Check out the new Wikipedia entry

Hamlet 2 in German

 

Hamlet 2 ist eine US-amerikanische Filmkomödie aus dem Jahr 2008. Regie führte Andrew Fleming, der gemeinsam mit Pam Brady auch das Drehbuch schrieb.

Handlung [Bearbeiten]

Der in Tucson tätige High-School-Lehrer Dana Marschz unterrichtet Dramaturgie. Er bezeichnet sein eigenes Leben als eine Parodie einer Tragödie. Marschz erfährt, dass sein Unterricht abgeschafft werden soll. Er schreibt eine Fortsetzung des Theaterstücks Hamlet, die an der Schule aufgeführt werden soll.

Kritiken [Bearbeiten]

Duane Byrge schrieb am 23. Januar 2008 für die Zeitschrift The Hollywood Reporter, der Film sei ein Patchwork der Elemente aus mehr inspirierten Komödien wie Ace Ventura – Ein tierischer Detektiv und Borat. Sein rowdyhafter und unorthodoxer Humor könne für „fürstliche“ Einnahmen an den Kinokassen sorgen.^[1]

Hintergründe [Bearbeiten]

Der Film wurde in Albuquerque (New Mexico) gedreht.^[2] Seine Weltpremiere fand am 21. Januar 2008 auf dem Sundance Film Festival statt.^[3] Kurz nach der Festivalvorführung kaufte das Unternehmen Focus Features das Verleihrecht für fast 10 Millionen US-Dollar.^[4]

Weblinks [Bearbeiten]

• Hamlet 2 in der Internet Movie Database (englisch)
• Kritiken zu Hamlet 2 auf Rotten Tomatoes (englisch)

Einzelnachweise [Bearbeiten]

1. ↑ Zitat auf uk.reuters.com, abgerufen am 25. Januar 2008
2. ↑ Drehorte für Hamlet 2, abgerufen am 25. Januar 2008
3. ↑ Premierendaten für Hamlet 2, abgerufen am 25. Januar 2008
4. ↑ Finally Gets Sales Going at Sundance im Wall Street Journal vom 23. Januar 2008, abgerufen am 25. Januar 2008

Recent Posts

• • Leonid Rozhetskin
  • Leonid Rozhetskin: delayed news from Sundance!
  • Add Leonid Rozhetskin as your Friend on Myspace
  • Leonid Rozhetskins Trivia on IMdB.com
  • Check out Leonid Rozhetskins Cast Members on “Boogie Woogie” and get as excited as I am
  • Leonid Rozhetskin is doing the “Electris Slide” via NY Times
  • Leonid Rozhetskin; Hamlet2 via Reuters
  • Leonid Rozhetskins Hamlet 2 on Wikipedia
  • Join Leonid Rozhetskin on Xing.com
  • Leonid Rozhetskin; Sundance: The Scoop on ”Hamlet 2”

 

Quint dances along with Steve Coogan’s Sexy Jesus in HAMLET 2 at Sundance!

March 5th, 2008

From Ain’t it Cool News 

Ahoy, squirts! Quint here finally catching up on my Sundance coverage. In the last month I’ve seen somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60 films theatrically and another half dozen screeners to add onto that pile.

Of all those movies only about a fifth were damn good and of those only a handful that are what I’d call fuckin’ good or better.

HAMLET 2 made the cut.

Steve Coogan. If that name puts a smile on your face, then get in line now. This is Coogan at his finest. If his name got a “Huh?” response, then that’s okay, too. You’ll be a new fan of his once Hamlet 2 hits and then, I’m sure, you’ll dive into the hilarious world of Alan Partridge.

While Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost broke over here Mr. Coogan was biding his time.

In HAMLET 2, Coogan plays an Arizona drama teacher. In his mind he’s a great actor and in the opening moments of the movie we’re treated to his highlight reel, which consists of bit parts on infomercials and speaking roles in STD treatment commercials.

He gets paid next to nothing, his wife (played by Catherine Keener) is always bitchy to him (she married him and waited for his bit acting career that never came), he’s got a live-in hanger-on (played almost silently by David Arquette) and he’s struggling in a school system that doesn’t value the arts. His classroom has been moved into the cafeteria where his lectures have to compete with the lunch ladies noisily cooking.

In short, his life’s a mess, but he still has a hopeful smile on his face, an almost childlike optimism.

In his new year of teaching he is given a class of delinquents. The irony is not lost on him or the movie as he studies films like DANGEROUS MINDS in order to learn how to make the transition from his pure white-bread theater snob class to a multi-cultural class just trying to get an easy A.

This same year, he finds out that the school has finally cancelled theater and that situation brings the class together to achieve Coogan’s game plan: He’s going to put on a play that is so popular, so good, that the school board will be forced to reinstate the class.

