May 2009 Archives

Colin Jacobson looks at the Daniel Craig starrer in high-def.

Although Valkyrie and Defiance - both of which hit movie screens within weeks of each other in late 2008/early 2009 - deal with resistance to the Nazis, they take on very different forms of opposition. Valkyrie examined a military plot to kill Hitler, while Defiance details more "grass roots" efforts against oppression.

Defiance takes us to Byelorussia in 1941 as the Nazis run roughshod over the locals. A few folks hide in the forest to stay alive. However, Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) and his brother Zus (Liev Schreiber) eventually start an armed resistance to the occupation. This leads to multiple violent confrontations as the villagers attempt to fight back against their oppressors.

"When you think about it, we actors are kind of prostitutes," says the Transformers star. "We get paid to feign attraction and love. Other people are paying to watch us kissing someone, touching someone, doing things people in a normal monogamous relationship would never do with anyone who's not their partner. It's really kind of gross."

The 33-year-old was shooting an action sequence for upcoming thriller Salt in New York when she suffered "a minor bump to the head".

Columbia Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said Jolie was taken to a local hospital as a "precautionary measure".

He added she was back on set later that day and production had resumed.

More here.

Colin Jacobson reviews the Tom Cruise WWII flick...

Tom Cruise as a Nazi? I suppose a more ludicrous casting choice can be imagined, but it's tough. Nonetheless, that's what 2008's Valkyrie brought us: a sieg-heiling Cruise - with an eyepatch, to boot!

I try to keep an open mind, though, and the story of Valkyrie offers enough intrigue to entice me. Based on true events, the film takes us to Germany smack dab in the middle of World War II. We meet Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), a German officer who grows increasingly convinced that Hitler's cause is detrimental to the good of the world.

So Mr. Anonymous is back again. And being that 20th Century Fox is remaking Predator, it doesn't surprise me at all that Fox is also going back to their catalog for a reboot of Ridley Scott's Alien.

What our tipster informed us is that - opposite the Predator situation - the plan is to stick with the original concept of only one alien on the ship.

Michael Costigan, Ridley Scott and even Tony Scott are all on board to produce and have tapped Carl Rinsch to get beyond the camera and bring a new Ripley to the big screen.

This is my vision for a Green Lantern movie with Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan. He won't be Hal for real, but all the more reason for a fan trailer!

Nemo Nobody leads an ordinary existence at his wife's side, Elise, and their 3 children until the day when reality skids and he wakes up as an old man in the year 2092. At 120, Mr. Nobody is both the oldest man in the world and the last mortal of a new mankind where nobody dies anymore. But that doesn't seem to interest or bother him very much. The only questions that preoccupy him in the present is whether he lived the right life for himself, loved the woman whom he was supposed to love, and had the children whom he was meant to have... now his purpose is to find the right answer.

Sometimes, a place can be too apocalyptic.

Like this place. Temperatures can drop below freezing as snowstorms pummel the desert terrain and winds whip sand into fierce dust storms.

"You occasionally ask yourself why you're shooting a movie in these conditions," says Allen Hughes, who co-directs the thriller The Book of Eli, due Jan. 15, with his twin brother, Albert. "When the wind is really blowing, it looks like the earth is meeting the sky. It looks like the end of the world."

More here.

"We are planning on making a movie," he said. "We're talking at the moment. What it is we're not quite sure."

Coogan divulged that a storyline has been decided on, but declined to give specifics. The 43-year-old also acknowledged that the leap from TV to film may dictate a change in approach to the character.

"That's just something you need to be aware of," he commented. "You need to be aware of that and it might mean you readdress the character, make him slightly subtler or build up to it in a different way. But that's certainly something that's going to be on our minds but I think Alan is complex enough to sustain something longer."

More here.

She [Amanda] wrote on Tuesday night: 'B.G.T final is on the 30th, I'll speak to Simon - am sure he will let you borrow his plane x.'

She then added: 'Message for Demi! Please someone get this to her as I am still rubbish at twittering Simon says yes! But to first class tickets!'

To which Demi replied: 'What no private plane? Generous offer! Thank you! And thank Simon! When are the finals?'

