Posts tagged with “Burlesque”
SLIFF 2010: An Evening with Harry Shearer
Eeeeeexcellent!
The 19th Annual Stella Artois St Louis International Film Festival (but still SLIFF, because SASLIFF just looks silly) kicked off on a more somber note than had originally been intended, with the sudden death last week of St. Louis-born filmmaker George Hickenlooper turning the opening gala screening/reception featuring his new buzzy film Casino Jack into a makeshift memorial ceremony. (Of course, I missed this reportedly moving tribute, due to a sneak preview of Burlesque playing across town in Chesterfield. There are priorities, people!) The film’s star, Kevin Spacey, was respectfully in attendance and, according to a SLIFF rep, later closed several bars and, eventually, sidewalks, in and around the Loop. Friendly!) After such gravitas, I think a laugh or two was definitely in order. Funny songs about priests molesting deaf boys, anyone?
An evening with this guy.
Well, if that sounds fun to you (and it surprisingly was!), you likely (wish you had) caught the following night’s packed but surprisingly not sold out SLIFF coup, An Evening With Harry Shearer, a fun and revealing two hour live interview/career retrospective of the comic actor/writer/director, already in town to promote his Hurricane Katrina exposé doc, The Big Uneasy, which was screening the following afternoon in the same venue, the gloriously unfashionable time machine known as the Hi-Pointe theater. Read more »
Wigs for All, Pants for None
Warning: Photo may cause epileptic seizures.
BURLESQUE (2010/IN THEATERS) The siren song of a potential camp classic compelled me to make the trek out west to Chesterfield (home of a mile-long strip mall of horrors) for a preview screening of this somewhat mysterious Christina Aguilera/Cher musical.
I don’t think I was disappointed? It’s certainly not bad–the plot was thin (we have to band together to save the old burlesque house from evil developers!), but moved quickly and there were enough strobe lights, high kicks, and scenes of Aguilera strutting down the street practicing dance moves while fellow pedestrians looked on admiringly to keep the audience happy. But where was the camp? The only Showgirls worthy line came about 3/4 of the way through when Cher reminded Kristen Bell (really sweating it here to play a humorless, self-destructive bitch [and, well, to dance], with a chirpy delivery that gives away the Doris Day within) about “How many times I held your hair back while you threw up everything but your memories!” Now that’s what I’m talking about. More please. Read more »
Trailer Trash: Romcoms, Buried Alive, Same Diff Editon
Come join us for a discussion of the trailers we’ve been privileged to experience over the last month or so. Are they tantalizing nuggets of the hits of tomorrow? Or harbingers of Knight and Days to come? We do not know! But we will assume that we do, because it is our way. Have YOU seen a trailer lately? Do tell. In the Comments, please—we can’t hear you from our cubicles.
Sarah: Welcome back to Trailer Trash! My first offering, Heartbreaker, showed up when I went to see Get Low at a local Landmark theater. (Side note: Stop telling me to watch Svetlana, Landmark! I’m not going to watch it, no matter how many times you make me sit through that ad!) I am not a hater of silly French romances at all, but please. Dirty Dancing as a sincere romantic plot device? Wham!? Not a chance, Frogs. Vanessa Paradis will just have to continue being “that lady who had kids with Johnny Depp” to me. (There is no shame in this, Vanessa.)
Kimberly: So how about this Ryan Reynolds vehicle, Buried? While the idea of watching Double R slowly suffocate will appeal to anyone who has suffered through Comedy Central cuts of Van Wilder or Waiting on a very depressing Sunday afternoon (hardeeharhar, obvious), I’m not sure it will be able to hold the interest of a mass audience. The trailer is certainly effective–it makes me all jumpy just thinking about it–but does RyRey have the charisma to engage our concern for 90 whole minutes? (I was going to comment on his appearance in Mr. Brooks, but then I realized I was confusing him with Dane Cook. What a mean lady I am!)
