The Hollywood News

Johnny Depp to play The Tourist to Angelina Jolie's Interpol agent

2009-11-05T15:36:56Z

Johnny Depp is deep in talks to star opposite Angelina Jolie in the film The Tourist. In the film, Depp would play an American tourist drawn into a web of intrigue by a female Interpol agent (Jolie) who is attempting to locate a criminal who was once her lover.

No director is attached to the film as yet, but the word on the street is that Children of Men helmer Alfonso Cuaron is being lined up to step behind the camera.

Graham King will produce the film with Tim Headington, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum and Jonathan Glickman. Julian Fellowes penned the original script; Christopher McQuarrie and Jeffrey Nachmanoff did rewrites, according to Variety.

Danny Boyle to direct 127 Hours

2009-11-05T15:31:45Z

Slumdog Millionaire helmer Danny Boyle will next direct 127 Hours for Fox Searchlight. The Brit director will hold the reigns for the flick, which tells the story of mountaineer Aron Ralston.

Variety reports:

After his right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May, 2003, Ralston used a dull knife to amputate the limb. He then scaled a 65-foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food. He was finally rescued by helicopter.

Shooting kicks off next year for a late 2010 release (supposedly for an awards season push).

Natalie Portman brands news film's lesbian scenes 'extreme'

2009-11-05T15:27:51Z

Natalie Portman has branded her lesbian sex scene "extreme".

The 28-year-old actress - who has previously admitted she would consider embarking on a same-sex romance - insists there is nothing sexually compelling about the romp with Mila Kunis in new movie 'Black Swan'.

She said: "It's not raunchy - it's extreme".

The former child star - whose first big-screen role was in 'Leon' aged 13 - previously refused to strip-off the camera because she hadn't worked out her own sexual preferences.

]]> She told America's V magazine: "Previously I was figuring out my own sexual identity, likes and dislikes and all that stuff, and it's weird to be doing stuff on film as you're figuring it out. Also, being a sexual object when you're a kid is really uncomfortable."

Stunning Natalie also admits she worries about her appearance, but would never have cosmetic surgery to alter the things she dislikes.

She said: ""If I have a pimple I want to get rid of it."

Asked if she would consider going under the knife, she added: "I would hope not."

Sean Penn's son will not face charges

2009-11-05T14:05:59Z

Sean Penn's son will not face charges after being arrested.

Hopper - the Oscar-winning actor's 16-year-old son with estranged wife Robin Wright Penn - was taken into custody by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department last week after officers visited his high school in Malibu and found drugs on him.

But it has now been reported the drugs were prescription medication in his name and no charges have been warranted.

Meanwhile, Robin - who filed for divorce from Sean in August - has revealed she moved her family away from Hollywood because she wanted her children to have a relatively normal upbringing.

]]> The 'Forrest Gump' actress - who also has an 18-year-old daughter Dylan with Sean - said: "I didn't want to raise my kids in this weird, sycophantic society. If you have celebrity parents, it's not a good recipe for the kids, or anyone at any age. Look at what Brad and Angelina go through."

Robin filed for divorce from Sean, citing "irreconcilable differences".

In April, Sean filed for separation from Robin but a month later asked California's Marin County Superior Court to dismiss the case claiming it was an "arrogant mistake".

It was not the first time the couple had announced they were divorcing only to change their minds.

Sean, 49, first filed for divorce in December 2007, but his petition was dismissed. Three days later Robin filed her own paperwork.

However, in April 2008, they made a request to have their divorce petition dismissed as they wanted to give their relationship another chance.

Sandra Bullock's bottom success

2009-11-05T14:02:41Z

Sandra Bullock thinks baring her bottom made her last film a hit.

'The Proposal' star said she is glad she stripped off for the romantic comedy - in which she starred opposite Ryan Reynolds - because the nude scenes were what helped make it a success.

Speaking about why the movie did well at the box office, Sandra, 45, said: "We had all the right people, the right elements in the right place. But to be honest I think nudity had a great deal to do with it. People liked it."

]]> Meanwhile, Sandra is locked in a custody battle with a porn star for custody of her five-year-old child.

Sandra and her husband Jesse James are fighting his ex-wife, adult star Janine Lindemulder, for sole custody of the former couple's daughter, Sunny.

Sandra and Jesse accuse Janine of being an unfair mom and have also brought to light a recent stint she served in jail over tax charges in their case.

