Vincent D'Onofrio Triva Fact 8

Vincent D'Onofrio was nominated for Best Villain at MTV Movie Awards for THE CELL (2001).

Great movie, but lets save it for the review.

Chelsea Walls

What's It About

Ethan Hawke is either an artsy genius or a bad director. I would like to believe the latter. This movie follows a few different people all living in the Chelsea Hotel in New York. The movie drifts wildly through all of the different stories and intertwines them at times, but does not make a enough connections for you to believe that this movie is about the way that they interact with each other. I think that the movie is actually trying to focus on the Hotel itself and its diversity. It is hard to say really, and this leaves a lot of people really liking the movie and a lot of people really hating the movie. However, this is about my opinion not their's.



How'd They Act

There are too many names to mention here, but there are a few that I will point out. The movie starts off with Kris Kristofferson so I guess we will start with him. He is a lonely drunk writer that does not know how to love. He plays the part pretty well I would say and in my opinion he actually looks this part a little too well. Uma Thurman is Grace, a lonely girl living in the Hotel as well. Her character interacts with Vincent D'Onofrio's character and Kris Kristofferson. Vincent D'Onofrio is a painter that likes Grace, but has a very hard time making the move. D'Onofrio does a great job as usual making a unique performance and a believable character. The acting overall was good, but the way that the movie moved along it was difficult for anyone to really get screen time. I would liked to have seen more scenes with D'Onofrio and Steve Zahn. Steve Zahn is underrated and D'Onofrio is just plain good.



Delivery

Ethan Hawke gets a break on this one. I am not sure if he was trying to make this film the way that it was, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. The movie was interesting throughout even if it was boring the whole time. That is about the best way that I can describe this movie. Someone that does not watch movies to see something unique and original should not even bother with this film, but if you want a change of pace then you should check this one out. The music selection and the way it was playing throughout the movie made the movie feel like it was only beginning almost the whole time. This is actually quite interesting to me and seems to make reference to the fact that all of this that was going on with all the different people was only a day in the long life of the Hotel and all of its guests. Some of the directing style made you want to fall asleep and some made you more interested to see what would happen next, but overall it seemed poor and inconsistent. I would like to say that the film looked good, but it just seemed like something that anyone could make with a decent camera and a Mac. But don't forget having enough connections and money to get Uma Thurman, Vincent D'Onofrio, Steve Zahn, Kris Kristofferson, and others to be in the movie. Minor details I guess.

The Real Deal

I enjoyed watching this movie because it was a change of pace and had a lot of interesting acting and characters in it, but there was not much for it to offer in the end. It is only worth a look if you are a true movie lover.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? Maybe. 602,089 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Not a Sharon Movie!

Happy Halloween

I have been really busy for the last few days and was not able to make any new posts. I apologize for my absence. The good news is that I will be writing a new review today. It is still D'Onofrio month, and I still have a lot of his movies to review. The next three I have on the list to watch and review are Dying Young, Thumbsucker, and Chelsea Walls. I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween and have a chance to check out my new D'Onofrio film review tomorrow.

Bella

This Movie Review Was Requested By Mike and Steve Duquaine

What's It About

This moving film was about a former soccer player Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) who works as a chef at his brother Manny's (Manny Perez) restaurant in New York. When Manny fires Nina (Tammy Blanchard) because she is late, Jose is there to help her. Jose reaches out to her and finds that the reason she was late is because she found out she was pregnant. This strikes passion in Jose that he had lost for a long time and he decides that he must help her to get through this difficult time in her life. The movie follows their relationship and circumstances in a beautiful way. Can you tell that I liked the film?

