Bearing in mind there have been several adaptations over the years in various forms of media – TV and film being the notable means. More recent incarnation on film included the little seen, and quite hokey 2007 Amanda Bynes star vehicle (Sydney White).  And on the small screen, ABC debuted the series Once Upon a Time, based on the fairytale, this past fall. Both of these recent adaptations have a decidedly contemporary feel to them.

Below are a few stills to whet your appetite.

First up is Relativity Media’s Mirror, Mirror (Release Date: March 30th):

SYNOPSIS (Courtesy of Relativity Media):

One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in the motion picture event, Mirror Mirror.  A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over.  The film also stars Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the Prince, and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.

Click here for the trailer.

Coming a few months later, in the midst of summer blockbuster season is Snow White and the Huntsman, which will grace theaters on June 1^st.

SYNOPSIS (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar^® winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her.  But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her.  Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power.

Click here for the trailer.

So – which do you prefer? … if any?

Set in Depression-era Illinois (Joliet and Chicago), the action starts with Johnny Hooker (Redford) and his partners in crime Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones, James’ dad) and Joe Erie unwittingly and inadvertently running a scam on gangster Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), bilking him out of a large sum of money. Lonnegan’s henchmen track the grifters down and Luther is murdered. Upon finding out his friend’s fate, Hooker books it to Chicago in search for Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman), who Luther had earlier recommended Hooker seek out if he wanted to learn from the best in the long con.

Hooker vows to avenge Luther’s death; he tracks down and enlists the help Gondorff, who is a little down on his luck when Redford’s character first meets him. After some urging, Gondorff decides to take him up on his offer and under his wing; the wheels are now set in motion for setting up the large-scale con known as ‘the wire’.

He assembles a group of various con men to stage the elaborate trap for Lonnegan. Add to the mix, coppers and federal agents who are hot on the trail of our ‘heroes,’ and what you have is a wonderfully paced caper that entertains and amuses, with various twists and turns at every corner.

As much as the film is memorable for the acting and camaraderie between the lead actors, it is the music, notably for the use of the Scott Joplin ragtime composition, “The Entertainer,” that always sticks with me.

Check out the trailer:

At the time of the film’s release, The Sting was universally well received, receiving 10 Oscar™ nods and winning 7, including awards for Best Picture and Best Director for 1973. Over thirty years later it entered the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

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(*) In celebration of Universal Studios’ centennial, I am taking a look back into their catalog to select and discuss a few of my favorite films. The Sting is the first of this series.

 

Today marks the 200th anniversary of one of the English language’s great scribes – Charles Dickens.

I have previously written a post about the Magic of Dickens in which I describe how the medium of television has been so successful at adapting his long, fully formed stories.

Most recently during the month-long December 2011 tribute to Dickens that ran on TCM during the month of December, I ended up watching the ambitious 360-minute, two-part version of Little Dorrit written and directed by Christine Edzard. Who would have imagined that the same story told twice (from different perspectives) could be so entertaining?

Another film I caught over that month was the Hollywood version of Dickens’ unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, starring Claude Rains. Unfortunately, opinion on this film is not fully formed yet as I was watching it having been slightly distracted from giving my undivided attention to the film – so goes the pitfalls of home viewing.

If you are wholly unfamiliar with how the works of someone born 200 years ago have a bearing on shaping our modern cultural landscape, I have compiled a few articles from around the web which point to this idea:

• British Film Institute (BFI), Dickens on Film 
• Kansas City Star, Dickens’ Relevance in the land of contemporary film and television.
• Christian Science Monitor, Charles Dickens: 12 great movie and TV adaptations

Are you a fan of the writings / big and small screen adaptations of Charles Dickens? If so which are your favorite?

(Image Credit: TCM.com)

P.S. One more Dickens/movie tie-in: his great-great-great grandson, Harry Lloyd, is an actor in his own right, having featured in films such as Jane Eyre and The Iron Lady.

He has even appeared in screen versions of two of his 3x great-grandfather’s novels: once as the Young Steerforth in David Copperfield and as Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (source: Internet Movie Database).

Fifteen years ago a lovely little picture graced our screens and I instantly recognized it as a solidly made, well-acted piece of work.

