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Posts Tagged ‘Ben Affleck’
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I’ve been waiting for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to team up again, but I didn’t think they’d team up to play former New York Yankees pitchers. But the die-hard Boston Red Sox fans are tentatively looking to play the infamous pitchers in a film called THE TRADE, with a script written by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Dave Mandel. It looks like Affleck will at least direct the film and then it’s possible he and Damon will star as the pitchers.
A little more research on this topic uncovered a fascinating story. In 1972, New York Yankees pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson famously decided to swap wives and families. The affair(s) had begun earlier than that, but they officially announced the swap in spring of 1973. They didn’t just trade wives for a night, they traded complete families; wives, houses, dogs, kids, everything. Ultimately, it worked out well for Peterson, who is still married to the former Mrs. Kekich, and Kekich didn’t last long with the former Mrs. Peterson.
Oh, and on a side note, Fritz Peterson has the all time lowest ERA (2.52) at the old Yankee stadium.
Source: Deadline Hollywood
Tags: Ben Affleck, Dave Mandel, Matt Damon
Posted in News |
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I’ll chalk the trailer for the ensemble drama THE COMPANY MEN to…odd. It doesn’t give much about the plot, has no voice-over and consists of random clips set to strange music. So I can’t really tell you if the movie looks good or not. Supposedly, the film is about several men involved in corporate downsizing and how they handle the pressure that comes with it. It has a great cast that includes Kevin Costner, Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello, Rosemarie DeWitt and Craig T. Nelson. The film is written and directed by John Wells. This will be his first time directing a feature film, but he did direct several episodes of ER.
And before you say anything, yes, I know the aspect ratio seems distorted. Trust me when I say that it bugs me more than you. Unfortunately, an HD version of the trailer hasn’t been released and this is the best we have so far.
Watch the trailer here.
Tags: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, kevin costner, Maria Bello, tommy lee jones
Posted in News |
Friday, December 25th, 2009
DIE HARD + REINDEER GAMES + LETHAL WEAPON
by: Nathan Swank
You can’t go out and party every weekend, so on those nights you want to take it easy, Flix66.com has put together a bi-weekly column to help you with your movie selection. The Trifecta is a recommendation of three movies that set a mood, that showcase an actor or director, that acquaint the viewer with a geographic location, or maybe even have some obscure link like a Best Boy or Key Grip.
With the release of AVATAR a week before Christmas and SHERLOCK HOLMES on Christmas day, it feels like Hollywood may have forgotten what season it is. Dramatic Oscar bait is meant for winter and blockbuster action movies are reserved for summer, right? Well apparently not this year, but this began me thinking about action movies that have celebrated Christmas. If you are one of those people that need some action all year round, this Trifecta is meant for you. Sorry folks, but although HOME ALONE does have some great action, I’m vetoing it for it’s family friendly content. Only ‘R’ rated Christmas action on this list. Tis the season to shoot, rob and blow things up.
DIE HARD is quite possibly the quintessential best action film ever. It’s basically what all action films strive to be, so much so that they will use DIE HARD’s name to describe their own film in a different location – “It’s DIE HARD on a boat” or “DIE HARD on a plane.” Which ironically DIE HARD 2 and 3 did have a plane and a boat. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his (separated from) wife at her company Christmas party in a high rise building in L.A. when a team of foreign terrorists hijack the building and McClane has to disassemble the group one by one hiding throughout the building.
Best Christmas Moment: Listening to the epitome of all bad guys, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) read a blood written message on a dead henchman’s body sent by McClane. (In a German accent) “Now I have a machine gun HO – HO – HO.”
It also introduced me to the song, “Christmas in Hollis” by Run-DMC
REINDEER GAMES isn’t quite the quality action film that DIE HARD is; in fact, it’s not very good at all… ok it’s awful. But it is entertaining in that cheese factor sort of way. You can sit around and laugh at all the ridiculously absurd and yet predictable plot points. Gary Sinise heads up a group of bad for the sake of being bad guys, planning on robbing a casino in full on Santa Clause attire. They kidnap Ben Affleck who recently was released from prison to be there vault guy in a case of mistaken identity. Affleck is pretending to be his dead cellmate to hook up with his girl – and he’s supposed to be our hero, what a winner.
