This Experiment Should Be Over

One of my favorite contemporary suspense movies from Germany is the 2001 film Das Experiment which was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and stars Moritz Bleibtreu (of Run, Lola, Run fame). The film is based upon the original Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971 (visit this link for a brief overview of the experiment's background). To briefly explain the synopsis of the experiment, and the movie, I will describe it as a sociology and psychology experiment gone awry. Here is the trailer for the film:

According to this report from First Showing it appears there will be an American remake of the film going into production sometime in July. The actors who have been hired for the remake includes a list of top notch actors including: Adrien Brody, Forrest Whitaker, Elijah Wood, and Cam Gigandet. Despite a list of talented actors attached to the project I am afraid to see another remake being produced for American audiences. I enjoy the original German film and seem annoyed by the lame excuse that American audiences are unable to enjoy foreign films or do not have convenient access to see them. I use Netflix to rent and watch the vast majority of foreign films that I have seen in the past. I do not need an American studio to remake a foreign film in order for me to hear about a good movie from Japan, Germany, or where ever else and want to rent it.

Hidden Cameo Appearances

You might want to do a double take, if not a triple take, while looking at some of these movie stills. Within each one of the photographs, there is a cameo appearance by a famous person. Upon first seeing the movie and/or photograph, I was unable to recognize the celebrity figure until much later when I did a little bit of research about the movie. Some of these people are easily recognizable as such in their cameo appearances. So feel free to add a comment about how wonderfully smart you are for immediately recognizing these celebrity figures at a moment’s notice.

He was given top billing for his acting role as Dr. Phillip K. Decker (see below) in the horror film Nightbreed (1990), but David Cronenberg is recognized more for his work as an A-list director. He holds such credits to his repertoire as The Fly (1986), Naked Lunch (1991), Crash (1996), A History of Violence (2005), and Eastern Promises (2007).

Who could have imagined that the bearded pirate in Hook (1991) who was thrown into the Boo Box was portrayed by a female actress? I swear that the character was portrayed by none other than Oscar nominated actress Glenn Close! If you do not believe me, then you might want to take a good look at the picture below or even scan through list of acting credits for the movie's IMDb profile page and search for the character named "Gutless." Among the list, you might recognize a few other famous names, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Carrie Fisher, and George Lucas. There are also a couple of famous musicians such as Phil Collins, Jimmy Buffet, and David Crosby (of Crosby, Stills, and Nash fame) have made a brief appearance in the film.

Here is a clip from the second Austin Powers film that is filled with not so subtle cameo performances, but for a brief start the viewer is unaware that there will be so many recognizable faces spoofing the comedy film. Gee, a satirical spoof of a satirical comedy film. How original and inventive of the producers to spend so much money to create it!

Then there is one of my personal favorite cameo appearances that has been hyped up so much before the film was released that I was thrilled to see the scene arrive when I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) in the theater. I am referring to the iconic guitar player from The Rolling Stones: Keith Richards! He was one of the prominent influences for Johnny Depp when the role of Jack Sparrow was being created.

A personal favorite that I would like to mention is the cameo appearances of several famous people in the musical film inspired by The Beatles known as Across the Universe (2007). Long time career singer Joe Cocker plays a street pimp, a homeless man, and an angry hippie figure, all of whom sing one of my favorite Beatles songs ever -- Come Together. U2's lead singer, Bono, makes a grand entrance as Dr. Robert, which is a performance not very difficult to overlook by any means possible. In addition, for those who may be a little less aware of international talent there is the appearance by cross-dressing comedian Eddie Izzard who randomly appears as the circus ringleader Mr. Kite. However, the most obscure cameo appearance in the film that I had to do five double takes was the multiple appearances of Salma Hayek as a nurse who magically duplicates herself into several nurses (as seen in the picture below). Hello nurses!

