2004 Movies

Virginia Madsen Reflects on Portraying Maya in ‘Sideways’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

I was lucky enough to attend an anniversary screening of Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, California. I remember and watching and loving this film back when it was released back in 2004, and now it has reached its twentieth anniversary which just scares the hell out of me. This screening was followed by a Q&A with some of the film’s participants as well as the authors of the recently released book “Sideways Uncorked,” Kirk Honeycutt and Mira Advani Honeycutt.

But make no mistake, the real star of the evening was Virginia Madsen whom everyone who loves “Sideways” was truly thrilled to see. She portrayed Maya, the divorced waitress who captures the attention of the ambitious but very depressed Miles (Paul Giamatti), a writer who just might be about to publish his novel for the world to see. Madsen deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her unforgettable performance here. Cate Blanchett ended up winning it that year for her work in “The Aviator,” but there is no forgetting what Madsen did, especially after Maya’s speech about her love of wine.

Before “Sideways,” Madsen was best known for her work in movies like “Candyman,” “Electric Dreams,” “The Prophecy” and “The Rainmaker.” Around the time it came to audition for this now classic film, Madsen openly admitted her career was not doing well and that the odds were against her in playing Maya.

Virginia Madsen: There was talk about getting someone who had a bigger name, but I got the audition and I was working with a coach, so I was really, really ready. They weren’t giving us the whole script though, and then I said, well, can I just have a couple of more scenes, and they just sounded like me.

In addition, she was very familiar with the Santa Inez valley and the other areas which “Sideways” takes place in as she considers them her weekend getaway. Also, this film marked the first time Payne made a film outside of Omaha, Nebraska.

Virgina Madsen: I lived about an hour from there. I didn’t ever go wine tasting. I just went there to sort of be a hippie and climb trees and have this beautiful sense of serenity, so I knew what I felt like when I was in the valley. So, I just went to play myself.

And we can all agree that Madsen’s greatest scene in “Sideways” was when she talks to Miles about her love of wine as it seduces us every bit as much as it seduces Miles. As a result, this made her meeting with Paul Giamatti all the more agonizing.

Virginia Madsen: I loved the part where I talked about wine in that scene with Paul, so I just got this one chance in the room with him. So, I said I just love this screenplay, I love this role, and I love when she talks about the life of wine. I went into the monologue, which you were not supposed to do for the audition. He went, “would you like to do the monologue?” I said, “Yes, sure.” I was so prepared. The tone in the writing changes in that scene. And when it was over, we just looked at the casting director and he said, “You know, we should have everyone do that monologue!” He (Giamatti) wanted me, but it took a while to hear a yes. I knew who Paul was as an actor, and I knew we would have chemistry. I am never wrong about that.

Then there came the time when Madsen met up with Payne about “Sideways,” and he offered her the role of Maya at the Chateau Marmont, something any actor or actress loves to be given the role of a lifetime at. But this also resulted in something actors might be reluctant to agree to.

Virginia Madsen: We met at the Chateau Marmont, and he said, “I want to ask you, would you do me the honor of playing Maya in my film ‘Sideways?’ And I was like, “Oh, well.” And he said, “I have one request though, are you willing to do this movie without makeup?” And I said, “Well Alexander, I’m not wearing makeup now, and that’s what I mostly do.” I did that in three films before that, and the greatest thing about that is you don’t have to get up quite so early. The only request I made back to him was, as long as I can wear mascara and some lip gloss on the date because, if a woman goes on a date, she’s just gonna do a little something, and he agreed to that. It seems to be nowadays more than ever this effort to make people look real, and they kind of look like hell, and that’s also distracting.

After all these years, “Sideways” has lost none of its power to entertain, be it in comedic or dramatic ways. Some films are quickly undone by time, but this one never will as everyone can relate to it and its characters in various ways. And when it comes to Madsen’s performance, she will make you fall in love with Maya every single time.

