#joshpais

[film-book]

Film Review: Teeth https://film-book.com/review-teeth/?feed_id=73096&_unique_id=6479f53663564

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my 90's Fest Movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽 marathon...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (1990) on glorious vintage VHS 📼! #movie #movies #actionadventure #comicbookmovies #superheromovies #teenagemutantninjaturtles #TMNT #Raphael #Michaelangelo #donatello #leonardo #judithhoag #joshpais #BrianTochi #EliasKoteas #robbierist #coreyfeldman #leiftilden #SamRockwell #michaelturney #erniereyesjr #vintage #VHS #90s #90sfest #durandurantulsas4thannual90sfest

[doomonfilm]

Review : Joker (2019)

Cesar Romero transformed the character from an idea on a page to a villain on the screen.  Jack Nicholson made the character cool.  Mark Hamill gave the performance that most fans resonate with to this day.  Heath Ledger pushed the boundaries of method acting, tainting the character with real life tragedy.  Jared Leto made a mockery of the character.  If the early critical and audience reactions mean anything, Joaquin Phoenix may soon be king of the iconic titular character of his latest film, Joker. 

Aspiring comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) spends his days as a clown for hire at Ha-Ha’s, a day-labor company where Fleck floats from gig to gig picking up a fast buck.  After being attacked by a group of kids, Arthur’s co-worker Randall (Glenn Fleshler) gives him a gun so that he can protect himself.  When not working, Arthur cares for his sick mother Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy), who spends her time watching late-night TV host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) and writing mysterious letters to billionaire Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen).  After meeting single mother Sophie (Zazie Beetz) and inviting her to a comedy show, Arthur is soon fired from his job when a gun falls out of his pant leg during a performance at a children’s hospital.  While riding home from his firing, Arthur is accosted by three businessmen on the subway, and in an act of self-defense turned murder, he kills all three.  The killing gives Arthur a sense of purpose and self-understanding that he had yet to experience, sending him on a path of chaos and destruction, all in the name of further self-understanding.

Joker is an incredibly unique approach to an iconic character, and a breath of fresh air in terms of a character study in terms of execution.  Due to the history of the Joker character in terms of his clear actions set against his purposely vague origin, we are presented with what I’ve dubbed a ‘front-loaded backstory’, where we are searching for starting points to understand and connect to the Joker moments we know so well.  Much of that is presented in terms of Arther Fleck’s mental disorder that he shares with his mother, his mother’s deception in regards to her connection with Thomas Wayne and Arthur’s familial origins, and how Arthur views society at large.  His laugh is connected to his disorder, his garb and clown makeup is attributed to his former job and comedic aspirations, and his undying connection to Batman is further enhanced due to a purposefully messy origin story.  His nihilistic nature is really what is focused on and explored in Joker, as Fleck learns that his wiring causes him to find pleasure in what should be pain, while simultaneously inspiring many in similar positions to take to the streets in protest of the same things that scare and sadde Fleck. 

The world that Todd Phillips creates was the most fascinating part of the film, in my opinion.  The classic Warner Brothers logo and titling make the film feel old, as well as the color timing and some of the costuming, but there are many modern day elements present as well, like the Wayne subway system or the graffiti found throughout the city.  Gotham and Arkham Asylum are both mentioned directly, but there are many heavy allusions to New York as well : the sanitation workers strike, the rat epidemic, and Fleck’s bizarro-world Donald Goines style killing all echo New York more so than fictional Gotham.  Wall Street is even mentioned directly in regards to the three Wayne Enterprises workers.  There is also a nice mix of direct and indirect (in my opinion) references to a handful of films... Taxi Driver and You Were Never Really Here need no explanation, nor does The King of Comedy (which works subtly due to the Fleck character, and directly due to Robert De Niro appearing in both films).  Some of the more unique references, however, are found when we take a closer look at Fleck... his connection with his mother and their fascination with TV gave me Requiem for a Dream feels.  His delusional nature and the way he projects his thoughts onto the world felt similar to Jacob’s Ladder at times.  Even Fleck’s self-aggrandizing dances, specifically the one he does in the bathroom after finding his power in the wake of killing the Wayne Enterprises workers, gave me feels of John Cusack’s dance he does for Catherine Keener after bedding her in Being John Malkovich.  All of this texture, combined with the blurring of lines between Gotham and New York, is really what makes this film work.  