Take a good look at the movie poster for the fictitious film Sand Pirates of the Sahara. It is a movie within a movie that offers an excellent opportunity for cameo appearances by Bruce Campbell (of Evil Dead fame), Cliff Curtis (who has appeared in a large number of supporting roles, click here), and Amanda Detmer. The fictitious adventure film is seen within the dramatic period film The Majestic (2001) starring Jim Carrey. However, the prized holy grail of hidden cameo appearances for the film occurs twice and with five A-list celebrities all cleverly hidden in both scenes. At the beginning and ending of the film, Jim Carrey's character is sitting down in a plush office talking to several high movie studio executives who are heard but not really seen by the audience. An occasional body walks into the frame and stands behind a sitting Jim Carrey, but the audience only sees a torso with a pair of hands waving back and forth. The five voices of the studio executives are from real life industry heavyweights: Garry Marshall, Rob Reiner, Carl Reiner, Sydney Pollack, and Paul Mazursky. Aside from those two scenes, I should also mention there is another voice only cameo appearance in a separate instance within the film. Matt Damon is the voice of a minor character who reads aloud a letter that he has written to loved one.

This entry is starting to run a little longer than I have anticipated. I will conclude my list of hidden cameo appearances at this point with the intention of publishing a follow up article down the line when I have a new collection of items to write about. If you have a few cameo discoveries that I have not covered, please e-mail me or add a comment to this article. Thank you in advance!

Luc Besson's Environmental Documentary?

He is the famous producer, writer, and director of several famous action films, including my own personal favorite: Leon, The Professional (1994). However, as of a whopping thirty minutes ago I was asking myself "Luc Besson has produced a what?!"

Home (2009) is an environmentally friendly documentary that rivals Disney's Earth (2007). I am shocked to hear about it! In addition, I am intrigued to know why Luc Besson is involved, and yet curious as much in actually watch the film. It tallies in with a running time of an hour and thirty-three minutes and will play at no cost to you on YouTube's website. In the English language version the film is narrated by Oscar award nominated actress Glenn Close, who I am sure is an excellent casting choice.

I have embedded a play list below that is a highlight reel of all the different segments from the film. Each of the eleven clips is about ninety seconds to two minutes in length. They will whet your appetite for the feature length version. I am planning to add my own personal review of the documentary film at the end of this entry as soon as I have the available time to give it a proper inspection and review. I hope you enjoy the highlight reel. However, if you would like to move on to the film itself, then feel free to visit the High Definition playback page or the film's YouTube Channel.

R.I.P. David Carradine

It has been reported from United States embassy that Kill Bill star David Carradine has been found dead in Bangkok, Thailand. More information will be posted here as the story develops.

CNN's Update on Carradine's Death
(updated June 5, 2009 at 3:10 A.M. PDT)
David Carradine's wife and his manager disputed suggestions that the actor's death was a suicide, while rescue workers and police in Bangkok, Thailand, said the actor's neck and genitals were found bound with rope. Carradine, 72, became famous in the 1970s, when he portrayed the traveling Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the television series "Kung Fu."

Bangkok police said Carradine was found hanging by a nylon rope in a Bangkok hotel room closet Thursday morning. A member of the emergency crew who was called to the hotel after a maid found Carradine told CNN that a yellow nylon rope was tied around the actor's neck and a black rope was around his genitals. Police later confirmed that information. "I do not know if you want to call it accidental," Chuck Binder, Carradine's manager, told CNN's Larry King on Thursday. He said Carradine's career was on a roll and his life was on a resurgence.

[ Click Here for the full CNN.com story ]

CNN's Original Report on Carradine's Death
(updated June 4, 2009 at 3:00 P.M. PDT)
American actor David Carradine has been found dead, hanging by a nylon rope in a hotel room closet in Bangkok, Thailand, according to a Thai police official. Carradine, who became famous in the 1970s when he starred as traveling Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the television series "Kung Fu," was 72.

The rope was believed to be from the hotel room curtains, Bangkok Police Lt. Col. Pirom Chanpirom said Thursday. He said investigators found no sign of forced entry into Carradine's room. An autopsy was being conducted at a Bangkok hospital, but no results will be available for another day, he said. A Carradine family spokeswoman issued a short statement saying the family "is devastated by the news of David's passing."

[ Click Here for the full CNN.com story ]

IMDb / WENN Reports Laywer's Response
(updated June 4, 2009 at 12:05 P.M. PDT)
The attorney who wed Kill Bill star David Carradine and his wife Annie at pal Michael Madsen's home is calling on the media not to jump to conclusions about the actor's sudden death. Carradine, 72, was found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand, where he was shooting a new movie, and initial reports suggest he hanged himself. The actor's manager, Chuck Binder, insists Carradine died of natural causes, but police officials insist a hotel maid had found Carradine dead in a wardrobe with a rope around his neck and body on Thursday morning.

The late star's longtime attorney and friend, Vicki Roberts, who conducted the actor's fifth wedding ceremony in December 2004, is hoping the truth will prove Carradine did not commit suicide. She tells WENN, "I would also hope that there would be a full investigation before any conclusions are drawn." Roberts adds, "I have known David Carradine and his wife Annie for many, many years and I was honoured to have performed their marriage ceremony in 2004 at the home of Michael Madsen. My deepest condolences go out to Annie and the family."

As mentioned in the First Showing's article, I have always imagined that David Carradine's career was revitalized when it was brought to the awareness of a new movie going generation with a large boost from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. However, those two films are only a small drop in the bucket in comparison to the other 220 acting credits to his name that spread across films and television shows (not including several commercial cameo appearances). He has become a notable figure for being the martial arts butt kicker that anyone would fear greatly.

Rest in peace, Mr. Carradine.

The Baseball Card Documentary

EDITED TO ADD: According to Google Maps, the place of business has been closed down.

So, do you want to go to Brooklyn to buy some baseball cards? Come on! I know you want to go. Alright, alright, alright! For those lazy travelers who either do not want to step away from their computers or simply cannot afford the train ticket to visit Baseball Card Dugout there is an alternative that can be just as fun and at a mere fraction of the traveling costs.

Personally living in southern California and writing about a sports card shop in Brooklyn, New York is rather far fetched since I have never visited the store before and did not even know of its existence before this morning. According to Google the store is located in the Carroll Gardens area of Brooklyn as seen in the map that has been embedded below (if this location info does not sound right to any of the New York locals, please speak up).

View Larger Map

My own invested interest in the card shop is a twofold venture. First of all I had collected baseball cards as a kid, so the topic at hand is of personal interest. Then there is the current interest that I have in movies and documentaries. Film and video director Casimir Nozkowski has a lengthy list of credits to his name (a short biography has been posted below), but recently he has focused his efforts upon taking a camera into Joe Rock's place of business to find out why people are so intrigued with the hobby of buying and collecting sports cards. So, without much further ado I shall present to you the COTD (Clip of the Day) for June 3, 2009!

According to his website bio, it seems the director, Casimir Nozkowski, really gets around. That implies a professionally well-versed career for those of you who were thinking otherwise. Among his credits, he has appeared on numerous television and radio talk shows, currently resides on the board for Rooftop Films, and has directed several music videos, commercials, and short films. He can be contacted at casimir.nozkowski@gmail.com with any questions or comments.

David Lynch's Interview Project

Being utterly forgetful to mention this to everyone at an earlier date, but it is an intriguing project that I must share with you. It has been simplistically titled David Lynch's Interview Project and is hosted by the mysterious director over the course of the summer. The 121 part project will release one interview every three days, starting on June 1 (2009), and continue through the next year. I really do not want to attempt to describe it in my own words when I could have David Lynch do it himself in the most unique style that only he could accomplish.

The team that he is referring to in the introduction consists of his son Austin Lynch and ten others, who interviewed, photographed, wrote music for, and edited each of the video interviews for the project. The first of the interviews has already been posted, which you can view on the Latest Interview page here, so you might want to get started watching them at the risk of running behind. It is a large project and remains promising as an interesting venture.

For promotional purposes the project has its very own Twitter page and Facebook profile if you would like to conveniently follow along on either of those two sites. After writing up the brief article about the interview project I have the desire to go watch a David Lynch marathon with two of my favorite films: Mulholland Dr. (2001) and Inland Empire (2006). I will see you all later!