The music of Tarantino

A while back Miksteip - a radio-program in Norway - had a Quentin Tarantino-special. In other words, they devoted their entire 2-hour program to the music used in Tarantino´s movies.

Needless to say, the program was just about as badass as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. In this post I´d like to share some of my favorite songs from the movies of the influential director/auteur, many of them featured in the Tarantino-special on "Miksteip".



The fact that Tarantino has always put a lot of effort into choosing the right music for his movies is no secret, as shown by the following quote:

When I´m writing a script, one of the first things I do is find the music I´m going to play for the opening sequence. I can´t go forward until I figure out how I´m going to start - what the opening mood music will be - Quentin Tarantino

So, what better place to start then at the beginning? In his directorial debut Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino proves that the aforementioned quote rings true. He really does give it a lot of thought, and in the end that gives us a very memorable opening sequence in both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Although the opening of Pulp Fiction is a great one, the song used in Reservoir Dogs is a better song if you remove the filmic context of it. And although it´s hard not to link song and film moment, I´ll only include songs that I also consider strong in it´s own right.

Little Green Bag - The George Baker Selection

Reservoir Dogs

Stuck in the Middle With You - Stealers Wheel

Reservoir Dogs

Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield

Pulp Fiction

Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack

Jackie Brown

The Delfonics - La La Means I Love You

Jackie Brown

(Although not on the soundtrack, this song can be heard as Jackie Brown puts on a record at her house. The song she puts on at first is on the soundtrack, but it is definitely not a coincidence that Quentin Tarantino lets the record run to play this one as well...)

Bang Bang - Nancy Sinatra

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Don´t Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Down in Mexico - The Coasters

Death Proof

Cat People (Putting Out the Fire) - David Bowie

Inglorious Basterds

Freedom - Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton

Django Unchained

Ancora Qui - Elisa

Django Unchained

Who Did That To You? - John Legend

Django Unchained

Too Old To Die Young - Brother Dege

Django Unchained

Spanish movies

When I was about 14 years old (give or take), my sister and I went to rent a movie. This was before DVD´s and back when video-stores were good business. As we returned to watch the movie, we quickly realized it was in Spanish. We watched the movie, and it scared the crap out of me. The movie was Tesis, a horror/thriller from 1996.

Ana Torrent and Eduardo Noriega in Tesis. 

As my film interest grew the following years, I would think back on this movie from time to time. And the movie was a natural starting point as I tried to discover other foreign films. "Tesis" is about students discovering snuff-films, in other words videos made showing people getting killed. A dark theme, absolutely, and especially for a 14 year-old. A few years later, though, I went back and took a look at the people involved in the movie, and especially the director. His name, Alejandro Amenábar, might ring a bell for those with an above average interest for film. He later went on to direct The Others, starring Nicole Kidman, another eerie movie with death as a pivotal theme. My favorite movie from the director however is Abre Los Ojos. I have seen this movie many times, and still consider it one of my favorite movies. Penélope Cruz and Eduardo Noriega are the stars of the show, and the story has a couple of my favorite scenes ever in film history. The movie (Open Your Eyes is the English title), was later remade in the US as "Vanilla Sky", where Tom Cruise played the part of Eduardo Noriega. Penélope Cruz went back to her role as Sofia for the remake. 

The iconic image of an empty Madrid in Abre Los Ojos.

Eduardo Noriega has also starred in another personal favorite of mine, namely The Devil´s Backbone. The Spanish title for the movie however is much better. El Espinazo Del Diablo. Quite possibly the coolest title to say out loud. Ever. 

Anyway, after this initial introduction early on to Spanish film, I´ve kept an eye on what´s coming out of the Spanish Film market. Here are a few movies you might wanna check out: 

Tesis

Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes)

El Espinazo Del Diablo (The Devil´s Backbone)

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

La Noche de los Girasoles (Night of the Sunflowers)

Who was offered the role, you say?

