Hey folks, Harry here. I can't believe this has been going on for as long as it has, without someone giving me a heads up about this coolness. I mean, next to the living God (aka Luis Guzman), John C Reilly and Phillip Seymour Hoffman... well... at the very least they are Martyrs of the Holy Screen! If you are in New York, headed to New York, or live within 5 states of New York, it is your geek duty to pay tribute to these Martyrs of the Holy Screen. These guys rule. Here's the scoop about TRUE WEST (which happened to be written by Sam Shepard)...
Hey Harry,
I am fresh from a trip to New York where I had the extreme pleasure of seeing the Broadway revival of 'True West', starring John C. Reilly and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Granted, your site deals with films and the play has been on performance for a few months now, but I figured I'd write a review anyway since I know you like these two actors.
It is the story of Austin and Lee, two very different brothers (the two alternated roles for different performances; the one I saw had Hoffman as Lee and Reilly as Austin) who meet up when Austin is watching his mother's home while she is on a trip in Alaska. Lee is a drifter, roaming about the desserts and longing for a better. Austin is a successful Hollywood screenwriter who inside also desires a change. The two were never close to each other and don't get along well at all.
After Lee is offered a deal on a story from a famous producer that was supposed to be working with Austin, the two join forces in an attempt to write a screenplay about a 'true to life' western story. Their relationship goes through a series of emotional turns surrounding the writing of the script. They vaguely discuss their alcoholic father and bits of their lives, letting inner desires comes out into the open, as they both realize they are afraid, and that they long for the other's life.
My reason for going to see this play is that I love Reilly and Hoffman.
They were both wonderful in all three of P.T. Anderson's films, along with their other works, and I have grown quite a liking to them. Hoffman is almost unrecognizable, with a full beard and hick-like gettup and an accent that makes his voice completely different as you would have expected.
Not to my surprise, both performances were impeccable. The diverse range of emotions in the scenes shows a deep, flawless talent for both actors. Hoffman's Lee is a hot tempered, disturbed and sad roamer which he takes on with dazzling dexterity. Reilly's Austin is more reserved, and almost threatened by his brother's bad temper. I've always felt Hoffman was an incredible character actor, with diverse roles from 'Scent of a Woman', to 'Boogie Nights', to 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' Reilly's roles a less diverse, but no less moving.
Aside from acting, the actual play itself was a deeply comedic and moving experience. It was more of a comedy, but the dramatic elements certainly do not lack, and they mix well. The brothers discuss dreams and nightmares, deep fears and regrets, and other heavy subjects. But the dialogue handles these dark corners of life carefully, creating some wonderful poetic moments. I was reminded of the secrets that dwell deep within my life, and remembering some of the secret emotions people have told me.
I rarely go see plays; I'm just a movie buff. But this was well worth the money paid and the time of travel. In fact, the performance in whole stirred me emotionally in a way similar to such films as 'Magnolia', 'The Graduate', and 'The Shawshank Redemption.' This should be seen by anyone able, and soon, because there aren't many performances left.
If you decide to post this, call me Ghostchamber
Hey folks, Harry here again. "UM" decided that if I was gonna point you at the city that never sleeps, that I should probably tell ya what else is playing at the 3-dimensional living movie plexes. And you know what... when I saw this list, it just got me thinking... If some AICN reader is also a theater hound and happens to go to see movie stars on stage in NEW YORK... write in with info and comments on these productions... I know I'd be interested to hear what geeks like me think of 3-Dimensional Living Movie Plex Entertainment. Here's the big ol list...
Yes, John C Reilly and Phillip Seymour are performing in New York. But they're not the only big-name movie stars you can see performing on or off Broadway. Here are some other shows people can catch in NY to see their favorite movie actors (and, perhaps more importantly, hang out by the stage door after the show to meet):
See PATRICK STEWART in The Ride Down Mt. Morgan
See PARKER POSEY and MATTHEW BRODERICK in Taller Than a Dwarf
See WALLACE SHAWN in The Designated Mourner
See WILLIAM H. MACY and PHILIP BAKER HALL in American Buffalo
See BERNADETTE PETERS and TOM WOPAT in Annie Get Your Gun
See GABRIEL BYRNE in A Moon for the Misbegotten
See OLYMPIA DUKAKIS in Rose
See PHILIP BOSCO in Copenhagen
See LAUREN BACALL in Waiting in the Wings
See EARTHA KITT, MANDY PATINKIN, and TONI COLLETTE in The Wild Party
See BRUCE VALANCH in Almost Famous*
See ERIC BOGOSIAN in Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
See JOHN SHEA in The Director
See MARISA TOMEI, DIAHANN CARROLL, and RITA WILSON in The Vagina Monologues until May 28, when they will be replaced by KIRSTIE ALLEY, HAZELLE GOODMAN, and HOLLAND TAYLOR. (all-female trio cast rotates regularly, featuring different big-names in show-biz)
*Okay, so Bruce Valanch isn't exactly a movie star, but anybody who's ever seen the Oscars should make an effort to know who he is.
If you should decide to share this info, just call me... um...
