“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” kicked the weekend off early with its Wednesday release, therefore, we thought we’d bring you this week’s reviews a little early too! Odds are, whether or not Alison and Jeffrey enjoyed the “Transformers” sequel, all the diehard fans saw the film yesterday, but for the rest of you, be sure to check our their review before spending two and half hours at the theater.
Check out all of the reviews to see if “Transformers” is indeed worth the money it took to make or if you’re better off seeing “My Sister’s Keeper” or one of this week’s limited release films including “The Hurt Locker,” “The Stoning of Soraya M.” and “Cheri.”
Don’t forget to check your local listings to find out when you can watch the final episode of Reel Talk this weekend.
“The Dark Knight” hit it big at the Saturn Awards. The Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films awarded Batman five statues including the ones for best action-adventure-thriller, best music, best writing, best supporting actor and best special effects. Both “Iron Man” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” won three taking home the awards for best sci-fi film and best fantasy film respectively. “Hellboy II” was named best horror film and “Wall-E” best animated film. Angelina Jolie finally got the praise she deserved for her role in “Changeling” and Robert Downey Jr. for his role in “Iron Man.” Click here to see Variety’s complete list of winners.
Senator John Kerry wants to get involved in film, but will have to get past the Federal Election Commission first. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee is requesting to use $300,000 in campaign funds for a project called “Keeping Faith.” If all goes to plan, Kerry would be an executive producer for the White Mountain Films documentary about injured Iraq war veterans. Kerry’s role would involve lining up investors and interview subjects. He won’t be receiving a paycheck for his efforts, but Kerry could get up to a 120% return on his investment.
It’s official! “Watchmen” will return to the big screen with an additional 25 minutes. Zack Snyder’s director’s cut will be shown on July 17th at four theaters in Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York. Variety reports he made the announcement at an event promoting the July 21st DVD and Blu-ray release. I’m a big fan of the graphic novel and loved the film, but I’d rather just wait the extra four days and watch it in the comfort of my own home and not spend over three hours in a theater.
When there are multimillionaire dollar robots, wizards and vampires invading theaters, it’s difficult to get the lower budget films the attention they deserve, but one studio may have found a way. According to Variety, Gigantic Group will launch an Internet service that will give viewers access to their films. The initiative will kick off on August 26th with the documentary “Motherland” and the indie studio plans to add at least four more titles by the end of the year. For $2.99 you’ll get three days of unlimited viewing. Mark Lipsky of Gigantic explains, “Even with rave reviews, films can be off screens so quickly that the audience has no time to find them. Not only can we keep a film on screen indefinitely, but we can dramatically extend their reach into the marketplace and grow the audience in areas of the country that have never been exposed to indie films.”
What happened to Alessandra Torresani? Torresani’s casting in “The Runaways” must have been overturned or merely a rumor because now Variety reports that Scout Taylor-Compton will play the role of Lita Ford. Both are named on the film’s IMDB page, but Torresani’s name appears next to Ford while Taylor-Compton’s is dubbed ‘Jackie Fox (rumored).’ Nowadays you never know who to trust, but I’m going to go with Variety on this one. I don’t see much of a difference between the two girls anyway; they both kind of look the same and are relatively unknown. Maybe after “Halloween II” hits theaters and we see Taylor-Compton in a leading role we’ll know whether or not she has the potential to shine in this film.
When a film’s screenwriter can’t confirm the pic is going to be great, you might have a problem. According to Sci-Fi Wire, during a question-and-answer session at the Los Angeles Film Festival, “The Avengers” writer, Zak Penn said, “It's hard to make a good movie … we all have the best intentions, and it still might suck.” Penn better get that negativity out of his head or the film will stink! His frustration seems to have come from his experience writing the last two “X-Men” films during which he was denied permission to get the Fantastic Four involved.
Either Sandra Bullock scared him off or Ryan Reynolds just really wants to do something other than a romantic comedy, because he’s just signed on to star in something entirely different. According to Variety, Reynolds will play a guy captured in Iraq who wakes up to find himself buried in a coffin in the desert in “Buried.” At least his captors were nice enough leave him a cell phone, candle and knife. Wait, why would they leave him a phone? I sense some physiological torture coming on.
If someone hands me a box with a big red button in it and say not to touch it, there’s no doubt in my mind I’d be pushing it about two seconds later. In “The Box” we’ll see if Cameron Diaz and James Marsden can hold out when a semi-faceless Frank Langella tells them they’ll get a million dollars if they push a button, but it’ll also cause the death of someone they don’t know. Check out the film’s trailer below:
Reel Talk is going out with a bang. Not only will you find out what Jeffrey and Alison think of the highly anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” but they’ll also review “My Sister’s Keeper,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The Stoning of Soraya M.” and “Cheri.”
Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox return for the “Transformers” sequel. Unfortunately, the Decepticons are back as well. Luckily Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots are there to protect their human friends when they find themselves in the middle of an epic battle. If you’re looking to tone it down a bit, you might prefer to see Nick Cassavetes’ “My Sister’s Keeper.” It’s based on the Jodi Picoult book about a young girl named Anna (Abigail Breslin) who was genetically engineered to save her sister Kate’s life. Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has leukemia and frequently needs Anna to donate anything from blood to bone barrow. When Anna is asked to give Kate a kidney, she decides to hire a lawyer (Alec Baldwin) to help her become medically emancipated from her parents (Jason Patric and Cameron Diaz) so she can make the decision herself.
To read more about this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue reading after the jump.
We kick things back into high gear with “The Hurt Locker.” It focuses on a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. Basically, it’s about a bunch of guys who disarm bombs in Iraq. While some team members are reckless others approach their assignments with the utmost care. Either way, all of the man undergo major amounts of emotional and psychological stress. Shohreh Aghdashloo stars as Zahra in “The Stoning of Soraya M.” It tells the true story of what happens when Zahra’s niece’s husband requests a divorce. He manages to turn the entire village against her falsely accusing her of adultery resulting in her being sentenced to death by stoning. Finally there’s “Cheri,” a romantic drama starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates and Rupert Friend. Pfeiffer and Bates play former rivals and Friend plays Bates’ character’s son. In an effort to end the love affair between Pfeiffer and Friend, Bates marries him off to a younger woman.
When you have an Academy Award winning-director and the voices of some of Hollywood’s hottest stars, you’d think you’d have a guaranteed hit, but something about the new trailer for “Ponyo” didn’t rub me the right way. For a moment I thought my appreciation for classic animation might have been killed by CGI and the 3D craze, but then I realized my frustrations come from having no clue what’s going on. Ponyo has to save the world? She’s a fish but looks like a little girl? There’s a school of Ponyos? Between the power of Disney, genius of Hayao Miyazaki and a cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey and Liam Neeson there’s got to be something good about it! Too bad we’ll have to wait and see what that is until the film hits theaters on August 14th, because the trailer certainly does nothing to raise my expectations for the film.
You’re getting an extra long weekend, Reel Talk style. Normally we post Jeffrey and Alison’s reviews on Friday, but this week we’re going to give you a head start on planning your time at the theater.
They take a look at the national releases “The Proposal” and “Year One,” as well as the limited releases “Whatever Works,” “Dead Snow,” “Food Inc.” and “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love.” Basically, you’re either going the comedic route or seeing a documentary. Well, I guess “Dead Snow” can count as a comedy and a horror film.
After you’ve checked out all of the reviews be sure to click here and watch Jeffrey’s entire interview with the star of next week’s release, “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” Shohreh Aghdashloo.
Wait; have I seen this movie before? Well, not really, but I have seen a number of other films where Judy Greer plays the witty friend, Aaron Eckhart’s sole purpose is to act as eye candy and Jennifer Aniston plays Rachel Green. Is there anything innovative about “Love Happens” that I missed?
Theaters will get a double dose of comedy with this week’s new national releases “The Proposal” and “Year One.” There are even two limited release films that have the potential to give you a good laugh, Woody’s Allen’s latest “Whatever Works” and the comedic horror movie “Dead Snow.” If you’re looking for something more serious, there are the documentaries “Food Inc.” and “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love.”
We’ve been plagued by a slew of romantic comedy busts, but could Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds squash the trend? In “The Proposal” Bullock plays Margaret Tate, the super strict boss of Ryan Reynolds’ character Andrew Paxton. In an effort to avoid deportation, she convinces him to marry her and the new couple travel to Alaska to share the news with Andrew’s family. In “Year One” Jack Black and Michael Cera play a pair of caveman banished from their homeland. They travel through the ancient world bumping into a number of historical figures including Cain and Abel (David Cross and Paul Rudd), Adam and Eve (Harold Ramis and Rhoda Griffis) and Abraham and Isaac (Hank Azaria and Christopher Mintz-Plasse).
To read more about this week’s new releases and to watch their trailers, continue after the jump.
In “Whatever Works” Larry David plays a chess teacher who takes in a homeless girl from the south played by Evan Rachel Wood. “Dead Snow” is an offbeat Norwegian horror film about a group of medical students who are hunted down by Nazi zombies while on a ski vacation.
“Food Inc.” is a documentary that exposes the inhumane practices involved in the industrial production of meat as well as the production of grains and vegetables. It only takes a look at the abuse of power by major food companies resulting in the unhealthy eating habits of Americans. “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love” also focuses on a sensitive subject, how the world views Islam. By creating a deeply spiritual album, Senegalese pop star Youssou N’Dour tries to send a positive message, but ends up creating religious controversy in his country.
I really hate the cold, so “Whiteout” looks especially horrifying to me. Kate Beckinsale stars as a US marshal sent to Antarctica to investigate a murder just three days before the continent’s six month long winter begins. The trailer isn’t half bad, literally. The droning voiceover in the first portion makes the film come off as some sort of history lesson, but once the violence is revealed you know you’re in for something terrifying. Check out the trailer below:
Posted by Natalia Urbanowicz on 06/17/09 at 04:12 PM
“The Stoning of Soraya M.” is being released next weekend and describes the life of an Iranian woman who tells a journalist about her life in Iran and the corrupt situation. Sadly, this movie seems to parallel the present day situation in Iran, we notice this when journalists cover riots and rallies. However, Iran has begun the steps to ban foreign press. Today, Iran banned the foreign press from any text, print and TV output in covering opposition rallies in Tehran. It is speculated that the cause of this new ban is because forces loyal to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad killed eight opposition supporters. Maybe the current president wants to shut us out but Iranian youth are using Facebook and Twitter to stay strong during the new elections even if their Internet speeds are similar to those of dial-up. Be sure to check your local theatre listings to find where you can watch this heart-breaking true story. (Source)
Milla Jovovich and Steve Zahn a couple? Steve Zahn in a film that’s not a comedy? You’d think this would be a recipe for disaster, but after watching the trailer I’m actually looking forward to seeing “A Perfect Getaway.” Cliff (Zahn) and Cydney (Jovovich) decide to go on an adventurous honeymoon to the remote beaches of Hawaii. Everything is great until they find out someone is terrorizing the backpackers in the secluded paradise. Check out the trailer below and click here to see the brand new poster from Cinoche. “A Perfect Getaway” will hit theaters on August 14th.
“Twilight” nabbed the most Teen Choice Award nominations … duh. It received 12 nods including best drama and best romantic movie. Robert Pattinson was nominated for best actor in a drama, Kristen Stewart for best actress in a drama and Cam Gigandet for best villain. Nikki Reed and Ashley Greene will be up for favorite female fresh face and Taylor Lautner for favorite male fresh face.
It’s also no surprise that the film to get the second highest number of nominations was “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.”Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale will go head-to-head for best actress in a musical and so will Corbin Bleu and Zach Efron for best actor in a musical.
“The Hangover” has only been in theaters for two weeks but earned a nomination for best rockstar moment for the Mike Tyson’s cameo scene. Even “Watchmen” got some attention thanks to Malin Akerman being nominated for best actress in an action adventure film. Even though a Teen Choice Award is no Oscar, Angelina Jolie could final get some credit for her role in “Changeling.” She’ll battle it out with Nicole Kidman, Beyonce Knowles, Freida Pinto and Kristen Stewart for best actress in a drama. Who would have thought Jolie’s biggest competition for an acting award would be Stewart? Check out all of the movie nominees after the jump.
Anyone between the ages of 13 and 19 can click here to vote. The winners will be announced on Monday, August 10th when the ceremony airs on FOX at 8:00pm ET/PT.
Choice Movie: Comedy
“The Hangover”
“Land of the Lost”
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ”
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop”
“Yes Man”
Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller
“Drag Me to Hell”
“Friday the 13th”
“The Haunting of Molly Hartley”
“Quarantine”
“The Uninvited”
Choice Movie: Music/Dance
“Hannah Montana: The Movie”
“High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
“Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience”
“Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist”
“Steppin: The Movie”
Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Hugh Jackman, “Australia”
Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Robert Pattinson, “Twilight”
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Channing Tatum, “Fighting”
Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Nicole Kidman, “Australia”
Beyoncé Knowles, “Obsessed”
Freida Pinto, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Kristen Stewart, “Twilight”
Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure
Christian Bale, “Terminator Salvation”
Hugh Jackman, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”
Dwayne Johnson, “Race to Witch Mountain”
Shia LaBeouf, “Eagle Eye”
Paul Walker, “Fast & Furious”
Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Jim Carrey, “Yes Man”
Zac Efron, “17 Again”
Will Ferrell, “Land of the Lost”
Seth Rogen, “Observe & Report” / “Pineapple Express”
Ben Stiller, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” / “Tropic Thunder”
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Amy Adams, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”
Jennifer Aniston, “Marley & Me” / “He’s Just Not That Into You”
Isla Fisher, “Confessions of a Shopaholic”
Anne Hathaway, “Bride Wars”
Kate Hudson, “Bride Wars”
Choice Movie Actress: Music/Dance
Miley Cyrus, “Hannah Montana: The Movie”
Kat Dennings, “Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist”
Vanessa Hudgens, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
Amy Smart, “Love N’ Dancing”
Ashley Tisdale, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
Choice Movie Actor: Music/Dance
Corbin Bleu, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
Michael Cera, “Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist”
Jason Earles, “Hannah Montana: The Movie”
Zac Efron, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
Lucas Till, “Hannah Montana: The Movie”
Choice Movie: Villain
Hank Azaria, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”
Eric Bana, “Star Trek”
Cam Gigandet, “Twilight”
Ken Jeong, “The Hangover”
Liev Schreiber, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”
Choice Movie: Fresh Face Male
Taylor Kitsch, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”
Taylor Lautner, “Twilight”
Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Chris Pine, “Star Trek”
Sam Worthington, “Terminator Salvation”
Choice Movie: Liplock
Miley Cyrus and Lucas Till, “Hannah Montana: The Movie”
Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, “Twilight”
Owen Wilson and Marley, “Marley & Me”
Choice Movie: Rumble
Anne Hathaway vs. Kate Hudson, “Bride Wars”
Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber vs. Weapon XI, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”
Beyonce Knowles vs. Ali Larter, “Obsessed”
Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet, “Twilight”
Chris Pine vs. Zachary Quinto, “Star Trek”
Choice Movie: Rockstar Moment
Jim Carrey, “Yes Man”
Zac Efron, “17 Again”
Anne Hathaway, “Bride Wars”
Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, “I Love You, Man”
Mike Tyson, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, “The Hangover”
Posted by Natalia Urbanowicz on 06/16/09 at 02:00 PM
There will be something for everyone at the store today. Not only can you pick up copies of new films like “Friday the 13th” and “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,” but you’ll also have the option to go for a classic like “Ghostbusters” on Blu-ray or “Transformers”: The Complete First Season.” A killer in a hockey mask, grandmother with an attitude, marshmallow man or Autobots, what to chose?
To read more about this week’s DVD and Blu-ray release, continue after the jump.
Friday the 13th
Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle and Aaron Yoo are some of teenagers who set out to rediscover Camp Crystal Lake that was closed 20 years earlier because of unexplained deaths. A certain someone in the woods is ready to seek revenge on the people who dare to disturb his peace.
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail
This comedy takes the audience through a series of hilarious events that include grandma Madea in a high-speed freeway chase landing her in jail. Tyler Perry who wears all hats (writer and director) including multiple acting roles shows his versatility in this film. Go check out what happens to Madea during her stay in prison!
Ghostbusters
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! This long awaited release is finally here and not one ounce under our expectations. The newly fired Columbia University trio set up their own extermination service to get rid of ghosts around the city. This is a classic choice and will bring back memories of Bill Murray in his prime.
Transformers: The Complete First Season (25th anniversary edition)
Optimus Prime (Autobots) and Megatron (Decepticons) lead their crews to celebrate The Transformers 25th anniversary. The Autobots and Decepticons transform into vehicles, devices and animals to fight one another on the planet. Have no fear the season won’t be ending anytime soon with all the extra features compacted in this Blu-ray disc.
Lost Season 1 and 2
Lost fans have been trapped on their own island without the Blu-ray DVDs for seasons 1 and 2 but have no fear, you can start watching the suspenseful series from the beginning today. These blu-ray discs contain additional footage and new special features to keep you busy by the mind-boggling occurrences on the island.
Posted by Natalia Urbanowicz on 06/16/09 at 12:10 PM
I remember when ”Erin Brockovich” told the story of a motivated woman who took down a Californian company that was producing contaminated water. I could not believe that a company would cover up their mistakes instead of warning people the water was detrimental to their health. After “Erin Brockovich,” I thought we all had learned the lesson about powerful money hungry companies trying to keep their skeletons in the closet. But, eight years later, ”Food Inc.” is being released. This movie is a documentary that unveils the food industry and companies who compete against each other to put themselves ahead of consumer health. “Food Inc.”, will be in theatres Friday but until you become knowledgeable supermarket shoppers (if you aren’t already) here is a list of foods to best buy organic due to their high pesticide content. Top 12 foods to buy Organic
Next summer may be a cold one. According to Hitfix and Shock Till You Drop, “Friday the 13th 2” may feature Jason in snow. While on the set of “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, producer Brad Fuller said, "If we're going to do another ‘Friday the 13th’ we want to present something audiences haven't seen before and one of the things they haven't seen before is Jason in the snow. We just want to bring things they haven't seen before."
Fuller explained he’s aware of the vulnerability involved in making another film and will focus on making the kills unique and gruesome. He also mentioned the possibility of the second film being 3D. Fuller explained, “I suspect it will not be in 3-D, although we'd love to make a 3-D horror movie. We'd love to do it; they just don't throw that money our way."
Fuller and his co-producers, Michael Bay and Andrew Form are aiming for an August 13th, 2010 release.
Posted by Natalia Urbanowicz on 06/15/09 at 12:02 PM
Proposals are well thought out, emotional acts of ways to ask that special someone to spend the rest of their life with you, right? Not if you’re Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal” who proposes to her assistant Ryan Reynolds in order to avoid deportation. I would be a little disappointed with Bullock’s impersonal proposal especially after all the proposals I have seen in movies but Reynolds handles the situation like a true gentleman … for the most part. Next time Bullock tries to propose to someone she should take a lead from some of my favorite proposals.
5. ”Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994) Hugh Grant asks Andie MacDowell to marry him. "Do you think you might agree not to marry me? And do you think not being married to me might be something you could consider doing for the rest of your life?"