Best Christmas Moment: Charlize Theron in an absolutely unnecessary, gratuitous nude sex scene to the song, “Let It Snow” by Dean Martin… I just really like that song.
LETHAL WEAPON is in my opinion another classic. This is the first installment, which is a lot darker than it’s more comedic sequels. Riggs contemplating suicide while watching a Bugs Bunny Christmas Special is pretty dark. Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is about to retire when he gets partnered up with crazy reckless Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson). Glover and Gibson have the best chemistry any buddy duo movie has ever had. They are so likeable that we are immediately drawn into their world and rooting for them all the way as they track down drug smugglers and fight Gary Busey. They never miss a shot or a funny quip. “Jingle Bell Rock” is played over the opening credits before a half naked girls falls to her death from her apartment building.
Best Christmas Moment: Riggs busting a small drug ring masked as a Christmas tree lot. The drugs are free but the tree will cost ya.
Tags: Ben Affleck, bruce willis, danny glover, mel gibson
Posted in Trifecta |
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
Political thrillers are a finicky bunch. Although one of my favorite genres, I can list the number of political thrillers I actually enjoy on one hand. I don’t know if it’s the fake names and corporations or the convoluted plots, but it seems like all of the political thrillers in recent memory have fallen into various pitfalls that led to their eventual doom. So although I was excited for STATE OF PLAY, I kept my expectations very low. After all, the odds were against this film being enjoyable.
However, it turns out that STATE OF PLAY is actually an intelligent, intense and exciting conspiracy film that manages to develop some great characters, helped by the wonderful performances from a talented cast. When one of the aids for Rep. Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) dies mysteriously on the subway, it’s revealed that the aid and Collins were having an affair. Seeking a friend and in need of help, Collins visits his old college roommate, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe). Cal is a reporter, covering a double homicide case, but when fellow reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) starts covering the Collins story, Cal realizes that the two cases might be linked. This sets everyone on a trail of lies, mysteries and cover-ups where no one is safe.
The trick with movies like this is to keep everything in check. With a complex plot and several characters, the tendency is to leave someone behind or get wrapped up in stories that have little to no impact on the overall plot. Thankfully, director Kevin Macdonald kept his focus and managed to weave a complex story skillfully enough that every moment of screen time was used appropriately. I never felt bored or frustrated with what was transpiring. The film followed a logical path and all of the events leading up to the climax made sense. It also turns out that the story was interesting without being preachy or over the top, like many political films tend to be.
Unfortunately, the numerous characters and multiple conspiracies led to a few plot holes, especially at the end. It felt like there was an attempt to add a twist ending that was unnecessary. The unraveling of the conspiracy was enough to make the film worthwhile and entertaining, we didn’t really need an added twist. It wasn’t distracting or anything, it’s just the film had done very well with what the story it already had going that adding the “twist” was a little distracting.
Aside from an unnecessary twist at the end, the film was very enjoyable. It was nice to see Ben Affleck back in action. Despite the Bennifer debacle and the countless box-office bombs, Ben is a charming actor and can really nail a role when given the opportunity. He had lesser of a role in this, but he did great with what he had. The cast all around was outstanding and Macdonald did a commendable job of getting the most from his talented cast.
Tags: Ben Affleck, Kevin Macdonald, Rachel McAdams, russell crowe
Posted in Reviews |
Monday, December 7th, 2009
by: Brad Sturdivant and Kristy Sturdivant
He Said/She Said is a bi-weekly column where a male and female reviewer from the site team up to debate the merits of a particular film.
