Oh, Netflix, I Need You!

So, there's this movie from 2000 called Picking Up the Pieces that I need to see.


The plot, from IMDb:

A small New Mexican village discovers a severed hand that is considered a miracle of God, when it actually belongs to a murdered spouse with a husband in search of it.

Now, why in the world would I be interested in this? Take a look:



Say what? Who's that man? Could it possibly be WOODY ALLEN in a non-Woody movie?

Hell yes. And what's more, his character name: Tex Cowley.

Woody Allen. As Tex.

I need to find this.

Casting Coup: Frankenstein

Well, people, I promised I would do it at the Diner, so here it is: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Hopefully, I've corrected the error made by many filmmakers, who always want to make Victor and Friends much older than in the book. I'm skewing younger.



M. KIRWIN
Who is He: The magistrate who accuses Victor of the murder of Henry. Surprisingly sympathetic towards a man who may be a murderer.

My Choice: One day, everyone will know this man, and they will all love him.


Michael Maloney (Notes on a Scandal, Branagh's Hamlet)


M. KREMPE
Who is He: Professor of natural philosophy at Ingolstadt University. Thinks Victor is wasting his time, and publicly scorns him. Because that's awesome.

My Choice: Funnily enough, he played the Baron Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, directed by Kenneth Branagh.


Academy Award Nominee Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire, The Aviator)


M. WALDMAN
Who is He: Professor of chemistry who inspires Victor to consider playing God. Not that it's Waldman's fault, since he does dismiss some of the things Victor suggests.

My Choice: I cannot resist M. Poirot.


David Suchet (RKO 281, Dracula)


DE LACEY
Who is He: A blind man who comes to care for Frankenstein's monster, inadvertently teaching him to speak.

My Choice: Not English, like the rest of the cast; but then, neither was Frankenstein.


Donald Sutherland (Animal House, Pride & Prejudice)


JUSTINE MORITZ
Who is She: A young girl adopted by Baron Frankenstein, only to be framed for William's murder by the monster, found guilty, and hanged.

My Choice: One of those actresses who refused to leave me alone: she was also in Pride & Prejudice.


Talulah Riley (Marple: The Moving Finger, Poirot: Five Little Pigs)


HENRY CLERVAL
Who is He: Victor's best friend, he remains cheerfully optimistic despite overwhelming evidence pointing to imminent despair. He, too, decides to become a scientist! A welcome contrast to Victor's infinite moroseness.

My Choice: Soon to become one of my favorite actors of all time, I am sure.


Matthew Goode (Match Point, The Lookout)


ELIZABETH LAVENZA
Who is She: Another girl adopted by Baron Frankenstein, she is the beloved of Victor. And she loves him back. Very patient, despite the way Victor never pays attention to her unless he needs to be comforted.

My Choice: Apparently, England's answer to Sarah Michelle Gellar, since she stars in a programme called "Hex".


Christina Cole (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage)


ALPHONSE FRANKENSTEIN
Who is He: Victor's father, Baron Frankenstein. Has two biological sons, yet feels a need to adopt two girls and take in Clerval. Basically, Mia Farrow.

My Choice: Although it's basically the same role he played in Sleepy Hollow...


Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Gosford Park)


ROBERT WALTON
Who is He: Captain of an Arctic vessel, author of long-winded letters, and chronicler of Frankenstein's story. He finds Victor in the ice, nurses him, records his tale, falls in love, marries him, moves him into a lush apartment in Manhattan, and cares for him and their three children until old age sets in, whereby... Oh, hell, he's just not that interesting, is he? But I'm sure with the proper screenwriter, he could resemble something close to an actual human.

My Choice: For instance, if this handsome devil played him.


Nathaniel Parker (The Haunted Mansion, Stardust)


THE MONSTER
Who is He: To quote Sparknotes: "The eight-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation of Victor Frankenstein. Intelligent and sensitive, the monster attempts to integrate himself into human social patterns, but all who see him shun him. His feeling of abandonment compels him to seek revenge against his creator." Lovely.

My Choice: Devilishly attractive, but goodness me, he has the acting ability. Look at his creature walk:


Daniel Craig (Elizabeth, The Golden Compass)


VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN
Who is He: Intelligent but unwise scientist who creates a monster, shuns it, and then becomes surprised when he turns out to be a little pissed about all this.

My Choice: Professional brooder.


Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point, Vanity Fair)

Good News

Some early word is in from a screening of Bart Got a Room, an indie teen-comedy that played at Tribeca.

Apparently, it rocks hard, at least according to Scott Feinberg (And The Winner Is...) and Lou Leminick. Lou calls it "hilarious", while Feinberg, whose comments can be found at Hollywood-Elsewhere, call it "the best surprise of the festival".

Great news. Why? Well, two reasons, really:

1. The father of the lead is played by William H. Macy, my favorite living American actor (favorite living overall goes to Michael Caine). And he has a Jewfro. Holy shit.

2. The film is set and was filmed in South Florida! Always a good thing when the old homestead can be used for films that aren't about drug trafficking. Hooray!

