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Friday, October 17, 2008
Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
Straight outta the woolly nethers of Portsmouth, Ohio, comes Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie, Jay Delaney’s infiltration of a two-man league of Appalachian folklore, faith, and depression. “I’m a loser. I’m a complete failure. I never amounted to anything and I never will,” says Wayne, a rumble-voiced Midwesterner and unlikely drama queen who clings to his Bigfoot “research” for godforsaken life. Wayne’s partner is the slightly more stable Dallas, a half-cocked straight shooter who claims he has sheep DNA and, perhaps not coincidentally, has cultivated a gibbering sasquatch call to lure the beast from the brush. The two run a website filled with look-hard-and-you’ll-still-miss-it photos taken over months in the woods, where they cultivate their own language, mythology, and abject devotion. Delaney chronicles the brief rift that results after Wayne inadvertently discredits their work on a local radio show. “I really dread being a person; I’d rather be one of them,” a Bigfoot conference attendee says, chopping to the heart of not only why people see hairy men in the woods but pretty much every belief system going. The men reveal their desperation in some cruelly intimate moments and walk the fine line of foolishness during a moonlit, pseudo-Wiccan sortie, but Delaney is clearly at pains to protect his subjects, and the sheer, doomed tenacity of belief against all odds takes the day. — Michelle Orange
Movie Review: 'Max Payne' a straight-up action picture - the name says it all
Here's the one thing that makes "Max Payne" comparatively painless: Unlike most movies based on video games — the entire filmography of German director Uwe Boll, for example - it doesn't try to replicate the sensation of playing. It doesn't make you think you're controlling the characters, doesn't place you in the middle of their nausea-inducing world.
Instead, "Max Payne" is just a straight-up action picture, and a rather bombastic, familiar one at that.
Director John Moore ("Behind Enemy Lines") rips off John Woo with endless, hyperstylized shootouts, all in slow motion with shattered glass showering everything in a million little pieces. All that's missing are the strategically placed doves.
That's not all that's coming down, though: It seems to rain or snow constantly in the movie's darkly gothic vision of New York, an attempt at emulating classic noir style. Some of the lighting, shadows and camera angles at the beginning are sufficiently evocative of the genre, but after a while it all feels dreary and smothering. Then again, "Max Payne" the video game was inspired by film noir, and has now, in turn, inspired a movie of its own. It's so meta.
Mark Wahlberg looks like he's in perpetual agony as the title character, an NYPD detective still searching for the killers of his wife and infant son years later. The return to action isn't a horrible fit for Wahlberg, but after his Oscar-nominated performance in "The Departed" and his behind-the-scenes work with the hugely successful "Entourage," he doesn't need this kind of dopey gig anymore.
"I don't believe in heaven," Max says in the opening voiceover as he's about to drown in an icy river. "I believe in pain. I believe in fear. I believe in death." He doesn't exactly lighten up - or develop much as a character - from there.
Max teams up with Russian mob assassin Mona Sax (Mila Kunis), whose sister (new Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko) was killed in a way that may tie her to Max's family. Kunis is incredibly sexy with her luxurious, dark hair and knee-high black boots, but it's impossible to take her seriously as a machine gun-toting enforcer. When she screams at Max in a dark alleyway, "Kneel the (expletive) down!" it sounds like her "Family Guy" character, Meg, yelling at younger brother Chris for embarrassing her at the mall.
Among those who cross Max path's in his search for the truth are his former partner (Donal Logue), an internal affairs agent (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, woefully underused in just a few scenes) and a longtime family friend and former cop (Beau Bridges) who's now the head of security for the pharmaceutical firm where Max's wife worked.
Somewhere amid the noise and the homicidal valkyries - oh yes, "Max Payne" has those, too - there may be a just-say-no-to-drugs message. There may also be an anti-war message. The valkyries may be real, or they may be a hallucination, the result of taking too much of a highly addictive blue liquid substance. Hard to tell - or care - even once the game is over.
One and a half stars out of four.
Instead, "Max Payne" is just a straight-up action picture, and a rather bombastic, familiar one at that.
Director John Moore ("Behind Enemy Lines") rips off John Woo with endless, hyperstylized shootouts, all in slow motion with shattered glass showering everything in a million little pieces. All that's missing are the strategically placed doves.
That's not all that's coming down, though: It seems to rain or snow constantly in the movie's darkly gothic vision of New York, an attempt at emulating classic noir style. Some of the lighting, shadows and camera angles at the beginning are sufficiently evocative of the genre, but after a while it all feels dreary and smothering. Then again, "Max Payne" the video game was inspired by film noir, and has now, in turn, inspired a movie of its own. It's so meta.
Mark Wahlberg looks like he's in perpetual agony as the title character, an NYPD detective still searching for the killers of his wife and infant son years later. The return to action isn't a horrible fit for Wahlberg, but after his Oscar-nominated performance in "The Departed" and his behind-the-scenes work with the hugely successful "Entourage," he doesn't need this kind of dopey gig anymore.
"I don't believe in heaven," Max says in the opening voiceover as he's about to drown in an icy river. "I believe in pain. I believe in fear. I believe in death." He doesn't exactly lighten up - or develop much as a character - from there.