HE SAID:
I find myself defending this movie to pretty much anyone that’s ever seen it (read my full movie review). At first, I thought maybe I liked it because when I first saw it at the theater, it was with a great friend and it was part of a fun night. But I’ve seen it four times since then and each time I can’t help but really enjoy this film. It has some of the old clichés of every romantic comedy, but it adds enough of a twist and features such great characters that it stands above some of the pedestrian rom-coms we normally get.
The best part about the film is the relationship between the two leads, played by Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. There’s a typical rom-com formula that their relationship should follow, but what’s refreshing is that they don’t end up where you think they will. Yet they still manage to help each other and inspire one another to be better people. Director Bronwen Hughes adds a great style and lifts the movie to even a higher level with some nice directing.
The film got a bad name because people were sick of Ben Affleck and tired of the same old rom-com from Sandra Bullock. But I’ve always enjoyed this film as a welcomed twist to the tired rom-com fare. Affleck and Bullock turn in very natural, charming performances and you genuinely care about them and the issues they’re dealing with. FORCES OF NATURE isn’t the most popular choice, but it’s one of my favorite rom-coms and has proven to stand up to repeated viewings.
SHE SAID:
I’m a big fan of romantic comedies, even ones that are not so great are usually ok in my book because I just like the genre in general. So it really took me by surprise when my significant other went on and on about how great this film was when I really didn’t like it at all.
I didn’t like the film for two reasons, the first being Sandra Bullock’s character. I really love Ms. Bullock as an actress, she’s fun, adorable and has great comedic timing. There are only a couple of films that I don’t like her in and this was one. I found her “free-spirited” character to be disingenuous and a little obnoxious at times. I had a very difficult time connecting to her and that really doesn’t swing in a rom-com. Maybe if her and Affleck’s characters were reversed I would have felt differently about the movie–but probably not because of my next reason.
The second thing I didn’t like about the film was the story: a fiancé who meets a woman on the way to his wedding and it changes his perspective on life. Let me be clear that I don’t really like this plot line in any film but especially not in my romantic comedies. I don’t like to watch a “home wrecker” situation unfold even if it is supposed to be funny. Rom-coms are supposed to be happy, fun and formulaic, and even though things work out in the end, it was uncomfortable getting there. I’m all for new and innovative ways to make a rom-com, but FORCES OF NATURE is not the answer.
Tags: Ben Affleck, Bronwen Hughes, Sandra Bullock
Posted in He Said/She Said |
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
by: Sturdy and Kristy
He Said/She Said is a bi-weekly column where a male and female reviewer from the site team up to debate the merits of a particular film.
He Said:
There are few things more annoying in life than a single woman that spends her time in a bar and dating every guy with a pulse, but complains that she can’t find anyone and doesn’t understand why. So the prospect of watching a two hour movie about a woman that does just that was not an appealing one, to say the least.
The structure of the film is a little odd in that half the film revolves around Ginnefer Goodwin (the aforementioned annoying woman) and her struggle to find love, while the second half revolves around several other characters and their struggles. The other actors include; Jennifer Connoly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson. You might have already picked up on the fact that all of the other, lesser used actors are actually A-list, Hollywood stars and the “main” actress is someone you haven’t heard of. Make no mistake about it; this is an epic fail on the part of the filmmakers. Goodwin isn’t cut out to star in a Toyota commercial, let alone carry a film with six A-list stars in supporting roles.
The worst part about the film is that I really enjoyed every other story but Goodwin’s. I was genuinely interested in whether or not the other couples were going to make it or not and while we were following them, I was pleasantly surprised with the stories. But unfortunately, that’s only half the film. In the end, the good didn’t outweigh the bad and the result is a frustratingly annoying movie that was very close to being enjoyable.
She Said:
For the first thirty to forty-five minutes, I found myself disgusted with this film. All Hollywood needed was another movie to make women seem desperate, pathetic and downright crazy when it comes to men. I couldn’t stand the thought of watching it until about three quarters through I found myself liking the characters and feeling for them and their predicaments. It started out as a typical story about single women trying to find the right guy but evolved into a story about the more complicated aspects of relationships. Some of the storylines were dull and ended as expected but it was done well enough to change my attitude about the entire film.
