Michelle Williams Talks The Personal Nature Of 'Wendy & Lucy'

Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy & Lucy" is such a micro, minimalist piece of work and Michelle Williams is astonishing in in, but it seems so far off the mainstream radar. In short, if two more people go see this super modest, but deeply moving picture because of this interesting little interview, we'll be happy. This 30-minute interview is with David Poland who we find more personable in video than we do in print. We love this quote by EW, "Wendy and Lucy is like 'Lassie Come Home' directed by Michelangelo Antonioni." The film currently has a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It comes out in limited release next week on December 10. We thought Williams' performance was a quiet, but devastating one.

Box-Office Choices For Weekend Of December 5, 'Frost/Nixon,' 'Cadillac Records' And Not Much Else

It's a slow box-office weekend and presumably one of last week's winners like "Four Christmases" or "Bolt" will reign supreme. Even "Twilght" should probably do better than this week's two big openers, "Cadillac Records" and "Frost/Nixon," but maybe we're underestimating the Beyonce, music-loving crowd? Somehow we doubt it.

To be fair, "Frost/Nixon"s release is a limited one, so there's no way its toppling anyone. Critics seemed to love this one and it has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes Rating. Between the two "thought" reviews I wrote and the one that David Benjamin wrote, we think we'd probably give it around a B or B+ grade. It's a solid film, but it's also not anywhere near amazing. That said, the broken record says: weak year, its possibly a Best Picture nominee (frankly, we'd personally give the nod to "The Dark Knight" before we gave it to 'Nixon'). It's probably Ron Howard's best work or at least up there with his best, but its still not as potent as one hoped and Frank Langella who is usually excellent is just good. So in short: a solid piece of work, but you're probably not going to be blown away. We weren't.

"Cadillac Records" has a 66% RT rating and we could barely muster the energy to write a proper review and instead wrote our thoughts in relate-pieces about the film. It's not terrible by any means and Beyonce Knowles is surprisingly good, almost great in it, the performances are... fine, but overall it's forgettable, cliche-ridden and suffering from condensed, Cliff Notes-history corniness and goofiness.

Coming out in limited release is renowned English video artist Steve McQueen's lyrical and harrowing, feature-film debut, "Hunger" about the IRA hunger strike instigated by Bobby Sands in North Ireland. The film boasts a pretty grueling and hard-to watch performance by Michael Fassbender. No one's really talked about how much weight he had to lose for the role (as is generally the case with films like these), but his emaciated look suggest it was a lot. It's a visceral film and gut-wrenching at times, but also quite poetic and haunting. We thought it was a remarkable piece of work.

The film about family dysfunctions, "Nobel Son" comes out this weekend. We didn't see it and don't have much interest frankly. It's bleak 24% RT rating doesn't really help us change our minds.

Actually, "Punisher War Zone" could do ok at the box-office, right? It's a bit impossible for us to judge as the ridiculous-looking film has been completely off our radar and it has a shit-house RT rating of 16%. "Black Balloon" has an incredible 94% rating, but honestly we know very little about it other than it stars Toni Collette in what sounds like a supporting role (but because she's one of the bigger names, her face is larger on the poster).

"Extreme Movie" comes out this weekend. Umm, yeah..., no. We won't pretend that we know anything else about the smaller release this weekend, but they're all here for you to explore should you be feeling adventurous.

'Doubt' Is A Compelling Moral Chess Match

“Doubt” is an intricate and engaging film that concerns itself not with guilt or innocence, rather the nature of preconception and power of suspicion.

Set in a Bronx Catholic school during the 60s, the story pits Philip Seymour Hoffman’s vibrant, forward thinking Father Flynn against Meryl Streep’s intransigent, stuck in the past Sister Aloysius, the school’s principal. Rigid and feared by the entire school, Aloysius doesn’t like the progressive Flynn from the beginning. She restricts ballpoint pens in her school and seems to enjoy being feared by the student population. When the innocent, naïve Sister James comes to Aloysius about Father Flynn’s private meeting with the school’s only black student, the vulnerable Donald Miller, she immediately suspects something foul. Compounding her suspicions is Sister James’ claim that Donald had alcohol on his breath upon returning to class. What follows is a compelling, unsettling cat and mouse game between Sister and Father, as she becomes overwhelmed by her mistrust despite minimal proof and he fights to uphold his reputation within the school and Church.

It goes without saying performances are the selling point here. Streep and Hoffman could read the phone book and make it interesting, so watching them work with complex, understated material is a joy. Their intricate performances both bring layered exposition while approaching boundaries of what it is to be a Catholic at the time and most importantly, the power of reservation. In support, Amy Adams is naïve and charming as Sister James, while Viola Davis packs an emotional punch as Donald’s mother, stealing an important scene from the veteran Streep. John Patrick Shanley, who wrote and directed the play, mostly stays out of the way and lets his actors do the heavy lifting. Roger Deakins continues his strong work of late, utilizing canted angles to create a sense of uneasiness and a struggle for power, while high angle shots within the school hint at a sense of religious ambiguity. Howard Shore’s score is restrained and eerie before reaching a pinnacle in the final sequence.