Some roles are done so brilliantly by actors that it´s hard to imagine them being done by anyone else then the ones that did the movie. However, there are plenty of examples of roles that were offered to others prior to the final casting of the part. Here are a few examples movies that could´ve been quite different, and actors/actresses that have been in the running for parts they (for various reasons) did not end up doing.

Goodfellas

This could´ve been Joe Pesci, Sean Penn and Al Pacino...

Robert De Niro played the part of James ´Jimmy´ Conway perfectly, and considering his many movies with director Martin Scorsese, it might come as a surprise that Al Pacino was actually offered the role. Pacino declined the role, fearing it might lead him to being typecasted, a decision he has admitted to regretting later on. John Malkovich also turned down the role. 

In the same movie, Ray Liotta plays the lead character Henry Hill. Arguably one of his best performances, Liotta himself has said that Sean Penn was considered for the part. Alec Baldwin also auditioned for the role. 

Ellen Barkin was considered for the part of Henry Hill´s wife, Karen Hill. The part eventually ended up being played by Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi in The Sopranos).

The Shawshank Redemption

Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen? Paul Newman and Johnny Depp? Lots of actors were considered, but in the end Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins got the parts of Red and Andy in ´The Shawshank Redemption´. 

As much as Al Pacino might have regretted turning down Goodfellas, I´d say Kevin Costner´s decision to turn down the role of Andy Dufresne might be an even bigger mistake. Especially considering he did so as he was attached to an other movie at the time. That movie was Waterworld...

The Oscar-nominated director Rob Reiner tried to buy the rights for the movie-script for The Shawshank Redemption, and had his offer been accepted, Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford were his choices for the roles of Andy and Red, respectively.

Other actors considered for the role of Andy (which in the end was played wonderfully by Tim Robbins) were Nicolas Cage, Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks. The letter was however committed to Forrest Gump at the time, and could not accept an offer for the job.

Before Morgan Freeman landed the role of Red other actors considered were Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

Brad Pitt was also set to play in the movie, as the character Tommy Williams, but this part in the end fell to Gil Bellows. 

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt (here in 12 Monkeys) has had a LOT of job-offers...

Speaking of Brad Pitt, it is no surprise that he has been in the running for many parts other then the ones he´s played. An actor of huge diversity, he proved his acting range during a magic couple of years during the 90s. After his breakthrough performance in Thelma & Louise, many considered him just a pretty boy. However, after showing off his comedic skills in True Romance, his touch of drama in movies such as Legends of the Fall, Se7en and Interview With a Vampire, he hit a home run with his Oscar-nominated performance in 12 Monkeys. As Jeffrey Goines he cemented himself as one of the rising star actors in the film industry. But what about the movies he just almost took part in?

- He turned down a role in Apollo 13 due to his commitment to Se7en.
- He was considered for the lead role in The Matrix.
- Was considered for the role of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
- Was considered for the role in Crimson Tide which eventually went to Denzel Washington.
- Was in the running together with Russell Crowe for the part in American Gangster.

Six degrees of... replacements

Jodie Foster won an Academy Award for her performance in Silence of the Lambs, but only after Michelle Pfeiffer had turned down the role....

Michelle Pfeiffer on the other hand was considered for the lead role in Mamma Mia, a role which eventually went to Meryl Streep...

.... who was considered for the lead role in Evita, which in the end was played by Madonna....

.... who wanted the role in Basic Instinct, which eventually was played by Sharon Stone....

Sharon Stone auditioned for the role of Vicki Vale in Batman, a role that in the end went to Kim Basinger...

Kim Basinger was set to star in Boxing Helena, but tried to renegotiate her contract... it failed, and she was ordered to pay $8 million after the producers of the movie sued her. In the end, she did not have to pay the money, but the role ended up going to Sherilyn Fenn...

Same, but different?

