Sixteen Pretty Pink Breakfast Club Candles – John Hughes’ Casts Before & After

Read my Cinema Chords article here!

Those John Hughes movies have been the root of our teenage affairs and what led us to discover what love and friendship were all about. We are talking about The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. Those three classics star Molly Ringwald in the lead. Molly, our first redheaded crush, who ultimately became America’s sweetheart and the icon of a generation. And then there was her counterparts, Judd, Emilio, Ally, Anthony, and the others…

So what happened to the cast of our favorite John Hughes’ movies ?

Molly Ringwald

Then: Molly was the main character in those three movies. She was the uptight prom queen in The Breakfast Club, the pristine ingenue in Sixteen Candles, and the infatuated working-class kid in Pretty in Pink.

Now: For the last decade, Ringwald has acted in TV series. She’s been playing a mom in the series The Secret Life of the American Teenager for the past 5 years. Quite a funny leap from being the Ultimate American Teenager back in the 80’s to be playing a mom in a series focused on teenagers’ relationships. Molly Ringwald also has other talents up her sleeve. Earlier this year, she has released her debut album of jazzy cover songs – with the obvious Don’t You (Forget About Me) cover to draw attention to this. Molly was a singer long before being America’s sweetheart.

Emilio Estevez

Then: Emilio played the part of the whole-hearted jock in The Breakfast Club.

Now: Emilio also has more than one string to his bow. He has been far more active behind the camera for the past few years as a director and producer. He made his last movie – The Way – back in 2010 but doesn’t seem to have any upcoming projects to show us.

Ally Sheedy

Then: Ally was the misfit hoarder that turned out to be this beautiful shy girl that Emilio’s character fell for.

Now: Ally has had a small role in the series Psych for the past 4 years and has returned to the silver screen with a project that is announced for 2014 and currently in post-production : Sins of Our Youth.

Judd Nelson

Then: Everyone remembers the badass rebel that Judd impersonated in The Breakfast Club.

Now: Judd has starred in Down and Dangerous which only premieres at US-festivals this year. He also has two more films coming up this year - Last Chance Holiday, A Haunting in Thornby – as well as two others coming up in 2014 – Road to the Open, Bigfoot Wars.

Anthony Michael Hall

Then: Anthony was ‘the Geek’ in love with Molly’s character in Sixteen Candles and in The Breakfast Club he was the nerd with suicidal thoughts.

Now: With 4 movies to be released by 2015, Michael seems to have grown apart from his teenage roles. We will see him in Foxcatcher, Zombie Night, Something About Her, Cottonwood.

Jon Cryer

Then: Jon was Duckie in Pretty in Pink. He was a really stylish guy and one of those poor schmucks who were in love with Molly’s characters.

Now: After ten years alongside Charlie Sheen - who got replaced with Ashton Kutcher - in the TV show Two and a Half Men, Cryer is coming back to the movies with Hit By Lightning that will be released in 2014.

Andrew McCarthy

Then: Andrew was Blane, a rich preppie boy whom Molly’s character was in love with in Pretty in Pink.

Now: McCarthy has been taking little parts in diverse projects switching from TV series to TV movies or movies. The next movie he stars in – The Haunted House - will come out this year.

Stuck: Trick or Treat for a New Perk!

You still have almost a month to help Stuck to be made! For Halloween, the film crew will be adding a new perk to their roster of incentives. This perk will be available for $30 dollar donations and they need to know what you guys want! 

The options are: 

A. Stuck Baseball Hat - Custom Stuck Baseball Cap

B. On-Set Lunch w. Cast & Crew - Join us on set during filming for a lunch date with the cast & crew

C. Visual References Pack - Receive a digital pack of the references that inspired the look of the film. Stills, video clips, soundbites & more - See where the look & feel came from!

They will be posting the winning perk on Halloween. So vote here!

Stuck (2014) - IndieGoGo Campaign

A Film About Seizing the Day, Or Not.

Stuck is an independent Massachusetts-based comedy about a group of twenty-somethings that deals with with life after graduation. This movie is going to be a witty and hilarious take on real life and its look and feel are inspired by movies such as Garden State, Tiny Furniture or Kicking and Screaming. As Writer/Director/Producer Angela Palladino states, "It's my story, it's your story". Stuck avoids the hipster tales from big cities like NYC or LA. Instead, it focuses on where most of our generation is located: the suburbs. It is a story of uncertainty and decision-making in the post-graduate fog that we all go through. The movie is mainly inspired by the little town of Maynard, Mass. 

The Crew

Angela Palladino and her New England crew at AMP Indie plan to begin principal photography in spring 2014 and complete the project by fall 2014. The team wants to go beyond the traditional independent approach and produce a high-quality feature-film to reach a broader audience and impress the entertainment industry. The crew behind Stuck wants to get this Boston-based project selected for famous independent festivals - SXSW and Slamdance among others. The key crew members are: Director of Photography William Schweikert, Line Producer Michael Ricci, Associate Producer Vincent Patsios, Assistant Director L. Bennett Tyler and Production Mentor Richard Farrell

How can you help?

I will be covering Stuck from start to finish but how can YOU help? Glad you asked. Angela Palladino has launched the Stuck IndieGoGo Campaign - that will be running until November 24th. All it takes to support this crew of independent filmmakers that wants to make a movie about you, your peers, your children is to donate. No amount is too small. With your support, Stuck might be a great impact on the entertainment industry and who knows... Twenty years from now, it might be a pop-culture reference and you could have your name in the credits. 