In their application for custody they also state: "While in Janine's care, sometimes Sunny is left alone during the day, while her mother is asleep from drug use."

Star of over 100 adult movies Janine - now remarried to Jeremy Aikman - has, however, hit back at the couple for trying to take her daughter.

She said: "I am the best mother I can be. Yes, I have absolutely made horrific choices in the past. I've had my share of drugs.

"But then there's a huge portion of my life, a 10-year span, where there's nothing - I didn't need it."

The custody case continues.

Kevin Williamson talks up Scream 4

2009-11-05T13:59:52Z

Horror supremo Kevin Williamson has revealed his plans for 'Scream 4'.

The 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' writer plans to introduce enough new characters in the next film to last him through 'Scream 5' and 'Scream 6', which he also hopes to make.

Kevin said: "The fourth one is an ensemble. It'll take place right now, 10 years later, and it's going to take place in character Sidney Prescott's hometown of Woodsboro. The film will star husband and wife team David Arquette and Courteney Cox, who have starred in the first three films in the series.
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Kevin, 44, said he has also included plenty of spoof-heavy material in the script.

He explained: "I'll just have to be very aware of the fact that we're a '4' and that we're beating a dead dog.

"I'm going to make that very apparent in the dialogue. Come on - it's the age of the remake!"

The first 'Scream' film, written by Kevin and directed by Wes Craven, was released in 1996 and made stars of cast members Neve Campbell, Jamie Kennedy and Rose McGowan.

Milla Jovovich's Resident Evil hypothermia worries

2009-11-05T13:55:07Z

Milla Jovovich is worried she'll catch hypothermia on the set of 'Resident Evil Afterlife'.

The Ukranian born model turned actress told how she's been feeling the elements while filming scenes for the new film, with sees Milla return as Alice, joined by co-stars Ali Larter and Wentworth Miller, in Canada.

She wrote on her twitter blog: "Wow, just finished a scene with Ali Larter and Wentworth Miller on a skiff approaching the huge ship. To say it's cold is a joke. A bitter joke.

]]>
"Ok, it just started hailing and Wentworth is reading his lines really fast so he can go home! Ali is so cold now, she's saying she's feeling warm (classic signs of the final stages of hypothermia)"

She also later added how she had performed the "sickest" high kick she has ever performed and that she reckons the latest instalment in the computer game based film franchise is the best yet.

She added: "we just finished the spin kick, it's the best kick I've ever done! woohoo!"

Milla, later added: "Still floating on air after that excellent flying spin kick, I definitely think we've topped the other RE films with this one. Like an arrow.

"Oh jeez, I just realised I have a bunch of dialogue today, have to go memorize it! oops!"

'Resident Evil Afterlife' is set for release in October 2010.

Bradley Cooper has always wanted to beat people up

2009-11-05T13:49:23Z

Bradley Cooper wanted to be in 'The A-Team' so he could beat people up.

The actor said he was looking forward to playing the character Face in the action film, and getting to dish out beatings, rather than being on the receiving end, as he did as character Will Tippin in US series 'Alias'.

He said: "In 'Alias', I wasn't the action guy. I got the s**t beat out of me, got tortured a lot, lost teeth, became a heroin addict, and left after the second season. I was never on the giving end of it. But in The A-Team, I get that chance."
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Bradley said: "I heard they were doing it and decided that I had to be involved. I heard Liam Neeson was going to play Hannibal, and I was also huge fan of the old TV series.

"I got a meeting with director Joe Carnahan about me playing Face. I got the script to read, called next morning and unabashedly w****d myself out as to how I have to play this role. I was lucky enough that he said, 'Let's try it'."

The Blu-Ray Review: Easy Rider

2009-11-04T16:53:05Z

While I definitely acknowledge that Easy Rider is a classic film, that doesn't mean I think it's very good. Confusing? Perhaps, but it doesn't have to be.

To me, a "classic" is anything that stands the test of time and remains enjoyable after many years or that made a significant impact upon the genre. I'd argue that Rider doesn't qualify in the former category but that it certainly meets the latter criteria. ]]>
I have nothing against any of those, really. (Well, I'm not too fond of drugs, but hippies don't much bother me, and I'm all for the free love thing.) Nonetheless, there was always something about the thinly-veiled smugness and self-perceived superiority of the kind of semi-hippies depicted in Rider that irritated me. It's that whole "back to nature/down with materialism" deal, the way that the farmer and the commune dwellers are glorified but any interest in more modern ways seems condemned. I find it grating and obnoxious, and that's the effect Easy Rider initially had on me.

