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SHADOWS AND FOG is based on Woody Allen’s one-act play Death, which was published in 1975 as a comic version of Eugene Ionesco’s 1959 play The Killer. In the 1991 film, a serial strangler (Michael Kirby) is on the loose, and a bookkeeper (Allen) wanders around town searching for the vigilante group intent on catching him.
In Allen's typical ensemble-casting fashion, even the small roles are inhabited by a recognizable character actor or star, down to the smallest cameo roles: Donald Pleasence as the ill-fated doctor and David Ogden Stiers as the brutish "Hacker"; Lily Tomlin, Jodie Foster and Kathy Bates as the sagacious "working girls," and John Cusack as their young "regular," with money to burn; Madonna as "Marie", the adulterous tightrope walker; Julie Kavner as the hysterical ex-fiancée; Kenneth Mars, as the "Magician" who delivers the film's coup de grace...and the list goes on.
The film's soundtrack has plenty of music by Kurt Weill, which can be heard on the isolated score track of the 2015 Twilight Time Blu-ray release of the film.
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Posted: |
Mar 6, 2018 - 12:20 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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PORCO ROSSO is a 1992 film from Japan's Studio Ghibli, directed by famed animation director Hayao Miyazaki. The film centers on a '30s-era seaplane pilot who was, for vaguely explained reasons, cursed to become an anthropomorphic pig. He now he serves as a bounty hunter in the Adriatic, running down air pirates for hefty fees. Eventually, the squabbling pirates hire an American blowhard to shoot Porco down, which launches a loose, low-key plotline in which romance and airplane design feature prominently. PORCO ROSSO was initially conceived as a short film for Japan Airlines, and its roots show in its delight with aviation and the experience of flight, but also in its somewhat shapeless plot.
Perhaps because of this lineage, the film never had a theatrical release in the U.S., but instead was released by Buena Vista (Disney) to American video around 2003. To facilitate this release, an English-language dialogue track was created. Micheal Keaton voices the pig himself, putting on a deeper register for the character. Susan Egan voices "Madame Gina," who has suffered several heartbreaks and still yearns for Porco's affection. Kimberly Williams is "Fio," the spunky secondary and main female character of the film. David Ogden Stiers shows off his vocal chameleon skills voicing Fio's grandfather, effecting an Italian accent. Cary Elwes voices the slick American antagonist "Curtis," and Brad Garrett voices a goon as "Boss" - the leader of the Manma Aiutto air pirates.
Joe Hisaishi's score has had many releases in many countries, but none in the U.S. The most recent release was in France on Wasabi Records.
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MIGHTY APHRODITE is Woody Allen's comedic fantasy take-off on Greek drama. In it, Allen plays "Lenny," a sportswriter married to "Amanda" (Helena Bonham Carter, speaking in a high-quality American accent), an ambitious art dealer longing for her own gallery. They live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and are thinking about having a child. Amanda wants to give her hypothetical child its de rigueur quality time, but she doesn't have an opening in her schedule for the inconvenience of pregnancy. Lenny is against it, but they adopt. When Lenny discovers his adopted son is a genius, he seeks out the boy's birth mother: a ditzy porn star and prostitute (Mira Sorvino).
In his third film for Allen, David Ogden Stiers plays "Laius," a member of a Greek Chorus, which includes F. Murray Abraham and Olympia Dukakis, who make urgent notes of the choices Lenny is making. Sony Classical released a CD of Allen's song selections for his soundtrack, which are mostly jazz, from Dave Brubeck to Erroll Garner.
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In THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, Disney's 1996 animated retelling of the Victor Hugo classic, David Ogden Stiers voiced the character of the Archdeacon. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise directed the film. The songs and score by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz were released on a Walt Disney CD.
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In the opening number of EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU, Woody Allen's paean to the musicals of the 1930s and 1940s, a junior attorney named "Holden" (Edward Norton), in love with the boss' daughter, "Skylar" (Drew Barrymore), serenades her through the streets of New York with the ditty "Just You, Just Me." David Ogden Stiers plays Holden's father in the 1996 film. Ogden Stiers shares a dinner party scene with Alan Alda, his co-star on "M*A*S*H" for six years. Woody Allen's song score of standards and classics, as sung by the cast and as used as background music, was released by RCA Victor.
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Set in 1951, THE MAJESTIC told the story of a blacklisted Hollywood writer (Jim Carrey) who gets into a car accident, loses his memory, and settles down in a small town. There he is mistaken for "Luke Trimble," a decorated veteran who has gone missing. David Ogden Stiers plays "Doc Stanton" in the film. Frank Darabont directed this 2001 drama. Mark Isham's score had three tracks on the Hollywood Records soundtrack CD.
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In Disney's animated LILO & STITCH, a Hawaiian girl, "Lilo" (voiced by Daveigh Chase), adopts an unusual pet, "Stitch" (voiced by Chris Sanders), who is actually a notorious extra-terrestrial fugitive. David Ogden Stiers provides the voice of Stitch's creator, mad-scientist "Dr. Jumba Jookiba." Alan Silvestri's score for the 2002 film had three tracks on the Walt Disney soundtrack CD, along with numerous Elvis Presley songs. Ogden Stiers also voiced his character in three direct-to-video sequels--2003's "Stitch! The Movie", 2005's "Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch", and 2006's "Leroy & Stitch"-- as well as 66 episodes of "Lilo & Stitch: The Series," which aired on the Disney Channel from 2003 to 2006.
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HOODWINKED was an animated spoof of fairy tales in which Little Red Riding Hood (Anne Hathaway), the Wolf (Patrick Warburton), the Woodsman (Jim Belushi), and Granny (Glenn Close) all tell the police the events that led up to their encounter. David Ogden Stiers voiced the character of "Inspector Nicky Flippers," a long-legged frog. Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards, and Tony Leech co-wrote and co-directed the 2005 film. John Mark Painter's score shared space on the Rykodisc soundtrack CD with a number of songs composed by the film's writer/directors.
Ogden Stiers reprised his character for the 2011 sequel, HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD vs. EVIL.
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David Ogden Stiers narrated the prologue to M. Night Shyamalan's fantasy LADY IN THE WATER, in which "Cleveland Heep" (Paul Giamatti), a stuttering apartment superintendent, encounters a girl named "Story" (Bryce Dallas Howard) swimming in the complex's pool. He soon learns that she comes from the Blue World, and has a message for mankind. James Newton Howard's score for the 2006 film was released by Decca/Universal.
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Posted: |
Mar 6, 2018 - 10:43 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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David Ogden Stiers' final theatrical film was 2017's NEIL STRYKER AND THE TYRANT OF TIME. The film was made in Ogden Stiers' home state of Oregon, and was an action-comedy that follows its titular hero (writer-director Rob Taylor), a special agent from the future, as he hops around the time-stream trying to recapture his escaped nemesis, "The Mad Scientist" (also played by Rob Taylor). Filmed over a period of nine years, the film featured Ogden Stiers as "The Admiral." Although intended for theatrical release, the low-budget film was not acquired for distribution, and played numerous film festivals before being made available for viewing on Amazon, VUDU, Dish Network, Google Play, and other streaming services. Greg Ives scored the film.
On his Facebook page, Rob Taylor wrote the following after hearing of the passing of his co-star:
"We are devastated and saddened to report the passing of our dear, dear friend, David Ogden Stiers. David joined our cast in 2011 despite the fact that we were a ragtag crew of Oregon filmmakers with more ambition than dollars and cents/sense! In his lighter moments, David demanded "dude" be spelled "dewd" and made us all laugh every time he was on set. A professional of the highest caliber, David was an incredible human being that never missed an opportunity to help Oregonians of all walks of life to realize their dreams. David was an actor for NSTOT but more importantly was mentor to producer Nic Costa since the time they met in 2003. He will be sorely missed. Please, wherever you are, raise your glass to this champion of the Arts. The world will never be the same without you!"
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Posted: |
Mar 6, 2018 - 11:14 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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David Ogden Stiers was a fine character actor who excelled at playing sophisticated, erudite, sometimes snobbish roles. And we loved him for it. Thanks, David.
Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, David Ogden Stiers, David Doyle, and Farrah Fawcett,in "Charlie's Angels"
David Ogden Stiers in "M*A*S*H"
David Ogden Stiers in "Murder, She Wrote"
David Ogden Stiers in the series "The Dead Zone"
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