By Dennis O’Neil
Poseidon
Director: Wolfgang Peterson
Starring: Kurt Russell, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss
Rated: PG-13
Run time: 100 minutes
Release date: May 12, 2006
Summer is always good for at least one hit disaster flick, evidenced by previous moneymakers “Deep Impact,” “Independence Day,” and most recently, “The Day After Tomorrow.” This summer, the disaster crown looks to go to “Poseidon,” Wolfgang Petersen’s take on the 1972 adventure classic.
The film is more of a re-imagining than a straight remake. The plot centers on an ocean liner that is capsized by a rogue wave in the middle of the Atlantic on New Year’s Eve, leaving a band of passengers to fight for survival.
The players include a card shark (Josh Lucas), a father and daughter (Kurt Russel and Emmy Rossum), a young mother (Jacinda Barret) and a suicidal gay man (Richard Dreyfuss).
Petersen is no stranger to summer disaster flicks with “The Perfect Storm” on his resume, and his efforts have usually netted prosperous results. Despite the disaster movie stigma surrounding it, “Poseidon” boasts a top-notch cast, and it looks to have all the components of a good thriller.
The film remains to be seen, but if nothing else, “Poseidon,” set to be released on May 12, looks to be the first great roller coaster ride of the summer, setting the tone for many other exciting films to come.
A Scanner Darkly
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey, Jr., Woody Harrelson
Rated: R
Release date: July 7, 2006
If you’re looking for the independent hit of the summer, look no further than the hyper-innovative “A Scanner Darkly,” writer-director Richard Linklater’s take on Phillip K. Dick’s 1977 novel about drug addiction and its consequences. Linklater has presented a faithful but thoughtful perspective on Dick’s bleak material, which is committed to depicting the comedy and tragedy inherent in addiction.
The film tells the story of Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves), an undercover drug agent who, while investigating his friends, gets hooked on a drug called Substance D. Bob’s excessive use of the drug causes his personality to split into two different people, and he spends the majority of the film trying to keep a handle on who he is. Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson and Winona Ryder co-star as fellow addicts.
Linklater shot the film in the same style in which he did 2001’s “Waking Life”; all the scenes are shot live action on digital video first, and then animators paint over every image. This gives the film’s look a breadth and energy unlike that of traditional animation, almost like the animation is another character in the film.
In a summer rife with big budget action fare, “A Scanner Darkly,” set for release on July 7, looks to be the most interesting alternative.
