There's a moment early on in the Robert Rodriguez-produced, Nimrod Antal-directed reboot/sequel/spin-off/whatever "Predators," when Royce (Adrien Brody), a hardened mercenary, frees nerdy doctor Edwin (Topher Grace) from a tree. The two men, along with some other men (among them Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, and Louis Ozawa Changchien) and one woman (Alice Braga), have been abducted and dropped via parachute into a mysterious jungle terrain. Edwin is strung up in his parachute. Royce simply shoots down the limb that he's dangling from. The other survivors stare at Royce. "I got tired of waiting," is Royce's reply.
And in a way, this philosophy of smashing aggressiveness over nuance or thoughtfulness lies at the heart of "Predators." There's constantly so much stuff going on that there isn't much time to slow down and focus on the intricacies of the characters, situation or plot. In a way, this is one of the movie's biggest assets since it doesn't allow the audience (or reviewer) to contemplate why exactly any of the stuff that's happening, or how it's happening logistically, since some other big moment of over-sized kick-assery is looming just around the corner.
While this may sound like a bad thing, it's not; it's economic and resourceful from a narrative standpoint and fully acknowledges that the filmmakers know exactly what kind of movie it is (even if there is an offbeat, Oscar-winning actor in the cast).
7/07/2010
Review: "Predators" Is An Energetic, Entertaining Midnight Movie
Scorsese Out: Ridley Scott May Reteam With Leonardo DiCaprio For 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
What is up with all the economic-based films going into production now? "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" hits this fall, "Margin Call" shoots this summer, and of course Michael Moore was already here on this subject with "Capitalism, A Love Story" last year and he was only one year behind the times. Guys, we're better now! The economic crisis is over! Ok, recent unemployment numbers do suggest the opposite and our bank account still hasn't recovered from the fall of 2008. Either way, this topic is still of big interest to Hollywood and Ridley Scott, who is already developing a movie based on the board game "Monopoly" (though to be fair, that film sounds like it's on acid).
Scott has another similarly themed project potentially up his sleeve. According to Deadline, it's Jordan Belfort's tell-all autobiography of 1990's stockbroker decadence, called, "The Wolf Of Wall Street" and it may reteam Scott with his "Body Of Lies" star Leonardo DiCaprio.
This is a project that Dicaprio was going to make with his directing friend and frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese and it was announced in the trades back in 2007 with "The Sopranos" writer Terence Winter onboard to write. But it evidently got bogged down in a studio tug of war by Warner Bros. and Paramount (DiCaprio's Appian Way had a first look deal there and Scorsese has a sweet deal with Paramount).
With Scorsese busy with "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," it sounds like he's willing to let it go, but Scott is in early discussions and it's not sure if he can shoot the picture before the "Alien" prequel which is a priority for Fox. Surely fanboys would rather see the later project. Scheduling sounds difficult for all involved, so don't be surprised if this one doesn't actually work out.
DiCaprio is in an enviable position though. He won't make a film unless he's working with who he perceives to be the best directors in the world and he's basically got the pick of the project litter as his involvement will get any film greenlit. Next for him is likely Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar Hoover biopic, scripted by Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") and simply titled, "Hoover" which will probably shoot later this year.
Denzel Washington In Talks To Star In 'Safe House'; 'Snabba Cash' Director Daniel Espinosa On Board
Vulture reports that Denzel Washington is in talks to star in "Safe House," a thriller based on a spec script by US magazine editor David Guggenheim that was a subject of bidding war that was won by Universal earlier this year.
The film, described as a mix between "Collateral" and "Three Days of the Condor," "follows a young U.S. intelligence agent who must go on the run with a newly arrived prisoner after his titular safe house comes under attack." According to Deadline, who miraculously credited Vulture with the story, Chris Pine, who co-stars with Washington in the upcoming film "Unstoppable" met with the studio about playing the agent, but will not be taking the role.
One of the reasons we're interested? Deadline's claim that the film is to be helmed by Daniel Espinosa, the director of the Swedish film, "Snabba Cash". And mind you, we actually haven't seen this 2010 film, but it's apparently all the rage in Hollywood at the moment. So much so that Espinosa was one of the original directors in discussions for "X-Men: First Class" before Matthew Vaughn signed on. Espinosa's name has also come up in connection with Aaron Guzikowski's heavily-buzzed script "Prisoners" with Leonardo DiCaprio (though Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Mark Wahlberg and seemingly every male lead in Tinseltown has been interested at one point, it was that hot) as well as the Steven Soderbergh-produced "Making Jack Falcone" which has Benicio Del Toro attached to star.
All this makes us extremely interested in "Snabba Cash" and Espinosa to see what the fuss is all about (side note: we really hope someone makes "Prisoners").
As an interesting footnote, Washington's longtime agent at WME, the legendary Ed Limato, passed away over the weekend and the company CEOs Ari Emmanuel and Patrick Whitesell are eager to prove to the actor that they can still command big bucks, and decent projects. So will Universal, who recently did another shuffle to their release date schedule and are weathering two years of expensive flops, take another risk with another big star, big budget film? Washington, who can still command a $20 million fee per picture, won't come cheap.
Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, Ewan McGregor & Orlando Bloom All Want 'The Sweeney'?
Take this with a bit of a grain of salt, but word is circulating that Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, Ewan McGregor and Orlando Bloom are all vying for one of the lead roles in the Fox Searchlight police procedural "The Sweeney."
In development for a while now, the film is an adaptation of a 1970s Brit TV drama about two cops, George Carter and Jack Regan, who work at the Metropolitan Police division dealing with armed robbery and violent crime. A version of the film that was set to star Ray Winstone and Michael Fassbender was scrapped earlier this year when Fox Searchlight feared the casting wasn't good enough/well known enough to play well internationally.
