Where are they now: John Hughes film alumni

In 2007, four Canadian filmmakers set out to find out what happened to 80's teen film auteur John Hughes. The film they made, titled Don't You Forget About Me--released in 2009 soon after Hughes' untimely death--is a love letter to the director filled with interviews from the people he worked with and inspired--Judd Nelson, Howard Deutch, Kelly LeBrock, Roger Ebert, and Kevin Smith to name a few. Sadly, while the young filmmakers who were so inspired by Hughes' films found the man, he declined an interview. I like to think this was simply because he was so far removed from his previous life.

Over the last few days, I've dived back into Hughes' work--a world I wholeheartedly related to as a teenager. Hughes was the guy who introduced me to great dialogue and the idea that characters simply talking could be as exciting as any action sequence. I wasn't particularly surprised to find that his films have aged well and hanging out with the likes of John Bender and Ferris Bueller is like getting together with old friends.

I was shaken by Hughes death last August. Not just because I love his films, but because the man all but disappeared at what could be argued was the height of his career. Over the years he penned a few screenplays using a nom de plume, but nothing really memorable (Drillbit Taylor? Really?). That got me to thinking: what have the actors from his films been up to? Sure I know Emilio Estevez inspired a hockey franchise and Molly Ringwald ran off to France, but beyond that.... So, I did a little research:


Judd Nelson (John Bender, The Breakfast Club): One of the original members of the "Brat Pack", Nelson made a few successful films after his stint in detention including St. Elmo's Fire and the TV flick Billionaire Boys Club. In the early 1990s, in part due to a drug problem, Nelson's career dried up until a three year stint on the Brooke Shields' comedy "Suddenly Susan." Since then Nelson has taken smaller roles on TV and in film including a cameo in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Nelson was recently tapped to voice Rodimus Prime in a revival of the animated Transformers series. Never married, Nelson was once engaged to actress Shannen Doherty.

 Anthony Michael Hall (roles in The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science): The geeky character from Hughes' films developed a drinking problem, dropped out of sight for two years in the early 1990s and then reappeared insanely buff as a psycho boyfriend in Edward Scissorhands (BTW: Hall denies he took steroids to achieve his pumped physique). From there, he played Bill Gates in TV's Pirates of Silicon Valley and snagged his own show--"The Dead Zone" based on the novel by Stephen King. The show was a tremendous success, but was cancelled in 2007. Rumors persist that Hall suffers from bipolar disorder and he was recently accused of assaulting his girlfriend (by biting her on the forehead!!!). He can be seen soon on the NBC sitcom "Community" as a former bully.

Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club): Like her co-stars, Sheedy has found post-Club success on the small screen. She has appeared on the shows "C.S.I", "Psych", and "Kyle XY." She even reunited with Hall in an episode of "The Dead Zone." She was treated for an addiction to sleeping pills in the mid-90s soon after the birth of her daughter, Rebecca. She was married to David Lansbury, nephew of actress of Angela Landsbury. The two divorced in 2008.


 


Ilan Mitchell-Smith (Wyatt Donnelly, Weird Science): Mitchell-Smith stepped away from acting in 1991. His final role was a guest appearance on the TV series "Silk Stalkings." He earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M and is currently an assistant professor of English at California State University, Long Beach.






 
Kelly LeBrock (Lisa, Weird Science): LeBrock was famous before Hughes with a successful modeling career and as the title role in the Gene Wilder comedy The Woman in Red. She married actor/martial artist/lawman Steven Seagal in 1987, but the two divorced in 1996. LeBrock all but retired from acting after her split from Seagal. Living on a ranch with her three kids in Southern California, LeBrock invests in real estate and reportedly is working on her autobiography.




Bill Paxton (Chet, Weird Science): Arguably,  Wyatt's bully of a big brother faired among the best of the Hughes' alumni. Perhaps not as well as Robert Downey Jr. (who played one of the bullies in Weird Science), but having your own top-rated, critically acclaimed show on HBO ("Big Love") isn't half-bad. Oh, and he also starred in Twister, True Lies, Apollo 13, U-571, and Titanic to name a few of his dozens of screen roles. Paxton has two kids with his wife who he married in 1987. He also directed and starred in one of my favorite horror films--Frailty.