Trying to imagine Goodfellas without Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro seems hard. The movie is a masterpiece, and despite the brilliance of other actors considered, could it have been as good? It´s impossible to say. However, even this short look at movie-casting speaks volumes of the power of film. Changing just one actor can change a whole movie. Would any other actor have pulled of the look Robert De Niro did in a crucial scene in Goodfellas? How would Brad Pitt have pulled off the lead role in the Matrix? Could Meryl Streep have added to her Oscar-cabinet if she had participated in Evita? We will never know. To me, this is a magical aspect of movies. The fact that with just one tiny change in the setup of the movie (wether the casting of a lead actor or a small supporting role), a movie can have a whole new life. A whole new meaning. It can go from great to mediocre. From poor to okay. From forgettable to top class. 

It´s magical because it says a lot about Film as Art. And it says a lot about how much potential a movie can have. And last, but not least, it says a lot about how important the job of a casting agent is...

Twin Peaks - where are they now?

Have you ever wondered what happened to the cast of the cult-series "Twin Peaks"? The show was cancelled after 2 seasons, but those two seasons were enough to create some of the most memorable characters ever in TV. David Lynch definitely has his own way of doing things, and "Twin Peaks" was no different. The show was a mix of suspense, humor, horror, who-dun-it and well... weirdness. It also gave us a good portion of elements from the soap-operas. Love it or hate it, (or do both), here are a few of the characters (big and small), and what they´ve done since the show:

Kyle MacLachlan - Special Agent Dale Cooper

Kyle Machlaclan as Special Agent Dale Cooper in "Twin Peaks"

Kyle Maclachlan not being Special Agent Dale Cooper

The main character of the show, this lover of coffee and pie is more then anyone else the heart of the story. He won a Golden Globe for his performance, but he´s never really made it big time in the movies. He has however done a decent amount of work in TV, such as in "Sex and The City" and "Desperate Housewives". And let´s not forget that he also did the voice of Donald Love in the Video Game "Grand Theft Auto 3". Oh, and an uncredited role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2"...

Michael Ontkean - Sheriff Harry S. Truman

Michael Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman in "Twin Peaks"

Michael Ontkean, slightly more grey-haired, in "The Descendants"

Michael Ontkean played the likable Sheriff in the town of Twin Peaks, who took a liking to Dale Cooper despite all his peculiarities. His most famous role besides "Twin Peaks" is in the 1977 movie "Slap Shot". After "Twin Peaks" he has mostly appeared in TV movies and on various TV-Series. He lives in Hawaii, which could possibly be one of the reasons why he suddenly appeared in the George Clooney film "The Descendants". 

Mädchen Amick - Shelly Johnson

Mädchen Amick as Shelly Johnson in "Twin Peaks"

Mädchen Amick in "Beauty and the Beast" from 2012

Mädchen Amick was fairly new to the world of entertainment when she was cast as Shelly Johnson in Twin Peaks. Only 20 years old, she played the part of Leo Johnson´s wife, and Bobby´s lover. She is half-German, a quarter Norwegian and a quarter Swedish. After "Twin Peaks", she has featured in many TV-shows, such as "ER", "Dawsons Creek", "Gilmore Girls", "Damages", "Californication" and "My Own Worst Enemy". She also appeared in an episode of "Mad Men".

Dana Ashbrook - Bobby Briggs

Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs in "Twin Peaks"

Dana Ashbrook in the Twin Peaks-tribute episode of "Psych"

Dana played Bobby Briggs on the show, and was your typical jock from High School. He had dated Laura, but was having an affair with Shelly Johnson. Ambitious, but let down by his lack of intelligence and his overdose of naivety, his character on "Twin Peaks" is still his most famous one. He has appeared in a bunch of TV-movies, as well as a couple of TV-shows. His appearance in the Twin Peaks-tribute episode from "Psych" is golden!

Peggy Lipton - Norma Jennings

Peggy Lipton as Norma Jennings in "Twin Peaks"

Mother and daughter: Peggy Lipton and Rashida Jones.