The taut, well-paced script deconstructs the two leads as their battle exacerbates before reaching a difficult close. Streep’s Aloysius is inflexible and at times brutal, but never do we get the sense of a traditional antagonist. Her motives are easily understood despite not being the most agreeable character. And Hoffman plays Flynn as progressive and relatable – Donald Miller’s only friend and a beacon of hope within a school overrun by cynicism. Yet the real-life, highly publicized sexual misconduct cases against Priests cast an uncertainty over the film’s most likable character. I suspect two people could see this film and leave with remarkably different opinions about whether Flynn is guilty, a tribute to a brilliant performance and expertly crafted script.

As for the requisite Academy talk – expect this film to be in the mix across the board. Streep is close to a lock, she’s an Academy darling and her performance here won’t go unnoticed come Oscar time. Philip Seymour Hoffman hasn’t had a misfire in years and should also attract a Supporting Actor selection. Amy Adams is charming, but I honestly think Viola Davis could grab a nomination based on her one scene... Wait until you see it. Adapted screenplay is likely, and the film remains topical enough to garner Best Pic nod. John Patrick Shanley’s directing is fine, but overshadowed by performances. And listening to him speak after the film, it sounds like that was his intention. Roger Deakins is on point but his work in “Revolutionary Road” will be what gets nominated.

Doubt is a bond as powerful as certainty, a pillar in which the story is built upon. From the moment Sister James sees Flynn with Donald and Aloysius fashions her suspicions, the film relentlessly plays on our own convictions and uncertainties. To this extent, every exchange, demeanor and mannerism of both Streep and Hoffman become potential insights towards a solution to the central question. It’s a simple film with complex implications, breaking down its characters and leaving us with only our insinuations and doubts.

New Scene From 'Che' Part One; 'The Argentine,' Plus Soderbergh Talks Screenplay And Visual Aesthetics

Indiewire has a fantastic interview with "Che" director Steven Soderbergh, a filmmaker they call very appropriately, a "one-man cinematic insurrection."

We just finished reading the June '06 draft of "The Argentine" and it's remarkable how different it is. Almost the first 3/4 is very different and all of the black-and-white addresses to the United Nations are absent. Plus the Peter Buchman-penned screenplay is kind of littered with the cliches that are in very short supply in the final film version. Perhaps this is the version of the script that Soderbergh hadn't a chance to put his own touch on. Soderbergh talked to Indiewire about the screenplay and many, many other elements of the sprawling and ambitious achievement.

"We had one screenplay that had four timelines and was kind of unreadable and you couldn't go into any kind of depth. It felt like a coming attraction to a bigger film. So my decision at that point was instead of eliminating the storylines, let's cut it in half and expand. I felt like we're not doing justice to Bolivia; we're not doing justice to Cuba. And once we said that, the problems became more manageable. Luckily, the people that we already did deals with were happy to renegotiate for two films instead of one. We didn't get a lot of resistance."

Both films have to separate looks. The optimistic Part 1, is bright and soaked with the sunstroked hues of Cuba. Guevara's demise in "Guerilla" is appropriately colder with many contours of blue and frigid green.

"The two parts mimic the voice of the two diaries that they're based on. The Cuban reminiscences were obviously written after the fact, with a certain hindsight and perspective and a tone that comes from being victorious. So I wanted the style of the movie to reflect that. Nobody is in the dark about the result of the Cuban revolution. In the case of Bolivia, the diaries were contemporaneous, and they're very isolated and have no perspective, at all. It's a much more tense read, because the outcome is totally unclear. So the style and vibe is much more forbidding. The colors are not very vibrant; the framing isn't as clean. I was thinking about early William Friedkin stuff."

They also have a clip from the film. The scene is from the Cuban campaign in "The Argentine" that features Benicio Del Toro and Catalina Sandino Moreno's character Aleida March as she pulls off a risky move to spot a sniper that's been holding down Che's rebels for hours and knocking them off one by one in the city of in Santa Clara (March would later become Guevara's second wife).

It's a very long and immersing interview and you should read it all as it really explains Soderbergh's unconventional approach to the film. It's a testament to Benicio Del Toro's inner performance that its so soulful and simpatico and yet he rarely has any close-ups nor does the film ever really deliver any large and typical emotional catharsis.

BTW, a lot of outlets are calling the most recent trailer a Part Two "Guerilla" specific one for some reason, but that's not the case. The most recent trailer says "Che" and features footage from both films.

Hancock Sequel Coming? 'Sin City 2' In April?

Will Smith says there will be a "Hancock" sequel which is great news for people who like popcorn flicks and bad news for people that posses a shred of intelligence. Again, it was one of the worst films of 2008, easily. [JoBlo]

LOL Update: About The Blu-Ray DVD that comes out today. "No -- don't buy Hancock on Blu-ray unless you have the movie-watching taste buds of a mountain gorilla. It has one of the dumbest, looniest third acts ever created in the history of drama. Relentless big-whomp special effects, but what's that?" - Hollywood Elsewhere. Well put, consider yourself retarded if you thought this was a good film. In related news, Smith's kid, Jaden, sounds like he's totally going to fuck-up the "Karate Kid" remake.