As amazing as that movie might've been, word is now circulating that Fox Searchlight are trying to re-up with movie with a bigger name to star opposite Ray Winstone, who is apparently still attached. The Daily Mail report that Daniel Craig is vying the part, while OneIndia throws Tom Hardy, Ewan McGregor and Orlando Bloom into the mix as well as actors looking to join the film. No offense to Hardy, Bloom or McGregor but while they may be interested (and really, we can't vouch for OneIndia's reliability as a source), Craig is obviously the biggest international draw of the four, having played James Bond and seems to be the most likely candidate. Tom Hardy? Not well known enough, and probably won't be until after "Mad Max" or possibly, "Inception." And both Orlando Bloom and Ewan McGregor are dodgy box office prospects when toplining their own films.
The film will be directed by Nick Love ("The Firm," "The Football Factory") who wrote the script with original series writer Ian Kennedy Martin. Again, given the development history of the film that could change and these names are unverified at this point. But Daniel Craig and Ray Winstone as cops? Yeah, we'd buy a ticket. [via Dark Horizons]
Review: '[Rec] 2' Is Best Erased From Your Memory Banks
What can you possibly say about "[Rec] 2" that at least raises the eyebrows of the uninitiated? The paper-thin sequel packs a critic-proof triple punch. It's a horror film, and if it works on a few basic, primal levels, fans will be loyal. It's a sequel, so if you've seen the not-bad "[Rec]" then you're probably sold already. But, more interestingly, it's yet another product from horror's odd embrace of the "found footage" aesthetic, one that finds its roots from "Cannibal Holocaust" up until the pre-millennial influence of "The Last Broadcast" and "The Blair Witch Project," through the new technology age bringing us "Paranormal Activity," "Cloverfield" and "Diary of the Dead." Why must we comment on these films, when in fact they are commenting on us?
These features carry promise in their ability to properly capture our neuroses and passive-aggressive attitude towards technology - horror is nothing if not the fear of the progressive and the victory of the conservative. As a result, these films have been made in a detached attempt to dissect and denigrate our reliance on technology and how our need to document has dominated our lives. We'd have escaped that monster, y'see, had we not been trying to steady our tripods.
The first "[Rec]," bloodlessly remade in America as "Quarantine," didn't have much to offer the scholarly horror moviegoers in the audience, but it still succeeded within the framework of the genre. The found footage conceit - where the audience is ostensibly witnessing the last videotaped moments of a select group of victims - has to be treated as a legit manner of making a film, though it seems like a narrative conceit that can, and has, carried only a handful of films so far. Found footage movies live within their limitations, and as such already have a set of rules similar to, say, the Dogme 95 movement: dialogue must be improvised, loud, profane and inarticulate, the supernatural should be reduced to its most primal and mundane and the action must be reduced to an intimate setting (the latter was broken by "Cloverfield," arguably the most successful of this type of picture).
David Byrne To Score Paolo Sorrentino's 'This Must Be The Place' Starring Sean Penn & Frances McDormand
Renaissance man David Byrne (Talking Heads, an illustrious varied solo career) has been tapped to score "This Must Be the Place," the English-language debut of Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino who made a splash at Cannes 2008 with the Italian politico drama, "Il Divo." The film presumably takes its name after the Heads' song, "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," which is odd considering we'd never think of that track in the context of what this film is about.
As previously reported Penn is going to be taking the lead as a middle-aged wealthy rock star bored in his retirement, who takes on the quest of finding his father’s executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.
Aside from "Fair Game," which was shot a long time ago, this is one of the first projects Penn has taken since he announced a hiatus last year (he flirted with the nemesis role in "Water For Elephants," but eventually dropped out). The film also stars Frances McDormand (as Penn's wife), and Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo, who starred "Il Divo" (which won the Prix du Jury at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival) and "The Consequences of Love," is on board as well, presumably as the Nazi Penn's out to kill.
According to Variety, the film has a $28 million dollar budget (high for a European production, and Italian bank Intesa San Paolo are taking an equity stake picture its so anticipated in Italy.
Byrne has done all kinds of score work in his career (most recently a lot of work on HBO's "Big Love," the 2003 David Mackenzie film, "Young Adam" is particularly good), but our favorite is perhaps not a score at all, but Oliver Stone's use of his 1981 Brian Eno-collaborative album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, prominently featured in "Wall Street" (an inspired off-the-beat choice for sure).
Sorrento described the film, "On the one hand, it's about a father-and-son relationship. On the other, it delves into the theme of the Holocaust, which is a lot riskier, but also something I've been thinking about a lot."
The film is set to shoot in Dublin, Ireland and the U.S. for 10 weeks starting in August.
Details On The Celebrity Heavy 'Men In Black 3'
With the likes of Yoko Ono, Jimi Hendrix, Fidel Castro, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Andy Warhol you might be forgiven for thinking that we're going to talk about a forthcoming documentary on pop culture in the late 1960s, but no, it's actually some of (CGI) celebrity aliens (really?) that are apparently set to appear in "Men In Black 3."