Peggy Lipton was in the long-tunning TV-show "Mod Squad" prior to her role in "Twin Peaks". She has continued doing TV-shows and movies, including "The Postman", "Alias" and "When In Rome". However, she has also contributed more indirectly to the world of Film and TV, as she is the mother of actress Rashida Jones. Peggy Lipton was married to famous music producer Quincy Jones, and they had two kids together. In addition to the aforementioned Rashida Jones, they also had Kidada Jones, who used to date Tupac. The rapper was supposedly on his way to pick up Kidada when he was shot in Las Vegas in 1996. 

Sherilyn Fenn - Audrey Horne

Sherilynn Fenn as Audrey Horne in "Twin Peaks"

Sherilynn Fenn in a tribute episode to Twin Peaks on "Psych"

The mysterious Audrey Horne was one of the most interesting characters of the show, and a Norwegian hard rock band also took the characters name as their band name. Sherilyn has continued featuring in movies and TV-shows, such as "Of Mice and Men", "Rude Awakening", "Dawsons Creek", "Boston Public" and "Gilmore Girls". She was also in the Twin Peaks tribute episode of "Psych". 

Others

Eric DaRe played Leo Johnson on "Twin Peaks". His career didn´t exactly take off after the show, and he has 14 credits in movies and TV-shows after the cult series, his last one was in 2002. Just taking a look at the credits says pretty much all you need to know about how his career went; Anthony the Bouncer (Dead Connection), Medic (Starship Troopers), Guard (Poodle Springs) and my favorite... Male Partygoer (Ted Bundy).

Bellina Logan played Desk Clerk in episode 4 of Season 2. Not a big role, but a little fun fact. About 20 years later she has been in 7 episodes of "Sons of Anarchy" playing Fiona Larkin.

Bellina Logan as Desk Clerk in an episode of "Twin Peaks"

Bellina Logan as Fiona Larkin in "Sons of Anarchy"

Speaking of mothers of actresses, there is another actress on "Twin Peaks" who has a famous actress for a daughter. Mary Jo Deschanel played Eileen Hayward on the show, and is the mother of Zooey Deschanel ((500) Days of Summer, Yes Man, The Happening) and Emily Deschanel (Bones).

Frank Silva who played Bob have possibly caused many young viewers of the show to loose a good night´s sleep. Frank Silva was an Art Decorator, and it was just a coincidence that led David Lynch to cast him as the scary character of Bob. Unfortunately, Frank Silva died in 1995 (only 45 years old) of AIDS.


Miguel Ferrer is one of the actors from the show who has had most success (at least he´s kept busy), although he does have a couple of bad films under his belt as well. Nevertheless, his role in "Twin Peaks" is one of the most memorable ones. As F.B.I. Agent Albert Rosenfield he gives the show a lot of hilarious moments with his dry humor and awesome delivery.

Heather Graham was only 20 years old when she joined the cast of "Twin Peaks" as Annie, sister of Norma Jennings. Speaking of actors from the show with the most success, Heather Graham is probably one of them. She went on to feature in movies such as "From Hell", "Boogie Nights" and "Hangover".


Last, but not least... David Duchovny. Although most famous for his job as Mulder in "X-Files" and later as Hank Moody in "Californication", one must never forget that one of his first jobs was on "Twin Peaks". As the cross-dressing DEA Agent Dennis/Denise Bryson. Before he was a hand model in "Zoolander". Before he studied Serial Killers in "Kalifornia". Before all of those things... he was a cross-dressing DEA Agent.

David Duchovny as DEA Agent Dennis/Denise Bryson in "Twin Peaks"

Season Guest Appearances

Great TV-shows not only depend on their regular cast for the show to be a success. If the regulars are considered the heart of the show, seasonal guest appearances could be considered the medical check-ups. Even though a show can be considered pretty much in perfect condition, a medical check-up is never a bad idea. If the doctor is the right one, that is.

Here are some of my favorite guest appearances by actors/actresses that have been given a supporting role in at least one season (give or take).

1. Margo Martindale - Justified

Timothy Olyphant and Margo Martindale in "Justified". 

In the first episode of season 2, we are introduced to Mags Bennett and the Bennett family. Although Jeremy Davies does a wonderful job as one of her two hillbilly sons, it is Margo Martindale as the mother who puts the star in ´guest star´ in the second season of Justified.

