According to Denzel Washington, one of the lead men of the remake of the 1974 suspense classic, director Tony Scott’s new interpretation of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, the only things the films really have in common is that that they are about a hostage situation, they take place in NYC and the action and adventure all occur in the Big Apple subway underground. “It’s not really a remake,” two-time Oscar winner Washington explains, “it’s more of a reinterpretation.”
You’ll find an interview with Washington, plus this week in home video, all after the jump.
Based on the 1973 novel by Jon Godey, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 features two-time Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory), an unassuming MTA dispatcher Walter Garber who has to battle against a criminal mastermind named Ryder (as in train rider), portrayed by John Travolta (Basic, Swordfish), a leader of a highly-armed gang of four hijackers, a New York subway train is taken hostage. Having worked for the MTA for years, Garber must use his extensive knowledge of the subway system to try to outwit Ryder.
Having done the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, you are obviously not adverse to doing film remakes. What are your criteria to remake a movie?
“I think Number One, especially in the case of this film, even more than Manchurian, I don’t think it is a remake. I think it’s a…I think that it’s basically the hostage situation on a train in New York City. I think that’s what the two films have in common — and the fact that it’s New York City. I don’t know that my character and the character that Walter Matthau played are that similar, necessarily. I didn’t want to play a cop. I don’t know why anybody would remake a film, I mean, that’s the literal translation of the word. The definition of the word is to redo it the same way of something like that. But, this is probably a better question for [director] Tony [Scott] and [writer] Brian [Hegeland] than me. That’s my two cents.”
You’ve mentioned that you didn’t want to play a cop or an FBI agent, you just wanted to play an ordinary guy. Where do you go to study someone who is an ordinary guy?
“The deli. Not New Delhi, the deli. [Laughs] Just ate a lot. Ate a lot and just kept getting a smaller and smaller sweater to wear and spilled coffee on myself. I was concerned a little bit with Inside Man, where I was a cop and hostage negotiator, and I just thought, I just liked the idea that when they hand him a gun, he had never held one before and that he was an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation. And with this cloud over his head, he didn’t come to work knowing he was going to get an opportunity to redeem himself, and he didn’t even know if he was going to redeem himself but it was something he felt he needed to do. As he got into it, deeper and deeper, he went for it and he brought home the milk.”
Were the glasses your idea?
“Ahh, I don’t remember? Was it? I mean, we tried…we kept going, ‘How about these? How about these?’ so if you don’t like the glasses, blame it on Todd, because Todd was the one who said he liked those pair of glasses. So Todd Black, one of the producers back there, blame the glasses on him.”
What was in the yellow plastic bag?
“My sweater with the coffee stains. My coffee-stained sweater. I brought my lunch in that bag and I took home my sweater. One of the reasons I like working with Tony, because like myself, he’s a research fanatic. I know, going in, that he’s going to have a lot of stuff for me to look at and go to. So, he’s got, ‘See MTA Command Center,’ so that was one of the first things that I did months before we started shooting. I went out to the command center, which is huge, which was ten times bigger than our set or something. It’s the size of a football field. It’s huge.”
How did you enjoy hanging out with the folks at the MTA Center? Did you like it?
“Yeah, I like being with the real folks. Once I got there and we made the introductions, then I kept going back and you sit and talk with people. Our technical advisor was a guy who started at the bottom and worked his way up, so you talk to him about, ‘How do you get to be in the position I’m in,’ and he said, ‘Well, you start as a track maintenance, you might become a flag man, you work your way up to local dispatcher. You might be a conductor, you work your way all the way up the ladder.’ I don’t think the character went to college. I think he got a job at 17 or 18, as track maintenance and worked his way up.”
There is some great music in the film. Does music ever help inform your performance? What’s on your play list?
“It does, but the music that I was playing was not in the movie. Obviously, that’s the director’s decision. If you start…No, actually you did that on Man On Fire,’ we talked about, was it Nine Inch Nails? I’m sure it was. So, Tony gave me some music, but you didn’t give me any on this one.”
Did you ever have John Travolta’s voice in your ear? Was it like animation where the two of you came in and did your stuff separately?
“No, no. We were always there for each other, always off camera.”
How did that work? Can you explain?
“I wouldn’t be on camera and I’d talk. He wouldn’t be on camera and he’d talk. We were off camera, it’s the same thing as being off camera. You’re off camera. You’re not on camera. And, to be serious, if I can, you actually do develop a relationship. For the first six, seven or eight weeks, we didn’t shoot any scenes together on camera, but we were developing a relationship off camera, through the microphone, through the speaker.”
When you were both doing your roles in the studio, was it like a radio play, in a way?
“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Yeah. And, you had the luxury, or he had the luxury first of practicing, because for three weeks, I was on camera first. We shot all the command center stuff first, so from Day One, I’m on camera, there’s no like, ‘Can I change it tomorrow?’ We were moving on. But he had the chance to work on his part, to develop it.”
What was itlike actually connecting with him for the movie, because his performance is a 10 and you’re a….
“I’m a three, is that what you’re trying to say? Four-and-a-half, five?”
What was it like when the two of you finally clicked?
“Again, it didn’t just happen once we got on screen together, you know. We have five senses and the other four were heightened. Yes, we didn’t see each other, but it’s like an old courtship over the phone, a long distance relationship and you get to know a person – you talk, we would sing songs, we would even tell each other jokes and singing, doing Broadway tunes and all kinds of stuff. ‘Good morning Mr. Travolta.’ ‘Good morning, Mr. Washington.’ And we’d go, that was the nature of the relationship.”
The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 - Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features: Audio commentary from filmmakers Tony Scott, Brian Helgeland and producer Todd Black, four behind-the-scenes featurettes, including “No Time to Lose: The Making of Pelham 1 2 3,” “The Third Rail - The NYC Subway System,” “Marketing Pelham” and “From the Top Down: Stylizing Character.” (BD Only) Digital Copy of the film.
THIS WEEK IN HOME VIDEO
Say Anything 20th Anniversary Edition
Believe it or not, it’s been two decades since John Cusack, as Lloyd Dobler, played his boombox outside Ione Skye’s window in the one of the most unforgettable ’80s movie sequences, from director Cameron Crowe’s endearing romantic comedy, a critically acclaimed box office hit, in Cameron Crowe’s directorial debut (he’s since made Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire among others) about the unpredictability of a first love. Lloyd, a hopeless romantic, is desperate to steal the heart of the unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student Diane Court (Skye). Bonus Features: (Blu-ray & DVD) “A Conversation with Cameron Crowe” and “I Love Say Anything…!” Featurette, intro and commentary by Crowe, Cusack and Skye, alternate scenes, alternate scenes with commentary by Crowe, deleted scenes, extended scenes, vintage featurette, theatrical trailers, TV spots and a photo gallery. BD Exclusive: “An Iconic Film Revisited: Say Anything…20 Years Later” and “To Know Say Anything…is to Love It! Trivia Track (over 200 questions).
Food, Inc.
A riveting documentary that pulls back the curtain of the U.S. Food Industry, you’ll never look at hamburger, pork chops or fried chicken the same way again. In what has been touted as a “powerful wake-up call for consumers,” Food, Inc. exposes the highly mechanized substructure that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of the government’s regulatory agencies, the USDA and FDA. Using animation and graphics, award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner reveals the shocking truth behind corporate “factory farms” that churn out genetically modified produce and meat from diseased animals, which has a damaging effect of the lives of millions of North Americans. Bonus Features: Public Health Advocacy and the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention public service announcements with Kelly Preston, Alyssa Milano and Martin Sheen, among others, deleted scenes (40 minutes of footage/segments not shown in theatres), Nightline’s interview with Chipotle’s CEO.
Answer Man
Answer Man is a witty romance about a man who writes the book on life’s big questions, but hasn’t got a clue how to make his own life work. From the mind and talent of first-time writer-director John Hindman, Answer Man is a quirky comic film about love, the quest for meaning and the unexpected places life can take someone. Jeff Daniels stars as the reclusive and misanthropic author of a best-selling book that has redefined spirituality for an entire generation and has been translated into over 100 languages. He seems to have all the answers, but as the two decade anniversary of his ever-popular book approaches, his world is turned upside down when his life becomes intertwined with a single mother (Lauren Graham) and a young man fresh out of rehab, who just might be able to provide the answers to make his own life complete. Bonus Features: Three featurettes, the “HDNet: A Look At The Answer Man” feature, commentary with writer/director John Hindman, producer Kevin Messnick and Lauren Graham.