JoBlo has read the script for the film and it sounds about as fun and exciting as a time traveling "Men In Black" might be (as in, not that fun at all). The film will center on Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent Jay (Will Smith) who must travel back in time to save the world when the villain Yaz (Jemaine Clement) heads to 1969 to kill Kay (the younger version played by Josh Brolin --- who is apparently supposed to be a 26 year old). If the plot sounds like a muddled it is; the JoBlo writer couldn't make sense of the time spanning script on the page which is never a good sign. The other weird thing? Yaz, "described as a nightmare biker who looks like Dennis Hopper and Satan" is apparently "not meant to be particularly funny" which either means Clement is going to have his way with the part and improv his way through this thing, or he's been horribly miscast (JoBlo cites Ron Perlman or Mickey Rourke being better fits for the role).
As expected, the time traveling element of the story leads to some inevitable “You’ve gotta believe me!” jokes and there are some Apple Store and Apple iPhone jokes which will probably just be one of the money pop culture references/gags that will populate the film.
All this being said, the film isn't expected to hit theaters (in 3D) until May 25, 2012 and the script could easily go through more changes to make Brolin's character more age appropriate and the villain more suited to Clement's sensibilities. In fact, we would be surprised if it didn't. Also, those celebrities may change depending on whether their respective estates clear them to appear in the film (though obvs, Yoko Ono will either agree or not, though we're inclined to believe she would pass on this). But these early details do sort of give a pretty good window into the where the sequel is headed. Can't say we're too thrilled about it either way it goes.
Phil Lord Dishes On 'R-Rated Crazy Action Movie' Version Of '21 Jump Street'
Slowly but surely, Hollywood is doing their part to de-ghettoize animation and cartoon artists. Maybe it's the fact that most movies, with thick, artificial 3D transfers and excessive computer effects are in themselves animated films, but in some cases, it has to do with the artistry, as Pixar craftsmen Brad Bird and Andrew Stanton are both behind the camera for anticipated live-action tentpoles "Mission: Impossible IV" and "John Carter Of Mars" respectively.
It looks like Phil Lord and Chris Miller are the latest to benefit from this enhanced exposure. The duo gained attention for directing last year's surprise animated hit "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" and have now been linked to an assortment of projects. The next, surprisingly, is a move into R-rated territory with an adaptation of the popular late 80's TV show "21 Jump Street." Known as a launchpad for a then-unknown Johnny Depp, "Jump Street" followed a group of young-looking cops going undercover at high schools and colleges to bust wayward youths. Lord was interviewed by Collider and he confirmed that the film, written by "Scott Pilgrim" scribe Michael Bacall, is set to start shooting early next year.
Lord speaks of a 40 page treatment he wrote with Miller to get the job, though re-writing continues for a possible early 2012 release date. With the involvement of producer and star Jonah Hill, Lord and Miller are utilizing more of a comedic buddy cop premise. Sayeth Lord, "Well, you’re talking about like 2 cops, you know, youngish cops who go back into a high school and then start to relive it all these issues that they had when they went to high school originally. And so it winds up becoming this really sweet coming of age story except the guys that are coming of age are in their early 20’s instead of 17 and 18. So it’s still kind of that thing of watching 2 guys who really have had a delayed adolescence let’s say. You know, really grow up and become men and become better friends. I mean it really winds up being about character comedy and character relationships and you know a lot of buddy comedies aren’t like that. They’re really about a relationship between 2 guys and what can that be like?"
Go Work: John Hillcoat Directs Ad For Levis
We have to say, we've kind of been digging the Levis "Go Forth" campaign. Yeah, yeah we're not quite resolved with their using the whole pioneer/beat generation vibe to sell denim, but it's not like they're throwing a CGI Allen Ginsberg on a skateboard and making him do backflips or some shit. Anyway, we're certainly not going to complain when they get the likes of John Hillcoat ("The Proposition," "The Road") to direct a spot.
Hillcoat, who recently came off directing a half-hour movie/informercial for the video game "Red Dead Redemption" is thankfully back directing actual people instead of pixels on a screen. The nearly two minute spot is a wonderfully low key and warmhearted ray of hope for people affected by the recent economic downturn in the United States. The irony? Levis closed their last American manufacturing plant in 2004.
Review: 'The Kids Are All Right' Is One of the Year's Best (And We're Not Saying That Just Because It's Only July)
If Nancy Meyers of "It's Complicated" and "The Holiday" fame wrote about lesbians — and actually had talent — she might have made "The Kids Are All Right." Like Meyers, filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko crafts a movie actually made with adults in mind as an audience (and features some gorgeous, glossy-worthy house porn), but Cholodenko doesn't rely on unlikely, Ephron-aping meet-cutes and groan-worthy dialogue. Instead, "The Kids Are All Right" feels bracingly authentic — and entirely entertaining — in its picture of a middle-aged marriage whose participants just happen to be two women.
Those worried they're getting a message movie in the midst of an ongoing national debate about gay marriage probably aren't the intended audience for the film, but "The Kids Are All Right" (even in its title) communicates its ideals with a subtlety and persuasiveness no protest sign can capture. The fact that the couple at its center is two women who can't even legally marry in their home state of California doesn't come up. Instead, the film centers on the struggles of parenting and keeping a relationship viable as the decades pass.
Annette Bening is perfectly bristly as Nic, Mom #1, who establishes her type-A, rule-abiding character quickly, insisting that her daughter, Joni (Mia Wasikowska, "Alice in Wonderland") send out her graduation gift thank-you notes ASAP. More laid back is Mom #2, Julianne Moore's Jules, the meandering hippie of the pair who is trying her hand at landscape design after attempts at other careers. She named her son Laser (Josh Hutcherson, "Journey to the Center of the Earth") because, well, why not?
Colin Farrell Makes Women Sad: Rocks Ugly Comb Over For Role In 'Horrible Bosses'
The smoldering, hunky Colin Farrell and his gorgeous brown locks have undergone a bit of a conversion for his role in the upcoming comedy, "Horrible Bosses."
