I am a big fan of HBO and much of HBO’s original programming, now it looks like there will be another quality production added to the long list of HBO classics. I almost forgot to mention that this instant (fingers crossed) classic, directed by Barry Levinson, could star a great (I’m talkin’ not seen since Any Given Sunday) performance from Al Pacino, also starring Susan Sarandon, Danny Huston and John Goodman — this cannot disappoint, dare I say jinx proof. Here’s the synopsis for You Don’t Know Jack:

Kevorkian, known as Dr. Death, assisted in more than 130 suicides. After willingly sending a videotape of himself euthanizing a terminally ill man to “60 Minutes”, he was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder and spent eight years in prison before getting paroled in 2007.

Loosely based on Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie’s book, Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia, the HBO film follows Kevorkian’s (Pacino) rise as he builds his infamous Mercy Machine and sets out to perform assisted suicides while waging an epic legal battles defending a patient’s ‘right to die’.

John Goodman will play Nicol, a friend and co-worker of Kevorkian since 1961 and a steadfast supporter of the right to die.

Susan Sarandon will play Janet Good, an activist with the Hemlock Society who becomes one of Jack’s staunchest supporters, working side by side with him to make humane suicide available to the terminally ill and suffering.

The two teaser trailers for the film, found here and here, have the visual and audible beauty of the trailer for Sean Penn’s Milk. I can’t wait to “know Jack,” can you?

Mia Wasikowska, the Australian actress soon to be seen in Amelia and as the lead in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, is in final discussions to join the cast of Gus Van Sant’s new project, Restless. Van Sant is the director of Elephant and the Oscar-winning Milk. Restless will be made through Columbia Pictures.

So far, Wasikowska is the only actor cast in the film, which center around “the complex tale of a teenage boy and girl who share a preoccupation with mortality.” Sounds like Van Sant’s sort of thing.

The film previously got attention for being produced by Bryce Dallas Howard and her father Ron Howard, along with Brian Grazer. Slowly this project is moving forward. Keep your eyes on AtomicPopcorn.net for more updates!

This past week, I revisited the Back to the Future trilogy, directed by Robert Zemeckis. These films essentially laid the groundwork for Michael J. Fox’s career — the man is synonymous with Marty McFly. The movies are a mad dash, guaranteed to raise your stress level and blood pressure no matter how many times you see them. I swear, I always think Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty are going to miss their one lighting quick chance to send Marty back to the future in the first film, despite watching it happen probably hundreds of times.

They got me thinking though — do we have any young actors like Fox in these films, frantic but cool, likeable but authoritative? Do any young guys have a role that’s so synonymous with their name that they’ll never be able to part from it?

Shia LeBeouf, for example, is probably most closely associated with the Transformers movies. As Sam Witwicky, he has the Spielbergian frantic nature of the young male role down pat. He’s aloof and certainly likeable (perhaps diminished by his off-screen personality, in some people’s opinions). But I never felt while watching those films that he was supposed to be anything but “cool.” Marty McFly was cool, but also in over his head, naive and fairly stupid. LeBeouf actually probably comes closer to resembling this in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a role that he was pretty hated for.

It seems that Hollywood has been unable to tether young actors to blockbuster roles the way Fox has forever been tied to McFly. Heath Ledger will obviously be legendary for his work as The Joker, but he was approaching his thirties, and certainly The Joker wasn’t a hero. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, despite turning in stunningly great performances, doesn’t conjure up a particular name other than his own.

Daniel Radcliffe is the only actor, in my mind, who has achieved this — he is the face of the Harry Potter franchise, and likely always will be. Perhaps Robert Pattinson in Twilight, as much as it hurts me to say, embodies this as well? Michael Cera still has a chance, as does Emile Hirsch, to become the face of a series or franchise that a generation can connect to.

Two notes before I’m out of here — first, this isn’t to say that young actors aren’t turning in good work. In fact, I’d argue that the shift from big blockbuster roles to more sophisticated character pieces is a great thing that’s happened. I’d much rather see Emile Hirsch turn in a wonderful performance in Milk than another Speed Racer, and Gordon-Levitt’s (500) Days of Summer was as relatable to me as a young man as any big blockbuster could hope to be.

Second: I’m not excluding female actors for any reason other than I intend to write more about their presence in big Hollywood films in the future. That, and I think the male dominance in pop culture-accessible roles like Marty McFly in Back to the Future has shifted to a female dominance in a big, big way.