How'd They Act

Surprisingly, the acting was quite good in this film. It was low budget, but that did not stop them from making the best of what they had. It is obvious that the actors in this film made a great effort to make their performances shine. Jose is played by Eduardo Verastegui and he does no less than superb in this film. Although he has not done many films, he helped to produce Bella and stared in it. He has some TV credits and a couple of other movies, but this is the first time I have seen him. I am sure that he will be in more movies now after his performance here. Nina is played by Tammy Blanchard who has been in only a handful of films, but one of them was The Good Shepherd. I think that her performance here will again be one that will launch a career in acting to new heights. Others in the film did well, but these two were the main ones and did a great job.

Delivery

Who is Alejandro Gomez Monteverde? Well, he is a great writer and director for one(or is that two?). I was nothing short of impressed with rookie director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde who also wrote Bella. The story was great and inspiring and the directing was superb. It is amazing to me when someone is able to make something so great with so little funding. This proves that it does not take a huge budget to make a great film. Bella is glowing with passion, emotion, and laughter. You are crying one moment and laughing another, which is not easy to pull off from a directorial perspective. There was a point in this movie that actually reminds me of Amelie. The sun is glistening and the whimsical music plays while the camera takes you across faces, emotions, and conversations. The saddest point in the movie was absolutely powerful. I almost cried, which is very difficult to achieve with a movie. I try to bring myself into movies often to heighten the emotion, but Bella drew me in without me even noticing. Great directing; I will have to find Waiting For Trains and Bocho to see if Alejandro Gomez Monteverde's other movies are as good as this.

The Real Deal

I paid $17 to see this movie and would do it again. This is the type of movie that makes me want to see every limited release and hard to find film out there and watch it in the theaters to experience the best that a movie can be. The message in this movie was great and the movie shows it in a wonderfully powerful way.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? Absolutely. 897,032 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Not a Sharon Movie.

Vincent D'Onofrio Trivia Fact 7

For his role in Full Metal Jacket which he gained his record setting 70 lbs., he and the other recruits were not allowed to meet R. Lee Ermey (Gunnery Sgt. Hartmann), before the filming of the movie to make his performance more believable. Vincent D'Onofrio did not meet R. Lee Ermey prior to shooting scenes in Full Metal Jacket with him.

Bonus:

Vincent D'Onofrio played the character of "Bill Newman" in both JFK (1991) and Malcolm X (1992)

The Newton Boys

What's It About

The Newton Boys of course! Really though, it is all about how they were some of the most successful bank robbers of all time. It was an interesting story, and it was interesting to know that it was true, but the movie itself left a lot to be desired. I watched this movie in light of Vincent D'Onofrio month, and all I can say is, he was in it.

How'd They Act

Matthew McConaughey was his normal self with a little bit of country shine. He did a good job in this movie, but I think he was better in Reign of Fire. That was an interesting role for him, not this Newton Pretty boy thing here. Ok, I was a little harsh with the last comment, but sometimes I just get sick of Matthew McConaughey. He did a good job really. Ethan Hawke does a good job. He was the most lively of the bunch, and he had the most interesting performance. He seemed confident in this film which is something that he rarely pulls off. He also did not seem like a push over like he usually does so that was good as well. And of course Vincent D'Onofrio was in it. I hope no one is sick of Vincent D'Onofrio, because I still have a few movies of his left to see. He isn't the main character in many films, but he is often a very good supporting actor. He does a good job in this film and adds some fun to it with his mannerisms, but it would have been better if he was in it more.

Delivery

I don't have much to say here. The directing was average and pretty bland. The story was taken from a very straight forward approach, and this really could have been an exciting film to watch. I am not sure why Richard Linklater made this movie the way he did. It seemed like he was trying to focus on the way the relationships shifted throughout the film and the way money had a role in their decisions, but even that seemed very distant. Maybe he was trying to focus on too many aspects of the story at the same time and it ended up making the whole movie seem like it had no focus at all. Oh well, the story is still interesting even if I sometimes think it would be more entertaining to was the history channel tell it.