As for Ginnefer Goodwin, I thought she was cute and has potential A-list status. Her character was annoying and came off as desperate, but I think anyone in that role would have the same problem; it was strictly a character issue, not an actress issue. In my opinion, Jennifer Connolly’s character was the most obnoxious; the way they had her character react to the situation she was in was a little frustrating, as it encourages the stereotype that married women turn a little crazy – not a fan of that received idea. The rest of the characters were alright, and of course I would have liked to see some storylines more than others but overall I found myself enjoying the ride, eventually.
Tags: Ben Affleck, bradley cooper, Drew Barrymore, ginnefer goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, justin long
Posted in He Said/She Said |
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Posted by: Sturdy
Today is Chris Pine day at Flix66.com. We just posted a story that Chris Pine will star in The Art of Making Money and now Variety is reporting that Pine will be playing Jack Ryan in the franchise reboot. Talks are still early going, so no word on what will be Pine’s first adventure as Ryan.
Jack Ryan fans know that The Hunt For Red October and Patriot Games were actually early adventures for Ryan and that everything written recently featured an older Ryan, ala Harrison Ford. When Ford was first announced to be playing Ryan, it was no secret that author Tom Clancy was not happy with the choice and wanted a younger Ryan. Well, it looks like he got his wish. Personally, I’d have liked to see Affleck have another go at it.
Tags: Ben Affleck, chris pine, harrison ford, jack ryan, tom clancy
Posted in News |
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
Mike Judge, ten years ago (yes, ten years), delivered an infinitely quotable, reserved comedy in OFFICE SPACE, and though I did not love it as much as everyone else, it did a pretty good job of stretching a simple concept into some pretty funny jokes, though a weak movie on the whole. Well, unfortunately, now with his new film EXTRACT, he’s taken even weaker concepts, thrown them together hastily, put in less funny jokes, and put it in a less familiar environment. Well, if that isn’t a recipe for success I don’t know what is.
The problem is, expectations were high for this when news of the film came out. Jason Bateman is doing incredible things in comic performances since his resurgence with “Arrested Development,” and this film has him starring as Joel, the owner and manager of his own extract manufacturing company, trying to keep the company afloat amongst a slew of problems (just like Michael Bluth in “Arrested”). Ben Affleck is back in the comedy saddle (though underused) as his bartending friend, Dean, who believes in self-medication of all kinds to get Joel through his problems, both at the plant and with his wife. Said wife is played by Kristen Wiig, great in KNOCKED UP and “SNL,” and is also not given any room to work her magic.
Joel’s big problems at the plant involve a possible crippling lawsuit from an employee who loses a testicle (testicle humor is good for a couple laughs). He’s sexually frustrated by a wife whose sweatpants drawstring locks out any chance for romance. And his attempt to hire a gigolo to sleep with her to absolve him of guilt in going after the plant hottie (MILA KUNIS, also not allowed to be as funny as she can be) also backfires on him. All of which come off as thrown together concepts on par with the SUPERMAN 3 computer theft idea thrown into the middle of OFFICE SPACE.
Some actors are given decent bits. David Koechner (also funny in this summer’s THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD) plays the annoying neighbor for some good laughs relating to awkward moments in neighborhood etiquette. Dustin Milligan plays the gigolo for some obvious, though still funny, dumb jokes. And surprisingly, Gene Simmons (yes, the one from KISS) gets some good laughs as a commercial/bus bench lawyer. But the big let down is the lack of laughs coming at us from Jason Bateman. It certainly makes us (and should make him) long for the proposed “Arrested Development” movie. But for swinging and missing with a cast like this Mike Judge should be punished… perhaps by a marathon of “King of the Hill.” Yeah, not a fan of that either.
