Tim joined Tom Barnard and the Morning Show crew on the “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM Thursday to review the new theatrical/Peacock release “Halloween Kills” and theatrical release “The Last Duel.” On Friday, Tim will review the films with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. Click to listen to below. All of Tim’s segments are brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
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”.
Tim joined Paul Douglas and Jordana Green Tuesday to review “Succession” Season 3 (HBO Max) and the original Hulu miniseries “Dopesick” on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. Click to listen below. The segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
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”.
You will believe an elephant can fly – and capture our hearts once again – with “Dumbo,” director Tim Burton’s emotional and exhilarating live-action reimaging of the 1941 Disney animated film classic. Using the conclusion of the animated film as a springboard for this new tale, “Dumbo” expands the storyline to imagine from a human point-of-view what takes place after the large-eared baby elephant takes flight and triumphs over those who ostracized him, only to encounter those who want to exploit his unique gift.
“Dumbo” begins in 1919, recalling the events just before the conclusion of the animated film where an over-sized pachyderm shows an amazing ability to fly. It’s a particularly startling occurrence, because in the real-world setting in which this live-action “Dumbo” exists, the animals don’t talk and Timothy Q. Mouse is, well, just a mouse. As such, Dumbo, as the baby elephant comes to be dubbed, is born into the circus run by Max Medici’s (Danny DeVito), and he’s put in the care of Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), a World War I solider who returns at the conclusion of the battle missing an arm and a widow, since his fellow circus performer wife died while he was away.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Dumbo” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM.
Clearly distraught from the recent traumatic events in his life, Holt is also struggling to reconnect with his young children, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins). Fortunately, the two kids strike up a kinship with the young, outcast elephant, whom they discover has an uncanny ability to fly. Once Dumbo’s magical ability is revealed to the world, slick entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) swoops in and convinces Medici to become his partner in his new entertainment megalopolis Dreamland, where the elephant will soar with his aerial star, Collette Marchant (Eva Green). Behind Vandevere’s shiny exterior, though, is a conniving showman will push the limits of safety to make big money on his newest curiosity.
Fans of Burton will get everything they’re hoping for with “Dumbo,” from dazzling visual effects – Dumbo feels like a living breathing creature who really can fly – a big-time, big-top atmosphere, as well as the darker moments fans associate with the director’s previous works. The darker feel comes from the sinister intentions of Vandevere, though, and not the Gothic settings that have been showcased in many of Burton’s previous films. Instead, we get big, bright and dazzling set pieces (courtesy the director’s longtime collaborator, production designer Rick Heinrichs), as well as stunning period costumes via the filmmaker’s frequent collaborator Colleen Atwood.
While reimaging a classic film like “Dumbo” is no doubt a tall order, it’s clear that Burton didn’t set out to top the original “Dumbo” with this new live-action tale, but to create, along with screenwriter Ehren Kruger, a story that sensibly expands the narrative and ultimately serves as a bookend to the 1941 original.
That’s not to say key elements from the animated film were omitted. Dumbo flies thanks to aid of a feather, but uses it in a different sort of way. Plus, you still get the heartbreaking separation of Dumbo from Mrs. Jumbo (accompanied by a new, heartstring-tugging rendition of “Baby Mine”), and some of the big-top antics in the new film hearken the heartache of the baby elephant being ridiculed by unforgiving circus patrons. But with this new version of the tale Dumbo also gets a new family, who are appropriately a group of fellow outcasts who perform in Medici’s circus.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Dumbo” with Paul Douglas and Jordana on “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO-AM.
To create a family film about a family of outcasts, Burton smartly reassembled many members of his movie family for “Dumbo.” In addition to Keaton, DeVito and Green, “Dumbo” once again teams Burton with Alan Arkin (who last worked with the director on “Edward Scissorhands”), as well as with his longtime producer Derek Frey and producer/first assistant director Katterli Frauenfelder. The reunion isn’t complete, though, without composer Danny Elfman, whose memorable score weaves in elements of the original “Dumbo’s” music along with his own classic sensibilities.