And a thrilled Amanda added: 'Fabulous, the final is this Saturday, we'll put you up in Dorchester and roll out the red carpet!'

More here.

Meanwhile, Doctor Who may be heading for the big screen after a spokeswoman for BBC Films confirmed that "a script is in development".

BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba said there were no guarantees a film would be made and that, if the project went into full production, a release would be a long time away.

More here.

''Of course it's different,'' says Kristen Stewart. Okay, maybe it was silly to ask if things had changed since she filmed Twilight a year ago. New Moon, the second movie adapted from Stephenie Meyer's novels, is shooting in Vancouver, Canada, instead of Oregon; fans are now showing up in droves; and director Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass) has taken the reins. In the movie, Bella (Stewart) has been abandoned by her vampire love, Edward (Robert Pattinson), but she hears his voice in her thoughts, even as she finds herself drawn to her friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner). ''When you get broken up with, it really is the worst thing in the world,'' says Weitz. ''Meyer gives a kind of supernatural context to people's real feelings, which sums up what we all go through.''

"I would quite like to do some comedy or rom-com roles," she told The Mirror.

"I'm taking some acting courses to brush up on my skills. They are going well, but the thought of going in front of an audition panel again scares the life out of me."

Minogue starred in the box-office bomb THE DELINQUENTS and also had a small role in MOULIN ROUGE.

"It is confirmed." ... "Toy Story 3 teaser trailer is attached. Unfortunately like i said it is a teaser. It only shows the original characters building a Toy Story 3 sign led by Woody pretty funny. Then Buzz Lightyear showing him off by building a better one. They also show the release date of June 2010."

Director Michael Haneke's work saw off competition from past winners including Britain's Ken Loach and Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

One of its stars, Austrian Christoph Waltz, won best actor for his portrayal of an SS officer.

Charlotte Gainsbourg was named best actress for her role in Lars Von Trier's controversial film Antichrist.

The Danish film-maker's work did not go down well due to its brutal and frank scenes of domestic violence.

Free video on demand service Hulu could come to the UK as early as September with thousands of hours of content from America and from UK partners like ITV and Channel 4.

Emma Barnett, Technology Correspondent from The Telegraph, says that senior staff close to the deal are trying to get commercial broadcasters ITV and Channel 4, which were left high and dry after the early demise of Project Kangaroo.

More.

Brad and Angelina seemed happy, as did an ebullient Quentin Tarantino, although TWC's 50/50 partner on the picture, Universal is talking to the filmmaker about returning to the editing room post-Cannes to make some trims edits that might include adding a scene, says Tarantino, who reminds that the film, at two hours 27 minutes, is well under his contractual final cut length of two hours 48 minutes.

"There's something about them all being here and seeing you drop the movie, bam - everybody weighs in at the exact same time.

"It's like the cat is out of the bag for the entire planet Earth, and I'm down with that," the Pulp Fiction director continued.

"I am not an American filmmaker. I make movies for planet Earth and Cannes is the place that represents that." He added.

"Leo has hired a top vocal coach to get him sounding like Sinatra. He is a massive fan of the singer and has always wanted to play him. He would be sick to miss out on the leading role because his singing wasn't up to scratch. He is now in intensive vocal coaching lessons to replicate Sinatra's distinctive style."

"I decided I couldn't do movies for a while, which was a huge decision for me because I actually love making movies more than anything."

And Hurley admits if she is offered a film role in the future which can be slotted around Damien's school holidays, she would "take it like a shot".

Hurley hasn't made a film since 2004. She has instead focused on her modelling career and other projects including her line of beachwear and a new organic food brand.

Aykroyd said Sigourney Weaver is on board now, as are the original squad of ectoplasmic specialists -- Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.

"We could be in production by winter."

Aykroyd said he wishes Ivan Reitman would return to direct the third film in the series but that he's "too busy as a mega-producer" to take it on; his second choice is Ramis, who, of course, co-wrote the first two "Ghostbusters" films with Aykroyd and has numerous directing credits, most notably "Groundhog Day" and "Analyze This."