I really hope this gets snapped up and released within the next year. You can never have too much William H. Macy.

The Waiting Game

Sure, technically, Iron Man doesn't come out until this Friday, along with the limited release of Son of Rambow ("One of the best films I've seen in a year." - My sister). But holy crap, one of the local movie theaters is playing it this Thursday at eight o'clock.

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

If all goes well, I should have a review up by Saturday or Sunday. Meanwhile, Tuesday is the first Casting Coup Tuesday for the Silver Screening Room. Dream big!

Testing, Testing....

Now a test of my brand-new Blog, The Silver Screening Room. I have unshackled myself, finally, from the fetters that chained me to my Livejournal account, though I hope to continue here what I started there. This means movies, awards, scripts, the cinema--with some Agatha Christie, fantasy casting, and Heaven knows what else. Lately, I've been obsessing over The Brady Bunch, so maybe that?

Anyway, welcome one and all. Enjoy yourselves.

Oh, and thanks babe. For acting as editor and influence.

Casting Coup: Wuthering Heights

*An oldie from the Livejournal days. This one goes back to the week before I started this blog. The news is already outdated after only a year, with Portman out, Gemma Arterton and Ed Westwick in. Many of the pictures are new, since I used to exclusively use hot-linking in the ol' LJ days.*

I'l go back to black next week, but recent developments have made today's Casting Coup necessary.

A recent announcement claims not only a new production of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is in the works, but Academy Award Nominee Natalie Portman (Closer) will be playing the role of Catherine Earnshaw.

I'm a fan of Natalie. I like her in a number of flicks. She's one of the few good things about the first two Star Wars prequels. In Leon, she's haunting. In Everyone Says I Love You, she's surprisingly realistic in a screwball musical-comedy. In Garden State, she's the wonderful embodiment of every high school guy's fantasies. She's just a brilliant actress.

And yet... I'm sorry, Catherine?! She's sickly and what not, but she's not exactly a pixie. Something about Natalie Portman has just never struck me as English. French, maybe, but English? I just can't see it. Catherine should be more intense, more strikingly beautiful. And let's be honest, Natalie looks perpetually 16.

Obviously, I'm going to give her a shot, try to keep an open mind. But meanwhile, I can't help but think of who else would be swell. Who would I choose?

LOCKWOOD
Who is He: The narrator representing us, the readers, he arrives at Wuthering Heights and gets to learn the whole history of everything. Hooray! Occasionally misunderstands things, due to his inability to really understand anything past his own privileged world.

Previously played by: Miles Mander (1939) and Paul Geoffrey (1992)


My Choice: Up-and-comer who insists on playing leading male roles billed as supporting in fictional dramatizations of real-life political events.

Michael Sheen (The Queen, the upcoming Frost/Nixon)


MRS. LINTON
Who is She: Privileged matriarch of the hoity-toity, conservative, probably in-bred Linton family. Not cool with Heathcliff.

Previously played by: Pamela Brown (1970) and Jennifer Daniel (1992)

My Choice: Funnily enough, she appeared in the 1992 version of the film, but in a different role.

Academy Award Nominee Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds, Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage)


MR. LINTON
Who is He: He, too, has a stick up his bum. Proprietor of Thrushcross Grange.

Previously played by: Cecil Humphreys (1939), James Cossins (1970) and Simon Ward (1992)

My Choice: Not actually British, but according to native Brits, he does the accent better than some Englishmen.

Daniel Davis (The Nanny, The Prestige)


MRS. EARNSHAW
Who is She: Matriarch of the Earnshaw household, she does not care for Heathcliff. Like, say, she hates him. But it's okay, because she dies first.

Previously played by: Rosalie Crutchley (1970)

My Choice: She only does a few things a year, but Lordy, she's awesome. And she's dating Saffron Burrows, so she has great taste.

Fiona Shaw (My Left Foot, the Harry Potter films)


MR. EARNSHAW
Who is He: Head of the Earnshaw clan at Wuthering Heights. Adopts Heathcliff, preferring him to his own son, Hindley. This creates a problem, naturally.

Previously played by: Cecil Kellaway (1939), Harry Andrews (1970) and John Woodvine (1992)

My Choice: Too old? Maybe, but I miss this guy, and he certainly has a kinder face than those other guys.

Timothy West (Ever After, Agatha)


JOSEPH
Who is He: Religious, elderly, fanatically, stubborn, unkind--a pain in the ass, but he remains a servant at Wuthering Heights throughout the novel. Which is weird, considering that he's pushing seventy at the beginning of the novel, so he's about 120 by the end.

Previously played by: Leo G. Carroll (1939), Aubrey Woods (1970) and Robert Demeger (1992)


My Choice: A bit more upper-class than the character, but he's an actor, so he can do it.

Hollmann Award Nominee Leslie Phillips (Venus, Millions)


FRANCES EARNSHAW
Who is She: Wife to Hindley. She, too, does not care for Heathcliff, and to call her a whiny bitch would be generous. Methinks.