Max teams up with Russian mob assassin Mona Sax (Mila Kunis), whose sister (new Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko) was killed in a way that may tie her to Max's family. Kunis is incredibly sexy with her luxurious, dark hair and knee-high black boots, but it's impossible to take her seriously as a machine gun-toting enforcer. When she screams at Max in a dark alleyway, "Kneel the (expletive) down!" it sounds like her "Family Guy" character, Meg, yelling at younger brother Chris for embarrassing her at the mall.
Among those who cross Max path's in his search for the truth are his former partner (Donal Logue), an internal affairs agent (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, woefully underused in just a few scenes) and a longtime family friend and former cop (Beau Bridges) who's now the head of security for the pharmaceutical firm where Max's wife worked.
Somewhere amid the noise and the homicidal valkyries - oh yes, "Max Payne" has those, too - there may be a just-say-no-to-drugs message. There may also be an anti-war message. The valkyries may be real, or they may be a hallucination, the result of taking too much of a highly addictive blue liquid substance. Hard to tell - or care - even once the game is over.
One and a half stars out of four.
Taking on the movie business from the inside
"What Just Happened" is deep Hollywood inside-baseball, and for a while it cooks along with malevolent glee. Robert De Niro plays a successful movie producer and the initial shock is that the star seems actively engaged in his role. De Niro's not phoning it in! Stop the presses!
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What Just Happened
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Written by: Art Linson, based on his book
Starring: Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, John Turturro, Robin Wright Penn, Sean Penn, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Stewart, Catherine Keener
At: Boston Common, Fenway, suburbs
Running time: 107 minutes
Rated: R (language, some violent images, sexual content, and some drug material)
His character, Ben, has been around the block and understands that a producer's industry mojo rises and falls with each new movie he makes. Where you're positioned on the cover of the annual Vanity Fair Power Issue says it all, and at the moment, Ben is practically over by the staples.
His latest film, a grueling arthouse drama directed by a British bad boy (Michael Wincott) and starring Sean Penn (who plays himself), has just received possibly the worst sneak-preview cards in history. (Sample: "I want to find the people responsible for this movie and kill them.") Studio head and Lord High Executioner Lou Tarnow (Catherine Keener) demands a recut.
Ben's other big production hasn't begun shooting and never may, since star Bruce Willis (who plays himself) has arrived on set with a huge beard and a bigger attitude. Those who know their Hollywood gossip may recognize a real-life source: Alec Baldwin's similarly hirsute grandstanding during the filming of 1997's "The Edge." Producer Art Linson got a book out of that (2002's "What Just Happened?: Bitter Hollywood Tales From the Front Line") and he serves as screenwriter here, lightly fictionalizing real dirt into true lies.
That may be the problem with the film, actually. De Niro, Linson, and director Barry Levinson are all longtime insiders, and they offer no larger message than that careers in Hollywood are nasty, absurd, and short. Robert Altman's "The Player" brought paranoia and a devastating moralism to this subject, and movies as diverse as "Sullivan's Travels" and "Swimming With Sharks" have been funnier. "What Just Happened," by contrasts, mostly just happens.
It's taken for granted that everybody in the film industry smiles as they backstab, that stars and directors are egotistical children. After a while you wait for the movie to tell you something you don't know. The large and varied cast has fun biting the hand that feeds them: Stanley Tucci as a double-dealing writer, Robin Wright Penn as Ben's estranged second wife, Kristen Stewart as a wayward teenage daughter.
The only actor who pushes the envelope into necessary gonzo territory, though, is John Turturro as a sniveling scaredy-cat of an agent, hiding out in nail salons rather than facing the wrath of Willis. De Niro, while present, doesn't make Ben into the engaging human monster he seems to be on paper. The movie's about an average guy (more or less) trying to make a living (and maybe a good movie) in a business fueled by rapacious, soul-sucking greed. So what's in it for Ben? The film never really clears that up. Eventually it just stalls.
Linson's dialogue has crackle, at least, and the looking-glass logic of LA is expertly punctured when Ben and his wife meet for a divorce therapy session. "You're going to feel so good about being apart that you're never going to want to get back together" they're told, and right there the film touches on something bigger: That insistent Left Coast pleasantness that kills thought and spirit. Otherwise, "What Just Happened" is so myopic you feel like answering back "Why Should I Care?"
Movie review
Comedy. Starring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks and James Cromwell. Directed by Oliver Stone. (PG-13. 130 minutes. At Bay Area theaters. For complete movie listings and show times, and to buy tickets for select theaters, go to sfgate.com/movies.)
Images
Josh Brolin stars in Oliver Stone's new film, "W."Josh Brolin as George W. Bush, before he became president.Thandie Newton plays Condoleezza Rice in Oliver Stone's n... View Larger Images
After nearly eight years in office, George W. Bush is still a mystery. How smart is he? How dumb is he? Does he have regrets about the way his presidency has gone, or is he as impervious as his facade? Does he care? Is he really a nice guy? Is he really a horrible guy? Is he a religious person, or is that just a pose?
Love him or hate him, everyone has his or her own Bush, and so no screen portrayal of the president will satisfy everyone. But it's safe to say that the Bush depicted in Oliver Stone's "W." - and the movie itself - will put off viewers who approve of the president and at least amuse those who consider him a disaster.
