Casting Call

You are invited to attend a local casting audition for the Elevated Films feature Wide Open. Auditions will be held Saturday, April 16 starting at 2 p.m. at:

PS Images 1105
Pueblo Road
Midland, Texas
683-0844

Most of the roles will be for support and extras, as some of the major roles have already been cast, but we are seeking an older Hispanic male to play a Miami Drug Lord, Chano Garcia. There are also several other major roles for Hispanic characters as follows:

Angel Garcia (Chano's older son)
Pano Masiel (Angel Garcia's right hand man)
Brig Bueno ( Detective) think Luis Guzman, part comedic part serious Hispanic character support roles

Please pass this information to anyone who you feel may be interested in this audition opportunity. Filming will take place in Kermit and Midland Texas beginning June 6, 2005 and should wrap in 6 weeks. These are deferred payment roles, pending the final sale of the film. More information will be available the day of auditions.

We encourage you to have a dramatic monologue prepared for this audition, as time will be limited. This is an excellent opportunity and we would love to see you there.

Sincerely,
Rick Owens
Elevated Films
Midland, Texas
www.elevatedfilms.com

The Weekly Top Five

This Week: Top 5 Horror Films

Jeff Says...

1. Friday the 13th
2. The Ring
3. Event Horizon
4. The Night of the Living Dead (Original)
5. Bruce Campbell vs. The Army of Darkness

Bull Durham Says...

1. Scream
2. Nightmare on Elm Street
3. Ringu
4. The Exorcist
5. The Omen

What Say You?

DVD Rundown

Now available on DVD!


Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (R)
Starring: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, & Hugh Grant
Director: Beeban Kidron
View Clips & Trailers


Finding Neverland (PG-13)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, & Dustin Hoffman
Director: Marc Forester
View Clips & Trailers


Being Julia (R)
Starring: Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, & Shaun Evans
Director: Istvan Szabo
View Clips & Trailers


The Final Cut (R)
Starring: Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino, & Jim Caviezel
Director: Omar Naim
View Clips & Trailers


Fat Albert (PG)
Starring: Kenan Thompson, Omarion, & Raven-Symone
Director: Joel Zwick
View Clips & Trailers

The Ring Two

A Review
By M. Chad Durham
View Trailers & Clips

Interestingly enough, a ring does have a hole in it; a big, huge, enormous hole that we really don’t pay much attention to because the outer edge shimmers so brightly. Such was the case with the Japanese Ringu and its Americanized counterpart The Ring, but there isn’t just one hole in this follow-up. There are holes. Plural. They show up on the big screen more frequently than the cigarette burns that signal the projectionist to change reels. There are character holes, plot holes, editing holes, and big huge ginormous gaping holes that permeate virtually every scene.



In one of the most poorly written and disappointing sequels ever, Naomi Watts and David Dorfman are back, as Rachael and Haden respectively, to battle the evil menace Samara. Ever since Rachael let Samara out of her well all those years ago that silly girl has been up to her usual tricks with that crazy videotape. It’s still making the rounds. Remember? If you don’t make a copy and get somebody else to watch it within seven days, you’d probably be better off wandering around the woods looking for the Blair Witch with three aspiring filmmakers.



Which brings up an important point and hole number one. If Samara were the all-powerful evil spirit she seems to be, wouldn’t she be able to manifest herself on DVD? How come these rich kids still have VCR’s in their homes? I’m poor as dirt and my VCR is out in the garage collecting dust. It’s not like she needs a dual-layer burner. Her short film doesn’t take up that much space. Wouldn’t it be a whole lot faster just to burn a copy on your PC and pass it on? What gives? Is there something mystical and magical about VHS I’m missing here? Personally, I think Beta has a more Zen-like quality to it, but that’s just me and I could be wrong. Who am I kidding? Wouldn’t we all like to see eight-track tapes make a comeback?



From there the holes just seem to multiply. Simon Baker plays a newspaper reporter whose name might as well be Goose. Like his Top Gun counterpart, everybody should see his death coming from a mile away. Unfortunately, Baker’s character is so underdeveloped nobody really cares when he finally meets Samara face to face (so to speak).



Sissy Spacek makes a brief cameo and I couldn’t help but think that this is precisely what Carrie would look like had she been institutionalized low these past three decades. Elizabeth Perkins gives it her best shot, but it’s all nothing but a lot of hot air. Watts is a mega-talent and Dorfman blessed beyond his years but beyond that there’s not much to say.

Okay. So the bathtub scene is really cool. Let’s just leave it at that.