A set photo from the film has landed and Farrell has crowned himself with a hilarious bald set and wicked comb over. Sorry ladies. Completing the look with a rather bland black shirt and an awful tie we can't wait to see what the actor has in store in his role as a coke-addled heir to a chemical company.
Set to be directed by Seth Gordon ("The King Of Kong" and hopefully his mea culpa for the awful, "Four Christmases" ) the high concept, black comedy stars Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as three best friends who, fed up with abuse from their employers, enlist the help of a scam artist called Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx) to help murder them. Farrell plays one of the titular bosses along with Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey.
We've read the script by Jonathan Goldstein and ex-"Freaks and Geeks" star John Francis Daley and liked it a lot. Funny and very mean, and boasting a great cast, this could be one of the better comedies of next year. Filming started yesterday in L.A.
Uh-Oh: 'The Adjustment Bureau' Moves (Again) To March 4, 2011; Greg Mottola's 'Paul' Gets A March 18, 2011 Release Date
Universal have had a rough twelve months or so. Despite some occasional surprise bright spots like "Couples Retreat" their slate has mostly been made up of overly expensive pictures that never really connected critically or commercially, from "State of Play," "Bruno" and "Funny People" to "The Wolf Man," "Robin Hood," "Green Zone" and "MacGruber." We're sure fingers are crossed that "Despicable Me" and "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" turn things around, but either way, the studio have revealed their slate for the latter part of this year and the beginning of the next.
The biggest news is that the Matt Damon-starrer "The Adjustment Bureau," which had already moved from a July release date to September, has shifted again, this time to the beginning of March 2011 (almost exactly the same slot where Damon and the studio bit the dust with "Green Zone"). Rumors have been rife for a while about a somewhat troubled production, and this doesn't bode well, but having said that, maybe the studio are trying to buy some time to rethink their marketing after the first trailer for the film bored everyone who watched it into a coma.
That film will be joined two weeks later by the long-awaited "Paul," which teams "Superbad" director Greg Mottola with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who play two comic geeks who end up road-tripping with a real life alien (a CGI creation brought to life by Seth Rogen). It's been set for a date in the spring for a little while, and it now looks like it'll officially be released on March 18th. If the script and talented cast (which also includes Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Sigourney Weaver and Bill Hader) are anything to go by, this should be a much-needed hit for the studio. Even so, it feels like an odd slot, only a few weeks before David Gordon Green's delayed medieval stoner comedy "Your Highness," which hits April 8th, and goes after a similar target audience.
The rest of the slate's pretty weak to be honest, but at least shows a shift in approach, mostly being made up of cheapo genre offering like the M. Night Shyamalan-produced "Devil," on September 17th (the spot originally held by "The Adjustment Bureau"); the apocalyptic drama "Skyline" on November 12th; the Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro starrer "The Dark Fields" on January 21st, and the James Cameron-produced 3D diving thriller "Sanctum" on February 4th.
Finally, the M.I.A. Topher Grace comedy "Kids In America" (which appears to have reverted to its original title, having formerly been called "Young Americans") finally has a date, on December 3rd this year. That college-set picture, which also starred then-rising stars like Anna Faris, Teresa Palmer and Dan Fogler, filmed in the middle of 2007, and has now been in search of a release date for nearly four years. To put that in perspective, three "Twilight" movies and two "Transformers" pictures have been released in that time. What, were they were hoping it would mature like a good cheddar? With a December release are Universal hoping for Christmas awards season miracle?
Family Matters: Lisa Cholodenko Talks 'The Kids Are All Right'
The picture centers on brother and sister (newcomer Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska) set out to find their same-sex parents' sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo), who totally upsets their family dynamic once he enters their lives. The lesbian parents are played by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening and 'Kids' is a comical, thoughtful, touching and well-rounded look at family dynamics without any need for political underlining.
It's one of our favorite films of the year so far (review soon). We recently spoke to Cholodenko about her long feature-film absence, crafting her fully-realized 'Kids' characters, her L.A.-bound story proclivities and her tendency to make "emotionally messy" films. The film hits theaters in limited release (NY/L.A.) this Friday, July 9th and expands after that.
The Playlist: Let's rewind for a sec. Is there any reason why it took six years for another feature?
Lisa Cholodenko: Well, I did a feature film for Showtime that was a television film with Kyra Sedgwick ["Cavedweller"]. And then I did some television ["Six Feet Under," "Push, Nevada," "The L-Word"]. So I’ve done things for cash, but mostly I was writing this script and rewriting and rewriting and getting pregnant and taking time to have a kid.
And the child was the impetus for the film, or was it kind of the other way around? The original kick to the imagination came out of a lot of time spent figuring out the way that my girlfriend and I were going to get pregnant, selecting a [anonymous] sperm donor which we did. We have a four year old now. It just was on my mind in a very specific, kind of myopic way for a long time. And then when I sat down to finally write a new screenplay, this is what began.
This was your first writing collaboration. You wrote with Stuart Blumberg [the screenwriter behind, "Keeping the Faith" and the very underrated "The Girl Next Door"]. We ran into each other in L.A. one day and were kind of talking about the differences in the kinds of films we make — admiring each other’s choices. I kind of gave him the pitch of ‘The Kids Are All Right.’ I had just begun. And we got to talking during this meet-up and he revealed to me that he had been a sperm donor in college! And I thought, "wow, that’s fascinating." And the next thing I knew, we were writing a script together.
Wow, that's some good fate! It took five years, right?
