Tim joined Tom Barnard and the Morning Show Crew on the “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM Thursday to review the drama “The Father” and crime drama “Cherry,” and on Friday, joined Kelly Cordes on “It Matters with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM, as well joined Paul Douglas on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM to review the films. Click to listen below. All of the segments are brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Ciara Bravo and Tom Holland in Cherry (photo: AppleTV+)
ABOVE: Tim reviews the films with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” with Tom Barnard on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “Let’s Talk Movies with Tim Lammers” with Tim Matthews on KRWC-AM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on NBC affiliate KARE on the news program “KARE 11 News at 11”.
In May 2011, I had the opportunity to talk with a relative newcomer to Hollywood, a nice Aussie actor named Chris Hemsworth, who would go on to star in one of the most successful film franchises of all-time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In celebration of the release of “Avengers: Endgame,” here’s that interview:
Although his appearance in “Star Trek” was brief, Chris Hemsworth’s emotionally-charged turn as Captain George Kirk in the 2009 blockbuster certainly made people take notice — including director Kenneth Branagh, who was looking for a star to anchor his film about the Norse God of Thunder.
“‘Star Trek’ actually came out when I was auditioning for ‘Thor’ — and Ken has said he had seen the film and was impressed,” Hemsworth said in a recent interview. “It was perfect timing.”
Oddly enough, Hemsworth, an Australian native, had precious little time to prepare for small, but pivotal role as the father of the iconic James T. Kirk.
“I was cast on Friday night at (director) J.J. Abrams’ office. He said ‘You got the job — you start Monday,'” Hemsworth recalled with a laugh. “I didn’t know much about what I was doing, but I left myself open and available to what I was doing and tried to find the truth in it. It was a lot of fun.”
While George Kirk was captain of his ship for 12 minutes, “Thor” definitely puts Hemsworth in command of the whole film, opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. The major difference is, while Kirk was a selfless individual who sacrificed himself for 800 others, Thor, when we first meet him, is the complete opposite: arrogant, selfish and hot-headed.
Lucky for Hemsworth, Thor’s attitude only represented his beginnings in an eventful character arc.
“That was the big incentive for me in wanting to get the part — I prefer, personally, a part that presents a lot of contrast,” Hemsworth said. “I wanted to get a part that was unpredictable because as people we’re unpredictable. You want to surprise an audience, and challenge their interpretation or views on who they think the character is. It makes the character certainly more interesting to watch, and certainly the script allowed for room to do that.”
Based on the legendary Marvel comic book series created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, “Thor” chronicles the character’s exploits in epic fashion: from his reckless ways as a powerful but petulant warrior in the mystical realm of Asgard, to his banishment to Earth by his father, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins). It’s there where Thor meets research scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and must adapt from prince to pauper if he is to live among the humans and ultimately learn humility. And it’s where he will eventually have to face the dark forces sent from his world to protect the innocent of his new home.
Chris Hemsworth and Anthony Hopkins in “Thor”
The Shakespearean factor
While there were concerns expressed by the comic book’s faithful fans with the selection of a Shakespearean director in to helm “Thor,” Hemsworth said he never had a doubt in his mind that Branagh — who’s film adaptations include The Bard’s “Hamlet,” “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “As You Like It” — was more than suited for the job.
“He’s kind of perfect if you think about it, with his Shakespearean background, because there’s an old English feel to this film and he knows that feel better than anyone,” Hemsworth observed. “Odin, Thor and that world pretty much represents the Royal Family with kings and queens. Thor’s journey is pretty much like ‘Henry V,’ which he did an Academy Award-nominated version of. For me, he was perfect — a resource of knowledge of the regality of that world.”
The bonus, Branagh offered in a separate interview, is that the tale of “Thor” has inherent Shakespearean qualities.
“The Marvel treatment of the Norse myth to attain, achieve and aspire to a god-like quality in themselves, whatever that might be — piece of mind or generosity of spirit — and reassessing what that means,” Branagh said. “That dichotomy, that paradox, that tension — between god and man, man aspiring to be god-like, and gods dealing to be human-like — is a kind of tension and exploration of the inner-life of a character that is very Shakespearean. ”
“I think in both cases, with a Shakespeare play like ‘Henry V’ and with a tale like ‘Thor,’ all of that is wrapped up adventure tale,” Branagh added. “That’s where those two intersect.”
