Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Auteur Watch - Thomas Carter

Well, for someone like our next auteur, Thomas Carter, who grew up during the go-go 1970s, you'd think that it would be their favourite decade.  You know, the decade of your adolescence, disco and bad clothes everywhere... but I guess when you're living in it, you might not be aware or fully appreciate that you're living in the greatest decade in the history of mass entertainment.  In fact, your life might be less like Saturday Night Fever and more like My Bodyguard.  But this particular Carter seems to have made out okay.  And, why, I hardly have to run my software at all, for he's got a Spielberg connection already embedded in there!  My software should've been able to find that right away... two, count 'em, TWO episodes of Amazing Stories!  Sure, they're probably not as amazing as the ones that Spielberg himself directed, or as well-budgeted, but still!  He was good enough for Spielberg, so nyaah nyaah to you, haters!
Carter seems to prefer TV work, and has quite a lot of it, but there is the occasional theatrical release.  There's 1993's Swing Kids... apparently, he took over for Kenny Ortega or something.  There's also the critically well-received Metro from 1997 which I'm told does smart twists on the old movie clichés.  Then, of course, there's 2005's Coach Carter!  Alas, the Carter in the movie's named Ken, but whaddayagonnado.  When a dude gets bitten by the sports bug, you just gotta direct another, and so we've got 2014's When the Game Stands Tall, another entry in the burgeoning new PG-rated sports movie market.  I guess Coach Ladouceur would have insured boffo box office in Louisiana, but nowhere else.  Je suis Ladouceur!

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