Return of the Greats
Three cinematic legends have new releases in theaters this week.
First up is Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire," "127 Hours"), who returns to filmmaking after a brief detour with the Olympics.
His latest is crime thriller "Trance," which follows an art dealer charged with finding a lost painting for a criminal gang.
Fellow Oscar winner Robert Redford directs and stars in "The Company You Keep," a political thriller that also marks the big-screen return of jaded superstar Shia LaBeouf ("Lawless").
Finally, "Jurassic Park," Steven Spielberg's dinosaur classic, gets a spiffy re-release in 3D and IMAX, previewing the upcoming third sequel.
No Such Thing as Finished
Most people retire from their careers, kick back with a cool drink, collect their pensions and ride off into the sunset.
Steven Soderbergh is not most people.
This week, he announced that he is developing a 12-episode miniseries version of the satirical novel "The Sot-Weed Factor" and confirmed rumors about a "Magic Mike" musical.
After directing over two dozen critically acclaimed films, the versatile director announced that the HBO biopic "Behind the Candelabra" would be his last film.
And technically, he wasn't lying, but that doesn't mean he's stopped working.
Relaxation? Forget about it.
Rest in Peace
Veteran English actor Richard Griffiths, best known to American audiences as Vernon Dursley from the "Harry Potter" films, passed away last week at the age of 65.
Audiences also loved his wacky performance in the cult favorite "Withnail and I" and his supporting turns in "Gandhi" and "Chariots of Fire."
Griffiths was also an experienced theatre actor, beloved as Hector in "The History Boys" and praised for his work opposite a naked Daniel Radcliffe ("Harry Potter") in "Equus."
Griffiths' rotund stature, comedic timing and dramatic strengths suited him to this variety of standout roles. He will be missed.
Woe is Me, NBC
Last week, the media breathlessly covered the late-night wars brewing in the NBC studios, but this week, the focus shifted to the morning shows.
The network's "The Today Show" has fallen well below competitor ABC's "Good Morning America" in the ratings, suffering massive scrutiny after NBC poorly handled the transition from Ann Curry to Savannah Guthrie as co-anchor, putting Matt Lauer in a negative light in the process.
Rumors swirled that NBC was talking to Anderson Cooper about possibly replacing Lauer before the embattled anchor's contract was up.
First "Tonight," then "Today." Luckily, NBC doesn't have a show called "Yesterday."
Para-MORE
Paramore is hoping for a welcome return with the release of their new self-titled album this April 9.
After three successful albums, the pop-rock band suffered a loss in 2010 when two of its five members, Josh and Zac Farro, announced their departure.
The brothers claimed that Hayley Williams treated the band as if she were a solo act and that the band itself was a slave to its record label. Naturally, the remaining members refuted these claims in a 2011 interview.
Regardless of these controversies, the band is back with new single "Now" and an album boasting 17 new tracks.
mlieberman@theeagleonline.com
