Men in Black are back

I know Men in Black 3 has met with mixed reviews, but I must admit: I really enjoyed this richly comical and cleverly plotted threequel when I caught up with it today. It was a hoot seeing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones back in action -- especially since their reteaming brought back happy memories of interviewing both guys during the L.A. junket for the original Men in Black..

 
It's a little spooky to watch this and realize that, 15 years ago, Tommy Lee Jones and I already were talking about the decline of newspapers. On a happier note: He certainly enjoyed working with Will Smith, didn't he? And yes, at the very end, I am shamelessly cadging an autograph for my son. 


Here's Will Smith during the first incandescent burst of his superstardom -- fresh from the smash success of Independence Day, and revved up for the impending release of Men in Black. And there I am, with my starstruck son hovering just off-camera and hoping I'll remember to get the autograph for him. Which, of course, I do. Let me tell you: I earned some major Daddy Points for this one.

Houston Cinema Arts Festival: Take One

Tilda Swinton, Tommy Lee Jones and Richard Linklater are among the notables slated to appear at the inaugural Houston Cinema Arts Festival set for Nov. 11-15 in H-Town. Organizers insist the event isn't "just a film festival," but rather "a vibrant multimedia arts event breaking out of the confines of the movie theater through live music and film performances, outdoor projections, interactive video installations and more." So there. Whatever you want to call it, this festival is big enough to boast two competing opening night attractions: Linklater's critically acclaimed Me and Orson Wells, which will screen at 8 pm Nov. 11 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and Lee Daniels' Oscar-buzzed Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, which will screen at 7 the same evening at the Angelika Film Center in Downtown Houston. You can check out the entire fest line-up here.

Blast from the past: Will Smith talks about Men in Black

Here's Will Smith during the first incandescent burst of his superstardom -- fresh from the smash success of Independence Day, and revved up for the impending release of Men in Black. And there I am, with my starstruck son hovering just off-camera and hoping I'll remember to get the autograph for him. Which, of course, I do. Let me tell you: I earned some major Daddy Points for this one.

Blast from the past: Tommy Lee Jones talks about Men in Black

I have to admit: It's a little spooky to watch this and realize that, 12 years ago, Tommy Lee Jones and I already were talking about the decline of newspapers. On a happier note: He certainly enjoyed working with Will Smith, didn't he? And yes, at the very end, I am shamelessly cadging an autograph for my son.

Coming soon to a video store near you

While growing up in New Orleans, I often heard this sage wisdom: "Some days, you got eggs and bacon. Next day, there's nothing shakin'." I was reminded about this good news/bad news aphorism today when I learned that In the Electric Mist -- the long-delayed filmization of James Lee Burke's best-selling In the Electric Mist With the Confederate Dead, directed by Bertrand Tavernier (above, right) and starring Tommy Lee Jones (left) as Burke's Louisiana-based shamus Dave Robicheaux -- will finally have its world premiere next month at the Berlin Film Festival. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean the movie will coming soon to a theater or drive-in near you. Why? Because it's already slated to appear March 3 at fine video stores everywhere on Blu-Ray and DVD. That's right: Even with all that talent on either side of the camera, it will be, for all practical purposes, a direct-to-video release. Yikes!

Oscar madness

My first take on today's announcement of Oscar finalists: A few welcome surprises -- including a Best Actor nomination for Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) and a Best Director nod for Jason Reitman (Juno) -- along with plenty of predictable choices, hardly any of them unworthy, and only one truly disappointing shut-out. (Nothing at all for Knocked Up? Damn.)

I wish there had been a little Academy love for some of my personal-fave long-shots (especially Reign Over Me and Black Snake Moan), but, really there's nothing on this list that annoys me, and quite a few inclusions that delight me. I'm especially happy to see Ellen Page among the Best Actress finalists -- shameless plug: I have an interview with her in the new issue of MovieMaker -- and Tommy Lee Jones getting the attention he deserves for the criminally under-rated In the Valley of Elah. Let's hope neither nominee will have to worry about crossing picket lines when the envelopes are opened Feb. 24.

Of T.O. and Tommy Lee

I just flew back from the Toronto Film Festival, and boy, are my arms tired...

But seriously: While working the fest for three different publications, finishing a feature story I should have completed before leaving Houston, and reconnecting with old friends in the Great White North, I have been lax in my posting. Sorry about that. Hope to get back into the blogging groove over the next few days. In the meantime: Kudos to Anthony Breznican of USA for taking on one of the toughest interview subjects in showbiz -- Tommy Lee Jones -- and getting some blunt talk from the Oscar-winning actor about In the Valley of Elah, one of the very best films I saw at Toronto. The money quote: "There are many questions raised by the movie, but they all boil down to one big question, and that's the big question in front of everybody in the country... It's inescapable. It makes no sense to talk around it or avoid talking about it …

"That question is: To what extent are you engaged in a fraudulent war, you as an American citizen?"