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ljones41 · 6 years ago

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My Ranking of the “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE” Movies

Below is my ranking of the six movies in "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" franchise. Based upon the 1966-1973 television series, the movies starred Tom Cruise as IMF operative, Ethan Hunt:

1. "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" (2011) - In this fourth and in my opinion, the best movie in the franchise; Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear IMF's name, when the organization is implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin. The cast included Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Michael Nyqvist and Ving Rhames. Brad Bird directed.

2. "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018) - In this sixth film in the "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE" franchise, Ethan Hunt and his IMF team are ordered to track down stolen plutonium, while being monitored by a CIA agent after a mission goes awry. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the movie starred Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin.

3. "Mission Impossible" (1996) - In this first movie in the franchise, IMF agent Ethan Hunt is framed for the murders of his fellow agents during a mission gone wrong in Prague, and selling government secrets to a mysterious international criminal known only as "Max." The cast included Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Emmanuelle Béart, Jean Reno, Henry Czerny and Vanessa Redgrave. Brian DePalma directed.

4. "Mission Impossible III" (2006) - Directed by J.J. Abrams, Ethan Hunt returns as a field agent to investigate the death of his protégé and a ruthless arms dealer. The cast included Ving Rhames, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonathan Rhys Meyer, Maggie Q, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan and Laurence Fishburne.

5. "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" (2015) - After the IMF is disbanded, Ethan Hunt and a group of fellow agents take on the Syndicate, an international rogue organization led by a former intelligence agent bent upon blackmailing the major governments of the world with acts of terror. Directed by Christopher MacQuarrie, the cast includes Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Simon McBurney and Alec Baldwin.

6. "Mission Impossible II" (2000) - Ethan Hunt goes undercover to stop an ex-IMF agent's mad scheme to steal a deadly virus and sell the antidote to the highest bidder. Although my least favorite, it featured my favorite action sequence in the entire franchise. The cast included Ving Rhames, Thandie Newton, Dougary Scott, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, William Mapother, Rade Šerbedžija, and Anthony Hopkins. John Woo directed.

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yegarts · 6 years ago

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2018 Second Round Artist Project Grant (Small) Recipients

Twice a year, the Edmonton Arts Council provides grants of up to $5,000 to artists through the small Artist Project Grant program. Artist Project Grants are intended to invest in the specific projects of individual artists and artist collectives as they pursue their artistic and professional advancement.

Edmonton Arts Council awarded 33 artists grants of up to $5,000 for the second round of small Artist Project Grants in 2018. Congratulations to all of the recipients! The next deadline for small Artist Project Grant applications is February 15, 2019. Click here for more information.

Cellist and composer Christine Hanson received an Artist Project Grant to perform the Canadian Premiere of her original composition “The Cremation of Sam McGee Suite.” Photo by JProcktor Photography.

Singer-songwriter Andrea Nixon held a live performance of her album Diary of a Housewife at Sunrise Records West Edmonton Mall.

Visual artist Ania Telfer is creating a series of acrylic and mixed-media paintings to promote conversations about creativity, healing, and health.

Trombonist Audrey Ochoa is recording a new album that mixes chamber music, string arrangements, contemporary and Latin jazz, and electronic remixes.

Singer-songwriter Ben Sures is collaborating with electronic music artist Brian Kobayakawa/Brava Kilo to create a three-song demo.

Musician Brenna MacQuarrie, as iamhill, is writing and recording a new EP.

A cappella vocal group 6 Minute Warning are creating 12 short music videos.

Cellist and composer Christine Hanson performed the Canadian Premiere of her original composition, “The Cremation of Sam McGee Suite,” inspired by Robert Service’s poem of the same name.

Clint Wilson is creating a multi-media video installation called Wonderland, which resembles an artificial forest ecosystem.

Cynthia Fuhrer is creating a series of paintings based on animal rights and environmentalism that will be on display in 2019 at the Art Gallery of St. Albert and Bleeding Heart Art Space.