When I rewatched it, I still didn't much care for Rider, but I did find it to be more compelling. The first half of the film - in which the hippie lifestyle is most heartily glorified - remains uninteresting, but the second half's not bad, largely due to a strong performance from Jack Nicholson. The first part of the film simply seems pointless and self-indulgent - kind of a like a Grateful Dead show - whereas the second half actually appears to go somewhere.

It remains a vague and meandering movie, though. Apparently it didn't have much of a script and much of the film was improvised. That shows, and it made me impatient for something to happen. No, I don't need slam-bang action every second to keep me involved, but I'd like to see something take place. Easy Rider involves way too many dull shots of Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda tooling across America; it often looks more like a travelogue than a feature film.

Still, the second half seems more compelling as our two "heroes" - Wyatt/Captain America (Fonda) and Billy (Hopper) - venture into the South and don't get a very welcome reception. Other than a tremendously silly and pretentious scene involving an acid trip, the second half of the picture kept me involved and interested in the story.

Well, what story there was. Easy Rider isn't what you call a narrative-driven film, though it's not a character picture either. I don't know what the hell you'd call it, since it has virtually no plot and the characters are not very interesting or well drawn. Nonetheless, I believe it does offer a good look at that side of culture at that time. I can't base this impression on experience, obviously, but I think Rider provides a pretty accurate depiction of the counterculture at the end of the Sixties. Plus we get to see Toni Basil - best known as the one-hit wonder singer of 1982's "Mickey" - play a whore!

Anyway, Easy Rider is a film that I have to grudgingly admit is better than I used to think. Although I accept its status as a classic, I still won't count it as a great film, but it definitely is more compelling and thought provoking than I originally believed. Whether you like it or not, it is one of those movies that everyone should see at least once.

The Blu-ray Grades: Picture B+/ Audio B/ Bonus B

Easy Rider appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Overall, the picture looked good, especially considering the age of Easy Rider and its small (roughly $400,000) budget.

When sharpness faltered, it did so due to issues with the film stocks. As I mentioned, this film wasn't exactly a glossy, high-budget production, so the mild softness that occurred was perfectly appropriate. The movie showed more than acceptable clarity and definition. No issues with jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and edge enhancement was absent.

To my surprise, source flaws never caused distractions. Grain could be heavy, but that was another artifact of the original photography, so I had no problem with that aspect of the presentation. Indeed, lessened levels of grain would've been bad, as that would've meant too much noise reduction; the film's grain looked natural. Otherwise, print flaws were virtually non-existent.

Except for the washed-out Mardi Gras/cemetery sequences, colors appeared strong and rich. The tones were nicely lively and dynamic for the most part. Blacks looked quite deep; check out Wyatt's leather outfit to see some good examples of that strength. Shadow detail seemed more than acceptable. Again, the nature of the original photography meant that some murkiness would occur, but the shots looked perfectly fine given those constraints.

Honestly, this presentation of Easy Rider was something of a revelation. In an objective sense, the film remained too flawed for me to give it "A"-grade consideration; from the grain to the softness to the iffy shadows, too many shots seemed a bit "off" for a top rating. Nonetheless, I considered an "A-" just because the Blu-ray looked so good despite all of the natural problems inherent with the footage. The flick has never looked better on home video, and it probably didn't look this good during its theatrical run either.

Though not quite as impressive, the sound also seemed positive for 40-year-old movie. Easy Rider offered a remixed Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. While it remained monaural at heart, there was some use of effects in other channels. For example, at the start of the film, a plane entered from the rear channels and panned to the front, and later on, motorcycles popped up in other speakers. We also heard some gentle rear channel ambiance in scenes like nighttime forests. The film's famed musical track used stereo capabilities well, and the songs also cropped up with some added punch in the rears.

For the most part, audio quality seemed acceptable though unspectacular. Except when intentionally muddled, dialogue appeared clear and intelligible, but the lines also came across as a bit thin and flat. Effects sounded about the same, with decent general clarity and that was about it. Some loose bass occasionally accompanied louder elements like the plane or explosions. The music sounded better. Those aspects of the track depended on the source material, but they usually were pretty dynamic and lively. Despite some faults, this remained a mostly positive sound mix for a film of this vintage.