"Justified" is a TV-show with with as many great characters as there are great bottles of Whiskey in Kentucky. Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett is not only one of the best, she might just be THE best. She pulls of a great combination, in that she both looks like your stereotypical hillbilly, but at the same time can put the fear in you like any villain in the history of TV-shows. She said in an interview that her roles in "Justified", "Million Dollar Baby" and "Paris Je T´aime" are her favorites in her career. As much as I loved her performance in "Paris Je´T´aime", her portrayal of Mags Bennett is to me her best part yet. And luckily for all of us, it´s a performance that spanned over a whole season of Justified.

She deservedly won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2011, and was featured in an article called "Eight Actors Who Turn Television Into Art" in the New York Times.

There, Patton Oswalt wrote:

More than any of the other characters on "Justified", Mags Bennett embodies the title of the show (...) Any great actress could make this character frightening. But Margo Martindale is beyond great in the role: she is rare. She forces you to understand Mags - and then, without realizing you´re doing it, to root for her. 

2. Forest Whitaker - The Shield

Forest Whitaker is brilliant as Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh in "The Shield".

"The Shield" is another TV-show with great characters and brilliant writing. In the first episode of season 5 we are introduced to Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh. He´s a man looking to put right the wrongs of who he sees as the worst kind of people; dirty cops. Naturally, he is not a very welcome sight for Vic Mackey and his crew, who don´t appreciate him poking his nose in the way they do policing. Forest Whitaker is a great actor, but his performance in "The Shield" almost scared me. He pissed me off. He pissed Vic off. He probably pissed himself off. But more then anything, he pulled off one of the finest performances in TV-drama.

3. Zeljko Ivanek - Damages

Zeljko Ivanek as Ray Fiske in "Damages". 

In "Damages", Zeljko Ivanek plays a rather complex character. Although one at first might not like the guy, the character Ray Fiske kinda grows on you. The TV-show has 5 seasons on air, and Ray Fiske appeared in 16 episodes. Thus, it speaks volumes of Zelkjo´s impact on the show that he is still one of the first things that come to mind when thinking of the show. His character could be cold as ice, but he still gathered sympathy for his vulnerability and his dedication towards his client (Arthur Frobisher played by Ted Danson). He won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in 2008. 

4. Ray Stevenson - Dexter

Ray Stevenson (left) and Jason Gedrick in "Dexter". 

Season 7 of "Dexter" introduced us to the character Isaak Sirko, a ruthless member of the Russian Mob, and a homosexual. A pretty rare combination. Circumstances leads to him having a somewhat strained relationship with Dexter, and a cat-and-mouse game is on the cards. Ray Stevenson is brilliant as the mobster trying to come to terms with loosing the love of his life. As Zeljko Ivanek´s Ray Fiske in "Damages", the vulnerability of the character makes it hard to not be fascinated by (and maybe root for?) him. His scenes with Michael C. Hall (Dexter) were some of the highlights of the seventh season of "Dexter". Oh, and the dude´s got style!

5. Bobby Cannavale - Boardwalk Empire

Bobby Canavale as Gyp Rosetti in "Boardwalk Empire".

When the audience really needed a character to love/hate, the writers of Boardwalk Empire introduced us to Gyp Rosetti. His introduction to the show is a great scene, and one of the most memorable in the third season (if not in the entire show). Bobby Cannavale gives a powerhouse performance as the highly ambitious gangster, with a couple of sexual fetishes, who challenges Nucky Thompson. His combination of ruthlessness and humor is highly impressive. The scene where he complains to his driver about Nucky Thompson wishing him "Bone for Tuna" (Buon Fortuna) is hilarious. And to think this is the same guy who played Roberto Caffey in (the very underrated) TV-show "Third Watch"...

There are others that might as well have been on the list, but that will have to be another time. 

Do you have any favorites? Feel free to leave comments and/or suggestions in the comments-section below. 