Yeah, it was good. It was like any relationship. There were times when we wanted to throttle each other and quit. It was protracted and kind of painstaking and there were differences of opinion, but ultimately I think we both defaulted back to where we began, which was, I liked that he was bringing a comedic and commercial sensibility and he liked that I was bringing a more kind of auteur sensibility. And we each wanted a little something of what the other had or could do well.
Daniel Brühl Lines Up Two New Films: Soccer Biopic 'The Big Dream Of Konrad Koch' & Drama 'Canal'
Daniel Brühl isn't following in the footsteps of his "Inglourious Basterds" co-star Christoph Waltz by jumping into glossy Hollywood films, instead he continues to work in a wide array of smaller, international films.
The actor has added two more projects to his plate. The first up is the German based-on-a-true-story soccer drama "Der Ganz Grosse Traum des Konrad Koch (The Big Dream Of Konrad Koch)." Set in 1874, the film centers on an English teacher who takes a position at a strict German school and teaches his students the game of soccer. The film is being compared to "Dead Poet's Society"; O captain, my captain. Shooting should begin soon as the film already has a distributor lined up to release the film in Germany next year.
Also in the works is "Canal" co-starring Maria De Medeiros ("Pulp Fiction," "Henry & June") and Pilar Andrés. Directed by Sebastian Mantilla, not much is known about the film except that it will focus on two sisters in their early twenties who learn that "the world is not paved for them." Shooting is slated to begin in December.
Oh yeah, today will be an interesting day for Daniel Brühl as the actor, born to a Spanish mother and a German father, will watch those two nations square off in the World Cup. While we won't be there with him watching the game, the video below should give an idea of what his face will look like when watches the match this afternoon.
Watch: Trailer For Action/Comedy 'Operation: Endgame' Starring Zach Galifiniakis & Rob Corddry That's Going Straight-To-DVD
You would think that a film starring Zach Galifiniakis and Rob Corddry would get some kind of decent theatrical release, but the folks at Anchor Bay think otherwise. And such is the case for the shittily-titled action comedy "Operation: Endgame," which makes it sound like a cheapie video game movie.
Well, in reality the thin plot is really not much to talk about. It centers on two teams of assassins who are forced to hunt each other down when their boss is murdered by a rogue agent. Boring, except when those teams of assassins include Galifianakis, Corddry, Adam Scott ("Party Down," "Parks & Recreation"), Bob Odenkirk ("Mr. Show"), Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development"), Maggie Q. and Ving Rhames. Yes, this looks pretty dumb, low-rent and it's probably not great but we will fully admit that Corddry made us smile and we laughed out loud at Galifiniakis playing a diabetes suffering assassin. So we'll definitely give this one a whirl.
The decent cast is rounded out by Emilie de Ravin ("Lost"), Joe Anderson ("The Crazies"), Ellen Barkin, Odette Yustman ("The Unborn"), and Brandon T. Jackson ("Tropic Thunder").You can queue it up at NetFlix when its gets a DVD/BluRay release on July 27th. [/Film]
Cannes Palme d’Or Winner 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' Gets U.S. Distribution
Apichatpong Weerasethakul's difficult, enigmatic and beautiful Cannes Palme d'Or winner "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" has landed a U.S. distribution deal.
The film, simply described as a story that "follow[s] a man spending his final days surrounded by loved ones in the countryside" is much more than appears on the surface. Negotiating the line between reality and dream, 'Uncle Boonme' is a meditative film that speaks in metaphor and suggestion about the current state of Thailand. As we noted in our review from Cannes, the film is difficult to embrace completely, but it's also unlike anything we've seen so far this year (or are likely to see). We're glad to see there is still room for challenging, artistic work.
Unfortunately, the wait for this one will be a while. The film will hit theaters via Strand Releasing but not until spring 2011. And speaking of films getting distribution: what is going on with Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Biutiful"?
Is Terrence Malick's 'The Tree Of Life' Finally Finished? Film Screens For MPAA, Gets PG-13 Rating
Is Terrence Malick's long awaited "The Tree Of Life" finally finished? That would appear to be the case.
Rope Of Silicon reports that in the latest batch of MPAA film rating announcements, "The Tree Of Life" was given a PG-13 for: some thematic material. The site did some digging and spoke to the MPAA who confirmed that the film was screened for the ratings board within the last couple of weeks and " is finished in terms of music, effects, etc."
As we noted recently, film distributor Apparition are currently undergoing restructuring but are hoping to get the film into theaters by the end of the year with ex-Lionsgate honcho Tom Ortenberg brought on board with that as one of his primary tasks. And if rumors are correct that Malick's recent jaunt to Los Angeles was to finalize FX and cut a trailer, we hope we see that very soon.
So with the film presumably completed, suddenly a premiere at the Venice Film Festival seems a bit more hopeful, despite doubts cast only a few weeks ago. But again, Malick is notoriously fussy in the editing room. "The Thin Red Line" had a long and painful journey to its final edit, and Malick's last effort, "The New World," ended up with three different versions: a 150-minute pre-release version screened for critics; a 135-minute theatrical version and a 172-minute version on DVD. So don't be surprised if Malick continues to tinker and toy with his film.
Updated: Mathieu Amalric Not In Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo Cabret'
Update: A representative from GK Films, producers on the film, have informed us that while Amalric was in discussions for the film, he will not be appearing in "Hugo Cabret" due to scheduling conflicts. Bummer.
The already impressive cast for Martin Scorsese's forthcoming 3D family film "Hugo Cabret" has added yet another talent. Mathieu Amalric will join the recently announced Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee as well as the previously confirmed Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield in the film that will shoot in London and Paris this summer.