Eleventh Hour: The Complete First Season
One of the more compelling science-based crime/drama series (from producer Jerry Bruckheimer) from last season, Eleventh Hour received tons of critical rave reviews and a loyal fan following, but it suffered from tough ratings, which led to its early and undeserved demise. Based on the hit British series, Eleventh Hour starred Rufus Sewell (John Adams, Dark City, The Illusionist) as Dr. Jacob Hood, a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, and chronicled Hood’s investigations into scientific crises and oddities. In an industry first, fans of Eleventh Hour are available to pick up a copy of the six-disc collection (featuring all 18 episodes) exclusively at WBshop.com (www.wbshop.com) through its MOD service, a site which includes never-before-released DVD titles in the Warner Archive Collection. The state-of-the-art MOD service creates a made-to-order DVD complete with high quality packaging and custom artwork and is shipped within five days.
Two Guys and A Girl: Blu-ray Edition
Two women can be fun for a man, but it can also be hell if his two worlds collide. Written and directed by James Toback, Two Girls And A Guy stars Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr., a lucky guy leading a double life with two beautiful girlfriends — spending his nights with the streetwise Lou (4400 star Natasha Gregson Wagner) and he dreamy Carla (The Hangover’s Heather Graha). Blake is living the charmed life until both babes arrive at his SoHo loft and quickly discover that they are dating the same two-timing man. Desperate to keep them both in his life, he tries to convince them that he is truly in love – with both of them. Sexy, seductive and stylish, Two Girls And A Guy takes a close look at the complexity of relationships and the thorny issues of fidelity. Blu-ray Bonus Features: The theatrical “R” and seamlessly branched “NC-17” rated versions, commentary by Toback, Downey and Wagner and “A Conversation with James Toback” featurette.
Aliens In The Attic
Not all extraterrestrial invasions are deadly. In Aliens In The Attic, the aliens’ plans for world domination is full of hilarious hijinks and outrageous mind control gags. The Pearson teenagers (High School Musical beauty Ashley Tisdale, Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins and Austin Robert Butler) are stuck spending their summer vacation at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. Their vacation gets exciting, though, when a gang of feisty, green aliens crash-land on the roof with plans to conquer the house… and, of course, Earth. Armed with their own mad video game-playing skills, the Pearson decide to band together to defeat the aliens and save the world —keeping the whole little invasion a secret from the old folks — which is to say everyone over the age of 20 (including comedy vets such as Doris Roberts, Andy Richter, Kevin Nealon, Tim Meadows and Gillian Vigman). Available on DVD & a BD/DVD Combo Pack. Blu-ray Bonus Features: “Introduction To Film With Ashley Tisdale,” three featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. BD Only: Digital Copy of the film.
Mission Impossible: The Final TV Season
After seven action-packed seasons on primetime, this classic spy series finally came to its conclusion during its final 1972-1973 season. As the show comes to a close, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) continues his mission to focus on targets outside the reach of conventional law enforcement, as he and technical whiz Barney (Greg Morris), muscle man Willy (Peter Lupus) and the stunning Casey (Lynda Day George) are determined to bring down all organized crime rings. With intense, intricate plots, high-tech gadgets, and those pre-recorded taped instructions that self-destruct will always be the unforgettable, these classic elements that made the brilliant Mission Impossible of television’s crime-fighting classics which so many others have imitated but have never surpassed.
Sand Serpents
Another installment of the US SyFy channel’s Maneater series, the Jeff Renfroe-directed Sand Serpents finds an elite American infantry squad fighting in the remote deserts of Afghanistan against an even greater enemy than anyone ever expected or imagined. Starring Jason Gedrick (Backdraft), Michelle Asante (Law & Order: UK), Tamara Hope (Whistler) and Elias Toufexis (Stargate: Atlantis), as soldiers whose mission suddenly changes when the earth is shattered by a series of intense explosions and a mass of giant prehistoric worms emerges, hellbent on consuming their human prey.
Zorro: The Complete First & Second Seasons
From 1957 to 1959, Zorro was one of the most popular series on television, and the classic has now been fully restored to make its black & white DVD debut. All 78 episodes, starring Guy Williams, Henry Calvin, and Gene Sheldon, are included on these two six-disc sets. The adventures of Zorro and his trusty steed Tornado have captivated audiences since their inception, gaining new audiences when it was re-aired on the Disney Channel in 1983, and again through colorized episodes. Hosted by noted film historian, author and critic Leonard Maltin, each limited edition, individually numbered volume includes a Zorro pin, an authenticity certificate, exclusive lithograph and comes in a unique, collectible black tin. Bonus Features: Zorro: El Bandido & Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo two-part special, Zorro: The Postponed Wedding one-hour special (1961) and Zorro: Auld Acquaintance one-hour special.
