"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" director Gavin Hood has confirmed earlier reports that the theatrical version of his film will not differ significantly to the leaked workprint. Hood noted that the leaked version had 400 unfinished visual effects shots, no score, unfinished sound mixing and unfinished coloring but failed to mention the key scenes that were previously claimed to be missing by Fox chairman Tim Rothman.
Hood did reveal though that the film will feature multiple secret 'easter egg' endings. The endings are set to play out either during or after the credits; similar to the ones in "Iron Man" which featured Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury. While it is not known how many of the endings are in existence, one known ending features Ryan Reynolds' character of Deadpool. Could these easter egg endings account for the film's much publicised reshoots? [FirstShowing]
Though it was never explicitly implied, many assumed Robert Rodriguez's newly announced project "Predators" was being developed with himself attached to helm. Rodriguez, however, has now informed us otherwise: "The idea is that I'd produce 'Predators' here at Troublemaker Studios, so that I can feel free to walk to the [film's] soundstage, pick up a camera and co-shoot the coolest scenes. Directing wise, next up will be 'Nerveracker' for the Weinstein Company." The film has also been given a July 7th, 2010 release date, a month after Rodriguez's "Nerveracker" which is set for April 15th. [AICN/ERC]
Warner Brothers have won the race to bring Greek epic "The Odyssey" to the silver screen under the guise of the director-writer team Jonathan Liebesman and Ann Peacock ("The Killing Room"). The project, retitled "Odysseus," has been described as a bloody relentless revenge movie, something akin to "300" meets "Taken." The original book follows the character of Odysseus on his epic journey home from the Trojan Wars ("Troy") and his return to the brutal occupation of an invading force. This will be the third 'swords and sandals' film to go into production in recent times with the previously announced "Clash Of The Titan" remake and Tarsem Singh's "War Of The Gods." [THR]
After talking up an appearance for weeks, Michael Caine has finally revealed that he will, in fact, have a role in Christopher Nolan's "Inception." Said Caine of his role: "I have a little part in it, yes. Just a tiny part. Chris and I are very good friends so I’ll do that little part. I think I’ll work about three days. It’ll be extraordinary, wait until you see this one. I think if I say another word he’s going to kill me!" Now, how about David Bowie reuniting with Nolan for a cameo? [In Contention]
Gore Verbinski's video game adaptation "Bioshock" has been put on hold as the studio reanalyses the project's approach. "We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit," said Verbinski. "We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern." The film's budget is was reportedly $160 million. A little worried about the success of video game adaptations? [Variety]
4/25/2009
Robert Rodriguez Won't Direct 'Predators,' 'Wolverine' Director Concedes To Leak/Theatrical Cut Controversey, Michael Caine Joins 'Inception'
4/24/2009
Box Office Options April 24th-26th: 'Earth,' 'Soloist,' 'Tyson,' Il Divo,' 'Treeless Mountain' & More...
Box office time yet again. We're making tracks through 2009 and we've come once more to another weekend filled with mediocre-to-decent movies opening wide across the country and some better than average ones in limited release. So let's see what's up.
If you must spend your money in a megaplex (and this weekend we suggest you don't),than your best best for the weekend's wide releases is "The Soloist," director Joe Wright's follow-up to "Atonement." Starring Robert Downey, Jr. ("Iron Man"), Jamie Foxx ("Ray") and Catherine Keener ("The 40 Year Old Virgin"), the movie tells the story--based on true events--of a journalist who discovers a mentally troubled homeless man who happens to be a musical prodigy. We weren't blown away by it and didn't quite connect to it overall. Critics seem to be in the same boat as it holds a lukewarm 53% RT rating currently. Ultimately, don't go to this expecting to have your world rocked but if you're desperate for a human interest story, you could probably do worse.
Speaking of doing worse, the rest of this week's wide releases are fairly dire. Best of these is likely to be "Earth." If you enjoyed "March of the Penguins," this similarly flavored documentary from Disney should hit the spot. Narrated by James Earl Jones, it has a robust 85% rating right now. If animals are too cutesy for you, you can check out the creatively named and very stupid looking "Fighting," (34%) about the controversial world of underground fighting. Finally, there's "Obsessed," which stars Beyonce and Idris Elba of "The Wire" in a tale of marital intrigue--and which has a none-too-promising N/A on RT (i.e., the studio didn't have enough confidence in it for it to be screened for critics).
In Limited Release
Among the more promising limited releases opening this weekend is James Toback's ("Fingers") unnerving and engaging documentary "Tyson" about the troubled boxer. Mixing pre-existing footage and extensive interviews with the man himself, the film paints a simultaneously scary and sympathetic picture of one of the most controversial and, frankly, crazy sports figures of our time. We were both moved, fascinated and put off by the picture, which seems like it might have been Toback's whole goal with this project. Critics in general have been fairly impressed, with "Tyson" racking up a respectable 87% to date. Sports fans, boxing lovers and those who enjoy an enigmatic and troubled celebrity will all find something to like here.