"Harding was not a bad man," Alice Roosevelt Longworth once said of another president. "He was just a slob." And that's basically Stone's angle on Bush. The film presents him as a black sheep who drank away his youth, glided on family connections and embroiled the country in a needless, catastrophic war. Stone's viewpoint has its limitations: There's a shrewdness about the real-life Bush that is only hinted at in Josh Brolin's portrayal, and extant videos show that the young Bush was a lot more charming and charismatic than the hyperactive fool presented here.
Then again, if the young Bush were truly as confident as he seemed, why was he drinking heavily until he was 40 years old? Surely, there was something dark underneath the surface, which the movie attempts to bring to light.
The younger Bush's lifelong struggle with his father forms the psychological underpinning of "W." What was it like to be the drunken no-good son of a war hero/successful businessman/congressman and, later, president of the United States? What was it like to be the despised son in a family of high achievers? Brolin, who himself knows what it's like to have a celebrated father, tears into the Oedipal aspect of the role. W.'s pain, shame, embarrassment and resentment are all made real.
The movie is less sure-footed when it comes to W.'s religious conversion. As a psychologically astute director, Stone understands the ways that Bush used his "Higher Father" to ward off and fortify himself against his biological father. But Stone is too secular to get a handle on what it's like for a world leader to sincerely believe he's God's chosen instrument. Stone doesn't convey the charismatic, but dangerously delusional confidence, that such conviction might inspire. As such, "W." remains a secular portrait of a man who saw himself only partly in secular terms.
Still, Stone's Bush is only a first step, and no doubt other Bush movies will fill in more of the picture. In the meantime, Stone gets more than enough to keep his film fascinating from beginning to end. The screenplay, written by Stanley Weiser, follows two tracks, with scenes of the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2002 and 2003 interspersed with scenes from Bush's early life. We watch the young Bush from his college days through his decision to run for president, in 1999, when he tells his pastor that God is calling him.
Along the way, we meet the various people in Bush's life. James Cromwell gives the film's standout performance as George H.W. Bush, playing him as a serious, decent man who is at a loss when it comes to his oldest son - and ultimately ashamed of what W. does on the world stage. Cromwell is the one actor who makes no effort to sound like his real-life counterpart, nor does he look like the elder Bush, except in terms of height and weight. But he conveys his gravity, simplicity and essential decency.
The rest of the actors are immediately recognizable in their roles. Toby Jones is a sly Karl Rove, shorter than the real-life Rove but conveying the same impish self-satisfaction. Elizabeth Banks makes a lovely Laura Bush. Jeffrey Wright is Colin Powell, out of his depth and outnumbered in Cabinet meetings by the war faction, led by Richard Dreyfuss as a formidable Dick Cheney. As Stone's point of view is decidedly anti-war, Don Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn) and Assistant Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz (Dennis Boutsikaris) hardly come in for friendly treatment. But the one Stone really has it in for is Condoleezza Rice, who gets it worse than anybody.
At least Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz are portrayed as people with strong opinions. Rice is presented as a mere fawning appendage, who sits trying to read the president's mind so as to agree with him in advance. Thandie Newton looks as much like Rice as Tina Fey looks like Sarah Palin, and her performance is the funniest and meanest element of the movie. Indeed, mean or not, Newton alone is worth the price of admission.
In the end, "W." makes up in immediacy what it lacks in objectivity. Perhaps years from now, the film may play like an in-joke between a filmmaker and his audience. Yet even then, future audiences will have to appreciate the daring nature of what Stone is attempting: to put the national trauma known as the Bush years into historical and psychological perspective, even as they're still going on.
Images
Josh Brolin stars in Oliver Stone's new film, "W."Josh Brolin as George W. Bush, before he became president.Thandie Newton plays Condoleezza Rice in Oliver Stone's n... View Larger Images
After nearly eight years in office, George W. Bush is still a mystery. How smart is he? How dumb is he? Does he have regrets about the way his presidency has gone, or is he as impervious as his facade? Does he care? Is he really a nice guy? Is he really a horrible guy? Is he a religious person, or is that just a pose?
Love him or hate him, everyone has his or her own Bush, and so no screen portrayal of the president will satisfy everyone. But it's safe to say that the Bush depicted in Oliver Stone's "W." - and the movie itself - will put off viewers who approve of the president and at least amuse those who consider him a disaster.
"Harding was not a bad man," Alice Roosevelt Longworth once said of another president. "He was just a slob." And that's basically Stone's angle on Bush. The film presents him as a black sheep who drank away his youth, glided on family connections and embroiled the country in a needless, catastrophic war. Stone's viewpoint has its limitations: There's a shrewdness about the real-life Bush that is only hinted at in Josh Brolin's portrayal, and extant videos show that the young Bush was a lot more charming and charismatic than the hyperactive fool presented here.
Then again, if the young Bush were truly as confident as he seemed, why was he drinking heavily until he was 40 years old? Surely, there was something dark underneath the surface, which the movie attempts to bring to light.
The younger Bush's lifelong struggle with his father forms the psychological underpinning of "W." What was it like to be the drunken no-good son of a war hero/successful businessman/congressman and, later, president of the United States? What was it like to be the despised son in a family of high achievers? Brolin, who himself knows what it's like to have a celebrated father, tears into the Oedipal aspect of the role. W.'s pain, shame, embarrassment and resentment are all made real.
