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What to stream: Explore fascinatingly varied filmography of 'Michael' screenwriter John Logan

Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service on

Published in Entertainment News

Screenwriter John Logan has achieved named recognition in Hollywood working with some of the biggest names and franchises in the business, and he’s the writer behind Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael,” a musical biopic of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, that uses some creative screenwriting to skirt more than a few controversial topics in the singer’s life.

But Logan’s career as a screenwriter is filled with favorite films from beloved auteurs and movies that are worth the watch — or rewatch — so take a spin on streaming through his fascinatingly varied filmography.

Logan began his career as a playwright, but his breakthrough screenplay was for the bombastic football drama “Any Given Sunday,” directed by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as the coach of the fictional Miami Sharks, Cameron Diaz as the team's owner, and Jamie Foxx as the star player. The film is somewhat based on the 1984 novel by NFL player Pat Toomay. Rent “Any Given Sunday” on iTunes or Amazon.

Around this time, he also worked on the screenplay for Ridley Scott’s swords and sandals epic “Gladiator,” starring Russell Crowe, which garnered Logan his first Oscar nomination. “Gladiator” is, of course, a modern classic, which should be rewatched at any opportunity. Stream it on Paramount+ or Kanopy.

One of the forgotten epics of this time period is Edward Zwick’s “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise. Yes, it’s problematic that a film called “The Last Samurai” stars a white man. At the time, the film was a box-office hit and earned four Oscar nominations. It follows Nathan Algren (Cruise), an alcoholic veteran of the American Indian Wars who travels to Japan to fight alongside Japanese warriors. The film was lightly inspired by the Satsuma Rebellion in Japan and the Western influence in the country at that time. Rent in on all digital platforms.

In 2004, Logan collaborated with Martin Scorsese on his Howard Hughes biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Aviator,” also earning him an Oscar nom. This is one of those Scorsese films that doesn’t always get the same rewatch treatment or discussion from fans — throw “The Aviator” on for your next Scorsese fix. Stream it on Paramount+.

 

Logan teamed up with Scorsese again in 2011 for his children’s cinema adventure film “Hugo,” starring a young Asa Butterfield. Logan adapted the book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, and once again, earned an Oscar nom for the script.

The screenwriter has also left his mark on the James Bond franchise, having written the scripts for two Daniel Craig-starring 007 films directed by Sam Mendes, “Skyfall” in 2012 — arguably considered the best of the Craig Bond movies — and “Spectre” in 2015 — considered by many to be the worst. Stream “Skyfall” on Netflix and rent “Spectre” on all digital platforms.

Later, Logan created the TV series “Penny Dreadful” in 2014, starring Josh Hartnett and Eva Green, alongside his “Bond” director Mendes. The Victorian gothic horror series had a cult following and drew from classic public domain characters like Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Dracula, and Jekyll and Hyde. Stream “Penny Dreadful” on Paramount+.

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