Posts tagged the gangster squad
Director Ruben Fleischer Interview For ‘Gangster Squad’
Jan 11th
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. ‘Gangster Squad’ is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), ‘Gangster Squad’ stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Mireille Enos, Giovanni Ribisi, Nick Nolte as LAPD Chief “Whiskey Bill” Parker, and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention. ’Gangster Squad’ is out now. My other interviews for the film can be found through the following links (more to come): Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone #1, and Emma Stone #2.
What do you think it is about the 40s/50s era that appeals to audiences and storytellers alike?
Ruben Fleischer: It was such an exciting time: that elegant, art deco, post-war era when the city was really being reborn and expanding. In the US, the country had been through a rough patch, between the Great Depression and World War II, but there was just an exuberance to life when people came back from the War. I think that was represented in the clothes, in the cars, in the music – and that’s fun to celebrate on film. There was exuberance about the victory overseas, the men coming home, and the economy coming back. Honestly, getting to recreate it and feel like we were there, giving the audience an immersive experience of going back in time, that was, for me, really exciting. I’ve always been fascinated by that period, so when the opportunity to explore it came along, I jumped at it.
8 Awesome Alternative Posters For ‘Gangster Squad’
Jan 9th
Love these! With Ruben Fleischer’s ‘Gangster Squad’ arriving in cinemas this week, Shortlist have assembled these eight alternative one-sheets for the film (by Ben Whitesell, Chris Thornley, Maxime Pecourt, Ibraheem Youssef, Matt Ferguson, Laz Marquez, Midnight Marauder and Oliver Sin). The crime-drama, based on a series of articles by Paul Lieberman, is the fact-based tale of the crime fighting exploits of a squad of elite Los Angeles officers in the 1940s, led by Josh Brolin’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Ryan Gosling’s Jerry Wooters, charged with stopping ruthless Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Screenwriter Will Beall is a former South Central Los Angeles cop who wrote the novel ‘L.A. Rex.’ ‘
Gangster Squad’ stars Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Mireille Enos, Giovanni Ribisi, and Nick Nolte. You can read the synopsis and production notes for ‘Gangster Squad’ below the set of posters. The film is set for a January 10 release in the UK and a January 11th release in the US. My interviews for ‘Gangster Squad’ can be found through the following links (more to come): Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone #1, and Emma Stone #2.
Emma Stone Interview For Ruben Fleischer’s ‘Gangster Squad’
Jan 9th
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. ‘Gangster Squad’ is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), ‘Gangster Squad’ stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Mireille Enos, Giovanni Ribisi, Nick Nolte as LAPD Chief “Whiskey Bill” Parker, and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention. ’Gangster Squad’ is set for a January 10th release in the UK and a January 11th release in the US. My other interviews for the film can be found through the following links (more to come): Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone #1.
What do you think it is about the 40s/50s era that appeals to audiences and storytellers alike?
Emma Stone: The “Golden Age”! I think… first of all they made a number of really amazing movies in that era, so you’re able to look back at some really incredible actors and stories that were told. But then I also think it’s about the way that everybody dressed, the way that everybody spoke. Looking back on it, it feels like this gauzy, removed time – which feels kind of untouchable now. Plus, the girls were broads, and I loved that. They were witty and funny.
Josh Brolin Interview For ‘Gangster Squad’
Jan 8th
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. ‘Gangster Squad’ is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), ‘Gangster Squad’ stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Mireille Enos, Giovanni Ribisi, Nick Nolte as LAPD Chief “Whiskey Bill” Parker, and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention. ’Gangster Squad’ is set for a January 10th release in the UK and a January 11th release in the US. My other interviews for the film can be found through the following links (more to come): Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
What do you think it is about the 40s/50s era that appeals to audiences and storytellers alike?
Josh Brolin: It does. I think the innocence, this perceived innocence, this romantic… I don’t know if it was innocent (laughs), but there’s this romance to what it was like back then, with things like integrity and heroics. I talked to my Pop about it, and he told me these stories, or at least his perception of what it was back then – and even though I think it was a little bit more violent, or there was more street violence, covert street violence, there was something hands on about that time. There was something hands on and tactile about that era that he liked. Now everything is behind the scenes, it’s more political, it’s more “who’s done what”? And if you go back and watch the films of the 40s and 50s, there’s a cadence to it, there’s an exaggeration to everything that’s not as heavy handed as the 70s on.
Ryan Gosling Interview For ‘Gangster Squad’
Jan 7th
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. ‘Gangster Squad’ is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), ‘Gangster Squad’ stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Mireille Enos, Giovanni Ribisi, Nick Nolte as LAPD Chief “Whiskey Bill” Parker, and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention. ’Gangster Squad’ is set for a January 10th release in the UK and a January 11th release in the US.
What do you think it is about the 40s/50s era that appeals to audiences and storytellers alike? Also, were there any specific films set in that time-period that you watched for ‘Gangster Squad’?
Ryan Gosling: Man… I don’t even know. This is my first experience with it, but I’ve always been intrigued by that period. Also, living in LA, you’re living in the shadows of that time and the movie industry at that time. It was a great experience to kind of go behind the curtain and experience that for real, for a little while. And I did look back at a couple of films. My first gangster movie was ‘Dick Tracy,’ which I was a really big fan of. I collected all of the Burger King cups and had the posters… I thought I might get a cup out of this ‘Gangster Squad’ deal, but it has not happened (laughs).
Emma Stone Interview For ‘Gangster Squad’
Jan 6th
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. ‘Gangster Squad’ is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), ‘Gangster Squad’ stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Mireille Enos, Giovanni Ribisi, Nick Nolte as LAPD Chief “Whiskey Bill” Parker, and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention. ’Gangster Squad’ is set for a January 10th release in the UK and a January 11th release in the US.
After working with Ruben Fleischer on ‘Zombieland,’ can you recall your initial discussion with him about joining the cast of ‘Gangster Squad’? And what was it about this story and era that appealed to you?
Emma Stone: We sat down and talked about the story and the character, and I said, “Of course, let’s do this together.” I love Ruben, he’s so enthusiastic and his shots are so beautiful. And I think gangster movies and movies set in the 40s in general really represent the golden age of Hollywood, you know? When women really looked like women and men really looked like men. There’s something so romantic and smoky and nostalgic about this whole time period. And I loved the intense action and suspense. I immediately felt that I knew what it must have been like to be a part of that place and time. It was amazing being on these sets, really feeling like a part of this world in 1949. I love watching movies from the 30s and 40s and the “golden age” of Hollywood, and I think everyone involved in the movie felt the same way.
