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chicagoindiecritics · 5 years ago

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New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: BACK TO THE FUTURE OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH “TERMINATOR: DARK FATE”

In 1984, filmmaker James Cameron gave the world THE TERMINATOR and it became a cult classic. Time magazine picked it as one of the top ten films of the year and its star Arnold Schwarzenegger became a household name. The film was a dark and gritty sci-fi thriller with a shooting budget of only $6.4 million, but because of the rave reviews and a strong $78.3 million dollar box office, it became a franchise.

Now, here we are in 2019, and TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, the sixth in the series, opens this weekend. This is the first one that Cameron has been directly involved with since TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY in 1991. (He’s a co-writer and executive producer this time out.) Coming back too are Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, the heroine from the first two films. It’s great that they’re all together again even if this latest take isn’t quite as wonderful as one would hope.

This new chapter veers back and forth between the old and the new almost like it’s one of the escape vehicles careening about during the many chase scenes. It recreates so many of the tropes of the franchise that have now become fodder for satire that at times this film feels more like a parody than an adventure. Simultaneously, this new movie also introduces too many new characters and by the time Arnie shows up well into the second hour, the screen is dotted with a lot of characters all fighting for screen time. (At times, it feels more like an X-MEN film with too many hands on deck.)

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE starts with the dark fate of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) after she saved the world twice in the first two movies. Here, she’s living peacefully in Mexico with her 11-year-old son John (a digitally recreated Edward Furlong). They seem happy on the beach until a new Terminator (Schwarzenegger) shows up and blasts the boy dead. It’s a confounding scene, challenging one’s memory of the other films, but apparently Cameron has ixnayed the other sequels and this one is supposed to take place shortly after T2 ended. What’s even more startling in the scene is the expert de-aging a la THE IRISHMAN of Arnie and Linda. (Take that, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino!)

After that big rug pull, a rather egregious course correction at that, the plot plops down in the modern-day. Here, the film starts hauling out all the familiar Terminator tropes, the same as virtually all the other movies. It starts with two naked visitors from the future time-traveling back to earth. They’re charged with hunting down the leader who will grow up to defeat the machines. The first body that drops from the sky is a young woman named Grace (a game Mackenzie Davis). She looks like a tall, blonde, volleyball player, but she’s actually a lean, mean, fighting er, half-machine. The technology has gotten even better in the future, and now the rebels fighting against the AI’s can send back a female soldier who has been altered with circuitry to become a cybernetically-enhanced warrior. (Take that, Wonder Woman and Wolverine!)

The futuristic AI’s have gotten better too. They send back an advanced Terminator model called a Rev 9 (Gabriel Luna). He too is lean and mean, yet very quiet, letting his lethal actions do all the talking for him. The Rev 9 can also split in two, unleashing his powerful endoskeleton to fight alongside his shapeshifting liquid metal form. Soon, these interlopers are after Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), the latest American destined to lead the rebels and defeat the machines.

Before you can say, “Come with me if you want to live,” Grace scoops up Dani from the homicidal grips of the Rev 9 and they’re on the run. The film becomes one extended chase sequence with the soldiers slicing, dicing, and shooting anyone who gets in their way. Grace proves to be a formidable adversary, cutting Rev 9 down to size with chains and staffs like she’s an elite Jedi. (Take that, Darth Maul and Kylo Ren!)

Soon, Sarah Connor shows up to assist in the gore-filled babysitting, and the girl power trifecta continues to kick the butt of the mucho macho machine over and over again. Sarah handles all the exposition too, with the sinewy Hamilton growling her lines like she’s a buff Gena Rowlands. The veteran actress is having a blast and she makes the most of every moment in her big comeback role.

The action is fine, but not quite as exciting as it should be. The set pieces borrow so many tropes and bits from previous set-pieces in the franchise that it feels old hat. Not only are the stars and Cameron back, but so are the same ways to split, melt, and slow down that killer robot. Been there, annihilated that.

Then, about 70 minutes into the 128 minute film, the three warrior women finally connect with Schwarzenegger’s aging robot. He’s been holed up in the Texas woods for decades after he killed John Connor decades ago. His mission completed, he retired, grew a beard, not to mention a heck of a lot older. Now, the Terminator has a wife, a kid, and a career as a drapery installer. (A bit written into the script clearly for the many jokes it fosters.) Arnie does his dead pan schtick without missing a beat, and it’s hilarious, but it feels musty too. Seems that the only thing that hasn’t faded are the Terminator’s muscles and Teutonic accent. Both are as formidable as ever.

