Showing posts with label Whatever Happened To?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whatever Happened To?. Show all posts

Whatever Happened To Gregg Araki?

Posted by NCIndieSeen , Labels:




The 90s and early 2000s was a major era for Gregg Araki  I would like to refer to it as the Araki Indie Era of cinema.  Seriously.  Gregg Araki was one of the most innovative independent filmmakers of that time and although he doesn't have a lengthy body of work like other big Hollywood filmmakers his are the most notable. The first Gregg Araki film I ever saw was this crazy trippy film called Nowhere.  It starred a large cast of talent from actors like Christina Applegate, Rachel True, Ryan Philippe, and Heather Graham.  The film illustrated the lives of Los Angeles teens in this crazy interconnected web of crazy behavior from hardcore boozing to wild ménage à trois.

Araki apparently has a thing for ménage à trois, because in his 1995 film The Doom Generation there was a steamy scene with Rose McGowan, Johnathon Schaech, and James Duvall.  The film about three drifters who get off on robbing quickie marts.  It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Rose McGowan's performance.    In the 2004 film Mysterious Skin, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (aka JGL), about a male prostitute, JGL managed to cross over to indie big screen cinema from the small screen (remember 3rd Rock From The Sun?).  Mysterious Skin received a number of jury awards at various film festivals and critically acclaimed by members of both the Hollywood and indie film communities.

There were a few other films Gregg Araki made but after Mysterious Skin he sort of fell off the indie circuit and just completely off the Hollywood radar.  What happened?  Has Gregg run out of material?  Has audiences grown tired of watching teen angst films?  Or movies about teenage rebellion and kids getting involved in activities that would make any parent's skin crawl?  Maybe not---but we do know Gregg needs to make a super comeback.  Perhaps cast Justin Beiber in one of his films...that would really get under some "mysterious" skins there...Beiber in an Araki directed film...the thought is cringe-worthy at best.






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Whatever Happened To A.J. Langer?

Posted by NCIndieSeen , Labels:




So the Sundance Channel have outdone themselves once again by showing old reruns of my favorite 90's episodic TV drama My So Called Life.  The short lived ABC series only lasted one season but it's by far one of the most critically acclaimed prime time teen dramas ever to air on network television. 

After watching reruns, I can honestly say I've seen each episode at least a dozen times,  I wondered whatever happened to my favorite character on the show?  Rayanne Graf was played by actress A.J. Langer and in the early 90's A.J. was everywhere in magazines and the minds of 15 year olds all over.  A.J. was never really a film star, more so a TV actress from shows like The Wonder Years, Coach, and Baywatch.  But who could forget the movie The People Under The Stairs?  It's arguably one of the best cult horror classics of the 90s. 

One can only imagine that if perhaps My So Called Life lasted several more seasons that perhaps A.J.'s career would have blossomed more than it has.  Of course one could argue and say, "well what about Claire Danes? She's managed to keep her career on track and stay above the fray of who's who in Hollywood?"  Angela Chase was the main character of the show and maybe it was easier for Claire than for A.J., but still...why was she such a well-kept secret? 


 A.J. Langer is a very talented actress and deserved to get some sort of notoriety for her performance as Rayanne Graf on that show.  Rayanne had so many layers that one season could not nearly get close enough to the surface of what that girl was all about and what she was going through.

Rayanne went from a girl who likes sex, booze, and drugs to a girl who was actually concealing who she really was through all of those barriers; to someone who just wanted to be normal.  She wanted to be somone who desired to be loved, respected, and belong to a group of friends.  So enough about Rayanne...what about A.J.?  What has she done?  Unfortunately her IMDB profile doesn't go beyond 2007.  So it has me concerned....where are you A.J. Langer??  Is it perhaps that I am yearning for A.J. to return or just want another good TV teen drama that actually has some substance and meaning?  Not this craptacular reality TV junk that is damning all of what is left of good television into the point of no return.  :::SIGH:::

If you're out there A.J.  just know that you are missed and TV/Film wants you back.  Will you forgive us and take us back?

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Whatever Happened To Rory Cochrane?