Small part - Great scene

There are a couple of times when a minor part in a movie just sticks with you. Sometimes they are minor roles played by big stars. Unusual characters for a certain actor/actress. It could also be just a characters reactions/actions to what happens around him in a scene, or the emotions a certain scene evokes in you as a viewer. Or it can be a hilarious moment that caught you off guard. It can be anything, really.

Here are a few great scenes with minor characters from movies that stick out:

Floyd in True Romance - Played by Brad Pitt

True Romance is one of my favorite movies, and a lot of it is down to the brilliant characters, and the equally amazing casting of the movie. Brad Pitt is a diverse actor (12 Monkeys, Fight Club, Burn After Reading, Legends of the Fall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and in True Romance he definitely makes the most of the little screen-time he is given. As Dick´s roommate, Brad Pitt nails the character of a drugged out lazy-ass. His timing is perfect, and his answers are... well, correct.

L´aveugle in Amélie - Played by Jean Darie

Jean Darie plays "the blind man", and is given a wonderful gift by Amélie (played by Audrey Tautou) who does her best to give him sight through her words, if only for a brief moment. As she guides him through the busy street, she tells him about the sights and smells that surrounds them. Wonderful scene in a beautiful movie. Although the character of Amélie is obviously a huge one, the character of the blind man is a minor in the film. 

Bill Murray in Zombieland - Bill Murray

Bill Murray plays himself in one of the best scenes in Zombieland (one of the best scenes in a comedy the last 10 years, probably). Bill Murray is a one of those guys who you just gotta love. Not only is he funny, but he seems like one of the coolest guys on the planet. He probably is. They could not have found a better guy for this cameo. Ever. Woody Harrelson´s reaction is also golden.

Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction - Played by Christopher Walken

Well, speaking of cool cats... Christopher Walken can do anything, can´t he? In his short scene in Pulp Fiction he manages to deliver a couple of lines that no one else could have done like him. It´s probably the favorite scene for a lot of Walken-impressionists.. both good and bad.

Drexl Spivey in True Romance - Played by Gary Oldman

"I know exactly where your white ass is coming from....". Those words uttered by Gary Oldman. As Drexl Spivey, Gary Oldman shows us another side of his immense talent. And a good portion of humor. It´s as if his character was originally set to be played by Samuel L. Jackson. Only it wasn´t. 

Blake in Glengarry Glen Ross - Played by Alec Baldwin

Considering the talent that is in the room in this scene, it´s amazing to see Alec Baldwin shine so bright as he does in this scene. Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin... The character Alec Baldwin portrays wasn´t in the original play, but was included for the movie. And the speech Baldwin delivers in this scene is brilliant. Baldwin does it perfectly, and his language reminds me of his character in The Departed many, many years later. 

Additons or suggestions? Agree, disagree? Feel free to leave a comment. 

TV-shows now - characters vs. action

2013: "Have you watched any good TV-series lately?"

1995: "Have you seen any good movies lately?"

Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins in ´Justified´

Sounds familiar? The last decade has been a great one for TV-shows. Looking at a list of shows that have been successful over the last 10-15 years, it´s hard to argue with this. You might not be a fan of all the shows on this list (I´m not), but they have nevertheless been at the forefront of a resurrection in TV-entertainment: 

Boardwalk Empire

Game of Thrones

Breaking Bad

The Shield

Dexter

Mad Men

Homeland

Sons of Anarchy

The Wire

Justified

The Walking Dead

True Blood

Boss

These are just a few of the shows that have drawn millions of viewers to the screen week after week. Let´s also not forget House of Cards, the Netflix-show featuring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. 

Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright in `House of Cards`

Big names

One factor in the success might be attributed to the way TV-shows have managed to lure big name actors to its cast. Kevin Spacey being an obvious example, but let´s not forget Glenn Close (Damages), Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) and Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest). Anjelica Huston said it herself: "A few years ago, a TV show might have been unthinkable to me". She is now a regular on... you guessed it, a TV show. 

