sentence in China, the film has obvious marketing potential. Further, MGM marketeers could have a field day if visiting Chinese bigwig Jiang Zemin grouses about the film, potentially winning mainstream voters, err, viewers with his negative endorsement. We can see the Sunday quote ads now.
Except for the People's Republic of Berkeley and some old-time lefties at the universities, expect "Red Corner" to win some friendly, mainstream viewership.
In this timely scenario, Gere stars as Jack Moore, a smooth corporate lawyer for a communications conglomerate who has traveled to China to close the first satellite deal with the Chinese government. A man of the world (or as we say in the biz, the global community), Moore celebrates his salesmanship with a fetching Chinese beauty who lures him to her boudoir and, clink-clink, after a night of amour, Moore is jolted upright by Chinese soldiers: He is covered with blood and the woman is dead on the sofa.
Due process in China is not a protracted affair: It largely means a four-hour trial and a 99% conviction rate. For capital offenses, it means a bullet to the head within a week of sentencing and a bill to the survivors for the bullet. Even Marcia Clark and Tom Darden might prosecute successfully there.
"Red Corner" is gripping drama during these scenes of incarceration, as Moore is ramrodded through the system. Not allowed U.S. counsel, and with no leading barrister in China willing to the take the case, he is assigned the system's version of a lowly public defender (Bai Ling).
While screenwriter Robert King's scenario is a scorching indictment of Communist-court thuggery, it's structured along the lines of an old-time melodramatic potboiler. The smart viewer will soon notice that it's buttressed by the standard, film-noir framework, as "Red Corner" begins to box itself in on too many fronts. Essentially, the film has the feeling of being perfected to death.
From its "Midnight Run" pinion, the film wobbles under the weight of too many cinematic ingredients: the psychologically wounded hero (the death of Moore's wife and daughter is glibly noted), basted over with an emerging romance between, natch, Moore and his comely defender, rushed to climax with an ending that is straight out of the Perry Mason school of case-solving and then ended with a schmaltzy, airport departure that would have been the wonk ending for "Casablanca" had the market-manic, star-power types been in charge of the studios back then.
Although narratively it's all a bit much, one must commend director Jon Avnet for keeping things generally on track and our interest maintained. Except for some expressionistic camera angles at the end, "Red Corner" is played close to the vest aesthetically and is somewhat lackluster visually.
In this everybody's-a-victim age, Gere's character truly is a victim as he endures a Kafkaesque, brutal and terrifying experience with no support or personal recourse. However, the character himself is too polished with knight-in-shining-armor characteristics.
The well-chosen cast is distinguished by Ling as the honorable public defender and Peter Donat as a gray-suited government careerist. As the hanging judge, Tsai Chin's apt performance is stitched straight out of Madame Mao's cretinous cloth. Chin's icy performance is, perhaps, the year's scariest.
RED CORNER
MGM
A Jon Avnet film
Producers Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner,
Charles B. Mulvehill, Rosalie Swedlin
Director Jon Avnet
Screenwriter Robert King
Executive producers Wolfgang Petersen,
Gail Katz
Director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Production designer Richard Sylbert
Editor Peter E. Berger
Music Thomas Newman
Co-producers Martin Huberty, Lisa Lindstrom
Casting David Rubin, Pat Pao
Costume designer Albert Wolsky
Supervising sound edior George Waters III
Visual effects supervisor Kevin Mack
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jack Moore Richard Gere
Shen Yuelin Bai Ling
Bob Ghery Bradley Whitford
Lin Dan Byron Mann
David McAndrews Peter Donat
Ed Pratt Robert Stanton
Chairman Xu Tsai Chin
Lin Shou James Hong
Li Cheng Tzi Ma
Running time -- 119 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/29/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Douglas has survived wild escapades and adventures with a book-writing blonde in "Romancing the Stone" and was tormented by an obsessive wacko in "Fatal Attraction", but the dial gets turned up in "The Game", a chilly psychological suspenser unveiled at the Toronto International Film Festival as PolyGram Films' maiden release.
Chilled and edged to near-perfection by director David Fincher, "The Game" should win approval from sophisticated viewers, but its overall dark tone and lack of warmth will dampen word-of-mouth. While the mind-game histrionics are inventive and intriguing, "The Game" stays at a clinical distance from our feelings.
