Planes, Trains and Automobiles Review

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Release Date: 26th December 1987 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Hughes Entertainment

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 92 minutes

Budget: $30,000,000

Box Office Gross: $49,752,241 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

He is advertising executive Neal Page, trying to get home to Chicago to spend a day with his family for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for him, his flight gets rerouted to Wichita.

There, he bumps into a

talkative yet loveable

salesman named Del Griffith.

Together, they undertake

a cross-country trip that

includes various modes of

transportation, hilarious

disasters, and unforgettable

rental car shenanigans.

Cast

Steve Martin - Neal Page

John Candy - Del Griffith

Lalia Robins - Susan Page

Michael McKean - State Trooper

Kevin Bacon - Taxi Racer

Dylan Baker - Owen

Carol Bruce - Joy

Olivia Burnette - Marti

Diana Douglas - Peg

Martin Ferrero - Second Motel

Clerk

Larry Hankin - Doobie

Richard Herd - Walt

Susan Kellermann - Waitress

Matthew Lawrence - Little Neal

Edie McClurg - Car Rental Agent

George Petrie - Martin

Gary Riley - Motor Thief

Charles Tyner - Gus

Susan Isaacs - Marie

Lulie Newcomb - Owen's Wife

John Randolph Jones - Cab Dispatcher

Nick Wyman - New York Lawyer

Gaetano Lisi - Cab Driver - New York

Bill Erwin - Man on Plane

Ruth de Sosa - New York Ticket Agent

Ben Stein - Wichita Airport Representative

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director - John Hughes

Associate Producer/Second Unit Director -

William H. Brown

Executive Producer - Michael Clinich

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Neil Machlis

Casting Directors - Janet Hirshenson

and Jane Jenkins

Production Designer - John W. Corso

Art Director - Harold Michelson

Set Decorators - Jane Bogart and

Linda Spheeris

Costume Designer - April Ferry

Makeup Designer: John Candy - Ben Nye III

Director of Photography - Don Peterman

Location Coordinator: New York -

Lydia Dean Pilcher

First Assistant Director - Mark Radcliffe

Second Assistant Director - Arthur Anderson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Richard Graves

First Assistant Director: Second Unit,

Chicago - James Giovannetti Jr.

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Bernie E. Dobbins

Special Effects - William Aldridge,

Stan Parks and Ken Speed (Uncredited)

Editor - Paul Hirsch

Additional Editors - Adam Bernardi,

Andrew London and Peck Prior

Supervising Sound Editors - Lon Bender

and Wylie Stateman

Re-Recording Mixers - David E. Campbell,

John T. Reitz and Gregg Rudloff

Foley Artists - Dean Drabin, Gary A. Hecker

and Alicia Stevenson

Music - Ira Newborn

Composers: Additional Score - Brian Banks

and Anthony Marinelli

Music Supervisor - Tarquin Gotch

Review

After years of making teen comedies, filmmaker John Hughes breaks out of the sub-genre to make the buddy/road comedy PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES. It was hilarious and groundbreaking but often dramatic as the film is about a mismatched pair who wind up getting through the worst of a bad situation in the middle of a holiday. Sure, there are times when the movie has funny moments that make us laugh, such as the iconic "Those Aren't Pillows!". There are heartfelt scenes that occasionally pop up in a comedy like this and give a balance.

Steve Martin and John Candy were terrific and had fantastic chemistry, but they were the best. It's a shame they never got around to working again in another movie that is almost as good, heartfelt and hilarious as PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES when Candy met his untimely death in 1994. I enjoyed the soundtrack, which is remarkable. It has songs I didn't even know existed.