Posted by NCIndieSeen , Labels:



First time I saw Rory Cochrane was in the Richard Linklater flick Dazed and Confused.  A great indie era for movies about disillusioned suburbanite teens not giving a damn about the world around them was the 90's.  Linklater ruled the 90's in independent film.  Rory played Ron Slater a stoner who was a pretty cool Mo Fo is you know what I mean.  After all who knew Martha Washington was a pothead?  Just take a look at this clip below so you can see what I'm talking about:




After Dazed and Confused Rory went on to do a substantial amount of awesomely cool indie flicks.  Remember Love and a .45?  It's a forgotten indie film of the past, but Rory played Billy Mack Black, a drug addicted crazed murderer who turns on his old prison buddy after a score.  He's bald and full of tats and you just know this guy has more than a few screws loose, but you love to hate him...or do you hate to love him? 

I remember seeing Empire Records and thinking I want to hang out with these people in real life.  I mean who wouldn't have wanted to work in that record store?  The cast of characters were just that cool and Rory's character Lucas was certainly no exception. Poor Lucas discovers that the store is being bought out and he decides to take the cash receipts and go to Atlantic City.  He had something going with the mop top haircut and the goth attire, not his best, but I liked it. 

Rory went on to do several other films including Flawless and of course the wicked psychotic and yet cryptic Linklater animated flick A Scanner Darkly.  However, then Rory just...fell off.  The indie circuit that is.  Rory left film and branched over to the small screen and starred in TV shows like "CSI Miami" and "24".  Not sure why he left his big screen indie and went for mainstream small screen but I guess you do what you gotta do to pay the rent. 

I miss seeing Rory in indie film.  Please come back.  Perhaps Richard Linklater can cast him in his next film.  The two have built a long term rapport, there's gotta be something out there.  Please no more horribly bad films like Public Enemies either.  If anyone out there has a script out there that you think Rory would be good in email us and we'll let his agent know.  He needs all the help he can get.  Seriously....Rory we need you back.

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Whatever Happened To Rachel True?

Posted by NCIndieSeen , Labels:



I remember the first time I saw Rachel True was her role as the  Catholic high school witch in the 1996 film The Craft.  That was one of my favorite films that year (next to Scream of course).  She was the cute girl with those georgeous wavy curls that went on for days.  Remeber the Gregg Araki film Nowhere?   The teenage-orgy induced-pill popping film about L.A. spoiled brats with way too much time on their hands.  She played Mel the party girl that just couldn't get enough.

Of course who could forget her role as Mary Jane in Half-Baked?  She had Dave Chapelle completely smitten over her and who thought she was going to be in a role where she plays a straight laced good girl?  I liked the change of roles for her, we all fell in love with Mary Jane.  Or what about the film New Best Friend shot right here in the great state of North Carolina?  She's so good at playing the bitchy teen roles.  It's sooooo her forte.  She even had a short-lived TV show called Half & Half.  It had a nice 4 year run and it was my evening delight after watching Girlfriends.  However, after the show was cancelled...she sorta dissapeared.  What happened??

There are a few films that appear under her IMDB resume after the TV show ended including a stint on the gay themed Logo show Noah's Arc.  However, no one has heard or seen her since.  I want to see Rachel come back.  Now I know the bitchy teen roles are over for her, but perhaps we can see her in something...somewhere!  Rachel come back to the silver screen please!  I miss seeing you in the indie circuit.  I miss seeing you period!  If anyone knows of Rachel's whereabouts please contact us!


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Whatever Happened To Ryan Gosling?

Posted by NCIndieSeen , Labels:



I've never seen The Notebook.  I know.  That's bad right?  An alleged film connoisseur who writes a blog about films and never has seen The Notebook.  But I must admit, I've seen just about every other Ryan Gosling film made.

My favorite is the film Half Nelson where he plays the crack-addicted school teacher who begins an unlikely friendship with one of his students.  I also loved his work in United States of Leland where he had the opportunity to work with the likes of Kevin Spacey and Don Cheadle.  Or what about The Believer where he plays a Jewish guy who becomes a member of the KKK...what a great film!  I even remember that horrid Sandra Bullock film Murder By Numbers, which is a film I would rather forget.


However, I have a question....whatever happened to Ryan Gosling?  It appears after he broke up with Rachel Mcadams he just sort of fell off the planet.  Or did he?  Well when in doubt...IMDB it!  So I looked him up and I see that after 2007 he basically stopped working.  It appears he has some projects in the works this year and a film completed called Blue Valentine.  Shew!  I got scared, I thought I would never see him on celluloid again.  I love this guy's work! 

Perhaps this weekend I'll need to make the effort to watch The Notebook.  Ryan would have wanted it that way right?  Ryan where ever you are, I just want to say please come back!  It's good to know you're actively working and you haven't forgotten about Hollywood.

That Shia Lebeouf kid is taking over your roles....get back in there! 

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