MOONLIGHT VAMPIRE SOCIETY

GOOD MORNING CANDY - THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!

Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan (who plays the fabulous and devious spy, Michael Westen on Burn Notice) and Director, Clint Eastwood combine for thriller to be released on Halloween! Spoilers within - consider yourselves warned! I can't wait for this one! Clint's movies are amazing and Angie should rock the role of an emotional 1920's mom!


YouTube video with Angie in period costume:


CHANGELING
From Wikipedia.com

Premise
The film is set in 1920s Los Angeles and is based upon the Wineville Chicken Murders, an infamous kidnapping and murder case that occurred from 1928 through 1930 and received nationwide attention in the United States. When the son of Christine Collins (Jolie) is returned to her after being kidnapped, she suspects that the child is not her own. After being vilified as an unfit mother, Christine confronts the city authorities and corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department in order to find out the truth. [2][3][4]

[edit] Development
In June 2006, Universal Studios and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment bought J. Michael Straczynski's spec script with the intention for Howard to direct. The film was on a shortlist of projects for Howard after coming off the commercial success of The Da Vinci Code.[6] Straczynski indicated that the film was talked about as a "prestige" project for the studio,[7] and said a number of female stars were interested in the project before Jolie "jumped to the front of the line".[8] In March 2007, the production was fast tracked by Universal. When Howard instead opted to direct Frost/Nixon, following that up with the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, it became clear that he could not direct Changeling until 2009.[3] Howard and producer Brian Grazer instead began looking for other directors to helm the project. Straczynski said that five A-list directors were interested.[9] Clint Eastwood eventually agreed to direct,[3] after reading the script and "loving it".[8] The film marked a repeat visit to territory visited by Eastwood in earlier films: the Great Depression. Explaining his attraction to the project, Eastwood said his memories of growing up during that time meant that whenever a history concerning the Depression era landed in his hands, he "redoubled his attention" upon it. He agreed that the film could be considered an companion piece to his 2003 film Mystic River, which also depicted a community contaminated by an isolated, violent act against a child.[10]

