Yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind. The Indie Spirits was a lovely affair, though they really need to figure out the show aspect because it kind of fell apart this year. I didn’t see it on television so maybe it was edited into shape, but in the room, it just felt like chaos. I […]
Indie Spirits, HBO and Weinstein party down on Oscar eve
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:06 am · February 27th, 2011
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Mann trying his ‘Luck’ with TV once again
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:51 am · October 11th, 2010
Doesn’t it feel like television is moving into a new golden age? Everything from hour dramas to half-hour comedies is as impressive as ever and top filmmaking talent continues to make the jump. We’ve already seen Martin Scorsese’s impact with “Boardwalk Empire” this year and if there’s one thing I’m looking forward to on the […]
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HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire’ quenches thirst for good TV
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:07 pm · September 20th, 2010
Moving away from the big screen for a moment, I’ve been looking for a series to come along and take the place of “Deadwood” (RIP), and I think I may have found it. It’s not that HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” is immediately up to the genius level of David Milch’s series, but it absolutely showcases the […]
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‘Mildred Pierce’ trailer
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:57 am · September 13th, 2010
Okay, this isn’t theatrical coverage, but one of the projects I’ve had my eye on for some time is Todd Haynes’s remake/re-adaptation of “Mildred Pierce.” It has been developed as a mini-series and looks incredibly striking, if viewed through a much different prism than Michael Curtiz’s original film. Check out new trailer for the event […]
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‘Mildred Pierce’: bring it on
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:55 pm · February 11th, 2010
This is the first time I can remember a TV movie rising to the top of my “gotta see it” pile, but how can you not be excited for the forthcoming Todd Haynes four-hour “Mildred Pierce” HBO mini-series with Kate Winslet? I forgot all about this project, which has been in the works for some […]
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10/14 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:46 am · October 14th, 2009
• Dave Karger, in a slow news week, digs up the old “‘Hangover’ for Best Pic” notion. No. [Oscar Watch] • Jeff Wells face-to-face with “Fantastic Mr. Fox” director Wes Anderson. [Hollywood Elsewhere] • Susan King talks to editing legend Anne V. Coates, whose career was showcased at the Academy last night. [Los Angeles Times]
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HBO’s Spielberg-produced mini-series ‘The Pacific’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:48 pm · June 22nd, 2009
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HBO ‘Dark Knight’ promos featuring the Pixies
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:42 pm · June 8th, 2009
Last year’s box office hog (and Best Picture no-show) “The Dark Knight” premieres on HBO this Friday, June 13. There is nothing particularly creative about using the Pixies’ “Where is my Mind?” on these promo commercials of course, but I love the juxtaposition anyway. (Courtesy: Superherpo Hype)
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‘Deadwood’ to re-air on DirecTV
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:23 am · May 22nd, 2009
David Milch’s “Deadwood” was, to my mind, the best show on TV until it was unceremoniously canceled in 2006. It’s heartbreaking that its many complex plot threads were left twisting in the wind and that, in all likelihood, Milch will never bother with the feature films he once promised would close the chapter on his […]
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‘Grey Gardens’ redefines Drew Barrymore as an actress
Posted by John Foote · 2:13 pm · April 19th, 2009
In a stunning, Oscar-worthy performance that redefines her as an actress, Drew Barrymore is nothing short of miraculous as Little Edie in “Grey Gardens,” the latest knockout from HBO. Nothing the actress has shown us before will prepare you for her transformation into the eccentric character she portrays in this fine film. I remember seeing […]
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David Gordon Green catches his stride in comedy
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:06 pm · March 8th, 2009
It has to be doubly sweet for my southern brethren to take in HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” every Sunday night, but even if this country detail or that passes below your radar, or heck, even if you don’t know a blatant Ric Flair gag when you see one, I can’t imagine anyone not laughing their […]
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INTERVIEW: ‘Appaloosa’ composer Jeff Beal
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:59 am · October 10th, 2008
Like a number of film music composers, Jeff Beal makes his home north of Los Angeles in the rocky, canyoned city of Agoura Hills. One feels a sense of the old west before even seeing the ranch-style houses in his neighborhood and the tail-flipping horses tied out back. Questions about his work on “Appaloosa,” Ed […]
Filed in: Featured · Interviews
Retro
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:03 am · May 11th, 2008
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1NKoMNy5bY
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On the posterity of history
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:28 pm · April 21st, 2008
I forgot to mention below that there were two specific moments in last night’s closing installment of “John Adams” that struck a definite chord with me. Both regarded the perception of history when it is given to interpretation and glorification, as Adams accosted a painter at his artistic license and as Giamatti read his warning […]
Filed in: Et Cetera
John Adams rides off into the sunset
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:22 am · April 21st, 2008
Well I held back on talking about HBO’s “John Adams” after viewing the second episode last month, but now that it’s over, allow me to speak up on what has become a very popular mini-series event. I was happy to see that the Alien and Sedition Acts finally made an appearance last week, albeit a […]
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Almost there
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:52 pm · March 26th, 2008
Robert De Niro’s “The Good Shepherd” has been running on HBO this month. I stopped flipping to watch some of it this evening, kind of caught up in the brief year-ago nostalgia, but mostly transfixed with a film that is so close, yet so far. I remember when I first saw the film at the […]
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Don’t tread on me
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:07 pm · March 24th, 2008
I’m starting to wonder if a 7-part mini-series was the best way to go on “John Adams.” While there were some great moments with Tom Wilikinson in last night’s third installment, I have to confess, it was largely boring on the whole. Who would go back and re-watch something that tedious? The history, thankfully, was […]
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HBO’s “John Adams”
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:24 pm · March 16th, 2008
I must say, I’m slightly agitated by the approach HBO’s latest mini-series, “John Adams,” seems to be taking. Granted one cannot build a 7-part event around a hero too clearly flawed, but the fact remains that Adams wasn’t exactly the most noble of our founding fathers. Being a journalist, I can’t personally celebrate he of […]
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