How did the picture and sound of this Blu-Ray compare with those of the 2004 Anniversary DVD? Both offered similar audio. Really, there's only so much improvement that could come here due to the dated nature of the original recordings. Both discs sounded fine, and the Blu-ray demonstrated no clear auditory upgrade.

However, the Blu-ray clearly presented vastly improved visuals over the DVD. It was significantly sharper and cleaner. I didn't expect to be quite so impressed, but the Blu-ray gave us a really fine presentation.

As we head to the extras, we open with an audio commentary from director/actor Dennis Hopper. He offers a running, screen-specific track. Hopper tells us about the project's genesis, its locations, the actors, editing, and elements of the shoot like the many improvised bits.

At times, Hopper presents good insight, but two problems befall the piece. For one, he often just tells us the names of locations and actors with little more detail than that. In addition, the commentary suffers from a ridiculous amount of dead air, as most of the movie passes without any information. Hopper presents just enough material to make this a sporadically useful but mostly frustrating track.

Next up is a nice 64-minute and 51-second documentary called Shaking the Cage. This features movie clips, archival materials, and modern interviews with Hopper, associate producer Bill Hayward, camera assistant Seymour Cassel, production manager Paul Lewis, cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, and actors Peter Fonda, Karen Black, and Luke Askew. The show goes into the origins of Rider and its development, shooting at Mardi Gras, the general chaos of the production, casting, drugs in the movie and the atmosphere of the era, choosing the motorcycles, cinematography, improvisation, locations, music, the characters and various shooting notes, editing and the movie's reception.

The program follows the shooting schedule for the most part, which means we don't always hear about sequences in the order shown in the movie. For instance, the Mardi Gras info shows up first although those scenes come at the flick's end. Much of the show is essentially anecdotal, which lends it a lot of energy. We learn a ton about the production and hear many amusing and interesting stories in this fine documentary. Indeed, it's good enough that it essentially renders the commentary superfluous.

Some ads appear under Previews. We find clips for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Da Vinci Code, Ghostbusters, A River Runs Through It, Damages S1, Blood: The Last Vampire, Moon and Tyson. No trailer for Easy Rider shows up here.

Finally, the package includes a 36-page booklet. It includes info about the film's songs, career facts for Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Terry Southern, and an essay about the impact Easy Rider had on Hollywood. The booklet offers a nice compendium of material.

I don't believe I'll ever think of Easy Rider as a great film, but I now have a somewhat greater appreciation of it. The Blu-ray provides good audio and surprisingly terrific visuals. Despite a very spotty audio commentary, we get some nice supplements, mainly via a fine documentary. While I'm not much of a fan of the movie, I find myself impressed by the Blu-ray, especially in terms of the picture quality. This is a worthwhile upgrade for those who love Easy Rider.

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson, DVDMG.com.

Presentation:
Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio:
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English Monaural
French Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English
French
Portuguese
Spanish
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
Spanish
Portuguese

Runtime: 95 min.
Price: $38.96
Release Date: 10/13/2009

Bonus:
• Audio Commentary by Dennis Hopper
• "Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage" Documentary
• Previews
• 36-Page Booklet

Sigourney Weaver, John C Reilly and Alia Shawkat head to the Rapids

2009-11-04T16:49:15Z

Sigourney Weaver, John C. Reilly and Alia Shawkat have joined Ed Helms and Anne Heche in director Miguel Arteta's Cedar Rapids. The film is set up at Fox Searchlight.

In the film, Helm plays a sad-sack insurance agent who goes to an industry convention to try and save the jobs of his colleagues.

Weaver plays Helms' former seventh-grade teacher, according to the trade Variety. Phil Johnston wrote the script for the film which is already shooting.

Helen Mirren sees Red with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman

2009-11-04T16:44:54Z

Helen Mirren will star opposite Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in the thriller Red, according to Variety.

The film, housed over at Summit Entertaiment, is based on the WildStorm/ DC comic book of the same name.

The three-book series, published in 2003 and 2004, follows a former black-ops CIA agent who lives a quiet life in retirement until the day a high-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him.
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Chuck Russell's Arabian Nights... In 3D!

2009-11-04T16:39:04Z

Chuck Russell, he who brought films like The Mask and Eraser to the screen is set to direct a new 3-D version of the classic Arabian Nights story for cinemas.