‘Ocean’s Trilogy’ Review and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

When you think of the “Ocean’s Trilogy,” you think of big movie stars, high stakes, and witty banter. These are individuals known for being con-artists and having a certain set of skills, but they bring an element of fun to the proceedings. They are interesting, layered, and unique.  These are not your bargain basement crooks and thieves. These films are also aided by the direction of the stellar Steven Soderbergh. He makes everything pop and sizzle on screen. He knows how to add just the right amount of style to these films without taking away from his ensemble cast.  The beauty of a Soderbergh film is the fact he can dabble in a number of genres and make a film successful both commercially and financially. He’s not just pigeonholing himself into one type of film.  He can do an independent film that gets people talking or he can do blockbuster films like the “Ocean’s Trilogy.”

Let’s start with “Ocean’s Eleven,” which is, of course, a remake of the 1960 film starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. I don’t think it is fair to compare these two films as they are forty years apart, but I will say that both are entertaining and sleek in their own ways. Remakes in general tend to get a bad rap, but when they are done with the right people involved and the right mindset, they can really deliver the goods.  It’s about taking an idea and making it your own without copying from the original source material.  This is not always easy to accomplish, but they did that with “Ocean’s Eleven” in 2001.

The charming George Clooney stars as Danny Ocean, a professional thief who has recently been released from prison. Even though he served time, he’s on the lookout for his next big caper.  Once he gets involved with the thrill of the chase and the risk and reward that comes with it, it’s hard to turn it down or live a normal lifestyle after that. He meets up with an old partner named Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), and they are looking to hit up Las Vegas for their next big heist. When it comes to a heist like this, money is important. They end up securing the money from Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), and their plan is to rob three casinos in Las Vegas, which are owned by Tishkoff’s rival. The stakes are high, at $160 million, so they need to make sure they are on their A-game.

In order for Danny and Rusty to pull this off, they will need to assemble the right team. They enlist the help of Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), and Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan). Every one of them brings something unique and special to the table. Julia Roberts also shows up as the Danny Ocean’s ex-wife, Tess, and she has a bone to pick with Danny. Andy Garcia is in the film as well as Terry Benedict, the owner of the three casinos they are trying to rip off in the film.

“Ocean’s Eleven” Cast Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Li Dian Feng, Scott Caan, George Clooney ,Brad Pitt ,Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Edward Jemison and Carl Reiner © 2001 Warner Bros. Photo by Sid Avery

For my money, “Ocean’s Eleven” is the best of the three films.  The pacing is terrific, and there is never a dull moment in the film.  Even though there are a lot of moving pieces, it never feels like the movie is overstuffed, boring or too long as it moves at a brisk pace.  Also, when you have top-notch actors and actresses together, you know you are going to get some great performances.  A big part of the fun of these films is seeing these Hollywood legends go toe-to-toe with one another.

Moving onto “Ocean’s Twelve,” which came out in 2004, I don’t want to go into too much detail on this film just in case you are watching this trilogy in order for the first time.  I will say I found it to be a little bit more of a slog to sit through and a bit of a letdown after “Ocean’s Eleven.” It was merely an OK film.  It was successful at the box office, but I didn’t find the story as engaging this time around.  Of course, the characters are still entertaining and fun to spend time with, but since there isn’t a great story or plot to drive them, they quickly run out of steam here.  It ends up being one of those films where the cast had a lot more fun making it than we had watching it.

 In 2007, they came back with “Ocean’s Thirteen” which introduced Al Pacino to the proceedings and was once again directed by Soderbergh. Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones are missing here, which makes this film feel a bit off in regards to the female-male ratio.  Roberts, especially, was such a big part of the first film, and Zeta-Jones was also very charming and lit up the screen in “Ocean’s Twelve.”

“Ocean’s Thirteen,” however, is a nice return to form after the lackluster and underwhelming “Ocean’s Twelve.” It’s almost as if Soderbergh sat down and realized what was missing from the last film and made sure to make up for those mistakes this time around.  The addition of Al Pacino to the mix is also a juicy twist as well.  What I enjoyed most about “Ocean’s Thirteen” is how it brought back the fun factor from the first film. “Ocean’s Twelve” was an entertaining film at times, but it was also a lazy one as well.  This time, they work on making sure the fun is included along with a story that can hold its own in the process. 