The movie is less sure-footed when it comes to W.'s religious conversion. As a psychologically astute director, Stone understands the ways that Bush used his "Higher Father" to ward off and fortify himself against his biological father. But Stone is too secular to get a handle on what it's like for a world leader to sincerely believe he's God's chosen instrument. Stone doesn't convey the charismatic, but dangerously delusional confidence, that such conviction might inspire. As such, "W." remains a secular portrait of a man who saw himself only partly in secular terms.
Still, Stone's Bush is only a first step, and no doubt other Bush movies will fill in more of the picture. In the meantime, Stone gets more than enough to keep his film fascinating from beginning to end. The screenplay, written by Stanley Weiser, follows two tracks, with scenes of the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2002 and 2003 interspersed with scenes from Bush's early life. We watch the young Bush from his college days through his decision to run for president, in 1999, when he tells his pastor that God is calling him.
Along the way, we meet the various people in Bush's life. James Cromwell gives the film's standout performance as George H.W. Bush, playing him as a serious, decent man who is at a loss when it comes to his oldest son - and ultimately ashamed of what W. does on the world stage. Cromwell is the one actor who makes no effort to sound like his real-life counterpart, nor does he look like the elder Bush, except in terms of height and weight. But he conveys his gravity, simplicity and essential decency.
The rest of the actors are immediately recognizable in their roles. Toby Jones is a sly Karl Rove, shorter than the real-life Rove but conveying the same impish self-satisfaction. Elizabeth Banks makes a lovely Laura Bush. Jeffrey Wright is Colin Powell, out of his depth and outnumbered in Cabinet meetings by the war faction, led by Richard Dreyfuss as a formidable Dick Cheney. As Stone's point of view is decidedly anti-war, Don Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn) and Assistant Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz (Dennis Boutsikaris) hardly come in for friendly treatment. But the one Stone really has it in for is Condoleezza Rice, who gets it worse than anybody.
At least Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz are portrayed as people with strong opinions. Rice is presented as a mere fawning appendage, who sits trying to read the president's mind so as to agree with him in advance. Thandie Newton looks as much like Rice as Tina Fey looks like Sarah Palin, and her performance is the funniest and meanest element of the movie. Indeed, mean or not, Newton alone is worth the price of admission.
In the end, "W." makes up in immediacy what it lacks in objectivity. Perhaps years from now, the film may play like an in-joke between a filmmaker and his audience. Yet even then, future audiences will have to appreciate the daring nature of what Stone is attempting: to put the national trauma known as the Bush years into historical and psychological perspective, even as they're still going on.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Director Cronenberg Gets in MGM's 'Circle'
tags tags: thriller political novel metro-goldwyn-mayer denzel washington david cronenberg bourne adventure adaptation action war
Director David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) is in negotiations to helm political thriller The Matarese Circle for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, according to Daily Variety. Denzel Washington is attached to star in the film, which is based on a Robert Ludlum (Bourne) best-selling 1979 novel. read more...
Last Updated: 10-07-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 47 Category: News Comments (0)
Ford: Momentum High for Fifth 'Indy'
tags tags: action adventure franchise harrison ford indiana jones sequel
Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford told the Los Angeles Times that momentum is already building for a fifth movie. "It's automatic, really; we did well with the last one, and with that having done well and been a positive experience, it's not surprising that some people want to do it again." read more...
Last Updated: 10-06-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 160 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
3-D 'Panda' Sequel Coming in 2011
tags tags: 3-d adventure angelina jolie animation dreamworks dreamworks animation family jack black paramount sequel
DreamWorks Animation is moving forward with a 3-D Kung Fu Panda sequel, titled Pandamonium and slotted for release on June 3, 2011, Daily Variety reported. read more...
Last Updated: 10-06-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 107 Category: Top Comments (0)
Dekker in Talks to Enroll in 'Fame' Remake
tags tags: thomas dekker revamp remake musical mgm fame tv series
Thomas Dekker, the star of Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," is in talks to take a lead role in MGM's remake of the 1980 musical Fame, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dekker is gunning to play Marco, a working-class kid with some gnarly acting chops who is competing with thousands of hopefuls to get into and survive an elite New York public high school for the arts. read more...
Last Updated: 09-30-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 143 Category: News Comments (0)
'Eagle Eye' Soars to Top of Box Office
tags tags: shia labeouf romance richard gere drama diane lane box office suspense thriller
Thriller Eagle Eye soared to the top of North American box office, taking in $29 million in its first weekend in theaters on the wings of Shia LaBeouf, according to studio estimates on Sunday. read more...
Last Updated: 09-28-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 236 Category: News Comments (0)
Fox to Lead Cast of 'Fathom'
tags tags: 20th century fox comic book fathom fox atomic megan fox transformers
Transformers star Megan Fox has reportedly signed on to lead the film adaptation of Michael Turner's "Fathom" comic series. Citing an anonymous source, IESB.net reported that the live-action movie is still at 20th Century Fox but has officially been handed over to the "genre" arm of the studio, Fox Atomic. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 356 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
McAdams Joins Warner's 'Sherlock' Cast
tags tags: robert downey jr. rachel mcadams jude law guy ritchie adventure action sherlock
Rachel McAdams, who stars in this weekend's limited release of The Lucky Ones, reportedly has signed up for a role in Guy Ritchie's star-studded movie Sherlock Holmes, according to The Hollywood Reporter." The action-adventure pic is scheduled to begin shooting next month. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 207 Category: News Comments (0)
Willis to Make Directing Debut on 'Stories'
tags tags: 2009 bruce willis camilla belle disney drama indie kieran culkin
Bruce Willis, who was most recently seen in Live Free or Die Hard, is will make his directing debut on independent drama Three Stories About Joan, which will star Camilla Belle and Kieran Culkin. Willis will also take a supporting role in the feature, which will begin shooting in early October in Shreveport. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 188 Category: News Comments (0)
Spielberg Might Direct 'Chocky' Movie?
