SHOWDOWN AT THE GRAND (Orson Oblowitz, 2023)

[Jox]

Interview with director Orson Oblowitz



Audio version
https://soundcloud.com/eom-podcasts/ooblowitz

[Jox]

[Jox]

Clip
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1061091575327823

EDIT:

[Jox]

First (and positive) reviews

Showdown at the Grand review – zombie-mashing Dolph Lundgren in ode to 80s action flicks
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/n ... ion-flicks

Movie Review: 'Showdown at the Grand'
https://vocal.media/geeks/movie-review- ... -the-grand



Terrence Howard interview
Terrence Howard talks new movie, 'Hustle & Flow' and why he feels 'like a son of Memphis'
https://eu.commercialappeal.com/story/e ... 331713007/

[Jox]

Mildly Entertaining, But Very Loving Homage to the Past
https://movieweb.com/showdown-at-the-grand-review/

Obviously, Lundgren is in his element playing retro Hallyday. However, he is terrific, in a surprisingly poignant way, as the older, less self-assured Hallyday. He really is analogous to Peter O’Toole’s Alan Swann in My Favorite Year.

Oblowitz and Howard really stick the landing and the design team does amazing work recreating the props and backdrops of the films-within-the-film. Very enthusiastically recommended,...

https://www.jbspins.com/2023/11/showdow ... dolph.html

[Jox]

Director Orson Oblowitz Talks Dolph Lundgren Finding out His Character was Named After Jean-Claude Van Damme
https://comicbook.com/movies/news/video ... van-damme/

(seems we can't access it from outside the US)



Good review from Variety:
Bad Guys Threaten a Struggling Cinema in Fond Salute to Vintage B Movies
https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/s ... 235781083/

[Jox]

“Showdown at the Grand” isn’t a pulse-pounding thriller, but it scores with its love of the game, showing respect for the weird ways of theater owners and their dedication to a business that doesn’t always love them back. It’s a loose viewing experience, but Oblowitz has his moments, presenting a bruised valentine to the escape movie theaters provide.

https://www.blu-ray.com/Showdown-at-the ... 33/#Review

[Jox]

Terrence Howard On Delivering One Of His Most Soulful Performances, New Music and More!
https://www.iconvsicon.com/2023/11/08/s ... -and-more/

I hope you feel the same way about Dolph Lundgren because that is how I felt about his performance. I did not know him to be a thespian of that nature. Yeah, he was super handsome and became an action hero, but is a true actor. The way he approaches the character is fantastic, and it wouldn't have been the film it became without him taking it so seriously!

Tell us a little about your time working alongside Dolph. What did you take away from the experience?
He was definitely part of my bucket list, so I wanted to say that I worked with Dolph Lundgren. Ultimately, I starred in a movie that Dolph supported me in! That was a significant milestone for me. For me, his intellectual capacity as a chemical engineer, a speaker, and a presence is undeniable. He was always honest with everything he said, and it's almost as if his eyes search through you. He's got a God-like status when he is speaking to you. He's an OG! He's an original gangster, and you've got to respect that! You have to love his presence and his ability to sway. When he stood up and started delivering his monologue, I saw he wasn't making fun of himself but was 100% in it; it touched my heart!

Director Orson Oblowitz Discusses His Love Letter To Action Cinema!
https://www.iconvsicon.com/2023/11/08/s ... on-cinema/

I love action movies, and they are what I grew up watching all the Cannon and Carolco movies. I grew up watching Dolph Lundgren, and he was my favorite action star as a kid. I also loved John Woo's films like "The Killer"; and "Hard Boiled". Those were the kinds of films I turned to for comfort as a kid, so I wanted to make a movie that showed my reverence for it!

Dolph was always at the top of my list because he was my favorite as a kid. As we moved forward, some people were like, "Let's get this person and that person...", but it landed with Dolph as I wanted it to. He's a fantastic character actor who has this classic movie star vibe to him amid all the action stuff. The movie he had done that I had watched in the past couple of years was "Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning", which I think is a fantastic film. I know it was originally shot in 3D, but I think it's a really, really good movie that people slept on. It's only recently that it's having a resurgence. That's when I thought, "Yeah, he is perfect for this role!"

(Only realized Orson Oblowitz is the son of Michael Oblowitz who did a couple of films with Steven Seagal)

[Jox]

‘Showdown at the Grand’ is rich look at love of cinema
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/s ... r-AA1jCxdG

Actor Terrence Howard speaks on returning to Memphis, his new film , and more!
https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/11/09/ ... film-more/

[Jox]

SHOWDOWN AT THE GRAND: An Interview With Writer/Director Orson Oblowitz
https://cinemascholars.com/showdown-at- ... -oblowitz/



EDIT
Exclusive: Terrence Howard Joins Forces with Dolph Lundgren in Showdown at the Grand
https://movieweb.com/terrence-howard-sh ... interview/

[Jox]

How Production Music Helped This Movie Director Score His Film

[Jox]

Terrence Howard spins songs and yarns at 'Showdown at the Grand' premiere in Memphis
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ter ... 23727.html

Terrence Howard And Dolph Lundgren Fight Gentrifiers In Orson Oblowitz’s Love-Letter To B-Movies
https://punchdrunkcritics.com/2023/11/r ... the-grand/



Another clip





New interviews

[Jox]

BTS shots
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzeK1tbuxB1/?img_index=10



Interview: Terrence Howard Talks Showdown at the Grand, Working With Dolph Lundgren
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/int ... 00416.html



Showdown at the Grand Director on Cautionary Tale of Cinemas' Future
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/showdow ... as-future/

[Moltisanti]

This was a decent enough movie. Howard is quite good in it. Different sort of role for Dolph but he did a good job.

My only complaint is I wish the parody movies within the film that star Dolph’s character had been closer to the type of movies he made in the 90s. The parody films are mostly the type of stuff that would have been done in the 70s. Minor gripe. Solid film.

[Jox]

Good to know, this seems to be the one we didn't know we needed.

Note that the film is seemingly available in 4K on iTunes, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.
https://www.blu-ray.com/Showdown-at-the ... /#Releases


EDIT:
The first working title was THE PROJECTIONIST, and SHOWDOWN AT THE ODESSA was from when they were to shoot in the South, it became SHOWDOWN AT THE GRAND because they ended up filming at San Pedro's Warner Grand.

Interviews with Terrence Howard and Orson Oblowitz:
https://soundcloud.com/user-782049152/a ... reams-1192