Nick Frost – Spinning Platters

Film Review: “How to Train Your Dragon”

Dragon’s nearly identical retelling lacks freshness

It would be hard to fault writer/director Dean DeBlois (2002’s Lilo & Stitch), who directed the original How to Train Your Dragon animated trilogy, for choosing to return to direct the live-action remake. After all, the original HTTYD is a near-perfect film, with a gigantic brand and fan-base. DeBlois and his team decided that the best way to capture the magic of the original was to “transfer” it to live-action– nearly shot-for-shot, and line for line. Well, Mr. DeBlois, not all the dialogue and shot-for-shot sequences are as effective with a new cast and without the colorful emotive freedom of animation. Dragon-riding is still exhilarating in the live-action version, but the rest of the film lacks the script re-tuning necessary for a new narrative tone and visual palette. The new How to Train Your Dragon will be a grand scale adventure for those unfamiliar with the original film, and certainly a blast for young kids, but for the previously Dragon-trained audiences, the new live-action version will fail to match the original’s transportive wonder and wit. Continue reading “Film Review: “How to Train Your Dragon””

Film Review: Fighting With My Family

Merchant throws down with charmer of a wrestling tale

Wrestler Saraya (Florence Pugh, center) is embraced by her supportive parents (Lena Headey and Nick Frost).

Florence Pugh, the young British actress best known for Lady Macbeth and The Outlaw King, steps out of those historic costume drama roles and into a costume of another kind in the terrific new wrestling picture Fighting With My Family. Written and directed by British comedian Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies; Extras) with a whole lot of heart and verve, the film is based on a true story previously chronicled in the documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family. Merchant’s fictionalized account brings a sports underdog story to life — always a risk for clichés — but does so with such earnest spirit and genuine affection that you can’t help but develop a rooting interest in the film’s indelible characters and immensely enjoy yourself along the way. Continue reading “Film Review: Fighting With My Family“

Film Review: Cuban Fury

This movie will dance its way into your heart … or something like that.

Nick Frost stars in the Nick Frost vehicle, Cuban Fury

There’s a type of comedy movie called the star vehicle. It’s an old fashioned concept, but basically, it’s when you take a funny person and write a movie around him that plays to his strengths as a comic actor. That’s what Cuban Fury is. It’s a chance for Nick Frost to do Nick Frost things with a strong supporting cast, and as this sort of film, it absolutely works.

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Part One of the Spinning Platters Interview: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of The World’s End

Maybe we can get a fourth movie in this trilogy if we ask nicely.

Tomorrow sees the U.S. release of The World’s End, the third film in a so-called trilogy of films from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting around a table with a group of San Francisco film writers to talk with them for a few minutes. Those few minutes became a lot more minutes, as once they started talking, they had a lot to say. Part one of this two-part interview will touch on subjects such as traveling to England, Raising Arizona, and putting peanuts in a log. Come back tomorrow for part two of this interview, and a review of the movie as well.

You mentioned during a post-film Q&A that you wanted to show parts of England that weren’t London, but then these parts of England that aren’t London have zombies, they have murderers, they have what we see in this movie …

Edgar Wright: Which is basically saying “Don’t go to England.” Continue reading “Part One of the Spinning Platters Interview: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of The World’s End”

Film Review: “Snow White and the Huntsman”

2012_snow_white_and_the_huntsman_charlize_theron_ravenna2 — Charlize Theron in SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

starring: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Toby Jones

written by: Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, Hossein Amini

directed by: Rupert Sanders

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality

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Film Reviews: “War Horse” / “The Adventures of Tintin”

War Horse

starring: Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, David Kross, David Thewlis

written by: Lee Hall and Richard Curtis

directed by: Steven Spielberg

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence.

The Adventures of Tintin

starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost

written by: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish

directed by: Steven Spielberg

MPAA: Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking.

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Film Review: “Paul”

Simon Pegg, Kristen Wiig, Nick Frost, and the voice of Seth Rogen in PAUL. Photo by Double Negative/Universal Pictures – © 2011 Universal Studios.

starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Blythe Danner, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Sigourney Weaver, Jane Lynch, David Koechler, Jesse Plemons, John Carroll Lynch, and the voice of Seth Rogen

directed by: Greg Mottola

written by: Nick Frost and Simon Pegg

MPAA: Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use.

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