Composer Daniel Belland participated in a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity to work on writing a new musical about queer dating, friendship, and technology.

Elisabeth Belliveau curated a multi-media exhibition of work by five artists, including herself, called Offerings: Ikebana in Practice from Japan to Canada.

Sound artists Isael Huard and Chris Szott of Little Hook Sound are creating an interactive Edmonton Sound Map comprised of sounds unique to Edmonton as resources for the local music, art, film, and media communities.

The band Electric Audrey 2 is producing a music video with filmmaker Barrett Klesko for their song “Accidental Beach.”

Faith Healer is recording a new album, Slang Teasers.

Musician Kate Blechinger is composing, arranging, and recording work for her debut album Under a Dancing Sky.

Katherine Koller is writing and producing a radio play, Hope Soup, which will be performed at the 2019 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

Kelsie Acton is developing an integrated dance piece, Orbits, that investigates the practice of timing in integrated dance.

Kiruthika Rathanaswani is developing a visual production to accompany her new bharata natyam (Indian Classical dance) performances at Expanse Festival.

Visual artist Madison Dewar is creating a series of woodcut prints that explore the ethics of livestock production.

Musician Mallory Chipman is recording a new EP featuring four original compositions featuring jazz, rock, and folk influences.

Musician Mark Segger is curating a bi-monthly late-night showcase of a variety of local musicians from new music, jazz, and free improvisation communities.

Megan Dart is creating a multi-disciplinary immersive musical theatre production that explores the stories of Canadian women throughout history.

Pyretic Productions is producing a new version of the multi-disciplinary play Blood of Our Social, which will explore personal accounts from Ukraine during WWII and the country’s current conflict.

Rebecca Lappa is recording original music reflecting the #MeToo movement for a new adult-alternative EP, Deep Water.

The band Whale and the Wolf are recording new music for a new EP, One The.

Filmmaker Sheena Rossiter is attending the Raindance Film Festival in London, England and Reykjavik International Film Festival in Iceland to show her documentary short 3 Siblings.

Filmmaker Simon Morgan is producing a short dark comedy film called Finding Kevin.

Filmmakers Sylvia Douglas and Sara Campos-Silvius are producing and directing a short film, K.O., about gender-based violence.

Tatiana Peet is writing a collection of short stories about immigration, displacement, and intergenerational trauma.

Vivian Zenari is writing a poetry collection about Alberta’s six natural regions.

Visual artist Wei Li is developing a new series of digital paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

Electronic media artist Will Bauer is working a project that translates physical movements into an “audio skin” sound portrait.

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sssshhhthefilmsabouttostart · 6 years ago

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The best and worst films of 2018

If after watching 112 films teaches you anything, it's that Hollywood will continue to pump out the franchise blockbusters - and audiences will still hand over their cash to see them, no matter how below average or unoriginal they may be.

Cinematically, 2018 was a year that marked the final screen appearances for both Robert Redford (’The Old Man and the Gun’) and Daniel Day-Lewis (’Phantom Thread’), heralded Bradley Cooper’s impressive directorial debut (’A Star Is Born), served up an innovative high-tech thriller (’Searching’) and bestowed the most gob-smacking showdown involving MCU’s greatest heroes and villains (’Avengers: Infinity War’).

It was also a very good year for Netflix loyalists who saw the company release a succession of well received films including ’Annihilation,’ ‘Roma,’ and ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’

Despite Dirty Harry’s memorable comment that “opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one,” the films that have made this year’s ‘best list’ have been selected on the basis of the lasting impression they have left on this viewer after the lights have come up and the curtain’s been drawn.