Previously played by: Morag Hood (1970) and Janine Wood (1992)


My Choice: The original choice for Bellatrix Lestrange, actually, though now she's got another role in the Harry Potter series.

Helen McCrory (The Queen, Becoming Jane)


HINDLEY EARNSHAW
Who is He: Earnshaw's son and heir. After his father's death, he forces Heathcliff into servitude, before becoming a depressed alcoholic. Abusive and resentful.

Previously played by: Hugh Williams (1939), Julian Glover (1970) and Jeremy Northam (1992)


My Choice: Funnily enough, he's played Timothy West's son before.

Dougray Scott (Dark Water, Ever After)


LINTON HEATHCLIFF
Who is He: The weak, mopey son of Heathcliff and Isabella. Isabella takes care of him until she dies (everyone does in the novel, don't worry about spoilers), then he's sent off to the abusive Heathcliff and forced to marry Young Catherine.

Previously played by: Jonathan Firth (1992)


My Choice: Another Ever After alum. I guess I really miss that movie.

Lee Ingleby (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Marple: Nemesis)


HARETON EARNSHAW
Who is He: The son of Hindley and Frances, Heathcliff takes charge of him when Hindley is too drunk to do otherwise. Hareton becomes an ignorant, angry field worker. He's tender-hearted, though, and falls for Young Catherine.

Previously played by: Jason Riddington (1992)


My Choice: A little scrawny now, but I'm sure with some field work, he could buff up. And he's good-looking, and can play angry and belligerent. I'd believe it. Just add some facial hair, and he's good. Just watch his bare-knuckle boxing in Becoming Jane.

James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Atonement)


YOUNG CATHERINE LINTON
Who is She: The daughter of Edgar and Catherine, she's a lot like her mother, but also a little like her father. She's headstrong and stubborn, but she's also forgiving and tender-hearted. Looks a great deal like her mother, though, and at times, they are played by the same actress.

Previously played by: Academy Award Winner Juliette Binoche (1992)


My Choice: Uh, fuck that two different actresses crap. I'm getting girls about the same age, but who can play mother and daughter with the right make-up. And they resemble each other. And Young Catherine would be blonde, anyway.

Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Poirot: Death on the Nile)


ISABELLA LINTON
Who is She: Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Linton, Isabella is meek and silly, falling for Heathcliff despite his obvious hatred for her family. She runs off to London with their son in the middle of the night, but dies anyway.

Previously played by: Academy Award Nominee Geraldine Fitzgerald (1939), Hilary Dwyer (1970) and Sophie Ward (1992)


My Choice: Oh, sure, red-head instead of blonde, but (1) they do it better, and (2) I would kill to see her in this part.

Isla Fisher (The Lookout, I Heart Huckabees)


EDGAR LINTON
Who is He: The son of the Lintons, he's kind of weak. Like, a spoiled brat who becomes a cowardly man. Marries Catherine, thus leading Heathcliff to hate and vow revenge upon him. Handsome and pleasant company, though.

Previously played by: Academy Award Winner David Niven (1939), Ian Ogilvy (1970) and Simon Shepherd (1992)


My Choice: Looks like Isla's brother. He's a handsome, pleasant enough fellow, but he's also skinny enough to play cowardly and pampered.

Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins, Breakfast on Pluto)


NELLY DEAN
Who is She: She narrates the core events of Wuthering Heights to Lockwood--and, thusly, us. A housekeeper, I guess, she is a little older than everyone else and so is able to narrate the events with an almost perfect memory. Her compassion for these people makes her unreliable at times, though.

Previously played by: Academy Award Nominee Flora Robson (1939), Judy Cornwell (1970) and Academy Award Nominee Janet McTeer (1992)


My Choice: Hey, she turns 49 today! And is one of the greatest actresses in the English language!

Academy Award Winner Emma Thompson (Howards End, Angels in America)


CATHERINE EARNSHAW
Who is She: Daughter of the Earnshaw clan, she loves Heathcliff to an almost ridiculous intensity, but marries Edgar for the money and social power. Then she ruins everyone's lives. Beautiful and spoiled, arrogant and free-spirited, she is prone to mood-swings and temper tantrums.

Previously played by: Academy Award Nominee Merle Oberon (1939), Anna Calder-Marshall (1970) and Academy Award Winner Juliette Binoche (1992)


My Choice: Now, this is one bad-ass chick that men would obsess for.

Eva Green (Casino Royale, The Golden Compass)


HEATHCLIFF
Who is He: The lead guy of the novel, a vengeful orphan who is obsessively in love with Catherine. Because he cannot have her, he exacts a lifelong revenge on the entire Earnshaw-Linton bloodline. Sexy, kinda, if you're into that kind of thing.

Previously played by: Academy Award Winner Laurence Olivier (1939), Timothy Dalton (1970) and Academy Award Nominee Ralph Fiennes (1992)


My Choice: Former comedian, with dark enough features to do this. Superb actor, in my book.

Eric Bana (Troy, Lucky You)

Still want Natalie Portman?