Tipped by a reader (thanks Jerome!) we were pointed in the direction of French site Les InRocks who report that Amalric has joined the film. But unsure if it was just a rumor or not, we did some digging and found confirmation from the actor himself. Speaking with La Voix Du Nord, when asked about upcoming films Amalric says (note, this a rough Google Translation): "Here, I'm playing with Martin Scorsese. It's called The Invention of Hugo Cabret, according to a well-known book illustration in the United States....whose author is Brian Selznick. It happens in the 30s, the story of an orphan who secretly lives in the Montparnasse station in Paris. He befriends an old man who runs a toy shop, which is actually Melies. This ended her life by holding a toy shop in the Gare Montparnasse, when all his studio burned down and he was absolutely convinced that all his films had been destroyed. And the child becomes a man who found a film, 'The Voyage to the Moon.' The character I'm playing, that's what Scorsese in life, that is to say all that work to restore old movies."
So, if we can parse through that text, it appears that Amalric will play a film restorer who we presume works to bring back the films of George Méliès (played by Ben Kingsley) that were presumed to be lost. In real life, French filmmaker Méliès really did live through seeing most of his work destroyed, melted down into boot heels for the French army in WWI after his film company went bankrupt and was sold. And yes, he did end up working at toy store at the Montparnasse station in Paris.
We're big fans of Amalric, so we're thrilled with this addition to the cast. And while we could take-it-or-leave-it with 3D, with Scorsese looking to up the ante of "Avatar" and "Alice In Wonderland" we're curious to see what the director will bring to the table. And it will certainly be a joy to see consummate cinephile Scorsese explore the world of early silent cinema. "Hugo Cabret" will unspool on December 9, 2011.
Virginia Madsen To Play Amanda Seyfried's Mother In Catherine Hardwicke's 'Red Riding Hood'
Virginia Madsen has joined the ever-growing cast of Catherine Hardwicke's medieval thriller "Red Riding Hood" — a dark, dangerous and romantic take on the classic tale from scribe David Leslie Johnson ("Orphan").
Madsen will play the mother of Amanda Seyfried's protagonist, a girl who falls in love with an orphaned woodcutter (Shiloh Fernandez) though she's engaged to marry the son of a blacksmith (Max Irons) with the overarching story centering on the haunting presence of a werewolf in the village they call home.
Also featuring in the cast are the likes of Gary Oldman, who'll play the werewolf hunter Father Soloman, Julie Christie as Seyfried's grandmother, Michael Hogan as the mysterious 'The Reeve' with Lukas Haas presumably taking up the role of the antagonist werewolf.
The film begins lensing this summer in Vancouver for an April 22th release next year.
No Offense Rupert Grint, But Martin Scorsese Has Never Seen Your Films
Way to get the kids' hopes up? And/or call it another cautionary tale about the specious U.K. Sun.
They reported recently — and it was disseminated by folks like Cinematical and Popcrunch — that Martin Scorsese thought ginger-haired "Harry Potter" star Rupert Grint was the bees knees, the next Leonardo DiCaprio, and that director wanted him for some gangster picture.
They even made fake quotes that read, "I would be interested in working with him. I would have no issues in casting him as a gangster, he is a very talented young man." The hint there is these quotes couldn't be any more generic. Grint's U.K. flack maybe?
But in a statement Scorsese gave out to media outlets like the New York Times, the filmmaker basically refuted all of these quotes and claims. "With respect to the Harry Potter films, regrettably I’ve never seen them," he said. "Therefore [I] am not able to discuss them or the performances of the talent in them in any way.”
The Times even called the liar-liar-pants-on-fire Sun for a comment, but of course they didn't return the calls. You know Rupert Grint just went from elation to "faaaaaahhhhck!" Oh well, that's Hollywood and the media for you, kid. "Harry Potter" has probably made him a mint anyhow.
'Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story' Will Wait For Lindsay Lohan To Get Out Of Jail
You may not have heard yet, but accomplished thesp Lindsay Lohan is going to be spending some time behind bars. No, not the kind that serve alcohol, but, like, a real life prison. All joking aside though, normally we wouldn't be the kind of site to report such trivialities, however, there are film-world ramifications and that's where we step in.
Lohan was slated to take the lead role in Matthew Wilder's "Inferno," a biopic of infamous porn star Linda Lovelace. There was some positive (if salacious) buzz about the script and the promo material had a nice look to it, so despite the drink and drug monitored star's involvement and the fact that she hasn't really followed up on her promise in "Mean Girls" we were cautiously optimistic. But, any worries then that Lindsay's spell in jail will affect the film should be put aside; production is set to resume once she has served her time.
It seems she's earned herself a big fan in director Matthew Wilder, who said about the former child star: "This is a sad chapter in the ongoing tragicomic circus between the tabloid media and the 'justice' system. An outrageously outsized sentence garners attention for all the players involved, but brings only sadness to the poor soul who has to serve it. I am 100% behind Lindsay and can say the same for everyone involved in the production of 'Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story.' Indeed, we are proud to have this remarkable artist work on our film."
Rather more ominously (and hilariously) he then added a message for all the detractors of that 'poor soul' and 'remarkable artist': "And as for the haters relishing this moment, I can only quote Jesus in 'The Last Temptation of Christ': 'And those who are laughing now...will be crying after.'" We doubt Lindsay will serve the entire sentence, and hopefully while she does that she doesn't find out first hand how mean some girls really are. Genuinely though, we hope this is the shock to the system that the (once) promising young actress needs and uses it as a means of getting her life and career back on track. More "Mean Girls" and less "I Know Who Killed Me" from now on please. [Vulture]
Jeremy Irons Latest Addition To All-Star 'Margin Call' Cast
Close to two years after the collapse of Lehmann Brothers, Hollywood is starting to respond to the financial crisis that shook the world at the end of 2008. Oliver Stone's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" hits in September after middling reviews at Cannes, and a handful of other projects, from HBO's "Too Big To Fail" to an adaptation of the stage play "Enron" are all in the works. But one of the most promising is the drama "Margin Call."