Another Johnny Depp/Tim Burton team-up, this time a remake of "Dark Shadows"? Let's face it the last time these guys had great results together was in 1994 in "Ed Wood" (in fact that's Burton's last good movie). [MTV]

"Ghostbusters 3" with Sigourney Weaver? [MTV]

As expected, the "The Dark Knight" will be re-released in 2009. The date now is officially January 23. [/Film]

"Sin City 2 is written," creator Frank Miller finally says. "And we could be shooting as soon as April."We bet you $500 bucks if it shoots in April, Robert Rodriguez is not involved. Another $100 says April won't happen (especially not after "The Spirit" tanks). Rodriguez is working on something else. [FirstShowing/IGN]

Bryan Singer says he's not officially involved in talks for the next "Superman" film, but that he... is not in official talks for the next "Superman" film. Don't expect him to direct it. [Cinemablend]

"Star Trek" in IMAX? [Cinematical]

Jay Baruchel will star with Nicolas Cage in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," a live-action Disney film. [Cinemablend]

Gothy emo-rockers My Chemical Romance says their cover of Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" is "integral" to the end of Zack Snyder's "Watchmen." Congratulations? We can't think of anything more abortion-sounding then My Chemical Romance tackling a Dylan song. Heresy. [MTV]

Why Indie-Twee, 20-Something Movies Can Be Totally Ghey - Is '500 Days Of Summer' The Shins Of Indie Movies?

"Juno," "The Wackness," "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," "Garden State" even "The Go-Getter," one of our friends calls these indie-friendly flicks, "The Shins of Indie Movies," i.e., the pleasant, but completely toothless and innocuous indie-rock band on Sub Pop records that many of us enjoy, but all are completely aware aren't exactly high art or life-changing.

These are the "offbeat" and "quirky" romance movies places like Stereogum, Pitchfork and the younger movie crowd tend to adore and we must admit we anticipate and even enjoy many of them too (of the above, "The Go-Getter" is our fave and the least indie offensive), but it's undeniable that some of these "indie hipster" films can be obnoxious, sickeningly twee and cringe-inducing in their emo-ness. They're films that Fox Searchlight loves to put out (as Spoutblog likes to say derisively) and they sometimes have the quality of a guilty pleasure ("The Wackness" is kind of that way for us, but we totally understand those that loathed it).

One film we're tentatively looking forward to is the fanciful-looking "500 Days Of Summer" and this one totally fits the aforementioned, potentially offensive bill. It stars Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and it is the feature-length directorial debut of Marc Webb, a...wait for it... video director (more and more these days a "video director turned filmmaker" is a pejorative or a least a: proceed with caution fyi; see the godawful, "Henry Poole Is Here").

Webb has directed a lot of ok videos for a lot of unremarkable bands (AFI, Good Charlotte, Miley Cyrus, My Chemical Romance, Matisyahu, Fergie, All American Rejects). Where are we going with all this?

We've always felt this way about a lot of these films, but had a difficult time sometime articulating what the problem with them was. Anywhoo, the hilarious post by crazy, but lovable coot Jeffrey Wells inspired some of it. His sort of contempt for the twee, fey indie boy kind of makes us laugh and it sort of points to the problem with these emo-wussy films. The film premieres at Sundance '09 and Wells says he's not having it.

"I'm least interested in seeing, no offense, is Marc Webb's 500 Days of Summer, which is about Joseph Gordon-Levitt flashing back to his relationship with Zooey Deschanel and trying to figure out why she broke up with him. I'm already suffering just thinking about this film.

Any guy who doesn't understand exactly what's happening and not happening at any moment in a romantic relationship holds no interest for me. Only losers go "what went wrong?...waaahh" when things don't work out. Winners know what's going to happen before it happens, and they hold the door open for the woman as she leaves, and they give her cab fare."

Ha, Wells is such a character and while he's being typically melodramatic (and machismo) in his own way, he's onto something and every one should be at least aware of the potential inherent problems with these films and sometimes we're a little concerned when people are completely oblivious to their downsides. We're not saying it's going to suck and we're not going to say we're not vaguely anticipating it (it has musical connections which could be OK, and or at least put it on our radar), but we're saying: if you don't see the pitfalls in these films you're kind of naive.

'Fanboys' Director Kyle Newman To Helm 'Emo Boy'

Oh and another film that screams ghey, indie-twee film is the loud and clear, "Emo Boy" that just got announced today by The Hollywood Reporter. It's going to be directed by (ugh) Kyle Newman, the guy who directed the "Star Wars"-obsessives film "Fanboys," had it taken away from him by the Weinstiens and then given back after much loud nerd protest. It's based off a comic book and the writer-artist Stephen Edmond is writing the script. Though hopefully its a spoof of emo kids? THR say its "the satirical comic followed the travails of the most self-dramatizing young man in the history of the world, whose emotions were so intense he even had ' emo powers.' "

Could be funny if that's the case, but the "tone" mentions "Napoleon Dynamite" so that's a huge negative point deduction. A point for "Harold and Maude" and zero points award or taken for "Zoolander."