On a technical level, this film is an astonishing achievement for Phillips, and one that shows incredible growth as a director.  The dark, reality-based humor from some of his lighter films is present, but the laser focus on it puts it front and center as the driving force that inspires his Fleck character.  The brooding score is offset by unique, upbeat music cues, bringing a manic-depressive feel to the soundtrack of the film.  Phillips uses EXTREMELY subtle touches to differentiate between Joker’s real and delusional moments, but the subtlety is so nuanced that it is not always immediately obvious in regards to the nature of what we’re seeing.  Joker’s wardrobe and makeup dance around the traditional presentation of the iconic comic and film character for the majority of the film, eventually landing on something that is close enough to the standard presentation, while still being unique to the world created by Phillips for Joker.  The textured city, as well as the unclear time/era of the film due to allusions to real moments in New York history, gives the narrative an uncanny valley feel while we search for something distinguishing to hang onto the film in terms of era and location. 

While many have been surprised by the depth of Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, it seems to me that he channeled the best parts of his performances in The Master and You Were Never Really Here in order to hone on in the troubled persona that alludes to the creation of the Joker.  Robert De Niro brings the charm of a late night host and comedian that translates into a sort of fatherly inspiration for the Fleck character, paralleling the characters as diametric opposites, and fueling the fire for their eventual meeting.  Frances Conroy is a living mirror to hold up against Phoenix in terms of the troubled mindstate he portrays, and the possibility/inevitability of his future.  Zazie Beatz is used mostly in an accessory manner, but her presence helps stir the pot of confusion in terms of reality and delusion, based on her demeanor.  Brett Cullen brings a darker, sinister and less humane feel to the Wayne patriarch, symbolizing human greed and power more so than class and admirable qualities.  Glenn Fleshler allows himself to wallow in a swinging, two-face nature that sways from ‘friend’ to ‘foe’, sometimes within the same conversation, towards the Fleck character and his coworkers.  Bill Camp and Shea Whigham get to dive into the old school NYPD detective energy, channeling films like The French Connection despite their small role.  Brief appearances by Marc Maron, Leigh Gill, Josh Pais, Brian Tyree Henry, Douglas Hodge, Bryan Callen and Justin Theroux (uncredited) round things out.

I think due to my personal connection with Heath Ledger’s career (and my personal dislike of it), and the way he won my respect in his portrayal of the Joker, he will always be my choice for the best.  That being said, Joker is a true shining achievement on the level of Logan in terms of how it takes a superhero/comic property and turns it into a gripping, emotional film.  As much as I’d like to see a Joaquin Phoenix-style Joker butt heads with a Robert Pattison-portrayed Batman, I am willing to accept this project as the beautiful one-off that it has been advertised to be.  Definitely worth seeing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes some noise when awards season arrives.

[almasgeeks]

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Mañana llega #Guasón. 🤡 Pon tu mejor cara! Solo en cines.🍿 @wbpictureslatam . . . #joker #jokermovie #JoaquinPhoenix #RobertDeNiro #ZazieBeetz #MarcMaron #FrancesConroy #SheaWhigham #BillCamp #GlennFleshler #BrenttCuller #DouglasHodge #BrianTyreeHenry y #JoshPais #ToddPhlipss #thriller #drama #film #movies #panama #panamá #pty #507 #panamacity #panama507 #us #hollywood #geek #art #arte #almasgeeks (en Ciudad de Panama) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3IOUiyhNOY/?igshid=17z62boro9yo

[goku20193]

#Leonardo #JoshPais #MichaelTurney #90sKids #PartnersInKryme #Donatello #KevinClash #AprilONeil #Raphael #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles #CaseyJones #ToshishiroObata #FootClan #TurtlePower #DavidMcCharen #Michaelangelo #MichaelMcConnohie #Cowabunga #EliasKoteas #JamesSaito #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMovie #Shredder #JudithHoag #1990s #NewLineCinema #Tatsu #BrianTochi #DannyPennington #MasterSplinter https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKGEpjrXaiL0UmEsqATRLdzhbkQh7AxOgfXIE0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[adafine]

Horror Movie Marathon (2019) October 12th 30. Scream 3 (2000) Directed by Wes Craven #scream3 #wescraven #nevecampbell #davidarquette #courtneycox #parkerposey #scottfoley #rogerjackson #patrickdempsey #kellyrutherford #lievschreiber #rogercorman #lancehenriksen #joshpais #deonrichmond #jennymccarthy #mattkeeslar #emilymortimer #patrickwarburton #kevinsmith #jasonmewes #ehrenkruger #peterdeming #marcobeltrami #patricklussier #bluray (at El Apartamento De Sweeney) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3mbe-Pg0vC/?igshid=1posvy4xajt6b

[popgirlnyc]

#EdwardNorton #ednorton #brucewillis #gugumbatharaw #bobbycannavale #willemdafoe #joshpais @motherlessbklyn @thenyff @filmlinc #nyff closing night - made it to the end! Another memorable fest! https://www.instagram.com/p/B3kqbMShC_K/?igshid=ujqv9s0l8aad

[globalmediahome]

Joker Just Days Away From Making $1 Billion at the Box Office

Todd Phillips' Joker is likely the most gainful comic book film at any point made and as indicated by industry specialists, it's not only days from intersection the begrudged billion-dollar achievement. The theory originates from the group at Exhibitor Relations, which recommends the motion picture will cross the benchmark at some point in the coming week, joining the positions of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises and James Wan's Aquaman as the main DC Comics movies to make north of $1 billion around the world. As of this composition, Joker has netted a strong $984 million all around. On the off chance that there's been a motion picture late that has been a gem waiting to be discovered, you need not look more remote than the Joaquin Phoenix-featuring film. Buried in discussion encompassing its discharge, the Warner Brothers film has remained on course to numbers any studio might want to see move in. Before the end of last month, the film even become the most elevated acquiring R-evaluated motion picture to ever hit theaters. What's more, it's imaginable the world's most beneficial comic book adjustment, to a great extent thanks to a limited extent to a revealed creation spending plan of just $70 million. Joker is now playing in theaters everywhere, starring Joaquin Phoenix (Arthur Fleck/Joker), Zazie Beetz (Sophie Dumond), Robert De Niro (Murray Franklin), Brett Cullen (Thomas Wayne), Frances Conroy (Penny Fleck), Marc Maron (Ted Marco), Douglas Hodge (Alfred Pennyworth), Josh Pais (Hoyt Vaughn), Bryan Tyree Henry, Bryan Callen, Shea Whigham, and Glen Fleshler. Other upcoming DC Movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022. Source: https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/11/10/joker-box-office-billion-dollars-days-away/ Read the full article

[mrstardust2-blog]

#Scream3 #NeveCampbell #CourteneyCox #DavidArquette #LievSchreiber #KellyRutherford #JulieJanney #PatrickDempsey #RichmondArquette #RogerJackson #LynnMcRee #ScottFoley #EmilyMortimer #ParkerPosey #KevinSmith #JasonMewes #CarrieFisher #WesCraven #EthanErickson #MatthewLillard #MattKeeslar #DeonRichmond #LanceHenriksen #Stab3 #JoshPais #ReturnToWoodsboro

[tamarabeck]