[edit] Casting

Angelina Jolie was suggested to Eastwood for the lead role by producers Ron Howard and Brian Glazer. Eastwood cast her as he felt her face was one that fit "both contemporarily and in a period".[11]Angelina Jolie signed to appear as Christine Collins in March 2007.[12] Ron Howard and Brian Grazer suggested to Eastwood that he cast Jolie, and he agreed as he felt her face fit the period setting.[11] Jolie said she believed the role was going to be one of the most difficult she'd tackled, but that it was instead one of the easiest.[2] Jolie also noted that as a mother herself, the subject of a child kidnapping was one that she didn't want to think about, and that performing the role was very emotional.[13] Jolie said of Eastwood's directing, "You've got to get your stuff together and get ready because he doesn't linger... which I think is wonderful. He expects people to come prepared and get on with their work."[14] Eastwood's regular camera operator indicated that Eastwood's well-known quick-shooting style and intimate, near-wordless working style extended to Changeling. He said that Eastwood talked softly when giving direction, and that sometimes he "could see [Jolie] being a little confused so I would go up to her and say, 'This is what he wants.'"[15] In order to lend verisimilitude to certain scenes, Eastwood sometimes asked Jolie to play a scene quietly, as if just for him. At the same time he would ask his cameraman to start filming discreetly, without Jolie's seeing it. Some of these takes made it into the completed film. Christine Collins reminded Eastwood of the treatment of Ingrid Bergman's character in Gaslight, a character who also wondered if she might be going insane. Eastwood cited photographs in which Collins is seen smiling with the child who is obviously not hers. The testimony of the psychiatric doctor who treated Collins was directly quoted from in the film. What begins as an ordinary story of an abduction is transformed into a portrait of a woman whose desire for independence is seen as a threat to the male society. Eastwood said that the testimony said a great deal about how a woman was prejudged as hysterical and lacking in reliable judgment, and that the behaviour of the police also reflected how a woman was seen at the time. He cited the words of the officer who made the decision to send Collins to an asylum: "Something is wrong with you. You're an independent woman." Eastwood said "The period could not accept [it]".[10]
John Malkovich joined the production in October 2007[16] as firebrand Presbyterian evangelist Gustav Briegleb, who helps rally the public behind Collins' cause.[2] Malkovich said taking direction from Eastwood was "delightful" and described his directing style as "[redefining] economical [...] He doesn’t say 'action,' he doesn’t say 'cut'—he doesn’t say much, really. He's fairly quiet." Malkovich added, "Some [directors]—like Clint Eastwood or Woody Allen—don’t really like to be tortured by a million questions. They hire you, and they figure you know what to do, and you should do it [...] And that’s fine by me.”[17]
Amy Ryan plays Collins' best friend, Carol Dexter;[18] a prostitute who teaches survival skills to Collins[19] and is wrongfully accused of a crime by the police.[20] The character was described by Ryan as being in a "dire situation". She said that while her character doesn't come to blows with Jolie's, there were "some good fight scenes between us". Like Jolie, Ryan didn't audition for her role in person; instead she sent in a tape to Eastwood.[21] Ryan also noted the calmness of the set,[22] observing that Eastwood was "approachable and conversational",[23] and that her experiences working with director Sidney Lumet on 100 Centre Street and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead were useful due to Eastwood's similar preference for filming a small number of takes.[24][21] Ryan cited the filming of a fight scene during which Eastwood showed her "how to throw a movie punch" as her favorite moment of the production.[23]
Jason Butler Harner plays Gordon Northcott, a mechanic accused of murder.[16] Harner described his character as "a horrible, horrible, wonderful person".[25] Samuel Blumenfeld of Le Monde called the scene featuring Northcott's execution by hanging "unbearable" due to Eastwood's attention to detail, saying "There is no more convincing plea against the death penalty." Eastwood said that for a supporter of capital punishment, Nortcott was an ideal candidate: "In a perfect world, the death penalty might be the appropriate response to such a murderer." But he said that "Whether you're for or against the death penalty, you must recognize that there is something barbaric in making the execution public." Eastwood argued that in putting the guilty party before the families of his victims, "justice" may be done, but after such a spectacle, "what tranquillity can [the family] hope to find?" The scene's realism was deliberate: the viewer hears the sound of Nortcott's neck breaking, his body swings, and his feet gesticulate. Eastwood said, "I know it's unbearable to watch, and that was the desired effect."[10]
Jeffrey Donovan (Michael Westen on BURN NOTICE) plays J.J. Jones, the Los Angeles Police Department captain who initially returns Collins' son to her.[2][26]
Also starring are Geoff Pierson as "flamboyant" defense attorney Sammy "S.S." Hahn,[2] Colm Feore as the chief of police James E. Davis,[18][16] Michael Kelly,[4] Denis O'Hare,[27] and Devon Conti.[28]


[edit] Writing
"The story is just so bizarre that you need something to remind you that I'm not making this stuff up. So it seemed important to me to put in those clippings because you reach the part of the story where you go, 'Come on he's got to have gone off the rails with this.' Turn the page and there is indeed an article confirming it, which is why, in terms of writing the script, I hued [sic] very close to the facts. The story is already extraordinary enough."
—Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski placed newspaper clippings into physical copies of the script in order to remind people it was a true story.[29]
After twenty years working in television, writing and producing shows such as Babylon 5 and Jeremiah, J. Michael Straczynski felt he needed a break from the medium. Having been a reporter before moving into television, Straczynski still kept in touch with people from his previous profession. A contact at Los Angeles City Hall told him about "something he should see", and after reading transcripts of the City Council welfare hearings in Christine Collins' case, Straczynski become fascinated with the story. He spent a year researching it through archive criminal, county courthouse, and city hall records, before obtaining enough information on the case to be able to "figure out how to tell it", and within twelve days he had completed the first draft of the script, which was passed to Ron Howard via Straczynski's agent. The script was sold within eleven days of its completion.[29][8]

Straczynski stuck closely to the facts of the case while writing the script, saying there were only two moments at which he had to "figure out what happened", due to the lack of information in the public records. He cited as an example a scene set in a psychiatric hospital, for which there was only limited after-the-fact testimony. Straczynski had to extrapolate events based upon standard practise in such institutions at the time.[29]