tags tags: adaptation chocky dreamworks paramount sci-fi steven spielberg universal
The newly reinvigorated DreamWorks Pictures has re-optioned the film rights to John Wyndham's sci-fi novel Chocky. Spielberg is said to be keen to make the adaptation his next read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 347 Category: Top Comments (0)
Reeves Bites into Overture's 'Right One'
tags tags: suspense remake overture films matt reeves horror hammer films swedish vampire
Cloverfield director Matt Reeves has signed on to write and direct the vampire tale Let the Right One in for Overture Films and Hammer Films, according to Daily Variety. The project, which is a remake of Tomas Alfredson's Swedish film "Lat Den Ratte Komma in", centers on a young boy who befriends a female neighbor who moves to town. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 196 Category: News Comments (0)
Hathaway Attracted to 'Opposite of Love'
tags tags: novel comedy anne hathaway adaptation 20th century fox romance
The adorable Anne Hathaway, who was last seen in summer actioner Get Smart, has signed on to lead the cast of The Opposite of Love at 20th Century Fox, according to Daily Variety. The actress, who will next be seen Rachel Getting Married and Passengers, will star as a commitment-phobic attorney who finds her well-constructed life coming apart at the seams when she rebuffs her ready-for-marriage boyfriend. read more...
Last Updated: 09-25-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 176 Category: News Comments (0)
Warner Plans 'I Am Legend' Prequel
tags tags: action adventure franchise francis lawrence overbrook prequel sci-fi warner bros. will smith
Warner Bros. Pictures moving ahead with plans to do a prequel to the Will Smith starrer I Am Legend, according to Daily Variety. The plan is for Smith to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville, with Francis Lawrence returning to direct. Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner will produce with James Lassiter, Smith�s partner in Overbrook Entertainment. read more...
Last Updated: 09-25-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 605 Category: Top Comments (0)
'Wanted' Director Harpoons 'Moby Dick'
tags tags: universal pictures timur bekmambetov tale moby dick reimagining graphic novel whale
Director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) will helm a reimagining of Herman Melville's whale tale Moby Dick for Universal Pictures, according to Daily Variety. Adam Cooper (Accepted) and Bill Collage (Accepted) are on-board to pen the screenplay. The writers revere Melville's original text, but their graphic novel-style version will change the structure. read more...
Last Updated: 09-23-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 309 Category: Top Comments (0)
Director Black Enters Universal's 'Cold'
tags tags: thriller spy shane black action universal pictures
Screenwriter-turned-director Shane Black, who directed 2005's flop Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, will next helm Cold Warrior for Universal Pictures, according to Daily Variety. Based on a script by Chuck Mondry, the story revolves around a spy from the Cold War era who comes out of retirement to team with a younger agent from the new school to confront a domestic terrorism threat orchestrated by Russia. read more...
Last Updated: 09-23-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 1,128 Category: News Comments (0)
Knightley Lands Lead in Zelda Biopic
tags tags: biopic drama film department keira knightley nick cassavetes period
Keira Knightley, who can be currently seen in period-drama The Duchess, is in negotiations to play Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald in The Beautiful and the Damned. Actor-turned-helmer Nick Cassavetes (Alpha Dog, The Notebook) will direct the biopic for independent production company the Film Department. Hanna Weg wrote the screenplay. read more...
Last Updated: 09-23-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 24 Category: News Comments (0)
Cage and Sena Enter 'Season of the Witch'
tags tags: relatively media nicolas cage dominic sena supernatural thriller
Nicolas Cage, who can currently be seen in Bangkok Dangerous, will reteam with his "Gone in Sixty Seconds" director Dominic Sena for the supernatural thriller Season of the Witch for Relativity Media, according to Daily Variety. Shooting is scheduled to begin in early November in Austria and Hungary. read more...
Last Updated: 09-21-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 930 Category: News Comments (0)
'Lakeview Terrance' Tops Box Office
tags tags: samuel l. jackson romance paramount mgm lionsgate kate hudson dreamworks dane cook cop comedy box office sony screen gems thriller
The terribly-bad crazy cop thriller Lakeview Terrace, which stars Samuel L. Jackson, topped the weekend box office in US and Canada, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. The other new releases were largely ignored by moviegoers. read more...