The details of story are still in play, but Aykroyd said he's hoping for a five-member "new generation" team with several female members. "I'd like it to be a passing-of-the-torch movie. Let's revisit the old characters briefly and happily and have them there as family but let's pass it on to a new generation."

• Introduction by Oliver Stone (New Intro HD)
• Commentary by director Oliver Stone (from original SD release)
• NBK Evolution: How Would It All Go Down Now? - New documentary providing a look at how the film might be different if today's technology advancements were available (in HD)
• Chaos Rising The Storm Around Natural Born Killers - Shocking 'making-of' documentary about the storm of controversy surrounding the film( from original SD release)
• Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Oliver Stone (from original SD release)
• Alternate Ending with introduction by Oliver Stone (from original SD release)
• Charlie Rose Interview - Charlie Rose interviews Oliver Stone on the making of this violent film (from the HD DVD release in SD)
• NBK Director's Cut Trailer

While best known for "style over substance" flicks like The Lost Boys and Batman and Robin, director Joel Schumacher occasionally attempts something a little darker and more serious. In that vein, he created 1993's Falling Down, a tale of urban anxiety.

Bill Foster (Michael Douglas) leads a quiet life, but he grows increasingly fed up with the little bits of indignation he seems to endure on a daily basis. When he feels pushed too far, he finally snaps. Stuck in one of LA's patented never-ending traffic jams, Foster abandons his car on the freeway and declares he's going home.

"I just did a cameo a few months ago with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen in a Judd Apatow produced film... It's called Funny People... I kinda do a little cameo in that... which was fun by the way. And 8 Mile was not a fun movie to shoot... [But] will I end up doing another movie again?... Probably yeah."

Studio bosses are convinced Foxx has the charisma and talent to tackle the role of Sinatra, who died in 1998.

An insider tells Britain's Daily Star, "Jamie would seem to be born to the role. Magnificent voice, convincing acting ability - like Frank himself - born the wrong side of the tracks, makes it big against all odds, has his brush with authority. The guy's a gift."

"It cost us about £45, which was spent on a crowbar and some tapes," Price said.

"We wanted to focus on story and character, and rely on that to hook the audience."

The film puts an unusual slant on the zombie genre, telling the story from the point of view of a zombie trying to understand what has happened to him, rather than a human trying to escape and survive.

"The ultimate goal was rather than going for screams, we wanted to try to move the audience, to try to get them to cry, get a real emotional response from them," Price said.

Check out the film's official website here.

Last month, Ellis, producers producers Mark Ordesky and Fabienne Villette and writer Billy Majestic announced development on the project was going to begin for Amber Entertainment, iDream Company, Instinctive Film and Intandem Films. The story tells of a female alien who is raped by a group of rednecks. The offspring of this violation subsequently sets out and wreaks havoc.

Talk about spot-on casting. I've just learned that Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige and director Kenneth Branagh have chosen their THOR -- and it's Chris Hemsworth, who can currently be seen as "George Kirk" in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot and also just snagged the lead in Red Dawn for United Artists on Thursday. (He's currently filming Joss Whedon's horror flick Cabin In The Woods for UA, and I heard the studio was so hot on him that it cast Hemsworth in the action pic.)

They laughed and joked as they filmed the Christmas Special - after a year enjoying their own space.

Billie, 26, took a break from playing side-kick Rose to become a mum to Winston, now seven months old. And she filmed the third series of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl.

An onlooker at the south London set said: "Billie and David were joking about and seemed delighted to be working with one another again.

According the National Enquirer, Barrymore and Spielberg have met to discuss the project, which will show E.T. returning to Earth to rejoin the now-adult Gertie.

A source told the tabloid, "Steven and Drew are being very secretive about this baby. But they want to do this project and work together. Steven has an incredible story in mind for the sequel that will bring E.T. back to earth."

I just got off the phone with John Ratzenberger and he told me that not only has he already been recording his lines for Toy Story 3, but that PIXAR is going to be debuting the trailer for it before UP! This isn't surprising news, but I haven't seen it or heard it from anyone, until now.

He said that it is very funny and it felt great to "put the cork back in" for Hamm the Piggy Bank. You were already going to see UP anyhow, which is fantastic film, but now you have even more of an incentive to go!