4. ”Runaway Bride” (1999) Richard Gere makes himself vulnerable to Julia Roberts when he lets his honest feelings come out, “Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me.”
3. ”Stepmom” (1998) Ed Harris wakes up Julia Roberts with a ring box but instead of a ring there is a string in it. He ties the string to her finger and says that he once broke the thread and will never do it again. He proceeds to slide the ring on the string and to her finger.
2. ”Love Actually” (2003) Colin Firth learns Portuguese to ask his summer housekeeper to marry him only to find out that she learned English for him.
(spoken in broken Portuguese) “Beautiful Aurelia, I’ve come here with a view to asking you to marriage me. Of course I don’t expecting you to be as foolish as me, and of course I prediction you say no, but it’s Christmas, and I just wanted to check.”
“Thank you,” responds Auriela. “That will be nice. Yes is being my answer.”
“You learned English?”
“Just in cases,” she says.
1. ”Gone with the Wind” (1938)- After Scarlett O’Hara repetitively says no to Rhett Butlers proposal he responds with, “I want you to faint. It’s what you were meant for. None of the fools you've ever known have ever kissed you like this, have they?” Butler refuses to take no for an answer and his persistency pays off when O’Hara finally gives in.
Happy Friday! It’s the end of another week and you know what that means – new movies! This week’s selection includes “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” “Imagine That,” “Moon,” “Betty Blue,” “Tetro” and “Herb & Dorothy.”
“The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” and “Imagine That” were expected to be the weekend’s big money makers, but many are predicting “The Hangover” to dominate the box office again. According to the L.A. Times, “The Taking of Pelham” is looking like it’ll have a mid-$20-million opening and “Imagine That” is expected to take in just $10 million. Are you going to contribute to the headache “The Hangover” is likely to give these films? Check out Jeffrey and Alison’s reviews to decide what you’ll see this weekend.
Check out Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana getting cozy in this new poster for “The Time Traveler’s Wife” from iVillage. You’d never guess their characters have relationship problems! The film is based on the Audrey Niffenegger novel about a guy who has a genetic disorder that makes him time travel when he’s stressed. Sounds cool, right? McAdams’ character doesn’t think so. She plays his wife struggling with the effects of his condition that often keep him from her for long periods of time.
Brace yourself, because this weekend is packed with more potential summer blockbusters and hidden gems. Alison and Jeffrey will discuss “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” “Imagine That,” “Moon,” “Betty Blue,” “Tetro” and “Herb & Dorothy.”
“The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” is the national release with the most potential. A group of armed men, lead by John Travolta, take over a subway train and hold the passengers hostage. Denzel Washington plays the dispatcher on duty who must negotiate with hijackers. If you’re looking for something a little more kid-friendly, you may want to see Eddie Murphy in “Imagine That.” Murphy plays a finance executive having trouble at the office. Things improve when he realizes his daughter’s imaginary friends hold the answers to his business problems.
Keep reading after the jump to learn more about the rest of this week’s films and to see their trailers.
Now for the limited release films. “Moon” is a sci-fi thriller directed by Duncan Jones, the son of David Bowie. Sam Rockwell plays a lone astronaut under three-year contract to mine Helium 3 on the moon. He’s glad to be serving his final two weeks and can’t wait to be reunited with his wife and daughter, but his hopes are destroyed when something goes horribly wrong. “Betty Blue” is a 1986 French film getting another go-around at the theater in its director’s cut form. This version adds an hour of footage onto the film about a young couple who are consumed by their dangerously intense love for one another.
“Tetro” is Francis Ford Coppola’s latest piece about a struggling writer who escapes his life by moving to Buenos Aires and changing his name to Tetro. His younger brother ends up tracking him down and the two hash out their troublesome past during his stay. Lastly, there’s “Herb & Dorothy,” a documentary about a couple who amassed on of the most significant contemporary art collections in history.
A good movie trailer is a double-edged sword. It shows that the film is likely to be great, but makes the months leading up to the film’s release seem like an eternity. The new trailer for “Shutter Island” is the biggest tease of all! After watching it you’ll be itching to know more about the mysterious psychiatric hospital. I’ve already watched it more times than am willing to admit, and might have to resort to buying the Dennis Lehane book just to ease my anxiety. Why can’t October 2nd be tomorrow?
Check out the trailer below, and, just in case, here’s the link to buy the book.
Posted by Natalia Urbanowicz on 06/10/09 at 03:04 PM
Denzel Washington and John Travolta team up this weekend in “The Taking of Pelham 123” to bring you one of the most action packed suspense movies out there. Don’t forget to note another main character … the New York City transit system. Why do we love going to see movies that take place on public transportation? Check out my picks for the top 7 train movies of all time:
Forget Ester, there’s something wrong with any movie focusing on a creepy kid. It’s been years since I’ve seen “The Exorcist,” “The Shining” or “The Omen,” but their young stars still haunt me. By the looks of this trailer, I bet “Orphan” will have a similar effect. Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga star as a loving couple who adopt a young girl named Ester. Soon after taking her home, they realize Ester isn’t as sweet as she looks.
Posted by Natalia Urbanowicz on 06/ 9/09 at 12:32 PM
As promised, Tuesday comes around every week with new DVD and TV releases. This weeks releases are not a disappointment with movies packed with interesting plots on a global and cultural level.
Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a recent widower who is unhappy with his life. When an Asian gang tries to steal Kowalski’s most prized possession, a 1972 Gran Torino, he sets out to reform the youth. Gran Torino grossed over $148 million in the US box offices and over $262 worldwide. Seems there are many people excited for this release.
The International
This movie earns its title of international when an investigation to uncover illegal banking activities spans from Berlin, to Milan to New York and to Istanbul. Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Ian Burnfield) find themselves in high stakes while trying to bring justice to one of the world’s wealthiest banks.
To see the rest of this week’s release, continue reading after the jump.
Crossing Over
Harrison Ford plays a law enforcement officer who specializes in arresting people who break immigration laws. Naturally kind hearted, Ford tries to help a Mexican woman and her child in Los Angeles. Defense lawyer (Ashley Judd) negotiates a new family for an orphaned child and arranges the deportation of a family whose 15-year old daughter is accused of having ties to terrorism. Other intersecting plots include Jim Sturgess, Ray Liotta and Alice Eve.
Fired Up
Two high school football players (Nicolas D’Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen) try to avoid another grueling summer at football camp and decide to attend cheerleading camp. Thinking beautiful women will surround them and the summer will breeze by, the head coach sees right through their master plan.
Nobel Son
Alan Rickman plays a Nobel Prize winner whose son was kidnapped for ransom. Rickman refuses to pay for his sons ransom and thus family problems begin to arise. Bryan Greenberg, Mary Steenburg and Shawn Hatosy join the cast ensemble.
The Sheild- Season Seven- Final Act
The anticipated 7th season is grittier than ever when showing the controversial corruption of L.A police officers. Taking down the Armenian mob and trying to get a homicide witness to testify are just some of the situations you will see when you watch the final season. Dedicated Shield watchers are giving it a 10/10 and sad to see the show end. The Shields final season it out on four discs, which contain 13 episodes.
Sometimes it can be frustrating when you’re constantly seeing the same previews on TV or the same billboards over and over, but that is not the case with the promotional material for “District 9.” Not only are there over a dozen ads for the film, but they’re all great!
Forget images showing off beautiful scenery or the film’s main characters; we’ve got a batch of public service announcements! I can’t wait to see the bus stop image plastered on every depot in town and for the non-human sighting count to be illuminated, but my favorite of the collection has to be the one to the left. Check out all of the posters over at Trailer Addict.
Wait, you thought “Up” was taking the number one spot for a second week? Not if the boys of “The Hangover” have anything to do about it! It was originally reported that “Up” grossed $44.2 million stealing the weekend from “The Hangover” by just $0.9 million. According to Variety, an unexpectedly strong Sunday pushed the party boys passed the flying house. The final numbers are “The Hangover,” $44.9 million and “Up,” $44.1 million. Ranking third was Will Ferrell’s film “Land of the Lost” with $18.8 million; a disappointing number compared to the $30 million Universal was expecting.
Nobody can keep a secret nowadays. According to Slash Film, Disney/Pixar announced Peter Docter will be making a second “Monsters, Inc.” at a special session with particular buyers at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. Even though the guests of this special session were sworn to secrecy, a number of attendees have confirmed this news, one of which is Jim Hill. Slash Film’s article mentioned that a Pixar fansite, The Pixar Blog, noticed an significant number of searches in January for items like ‘monsters 2013 pixar.’ What was interesting about these queries was that they weren’t being conducted by curious fans. They were actually coming from the Pixar.com domain.
Cam Gigandet is reveling in “Twilight” success. In fact, he is so thankful for having had the opportunity to play a vampire; he’s decided to play one again! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gigandet will join Paul Bettany in the horror Western “Priest.” The story comes from a TokyoPop comic book about a warrior priest (Bettany) who must save his niece from vampires. Gigandet’s character will be a sheriff who is half vampire. The big difference between his role in “Twilight” and this one is that this time around, he’ll be fighting on the good side. I wonder if Screen Gems is considering casting Kirsten Stewart as the niece. Gigandet tried to kill her in “Twilight;” it’d be an interesting twist to see him try to save her.
The relationship between Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal may not have worked out in “Brokeback Mountain,” but they may give it another shot. Both are in negotiations to star in “Love and Other Drugs,” based on Jamie Reidy’s nonfiction book “Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman.” Gyllenhall would play Reidy, a Pfizer salesman who falls for a woman who has Parkinson’s (Hathaway). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox 2000/New Regency hopes to begin shooting in the fall, but still hasen’t acquired all of the necessary rights.
Javier Bardem may eat, pray and love with Julia Roberts and Richard Jenkins. According to Variety, Bardem is in negations to join the cast of “Eat, Pray, Love,” a Columbia Pictures film based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir. Roberts will play the author and Jenkins a Texan whom she befriends. If all goes to plan, Bardem will play Roberts’ character’s love interest.
Some of America’s favorite actors are Australian. There’s Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Naomi Watts. Soon we may have another young actor to add to that list, Callan McAuliffe. The 14-year-old will join Aidan Quinn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Mahoney, Anthony Edwards, Rebecca De Mornay and Kevin Weisman in “Flipped,” which will mark his American film debut. The story comes from the Wendelin Van Draanen novel about a boy and girl learning about love. The Hollywood Reporter says McAuliffe will play the young boy.
Masi Oka doesn’t only enjoy playing a hero on TV, he enjoys playing one in videogames as well. Oka came up with the idea for “The Defenders,” a film about kids who play a multiplayer video game while playing one himself. Oka, who plays MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) told The Hollywood Reporter, "You can be whoever you want to be. The question came to me: What if you had to live up to the person you created in the virtual world?" The story will involve these online gamers having to live up to their virtual characters.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” delayed again? Yes, unfortunately that news is true. But don’t worry Potter fans; the delay only involves the IMAX version of the film. TV Watch Online said the regular version of the film will hit theaters on July 15th, but the IMAX won’t be released until July 29th. The contract IMAX has with “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” states that if Paramount filmed portions of the movie with special IMAX cameras, IMAX would guarantee the film an exclusive four week run on the extra large screens. This arrangement was made back when “HP6” was set for a November release. If “Transformers” premieres on IMAX June 24th, it would be impossible for it to finish its run before “Potter” hits theaters.
Cinematical posted an entry about Worth 1000’s contest asking people to re-imagine their favorite “Star Wars” character using a celebrity. Click here to see all the entries and check out the image to the left to see my favorite.
You’d think this would be exciting news, but hearing that Kirsten Dunst will definitely be returning for “Spider-Man 4” is a bit of a disappointment. Dunst took a high-flying action film and made it drag. I couldn’t tell if she was just washed out or bored through the “Spider-Man 3.” Anyway, according to the New York Post, Todd Black made the announcement and divulged some other Spidey news. He said the alleged Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson wedding will not be in the fourth film and that the film’s villain will not be Morbius the vampire as many have suspected.
Quiet Earth posted the trailer for Leslie Bibb’s new flick “Miss Nobody.” Sarah Jane McKinney (Bibb) may come across as a quiet secretary, but she’s hiding a dark and deadly secret. This is the first I’ve heard of this film, so I was surprised to see that Bibb is joined by an impressive list of talent: Missi Pyle, Adam Goldberg, Brandon Routh, Vivica A. Fox and Eddie Jemison. The film looks pretty good – in an unusual, unsettling and sadistic sort of way. Miss Nobody
Let the battle of the comedies begin. Who’ll take the top spot at this weekend’s box office? Will it be “Land of the Lost” or “The Hangover?” Actually, “Up” has a very good chance at keeping its number one position for a second week.
The more important question is, which film are you going to support? Check out Alison and Jeffrey’s reviews of “Land of the Lost,” “The Hangover,” “Away We Go,” “My Life in Ruins,” Seraphine” and “Downloading Nancy” so you can decide which one you’d like to help achieve box office success.
I know which film Justin Bartha is keeping his fingers crossed for. Check out Jeffrey’s interview with the star of “The Hangover” by clicking here.
Thanks to “Final Destination,” I will never get on a plane numbered 180. Thanks to “Final Destination 2,” I will never be comfortable in a dentist’s chair. (Not that I’ve ever been able to relax at the dentist anyway.) Thanks to “Final Destination 3,” I will never go tanning again. After watching the brand new preview for “The Final Destination,” I have a feeling I will never go to the carwash again. The series’ fourth installment is looking good and will likely be even more terrifying when it's given a third dimension of horror when it's released on August 28th.
Even though this week’s two big releases tell completely different stories, both are comedies and both are expected to be hilarious. You’re going to need Jeffrey and Alison’s help to choose if you’d rather go on a time traveling adventure or have a crazy night in Vegas. In addition to “Land of the Lost” and “The Hangover,” “Away We Go,” “My Life in Ruins,” Seraphine” and “Downloading Nancy” are hitting theaters too.
In “Land of the Lost” Will Ferrell, Anna Friel and Danny McBride are sent back in time when they’re sucked into a space-time vortex. Alongside their new primate friend Chaka, the trio has to figure out how to get back to their world before they’re eaten by a T-Rex with a grudge. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis star as three groomsmen who take their husband-to-be buddy (Justin Bartha) to Las Vegas in “The Hangover.” When they wake up the morning after a big night of partying none of the guys can remember a thing and the groom is missing. Can they piece together the events of their night of debauchery and track down their friend before his wedding?
To read about the rest of this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue after the jump.
“Away We Go” stars Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski as a couple expecting their first child. They’re determined to find the perfect place to raise a family so set out on a cross-country adventure. Through a series of mishaps and encounters with unusual people, they try to figure out which location best suits them. In “My Life in Ruins” Nia Vardalos of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” plays a travel guide. While leading a group of stereotypical tourists around Greece she is plagued by calamities.
“Seraphine” is a French drama focusing on a famous German art collector named Wilhelm Uhde. He rents an apartment in a quiet neighborhood outside Paris as an escape from his hectic life, but his boisterous housekeeper won’t let him rest. His frustration turns to awe when Uhde discovers this crazy cleaning lady is actually an extremely talented artist. “Downloading Nancy” stars Maria Bello as a woman having a rough time. Rather than simply killing herself, she takes refuge in a man she meets on the Internet.
Ain’t It Cool News has posted four more photographs of movie posters premiering at the Licensing International Expo. Check out the images for “Shrek Forever After,” “Oobermind,” “Iron Man 2” and “Spider-Man 4.”
Three of the posters may be lacking a wow factor or anything that hints at new developments, but one certainly stands out. The poster for “Oobermind” finally unveils the film’s lead characters. For those of you who haven’t heard much about the new DreamWorks film, it’s being produced by Ben Stiller and features the voices of Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey. The film focuses on Downey’s character, Oobermind, a villain who accidentally takes out his archenemy. You’d think he’d be reveling in his success, but without a rival, Oobermind has no purpose. He decides he needs a new good guy to fight so creates one himself. Unfortunately, this superhero wants to be a villain too. Now, Oobermind has to clean up his miss and take down this villain ironically to save the day.
There’s something for everyone coming to stores today. For a fun loving romantic comedy, you can buy “He’s Just Not That Into You.” It features an all-star cast including Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and Drew Barrymore playing characters having a difficult time managing their love lives. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio star in “Revolutionary Road,” a love story with a much more serious tone. The couple thinks that they'll get the chance to live their dream life by moving to the suburbs to raise their two children but the monotony of their daily routines puts a strain on their relationship. Finally, there’s the war drama “Defiance.” Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell play the Bielski brothers, a real life team of siblings responsible for helping over 1,000 Jews survive the Holocaust.
Trailer Tuesday should be renamed Teaser Tuesday this week. Even though it isn’t a full trailer this video for “Toy Story 3” still reveals a lot about the highly anticipated film from Pixar. It features the return of some of our favorite characters including Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Bullseye. “Toy Story 3” will be about what happens to the gang when Andy leaves for college. It’s set to hit theaters on June 18th, 2010.
Finally, a real picture from “Clash of the Titans.” Set photos are great, but not nearly as exciting as this image of Sam Worthington as Perseus from the latest issue of Empire magazine. Perseus is the film’s main character and the leader of a mission to take down Hades before the god of the underworld can overthrow Zeus and unleash hell on earth. Hopefully we won’t have to wait long to see images of Worthington's costars Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Alexa Davalos in character too. “Clash of the Titans” will storm into theaters on March 26th, 2010.
Todd Field is going to take us back to 1910 for the movie “The Creed of Violence.” It’s based on the Boston Teran book about two men trying to stop an arms smuggling ring from bringing weapons to Mexico. Counterpoint will publish the novel in the fall. According to Variety, Field is very selective when it comes to his work. At the moment he is only set to write the script, but Field rarely gets involved in a project to write but not direct. He most recently acted as director and writer for “Little Children” and “In the Bedroom.”
Universal and Illumination Entertainment found Waldo! Variety reports the studios will turn the popular book series into a family film. “Where’s Waldo” was originally called “Where’s Wally” when the first book was released in the UK back in 1987. The lead character’s name began to change as more and more countries created their own adaptations. France knew him as Charlie, Germany as Walter and he was called Holger in Denmark. It was the North American adaptation that dubbed him Waldo. The US franchise grew to include video games, a comic strip, spin-off books, magazines, toys and even a TV show.
Alyssa Milano is going to have a new boyfriend. Actually, she’s going to have two. The Hollywood Reporter says Milano has signed on to produce and star in the romantic comedy “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend.” She’ll play a woman who finds two eligible bachelors, a struggling author (Christopher Gorham) and a successful ad exec (Michael Lanes), and must decide between the two.
Check out the latest post on Lou Romano’s website. Romano is a major player over at Pixar. He voiced the character Linguini in “Ratatouille,” voiced Snot Rod in “Cars” and voiced Bernie Kropp in “The Incredibles” in addition to being a production designer for the film. Most recently, Romano did some development and production work for “Up” and was kind enough to share it on his blog. The post features gouache artwork, colored pencil drawings and digital images. Click here to take a look at all of the material.