His hair pulled back in a full mane, his wardrobe cuff-linked by an expensive array of designer suits and his manner revved up to a composed vehemence, Douglas seems the West Coast reincarnation of Pat Riley in this slick venture as Nicholas Van Orton, a hardball investment banker of considerable family wealth. About to celebrate (in his case, ignore) his 48th birthday, Nicholas' manner is, not surprisingly, czarlike. He drives his big, black BMW with the full fury of a man who has never much worried about the peasantry getting in the way; indeed, Nicholas is not much of a people person. Sipping a scotch with the old boys at the club or dozing in front of the Financial News Network is his idea of human connection.
But not all is as placid or even-keeled under that steely demeanor - he's tormented by his father, who killed himself on his 48th birthday (has he got that in his genes?). To aggravate matters, his prodigal younger brother (Sean Penn) shows up with a mysterious birthday gift: a certificate for a life-changing experience as orchestrated by a company called CRS - Consumer Recreation Services.
Reluctant, but undeniably intrigued, Nicholas signs up, going through a battery of physical and psychological tests to prove he is up to "the game." Each game is designed for the individual, giving them something they desperately need but are not capable of doing on their own, constricted by their psychological makeup or life circumstances.
The game begins and, for Nicholas, it is designed to go right toward his weaknesses and, accordingly, his phobia. Man-in-control Nicholas is assaulted by an onslaught of unsettling experiences: his home sanctuary is violated, he screws up a business meeting, he's made to look messy and ridiculous.
In short, his whole world is assaulted, and his ability to make things happen is quashed. Nicholas wants out, but once you're in "the game," it's to the end. It's as if he's riding a raging roller coaster, the type of model he's least able to handle.
The premise by writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris is brainy, entertaining and smartly cross-connected to the character's hot wires. Never letting Nicholas, or the audience, get a firm sense of footing, "The Game" is fast, devious and all-involving. Still, its Byzantine gyrations, despite being firmly rooted in character and narrative logic, ultimately prove mind-numbing and, perhaps not surprisingly, we become somewhat distanced from Nicholas' woes.
It's a quality inherent in a story that centers on a cold fish; in essence, our sympathies with this character never warm to the extent they did, say in "Romancing the Stone" or "Fatal Attraction", where we feel sorry for the guy. Only those people who rooted for Deep Blue in the chess match with Garry Kasparov will, perhaps, feel an affinity for veins-of-ice Nicholas.
But "The Game" is tantalizing entertainment overall, its psychological creases perfectly fleshed by the talented production team. From cinematographer Harris Savides' chilly, gelid hues to composer Howard Shore's ripe, minor-key gracings, "The Game" is superbly crafted. Also deserving praise are production designer Jeffrey Beecroft for the sumptuously unnerving look and costume designer Michael Kaplan for Douglas' severe, tasteful threads.
The supporting players are smartly cast, with Penn convincing as Nicholas' loose-cannon, drug-addled younger brother and Deborah Kara Unger properly mysterious as a devious blonde. Other performances add smartly shaded particularity, including James Rebhorn's elusive CRS rep, Carroll Baker's steadfast domestic, Peter Donat's supportive attorney and Armin Mueller-Stahl's cuddly book editor.
THE GAME
PolyGram Films
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
A Propaganda Films production
A David Fincher film
Producers Steve Golin, Cean Chaffin
Director David Fincher
Screenwriters John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Director of photography Harris Savides
Production designer Jeffrey Beecroft
Editor James Haygood
Sound designer Ren Klyce
Music Howard Shore
Costume designer Michael Kaplan
Executive producer Jonathan Mostow
Co-producers John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Casting Don Phillips
Color/stereo
Cast:
Nicholas Van Orton Michael Douglas
Conrad Sean Penn
Christine Deborah Kara Unger
Jim Feingold James Rebhorn
Samuel Sutherland Peter Donat
Ilsa Carroll Baker
Elizabeth Anna Katarina
Anson Baer Armin Mueller-Stahl
Running time - 128 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Chilled and edged to near-perfection by director David Fincher, "The Game" should win approval from sophisticated viewers, but its overall dark tone and lack of warmth will dampen word-of-mouth. While the mind-game histrionics are inventive and intriguing, "The Game" stays at a clinical distance from our feelings.