The Real Deal

I saw this movie for one reason really; it had Vincent D'Onofrio in it. It was not a horrible movie, but any amount of excitement that could have been in it seemed to be taken out so I can not recommend this film. Even for Vincent D'Onofrio fans, this movie would probably be low on the list of movies to see just because he did not get enough screen time. He did have a different character in this than I had seem him play before though and I guess that makes it worth it.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? Ummm. 579,491 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Maybe a Sharon Movie!

Vincent D'Onofrio Triva Fact 6

Vincent D'Onofrio purposefully developed a bad and uneven suntan, gained a significant amount of weight, bleached his hair, and wore improperly fitting skateboard apparel to report to The Salton Sea set to play his part as Pooh-Bear. He was already in character when he arrived.

Vincent D'Onofrio Triva Fact 5

Vincent D'Onofrio and Vince Vaughn are good friends have been in three movies together: The Cell, Thumbsucker, and The Break Up.

Another interesting note is the fact that they were brothers in The Break Up, look similar in ways (Sorry hard core VDO fans, but it is true), and they have the same first name.

The Whole Wide World

What's It About

Novalyne Price (Renee Zellweger) is a lonely girl in 1933 that loves writing. She is looking for someone to love and finds Robert E. Howard (Vincent D'Onofrio) to be interesting enough to get to know better. Bob is the crazy writer that lives down the street from Price and everyone says that he is not someone that she should be hanging out with. The two get to know each other better and Price falls for Bob. The question is, will they be able to keep their relationship alive through hard times.

How'd They Act

The acting was superb in this film. There were only two main characters in this film, but they were both played very well. Renee Zellweger has her ups and downs in her different films, but she has proven herself to be a great actress. This is one of her earlier successes and proves that she does know how to act and act quite well. It is refreshing to see actors and actresses at their best. Zellweger has a strong performance that is dynamic throughout. Lets not forget the star of the show though, Vincent D'Onofrio. This is the first movie I have seen with him in it that did not make him seem completely above the other character in acting ability. D'Onofrio does a great job as usual, but Zellweger held strong and seemed to keep up with D'Onofrio at times. It still amazes me the depth of D'Onofrio's characters and acting talent. He has played completely different roles in all of the films of his that I have seen so far and he is completely believable in each role. Yes, it is Vincent D'Onofrio month, but there is a reason for it.



Delivery

The directing was interesting enough to keep me intrigued, but it was really the acting that was driving the film. The scenes are often bland, but the music is used in an interesting way that actually heightens moments in the film when nothing is really going on. This actually makes you much more attentive to the story and acting which is probably the intent. Dan Ireland had to be thinking "ok, how do we make sure that we use the acting talent we have to its fullest?" I am glad that the focus was on the acting, because it paid off. The subtleness of the directing lets the actors breath life into the film and carry it where it needs to go.



The Real Deal

I actually had this movie saved to my hard drive so that I could watch it on my iPhone, but I had decided to watch it with my wife, so we had to hook up the laptop to the projector and watch it on the big screen. This may not have been the best of ideas due to the loss of picture quality, but it turned out ok. The sound was still there, and the movie was not as visual as most tend to be so it worked out. This movie was without a doubt a great movie to watch to see the talent of D'Onofrio and therefore is a must for D'Onofrio fans and fans of Reenee Zellweger for that matter.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? yes. 801,004 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Almost a Sharon Movie!

Vincent D'Onofrio Triva Fact 4

Vincent is a left-handed smoker who likes bowling.

I gave you three since they were very basic. There will be a better one tomorrow.

Impostor

What's It About

Gary Sinise is Spencer Olham in a future that has aliens trying to destroy the earth. Olham is the engineer who is trying to build weapons to destroy the aliens, but it turns out that the government suspects Olham to be an alien himself. Olham tries to prove that he is not an alien while he eludes Hathaway (Vincent D'Onofrio). This movie reminds me of a movie that actually came out the same year and is much better known, Minority Report. If you have seen both movies, you wonder how I make this connection. Well, it is about a man that is believed to be a criminal or alien that is going to commit a violent crime, but he has not done so yet. So on a basic level, they are very similar in principal and lesson, but they are presented in much different atmospheres. Of course Spielberg makes everything a little more glossy and polished, but it is odd that they came out the same year. I guess Philip K. Dick stories sometimes seemed to have very similar themes or ideas.