Trailer Sneak: 'I Love You Phillip Morris'

Here's a three minute French trailer for the gay prison comedy, "I Love You Phillip Morris" starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. The movie is a true story of a married gay man (Carrey), whose exploits landed him in the Texas criminal justice system. He falls madly in love with his cellmate (McGregor), who is eventually set free, which lead Carey's character to escape from Texas prisons four times to find him. We can't say we're excited to see this at all, but lesser discerning "critics" surely are. Remember when McGregor was a good actor and had a good career? We yearn for those days. Blame it on "Phantom Menace." It's also premiering at Sundance in February.

A commenter reminds us this one was written by the guys who wrote the deliciously off-color "Bad Santa" so maybe it has a shot, but Carrey hasn't been tolerable in a long time.

New Clips, Photos And Trailer Help Continue The Mystery Of Will Smith's 'Seven Pounds'

Trailers and scenes from "Seven Pounds" staring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson are on Apple trailers. The scenes are new, but the trailer doesn't look much different from the one the leaked a few months ago. Either way, the "mystery" behind this film continues as no one seems to know what it's really about other than they synopsis that is out there which basically suggests a dying man who wishes seven wishes or acts of kindness to seven strangers.

Academy Award nominee Will Smith reunites with the directors and producers of "The Pursuit of Happyness" (director Gabriele Muccino) for the emotional drama Seven Pounds. In the film, Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

The film also stars Barry Pepper, Woody Harrelson and Michael Ealy ("Miracle at St. Anna"). People why we might be interested at all in this one. Well for one, there's a mystery to what it is exactly and that always intrigues us. Much like Will Smith's "Hancock" earlier this summer, this film appears and sounds like it has a big twist somewhere in it. In fact Rosario Dawson already alluded to that last month on Oprah. So place a riddle in front of us and we always want to solve it.

For two Gabriele Muccino's "The Pursuit of Happyness," was a genuinely honest and moving drama and there's a very good reason why Will Smith earned himself a Best Actor Oscar nomination for it in 2006 despite the fact that no one saw it - he was excellent in the film.
For three, as just mentioned, Smith can act when he wants to and we'd love to see him redeem himself from the shithouse that was "Hancock," in the summer (easily going down on our list of the worst films of 2008).

Sony has locked this one up. One commenter on Jeffrey Wells site alludes to how protective they are about letting the secret out. "I was actively appreciating the fact that spoilers and word of mouth had not impacted my experience. You have to have ice in your veins not to be moved. Well done." The Golden Derby has seen the film and they call Smith a "potential best actor Oscar nominee" again this year. According to Anne Thompson, Sony are going to screen the shit out of it. Good, hopefully that means we'll get an invite. All we're saying is keep an eye on this one and don't count this movie out of the Oscar race yet even though it's been very quiet so far. Reuters are calling the campaign so far, a low-key Oscar bid.

Our Second "Frost/Nixon" Review

We’ve already covered Ron Howard’s political drama “Frost/Nixon”, but I saw the film and a subsequent Q&A with filmmakers tonight and had a few more thoughts to share. While already in pre-production on “Angels & Demons”, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer saw the eventual Tony Award winning play and moved quickly towards a film adaptation. With a small budget relative to his usual work and a shoot of just 40 days, Howard manages to keep his often-imperious direction out of the way of Peter Morgan’s strong script and solid all around performances.

The two-man play is essentially turned in to a fleshed out political thriller with both leads reprising their roles. The plot is pretty straight forward – David Frost, a toothy British talk show host travels to the States to conduct an against all odds interview with President Nixon after his resignation in the hopes of giving him the trial the American people feel he deserves. We previously mentioned the “boxing match” element of the film, which is absolutely apparent. Morgan’s screenplay does an excellent job of introducing both characters, placing them in proper context, establishing the stakes and pretenses leading up to their eventual face-off, an interview with implications that will change the lives of both men. The debate is intense, with shifting dynamics that eventually reach a powerful conclusion.

Michael Sheen holds his own as Frost, balancing enough naivety and seriousness to remain a likable hero. Supporting cast all around is excellent, Oliver Platt and Sam Rockwell add humor to an unfunny period in this nation’s history. Kevin Bacon is also solid as Jack Brennan, a man responsible with making sure Nixon stays out of his own way. But the star here, as you might’ve heard, is Frank Langella. Playing Nixon as a flat villain would’ve been too easy a route for the veteran actor, Langella delivers a nuanced performance that ultimately paints Nixon as a sad victim of his own shortcomings and mistakes beneath a combative exterior. Obviously the performance peaks during a heated moment of Watergate questioning, it’s a scene that is sure to garner attention from the Academy and audiences alike.

Adaptations of plays aren’t typically the easiest way to a successful film, but we’ve seen two this year in “Doubt” and now “Frost/Nixon”. Howard creates a fully realized environment for a play essentially about two talking heads, giving us motivations and complexities leading up to an explosive finale. Sure, we know the ending of this story. But rarely did I lose interest in the characters and was willing to suspend prior notions about Nixon and the interview in general. Howard and his cinematographer, Salvatore Totino, keep the camera fluid and kinetic, pairing with Hans Zimmer’s intensifying score to create a sense of anticipation before suspending it all and leaving us in the room with these two men for their mesmerizing showdown.

