The renowned English children’s author, Roald Dahl, has had the majority of his novels and stories adapted from page to screen, resulting in Nicolas Roeg’s The Withes, Henry Selick’s James and the Giant Peach and Danny DeVito’s Matilda, as well as Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the alternatively titled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Mel Stuart in 1971.

Dahl’s works have this distinctive air of offbeat whimsy and substance that haven’t quite been matched on screen by a filmmaker with the same posture and lifework characteristics as Wes Anderson – although Tim Burton would certainly qualify, as well, his film was a remake of Mel Stuart’s 1971 classic. With The Fantastic Mr. Fox, cult flag-bearer and Criterion wonder-boy Wes Anderson has adapted the story of a thievish family fox, his many talented friends, and his neighboring farmers who disapprove of their survival techniques, which involve stealing chickens from their farms.

Anderson made it big in 1996 and 1998, with arguably his best works, Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, where the director established his style of dark, dry humor mixed in with genuine emotion and sensationalized, yet relatable characters – often played by Wes Anderson mainstays Owen and Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. This culminated with The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001, which brought all of the director’s fashionable and identifiable idiosyncrasies into a comparatively big-budgeted, all-star production that put all other dysfunctional families to shame with its bleak, yet once again, relatable family portrait. Now, he brings his old family (Schwartzman, Wilson, Murray lend their voices) in with the new (George Clooney as Mr. Fox, Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox) and ventures into the realm of stop-motion animation for the first time in his career.

Director Wes Anderson with the cast of "The Fantastic Mr. Fox."

Anderson signed on as director after the film rights were bought for Roald Dahl’s novel in 2004, but two years later, Henry Selick (the animation director at the time) had to leave the project to focus on his adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline” – released earlier this year. Like any live-action Anderson film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox will not appear as traditional stop-motion animation, but since the majority of shooting was done in this tradition, it is classified as such. Voicework, hardly within the confines and comforts of a cozy studio, was recorded pretty much anywhere, according to Anderson. “Well, for this film we recorded all the voices on locations. We went out in a forest, we went in an attic, we went in a stable. We went underground for some things. There was a great spontaneity in the recordings because of that, I think.”**

The script, which was written by Anderson and Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding) looks to have all of the deadpan witty bantering that Anderson fans have come to expect and marks the first time the two writer/directors have collaborated since 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The PG-animated film premiered at the London Film Festival on October 14th to warm reactions and begins its platform release on November 13th with a New York, Los Angeles debut.

**quote from RT article

This column has produced a number of little seen gems throughout its tenure.  One of the rules to the column is that we try to avoid films that have become cult classics.  In general, of course, this is a judgment call, because everyone has their own definition of what may or may not be a cult hit film.  Obvious examples would be movies like Clerks or Donnie Darko.  For me, David O. Russell’s intelligent I Heart Huckabees finds itself firmly entrenched in this gray area, so I am giving it the green light for a write up in this edition of Films-U-Missed.  “Huckabees” was largely passed over in it’s 2004 theatrical run, earning just north of $12 million which was roughly half of it’s reported budget.  By most accounts a box office failure, but it seemed to have found some stable footing on video shelves, as evidenced by the 33,000+ rating votes on its IMDB page.

“Huckabees” was directed by the notoriously tough-to-get-along-with, David O. Russell.  He is almost more famous for his riffs with actor George Clooney and of course, the infamous one with Lily Tomlin, than he is for helming quality works such as 1996′s Flirting with Disaster (with Ben Stiller), or 1999′s Three Kings, with Wahlberg, buddy Spike Jonze, rapper Ice Cube and of course, Clooney.  The turmoil he has caused some actors might make for fun headlines, but distracts from a filmmakers oeuvre who continually challenges himself and filmgoers, with I Heart Huckabees being a prime example.

An A-list ensemble cast was on board for “Huckabees,” a difficult film to describe about existential existence.  When the tagline states “an existential comedy,” one knows they are not in for the average movie going experience, which perhaps explains why it was widely overlooked initially.  Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin play a husband and wife team of investigators who aim their work at helping people uncover their existential being; their “true self” which will help grant them meaning and purpose on Earth.  Among the cast whose intertwining storylines come into play in the film are Mark Wahlberg as a firefighter struggling with familial and career issues, Jude Law, as a corporate hack and boyfriend to Naomi Watts, a model who begins to reject her looks.  It is Jason Schwartzman’s “Albert” who kicks it all into gear as a guy attempting to figure out why he has seen a strange individual on multiple occasions.  The themes of interconnectedness, randomness and circumstance all play a significant role in the piece as the plot (often hilariously) unravels in a who-done-it sort of way.

"Blocking out all thoughts will help you feel more connected to the world."

Hoffman, Tomlin and Schwartzman play off of each other brilliantly, offering up ranges between manic and confused, which might confound some moviegoers but I think serves to heighten the viewing experience.  They record and observe their subjects in every aspects of their lives.  While they are showering, sleeping, sh*tting.  The mysterious set-up with sleuths on the case framing the story place the viewer in the proper mind frame necessary to try to tackle the difficult subject matter.  Wahlberg hasn’t been this funny outside of Boogie Nights and Watts may not have been sexier playing the misinformed blonde.  O. Russell keeps the pace flowing; the movie is continually off-kilter, never allowing the viewer to settle into the idea that they have a complete handle on what is taking place or what the films message is.

On that front, ultimately trying to explain the film is futile and against the wishes of the filmmakers, in my opinion.  The purpose, in large part, is for individual viewers to examine the movie for themselves and form their own takes.  The beauty of an outside-the-box film like this is that there is no clear right or wrong.  Its a thinking man’s movie that is open to interpretation.  Fans of heavy-handed direct messages or popcorn-flick fare need not apply.  Michael Bay (Transformers 2) might not care for this.  While we await David’s The Fighter (another Wahlberg starring movie) next, if you have yet to see this, it is worth a viewing, likely multiple, for those that enjoy the concept.  Rich layers of story, character and performance nuances are uncovered upon repeat viewings as we try to figure out our own concept of what our existential beings are. It comes recommended, but I think your existential being probably already knew that.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of the movies we will be profiling later this year closer to it’s release in theaters, currently scheduled for arrival on the big screen on November 13th.  We gave you an initial look at some of the characters in the movie and have already posted the first trailer for the film, which features old-school stop motion animation to get the results that Anderson wanted to achieve.  In a lot of ways, what we have seen so far, truly fits Anderson’s style of directing.  The visual style he has used in such films as Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums in the past actually remains prevalent from the footage we have been able to catch thus far.  The film will feature voice work from George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Bill Murray among others.

This featurette video for Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the children’s classic book of the same name, takes you behind the scenes revealing some of the highly detailed processes that it took to create what we will see on the big screen.  This gives the viewer a greater appreciation of the amount of work that is involved in the use of stop motion animation technique for filmmaking.  The video is voiced by one of the stars, Jason Schwartzman and features George Clooney, the director Anderson, and many crew members involved in the process. Take a look and tell us what you think.  Props to First Showing for the video.

“The closest I ever came to dying was when I masturbated with a 104-degree temperature.” That’s one of my favorite jokes from Larry David when he returned to stand-up comedy for the HBO Special that later became the pilot for “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” I think that joke works on two separate planes for this review. First, it’s a stand-up comedy joke and the entire world contained in Funny People revolves around stand-up. Secondly, David is talking about being on the edge of death. Staring it in the eye. The main character in Funny People faces a similar quandary, although his situation is far less humorous.

George Simmons is a comedic movie star not unlike Adam Sandler. His ascent to stardom bears a strong resemblance to the plight of other comic film leading men. He began on stage telling jokes to rooms full of drunks in comedy clubs. His fame and persona took off and he moved on to such silly heights as headlining films about a merman and Re-Do, about a man who goes back to being a baby (a literal man-head on baby body) to remind himself of how to live. George’s string of hits ends when he is diagnosed with a type of leukemia, leaving his life as lived and decides to revert to a time when he was happiest and go back to performing stand-up comedy. He takes a young comedian, Ira Wright, under his wing as a last gesture of his time on Earth.

Ira isn’t the funniest of people. Not yet, at least. He’s a nubile talent stuck working behind a deli counter at a local grocery store, begging his co-workers to come to his shows, even having to offer to pay their cover charge. Fortunately, Ira has some support or rather constant motivation surrounding him at home. He lives with two buddies who are both firmly rooted in the comedy career path. Leo is another disciple of stand-up, trying to build through that. He’s had some more success that Ira, but still performs at the same venues. Their roommate and landlord, Mark, is the most successful, as he stars on an NBC sitcom called, “Yo, Teach,” resembling something along the lines of “Saved By the Bell.” He’s known to casually leave his $25,000 per week paychecks on Ira’s pillow. All of this only fuels Ira’s excitement toward George’s offer to be his assistant, as well as write jokes for him.

Ira is the only person George lets in on the secret of his disease. Ira, in turn naturally tells his closest comrades, but luckily it never reaches beyond that. Faced with the pressure, Ira eventually convinces George to let a few select others in on the news. George uses his illness to make amends with Laura, the girl that got away. They were to be married until his immaturity and lifestyle led to him cheating on her. She is now married with two children, albeit not the happiest. After bouts of suffering, George finds himself in the 8% of people who survive his condition and steps away from the porch in front of death’s door. Given a second lease on life, George has a chance to right his wrongs with Larua and share with Ira the path to success.

"If this was a lesser film, you'd just challenge George to a rugby match."

Judd Apatow’s name has been permanently fixated with cinematic comedy over the past few years, though this is only the third film he’s directed, after The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. It’s more of his producing duties that makes his name a mainstay in our filmgoing subconscious. That, and his band of talent he’s helped blossom into becoming their own headliners, thus spreading the Apatow brand, even when he isn’t directly involved. It’s similar to the Bill Walsh coaching tree that still survives in today’s NFL. What Apatow is a master of is blending what can be considered crass and vulgar humor with a story that contains a bit of sweetness, realism and heart. Sure he’s produced a story of man-children with Step Brothers and wacky sports comedy in Talladega Nights, but that’s not how he writes. He separates himself from the pack and elevates the genre by doing so. In Funny People, he blends comedy and drama seamlessly. It’s not a jarring transition from laughs to tears and the two dueling themes, death and comedy, work together like strawberries and chocolate as opposed to oil and water. This is a very funny film, as you would hope for, set in the world of comedy, but it may well induce some salty discharge at the same time.

I’ve never been a fan of Adam Sandler. In fact, I’ve been more of an anti-fan. It’s the whiny voice that’s driven me crazy through the years. Only in Punch-Drunk Love did I respect him for a bit, but that goodwill was quickly squandered. I’m pleased to say this is the best performance of his career. The whiny voice pops up now and then, but only as a character his character is playing. You get the feeling he’s baring his soul in this film as if it were a documentary reflection on his own life, since it so closely adheres to his real-life rise to fame. Acting accolades also belong to Seth Rogen. He plays a character who’s very grounded and identifiable. It’s a performance like no other we’ve seen from him. Over the past few movies of his, he has become quite stale. The shtick that worked so well for him before and rocketed him into our collective minds had worn thin. I believe this is a turning point for him, or at least should be. He can build on this next step of his career and hopefully continue to evolve as an actor.

There were some hampering and nagging points to be had, mainly with Sandler’s character arc. George isn’t the nicest of guys. Even when he recovers, he doesn’t undergo much of an arc and makes it harder to sympathize with him, even at the end. Ira is far more indefinable and the two characters never even really meet in the middle. The lack of bromance between the two is at least partly made up for by the interplay between Ira, Mark and Leo. Jason Schwartzman brings his usual suave egotism he’s been perfecting since Rushmore to Mark. Jonah Hill as Leo is more subdued then he’s been in the past, but his climbing off the ledge didn’t hinder his ability to invoke laughter.

Death is not a particularly funny subject, so I find it brave of Apatow to base his film around the subject. He succeeded in blurring the lines between comedy and drama and in turn made more than just a funny film, but a well-balanced movie worthy of following in Knocked Up‘s large footsteps. There’s a line in the film, which for obvious reason led to the title, which George uses to belittle Ira. “Usually, comedy is reserved for funny people.” Thank goodness for all of us, Judd Apatow is one of them.

Since The 40-Year-Old-Virgin in 2005, Judd Apatow has been a breath of fresh air in the comedy world.  For almost five years now, Apatow has had a hand in either writing, producing and directing some of the biggest comedies to hit the screen.  Most of his movies have been box office gold, such as 40-Year-Old, Superbad, Knocked Up and Pineapple Express.  Of course, he has dropped some clunkers of late with Drillbit Taylor (producer) and Walk Hard (producer, writer). This year, he has produced Year One and will direct his third film, Funny People.

I tend to favor his directorial work because his comedies are so much better than the rest.  Yes, they’re funny, but they also have elements of drama and are relatable.  Funny People will focus on the themes of friendship and struggling with an impending disease.  It will also feature more drama than Apatow’s first two films, despite the title.  Adam Sandler will take another stab at drama having had success with this before, most notably with Punch-Drunk Love. Sandler, who could have easily made a quality career for himself after his critically acclaimed performance in Punch-Drunk, stuck with the brain-dead comedies and occasionally did drama, like Spanglish and Reign Over Me, the latter being particularly poor.  I would hope this performance will finally put him on a proper path.

Baking cookies can only be funny if you make them into vulgar shapes...like circles.

Sandler stars as George Simmons, an established and successful comedian/actor who has made a name for himself in the stand-up circuit. He gets the debilitating news that he’s suffering from a blood disorder and will die within a year. Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), a deli employee and comedian, who has grown up idolizing Simmons, befriends George when he hears of his condition.  They become close and George makes Ira his assistant and teaches him the ways of a good comedian.  Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend, Laura (Leslie Mann), hears of his condition and re-establishes herself in his life as a friend. Just when George had lost all hope, he gets the startling news that he will make it.  While getting close with his ex, her husband Clarke (Eric Bana) becomes extremely jealous and causes friction between him and his wife.  Despite this setback, George has a new outlook on life and with the help of his friends, he tries to seek meaning and purpose within himself.

The movie also co-stars Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aziz Ansari and RZA.  Funny People is written, directed and produced by Judd Apatow and after the wonderful Knocked Up, I think Funny People might match it, though I can’t say it will top it.

"I think if you just did, like, the 'whale wave' on stage, it'd totally kill."

Covering a whole array of issues like life, death, love and friendship, all wrapped up in a Judd Apatow bun, complete with his unique brand of humor could make this the comedy hit of the summer.

Funny People opens July 31^st.