There’s no getting around the fact that Ron Perlman has what it takes to play a barbarian. In fact, if you have any doubts just rent Howard McCain’s Outlander where he plays the big burly leader of a Viking clan. Add in the trailers for the upcoming Season of the Witch where he’s spearing wolves and monsters next to Nicolas Cage, and he seems like the perfect person to play the father of Robert E. Howard’s greatest creation, Conan the Barbarian. I prefer Perlman to Mickey Rourke, who was originally slated to take the role.

What happened there is that Tarsem Singh’s Dawn of War (the myth epic formerly known as War of the Gods) pulled in Rourke, and then Perlman signed on for the role of Corin, Conan’s dad. He’ll be playing papa to Jason Momoa, the Hawaiian model who’s stepping into the battle-hungry barbarian’s loincloth. Perlman is the latest addition to Marcus Nispel’s cast that also recently added Stephen Lang as the film’s villain, a sorcerer looking to rouse sleeping demonic forces, and Said Taghmaoui, the leader of a gang of thieves that joins forces with Conan.

Perlman, who currently plays the patriarch of a much different clan (bikers) on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, has made a career out of playing heroes and villians both monstrous and gentle. In fact, Perlman’s gift is the ability to move between the two, sometimes in the same role. Perlman made his biggest mark back in the 80’s, playing the half-human, half-feline Vincent, a subterranean vigilante with the soul of a poet, in television’s 3 season series Beauty and the Beast. He’s handled the tough guy with a warm center many times, including 1995’s City of Lost Children and Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy films.

I look forward to seeing what Perlman will do with this role and, in truth, how large the role really is. Previously, Conan’s dad was alive for just about five minutes before he was brutally killed by invading forces. I’m curious to see how it all fits together. Also, I’m wondering when/if we get to hear anymore about Perlman’s involvement in the follow-up to Don Coscarelli’s Bubba Ho-Tep, where he’ll be replacing Bruce Campbell as Elvis.

Following up a celtic warrior with The King would be something else.

What do you think? Is Perlman a better fit than Rourke?

Only 17 days after its premiere, Avatar will place itself among the most successful films in history by becoming only the fifth film ever to make $ 1 billion in worldwide box office sales.

Let’s put this in perspective: it took The Dark Knight 231 days to pass the coveted $1 billion mark back in 2008 and James Cameron’s other blockbuster Titanic, 44 days. Now, barely halfway into its second week, Cameron’s Avatar needs roughly $352.1 million domestically to glide across that finish line.

While Avatar was admittedly never intended to be a box office topper, it is currently doing so in Russia and is actually the best selling Hollywood movie ever in France, India and South Korea!

In this week’s Entertainment Weekly, the magazine tried to uncover the secret of the film’s success, since it had no franchise to build off of like most of its predecessors. According to Box Office Mojo, the fifth most successful film was The Dark Knight, then Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. In fact, the only movie to reach $1 billion outside a franchise was Cameron’s Titanic, the most successful movie of all time.

EW concluded the success lay in the glasses. Not only do some theaters charge up to $18.50 for IMAX tickets, but the buzz created by the new technology could be the cause for sold-out screenings.

Cameron is $800 million away from breaking his own box office record. So what if 75% of Avatar’s total worldwide gross was from the more expensive 3-D or IMAX tickets? Avatar may just become the highest grossing film, ever! If not it will certainly continue to break all kinds of other records, like the best gross ever for a film in its third fourth fifth weekend !

So what do you think? Does Pocahontas errrr I mean Avatar have what it takes to break the reigning champs record? Let us know in the comments below! See you there!

Seven out of ten times, I’m going to come out enjoying a film that operates on its own terms. It’s the first and best thing I can say about Michael Mann, which just adds to my fanboy nature when it comes to his work. As a more recent example, the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man just acts as its own entity from beginning to end, and never makes any apologies for it. While not as brilliant or as great as that picture, The Men Who Stare at Goats is that kid we all knew in high school. You’re not really sure who he is or what he’s about, but you know that when you spend time with him, you’re going to be entertained.

So why won’t this appeal to the masses? Very simply because of the script, which goes off the rails midway through the picture. Screenwriter Peter Straughan has some interesting ideas at work here, he just doesn’t know where to end it. Nor does he know where to take these ideas to turn them into a coherent story. Straughan likely read the book by Jon Ronson and came away so super excited over the material he decided to use it to write a script. Somewhere along the way someone forgot to tell him to go back and rewrite the film. It strives to be satirical, and many times almost gets to that point.

Director Grant Heslov doesn’t fail in making sure the movie stays entertaining at least during its brief runtime. He’s aided by a goofy-as-can-be George Clooney who acts like a kid on a roller coaster ride. It’s unclear what his Lyn Cassidy was written as, but Clooney takes him for an overconfident buffoon who feels he’s superhuman. The result is pure comedy, and a performance that guides one through the picture when it begins to get too outlandish for its own good. Clooney’s counterbalanced by a moody and glum Ewan McGregor who does a fine job as Bob Wilton, and plays off of his mustached partner elegantly. McGregor needs a film like this to get him back out there and this is a good jumping point.

Both are supported by Jeff Bridges who’s coasting by on his ‘Dude’ persona from The Big Lebowski. Obviously, that’s not a bad thing as he’s particularly great at it but he doesn’t really do anything we haven’t seen before. Kevin Spacey’s Larry Hooper is in a battle with Cassidy but not because they’re rivals like the story tells us. Spacey seems to be trying to one-up Clooney for “Goofiest Person In A Film”. While the edge might go to Spacey by the end, it never feels like Verbal Kint takes it too far. Stephen Lang also pops up, although it’s never clear why he’s there… but no matter. Lang’s always a joy to watch, as is Glenn Morshower, who’s in Transformers mode here. Again, never a bad thing.

Heslov does deserve credit for keeping all of these elements reigned in. He’s daunted with the task of trying to tell a coherent story amongst all the chaos, and he just goes with it. Heslov doesn’t hold anything back and doesn’t let any of his actors feel restrained by their roles. Instead of taking the “how can I save this?” attitude that directors sometimes  leave on their pictures, Heslov’s attitude toward this material is laid-back and fun. He’s perfectly aware things have gone up in smoke once the third act has arrived and does nothing to stop it from doing so. Maybe he’s smiling and laughing along with Cassidy and Hooper as they run rampant through an outpost.

This is what The Men Who Stare At Goats asks you to do. It cares if you like it, but at the same time it’s not afraid to just gleefully throw everything it can at you. Truth is, you’re either with this film from the opening frame, and just accept it in spite of itself when the later acts come, or you’re weary and far gone by the time said acts arrive. With that said, this film is tough to recommend to those on the fence. People interested should definitely give it a try, but the film isn’t for everyone and knows it. And sometimes, we need films like this that play by their own rules and offer up mildly entertaining exploits.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

It’s no secret that I think Michael Mann is the greatest director of all-time, dead or otherwise. One can throw all the Scorsese, Kurosawa, Ford, or Spielberg they want and I’ll still conclude that Mann is better than all of them. His style is unparalleled and has influenced my own approach to the way I make films. Maybe it’s how cool he makes everyone appear in his movies, or maybe it’s how no one does action better than him. Mr. Mann just has a touch to his films that really speaks to me. I’m awed by how well and how different he’ll shoot his material and how he builds his characters for the actors.  While not every one his films has been masterworks (Ali and The Keep come to mind) he rarely misses. Public Enemies, I’m proud to say, falls into the latter category.

Let’s address the look first which many have whined over since the first trailer has been released. Mann re-teamed with Dante Spinotti, the genius who helped him shoot Heat, for this picture and they used the new Sony F23 to film a good chunk of scenes. It looks nothing short of gorgeous and immerses the viewer in the 1933 era Mann so perfectly recreates. Had the picture been shot on film, the era would have been given a “glory days” type feel to it and that was never the intent of this story. Spinotti and Mann want to put the audience in the era, and shoot certain scenes as if one is next to Dillinger and company as they joyfully escape a prison or just had a successful score. Even better is a scene where Dillinger and Billie Frechette make love. Billie’s explanation of herself is inter-cut with the two engaged in intercourse to create cinematic beauty. The love-making is aggressively shot, in contrast to the stoic way Mann films the quieter moments of the scene. Perhaps though the best directed scene is Dillinger’s demise (which if you cry fowl over, do some research) and is nothing short of brilliant. Mann builds the scene by showing Dillinger watching Manhattan Melodrama and gives one the feeling Johnny thinks that’s him up on screen while Melvin Purvis and company wait patiently outside for him. It’s all subtle, yet pure magic as it unfolds to leave the viewer breathless.

Then of course, there’s the action and oh my, how amazing all of it is. By comparison, Michael Mann makes Michael Bay repeat every grade since pre-school. In fact, this is the most action packed of any of Mann’s films and he doesn’t fail. Where most directors blow their wad thirty, sometimes ten minutes into the film, the auteur that is Mann patiently builds up to an explosive shootout in Wisconsin that is arguably the best shootout since Mann’s own Heat. The action is placed wisely, moving the plot forward rather than slowing it down or happening just because it can. The opening prison break, as well as the other action pieces, all have a beginning, middle, and an end. But again, all the ones prior to the Wisconsin shootout don’t overshadow it and let it take center stage. Here is when Mann decides to go all out and deliver nothing but balls to the wall blitz and gunfire. What results is an edge of your seat sequence that blows the pants off of 99% of the summer blockbusters that claim to feature “dazzling action” or “superb effects”. Likely one will wish their theater handed out complimentary Tommy guns so they can fire back at the screen. The action in this film is just that terrific and is incredible and immersing the viewer into feeling like they’re there.