Is 50 Cent abandoning music? Probably not, but he certainly won’t have much time to work on new material. Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson has added another movie role to his growing repertoire. On top of roles in “13,” “Dead Man Running” and “Twelve,” Variety reports he’ll join Chris Klein, Adam Rodriguez and Richard T. Jones in “Caught in the Crossfire.” The police drama focuses on two homicide detectives who wind up getting involved with a group of dirty cops. Jackson’s character will be a gang-banger turned informant. Production is set to begin in October.
I’m very excited to announce that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Duncan Jones has a new project to work on. The “Moon” director has just signed on to direct “Escape From The Deep” based on Alex Kershaw’s novel. It tells the story of the famous U.S. Navy submarine Tang. It was responsible for sinking more enemy ships and rescuing more men than any other submarine in the Pacific during World War II.
On the sub’s fifth patrol, disaster struck, and it wasn’t in the form of an enemy torpedo, but one of the ship’s own weapons. The Tang released a missile on course to hit an enemy target, but malfunctioned and made a U-turn heading straight for the vessel. The impact killed 87 crewmembers instantly while some of the remaining men fought to stay alive 108 feet below the surface. Only nine men survived, four who were throw from the bridge when the torpedo struck and managed to tread water for over eight hours and the other five fled their underwater tomb through an escape trunk. Their trouble didn’t even end there. The survivors were picked up by a Japanese patrol ship and were sent to “The Torture Farm.” Even with death just around the corner the men never divulged any secrets to the Japanese and were freed in August of 1945.
Not only is this account utterly compelling, but the fact that it’s true really makes it a forceful story. It has major film potential, especially in the hands of Jones. If Jones can take a story about a lone man working on the moon and make it involving and heart wrenching doing so with the material provided by Kershaw’s novel will be an easy task. Be sure to check out “Moon” when it’s released on June 12th and watch Reel Talk that weekend to see what Jeffrey and Alison have to say about the film.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Jones when “Moon” debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in May, during which he gave me fascinating explanation about how he got into film. Check out the video:
An Oscar may be more prestige than a Golden Popcorn, but the gang at MTV really knows how to put on an award show. At one point, Kiefer Sutherland, Zac Efron and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog even spoofed the Oscar five-winner presentation with their own version when giving Ben Stiller the MTV Generation Award.
“Twilight” was clearly the night’s big winner. It took home five awards including the Best Kiss and Best Fight honor. Kristen Stewart was so excited when she won Best Female Performance; she sent her statue crashing to the floor. Clearly embarrassed, she was reluctant to join the cast and director Catherine Hardwicke on stage to accept the award for Best Movie, but did so with a smile; visibly thankful she didn’t have to speak again.
Other highlights of the night include the premiere of footage from “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Oh, and how could I forget Bruno (Sacha Baron Cohen) rubbing himself in Eminem’s face? Apparently the rapper doesn’t have much of a sense of humor because he stormed out of the Amphitheatre after the incident. Some sources say the act was staged, but Eminem was visibly enraged and didn’t even stay for the rest of the show. Perhaps it was a stunt-gone-wrong? MTV posted a video of Bruno’s crash landing and accompanies it with a caption stating he was aiming for the stage, but missed. Secondary cameras were obviously prepared to focus on Eminem’s reaction, so some aspect of this event had to be preplanned.
Anyway, overall, host Andy Samberg did an excellent job. His opening was hilarious and so were his prerecorded skits. Even with some award presenters botching up their already poor jokes, Samberg kept the audience laughing throughout the entire show.
Check out the full list of winners:
Best Movie: Twilight Best Male Performance: Zac Efron for High School Musical 3 Best Female Performance: Kristin Stewart for Twilight Breakthrough Performance - Male: Robert Pattinson for Twilight Breakthrough Performance - Female: Ashley Tisdale for High School Musical 3 Best Comedic Performance: Jim Carrey for Yes Man Best Villain: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight Best Fight: Robert Pattinson & Cam Gigandet for Twilight Best Kiss: Robert Pattinson & Kristin Stewart for Twilight Best WTF Moment: Amy Poehler for Baby Mama Best Song From a Movie: Hannah Montana: The Movie – Miley Cyrus (The Climb)
This weekend is a tough one. Not only are there two promising films being released nationally, but there are also four limited release films that could be worthy of your time. Alison and Jeffrey are here to help you plan your weekend theater time with reviews of “Up,” “Drag Me To Hell,” “Burma VJ,” “Departures,” “What Goes Up” and “Pontypool.”
Don’t forget to check out the two clips from Alison’s interview with “Drag Me To Hell” director Sam Raimi. Click here to see if he’ll make another “Evil Dead” movie and here to see Alison try and find out who’ll be the villain in “Spider-Man 4.”
I’m a sucker for any campy horror, but my ultimate guilty pleasure is the “Final Destination” series. You have to admit, the concept of cheating death and having it come back to get you is so innovative and exhilarating! On the other hand, even a great concept eventually becomes tiresome. Hopefully the fourth installment will add some novelty to the franchise; and I’m not only referring to a third dimension.
“The Final Destination” will open with a high-speed racecar crash that sends flaming debris into the stands killing audience members. A lucky few escape just before the horrific accident thanks to a friend’s premonition, but death won’t let them get away that easy.
Check out the film’s new poster posted on UGO. It’s pretty creepy when you look at it closely and really hints at the film’s potential to excel in 3D. Even the tag line is pretty clever – Rest In Pieces. The only thing about this image that has me worried is the title. The Final Destination? Are they implying there won’t be a fifth?
DreamWorks Animation has announced its slate through 2012. You better hold onto those glasses after the next 3D movie you see, because every one of these films the studio plans to send to theaters will be viewable in the third dimension. First up is “How to Train Your Dragon” on March 26th 2010. It stars Jay Baruchel as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, a wimpy guy who befriends an injured dragon. Joining Baruchel are Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jonah Hill. On May 21st, the studio will release “Shrek Forever After” and on November 5th “Oobermind” in which Robert Downey Jr. voices a troubled villain who accidentally killed his archrival. The first film set for release in 2011 is “Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom.” The “Kung Fu Panda” sequel will hit theaters on June 3rd featuring the voices of Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman. On November 14th Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman will join forces to take down the Boogeyman in “The Guardians.” Puss in Boots will get his own film featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek on March 30th, 2012 and the gang from “Madagascar” will return for a third adventure in May. The caveman comedy “The Croods” is aiming for a November 12th, 2012 release as well as “Truckers,” a film about miniature creatures living in a department store. “Super Secret Ghost Project,” which is about what ghosts think of humans is also looking at a November 12th release.
Chevy Chase is jumping in the hot tub with John Cusack and Rob Corddry. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chase joined the cast of Steve Pink’s “Hot Tub Time Machine” about a group of guys who time travel via Jacuzzi. Chase’s character will be a repairman who frequently offers words of wisdom and may or may not be the force behind the hot tub’s mystical power.
If you’re really dying to see Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” you may have to plan a trip overseas. Variety reports that this film will be released internationally in late October and early November 2011, but it won’t hit theaters in the states until December 23rd, 2011. The article suggests that Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment’s decision to release the film internationally first suggests the studios expect it to be a bigger hit abroad. The film is based on the popular comic-strip featuring a young reporter named Tintin and his dog Snowy. Jamie Bell will voice Tintin while Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost and Andy Serkis will lend their voices to other characters in the film.
Twentieth Century Fox and Lakeshore Entertainment are set to remake “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” The 1985 film starred Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker as two girls who love dancing, especially the show “Dance TV.” When they find out the show is holding auditions for new talent, they’re determined to give it a shot no matter what. Variety reports Michelle Morgan will write the new version .
McBride is going McBad. According to Variety, Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to the graphic novel “Hench” and will use it as a starring vehicle for Danny McBride. McBride will co-write the script and star as an ex-football player who takes a job as a villain’s henchman.
It’s only been weeks since his dramatic rescue, but according to Variety, sea captain Richard Phillips’ story is set to be told on the big screen. Columbia Pictures acquired Phillips’ life rights as well as the rights to his upcoming memoir. Michael DeLuca, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti and Scott Rubin are already on board to produce the film that’ll retell Phillips’ experience when he was captured by Somali pirates.
Did you miss Entertainment Tonight’s “Toy Story 3” teaser trailer? Well, you’re in luck because someone recorded it and posted it on YouTube. Check out the video, which reveals the return of Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. Potato Head and Hamm in the film set to hit theaters on June 18th, 2010.
Variety reports Samuel Goldwyn Films is bringing “The Yellow Hankerchief” to theaters sometime this fall or winter. The film focuses on three strangers taking a road trip through Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. William Hurt leads the cast which includes Maria Bello, Kristen Stuart and Eddie Redmayne.
I’ve found the answer to the American auto industry’s problems: Jeremy Piven. In “The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard,” Piven stars as a salesman determined to sell every car in the lot of a failing dealership. All he needs to get the job done is alcohol, girls and his team of ragtag associates. Piven will drive into theaters alongside Ving Rhames, James Brolin, David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn and Jordana Spiro on August 14th. Check out the red band trailer below.
This week Alison and Jeffrey will discuss six films: “Up,” “Drag Me To Hell,” “Burma VJ,” “Departures,” “What Goes Up” and “Pontypool.”
First up will be Pixar’s “Up,” the story of a grumpy old man who attaches thousands of balloons to his home so he can float away to South America. Everything is going according to plan until the man notices someone has come along for the ride, a chubby and chatty wilderness scout. There’s also Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me To Hell” starring Alison Lohman and Justin Long. When Lohman’s character, Christine, denies a loan to an eerie old woman, rather than just shedding a few tears the old woman puts a curse on her forcing Christine to endure three days of torment followed by being dragged to hell.
To read about the rest of the films and to see their trailers, continue reading after the jump.
In terms of this week’s limited releases, we have “Burma VJ,” “Departures,” “What Goes Up” and “Pontypool.” “Burma VJ” is a documentary showing the violence during the Saffron Rebellion. The filmmakers risked their lives to create piece because journalism is outlawed in Burma. “Departures” is the Japanese film that took home the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It focuses on a musician who returns to his home country when he cannot find work. He finds a job as an encoffineer, the person responsible for preparing a body for burial, which involves a number of intricate rituals.
Steven Coogan stars as a journalist in “What Goes Up.” He’s sent to a town to write a piece on heroism during which he meets a group of students from the local high school mourning a lost teacher. Finally, there’s this week’s Websclusive “Pontypool.” The film is a unique horror film about radio station employees holed up in their studio in a church basement listening to reports of the townspeople contracting a disease and attacking each other.
Everywhere he goes these days on his "Drag Me to Hell" promotional tour, Sam Raimi has shown masterful evasive maneuvers as he dodges questions about "Spider-Man 4." During her interview with the director (which airs this weekend on REEL TALK) , Alison used her wily interview skills to lull Raimi into a false sense of security. Then, like a female Mike Wallace, she turned the light directly on Raimi and asked him point-blank about whether or not Kirsten Dunst is coming back, and if the rumors about Morbius the Living Vampire being the next villain are true. Hit the clip to hear his answer:
I interviewed Sam Raimi yesterday about his new comic horror "Drag Me To Hell.” He was pretty entertaining talking about his latest entry in the camp splatter genre. I also got in some questions about "Spider-Man 4" which he is working on. The wonderfully dry director would neither confirm or deny ANY rumors … especially my questions about the villain-to-be in the next Spidey installment. But the Internet is rife with buzz that it will be Morbius, the Living Vampire.
This makes me kind of nervous. After all, hasn't the vampire flick been exhausted recently? With the exception of the ultra-cool Swedish film "Let the Right One In" last year, I have completely had enough of neck-sucking, blood-drinking creatures of the night. Josh Hartnett battled them in "30 Days of Night,” Kristen Stewart fell in love with one in "Twilight" and Will Smith outwitted zombie ones in "I Am Legend.” Russian vampires rampaged in "Night Watch" and "Day Watch" … and genius Korean director Park Chan-wook just presented "Thirst" at Cannes. Even Alan Ball is exploring the theme on TV with "True Blood.”
I know that vampirism is a great metaphor for teenage angst, homophobic paranoia or our fear of AIDS or biological warfare. But what new parallels can be drawn? Is there any allegory left unexplored here?
And how can any director devise new and exciting ways to show the attack of a blood-sucking Dracula? It remains to be seen whether Morbius will in fact appear in "Spider-Man 4." If he does, I imagine that Raimi is the man to bring something novel … and hopefully witty to a tired genre.
At first I was simply excited because Sam Weir from “Freaks and Geeks” was the star of this movie, but after watching the trailer, I’m certain that “77” is going to be the “Fanboys” we’ve all been waiting for. Patrick Read Johnson wrote and directed the film, which is about his experience growing up as a movie-obsessed geek in a small town in Illinois. On top of dealing with typical high school problems, Pat (John Francis Daley) must defy the odds and do all he can to fulfill his dream of making it to Hollywood and becoming a filmmaker. The May 25th, 1977 release of “Star Wars” is is the driving force behind his effort to shape his destiny.
There’ll be a nice assortment of new films for you to own at the store today. For something exciting you can pick up “Killshot” with Diane Lane, Thomas Jane Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mickey Rourke. It’s an action thriller about a husband and wife put in the Witness Protection Program after seeing something they wished they hadn’t. Unfortunately, the couple is going to need a lot more than some federal agents to protect them from the two mafia hitman who really don’t like to leave loose ends. For something on the lighter side you can buy “New In Town.” This one features Renee Zellweger as Lucy Hill, a business executive forced to relocate from Miami to a tiny town in Minnesota.
There’s also the debut of “Powder Blue,” the straight-to-DVD drama starring Jessica Biel, Eddie Redmayne, Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Kris Kristofferson, Alejandro Romero and Patrick Swayze. Odds are you’ve heard this film referred to as the ‘Jessica Biel Stripper Movie.’ Yes, Biel is a stripper but her character isn’t the only one the film focuses on. It’s about the connection between her character and three other complete strangers including a former priest, an ex-con dying of cancer and an eccentric mortician. The sports movie “Forever Strong” also hits DVD today. This one stars Sean Farris as a rugby player who gets himself into trouble with the law. While spending time in a juvenile detention he joins a new rugby team and learns the value of being a good person in addition to a good athlete.
This week’s Blu-ray debuts include “Children of Men,” “Field of Dreams” “Cinderella Man” and “Seabiscut.”
After losing his job at a big city radio station, Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) is forced to pick up a job in the small town of Pontypool where he broadcasts from the basement of a church. His first day on the job drags as he expected. His new environment lacks the controversy and thrills necessary to produce a stimulating show. Then, reports start flooding in about people becoming violent after developing speech issues. What makes the premise of “Pontypool” different from other zombie-related horror films is that the disease isn’t spread after being bitten by an infected person, rather by simply using the English language. On top of that, the majority of the film takes place in the DJ booth, leaving the job of imagining the terrifying events up to the audience. “Pontypool” will infect theaters when it sees a limited release this Friday.
“Terminator Salvation” may be in the spotlight this weekend, but it never could have accumulated such a large fan base if it weren’t for its remarkable predecessors. We have one copy of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day on Blu-ray to give away. Not only does this BD come with the movie, but a ton of bonus material as well. There’s picture-in-picture behind the scenes video with text commentary and multimedia galleries, a storyboard-script mode, interactive quizzes and games, BD-Live features, audio commentary with 26 cast and crew members and audio commentary with director James Cameron and co-writer William Wisher.
You can get all of this by answering one simple question – what romantic comedy does Alison suggest you keep an eye on in the Spotlight On segment? Just click here to submit your answer. Be sure to enter T2 GIVEAWAY as the subject. On Monday morning we’ll pick one correct entry at random.
Enjoy this week’s show and be sure to be on the lookout for that answer!
Reel Talk to the rescue! Alison and Jeffrey swoop in Superman-style to save you from potentially seeing the wrong film at the theater this weekend. They discuss “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” “Dance Flick,” “Big Man Japan,” “Easy Virtue,” “Summer Hours” and “The Girlfriend Experience.” On top of that, they’ll give you their opinion of this week’s Websclusive “O’Horten.” The reviews don’t even end there. Even though they discussed “Terminator Salvation” on last week's show, this week, they took the time to add a little more regarding what they thought of the film.
After you’ve decided what to see this Memorial Day Weekend, you can start planning your entire summer with our Spotlight On: Summer Movies segment. Alison and Jeffrey will run through the list of this season’s most highly anticipated films from the comedy “The Hangover” to the latest “Harry Potter” film.
This week’s show is packed with comedy. Alison and Jeffrey will discuss “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” “Dance Flick,” “Big Man Japan” and “Easy Virtue.” For our more serious viewers, they’ll review “Summer Hours” and “The Girlfriend Experience.” Then, it’s back to the funny stuff when they take a look at “O’Horten” as this week’s Websclusive.
The big showdown of the weekend will be between “Terminator Salvation” and the “Night at the Museum” sequel. If you missed Alison and Jeffrey’s review of “T4” from last week’s show, just click here to check it out. While “Terminator” may feature an army of deadly robots, “Night at the Museum” features an army of fantastic actors. Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley. When all of Larry’s buddies from the Museum of Natural History are moved into storage at the Smithsonian, he must protect them from the evil Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria). The film also features Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart, Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt, Owen Wilson as Jedediah Smith, Steve Coogan as Octavius, Ricky Gervais as Dr. McPhee and Bill Hader as General Custer.
There’s also the Wayans Brothers’ latest spoof project, “Dance Flick.” This film features Damon Wayans’ son, Damon Wayans Jr., as a street dancer who helps a privileged suburban girl (Shoshana Bush) achieve her dreams.
To read about the rest of this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue reading after the jump.
“Big Man Japan” is about a slacker named Daisato, who is transformed into a giant and must protect Japan from a slew of bizarre creatures. No matter how much good he does, the public still berates Daisato for making tons of noise and damaging property while defending the city. In “Easy Virtue” we meet Larita (Jessica Biel), a glamorous woman from America who marries into an English family. When her husband, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), introduces her to his family, she butts heads with his mother. At first Larita tries to stay calm and keep out of Mrs. Whittaker’s (Kristen Scott Thomas) way, but eventually realizes the only way she’ll keep her husband is by fighting back.
Things take a serious turn with “Summer Hours.” This drama is about three siblings who must figure out what to do with their mother’s belongings when she passes away. “The Girlfriend Experience” is an experimental film from Steven Soderberg about a pricy call girl who is played by adult film star, Sasha Grey. The film looks at how she juggles a growing list of clients as well as all of the elements of her personal life.
Finally, there’s this week’s Websclusive, “O’Horten.” It’s a Norwegian film about a retiring train conductor named Odd Horten. Even though he’s been on the same route for years, he oversleeps and misses the train his last day on the job.
Even though the trailer wasn’t as breathtaking as I hoped it would be, I’m still very excited to see “My Sister’s Keeper” when it hits theaters on June 26th. There’s something about this new poster that excites me the way I expected the trailer to. While to some this image simply portrays a happy family, to someone who knows the story, it carries a troubling undertone. For those of you who haven’t read the book the film is based on by Jodi Picoult - which I highly recommend - it’s about a family going through some very rough times. When Sara (Cameron Diaz) and Brian’s (Jason Patric) eldest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, they conceived Anna (Abigail Breslin), a harvest child. Anna was genetically engineered to be a genetic match for her sister Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) in the event she needs anything from blood to bone marrow. When Anna is thirteen and asked to give her sister a kidney, she decides she wants to be medically emancipated from her parents so she can make the decision herself. If the movie appropriate portrays the story in the book, it’ll be fantastic. This is a novel that really has the potential to flourish on film. Check out this brand new poster for the film. To get a closer look, just click on the image.