When these films work best in this franchise, it is when they realize we are just as interested in the story as we are in the characters.  They go hand-in-hand. They play off each other in a sense.  We love to see the characters in action and find out all of the twists and turns along the way.  It was clear they put time, effort and brains into the first and third films. They lost their way a little in “Ocean’s Twelve,” which feels like a sequel they didn’t put a ton of thought into.

“Ocean’s Eleven” – * * * ½ out of * * * *

“Ocean’s Twelve” – * * out of * * * *

“Ocean’s Thirteen” – * * * out of * * * *

4K Info:  The “Ocean’s Trilogy” is released on a three-disc 4K set from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  This set only includes the 4K discs, so if you are looking for Blu-rays and 4Ks together, you will not find them here. According to the press release, the 4K remasters of “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve” and “Ocean’s Thirteen” were completed at Warner Brothers Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) with the participation of Soderbergh. All of the films are rated PG-13, and their respective running times are 116 minutes, 125 minutes and 122 minutes.  There is also a digital copy for each film which allows you to own all three copies of the trilogy.  Subtitles are included in English, Spanish, and French.

Video Info:  I really like the look of these movies on 4K.  Having previously seen “Contagion” on 4K, also from Soderbergh, I’m happy to report this is another fantastic looking 4K set.  Its color is vivid, bright and filled with a lot of life.  It’s also dark and mysterious when things turn up a notch. All three of the films look great on 4K.

 Audio Info: There is a lot of talking in these films as they are going over plans and information, and the dialogue comes in crystal clear on all three films.  The soundtrack is just right in covering the dialogue, music and background noise without being too distracting. It captures the essence of each film.

Special Features:

“Ocean’s Eleven”

• Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and Ted Griffin

• Commentary by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia

• Are You In or Out? The Making of Ocean’s Eleven

• Pros & Cons: Inside Ocean’s Outfit

• The Style of Steal

• The Look of the Con

• Original Ocean’s, Original Cool

“Ocean’s Twelve”

• Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and George Nolfi

• Ready, Jet Set, Go: The Making of Ocean’s Twelve

• HBO First Look: Twelve Is the New Eleven: The Making of Ocean’s Twelve

• Deleted Scenes

“Ocean’s Thirteen”

• Commentary by Steven Soderbergh, Brian Koppelman and David Levien

• Third’s a Charm: The Making of Ocean’s Thirteen

• Ahab with a Piggyback: The Means & Machines of Ocean’s

• Jerry Weintraub Walk and Talk

• Masters of the Heist

• Deleted Scenes

Should You Buy It?

I’m seeing this set go for about $55 right now online, which is a really good price. That’s a little less than $20 for each 4K.  If you enjoy a good movie collection, this one is definitely recommended.  You get all of the old special features included here along with updated 4K transfers on these films as well.  These are 4K transfers where it is clear they put a lot of care and effort into them. They didn’t just throw them together.  If you enjoy heist movies with great casts, you really can’t go wrong with this trilogy.  I’d recommend you go out and buy this set right now at its current price. You can make a weekend out of watching all three films and really enjoy yourself.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘The Polar Express’ Movie and 4K UHD Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

It has been eighteen years since I first watched “The Polar Express,” and quite frankly, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect because of the length between viewings.  I remembered the film had stunning visuals and great computer-animated graphics.  However, I did not remember what the film was about or how ir unfolded.  So, in a sense, I was walking into this film as a total newcomer.  It was directed by legendary director Robert Zemeckis, and it reunited him with actor Tom Hanks as they had worked together previously on “Forrest Gump” and “Castaway.” This was clearly a different project for the two of them, but they still were able to produce movie magic on screen.

Hero Boy, one of six characters voiced by Tom Hanks, is starting to wonder if Santa is real as he gets a little older.  He’s even started to put doubts into the head of his younger sister.  His parents have even noticed he’s not staying up all night anymore on Christmas Eve to wait for Santa. This doesn’t bring any joy to Hero Boy, but it’s the reality he’s living in at this point in his life.  His skepticism is put to the test when the Polar Express train arrives outside his house with the Conductor (also voiced by Hanks). The Polar Express will take him directly to the North Pole along with other children on Christmas Eve.