Alan Ruck (Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's Day Off): Ruck has worked steadily since his Hughes days with roles in several successful films including Speed and Twister. He spent six seasons on the hit sitcom "Spin City" and has had guest appearances on several shows including "Boston Legal" and "Psych." He can be next seen in the medical drama Extraordinary Measures alongside Harrison Ford. He's on his second marriage (to actress Mireille Enos), has two kids, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois.

Mia Sara (Sloane Peterson, Ferris Bueller's Day Off): After her Day Off, Sara appeared in several TV movies and minor film roles before 1994's Timecop where she played Jean Claude Van Damme's wife. Since then she has worked sporadically including a leading role in the short-lived superhero show "Birds of Prey." She is currently dating Brian Henson, Jim Henson's son.

Jeffrey Jones (Principal Rooney, Ferris Bueller's Day Off): One of those actors most people recognize, but isn't a household name, Jones has appeared in dozens of popular films including The Hunt for Red October, Amadeus, Sleepy Hollow, and Stuart Little. He also has the dubious honor of appearing in a film many consider one of the worst of all time: Howard the Duck (a guilty pleasure of mine). He also has a long TV resume with roles on "Amazing Stories", "Tales from the Crypt", and HBO's "Deadwood." Unfortunately it seems his career has come to an end: his last role was in 2007's Who's Your Caddy. This is likely because of his legal troubles: in 2002 Jones was arrested for hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose for nude photos--a charge to which he plead no contest. He was then sued in civil court for the same crime. Earlier this year his wife filed for divorce.

Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong, Sixteen Candles): First off, Watanabe is American. His accent was created for his Sixteen Candles role much to the surprise of his co-stars and Hughes who thought it was real for the first several weeks of the shoot. Watanabe continues to work in TV, film, and on Broadway. His most recent credits include Forgetting Sarah Marshall and TV's "Everwood." He also voiced the character Ling in the video game Kingdom Hearts II.

Michael Schoeffling (Jake Ryan, Sixteen Candles): Your best bet to get close to Jake these days is to buy some furniture. After appearing in such films as Vision Quest and Mermaids, Schoeffling gave up acting (thus why no recent picture) to handcraft furniture as the owner of his own woodworking shop. He, his former model wife, and their two kids live in Pennsylvania.

Haviland Morris (Caroline Mulford, Sixteen Candles): A handful of movies came after Candles, but Morris' biggest success was on the small screen--"Sex and the City", "Law & Order", and "One Tree Hill." These days, Morris is mostly retired, working in real estate, and performing occasionally in community stage productions. A bit of trivia: Caroline's blonde 'do (which is chopped to shreds in Candles) was a wig. Morris' hair is red.

60 Second Review: District 9 (2009)

Directed by Neil Blomkamp
Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope
Score 8.5 out of 10

Terminator Salvation could learn a thing or two from District 9. The former movie, with a budget of over $200 million, was an unintentionally funny attempt to show the evolution of humanity in the melding of two species that are at war with one another. District 9 does the same, but worlds better and for a fraction of the budget. Special effects are great, but memorable films live and die on great acting and screenwriting. District 9 is certainly memorable.

Shot in part as a faux documentary, District 9 brings first-time director Blomkist's vision of alien refugees landing on Earth and the human reaction to them. Once the film begins 20 years has passed since the alien ship, which is still hovering ominously over Johannesburg, first arrived. The aliens, nicknamed "prawns" for their shrimp like face tentacles, have been forced to live as second-class citizens in a slum known as District 9. When the weapons manufacturer who has taken on the cost of the aliens' "care" (in exchange for trying to figure out how to use their weaponry, which is tied to their DNA) decides to move the creatures away from the city and Wikus Van De Merwe (Copley), the man in charge of the operation, comes in contact with a small canister in District 9, the movie opens up into something that's more interesting and reflective than any other science fiction film in recent memory. A definite must-see.

Merry Christmas!

I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.

I'm celebrating at the moment by watching Religulous (ironic, I know) while working on my new 23" Samsung HD monitor. Later I'll make dinner (roast turkey, garlic mashed, and steamed green beans...mmmm...) and we'll finally get around to watching District 9.