No I’m not talking about Facebook or Twitter; I’m referring to David Lynch’s latest film called “Interview Project,” which will be viewable on the Internet.
Lynch is a Hollywood quintuple threat. Yes, that means he is especially gifted in five different forms of entertainment. He’s an accomplished director, screenwriter, producer, actor and composer. Now, Lynch is using his abilities to create a new form of media – an online 121-part documentary called “Interview Project.” Beginning on June 1st, the website interviewproject.davidlynch.com will air a new three to five minute segment of “Interview Project” every three days for one year.
First and foremost, viewers will judge whether or not “Interview Project” is an enjoyable piece of work. But secondly, and probably more importantly, they’ll judge whether or not displaying video in this format is effective. We have movies, we have television shows, we have YouTube videos but there are very few items that are shown in a format like this. Without having seen a segment of the documentary, I can only suppose this format of display will be extremely convenient. It has the capability of getting a viewer to return to check for new material on a regular basis and it can be watched at that viewer’s leisure. While some people can enjoy watching a three-hour movie on their computers, most people prefer the expediency of a quick video clip. Breaking the piece up into 121 three to five minute segments is the perfect way to make the video suitable for web viewing.
On top of the method of delivery being a novel idea, so is the production process required to create the film. There was no plan. The pieces were created by a team of filmmakers who set out on a 20,000-mile road trip across the country compiling portraits of random Americans. The only outline these filmmakers had to abide by was a list of basic questions to ask the people they found. “Interview Project” is a spontaneous piece dedicated to introducing viewers to hundreds of every day Americans. This may make the documentary seem like something anyone with a video camera could make, but what will likely differentiate these videos from those of a YouTube user, will be the moviemaking knowledge I expect Lynch contributed to it making it of a more professional quality.
This week you have a nice assortment of new DVDs to choose from. You can take the more serious route and pick up a copy of the Tom Cruise World War II film “Valkyrie” or laugh it up with Kevin James in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.” There’s also “Fan Boys” in which Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel and Kristen Bell play hardcore “Star Wars” fans attempting to steal a copy of “Episode I The Phantom Menace” from the Skywalker Ranch. Finally, you can turn out the lights and be chased by a psychopathic miner terrorizing the town of Harmony with “My Blood Valentine 3D.”
To purchase one of these DVDs, just click on the corresponding posters below.
Lucky for “Sherlock Holmes” it has an impressive cast because the details provided by the new trailer are sparse, likely to leave viewers confused. But what does that matter? We get tons of footage of Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler completely overshadowing the fact that we’ve learned little to nothing about the film’s plot. While the lack of information may have been frustrating at the beginning of the trailer, by the time images and the names of the actors were flashing by to heart pumping music my excitement for the film was fully restored. We have a ways to go before the film’s release on Christmas Day, so hopefully we’ll be seeing some more material form “Sherlock Holmes” soon.
The story of Zack Mazursky’s may have ended when the credits rolled in “Alpha Dog,” but for Nick Markowitz, the teenager the character was based on, his legacy lives on through another trial related to his death. The events in the movie are utterly shocking, but what make “Alpha Dog” more than just an entertaining and emotional film is the fact that it’s based on a true story. That’s what makes “Alpha Dog” heartbreaking.
In the summer of 2000, 15-year-old Nicholas was kidnapped by Jesse James Hollywood and his associates in an effort to pressure Nick’s brother, Ben, into giving Hollywood money he owed him for marijuana. From that point on it was almost as if Nick hadn’t been kidnapped at all. He enjoyed parties with his captors and, at times, was even left alone to do as he pleased. After Hollywood learned he could be sent to prison for kidnapping, he ordered Ryan Hoyt to kill him.
Graham Pressley, William Skidmore, Jesse Rugge and Hoyt were all tried and convicted of committing the crime at varying degrees. Pressley and Skidmore were sentenced to jail time, while Rugge received life in prison with the possibility of parole. Hoyt is currently on Death Row. Immediately after the murder, Hollywood fled. He was featured on America’s Most Wanted list and after four and a half years on the run, found in Brazil with his pregnant girlfriend. Hollywood thought that according to a Brazilian law he would be safe from extradition because he fathered a child in the country. That law was overridden because he entered the county under a false passport and was arrested by the U.S. authorities.
According to the AP, Hollywood’s trial was stalled after Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen gave documents to Nick Cassavetes, the director of “Alpha Dog.” Zonen said he did so hoping it would publicize the issue and help capture Hollywood while the defense attorney, James Blatt, argued Zonen’s actions were unethical. Zonen was removed by an appeals court but later reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court and permitted to stay on the case. Blatt also tried to block the release of the film, but his request was denied and it hit theaters on January 12th, 2007.
Hollywood’s trial began on Friday in Santa Barbara, California. If he’s convicted, he could face the death penalty.
So now comes word that Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese will direct the first big-screen biography of Frances Albert Sinatra, arguably the finest popular singer of the 20th Century. But now the casting frenzy has begun. One journalist suggested Leonardo DiCaprio as "Old Blue Eyes/The Chairman of the Board." He also posited "Star Trek" star Chris Pine as Dean Martin, Mos Def as Sammy Davis, Jr., "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson as Peter Lawford, and "Tropic Thunder" co-star Jay Baruchel as Joey Bishop. Oh, and Ryan Phillippe as John F. Kennedy, a Sinatra confidant back in the day.
I'd go a different way in casting this. I'd use unknowns, so as to not let the familiarity of well-known actors be a distraction.
So now comes word that Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese will direct the first big-screen biography of Frances Albert Sinatra, arguably the finest popular singer of the 20th Century. But now the casting frenzy has begun. One journalist suggested Leonardo DiCaprio as "Old Blue Eyes/The Chairman of the Board." He also posited "Star Trek" star Chris Pine as Dean Martin, Mos Def as Sammy Davis, Jr., "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson as Peter Lawford, and "Tropic Thunder" co-star Jay Baruchel as Joey Bishop. Oh, and Ryan Phillippe as John F. Kennedy, a Sinatra confidant back in the day.
I'd go a different way in casting this. I'd use unknowns, so as to not let the familiarity of well-known actors be a distraction.
Sinatra was a unique fixture in Hollywood. After becoming a teenaged idol to millions of Bobbysoxers, as his female admirers were called, he began making movies. As his film career took off, his singing success declined. Then he scored a part in "From Here to Eternity" that won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and cemented him as an "A" list star.
The story behind Sinatra getting that part, by the way, inspired the plotline in "The Godfather" where Vito Corleone's nephew, the singer Johnny Fontaine, used his Godfather's influence to get a part in a picture that would save his career.
Here are a few anecdotes about Sinatra:
One day in 1944, Sinatra and his manager, Al Levy, passed a Manhattan newsstand. Levy glanced at the headlines and gasped: "Wha've we done now?" referring to a recent tiff Sinatra had with the press. He purchased the paper, re-read the headline, and breathed a sigh of relief. The headline read; "Allies Attack Sumatra."
He had a short romance with Lauren Bacall, which ended badly. Later, he spotted her at a nearby table in a New York restaurant, and ordered flowers sent to her table. She rejected them saying simply: "Too little. Too late."
At a White House reception in that same year, President Roosevelt said: "You have restored to American women something which they lost in the past 50 years … The charm of knowing how to faint."
Sinatra won't be easy to portray but if anyone can entice a great performance, be it from a star or an unknown actor, it'll be Martin Scorsese.
When you think of summer movies, odds are, the first films that come to mind are the highly anticipated blockbusters. If you’re not into Terminators, Vulcans, Transformers or dinosaurs, don’t worry; there are tons of films hitting the big screen this summer that you may not have heard about, but have a lot of potential. Just because a movie isn’t expected to break box office records, doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time.
Keep reading after the jump to learn about “Moon,” “$9.99,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Humpday,” “The Cove” and “Paper Heart” and to see their trailers.
June 12th “Moon,” directed by Duncan Jones, stars Sam Rockwell as astronaut Sam Bell who’s fulfilling a three-year contract working on a moon base mining Helium 3, the gas that could cure the Earth of its energy crisis. With only two weeks left in his contract, Sam’s routine is disturbed and he loses sight of who he is and what he’s supposed to do.
June 19th
What could be more different from robots and explosions than character made of clay? “$9.99” is a stop motion animation film that asks the question: What is the meaning of life? People think this is one of life’s most frustrating unanswerable questions, but introduces you to a booklet that has the solution for just $9.99. When Dave Peck finds an advertisement for this miracle pamphlet he shares his discovery with his unusual neighbors.
June 26th
“The Hurt Locker” is kind of like the game Operation except for that fact that if you screw up in the movie, something much worse is going to happen than having a goofy looking guy’s nose turn red. Staff Sergeant William James is put in charge of a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, which he must lead through Iraq disarming bombs. On top of the pressure of snipping the wrong wire, the Sergeant and his men must manage the psychological and emotional stresses of their job.
July 10th
The comedy “Humpday” is about two ordinary guys, Andrew and Ben, who take on a rather unordinary venture, making a porno. What begins as a fun project turns awkward when the plot they decide to work with involves them having sex with each other. The guys rationalize the issue by convincing themselves the film is a form of art, but Ben’s wife is having a hard time allowing her husband to pursue his artistic vision.
July 31st “The Cove” is a documentary about the killing of more than 2,500 dolphins a year in a hidden cove in Japan. Dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry leads a group of activists to Taiji, Wakayama where they work to expose the occurrence of animal abuse as well as the serious health threat is poses to humans.
August 14th “Paper Heart” is a mockumentary about Charlyne Yi’s quest to understand love. The film mixes fiction with reality when she strikes up a relationship with her actual boyfriend, actor Michael Cera.
Everyone here at Reel Talk would like to thank all of you who have participated in our revamped version of Final Takes. It’s been great to hear what’s on your minds and what movie related issues you think Alison and Jeffrey should discuss.
Please continue to send us your Final Takes suggestions! All you have to do is click on the Final Takes Suggestion Box on the right side of the screen and follow the instructions. If we choose your submission, not only will Alison and Jeffrey discuss/debate your topic, but we’ll also give you an on-air shout out.
The workday is just about over and everyone at Reel Talk knows what that means; you need your weekend reviews. Should you see “Angels & Demons,” “Management,” “Next Day Air” or “The Brothers Bloom?” Alison and Jeffrey are here to help you decide what new releases you should be checking out at the theater. We also have their early review of next weekend’s summer blockbuster “Terminator Salvation.” Lastly, don’t forget to check out their Websclusive review of “Adoration.”
Has anyone else noticed the similarity between Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti as played by Toni Servillo in the recent "Il Divo" and the old man in the forthcoming Pixar film "Up"?? Except for the ears, it's uncanny!
Terry Gilliam's stubborn streak is impressive. Seems the director is going to return to La Mancha and revive his famously snakebitten movie "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote." Nearly a decade ago, that production was finally put out of its own misery after suffering everything from actor injuries to devastating weather that wrecked the sets. Now, Variety reports Gilliam has re-written the script, secured funding and is ready to go. For that he deserves a lot of credit.
Many directors would have given up and moved on to something else. But it seems the director of "Brazil" and "The Fisher King," among many other notable films, can't seem to scratch his Quixote itch. He's giving new meaning to the term 'passion project.' I can only imagine what kind of insurance the producers had to secure to get this movie back on track.
What about Johnny Depp, you ask?
Depp was set to star in the film back in 2002. Since then, he's become a mega-superstar on the back of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise so his availability is a potential problem. But maybe Gilliam pitched Depp on returning to the project during their recent collaboration on "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," the film where Depp was one of three actors to step in to finish Heath Ledger's role in the movie.
Shooting on the Quixote project is scheduled to start in the spring, but would you be willing to bet on this film starting on time?
“The Road” is no “The Day After Tomorrow” or “Armageddon.” It doesn’t focus on the occurrence of a cataclysmic event or the wreckage it leaves behind. Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, “The Road” tells the story of a father and son’s journey in a post-apocalyptic world to reach the coast. Their journey seems to be the focal point while the devastated environment acts as a secondary element to enhance the plight of their situation. With every end-of-the-world film that hits theater, the genre becomes more and more laughable. Not everything in the movies has to be realistic, but if isn’t, the film has to make you believe it is. “The Road” looks like it has the necessary pieces placed in the correct position, but we won’t know for sure until it hits theaters in October.
It’s your lucky week because not only will Alison & Jeffrey be discussing “Angels & Demons” on the show, but another summer blockbuster as well, “Terminator Salvation.” Then it’s onto a slew of comedies including “The Brother’s Bloom,” “Management” and “Next Day Air.” Finally, they’ll discuss the drama “Adoration” as this week’s Websclusive review.
Tom Hanks returns as Robert Langdon in “Angels & Demons.” When the four candidates selected to become Pope are kidnapped, the Vatican summons Langdon to get to the bottom of the mystery. “Terminator Salvation” stars Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin and Bryce Dallas Howard. It’s the year 2018 and Skynet and its Terminators have complete control. John Connor must team up with a stranger from the past, Marcus Wright, in order to take down Skynet and ensure the survival of the human race.
To read about the rest of this week’s films, continue reading after the jump.
Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo join forces in “The Brother’s Bloom.” They play a pair of conman who make a young heiress (Rachel Weisz) believe she is in on their final con while she is actually the individual they are targeting. Things get complicated when one of the brothers falls for her. In “Management” we see an unlikely relationship develop between the characters played by Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn. When Aniston’s character moves on with her life Zahn’s cannot bear to let her go and travels across the country to see if they are truly meant to be together. “Next Day Air,” which opened in theaters last weekend, is about two bumbling criminals who mistakenly receive a shipment of cocaine. What they think is their lucky day turns out to be filled with angry dealers and dangerous situations.
Devon Bostick stars as a high school student in “Adoration.” When given the assignment to translate a news story about a bomb being planted in an airline suitcase for his French class, he twists the translation to make the story about his family. Through this version he creates a new identity and pursues the truth about his family.
The trailer for “Nine” may make you want to belt out a tune or two, but that doesn’t mean it gives you any valuable information about the film. Unless you’re aware of the fact that this film was based on the 1982 musical, you’d have no idea what to expect from this except for the fact that it involves a singing and dancing Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Fergie, Sophia Loren and Kate Hudson. If you want to get anything out of the trailer other than a brief entertaining musical montage, head over to IMDB to read the synopsis first.
Talk about a real tearjerker. You have to take a look at the trailer for “Precious,” originally titled “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire.” Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry are the driving forces behind this film about a teenager (Gabourey Sidibe) living a tough life. Not only does she have to deal with economic troubles, obesity and an abusive mother (Mo’Nique), but she’s pregnant too. If that didn’t make you feel for this girl, seeing her situation come to life in the trailer certainly will. On the bright side, it is rather refreshing to see Mariah Carey sans make-up, skimpy dress and Nick Cannon. It’ll also be interesting to see the serious side of Mo’Nique. “Precious” made its premiere at Sundance and will also be shown at the Cannes Film Festival this month. It’ll get a limited release on November 6th.
Feature films aren’t the only things getting hi-tech makeovers. While films are moving towards 3D, their trailers are going hyper, HyperTrailer that is. The newest HyperTrailer is the one for the May 15th release, “Angels & Demons.” Am I the only person who has never seen one of these before? I did some research but only came across an October 2008 article from The Anime Blog on the release of the “Death Note II: The Last Name” HyperTrailer. They refer to it as “the next evolution in the movie trailer.”
My curiosity drove me to contact NCM, the developer of the HyperTrailer, which enthusiastically supplied me with the lowdown on these hyper-informative trailers. According to NCM, “A HyperTrailer enriches the viewer’s movie experience by offering key enhancements that embrace Web 2.0 functionalities at certain points of the trailer – like clickable, dynamic and exclusive content that offers historical information on the movie; embeddable photos and videos; and much more. As viewers reach different segments of the trailer, they have an opportunity to unlock more content.” A good trailer goes a long way in my book. A trailer must provide the viewer with enough information to understand what the movie is about and do so with clips riveting enough to make seeing the flick desirable while not providing too much information, spoiling the film.
The NCM HyperTrailer for “Angels & Demons” hits the nail on the head. You watch the trailer and at the point at which Professor Langdon’s name is mentioned a small box appears. If you click on that box, you get a menu packed with information on Tom Hanks’ character including photos, video featurettes, and a biography! An Illumi- what? The Illuminati of course! I didn’t even need to see the film to figure that out. I just played the ‘History of the Illuminati’ video after I hit the point in the trailer that mentions the group.
Not only is the interface visually stimulating and easy to navigate, but it’s packed with information. That might be the most impressive aspect of the HyperTrailer, the massive amount of data it houses. You’d think being responsible for such an immense amount of information would result in a muddled environment. You can see how far the HyperTrailer has come by looking at the ones for “Death Note” and “Quantum of Solace.” While both provide the viewer with much more information than a standard trailer, one is much more difficult to navigate and lacks the fluidity of the other. The “Death Note” version has all the bonus material this format calls for, but it’s overwhelmed by all of the data, which frequently floats off the screen and out of reach. NCM’s next effort, “Quantum of Solace,” mimics the pristine design on the HyperTrailer for “Angels & Demons.” With NCM’s ability to target and fix the problems with the format, it’ll be fascinating to see the development of the HyperTrailer and how the company further improves the interactive environment, which has a huge amount of potential.
To view the existing HyperTrailers, click on the film’s name.
You saw the stunning poster and now you can watch the characters come to life in the brand new trailer for “The Princess and the Frog.” The introductory segment paying homage to Disney’s classic animation style makes for a seamless transition between the highly revered films of the past and where the studio is taking its animated features in the future. It’s been four years since Walk Disney Animation Studios has released a traditional animation feature, but, by the looks of this trailer, the studio was able to pick up right where it left off making movie number 49 just as spectacular as its predecessors. “The Princess and the Frog” will be released in New York City and Los Angeles on November 25th and nationwide on December 11th.
This week's Big Movie Du Jour is Tom Hanks' second stint solving Roman-Catholic mysteries in "Angels & Demons."
This lightning-fast thriller seems to be a conscious effort by director Ron Howard to dispel the criticism he faced with "The DaVinci Code" over that film's plodding pace. Everything about this movie is leaner and more efficient, including a noticeably-thinner (and Mullet-free) Hanks. We'll review the film this weekend on RT, and Alison will interview Ewan McGregor (who co-stars as a young priest) for the same show.
Check out this scene as Hanks pulls a page from Indiana Jones' book to try and escape the Vatican Archives:
One of the more tragically overlooked movies of last year is now on DVD. Hopefully, "Nothing But the Truth" will find the audience it deserves on home video (phrase sounds so quaint, doesn't it? Home disc is actually more accurate but just doesn't sound right).