I appreciate how the late John Hughes is willing to shift from producing movies aimed at teens like Weird Science, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off to comedies like PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES and Home Alone. It was his best work, and nothing could compare this film to those made in modern times. I highly recommend it to fans of the filmmaker and even those who liked Steve Martin and the late John Candy.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Review

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Release Date: 10th August 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

EuropaCorp

TF1 Films Production (Co-Production)

OCS (with the participation of)

TF1 (with the participation of)

Fundamental Films (in association with)

BNP Paribas (in association with)

Orange Studio (in association with)

Universum Film (UFA) (in
association with)

Novo Pictures (in association
with)

River Road Entertainment (in association with)

Belgium Film Fund (in association with)

Distribution

eOne Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 137 minutes

Budget: €197,000,000

              (gross)

              $205,000,000 (net)

Box Office Gross: $225,973,340 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
In the 28th century, two operatives, Valerian and Laureline from the United Human Federation, must track down the last converter as part of their assignment, a rare species considered extinct.

After completing their mission, they head back to the space station Alpha. Only to find out that the mysterious humanoids have abducted the commander. It's up to the two heroes to rescue him without relinquishing the converter into the wrong hands.

Cast

Dane DeHaan - Major Valerian

Cara Delevingne - Sergeant

Laureline

Clive Owen - Commander
Arun Filitt

Rihanna - Bubble

Ethan Hawke - Jolly the Pimp

Herbie Hancock - Defense Minister

Kris Wu - Sergeant Neza

Sam Spruell - General Okto-Bar

Alain Chabat - Bob the Pirate

Rutger Hauer - President of the World State Federation

Peter Hudson - Captain Crawford

Xavier Giannoli - Captain Norton

Sasha Luss - Princess Lïhio-Minaa/Creature 'Candy Dress'

Aymeline Valade - Emperor Haban Limaï

Elizabeth Debicki - Emperor Haban Limaï (Voice)

Pauline Hoarau - Empress Aloï/Creature 'Swing Angel'

Barbara Scaff - Empress Aloï

(Voice)

Ola Rapace - Major Gibson

Stefan Konarske - Captain Zito

Gavin Drea - Sergeant Cooper

Eric Lampaert - Guide Thaziit

Laurent Ferraro - Igon Siruss/

Dothan-Dagui

John Goodman - Igon Siruss (Voice)

Alexandre Willaume - Captain Kris

Tristan Robin - Roper

Réginal Kudiwu - Major Samk

Louis Leterrier - Captain Welcoming Mercurys (Cameo)

Olivier Megaton - Captain

Welcoming KCO2 (Cameo)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Luc Besson

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline" - Pierre Christin

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline"/Additional Concept Design: Development Phase - Jean-Claude Mézières

Executive Producers - Jc Cheng, Mark Gao and Gregory Ouanhon

Producer - Virginia Besson-Silla

Production Designer - Hughes Tissander

Concept Designers - Ben Mauro,

Alain Brion, Sylvain Despretz,

Patrice Garcia, Marc Simonetti

and Feng Zhu

Art Directors - Gilles Boillot,

Stéphane Robuchon, Etienne Rohde,

Patrick Tandiang, Christian Vallat and

Thierry Zemmour

Art Director: Drawings - Dominique Moisan

Set Decorator - Evelyne Tissandier

Costume Designer - Olivier Bériot

Valerian's Space Suits - Claudine Lachaud,

Laurent Couline, Anthony Sgard and

Laurent Dozot

Director of Photography - Thierry Arbogast

Stunt Supervisor/Fight Choreographer

(Uncredited) - Laurent Demianoff

Special Effects Supervisor - Philippe Hubin

Special Effects Coordinator - Jean-Christophe Magnaud

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisor - Scott Stokdyk

Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Wayne Stables, R. Christopher White,

Martin Hill and Ken McGaugh

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Phillippe Rebours

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX - François Dumoulin

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Factory -

Jérôme Lionard

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX -

Peter Nofz

Visual Effects Producer - Sophie Leclerc

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital - Ben Pickering

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Bianca Draghici

and Christian Alzmann

Art Director: Rodeo FX - Olivier Martin

Previs Supervisor: HALON - Brad Alexander

Animation Supervisors: Weta Digital - Paul Story

and Eric Reynolds

Motion Capture Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Dejan Momcilovic and Ben Murray