So, what succeeded and what failed?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we please offer for your consideration…

50. THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN

49. INCREDIBLES 2

48. FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL

47. THE POST

46. CHAPPAQUIDDICK

45. RED SPARROW

44. GAME NIGHT

43. DEADPOOL 2

42. BOY ERASED

41. WIDOWS

40. STRONGER

39. MOLLY’S GAME

38. FAHRENHEIT 11/9

37. THE DARKEST HOUR

36. FIRST REFORMED

35. A STAR IS BORN

34. ISLE OF DOGS

33. BREATH

32. THE WIFE

31. READY PLAYER ONE

30. BLACK PANTHER

29. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOUR

28. BRIGSBY BEAR

27. LADY BIRD

26. SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO

25. BEAUTIFUL BOY

24. PHANTOM THREAD

23. GHOST STORIES

22. FIRST MAN

21. TULLY

20. I, TONYA

19. SUSPIRIA

18. RBG

17. THE FAVOURITE

16. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

15. MANDY

14. BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99

13. SEARCHING

12. A QUIET PLACE

11. BLACKKKLANSMAN

10. SWEET COUNTRY

The Australian ‘western’ is a genre all its own, and ‘Sweet Country’ was the finest example of its type. Both Warwick Thornton's direction and Dylan Rivers’ cinematography was outstanding, as were all of the lead acting performances. Shot in both Central and South Australia, ‘Sweet Country’ transcended the genre’s tropes to tell us a quintessentially Australian story, albeit a bloody, brutal and tragic one.

9. VICE

As with his previous film ‘The Big Short,’ writer/director Adam McKay set aside the clean, colourful look of his comedies (’Anchorman,’ ‘Step Brothers’) in favour of a washed-out, edgy look, with the frequent use of hand-held cameras. The entire ensemble - including Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell and Amy Adams - were all impressive but it was Christian Bale’s skilful and highly effective portrayal of former VP Dick Cheney that deservedly received the kudos from critics everywhere.

8. THE ENDLESS

Indie filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, wrote, directed and starred in this terrific slow burner about two brothers who decide to revisit their childhood UFO death cult for some closure. Initially, the film’s daunting atmosphere gave the impression that this horror/sci-fi would follow the usual story ‘beats’ that accompany the genre. But after some mind-bending twists, ‘The Endless’ soon switched from being about a crazed cult into something else!

7. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

It’s no secret that Sony’s last few attempts with the character of Spider-Man have been underwhelming to say the least. However, this rousingly entertaining superhero adventure was easily 2018′s most unexpected surprise. The film’s impressive animation was beautiful, fluid and unique, whilst the storyline was both compelling and genuinely funny. What can we say - we finally got the ‘Spider-Man’ movie everybody wanted. It’s OK Sony, we now forgive you for ‘The Emoji Movie.’

6. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Sadly robbed of the Best Picture gong at last year’s Academy Awards, this third movie from award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh (‘In Bruges,’ ‘Seven Psychopaths’) was a dramedy that started with cleverness and wit before opening up into something truthfully human. McDonagh’s screenplay was so good that every single cast member, no matter how little their screen time, gave a great performance.

5. AMERICAN ANIMALS

In this true-crime movie, four bright and well-off college students in Kentucky plot to steal some rare books from their university's Special Collections Library in a misguided quest for personal glory. Written and directed by Bart Layton, ‘American Animals’ cleverly woven script was narrated by the heist's actual participants, bringing a fascinating layer to the proceedings as well as a connection between the characters and audience.

4. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

It may have been the most intense, complex and stirring MCU film yet, but it was as lean as epics get, with none of its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time feeling wasted. While the many characters and intersecting plots may have confused casual viewers (it’s assumed audiences are now familiar with all that's come before), for fans, it was one mind-blowing moment after another.

3. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT

Who would have thought that a 20+ year franchise would have been able to deliver one of the most exciting and visceral action films in recent memory? ‘Fallout’ saw the stepping up of both the action and the stakes, with the personal screws tightened on Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the horrible consequences for failure. Love him or hate him, Cruise's performance was lean and focused, whilst Christopher MacQuarrie’s direction was effective and thrilling, always hitting every action beat - dead centre.

2. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE

Director Lynne Ramsay’s bleak yet effective thriller about a broken and tormented ex-military vigilante (Joaquin Phoenix), who makes a living rescuing kidnapped girls and making the perpetrators violently pay with a hammer, was a dark and twisting journey into one man’s soul. Ramsay's filmmaking powers and script, combined with Phoenix's committed, unadorned performance and Johnny Greenwood's absolutely superb soundtrack, easily delivered one of this year’s most standout movies.

1. HEREDITARY

Although it polarised audiences everywhere, ‘Hereditary’ was a refreshing example of a studio (A24) subverting expectations and the perfect showcase of what horror is capable of when taken seriously.

Even as the film ventured into territory familiar to its genre, writer/director Ari Aster skillfully orchestrated the tension into something that felt like a nightmare straight from hell. What begins as a drama about a family tearing apart with grief, slowly descends into madness and the supernatural.

Rather than rely on a ‘conveyor belt’ of jump scares strung together with a derivative story which exists purely as a vehicle to deliver those jump scares, ‘Hereditary’ put family drama at the forefront and milked every ounce of dread from the hideous realities of familial cohabitation for what they’re worth.

Whilst the film’s cinematography, production design and score were all some of the best the horror genre has seen, it was the performances that finally sold ‘Hereditary,’ notably Toni Collette’s tormented turn as a manic mother who is mourning the loss of a parent.

‘Hereditary’ didn’t just redefine horror - it successfully put its own wicked stamp on the tropes of the genre, and provided audiences everywhere with a truly unsettling experience.

Hail Paimon!

…AND NOW, THE WORST!

20. VENOM

19. THE MEG

18. MILE 22

17. WINCHESTER

16. LIFE OF THE PARTY

15. BLOCKERS

14. SKYSCRAPER

13. THE WEDDING GUEST

12. DEATH WISH

11. BOAR

10. THE NUN

Sadly, this fifth chapter in the ‘Conjuring’ universe was nowhere near as scary, inspired or coherent as its predecessors. The quick onslaught of jump scares, punctuated by sudden noises on the soundtrack, quickly dashed the hopes of viewers who saw the entire exercise as a colossal waste of time (not to mention that the titular character was almost ‘missing’ in her own movie).

9. THE PREDATOR

This was a prime example as to how you kill a franchise. ‘The Predator’ was so bad, it made both ‘AVP’ movies look like modern day masterpieces. Whilst the acting and storyline were awful, the film suffered from plot holes, the lack of any kind of script, the constant desperate dramatic music featured relentlessly throughout and the forced jokes. Why director Shane Black thought injecting a comedy script into this franchise was a good idea is anyone's guess.

8. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson and the director of ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ and ‘Muppet Treasure Island,’ somehow thought this juvenile attempt at humour was a good idea. Instead, it did the most offensive thing that a comedy could ever do - it failed to make you laugh.

7. THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME

This forgettable and redundant comedy, from its tired title to its forced acting and humour, tried desperately to be everything at once and ended up being nothing at all. Given the talent involved, one would have expected some semblance of subtly and finesse to let these strong performers elevate the material as they've been known to in the past. However, when the material was as blunt as a sledgehammer, there wasn’t much anyone could have done.

6. GRINGO

Despite its polished production values and stellar cast, ‘Gringo’ amounted to an absolute bust. Director Nash Egerton’s unsavoury and amoral comedy of errors qualified as something contrived, convoluted and ultimately incoherent. Crammed with a myriad of ‘madcap’ situations that weren’t even remotely funny or original, this crappy caper failed to keep up with its talented cast who struggled in their portrayal of such unpleasant stereotypes.

5. PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING

CGI vomit.