The picture, which is currently filming, follows eight people at a financial firm during the first 24 hours of the crisis, and already has a promising cast on board, including Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci, Mary McDonnell and Penn Badgley ("Gossip Girl," apparently). Now they've been joined by one more, in the shape of Jeremy Irons, who'll play the chief executive of the company.
Quinto himself is producing the picture, and kudos to him for assembling an ensemble like this one first time out the gate. It's being written and directed by JC Chandor, who was behind a Will Arnett-starring short in 2004 called "Despacito." Of course, there's no sign if Joe Public want to go and see movies about the mess but we'll see when "Wall Street" hits theaters. [Deadline]
Play Them Off, Keyboard Cat: Kevin Macdonald & Ridley Scott Teaming For Crowdsourced YouTube Documentary
Now that he's off making the big budget likes of "The Eagle of the Ninth," it's easy to forget that director Kevin Macdonald got his start in documentary film, with the excellent "Kindertransport," "One Day In September" and "Touching the Void." Now it looks like Macdonald is returning to the form (his last effort, "My Enemy's Enemy," hit in 2007), teaming with Ridley Scott and his Scott Free company on the unusual effort "Life In A Day." If only the subject matter was up to their talents...
The idea is that the film will be made up of footage shot and uploaded by the users of YouTube on July 24th, with the idea of telling "future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th July, 2010." MacDonald will then edit the footage together, and the film will premiere at Sundance next year, with twenty of those who supplied footage being flown to the premiere there.
The film will then be released in full onto YouTube. It's being put together with the support of Against All Odds Productions, which specializes in projects like this one, and particular care is being taken to make sure that cameras will be distributed to remote corners of the world, for the full breadth of human experience.
In theory, it's an interesting idea, but we have a couple of concerns. Firstly, it sounds like it may run the risk of being rather saccharine and broad (although MacDonald's previous doc efforts give us hope that it'll be more interesting than that). More importantly, if it follows YouTube in general, the film will be made up of ten minutes of interesting material, followed by eighty minutes of footage from "Twilight" re-edited to a Nickleback song. Still, if you feel you can bring the average up, you can find out more about submitting footage here. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Production On 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Apparently Delayed As George Miller Develops 3D Technology For Shoot
Much has been spoken of late about George Miller's forthcoming 'Mad Max' reboot starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, but could the production, which is slated to begin in October, be set for a slight delay?
According to the well-read publication The Australian, lensing on the film is set to be postponed until February of next year. While no confirmation or denial could be sought from the office of the film's production company, Kennedy Miller Mitchell, an official statement is apparently due this week.
The franchise rebooter will co-star the likes of Nicholas Hoult ("A Single Man") as a character named Nux; Zoe Kravitz and Adelaide Clemens as part of a convoy chased by the antagonists; with Hardy and Theron leading as Max Rockatansky himself and an unnamed female lead. The latest rumors have also been throwing up the possibility of a back-to-back shoot on two films, titled "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Mad Max: Furiosa," to be released "immediately" after each other. That has yet to be confirmed, but if true we'd imagine extra pre-production work would be necessary and a postponement on the start date?
Adding to the potential extra work that may have catalyzed the reported delay: Miller is also evidently "working on new 3D advancements to be used during the shoot" with rumors that he'll be "building his own 3D rigs and cameras based on technology originally developed by Dalsa Corporation" on account of the technology's current fragility and the film's expected tough shoot in Broken Hill, Australia where temperatures consistently reach well over 40 °C (104 °F). This comes after star Hoult told the press earlier this year that a 3D conversion would be implemented for the film — could all the recent conjecture surrounding conversions have led Miller to decide to just shoot in the much-buzzed 3D format?
Whatever the motive, the director did add that this wasn't his first venture into such technology and not even his first attempt to utilize it for a 'Mad Max' film. "We are doing 3D on Fury Road — we are shooting with real 3D cameras,” Miller told Inside Film. "Seven years ago we were going to shoot in 3D but the technology in cinemas wasn’t geared for it then but I always loved 3D or stereo."
Seven years ago? Miller, then, is likely referring the last planned iteration of the franchise that was set to feature a return by Mel Gibson in a $105 million production that even had a July 23rd, 2004 release date readied. Shooting was all set to begin in Nambia before the impending invasion of Iraq, a mere 11 weeks from the production start date, prompted 20th Century Fox to postpone production — a move that Miller never recovered from leading him to begin work on the animated film, "Happy Feet."
Miller wasn't the first non-US citizen to be granted the Visual Effects Society's honorary member status for no reason, and in this expansive world of cinematic technology, we imagine this 'Mad Max' reboot will be his chance to shine once again. Leaving no stone unturned, famed special effects company WETA also recently announced their involvement with the technologically ambitious production. Let's just hope there's some interesting story and characters somewhere in there though judging by Hardy's own description of his character as "a hungry wolf. Or like when you put a cat in the bath," we don't imagine that to be a problem.
Also affected by the delay of the 'Mad Max' films? Development on a third 'Babe' film. Shame.
Future Willow Character In 'X-Men First Class'?