In the past, Coogan’s plays all consisted of stage remakes of popular movies. We’re treated to a glimpse at one of his previous works, a stage version of ERIN BROKOVICH. He has a heated conversation with his biggest critic, the high school newspaper’s entertainment reviewer (a child no older than 12). He asks this kid why he always gets a negative review. The kid simply states that his shows suck. Of course, Coogan breaks down and the kid has to console him and gives him a piece of advice. Do your own thing, don’t just copy everybody else.

With that in mind, Coogan is inspired to create his masterpiece… HAMLET 2. But… everybody dies at the end of Hamlet, right? Aha! Well, that’s where the time machine comes in.

Seriously, the final version that ends up onstage is something they should tour with. You have time travel, historical figures coming in to change the events of the first HAMLET and a dance number involving Christ called SEXY JESUS.

And yes, his main inspiration to sequelize HAMLET is that he thought Shakespeare’s original was too much of a bummer and he wanted a chance to make it happier. He takes the tragedy out of HAMLET, essentially.

I can’t write this up without mentioning a particular actress. One of the secondary stories is the difficulty Keener and Coogan are having conceiving a child. So they go to a sperm bank and while they’re waiting, Coogan bumps into a cute nurse, played by Elisabeth Shue. His mouth hangs open and he says, “Excuse… but you look exactly like my favorite actress Elisabeth Shue.” She smiles and says, “I am Elisabeth Shue.”

And so it goes. She quit acting and became a sperm bank nurse in Arizona… and she’s not a throwaway joke. She is a real character in the movie, playing herself, and boy does she still have it. I’ve had a crush on her since my childhood viewings of ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING and KARATE KID. She’s looking great and is as charming as she’s ever been.

The script was whip-smart, as should be expected from Pam Brady. She works with Trey Parker and Matt Stone a lot on South Park, the South Park movie as well as TEAM AMERICA. She doesn’t disappoint here.

The flick just finished filming in November, so the cut we saw in January I’m sure is still rough. There was a little drag in the middle, but I’m sure they’ll tighten the film a bit before release. Even if they don’t, it’s already hilarious.

It was the biggest pick-up at Sundance, with Focus Features dishing a reported $10 million for it, so you know you’ll see a big release. This’ll be one Sundance movie I”m sure will be at a theater near you no matter where near you is.

Anyway, that’s it for HAMLET 2. Still more Sundance/Santa Barbara flicks to go through before I’m done. Keep an eye peeled, squirts!

 

Leonid Rozhetskin via Wikipedia 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Rozhetskin 

 

Leonid Rozhetskin`s Homepage 

http://leonidrozhetskin.net/ 

 

 

"Hamlet 2" sends up suburbia in rowdy fashion

 

 

Hamlet 2

By Duane Byrge

PARK CITY, Utah (Hollywood Reporter) - If art-house theatres still do weekend midnight showings where everyone dresses up as characters from the film, "Hamlet 2" would be a fitting selection. An erratic, freewheeling satire of Middle American mores, it should thrive as a festival curio, appealing to anti-establishment sensibilities.

The film's marketers will face a challenge inducing the word-snobs of the smart set to slum with slapstick entertainment. Still, there's enough rowdy and off-the-wall humour in "Hamlet 2" to perform princely at the box-office, particularly in college-city venues.

A slam-bang patchwork of more inspired comedies, such as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Borat," "Hamlet 2" centres on Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan), who attempts to teach drama in a Tucson, Arizona, high school. With delusions that he is soaring to great heights like Icarus, this doofus presents high school plays based on his favourite movies, including "Dead Poets Society" and "Mr. Holland's Opus," which appeal to his inflated ego but leave his charges flat. His productions are major fiascos, rightfully skewered by a ninth-grade drama critic.

In one of the movie's many funny lines, Marschz admits that his life is like a parody of tragedy: He's infertile, his wife is having an affair with their roommate, he has father issues, and he's a recovering alcoholic. Not to mention, he's talent-less.

Dramatically, "Hamlet 2" is a twist on the formula of let's-put-on-a-show, with the twist being that no one wants the show, least of all the administration, which has chopped the school's art funds. Even arts-funding advocates would notice that Marschz's grandiose piffles are a major waste. As such, the film unwittingly makes a case for slashing funds for the arts. Lo, and unfortunately we behold, Marschz does smite the school board Philistines (not exactly a difficult target) with a last-ditch rally and a from-the-rafters opus.