Till next time, folks.

Bryce Dallas Howard is royal blood in Hollywood, single-handedly able to use her name’s sway to push projects into motion and repeatedly save the career of M. Night Shyamalan. Also, she’s as talented as the best actresses on the scene today, so I wouldn’t dare complain.

Lately, she’s convinced first time writer friend Jason Lew to form a script called Restless, which she’s brought forward to her father and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment. Now the lucky guy has gotten his script attached to Milk director Gus Van Sant for development.

The script is only sparsely detailed at the moment, but the Hollywood Reporter claims it is a “contemporary and distinctive take on young love.” Sounds like 500 Days of Summer to me. With a script good enough to impress some of the most powerful producers/directors in the game, I have a feeling we’re in for something special. Maybe even Oscar-worthy, as the Academy showed its willingness to give first-time writers awards with last year’s Milk.

Stay tuned for more details on the project as it develops.

Milk DVD Details

We have some info on the upcoming release of Milk on Blu-Ray. I have yet to see the award winning film, but I will own it on Blu-ray in a few weeks. Here is the press release below.

OVERVIEW:
Winner of two Academy Awards®  including Best Actor for Sean Penn and Best Original Screenplay for Dustin Lance Black, Milk is based on the powerful and inspirational true story. Harvey Milk – a true man of the people – was a fighter for human rights and a hero for all Americans.  Two-time Oscar ® winner Sean Penn (Milk, Mystic River) and an all-star cast including Josh Brolin (W, No Country for Old Men), Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Diego Luna (Y tu mama tambien) and James Franco (Spiderman trilogy) star in this remarkable and triumphant story of an ordinary man whose life changed history and whose courage changed lives.

Over 200 critics rave – “One of the year’s best pictures!”

BONUS FEATURES (DVD and BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF):

• DELETED SCENES
• REMEMBERING HARVEY: Film clips and photos from the set of Milk illustrate stories and reflections from people close to Harvey: Cleeve Jones, Daniel Nicoletta, Frank Robinson, Carol Ruth Silver, Anne Kronenberg and Allan Baird.
• HOLLYWOOD COMES TO SAN FRANCISCO: Cast and crew discuss the development of the script, making of the film and share stories from the set.
• MARCHING FOR EQUALITY: People on hand for the shooting of the march sequences (including Gilbert Baker, Cleeve Jones, and Daniel Nicoletta) discuss the shoot and remember the marches of the 1970s.
  

EXCLUSIVE TO Blu-rayTM Hi-Def:
· BD-LIVETM: Access the BD-LiveTM Center through your Internet-connected player to download more exclusive content, the latest trailers and more!
o MY SCENES SHARING: Bookmark your favorite scenes from the movie then share with your BD-Live buddies!

SYNOPSIS: Academy Award ® winner Sean Penn stars in this stirring celebration of Harvey Milk, a true man of the people.  Based on the inspiring true story of the first openly gay man elected to major public office, this compelling film follows Milk’s powerful journey to inspire hope for equal rights during one of the least tolerant times of our nation’s history.  With a stunning ensemble cast, it’s the emotionally charged story that was proclaimed the winner of the New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture Award!

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD
Street Date: March 10, 2009
Copyright: 2009 Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Selection Number: 62105870
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running time: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layer
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Rating: R for language, some sexual content and brief violence
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: March 10, 2009
Copyright: 2009 Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Selection Number: 62105869
Price: $39.98 SRP
Running Time: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
Layers:  BD-50
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rating: R for language, some sexual content and brief violence
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Sound: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

CAST AND FILMMAKERS
Cast: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco
Written By: Dustin Lance Black
Directed By: Gus Van Sant
Casting By: Francine Maisler, C.S.A.
Music By: Danny Elfman
Costume Designer: Danny Glicker
Editor: Elliot Graham
Production Designer: Bill Groom
Director of Photography: Harris Savides, A.S.C.
Executive Producers:  Michael London, Dustin Lance Black, Bruna Papandrea, Barbara A. Hall, William Horberg
Produced By: Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen

MARCH 10, 2009
OWN IT ON BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF & DVD
FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Critic's Choose Heath as their Choice

Last night, the 14th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards aired on VH1, and it was met with tumultuous applause.  Well, at least one particular award was and I’ll give you three guesses which, but you’re only going to need one.