His hair pulled back in a full mane, his wardrobe cuff-linked by an expensive array of designer suits and his manner revved up to a composed vehemence, Douglas seems the West Coast reincarnation of Pat Riley in this slick venture as Nicholas Van Orton, a hardball investment banker of considerable family wealth. About to celebrate (in his case, ignore) his 48th birthday, Nicholas' manner is, not surprisingly, czarlike. He drives his big, black BMW with the full fury of a man who has never much worried about the peasantry getting in the way; indeed, Nicholas is not much of a people person. Sipping a scotch with the old boys at the club or dozing in front of the Financial News Network is his idea of human connection.
But not all is as placid or even-keeled under that steely demeanor - he's tormented by his father, who killed himself on his 48th birthday (has he got that in his genes?). To aggravate matters, his prodigal younger brother (Sean Penn) shows up with a mysterious birthday gift: a certificate for a life-changing experience as orchestrated by a company called CRS - Consumer Recreation Services.
Reluctant, but undeniably intrigued, Nicholas signs up, going through a battery of physical and psychological tests to prove he is up to "the game." Each game is designed for the individual, giving them something they desperately need but are not capable of doing on their own, constricted by their psychological makeup or life circumstances.
The game begins and, for Nicholas, it is designed to go right toward his weaknesses and, accordingly, his phobia. Man-in-control Nicholas is assaulted by an onslaught of unsettling experiences: his home sanctuary is violated, he screws up a business meeting, he's made to look messy and ridiculous.
In short, his whole world is assaulted, and his ability to make things happen is quashed. Nicholas wants out, but once you're in "the game," it's to the end. It's as if he's riding a raging roller coaster, the type of model he's least able to handle.
The premise by writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris is brainy, entertaining and smartly cross-connected to the character's hot wires. Never letting Nicholas, or the audience, get a firm sense of footing, "The Game" is fast, devious and all-involving. Still, its Byzantine gyrations, despite being firmly rooted in character and narrative logic, ultimately prove mind-numbing and, perhaps not surprisingly, we become somewhat distanced from Nicholas' woes.
It's a quality inherent in a story that centers on a cold fish; in essence, our sympathies with this character never warm to the extent they did, say in "Romancing the Stone" or "Fatal Attraction", where we feel sorry for the guy. Only those people who rooted for Deep Blue in the chess match with Garry Kasparov will, perhaps, feel an affinity for veins-of-ice Nicholas.
But "The Game" is tantalizing entertainment overall, its psychological creases perfectly fleshed by the talented production team. From cinematographer Harris Savides' chilly, gelid hues to composer Howard Shore's ripe, minor-key gracings, "The Game" is superbly crafted. Also deserving praise are production designer Jeffrey Beecroft for the sumptuously unnerving look and costume designer Michael Kaplan for Douglas' severe, tasteful threads.
The supporting players are smartly cast, with Penn convincing as Nicholas' loose-cannon, drug-addled younger brother and Deborah Kara Unger properly mysterious as a devious blonde. Other performances add smartly shaded particularity, including James Rebhorn's elusive CRS rep, Carroll Baker's steadfast domestic, Peter Donat's supportive attorney and Armin Mueller-Stahl's cuddly book editor.
THE GAME
PolyGram Films
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
A Propaganda Films production
A David Fincher film
Producers Steve Golin, Cean Chaffin
Director David Fincher
Screenwriters John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Director of photography Harris Savides
Production designer Jeffrey Beecroft
Editor James Haygood
Sound designer Ren Klyce
Music Howard Shore
Costume designer Michael Kaplan
Executive producer Jonathan Mostow
Co-producers John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Casting Don Phillips
Color/stereo
Cast:
Nicholas Van Orton Michael Douglas
Conrad Sean Penn
Christine Deborah Kara Unger
Jim Feingold James Rebhorn
Samuel Sutherland Peter Donat
Ilsa Carroll Baker
Elizabeth Anna Katarina
Anson Baer Armin Mueller-Stahl
Running time - 128 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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