Building the perfect Thor
While Hemsworth said he benefited from being in the company of Branagh, as well as such acting stalwarts as Hopkins, Portman, Stellan Skarsgard and Tom Hiddleston (who plays Thor’s conniving brother, Loki), it was entirely up to 6-foot-3 performer to when it came to building Thor’s massive, sculpted body.
“It took a good five or sixth months of force-feeding myself buckets of protein, and then spending six or seven days a week in the gym,” Hemsworth said. “I’ve always been pretty active and played a lot of sports, but I’ve never lifted weights, so this was a whole new thing for me. My body didn’t set well with that weight, eating tons and tons.”
And, as Hemsworth found, the regimen didn’t stop when filming began. After all, he had to be ripped when it came time for removing his shirt (and see Portman’s and co-star Kat Dennings’ jaws drop collectively).
“I had to keep up with it because the shirtless scene was about three-quarters through the shoot,” Hemsworth said. “It meant at the end of a 16-hour day, I’d have to get into the gym. It was very exhausting. It was a good thing that I was prepared for it all.”
Chris Hemsworth in “Thor”
For the time being, Hemsworth, 27, said the workouts will continue, thanks to his role in writer-director Joss Whedon’s Marvel superhero ensemble extravaganza “The Avengers,” which is set for a May 4, 2012, release. Thor and Loki will be featured in the film, along with several other Marvel legends including Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)/The Incredible Hulk (voice of Lou Ferrigno).
Hemsworth, naturally, couldn’t provide any plot details of the film, but assured his turn in the film will be much more than a cameo.
“The film certainly is the next step for Thor, and I was impressed how Joss managed to bring all these characters together and give them and equal sort of story and time,” Hemsworth said. “It’s going to be quite an iconic moment to see all those superheroes on screen together.”
Plus, being on the film will give Hemsworth another chance to snag Thor’s thunderous hammer — formally known as his Mjolnir — since he didn’t get to keep the prop from the first time around.
“They didn’t offer me one so I had every intention of just stealing it — so I missed my opportunity, unfortunately and came away hammerless,” Hemsworth joked. “In ‘The Avengers’ I’ll try getting another one.”
If they see Hemsworth driving off with a weighed down trunk, though, he’s sure to get busted.
“Security will strip me down and take it back,” Hemsworth said, laughing.
But hey, at least he’ll get to embarrass them with his ripped body.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
The past seven years have been quite eventful for acclaimed actress Hayley Atwell, who has been working non-stop on the big and small screens following her breakthrough role in 2011 as Agent Peggy Carter opposite Chris Evans in “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
The role has not only provided Atwell an opportunity to reprise the role in three more Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, but on TV’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and her own series, “Agent Carter.” On top of that, Atwell’s good fortunes landed her a small but pivotal role in director Kenneth Branagh’s opulent live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Cinderella,” and in August, she’ll appear opposite Ewan McGregor in Disney’s live-action/animated hybrid, “Christopher Robin,” based on the animated tales of Winnie the Pooh.
Suffice it to say, Atwell is more than used to the daunting task of tackling time-honored stories and characters in her career, and on Sunday, fans will get to see the 36-year-old performer take on perhaps her most challenging role yet — as the legendary character Margaret Schlegel on STARZ’s miniseries adaptation of E.M. Forester’s classic novel “Howards End.”
In a recent phone conversation from London, Atwell said she was thrilled that director Hettie Macdonald and scribe Kenneth Lonergan could give “Howards End” time to breathe as a four-hour miniseries. Without question, there’s so much more to the narrative than what film fans were treated to with the critically lauded, 2 hour, 22 minute Merchant/Ivory version of “Howards End” a quarter-century ago, and Atwell couldn’t wait to help tell it.
“They wanted to take the time to explore the intellectual depth of E.M. Forster’s book, and I don’t mean intellectual in the sense of trying to make it academic or inaccessible. Instead, I think the heart of the story is about emotional intelligence,” Atwell said. “It shows our ability to move forward as human beings, as long as we are willing to engage in conversation about our differences rather that divide ourselves because of them. The story doesn’t shy away from questions and big ideas like social reform, and understanding social status and economic backgrounds, and the opportunities that one had back then, merely based on the family that you were part of.”
