The plot certainly has possibilities, but far too many of them are botched by writer - director David Koepp, who's a better
writer than director.
Unfortunately Hill is a better
writer than a director as what could have been exciting lays lame most of the time with predictable staging and unbelievably overblown characters.
He's always been a better
writer than a director, and while this is his most accomplished work behind the camera, oddly his script fails him.
Sorkin is a better
writer than director.
Not exact matches
Food and Drink - Summer 2013 -(Page 1) tableside chat Nothing Ventured EDITORIAL
DIRECTOR John Krukowski
[email protected] EDITORIAL MANAGER Brian Salgado MANAGING EDITOR Staci Davidson SENIOR EDITORS Alan Dorich, Russ Gager Jim Harris, Marta Jiménez - Lutter, Jamie Morgan SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Chris Petersen CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS Eddie Adkins, Judi Cutrone Charlie Hopper, Allen Klevens, Matthew Levy George Martin, Ryan Miske David Vander Haar, Jeff Weidauer Are consumers — perhaps motivated by tight budgets — choosing to stick with their tried - and - true restaurant favorites rather
than take a risk on a new SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF EDITORIAL RESEARCH Jason Quan spot?
A public relations
director by day, Maris is also a brand spokesperson, freelance
writer and media relations expert with more
than 10 years experience working with consumer brands.
Prior to that, Halperin had her hand at Hollywood for more
than 30 years, where she worked as an agent, film distributor, and on many television shows as a
writer,
director, and producer.
The fault falls with the screenplay, penned by no less
than three
writers — Sean Anders (co -
writer /
director of «Sex Drive,» a long way from home), John Morris (who co-wrote «Sex Drive,» «Hot Tub Time Machine» and «She's Out of My League» with Anders), and Jared Stern (who contributed «additional script materials» to «Bolt» and «The Princess and the Frog «-RRB-.
Writer /
director Joshua Michael Stern has crafted something more
than a mess and something less
than a film that hits home.
The promising atmosphere is perpetuated by an engrossing early sequence in which the central foursome debate the fates of three seemingly innocent bystanders, and yet it's equally clear that the movie begins to peter out almost immediately following that electrifying interlude - as
writer /
director Berg's less -
than - cinematic visual choices result in a lack of thrills that grows more and more problematic as time progresses.
First - time
writer -
director Aimee Lagos» time - skipping thriller ultimately adds up to less
than the sum of its parts, but good performances by the youthful cast help compensate for the overly familiar story.
There should be more point to dramatizing something
than the fact that it has yet to be dramatized, and it's not entirely clear if
writer Tim Talbott or
director Kyle Patrick Alvarez know what that reason is.
[Her] Dickensian childhood provides real intrigue, but
writer -
director Stephen Bradley portrays the grown - up Noble as a messianic figure, making her philanthropy seem like acts of hubris rather
than selflessness.
Writer -
director Paul Thomas Anderson crafts a plot of manipulation and chance, in which some zigs and zags are more convincing
than others.
Having not read the source novel, I take
writer -
director Alex Garland at his word when he admits his adaptation is a dream, of the memory, of the novel; rather
than a literal page - to - screen copy.
Tim Robbins ranks among contemporary cinema's most acclaimed and provocative voices; a multifaceted talent, he has proved so adept at wearing the various hats of actor,
writer, and
director that no less a figure
than the legendary filmmaker Robert Altman declared him the second coming of Orson Welles.
You don't have to look too far or to deep to find the similarities among
writer /
director Andrew Niccol's three science fiction films (I'm ignoring The Host, which is more Stephanie Meyer
than Niccol).
But
director /
writer Richard Brooks has a little more on his mind
than simply a horse race and those liberal causes are what the piece is really about.
There might not be a better combination of
director,
writer, and star
than Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody and Charlize Theron, who previously collaborated on the delightfully wicked «Young Adult» (Cody also penned the Oscar - winning screenplay for Reitman's «Juno»).
Writer -
director Jeff Lowell could have gone many different ways with this idea — the screwball comedy of Heaven Can Wait, say, or even the wistful, unabashed romanticism of Ghost — but he takes the low road more often
than not.
The low - budget flick made big money, but somehow — in what's surely a behind - the - scenes Hollywood story crueler
than anything Strangers
writer -
director Bryan Bertino could get onscreen — it's taken ten years for a sequel to make it to theaters.
Sholder, who directed the underrated «Nightmare on Elm Street 2», is a powerhouse
director and
writer who deftly explores the wayward perception that people moshing to a band named «The Sick Fucks» is more insane
than the tranquil innards of the institution.
An energetic and curiously faithful remake of the 1984 film of the same name starring Kevin Bacon,
writer -
director Craig Brewer's Footloose is a virtual cinematic poison pill to anyone irrevocably divorced from any trace memories of adolescent feeling, and further proof that in life but especially art feeling is stronger
than thought.
What makes «Very Bad Things» a more rewarding experience
than other films in its genre is that
writer -
director Peter Berg seems to be onto the fact that he's making a piece of shock schlock and not a sociological pronouncement.
Another comedy from McCarthy's
writer -
director husband Ben Falcone, Life of the Party gets nothing more
than a satisfactory grade.
