edited by Jonathan Doyle

Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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November 12

Slumdog Millionaire

November 14

A Christmas Tale

B.O.H.I.C.A.

Dostana

The Dukes

Eden

House of the Sleeping Beauties

How About You

Quantum of Solace

We are Wizards

November 21

The Betrayal

November 30

Osage County Translation

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I've been told that producer Jean Doumanian is partnering with the Weinstein Co. to produce a film version of Tracy Letts' masterful August: Osage County, which N.Y. Times critic Charles Isherwood called "the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years" in his 12.5.07 review.

Deanna Dunagan (r.) as Violet Weston, the family matriarch; Amy Morton (l.) as her daughter, and Rondi Reed (center) as Violet's sister.

As always, a Broadway hit (Osage County is certain to triumph at the '08 Tony Awards in June) is one equation and a satisfying hit movie is another. The stage-to-cinema process is always about rethinking, reshuffling, compressing, diluting and, in one way or another, downgrading to some extent. A broader audience = the need to make a play more accessible to Average Joes = problems from the viewpoint of Broadway purists.

The big questions are (a) will the movie version hold to the play's three-hour length (there will certainly be pressure to trim it down at least somewhat, perhaps as much as a third), (b) will they try to movie-ize it (visually "open it up, etc.) or stick to the pure theatrical scheme of everything happening in the Weston family's two-story home, (c) who will Doumanian-Weinstein get to direct...Mike Nichols?, and (d) which middle-aged screen actress will play the key role of Violet Weston (i.e., "an evil mom to end them all"), presuming that Deanna Dunagan, whose on-stage performance is said to be legendary, will be shunted aside in favor of a Meryl Streep-level actress with a bit more in the way of marquee power.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 29, 2008 at 11:37 AM

comment #1

Wrecktum says ...

Streep is appearing later this year in the Broadway-to-screen version of Doubt. Can't wait for that one.

Posted by Wrecktum at March 29, 2008 12:15 PM

comment #2

btwnproductions says ...

It's a great show. Letts' BUG made for a surprisingly strong film, so we'll see. Nichols isn't the best choice to direct--too down and dirty. Nor is Streep right for her part; I'm seeing Judy Davis. It would be great to see Amy Morton retain her role from stage to screen.

Posted by btwnproductions at March 29, 2008 12:52 PM

comment #3

tophertilson says ...

It's a very good, entertaining play, but I wouldn't call it "great." I think the cuisine offered up by NYC theatre these days has become so strange and piddling and un-nourishing that when Letts threw this big ol' T-bone steak on the grill, the critics were just happy to get a full meal. It's theatrical comfort food -- nothing unique or ground-breaking. Though I'd certainly sit through it a second or third time over any of the weird non-plays currently clogging Playwrights Horizons, NYTW, the Vineyard or the like.

Posted by tophertilson at March 29, 2008 12:59 PM

comment #4

George Prager says ...

Great photo. I remember this scene well. They're arguing over what movie to rent. Mom wants to rent BECAUSE I SAID SO. Daughter and sis vote for GEORGIA RULES. Theatrical comfort food is fine with me. The theater is dead. The more talented write novels or for the movies and television. Playwrights are losers.

Posted by George Prager at March 29, 2008 1:30 PM

comment #5

bmcintire says ...

But you're a winner! Douchebags win!

Posted by bmcintire at March 29, 2008 1:40 PM

comment #6

btwnproductions says ...

As someone who reviews both theater and film (and watches TV and reads an occasional book, too), I can report that the theater is alive and well, and that those who issue blanket dismissals likely don't go and haven't for years. There's good and bad in every medium.

Believe me, there's nothing too comforting about Letts' shows, but they do have enough pulse and substance to make for effective cinema. (His KILLER JOE could be adapted as well.) And if it doesn't make it to the movies, or make as it as a movie, no problem; the play's the thing, as they say.

Posted by btwnproductions at March 29, 2008 1:45 PM

comment #7

George Prager says ...

Wow, this is all so fascinating. Like talking about billiards.

Posted by George Prager at March 29, 2008 2:12 PM

comment #8

George Prager says ...

Those who can't write, write plays.

Posted by George Prager at March 29, 2008 2:13 PM

comment #9

tophertilson says ...

Did Arthur Miller kill your parents in a dark alley, George? Or are you just stirring the pot? Or are you just being exceedingly smug and dim?

Posted by tophertilson at March 29, 2008 3:40 PM

comment #10

George Prager says ...

All four.

Posted by George Prager at March 29, 2008 4:06 PM

comment #11

MilkMan says ...

George, read some Richard Maxwell or Will Eno. Their writing wipes the floor with almost all young American fiction writers.

And BTW: Those who can't write, write SCREENPLAYS.

Posted by MilkMan at March 29, 2008 4:20 PM

comment #12

MickTravis says ...

That's absolutely true. Speaking of which, how's the script coming, MilkMan?

Posted by MickTravis at March 29, 2008 7:20 PM

comment #13

actionman says ...

August: Osage County is a masterpiece.

Not casting Deeana Dunagan would be a crime.

Posted by actionman at March 29, 2008 7:37 PM

comment #14

Rich S. says ...

There appears to be lots of shouting in it, so it MUST be a classic.

Posted by Rich S. at March 30, 2008 5:25 AM

comment #15

tophertilson says ...

Sadly, when I saw the play, Deeana Dunagan was not in it. Her understudy seemed perfectly adequate to me, but maybe Dunagan added something extra. Perhaps that lessened my experience? To me, though, that ultimately doesn't speak well for the play either. A masterpiece should be able to weather a replacement cast. Though it wouldn't be the first time that one of those amazing Steppenwolf ensemble pieces couldn't survive without one of those amazing Steppenwolf ensembles. Man, those actors are fantastic. There is no city on earth that does ensembles better than Chicago.

Posted by tophertilson at March 30, 2008 5:42 AM

comment #16

George Prager says ...

"George, read some Richard Maxwell or Will Eno. Their writing wipes the floor with almost all young American fiction writers."

I've never heard of these guys. I must google...

Charles Isherwood, theatre critic for The New York Times, called Eno "a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation."

Wow! I'm so there!

"For those of you without a working knowledge of quirky avant-garde theater types, Mr. Maxwell is the author and director of a series of acclaimed plays whose most defining characteristic is characters who speak, argue and even laugh in an unwavering monotone."

That sounds fucking awesome!

Posted by George Prager at March 30, 2008 9:43 AM

comment #17