Vincent Gallo is reportedly set to portray a Taliban member in Jerzy Skolimowski's upcoming political thriller "The Essence Of Killing."
According to Haaretz (via /Film), the film centers on Gallo's Taliban member protagonist as he kills three American soldiers in Afghanistan, is taken captive by the Americans, transferred to Europe for interrogation only to escape from his captors on a continent he does not know. Sounds like a perfect role for the controversial actor.
Shooting is first taking place in Israel's Dead Sea before heading to Norway and Poland. Co-starring in the film will be "two Israeli actors, Zach Cohen and Yiftach Ofir" with a third Israeli actor currently being sought.
After a semi-retirement/hiatus from acting, Gallo returned this year starring as the titular character in Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" and lent his voice to Frederik Edin's "Metropia." He also has a 16mm black and white film which he wrote and directed in the works for 2010 called "Promises Written In The Water" and four screenplays waiting on the sideline.
Interestingly, Skolimowski is also on the comeback trail after ending a 17 year directing hiatus with 2008's "Four Nights With Anna," but it has yet to see U.S. distribution. The film did screen at the New York Film Festival in the fall '08, but unfortunately we missed it. The director is also an actor and is probably known to today's audiences for playing the surly Russian father in David Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises." [editor's note: Coincidentally enough, when we saw "Tetro" in Cannes last year, Skolimowski himself was in attendance. Maybe he liked what he saw in Gallo's tremendous performance].
1/01/2010
Vincent Gallo To Play A Taliban Member In Jerzy Skolimowski's 'The Essence Of Killing'
Kevin Smith's 'Hit Somebody' Set To Shoot In Michigan This Year? 'Cop Out' Trailer Is Exactly That
Sounds like Kevin Smith's hockey film based on the Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody" might already in the works.
In an interview with the song's writer Mitch Albom (via JoBlo), the two discuss the film's development and reveal that shooting will place in Michigan at Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.
Wait, so is this thing good to go already? No further details are given but Smith does go on to note that he hopes to "be spending a lot more time [at the arena] in the next year." It's still all a bit vague but seems like if all goes well, shooting may begin in 2010.
Smith's love for hockey shouldn't be news for anyone and, as he reiterates in the video, has been featured in the majority of his films in one way or another. A hockey film is a perfect marriage of Smith's passions and seemingly has the potential to re-spark something in the director's work.
"This is the one, dude, honestly," Smith explains. "Like I've loved everything I've made and what not but this one is different. I can feel it. Maybe it's 'cause I've reached a place in my career where I was like 'you know what, I'm tired of saying things.' I'm very blessed, got to write every script, got to express the heck out of myself. Everything has happen at the right time and 'Hit Somebody' just makes so much sense to me."
On the other side of spectrum is Smith's upcoming buddy-cop actioner "Cop Out," starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, which is coming across as anything but a passion project. The film's newly-released first trailer doesn't even advertise its director's name until a blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention in the credits while Smith has already noted publicly that it wasn't his film but simply a film he was hired to direct.
Obviously, it's only the first trailer but the film, Smith's first studio effort, is already waving a white flag with an introduction reminiscent to that of a Wayan Brothers spoof film and a trailer that plays out like a some sort of gag on Morgan's "30 Rock."
There's seemingly nothing Smith about it and even though we knew he was behind it, we were still waiting for a name like Brett Ratner to appear at the end of the trailer instead. In fact, at this stage, the film feels like nothing more than a cousin of Ratner's "Rush Hour" series.
"Cop Out" comes out on February 26.
12/29/2009
'Captain America' to Shoot in June; Sam Worthington OBVIOUSLY Rumored to Star as Both 'Captain A' and 'Flash Gordon;' 'Thundercats' Put Down
The Captain America movie is set to start shooting in June, with director Joe Johnston already ensconced in the art department of "The First Avenger: Captain America," as revealed in this Fangoria interview about Wolf Man, via Film Drunk. This means we'll probably get a casting announcement in the next couple of months as to who will play the titular Captain and "peak of human perfection." I hear Sam Worthington's been in a few action movies lately. Speaking of our favorite Aussie action figure...
works, and Cinematical says the project is being geared up for a 2012 release, which might be make scheduling Reynolds difficult. Cinematical also claims the hunk from Oz, Worthington, could be considered as a contender for Captain America. He'll have to perfect his American accent to play both Captain America AND Flash Gordon-- All-American football player who finds himself and his girlfriend aboard the spaceship to planet Mongo, ruled by Emperor Ming the Merciless. We're taking this rumor as just that-- Worthington is 2009's ultimate action breakout star so his name is constantly being batted about. "Sahara" director Breck Eisner (who is currently finishing up "The Crazies") is named to helm the film with a script by Mike Sazama and Burk Sharpless, and his m.o. is to reinvent the 80s Flash Gordon, claiming the film will be, "very modern. It's not camp."
Sad news, children of the 80s, ComicBookMovie.com is reporting that the big-screen version of the classic cartoon "Thundercats" has been buried at Warner Brothers. With the success of other 80s cartoons "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe," "Thundercats" would seem like a no-brainer to make the leap to feature film. Sadly, reliable sources say it's not gonna happen. Look on the bright side-- one of our cherished childhood relics will go untarnished by the likes of Michael Bay or Channing Tatum. Console yourself with these $200 Lion-O and Cheetara porcelain statues.
12/28/2009
Latest Trailer For Christopher Nolan's 'Inception' Provides Only Vague Clues
The latest trailer for Christopher Nolan's "Inception" has been released over at Apple and, as promised, does everything to excite and fascinate while giving away next to nothing in regards to plot.
Previously leaked voice-over dialogue transcriptions were slightly off with Leonardo DiCaprio's protagonist instead saying:"What's the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and re-write all the rules; which is why I have to steal it."
The money shots of the trailer probably go to that of the unknown city rolling up on itself into an 'L' shape as everything on it remains unaffected by the structural changes and the shot of a train driving in the middle of a busy city road, knocking cars off as it speeds through.
Snapshots of the film's dialogue are scattered throughout the trailer and seemingly provide our first glimpse (or snippet) of Marion Cotillard, who plays the wife of DiCaprio's character. We're pretty sure it's her screaming "Wake me up! Wake me up!" at the very end.
The trailer also provides first looks at Ellen Page (aside from paparazzi shots), Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe (and the back of Cillian Murphy's head) as well as Lukas Haas' character. He can be seen watching on through a window as the city lies in destruction, attacking an unknown figure. Though later on he is seen, as he was in the last trailer, being escorted away from a helicopter as DiCaprio looks on helplessly, suggesting they're on the same "side" (if such a thing exists in this film).
It appears that working for DiCaprio are Page, Haas, Hardy, Murphy and possibly Joseph-Gordon Levitt who looks like he has a sizable role here, but there's also presumably a lot of duplicity and double crossing going on as well. In fact, grazing InContention's post revealing the plot of "Inception" (which was posted months ago and contains myriad spoilers, not even gonna link to it, but it's easy to find if you google), they confirm most of who is on Dicaprio's "team." Plus the idea that DiCaprio's character is a bit of a criminal himself (hence the "I must steal this," he's been described as a CEO-type and one that probably isn't entirely scrupulous). Could he be, in the end, just as much of a villain as the antagonists are meant to be? Perhaps his whole plan backfires on him?
Of course we're only deducing from the little information provided but it would seem reasonable as only Watanabe is currently slated as an antagonist and surely everyone can't be on DiCaprio's side? It's really hard to tell who might fall where, but surely that's by design.
"Inception" hits theaters next summer.
12/27/2009
Weekend Box Office: 'Sherlock' Fails To Solve The Mystery Appeal Of 'Avatar'
So... "Avatar." You like it, you really really like it. After a solid opening weekend in 3D box office terms, the film dropped only 2.6% from last period's intake, winning with a superspectacular $75 million, the best second weekend in history, and a ten day total of $212 mil. Hooray for megabudgeted anti-corporation big blockbusters made by big corporations! "Avatar" has connected big time, and with more holidays off and word of mouth spreading ("I don't remember what it was about but... blue things!"), it's got a shot at $300 million by next weekend and at least a $400 domestic take. Combined with an even bigger international score, and "Avatar" may be a billion dollar success. Of course, no one has any idea how much production + marketing went into "Avatar," but you'd have to believe that this movie needed a giant number to break even, and it looks like that's being achieved. "Avatar" doesn't have much to worry about in the dead months of January either, and with the dominance over IMAX screens, this could only be the beginning of another mammoth financial achievement for James Cameron. This would mean... more artistic freedom than any filmmaker has ever had, right? You will do something with this, other than a boy's adventure film this time, right? Right?