Variety reports that in a new spin on the classic, the story follows a young commander who, after his king is killed in a palace coup, joins forces with Sinbad, Aladdin and his genie to rescue Scheherazade and her kingdom from dark powers. The budget for the film is set at around $70 million.
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The flick, set to go before cameras in April 2010, is finaced entirely by Inferno Entertainment.

Russell co-wrote the script with Barry P. Ambrose.

Hugh Grant's films make him feel suicidal

2009-11-04T10:39:37Z

Hugh Grant said most of his films leave him feeling "suicidal".

The 'Love Actually' actor told how when he has saw the first cuts of a number of his films - which include the hugely successful 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'Notting Hill'- he felt so bad about his performances he wanted to die.

He said: "Normally, when I see the first cut I'm suicidal. I want to go to that euthanasia clinic in Switzerland, Dignitas, and have myself put down."

]]> Despite his negativity, the actor was pleasantly surprised when he saw an early version of his latest film, comedy 'Did You Hear About The Morgans?' in which he stars alongside Sarah Jessica Parker.

Hugh, 49, added: "This film looks a lot better. This one is quite beautiful."

The self-proclaimed "reluctant actor" has threatened to quit Hollywood many times and to give up acting, even claiming he was semi-retired after appearing in 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' in 2004. He said the reason is because he "freezes up" in front of the cameras.

He explained: "I like everything about filming except the acting. I'm wonderful in rehearsals, but I have never been very good when they actually switch the cameras on.

"In recent years I've had really bad attacks where I totally froze up. I thought, 'Well, if I am going to get stage fright, then I am packing it in.' "

He did, however, add he would not consider joining the theatre.

He added: "I'm not suited to the theatre. I get bored after the first week."

A Christmas Carol star Jim Carrey wouldn't like time travel

2009-11-04T10:36:07Z

Jim Carrey wouldn't want to travel through time.

The Hollywood funnyman - who was in London's Leicester Square last night (04.11.09) for the world premiere of his latest film Disney's 'A Christmas Carol', based on the Charles Dickens story - has revealed he wouldn't want to revisit his past or see into the future even if he had the chance.

He said: "There are some important physicists who now are telling us that all time is happening only once. So I think now is a good time."

]]> The 47-year-old actor - who was sporting a very full and bushy beard - was joined on the red carpet with his movie co-stars Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins and a host of celebrity guests as the British city was turned into festive spectacle with Christmas trees and fake snow.

He told BANG Showbiz: "This is overwhelming - even for my ego. This is amazing. I'm so happy to be here and to be a part of this. I want to thank the people of Britain for the legacy of Charles Dickens and the chance to tell this story. This story couldn't be more important now. It's about the immorality of greed.

"The movie expresses things that Dickens wrote about in a way that has no one ever been seen before. It's a fantastic story. It's present for all times."

Jim portrays the greedy lead character, Ebenezer Scrooge, in the 3D film which also stars Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes and Robin Wright Penn.

The evening broke an Official Guinness World Record for the biggest ever Christmas carol sing-along, as over 7,000 singers - including celebrated tenor Andrea Bocelli - tested their vocal chords.

Michael Caine hopes for an Oscar for Harry Brown

2009-11-04T09:30:21Z

Michael Caine hopes he performance in 'Harry Brown' is worthy of a Best Actor Oscar.

The veteran British actor - who has twice won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor, in 1986 and 1989 - said he gave his absolute best performance in the film, and said if it's not worth an Oscar, he'll never top it.

He said: "There was one very difficult scene when the police tell me my friend has died. I'm completely straight-faced, then the moment they leave I burst into tears.

]]> "That's very difficult to do, and when I finished that take I told the director, 'You've got to use that' He asked why. I said 'Because that's the best I can do. I'm not saying it's the best anyone can do; it's the best I can do.' "

Referring to an Oscar by euphemism, he added: "Now whether that's good enough to win the O-word, I don't know. If it isn't, there's nothing I can do. I can't improve on it."

Michael, 76, also spoke of the emotional power of the film - which follows his eponymous character on a revenge mission against a group of feral children who killed his friend - saying he finds it incredibly difficult to view.

He added: "It's a film about violence, it detests violence. Sometimes it's hard to watch - even for me, and I've seen it twice and I know what's coming"

'Harry Brown' is released in UK cinemas on November 11.