Love Actually on Blu-ray
Writer and director Richard Curtis’s award-winning ensemble British romantic comedy is finally getting the jazzed-up, Blu-ray treatment it deserves. Featuring such A-list English actors as Hugh Grant, Kiera Knightley, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth, Love Actually focuses on the frivolity, craziness, ridiculous, seriousness and need for love. Bonus Features: Deleted scenes, two featurettes, music video for Kelly Clarkson’s “The Trouble With Love Is” and Billy Mack’s “Christmas Is All Around, feature commentary with director Richard Curtis, Hugh Grant and Bill Nighy and BD-LIVE!
COLLECTIONS (Gift Ideas for the Blu-ray/DVD lover on your list):
Rocky: The Undisputed Collection
Rocky: The Undisputed Collection unveils all six powerhouse Rocky films together on Blu-ray disc for the first time (and the first time BD premieres of Rocky II-V). Enshrining the rags to riches tale of Philadelphia club fighter Rocky Balboa and his unwavering tenacity to go the distance, this collection is a must for any Rocky or Sly Stallone fans. As this dynamic collection demonstrates, after three decades Rocky continues to be recognized as a film icon, sports legend and American hero. Bonus Features: Two hours of documentaries, interviews, behind-the scenes footage and an all-new “Feeling Strong Now” trivia game.
The Rockford Files Movie Collection Volume 1
There was never quite a police detective like Jim Rockford. James Garner gave Rockford the ability to kick butt and solve crimes like no other cop or private detective. After the end of his lengthy The Rockford Files weekly TV series, fans demanded more— hence the two-hour special movies (I Still Love L.A., A Blessing In Disguise, If The Frame Fits and Godfather Knows Best). In this first collection of Rockford movies, we find our hero living out of his mobile home and cruising down the California highways in his classic Pontiac Firebird, solving every sort of crime imaginable.
The Claudette Colbert Collection
Long before Julia Roberts, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Greta Garbo or even Scarlett herself, Vivian Leigh were crowned Queens of Hollywood, there was Claudette Colbert. This collection celebrates the career of the most popular screen legends. Just as comfortable in epics and dramas as she was in screwball comedies, Colbert’s talent, versatility and striking beauty set her apart from her peers in the 1930s and 1940s. In this collection of six rare motion pictures, Colbert is at her absolute finest. Films included: Three-Comered Moon, Maid Of Salem, I Met Him In Paris, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife, No Time For Love and The Egg and I. Bonus Featurette: “Claudette Colbert: Queen of the Silver Screen” featurette.
MGM 85 Years of Stars Celebrity Collection Giftsets
These collections feature 13 iconic movie stars in some of their most popular roles — and they arrive just in time for the holidays.
Clint Eastwood Star Collection – A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Hang ‘Em High
Gary Cooper - The Westerner, Man Of The West, Along Came Jones, Pride Of The Yankees
Mickey Rourke - Desperate Hours, Pope Of Greenwich Village, Prayer For The Dying, Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man
Frank Sinatra - Guys And Dolls, Hole In The Head, Manchurian Candidate, Sergeants 3
Reese Witherspoon - Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde 2, Man In the Moon, SFW
Jack Lemmon - Some Like It Hot, Avanti!,The Apartment, How To Murder Your Wife
Jodie Foster - Hotel New Hampshire, Silence Of The Lambs, Foxes, Little Man Tate
Michelle Pfeiffer - Love Field, Fabulous Baker Boys, Married To The Mob, Russia House
Nicolas Cage - Valley Girl, Honeymoon In Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas, Moonstruck
Robert Downey - Charlie Bartlett, Back To School, Home For The Holidays, Richard
Sean Connery - Never Say Never Again, Cuba, A Bridge Too Far, Shalako
Susan Sarandon - Thelma And Louise, January Man, Something Short Of Paradise, Igby Goes Down
Winona Ryder - Mermaids, Autumn In New York, Great Balls Of Fire, 1969