Every male’s dream was made a reality when Mann casted Christian Bale and Johnny Depp as the two leads and neither man disappoints. Let’s start with Johnny Depp who plays John Dillinger as reserved. True, Depp is known for being outlandish of his other roles but here he fits like a sequined glove. Like Vincent in Collateral, Depp’s Dillinger is cold and calculating but the epitome of slick and cool. The film obviously characterizes him as our protagonist, our hero, so you want to root for him. Mann has always excelled at making the villains the hero and here it’s no different. He shows Dillinger as an individual goes for the gold damning the consequences. Once faced with the consequences he finds a way out of it and it’s easy for Depp. Nothing comes off forced and not once does one wish for another actor to embody Dillinger. Much like Johnny himself, Depp has a presence that’s unparalleled. He commands the screen like few other actors have the ability to do and really feels at home here.

Complaints likely will be made about his relationship with Billie Frechette played by Oscar winner Marion Cotillard in that they lack chemistry. These people are wrong in every sense of the word. Their relationship isn’t in your face and much like everything else in the film is handled very subtly. Marion portrays Billie as someone who didn’t think much of herself and wasn’t headed anywhere until Dillinger came into her life. While it would have been nice to have another scene with them (and that’s one of the very few strikes against this film,) what we’re given is enough for one to form their own opinion on what their relationship was. Cotillard is fine as Billie, hitting the right notes and clicking just dandy with Depp’s Dillinger. They seem natural and not “in your face” or sappy.

The best performance though comes from Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis. He’s ten times better here than he was in Terminator Salvation and The Dark Knight. Purvis here, is the young hotshot who’s just making his way up the ladder. Instead of making jokes left and right, this iteration is unsure of himself and of the FBI. One of the best shots in the film comes during Purvis’ confrontation with Dillinger. “Do you think this’ll hold me?” Dillinger retorts or something to that effect and Purvis stops to give a very soft-spoken look of doubt. It’s a great counter to Depp’s confident Dillinger while making one sympathize for Purvis. He’s quite possibly the antagonist, but one that’s hard to root against. He wants Dillinger, like a kid wants a new toy on Christmas but he’s unsure if he’s going to get that shiny new bike. Bale is virtually flawless while never succumbing to what hindered his performances in his last few outings.

The supporters all lend a wonderful hand in making the film as great as it is, the standout being Stephen Lang who’s worked with Mann before. Also wonderful is Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover, playing him as a tough yet subdued boss. The real star here though is Mann’s direction. Likely, it’s the best directed film of the year so far and should (hopefully) earn a golden boy come February. No shot is unwelcome and Mann proves once again why he’s one of the best at placing music in his pictures. He conducts his actors in his own way, and the result is sheer genius. One might complain about his shots being “too shaky” but it’s not overdone and is meant to feel like the audience is looking at it. Mann has always achieved that in each of his movies and here it’s no different. Where Miami Vice was watching a maestro at work, Public Enemies is watching said maestro paint another masterpiece.

Mann always sticks some themes into his pictures and personally, different people are going to take something different from all films, not just his. Public Enemies gives the sense that Dillinger lived the American Dream in his own way. He was a celebrity (again, something else the film should have touched on a little bit more) due to his Robin Hood nature and even he had a kick out of it. With Frechette and Dillinger’s relationship, it feels as if Billie is filling a void in her life. For Dillinger it’s just going through the motions yet the film leans more toward Dillinger having feelings for Frechette. Did he? Mann ultimately leaves it up the audience to decide.

Melvin Purvis is the embodiment of a traditional hero. He knows the old way isn’t working and wants to shake up things. He represents the law our world is used to, and not the one that would let gangsters and such get away. In some respects the hero’s journey could be applied to him as he doubts himself, then is told by his superiors Dillinger is going to be a tough act to catch. He perseveres through it all, much like Luke does during the original Star Wars films. One of the final shots of Purvis walking down a Chicago street as chaos errupts around him, dressed in white. It’s this imagery that speaks good will prevail no matter how cool or chic bad might be at the time.

In case the previous 1503 words weren’t enough, I loved Public Enemies and feel it’s one of the years best. It comes with a warning though as Michael Mann’s style of filmmaking doesn’t cater to the masses. Through and through, this is a Michael Mann film that’s unapologetic in it’s approach and execution. Public Enemies demands one think on it and even watch it a second or third (or likey to be in my case six-hundredth) time to fully appreciate it. It’s not a film that one can easily come out of and proclaim “IT’S SO AWERESOME!” and needs time to chew on. Public Enemies isn’t for everyone, but for those it’s catered to, they’ll have witnessed a master who’s added another masterpiece to his repertoire.

Rating: ★★★★★