Displaying items by tag: jim Cummings

THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

US, 2023, 90 minutes, Colour.

Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donohue, Faison Love, Michael Abbott Jr, Nicholas Logan, Richard Brake, Barbara Crampton, Gene Jones, Robin Bartlett, Conor Paolo, Pete Proudstar.

Directed by Francis Galluppi.

A small budget action story, long prepared by the writer-director, who also edited the film, eventually a producer putting up his house for sale to raise the money.

The end result is surprisingly entertaining. It is not an unfamiliar story, a diner out in the desert, travellers, thieves who robbed a bank, taking refuge, eventual revelations, confrontations, shootings and deaths. But, the situation in the dialogue is sufficiently well-written to make the characters distinctive and the episodes of interest and entertaining.

The film also parodies the easy-going local police and their interactions.

The situation is the stranding of travellers waiting for the truck which will replenish the local service station. And they spend their time in the diner. But tension mounts when the two thieves turn up. And, there are quite a number of unfortunate victims in the shootout.

And, there is a moral to the story with a travelling salesman, selling sharp knives, on his way home from his daughter’s birthday, his being stranded at the diner. He is timid, takes cover, survives the shootings – and, with the moral of the film about greed, decides to take the money and escape, having a final confrontation which tests his morality (and he fails).

A piece of entertaining Americana.

1. A surprisingly interesting and entertaining story? Situation, characters, interactions?
2. The Arizona countryside, open spaces, the roads, the gas station, the diner, interiors? The musical score and atmosphere?
3. The introduction through the knife salesman, out of petrol, Verne, expecting the truck to arrive, going to the diner, his manner, reserved, Charlotte dropped off by her husband, the sheriff, opening the diner, talking, the demonstration of the knives, trying to be unobtrusive?
4. The news about the robbing of the bank, the thieves arriving, their characters, interactions, manner, waiting in the diner, interactions with Charlotte? Charlotte ringing her husband, the call cut-off, the cutting of the phone?
5. The sheriff, easy-going, 17 years married, his assistant, young and chirpy, fastidious, going to the diner, bumping into the thief, spilling the coffee, his manner, getting the new cups, Charlotte writing help on the cup lid? His going back to the station, the easy-going discussions, the sheriff in the toy, the secretary?
6. The young couple, shooting, driving, arriving, suspecting the thieves, the plan, in the diner?
7. Verne, coming over for his breakfast? Pete, Native American, his explanation, in the diner? The elderly couple, out of petrol, the conversations?
8. The serious aspect of the story, but the satiric presentation of characters and situations, the young man and his assertions, guns drawn, the confrontations, the shootings, Charlotte stabbing the leader, pushed to the floor after being held, the thieves and their being shot, the elderly couple, the young man, Verne and Pete, the knife salesman and his hiding? The young woman, holding people up, the knife, her death?
9. The sheriff, ringing Verne, deciding to come, on the road?
10. The salesman, timid, his decision, surviving, going to the car, taking the money, getting the petrol, the young couple, the confrontation, the promise of the money, the attack, the death of the wife? And discovery of the baby crying the car? His driving away, the scenes throughout of the upturned petrol truck, the pursuit of the sheriff, the leak in the salesman’s car, out of petrol? Lighting the explosion?
11. The tension of the situation, familiar, characters and confrontations, the touch of parody, and the moral about greed and money?

THE KING OF KINGS

South Korea/US, 2025, 100 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Kenneth Branagh, Oscar Isaac, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, Jim Cummings, Roman Griffin Davis.

Directed by Seong-ho Jang.

Yes, the Gospel story. However, this film is an animation-dramatisation of a story by Charles Dickens, a story he wrote in the 1840s for his family, recited every Christmas by the author and read aloud in succeeding family generations, Dickens forbidding publication. However, in 1934, the family made it available over 60 years after the death of the author.

At the beginning of his story, Dickens wrote: My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable, as He was.

This film was made by a South Korean animator, Seong-go Jang, in Korean studios but uses the voices of some very talented English speakers, British and American.

Dickens told the story to his family and in this film he tells it to his younger son, Walter, quite a spirited boy, absorbed by stories of King Arthur, swords and dragons. And he disrupts his father’s presentation on stage of Scrooge and A Christmas Carol.  s Dickens’ sympathetic wife urges him to tell the Gospel story, the young boy becoming more and more interested, initially wanting kings and dragons, but drawn into the story and following the person of Jesus. And, all the while, accompanied by his mischievous cat.

Which means that this is definitely a film for the younger audiences, but could be a pleasure for the whole family.

The animation style is vivid, the characters, the backgrounds, sometimes gently quiet with Jesus healing, with the apostles, at other times very vivid, especially Jesus walking on the water in the overwhelming storm. A great deal of the time is given to the Last Supper, the agony in the garden, Judas betrayal, uses trial and Caiaphas and Pilate, the crucifixion. Audiences who enjoy animation stories like this style and treatment.

But, a key element of the screenplay is having the young boy enter into all the action, observing close-up, being with Jesus, listening, watching, admiring, dismayed… And, at times, Dickens himself comes with his son into the action, close-up, and all the while with Kenneth Branagh’s narration as Dickens. The device of having Walter within the Gospel story is a great means for younger audiences also entering in, identifying, learning about Jesus and his story with a devout theme-highlighting commentary by Dickens.

St Ignatius Loyola founder of the Jesuits, would probably endorse this film. In his Spiritual Exercises, he urges those making retreats, or at any time with gospel contemplations, to enter into the scene, to be there, to experience the Gospels. And, a great challenge to those on retreat is to ask them where they are in the scene, at a distance observing, or very close to Jesus. This film dramatises what this closeness could be like.

The voice cast is very strong, not only Kenneth Branagh, but Uma Thurman as his wife, Mark Hamill is an extraordinarily rambunctious and King Herod pantomime-like , Ben Kingsley is a thundering villainous high priest, Caiaphas, Pierce Brosnan is a disdainful Pontius Pilate – and Oscar Isaac is Jesus.

In 2000, the animated film, The Miracle Maker, with Ralph Fiennes as the voice of Jesus, was very successful in portraying the Gospel stories. Now, The King of Kings is a very welcome addition.

1. How successful as a Gospel film? This, the range of the Gospel episodes?
2. Charles Dickens’ story, for his family, here for his son, the urging of his wife?
3. The style of animation, from South Korea, the quality of the voice cast?
4. The opening, A Christmas Carol, the story of Scrooge, Dickens in the theatre, interrupted by his son, Walter, King Arthur, dragons and sword, stubborn in reacting to his father, the cat, all the disruption, the pages scattered and torn? The audience watching, Walter and the cat? Dickens and his response?
5. Dickens, his patient wife, urging Dickens to tell the story of the Gospels? Dickens own appreciation of the Gospel story, his admiration for Jesus, the tone of his narrative in telling the story?
6. The visuals, journey to Bethlehem, the appearance of the angels, shepherds and magi, Herod and his overreaction, the indications of persecution of the innocent children, the flight into Egypt, Jesus growing up, the return to Galilee, the finding in the temple, Jesus emerging as an adult.
7. The device of having Walter go into the action, with his cat, gradually understanding, becoming involved, emotions, observing and then becoming very close to Jesus?
8. The familiar gospel sequences of Jesus’ public life, the elaborate temptations in the desert, the choosing of the apostles, Peter and the fishing, the healing of the crippled man, the casting out of the Demon, Jesus’ encounters, Mary and the request about Lazarus, the raising of Lazarus, the anointing of Jesus, the complaints of Judas, the entry into Jerusalem, building up the picture of Jesus? Especially the dramatisation of Jesus walking on the water, Peter and his walking, drowning, appeal to Jesus?
9. The Last Supper, Agony in the Garden, Judas and his deal with kindness, the reaction of the scribes and Pharisees, planning to kill Jesus, this, the emphasis on healing the servant’s ear with Peter and the sword, the trial and Caiaphas thundering, rousing the crowd, the choice between Barabbas and Jesus, Pontius Pilate washing his hands, scourging, crowning with thorns, the way to Calvary, the crucifixion, the thieves and the good thief, Jesus’ death? The importance of the resurrection?
10. Dickens entering into the scenes with his son? The effect of the story on Walter, sharing it with the other children?
11. The telling of the Gospel stories with an appeal to the children’s audience and to families?