Too often reviews draw comparisons to the current political climate and Bush administration. But given the culture of deceit and secrecy in Washington over the last eight years, it’s hard to avoid when thinking about this film. Whether or not this was Howard’s intent is up to the viewer, and the consensus is Nixon is given fair portrayal here, but nonetheless “Frost/Nixon” serves as a reminder of the consequences of a closed door White House and how hopefully those days are behind us.

New 'Revolutionary Road' Clips

Danny Boyle Working With Lars Von Trier On Next Film Project? Plus Director Describes 'Trainspotting' Sequel Plot

MTV again, Kurt Loder, the same Fox Searchlight holiday party, we just wrote about.

The journo runs into Danny Boyle and starts chatting him up. Doesn't reveal much to it, but drops this little juicy tidbit of information.

"[Boyle] he has to hook up for a new picture with his longtime colleague, the Danish curmudgeon/director Lars Von Trier."

Danny Boyle and Lars Von Trier? Doing a movie together? What an odd pairing. How does that work?. Trier is such a miserablist, an enfante terrible and Boyle is so buoyant and celebratory in his work. Hmm, no details at all, but we wonder what that will produce and what exactly the collaboration will be.

Meanwhile, we've never read Irvine Welsh's "Porno," but that's basically the plot of the "Trainspotting sequel." If you haven't read it like us, Boyle explains what the plot of this sequel would be should they ever eventually shoot it to the A/V Club.

"It's about these hedonists who abused themselves, their bodies, their minds, and everybody around them, at that time of your life when you feel like you can do anything, you're invulnerable. They hit the wall in middle age, when everything stops, and you think, 'I can't do that anymore, I will not be able to get away with that anymore.' We always thought that's a wonderful idea as a sequel, rather than just a cash-in of doing the same thing again, I just thought that would be very exciting. So that's the plan."

Meanwhile, Boyle talks a bit more about the animated project he was going to do with "Millions" screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce based on a Terry Pratchett sci-fi novel. The project fell through though.

"I do believe...that you should go back to the beginning again, do something you're not familiar with. [So] I was working with Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote Millions. We were working on the script at DreamWorks together, 'cause animated films take forever. I normally only ever do one thing at a time, I normally never double up on what I do, but I was doing that on this one. It's fallen apart, unfortunately, so it's not going to happen. [Animated films are] so expensive and complicated. They're a huge thing."

Will Darren Aronofsky Recut/Revisit 'The Fountain'?

MTV's Kurt Loder went to a Fox Searchlight holiday party in New York last night (where was our invite :( ) and caught up with "The Wrestler" director Darren Aronofsky.

The director said he was "mulling" over his next project, but no details as to which one exactly that would be.

However, he did say that at some point, possibly in a few years when he has some time, he'd like to revisit his underappreciated 2006 sci-fi romance, "The Fountain."

“It wouldn’t be a ‘director’s cut,’” he said — more like an alternate story told with the addition of unused footage from the first go-round. This would be a complicated project on a couple of levels, though, and it’s at least a few years away.

Hmm, unused footage from the first one, huh? Not a lot to go on there, but an interesting prospect nonetheless. One of our favorite parts of "The Fountain" is the score (naturally) that's written by Aronofsky collaborator Clint Mansell and performed by avante classical foursome, the Kronos Quartet and Scottish post-rockers Mogwai. It's an excellent collaboration between three great groups of musicians.

"Death Is The Road To Awe"

"The Last Man"

'Slumdog Millionaire' Tops The National Board of Review

"Slumdog Millionaire" takes the Best Picture, Eastwood takes Best Actor and Fincher scored Best Director. Will this inform the Oscars at all? In a weak year like this, very possibly. Not because Oscar will be looking at what the NBR is saying/voting, but with no strong frontrunner this year aside from "Milk," we're inclined to think that scattered awards will go to multiple films without any one film really sweeping up. Danny Boyle's film topped the awards with three prizes, including a Breakthrough nod for Dev Patel and Best Adapted Screenplay (which also tied with 'Benjamin Button'). List below.

We didn't think Eastwood's "Gran Torino" was that amazing of a performance, nor did we think "Frost/Nixon" was that incredible (both are fine, good), but again, a weak Oscar year and you get films nominated that don't really knock your socks off.

Best Film: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino”
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best Foreign Film: “Mongol”
Best Documentary: “Man on Wire”
Best Animated Feature: “WALL-E”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Doubt”
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Best Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, “Frozer River”
Best Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, “Gran Torino”
Best Adapted Screenplay (tie): Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire” and Eric Roth, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

The top ten (in alphabetical order):
“Burn After Reading”
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Defiance”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Gran Torino”
“Milk”
“WALL-E”
“The Wrestler”

Top five foreign films (in alphabetical order):
“Edge of Heaven”
“Let the Right One In”
“Roman de Gare”
“A Secret”
“Waltz with Bashir”

Top five documentary films (in alphabetical order):
“American Teen”
“The Betrayal”
“Dear Zachary”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”

Top Ten Independent Films
“Frozen River”
“In Bruges”
“In Search of a Midnight Kiss”
“Mr. Foe”
“Rachel Getting Married”
“Snow Angels”
“Son of Rambow”
“Wendy and Lucy”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
“The Visitor”

You know we're actually starting to think that if "The Dark Knight" got nominated for an Oscar, the race actually could get really interesting.