This ripped-from-the-headlines (based on the Valerie Plame/Judy Miller incident) drama from writer/director Rod Lurie starred Kate Beckinsale in the role of her career as a reporter who is sent to jail because she won't reveal her source. Alan Alda is terrific as her defense attorney, and so is Vera Farmiga in a sharp supporting turn.
This film was buried in a very limited release because the distributor, Yari Film Group, went bankrupt just as they started awards-season screenings. So no one outside of a few folks in NY & LA saw it (we reviewed it on REEL TALK last year, and talked to Beckinsale about it too). Rent or buy this one. It's a compelling film. Here's a scene from the movie:
J.J. Abrams' reinvented "Star Trek" paid huge dividends on opening weekend, grossing $76.5 million (that's including $4M from Thursday evening shows) to easily supplant "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" at the top of the box office.
Bolstered by across-the-board positive reviews and saturation marketing, new 'Trek' successfully re-started Gene Roddenberry's four-decades-old franchise. The film set a Trek record for opening weekend hauls, unless you factor in inflation, in which case 1980's "Star Trek: the Motion Picture" would be the record holder. That film earned $82.3 million inflation-adjusted dollars when it debuted. Either way, Paramount has to be thrilled that one of its sacred (cash) cows has been given a new lease on theatrical life.
Another 'back to the beginning' tale, "Wolverine" lost 68% of its audience from opening weekend, earning $27M for a $129.6M 2-week total. With blockbuster hopefuls lining up around the Hollywood block, waiting for their release date, Hugh Jackman's X-prequel will be lucky to reach $175M.
Third place went to a more resilient movie, "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" with $10.4M ($30.2M total). That's only a 32% drop from its debut, a pretty strong hold. Looks like counter-programming the May event movies with a Rom-Com -- even one as bad as this one -- could pay off for Warner Bros.
The final spots in the B.O. Top 5 go to a pair of relatively new faces who look to have genuine audience drawing power. Beyonce's "Obsessed" was fourth with $6.6M for an impressive $56.2M 3-week total. Considering the 'Fatal Attraction-lite' movie had awful reviews, Mrs. Jay Z's popularity seems to be the main hook in luring audiences. That and the chance to see her catfight with Ali Larter.
In fifth, Zac Efron's "17 Again" with $4.4M and a $54M total. Efron's post-HSM career is off to a nice start with this well-received comedy.
Next week, look for Trek's galactic domination to be deciphered by Dr. Robert Langdon. Tom Hanks is back in Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons," with Ewan McGregor along for the ride this time.
Whether that film can approach "The DaVinci Code's" insane box office figures remains to be seen, but expect it to at least be No. 1 next week.
Week after that, it's "Terminator Salvation." The Summer Season is in full swing!
"Grease" makes its debut on Blu-ray and it is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The restoration job on the movie print is amazing, simply flawless. For those of you who have seen the film mostly on endless cable reruns, getting ready to be floored by this baby. The sound has also been remastered and those songs you can recite in your sleep backwards and forward just pop.
Watching this Blu-ray took me right back to the Westchester Twin cinema in Miami, where I saw this film close to 20 times as a kid. The hi-def disc also has a bunch of extras that were on the Rockin' Rydell DVD release awhile back. They include a few deleted scenes, including this one:
(A list of offbeat Mother's Day movies from Agatha & Freddie's Mom, Alison)
THERE ARE THE OBVIOUS WEEPY WOMEN-CENTRIC MOVIES THAT SPRING TO MIND WHEN I THINK OF MOTHER’S DAY. SUSAN SARANDON DYING IN “STEPMOM” … DEBRA WINGER DYING IN “TERMS OF ENDEARMENT” … MERYL STREEP SAYING GOODBYE TO HER SON IN “SOPHIE’S CHOICE”. BUT THESE ARE ALL SO SAD! WHY IS MOTHERHOOD IN THE MOVIES SO TEARFUL? WHERE ARE THE FILMS ABOUT HAPPY MOMS? WOMEN WHO LOVE THE DAILY CHALLENGES OF RAISING CHILDREN? WOMEN WHO HAPPILY FORSAKE CAREERS AND INDEPENDENCE FOR DIAPERS AND TANTRUMS?
WELL I COULDN’T THINK OF ANY FILMS LIKE THAT. SO INSTEAD I MADE A LIST OF FILMS WHERE LITTLE BRATS MAKE THEIR MOTHER’S LIFE MISERABLE. LITERALLY.
1. “THE OMEN”.
COULD THERE BE A MORE DEVILISH LITTLE CHILD THAN DAMIEN? THIS EXCELLENT 1976 HORROR FLICK STARRED LEE REMICK AS AN ADORING MOTHER WHO COMES TO A TERRIBLE END AT THE HANDS OF HER LITTLE ‘ANGEL’.
2. “THE NANNY”
OK, SO HERE IT’S BETTE DAVIS’ NANNY WHO GETS THE BRUNT OF IT WHEN HER WARD, LITTLE JOEY IS DETERMINED TO BLAME HER FOR THE DEATH OF HIS SISTER. BUT MAYBE SHE DESERVES IT….
3. “JOSHUA”
DOES LITTLE JOSHUA HAVE THE WORST CASE OF SIBLING RIVALRY EVER? DID HE REALLY PUSH HIS GRANNY DOWN THE STAIRS? DID HE DRIVE HIS MOTHER INTO AN ASYLUM? HE DEFINITELY SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE SATANIC DAMIEN….BUT ALL IS NOT AS IT SEEMS.
4. “THE FLY”
MOTHERHOOD CAN’T GET ANY WORSE THAN FOR GEENA DAVIS IN THE NIGHTMARISH BIRTH SEQUENCE IN THIS HORROR CLASSIC. DAVID CRONENBERG TAPS INTO EVERY PREGNANT WOMAN’S GREATEST FEAR.
5. “ROSEMARY’S BABY”
THIS GEM OF A HORROR BY ROMAN POLANSKI IS POSSIBLY THE STRONGEST CINEMATIC EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF A MOTHER’S LOVE. EVEN AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO THE DEVIL’S OFFSPRING, MIA FARROW CAN’T FORSAKE HER OWN FLESH AND BLOOD.
Did you forget to buy your mother a card on Mother’s Day? Reel Talk has got you covered. Just send mom this super cute movie clip from “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.”
So in honor of the new "Star Trek" movie debuting this weekend, we've got a great little giveaway. It's the Season One set of "Trek: TOS" -- on Blu-ray! That's right, Gene Roddenberry's baby has finally reached the final audio/visual frontier. (And if you don't know what TOS stands for, then you've clicked on the wrong post.)
We have two copies to give away, 1 here on the website, the other on Twitter.
Here's what you have to do: Write in and explain, in one brief, concise (and hopefully spellchecked) paragraph which original Trek episode is your favorite and why. We'll pick one winner AT RANDOM.
We'll also give away one Season 1 set on Twitter. But you have to go to Twitter.com/REELTALKtvshow to find out what you have to do, to win.
Remember, this is for a Blu-ray set. They don't play in regular DVD players, VCRs, Betamaxes or Atari 2600s.
Your Reel Talk reviews have arrived just in time for the start of the weekend. “Star Trek” may be the talk of the town but do Alison and Jeffrey think it’s worthy of all the hype? They also review a handful of limited releases including ”Rudo y Cursi,” “Outrage,” “Julia,” “Little Ashes” and, this week’s Websclusive, “The Garden.” You can also enjoy Jeffrey’s entire interviews with Zachary Quinto and Tilda Swinton.
After you figure out which film you’ll see this weekend, visit us on Twitter and tell us about it! Just click here.
All aboard! Walt Disney Studios is teaming up with HP and Amtrak to conduct a 40-city train tour featuring carolers, decorations, giveaways and, most importantly, a 3D sneak peak of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey. Studio chairman Dick Cook explained, “We are so proud of the movie, and think the 3D footage is so incredible, we just had to give everyone a chance to see it in Disney Digital 3D.”
The film isn’t the only thing that’s incredible, this whole operation is too. At every city Disney will show off artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum of London including artwork, costumes and props from the film and erect a Disney Digital 3D Theater where guests can get a peek at the film and see some behind-the-scene material. One especially neat activity will be having your face morphed into one of the film’s characters thanks to HP TouchSmart PCs.
The event kicks off Memorial Day Weekend (May 22nd to May 24th) at Los Angeles’ Union Station then, over a span of 24 weeks, makes 40 stops in 36 states with a grande finale at New York’s Grand Central Terminal from October 30th thru November 1st. To see when the train will chug through your town, check out the event’s website, www.christmascaroltraintour.com. You can also view the entire press release by clicking here.
... but not here. On REEL TALK this weekend. Sorry for the bait 'n switch, but hey, broadcast still pays the bills, you know?
Pretty excited about this weekend's show, from a producer's standpoint. Not only do we have a red-hot movie to review -- that would be "Star Trek" in case you're wondering -- but we have the television premiere of the trailer for the political satire "In the Loop." This one stars Steve Coogan and James Gandolfini among several others. This film made a huge splash at Sundance and at the just-wrapped Tribeca Film Festival. It opens July 24th.
Tune in this weekend to RT to check out the trailer, which is a nice homage to 'Dr. Strangelove'. Come back and let us know what you think.
After playing a malnourished vampire in "Twilight" and becoming the object of millions of love-struck girls' affection, Robert Pattinson is off in a new direction in his latest movie, "Little Ashes." He plays a young Salvador Dali, one of the founders of the Modern Art movement. The movie was shot before 'Twilight' and there's a good chance it probably would never have been released had that film not made Pattinson a household name.
Is it worth seeing or strictly for Pattinson die-hards? Check out Jeffrey & Alison's review this weekend on REEL TALK. Check out a clip from the film here:
The summer blockbusters keep coming. This week Trekkies everywhere will be flocking to the theaters to see “Star Trek.” Alison and Jeffrey may not have loved last week’s big flick “Wolverine,” but it still hit it big at the box office. Will their opinions of “Star Trek” reflect its box office performance? Be sure to check out the show this week when they discuss it along with “Rudo y Cursi,” “Outrage,” “Julia” and “Little Ashes.” They’ll also review “The Garden” as this week’s Webscluisve.
J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” focuses on the maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Chris Pine stars as James T. Kirk and Zach Quinto as Spock. The delinquent from Iowa and the half-human from planet Vulcan are both accepted into the Starfleet Academy where they’re determined to be one of the few selected to join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The film also stars Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Eric Bana.
To read more about this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue reading after the jump.
“Rudo y Cursi” reunites Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, who both starred in the 2002 film “Y Tu Mama Tambien.” In this movie the duo are brothers who become profession soccer players. At first, they’re thankful to leave their hard lives working manual labor, but soon become overwhelmed when their relationship is being torn apart by the good life they’d always dreamed of living. The documentary “Outrage” gives audiences a look at the issue of homophobia in politics. It focuses on a small group of men who keep their sexual preferences secret while trying to maintain their public image. Tilda Swinton plays the titular character in “Julia.” She’s an unemployed alcoholic who gets involved with a scheme to kidnap a young boy. The drama “Little Ashes” stars Robert Pattison as Salvador Dali, a young man trying to become a respectable artist. Salvador befriends two other aspiring artists, a poet and a filmmaker, but before they know it, their relationship turns into something way beyond a typical friendship.
We move back to the documentary category for this week’s Websclusive review of “The Garden.” Director Derek Jarman introduces the audience to a community garden in South Central Los Angeles, which was created as a coping mechanism after the riots of 1992 and eventually became a 14 acre piece of land where people could grow their own food and get a sense of community. Unfortunately, these urban farmers find themselves up against a powerful developer who wants to bulldoze their garden to build warehouses.
Love the fact that Victor Garber is in the new Green Lantern movie. Not the live-action one, but the latest DCU Animated original movie, called "Green Lantern: First Flight."
Garber voices Sinestro, one time legend of the GL Corps who is now the Galaxy's Public Enemy #1. Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) voices Hal Jordan, AKA GL, in the animated adventure, due out July 28th.
Read what Garber had to say about doing his first animated film, after the jump.
One of the new films we're reviewing this weekend on RT is the Spanish language comedy "Rudo y Cursi." Aside from the fun in hearing Jeffrey (who speaks fluent Spanish, BTW) sound like a Telemundo reporter when pronouncing the title of the film, its also worth tuning in to hear how Jeffrey & Alison viewed the film. Here's a hint: a definite split decision on this movie.
Alison talked with Gael Garcia Bernal & writer/director Carlos Cuaron (brother of Alfonso, who produced this along with Guillermo Del Toro) about this film @ Sundance in January, and you got the sense that this tightly-knit group of old friends really enjoyed working together again.
In the movie, Bernal and Diego Luna play squabbling brothers who wind up playing pro soccer (futbol!). Both have other passions though. Bernal's character wants to be a pop star. Check out this clip from the movie where he makes a music video. You'll never think of Cheap Trick in quite the same way again, I promise.
The “Inglorious Basterds” posters keep pouring in. On Monday we showed you the first one featuring Brad Pitt and now check out these new posters of Diane Kruger and Eli Roth. The Quentin Tarantino flick is a war epic about a group of Jewish-American soldiers trying to take down a group of Nazis and a young woman seeking similar retribution for the death of her parents. The film will debut at the Cannes Film Festival this month and see a wide release on August 21st.
“Tetro” has come a long way since Francis Ford Coppola first announced he’d produce and direct the film based on his own script. Production was originally set to begin in late 2007, but did not actually commence until March 31st, 2008. In May the film hit another bump in the road when an actors’ union claimed those working on the film had no contract. The Hollywood Reporter said, “Local press reports say that script changes and communication problems between the multi-national cast and crew have extended filming days beyond regularly scheduled hours, and that some of the Argentine actors are still not certain of their salary.” It’s been over two years since Coppola introduced the concept of “Tetro” to the public and now he brings us the first three minutes of the film. It may not be a trailer, but this week, the first three minutes of “Tetro” will get Trailer Tuesday honors.
On the heels of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine's" huge $85 million opening weekend, Hugh Jackman is laying the seeds for his next movies. Along with his production company, Seed Productions, Variety reports Jackman is already prepping a 'Wolverine' sequel. It will apparently be based on the Japanese Samurai storyline that really established the Marvel Comics hero as a superstar back in the early 80s (and a fantastic read from Chris Claremont/Frank Miller, I might add).
That storyline is considered the definitive Wolverine tale, so hopefully they'll hire the right person to adapt it.
Jackman also has "Ghostopolis" and "Personal Security" in the pipeline. The former's based on a graphic novel, while the latter is a Disney film apparently in the same vein as "The Pacifier" and "The Game Plan." Frankly, the idea of Jackman doing one of these 'tough guys out their element' movies scares me to death, but considering how well those two films i mentioned did at the box office, it's not too surprising.
Of all the projects Jackman has in development, the musical "Houdini" has me most interested. I saw Jackman doing "The Boy from Oz" - twice - and it was one of the most incredible theatrical experiences I've ever witnessed. He was amazing. If this new musical, based on the life of the legendary illusionist, is half as good as "Oz" was, then i'll be first in line when tickets go on sale.
New on DVD this week is a collection of four war pictures, three of them classics. “Bataan” stars Robert Taylor leading a squad of Filipino soldiers trying to destroy a bridge before the Japanese overrun the Philippines. It costars future California senator George Murphy, Thomas Mitchell (of “Gone with the Wind” fame), Lloyd Nolan and young Desi Arnaz.
In “Back to Bataan” John Wayne commands a squad of soldiers during that same campaign. Anthony Quinn costars. Then there’s “Destination Tokyo” with Cary Grant as the captain of a submarine sailing from San Francisco into Tokyo Bay. John Garfield costars. The fourth one is “The Green Berets,” the hilariously bad paean to the Vietnam War which John Wayne co-directed and in which he stars. David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray costar in this film, which was widely belittled during its theatrical run. So three out of four isn’t bad.
Why would the makers of Tilda Swinton's new film "Julia" give it the title "Julia"? There's already a great 1977 film of that name starring Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda. There's also a Meryl Streep film coming out this summer called "Julie and Julia". It all just seems unnecessarily confusing.
Odds are, “Wolverine” will pull in the big bucks at the box office this weekend, but do Alison and Jeffrey think it’s deserving of that dough? Check out their review of “Wolverine” as well as “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” “Il Divo,” “The Merry Gentleman,” “Battle for Terra” and “Nursery University” right here! You can also take a look at Jeffrey’s entire interview with Eric Bana by clicking here.
If "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is going to be the mutant-sized hit 20th Century Fox hopes it will be, it's going to have to overcome a growing pile of mostly negative reviews.
Critics, including Jeffrey & Alison, have not been kind to the formerly-diminutive clawed X-Man. Are you planning to see "Wolverine" opening weekend? If so, come back and let us know what you think.
And don't let the guy in front of you texting his bookie on his cell phone distract you from all the cool comic book references in the film. In fact, we're giving away the brand new Wolverine Electronic Claw from Hasbro to a lucky Eagle Eyed X-Fan! It's the must-have summer fashion accessory for any self-respecting mutant.
Here's the deal though: For a chance to win, you have to follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/REELTALKtvshow. Go there and find out how to win the Wolverine Electronic Claw!
Last night I attended a red carpet event for a film I’m particularly excited about not only because it’s the only Tribeca film I’ll get the chance to see, but also because its director has infused it with a fascinating underlying concept. Duncan Jones’ “Moon” is much more than the story of a man who runs into trouble just two weeks before the end of his three-year contract of mining resources on the moon. Take a look at what Jones told me about how he got into film, how he devised the plot and his excitement about the film’s limited release on June 12th. Sting, whose wife, Trudie Styler, is one of the film’s producers, came by to show his support and the star of “Moon,” Sam Rockwell, stopped for a quick chat about his experience with the project before rushing off to catch the start of the film.
It’s not easy to avoid creating a laughable alien in film. Even if a director has developed some sort of suspense, the second he or she introduces the audience to ET, eyes roll and the fear is gone. Peter Jackson seems to have sidestepped that issue thanks to the mock documentary his film is based on and the power of pixelization. See it for yourself in the brand new trailer for “District 9:”
Many of the actors attending the Tribeca Film Festival have an enormous amount of fans, but the red carpets have been generally subdued in terms of crowds flocking to get a glimpse of their favorite star. That all changed at the premiere for Eric Bana’s “Love the Beast.” From the second Bana stepped foot out of his car to the time he walked through the theater doors he was bombarded with fans.
Eric told me about how honored he is to be part of the festival especially with a film that’s so dear to his heart. The producers of “Love the Beast” as well as festival founder Jane Rosenthal joined Eric for some photos and his “Star Trek” costar, Zach Quinto, dropped by to see the film too.
Let the summer movie season begin! The first of many blockbusters premieres on the big screen this week and Alison and Jeffrey are here to tell you if they think it’s worth your while. In addition to “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” they’ll discuss “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” “Il Divo,” “The Merry Gentleman” and “Battle for Terra.” As this week’s Websclusive they’ll review “Nursery University.”