Cheers,

Nikita

Review: Elf (2003)

Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart
Score: 9 out of 10

NOTE: This review first appeared on the original BILM website. It's been retouched for reposting.

Dear Santa,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you and Mrs. Claus well and relaxed after your vacation to Vegas.

How are things up in the North Pole? Are the elves still trying to organize? I hope PETA has stopped sending you letters about Rudolph. A 200-watt light bulb never hurt anyone--especially not a reindeer.

Speaking of the team: I loved seeing Donner, Blitzen, and the crew in the movie Elf. Being able to see everyone in action is always such a treat and I think goes a long way to helping the world understand what you do. Dare I say, hiring that PR fir was one of the best moves you've ever made.

Elf is the sweet and endearing story of a human raised by the elves in your workshop. He comes to the North Pole by sneaking into your sack during one of the Christmas Eve stops. Of course, I know this is next to impossible, especially with Mega-Bag with automatic gift tracking technology (TM), but this is Hollywood, which is never about reality.

Anyway, it becomes apparent pretty quickly to the elves that this newest addition, named Buddy, is a bit different. Aside from being three times the size of a normal elf (even though both you and I know the elves of the Ubermaximus species can grow to be as tall as 22 feet), he's less than nimble in the toy-making department.

One day, sometime during Buddy's third decade, his step-father Bob Newhart tells him the truth about his background, which sends him to New York City to try and find his biological father. As you can imagine the exuberance of an elf in any modern city would be cause for concern, especially with their super powers and all, but, I can assure you the only thing Buddy uses against the bitter, cynical residents of New York is his chirpy attitude and a love of maple syrup.

Buddy's dad looks like a mobster, but he's actually a children's book publisher who's so naughty that he produces books without endings. Can you imagine? The monster. Oh yeah--he also steals money from orphans and nuns. Mr. Naughty is hesitant to accept that Buddy is his son, but brings him home where Buddy lights up the lives of his wife and other son. But will Buddy warm the cold, hard embers of Mr. Naughty's heart? Will he convince the world that you really do exist? Will he give the world a Coke and teach them all to sing in prefect harmony? I'm not telling. Santa, you're going to have to rent it (or see one of the many showings on TNT) to find out.

I know you're busy, but you should take some time out this holiday season to spend some time with Elf. The movie is a lot of fun and easily one of the best Christmas films to come along since the original Santa Clause.

Will Ferrell, who plays Buddy, brings an excited charm to the character that makes you fall instantly in love. It would've been easy to play the role too over the top as to be coying, but Ferrell walks that line perfectly and turns in a finely-tuned comedic performance.

Ferrell may be a stand out, but the rest of the cast is wonderful, including Bob, Jame Caan as Mr. Naughty, and Lou Grant (aka Ed Asner) who plays, well, you. Lou absolutely captures your gruff, but caring demeanor.

Another highlight of the film is the set design--namely that of the North Pole. Alive with color, the sets suggest some on-site research. As I know that isn't possible, the idea probably came from those documentaries on Rudolph and Frosty--you know the ones narrated by Burl Ives--shown on TV every year. I'll say it again: hiring that PR firm was one of the best decisions you have ever made. Anyway, the set design is absolutely magical and made me want to unpack my Christmas tree.

Well, Santa I should get going. Have a great holiday season and when you come to my house you can expect the usual--a cold, frosty brew with a few chips and some salsa to clean the palette from all those cookies.

Love always,

Nikita

Hating Jon & Kate. But not the eight.

Now that Jon and Kate are divorced, no longer have a TV show, and have done enough psychological damage to their eight offspring so they now believe cameras filming your every move is normal, do you think maybe we could all stop talking about them?

I'll start. 

Review: Harlan County USA (1976)

Directed by Barbara Kopple

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Documentaries can often show us in the worst of times, the best of times. They can also remind us of history—whether we’ve come far or are, simply, repeating it.

Harlan County, USA, the 1976 film about the strike of coal miners working in Harlan County, Kentucky is shockingly familiar—the indifference Duke Power shows to its workers and their well-being, the lies they tell to support their case feels a lot like corporate America today.