More Sundance '09 Announced; 'Adventureland,' '500 Days Of Summer' & Spike Lee's 'Passing Strange' To Make World Premiere

Yesterday's announcement and now today's additions with more bold faced names:

- Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger ("The Informers" by Gregor Jordan)
- Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor ("I Love You Philip Morris" by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)
- Kevin Spacey and Sam Rockwell ("Moon" by Duncan Jones).

"- Manure," (directed by Michael Polish and written by Mark Polish and Michael Polish) is described as a "comic tale centered on manure salesman" starring Tea Leoni, Billy Bob Thornton and Kyle MacLachlan.

- Katherine Dieckmann ("Diggers") with "Motherhood," starring Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver, while

- Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") team up again for "Rudo and Cursi," directed by Carlos Cuaron.

- Environment will be the spotlight in the festival's closing night film, "Earth Days," directed by Robert Stone.

Premieres highlights include:

500 Days of Summer/U.S.A. (Director: Marc Webb; Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber)--When an unlucky greeting card copywriter is dumped by his girlfriend, the hopeless romantic shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days 'together' in hopes of figuring out where things went wrong. Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. World Premiere

Adventureland/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Greg Mottola)--In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World Premiere

Brooklyn's Finest/U.S.A. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; Screenwriters: Michael C. Martin)--After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World Premiere.

Highligh of Films screening in Spectrum and Spectrum Dosc are:

Lymelife/U.S.A. (Director: Derick Martini; Screenwriters: Derick Martini, Steven Martini)--Set in the 1970s, a unique take on the dangers of the American dream seen through the innocent eyes of a fifteen-year-old boy. Cast: Alec Baldwin, Kieran Culkin, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, Emma Roberts. U.S. Premiere

It Might Get Loud/U.S.A. (Director: Davis Guggenheim)--The history of the electric guitar from the point of view of three legendary rock musicians. Cast: The Edge, Jimmy Page, Jack White. U.S. Premiere (our review)

Passing Strange/U.S.A. (Director: Spike Lee; Lyrics: Stew; Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald)--A musical documentary about the international exploits of a young man from Los Angeles who leaves home to find himself and 'the real'. A theatrical stage production of the original Tony-Award winning book by Stew. Cast: De,AeoAdre Aziza, Daniel Breaker, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Stew. World Premiere

Tyson/U.S.A. (Director: James Toback)--An intimate look at the complex life of former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson. Cast: Mike Tyson. North American Premiere (Nas doing some of the music)

via Indiewire, they did all the heavy lifting, more films announced there.

Mickey Rourke's Sisters Defend Him Against Unflattering NYTimes Profile

The New York Times published a profile piece on "The Wrestler" star Mickey Rourke over the weekend and it wasn't too flattering or too kind.

We mentioned it earlier in the week and said the Times kind of "hammer him and essentially suggest he's been milking his hard-times comeback story. It's kind of harsh and they basically call him emotionally insincere."

The Times wrote:

"So what if he cries at the same moment in the same story in every interview? So what if his candor sometimes sounds like the bad dialogue from one of his many bad movies ("I have no one to go to to fix the broken pieces in myself") or that his self-deprecation seems culled from the stock stories of so many fading actors ("I was in 7-Eleven, and this guy says, 'Didn't you used to be a movie star?'")? So what if he seems disingenuous, at best, when he says he can't remember that critics nominated him one of the world's worst actors in 1991 ("I probably would have voted with them")."

Us again: "To be fair, Rourke sounds like a 12-step recovery guy, not necessarily from booze, but from emotional issues and everyone knows that 12-steppers repeat their stories over and over again like mantras." See (for random example) Brian Goodman, the director of "What Doesn't Kill You." At TIFF, the guy talked about being 12 years clean and still he's got that 12-step talk ingrained in him. It doesn't leave you.

Deadline Hollywood talked to Rourke's sister and stepsister who say the Times was unfair.

"We were shocked and deeply saddened to read Pat Jordan’s overtly biased piece about our brother Mickey Rourke in The New York Times Magazine. Although our childhood is searingly painful to discuss, we absolutely needed to speak out to set the record straight. Tragically, what our brother has said about his abusive childhood barely scratches the surface of what really happened. If Pat Jordan had tried to contact us, we would've told him the truth. We love Mickey very much and stand by his account of our early years."

We're not like some fan sites that blindly stick by their man no matter what, but we have to side with the sisters here, the Times piece was a bit over-the-top.

Drink Up, Jessica Walters Says Arrested Development Movie Mostly Good, Bateman Suggest Summer '09 Possible Start

Jason Bateman says summer 2009 is the potential start date for shooting on the "Arrested Development" movie if all goes well. He hints at Michael Cera's potential lack of involvement.

"Well it looks as if it's going to happen," he said. "The question is who wants to be a part of it."

Jessica Walters (Lucile Bluthe) pretty much says the same.