In the years since its initial theatrical run, I find it unfortunate that Love Jones did not capture a wider audience because, at its heart, it is a simple story about two people who have found one another and are trying to make it work.

It is a modern-day urban love story set in the Chicago of step-dancing (aka, ‘steppin’), poetry slams and smoky jazz clubs. Our chief protagonists, photographer Nina (Nia Long) and writer/poet Darius (Larenz Tate) are twenty-something bohemians navigating both the urban and relationship landscape.

Their friends hang around the periphery of their lives and are ever-present to the audience, who bear witness to their successes and failures in securing lasting, meaningful relationships; this provides a perfect foil for our central characters.

Through these highs and lows, trial and tribulations, we the audience are left rooting our couple. By the time the closing credits roll, will we be allowed to exhale in the knowledge that they work it out?

In his feature film début, writer/director Theodore Witcher strikes a perfect balance between the light comedy and dramatic tension.

And the interplay between Tate and Long is fantastic; these are two actors that I would have liked to see a lot more of in leading roles.

If there is one thing that kind of makes me chuckle on the inside is the portrayal of the bohemian lifestyle these two (and their friends) lead. This aspect of the film teeters very close to falling into the trap of the Hollywood cliché of how folks who lead ‘artsy-fartsy’ lives go about them – I only wish my life was this exciting and dynamic!

It would be wrong of me to mention this film without mentioning the awesome soundtrack.

So in the lead-up to that day of love, Valentine’s Day for the uninitiated, seek this one out.

SYNOPSIS

An unprecedented blend of real-life heroism and original filmmaking, Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs in a film like no other in Hollywood’s history.  A fictionalized account of real life Navy SEAL operations, Act of Valor features a gripping story that takes audiences on an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-their-seat journey.

When a mission to recover a kidnapped CIA operative unexpectedly results in the discovery of an imminent, terrifying global threat, an elite team of highly trained Navy SEALs must immediately embark on a heart-stopping secret operation, the outcome of which will determine the fate of us all.

Act of Valor combines stunning combat sequences, up-to-the-minute battlefield technology, and heart-pumping emotion for the ultimate action adventure film–showcasing the skills, training and tenacity of the greatest action heroes of them all: real Navy SEALs.

Act of Valor is scheduled for release February 24th, 2012.

Centaur Theatre (the Old Montreal Stock Exchange)

For this, the next installment in my cinematic journey around the globe, I am hopping back over across the Atlantic and returning to my home continent (North America) – due north to the picturesque eastern Canadian city of Montreal, Quebec.

I had always known that Canada was a place that Hollywood studios liked to go to use as a local, cost-effective alternative filming location. As such, click here to see the full list. As I went through the list one of films stood out to me. Over 90% of the Roland Emmerich environmental disaster flick, The Day After Tomorrow, was shot in Montreal.

As for films actually SET in Montreal, the list is a little less daunting and includes titles such as Norman Jewison’s Agnes of God (1985), the Angelina Jolie/Ethan Hawke thriller Taking Lives (2004), and the Bruce Willis/Matthew Perry crime caper The Whole Nine Yards (2000).

Two of my favorites in this set have been previously mentioned in this space: Wait Until Dark (1967) and Away We Go! (2009). Add to the list of favorite films set in Montreal the slick heist movie The Score (2001) which starring Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and featuring Angela Bassett and, in his final movie appearance, Marlon Brando.

I close this entry with a couple of my travel snaps that I took along the way.

For your consideration …

1. Favorite classic Disney?

2. Favorite film from the year 1939?

3. Favorite Carole Lombard Screwball role?

Don’t have one, unless you count To Be or Not to Be which I don’t because it did not really ever descend into pure screwball zaniness.

4. Favorite off screen couple? (It’s ok if it ended in divorce.)

No brainer ….

5. Favorite pair of best friends? (i.e: Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford)

Josephine Baker and Grace Kelly – Not sure if they were the ‘BESTEST’ of friends, but ever since an encounter in NYC early in Grace’s career, they remained dear friends until the end of Josephine’s life. At the time of Baker’s death, Princess Grace secured her burial in Monaco.