In 1973, coal miners working at the Brookside Mine endured horrendous conditions. They were paid far below a living wage, the “homes” the company provided were little more than dirt hovels without running water, and a day at work also included the possibility of death—cave-ins and explosions took the lives of hundreds of miners across the country a year. All this, plus the job would probably eventually kill them: the daily inhalation of coal dust often results in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, better known as black lung.

So the workers went on strike. Along for the bumpy and emotional ride, which would last almost a year and would see the election of a new national union president and the murder of a would-be one, was documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple, who, wisely, forgoes narration letting the workers and their wives tell the story by letting cameras into their homes, meetings, and thoughts. It’s the story provided by the women that’s often the most striking—while the men seem too beat down from years of abuse at the hands of their corporate overlords, the women take control and organize the group. They fight not only for their men and children, but also for a better way of life not just for themselves but for their neighbors and the generations to come.

Eventually, the threat of violence permeates the air: scabs, angry foremen, and other ranks of hired thugs show up at the picket line with baseball bats and guns. You can feel the tension between both sides and the longing from some of the most bitter and angry of the company men (especially one pathetic husk named Basil Collins) to just give them a reason. As the police don’t seem to care much to intervene in what was brewing, I can only guess the cameras pushed off the violence for as long as it did.

Lawrence Jones was shot in the face with a shotgun. His death left a 16-year-old bride and a newborn daughter. His legacy also included a real bargaining session by the union and Duke Power resulting in a contract for the workers. A contract that would last all of three months when the national chapter would “negotiate” away a lot of what Harlan County had fought for especially the thing that was and should be most precious to workers—the right to strike.

Throughout the film it's clear the only advocates the workers have are each other. The union is political and most concerned about cutting deals for the health of the organization. Duke Power—the corporate giant who is at the center of the piece—sees its work force as nothing more than trained monkeys who exist only to make them rich. To be sure, it’s the leaders of these groups who do the most damage—publicly going against their own word, spreading lies about the workers and conditions on job sites (including one dozy about no evidence of black lung being tied to coal dust). The bottom line is while the union drowned in corruption and Duke Power made a profit of 100 percent in 1973, workers received an embarrassing four percent raise—shadowed by a seven percent cost of living increase.

And that leads me to reflect on today: I don’t dispute we’re in a recession—but how can corporate America not bear some responsibility for it? Large companies all over America—Microsoft, anyone playing in the oil game to name a few—post profits and yet still engaged in massive lay-offs. Little attempt was made to reassign these workers. Just a pink slip and a swift kick in the ass as payment for their hard work. As a country, as a system, we have chosen profits over people. The argument of capitalism doesn’t work for me—I think there’s room for both, nay, there has to be room for both because without the worker and their sacrifices, there is no profit. Corporate giants are too blinded by Wall Street (another co-conspirator in our current economic woes to be sure) and analyst expectations (and that’s a distinction to make—it isn’t as if these companies didn’t turn a profit: they just turn less profit than they would have liked) to see the forest through the trees.

And that takes us back to Duke Power. I think the threat of giving a hard-working family man or woman a deadly respiratory disease should be enough for our country to really discuss alternative fuel sources to coal. That aside, consider this: Duke has been cited by the EPA for failure to comply with the Clean Air Act. Duke, who released 80 million pounds of toxins into the air in 2005, said the regulations had been arbitrarily changed over the course of 25 years and there was no way they could or should have to comply. Basically, they used the same defense my nephew makes when he gets a toy taken away: it’s not fair. Apparently if you’re a major corporation this approach works better than it does if you’re a child.

Maybe we need to start treating companies like Duke like the overgrown, spoiled brats they are. Perhaps then they’ll begin to appreciate the people who got them where they are—from the workers who slave away to make better lives for their families to the consumer who has to pay more and more for less and less (except fast food /sigh).

Or maybe we can continue to give government handouts to the companies who least deserve it. Where’s the line for TARP funds for the struggling small business owner who can barely make payroll but is loathe to even let go one of his or her employees? When will our government provide low-cost operating loans to privately owned community companies who will likely have to drop health insurance because the double-digit annual premium raises are becoming far out of economic reach—making them less able to compete for the best workers?

At then end of the day something has to shift. We have to get back to what made this country great economically—hard work and innovation. Maybe it would help if we all had a camera crew.