The Taking of Pelham 123

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 11th, 2009 at 9:47 pm

I didn’t have much hope for Tony Scott’s remake* of the brilliant 1974 film “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (we don’t spell out words anymore because words are for queers) but I hoped that it would at least acknowledge the greatness of that movie and if it wanted to update the story (and I’ll admit there’s room for an update although the original still works perfectly), it would show a little love towards Joseph Sargent’s film.  Maybe they would remix David Shire’s unforgettable theme from the flick and use that to open the movie.

And then they open with Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” and you realize that this isn’t a remake you tolerate as much as you endure it.

Screenwriter Brian Helgeland talks THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123, ROBIN HOOD, and UNTITLED COP MOVIE

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: June 10th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

I could have talked with screenwriter Brian Helgeland for an hour. That’s because he’s written some great scripts and worked for some amazing directors. Here are some of the films he’s written:

• L.A. Confidential
• Payback
• Mystic River
• Man on Fire
• Conspiracy Theory
• A Knight’s Tale

And that’s just part of his resume, as his new movie “The Taking of Pelham 123″ arrives in theaters this weekend and he has four other films in production or post-production. Perhaps you’ve already heard of “Green Zone”, “Cirque du Freak”, “Robin Hood” and “Salt”. If you haven’t, they’re directed by Paul Greengrass, Paul Weitz, Ridley Scott, and Phillip Noyce. Not a bad list of directors.

Anyway, I got to speak with him for “The Taking of Pelham 123″ and the film stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta and it’s a remake of the 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Here’s a link to the synopsis and six clips from the film.

During our interview we talked about why he wanted to write the remake, did he know Denzel would be in it, what’s it like to work for Tony Scott, does he still get studio notes and what does he do with them, what kind of research does he do, and we talked about his other projects like “Robin Hood” and how he’s going to direct a film later this year that’s currently called “Untitled Cop Movie”.

If you’re a fan of Brian’s writing or just want to hear about how he works, it’s a great interview. Take a look after the jump.

Denzel Washington and Tony Scott Interview THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: June 10th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

Opening this Friday is director Tony Scott’s “The Taking of Pelham 123″. The film stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta and it’s a remake of the 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Here’s the synopsis:

Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train.  John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.  But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

To help promote the film, I recently attended a press conference with director Tony Scott and Denzel Washington. They talked about all the usual subjects like what was it like to make the movie, filming in New York, how did Denzel create his character, what they have coming up, and a lot more.

If you’d like to read the transcript, it’s after the jump. But if you’d rather listen to the press conference, you can click here to download/listen to the audio. If you have the time, I’d recommend listening. Press conferences are always better that way.

Finally, here’s a link to some movie clips from “Taking of Pelham 123″.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 – 6 Movie Clips and a Featurette

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 29th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

Opening on June 12th is director Tony Scott’s “The Taking of Pelham 123″. The film stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta and it’s a remake of the 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Here’s the synopsis:

Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train.  John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.  But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

To help promote the film, we’ve been provided with 6 clips and a featurette. They’re all after the jump so take a look:

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