6. Favorite actor with a mustache?

7. Favorite blonde actress?

8. Favorite pre-code?

9. Which studio would you have liked to join?

10. Favorite common on screen pairing that SHOULD have gotten married?

William & Myrna

11. Favorite I Love Lucy episode?

12.  Out of these actresses which one do you like best: Lucille Ball, Ingrid Bergman, Natalie Wood, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Greer Garson, Grace Kelly, or Katharine Hepburn?

I can only pick one? Shucks – I guess I will have to go with Grace Kelly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Well I’ll a little cheat … the photo below is of Grace Kelly AND Audrey Hepburn

13. Shadowy film noir from the 1940’s or splashy colorful musicals from the 1950’s?

14. Actor or actress with the best autograph (photo preferred).

15. A baby (or childhood, or teenage) photo of either your favorite actress or actor (or both, if you’d like).

Joan Fontaine

However after taking a look at these lovely stills and the talent behind them, I might very well give this 3D-CG extravaganza a shot.

FILM DESCRIPTION (courtesy of UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

From the creators of Despicable Me and the imagination of Dr. Seuss comes the 3D-CG feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic youth who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted’s dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O’Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted’s wise Grammy Norma.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop). http://www.theloraxmovie.com

You can see Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax in cinemas starting March 2nd.

SYNOPSIS

SILENT HOUSE is a uniquely unsettling horror thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen as Sarah, a young woman who finds herself sealed inside her family’s secluded lake house. With no contact to the outside world, and no way out, panic turns to terror as events become increasingly ominous in and around the house. Directed by filmmaking duo Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, SILENT HOUSE uses meticulous camera choreography to take the audience on a tension-filled, real time journey, experienced in a single uninterrupted shot.

 

SILENT HOUSE is a based on the Uruguayan film “La Casa Muda.”

I never saw or heard of the Uruguayan predecessor, but by looking at these brief images I can tell that it is pretty atmospheric. Generally this is not a film that I will flock to the theater to see  but it looks like Elizabeth Olsen will become the Olsen sister best known for her acting.

ANTHONY MACKIE

EDUCATION: New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, North Carolina School of the Arts, The Julliard School

A little more love never hurt anyone, right? I was debating whether to put the ‘spotlight’ on Mr. Mackie, as his career now seems to gaining a little more steam in recent years several years of treading the boards.

A star of stage and screen, the Julliard-trained Anthony Mackie‘s feature film début was in 2002 in the Eminem project 8 Mile, followed by a lead role in the 2003 independent film Brother to Brother; for the latter role he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for ‘Best Debut Performance.’

ANTHONY MACKIE stars in MAN ON A LEDGE

He first caught my notice in Spike Lee’s She Hate Me (2004), in which he played a man who resorts to an unconventional means of generating income. According to his CV, also in 2004, Mackie had small roles in Jonathan Demme’s remake of The Manchurian Candidate, and Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.

2005 saw only one film credit – the forgettable teaming of Samuel L Jackson and Eugene Levy in The Man.

The following year notable roles included appearances in We Are Marshall and the critically acclaimed Half-Nelson, co-starring Ryan Gosling.

Over the past 5 years, his roles have increased not only in frequency but also profile: Eagle Eye, best-picture of 2009 The Hurt Locker, Notorious [the biopic Notorious, playing rapper Tupac Shakur], The Adjustment Bureau (with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt), Real Steel (with Hugh Jackson) and the comedy What’s Your Number?.

I wanted to highlight one release during this period: in 2010, he starred in the drama set in the 1970′s Night Catches Us, which also stars Kerry Washington. But by briefly reading the synopsis, it looks kind of interesting.

This year, he already has one film in release (Man on a Ledge), one film in the can (the lead in Bolden!, based on the life of New Orleans cornetist and jazz musician Buddy Bolden), and two more on the horizon – Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and The Gangster Squad, co-starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Sean Penn and Josh Brolin.

Phew! In putting this list together, I see that it is quite impressive – Mr. Mackie sure has crafted a very diverse career for himself – and I have not even mentioned the stage work!

I guess the next step is a few more standout lead roles. If Bolden! or any of these 2012 releases prove very successful, that may very well be what puts him over the top.