The Lint Screen

Tag: James Franco

  • Poo Flingers Rise Up

    Do apes have to pay the Golden Gate Bridge toll? Hell no, not when they’re super smart!
    If you’ve ever been to the zoo, you’ve probably seen apes do some amazing things like fling their poo or eat their own vomit. Do not be mislead. Although they may act like drunk frat pledges, they’re actually crafty critters– especially when you give them some drugs that turbo-goose their intellect.

    Rise of The Planet of The Apes is a pretty terrific film; one of the better popcorn munchers of the summer. It’s a prequel, and like many of the prequels of the past few years, one of the better films in the franchise.

    It stars James Franco as a brilliant pharmaceutical scientist working on a drug to battle Alzheimer’s disease, which his pappy has Pops is played by John Lithgow. Franco tests his experimental drug on apes. The apes get wicked smart and quite agitated. Do you see a bad moon rising?

    I’m not much of a James Franco fan. He’s fine in this role, but is pretty vanilla overall. That isn’t so bad though since he’s playing support to some terrific computer generated ape actors and the phenomenal Andy Serkis who plays the hero ape, Caesar. Serkis brings this ape to wonderful human-like life. He’s the same guy who played Gollum in the Lord of The Rings flicks.

    But the real stars here are the special effects and some slick direction by Rupert Wyatt from a smart screenplay by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The score by Patrick Doyle is well done and pitch perfect for the action and emotion.

    You also get to hear the famous command, “Get your filthy hands off me you damn dirty ape!” just not in Chick Heston’s golden baritone. Be on the lookout for Mr. Heston who does appear in this movie. Good stuff.

    This is one fine film and a fun ride. Give it a go and chances are you’ll like it so much that you won’t fling poo at the screen.

  • 10 Incredible Oscar Contender Stories

    Oh, the things people do to get one of these babies…
    In preparation for the upcoming Academy Awards Ceremony, The Lint Screen has dug deep to unearth ten fascinating tidbits your big brain probably didn’t know that it didn’t know.

    1. Aaron Sorkin wrote the 164-page screenplay for The Social Network in a Starbucks on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica in the time it took him to drink a Venti Caramel Macchiatto. What makes this fact even more amazing is that he actually resisted the siren call of the raspberry scones.

    2. That scene in Inception where the street rolls up and everything gets all kaflooey–– done with bulldozers. And very skilled magicians.

    3. While Natalie Portman did a magnificent job learning to dance ballet in Black Swan, she almost killed herself with a misstep while dancing the hokey-pokey at a cast party. “Natalie is a natural athlete,” said a choreographer on the picture. “While she’s quite gifted and graceful putting her left foot in and putting her left foot out, she is a total klutz in the shaking it all about department. Please don’t tell her I said that– I can’t survive another one of her beatings!”

    4. The original title for The Kids Are All Right was Baba O’Reily.

    5. Being a dedicated method actor, Jeff Bridges gouged his left eye out of his skull and had it replaced with a glass eyeball for the filming of True Grit. But before shooting began, directors Joel and Ethan Coen decided they preferred Rooster Cogburn’s right eye to be covered with the eyepatch. Bridges went to his trailer and stumbled back to the set wearing the eyepatch over his right eye.

    6. James Franco did not really saw his arm off in 127 Hours, but his stunt double, now called Lefty, is pretty bitter about the entire filming experience.

    7. Colin Firth not only faked his stammer in The King’s Speech, he also sewed all the costumes for the wardrobe department. “I’m quite good with a needle and thread,” said the handsome actor. “It helps to calm my nerves. I have a collection of thimbles that is quite modestly second to none. I say, would you like some cuffs on your trousers, guvnor?”

    8. All the actors in Winter’s Bone had distinguished British accents and performed on horseback. The horses were removed in post production.

    9. In Toy Story 3, Woody and Buzz got into a huge fight at the craft services table. Woody was hospitalized for two days and Buzz required six stitches and heavy make-up to cover his bruises. The two did not speak off camera at all after the incident.

    10. The entire film The Fighter–– done in one take. All the sweat? Fake.

    Now you know…