Brett Easton Ellis is back on the silver screen. Following in the footsteps of the novels "Less Than Zero" and "American Psycho," Ellis himself adapted "The Informers" for Hollywood and it mines familiar territory: seedy characters against a disgusting 1980's LA backdrop. Starring an impressive cast--Billy Bob Thornton, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder and Kim Bassinger--the movie was directed by Australian Gregor Jordan ("Ned Kelly"). Ellis, no stranger to making news (or idiocy, for that matter) has given conflicting reports on his reactions to the finished product. Critics, however, are all of one mind: this movie sucks.
On a more hopeful note, there's also "Il Divo," one of our most anticipated foreign films of 2009. The film is the story of Giulio Andreotti, a septuagenarian Prime Minister of Italy who wields power with the aplomb of someone who has forgotten what it is like not to rule. Unfortunately for this statesman, the Mafia in Rome has declared war on his rule that will threaten to destroy his life and end the glory days he has known. With an 82% rating, this is probably a much better bet than the Ellis picture.
Of the remaining films out this weekend, "Treeless Mountain," the story of two young girls waiting on their mother to return from a quest to track down their estranged father, from director So Yong Kim is another strong bet with an 85%. There's also the documentaries "Throw Down Your Heart"--about Bela Fleck's recent trip through Africa (100%)--and "Nursery University," which focuses on the increasingly competitive New York City nursery school scene (N/A). You could also check out "The Garden," a doc that focuses on the Los Angeles garden that arose after the riots there in the early nineties and is currently facing destruction (N/A). Finally, there's the dud sci-fi pic "Mutant Chronicles" (18%) starring Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman about war between corporations.
If you're in New York, you have lots and lots of classic cinema retrospective options at either MOMA, Walter Reade, Film Forum or BAM and you should always take advantage of to further fuel your cinema education (and frankly, these will are always well worth it and you're foolish to miss unless you're broke which is your only real excuse). So there you have it. If none of these stokes your interest, fear not: there's always more coming next week.
Will Judd Apatow Finally Get The Academy's Attention With 'Funny People?'
Judd Apatow's highly anticipated film "Funny People," which stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman has recently screened to extremely positive feedback, enough so in fact that Jeffery Wells said it could be "award-level."
Apatow has been making extremely creative and often-times beyond comedic films for years now, but so far he has been typed as a comedic filmmaker, not one to garner attention from the Academy Awards. With "Funny People," it seems that many believe the comedian will begin to be taken seriously.
A director friend of Wells saw the film at a recent screening and loved it. "Really funny, a really sweet movie, a lot of veracity...really a b
rilliant film. Everybody's game goes up a lot. It's a James L. Brooks-level thing and a great role for Adam. It's a perfect blend of everything Sandler has done in a serious vein. The film could be a bit of a marketing problem because it's about show business but it's so real.. It's about a famous guy, a comedian, having to deal with the fact hat he has no life and nobody to turn to. But he gets better [through a relationship with a younger comic]...it's basically a love letter to having a family."
Wells' source also commented that, "It's more in the realm of Sandler for Best Actor and Apatow's script for Best Original Screenplay than a Best Picture shot."
We have to agree. We would frankly be shocked to see it even mentioned come Oscar season, and if so then only in the screenwriting category. Earlier in the year, we read the script and loved it, but since the marketing has begun it seems as though they may have rounded the sharp corners on the originally semi-serious project as not to alienate the die-hard comedy loving fan-base. We guess only time will tell if Apatow's most mature work to date has what it takes to finally get him taken seriously as a writer and director for something outside of pure, pushing-the-envelope comedy. [Hollywood Elsewhere via Vulture]
Details On Robert Rodriguez's 'Machete' And 'Predators,' Denzel Washington And Tony Scott To Reteam, Ridley Scott Finds His Sheriff Of Nottingham?
On the back of his recent statement, details surrounding Robert Rodriguez's "Machete" and "Predators" sequel have been unveiled. "Machete" will be co-directed by Rodriguez and his long-time editor Ethan Maniquis and will be the first non-studio production from Rodriguez since his breakout film "El Mariachi." Shooting for "Machete" is set to begin in Austin around June with Danny Trejo reprising his role as the title character. Rodriguez's "Predator" sequel, meanwhile, will be made with Fox and will have its title pluralized to"Predators."
We already suggested Rodriguez wouldn't direct and don't be surprised if you hear Maniquis does most of the heavy lifting, frankly and Robert is around to do a few fun scenes. Hmmm, it looks like Rodriguez is moving away from the Weinsteins/Dimension banner. Bad sign for "Sin City 2"? His "Nerverackers" project will still be with Dimension though and still has a 2010 release date. [Variety]
Denzel Washington is in talks to re-team with Tony Scott for another train based thriller. "Unstoppable" will mark the fifth collaboration between the two with their latest effort,"The Taking Of Pelham 123," set for release this summer. "Unstoppable" follows an experienced engineer who jumps in a locomotive with a young conductor to chase down a runaway train carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. Mark Bomback scribed the film. [Variety]
Ridley Scott has reportedly finally found his Sheriff of Notthingham. British actor Matthew Macfadyen ("Frost/Nixon," "Pride And Prejudice") is set to take up the role. Contrary to early rumors that had the the protagonist in a dichotomic role of Robin Hood and The Sheriff, the new role is apparently very minor in comparison - he's not even the villain. This news seems to stem from a Macfadyen fan site and word of mouth so don't count it as scripture just yet. [/Film]
Matthew Vaughn's "Kick-Ass" seems set for an R rating. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who stars in the film as Red Mist, noted in an interview: " It's got to be rated R. No studio wanted it. Him and his buddies produced it, and that's how he wanted it." Mintz-Plasse also claims that Vaughn was denied the helm for "X-Men 3": "He was supposed to direct [the film] and they just didn't want to do it. They didn't want anything his way." So what does Mintz-Plasse think of eventual "X-Men 3" director Brent Ratner? "That guy shouldn't even direct a Miley Cyrus video." [HitFix]
Pedro Almodovar is set to adapt his 1988 film "Woman On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown" into a series for Fox TV Studios. The original film chronicles a two-day period in the life of a voice actress who has been abandoned by her lover and gets in a series of comedic situations while frantically trying to track him down. The adaptation, though, will be "a suburban drama about a group of women who have known each other for a long time, perhaps from college, who are in the middle of their lives and looking at the second half of their lives." [THR]
'Goodbye Solo' One Of The Year's Best: A Deeply Penetrating & Hopeful Human Drama
We saw "Goodbye Solo" when it first came out weeks ago, but the review got away from us. Here's a belated, but no-less important review.
Ramin Bahrani's first two films, 2006's "Man Push Cart" and 2008's "Chop Shop," wear the Iranian-American director's neorealist influences proudly, and their release marked the arrival of a significant talent. However, those films' tendency to shy away from any real form of tension or narrative momentum can seem forced, and the filmmaking skill on display isn't quite enough to elevate either above the designation of a modest achievement. Thankfully, with "Goodbye Solo" Bahrani steps up his craft, his storytelling ability and his characterizations, without compromising his dedication to realistic cinema, so rare in American independent cinema.
Bahrani's last film, "Chop Shop," is clearly indebted to classics such as Vittorio de Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" and Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows." In it, an impoverished young boy and his sister struggle to carve out a decent life for themselves amidst the garbage and rubble of a ghetto just outside Queens, New York. "Goodbye Solo," in contrast, is a film of prevailing and pervading hope, which finds its inspiration from a work of Bahrani's own heritage. Its basic plot is lifted from native Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami's "Taste of Cherry," but 'Solo' is considerably more engaging, favoring depiction of a strong and inspiring human connection between two unlikely friends, as opposed to the lonely wanderer at the heart of Kiarostami's film. Both are essentially about a man who seeks to end his life, but where Kiarostami found the grim subject matter to be a jumping off point for stoic meditation, Bahrani sees it as a catalyst for hope and renewal. It's that quality which makes 'Solo' both Bahrani's most compelling work, and his most optimistic.
The opening sequence here is jarring in its immediacy: We feel as if we've been dropped right into the middle of something that started before we got there. A garrulous Senegalese cabbie attempts to chip away at the frigid resolve encasing his grizzled patron. The affable cab driver is Solo, played by newcomer Souleymane Sy Savane (in one of this year's most striking debuts), and his passenger is William, a curmudgeon who has no interest in chit-chat. Vaguely recognizable character actor Red West inhabits the latter role, with a no bullshit attitude that's appropriate, considering West was once a member of Elvis Presley's "Memphis Mafia." William, who has no use for any kind of friendship, offers Solo a hefty sum of cash to drive him far outside the city limits, and his driver's reluctance to do so frustrates him.
Our introduction to Solo and William is their introduction to each other, and the unexpected relationship that develops between them sparks the kind of emotional connection that few films achieve. Much of that investment is owed to the actors, whose interactions have the sort of awkward chemistry that often occurs between two very different individuals. It's Savane who we're attracted to the most, but West ably tempers his screen partner's exuberance, and their presence as a duo ignites our interest in ways Kiarostami's solitary character study doesn't. Admittedly, Bahrani is not the visual artist the Iranian director is, and the gritty photography of Winston-Salem, North Carolina doesn't approach the majesty of Kiarostami's poetic, sand-blasted terrains. Bahrani's cinematographer (Michael Simmonds) finds lush beauty in an early morning sunrise and texture in shots of Solo's nighttime cruises in his battered cab, yet the film's major visual coup arrives during its coda: a rapturous communion with nature that has a quiet intensity and lyrical quality on par with anything Kiarostami's done, and that seems earned in a film of straight-forward, character-based dialogues.
At a lean 91 minutes, the pacing of Bahrani's film is refreshingly disciplined: We're given enough insight into Solo's life at home with his pregnant wife and stepdaughter, without the film ever feeling aimless or stalling, as "Chop Shop" occasionally did. Solo "adopts" William and, once he learns of his suicide plans, he tirelessly attempts to invigorate the old man's life. Solo's intentions may be honorable and even noble, but his forwardness occasionally borders on obnoxious, and his meddling threatens to be destructive. His desire to help William stems not from a saintly perspective, but from that of someone who desperately wants a down-to-earth friend. His subtle, but noticeable confusion when he thinks he's not getting back from the relationship what he's putting in can only be described as human.
Pivotal moments such as the reading of a discovered diary, the opening of a letter and, most significantly, a wordless gaze between two men, are presented without intrusive musical accompaniment or any type of embellishment. Bahrani trusts the strength of his material and the tensions it naturally creates. So, in a sense, "Goodbye Solo" is every bit the stripped down and fluid narrative film as Bahrani's other two works, but this one has a propulsive momentum and purpose that the others lack. Bahrani may have always wanted to make films with a commitment to capturing real life, but "Goodbye Solo" feels like the first film of the director's career that, by its minimalist aesthetic, is emboldened rather than stifled. [A-]
Last Word: Ramin Bahrani's new film is his most accessible yet, and his best. Something of a reimagining of Abbas Kiarostami's death meditation "Taste of Cherry," "Goodbye Solo" trades-in that film's gloomy slow-burn for buoyant, hopeful human drama. - Sam C. Mac
Stephen Dorff To Play Porn Star In Adam Sandler-Written Comedy 'Born To Be A Star' Co-Starring Christina Ricci
Stephen Dorff has boarded the Adam Sandler-co-written porn comedy "Born To Be A Star." The film will follow a small town Midwestern nerd (Nick Swardson) who discovers his parents were famous porn stars. Christina Ricci plays his girlfriend while Dorff will play a legendary porn star, Dick Shadow. It's also a Happy Madison production and Sandler will be co-producing as well. [Variety]
'Soul Kitchen' Apparently Wasn't Full Cooked For Cannes, 'Cold Souls' And 'Year One' Bookend Nantucket Film Festival
What happened to venerable Turkish director Fatih Akin's (the beautiful "The Edge Of Heaven") "Soul Kitchen" which was hotly tipped to appear at Cannes, but failed to make the cut for yesterday's Cannes line up?
Apparently, it's simply because the film wasn't ready. The film, which stars Moritz Bleibtreu ("Run Lola Run") and Birol Ünel (who starred in Akin's excellent 2004 film, "Head On") is evidently still currently being cut which meant it couldn't make the deadline for Cannes. It is still, however, on track for its June release. [Hollywood Elsewhere]
Sophie Barthes' Paul Giamatti-led "Cold Souls" and Harold Ramis' "Year One" are set open and close the Nantucket Film Festival which runs from June 18th to 21st. The festival this year will also award the Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award, which recognizes a promising female writer/director at the festival in conjunction with the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. Shelly's last produced script, "Serious Moonlight," will also screen. Other films set to screen include "Humpday," "The Burning Plain," "Beeswax," and "The Hurt Locker." [THR]
ESPN have signed up baseball documentary "Lost Son Of Havana," the first competing film at the Tribeca Film Festival to be picked up. The film, which is narrated by Chris Cooper, follows pitcher Luis Tiant as he returns to Cuba after 19 years seasons with the Boston Red Sox. ESPN will screen the film for television audiences in August. [Variety]
Coppola's 'Tetro' Will Play At Cannes... Sidebar, As The Directors' Fortnight Opener
So Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film, "Tetro" was invited to play the Cannes Film Festival out of competition and, seemingly disappointed, the filmmaker decided to pass and take the film to the much-less prestigious (no offense) Seattle Film Festival instead, right?
"While I very much appreciate the invitation, this is an independent film, self-financed and self released, and I felt that being invited for a non-competition gala screening wasn’t true to the personal and independent nature of this film," he wrote in a statement at the time.
While the film hasn't been thrown back into competition, it will now open the 41st edition of Directors' Fortnight (May 14-24), which is the Cannes sidebar and obviously runs during the same period.
"After Coppola announced that he wouldn't show 'Tetro' out of competition, we asked to screen it for the Quinzaine," Fortnight head Olivier told Variety. "We loved it! And our enthusiasm convinced Coppola that an opening Fortnight slot would be the ideal place to debut his film."
Directors' Fortnight will also screen the openly-gay romantic comedy, "I Love You Phillip Morris," which stars Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. Lynn Shelton's sort-of-mumblecore film, "Humpday," (apparently better, slightly bigger budget), will also screen.
"Tetro" stars Vincent Gallo as an exiled writer who's visited in Buenos Aires by his estranged younger brother, but Coppola recently got into further details of the film via Empire. "This is not an epic about immigrants in 1905, like 'The Godfather' or anything. This is a real, specific drama, albeit poetic drama. I think 'Tetro' is the most beautiful film I've ever done in terms of how it was made. I don't know what people will make of the picture, but just the filmmaking part of it, I've learnt to put it together beautifully."
The film also stars 17 year-old sailor Bennie (relative newcomer Alden Ehrenreich) who plays the brother on his journey to find his poet sibling Tetro (Gallo). Once he finds him, the two brothers reflect on their troubled past with composer father Carlo (Klaus Maria Brandauer).
"Tetro" hits U.S. theaters in limited release on June 11.
Nirvana's Famous 'Live At Reading' Concert Finally Coming To DVD Properly
'90s grunge rockers Nirvana played a rather famous show at the Reading Festival in the U.K. on August 30, 1992. The band played Boston's "More Than A Feeling," in cheeky response to many claims that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a rip-off of the '70s rock classic and the concert is widely considered to be one of their best.
The show was recorded and meant for release, but, for whatever reason --chief one likely being Kurt Cobain's death -- the DVD never officially came out, but has been widely bootlegged over the years.
If you feel like purchasing what is presumably (hopefully) a better quality copy, Universal is releasing the official "Live At Reading" DVD which features restored video footage, and will be remastered in 5:1 surround sound. It will also feature as-yet unrevealed bonus features, according to NME, and arrive in November. No U.S. release date is set yet, but apparently a sort of official bootleg is also coming out around the same time which probably doesn't please Universal.
Nirvana played Reading at the height of their notoriety and Kurt Cobain infamously took the stage in a wheelchair and dressed in a white hospital gown to self-deprecatingly jab at/fuel the rumors about his health, his heroin issues and that he was near death (not-so ironically he would commit suicide seven months later).
Much of the Reading performance is already on YouTube. Nirvana played Reading 12 days after Francis Bean Cobain was born and Cobain addressed this to the audience, which is in in the beginning preamble to the "All Apologies" clip below. "There's been a lot of extreme things written about us and especially my wife, and she thinks everyone hates her now, and this is being recorded so why don't you give her a message and say, 'Courtney, we love you.' " Inexplicably (or because they want the song to start already), the British audience is kind enough to indulge him.
New Yorker's should note, the excellent Sonic Youth-led documentary, "1991: The Year Punk Broke," which is no longer readily available on DVD (if it ever was), (and which prominently features candid and happy halcyon-days footage of Nirvana and related bands like Dinosaur Jr., Ramones, Gumball, and Babes in Toyland) is playing at the Walter Reade theater on Monday, May 4. If this music was remotely important to you at the time and you never saw it, we highly encourage you to go. It was definitely one of the better "Grunge" documentaries of the time, if not the best one.
Does 'Precious' Appearing At Cannes Open Up A Can Of Worms For Ongoing Weinstein Co./Lionsgate Legal Battle?
We were cooing with such girlish frisson over the 2009 Cannes Film Festival line-up and names like Gondry, Gilliam, Almodovar, Campion, etc., etc., that we failed to really note - outside of listing it - that "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire" aka "Precious" (they gave it a new title so it wouldn't be confused with the lame sci-fi) was accepted to Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section (i.e., not prestigious enough to merit in competition qualification, but decent enough to appear).
Given the fact that Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company are still in a heated legal battle over the film this opens a can of worms and or exacerbates the legal friction that already exists.
So if the film does screen at Cannes, who is there to represent it? And who submitted it for that matter? Well it sounds like Lionsgate, as the Weinstein Co. has apparently not ruled out the possibility of seeking an injunction to block the fest screening, though at the moment they're only seeking financial remuneration for damages (they claim they had the film first at Sundance '09).
Will both warring factions show up and attempt to bask in its glow? Won't that be rather uncomfortable? TWC will already be in attendance for Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," but will Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, Lionsgate-related champions of the film, show up to represent as well? As of right now, neither TWC nor Lionsgate would make comments to the press. According to the Hollywood Reporter, "legal experts said that even though TWC had been bidding for world rights, it could face an uphill battle in trying to stop a screening at Cannes."
Will the photo opp be the most awkweird one at Cannes hands down? "Precious" tells the dark yet hopeful story of a young overweight teenager as she grows up in 1980's Harlem with an abusive mother who is played by, of all people, comedian Mo'Nique who is said to be rather amazing in the film.[THR]
'The Perfect Age Of Rock 'N' Roll' To Feature Songs By Nirvana, Bob Dylan And The Stooges?
A host of images and info about the rock/roadtrip film, "The Perfect Age Of Rock 'N' Roll" are now available on the official website.
It informs us that the film will boast music by, among others, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Bob Dylan and Jane's Addiction, The Stooges, Donovan. Odd that such a small-looking film could get the budget for these songs. Do they perhaps mean covers?
Who knows, the music industry is in such a bind currently, music licensing is a steal these days. Filmmakers with a penchant for music should take note.
The Synopsis: A pair of longtime friends channel their talent and passion for music into a cross-country road trip that brings them face to face with their past, present, and future.
A world famous musician, whose debut album is a huge hit, retreats to his hometown after his sophomore effort flops. There he reconnects with his long lost best friend and fellow musician, the son of a punk rock guitar legend, who became a middle school music teacher. The reunion forces the two to recall their youthful ambitions and reexamine the choices they've made. Accompanied by a raucous crew of musicians, they set off on a cathartic journey along historic Route 66 that brings them closer to each other, their history and their destiny.The film features Peter Fonda, Lukas Haas, Jason Ritter, Lauren Holly, Taryn Manning and stars Kevin Zegers. From what we can gather, the band in the film is called the Lost Soulz and the original music in the film is written by Steve Conte & Andrew Hollander (if it's the same music playing on the site, it doesn't sound great to be honest). We've honestly never even heard of the film before but it will make it's premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival this Saturday, April 25.
Terrence Howard Just Won't Let The Whole 'Iron Man 2' Thing Go
Terrence Howard just won't let up. Either the actor is just too polite to not answer journalists questions or is just using every interview opportunity to bash Marvel/ tell the unjust story of how he was unceremoniously replaced on "Iron Man 2," with a presumably more affordable Don Cheadle.
This is what, the third, possibly forth time he's recycled the same story? [ed. ok, maybe it's the third]. We know actors do this exact thing on press junkets, but... once again he's spoken out against the studio that did him wrong.
"Marvel made a choice, and it was a very, very bad choice. They didn't keep their word. They didn't honor my contract. They produced a great bounty with the first one but they put it all in the storehouse and you were not allowed in."
He later tried to play his grudge down thtough revealing a somewhat philosophical approach on it all.
"I've seen the script, I know what's going to happen, but I'm not revealing anything. I believe in karma. When someone does something wrong, you don't have to get them back. Everything right will return the favor for you." So he's now resorting to a hope and a prayer.
Dude, you addressed it once and it was classy, well-said and spoke for itself. No need to keep underlining it. Everyones heard you, agrees with you, and feels bummed for you, but you gotta let it go before people start assuming you're a bitter freak. [Parade via Vulture]
Is The 'Wolverine' Workprint Cut Exactly The Same As The Finished Film?
When the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" workprint leaked about a month ago, several prominent voices, including 20 Century Fox head Tom Rothman, stepped up and claimed that the leaked cut, which featured unfinished special effects and sound cues, was vastly different than the version that would hit theaters May 1st.
This didn't stop thousands upon thousands of downloaders from finding the film on their own and judging its merits, noting the leaked version's unfinished nature compared to recent reshoots and a runtime of 105 minutes that didn't compare to the reported 120 minute-length cut. Rothman claimed the unfinished version was "ten minutes shorter" and "doesn't have key scenes."*
AICN begs to differ. From a scooper named Veritas, who they feel is reliable enough, the site asserts what many of us have believed all along- the workprint and the theatrical cut are near-identical. Further fed by the new released runtime of 107 minutes, Veritas claims the theatrical cut is "identical," save for the finished effects, none of which impress him/her. Interestingly enough, he/she claims that the film remains watchable, and indifferently calls it a "fun flick."So, who's to believe? While AICN does seems to have an axe to grind against FOX (as do most geek sites for various reasons, chief being how they've fucked up so many of their precious films, see "Daredevil" for one random example) , they are standing by a mighty big claim from a faceless source.
With the workprint being marked with a March date, and with a running time so close to the final number, it's hard to say if anything major has changed between cuts. Those that have seen the contentious unfinished version have cited no new footage in any of the film's copious ads, with Veritas claiming that two shots from the trailer are not in the workprint, an alternate death scene for a key character and a cameo from the mutant Storm, are not in the theatrical cut either.
With this new information, coupled with the cold scent of the supposedly major investigation regarding the initial leak, the theory of an intentional stinkbomb being thrown by Fox continues. Could Fox have tried to cut their losses on some troubling, awful dallies and thrown "Wolverine" to the lambs as a case against online piracy? Should Gavin Hood return his Oscar? Is Hugh Jackman just a song-and-dance nancyboy now? Could we stop talking about this embarrassing looking movie?
*A little bird had previously told us the leaked workprint was in fact an alternate cut made for the eventual extended edition DVD featuring scenes that were meant to be excised in the first place. Said bird also held the theory that the leak was intentional, and that even that wasn't handled properly, as the perpetrator was supposed to leak the actual workprint, and not this alternate version of the film. This theory appears to be incorrect, though all parties involve do believe that the leaked print suggests the film will be completely forgettable at best.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joins The Impressive Cast Of Christopher Nolan's 'Inception'
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been added to the cast of Christopher Nolan's mysterious project "Inception," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Gordon-Levitt steps into the role that was once linked to James Franco who reportedly turned it down due to scheduling conflicts with David Gordon Green's Danny McBride-led stoner comedy, "Your Highness."
While information regarding the film's story is few and far between, the Nolan-scribed film has been described as "a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind." (A thesaurus-friendly way of calling it sci-fi psychological thriller?) Previously announced cast members include Leonardo DiCaprio, who is set play a CEO-type protagonist; Marion Collitard, who plays his wife; Ellen Page, who will play a young graduate sidekick of DiCaprio; and Cillian Murphy, whose role is as yet unknown. Gordon-Levitt, meanwhile, will play an associate of DiCaprio's CEO character with his inclusion capping off a cast full of blossoming talent.
Man, we must read this script. Anyone got it? "Inception" is set to start shooting in the summer with a July 16th release set for 2010. Gordon-Levitt will next be seen in this summer's "500 Days Of Summer" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."
4/23/2009
'Tintin' Sequel Already Set In Motion, Seth Rogen Turned Down Roland Emmerich's Disaster-Porn Flick
Peter Jackson has revealed the timeline for his proposed "Tintin" trilogy with Steven Spielberg to Empire magazine (not online yet). "We were originally planning three [films] to be in production at the same time in different stages, and we may well do that. At the moment we have this one and the studio[s] is financing the second one as well, which is in pre-production." Will their releases follow Jackson's one-film-a-year plan? [/Film]
Producer Andrew Hauptman ("State Of Play") recently spoke of his plans for a film based on legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi. Good luck selling that outside the U.S. [Digital Spy]
Elizabeth Banks will lead and produce "Forever 21," an under wraps spec script from Mike Culbert and Mike Pellettieri. Such thing as too much Banks? [Variety]
Seth Rogen has informed us that he recently declined an offer for star in a film by Roland Emmerich: "Just the other day, I was offered a big part in the new action film by the director of 'The Day After Tomorrow.' But I don't want to become the kind of superstar who parties all the time, does coke, gets drunk in a nightclub then throws up in the back of a limo," said Rogen. It is not know, however, when the comment was made and whether or not the film in question is the upcoming "2012." [Digital Spy]
Working Title are working on a film based on the life of Brazilian F1 champion, Ayrton Senna. Senna won three F1 championships before dying in a crash whilst leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Good luck selling that in the U.S. [Variety]
Jeremy Piven has revealed that brother-in-law Will Ferrell will star in his upcoming film "The Goods." Ferrell was previously on board as a producer but will now star as "one of the members of [Piven's] team." Piven plays a used car salesman in the film which also stars Ving Rhames, Ed Helms, Alan Thicke and David Koechner. [MTV]
'The Hangover' Gets A New Poster, 'Toy Story 3' Adopts Animated First - Write Script Later Philosophy, Rian Johnson Talks Sci-Fi Project 'Looper'
A new poster for Todd Phillip's "The Hangover" has been unveiled. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, the film is set for release June 5th. [Cinematical]
Tom Hanks has revealed that work is well under way for the third installment of the "Toy Story" franchise: "I have been in and done three big complete recording sessions and will probably have at least one more to do, possibly in about eight months. Then eight months after that I'll do a mop-up and have three more sessions after that. Those movies are beasts."
Further, Hanks added that strangely Pixar showed him the animated story reel of the entire film before any script was put on the table: "They did not send us a script. They showed us a complete story reel of the entire movie, with storyboards moving from one to the next, and the people up at Pixar recorded some voices with some music and sound effects. Tim Allen and John Ratzenberger and I went in a movie theatre, watched the reel and said, 'This is great, let's get to work!'" Hanks also added that his HBO series "The Pacific" is now set for a March 2010 release. [Empire]
Kiefer Sutherland, Billy Crudup & Guy Pearce are all attached to star in Robert Edwards' Cold War spy thriller "Trust." How badly must Pearce regret doing "The Time Machine"? [Production Weekly]
Actress/model Diora Baird has confessed that, despite starring as an Orion slave girl in J.J. Abram's upcoming film, she continues to confuse "Star Trek" with its sci-fi rival. "I'm not a big sci-fi fan. So I don't really understand the whole 'Star Trek' thing. I get that it's a big deal but I keep referring to it as 'Star Wars' by mistake. Is that bad?" For you Diora, anything. [Digital Spy]
Rian Johnson ("Brick", "The Brothers Bloom") has spoken of his next project, a sci-fi project titled "Looper." Johnson revealed that the film will be set roughly 30 years in future; will depict a dystopian society that has suffered "a huge financial collapse of some sort"; will deal with time travel as "an element has traveled back in time from the future," will "very dark, very violent" and "is the complete opposite of 'Brothers Bloom.'" The film was previously revealed to be about "a group of hitmen are sent their victims from the future." [/Film]
Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Rainn Wilson are all in talks to star in Spencer Susser's indie-comedy "Hesher" which we presume is about mullet-sporting metal fans typically known as heshers? If true, this is a great cast. All three scream indie-comedy. [Production Weekly]
Robert Rodriguez: 'Sin City 2' Pot Stirrer?
"I'm going to be able to shoot my upcoming 'Machete' here, a sci-fi action film called 'Nerveracker,' a re-boot of the Predator series called 'Predators,' and a couple of smaller movies called 'Sin City 2' and 'The Jetsons.' "All this news is old in one form or another, but teasing "Sin City 2" is definitely a tease. He basically already said the order goes "Nervewrackers" "The Jetsons" and then... We're doubtful he's going to direct "Machete" or 'SN2' for the record. But who knows, things change.
Just remember, a few short months ago Rodriguez said more tellingly, "I always say ['Sin City 2''s] right around the corner, because that’s what everybody wants to hear and I like pleasing the audience."
Tribeca Film Festival Kicks-Off: Scene From Woody Allen's 'Whatever Works'
The Tribeca Film Festival kicked off yesterday ("leaner and meaner" if you haven't read 10,000 times already, #lemmings), just as we're going to IFFBoston tomorrow! Great timing! We don't want to regurge too much (our picks are basically right here, and yes, they're obvious!), but MTV has a clip from Woody Allen's "Whatever Works" that we thought we'd post.
The film screened last night and Variety already weighed in (via Jeff Wells)
"My real problem with Whatever Works was the older-man-younger-woman theme, which has never been one of my favorite Woody motifs, even before it gained a real-life parallel. (Manhattan is a great film, but the Mariel Hemingway relationship is creepy and condescending, and I don't just say that as a father of an almost-teenage daughter.) Going back to Alvy and Annie, the romances in Allen's films often have a teacher-pupil quality, too, and in Whatever Works we get that as well as the December-May thing.
"But here, Allen doesn't even bother to make the relationship between Larry David's and Evan Rachel Woods's characters credible. Aside from her being hot, the attraction makes no sense: She's a moron and he's hateful."
OK, not the greatest thoughts, whoops! But Jeff Wells' is kinder and says, "it's a kind of dry farce that isn't naturalistic for a second and is basically about manner and whimsy and bile, and it certainly doesn't go for broke. But it's fairly enjoyable. It's sometimes hilarious, especially when it rips into idiocy and thoughtlessness among the populace, and particularly red-state characters and values."We're honestly not sure if we reported it, or if it was quietly announced, and we never noticed, but "Whatever Works" comes out June 19, 2009 in limited release according to IMDB.
Does 'Basterds' Screening In Competition Bode Well For Tarantino's Campy WWII Epic?
And What About Quentin's New Nemesis, The Jury Head, Isabelle Huppert?
Ok, so unless you're living under a rock, you read this morning that the line-up for the 62 Annual Cannes Film Festival was revealed and, to no one's shock, Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" was announced as part of the festival.
And let it be known: we're not afraid of calling ourselves out on our silly proclamations. We once said that there was no way Tarantino would ever have 'Basterds' ready for this year's Cannes when he first announced his intentions for the film to debut there at the last Croisette in May 2008.
To make matters worse, we predicted that the film would play out of competition, assuming it was too campy for the good-tastes aesthetes and film snobs at Cannes (see, the exclusion of most American films).
Hopefully the fact that 'Basterds' is playing within regular festival competition means its better and less self-conscious and affected than we presume. Who knows though, the French are known for their odd fascination with seemingly innocuous elements of American culture. And Cannes and devotees adore him so who knows...
Perhaps another hurdle that many are forgetting is Cannes Jury head, Isabelle Huppert who, depending on who you believe, her or Quentin, was quit/fired from the film before she even began.
She was supposed to be play the role of cinema doyenne Madame Mimieux which would have been awesome and then Catherine Deneuve apparently turned him down too and so then... Maggie Cheung scored the role?? (we love her, but...)
But back to urgent matters. Huppert and Tarantino allegedly had a spat in the French tabloids. Will this effect 'Basterds' chances? Does it even matter? Is the jury leader biased? I'm Ron Burgundy?
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