How'd They Act

Gary Sinise and Vincent D'Onofrio are basically the only two actors in this film. Everyone else in the film had a very small part. Gary Sinise is the main character and does a pretty good job. I like Sinise in Forrest Gump and Apollo 13 a lot better, but he did ok in this. I think the scenes where he tried to show emotion were a little bit concerning. It looked like he was trying to push it as hard as he could, but it just wasn't coming across the way that he wanted it to. Vincent D'Onofrio on the other hand does an excellent job portraying a completely different character than most of his other films. I don't think they did D'Onofrio justice in this film since he played the part so well. His character should have had a more dynamic role in the film and had more of a background, but that is an issue with the directing.



Delivery

The directing from Gary Fleder leaves much to be desired and makes you yearn for more character building and emotion. The story itself was interesting, but you have to put the feeling into the story that it deserves. On a good note, the actual way that the future was show here did not rise many complaints from me. There are things that seemed stupid as they always do when a film is supposed to represent how the future would be, but for the most part things were believable. There was action in the film, but I would not say that the action was enough to warrant the lack of emotion and character development that was present in the film.

The Real Deal

Another example of D'Onofrio's great acting talent made this a film worth seeing, but nothing to really write home about. I would like to see D'Onofrio in more challenging roles and in better movies. There are a lot more D'Onofrio films to go through, so maybe I will find a few that are truly great besides Full Metal Jacket.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? Sure, why not. 613,439 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Not a Sharon Movie!

Vincent D'Onofrio Triva Fact 3

On the set of Law and Order:Criminal Intent, he collapsed twice due to exhaustion. D'Onofrio agreed to add Chris Noth to the show in 2005 -2006 season after this happened.

I haven't watched a single episode of Law and Order since I did not even have TV for a couple of years, but it is amazing to me that Vincent D'Onofrio would work so hard acting that he would actually collapse twice because of the effort he puts ino a single role. I guess I should not be too surprised after he gained 70 lbs. for his role in Full Metal Jacket. He is obviously a very determined actor.

Feeling Minnesota

What's It About

I wasn’t feeling Minnesota, but it did have Vincent D’Onofrio in it. I would have to say that it was an interesting movie and some interesting performances by D’Onofrio, Keanu Reeves, and Cameron Diaz. The movie even had Dan Aykroyd in it. So what was Feeling Minnesota about you ask. Well, it was mainly about a man named Jjaks (Reeves) whose brother Sam (D’Onofrio) just got married to Freddie (Diaz). Sam and his boss forced Freddie into the marriage, and that jolts the movie off to an odd start. Jjaks comes to his brother’s wedding and Freddie falls for him right off the bat. The story has twists and turns as it spirals to its conclusion, but it does manage to link some thoughts together.

How'd They Act

In light of D’Onofrio month, we will save his performance for last. Reeves does an average job as Jjaks who starts as nothing but a criminal and ends up, well nothing but a criminal. I am a fan of Reeves’, but this would have to be classified as one of his “Whoa” films in my opinion. It did not seem like he even cared about his performance, but then again everyone seemed that way. Diaz does a normal job, but I haven’t been a fan of her ever. She is an actress that I feel has been overrated since day one. I am not convinced by her performance in Feeling Minnesota. So that leaves us with Vincent D’Onofrio who probably had the only standout performance in the film. He was an interesting Sam. He played the big goofy brother that was in with the wrong crowd and made poor decisions. His mannerisms in this film were the only thing that really kept me going to tell you the truth. At one point I actually laughed out loud because of a simple facial expression that D’Onofrio had. This film was more about him than it was about Reeves even though Reeves gets the credit for the lead. I think this is part of what makes the acting in the movie seem unbalanced. It really comes down to the directing though.