Of course, I’m talking about the late Heath Ledger receiving a standing ovation after the actor won the Critics’ Choice for Best Supporting Actor for his haunting and menacing work as The Joker.  Director Christopher Nolan accepted on Ledger’s behalf, once again reiterating how pleased he was to have worked with Heath and also how happy he was to bring the actor’s career-defining role to audiences and for it to receive such recognition.

But that wasn’t the first time Nolan took the stage last night, as “The Dark Knight” also took home the award for Best Action Film.  This may mark the beginning of a swift Awards journey for the box office behemoth, as it’s already been nominated by the WGA and DGA for more awards as well as another nomination for Heath at the Golden Globes; nods for Oscars seem inevitable now.

Critics also chose winners just as worthy in the remaining categories, including Sean Penn as Best Actor, Danny Boyle as Best Director and Kate Winslet as Best Supporting Actress.  Below is a complete list of the winners:

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk

Best Actress was a TIE! : Meryl Streep, Doubt and Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Acting Ensemble: Milk

Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Writer: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

Best Young Actor/Actress (under 21): Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Action Movie: The Dark Knight

Best Comedy: Tropic Thunder

Best Picture Made For Television: John Adams

Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir

Best Documentary Feature: Man On Wire

Best Song: The Wrestler by Bruce Springsteen for The Wrestler

Best Composer: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire

So, do you agree or disagree with the critics?  Let us know!

Milk is the story of Harvey Milk. It’s a film that could have easily been a politicized puff piece dedicated to a so-called Great American Hero. Instead, director Gus Van Sant tells the story of a rather lucky gay guy who, by natural charisma and a borderline unhealthy love of power, begins a wave of support for gay rights that would eventually spread all across the country.

Sean Penn excels as a character actor, and if it wasn’t a true story I’d swear the part was written with Penn in mind. He completely becomes Harvey Milk, at first as a 40 year old businessman from New York City secretly in love with Scott Smith (James Franco, who pleasantly surprised me in this role). He quickly becomes the openly gay Milk who moves to San Francisco with Smith to open a camera shop on Castro Street.

As the self-appointed mayor of Castro, Milk spends a good deal of the story failing. He loses the race for Board of Supervisors three times before luck takes over. In 1977, the districts are redrawn in a way that works to Milk’s advantage, finally getting him elected to the coveted seat. The new Supervisor at one point says to the Mayor, “A homosexual with power, now that’s scary,” in a mildly threatening tone. It’s obvious that he likes his new power, maybe a little too much.

It’s partially that lust for power that drives some of the ironic elements of the story. Milk’s obsession with running for the Supervisor seat, a run he dedicates to the surrounding gay community, results in the loss of his committed partner of many years. His political alignments, when he is convinced to go back on his word to fellow supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin), drive White to depression, despair, alcoholism, and his eventual resignation from the board.

Dan White is portrayed as a socially awkward outcast looking for acceptance from constituents and fellow supervisors alike. When he finds neither, his descent into desperation is a picture of what happens to those who are cast out for being strange or different. He surprisingly resembles much of the supporting cast, the young homosexual men who made their way to Castro Street in search of acceptance. Wonderful performances by Emile Hirsch, Allison Pill, Joseph Cross, and others contributed light scenes and likeable characters to the depth of the story, complementing Penn’s strong performance by being both subtle and memorable.

Milk’s obsessions weren’t all bad. When Anita Bryant, a fervent religious activist for anti-gay legislation (portrayed by real archive footage of herself), campaigned against rights for homosexuals, it was Milk’s persistence that stirred up a revolution of young men (and a few women). His election to the Board of Supervisors allegedly saved a few lives of some who had given up hope. And his stubborn will to speak out to anyone who would listen was the driving force behind the fight against Proposition 6, a measure on the California ballot that proposed to legalize the firing of school teachers simply for being gay.

The juxtaposition of enormous success alongside ironic failure created a uniquely realistic story about the beginnings of the gay rights movement that continues today. Harvey Milk’s tragic murder happened at the peak of his influence, shot by a social outcast looking for a friend. That would’ve been the appropriately sad end to this beautiful story, too, if it weren’t for the archive footage of his candlelight procession, stretching for miles into the night.

Harvey Milk, who began his soapbox speeches by telling crowds, “I want to recruit you,” had recruited thousands of young men and women to carry on his flawed, obsessive hope.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