Unlike Ace Ventura, Inspector Clouseau or other lovable loonies, Marschz is merely a knucklehead errant. He's a creep, but he's nicely endeared to us by Coogan's funny, fey performance. Among the players, Elisabeth Shue delivers a winning rendition of herself; her appearance as a Tucson nurse who has rejected her show business career is one of the film's best absurdities. Similarly, Amy Poehler is hilarious as a WASP-y, anti-Semitic ACLU lawyer.

Screenwriters Andrew Fleming and Pam Brady have slapped together a string of gags in a hit-and-miss dither. Some of it is quite brainy. There's an appealing anarchic tone and anti-authority bent as well. There also are zany surrealistic moments and a devilish eye for incongruity, especially a rousing rendition of Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" as belted out by the Tucson Gay Chorus for the boondocks high school audience.

Director Fleming blasts the production along with keen comic pacing, which performs double duty in masking some of the more dim-witted moments.

Technically, "Hamlet 2" is distinguished by production designer Tony Fanning's sendup of Southwestern suburbia.

Cast:

Dana Marschz: Steve Coogan

Brie Marschz: Catherine Keener

Herself: Elisabeth Shue

Cricket Feldstein: Amy Poehler

Gary: David Arquette

Principal Rocker: Marshall Bell

Octavio: Joseph Julian Soria

Rand Posin: Skylar Astin

Director: Andrew Fleming; Screenwriters: Andrew Fleming, Pam Brady; Producers: Eric Eisner, Leonid Rozhetskin, Aaron Ryder; Executive producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Michael Flynn; Director of photography: Alexander Gruszynski; Editor: Jeff Freeman; Production designer: Tony Fanning; Music: Ralph Sall.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

 

 

Leonid Rozhetskin External links

• Leonid Rozhetskin Page on L+E Productions Website
  
• Norilsk Nickel Bio of Leonid Rozhetskin
• Leonid Rozhetskin on IMDB
• Leonid Rozhetskin on Wikipedia

Related Posts

• Sundance Selects L+E Productions’ Hamlet II
• Twitter Updates for 2007-12-13
• Tweeterboard is Pretty Darn Cool
  

 

Everything needs a Wiki Entry, here goes Hamlet 2:

Hamlet 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hamlet 2
Produced by	Eric Eisner Leonid Rozhetskin Aaron Ryder
Written by	Andrew Fleming Pam Brady
Starring	Steve Coogan Catherine Keener Amy Poehler David Arquette
Music by	Ralph Sall
Cinematography	Alexander Gruszynski
Editing by	Jeff Freeman
Distributed by	Focus Features
Release date(s)	TBA
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$9 million
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Hamlet 2 is an upcoming comedy film directed by Andrew Fleming and starring Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler, and David Arquette. It was filmed primarily at a high school in New Mexico from September 2007 to October 2007. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and will be distributed by Focus Features. A release date has yet to be announced.

Contents [hide] 1 Premise 2 Production 3 Cast 4 Release 5 Critical reaction 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Premise

A high school is removing its drama department, but a drama teacher (Coogan) writes a sequel to the Shakespeare play Hamlet to save the department.^[1]

[edit] Production

Screenwriters Andrew Fleming and Pam Brady began writing the script in 2003, but they incorporated the Shakespeare play Hamlet into the premise later on. The play shown within the film was written on deadline for production.^[2] The film was budgeted at a little over $9 million.^[3] Production began in September 2007 in New Mexico.^[4] Filming took place mainly at West Mesa High School in Albuquerque, where actual students were permitted to perform as extras in the film.^[5] Filming concluded on Halloween, October 31, 2007.^[6] The film was executive produced by Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, who also produced Little Miss Sunshine.^[3]

[edit] Cast

• Steve Coogan^[1]
• Catherine Keener^[1]
• Amy Poehler^[1]
• David Arquette^[1]
• Elisabeth Shue^[7]
• Melonie Diaz^[7]

[edit] Release

A rough edit of Hamlet 2 was prepared for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it was a late addition, three days before its scheduled screening.^[3] The film premiered at the festival on January 21, 2008. After the screening, an all-night bidding war took place for rights to distribution, which Focus Features won for $10 million, acquiring worldwide rights to the film.^[1] The purchase of Hamlet 2 nearly broke the Sundance Film Festival record set by Little Miss Sunshine, which sold for $10.5 million in 2006.^[3]

[edit] Critical reaction

Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter described Hamlet 2 as "a slam-bang patchwork of more inspired comedies, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Borat". Byrge described the premise as "a twist on the formula of let's-put-on-a-show, with the twist being that no one wants the show". He thought that the screenwriters had put together "a string of gags in a hit-and-miss dither".^[8]

Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net described Hamlet 2 as "outrageously funny but it does require a certain type of sense of humor and the ability to laugh at very odd behavior and situations". Douglas thought that Coogan played his character over-the-top, but found that through the film, "you really start to love him". He described the premise as "ludricous" but said, "Sometimes, you just have to turn off your brain and allow yourself to laugh."^[9]