Give The Ring Two a CATV rating. There are a few special effects scenes that make it worth watching if you don’t have to pay a dime. Otherwise, watch something else.

The Starting Lineup

Now playing at a theatre near your!


The Ring Two (PG-13)
Starring: Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins, & Gary Cole
Director: Hideo Nakata
View Trailer & Clips


Ice Princess (PG)
Starring: Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Michelle Trachtenberg
Director: Tim Fywell
View Trailer & Clips

Poll Results

Million Dollar Baby was the descive winner in our last poll here at The Hot Corner for Best Picture of 2005. Napoleon Dynamite captured second place, The Incredibles came in third, Sideways fourth, and Finding Neverland rounded out the top-five. Thanks for voting.

Since Bruce Willis has two films hitting the big screen within a months time, we decided to make him the subject of our newest poll so make sure you cast your vote.

We've made a few changes around here and more will be coming soon! So stay tuned!

DVD Rundown

Now available on DVD!


The Incredibles (PG)
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, & Jason Lee
Director: Brad Bird
View Trailer & Clips
Read The Grace Centered Magazine Review
Read Bull Durham's Featured Review


Alfie (R)
Starring: Jude Law, Omar Epps, Marisa Tomei, & Susan Sarandon
Director: Charles Shyer
View Trailers & Clips


What the Bleep Do We Know? (R)
Starring: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, & Barry Newman
Director: William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, & Mark Vicente
View Trailers & Clips

Gmail

I've got 10 more Gmail invitations available for anybody that links to The Hot Corner. Gmail is Google's version of Email that allows your store up to a ful gig of of information. Right now it is available by invitation only. Just make a comment bellow or drop us a line with your address and web site a we'll send one your way.

Hostage (R)

A Review
By M. Chad Durham
View Trailer & Clips

Bruce Willis, sporting the comb-over of the new millennium, salvages what is an otherwise pedestrian story of families in crisis. Give Willis his props. The guy not only has the guts to embrace male-pattern baldness whole-heartedly (he isn’t even afraid to grace the big screen sans toupee), but it is clear that he has spent a lifetime honing his craft. Beginning with The Sixth Sense, Willis has added depth and breadth to his ever-increasing repertoire. Gone of the days of “bears bearing” and “bees being” (Moonlighting). While his glib “yippee cay yea” attitude still remains beneath the façade, it is clear that fine acting, like a certain alcoholic beverage Jesus once made from water, improves with age.



Hostage opens to find Willis playing Jeff Talley, SWAT officer, hostage negotiator, and graying hippie. He’s an overconfident bloke who spends more time meticulously combing his beard than he does listening to his closest advisors. When a hostage situation goes painfully awry, Willis leaves the big city life behind to become a police chief in the tiny community of Bristo Camino where “low crime Mondays,” are almost always followed by “low crime Tuesdays.” Furthermore, Talley’s recent emotional woes threaten to tear his family apart.

Enter three punks driving a beat up pickup truck with nothing better to do than try and steal a brand new Cadillac Escalade owned by a very rich, and very connected, accountant (Kevin Pollack). When the bush league hoods can’t find the keys, they decide to burgle the home, which is nothing short of a fortress. Things soon spin quickly out of control; a cop winds up dead and Talley calls for reinforcements, turning the negotiations over to another, thereby washing his hands of the entire affair.



Unfortunately, the mob doesn’t seem too happy about the fact that their ace accountant has garnered national attention. They want something very important, which is coincidentally being held hostage right along side the accountant and his family. In a desperate move, the bad guys kidnap Talley’s wife and daughter, threatening their lives unless Talley can produce this thing they so desperately seek. It’s the kind of role that allows a veteran actor like Willis to carry the show, reminding us of why he became such a huge box office star.

Aside from the complexity of the plot, Doug Richardson’s adaptation of Robert Crais best-selling novel winds up being uniquely simplistic in places. Florent Emilio Siri’s visual style is stunning for the most part. To date, he’s probably most famous for his direction of video games but he definitely has the chops for directing. The closing sequences are particularly captivating and intense. However, his exodus from the video game industry is probably to blame, at least in some part, for some scenes that skirt a little too close to the sadistic.

Pollack’s talents are pretty much wasted in this flick because he spends most of the film lying unconscious on a gurney, but there are some pretty capable young actors in this film, especially Ben Foster, who can be a pretty scary guy when he wants to be. Jonathan Tucker and Michelle Horn also demonstrate a great deal of range even if their characters are severely underdeveloped.



Hostage offers up a lot of intensity and an adequate suspense. It’s hard to say where “Hostage” comes up a little short. It just does. I’ll give it a MATINEE rating buoyed by Bruce Willis in a performance sure to be overlooked. Simply put, he’s at the top of his game and even though Hostage will most certainly struggle at the box office, with Robert Rodriguez’ gritty take on Frank Miller’s Sin City hitting theatres April Fools Day, we’re sure to see more of Willis and his vastly improved talents.

This copyrighted article was also published in Grace-Centered Magazine - A daily publication for Christians that examines tradition and aspects of living the Christian life.

The Starting Lineup

Now playing at a theatre near you!


Hostage (PG-13)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollack, & Jimmy Bennett
Director: Florent Siri
View Trailer & Clips


The Upside of Anger (PG-13)
Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, & Alicia Witt
Director: Mike Binder
View Trailers & Clips


Robots (PG)
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Drew Carey, & Greg Kinnear
Director: Chris Wedge
View Trailers & Clips

DVD Rundown

Now available on DVD!

'
Ladder 49 (PG-13)
READ BULL DURHAM'S REVIEW
Starring: John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix, & Morris Chestnut
Director: Jay Russell


Stage Beauty (R)
Starring: Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, & Rupert Everett
Director: Richard Eyre


Woman Thou Art Loosed (R)
Starring: Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, & Debbi Morgan
Director: Michael Schultz

A Big Weekend

It was a big weekend for The Hot Corner and I didn't even know about it because I was too busy to notice.

First, let me begin by welcoming our newest writer, Jeffrey R. Johnson. I asked Jeff to step in and offer up some commentary and review. Jeff is a very important part of the film scene here in West Texas through his involvement with the Basin Film Society and the Desert Reel Film Festival. In fact, he's a founding member of both organizations. I came on the scene long after the fact. I need Jeff around this place so we can review more films and update the blog more frequently. Jeff is also a screenwriter and filmmaker in his own right. Check out his production company at El Jefe Productions.

Alas, Brady Hendricks, my other ace contributor, is currently going to school, working two jobs, and still trying to find time to work with me on a screenplay and short film. He's way too busy to contribute to The Hot Corner the way I know he wanted to and that's okay. He's still considered a contributor and can post any time he wants. Jeff and Brady are getting paid the same big bucks I am so remember—you get what you pay for.

Second, and this is probably the biggest news of all (no offense Jeff), Bull Durham's Hot Corner and yours truly earned a brief nod in the Midland Reporter Telegram yesterday. The article can be found over at MyWestTexas.Com and it includes a quote from my oldest blogging bud George Johns of Sleepless in Midland. We at The Hot Corner have always known that George was a pioneer in the blogging field because he was the first one foolish enough to link to our site! The article also discusses several other Midland blogs, including Jessica's Well. In fact, I should be flattered because I was the only blog mentioned that wasn't from Midland. And I am flattered.

Third, we've had over 200 unique visitors to The Hot Corner for the second week in a row! We have more links to our blog than ever before and so we continue to be the fastest growing, hippest, tightest movie blog on planet earth! Thanks to you! Make sure you tell your friends about us and make sure you click on an add or two so we can pay the bills.

Fourth, speaking of bills, we're looking to move to our domain in the very near future. It's going to cost us around 20 bucks a month to do so. Did I mention you need to click on the ads?

Fifth, and finally, to celebrate all this good fortune I’ve got 10 Gmail invites to the first 10 bloggers willing to link to our site. All you have to do is add the link to your blog and notify us via Email or comment. Make sure you give us your Email so we can send you the invitation. For those of you who don’t know about Gmail it is Google’s version of Email that is still in the beta stage. Accounts are available by invitation only at this time and their system allows for an entire gig (1 GB) of storage space. Compare that to Yahoo’s 250 MB and you can start to get the picture. If you've already linked our site to your blog and you're interested in having a Gmail account, just let me know. I have a few invitations reserved for you too.

Thanks for your support and we hope to continue bringing you the best in movie news, review, and commentary for many years to come. "Everything is going so well!"

Oh, and by the way, you are in the right place Jeff!

M. Chad Durham

The Starting Lineup

Now Playing at a Theatre Near You!


The Jacket (R)
Starring: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, & Kris Kristofferson
Director: John Maybury


Be Cool (PG-13)
Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, Andre 3000, Danny DeVito, The Rock, James Woods, et. al.
Director: F. Gary Gray