4. THE 15:17 TO PARIS

Anybody desperately wanting to watch this train wreck should fast forward the first hour and six minutes. Clint Eastwood’s effort to pay tribute to the three brave men who foiled the 2015 Thalys train attack was a cinematic misfire of epic proportions. The bold step of having the real-life heroes play themselves was a bad call (awkward delivery, mumbled lines), whilst the film also had an underlying Christian/pro-gun/pro-military vibe about it.

3. ROBIN HOOD

From the over-the-top bow and arrow fights to the bizarre mix of costumes, ‘Robin Hood’ was comparable to Guy Ritchie’s disastrous reimagining of ‘King Arthur,’ only worse. Far worse. This umpteenth version of the legendary heroic outlaw was severely lacking in the entertainment and thrills department, and continued the Hollywood tradition of blockbuster remakes absolutely falling on their arses.

2. ACTION POINT

The ‘Jackass’ films were great, but this dismal wannabe ‘Caddyshack’ or ‘Porky’s’ left audiences longing for the relative artistry and sophistication of the crazy lads’ glory days. ‘Action Point’ was a predictable, exceptionally cheap and humourless affair, a watershed moment in terms of anyone ever bank rolling a feature film for these guys again. RIP gentlemen, it was a fun ride.

1. HOLMES AND WATSON

It’s all elementary as to which film was by far the very worst of 2018.

Everything about ‘Holmes and Watson’ was lazy, incompetent and decidedly unfunny. This shockingly misguided assault of repetitive bad slapstick and terrible writing squandered the remarkable talents of John C. Reilly, Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes and Hugh Lawrie, and saw Will Ferrell give what was easily the worst performance of his entire career.

This was no ‘Step Brothers’ - this was pure, unadulterated garbage.

#the best and worst films of 2018

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classicfilmfreak · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on http://www.classicfilmfreak.com/2017/12/14/fourteen-hours-1951-starring-paul-douglas-and-richard-basehart/

Fourteen Hours (1951) starring Paul Douglas and Richard Basehart

The suspense of a man on the edge of a ledge will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Although he turned more to Westerns toward the end of his career and in the early 1950s displayed his versatility in a cluster of divergent films—a medieval epic that included a sojourn to China, a naval comedy, the obligatory Western, a biography of German general Rommel and a cold war yarn—director Henry Hathaway, in 1951, made a foray into yet another area of motion picture entertainment, the psychological thriller.

The single theme that occupies the entire Fourteen Hours could be summed up in the simple question: Will he or won’t he? Jump, that is.

A young man (Richard Basehart) checks into a room on the fifteen floor of a New York City hotel for the sole purpose of committing suicide. From the ledge outside his room, he keeps busy an array of people working to coax him to come inside.

There is his distraught mother (Agnes Moorehead), not too distraught to reveal her own counterproductive psychoses; the psychiatrist (Martin Gabel) who has Cosick’s problem all figured out, or so he thinks; the over zealous evangelist (George MacQuarrie) who only wants to “save” him, jeopardizing one plan to “save” him in another way; and, most of all, the conscientious and compassionate New York policeman (Paul Douglas) who tries every approach to talk him in, and after he becomes so frustrated he taunts the man to jump, has one last idea.

The tension that saturates the film could have been taken to the extreme, made to last practically forever, with even more characters and any number of contrived subplots—there is, however, one brief and errant foray—but both director Hathaway and screenwriter John Paxton—Murder, My Sweet (1944), Crossfire, (1947), Pickup Alley, (1947), known best for crime dramas and film noirs—maintain a tight rein on the plotting and story.

Those fourteen hours include, of course, what could be called a “night watch” and more clandestine strategies to save the man—search lights, which only frighten him, and a police scheme to lower a man from the roof above in an attempt to grab him, which he spots despite Charlie Dunnigan’s efforts of distraction.

And below, through it all, are the swarm of observers, some who want him rescued and others, typical of the worst in human nature, who want him to jump and provide the entertaining thrill they crave.