"Sherlock Holmes" was the bridesmaid this weekend, but don't weep for the detective yarn, which exploded onto the scene with $65 million. Reportedly, audiences were very cool on the film, likely because it's veddy British, but after that opening, we can see a more glamorous sequel with an A/B+ star as the villanous Moriarity. It's too bad Eddie Marsan is already playing a thankless role in the franchise, because we felt bad for the "Hancock" villain after he was so spittingly scary and irritable in "Happy-Go-Lucky." Though we can't wait for whatever obnoxious, gimmicky, egocentric spin Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp puts on the role. At #3 was the odious children's offering "Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," which did $50 million for the three day and $77 since it's Wednesday opening, topping the first film's $44 million take. Congratulations, America, you still hate your kids.
For the parents who hate themselves, "It's Complicated" opened in a surprisingly distant fourth. It didn't open as big as Nancy Meyers' "What Women Want," but the audience for her films are never first weekend types, regardless of the Mel-lovers who rushed out for that one. Because bored housewives don't always have attractive poolboys to seduce, the weekday grosses for the film should be a big success through January, but the cost of this thing does make a profit chase a bit more daunting. What is up, Universal? You gave Judd Apatow and Nancy Meyers $80 million each this year for continued variations on their own middlebrow rich white people insecurities and their movies opened exactly the same. If $80 million buys you movies that place a premium on profanity and furniture, can you guys at least pay our heating bill this month for writing this column and giving your movies ("Funny People" was the other one!) a few extra Google hits?
Not to harp on this but damn, this might be the whitest holiday box office season in history. While "Precious" languishes under $50 million total and "The Princess And The Frog" lurches over $60, "Up In The Air" and "The Blind Side" scrap for #5. "Blind" will happily concede to the George Clooney suitcase saga, given how it's preposterous success (+17% this weekend despite 600 less theaters and a $184 total) is more than enough to crow about this holiday season. With $200 in its sights, "The Blind Side" is not only a bonafide success, but as a "serious" drama released during the holiday season it's gotten the people's vote should WB push hard enough to get deep into the awards picture. Had there been no other blockbusters with critical appeal this season, "The Blind Side" would be a legit entry into the final ten, and surely would have surpassed the likes of "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" in last year's sorry awards ceremony. What all of this has to say about the American film economy is retardedly tragic. Meanwhile, "Up In The Air" falls in with Clooney's other recent wide openings. If a measure of a movie star is the ability to get anything to a $12 million opening weekend, then George Clooney is a titan.
"The Princess And The Frog" kept swinging at #7, but it looks like it'll tap out before $100, while "Nine" expanded to a pretty weak $5.5 on over 1000 screens, further proof that people really don't care about going behind the scenes of a movie, especially a movie within a movie based on a play based on a movie that was Italian and obscure to mainstream audiences and would register to 0.0005% of today's filmgoers. Again, the number being thrown around for this was $80 million. Does no one in this town understand the value of a dollar? Imagining the craft services on these sets makes our tummies rumble, even during the holiday season.
"Did You Hear About The Morgans?" Guess not. Meanwhile, "Invictus" is still bringing in a very specific demographic and has scored $23 in three weeks, though we'd assume the story will have stronger international appeal. The week's biggest per-screen average belongs to "The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus," which registered $32k per screen for $130k on four screens, while other indie successes include "The Young Victoria" taking in $600k in its second weekend, "The Road" at $429k in its fifth weekend, "Broken Embraces" closing out weekend six with $360k and "A Single Man" wittling down after weekend three at $323k. The highest grossing of these, by far, is "The Road" with $5.8 million, or apparently $13 million less than "The Squeakuel" did in its first day. Yay movies.
1. Avatar- $75 million ($212 mil.)
2. Sherlock Holmes- $65 million
3. Alvin And The Four Horsemen: The Squeakuel- $50.2 million ($77 mil.)
4. Nancy Meyers' Random Title Generator- $22.1 million
5. Up In The Air- $11.8 million ($25 mil.)
6. The Proud White Christian- $11.7 million ($184 mil.)
7. The Princess And The Frog- $8.7 million ($63 mil.)
8. Nine- $5.5 million ($6 mil.)
9. Wait, Were You The One Who Asked About The Morgans?- $5 million ($16 mil.)
10. Invictus- $4.4 million ($23 mil.)
Subscribe To The Playlist
Posts
All Comments