Set in Edwardian London in the early 1900s, Howards End tells the story of three families from different classes — the well-to-do Wilcoxes, the middle class Schlegels and lower class Basts — and how their lives fatefully intersect despite their vast differences in wealth and lifestyle. Atwell stars as Margaret Schlegel, who along with her sister, Helen (Philippa Coulthard), boast fiery independent spirits who find a cause in helping Leonard Bast (Joseph Quinn), an insurance clerk who is sliding deep into poverty. The dynamic between the sisters begins to change, though, when Margaret marries Henry Wilcox (Matthew Macfayden), the widowed patriarch of the Wilcox clan and head of the family’s business empire.
Establishing new pathways
There’s no doubt a giant looming in the background of the new TV adaptation in the form of the acclaimed 1992 film version of “Howards End,” which starred Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter, and earned three Oscars including a Best Actress statuette for Thompson. Atwell is well-aware that some fans are going to want to compare it to the 1992 film, yet is confident that this new adaptation of the 1910 novel has established its own identity.
“It’s a question that just never comes up in the theater. When I played ‘Major Barbara’ on the Olivier stage at the National Theater, the question in the press was not, ‘Do you feel pressure because Judi Dench played her in 1960s?’ because I would have been like, ‘No, the reason I’m an actor is that I want to have a go at telling the story of a character,'” Atwell said. “I like telling stories in theater because the pieces transcend time and deal with universal themes, and then each production gets an opportunity within that place of time that they are to interpret that text.”
Effectively, Atwell wants viewers to look at “Howards End” through the same sort of lens, because while the story is set in the exact same time period as the source material, people’s views of how they look at the world have changed. Besides, Atwell, who describes herself as a “restless mind that longs to be challenged intellectually as well as emotionally,” wouldn’t have engaged in the project if it didn’t provide new promise.
“Our version of ‘Howards End’ is an adaptation of a classic book and a masterpiece told in 2017. The sensibilities that we have now are different than they were 25 years ago. There’s really no cause for comparison,” Atwell said. “While Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins so beautifully told their version of that story very successfully, it doesn’t mean that our path has already been paved. The material is so rich that now we can do something exquisite with it. In 2017, we became the custodians of these characters and we’re choosing our path now.”
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. Copyright 2018 DirectConversations.com
VIDEO: See Tim’s review of the film with Adrienne Broaddus on KARE-TV (NBC Minneapolis).
Chris Hemsworth is back and funnier than ever as the God of Thunder in “Thor: Ragnarok,” an action comedy-style adventure that diverts from the path established by the first two “Thor” movies and as a result, thrives through the kaleidoscopic vision of director Taika Waititi.
The film doesn’t waste any time raising the stakes for Thor, who learns while in the capture of the fiery demon Surtur (voice of Clancy Brown) that his home planet of Asgard is facing Ragnarok – the end of days – which he thinks he puts a temporary stop to.
That all changes, though, when his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) warns Thor and his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) that Hela, the Goddess of Death (Cate Blanchett) has broken out of her imprisoned existence and is coming to Asgard to wreak havoc. In their first attempt to stop her, both Thor and Loki are cast off to the junk planet of Sakaar, where its savvy ruler Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) features Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in gladiator-style battles to entertain the planet’s inhabitants.
But with his powers restricted after being captured by the bounty hunter, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Thor must first find a way to convince Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to revert to Bruce Banner to escape from Grandmaster’s clutches to get back to Asgard to face off against Hela, whose powers are growing stronger by the minute.
While the first two Thor films weren’t overly serious, “Thor: Ragnarok” establishes almost from its opening frames that it will be marching to the beat of a different – and very funny – drummer. Yes, serious things do happen in the film, but through Waititi’s lighthearted approach, we’re treated to a fast-moving, neon-infused adventure romp that’s loaded with action, colorful costumes and sets, and hilarious dialogue created largely through the improv skills of the gifted ensemble cast.
All told, Waititi injects a burst of energy that’s so welcome in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while the previous films in the MCU were hardly lacking, it’s exciting to see a filmmaker take risks and break free from the studio’s other offerings and establish its own identity. While some sequels face the danger of falling into a trap and becoming formulaic with each passing film, that’s never the case with “Thor: Ragnarok.” It’s a (Hulk) smashing great time.
Lammometer: 9 (out of 10)
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Thor: Ragnarok” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”