Mike Jones has written the adaptation of Steven Sherrill's 2000 novel about the mythological creature -- half-man, half-bull -- who survived Theseus' attack in the labyrinth and walks among us today. He's a short-order cook in a Midwestern diner not far from his trailer-park home who falls for an epileptic waitress named Kelly.

"Minotaur" is conceived as a live-action love story with CGI elements.

The Hollywood Reporter says the project, set to begin filming on Australia's Gold Coast this year, will be co-produced by Arclight Films and Australia's Limelight.

The film is set in a coastal town where a freak tsunami floods and traps shoppers in a supermarket with an armed maniac and a pack of hungry tiger sharks that have been washed into the building.

Variety says the new version will center on a group of young climbers. "Just as they rebooted 'Star Trek,' we're going to do the same with 'Cliffhanger,'" said Moritz, who will produce. Unlike the original, where Italy stood in for the Colorado Rockies, the new redo looks set to feature multiple cliff-face locations.

Moritz (Fast & Furious) and StudioCanal are looking to attach a screenwriter for a 2010 shoot.

A host of celebrities donned 3D glasses for the film, not in competition, about a curmudgeonly man who ties balloons to his house in order to get airborne.

Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton was among those on the red carpet.

Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp are also all due in town, with new films to promote.

More images after the jump.

Observe and Report is one of the most polarizing films of the year. But then, comedy has always been one of the most polarizing of genres. Part of the problem with this latest effort from Foot Fist Way director Jody Hill, is that too much of the time, it isn't particularly funny.

In Observe and Report, the portly Seth Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a bi-polar mall cop who can't handle not being the center of attention. When a mysterious flasher starts wreaking havoc amongst the mall's patrons, Barnhardt springs into action. In the process, he tries to win the affection of a snobby department store employee (played by Anna Faris) who hardly even knows he exists. Complications arise when the head of the mall calls in the city police department. Naturally, Barnhardt doesn't take kindly to this news. The mall is his domain and when he's forced to share the limelight with an actual police officer (played by Ray Liotta), it isn't long before contention sets in.

The Transformers actress says she's a bisexual woman who won't sleep with other bisexual women. She told Esquire: "I think people are born bisexual and they make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. "I have no question in my mind about being bisexual. But I'm also a hypocrite. I would never date a girl who was bisexual, because that means they also sleep with men, and men are so dirty that I'd never want to sleep with a girl who had slept with a man."

Mr. Tarantino, who was born in Tennessee, said his childhood revenge fantasies centered more on the Ku Klux Klan. "But it's all the same," he said. "Once the Basterds get through with Europe, they could go to the South and do it to the Kluxers in the '50s. That's another story you could tell."

Not to mention a shelved subplot about African-American soldiers stuck behind enemy lines. "I have a half-written prequel ready to go if this movie's a smash," he said.

Reviewed by: Colin Jacobson, DVDMG.com

Most of the time, January movie releases offer the equivalent of "shovelware". They're leftovers not deemed good enough for a more active time of the year thrown out simply to fill theaters with something until screens heat up later in the year. For years, the most successful January release was the re-release of Star Wars. When the month can't even boast an original offering as its biggest title, you know it's a dismal time of the year.

That changed in 2009 with the release of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. A veritable Little Movie That Could, Cop looked like the usual sacrificial lamb that would quickly come and go. However, it came and stayed - to the tune of a final box office gross of $145 million.

It seems like years ago I first heard about this love letter to the Star Wars saga. Perhaps that's because it was years ago. Fanboys has been sitting on a shelf for I don't know how long, but now, it's finally seeing the light of day.

In Fanboys, a pack of rabid Star Wars fans (and childhood friends) take a road trip to the Skywalker Ranch when they learn that one of their own is dying of cancer. Their mission? To steal a copy of Phantom Menace before it's scheduled release date, and set up a private screening as a treat for their dying frined.

By Adam Mast

The Soloist is the true story of Steve Lopez, a self centered journalist whose world would open up after befriending Nathaniel Ayers, a schizophrenic street musician with unbelievable talent.