Martin Scorsese directed the first episode of Boardwalk Empire, a TV show which also has Mark Wahlberg listed as an executive producer. Maybe one of the first cases of a really big name linked to a TV-show came when Martin Sheen was casted as the President in The West Wing. He wasn´t supposed to be a full-time regular on the show, but his character was very well received, and he was there for the full 7 seasons. 

The characters

It seems to me that the TV-shows of the last 10-15 years has been much more focused on characters then that of the 90s. The Sopranos was one of the first ones to really go deeper into the characters (Tony Soprano even visited a psychiatrist), but TV-shows like The Wire showed a whole new way of telling a story. Instead of just doing good vs. bad, it showed us both sides of a story, or in the case of The Wire, all sides of a lot of stories. It went further then most TV-shows trying to not only show the characters, but explain the characters. Who is the character? Why is he/she doing what he/she is doing? What will the consequences be for the character? What are the consequences for the persons surrounding the character? Does it change the character? 

The TV-shows are, in my opinion, not longer action-driven. They are character-driven. A lot of emphasis is placed on making the characters of the show not only just a vessel for bringing the action forward. The characters are meticulously planned, and very often brilliantly casted. Who better to play Don Draper then Jon Hamm? Could anyone have pulled off a better Walt then Bryan Cranston? To support my theory of the characters importance vs. the action for a TV-show, consider this fact: 

Aaron Paul (who playes Jesse on Breaking Bad), was only cast for the first season. However, Vince Gilligan (creator of the show), liked his performance so much that he decided to keep him on. Needless to say, the show would have been a completely different show without Jesse´s character for the remaining 4 seasons (last part of finale season to finish this summer). Character trumps action. 

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in ´Breaking Bad´

Writer and creator of Sons of Anarchy (and co-writer on The Shield) Kurt Sutter is also one who is not afraid to let his character decide where he goes next in his writing. He´s said that the way the show will end is pretty much how he pictured it, but the road he went to get there is going to be different from what he imagined. "Characters, characters, characters" is the "location, location, location" of the 21st Century. And that could well be one of the reasons why so many people tune in every week. And why people ask their friends about TV-shows instead of the movies. 

Obviously, people still watch movies. And I don´t mean people never asked about TV-shows 15-20 years ago. However, I do think that the entertainment-generation of today are a lot more into both TV and Film. TV-shows is no longer necessarily looked upon as the "poor man´s film". The budgets are too huge for that. The stars are too big. And the quality is too high. 

Movies to look forward to in 2013

Last Sunday the Academy Awards saluted the movies and performances which has graced the screens in 2012 (and early 2013). After Daniel Day-Lewis picked up his third Oscar for Best Actor in a Lead Role, he announced he would take a break from the movies. Jennifer Lawrence also announced plans to relax for a little bit after a hectic period. While the former said he thought it difficult to jump into another character after playing the legendary Lincoln, the latter said she imagined herself in the couch with wine in the time to come. Deservedly so. 

Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars

Still, there should be plenty to look forward to in the year to come. Here´s a look at some of the movies I am looking forward to in 2013: 

The Place Beyond the Pines

Release: April 5th (US)

Director Derek Cianfrance reunites with Ryan Gosling in this drama about a motorcycle stunt rider turned bank-robber in order to provide for his newborn child and former girlfriend. Throw in a drama involving a rookie-cop in the local department (played by Bradley Cooper), and you have the general gist of the storyline. However, the storyline is not the reason I have been looking forward to this one for a while. Derek Cianfrance´s movie "Blue Valentine" is still one of my fave movies in the last couple of years, and him reuniting with Ryan Gosling just seems right. Cianfrance´s directing of the amazing actor was brilliant in "Blue Valentine", and hopefully The Place Beyond the Pines will be another great flick from the young director. Rose Byrne proved in the TV-series "Damages" she can do drama, and Eva Mendes is cast as Gosling´s lover. Bradley Cooper was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for his brilliant performance in "Silver Linings Playbook", and I´m hoping for more roles of that type from the former "Alias"-actor. Also starring Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Narc, Cop Land) and Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, The 4400, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). 