There’s some amusing, barbed bitchiness between Grace and Sarah, and both give the Terminator a lot of side-eye. Here is where you feel the influence of Tim Miller, the director of DEADPOOL, adding similar snarkiness to this franchise too. Still, as fun as all that is, you can count the tried and true tropes being ticked by the scripters.

Cameron, Billy Ray, Charles Eglee, Josh Friedman, David Goyer, and Justin Rhodes rest on a lot of laurels. They bring back numerous iterations of the “I’ll be back” line; there’s a reveal of the genuine savior of mankind that is painfully obvious way too early; characters who die miraculously return; and of course, the film ends with a big, noisy showdown in an industrial complex just like so many times before. This film isn’t just the sixth Terminator movie, it’s practically all of them rolled into one. (Take that, GROUNDHOG DAY!)

Even more troubling, this is yet another franchise that set out to eradicate the majority of films in its franchise. STAR TREK and X-MEN did the same, and there’s something wholly disrespectful about tossing away films as if their existence didn’t matter. Perhaps it’s the cleanest way to reboot, but it feels wrong. If such a fresh slate leads to more sequels in this franchise, let’s at least hope that Cameron and crew find new ways to mine their man vs. machine storyline. They could start by figuring out a way to manage time travel better. Sure, the AI’s keep getting more powerful, but only one can be sent back at a time? Hmm, some future.

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movietvtechgeeks · 8 years ago

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/donald-trump-vs-tom-ford-plus-zayn-malik-louis-tomlinson-truce/

Donald Trump vs Tom Ford plus Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson truce

From Rosie O’Donnell to Arnold Schwarzenegger toVanity Fair, it feels like nothing is safe from the wrath of President-elect Donald Trump. Over the past few months, particularly in the midst of the recent US Presidential Election, Donald has been spewing criticism at pretty much anybody – or thing – that (he feels) has gotten in his way.

Although Donald is no longer desperately fighting for the coveted spot in the Oval Office (as he is days away from being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States), he made another bold public move by publicly condemning a new celebrity victim.

On Wednesday, Donald did a guest appearance on Fox & Friends. During this stint, the former Celebrity Apprentice host talked candidly about his not-so-favourable opinion of well-known fashion designer, Tom Ford.

A few months back, Tom publicly announced that he would not dress Donald’s wife, the soon-to-be first lady, Melania Trump. Tom told the press that he wanted to take a stand against Donald’s divisive and hate-fuelled platform. Therefore, by refusing to dress Melania, he felt he would be able to effectively portray his dissatisfaction with the President-elect.

In response to Tom’s refusal to dress Melania, Donald ranted to the hosts of Fox & Friends, “[Melania] never asked Tom Ford, doesn’t like Tom Ford, doesn’t like his designs. I’m not a fan of Tom Ford, never have been.” Donald went on to claim that his friend, Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn, actually took the time to make sure any clothes designed by Tom in his hotels were thrown out. Donald recounted, “[Steve] just called me and he said he thought it was so terrible what Tom Ford said, that he threw his clothing out of his Las Vegas hotel.”

Well, it sure is convenient that Donald and Melania have “never” been fans of Tom Ford’s designs…They probably aren’t too fond of all of the musicians who have refused to perform at Donald’s upcoming inauguration as well!

Finally, after months of social media jabs and awkward award show encounters, former bandmates Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson have buried the hatchet. After Zayn announced he was leaving One Direction back in 2015, things got tense between him and Louis, as the rest of One Direction felt blindsided by Zayn’s bold move. However, now that both young stars have embarked on their own personal ventures (Zayn released a solo album, and Louis became a father, as well as released his own solo track), they have been able to get to a much better place in their friendship.

Earlier this week, Louis made a brief appearance on the radio show Hits 1 in Hollywood. During the appearance, Louis was asked what he thought about hearing Zayn’s solo music on the radio. The 25-year-old singer replied, “It’s a strange feeling, but it’s nice. His first song was an absolute smash and a great song. It’s nice.”

Shortly after, Louis talked candidly about how his relationship with Zayn is now. The One Direction artist explained, “I think a lot of [us, One Direction members] have spoken recently. Me and Zayn have spoken recently. I think we’ve gotten to a point now where you can just really be happy for each other. Things have happened in the past of course…but yeah, it’s great.”

