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Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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Walker vs. Gigolo

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The Toronto Film Festival synopsis of Paul Schrader's The Walker (ThinkFilm, 12.7.07) strongly implies that it's a Washington, D.C. version of Schrader's American Gigolo. What follows is a beat-by-beat comparison of the Walker synopsis alongside one for Gigolo.

Walker #1: "A contemporary drama set in Washington, D.C., The Walker centers around Carter Page (Woody Harrelson), a well-heeled and popular gay socialite who serves as confidant, companion, and card partner to some of the capitol's leading ladies."

Gigolo #1: "A once-contemporay drama set in Beverly Hills of 1978, American Gigolo centers around Julian Kaye (Richard Gere), a well-dressed and popular boy-toy who makes expert, well-paid love to some of the L.A.'s most well-heeled ladies."

Walker #2: "Carter's loyalty [to these women] is tested when his dearest friend (Kristin Scott Thomas) finds herself on the brink of a scandal that could destroy her reputation and her husband's career. Offering to cover for her, Carter suppresses evidence only to find himself the chief suspect in a criminal investigation. Suddenly this well-connected man-about town is a pariah, hounded by the police and forced to find the true culprit to clear his name. More importantly, he must reexamine whether it is important to be accepted by a society based on betrayal, hypocrisy and corruption."

Gigolo #2: "Kaye's attraction for and growing romance with a politician's wife (Lauren Hutton) is put to the test when he's initially suspected and then hounded for a murder of a woman he'd serviced in Palm Springs. Suddenly this well-connected gigolo-about town is a pariah, hounded by the police and trying to find the true culprit to clear his name. More importantly, he must reexamine whether it is important to be accepted by a society based on betrayal, hypocrisy and corruption. Sent to jail, he's ultimately saved by Hutton's testimony -- testimony sure to destroy her reputation and her husband's career."

Bullets and Babies<< previous | next >>Deballed guy characters

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 22, 2007 at 12:40 PM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

Except, uh, Carter is gay.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 22, 2007 1:16 PM

comment #2

Sean says ...

Schrader apparent considers Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, Light Sleeper and The Walker to be of a piece -- essentially the same person at four points in his life. Mark Kermode interviewed him about this for the BBC a couple of weeks ago; sadly, I can't find the audio on their website, but another Kermode/Schrader interview appears to be here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/filmprogramme/filmprogramme_20070810.shtml.

Posted by Sean at August 22, 2007 1:18 PM

comment #3

erniesouchak says ...

Too bad Schrader's movies are so boring.

Posted by erniesouchak at August 22, 2007 1:20 PM

comment #4

Midwest Doug says ...

"Suddenly this well-connected x-about-town is a pariah, hounded by the police"???

Posted by Midwest Doug at August 22, 2007 1:30 PM

comment #5

gruver1 says ...

Wels to Burma Shave: Yeah...so? I said Carter is "a well-heeled and popular gay socialite."

Posted by gruver1 at August 22, 2007 1:45 PM

comment #6

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Midwest Dog: Yeah, Kaye is suspected and hounded after a fashion by the police.

Posted by gruver1 at August 22, 2007 1:47 PM

comment #7

George Prager says ...

Does Bill Duke get to wear a groovy jumpsuit in this one?

Posted by George Prager at August 22, 2007 2:00 PM

comment #8

BurmaShave says ...

Wells, my apologies. Upon initial reading I thought you were commenting on the similarities between the characters, not the synopsises. Based on the trailer, could be interesting. Bonus points for actually filming here in DC.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 22, 2007 2:17 PM

comment #9

malibugigolo says ...

This looks interesting.

Posted by malibugigolo at August 22, 2007 4:14 PM

comment #10

MilkMan says ...

I would like to make the case that Richard Gere in American Gigolo is the most beautiful man in the history of cinema. More beautiful than Brando in Streetcar, Dean in East of Eden, Clift in From Here to Eternity, Delon in Purple Noon, Beatty in Splendor, Newman in Hud, Leung in The Lover, Pitt in Thelma and Louise, Greico in If Looks Could Kill. That last one is a guilty pleasure. But what I said about Gere is my truth, now tell me yours...

Posted by MilkMan at August 22, 2007 4:40 PM

comment #11

malibugigolo says ...

Gérard Depardieu in Germinal

Posted by malibugigolo at August 22, 2007 4:53 PM

comment #12

Mgmax says ...

Go see Gary Cooper in an early 30s movie (Design For Living, The General Died at Dawn, or if you can find it, the silent Lilac Time). Hollywood never made any man look as good as the young Gary Cooper, almost pretty and yet manly and relaxed and sharp as hell in his wardrobe-- Cary Grant gets credit for spreading a more relaxed, American style of dress that killed off the buttoned-up Arrow shirt look, but Cooper probably did just as much.

Posted by Mgmax at August 22, 2007 11:16 PM

comment #13

Walter Sobchak says ...

Does this mean that Woody's gonna be flashing his schlong half way through the film?

Posted by Walter Sobchak at August 23, 2007 7:08 AM

comment #14

MilkMan says ...

Woody Harrelson has a huge dick. One of the biggest in Hollywood. So does Jason Patric. And Liam Neeson. Keifer Sutherland. Which means, I guess, that Julia Roberts likes big dicks.

I'm just saying.

Posted by MilkMan at August 23, 2007 8:57 AM

comment #15

MilkMan says ...

Is that the Kraut from Run Lola Run standing next to Woody? Is he playing a magician in the movie? That's what he body language is telling me. It looks like he's about to pull a dove out of Woody's pcoket.

Posted by MilkMan at August 23, 2007 8:59 AM

comment #16

MilkMan says ...

Is that the Kraut from Run Lola Run standing next to Woody? Is he playing a magician in the movie? That's what his body language is saying to me. It looks like he's about to pull a dove out of Woody's pcoket.

Posted by MilkMan at August 23, 2007 8:59 AM

comment #17