‘On The Road’ First Official Poster

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Walter Salles’ adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s ‘Bible of the beat generation’ On The Road now has an official poster online. The film, which is to be produced by Francis Ford Coppola, was shot last year, and sees Sam Riley as the book’s narrator (and alter-ego of Kerouac) Sal Paradise. Riley has experience in portraying seminal icons and beloved literary characters alike (Ian Curtis in 2007’s ‘Closer’, as well as Pinkie in Rowan Joffe’s adaptation of ‘Brighton Rock’), though the expectation surrounding this project may be the highest yet of all his films, so treasured is the book as a document of ‘beat’ era America. Since the novel’s release in 1957, many adaptations have been planned but fallen through.

Salles already has plenty of experience in adapting the memoirs of a legendary road trip, since he directed 2004’s ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’, starring Gael Garcia Bernal as a young Che Guevara. Joining Riley in the film’s central roles are Garrett Hedlund as ‘wild one’ Dean Moriarty, Kristen Stewart as Marylou and her almost-namesake Kirsten Stewart as Camille.

The cast additionally includes a number of acclaimed actors; Steve Buscemi, Viggo Mortenson, Amy Adams and Terrence Howard. The poster released has a very tasteful and classic style, which bodes well for it’s anticipating audience.

The film’s official synopsis is as follows:

After the death of his father, Sal Paradise, an aspiring New York writer, meets Dean Moriarty, a young and dangerously seductive ex-con. They hit it off immediately. Determined not to get trapped in a narrow life, the two friends burn their bridges and hit the road : thirsting for freedom, they discover the world, others and themselves.

The film is currently scheduled for release late this year.

Source: Collider.

The Big Uneasy – Review

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If you don’t recognize the name Harry Shearer, you should at least recognize his voice… or one of his voices, as a long running cast member of much loved television show The Simpsons. You may also know him from “mockumentaries” such as the quite legendary This Is Spinal Tap, and A Mighty Wind (which is well worth a look if you haven’t seen it). This time, Harry writes and directs in his first foray into documentary making.

In The Big Uneasy, Shearer takes us through the build up to the devastating Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans on August 30th, 2005. He doesn’t dwell on the aftermath as many other documentaries have done, but on the processes and institutions involved in defending New Orleans from such a severe storm. Or not, as the case may be.

He looks at the Army Corps of Engineers, a faction of the military charged with setting up projects in the States in the realm of civil defense. This group built the levee system in New Orleans, and in many other cities in America. And their role is quite heavily criticized, both by outside experts and also by one of their own members.

The opening of the film is quite hard hitting as I didn’t realize the extent of the flooding of the city, and just how quickly it happened. Simple animations are used to great effect in describing the breaches that occurred in the levee (huge walls built into the ground to stop rising water levels from entering the city) system around the outskirts of New Orleans and also inside the city around the canals.

Katrina is a disaster that has been very well documented, see Spike Lee’s “When The Levees Broke” for an excellent look at the devastation caused in human terms, but The Big Uneasy looks at events prior to the Hurricane and the steps taken to secure the city. It becomes apparent that the Army Corps of Engineers are quite a cavalier group. A group who are more concerned with their public image than the work they actually do. Shearer interviews an employee of the Corps who was asked to test pumps meant to be used to extract excess water from the city.

Maria Garzino is extremely honest during her screen time explaining what her findings were in relation to the output of the pumps, and what she was told to do in order to get a “successful” test from them. It doesn’t make for easy viewing. It is obvious Garzino felt strongly about the multiple failures of this system, yet when she tried to make her voice heard, she was silenced.

This outrageous treatment happened to two other experts prominently featured in the film. Robert Bea, an engineering professor from California, and Ivor von Heerden, of the Hurricane Centre once associated with Louisiana State University. After Katrina hit, both of these men led separate teams into the field to carry out scientific experiments at the breach sites and to report their findings. Both of these men found that speaking out about the truth, about the failings of the Corps to install a system that could withstand a severe storm, would result in the loss of jobs and friendships.

The most shocking thing to me about this issue the Corps, and essentially the US government, knew that the defenses wouldn’t hold up. The system was put into place many years ago, following a model for a fairly “normal” if you will, storm. No one expected such a massive hurricane to hit, yet surely it’s always best to prepare for the worst?

Not according to the Corps, who apparently only ever ask for enough money for the cheapest option. There’s a glorious exchange near the end of the film between a Corps General and a Senator, it’s really quite spectacular.

Before the screening, Harry Shearer himself spoke to the audience about his motivations for making this film. He mentioned seeing President Obama making a speech in New Orleans, and calling Hurricane Katrina a natural disaster, and to Shearer, that certainly isn’t the case. After looking at all the evidence provided by Robert Bea, Ivor von Heerden and countless other experts, it’s becomes clear that this disaster should never have been.

It seems odd to say I don’t want to spoil what this movie teaches, as it’s a documentary and rooted in facts, but there is a lot of information present here that myself and a lot of people just aren’t aware of. It’s definitely a film to watch if you want to see just how far this kind of corruption goes.

It’s testament to the outstanding residents of New Orleans that they have picked up where they left off, they’ve rebuilt their homes, communities and lives. It gives hope to those people who have lost everything, most notably the citizens of Pakistan in recent times that it’s not too late.

Rating: ★★★★★

US Release: 30th August
UK Release: 17th September


Rumour: Glee’s Heather Morris For Buffy Remake?

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She’s normally known for her singing in the hit TV series Glee but one of the main stars of that show, Heather Morris, has claimed that she is being considered for the big screen role of another popular TV heroine in the shape of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

The part of Buffy Summers which was made famous by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is up for grabs following the news of a film remake of the hit series that is being written by Whit Anderson. However according to an article from Cinemablend, Morris claims that she’s been discussed by those involved in the project but took the situation a little too ecstatically….

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“They’re considering me! I found out and I almost peed my pants ‘cause I was so excited!”
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As a source, it ain’t too informative about the project which is not being taken too well by the original Buffy show’s fans, though writer Anderson gave his own perspective about its production stating:

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We’re not even thinking about casting yet…The script isn’t even written!”
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So there you go, nothing official yet though Morris isn’t the only singing actress being considered for the role with Vanessa Hudgens also a possible nominee. No matter who plays the role though, Sarah Michelle Gellar will always be the best as Buffy when it comes to kicking vampire butts!

Source: CinemaBlend.