Seemingly unconcerned about their duties and unregulated by their bosses, some five NYC cab drivers follow the goings-on, sustained on the sidewalk below with coffee and instantaneous news reports on a portable radio. Bets are even taken on when this guy will jump. The drivers include actors Ossie Davis and Harvey Lembeck.

The closest thing to a romance in the film is an accidental meeting in the crowd of two office co-workers, Danny (Jeffrey Hunter, in his film début) and Ruth (Debra Paget). Danny especially works toward some kind of relationship with the initially shy young lady.

Before he first goes to the window, Dunnigan removes his coat, tie and cap, to allay in the man any latent fears of a policeman. Prompted by the psychiatrist, Dunnigan tries unsuccessfully, at least at first, to relate to the man, one human being to another, man to man.

The police discover the nameless stranger is Robert Cosick and locate his mother, who is of little help. The father (Robert Keith) provides only another dead end, as the psychotic mother has instilled in her son a hatred for him. Even when the mother reveals a girl in Cosick’s life, and his estranged fiancée, Virginia (Barbara Bel Geddes), comes to try and talk him in, even this proves fruitless.

The one distracting subplot, perhaps the film’s most serious misstep, unfolds in a nearby law office where a woman (Grace Kelly) is about to sign her final divorce papers. After watching the drama on the ledge during the legal proceedings, she decides to reconcile with her husband.

The scene feels “inserted,” a glaring departure from the story line. Kelly’s début in the movies, if that, indeed, was the scene’s sole purpose, went unnoticed by critics. Gary Cooper, on a visit to the set, was sufficiently impressed to suggest Kelly as his wife in the upcoming High Noon (1952).

In the end, Dunnigan does develop the best rapport of any one with his “client,” though at one point frustrated, the policeman says, “I don’t know why I care, but I do.” The rapport is reciprocated. After that hostile encounter with his father, Cosick remarks, “I could never talk to my father the way I’ve talked to you.”

Dunnigan seems close to success when he convinces Cosick “to come in, take a shower and think things over. I’ll clear everybody out of the room, give you the key and you can lock yourself in.” When Dunnigan gives his word, Cosick agrees. The room is supposedly cleared, but an overlooked policeman is crouching behind an upholstered chair. Before he can make a move, the evangelist, who has sneaked up the back stairs, rushes into the room. “Kneel and pray! Kneel and pray!” Cosick flees back to the ledge.

By now it is night and once again, somehow, despite the apparent betrayal, Dunnigan has regained Cosick’s trust, now with an invitation to meet his wife—“she’s a good cook”—and take him fishing for flounder on Sheepshead Bay. Cosick is stepping toward the window when a boy on the street below does his impersonation of a skyscraper jumper and accidentally switches on a spotlight. Cosick is distracted, loses his balance and falls. The police had quietly hung a net below the ledge, and Cosick grabs it and is hauled to safety.

While Dunnigan greets his wife and son at the entrance of the hotel, Danny and Ruth, hand in hand, walk away down the dark street.

The only musical score heard in the 20th Century-Fox film, by resident composer Alfred Newman, is behind the main title and at the very end, to accompany Hunter and Paget.

Besides Jeffrey Hunter and Grace Kelly, Fourteen Hours provides the film début or second film for many of the extras, including Richard Beymer, John Cassavetes, Joyce Van Patten, Ossie Davis and Harvey Lembeck. Among the up-and-coming stars is Brian Keith, the son of Robert Keith, who plays Cosick’s father.

Like so many Hollywood films, a happy ending replaces the real-life, tragic incident related in Joel Sayre’s story, from which John Paxton fashioned his screenplay. In 1938, a twenty-six-year-old man leaped from the seventeenth floor of the New York City Hotel Gotham. There was no net, no policeman to save him. In a similar tragedy related to the film, the daughter of a Fox executive leaped to her death the day of the film’s preview, prompting a six-month delay in the official release.

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#Agnes Morehead #Henry Hathaway #Paul Douglas #Richard Basehart

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