“Wolverine” features Hugh Jackman as the titular character who seeks revenge for the death of his girlfriend. The film also stars Liev Schreiber as Sabertooth, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Taylor Kitsch as Gambit. If you’re in the mood for something a bit lighter, you might opt to see Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner in “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” McConaughey’s character is haunted by the spirits of girlfriends past, present and future, which leads to the revival of his feelings for his first love (Garner).
To read about the rest of this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue reading after the jump.
“Il Divo” is an Italian film about Prime Minister Guilo Andreotti (Toni Servillo). He begins as a man with no fears, coasting through trying times without even a worry, but when he finds himself up against the Mafia, he’s plagued by emotions he’s never felt before. Kevin Costner and Kelly Macdonald star in “The Merry Gentlemen” as a man and woman with an unlikely relationship. Both are going through tough times, but after meeting each other manage to find some happiness in their lives. “Battle for Terra” has an impressive list of actors who lend their voices to the film’s cast of humans and terrians including Brian Cox, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Luke Wilson, Dennis Quaid and Evan Rachel Wood. The story focuses on the planet Terra, a peaceful place with no need for war. When Earth runs out of resources and a plan to colonize Venus and Mars fails, humans travel to Terra in search of a new home.
Finally, “Nursery University” is a documentary about the rigors of enrolling a child in the prestigious preschools of New York City. It follows five families struggling to have their toddlers admitted to schools with limited space and high expectations for their applicants.
Okay, maybe that title sounds more like an animal species than a spell taught at Hogwarts, but WOW. I’m at a loss for words. An updated version of the most recent trailer for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” has been released and it’s truly magical. Words cannot do it justice; you must take a look for yourself:
Is it just me … or does anyone out there really care whether "Transformers 2" is actually titled "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”? Won't everyone just refer to it as "Transformers 2"?? And does "Ice Age 3" really need to be called "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs"?! Can anyone even remember what "Ice Age 2" was called? ("Ice Age: The Meltdown") I would be happy with "Wolverine", "T4", "Night at the Museum 2". I mean come on … "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"!!! It's ridiculous. I blame George Lucas and his Phantom Menace and vengeful Sith.
Judd Apatow and his gang merrily parodied this silly trend with "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story". Now can't everyone else realize that this is a pompous and out-dated fad?
And let's not overlook "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" … and that's not even a sequel!
Forget learning more about the environment, recycling and cleaning up trash; the new way to celebrate Earth Day is by going to the movies. Okay, of course everyone should still do his or her part to clean up our Earth, but seeing a Disneynature film could become a popular way of doing so. For every opening week ticket to “Earth” sold, Disney planted a tree. The film has taken in over $14 million so far, so that’s a lot of trees! Disneynature’s go green mentality won’t stop with “Earth.” The Walt Disney Co. documentary label has already booked Earth Day 2010 for it’s next release, “Oceans.” “Oceans” looks as though it will follow in the footsteps of “Earth.” Check it out for yourself below:
The red carpet for ”Wonderful World” was truly a wonderful experience. Not only was everyone excited to be there to celebrate the premiere of the film, but to support their friends as well. Dan Zanes gives a quick overview of the film and then director Joshua Goldin talks about Matthew Broderick’s superb acting skills. Sanaa Lathan, whose character winds up living with Broderick’s in the film, talks about how he takes his work very seriously but is always fun to be on set with. Broderick wasn’t the only person being showered with compliments. Sanaa had a good friend on the carpet to bring her support, Kim Kardashian. I didn’t speak with Broderick, but his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, expressed her pleasure in coming out to support him before heading into the theater. You can check out the Jeffrey’s interview with Broderick by clicking here.
One of the 86 features screening at this year's Tribeca Film Festival is "The Lost Son of Havana," a documentary about the poignant return to Havana after 46 years by native son Luis Tiant, "El Tiante," one of the most colorful players in baseball history. He came to America just before the Bay of Pigs disaster. He went on to make the major leagues with the Cleveland Indians, pitched for the Minnesota Twins, then, from 1971 to 1978, played for the Boston Red Sox, before winding up his career with stints with the Yankees, Pirates and Angels.
The movie shows him reuniting with his surviving aunts, old Cuban teammates and friends from his neighborhood. At one point in this remarkable movie, produced by the Farrelly brothers and directed by Jonathan Hock, a group of baseball fans are arguing in a local park, trying to pick the greatest Cuban pitcher of them all. "El Duque," says one. "No, his brother Livan," says another. They name several others before one youth says, in Spanish, "What about Luis Tiant?" and Tiant is standing right behind him! It's not a staged shot, either, the director told me the other day when he and the great pitcher, #23 in your program, came in for an interview. This is a poignant movie about Tiant, his life here and in Cuba and his father, a left-handed pitcher who once faced Babe Ruth in a post season barnstorming game, and who had a distinguished career in the negro leagues. We see, in fact, the father at Fenway Park, watching his son pitch a regular season game, then in the 1975 World Series after Castro gave him and his wife permission to leave "that imprisoned isle," as JFK called Cuba. We also see memorable moments from his son's long career, a career in which he fanned more batters than hall of famers Sandy Koufax, Early Wynn, and Grover Cleveland Alexander, among others. In game five of the '75 World Series, incidentally, Tiant threw an astonishing 163 pitches, unheard of in today's game. The movie shows his modesty, his love of his adopted country but his strong feelings for his beloved birthplace and long-dormant friendships unabated by all the years. "The Lost Son of Havana" is trying to find a distributor, and here's hoping they succeed, so everyone gets to see it.
UPDATE: It's just been announced that the first Tribeca film to be sold this year is "The Lost Son of Havana." ESPN picked up broadcast rights for the documentary with plans to air it in August on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (the cable network's Spanish-language arm).
So I let Jeffrey get the better of me this past weekend on “Reel Talk” when we were discussing “Fighting” and it’s been bugging me ever since. I compared the Channing Tatum flick favorably to “Midnight Cowboy” … and he immediately seized upon my dismissal of “The Soloist,” which I thought was too derivative, as an inconsistency in my line of debate. He had a point … I didn’t clarify very well why one film seemed fresher to me even though both films were constructed around solid Hollywood formulas.
“Fighting” is about a wily old-timer who adopts a young newbie and trains him in the art of bare knuckle fighting on the streets on New York. “The Soloist” is about a noble newspaperman, who tries to improve the world by saving one homeless guy. Both films have strong performances … one, “The Soloist” is even a true-life story. Yet “The Soloist” smacks of being ‘written’ by a Hollywood screenwriter. It shamelessly yanks on our emotions, trying desperately hard to be “about something”. It clearly had Oscar intentions (it was originally slated to come out in time for last year’s academy consideration). Everything about it seems calculated and manipulative. Without Robert Downey Jr. and his inspired turn as the reporter, it would have been terribly run of the mill.
“Fighting” has no pretensions. It’s not trying to give us a social message. It’s not trying to be grand or ‘Oscar-worthy.’ It’s just an enjoyable film about two guys trying to make a buck and lots of brawling with ridiculously pumped up sound effects. Channing Tatum has a fantastic flirty chemistry with the actress Zulay Henao … their dialogue must have been improvised, it was so true to life. And whoever played her grandmother was a complete scene stealer!!!
When reviewing films, I always try to consider the intentions of the filmmakers. That way, I can deem a horror film ‘good’ … if it’s really scary … even though I may not have enjoyed watching it. In this case, Dito Montiel, the writer/director of “Fighting” has set out to make a film about a subsect of New York City denizens who live day to day, making their own opportunities, breaking the law when it suits them. His dialogue is crazy real, he shoots handheld on the streets of the actual city … and he induces good performances from his actors.
I say this after the last ten days during which I have watched fourteen Tribeca films, in addition to the regular "Reel Talk" workload. I know, I know … tough job right? No one wants to hear a film critic complain about the rigors of the job.
I feel like Anne Hathaway in "The Devil Wears Prada" … constantly hearing "a million girls would kill for that job".
Seriously, it's a great gig but film festivals do add a certain level of panic and feelings of being completely overwhelmed.
There are 86 feature films at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. So that's more than 70 films I haven't seen yet! Somehow I don't think I'll manage to fit them all in.
That's why I dread the approach of each festival. But here's the blessing part … there are such great surprises in store! Many of the films I did squeeze in have been really entertaining ("Handsome Harry," "City Island," "In the Loop" among others). And there are still several that I'm looking forward to. One thing is for sure, I'm bound to miss the breakout film that wins all the prizes. I always do.
The film's star and director were present on the red carpet for "Serious Moonlight," but the mastermind behind its screenplay could not be. Adrienne Shelly may have passed away much too early, but her legacy lives on through her films. Cheryl Hines took on the directorial role to bring Shelly's screenplay to life. When so much time and energy goes into making a movie, any old project is bound to become important to those involved in its creation. Check out this video and
see what makes "Serious Moonlight" much more dear to the heart than usual for Meg Ryan and Hines.
Just saw Spike Lee's film "Kobe Doin' Work,” which is debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival. I can't really call it a documentary … it's more a play-by-play of a basketball game with Kobe Bryant doing the commentary. So basically, I just watched four quarters of a Lakers game! I can't say I was thrilled when I realized what was going down.
Kobe just kind of chats casually off-camera while the game plays out … and it's spectacularly uninteresting to a non-basketball fanatic like myself. It's not that I don't enjoy the game … it's just that the commentary was so 'inside' that half of it didn't make any sense to me. It was the equivalent of listening to Lance Armstrong describe his pedal cadence, gear selection or wattage output on every hairpin of the Alpe D'Huez. Fascinating to me, a cycling fan … but deadly dreary to most people, when they really want to hear about his fight with cancer or relationship with Sheryl Crow.
The most interesting parts were in the locker room at half time and after the game. There's a brief glimpse of Kobe with his wife and adorable kids as they leave the Staples Center, but just as my interest peaked, the film ends! I'd love to see a film about Kobe … what makes him tick, how he trains, what he does when he's not on court … but sadly, "Kobe Doin' Work" was not that film.
One of the 86 features unspooling at this year's Tribeca Film Festival is "Wonderful World," Matthew Broderick's fine new drama (you can view scenes from the movie right above). Here he portrays a divorced father who's living with a Senegalese roommate, but who gets fired from his job as a proofreader and spends days brooding about it in his small apartment. He's determined to maintain his relationship with his daughter, and try to find work.
Getting a job as a pizza delivery man suits him for the present, but his roommate named Ibou, played by Michael K. Williams, goes into a diabetic coma. His sister in Senegal, played by Sanaa Lathan, comes to minister to her brother and moves into their small apartment. Broderick is very good at portraying an everyman with a solid moral core, but his character here has some serious flaws, finding fault with others, for instance, where none exists. Eight-year-old Jodelle Ferland, a delightful Canadian actress, plays Broderick's daughter and she may be the next Dakota Fanning, i.e. the Next Big Child Star. Veteran character actor Phillip Baker Hall plays a ghostlike character and Broderick's supposed conscience, but it was a role I thought was superfluous and a waste of Hall's talent.
"Wonderful World" is a very offbeat movie but Broderick's character evolution makes sense and you see a credible transformation take place. It's a classic festival film made on an obvious;y low budget, but with a likability about it I found undeniable. It's well worth your time to seek out at the festival.
Meanwhile, for viewers in the Tri-State area, tune into WNBC Sunday morning at 7am for my interview with Matthew Broderick about this movie and many other topics.
It’s time to start planning your weekend at the theater because Jeffrey and Alison’s reviews are here! They discuss “The Soloist,” “Fighting” and “Earth” as well as “The Informers” and “Tyson.” Also, don’t forget to check out this week’s Websclusive Reviews “Lymelife” and “Sin Nombre.”
REELTALKtv.com also has Jeffrey’s entire interview with the star of “The Soloist,” Jamie Foxx and two clips from the documentary “The Garden.”Be sure to check back throughout the week for continuous coverage of New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival.
The big movie event of the week may be the Tribeca Film Festival, but that doesn’t mean there’s not room for new theatrical releases. On this week’s show Jeffrey and Alison will discuss the wide releases “The Soloist,” “Fighting” and “Earth” as well as “Tyson” and “The Informers.” Once again, there will be two Webscluisve Reviews, “Lymelife” and “Sin Nombre.”
“The Soloist” stars this week’s Top Billing actor Jamie Foxx as a schizophrenic homeless man who happens to be a musical prodigy. A columnist for the Los Angeles Times (Robert Downey Jr.) develops a relationship with Foxx’s character and tries to help him pull his life back together and become a successful musician. If you’re looking for something with a little more action, you may want to check out “Fighting” starring Channing Tatum and Terrance Howard. The Dito Montiel films focuses on what happens when a young man enters the world of underground street fighting. If you’d like to honor Earth Day, go see Disneynature’s “Earth.” The films gives you a detailed look at what it takes for particular animals to survive in the wild.
For more on this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue after the jump!
“Tyson” is a documentary from filmmaker James Toback about Mike Tyson. It uses interviews, archival footage and photographs to give audiences a look into the boxer’s life. Then, there’s the drama “Lymelife,” which boasts a star-studded cast including Kieran and Rory Culkin, Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon and Emma Roberts. The film focuses on Rory’s character, a young boy experiencing his first love while the lives of his family and friends fall apart. “The Informers” is another film with an impressive ensemble cast, which includes Billy Bob Thorton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder and Amber Heard. It’s based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel about a group of people living in Los Angeles in the 1980’s that partake in the city’s immense amount of beautiful people, drugs and nightclubs. “Sin Nombre” is a Spanish film about a Honduran girl (Paulina Gaitan) trying to cross the border into the United States so she can live the life she’s always dreamed of.
The Tribeca Film Festival has officially begun! Last night I had the pleasure of chatting with some stars on the red carpet for the festival’s opening film “Whatever Works.”
Evan Rachel Wood kicks things off telling me about the overwhelming, but exciting experience of working on a Woody Allen film. Nancy La Scala stopped by to tell me about her film “Vegas: Based on a True Story,” which is being shown this week. Debra Messing, who is a juror for the Narrative Shorts category, makes an appearance at the event. “Whatever Works” cast members, Larry David and Patricia Clarkson, give brief overviews of their characters and then, Woody himself, talks about how great it is to be back in New York.
Things start to wind down when NBC’s own Brian Williams makes his way down the carpet and tells me about how unusual it is for him to be a juror at the festival. He even gives a brief shout out to Reel Talk’s Jeffrey Lyons. Finally, Harvey Keitel and Uma Thurman make a dash for the theater doors, answering questions on the fly.
Don’t worry! The title for Woody Allen’s next film is coming and he plans to release it as soon as he figures out what it is. Whereas many filmmakers try to create hype by keeping aspects of their projects secret, Woody assures the public he’s not withholding any information. What we do know about the film is that it’s loaded with star power: Anthony Hopkins, Frieda Pinto, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin.
I love the Blu-ray format. I think the crispness in audio/visual quality is a substantial upgrade from regular DVD. As a result, I've become the snobby guy who thumbs his nose at regular releases and go straight for the Blu-ray titles. I'm hooked on the higher quality, and I can't stop myself.
That said, not every film warrants a Hi-Def upgrade. I own at least three different DVDs of "Clerks", one of my favorite comedies (damn you, Kevin Smith and your wicked marketing schemes!) However, unless he throws in a free walk-on role and the final chapter to that unfinished Daredevil comic book miniseries, I'll never buy a Blu-ray of "Clerks." What would be the point? All Hi-Def will do is further expose the technical flaws of one of indie film's biggest hits (something Smith himself told me during a visit to RT awhile back when I asked him about Blu-ray).
But you know what movie was just crying out for a Blu-ray release? "Sin City." This is a feast for the eyes and ears in theaters, and it has finally arrived on Blu, and it is a spectacular piece of work. The 2-disc set features 2 cuts of the film, the theatrical version and an extended one, along with 8 hours of bonus content! Not just behind-the-scenes featurettes, but an interactive game and a green screen tutorial from Robert Rodriguez. This is how you make your high-definition debut.
It wouldn't be a summer movie season without that one comedy hit that gets everyone talking. This year, the frontrunner for those honors could be a lewd, rude comedy about a bachelor party gone VERY, VERY wrong. Click here to read what our producer thought of ”The Hangover.”
This week’s Trailer Tuesday honor goes to Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi. “Paper Heart” focuses on Yi’s effort to make a documentary about love, which she isn’t sure even exists. What makes this film so fascinating is how it blurs the line between documentary and fictional story. Interviews with professors and average Americans make up the documentary side of the film while Yi and Cera improvise the storytelling portion. Things lean even closer to actuality when Yi, in the film, falls for the actor, who, in real life, she is dating. “Paper Heart” hits theaters August 7th.
There will be life after “Taking Woodstock” for Demetri Martin. Variety reports that Martin will join Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s movie adaptation of the Michael Lewis non-fiction book “Moneyball.” Martin will play a college graduate who fails to get a job on Wall Street, but uses his mathematical skills to develop the ‘Earned Run Value’ system. This system enabled Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (Pitt) to get excellent players at a low cost. The cast will also include real life baseball players David Justice, Scott Hatteberg, Daryl Strawberry and Lenny Dykstra.
It’s not even May, but 20th Century Fox wants you to be prepared for the first movies to hit the big screen in 2010. Variety reports that after an immensely successful start to 2009, studios are looking to take a year-round approach to releasing films, rather than focusing on the summer and holidays. The family film “The Tooth Fairy” starring Dwayne Johnson and Ashley Judd has been moved from November 13th to January 22nd. “Date Night” with Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg and James Franco will open on April 9th while the fantasy-adventure “Percy Jackson” will open on February 12th. This year’s off-peak successes that initiated this effort include “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” “Fast & Furious” and “Taken.”
The stars of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” are cramming in some work before setting off to promote the sixth installment, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Snitch Seeker posted a set of photos of Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliff working on a scene for the seventh film. Check out some of the photos below and click here to see the entire collection.
There’s something very exciting about seeing a “Real World” alum making it big in the movie industry, especially when she wasn’t one of the typical cast members you’re guaranteed to loathe. Jamie Chung from the San Diego season has just been added to the cast of Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chung and Jena Malone will join Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish in the film about a patient at a mental hospital who escapes by stealing five particular items, but does so in an alternate reality. You can catch Chung in the upcoming horror flick “Sorority Row” on October 2nd and the indie drama “Burning Palms” alongside Zoe Saldana, Paz Vega and Shannen Doherty.
Not only will “Star Trek” invade your local theaters on May 8th, but your breakfast as well. Kellogg’s has just announced the limited edition Star Trek cereal. According to JoBlo.com, the box will be packed with oats and marshmallows in the shape of Galaxy, Planet Vulcan, Planet Earth and Blue, Yellow and Red Delta Shields.
Christian Bale will get in shape with Mark Wahlberg for “The Fighter.” David O. Russell will direct the Relativity Media flick about how “Irish” Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) nabbed the world lightweight championship with the help of his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale). According to Variety, Eklund was once a successful fighter himself, but lost everything to drugs and crime. After spending a number of years in prison, he emerged a changed man and was determined to help Ward attain the boxing glory he missed out on.