Delivery

Steven Baigelman wrote and directed this film and has no other accreditation to speak of. I am not sure of his background, but his work on this film was not the best. I found the movie to be dull most of the time and it seemed to make almost no sense half the time. The emotion was missing from every major event, which can be good sometimes, but Baigelman does not pull it off right here. This movie was made in 1996, but it sure seemed like it was older than that. I don’t know if it was the dry and uninteresting atmosphere of the movie, the lack luster acting, or the lack of decent sound, but I felt like I was forcing myself to finish the movie. Maybe I was just not in the right mood for the film.

The Real Deal

I was not able to find this movie at Blockbuster so it came in the mail. I am glad that I did not pay for it, but it does give me a better appreciation for D’Onofrio and I would not have seen it any time soon if it were not for D’Onofrio month.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? If you are D'Onofrio fan. 501,013 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Not a Sharon Movie!

Today's D'Onofrio Fact

Vincent D'Onofrio earned money as a bouncer in New York before getting his big break with stage acting.

D'Onofrio's Orson Welles in Ed Wood

Vincent D'Onofrio, who's last name is pronounced Duh-noff-ree-o, has established himself as one of the great Actors of our time. While I am working going through his many films and reviewing them, I am going to post an interesting bit of trivia each day.

Today's interesting fact (besides the pronunciation of his name):

Tim Burton was not happy with D'Onofrio's impression of Orson Welles in Ed Wood, so he had his voice dubbed over.

Hard to believe that Tim Burton would be that meticulous. Oh wait, no it isn't.

Gearing Up for Tons of D'Onofrio Films

I have not abandoned everyone, I have been on the search for films with D'Onofrio in them. It has actually been more difficult than I had imagined. Last night I went to blockbuster to return two Vincent D'Onofrio films and try and get two more to rent. I looked for some of the most main stream ones; Steal This Movie, Feeling Minnesota, Thumsucker, and JFK. They did not even have one of those in stock. Either they do not carry enough copies of those films, or Vincent D'Onofrio draws a lot of viewers. I will now have to rely on the online rentals to get the films I need to see. Even online it is hard to find the ones I need.

I will commit t reviewing at least two of his films over the weekend. In the meantime, think about what it would be like to gain 70 lbs. for a role in a movie like D'Onofrio did for Full Metal Jacket. What would you eat to gain that weight?

Vincent D'Onofrio

Short Background of Vincent D'Onofrio

Born on June 30th 1959 in Brooklyn, NY. Vincent began his acting career on the stage in 1984 with the Broadway play "Open Admissions." After a few on stage performances, he landed the on screen role that catapulted his career, Full Metal Jacket. In Full Metal Jacket (1987) , Vincent played the role of a mentally unstable recruit. For this role, he gained a record setting 70 pounds.



After this performance, he has been in dozens of films including JFK, Ed Wood, Men In Black, Steal This Movie, The Salton Sea, and Thumbsucker. Since 2001 he has been on the TV series Law & Order.



Vincent D'Onofrio has been known for many years as a truly great actor with many varying roles. He has done everything from acting like a mentally unstable recruit to Orson Welles. His amazing talent has been proven throughout his career with the wide range of roles that he has played and his versatility.


Why Vincent D'Onofrio?

So why are we focusing on Vincent D'Onofrio this month on Dave's Movie Reviews? The reason is simple, I was asked to review a couple of his movies. After delving deeper into the movies that this man has been in, I realized that I would have to make more than just a simple post or two about him since he has had such a large impact on the film industry from an acting perspective.

This will be the first of a series of actors and directors who I will dedicate a month too. While I am going through many of his movies, I will likely post a couple of newer film reviews and some side reviews, but there will mostly be Vincent D'Onofrio films on Dave's Movie Reviews for the next couple of weeks.