Washington Square

Moise Mordancy, Daniel Sovich, Cristian DeMeo, David Levi and Chloë Sevigny in Downtown Race Riot. For more, visit www.thenewgroup.org. Photo credit: Monique Carboni Riots are inherently frightening incidents. The New Group’s presentation of Seth Zvi Rosenfeld Downtown Race Riot, based on true events and running through December 23rd at the Pershing Square Signature Center, resonates with menace.…

[ben-mendelsohn]

joshpais #tbt On set with #benmendelsohn and @nicole_holofcener (Give her an Oscar, please) #landofsteadyhabits

[film-book]

‎

Film Review: FUNNY PAGES (2022): An Inspired but Sometimes Lackluster Story of a Young Cartoonist's Escapades https://film-book.com/film-review-funny-pages-2022-an-inspired-but-sometimes-lackluster-story-of-a-young-cartoonists-escapades/?feed_id=95932&_unique_id=6312b308c995c

[jamest541975]

HALLOWEEN-A-THON 2021 Video 107: SCREAM 3 #halloweenathon #halloweenathon2021 #scream3 #cottonweary #lievschreiber #bethtoussaint #rogerjackson #christine #kellyrutherford #sidneyprescott #nevecampbell #galeweathers #courtneycox #juliejanney #richmondarquette #markkincaid #patrickdempsey #maureenprescott #lynnmcree #nancyodell #kentaylor #romanbridger #scottfoley #rogercorman #johnmilton #lancehenriksen #wallace #joshpais #tysonfox #deonrichmond https://www.instagram.com/p/CU-mvKrP3gx/?utm_medium=tumblr

[doomonfilm]

Favorites : Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Anybody my age is hard pressed to not be a casual Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan... most, however, are downright obsessed with the sewer-dwelling, pizza-eating, ninjitsu-skilled mutant amphibians.  Debates about your favorite turtle could theoretically last forever, but when it comes to the best film, there’s one clear cut winner in my book, and that is the 1990 classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

New York City is in the midst of a crime wave, but reporter April O’Neal (Judith Hoag) has a feeling that there is more to it than standard petty crime.  Her investigations uncover the presence of the Foot Clan, a seemingly mysterious organization with roots to ancient Japan that has recruited the corrupted youth of New York to do their criminal bidding.  April’s investigation not only gets her in hot water with her boss Charles Pennington (Jay Patterson) and Police Chief Sterns (Raymond Serra), but April finds herself the target of the Foot Clan.  Luckily, during an assault, she is rescued by Raphael (Josh Pais), a mutant turtle with ninjitsu fighting skills.  April is knocked out during the battle, and when she comes to, she finds herself deep in the sewer in Raphael’s lair, along with his brothers Leonardo (Brian Tochi), Donatello (Corey Feldman), Michelangelo (Robbie Rist) and their master Splinter (Kevin Clash), a human-sized rat.  Naturally, April is shocked, but the turtles win her over.  Little do they know, however, that the Foot Clan trailed the turtles to their lair, and during a visit to April’s home, the Foot kidnap Splinter.  The Foot also ambush Raphael, April and the turtles, but with the help of the rogue Casey Jones (Elias Koteas), they are able to escape.  With Splinter held captive by the Foot and their mysterious leader, The Shredder (David McCharen), the turtles must overcome their biggest challenge yet in order to keep their family in tact.

Even though the Ninja Turtles were well on their way to becoming the larger than life cartoons we know them as today, this film embraces their darker origins, and by proxy, New York City as a character in its own right.  I remember being genuinely shocked at Raphael yelling ‘Damn!’ multiple times in the movie, as I was not accustomed to my childhood heroes cursing (outside of Bart Simpson).  The grittiness of the turtles and their environment, as well as April’s real life looks (and the shock of Casey Jones and his nearly villain look, saved by his personality) instilled an idea of the hero in the shadows for me much better than Batman ever did.  Their focus on their art stood in stark contrast to the greediness of the Foot Clan, making the film come off closer to something like Taxi Driver than a movie based on a comic book, but for a teenage audience (and an audience that it did not pander to, at least until the sequel).