Columbia Pictures is considering “Angels & Demons” a guaranteed hit. Variety reports that the studio will be working quickly to bring Dan Brown’s third book, “The Lost Symbol” to theaters. Doubleday is printing five million copies of the book, which hits stores on September 15th, but considering 39 million copies of “Angels & Demons” have been sold, I doubt five million will be enough. “Angels & Demons” starring Tom Hanks, hits theaters May 15th.
Steve Zahn is living out every man’s dream in the new poster for “Management.” Zahn plays an awkward guy working in his parent’s roadside motel who strikes up an unusual relationship with a woman who checks in (Jennifer Aniston). The film’s tagline will definitely put a grin on your face: ’A Touching Comedy.’ “Management” will see a limited release on the 15th of May.
Marlon Wayans is a busy guy. He co-wrote, produced and stars in this summer’s “Dance Flick,” stars in the highly anticipated “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra” and now he’s signed on to produce and star in Paramount’s “The Year of Living Biblically.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be based on A.J. Jacobs’ book about his experience trying to live according to the Old and New Testaments, following every single rule. On his website, Jacobs describes the experience as being “fascinating, entertaining and informative.”
Nature films aren't usually big players at the box office unless they're dressed up as animated stories with celeb-voiced woolly mammoths and penguins. But "EARTH", from Disney's new Disneynature label, looks like it may buck the trend of live-action movies with an eco-friendly perspective failing to find significant audiences.
More than half a million advance tix have been sold for the film, which opens Wed. April 22 (hello, Earth Day!). Disney's offering to plant a tree in the name of every person who buys a ticket for a screening between April 22-28. Not only a clever marketing tool tied to the whole eco-craze but also downright good for the environment.
Alison & Jeffrey will review "EARTH" this weekend on RT. Check out this clip from the movie, showing a polar bear and its super cute cub and click here to see the press release.
When you get a new release date, you better have some hot posters to show it off. Warner Brothers is making the new Wednesday release date knwon for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by putting it on four brand new banners. Each banner features a pair of lead characters including Harry and Dumbledore, Hermione and Slughorn, Malfoy and Snape and Ron and Ginny. Check out all four images with the new July 15th release date below.
“X” has marked the spot and that spot is Tempe, Arizona. Fox has just declared Tempe, the home of Arizona State University, as the winner of its “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” Hometown Premiere Contest. Tempe narrowly beat out Davis, California in the contest, which was created by Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman. On April 27th, Jackman will travel to the winning town along with some of his ‘friends and enemies’ from the film to have a Hollywood-style world premiere.
Thank you Ruben Fleischer! The director of “Zombieland” has posted some photos of the set on his personal blog. The stars of his horror/comedy, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone are nowhere to be found in these images, but shutting down Hollywood Blvd. and turning it into a zombie wasteland is still a pretty cool site.
According to his blog, shooting has officially wrapped and now Fleischer will move on to the editing phase to get the film ready for its October 9th release. Check out the set images below.
So now comes word that MI5, the British equivalent to our CIA, is calling out for experts on gadgets to join them. With new technology coming out almost every week - have you seen the bump iPhone, for instance? Their secret agents should be one step ahead of the bad guys, the reason.
‘Q’, of course, first portrayed by Desmond Llewelyn and more recently by John Cleese in the remake of "Casino Royale," was in charge of the gadgets James Bond used. But the ill-titled and middling "Quantum of Solace" had no gadgets; just one of its many shortcomings. Maybe someone in the government noticed that and realized that real-life secret agents thrive on such items; or at least I like to think so. When the FBI revealed that its computers were hopelessly out of date a few years ago, maybe someone in government - theirs or ours - woke up to the fact that they'd better be on the cutting edge of technology, lest they suffer the consequences.
I'd love to know what real life gadgets are being kept secret and what they really can do. One thing, perhaps, would be a gizmo to send telepathic messages to movie producers NEVER to come up with a title like … "Quantum of Solace."
Make way Hannah Montana. It’s Friday and that means new players are invading theaters across the country. ReelTalkTV.com has all you need to pick the films you’ll see this weekend. We have Alison and Jeffrey’s thoughts on “State of Play” and “17 Again” as well as six limited releases including “Is Anybody There?,” “Sleep Dealer,” “American Violet,” “Every Little Step,” “The Golden Boys” and “Perestroika.”
Also, don’t forget to check out Jeffrey’s full interview with Rip Torn and his daughter Angelica by clicking here.
All of the previous trailers were great, but this brand new one for ”Harry Potter and the Half -Blood Prince” will really make you wish that you could make July 15th with the flick of a wand. While the film’s older trailers only gave you a vague sense of what will happen in the sixth installment and a quick glimpse at the main characters, this one really gets down to business. I don’t want to spoil anything and ruin the excitement, so check it out for yourself by clicking here and play ‘Trailer 4a.’
Not only can you see Alison and Jeffrey discuss six new releases on this week’s show, but you can also hear what they have to say about two additional films as Websclusive reviews. Check our ‘Where to Watch’ section to find out when you can tune in and watch them discuss “State of Play,” “17 Again,” “Is Anybody There?,” “Sleep Dealer,” “American Violet” and “Every Little Step.” To see the Websclusive reviews just come back to ReelTalkTV.com and keep an eye out for the reviews of “The Golden Boys” and “Perestroika” under the ‘Websclusive’ banner.
This week’s wide releases are “State of Play” and “17 Again.” “State of Play,” is a political thriller that follows a journalist’s (Russell Crowe) effort to find out what really happened when a Congressman’s (Ben Affleck) mistress is murdered. In “17 Again,” Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) is transformed back into his 17-year-old self (Zac Efron) and gets to experience high school all over again, but with the mindset of an adult.
To find out about the rest of this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue after the jump.
“Is Anybody There?” stars Sir Michael Caine as a magician who befriends a ten-year-old boy played by Bill Milner. Their unlikely friendship helps both individuals come to terms with the troubles in their lives. The science fiction film “Sleep Dealer” takes place in the near future where people can participate in virtual labor. “American Violet” falls along more realistic lines because it is, in fact, based on the true story of Regina Kelly. The lead character, Dee Roberts (Nicole Beharie), is wrongly accused of being a drug dealer. Despite her innocence, Dee is forced to pick one of two options: plead guilty and be branded a felon or try to fight the charges while continuing to endure the abuse of the unjust legal system. “Every Little Step” can be found in the reality category as well. It’s a documentary that follows Broadway hopefuls on their journey to be cast in the revival of “A Chorus Line.”
Our first Websclusive, “The Golden Boys,” stars RipTorn, Bruce Dern, David Carradine and Mariel Hemingway. The plot involves three conniving ex-sea captains trying to get a wealthy woman to marry one of them so they can take advantage of her fortunes. “Perestroika” is about an astrophysicist working in the U.S. invited to speak at a Congress on Cosmology in Moscow, his hometown. When he returns to Russia for the first time in many years he must face the troubles he left behind.
Here’s a new trailer I’m especially excited to bring you: “My Sister’s Keeper.” If you haven’t read the Jodi Picoult book the film is based on, I suggest you do so, but if reading isn’t your thing you can see the film adaptation when it hits theaters June 26th. Abigail Breslin stars as Anna Fitzgerald, a young girl who hires a lawyer (Alec Baldwin) to help her become medically emancipated from her parents (Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric) to decide for herself whether or not she’ll donate a kidney to her sister (Sofia Vassilieva) who suffers from leukemia.
With its limited release date fast approaching, the amount of hype for “The Hurt Locker” is exploding more than the bombs in the film. On June 26th, moviegoers in L.A. and NYC can see the film based on declassified information about a U.S. Army bomb squad that worked in Iraq. Jeremy Renner plays the leader of the team who must defuse complicated explosive devices while managing the psychological and emotional strains of his job. The cast also includes Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, Anthony Mackie and Evangeline Lilly. Check out the new trailer below:
We’ve got four brand new videos from Disney/Pixar’s first 3D movie “Up,” which is set to fly into theaters on May 29th. The first two videos introduce you to the gung-ho wilderness explorer Russell and his grumpy counterpart Kevin in some never-been-seen footage from the film. In the other two clips, director Pete Docter and studio head John Lasseter talk about what it took to make the film and about the excitement of adding a third dimension. Check out all four videos after the jump.
When you see a guy get dumped by his girlfriend and going absolutely nowhere in life, the last person you associate that character with is Robert Pattinson. The “Twilight” star is trading in his vampire fangs and perfect looks for a guitar and goofy haircut to play an awkward aspiring singer named Art in “How To Be.” Right now the film is only being shown at particular film festivals, but on April 29th it’ll make its debut on demand through IFC Festival Direct. The film will be available for three months.
Jane Fonda and old friend Dolly Parton are both spending time on Broadway, in different ways. Fonda's starring in the play "33 Variations," her first stint on the boards in 46 years. Parton is prepping her musical "9 to 5", due to open later this month. She won't be performing in the show, which is of course, based on the hit film she starred in with Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
A sequel to that film seemed like a no-brainer for so long, yet it never happened. Why not? Fonda talked to Jeffrey Lyons about it, in an interview running Saturday on RT.
A couple of weeks ago the production of "Fame" shot exteriors in New York City … principle photography has been taking place in LA recently.
When the producers of the new "Fame" needed a NY school to 'play' their building … they used the Professional Performing Arts School on West 48th street which has a very similar look to what we all remember from the 1980 musical.
Past alumni of PPAS are Alicia Keys, Claire Danes, Jesse Eisenberg, Victor Rasuk. Current professional kids are Mark Indelicato from "Ugly Betty", Grammy nominated Karina Pasian and one of the "Billy Elliot" leads.
My husband Keith happens to be the principal of the school. During a recent interview on REEL TALK, with Eisenberg about "Adventureland", the actor was a bit embarrassed when I mentioned that I had read an old script he had written when he was a student in Keith's class. (Check out the interview by clicking here.) Anyway, you can read more about the new "Fame" here and check out the trailer as well.
Have you been dreaming of owning Adam Sandler’s “Bedtime Stories” on Blu-ray? Well, here’s your chance! This week, we’re giving away four copies of the family-friendly comedy on Blu-ray. (Please be advised, a Blu-ray disc will not play in a DVD player.)
If you’d like to see what happens when the stories Skeeter Bronson (Sandler) tell his niece and nephew come to life, all you have to do is tell us what film Alison and Jeffrey reviewed first on this week’s show. To enter the contest, submit you answer via e-mail by clicking here. On Monday morning at 9:00am we will randomly select four correct entries as our winners.
After seeing this trailer, I'm picking the remake of the 70s crime classic "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" as an early favorite for surprise hit of the summer. Featuring two huge stars known simply by one name (Denzel and Travolta), and a Soprano (James Gandolfini) as mayor of NYC, not to mention a simple but brilliant premise, this one has BOX OFFICE HIT written all over it. It opens June 12.
The weekend is here and so is a brand new lineup of movies. Jeffrey and Alison are here to help you pick the films that will be worth your while. Check out the reviews for “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” “Observe & Report, “Bart Got A Room,” “The Song of Sparrows,” “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” and “Paris 36” right here.
Don't forget to take a look at Jeffrey's full interviews with "Southland" star Ben McKenzie and "Is Anybody There?" star Sir Michael Caine by clicking on the 'Interviews' tab.
Just saw "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," a documentary about a REAL heavy metal band from Toronto who have been around since the 70s … and who sadly are still dreaming of stardom. It was a great film … loving but not pandering … gently-mocking, but not condescending.
Of course, most of the humor comes from the many similarities between Anvil and Spinal Tap … that great British invention led by Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins. If "This is Spinal Tap" had come out recently … I would swear it was based on Anvil!!
Anvil was formed by Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner (his real name!!) in the 70s. They briefly hit the big time when they played a metal concert in Japan in 1984 alongside the likes of Whitesnake and Bon Jovi. In the doc, Lars Ullrich of Metallica and Lemmy from Motorhead (and others) attest to the influence they had on their music. But Anvil went on to complete obscurity … maybe thru bad management … or, as is suggested, because they were Canadian!!??
Anyway, the doc joins them as they embark on a European tour and as they dream of releasing a 13th album.
The disastrous tour is full of embarrassing, empty bars where they play to 5 people … missed trains and empty stadiums. There's a fight between Lips and Reiner that reminded me of the classic St. Hubbins line "We shan't work together again" ... and I was half expecting Anvil to appear at a puppet show. But the Japanese turn out to love them … just like Spinal Tap … and you can't say that Anvil doesn't deliver when they perform. They give it their all even to a crowd of one.
I am far from a heavy metal fan … although I did go thru an Iron Maiden phase … but this doc was excellent movie-making. The director, a former Anvil fan (he went on to pen "The Terminal" for Spielberg) is not making fun of the band … but you can't help laughing at their naïve belief in themselves at the same time as you hope for their success. It's not that I felt they were so talented … I mean, I wouldn't buy their music … but anyone who has worked at something for 30 years and put their hearts and souls into it deserves a break. Maybe this film will give them the exposure they desire.
On this week’s show, Alison and Jeffrey take a look at “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” “Observe & Report, “Bart Got A Room,” “The Song of Sparrows,” “Valentino: The Last Emperor” and “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” They’ll also take a look at “Paris 36” as this week’s Websclusive.
The only films that could pose any kind of threat to last week’s box office champ, “Fast & Furious,” are “Hannah Montana” and “Observe & Report.” The first brings Miley Cyrus’ popular Disney character Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart to the big screen. When her father (Billy Ray Cyrus) tricks Miley into returning to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee, she struggles to adapt to farm life. Despite a number of comedic mishaps, Miley grows to love Tennessee and is forced to decide between her two lives. Seth Rogen puts his typical raunchy twist on the comedy genre in “Observe & Report.” He plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a security guard who is determined to stop a flasher from corrupting the Forest Ridge Mall. Ronnie works to show off his law enforcement abilities and win the heart of Brandi (Anna Faris), a make-up counter clerk, all while trying to apprehend the flasher before the real cops do.
To read more about this week’s films and to see their trailers, continue reading after the jump.
In “Bart Got a Room” Danny (Steven Kaplan) has one thing on his mind: finding a date to the prom. Danny becomes more desperate to find his dream date after discovering that the school’s biggest loser, Bart, not only has a date of his own, but has booked a room at a hotel too. The Iranian film “The Song of Sparrows” focuses on Karim (Mohammad Amir Naji), a man who loses his job at an ostrich farm and is then mistaken for a motorcycle taxi driver, which he adopts as his new profession. In the documentary “Anvil!,” director Sacha Gervasi tells us the story of a briefly successful rock group making their 13th album as one of many efforts to make it big. Speaking of documentaries, Matt Tyrnauer’s film about the life of fashion designer Valentino, “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” will be in theaters this weekend as well. The movie gives audiences a look at Valentino’s life, including the final act of his career and his relationship with companion and business associate, Giancarlo Giammetti. Finally, there’s the Websclusive review of “Paris 36.” In the spring of 1936, The Chansonia Music Hall created the line between the local area’s blue-collar residents and the suburbs. After The Chansonia is closed, three men convince the theater’s owner to reopen the establishment in an effort to restore hope in the recently elected Popular Front government.
The trailer for Robert Rodriguez’s family adventure film “Shorts” has arrived. In the suburbs of Black Falls, not only does every house look the same but every adult in town works for the same company, Black Box Unlimited Worldwide Industries. BBUWI is responsible for creating the ultimate, do-everything gadget, Mr. Black’s Black Box. Unfortunately for young Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett), the Black Box can’t do the one thing he needs, find him some friends.
One day, Toe finds something much better than the Black Box – The Rainbow Rock. The stone grants wishes for anyone who holds it. Things get chaotic after some wishes go wrong amongst his new friends, but it isn’t until grownups get a hold of The Rainbow Rock that the town really turns into a disaster. It’s up to Black Falls’ youngest residents to save their town from the things people thought they wanted.
The list of older members in the cast is actually rather impressive. It includes Kat Dennings, Leslie Mann, James Spader, William H. Macy and Jon Cryer. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not these elder well-knowns can attract an adult audience to this kiddie flick on August 7th .
Beside the utter boredom of watching uber-macho guys tinker with and then drive suped-up cars … here are two MAJOR problems I had with "Fast and Furious".
If Dom is wanted by the FBI … and if they are watching for him at his girlfriend's funeral … then how on earth did he get in the country?? Surely someone as big and noticeable as Vin Diesel should be a doozy to stop at immigration??
The opening stunt was cool for about 5 mins … then I just couldn't help wondering why on earth four people would go to such extreme and dangerous lengths to steal some gas from an oil tanker?? They are driving at top speed, backwards, down a steep cliff with Michelle Rodriguez jumping between a car and the truck. Why wouldn't they just hi-jack the truck at a rest-stop? Or have Michelle R. jump into the cab with a gun and force the driver to stop? I know that wouldn't be as visual as the 20-minute opening scene but it would have been quieter, cheaper and a lot smarter!!!
The men of “Star Trek” were looking good at the film’s world premiere in Sydney, Australia. Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, John Cho, Eric Bana, director J.J. Abrams , Karl Urban and producer Bryan Burk strutted their stuff for the cameras and even stopped to sign autographs for fans.
There’s still about a month to go until the film’s May 8th release, so there will likely be a lot of publicity coming our way. Two questions: Why are Simon Pegg and Anton Yelchin MIA? When will the ladies grace us with their presence? We’ll have to wait and see, but for now, enjoy these photos from the Sydney premiere thanks to Getty Images.
In honor of the monumental success of last week’s new release, “Fast & Furious,” this week’s Trailer Tuesday will pay homage to the film. The franchise’s fourth installment pulled in over $72 million in the United States making it the highest grossing April film ever. On top of that, it also brought Universal its biggest three-day opening ever.
See what the director, producers and actors have to say about the exhilarating land train scene in this clip:
A high concept comedy burdened by a threadbare screenplay, “Yes Man,” which arrives on DVD/Blu-ray Tuesday, is saved by Jim Carrey. The manic funnyman carries the film like a backpack. Through sheer force of his comedic will, Carrey makes this movie entertaining. So much so, you’ll overlook the off-putting age difference between Carrey and his love interest in the film, Zooey Deschanel.
The DVD release includes some of Carrey’s on-set improves and a gag reel, which should be hilarious. There are also music videos from Deschanel’s band in the movie, Munchausen by Proxy.
It took George Lucas longer to get his World War II passion project off the ground than it did to make a new "Star Wars" movie. But two decades after first envisioning the true story of America's first all-black air combat unit, "Red Tails" is about to begin shooting in Europe.
The official cast announcement went out Monday, with Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard and Bryan Cranston leading the way. Taken from a story by Lucas (also the executive producer), produced by Rick McCallum, written by John Ridley and directed by Anthony Hemingway, "Red Tails" will tell the story of the legendary Tuskegee Airman of WWII. Lucas says modern technology finally allows him to bring the aerial dogfighting of the war to life onscreen.
Online reviews of an early script indicate this is going to be an action-packed film, with Lucas' comments seeming to validate those assumptions. While nearly every aspect & angle of WWII has been covered by Hollywood, the airborne battles of the war have certainly not received their cinematic due. So "Red Tails" could provide a fresh look at another part of a seminal event in our history that continues to fascinate.
Watching "Goodbye Solo" the other day … the lovely new film from Ramin Bahrani … I kept wondering why the actor Red West looked so familiar. But I couldn't place him so I did some research and realized that I recognized him from the TV show "The Riches" … which I avidly watched.
