A Review: Inception

As I walked out of the theater last night, I heard many things released from the mouths of the bustling crowd. Things like:

• "Oh my fuck that was amazing." 
• "That was the most epic movie I've ever seen." 
• The plain old, "Wow dude..." 
• I even heard someone say, "Jesus lord almighty that was damn crazy son."

Everybody was spritely and alive, charged and stupefied. The crowd was literally awing out loud in the theater during this. In the car, a friend told me that this film was the answer to the not only the weak summer slate, but the lack of good films lately period. I'm very inclined to agree with him.

In this film, this most intricate and wondrous film, dreaming is a reality, and reality is a dream, is reality, is a dream... Is reality. In this film, this most methodical, most perplexing and truly spellbinding film, dreams attack dreams attack dreams attack dreams attack people attacking dreams attacking reality attacking subconscious attacking dreams attacking people attacking subconscious attacking reality attacking dreams attacking people attacking reality attacking subconscious... And then you wake up. Or wait...?

After The Dark Knight, there was hurried talk in the town of Tinsel with concern in it's voice. The thought had occurred to everyone, "How can Christopher Nolan top this?"  The answer: you make Inception.

Dicaprio Spills (A Few) Details On J Edgar Hoover Biopic

Give it up to Slashfilm for givin' me the scoop. If you read this silly attempt aty being a pro film news reporter/critic/analyst, you'd know that i reported a while back about Dicaprio and Eastwood getting together for a J Edgar Hoover biopic. Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black of Milk fame is writing the script and Warner Bros. is behind the whole thing, Eastwood's home away from home really.

Well, at a press conference for the upcoming summer saver, Inception, Leo was asked about the details for the collab between him, Dustin Lawrence Black and Eastwood on the Hoover biopic. He confirmed he's in talks to star saying this:

"Yeah, I’m talking to Clint Eastwood about playing J. Edgar Hoover, who had his hand in some of the most scandelous events in American history — everything from the Vietnam war to [John] Dillinger to Martin Luther King and JFK. It’s about the secret life of J Edgar Hoover.”

Then some one asked him about the dress, because supposedly Hoover was a cross dresser. A reference to a claim made in Hoover’s 1993 biography Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover, which quoted a witness, Susan Rosenstiel, (who later served time at Rikers Island for perjuring herself in a 1971 case) who claimed to have seen Hoover engaging in cross-dressing in the 1950s at homosexual orgies.

"Not as of yet. We haven’t done the fittings for those… so I don’t think so.”

Let's see if they explore that area of his life. This all sounds pretty good though. I'm excited to see what comes of this project. I'll be keeping you posted.

Munki out.

Update: Dicaprio To Join Eastwood's Hoover Biopic?

Just last night, I reported about Clint Eastwood gearing up a biopic about J. Edgar Hoover (actually, it's right below this post). Now it looks as if Leo The Great Master of Disguise would be taking on this role and providing us a view into the man's mind who secretly controlled the whole country.

 Milk writer Dustin Lawrence Black penned the script for Brian Grazer (who produced The Changeling for Clint and now, they're good buddies) and it was originally set up to be a Universal picture. But they tossed it aside, in fear of it's dated... uh, date. So Brian called up Clint and got him the script and then Eastwood reportedly got real excited about it. That's fuckin' Hollywood pull son, calling Clint Eastwood and telling the other studio to screw off.  Plus, years back, Clint directed a real nice little film, The Eiger Sanction, which initially got panned by critics, Eastwood blamed Universal Studios for the films poor promotion and turned his back on them, forming a long-lasting agreement with Warner Bros. through Frank Wells that would transcend over 35 years of cinema and remain intact to this day. Which is where the biopic is right now.  They now have it set up at Warner Bros., who reportedly give Clint enough money to do whatever the hell he wants and leave him be; then he turns a nice profit and nicer award wins for them and everybody goes home happy.

Like I previously said, I'm all about and behind this project. Clint is one of my favorites and most respected directors and actors especially. And Leonardo is proving that he is a very nice choice for giving way to himself, in search of a whole other person entirely. And this man, Hoover, was rich with a person to bring out and show people. Because there's just too much out there that we don't really know, that we always wanted to about the most secretive man in the country.

Much more substantiated is the fact that Hoover would wield elements of the FBI and other federal energy to control and subvert the civil rights of those he considered enemies and dangers to democracy. He would compile information about the sexual preferences of some subjects, and reportedly used it to discredit them. Regardless of the truth behind the gay/cross-dressing rumor (an image that may have bloomed simply as a way to use Hoover’s own smear campaigns against him) there’s a lot of material in Hoover’s story that would make it of interest to Dustin Lance Black. I love the idea of him drafting this script.

I'll keep you posted on any new details, but it looks like this film is locked down and ready to go. 

Munki Out.

A Review: Scorsese + Dicaprio + Mental Institution = Holy Shit Almighty

Well, let's not be too hasty hear, we do have of course, the wonderful, the skilled, the one and only, Dennis Lehane. The #1 New York Times best selling author of Mystic River. Also the pen of Gone Baby Gone. Both which were made into Academy Awarding nominated and winning films. So needless to say, the guy is a reliable source of adaptation.

With my jacket, scarf and boots secured tight, I walked from the parking lot to the theaters doors while my hair blew in the breeze of the night. In the breeze of the forty-four degree weather (warmer as of late).I was comprised with a strict anticipation and excitement of what I as about to see last night at the 12:01 showtime. And I'll tell you why. Marty Scorsese is one of the VERY FEW guarantees out of the whole (tinsel) town. As far as directors go, I'd be hard pressed to find someone with as good and pristine a track record as Big Marty boy-o. I mean, when I hear Scorsese, I hear "Cinematic Maestro" in my head. And this film is a perfectly exemplifies why...