On the train, he meets Hero Girl (Nona Gaye), a young girl who has never, ever stopped believing in Christmas. The Christmas spirit is alive and well with her.  He also meets Know-It-All (Eddie Deezen), and he certainly lives up to his name with his mouth that runs a mile a minute with various facts and statements about trains and Christmas.  Along the way, the Polar Express picks up Billy (Peter Scolari).  He’s shy, lonely, and has had some bad luck on Christmas.  Because of this, he’s struggling to find any joy or satisfaction on Christmas, whatsoever.  Between Hero Boy, Hero Girl, and Billy, they form a friendship and help each other as they try to get to the North Pole.

On the way to the North Pole, there are dancing waiters that bring out hot chocolate (who doesn’t love hot chocolate around the holidays?), a hobo on top of the train (voiced by, you guessed it, Hanks), a mean-spirited puppet (Hanks again), and numerous other trials and tribulations.  Along the way, Hero Boy is starting to think that maybe Santa is real after all and maybe, just maybe, he should start to regain his spirit and believe again.  After all, considering all he has gone through on his way to the North Pole, it’s getting harder and harder to believe that Santa isn’t real.  The things that are happening are so fantastical and so magical, it has to be the work of Santa.

“The Polar Express” absolutely blew me away.  The film runs at 100 minutes, and there is not a dull moment to be found here. What I loved most about the film was its ability to make me, as an audience member, feel something.  Even at age thirty-seven, this is a film which had me teary eyed and emotional.  The great thing about this is that none of it was forced.  It all worked out because of the out-of-this-world visuals, the big heart of this film, and the epic direction of Zemeckis.  There is no stone left unturned in this film.  It feels like a big, sweeping epic Christmas story which matters.  It also understands the importance of Christmas and believing.

I love a good old-fashioned Hollywood story told the right way.  That is exactly what “The Polar Express” is, and it gets all of the details right.  At first, the life-like nature of the characters is a little peculiar and even creepy, but before long, it adds to the charm.  I absolutely loved this movie, and it was such a pleasant surprise for me. I have seen a lot of Christmas movies in my lifetime, but very few have captured the grand scale of the event like “The Polar Express.”  Leave it to Hanks and Zemeckis to get it right.  It’s rare that I’m watching a film and I get completely lost in the story.  With each and every adventure, I was captivated and in awe.

This film warmed my heart and made me feel good.  Films like this are rare.  When they are released, they need to be praised, valued and appreciated.  This is a big screen Christmas movie that knows exactly what needs to be done and how to do it.  It’s about tugging at your heartstrings in a way that is not manipulative or cheap.  It is about making us, the audience, believe, without being too corny or silly.  It is about making us smile without ever pandering to us or trying to pull the wool over our eyes. “The Polar Express” is a Christmas classic and my kind of Christmas movie.  I wish I could stand on top of a mountain and scream, “I love this movie!”

* * * * out of * * * *

4K/Blu-ray Info: ‘The Polar Express” is released on a two-disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  The film is rated G and has a running time of 100 minutes.  It also comes with a digital copy of the film.

4K Info:  I recommend you watch this film with the lights off.  I noticed a vast improvement in the picture quality when I watched the movie in the dark.  It’s absolutely gorgeous in 4K HDR.  It just added to my enjoyment of the film.  When people talk about films that were made for 4K, they are talking about films like “The Polar Express.”  I couldn’t believe the attention to detail on this transfer.  They really put their heart and soul into the making of this film, and there were times where I was completely and utterly blown away by what I was watching on my TV screen.  It was a work of art.

Audio Info:  The Dolby Atmos track also enhances the viewing experience as it’s a big, booming soundtrack.  For a movie like this, which is a big movie, you expect it to look and sound big.  They accomplished both of those tasks here.

Special Features:

You Look Familiar

A Genuine Ticket to Ride

True Inspirations: An Author’s Adventure

Behind the Scenes of “Believe”

Flurry of Effects

Smokey and Steamer

Josh Groban at the Greek

Meet The Snow Angels

Theatrical Trailer

THQ Game Demo

Should You Buy It?