The Heartbreak Kid

What’s It About

The Heartbreak Kid is about a man who is having a hard time finding the right girl for him. When he finally finds a girl that he thinks is the one and takes the plunge, he finds that she is not the person that he thought she was. While on his honeymoon, he meets another girl and trouble ensues. The Farrely brothers are back again with this comedy that reminds me a lot of There’s Something About Mary. It isn’t just Ben Stiller that makes it seem similar, but the actual feel of the movie is very much like that of There’s Something About Mary.

How’d They Act

Ben Stiller does a good performance that reminds me why I like him in the good guy role. In other movies such as Dodgeball and Happy Gilmore he has been the bad guy, but he is just not convincing as the bad guy to me. It is always more funny to see him getting messed up by the situations he is in while he is trying his best to do the right thing. The others in the film did a good job too, but I think that Ben Stiller is really the one that this movie is dependent upon; he carries it.

Delivery

The directing is very good in this movie. Again, it is a lot like There’s Something About Mary. I think that some of the acting was overdone and a bit awkward, but for the most part it was great. The moments that are supposed to make you laugh do just that. There were only a few times when I felt like they had something that was supposed to make you laugh, but were not timed right. Overall, this is another great directing job by the Farrely brothers.

The Real Deal

I paid $17 to see this movie and I think that it was well worth it. I laughed, which is the point. AS long as you can set your morals aside enough to allow yourself to laugh at this movie then I think that you will enjoy it.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? Yes. 756,129 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Sort of a Sharon Movie?

Vincent D'Onofrio

I recently received a request to review some movies that Vincent D'Onofrio has been in. There is the obvious classic Full Metal Jacket, but that would be too easy. I will take it upon myself to find some of his more obscure works and review them over the next month. I would really like to find the movie he actually directed, Five Minutes, Mr. Welles. I find it interesting that he has played Orson Welles more than once. Five Minute, Mr. Welles could be a challenge to find, but I will try my best.

The invitation is always out there for someone to suggest a movie or movie related topic that they would like for me to discuss or review. In fact, I greatly appreciate it.

In the mean time there will be other reviews. I am now watching about a movie a day, but it is hard to find time for the reviews as well.

I will be reviewing movies more often now so I will have to rearrange some things on the blog. There will likely be a listing of the movies that I have reviewed and the overall score that I have awarded them on my website www.DavidsIBC.com. I will post here when I get that portion of Dave's Movie Reviews up and running.

As always, thanks for reading.

Remake of Kirate Kid

That is right, a remake of Karate Kid. This seems like a bad joke, but there is word that Will Smith is making a remake of the Karate Kid with his son and Jackie Chan. This may be a rumor, and I hope it is, but what i it is true. This brings me to the reason for the post. Why do we have to make so many remakes of perfectly good films?

I liked King Kong the fifth time or whatever, and The Incredible Hulk was good, but is this really necessary. There are so many remakes today, I can not keep track of what is a remake and what is just a rip off. It seems as though there are very few original films out there, but maybe that is all that is keeping Hollywood alive. That would be very sad to me. I love movies, but I get tired of seeing remakes and sequels. Lets just stick to the remakes though. I don't understand how people can decide to take someone else's movie and redo it as though it was not done right in the first place. There are those movies that are remade and are actually great films, but those are few and far between. It is a rare occasion that I can say I was truly impressed with the remake. However, movies like Batman Begins tend to take your mind off of this subject pretty easily.

I would like to say that it will not always be like this, but unfortunately it probably will. Most directors and actors are in it for the big bucks, and are willing to sacrifice originality for just a little bit of money in the grand scheme of things.

Dumb and Dumberer

What's It About

Destroying one of the classic comedies of our time.

How'd They Act

Poorly.

Delivery

What were they thinking?

The Real Deal

If I had paid to see this movie, it would have made the film much more emotional for me.

The Skinny Version

Should you see it? No. 301,002 out of 1,000,000 Stars
Not a Sharon Movie!

How can you turn this:













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