Last Updated: 09-21-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 675 Category: News Comments (0)
Chow to Direct and Star in 'Green Hornet'
tags tags: 2010 adventure columbia pictures comedy evan goldberg green hornet neal h. moritz original film seth rogen sony pictures stephen chow
Stephen Chow will direct Seth Rogen and star opposite him as Kato in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet, set for release June 25, 2010, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 525 Category: Top Comments (0)
Johnson Sets Sights on 'Tomorrowland'
tags tags: action adventure dwayne johnson fantasy race to witch mountain sci-fi tomorrowland walt disney pictures
The Walt Disney Studios is developing an action-adventure movie set in space, to star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, supposedly inspired by the Tomorrowland section of its Disneyland theme park, Daily Variety reported. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 289 Category: Top Comments (0)
Vaughn and Favreau Reunite at 'Retreat'
tags tags: vince vaughn universal scott stuber jon favreau jason bateman iron man comedy
"Swingers" and "Made" co-stars Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau getting back together again in Universal's Couples Retreat. According to Daily Variety, the frequent co-stars will join Jason Bateman (Hancock) and Faizon Love (Elf) in the comedy Couples Retreat. The film is based on a script by Favreau and will be directed by Peter Billingsley. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 246 Category: News Comments (0)
Law in Talks for 'Sherlock Holmes' Role
tags tags: judd apatow guy ritchie comic book comedy adventure action jude law robert downey jr. sacha baron cohen sherlock holmes warner bros. will ferrel
Jude Law, who last starred in flops My Blueberry Nights and Breaking and Entering, is in negotiations to join Mr. Popular (aka Robert Downey Jr.) in Sherlock Holmes for Warner Bros. Pictures, according to Daily Variety. The trade says Law is "close to a deal" to play useful sidekick Watson to Downey's Holmes in the Guy Ritchie-directed feature. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 256 Category: News Comments (0)
Bloom and Knightley Doing 'Fever' Remake?!
tags tags: classic comedy john travolta keira knightley orlando bloom remake
Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley will be reportedly starring in the remake of the 70s blockbuster "Saturday Night Fever". The remake, titled "The Fever Returns", will be a new take on the John Travolta classic, reports the Daily Mirror. read more...
Last Updated: 09-17-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 530 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
Norton: Future of 'Hulk is 'Opaque'
tags tags: edward norton franchise hulk marvel superheros the avengers
Edward Norton has admitted that he is uncertain about the future of the Incredible Hulk franchise. The actor told MTV News: "The minds of Marvel are sometimes opaque. I won't say [they're] obtuse, but I don't have any idea what they want to do." However, Norton suggested that the character could return in The Avengers, a film uniting Marvel's most popular superheroes.
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Last Updated: 09-17-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 627 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
'Hills' Star Joins 'Sorority Row'
tags tags: audrina patridge horror remake summit entertainment suspense teen
Reality TV star Audrina Patridge has joined the cast of upcoming horror remake Sorority Row. Patridge, who starred in MTV's "The Hills", will join Rumer Willis and Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets) in the Summit Entertainment film, reports Bloody Disgusting. Stewart Hendler (Whisper) will direct the project, which focuses on a group of sorority sisters murdered at a party after they accidentally kill a teacher. read more...
Last Updated: 09-17-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 283 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
'Twilight' Co-Star 'Cowboys' Up
tags tags: action cam gigandet rachael leigh cook shane west thriller
Cam Gigandet (Twilight, Never Back Down) is in negotiations to play the lead role in Mario Van Peebles' fighter plane thriller Kerosene Cowboys. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Shane West and Rachael Leigh Cook (Nancy Drew, "She's All That") are also negotiating for the film, which is set up at Svarog-Afterburner Films. read more...
tags tags: thriller political novel metro-goldwyn-mayer denzel washington david cronenberg bourne adventure adaptation action war
Director David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) is in negotiations to helm political thriller The Matarese Circle for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, according to Daily Variety. Denzel Washington is attached to star in the film, which is based on a Robert Ludlum (Bourne) best-selling 1979 novel. read more...
Last Updated: 10-07-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 47 Category: News Comments (0)
Ford: Momentum High for Fifth 'Indy'
tags tags: action adventure franchise harrison ford indiana jones sequel
Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford told the Los Angeles Times that momentum is already building for a fifth movie. "It's automatic, really; we did well with the last one, and with that having done well and been a positive experience, it's not surprising that some people want to do it again." read more...
Last Updated: 10-06-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 160 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
3-D 'Panda' Sequel Coming in 2011
tags tags: 3-d adventure angelina jolie animation dreamworks dreamworks animation family jack black paramount sequel
DreamWorks Animation is moving forward with a 3-D Kung Fu Panda sequel, titled Pandamonium and slotted for release on June 3, 2011, Daily Variety reported. read more...
Last Updated: 10-06-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 107 Category: Top Comments (0)
Dekker in Talks to Enroll in 'Fame' Remake
tags tags: thomas dekker revamp remake musical mgm fame tv series
Thomas Dekker, the star of Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," is in talks to take a lead role in MGM's remake of the 1980 musical Fame, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dekker is gunning to play Marco, a working-class kid with some gnarly acting chops who is competing with thousands of hopefuls to get into and survive an elite New York public high school for the arts. read more...
Last Updated: 09-30-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 143 Category: News Comments (0)
'Eagle Eye' Soars to Top of Box Office
tags tags: shia labeouf romance richard gere drama diane lane box office suspense thriller
Thriller Eagle Eye soared to the top of North American box office, taking in $29 million in its first weekend in theaters on the wings of Shia LaBeouf, according to studio estimates on Sunday. read more...