Tags: Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Mike Judge, Mila Kunis
Posted in Reviews |
Friday, September 18th, 2009
When a film has an anomaly, such as a star turn as a director, they call it a gimmick and the film almost inevitably becomes all about that anomaly, both in the eyes of critics and even in some cases the viewers. That became especially problematic for Ben Affleck’s first turn as a director for the 2007 crime drama GONE BABY GONE considering he was still coming off of paparazzi saturation with the whole J-Lo debacle. But when that dust finally settled, and you could see B-Fleck (does that work?) as just another director, this is a great piece of work for him to start with.
The script was adapted by Affleck and Aaron Stockard from the Dennis Lehane (MYSTIC RIVER) novel of the same name, painting yet another dark picture of Boston, as if the city should just be one solid red dot on the Megan’s Law website. It follows two low-level private investigators, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angela Gennaro (Michele Monaghan) hired for help with the case of an abduction of a four-year old girl, Amanda McCready. The mother, Helene McCready (Amy Ryan) is a foul-mouthed, junkie drug runner who frequents the most interesting dive bars in South Boston. Kenzie and Gennaro are hired by a concerned aunt and uncle as a supplement to the police investigation more with the neighborhood aspect, as they have a better knowledge of the streets and its inhabitants, while Helene mugs for the cameras and the police ask the wrong questions.
The police are played like people who know what they are doing, though. Detectives Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Nick Poole (John Ashton – Taggert from BEVERLY HILLS COP) can go from zero to volatile in no time, and Ed Harris milks his scenes for every hard word he can scream at Helene or Patrick, whoever his anger is directed at the time. And although his anger is focused, his monologues hold in them something deeper, as do those of Police Captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) who has lost a child himself, and therefore invests that much more in every child kidnapping he investigates.
As in most crime dramas now though, it is a disservice to give away too many details of how the investigation unfolds, only to say that the film deals with deeper issues other than pedophilia and kidnapping, which are already two heavy hitting issues in themselves, and GONE BABY GONE challenges not only the characters but the viewers as to how they feel about those issues.
As for performances, they are all batting a thousand (using a baseball analogy since Boston won the Series in ’07). Casey Affleck had a great year with this and THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, and he got to use his old GOOD WILL HUNTING accent again, only a little deeper this time. Michele Monaghan used this film and the scenes of conflict with Patrick and the police officers to redeem herself for THE HEARTBREAK KID, but I think Amy Ryan was a bit overrated from all the critical acclaim she got for playing Helene, which included an Oscar nomination. Not to say she did it poorly, but just spouting vulgarities in a thick Boston accent does not a great performance make. Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman, however, perform their roles with the gravity and genuine emotion that we expect from the characters in their situations, and from actors of their pedigree. Ben Affleck loaded the deck with this film and put them all in a situation where each could shine. Yeah, that Ben Affleck. Get over it and enjoy the flick.
Tags: Amy Ryan, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan
Posted in Reviews |
Friday, September 18th, 2009
After GOOD WILL HUNTING hit theaters and catapulted Ben Affleck to superstardom, he went on a rampage where he starred in over 30 movies over the next ten years. He was everywhere and audiences quickly got sick of seeing him. That, and at times it seemed like he wasn’t even reading the scripts before agreeing to star in the film. Despite the numerous clunkers from Mr. Affleck, one movie that I’ve always had a fondness for is FORCES OF NATURE. It seemed to have gotten lost in the mix and I’ve always felt it never got the credit it deserved for being a touching and engrossing romantic comedy.
The film revolves around Ben Holmes (Ben Affleck) who is on his way to Savannah to marry Bridget Cahill (Maura Tierney). But things go awry when weather cancels all the flights and he’s stranded at the airport. Determined to make it to his own wedding on time, he decides to seek out alternate modes of transportation. That’s where he meets up with Sarah Lewis (Sandra Bullock) who is just as eager to make it to Savannah, albeit for her own reasons. Reluctantly, they discover they need each other and agree to be travel partners.
