Feature: The End of Dreamworks?

Founded 11 years ago by Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, and David Geffen, Dreamworks was the first studio founded in as long as anyone could remember. They tore onto scene with quite a few hits, Meet the Parents, Gladiator, American Beauty, and of course, Spielberg's films, Catch Me if You Can, Minority Report...but what happened?

Founding Dreamworks SKG was a brave move by all three heavy hitters, you had three serious players, with quite a bit of credibility. Steven Spielberg is (without argument) one of the most successful directors in the entire history of Hollywood.

NBC Universal acquiring Dreamworks and its asset's, is this a good thing? Spielberg got his start at the lot back in the late 60s and early 70s, starting in television. It was there that Spielberg in the summer of 1975 invented the summer blockbuster with Jaws. The film did for the ocean what Psycho did to the shower in 1960. But Universal, itself recently acquired by NBC, whose parent company is GE has become another part of a long list of conglomerates.

What did Dreamworks SKG in? Some blame recent box office flops, The Island being on the top of that list with a $130 million dollar budget, and a $12.5 million dollar gross opening weekend. If you read my review earlier in this blog, you'll see that I felt the film was great, but unfortunately, its failure was in its poor marketing, your hardly saw a trailer or ad anywhere.

The trio SKG tried, and I wouldn't say completely failed, but its hard to keep a sinking boat afloat, no matter how great it is. What could happen to Dreamworks if its acquired, it could just become a specialty leg of the giant monster that is NBC Universal.

25th Hour (2002)

In an effort to bring light to what I feel is an one of the more underrated films from Spike Lee, director of Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and other fine pieces of work I shall review the 25th Hour. Adapted from the novel by the author, David Benioff translated this character study. A drug dealer changes his life in 24 hours, realizing his past mistakes, seeking a self-redemption.

Montgomery Brogan (Edward Norton), an Irish kid from Bay Ridge went to an academy on scholarship, where he began dealing pot to kids in the high school. A dream to live well, and own courtside seats at Madison Square Garden pushed Monty deeper into his criminal dealings. Caught in act by the DEA, Monty is sentenced to seven years.

The film opens with Monty saving an injured, burned dog. Here in his last 24 hours, we learn that saving that dog is one of the only truly good things that Monty did in his spiral downward. In the present day, Monty takes a walk through those people important to him, his Father (Brian Cox), his girlfriend Naturalle (Rosario Dawson), and friends, English Teacher Jacob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and hot shot Wall-Street player Frank Slattery (Barry Pepper).

True in Spike Lee's style, there's a big story underneath the skin of this film. His theme in Do the Right Thing, was race relations between the left over Italians in a now predominately black community. 25th Hour is Lee's ode to the city, post-9/11. It is such a subtle tribute, that it is not in your face, but you can see, the people have changed because of the tragedy. In a memorable scene, the camera cranes slightly above Hoffman and Pepper, revealing the clean-up of Ground Zero below, and the icing on the cake, the magnificent score by Terence Blanchard.

The film is polished, and to paraphrase a quote Spike Lee used himself in an interview for his upcoming Inside Man, Kurosawa, at 85, said there was still a lot he needed to learn about making films. Spike Lee, like all other great directors, is always growing.

Convoy (1978)

Guest Reviewer: Sam Lowry

Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Convoy’ is a wet, sloppy, tongue kiss from that grumpy next door neighbor who always told inappropriate jokes in-front of the children and brought his own liquor to parties. If you’re looking for the sort of insight that Peckinpah offered in the classic ‘Warren Oates is drunk and hanging out with a Mexican hooker’ movie ‘Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia,’ look elsewhere. This ain’t ‘The Wild Bunch 2: Even Wilder.’ Cinematically, ‘Convoy’ a mess. The plot is ripped off from ‘Smokey and the Bandit,’ then dumbed down (if that’s possible) for the drive-in sect, and shot by a former great director with a growing cocaine habit. (On top of his already large and looming alcohol problem.)

The acting is what you would expect from a production that casts a singer as the lead. Kris Kristofferson, (Best known for writing ‘Me & Bobby McGee’ and who, I am told, is a sweetheart in person) stars as ‘The Rubber Duck,’ a trucker who just wants to deliver the goods in his truck as soon as possible, even if that means breaking the speed limit and, possibly the sound barrier. Ernest Borgnine, plays the sheriff, the Rubber Duck’s advisory, determined to stop him, no matter the costs. Allie McGraw is the plucky reporter, first tagging along with the Duck to get the story, but quickly becomes part of the story as she finds herself falling for him.

The shooting of the film was reportedly a disaster, with Peckinpah so strung out, close friend and actor James Colburn reportedly directed the helicopter shots since no one thought it a good idea to have a guy coked to the gills hanging out of an open flying machine with whirring blades. ‘Convoy’ is a prime example of a great director tackling material way out of their strike zone simply to pick up a check, thereby paving the road for such luminaries Martin Scorsese, (‘Cape Fear’) Neil Jordan, (‘Interview With a Vampire’) and Stephen Soderbergh. (‘Erin Crock O’… I mean, Brockovich’)

Peckinpah may have been on the decline in his career, (and would go much lower with 1983’s ‘The Osterman Weekend,’) but one can catch flashes of Peckinpah’s brilliance. Namely, the action scenes. The plot may be thread-bare, the acting, not exactly top shelf, but damnit if Peckinpah doesn’t deliver the goods when it comes to blowing up a few cars. The spark that makes ‘The Wild Bunch’ and ‘Straw Dogs’ so incendiary is dulled around the edges in this one, allowing you to enjoy the action like a Fourth of July fireworks show without worrying about such things as the sanctity of life, the value of property or how we should all just get along and love one another. Peckinpah’s usual punch to the genitals is now a tap on the arm, a nod and a wink to what he’s given us before. Peckinpah doesn’t seem to sweat the mayhem and destruction, why should we the audience?

As many faults as this movie has, it’s a fun ride. Don’t look for anything close to award-winning and you’ll dig it. If you’re in the mood for a beverage while you watch, I’d recommend Pabst Blue Ribbon. Straight out of the can. As much as I tear this movie a new one, ‘Convoy’ does, however, top one list in my book; Best movie based on a hit pop song. (And before you ask, yes, I am including ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ when I make this statement.)