Last Updated: 09-28-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 236 Category: News Comments (0)
Fox to Lead Cast of 'Fathom'
tags tags: 20th century fox comic book fathom fox atomic megan fox transformers
Transformers star Megan Fox has reportedly signed on to lead the film adaptation of Michael Turner's "Fathom" comic series. Citing an anonymous source, IESB.net reported that the live-action movie is still at 20th Century Fox but has officially been handed over to the "genre" arm of the studio, Fox Atomic. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 356 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
McAdams Joins Warner's 'Sherlock' Cast
tags tags: robert downey jr. rachel mcadams jude law guy ritchie adventure action sherlock
Rachel McAdams, who stars in this weekend's limited release of The Lucky Ones, reportedly has signed up for a role in Guy Ritchie's star-studded movie Sherlock Holmes, according to The Hollywood Reporter." The action-adventure pic is scheduled to begin shooting next month. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 207 Category: News Comments (0)
Willis to Make Directing Debut on 'Stories'
tags tags: 2009 bruce willis camilla belle disney drama indie kieran culkin
Bruce Willis, who was most recently seen in Live Free or Die Hard, is will make his directing debut on independent drama Three Stories About Joan, which will star Camilla Belle and Kieran Culkin. Willis will also take a supporting role in the feature, which will begin shooting in early October in Shreveport. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 188 Category: News Comments (0)
Spielberg Might Direct 'Chocky' Movie?
tags tags: adaptation chocky dreamworks paramount sci-fi steven spielberg universal
The newly reinvigorated DreamWorks Pictures has re-optioned the film rights to John Wyndham's sci-fi novel Chocky. Spielberg is said to be keen to make the adaptation his next read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 347 Category: Top Comments (0)
Reeves Bites into Overture's 'Right One'
tags tags: suspense remake overture films matt reeves horror hammer films swedish vampire
Cloverfield director Matt Reeves has signed on to write and direct the vampire tale Let the Right One in for Overture Films and Hammer Films, according to Daily Variety. The project, which is a remake of Tomas Alfredson's Swedish film "Lat Den Ratte Komma in", centers on a young boy who befriends a female neighbor who moves to town. read more...
Last Updated: 09-26-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 196 Category: News Comments (0)
Hathaway Attracted to 'Opposite of Love'
tags tags: novel comedy anne hathaway adaptation 20th century fox romance
The adorable Anne Hathaway, who was last seen in summer actioner Get Smart, has signed on to lead the cast of The Opposite of Love at 20th Century Fox, according to Daily Variety. The actress, who will next be seen Rachel Getting Married and Passengers, will star as a commitment-phobic attorney who finds her well-constructed life coming apart at the seams when she rebuffs her ready-for-marriage boyfriend. read more...
Last Updated: 09-25-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 176 Category: News Comments (0)
Warner Plans 'I Am Legend' Prequel
tags tags: action adventure franchise francis lawrence overbrook prequel sci-fi warner bros. will smith
Warner Bros. Pictures moving ahead with plans to do a prequel to the Will Smith starrer I Am Legend, according to Daily Variety. The plan is for Smith to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville, with Francis Lawrence returning to direct. Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner will produce with James Lassiter, Smith�s partner in Overbrook Entertainment. read more...
Last Updated: 09-25-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 605 Category: Top Comments (0)
'Wanted' Director Harpoons 'Moby Dick'
tags tags: universal pictures timur bekmambetov tale moby dick reimagining graphic novel whale
Director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) will helm a reimagining of Herman Melville's whale tale Moby Dick for Universal Pictures, according to Daily Variety. Adam Cooper (Accepted) and Bill Collage (Accepted) are on-board to pen the screenplay. The writers revere Melville's original text, but their graphic novel-style version will change the structure. read more...
Last Updated: 09-23-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 309 Category: Top Comments (0)
Director Black Enters Universal's 'Cold'
tags tags: thriller spy shane black action universal pictures
Screenwriter-turned-director Shane Black, who directed 2005's flop Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, will next helm Cold Warrior for Universal Pictures, according to Daily Variety. Based on a script by Chuck Mondry, the story revolves around a spy from the Cold War era who comes out of retirement to team with a younger agent from the new school to confront a domestic terrorism threat orchestrated by Russia. read more...
Last Updated: 09-23-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 1,128 Category: News Comments (0)
Knightley Lands Lead in Zelda Biopic
tags tags: biopic drama film department keira knightley nick cassavetes period
Keira Knightley, who can be currently seen in period-drama The Duchess, is in negotiations to play Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald in The Beautiful and the Damned. Actor-turned-helmer Nick Cassavetes (Alpha Dog, The Notebook) will direct the biopic for independent production company the Film Department. Hanna Weg wrote the screenplay. read more...
Last Updated: 09-23-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 24 Category: News Comments (0)
Cage and Sena Enter 'Season of the Witch'
tags tags: relatively media nicolas cage dominic sena supernatural thriller
Nicolas Cage, who can currently be seen in Bangkok Dangerous, will reteam with his "Gone in Sixty Seconds" director Dominic Sena for the supernatural thriller Season of the Witch for Relativity Media, according to Daily Variety. Shooting is scheduled to begin in early November in Austria and Hungary. read more...
Last Updated: 09-21-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 930 Category: News Comments (0)
'Lakeview Terrance' Tops Box Office
tags tags: samuel l. jackson romance paramount mgm lionsgate kate hudson dreamworks dane cook cop comedy box office sony screen gems thriller
The terribly-bad crazy cop thriller Lakeview Terrace, which stars Samuel L. Jackson, topped the weekend box office in US and Canada, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. The other new releases were largely ignored by moviegoers. read more...