Over the past few months, the boys of One Direction have all gone off to do their own thing. Currently, Niall Horan is enjoying the success of his first solo single, “Our Town,” as well as gearing up for the release of the accompanying album. Meanwhile, Harry Styles is starring in the upcoming blockbuster film Dunkirk and Liam Payne is expecting his first child with girlfriend Cheryl Cole.

President Barack Obama’s farewell gift to some of his longtime staffers was a private concert from “The Boss.”

A senior White House official says Bruce Springsteen performed a roughly two-hour acoustic concert Jan. 12 for members of Obama’s staff, mostly people who had served for all eight years of his presidency. There were no cameras present for the event.

The official wasn’t authorized to discuss a private event and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Obama presented Springsteen with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in November.

Springsteen appeared on the campaign trail for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the fall.

Spike Lee says he won’t be using Chrisette Michele’s music in an upcoming project because of her decision to perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Michele seemed to allude to the controversy Thursday on her blog, where she wrote: “We can’t be present if we’re silent.” She says she hopes for “peaceful & progressive conversation.” She adds that she doesn’t mind criticism if it allows her “to be a voice for the voiceless.” She used the hashtag NoPoliticalGenius.

Lee wrote on Instagram that he was sorry Michele was performing at the inaugural. He says he was considering using Michele’s “Black Girl Magic” in his upcoming Netflix series, “She’s Gotta Have It” but won’t anymore.

Robert De Niro, Sally Field and other celebrities plan to join the mayors of New York and Minneapolis to rally cities to chart their own course on health care, climate change and other issues during Donald Trump’s administration, organizers said ahead of the inauguration-eve demonstration.

Aiming to energize and unite city dwellers concerned about the president-elect’s plans, activists and dignitaries planned to gather Thursday evening in front of Trump International Hotel and Tower, about a half-mile from his Trump Tower home. Groups including Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood and MoveOn.org have signed on.

Organizers said they expect thousands of people, including stars Rosie Perez, Marisa Tomei and Alec Baldwin, whose Trump impression on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” has drawn barbs from the president-elect.

“Cities and towns across the country have the power to protect people and the environment by joining together,” actor Mark Ruffalo said in a statement, adding that the rally would signal to Washington “that we will fight, at every step, discrimination and harmful policies.”

New Yorkers, however, are split on how Mayor Bill de Blasio should deal with Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

Forty-six percent said the Democratic mayor should try to get along with the Republican president-elect, while 45 percent said de Blasio should be a national leader in opposing the Trump administration’s policies, the poll of 1,005 voters found. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Meanwhile, Trump left New York for Washington on Thursday morning.

Miguel Ferrer, who brought stern authority to his featured role on CBS’ hit “NCIS: Los Angeles” and, before that, to NBC crime drama “Crossing Jordan,” has died.

CBS said Ferrer died Thursday of cancer at his Los Angeles home. He was 61.

He had played assistant director Owen Granger on “NCIS: Los Angeles” since 2012. Before that, he played the chief medical examiner and gruff-but-supportive boss to series star Jill Hennessy for the six seasons of “Crossing Jordan.”

A native of Santa Monica, California, Ferrer was the son of Academy Award-winning actor Jose Ferrer and singer-actress Rosemary Clooney, and a cousin of George Clooney, who issued a statement Thursday afternoon.

“Today, history will mark giant changes in our world,” Clooney said, “and lost to most will be that on the same day Miguel Ferrer lost his battle to throat cancer. But not lost to his family. Miguel made the world brighter and funnier, and his passing is felt so deeply in our family that events of the day … pale in comparison. We love you, Miguel. We always will.”

In his own statement, “NCIS: Los Angeles” showrunner R. Scott Gemmill called Ferrer “a man of tremendous talent who had a powerful dramatic presence onscreen, a wicked sense of humor and a huge heart.”

Ferrer began his career in the early 1980s with guest shots on many TV series. In 1990 he scored a signature role as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield on David Lynch’s smash series “Twin Peaks.” He reprised that character for the 1992 movie “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.”

He will encore yet again as Agent Rosenfield for Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” revival airing this spring.

Along with TV, Ferrer appeared in more than 40 movies, including “RoboCop,” where he played the villainous Bob Morton, designer of the title character, “Iron Man 3 ,” where he portrayed the vice president, and “Traffic.”