All told, “Dumbo” is magical tale of wonder, along with plenty of heart, hope and humor. It’s a rare family film for kids of all ages, whether it’s the child who grew up with the animated “Dumbo,” only to become parents to show the movie to their own kids; or to a younger generation who now have a “Dumbo” movie to call their own.
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.
It’s a Friday afternoon — exactly one week before his new film “American Assassin” is slated to open in theaters nationwide — and actor Dylan O’Brien is waiting patiently to attend the premiere of the film in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Normally, it’s not the sort of place big premieres outside of Hollywood take place, but this time it’s warranted because St. Paul is the hometown of the Vince Flynn, the late author who created the New York Times best-selling Mitch Rapp novels, including “American Assassin.”
In a phone conversation before the premiere, O’Brien said he expected the premiere — which was attended by Flynn’s widow, Lysa, and their children; producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura; and many of Flynn’s family and friends — to be one of the most emotional events he’s experienced to date. In short, O’Brien was honored to be there to represent the film and commemorate the life and accomplishments of Flynn, who died of cancer in 2013 at age 47.
“Honored is the perfect word for how I feel. It’s going to be really nerve-wracking,” O’Brien said. “It’s really going to be an emotionally-charged night in a way and I’m just really happy to be here, honored to play the character and honored to bring it to his hometown and celebrate.”
Originally released in 2010, “American Assassin” is actually the 11th Mitch Rapp novel, which serves as a prequel story of Rapp before he becomes the expert CIA agent that readers came to know in the books preceding it.
The film version of “American Assassin” chronicles how a 23-year-old Rapp — who lost his parents in a car accident at age 14 — is recruited to become a counterterrorism agent after he suffers another deep personal tragedy at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Michael Keaton also stars as Stan Hurley, a grizzled black ops veteran who trains Rapp; as well as Sanaa Lathan as CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy; and Taylor Kitsch as Ghost — a mysterious figure on the verge of starting a deadly nuclear conflict in the Middle East.
O’Brien has been down the road of adapting well-known books into films before, having starred in the big screen adaptations of “The Maze Runner” novels. For “American Assassin,” the actor said he informed himself of who Mitch Rapp was in reverse, essentially, since he didn’t read any of Flynn’s work before he got the role.
“The script was my first introduction to the role, then obviously I did my research and read about all of the books and the character,” recalled O’Brien, who filmed “American Assassin” after recovering from traumatic injures he suffered during the making of “Maze Runner: The Death Cure.” “I even went to fan pages to read comments on the character just to get an idea of who the guy was outside of the script. Once we got doing it, I really wanted to build him from the ground up and come from me with the thought that I understood this guy.”
O’Brien said her felt his approach to came from a “really original direction.”
“My goal first and foremost was about really humanizing the kind of cold-hearted Mitch we see in the books. Everyone who knows the books describes him as this cold, ruthless and brutal killer, and I can see why,” O’Brien explained. “But I also saw so much more underneath. I was really excited to bring all these layers underneath to life.”
O’Brien, 26, said that readers of the “American Assassin” novel will notice changes from the page to the screen adaptation, mostly because of the shift in time periods. The actor said the move was made largely to give the story more of a contemporary feel, especially in the age where terrorism is at the forefront of people’s minds.
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Lysa Flynn and Dylan O’Brien at the St. Paul premiere of “American Assassin.” (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images for CBS Films)
“You get changes with all adaptations, obviously, and this one’s no different, especially considering how the times have changed with what the book deals with and what we deal with in the movie, “O’Brien noted. “We’re updating and modernizing those situations and events, and done some other major things, too, by adding a major character to the film version. You want book fans all over to approve and hope that what you’ve done still captures that spirit, and hopefully they’ll sign off on those changes, especially in Vince’s hometown, and especially from his family and friends.”
Luckily, O’Brien said, Lysa Flynn was a part of making the film happen, and having her seal of approval meant everything to everybody on the production.
“It really started with Lysa. It’s been the biggest blessing to have her so on-board the entire time with her endless support,” O’Brien said. “She just brings such a warmth to the entire process. She was so happy and so grateful just to come to the set to see the story brought to life. That’s made the process so much easier for us, too.”
Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers
