Updates: we've got a better scan.
If all goes according to plan and if all goes well in the notoriously finicky editing room, Terrence Malick's long-awaited, "The Tree Of Life," (dubbed a "mystical epic")will hit U.S. theaters on December 25 via the newly-named Apparition distributors according to Entertainment Weekly's Fall Preview edition (here's an improved scan that we tried to clean up a little bit in photoshop, the piece is obviously not online yet).
Makes complete sense since trade reports already said the film would hit sometime in December (or the "late holiday season," but what else is that but December?).
Could Sony Pictures be somehow involved? Last week on a Johnny Depp message board, an observant reader noted that imaginariummovie.com, redirected to the Sony movies website and then a day later, Sony Pictures Classics announced they would distribute "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (a film that Depp co-stars in).
This week, a perceptive IMDB reader notes that www.thetreeoflife-movie.com was purchased by Sony Pictures last week, and now redirects to their website. Update: A fellow blogger tells us the original press release -- which we didn't receive -- had info on the Sony connection, so we guess that's that. There's no mystery there.
Anyhow, "Tree Of Life," an official date. Get hyped. Now all it has to do is live up to the tiny, little expectations. Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain star. People are wondering if 12/25 is a limited release and our guess is it is. How accurate is EW, well they've listed Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon," as 12/30 and we definitely know that date's confirmed and its also a limited date release for opening.
8/15/2009
'Tree Of Life' Hits U.S. Theaters December 25
Work Is Work: Oscar Winner Christopher McQuarrie Pens 'Wolverine 2'
There are a couple of steps towards getting a green light for a blockbuster sequel nobody wants. Step one is when the original's spectacular opening weekend debuts and a sequel is announced as not greenlit, but “in development,” which is code for, “we think this thing’s gonna tank in week 2.” Step two is the followup, when the dust has settled, the film has unperformed, and the star is talking up the next film, knowing full well it’s essentially all he’s got in his career (see: Vin Diesel, Brandon Routh). Fox is at stage three with “Wolverine 2,” where a writer is hired to bang something out, which will be ready to go should DVD sales of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" be robust, and that writer is Christopher McQuarrie.
A bit surprising that McQuarrie’s taking the gig on what will be the fifth “X-Men” film so far, considering his relationship with director Bryan Singer, who was infamously booted from the franchise he helped start. McQuarrie won his Oscar for writing Singer’s “The Usual Suspects” and also served as the credited name on the “Valkyrie” script, while also apparently being one of dozens of uncredited screenwriters (Joss Whedon and Andrew Kevin Walker are also on that list) to take a hack at the first “X-Men.” McQuarrie and Singer may not be the most social collaborative team, and this is purely a business decision, but one wonders if Singer is mildly peeved at his frequent collaborator.
The next installment in the series is expected to take Wolverine to Japan, where many of the character’s adventures occurred in the comic. You can bet on Kelly Hu reprising her role as Lady Deathstryke from “X2: X-Men United,” as the character who once pursued Wolvie through Japan believing he was responsible for killing her father, the inventor of the adamantium metal that is fused to both Wolverine’s and Deathstryke’s bones. Nevermind the fact that Hu isn’t Japanese at all- seriously, when are we going to start casting Asian actors accurately? Hu is one of many actors from the previous films still signed for multiple go-rounds, and it wouldn’t be a surprise for Fox to randomly cherry pick from a bunch of characters who have nothing to do with Wolverine’s Japanese past. A few years ago, Vinnie Jones spoke of reprising his “X-Men: The Last Stand” role of Juggernaut in a Wolverine movie, so we wouldn’t be surprised about him returning either, since Vinnie Jones will work for sandwiches.
First Look: Grant Heslov's 'The Men Who Stare At Goats,' New Look At James Cameron's 'Avatar,' Trailer For Michael Haneke's 'The White Ribbon'
Here is the first official look at Grant Heslov's George Clooney starrer, "Men Who Stare At Goats." Featuring at this year's Venice and Toronto film festivals, the dark comedy stars the likes of Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey and centers on a journalist's partnership with an ex-solider as they look to uncover the government's development of "Warrior Monks," a legion of psychic powered soldiers. [TIFF via Collider]
Rob Riggle of "The Daily Show" has been cast in Adam McKay's "The Other Guys" (formerly known as "The B-Team"). The film centers on Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg's behind-the-desk police officers with Riggle portraying one half of a hot-shot "Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson-type" pair of cops. On recommendation from the MTV reporter, McKay is also now seeking Craig Robinson as Riggle's partner. McKay also noted that the film will feature "a big ensemble cast." In the vein of "Anchorman" we assume. [MTV]
A new photo from James Cameron's "Avatar" has been unveiled providing a clear, seemingly non-CGI look at what is being reported as a Na'vi hybrid, whatever that means. The jokes have already begun... [RopesOfSilicon]
Robert Downey Jr. of all people is rumored to be joining the vampire craze in portraying Anne Rice's Lestat Du Lioncort -- previously played by Tom Cruise and Stuart Townsend in "Interview With A Vampire" and "Queen Of The Damned" respectively -- in Universal's reboot of Rice's series, "Vampire Chronicles." One too many franchises for Downey Jr.? Yes, vampires are all the rage right now, but oversaturated and kinda lame as can be. Let it rest already, christ. [BloodyDisgusting]
Sam Rockwell has confirmed that his Justin Hammer character in "Iron Man 2" will in fact be teaming with Mickey Rourke's Whiplash in a fight against Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. "I'm sort of a fast-talking arms dealer and Mickey's a weapons maker, so he's a very dangerous man—he's been in the joint. And I've got the money. So we team up together to get [Stark]," Rockwell revealed. There are so many ways this sequel could go wrong: the overrated original's high bar, too many characters introduced, Rourke's ridiculous look, Scarlett Johansson, but we will say the teaser footage that leaked from ComicCon looked good and seems to keep in tone of the original. [MTV]
A German trailer for Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" has been released. While it doesn't have any English subtitles, you can still get a feel for the gorgeous aesthetics and haunting tones we discussed in a recent MIFF review. [Twitch]
New Photo Look: The Coen Brothers' 'A Serious Man'
A host of new images for The Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man" have been unveiled on the brink of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Among the photos is our first good look (he only featured in a flash in the recent trailer) at Richard Kind whose portrayal of the protagonist's (Michael Stuhlbarg) deadbeat brother does have some award-season hype surrounding it -- though on what grounds other than Kind's abilities, we're not sure.
Loosely inspired by the Coen brothers' own childhood experiences in 1967 suburban Minneapolis, the film revolves around Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg) a middle aged physics professor who has just learned his wife (Sari Wagner) is leaving him for another man (Fred Melamed), finds his tenure is being questioned, has his brother living on his couch, and whose children are getting into drugs and plastic surgery. In order to deal with these issues, Larry seeks advice from three rabbis and encounters difficulty along the way.
The aforementioned trailer really heightened our anticipation for the film, which will premiere at this year's TIFF before seeing a general release on October 2nd. [Collider]
Creepy First Look: Werner Herzog's 'My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?'
Someone's been crazy prolific of late.
In addition to "Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans," German auteur Werner Herzog also has his follow-up picture, a horror of sorts, called "My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done" premiering at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
Like its predecessor, the first look at 'My Son' has also been released on the eve of its festival premiere thanks to those folks at Collider who have nabbed a ton of good TIFF-related images.
With a strong ensemble cast including Michael Shannon, Chloe Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Michael Pena, Udo Kier and Grace Zabriskie (perhaps known best for her memorable appearances with David Lynch, who is producing the picture), 'My Son' is based on actual events that are actuated by a hostage situation involving protagonist Brad Macallam, played by Shannon. Here's a full synopsis:Inspired by true events, "My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done," is a story of ancient myth and modern madness. Brad Macallam, an aspiring actor performing in a Greek tragedy, commits the crime he is to enact in the play by killing his mother. The mystery unfolds in a series of flashbacks displaying the psychological destruction of the killer set off by an ill-fated white-water kayaking trip in a distant land."
Shannon has already proven in "Revolutionary Road" that he can play psychotic with distinction. On that alone, this could very well be something to look forward to. Add to that the cast around him, Herzog at the helm and Lynch on board the project as a producer, and you have all the makings of a winning picture.
No word on a distribution deal yet, though its debut at Toronto will probably be an opportunity for it to garner interest in a sale.
The film also evidently has a 'PG' rating which surely can't be right. A PG rated Herzog-Lynch horror film? [Collider]
First Look: Werner Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans'
Here is your first look at Werner Herzog's upcoming "Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans," a re-envisioning of Abel Ferrera's 1992 "Bad Lieutenant" that will premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival running from September 2-12.
Starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes, Herzog's take on the story will see a different titular lieutenant than that portrayed by Harvey Keitel in Ferrara's film and is set in New Orleans rather than New York. Here's the synopsis:Terence McDonagh (Cage), a homicide detective with the New Orleans Police Department, is promoted to Lieutenant after he saves a prisoner from drowning in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. However, during his heroic act, he severely injures his back and is put on prescription pain medication. A year later, Terence – struggling with his addictions to sex, Vicodin and cocaine – finds himself in the battle to bring down drug dealer Big Fate, who is suspected of massacring an entire family of African immigrants.
While a seemingly provocative premise, we recently speculated how accurate that might be considering the film has a 14A' rating in Canada (sometimes the equivalent of PG-13 in the U.S.), but it seems clear from our many Canadian readers that 14-A and Rated R are also synonymous, so we might have been off there. Hey, it happens.
Since filming completed. Herzog has talked up the picture describing it as "a new form of noir"; Cage noted that the film has "franchise potential" (not that he knows what that feels like, right?); and all the while the film continues to struggle to find a distributor (no U.S. or international distributors yet, but perhaps the films appearance at TIFF and the Venice Film Festival will change that).
As well as Cage and Mendes, "Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans" co-stars the likes of Val Kilmer, Xzibit, Fairuza Bulk and Jennifer Coolidge. [Collider]
Jonathan Demme Parts Ways With Bob Marley Doco, Sonic Youth To Perform On 'Gossip Girl,' Preview Entire 'Jennifer's Body' Soundtrack
First Martin Scorsese dropped out, now Jonathan Demme has followed suit and parted ways with the now ill-fated Bob Marley documentary. Demme's exit may have a little bite though with the exit reportedly relating to producer Steve Bing's less-than-impressed reaction after seeing the director's first round of editing. It is unclear whether Demme was fired or left over differences with Bing or what effect Demme's exit will have on the film's projected Feb '10 release. [NY Post]
Sonic Youth will be performing acoustically on an upcoming episode of popular CW show "Gossip Girl." The performance, which will be of their 1986 single "Starpower," will feature on the fifth episode of the upcoming season. The band are reportedly fans of the show. [EW]
Les Paul, known as the father of the electric guitar, passed away this week at the age of 94 after respiratory failure. The iconic figure is credited as the inventor of the electric body guitar and the pioneer of recording techniques like electronic echo and multi-tracking. R.I.P. [RockNRollDaily]
Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard has teamed up with Son Volt's Jay Farrar to write a soundtrack of original music for upcoming Jack Kerouac documentary "One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur." The music is inspired by Kerouac's novel "Big Sur" with the 12 track album seeing a release on October 20, the 40th anniversary of Kerouac's death. [RockNRollDaily]
Justin Timberlake was recently spotted leaving a meeting with Bryan Singer. Could it possibly be about a role in his newly-announced "Battlestar Galactica" reboot? [JustJared]
Quentin Tarantino to direct a Rihanna music video? "Oh she really really loved ["Inglourious Basterds"], alright,” the director revealed. “So we talked about that and uh, she wants me to do a video so, we will see what we will see." Next... [ONTD]
Preview the entire mostly-generic-emo-rock soundtrack to Karyn Kusama's upcoming "Jennifer's Body" whose details and tracklist were previously revealed. A punk cover of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now"? Seriously? [ONTD]
8/14/2009
Details & Shortest Teaser Ever Materialize For Polanski's 'The Ghost'
Roman Polanski's next film, and his latest since 2005's Oliver Twist, has flown pretty much under the radar until a website and teaser emerged late this week. Scripted by Robert Harris, and based off his novel of the same name, "The Ghost" is about a writer who is selected to ghost-write the memoirs of a British Prime Minister but uncovers some dark secrets along the way. Robert Harris is probably best known for his novels "Enigma" and "Archangel," which were both adapted into early starring vehicles for Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig respectively.
Based on the extraordinarily brief footage provided on the film's website, "The Ghost" feels like a fairly standard contemporary political thriller, but it's still too early to tell if Polanski's stamp will be on this. That said, he is working with one helluva cast including Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Eli Wallach, Tom Wilkinson, Olivia Williams and James Belushi (yeah, the "According To Jim" guy whose whose last film credit was voicing a character in this).
"The Ghost" is slated for 2010 release from Summit Entertainment though no release date has been specified at this time. Robert Harris also wrote the novel and scripted "Pompeii" which Polanski was originally attached to direct with Orlando Bloom and Scarlett Johansson in the leads, but fell apart due to the writer's strike.
'Juno' Reunion Killed; Alison Pill Replaces Ellen Page In Bradley Rust Gray's 'Jack & Diane'
The reunion of "Juno" BFFs Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby looks like it'll have to wait, with Page evidently replaced by Alison Pill on Bradley Rust Gray's "Jack & Diane."
The film will now star Thirlby and Pill (Edgar Wright's upcoming "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World") as two lesbian teenagers in a whirlwind romance who face the upcoming prospect of one's imminent departure and potential lycanthropic transformation. In a statement on the official site, director Rust Gray clarifies his intentions with the film.
"My focus in making 'Jack & Diane' is to carefully examine what happens when two young people fall in love for the first time. I want to show this love by looking at the characters," the director writes. "Diane is quiet and innocent with an inner raging passion. Jack is a tough skinned girl who's hiding a fragile heart. The collision of these distinct personalities creates a vulnerable energy."
"When Diane first discovers love she is desperate to find out if her feelings are being returned. Only she can't find the words to explain how she feels. Her head gets fuzzy, she gets scared, she panics, and she transforms into a horrifically violent creature. This creature, though grotesque, becomes Diane's way of saying, 'I love you so much I want to eat you and put you inside me forever.'" Funny how Rust Gray's description starts off like any generic romance novel before taking a monstrous turn.
Rust Gray further explains that the film will feature "dreamlike and often violent imagery," "unusual transformations" and a "unique and visceral point-of-view" which leads us to believe the lycanthropic transformations may simply be an analogy and only apart of surreal sequences.
No word on why things didn't work out with Page or when shooting begins, though Rust Gray was noted to be "busy" with it at the moment. [Soandbrad via /Film]
MIFF 2009 Part Two: 'Antichrist,' 'Fish Tank,' 'In The Loop'
The last of our Melbourne Film Festival Reports...
Lars von Trier's "Antichrist"
If "Bronson" shocked us, then "Antichrist" can only be described as a straight up assault. We're still trying piece it all together. The film is split into four chapters, beginning with a phenomenal slow-motion prologue that details the tragic death of the son of our protagonists, (played by William Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg). The first chapter features fascinating dichotomous therapist-patient, husband-wife exchanges between Dafoe and Gainsbourg, but in Chapter 2, things take a turn and by the time the film explores the idea of 'The Three Beggars,' we were already totally out of it. We're admittedly not horror fans (as one might be able to tell from our film selections) and were quickly proven wrong about thinking we could handle whatever Von Trier served. The atrocious, though often amusing, events that proceeded seemed to serve provocation for sake of provocation - that may very well be Von Trier's point but we'll still ask "why?" Filmmaking achievements aside and an admittedly great performance by Gainsbourg, we quickly began to sympathize with the many that have left their own screening kicking and screaming. [C-]
Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank"
Discovered by a talent scout who saw her yelling at a boyfriend in public, "Fish Tank's" lead actress, Katie Jarvis, exhibits that exact raw ability in her stellar portrayal of the tough, rough and glammed up 15-year-old who, when push comes to shove, is still just a vulnerable 15 year old. Though a touch overbearing at times, the grim exploration of how the lives of dysfunctional Mia Williams (Jarvis) and her fringe-living family are changed by the arrival of Connor (Michael Fassbender), is a compelling and forthright work. The film's aesthetic (shot in an initially uncomfortable 4:3 ratio) further personifies this notion. One particularly immoral and monumental event is oddly paired with the stunning incorporation of mesmerizing street lights illuminating the dark scene. The film without doubt belongs to Jarvis whose ability to draw sympathy through her foul-mouthed, violent mannerisms makes her almost the anti-Sally Hawkins from "Happy-Go-Lucky." However, as a whole, and as noted by many, the film does run a little long. [B+]
Armando Iannucci's "In The Loop"
Centering on a time of imminent war, implied but not explicitly revealed to be the Iraq conflict, 'Loop' is an absurdly hilarious but ultimately aimless political satire that spreads its wings across both the U.S. and U.K. governments. It definitely has its moments and is almost worth it for Peter Capaldi's stand-out performance as British Minister for Communications Malcom Tucker, alone. His profanity-ridden rants are littered throughout the film, often arising from nothing and providing what is pretty much the film's heartbeat. Not to sell short though the well oiled ensemble cast that features the likes of James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, Chris Addison and Anna Chlumsky, who seem perfectly attune as they commit to professional politics and warfare against one another before any troops have the chance to even put their uniforms on. For a very episodic film, that feels like a stretched version of a TV show, it's still pretty damn enjoyable. [B]
Lynn Shelton's "Humpday"
Honest and humble in its exploration of relationships, namely that of married men and their unwed male counterparts, Shelton and company know their boundaries, but don't try to be anything more and flourish accordingly. "Humpday" follows the story of Ben (Mark Duplass), his wife Anna (Alycia Delmore) and his friend Andrew (Josh Leonard), who abruptly re-enters Ben's life after a long hiatus. Stuck between a rock and a hard place (marital bliss and his friendship with Andrew, or bromance if you must) Ben's masculinity is put on the line in a moment of drunken debauchery when he and Andrew talk each other into making a porno and then both are too stubborn to stand down. Never about the big picture, the film shines in moments of golden, warm hilarity that focus squarely on the relationships rather than the story. Definitely a crowd-pleaser. [B-]
Steven Soderbergh's "Che: The Argentine" & "Che: Guerilla"
We're not sure what effect splitting Soderbergh's 'Che' saga in two had on the experience as a whole but the idea of watching it all in one four and a half hour sitting was too daunting an option for us. As a result, we decided to split it across two days and are ultimately glad we did. The first part centers on Guevara's experiences with the Cuban revolution and is intertwined with interviews and speeches he gave on the matter in hindsight. The result is a wonderful marriage, with Guevara commentating on the events as they concurrently unfold on-screen. The film is a swift and lively journey that begins and ends on the very same night in Mexico. Shot in a documentary-like manner, Soderbergh captures the raw vigor of Guevara's movement wholeheartedly. Never preachy or enforcing, Benicio Del Toro simply eases his way into a portrayal of Guevara that has us convinced of the man's qualities and abilities. [A-]
If the first part of Soderbergh's saga was about what hope can achieve, the second part is about the contrary. Depicting Guevara's ill-fated attempt to repeat his revolution in Bolivia, the film picks up soon after the first one ends, but as Guevara begins his next revolution, the absent hallmarks of his Cuban adventure quickly has the audience in doubt (Mind you, we didn't know the story of Guevara extensively). As an earlier Playlist review clued us in on, the differences in aesthetic was furthermore a sign of things to come. As the story unfolds, a notion of misguided hope blankets Guevara's new movement and, while it's just as expansive as the first, pacing on the 'Guerilla' is slower with an understandably more solemn touch. A worthy conclusion to the saga which is just as much about the viewing experience as it about the story - which many are probably already knowledgeable on. [B+]
All Good Things Must Come To An End...
A great festival all round, though we really wished we bit the bullet and went to all the screenings we wanted to, but were too lazy, tired or slow with bookings. And it doesn't help when you hear good word about them later on, does it? Falling in this category is the likes of the four hour love story epic "Love Exposure," Park Chan-wook's vampire-thriller "Thirst," Cannes-winner "Dogtooth," dolphin-doco "The Cove," Belgium-coming-of-ager "The Misfortunates," revenge-comedy "Louise-Michel," British journeyer "Unmade Beds," future-Aussie-cult "Van Diemen's Island," reported-supermarket-killer "Food Inc.," rockumentary "It Might Get Loud" and Soderbergh's "The Girlfriend Experience." Some will be getting theatrical releases in Australia but for the ones that don't, it was a real shame. A greater investment in Red Bull is definitely in the cards for next year.
MIFF 2009: Lone Scherfig's 'An Education'
More Capsule-like Reviews from the Melbourne International Film Festival continue...
While a coming-of-age story about a charismatic protagonist -- played like a Stradivarius by Carey Mulligan -- whose mundane life is brushed aside when suddenly seduced into a life of glamor by an older man' doesn't sound like much, we'll be damned if we see something more endearing and engaging this year.
Set in pre-swinging, pre-Beatles, 1960s London, "An Education" draws us into the world of magnetic 16 year old school girl Jenny (Mulligan), whose ambitions are nothing more than to make it to university where she can "listen to whatever she wants, read whatever she wants" and liberate herself from her conservative family and community. Her father, played magnificently by Alfred Molina, whose own dreams for his daughter are seemingly self-compensating but set in stone, keeps Jenny in line. However, through verbal tennis matches and dinner table exchanges -- a particular highlight of this incredibly well written Nick Hornby screenplay -- we can already anticipate a clash between the assertive father and his just-as-cunning offspring is on the horizon.
Enter David (Peter Saarsgard), his friends (Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike) and their life of hip smoky, jazz clubs, art auctions and Paris. Jenny is understandably swept right off her feet and, as a romance with David prospers and they live it up, mostly behind her father's back, we see the young girl turn into a woman rightly fit for her classy surroundings. One review (which we can't recount) rightly pointed out that, as Mulligan roams the streets of Paris with her hair up, you could be excused for thinking Audrey Hepburn had returned in all her glory.
But as things pan out, the euphoria is short-lived and Jenny's yearning for change and her attempt to shortcut her way through life hit a brick wall. For every ounce of heartbreak we feel for Jenny, Sally Hawkins' barely-a-minute cameo leaves us in tatters as she sums up a life of tragedy in two-or-so lines.
The way the film eventually concludes is a bit of a disappointment but may very well be a victim of its own previous heights. The still much-too-convenient wrap-up is put best by Karina Longworth at Spout who wrote that Scherfig's film "works as a fever dream of first love, but the wake-up is oddly unsatisfying." It's true, but nevertheless, Oscar buzz surrounding Mulligan and Molina is no exaggeration, though calls for recognition for Pike's performance as the small minded, trophy wife of sorts to Cooper is probably a bit much. An immensely enjoyable experience. [A]
All 34 Songs Featured In 'Funny People'
"Funny People"? What? That's so two weeks ago! Yes, you're so over the Judd Apatow dramedy that was too long and for some people too serious (the guy who called it pretentious kind of made us laugh though, what?). And it's only made a paltray $43 million off a $75 million dollar budget so far. Uh oh.
Regardless, we already unveiled the soundtrack credits of the CD -- tastefully curated dad rock we must say -- and revealed that Jon Brion (scores for 'Eternal Sunshine,' "Punch Drunk Love," etc.) produced the tracks of which "Funny People" star Adam Sandler sang (Neil Young, John Lennon and Ringo Starr covers, though not all of them in the film, some were bonus cuts). Plus the fact that both Jason Schwartzman and Michael Andrews (who composed the score to Apatow's "Walk Hard") were credited with providing the score (at first it was thought to be just Schwartman on his own).
And more than a few people have asked, "what's the song in the film?," "what's this track, etc., etc." We're not going to spend all day answering your questions (sorry, we love you, but...), however we will provide you with the basic info at hand. Here's all the music featured in "Funny People." If we woulda received proper credits from Universal we would basically have them in order of the film's appearance, but alas, we're just a silly blog and not a real website apparently.
All The Music Featured in "Funny People"
- (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
- All The King’s Horses by Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation
- Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor
- Cat Song by Arthur Carbonel, Iphignie Carbonel, Hana Jacobsen, Jay Jacobsen, Anna Kotecki and Kiori Tanaka
- Diamond Dave by Inara George and Greg Kurstin
- Fire And Rain by James Taylor
- Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) by George Harrison
- Got No Shadow by Little Feat
- Great Day by Paul McCartney
- George Simmons Soon Will Be Gone - George Simmons/Adam Sandler
- I Am Young - Coconut Records
- I Will Be Here For You by Al Jarreau
- I’m In The Mood For Love by The Nat King Cole Trio
- In Private by Paul McCartney
- Jesus, Etc. (Live Summer ’08) by Wilco w/ Andrew Bird
- Joanna by Kool & The Gang
- Junco Partner by The Clash
- Keep Me In Your Heart by Warren Zevon
- Love Is Strange by Wings
- Man In The Box by Alice In Chains
- Memory by Larry Goldings
- Nighttiming by Coconut Records
- Numb As A Statue by Warren Zevon
- Photograph by Ringo Starr
- Real Love by Adam Sandler
- Save It For Later by The English Beat
- The Fat Mouse by Rupert Gregson Williams
- These Are The Kodak Moments by Billy Alessi, Hal Friedman, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Joey Levine
- Three Little Birds by Bob Marley & The Wailers
- Tuscany by Larry Goldings
- Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles
- Watching The Wheels (Acoustic) by John Lennon
- We (Early Take) by Neil Diamond
- Wires by Coconut Records
(there's also bonus tracks not featured in the film)
Love that Robert Plant song. Here's a preview clip of the soundtrack, but you can hear a few tracks here.
Quentin Tarantino Wants To Adapt A Len Deighton Spy Trilogy? Still Wants To Work With Simon Pegg
Quentin Tarantino has been traveling around the world recently, promoting his new film "Inglourious Basterds" and talking about everything but in the meantime. In the past few months he's talked about the debt "Casino Royale" owes to him, a prequel to "Basterds" and has been denying rumors of adaptations left, right and center. Now, though, it seems he's talking about something more concrete? (Although, when it comes to Tarantino even the concrete isn't safe.) Anyway, the director was doing some Q&A with the U.K. press and Yahoo picked up some good quotage regarding the director's desire to adapt a Len Deighton spy novel trilogy (his most famous work is perhaps, "The Ipcress File," which was turned into a movie starring Michael Caine). He name-dropped a few British actors he's fond of including Simon Pegg, Caine and Kate Winslet. Simon Pegg as a spy? Maybe.
"I am a huge fan of Simon Pegg (who he tried to cast in 'Basterds,' but the gig conflicted with "Star Trek" shooting), so I would definitely love to work with him. I also think Kate Winslet is one of the best actresses that ever lived, so I would be honored to work with her. I am also a huge admirer of Anthony Hopkins. I would also love to work with Michael Caine. I can see them appearing in my movies, it just has to be right."
"I love England. It would be a wonderful life experience to have an excuse to work here for six or nine months. One of the things I am musing about doing is the trilogy of Len Deighton books, "Berlin Game," "Mexico Set" and "London Match." The story takes place in the Cold War and follows a spy name Bernard Samson. What is attractive is the really great characters and the wonderful opportunities of British and German casting."
Criterion Commentary Gives Us Details On Whit Stillman's Religious Jamaican Project, 'Dancing Mood'
Criterion sent us a copy of Whit Stillman's 1998's comedy of manners classic, "The Last Days of Disco," which comes out next week and we were stoked. Now we can finally toss out our dog-eared VHS copy. Anyone want?
Watching the commentary track made us miss the M.I.A. Stillman even more. 'Disco' is his last feature-length film and was made more than 10 years ago now.
As we've noted many times now (perhaps to death, we want him back), the filmmaker has had two projects in the works for several years -- his other long-gestating/ going-nowhere project "Little Green Men," based on the novel by Christopher Buckley and his "Jamaica project," now titled, "Dancing Mood" -- but none have come to pass.
And in listening to the Criterion Collection commentary track, we learned that "Dancing Mood," actually was born out of working on 'Disco,' plus a few other details we didn't know about the still, fairly-unknown project (though at one point he did say, "It's an all-black cast. I'm thinking of Danny Glover and J.J. Walker for parts.")"[For scenes] outside the clubs we didn't want disco [music] all the time and then the composer Mark Suozzo came in with the idea of Jamaican music and he introduced me to it and it's a fatal attraction because I became obsessed with it. And after 'Disco' I started thinking on and on about early '60s Jamaican music, I went down to Jamaica. Down there it's the church scene so I could go to churches and feel safe and be with people and I love the churches down there and the Christians and their community. And I started thinking about a story there and of course if they're Christians and really believers than there's things about angels and demons and so the script has angels and demons and it turns out I picked about the hardest film there is to get financed in the world, but I hope one day to do that.
So it's a religious community, music scene film with strange spirits and apparitions that need crazy CGI-work with an all black cast? Ok, maybe it is the hardest film in the world to get financed. And maybe it's no wonder it's been 10 years between films.
Uhh, maybe he should try something different? Journos will have a chance to ask him soon as he'll be at the Walter Reade theater in New York on August 27 for a screening of 'Disco' (someone send us an invite?) and he was at MOMA on August 5 earlier this month. Maybe we need to check the web a little deeper to see if anything came of that Q&A, but knowing poor Whit he's still talking-up those two projects that no one seems very interested in. Dude, check the climate out there. We love you, but it's time to put on a new record. Here's the part of the Whit Stillman story where we regurgitate an age-old Playlist sentiment: "Barcelona" is a masterpiece, his best film, one of the best pictures of 1994 and if "Metropolitan" and 'Disco,' are on Criterion, his wickedly funny sophomore effort deserves to be there too. Surely, it's a rights thing with Sony, but uhh, get on that, please and thanks.
Trailer For 'Live At The Smell'
Every scene in every city needs a hub - a place where the kids who can’t get into the clubs can congregate, form a band and make rock-n-roll history. Downtown L.A. has The Smell, an all ages venue, where every gig is $5, and that’s helped birth the likes of The Mae-Shi, Foot Village, Gowns, No Age, Abe Vigoda and HEALTH, as well as providing a library, gallery space and the inevitable vegan snack bar.
Now, Pitchfork reports that the venue is being immortalized in a new DVD, “Live At The Smell,” due September 1, featuring live performances from all the above bands, along with Captain Ahab, BARR, High Places and Ponytail. Trailers and outtakes can be found below, and there’ll be a premiere at the Downtown Independent (handily situated right next to The Smell on South Main Street) on August 27th, which like the DVD itself, will go directly to support the venue. It’s a pretty vital little institution, and if you have any interest in the bands or the scene, it sounds well worth seeking out. A trailer and some outtakes from the movie featuring No Age can be seen below. - Oliver Lyttlelton
In Theaters: 'District 9,' 'The Time Traveler's Wife,' 'Ponyo'
Despite the late summer dumping-ground doldrums being upon us, there are a few interesting options this weekend to save us from the oppressive August heat, humidity and this generally lackluster movie month. Luckily, Hollywood has the whole family covered too; sci-fi action for the gents, time-traveling romance for the ladies, Disney Channel nonsense for the kiddies, and even a dose of Jeremy Piven for your creepy uncle.
In Wide Release: The buzz on the low budget "District 9" has been building steadily for months and should be good enough to put it on top of "GI Joe" in it's second week. Peter Jackson's name also gets people in seats, and the marketing for this picture has been fantastic and thankfully subtle. First time feature director Neill Blomkamp's film tells the allegorical tale of a group of extra-terrestrial "workers" living as refugees in South Africa. We were vastly impressed and gave it a solid thumbs up and critics seem to be in agreement as the film has a very deserving 97% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. It's nice to see a sci-fi that is intelligent and sharp and this one has layers of smart socio-political context too. Does this mean the pleebs will reject it? Let's hope for humanity's sake they don't.
Eric Bana rounds up his wildly varied summer with the romantic drama "The Time-Traveler's Wife." An adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's best-selling book, the film mixes sci-fi and romance, following the relationship of Bana and Rachel McAdams as star-crossed lovers who can't seem to make it work, given that Bana can't seem to stop himself from spontaneously traveling through time. While the two leads are usually solid, the trailer for this one looks shameless and cheesy, but this is the best bet for anyone looking to shed a few tears at the multiplex this weekend. RT has it at a middling 35% which bums us out a bit because we were hoping it might be decent.
The excruciatingly titled "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" is finally released this weekend, after sitting on the shelf for a time. There's some inspired moments in the trailer and a pretty decent cast including Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, Ed Helms, and Buster Bluth himself, Tony Hale. It could be vulgar fun, but we have to remain very cautious on this one. Mid to Late August is a notorious dumping ground for studio shlock. So far the critics aren't sold, with 0% so far on RT, but then again it appears the film was screened at the very last minute (never a good sign either).
Disney's "Bandslam" with its surprisingly ok soundtrack is also out today, hoping to squeeze the last drops of summer cash out of the tween market before school starts back. Famous nude model Vanessa Hudgens stars as a character named Sa5m(!) trying to take on the competition at a high school Battle of the Bands. Apparently David Bowie makes an appearance in this somewhere, so all is not lost, and the critics are positive with a current score of 80% fresh on RT.
Finally, Walt Disney Pictures is releasing Hayao Miyazaki's latest whimsical animated feature "Ponyo" on 800 screens. The voice cast includes the great Cate Blancett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin and more. The story is inspired by Han Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid", except this time it's a goldfish vying to be human. Expect lots of beautiful animation and creatures so cute they border on truly creepy. As expected, the reviews have been stellar with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
In Limited Release: David Guggenheim's "It Might Get Loud" puts three guitar gods (Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White) in a room and prays that the results are interesting. When we saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, we called it "engaging, informative, if not completely necessary." Fans of these guys should certainly be pleased, and RT has it at a favorable 75%, but it's not a rock-doc that's going to change your life. Music doc of the year so far? Easily, easily, "Soul Power." That thing is truly electric and on fire.
Otherwise, director David Mackenzie ("Young Adam," "Mister Foe") gives us "Spread" with Ashton Kutcher as a Hollywood man whore. No, it is not a documentary. Sheesh. Only a couple reviews so far on RT, so while we doubt it is any good (Anne Heche is also involved) take that 0% fresh so far with a grain of salt (again, probably screened late). "Grace", another horror film of the evil child persuasion, was a big hit at Sundance but so far the critics are mixed. It has a 64% fresh rating on RT.
Fairing better with 94% fresh, is the German film "Cloud Nine" delving into the potentially disturbing sex lives of senior citizens. Featuring improvised dialogue and a stream-of-conscious narrative, this could be an art house distraction amid the late summer bluster at the multiplex. Also on a few screens, Robert Stone's documentary chronicling the history of the environmental movement, "Earth Days." It has a 63% fresh rating on RT. Just in time for "Inglorious Basterds," a Hitler-themed comedy "Mein Fuhrer: The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler," a 2007 release in Germany, gets U.S. distribution and an ok 63% on RT. - Hunter McClamrock
Jack White's 'It Might Get Loud' Single Hits; Jimmy Page Says DVD Will Contain More Music
Last week we reported that David Guggenheim -- director of the upcoming rock doc, "It Might Get Loud" -- had coerced Jack White into writing a new song ("Fly Farm Blues") for the film and then releasing it as a single, presumably so he could get some extra promotional mileage from music blogs obsessed with every fart White blows any which way (or something like that). Not a bad idea. The doc, as you've probably heard by now, also features U2's The Edge and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page.
Anywho, that song has leaked, been released, what have you, and yes, it's the same song featured in the film that he seems to make up on the spot and play.
Rolling Stone basically confirms as much. "As the story goes, White wrote and recorded the song in all of 10 minutes, with the It Might Get Loud film crew witnessing the song’s entire genesis and completion." We're not entirely shocked, it's not like it's Mozart. Here's the song in question.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Page told Billboard that the eventual DVD release will likely include more music from the rock-god summit from where the guitarists jammed and in the end, play a cover of The Band's classic groove, "The Weight." "It's inevitable there'll be a DVD on the horizon. There'll be some extra stuff from the summit, that's obvious. I know there's another number I did. There was a lot that was played at the summit, that Edge did, I'm sure, and Jack. I'm sure there'll be a DVD, and I can tell you with a certain confidence there'll be extras because that's the way things work these days."
While we're not necessarily huge U2 fans or anything (especially these days when they checked out and decided to write the same anthemic blackberry phone ad over and over again), but the most interesting guitarist in the film is certainly the forward-thinking The Edge, whose exploratory use of technology to make new sounds appealed to us most. The watery, angelic, almost Brian Eno-like instrumental he plays here is great. Hopefully that adventurous spirit of discovery is conveyed in this clip from the picture that centers on the Irish axeman. "It Might Get Loud" opens in New York and L.A. this weekend.
Guy Ritchie Hints At New Comic Adaptation, Robert Rodriguez Talks Upcoming Projects, Trailer For 'Law Abiding Citizen'
Guy Ritchie has revealed that "Sgt. Rock" will not be his next project and has hinted that a new comic property will "arguably, possibly" be what he tackles next. "I intend to be making a film by January. I’m not sure exactly what, but I’m quite confident that by January I’ll be in production." On what that project may be and if he has his eye on any another comic properties, the director cryptically added: "That, you’ll find out shortly... I don’t commit myself in case I tread on someone’s toes." Mind you, he did note that "superheroes aren't really [his] thing." It's anyone's guess. [MTV]
Robert Rodriguez has taken to discussing a number of his upcoming projects. The director revealed that Nimrod Antal will "start shooting...pretty soon" on his "Predators" reboot while also putting a wet blanket over "Sin City 2" noting that he has a completed script but "until [he's] actually on the set, it's not happening." Finally, despite recently rumors of it begin canned, Rodriguez added that "Nerverackers" and its potential development "would be next year sometime." So which is it? [SciFiWire]
Legendary Pictures are reportedly looking to make a new "Godzilla" film. The company is apparently in early discussions though no details are available other than this should be a reboot. Wait, so what was J.J. Abrams' "Cloverfield"? [BloodyDisgusting]
Brett Ratner evidently wants Robert Pattinson for his adaptation of comic series, "Youngblood." "[Pattinson] could do anything. He just has that look," the director hack said, proving he is just as good at spotting talent as he is with a camera."He just feels like he belongs in that world. I don't only see him as a vampire, he's a really good actor." In a just world, this will happen, for comedic value. [MTV]
Jason Patric has been confirmed for Sylvain White's "The Losers." The actor will play Max, a CIA agent who has gone off the rails and sets up the title characters, a black ops team, to be killed. Co-starring will be the likes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldana and Idris Elba. [Variety]
MGM's remake "Poltergeist" now has a tentative release date of November 24, 2010 - Thanksgiving weekend. Vadim Perelman is attached to direct but thus far nothing has been announced regarding casting and filming. Hope yet for a collapse. [STYD]
F. Gary Gray's "Law Abiding Citizen" starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx now has a trailer.
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