The Soloist is an odd little film. The trailer suggests that this picture might be in the same vein as Mr. Holland's Opus with it's inspirational tale of a man rising up against all odds through the power of music. Actually, The Soloist is more bittersweet than sweet which would be fine if the film weren't so darned meandering. When the movie was over, I found myself strangely unaffected by it. This, despite Robert Downey Jr.'s strongest effort at trying to convince me I was watching something important. To Downey Jr.'s great credit, he tries awfully hard here, and quite often he is able to elevate the material. Jamie Foxx by contrast didn't quite get there for me which is strange given he had the showier role. I applaud Foxx for taking a low key approach, but the fact remains, I never really bought into him as this character.

Director Joe Wright (Atonement) does some interesting things with the camera here. His theatrical nature serves him well. There are cool birds eye aerial view shots that perfectly capture the sights and sounds of Los Angeles, and I really loved a scene in which Wright literally puts you inside Nathaniel's head so we the audience can see and feel first hand what music means to this man.

Unfortunately though, The Soloist suffers from not knowing what it really wants to be. Is it a story about friendship? Is it as tale of compassion? Is it a social commentary piece on the homeless issue here in the states? Is it about the importance and power of music? Some would argue that The Soloist is about all of the above, but from my standpoint, the film's lack of focus hinders its overall impact.

1989's Batman came out while I attended college. Actually, it arrived over summer break, so when we went back to school in the fall, I asked my friends' opinions of it. I really loved it and had become quite enamored of all things Bat-related during those few months, so I was curious to know what others thought.

One friend, who we'll call "Mike" - since that's his name - absolutely hated it. His statement, and I quote, was that Batman was "like a nightmare" because of its unrelenting darkness.

Another friend, who we'll call "Biff" - although his real name's Hyun - also disliked Batman, but for alternate reasons. He knew little about Bat- history and had mainly gained exposure to the series through Frank Miller's amazing mid-1980s graphic novel series The Dark Knight Returns. Since that series featured a really brutal Batman, Biff thought the 1989 movie version seemed way too mild. A nightmare? Not nightmarish enough, according to him!

As previously stated, Wolverine is an origin story. A tale of how Hugh Jackman's James Logan would become the fierce warrior we've all come to know and love. As the film opens, we're introduced to young James Logan. Logan is a mutant, therefore life is a struggle for the pre-teen as he possesses powers he doesn't quite understand. After an unfortunate mishap, Logan flees his home with brother Victor Creed, and together they eventually join an elite covert squad comprised of other mutants. This squad is the brainchild of military man William Stryker. Stryker promises the best for Logan and the other men, but before long, it appears that he might just have a hidden agenda.

Wolverine was directed by the gifted Gavin Hood who, just four years ago, made the brilliant Johannesburg crime thriller Tsotsi. Here, Hood ditches gritty drama and character driven moral dilemmas and trades them in for things that go boom, and over-bloated super hero antics. The end result is a film that moves at a quick clip, but is ultimately too stuffed for its own good.

As was the case with X-Men 3, the inclusion of numerous iconic characters isn't always a good thing. Just because they're there doesn't make them worth watching. In Wolverine, we get fan favorites like Gambit (played by the charismatic Kitsch) and Wade Wilson (played by a likable Ryan Reynolds), but these famed comic book figures aren't really developed enough as characters worth caring about. Hugh Jackman brings a familiar and much welcome swagger to Wolverine, while Liev Schreiber lends a bit of snarly attitude to Creed (a character who would go on to become Sabertooth). Beyond that though, various characters and the actors who play them just sort of float in and out of this chaotic mess like after thoughts. This includes Lord of the Rings' Dominic Monaghan, who shows up for all but five minutes as Bolt.

Having said that, Wolverine does move at a zippy pace. I wouldn't say I was ever bored by it. Hood keeps things moving relatively quickly and he even has the good sense to throw in a couple of guest appearances. Guest appearances that I'm not about to give away in this review. In the end though, with comic book properties inspiring unforgettable adaptations like The Dark Knight and Iron Man, film makers really have to bring their A game when it comes to super hero movies. Wolverine is more of a C+ game.

Grade: C+