On Set Layout Supervisor: ILM - Duncan Blackman

Editor - Julien Rey

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Guillaume Bouchateau

Sound Designers - David Farmer, Josh Gold

and Nia Hansen

Additional Sound Designers - Gurwal Coïc-Gallas

and Alexis Place

Sound Editor - Aymeric Devoldère

Production Sound Mixer - Stephane Bucher

Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson,

Didier Lozahic and Juan Peralta

Original Score - Alexandre Desplat

Recordists and Music Mixers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

A misguided effort by filmmaker Luc Besson, VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS rivals the Star Wars prequel trilogy in its overproduced visuals, scope and deficiencies. The film was an adaptation of a French sci-fi comic series, which people say that George Lucas had taken some of its ideas for his Star Wars series, but it was just a coincidence. Having experienced the images and not the storyline, Besson took it upon himself to revisit these ideas he previously integrated into his other space opera, The Fifth Element. He tried to replicate the state-of-the-art visuals that James Cameron used to create the experience in Avatar, but it worked. While the visuals are stunning, they tend to overdo it.

I am so fascinated by the incredible world-building and its concepts. Unfortunately, the film could not overcome the obstacles that are its shortcomings. It includes an uninspired and convoluted plot. The movie starts with an opening sequence, its only best moment, with David Bowie's "Space Oddity" playing in the background.

Dane DeHaan is miscast for the role of the titular protagonist. He looks too boyish and creepy and tries to imitate Keanu Reeves' acting when attempting to be like him. Cara Delevingne is wooden in her performance as Laureline, and this should have gone to a different, well-known actress with much more acting experience. The romance between their two characters feels flat, which may have been due to a lack of chemistry. Rihanna, however, does a fantastic job in the role of the shape-shifting alien Bubble.

VALERIAN is a feasible space adventure, but it's nothing new. It fell short of my expectations and was instantly forgettable. In recommendation, viewers are to see this film for just one time. They are curious to know something that has potential.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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In Memory of Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Seven-time Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, known for playing the gruff Lou Grant in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its titular spin-off and a poignant voice role in Pixar's Oscar-winning movie "Up", passed away on August 29th, 2021. He was 91 years old.

Ed worked for many years as a character actor in films and television series before rising to fame in the 1970s as the curmudgeonly newsroom head in the sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", which earned him three Emmys for Best Supporting Actor. When that sitcom ended, he returned as the same character in the hour-long dramatic spin-off that brought him two leading actor Emmys and five nominations. Ed won Emmys for the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Roots" and was even honoured with seven. He recently appeared in hit shows like "Grace and Frankie", "Modern Family", and "Cobra Kai" and has remained active on television for decades in numerous roles. Asner also worked in film, beginning in 1961 with his debut role in the Elvis Presley vehicle "Kid Galahad" as well as other movies like "The Satan Bug", "The Slender Thread", "El Dorado", "Gunn", and "Change of Habit" (again with Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore). He made occasional appearances in films such as "Skin Game", "Fort Apache the Bronx", "Daniel", and "JFK". Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Asner continued to work steadily on the big screen with features including "Academy Boyz", "Hard Rain", "The Bachelor", "Above Suspicion", "Elf" (where he played Santa for the fifth consecutive time) and "Enchanted Cottage".

Aside from his film and television work, Ed has done voiceovers in animation like "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (which drew him a Daytime Emmy nomination), "Fish Police", Batman", "Gargoyles", "Spider-Man", "Freakazoid", "Superman", "The Boondocks", "WordGirl", etc. However, his finest work on voice acting would be his emotional role as Carl Fredericksen in the animated Pixar film "Up", which won two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature.

The acclaim of "Up" reinvigorated interest in the actor's presence, resulting in guest spots on shows like "Law & Order: SVU", "The Middle", and "Hawaii Five-O".

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