"I miss the people and I miss the writing. Mitch Hurwitz ["Arrested Development" creator], so brilliant! It is exciting - how they'll ever get everybody involved together, I have no idea. Luckily that's not my problem. I don't know about [Cera], but how about him? It's funny, he's the nicest, quietest, most laid-back kid - and he was on the show too. You just didn't think that this guy was going to be a huge movie star. He was so quiet, so non-showbizzy. I mean, I'm not surprised because he's so talented, but it happened so fast - within a year."

We'll believe it when we see it.

Trailer: 'The Boat That Rocked'

British film about U.K. Pirate Radio DJs broadcasting from a boat set in 1966. Stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost , Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy and January Jones. "The Boat That Rocked" comes out sometime in 2009 and honestly does not look good.

Viggo Mortensen Hopes 'The Road' Doesn't Get Released In Dumping Ground Season '09

Viggo Mortensen on "The Road" and its new release date: hopefully not February or March (hint: put it back in Oscar season):

"What I hope they don't do is then just put it out in February or something. I hope they wait and do it at the right time. I don't know."

On his thoughts, understanding and overall disappointment on the delay:

"My understanding is that they know that they’ve got a story that a lot of people want to see, because of the book. And, the people that read the book, which are many, were very moved by it and by this relationship between this boy and this man, in particular, in that setting. And, I think that they are really aware of the fact that they’ve got one chance to do it, and if there’s any little things that they still want to work on a little more, to get it just right, whether it’s the music--I don’t know what it is--a variety of things, they want to do it right. And, if you rush it out before you feel in good conscience it’s there…So, I am disappointed. I wanted to see it. I want to see how it is.

But, if they think they need a little more time, then I’d rather they took it than didn’t. There’s the thought, ‘Well, maybe, we can sneak in and get an award, nomination or something, or make some money right now’. And, then, you think about it later and go, ‘Well, if we only had done this and that, we really would have finished it, and then they really would have liked it’ or something. It doesn’t bother me that much."

via AICN.

Trailer Sneak: 'Terminator Salvation' On ET.

A weird day today so things are gonna be very minimal. The "Terminator Salvation" trailer or parts of it, on Entertainment Tonight for those that care.

'Bottle Rocket' Short Was Possibly 30 Minutes Long? Footage Lost

What, going here again? Well, we might as well be completists. Obsessive fans bemoaning the fact that all the deleted scenes on the "Bottle Rocket" Criterion Collection DVD aren't present (on the commentary track Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson talk about at least three more scenes that aren't available on the disc and some shown for a few brief seconds), can groan a little more.

Anderson talk to the Onion A/V Club about "The Bottle Rocket" re-release (no new movie news, sorry) and said the 13-minute black-and-white short was possibly even 30 minutes longer at one point, but was cut way down. Anderson hoped to include that footage on the Criterion release (a small fraction of it is in the making-of-documentary including a fight scene not in the short), but wasn't able to find it.

"We actually shot more. The short has quite a bit of stuff that was cut out of it. I think at one point it was more like 30 minutes or something, and we cut it down. I tried to find all that footage to put it on the DVD, but it never turned up. My mother was looking through closets and searching everywhere, and we just never could find that stuff."

Somewhere, someone in the United States is crying (they're probably in our comments section). The soundtrack to the short (which features a lot of classic jazz tracks), which was never-before-released until it came out on the just-released Criterion disc, is also finally coming out and it hits digitally on December 9 via Fantasy/Concord Records.

Keanu Reeves Would Rather Do 'Bill & Ted' Than 'Speed 3'

Keanu Reeves has said if he's going to revisit his past, he'd rather go back to the stoner characters of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" than the L.A. cops of "Speed."

Rumors of 'Speed 3' with Keanu? Not with him he says. “I don't know if they are going to make another one, and if they are it won't be with me... honestly!,” he told IGN.

Reeves half-heartedly talks/jokes that 'Bill & Ted' might be fun. “Maybe we could do it with them both grown up -- they haven't saved the world and they're just living their lives as middle-aged men. That sound's quite funny.” You know that's almost a comment just to not be a dick in an interview and it'll never happen.

Either way, how about you revisit neither and spend about 3-4 more years in acting school?

Remake City: Russell Brand To Play Bumbling, Drunken Rich Lout For 'Arthur' Redo?

Another day, another remake. The most recent boring announcement is the news via The Hollywood Reporter that Russell Brand might step into the role played by Dudley Moore in the comedic and buffoonish "Arthur" series that chronicled a spoiled rich manchild who believed his wealth allowed him the privilege of behaving like a infant at all times (our mom was big on these movies and made us watch them a lot). Warner Bros. is steering this one. The original was about a drunk brat who would inherit a fortune if he married an heiress, but instead he fell for the girl next door (Liza Minelli). Did you see Brand at the MTV Video Awards? Not particularly funny. He needs to step up his game (though yes he was decent in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") [THR]

Another remake: Remember John Carpenter's cult classic "The Live" that starred WWF wrestling superstar Rowdy Roddy Piper as a guy who has a pair of special glasses that allows him to see the zombie creatures living amongst us so he can suplex them and generally beat the living shit out of them? Strike Entertainment is developing a remake. [THR]

Here's a great scene (and fantastic dialogue)


Yet another remake. Yes, Hollywood is officially out of idea. This time it's a modern update of the classic adventure/romance tale, "Romancing The Stone," that starred Michael Douglas, Katheleen Turner and Danny Devito. The movie was great, but it unfortunately launched Robert Zemeckis into having a career (ok, "Back To The Future" was great,but he shit the bed soon after). Daniel McDermott has been tapped to write the screenplay (he's the genius behind the masterpiece theater that was "Eagle Eye"). [Variety]

Here's Eddie Grant doing his classic, "Romancing The Stone" theme song. You know the one you still dance along to in your room at night. They have to use this, right?