As for the substance behind this series, no matter how much the final product both bloats and hurries itself along, it's hard as all get - out to deny the value within Alex Haley's «factional» tale, which is rich with the potential for compellingness and thematic depth that, more often
than not, recieves justice from teleplay
writer and source material book completer David Stevens, who draws lively characterization and depth, which in turn recieves its own bit of justice from
director John Erman.
It's a compelling premise that's initially employed to less -
than - impressive effect by Johnson, as the
writer /
director has infused the early part of the proceedings with a style - over-substance feel that prevents one from embracing either the characters or the narrative.
The retired patriarch of a New York - based Chinese - American family finds that escaping the insanity of his decidedly dysfunctional clan is more difficult
than he anticipated in a thoughtful family drama from
writer /
director Georgia Lee.
Writer -
director Joshua Marston gives Shannon a chance to shine as a character more pedestrian
than the ones he usually plays, though the story is a little too thesis driven to build any dramatic momentum.
I don't know who's to blame: exec prods,
directors,
writers, etc but more
than one of them worked hard to mess up a good thing.
But this isn't exactly News to anyone; George Lucas, who seems more like a world - leader to me
than just a plain «ol
writer /
director, has been wowing audiences since the release of A New Hope in 1977.
A sweet, deeply personal portrayal of female adolescence that's more attuned to the bonds between best girlfriends
than casual flings with boys,
writer -
director Greta Gerwig's beautiful Lady Bird flutters with the attractively loose rhythms of youth.
One could go on to discuss the committed and rather spectacular performance that Miles Teller gives in the role Pazienza, or the cool aesthetic that matches the time period in small, effective ways, but despite the casts best efforts and
writer /
director Ben Younger's endeavor to paint more a portrait of a man determined to overcome the odds rather
than going through the motions of another redemptive sports tale, Bleed for This unfortunately ends up reducing itself to just that.
In reflecting upon the harsh, elemental poetry of Yorkshire - set «God's Own Country,» the startlingly assured debut of English
writer -
director Francis Lee, it's unsurprising that her words spring more readily to mind
than his.
In this and his other war - related films Pride of the Marines (1945) and Task Force (1949),
writer /
director Daves emphasized the anxieties and tribulations of the individual soldier, rather
than resorting to gaudy Hollywood heroics.
Debut
writer -
director Chris Kelly, a
writer on «SNL,» digs in rather
than relying on contrived, movie - ready set pieces (as in the similar «The Hollars»), making this gay «Garden State» rich with naturalistic comedy as well as beautifully touching moments.
To the enormous credit of these preternaturally clever
writer -
directors, the above paragraph contains more low - hanging Lego puns
than the movie itself, which relies on ingenuity and genuinely inspired twists on what audiences expect from such an experience to deliver a constant stream of engagement and laughs.
Not only can a sequel be better
than the original, but it can be done with the same
director and
writer.
Writer /
director Nicole Holofcener has an incredible cast with Enough Said but fails to execute something more
than sit - com situations.
He has been making movies for more
than four decades and is responsible for more classics
than any other
writer -
director in history, with the exception of his idol, Ingmar Bergman.
When: October 18th Why: The talky financial thriller «Margin Call» did a better job of showcasing
writer /
director J.C. Chandor's screenwriting skills
than his ability behind the camera, but for his sophomore effort, Chandor has bravely removed that variable from the equation.
From actress turned
writer /
director Marielle Heller (A Walk Among Tombstones) comes the latest new - age, post-modern, feminist movement film that doesn't accomplish much more
than Aubrey Plaza did with raunchy comedy The To - Do List.
DVD Extras Anamorphic 1.85:1; incredibly atmospheric animated menus; scene selection; choice of 2.0 / Dolby digital 5.1; full audio commentary by co -
writer /
director Shane Meadows, co -
writer / star Paddy Considine, and producer Mark Herbert (all giggling), revealing that the decision to include Anthony in scenes other
than flashbacks was last - minute, that the script changed daily on - set, that the castle was a disused zoo, and that the original ending was too close to Get Carter; nine minutes of commentary out - takes (Easter egg); Optimum trailer reel; What U Sitting On?
It certainly doesn't help that the laughs are mostly absent, although first - time
writer -
director Michael Clancy does aim for the funny bone much more often
than he tries to tug on our heartstrings.
This is the
writer -
director's take on the promise of American ideals, even more so
than Django Unchained, for which it was originally intended as a sequel.
I have an alternative theory, and while I'm not sure if it's what Alex Garland (
writer and
director of the film) intended, it makes a lot more sense
than the alternative.
With
director Hytner and
writer Bennett reuniting, it's also interesting to note that more
than a dozen actors from The History Boys make appearances here.
When: June 20th Why: It's incredible how much can change over the course of just a few years, and no one knows that better
than Paul Haggis, who went from being one of the most sought - after
writer /
directors in Hollywood to a filmmaker that peaked a decade ago.
The first thought in my head is that
writer /
director David Gordon Green's Manglehorn is better
than his last SXSW film, Joe.
He gets to act really crazy, and burn up the screen with monologues about the majesty his his mighty cock, even thought
writer director Richard Shepard's film is more of an amuse - bouche
than anything else however.