Trailer: 

The Great Gatsby

Release: May 10th (US)

The book "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is still considered one of the great American novels. I have not read the book myself, but have obviously heard of the story. It has been adapted for the screen several times, but this year it is no one other then Baz Luhrmann who is in the director´s chair. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jay Gatsby, which is basically reason enough to watch the movie. Will this be a movie that can land him a long-awaited Oscar? The wonderful Carey Mulligan stars as Daisy Buchanan, and Nick Carraway is played by Tobey Maguire. Also starring Isla Fisher. Trusting Leonardo DiCaprio to make a great performance as what seems to be a most intriguing character, and one typical of his amazing talent. 

Trailer: 

World War Z

Release: June 21st (US)

Although not a huge fan of the zombie-genre, ("Zombieland" being the exception to the rule), I am looking forward to this one. The director of "Kite Runner", Marc Forster, gives us a story based on a novel by Max Brooks. Brad Pitt is the big name of the movie, playing the main character Gerry Lane. His job is to - you guessed it - save the world from zombies. What intrigued me about the movie is that it doesn´t seem like your typical zombie-movie. The zombies seems to be toned down, that is to say, they are placed in the background, and not emphasized by close-ups and overly exaggerated costumes and make-up. Some of the shots in the trailer seems very promising, and I´m hoping for a good end-of-the-world blockbuster. 

Trailer: 

Stoker

Release: March 1st (US)

Chan-wook Park is making his first English-speaking movie, and the expectations are high. "Oldboy" is one of my all-time favorites, and his revenge-trilogy (also including "Lady Vengeance" and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance") are great movies. Stoker is about a young girl (played by Mia Wasikowska) whose father dies. After the death of her father, an uncle comes to live with herself and her mother. She suspects something is a bit off, but is still intrigued by her uncle. Nicole Kidman stars as her unstable mother, and Matthew Goode (Watchmen, A Single Man) plays Uncle Charlie. Also starring the brilliant Jacki Weaver. 

Trailer: 

Now You See Me

Release: June 7th (US)

The FBI are going after a group of illusionists who are pulling off bank-heists. Oh, and they are doing it while they are doing their performances, and giving the money they steal to their audience. The casting is what makes me look forward to this movie more then anything, and it is quite a bunch of actors/actresses attached to the movie: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Mélanie Laurent. Also starring personal favorites Elias Kostas (Shutter Island) and Michael Kelly (Person of Interest, House of Cards) and rapper Common. 

Trailer: 

Other movies I am looking forward to, and the why´s: 

Man of Steel - Why: Diane Lane, Amy Adams, Michael Kelly, Richard Schiff and Christopher Nolan (co-writer). 

Lone Ranger - Why: Johnny Depp, Barry Pepper, Gore Verbinski. Also, rangers are cool. 

Malavita - Why: Robert De Niro in a mafia-flick again. Also starring Dominic Chianese and Tommy Lee Jones. Directed by Luc Besson. 

The Monuments Men - Why: George Clooney is the director, and the casting includes himself, John Goodmann, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon. 

Serena - Why: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper reunites as a couple on the screen. Susanne Bier from Denmark is the director, and has got Kim Bodnia in her cast as well. 

Twelve Years a Slave - Why: Steve McQueen has got quite a cast for this movie. Brad Pitt, Michael K. Williams, Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti and this years Oscar-nominee, 9 year-old Quvenzhané Wallis. 

Only God Forgives - Why: Director Nicolas Winding Refn reunited with Ryan Gosling. Drive was awesome. Nuff said. 

Anchorman: The Legend Continues - Why: Because of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. 

The Hunger Games: Cathcing Fire - Why: The first one was good entertainment. And then there´s Jennifer Lawrence... 

Oz the Great and Powerful - Why: James Franco is a cool dude, and Michelle Williams is a favorite. Still pissed off that she didn´t win the Oscar for Blue Valentine. Also starring personal favorite Abigal Spencer, as well as Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz.