Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard dies aged 73

Posted by absolutebadasses on August 1, 2017

Posted in: Views. Tagged: actor, actor made of stern stuff, cinema, film blog, film star, films, jessica lange, movies, paris texas, playwright, Sam Shepard, samshepardRIP, star, the right stuff, theatre, thunderheart, writer. Leave a comment

the gravelly voice, handsome looks and steely gut driven performances is what I think of when someone mentions SAM SHEPARD yet this guy had so much more in his locker, a talented playwright, a veteran of the stage and writing credits that include the sublime film Paris, Texas – in recent times we had the pleasure of Sam’s acting talent as papa Rayburn in the brilliant Bloodline and although his screen time was limited his quality in each scene shone through – for me my favourite Sam Shepard roles include Thunderheart, The Assassination of Jesse James and of course the brilliant The Right Stuff – he will be missed down here but I’m pretty darn sure that he’ entertaining the masses up there….

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (2014) – Movie Review ★★★★

August: Osage County stars Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Abigail Breslin, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard, Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale and Misty Upham – Written by Tracy Letts, brought to the screen by John Wells (The Company Men) and based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning play of the same name August: Osage County takes a look at the lives of the Weston family, whose paths reunite after a family crisis brings them all back together to the house they all grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them – VERDICT Compelling, Exhausting, Depressing and Chaotic just a few words to describe my experience with John Well’s big screen adaption of August: Osage County – I’ve seen some great performances by an actress in 2013/14 but Meryl Streep’s Violet is by far & away the best of the bunch, her passion & energy in displaying the vast emotions of the cancer stricken, pill popping mum who’s pretty much angry or drugged up the majority of the time is fabulous to watch – Julia Roberts gives her best acting display since Erin Brokovich playing the eldest daughter and Chris Cooper, the ever reliable Margo Martindale and Julianne Nicholson are all superb in support – some of my favorite scenes in the movie include that moment when Charlie aka: Chris Cooper says Grace at the dinner table, the wonderful moment when young Charlie sings to Ivy and that delightfully funny scene with Violet, Barbara and Ivy around the table “Eat the Fish Bitch” whilst Ivy is trying to tell her mum that she’s in love with young Charlie – overall August: Osage County is not just a platform for A-List actors to strut their stuff, it’s a beautiful at times depressing story of a dysfunctional family brought together in a time of crisis and what plays out is like a roller coaster ride, that’s intense, riveting and altogether emotionally exhausting….

Out of the Furnace (2013) – Movie Review

Posted by absolutebadasses on December 29, 2013

Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: blog, blue coller, bluray, casey affleck, christian bale, cinema, dork, dvd, fan of movies, film fan, film review, films, forest whitaker, geek, instagram, into movies, movie geek, movie review, movies, nerd, oscar winners, oscars, out of the furnace, reviews, riverting cinema, rust belt, Sam Shepard, scott cooper, steel belt, Willem Dafoe, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana. Leave a comment

OUT OF THE FURNACE (2013) – Movie Review ★★★★

Cast: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe & Sam Shepard – When Rodney (Affleck) disappears and the local law doesn’t do enough to find him it’s left to his older brother Russell (Bale) to takes matters into his own hands to find justice VERDICT Scott Cooper’s directorial debut Crazy Heart was a pretty average affair lit up by a fabulous Jeff Bridges performance but his second feature behind the camera OUT OF THE FURNACE is a powerful, mood driven picture set in and around the Blue Collar Rust Belt containing some Cracker Jack performances, a haunting soundtrack but most of all the brutal reality you feel whilst watching these two brothers who have not only combated war & prison but have had to contend with everyday life, struggling by in the gritty harshness of a small steel town – the acting is one of a master class with Christian Bale giving a sublime display of the wiser older sibling, Casey Affleck plays the younger brother visibly damaged by his time in the war who gets sucked into the underground fight scene to settle his debts, it’s a quite heartbreaking performance and easily his best onscreen display since 2010’s The Killer Inside Me and then we have Woody Harrelson playing to perfection the uncompromising, despicable hillbilly drug lord who’s character is such a far cry from that of Haymitch in The Hunger Games – overall from them opening scenes at the drive-in movie theater, the to the dingy underground fight clubs OUT OF THE FURNACE is an underrated, riveting piece of cinema that should not be missed!!!