We don't want to give this story too much credence frankly, but we did already mention a few days ago, very briefly, that professional surfer and bikini model — Erica Hosseini — tweeted about auditioning for the part of Willow in Matthew Vaughn's "X-Men: First Class."
Wait, who? Willow is a Mystique-like shape shifting character that existed in the the short-lived Marvel run X-Nation 2099 series that only lasted six issues, so even most die-hard fans aren't aware of who she is. Obviously that series is set in the far, far future. So what's going on here? We've already heard about issues with the script, and now they're grabbing characters from all eras and mashing them into the new film continuity? It's totally possible, but we have no clue.
As we know from history, actors — and especially actors with little experience — generally never get roles if they're tweeting about the auditions or even just talking about auditions. "Hopefully I don’t get in trouble for blabbing details on the off-chance that I get it," Hosseini told FilmFillia, knowing her prospects of landing the role are next to nil. "But I have absolutely no acting experience. I really hope that I get a call back, but I’m not holding my breath."
That's good thinking, don't quit your day job.
7/06/2010
Robert Rodriguez Teases 'Sin City 2' Again; Still Wants To Make 'Madman'
We're fans of Robert Rodriguez, so we're bummed he had to cancel out on interviews with The Playlist for "Predators" (hey, we got Nimrod Antal at least).
We dig prolific and busy filmmakers, and the man has so many irons in the fire — "Predators" comes out July 9, "Machete" hits September 3, "Spy Kids 4: Armageddon" shoots this summer and a complete "Grindhouse" DVD is on the way — he's a constantly fascinating figure.
We may have missed him, but Movieweb did not. The site got an update from Rodriguez on "Sin City 2," but truthfully it sounds no different than the last time press asked him about it. He needs to carve out some time to work on it. It's in the same place as always, "I'm working on the script," he said. "I'm trying to actually find the time to do it because I know I'm doing Spy Kids 4: Armageddon next. I'll have an open slot so (Sin City 2) could go after that."
It could, or something new and exciting could pop up and grab his attention. He's been offered "Deadpool" and there's the sci-fi film "Nervewrackers" (at least "The Jetsons" is officially off his plate, as is for all intents and purposes, "Red Sonja" and "Barbarella"). He did also once mention the "secret fall 2010" project, but we're not sure if that's one of many we've already mentioned.
He's obviously already taken on a mentor role, producing "Predators" at Troublemaker Studios and co-directing "Machete" with longtime editor Ethan Maniquis, and he and Jessica Alba also have the rights to "The Insiders," which was being eyed as a project for "JCVD" director Mabrouk el Mechri (however, he may have dropped that for "The Cold Light Of Day" for Summit, or it might be just later down the road).
Already owning the options to Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta's 1983 animated feature "Fire & Ice" (which he hopes to adapt for a live-action film), Rodriguez also confirmed that he still owns the rights to the comic book super hero "Madman" by writer Mike Allred (he bought them in 1998). "Yeah that's still on the plate too," he said of that potential film. "I love that project and I talk to Mike Allred about that all the time."
New International Poster For 'Scott Pilgrim' Vs The World'
Here's the international poster for Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World."
The tagline of the poster is "Get the hot girl... defeat her evil exes. Hit love where it hurts."
The poster is fine, despite feeling like a composite of several shots from the trailers we've already seen before. But hell, how else are you going to sell it?
There's a swarm of talented cast in this thing, including Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzman, just to name a few, so of course those names -- and the evil exes pictured are going to be front and center.
"Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" will definitely be at Comic-Con later this month, and surely they'll unveil something special for the constituency that should eat up the movie through and through.
The film was written by Wright and Michael Bacall, who was probably already a household name if you lived in certain area codes in Hollywood, but is quickly becoming a name all movie fans will know as well.
We've written about this movie too much, so it's hard to come up with something compelling to say about it. Now we just want to stop writing about it and see it. At least there's that excellent soundtrack to look forward to in the interim and an alleged OST with Nigel Godrich and friends. [HeyYouGuys]
Jude Law Says 'Sherlock Holmes 2' Will Shoot In October
A small update from Jude Law on "Sherlock Holmes 2." Nothing to get super excited about, really.
We know the Guy Ritchie-directed sequel is already set for a December 16, 2011 release, so shooting has to start relatively soon. Last we heard, the film would shoot in late summer or early fall and it looks like they're still slightly chipping away at the script -- written by the unlikely duo of Kieran Mulroney and Michele Mulroney ("Paper Man") -- because Law told Empire, they're eyeing an October start date (arguably October is early fall and nothing has changed time table wise).
But, what does this mean for Steven Soderbergh's international virus thriller, "Contagion" set to star Law, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard and scheduled to shoot around the same time? He says 'Sherlock' will go first and then "Contagion." However, Law's scenes in the film are independent of the rest of the A-list members of the cast and its plausible they could shoot at the same time and all of Law's scenes could be shot afterwards.
Law also revealed that he'll play the father in Martin Scorsese's "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" which Scorsese is shooting now (Law just recently joined the cast). And, if anything, as a time of the times, these three aforementioned pictures -- "Contagion," "Sherlock Holmes 2" and 'Hugo Cabret' -- are all going to be be shot in 3D.
What else do we know about "Sherlock Homes 2"? Well, Daniel Day-Lewis probably won't star in it as Moriarty, Rachel McAdams will probably return though it sounds like in a more reduced role and the film will probably take the two detectives, Robert Downey Jr. and Law across Europe.
Somehow in all this Downey Jr. is also supposed to shoot Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" this summer. We're rooting for that project and while RDJ's part is a supporting role and ostensibly doable, we'll still believe it when we see it.
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