Last Updated: 09-21-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 675 Category: News Comments (0)
Chow to Direct and Star in 'Green Hornet'
tags tags: 2010 adventure columbia pictures comedy evan goldberg green hornet neal h. moritz original film seth rogen sony pictures stephen chow
Stephen Chow will direct Seth Rogen and star opposite him as Kato in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet, set for release June 25, 2010, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 525 Category: Top Comments (0)
Johnson Sets Sights on 'Tomorrowland'
tags tags: action adventure dwayne johnson fantasy race to witch mountain sci-fi tomorrowland walt disney pictures
The Walt Disney Studios is developing an action-adventure movie set in space, to star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, supposedly inspired by the Tomorrowland section of its Disneyland theme park, Daily Variety reported. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 289 Category: Top Comments (0)
Vaughn and Favreau Reunite at 'Retreat'
tags tags: vince vaughn universal scott stuber jon favreau jason bateman iron man comedy
"Swingers" and "Made" co-stars Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau getting back together again in Universal's Couples Retreat. According to Daily Variety, the frequent co-stars will join Jason Bateman (Hancock) and Faizon Love (Elf) in the comedy Couples Retreat. The film is based on a script by Favreau and will be directed by Peter Billingsley. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 246 Category: News Comments (0)
Law in Talks for 'Sherlock Holmes' Role
tags tags: judd apatow guy ritchie comic book comedy adventure action jude law robert downey jr. sacha baron cohen sherlock holmes warner bros. will ferrel
Jude Law, who last starred in flops My Blueberry Nights and Breaking and Entering, is in negotiations to join Mr. Popular (aka Robert Downey Jr.) in Sherlock Holmes for Warner Bros. Pictures, according to Daily Variety. The trade says Law is "close to a deal" to play useful sidekick Watson to Downey's Holmes in the Guy Ritchie-directed feature. read more...
Last Updated: 09-19-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 256 Category: News Comments (0)
Bloom and Knightley Doing 'Fever' Remake?!
tags tags: classic comedy john travolta keira knightley orlando bloom remake
Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley will be reportedly starring in the remake of the 70s blockbuster "Saturday Night Fever". The remake, titled "The Fever Returns", will be a new take on the John Travolta classic, reports the Daily Mirror. read more...
Last Updated: 09-17-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 530 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
Norton: Future of 'Hulk is 'Opaque'
tags tags: edward norton franchise hulk marvel superheros the avengers
Edward Norton has admitted that he is uncertain about the future of the Incredible Hulk franchise. The actor told MTV News: "The minds of Marvel are sometimes opaque. I won't say [they're] obtuse, but I don't have any idea what they want to do." However, Norton suggested that the character could return in The Avengers, a film uniting Marvel's most popular superheroes.
read more...
Last Updated: 09-17-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 627 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
'Hills' Star Joins 'Sorority Row'
tags tags: audrina patridge horror remake summit entertainment suspense teen
Reality TV star Audrina Patridge has joined the cast of upcoming horror remake Sorority Row. Patridge, who starred in MTV's "The Hills", will join Rumer Willis and Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets) in the Summit Entertainment film, reports Bloody Disgusting. Stewart Hendler (Whisper) will direct the project, which focuses on a group of sorority sisters murdered at a party after they accidentally kill a teacher. read more...
Last Updated: 09-17-08 Votes: 0 Hits: 283 Category: Rumors_Link Comments (0)
'Twilight' Co-Star 'Cowboys' Up
tags tags: action cam gigandet rachael leigh cook shane west thriller
Cam Gigandet (Twilight, Never Back Down) is in negotiations to play the lead role in Mario Van Peebles' fighter plane thriller Kerosene Cowboys. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Shane West and Rachael Leigh Cook (Nancy Drew, "She's All That") are also negotiating for the film, which is set up at Svarog-Afterburner Films. read more...
Producer Lauren Shuler Donner Says Wolverine Kicks Ass
Coming Soon spoke with producer Lauren Shuler Donner about the upcoming Wolverine movie. It's safe to say that she thinks the movie will be good. Here are some the key words and quote snippets I have pulled from the interview so you guys have an inkling of what her opinion will be on Wolverine:
"little darker"
"a lot of action"
"It's really good."
"I think that it's good."
"Audiences are going to like it."
"it's darker and sadder."
"It's kick ass."
"There's a ton of action."
"It's really kick ass."
"It was fun."
"It was good."
"emotional core"
"fun and action"
Max Payne Film
The folks over at 20th Century Fox have provided Latino Review with two EXCLUSIVE film clips for their upcoming movie version of the hit video game "Max Payne" starring Mark Wahlberg, Chris O'Donnell, Beau Bridges, Ludacris, Mila Kunis, Donal Logue, and Amaury Nolasco.
The film is due October 17th 2008. Also check out the updated official site HERE! and check out the updated photo gallery HERE!
Based on the legendary, hard-hitting interactive video game, "Max Payne" tells the story of a maverick cop determined to track down those responsible for the brutal murder of his family and partner. Hell-bent on revenge, his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmare journey into a dark underworld. As the mystery deepens, Max (Wahlberg) is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal.
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