Voiceover credits include “Superman: The Animated Series,” ”Robot Chicken” and “American Dad!”

Before becoming an actor, he was a successful studio musician who played drums in a variety of bands and toured with his mother and Bing Crosby.

Survivors include his wife Lori and sons Lukas and Rafi.

Despite their meeting last month, Donald Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee team never asked Kanye West to perform at Friday’s event in Washington, DC. The reason: The rapper apparently isn’t “traditionally American” enough.

“We haven’t asked him,” Tom Barrack, the committee’s chair, told CNN earlier this week. “He considers himself a friend of the president-elect, but it’s not the venue. The venue we have for entertainment is filled out, it’s perfect, it’s going to be typically and traditionally American, and Kanye is a great guy, but we just haven’t asked him to perform. We move on with our agenda.”

Rather than West, one of the most popular recording artists of all time, the bill for the inauguration will feature significantly less high-profile acts like Toby Keith and Jackie Evancho.

But the committee is totally OK with that, despite previous reports that countless performers have turned down the opportunity to play at the inauguration and its satellite events — even a Bruce Springsteen cover band.

“This is not Woodstock,” committee spokesperson Brian Epshteyn told the network. “It’s not Summer Jam. It’s not a concert.”

While West may not be “traditionally American” enough to perform at the inauguration, the president-elect did still see fit to meet with him at Trump Tower last month to talk about “multicultural issues.”

President-elect Donald Trump is being urged by some advisers to save at least one dance, as he celebrates his inauguration on Friday night, for a very special Republican lady — Caitlyn Jenner.

“It’s a brilliant idea,” a member of the incoming administration told me.

Besides mollifying the LGBTQ community — wary of conservative Republicans in general, and of Trump in particular — dancing with Jenner could mend fences within the party.

“Time heals all wounds,” one GOPer pointed out.

Bruce Jenner was a stalwart Republican long before the parent of six (10 if you count stepkids) transitioned into Caitlyn.

“The image of Trump dancing with Caitlyn would send a strong message that he supports gay rights and trans rights,” the Republican said. “A picture is worth a thousand tweets.”

Jenner’s publicist said, “Can’t deal in hypotheticals. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Also among the throngs at the inauguration will be Rowanne Brewer Lane, who dated Trump in 1990, and blasted the New York Times in May for mischaracterizing their relationship.

“They spun it to where it appeared negative. I did not have a negative experience with Donald Trump,” Brewer Lane said. “He never offended me in any way. He was very gracious.”

On Monday during his radio show, Steve Harvey defended his decision to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, saying he has received backlash since his highly publicized meeting with Trump on Friday.

“On a personal note, a lot of y’all hurt me,” he said on his show. “You really did. I didn’t expect the backlash to be so fierce.”

Harvey said he felt it was important to meet with the president-elect when asked.

“I have an obligation to take a seat at the table when invited,” Harvey said. “Change can only happen if you sit at the table … If you’re not at the table, you can’t even … suggest what we should be doing. Therefore, it was very important for me to take the meeting.”

Harvey said he was contacted about the meeting by email through his TV show contacts.

“The only way we can heal the divide in this country is through conversation,” he said.

The talk show host said the president-elect asked him what he wanted to be involved in, and Harvey answered he was interested in the initiatives surrounding housing and urban development.

The “Family Feud” host said Trump was “cordial” during their sit-down.

“He was very warm, and honestly, when we talked, he was very sincere,” Harvey said.

Ready or not, DC, Jill Zarin is coming for you.

The former “The Real Housewives of New York” personality announced Wednesday that she will be attending Donald Trump‘s inauguration Friday in the nation’s capital.

“Dad is out of woods and I’m packing for D.C.! This is my first inauguration. I am going as an AMERICAN to support democracy (and hey I got invited. ..!),” Zarin shared across her social media platforms.

“Here is the other in case curious. If you want to unfollow me … bye bye! I’m sick of bullies. I don’t agree with some things but running away won’t change it. Be there.. show up… use the system to communicate. But don’t you dare make me feel guilty for going to see OUR country at work,” she continued.

Upon posting a photo of the inauguration invite, several commenters sniped at the 53-year-old reality star about how she obtained the tickets, as the public is welcome to order free passes via the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s website.