The long and short of it is: when the '60s and '70s remakes have all been tapped, start tapping the 1980s. Before you know it, they'll be a 90210-ish remake of "Pulp Fiction" and other 1990s classics. Don't laugh, it'll happen.

'Dark Knight' Music, Jonny Greenwood's 'There Will Be Blood' Score Nominated For 2008 Grammy Awards; 'Wall-E,' 'Juno' & 'Walk Hard' Also Grab Nods

Nobody gives a flying fuck about the Grammys, right? The antiquated music awards have been out of touch for some time now, but we guess they're trying to slowly become more of the zeitgeist and may have made some steps forward by nominating Lil Wayne eight times this year for The Carter III (homeboy, we dig you, but drop the autotune already).

But we digress, we don't really care about the Grammys anyhow, but there are a few categories that we do keep tabs on.

The biggest news is Grammy attempting to right some Oscar travesties. Two amazing soundtrack score both disqualified over Academy rule nonsense, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's thrilling and discordant "The Dark Knight" score and Jonny Greenwood's haunting, "There Will Be Blood" compositions were nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album. That strong category also gives deserving nods to Ramin Djawadi for "Iron Man," Thomas Newman for "Wall-E" and John Williams for 'Indy 4' (ok that one not so much).

Nominated in the Best Song From A Movie Picture category is Peter Gabriel for his excellent "Wall-E" song "Down To Earth," the "Walk Hard" theme sung by John C. Reilly, a John Mayer song from "The Bucket List" and two noms for "Enchanted" including one song sung by Amy Adams.

Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep have the possibilities of adding Grammy prizes to their award mantles, the two actors singing was nominated in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for "Mama Mia!" and 'Sweeney Todd,' along with "Juno," "August Rush" and "American Gangster."

"Wall-E" grabbed another nomination in the Best Instrumental Arrangement category for the song "Define Dancing" by Peter Gabriel & composer Thomas Newman making it three noms in total. Let's also not forget that the unofficial movie trailer song of the year, M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" (from the "Pineapple Express" trailer and also featured in "Slumdog Millionaire") was nominated for Record Of The Year (that means song, not album, Grammy people are old, forgive them).

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture
* The Dark Knight - James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer, composers
* Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - John Williams, composer
* Iron Man -Ramin Djawadi, composer
* There Will Be Blood - Jonny Greenwood, composer
* Wall-E - Thomas Newman, composer

Best Song Written For Motion Picture
* "Down To Earth" - Peter Gabriel ("Wall-E")
* "Ever Ever After" - Carrie Underwood ("Enchanted")
* "Say" - John Mayer ("The Bucket List")
* "That's How You Know" - Amy Adams ("Enchanted")
* "Walk Hard" - John C. Reilly ("Walk Hard — The Dewey Cox Story")

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture
* American Gangster - (Various Artists)
* August Rush- (Various Artists)
* Juno (Various Artists)
* Mamma Mia! - Meryl Streep (& Various Artists)
* Sweeney Todd — The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street -(Various Artists)

Here's some related music.

David Fincher's 'Torso' With Matt Damon In Trouble?

More evidence of the "alleged" Paramount/Fincher beef?

The graphic novel adaptation 0f "Torso," (the film title now apparently "Ness") which David Fincher has been expected to make for some time now is reportedly at risk. Despite a promising cast, it could dissolve since the film rights expire December 15th and Paramount has yet to give it the green-light and are potentially and purposefully dragging their heels.

The graphic novel chronicles the true story of the 1930's Cleveland torso mass murders and has such names as Matt Damon, Rachael McAdams and Casey Affleck attached. Hollywood Insider claims that "A source inside the negotiations says Damon and Affleck are ready to go, and that McAdams has expressed interest, but Paramount has yet to pull the proverbial trigger. At press time, the studio insisted it only recently received a finalized script from Ehren Kruger (The Ring) and would make a decision before the rights ran out."

Paramount and Fincher have been butting heads all year. First of all they were giving him grief over the running time of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in September (then over 3 hours long) and allegedly dropped his remake of the animated "Heavy Metal" movie as a way to punish him. Then they apparently kissed and made up, but earlier this week reports in the pres said that Paramount people were sick of dealing with Fincher and his notoriously picky ways in promoting 'Ben Button.'

Does this prove that things haven't been patched up? No, but it sure suggests it. We're not the only ones putting these simple clues together. Rope Of Silicon is posting the same thing we are, but suggesting Paramount might want to do the project with another director.

Update: Jeffrey Wells is hearing that Paramount is stalling because they'd rather him make that "chef comedy" with Keanu Reeves instead.