After Howard stepped down as director, it began to look as if the film would not be made. The script was cited as "one of those blessed and doomed... that periodically floats around Hollywood: a truly gripping read that actors and directors respond to with passion but that nonetheless has a hard time getting made." Straczynski said of the situation, "There are all kinds of circumstances that can affect whether or not something goes forward... I've gotten very Zen about the whole thing."[30] The shooting script was not changed from Straczynski's first draft.[31] Straczynski said "Clint's funny—if he likes it, he'll do it, that's the end of the discussion. When I met with him to ask, 'Do you want any changes, do you want any things cut, added to, subtracted from, whatever,' he said, 'No. The draft is fine. Let's shoot the draft.'"[29] Eastwood said that the first time he read it, he didn't expect the script to please him as much as it did, and that Straczynski was now "haunted" by the case.[10]


The Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles doubled as the 1920s Los Angeles City Council chambers.[18]
[edit] Filming
Principal photography began on October 15, 2007[32] and took 35 days,[2] ending in November 2007.[10] Filming took place at locations in San Dimas, California (which doubled for 1920s Pasadena, California),[33] at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, and in the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, which was converted into a replica of the 1920s Los Angeles City Council chambers.[18] Filming also took place in downtown Los Angeles and continued at Universal Studios. Scenes were shot on the New York street on the Universal lot and at an alley next to the entrance to King Kong attraction. New York Street was destroyed by a fire in 2008 that also ruined several other sets and attractions.[34] Cinematography is by Tom Stern, the film is edited by Joel Cox, and the score is by Eastwood.[18] In what has been described as a "technical innovation", Eastwood and Stern used hand-held wireless video screens to watch the live feed of a particular shot.[2]

Eastwood had clear childhood memories of living in Los Angeles in the 1930s and attempted to recreate several details in the film: the town hall, at the time one of the tallest buildings in the city; the city centre, which was one of the busiest in the world; and the "perfectly functioning" Pacific Electric Railway, the distinctive red streetcars of which feature closely in two scenes.[10]


[edit] Release
Changeling is scheduled for general release in North America on October 31, 2008. The studio will attempt to build positive word-of-mouth for the film by releasing it in select locations from October 24, 2008.[35] Its premiere was held on May 20, 2008 in competition at the 61st Cannes Film Festival.[36] The film was Eastwood's fifth to enter competition at the festival.[37] Its appearance at Cannes was not part of the original release plan. Universal said it had been looking forward to the festival without the worry associated with screening a film there, until Eastwood made arrangements himself for Changeling's appearance. The film was still in post-production one week before the start of the festival.[38]

Changeling is also scheduled to appear at the 34th Deauville American Film Festival, held September 5–14, 2008,[39][40] and will have its North American premiere on October 4, 2008 as the centerpiece of the 46th New York Film Festival, held September 26–October 12, 2008, screening in the middle of the festival at the Ziegfeld Theatre.[41][42][43][44]

Changeling is the first film made by Eastwood for a studio other than Warner Bros. since Absolute Power in 1997, and is also his first directed for Universal since The Eiger Sanction in 1975.[2] Eastwood's successful track record at the Academy Awards has generated speculation that Changeling will find success at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony in 2009, which will honor outstanding achievements in film for 2008.[45][46][47] Because of her pregnancy, Angelina Jolie will be performing minimal promotional duties for the film.[48]


[edit] Critical reception
The film's screening at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival was met by rave reviews, prompting speculation it could be awarded the Palme d'Or.[49] Damon Wise of Empire called the film "flawless",[50] and Todd McCarthy of Variety said Changeling was "Emotionally powerful and stylistically sure-handed". He called it a "thematic companion piece" to Mystic River, but said it was "more complex and far-reaching" than Eastwood's previous entry at the festival in 2003. McCarthy praised Angelina Jolie's "top-notch" performance in the lead role, saying her performance "hits home" more directly than in A Mighty Heart (2007) due to the absence of affectation. He also said the film offered "a wealth of sterling supporting turns", praising Michael Kelly's performance in particular. McCarthy expressed admiration for Straczynski's "outstanding" script, which he said had "deceptive simplicity and ambition to it", and he praised Eastwood's direction, which he said honored the script by "underplaying the melodrama and not signaling the story's eventual dimensions at the outset". He said "The characters and sociopolitical elements are introduced with almost breathtaking deliberation, as dramatic force and artistic substance steadily mount" and that "In the end, Changeling joins the likes of Chinatown and L.A. Confidential as a sorrowful critique of the city's political culture."[51]