“Free invites? The Trumps are old friends of ours,” Zarin stated on Facebook. “Bobby and I were invited.”

This isn’t the first time Zarin has supported Trump. She attended the eighth annual Eric Trump Golf Tournament in September 2014.

Uma Thurman’s lawyer hammered her French financier ex-boyfriend in their Manhattan custody trial Thursday, grilling him about cheating on a high school test, an alleged addiction to prostitutes and his rocky relationship with another ex, supermodel Elle Macpherson.

“Did you tell Ms. Thurman you had paid someone to take your baccalaureate exam for you?” the lawyer, Eleanor Alter, asked in Manhattan Supreme Court.

“Yes,” Arpad “Arki” Busson, answered from the witness stand. The then 17-year-old Busson was enrolled at the Institut Le Rosey boarding school in Switzerland at the time.

“Did you also tell Ms. Thurman you had been addicted to prostitutes?” Alter asked.

“No,” Busson said.

Judge Matthew Cooper, who’s presiding over a two-week custody trial between the former couple for a parenting schedule with their 4-year-old daughter Luna, cut off further questioning on the subject.

Thurman, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, looked down and away from her ex during the hearing. Busson, in a dark suit, leaned forward on the witness stand with his hands folded.

Alter also asked Busson about threatening Macpherson, a former girlfriend, and mother of his two teenage sons.

“You had threatened Ms. Macpherson which caused her to wear a wire,” Alter asked.

“Objection,” Busson’s lawyer interrupted.

The judge sustained the objection.

Busson hit back at Thurman, whom he dated for seven years through 2014, under redirect questioning from his attorney Peter Bronstein.

“Every time that I’m supposed to see Luna there is major drama,” he said.

The London-based businessman said at first he was very excited when he learned last summer that his daughter was coming to visit him for her birthday. But, he said, Thurman suddenly invited herself along.

“I was blackmailed. I had to buy business class tickets for the nanny and the mother and the daughter at an exorbitant price,” he griped about the $30,000 cost.

“Did you subsequently learn why the mother wanted to come to London?” Bronstein asked.

“Yes her lover was in London,” he said.

The verbal pounding continued until the late afternoon when Alter questioned Busson of being a neglectful dad.

She said he returned Luna to her mother on Monday with “matter hair” and “in dirty clothes.” Alter also said Busson once offered to give up all “his rights to Luna in exchange for giving up child support.”

He admitted making the offer, but claimed that Thurman makes it so “onerous” to see his daughter he often feels like “giving up.”

Jennifer Lopez suffered a rare wardrobe fail at the People’s Choice Awards on Wednesday night when her dress ripped.

The 47-year-old actress looked stunning in a dramatic embellished gown. However, as she left the stage with her Favorite TV Crime Drama Actress Award, cameras caught a tear behind the arm.

Lopez, who won the award for her role in “Shades of Blue,” was hardly let down by the rip, as the dress remained one of the most eye-catching of the evening.

The Reem Acra pre-fall 2017 velvet dress clung perfectly to her curves.

It had a cut-out-embellished chain bodice, under which the singer wore a nude bra for extra coverage.

Upon collecting her award, she said: “I want to say thank you to the people. Mi gente, gracias.”

She was up against other TV favorites including Sophia Bush, Lucy Liu, Pauley Perrette and Mariska Hargitay.

President-elect Donald Trump is “not an idiot,” insisted actor and longtime Democratic donor Michael Douglas, who urged Americans to withhold judgment on his golf buddy for at least 100 days.

“I personally know the President-elect Donald Trump. I’ve spent time with him, played golf with him, my wife Catherine and I have the same birthday and have had him (Trump) at parties together,” Douglas, 72, told the website hubculture.com at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“I’ve always found him to be charming and have a self-deprecating humor — but then again, one of the things you learn playing golf is not to talk politics or religion,” he continued.

“I think we have to wait. He’s not an idiot, so I will be curious to see what plays out,” Douglas said.

Still, Douglas, who backed Hillary Clinton for president last year, said he’s concerned by Trump’s selection of Andy Puzder for labor secretary and Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

The “Wall Street” actor — who owns property in Bermuda — noted that one of his top issues is mankind’s impact on climate change and that he sees, first-hand, the impact of global warming.

“We have a couple of salt water pools, at high tide the sea comes in and refreshes these pools,” he said. “Now it’s taking over some of the beach so you can definitely see an increasing water level there.”

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