The Hurdles of Writing ‘The King of Kings’ for the Big Screen
It’s Easter week, and appropriately, a movie about the life of Jesus Christ is opening this weekend. This one stars Joaquin Phoenix in the role of ‘The King of Kings,’ even though the main emphasis, and title character, is Mary Magdalene (played by Rooney Mara). Among other strengths of the movie, this one rights the […]
Filmmaker Daniel Farrands Tells a Moving, Yet Chilling Story About Sharon Tate
For the longest time, writer/director Daniel Farrands has found himself drawn to telling the story of Sharon Tate and her friends who were killed by members of the Charles Manson cult in 1969. He lives in LA, where of course, those infamous Bel Air murders are never too far from discussion whenever someone mentions the […]
“The Haunting of Sharon Tate” Examines a Horrific Crime with Surprising Sensitivity
The infamous Manson Family murders have been the subject of numerous films, TV movies, true crime specials, and documentaries over the past 50 years, but never in the way Daniel Farrands presents the story. His new film The Haunting of Sharon Tate focuses on the title character who was killed by the followers of Charles Manson, […]
What Makes for a Successful Live-Action Adaptation of a Disney Cartoon?
The new live-action version of Dumbo made a respectable $45 million its opening weekend, but its 50% fresh score at RottenTomatoes.com helps explain why it didn’t do better. Most critics, like yours truly, praised its production values and the adorable CGI-created title character, but the other elements of director Tim Burton’s reimagining were mostly detrimental. […]
The Live-Action “Dumbo” Forgets to Keep It Simple
The classic Disney animated feature Dumbo from 1941 was a mere 64 minutes long. The new live-action version is one-hour and 52 minutes. This new take on the material pads out the story, adding dozens of human characters into the mix while lessening the focus on the baby elephant character with the ginormous ears. As […]