Find out more at: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/stuck-a-film-about-seizing-the-day-or-not

Stuck - Proof of Concept Trailer

Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys (2013)

Reindeer Slaughter Made Poetic

Aatsinki: the Story of Arctic Cowboys is a visual marvel and a mind-blowing tribute to Finnish Lapland and self-sustainability in the harshest natural environment. The title is a little misleading as this documentary is not a story per se, it is an observation of the Aatsinki family and their reindeer herder business. The director, Jessica Oreck, seems to pose as a discreet and spy-ish witness of their Lappish way of life. The lack of narrative and explanation may seem strange to most viewers. They legitimately can think that the film's structure is dubious but I feel like this is an ideal directorial commitment that captures the essence of the Finnish mindset: the majesty of silence, the harmony of man with nature, the everyday rituals - especially the religious Finnish coffee-making process. Anyone who is slightly familiar with Finnish culture knows that Finns are not the biggest sharers and that there is no such thing as small-talk in Finland. Oreck takes us where winter's endless nights oppose the summer endless days. You will almost see it all - this includes a wonderful aurora borealis. But I said 'almost' because I do think there is a major thing lacking from this movie: the importance of Finnish sauna. I'm pretty sure that the Aatsinki family possesses a traditional sauna but not even once is it mentioned. This is probably due to the fact that this is an American movie. I haven't seen such a beautiful and masterly-handled cinematography since Heima. The sound editing in itself immerses us into a cottony winter wonderland that subtly muffles the wilderness sounds. Even with minimal dialog and no exchange with the observer, Oreck makes us enter the privileged and very intimate Aatsinki family circle and heightens our senses. I wouldn't recommend Aatsinki for anyone with vegetarian or vegan sensitivity as there are scenes of reindeer slaughter and various animal branding acts. This documentary is a beautiful ode to the wild that you ought to watch on a big screen in a comfortable theater to witness each magnificent detail.

1 reason to watch: one of the best cinematography

1 reason NOT to watch: if you are vegetarian/vegan, you may want to pass

Before & After: Total Recall (1990)

My cinemachords.com article!

Total Recall is still – to this day – one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Why? Because it is based on a Philip K. Dick short story and he was one of the major science-fiction writers to ever have set foot on Earth. Total Recall also encapsulates the spirit of 90’s-style filmmaking thanks to director Paul Verhoeven’s vision. It features everything we loved about the 90’s : Arnold Schwarzenegger as your muscular common dude and part-time hero, Sharon Stone as a demonic uber-fit wife, a triple-breasted alien, suspense, action, romance, bad guys… Long story short, Total Recall is one of those movies that you have to watch once in your life. Or once a year.

But what happened to the cast of Total Recall?

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Then : Arnold was obviously the hero, Douglas Quaid. The year is 2084. Doug is a construction worker on Earth but has strange recurring dream about Mars and a mysterious woman. As it turns out, Quaid’s memory was erased and he is in fact a secret agent…

Now : After a few years in office as the Governor of California, Arnold has been back on the silver screen. As of now he has 3 announced projects for 2015 : Terminator, The Legends of Conan and Triplets. He has just finished filming Sabotage that has been sent to post-production and he is on the set of two movies : Maggie and The Expandables 3. In case you missed Arnold when he was no longer acting, you’ll be pleased to be seeing plenty of him in the next years.

Rachel Ticotin

Then : Rachel was Melina, Douglas Quaid’s mysterious dream-girl. Melina is a resistance fighter who knew Quaid before his memory was erased.

Now : Ticotin has mainly scored small roles in TV series for the past few years. With a last appearance in an episode of Blue Bloods, it doesn’t seem like she has any upcoming projects.

Sharon Stone

Then : Sharon played Quaid’s wife, Lori. This loving-wife persona is just a cover and she actually works for the bad guy in order to monitor Quaid.

Now : Sharon will star in 3 movies that will be released this year : Lovelace, Fading Gigolo, Gods Behaving Badly. While on the set of Un Ragazzo d’Oro, she has acted in What About Love – currently in post-production – and will be part of 3 projects coming up : Papa, Army Bratz, Mothers Day.

Ronny Cox

Then : Ronny was Vilos Cohaagen, the governor of Mars. He is the corrupt head of the bad guys.

Now : Cox has appeared in a few TV series and is back to the silver screen. The Reach is currently being filmed and Nadia’s Promise is in pre-productio. Both projects are scheduled to be released in 2014. 

Liberal Arts (2012)

A Liberal Arts Education Solves All Your Problems

2 years after writing and directing Happythankyoumoreplease, Josh Radnor delivers yet again a witty and efficient romance tale. This time, it is narrated to a college background. The plot focuses on the reality following a Liberal Arts education and the complex attraction between a 35-year-old and a college freshman. Radnor chooses to explore a fascinating classical-music-mixtape-themed epistolary relationship. This is especially cute in this day and age. It strikes me as a beautiful modern ode to Dangerous Liaisons. And it's really enjoyable to witness actual handwritten human interactions in a recent movie. The whole cast is magnificent and works very well with each other. Allison Janney is her usual fantastic self, Elizabeth Olsen is a gem, Richard Jenkins is funny, and it is nice to see Elizabeth Reaser as well as Kate Burton for a little while. Even Zac Efron - and I never thought I'd say this - plays his uncommon part with no misstep. Josh Radnor knows how to pick his soundtrack which is a flawless combination of classical music and indie rock. The storyline surprises me as it doesn't turn out to be your typical Rom Com. Liberal Arts is a very good silver-screen moment that combines a high-quality college story and a surprisingly non-mushy and unusual romance. 

1 reason to watch: it is unusually unpredictable for a Rom Com