As luck would have it, their journey is filled with mishaps and mini-adventures, each one bringing them closer together. It’s a bit cliché at times, with them starting out bickering with one another and then eventually finding an attraction. There’s nothing groundbreaking about their journey or their story, but it’s told very well and it takes a turn that most romantic comedies stay clear of. Beneath the cutesy surface of boy meets girl is a story about two people whose lives are taking them in drastically different directions. But for a couple of days, they find happiness basking in the contradictions they see in one another. These are not shallow characters, these are two people that have serious issues and manage to work through them with the help of each other.
Many of us live our lives on a single path, fulfilling a specific stereotype. Maybe we’re the straight laced guy that gets a good job, gets married, has kids and retires at 65. Or perhaps we’re the wild child that can’t seem to get their life in order and bounce from unhealthy situation to unhealthy situation. Regardless, there are moments in your life where you meet someone and get to experience a different lifestyle, if even for a couple of days, and you long for that kind of life even though you know it doesn’t fit you. That’s what this film means to me. It’s a glimpse into a moment where two complete opposites meet and become enamored with each other’s lifestyle and even though they both know they can’t change for the other, they can at least enjoy the time they have together.
Affleck and Bullock pull off their respective roles wonderfully and add a depth to the characters that you don’t often see in romantic comedies. This isn’t an Oscar-caliber film, but I think it received unfair criticism from people that haven’t even seen the film. Bronwen Hughes has a beautiful directing style and her creativity added a lot to the film. If you missed this during the Affleck-blitz, then I think you’ll be pleased revisiting it today.
Tags: Ben Affleck, Bronwen Hughes, Sandra Bullock, Steve Zahn
Posted in Reviews |
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
Man’s fascination with lesbians is one of the most bewildering aspects of the modern relationship. Maybe it’s the cliché girl-on-girl fantasy or maybe it’s the inability to comprehend that a woman might actually be in love with another woman and have no interest in men. Whatever it is, Kevin Smith captures the ridiculous thought process of men perfectly with CHASING AMY. Every man lives in a sheltered, perfectly built up world where sex is between one man and one woman and everything else is confined to adult films. But there comes a point where you learn that’s not true and that point can become more complicated if the woman you’ve fallen in love with is the one teaching you.
Such is the case with Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck), a comic book writer living in New Jersey who created a popular comic with his best friend, Banky Edwards (Jason Lee). His life is relatively normal as he goes from one normal relationship to another. But his carefully structured world is turned upside down when he meets Amy (Joey Lauren Adams), the beautiful woman that is light-years ahead of Holden sexually. At this point, things get a little complicated because Amy considers herself a lesbian, but is open to dating men. Holden is straight and nearly obsessed with Amy and Banky might be gay and in love with Holden. Confused? That’s okay because it actually makes sense on film.
There’s a point where Holden’s obsession leads him to go investigate Amy’s sexual past. It was funny to watch this transpire on screen because it’s completely obvious that Holden is acting immature and irrationally. However, the funny thing is that every man has done that. Although most of us do it in high school or early college, all of us have met a mysterious woman that we’ve fallen for and then obsessed over her past. There’s something miss wired in the male brain that forces men to know every thing about women (sexually speaking). However, if you’re too immature to handle the truth, it can drive you crazy. Such is the case with Holden, whose sheltered world comes crashing down with every bit of information he learns about Amy. It’s a maddening process and watching Holden go through it was truly painful.
CHASING AMY was really the last film Kevin Smith did to hit on an aspect of young relationships that worked well on film. He’s attempted to recapture that mix of dialogue, comedy and drama several times since, each time failing to reach a level of revelation that inspires audiences to reflect on their own relationships. This is also Smith’s best dialogue that he’s ever written and the conversation in the diner between Banky and Amy is filled with great lines. Although not his most enjoyable film, I feel confident in saying that CHASING AMY is his best work as a filmmaker. This is a wonderful film that can be a little difficult to watch because it reminds us just how stupid we (men) can be when it comes to women. But at least it’s told through the eyes of Kevin Smith.
Tags: Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, Kevin Smith
Posted in Reviews |
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