The New York Times noted of the film, "It made sure to take shots at Christians, gays, Latinos, Jews, the American Civil Liberties Union and Elisabeth Shue, one of its lead actresses."^[2]

[edit] References

 

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Anne Thompson. "Focus Features acquires 'Hamlet 2'", Variety, 2008-01-22. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
2. ^ ^{a b} David M. Halbfinger. "Done Deals Finally Start To Appear At Sundance", The New York Times, 2008-01-23.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Lauren A.E. Schuker. "Comic 'Hamlet 2' Finally Gets Sales Going at Sundance", Wall Street Journal, 2008-01-23.
4. ^ Francesca Martin. "Great Danes go head to head", The Guardian, 2007-09-12.
5. ^ Megan Martin. "Students learn about making movies from an on-the-set perspective", Albuquerque Journal, 2007-11-06.
6. ^ Dan Mayfield. "N.M. movies make Sundance cut", Albuquerque Journal, 2008-01-11.
7. ^ ^{a b} Gregg Goldstein. "'Hamlet 2' to be among New Frontiers", The Hollywood Reporter, 2007-12-20. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
8. ^ Duane Byrge. ""Hamlet 2" sends up suburbia in rowdy fashion", The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, 2008-01-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
9. ^ Edward Douglas. "Reviews: The Great Buck Howard & Hamlet 2", ComingSoon.net, 2008-01-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.

[edit] External links

• Hamlet 2 at the Internet Movie Database
• Hamlet 2 at All Movie Guide

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_2"

 

Categories: Upcoming films | American films | English-language films | Comedy films | 2008 Sundance Film Festival

 

 

 Via Entertaiment Weekly

If you're a fan of Steve Coogan, that King Leer of a motormouth British comedian who starred in 24 Hour Party People, came to Hollywood (remember his glorious performance as his own trumped-up self in Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes?), and saw his crossover American career do a nosedive before it had even gotten off the ground, then you won't want to miss Hamlet 2, in which he's like the son of Peter Sellers crossed with a more handsome version of Tiny Tim. This is the movie that Coogan cultists have been waiting for — the one that finally lets him cut his inner wildman loose, only within a structure that lends method to his madness.

He plays a godawful failed actor, despised by his wife (a scalding Catherine Keener), who has become a self-loathing high-school drama teacher, and Coogan turns this pathetic yet insistently egomaniacal creature into a loser-nerd of genius. He mugs, he glowers, he hams up his telling of jokes too corny-horrible to print, and — most mesmerizingly — he comes on like a sarcastic geek acting like a swishy queen trying to pass himself off as a ''normal'' heterosexual Middle American.

Make no mistake: The gay/not gay camp-theatrical weirdness is built right into Hamlet 2, which Andrew Fleming has directed and cowritten like a broader, more looney-tunes version of Waiting for Guffman. To save his job, Coogan's lowly drama instructor writes and stages a musical sequel to Hamlet 2, in which a time machine returns the great Dane to life, so that he can save himself and everyone else in the play. As opening night approaches, the show becomes hugely controversial, because it is blasphemous (and demented) in almost every way. Yet really, it's a high school musical that would make John Waters proud. You may wonder what could possibly be funny about a song called ''Raped in the Face,'' but when you see this and other numbers, such as ''Rock Me Sexy Jesus,'' they give off such a happy blast of cluelessness that the show seems to be rediscovering — through its very offensiveness — the unhinged glory of showbiz.

Hamlet 2 doesn't have the exquisiteness of Guffman; with Coogan as its maestro/vamp in chief, it's more like a one-man demolition derby of bad taste. But you will laugh, and, with any luck, you will become a believer in Steve Coogan, who in this film proves as uproarious an anarchist as Sascha Baron Cohen. At Sundance 2008, that's what independence looked like.

 

Related Posts 

• Leonid Rozhetskin; Party For Sundance Success
• Leonid Rozhetskin; Hamlet2 via Miami Herald
• Interview with the Cast of Leonid Rozhetskins co-produced Hamlet2
• The Media Critic on Hamlet2, coproduced by Leonid Rozhetskin
• Leonid Rozhetskin Scores with Hamlet 2
• Leonid Rozhetskin is very happy - Hamlet2 is sold for $10 Million
• Leonid Rozhetskin is happy - Hamlet 2 Sells After All-Night
• Leonid Rozhetskin is excited - Bidding for Hamlet Gets Off to a Start
• Leonid Rozhetskin: “It finally started!”
• Leonid Rozhetskin; News from Sundance - Screening Dates are out!