Larry Ratliff

Arrr, McShane drifting to 'Pirates' sequel

Ian McShane as swearin' Al Swearengen in "Deadwood."  (Courtesy:  historyfanatic.today.com)

It's true what you've heard in this space about big-screen -- and in this case, little screen -- villains turning out to be the nicest guys in person.

That's why I'm happy to report that British actor Ian McShane, who groveled gloriously in the bad-guy mire as the near-barbaric brothel owner on HBO's "Deadwood," looks to be close to signing on to play the pirate Blackbeard in the next "Pirates of the Caribbean" adventure.

Subtitled "On Stranger Tides," this will be the fourth installment in the popular comic-adventures fronted by Johnny Depp, a modern-day pirate if ever there was one. 

If you're counting, especially if you're a Disney bean counter, three sequels ain't bad for a tent-pole franchise based on a theme park ride.

From this aisle seat, I'll be looking forward to what McShane, an actor that a Hollywood Reporter post reminds us has been acting since the '70s, will do with the swashbuckling role.

I had the pleasure of interviewing McShane in New York a few years back when he portrayed the journalist ghost in Woody Allen's "Scoop."

He talked about the movie a little, as actors facing the movie junket press must.  What I remember most, though, are highly entertaining stories McShane (one of the most personable actors I've ever met) volunteered about hanging out with Old Guard actors from across the pond; most notably, drinking excursions with the late, great Richard Burton.

The movie I'd really like to see is McShane, all alone on stage and sitting on a stool, telling stories about the glorious wild old days (or, more specifically, nights).

I'm not sure how the MPAA would rate such a thing, but I'd be the first in line to buy a ticket.  

'Harry Potter' and the return to a PG rating

 

 Daniel Radcliffe returns for the sixth time as the title wizard-in-training in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Good news kids and parents.  When "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" opens in theaters July 15, it'll signal a return to a PG rating.

The previous two fantasy adventures, "Goblet of Fire" and "Order of the Phoenix," carried the edgier PG-13 rating.

The return to a family friendlier PG may not necessarily signal boffo news for Warner Bros., the series' distributor, according to an item posted on the Variety Web site:

"Despite conventional wisdom that PG is a more family-friendly rating, the last PG film -- 2004's 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,' the third in the series -- was the lowest grossing of the five domestically with $249 million," the article says. 

According to the Motion Picture Association of America, PG-rated movies "should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend."

"(The) PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them."

In case you're counting, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is the sixth movie version of British author J.K. Rowling's seven novels. 

By the way, if you're thinking just one more "Harry Potter" movie after "Half-Blood Prince," think again.  The climatic adventure, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will be divvied up into two parts and released in 2010 and 2011.

MIA this grisly summer: The R rating

As Wolverine, Hugh Jackman comes out of the "X-Men Origins:  Wolverine" melting pot none too happy.  (James Fisher/Twentieth Century Fox)

This issue has been gnawing at me ever since "X-Men Origins:  Wolverine" kicked of Movie Summer '09 with almost constant extreme violence, spewed profanity, adult situations and ... a PG-13 rating.

From May 1st until the debut of the gear-jamming, explosive and sex-flaunting "Transformers 2" at one minute past midnight this morning, only two of the potential summer blockbusters have hit our multiplex screens with what I'd call the appropriate R rating.

What can the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) possibly be thinking?

I mean, come on.  More than one person gets dragged to hell graphically in the appropriately titled "Drag Me to Hell."  Personally, I had a great time with Sam Raimi's alternately horrific and humorous roller coaster ride.  But I've seen my share of PG-13 movies, folks.  This is not one of them.

All I can surmise is that the MPAA rating voters covered their eyes during the extremely graphic violence.

Are we to assume that sex trumps violence when it comes to leaving damaging impressions on young developing minds?

That, sadly, appears to be the case.  "The Hangover," a lowbrow slither through sex, drugs and more sex rolled out with an audience-limiting R rating on June 5.  That hasn't been my favorite flick of the summer, but at least it had the guts to play out in the proper rating arena.

Meanwhile, exercises in rampant, excessive violence like "Transformers 2," "X-Men Origins," "Terminator Salvation" and others got the free ride to wider teen audiences with the PG-13 rating.

I'm not director Tony Scott's biggest fan.  But I have to tip my Texas Rangers gimme cap to the director of "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3."  For two reasons, actually.  At least to my knowledge, Scott and Sony Pictures knew they had an R-rated suspense-thriller and didn't fight the deserving tag.

The other reason?

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," despite erupting into shocking violence at regular intervals, also managed to squeeze real suspenseful drama (thanks to Denzel Washington and John Travolta) into the mayhem.

We need more movies like that.  Even in the summertime when graphic movie violence blasts away almost constantly at our kids' psyches.