The way that the film drives home the importance of family without being too heavy-handed or hokey is a testament to how strong the storytelling is.  Most people were already familiar with the origin of the turtles, Splinter and The Shredder by the time the film was released, but the connection between Splinter and the turtles really shines in this film.  By comparison, the fractured family that is the Foot Clan serves as a direct negative comparison against the turtles and crew, even with misfits like April O’Neal and Casey Jones joining the ranks of the turtles.  Watching real people with real problems come together and band with mutant creatures with real problems is surprisingly heartwarming.  

The puppet work done to make the turtles become believable fighters is a testament to both their design and the choreography.  Even with the choice to make the fighting a bit more on the cartoonish side, the combination of the puppetry and the selling of the action by the stuntment dressed Foot Clan members works perfectly.  Despite its dark tone, this film is consistently funny, a balance that no other Ninja Turtles film has been able to match (in my opinion).  The score is the perfect in-between of TV/episodic serial repetition (with that signature stinger) and enough film-based score beats to really drive home the emotional moments.  The costume design is on point, varying away from the source material when it works, and staying true to the source material when it can.

Despite her lack of signature yellow jumpsuit, I really enjoyed Judith Hoag as April O’Neal, mostly due to her no-nonsense attitude and her ability to actually display a sense of caring about those close to her... call it a humanity, if you will.  By contrast, I loved Elias Koteas for every opposite reason : his brashness, crassness and inability to read the room were all pitch-perfect for Casey Jones.  The voice casting of the turtles is also on point : Brian Tochi provides the frustration of Leonardo trying to lead, Josh Pais crystalized what Raphael was to me via his anger and quick temper, Robbie Rist provided nonstop levity as Michaelangelo, and Corey Feldman made crowd favorite Donatello incredibly easy to relate to with his ‘dude-ness’.  Michael Turney was sufficient as troubled teenager Danny, which makes the smaller casting of Sam Rockwell and Skeet Ulrich slightly funny, in hindsight.  Appearances by Jay Patterson and Raymond Serra round out the texture of New York, while the villains come to life via solid actor/voice pairings (James Saito and David McCharen for The Shredder, and Toshishiro Obata with Michael McConnohie as Tatsu, respectively).

It’s crazy to think that there are people out there who have not seen this film yet, but if you are one of the rare few that has seen everything but the original film, do yourself a favor and set aside 90 minutes.  It will be well worth your time.

[almasgeeks]

#Joker se convierte en la película de clasificación R con mayor recaudación mundialmente. 🤡 Superando a #deadpool. @vancityreynolds Celebro el triunfo de la cinta de #ToddPhillipps, publicando este arte. #jokermovie #JoaquinPhoenix #RobertDeNiro #ZazieBeetz #MarcMaron #FrancesConroy #SheaWhigham #DouglasHodge #BrianTyreeHenry y #JoshPais #thriller #drama #film #movies #panama #panamá #pty #507 #panamacity #panama507 #us #hollywood #poster #art #arte #almasgeeks (en Panama City, Panama) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4DPpPEBxOg/?igshid=1xrb3uzb8ss0t

[goku20193]

#Leonardo #JoshPais #MichaelTurney #90sKids #PartnersInKryme #Donatello #KevinClash #AprilONeil #Raphael #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles #CaseyJones #ToshishiroObata #FootClan #TurtlePower #DavidMcCharen #Michaelangelo #MichaelMcConnohie #Cowabunga #EliasKoteas #JamesSaito #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMovie #Shredder #JudithHoag #1990s #NewLineCinema #Tatsu #GoldenHarvest #DannyPennington #MasterSplinter https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKF-8OrltdR4_T0IfosLokqiGBQkyRe7thZDI0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=