Yes, yes, and YES.  “The Polar Express” is a top-of-the-line 4K film, and it is also top-of-the-line with its audio and visuals.  Everything here is 4 out of 4 stars, except for the fact that the special features are transferred over from the previous Blu-ray.  Normally, I wouldn’t mind this, but I felt the special features were a little lacking here, and there are so many questions regarding this film and especially the filmmaking process.  I would have loved a commentary track with Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis, for example.  I know it can be hard to track people down these days with so much going on, but for a film of this scale, it would have been worth it.  Despite these minor issues, this film gets the highest recommendation I can give a 4K film.  I was watching it on a day where I was feeling a little down, and it instantly cheered me up.  That is the highest praise I can give to a film.  I don’t feel like enough people talk about “The Polar Express” in the same fashion they do other Christmas films, and they should, because it’s a Christmas classic in every sense of the word.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘The Polar Express’ Deserves More Respect Than Most Christmas Movies Get

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The Polar Express movie poster

“The Polar Express” was directed by Steven Spielberg’s protégée Robert Zemeckis, and it is based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg which Tom Hanks was a big fan of when he was kid. It involves a boy who is selected along with many other kids to take a train ride to the North Pole and visit Santa Claus and see his intricate operation of present giving. This voyage will have this boy meeting other kids on their way as well as many other characters, most of who are played by Hanks.

That’s right, Hanks plays six different parts in “The Polar Express,” and it has me wondering if this was done to save money on what must have been a very expensive production. Among the parts he plays includes a hobo who may not actually be real, Scrooge, and Santa Claus himself. But the most prominent role he plays in this movie is the Conductor of the Polar Express itself. He’s a man who is constantly running the train on what he says is a “tight schedule,” and he cannot help but be occasionally convinced one of these kids is determined to keep the train from reaching its final destination. He also has this wonderful talent for punching out your tickets to form certain words in them. I mean really! He does it so fast! How does he do it?

The big thing about “The Polar Express” is it is an animated movie by the way of motion capture. This has become a popular way of making movies in an animated fashion as actors where these suits and have these tiny white balls glued to their face and bodies. With the help of computers, which at this point we cannot live without, they can be captured on film and manipulated to look like they are in a place too expensive to build as a set. It is remarkable stuff however, and it could serve as further proof of how actors will never be replaced by technology because we need them to make the technology work effectively. I cannot begin to tell you how relieved this makes me feel.

I was surprised at how much I liked “The Polar Express.” It’s not a perfect movie, but it does have a heart and emotions which are far more genuine than other Christmas movies. It is also exciting as we see the train and its main characters struggle to stay on board as it goes through many treacherous parts in a journey to one of the coldest places on the planet. Seeing it in 3D is a major plus as well because the effects seem so real to where the kids in the audience were literally trying to grasp at the snowflakes falling from the screen. Heck, I even found myself doing this a couple of times.

This is the one thing I want to mention; the audience was full of kids there with their families, and this initially was a problem for me. I saw “Cars” at the El Capitan in Los Angeles when it was released, and it was full of parents completely incapable of keeping their kids quiet throughout the entire movie. Here I am trying to watch one of the weaker movies from the Pixar catalogue, and there’s a little boy right in front of me who cannot get himself to sit down and kept asking his mother for more candy. If you can’t shut your kids up, don’t take them to the movies! Stay at home and watch “Finding Nemo” on DVD. My niece has already seen it hundreds of times to where her parents can recite every line (not that they want to).

But at the same time, seeing these kids get totally sucked into the magic of the movie with the 3D technology was really special. Hearing them talk back to the screen, especially my niece, brought a smile to my face as they got completely caught up in the journey “The Polar Express” took them on. This is the kind of movie you want your kids to see. When it first came out, many found the technology disturbing and scary, but that’s really ridiculous. While it doesn’t look like typical animated movies they loved from their past, it does aim to continue to preserve the innocence none of us are quick to lose.

If there is anything which takes away from the experience of watching “The Polar Express,” it’s the lame ass Glen Ballard song some of the characters sing in one scene which you hear again during the end credits. I am sick and tired of crappy love songs sung and written by white guys. They reek of lameness, and this movie is not even a musical!

Don’t worry about parents telling you about how creepy it is. This one is fine for the whole family. Those who disagree have long since lost the mindset of a child, and that’s just tragic.

* * * ½ out of * * * *