But his life is fascinating beyond the TV and movie screen. He met Elvis Presley in high school and ended up being his driver for many years and also his bodyguard. He then appeared as an extra or in a bit part in 16 Elvis films! Then he turned his hand to songwriting and had songs recorded by Pat Boone, Elvis and Ricky Nelson.
He was fired from Elvis' employ by Verne Presley, Elvis's father in 1976. More recently, he has appeared in "Roadhouse" (1989), "Natural Born Killers" (1994), "The Rainmaker" (1997) and "Glory Road" (2006) and many others. But "Goodbye Solo" is by far his most prominent role. Now in his seventies, I hope it allows him the chance at a few more films in his lengthy and diverse career.
Check out West’s film list over at IMDB by clicking here.
Reel Talk has a ton of movies to give away this week! Not only do we have five copies of “Tales of the Black Freighter” on Blu-ray ready to be won, but we also have five copies of “Quantum of Solace” on Blu-ray. These ten BDs will go to the first ten people to correctly answer this question: What films did Jeffrey and Alison recommend you see this week?
For those of you who are not familiar with “Watchmen” beyond the feature film, “Tales of the Black Freighter” is a comic book within the graphic novel. It tells the story of man, voiced by Gerard Butler, who is the lone survivor of a brutal attack by the evil Black Freighter. Still horrified by what he has experienced, the man desperately tries to beat the Freighter back to his home before his loved ones are murdered and town destroyed.
“Quantum of Solace” is the 22nd James Bond film. It marks Daniel Craig’s second film as 007 during which he must take down Dominic Greene, a developer of green technology hoping to take over Bolivia in order to gain control of a particular piece of land.
Also, don’t forget to take a look at our continuing board game contest. Check out the details here to see how you can win a special prize pack.
When a film scores more than $400 million in worldwide box office, and none of the major characters bit the bullet, you just know a sequel's coming. As we mentioned in Thursday's Mixtape, Warner Bros. made official today the exact date we can expect the "Sex and the City" sequel: May 28, 2010.
Considering the cast is all getting up there in years, the main product placements in the Sex #2 could be Pea in the Pod clothing and Jimmy Choo maternity platform heels. Seriously, where are they going to take the story this time? Will the drama surround Carrie's attempts to convince Big to knock her up so she can have kids like her other friends (flashbacks will show Samantha getting preggers from a one-night stand @ Rio's Carnavale, and raising a perfectly tanned little boy)?
Maybe they'll kick it up a notch and have them held hostage during the opening of the 475th TopShop store in Manhattan (in the new ultra-chic Morningside Heights section), and watch the girls beat the criminals using their charm and mini-purses and lipstick tubes. Regardless of which way the story goes, I'll be dragged to the theater opening night by my wife for this, just like every other guy.
Can’t decide what movie to see tonight? You’re in luck – this week’s reviews are up! Check in with Alison and Jeffrey to see what they thought of “Fast & Furious,” “Adventureland,” “The Escapist,” “Goodbye Solo,” “Sugar,” “Alien Trespass” and “Gigantic.”
You can also take a look at Alison’s entire interview with “Adventureland” star Jesse Eisenberghere.
This week, Alison and Jeffrey will review six films on Reel Talk and one film as our Websclusive. If you’re looking for something fast-paced that’ll get your adrenaline pumping, you might what to check out “Fast & Furious.” This is the fourth installment of the franchise and reunites the original film’s cast including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez. If car racing isn’t your thing have some fun at an amusement park with “Adventureland.” This is Greg Mottola’s newest film since “Superbad” and stars Jesse Eisenberg as a recent college grad forced to take a mindless job at a local amusement park. Joining Eisenberg in the film is Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig.
Continue after the jump to read about “The Escapist,” “Goodbye Solo,” “Sugar,” “Alien Trespass” and “Gigantic” and to see trailers for all seven films being discussed this week.
“The Escapist” is a thriller about Frank Perry (Brian Cox), a man facing life in prison who is determined to see the light of day, even more so when he receives a letter informing him that his daughter is dying. Frank assembles a unlikely crew of inmates to help pull off a grand escape. Speaking of mismatched bonds, in “Goodbye Solo,” a cab driver (Souleymane Sy Savane) forms an unusual relationship with an old Southern man (Red West) trying to manage his immense amount of life regrets. “Sugar” tells the story of Miguel Santos (Algenis Perez Soto), a pitcher from the Dominican Republic who moves to the United States to play in the minor league. If you’re looking for something more comedic, check out the sci-fi spoof “Alien Trespass.” Eric McCormack stars as Dr. Lewis, a man who offers his body to alien named Urp in an effort to save humanity from the evil Ghota. Finally, in this week’s Webscluisve, Alison and Jeffrey discuss the romantic comedy “Gigantic.” Paul Dano plays a mattress salesman hoping to adopt a baby from China, but he becomes sidetracked after meeting a quirky young woman named Harriet (Zooey Deschanel).
Check out the trailers for all of these films below:
How can "The Haunting in Connecticut" have made so much money at the box office? It is such a weak example of what can be an effective genre. Perhaps the fact that it was PG13 helped it as scores of teenage kids wanting to be scared may have flocked to see it.
Aside from the clichés and rote horror-film tricks in this shabby production … what really bothered me about the film was the hook the publicity department used to sell it. "Based on true events". Hooey. Maybe some people bought a house that was a funeral parlor. Maybe they heard bumps in the night and maybe doors slammed and lights flickered. But did they really discover scores of mummified bodies hidden in the wall cavities? And did they really know that there was a séance where a young boy spews ectoplasm from his mouth? (So that's what the poster was!) And did they really find out that he killed them all with his heinous breath and then got trapped in the furnace and died? How did they find this out? Puh-leazze.
And as Eddie Murphy used to say in one of his routines … what is it with white people and ghosts? When a house is haunted and starts whispering "GET OUT" … then it's time to leave.
Hugh Jackman is offering X-Men fans the chance of a lifetime, to have the world premiere of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” in their hometown. How can you make this happen? Just head over to the contest website and enter your zip code to have an X mark your spot. The spot with the most X’s will be the location of a special event hosted by Jackman during which he’ll be joined by some of his “Wolverine” co-stars, a red carpet, klieg lights and the press.
Check out this YouTube video of Hugh Jackman kicking off the contest. You can see the press release from Twentieth Century Fox here. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” hits theaters everywhere May 1st.
Because I never got the chance to post a Trailer Tuesday video yesterday, I bring you two today! The first, “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” stars Jon Foster, Sienna Miller, Mena Suvari, Nick Nolte and Peter Sarsgaard in a coming-of-age story about a recent college grad whose summer is turned upside-down when he’s whisked away from his dull job at the Book Barn. According to Ropes of Silicon, the film was released in New York on March 27th and will hit theaters in Los Angeles on April 4th.
The second trailer is for the highly anticipated summer comedy “Year One” with Jack Black and Michael Cera. This brand new trailer reveals much more about the film’s plot than we’ve seen in any other material released and provides glimpses of the supporting cast, which includes Paul Rudd, Olivia Wilde, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Hank Azaria. “Year One” will rock theaters June 19th.
Michael O’Keefe’s latest film, “American Violet,” is based on the true story of a district attorney’s unjust drug enforcement tactics. The film focuses on a young African-American woman (Nicole Behaire) who is victimized by a local district attorney (O’Keefe) and is wrongfully charged as a drug dealer. Michael dropped by the Reel Talk studio to talk to Jeffrey about the film. Check out what Michael has to say about the disconcerting events the film is based on and be sure to tune into Reel Talk next weekend when Alison and Jeffrey review “American Violet.”
Why are we seeing such a fascination with alien invasions at the movies these days? Is it a reflection of our collective fears? Fear of being out of control of our destinies? Fear of corporate America wresting power from our feeble hands? Or is it a wish that someone bigger, stronger, more intelligent than us will swoop down and save mankind?
Take last year's "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Sure, there's the ominous Gort who shows no mercy. But basically Klaatu, his sidekick, is compassionate … and he ultimately decides that man is worth saving, after giving us a good scare. Then "Race to Witch Mountain" gave us two adorable moppet aliens (and one giant scary one). It took The Rock to help them … but their mission was peaceable.
In "Knowing" the good guy aliens are far superior creatures to we earthlings. They also came in peace. But they only saved the chosen few. Nice … but not super generous, especially since I've never heard whispery voices in my head. In this week's "Alien Trespass" … a spoof of such films as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "The Blob" … we again see two aliens with opposing agendas. Urp, the humanoid alien wants to rescue humanity from a rubbery, one-eyed phallic-looking monster called a Ghota, who, upon encountering a human, leaves a brown destructive goo in his wake.
And talking of rubbery phallic-looking monsters … what's with the artists behind the creation of B.O.B. in the PG rated "Monster vs. Aliens"?? Are they having a laugh? No one can watch that blue, one-eyed, squidgy thing without thinking of a dildo!!! If DreamWorks brings out a line of accompanying toys for the movie … what kind of toy is B.O.B.? A sex toy??
Recently, there’s been an overabundance of news about popular board games being turned into feature films. Back in February, it was announced that Universal Pictures and Hasbro are teaming up to bring Ouija, Candyland, Monopoly and Stretch Armstrong to the big screen. We’re well aware that everyone has their opinions about whether or not a movie about a blond muscle man with stretchable limbs has any potential, but, whether you like it or not, Hollywood will be bombarded with dice, game pieces and even that little Ouija eyeglass thing.
In honor of the new board game craze, Reel Talk brings you a contest. Tell us what board game you’d like to see adapted into a film. Give us all the details; your dream director, cast, location, etc. We’ll review all the entries and pick a winner. That winner will get a special prize pack you’re sure to enjoy.
We’re looking forward to seeing all of your ideas. Good luck!
I saw "The Soloist" the other night … the new film from director Joe Wright who did "Atonement".
It's based (as so many films are these days) on the lives of real people. Robert Downey Jr. plays an LA Times reporter who writes a column about the city. One day he overhears a homeless man playing a violin that has only 2 strings. As he strikes up a conversation, he realizes that the homeless man (played by Jamie Foxx) is not all there. But amid his rantings and verbal ruminations he lets drop that he was at Juilliard. After checking, the reporter confirms this and begins a relationship with the former musician that crosses from an attempt to help another man into an uneasy territory of exploitation.
Jamie Foxx has the tougher role here as the rambling schizophrenic who hears voices in his head, yet is a talented musician. It's tough because we've seen it so many times before that it's almost a cliché. I was reminded of Samuel L. Jackson in "Resurrecting the Champ" and Ian Holm in "Joe Gould's Secret". It could be a character that slips easily into ridiculous stereotype. But Foxx manages to rein it in and bring some subtlety and truth to the part.
But the actor who blows everyone away, yet again, is Robert Downey Jr. who is so believable and honest as Steve Lopez that you desperately want him to succeed even as you question his motivation. Does true altruism exist? Or does the thrill of a good story always cloud a journalist's judgment?
This week’s reviews have been posted. You can check out our websclusive review of “Guest of Cindy Sherman” in the video player in the upper right corner of the site and just click on one of the posters below to see what Jeffrey and Alison thought of that particular movie. Don’t forget to take a look at Jeffrey’s entire interview with John Cena and Hugh Laurie over in the “Interview” section of our video player. Enjoy!
On this week’s show, Alison and Jeffrey will be reviewing six films: “Monsters vs. Aliens,” “The Haunting in Connecticut,” “Knowing,” “The Education of Charlie Banks,” “American Swing” and “Spinning Into Butter.” They will also take a look at the film “Guest of Cindy Sherman” as this week’s websclusive review.
Alex Proyas’ sci-fi thriller “Knowing” hit it big at the box office, but this week, “Monsters vs. Aliens” may give it a run for its money. The 3D animated film focuses on a team of oddities including Susan (Reese Witherspoon), a 50-foot tall woman, B.O.B. the blob (Seth Rogen), The Missing Link (Will Arnett) and Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie) who try to stop the alien Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) from taking over the Earth. If you prefer the complete opposite of a fun-loving animated feature, you may want to see “The Haunting in Connecticut.” It’s a horror film based on terrifying true events that occurred in a house with a disturbing history.
To read more about this week’s films and see the trailers, continue after the jump.
“The Education of Charlie Banks” stars Jesse Eisenberg as the titular character who, while in high school, witnesses a brutal beating committed by a friend named Mick (Jason Ritter). Years later, Mick shows up for a visit at his college dorm. “Spinning Into Butter” is based on a play of the same name, about how the occurrence of a hate crime affects a college campus. Sarah Jessica Parker leads the cast as the school’s dean who is forced to respond to the incident. Both “American Swing” and our websclusive, “Guest of Cindy Sherman,” fall under the documentary category. “American Swing” looks at the rise and fall of the New York City nightclub Plato’s Retreat while “Guest of Cindy Sherman” focuses on videographer Paul H-O’s relationship with reclusive artist Cindy Sherman.
Lost in the the well-deserved hoopla surrounding "WALL-E" was the fact that Disney had a hand in another great animated tale last year - "BOLT."
John Travolta voiced the title character, a dog who doesn't realize his super-powered lifestyle is all part of a TV show. After accidentally winding up alone in NY, Bolt meets two Mittens and Rhino, two of the most entertaining Disney sidekicks in years. The trio make their way out west to reunite Bolt with his 'person' Penny (Miley Cyrus), as Bolt slowly discovers who he really is.
Think 'Truman Show' with an extra helping of cuteness and you get an idea about this charming movie. The DVD's out in stores today. Here's one of the best scenes in the film, as Mittens introduces Bolt to one of life's greatest pleasures -- for a dog.
The folks at Summit Entertainment are definitely trying to keep fans hyped for their computer-animated 3D film “Astro Boy.” Just a day after releasing the film’s poster, Summit Entertainment brings us a brand new teaser trailer. “Astro Boy” is based on the popular Japanese series and tells the story of a young robot boy with unbelievable abilities ranging from x-ray vision to unmatchable speed. “Astro Boy” features the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nicholas Cage, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane and Eugene Levy and will hit theaters on October 23rd,. Check out the teaser trailer below.
Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn and Woody Harrelson get this week’s Trailer Tuesday spot. You may look at the cast, hear romantic comedy and think: haven’t I seen this before? Yes, the plot flirts with being a cliché goofy love story, but something about “Management” makes me feel as though it has the potential to surprise. Zahn plays a quirky hotel manager, Mike Cranshaw, who falls madly in love with a traveling saleswoman named Sue Claussen. After Sue leaves the motel, Mike decides he must put everything on the line for love and chase after her. “Management” will hit the big screen on May 28th. Check out the trailer below and tell us what you think!
Everyone has his or her own top movie list. Many of us even have a number of variations of that list: top horror films, top films you could watch over and over, films with the best quotes, etc. Well, the team at Yahoo! Movies has come up with a ”100 Movies To See Before You Die” list. The list includes classic favorites like “Annie Hall,” “The Graduate” and “Jaws” as well as some more modern films including “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Matrix” and “Titanic.” You can see all of their selections by clicking here.
Like I said, everyone’s list is different. What do you think of Yahoo’s selections? Continue after the jump and tell us what movies you would consider a movie you must see before you die.
Tonight’s the night! Hopefully all of you Edward Cullen lovers out there have begun planning your Twilight at Midnight parties because the big night has finally arrived. Stores across the country will stay open late to ring in the midnight release of “Twilight” on DVD. To find out more about the event check out our previous post here and head over to www.TwilightTheMovie.com to find a party near you.
The New York fans of the 1974 documentary “Hearts & Minds” are in for a treat. On March 20th, you can see the Academy Award-winning film on the big screen at the Cinema Village.
“Hearts & Minds” took a look at the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War through interviews, music popular at the time and footage shot by the film’s director, Peter Davis. The film was surrounded by an extensive amount of controversy when it was originally released. The trouble began when President Johnson’s advisor, Walter Rostow, claimed the documentary damaged his reputation and insisted his appearance on camera be removed from the film. Even when “Hearts & Minds” won Best Documentary at the 1974 Academy Awards, a statement had to be announced concerning the political references made in co-producer Bert Schneider’s acceptance speech.
In light of the events taking place today, “Hearts & Minds” has been re-released in an effort to avoid a situation similar to that in Vietnam. If you do not live in the New York City area, no need to worry; a national rollout is planned for the digitally restored and remastered film in April.
Remember that remake of “The House on Sorority Row” Fangoria’s Tony Timpone told us about last week? Well, if you don’t, you can check out his interview by clicking here. For those of you that do, you’ll be excited to hear that a trailer for “Sorority Row” has been released. Yes, it may look a lot like the typical slasher film, but it sure is creepy. Check it out for yourself below.
For the first time ever, an animated film will be the Opening Ceremony movie at the Cannes Film Festival. Disney/Pixar's "UP" will debut in Disney Digital 3-D at Cannes on Wednesday, May 13th. Not really sure what the difference between Disney 3D and anyone else's 3D is (perhaps mouse-eared glasses??), but you can read the full press release here.
"UP" is the story of a 78-year-old grump (voiced by Ed Asner) who decides to finally go on his great adventure. So he ties a bunch of balloons to his house and floats away to South America...only to find a 9-year-old stowaway!
Not the usual talking animal tale typically found in animated films, but it's a Disney/Pixar movie. Would you bet against this one being another winner?
"UP" debuts in the U.S. May 29th. Check out the latest UPisode below:
Onscreen chemistry of varying degrees is on display in two legendary movies being re-released on DVD Tuesday. "The Odd Couple" and "To Catch A Thief" are part of Paramount's "Centennial Collection" series, which features DVD editions of the studio's most famous films in two-disc sets, remastered with booklets and new bonus materials. What I'm bummed about is that Paramount isn't issuing these on Blu-ray. What I wouldn't give to see either of these two films on Hi-Def!
"The Odd Couple" in particular, is one of the greatest comedies EVER. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are incredibly funny in this. And if you want to see a simply perfect screenplay being brought to life, watch this film. "To Catch A Thief" features one of the best onscreen couples in Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. If you haven't seen 'em, make the time.
Everyone knows the big news at the theaters this week: Julia Roberts’ big return. But the caper flick “Duplicity,” starring Roberts and Clive Owen, isn’t the only film hitting the big screen. There’s also “I Love You, Man” during which Paul Rudd and Jason Segel attempt to exemplify the beauties of a ‘man-date.’ Seeing limited release this week is “Bob Funk,” “The Great Buck Howard,” “Brothers at War” and “The Edge of Love.” You can read more about those films and see the trailers of all the films Jeffrey and Alison will review this week after the jump.
In “Bob Funk” the title character has to deal with being fired from his job on top of seeing a therapist and quitting drinking. “The Great Buck Howard” stars John Malkovich as a struggling magician who recruits a law school dropout played by Colin Hanks as his assistant. “Brothers at War” is a documentary produced and directed by Jake Rademacher that follows several soldiers in the Iraq War, including the director’s two brothers. Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys team up in “The Edge of Love,” which is about two women who love the same man.
We want to know what you plan to see this week. Tell us your movie choice by submitting a comment below!
