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Open Forum Friday: Richard Kelly… Visionary Director or Flash in the Pan?
23 hours ago
Richard Kelly's new film The Box hits theatres this weekend, and although I have yet to see it, I will probably check it out based on his name alone (okay, and maybe because of the Twilight Zone connection). It's hard to believe, but this is only his third feature film, and his first to get a wide release. As the director of the cult favourite Donnie Darko, you might assume that his name would hold some serious weight with a certain audience, but there doesn't seem to be a ton of excitement surrounding the movie right now. Are people still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, or have they finally moved on and forgotten about him? I don't know if I'll ever fully understand why Donnie Darko became such a big underground hit; it got a very minor theatrical release, but when it hit DVD, things really took off. »
- Sean
Movie Poster Round-Up: The Wolfman, Green Zone, Kick-Ass
23 hours ago
It's been a while since I've done a round-up on some of the latest movie poster designs (you'll notice that I've removed "weekly" from the title of this post), but the truth is, it's not entirely my fault. The selections have been pretty far and few between as of late. However, thanks to few movies that have put out collections of multiple posters, we've got more than enough cool stuff to look at here. First off, although I'm a little late getting these up, I have to draw your attention to the additional posters that were released for Ti West's The House of the Devil, all just as gloriously retro as the first one was. Also out this week, four new character posters for Kick-Ass, some rather minimal posters for The Wolfman and Green Zone, and a cheesy one-sheet for Sherlock Holmes. Last but not least, we can't forget »
- Sean
Alfonso Cuaron to Direct The Tourist Starring Johnny Depp
6 November 2009 2:16 PM, PST
Although Y tu mamá también was Alfonso Cuaron's breakout film in terms of proving his talent and putting him on Hollywood's radar, it was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men that made him an instant favourite among fantasy and sci-fi fans. Of course, Children of Men was released back in 2006, and Cuaron hasn't really done much since then outside of producing. Now this week it looks like his next directorial gig may finally be falling into place, picking up the pieces of a potentially high-profile project that has gone through multiple changes to cast and crew. If all goes according to plan Cuaron will direct The Tourist, a remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer, about an American vacationer in France who is unwittingly used as a decoy for a French spy. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others) had previously been attached, »
- Sean
Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me Trailer Starring Casey Affleck
6 November 2009 11:34 AM, PST
I'm not always eager to post promo and sales trailers for movies when they find their way online because they're usually too long, rough around the edges, and quick to be pulled off the web anyway. They're not intended for the general public, and shouldn't really be judged as such. In this case, however, we've got our first look at what appears to be a very promising flick, and with all the talent involved I simply couldn't help posting about it. Michael Winterbottom's most recent film Genova didn't get a ton of attention at Tiff last year, but his previous two films, A Mighty Heart and The Road to Guantanamo both made my top 10 lists in their respective years. This time around he's teaming up with Casey Affleck, who is riding a wave of critical acclaim from outstanding performances in Gone Baby Bone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, »
- Sean
Film Junk Poll: What is Your Favourite Jim Carrey Movie?
6 November 2009 9:01 AM, PST
I still remember my first introduction to Jim Carrey as the sole white guy on the hilarious Wayans Brothers show In Living Color back in the early '90s. It was pretty obvious that he was going to be a big star even then, but he managed to jump to the top of the Hollywood A-list quickly with a series of very funny films. Eventually he even managed to branch out with some acclaimed dramatic performances as well. With the release of A Christmas Carol this weekend, I was thinking it might be worth looking back at the man's filmography and everything he has done to date. There are definitely some classics in there (and a few duds too), but what is your all-time favourite Jim Carrey flick? Is he still funny nowadays, and do you buy him as a serious actor? Cast your vote in the poll below and »
- Sean
Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris and Justin Timberlake Join Yogi Bear
6 November 2009 7:45 AM, PST
Live action/CG family comedies for everyone! That's right, yet another hybrid animated film is moving forward this week, with the announcement of some pretty big names entering discussions for the Warner Brothers adaptation of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon Yogi Bear. It looks like the studio has found voices for both Yogi and Boo-Boo, plus an actress for their first live action role. According to Variety [1], Dan Aykroyd is currently in talks to headline the film as the mischievous bear Yogi, while musician turned actor Justin Timberlake will play his faithful sidekick Boo-Boo. Anna Faris will play a documentary filmmaker who comes to Jellystone Park. Aykroyd in particular seems like a solid choice, although I'm wondering whether or not Timberlake will try to put on a cartoony voice or just be himself (he previously voiced a character in Shrek the Third). The Yogi Bear script was written by the same »
- Sean
New To Theatres This Weekend: A Christmas Carol, The Box, The Men Who Stare At Goats
6 November 2009 6:28 AM, PST
Happy holidays everyone! Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey hits theatres today, and regardless of the fact that it still seems a little early for a Christmas movie, it's expected to do quite well. There are three other major releases it has to compete with, however, including Richard Kelly's The Box, The Men Who Stare at Goats starring George Clooney, and the alien abduction flick The Fourth Kind starring Milla Jovovich. In limited release we have the critically acclaimed Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, plus a pair of documentaries from two masters of the form in Chris Smith's Collapse and Frederick Wiseman's La Danse. Do you plan on seeing anything this weekend? A Christmas Carol [1] The Box [2] The Men Who Stare at Goats [3] The Fourth Kind [4] Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire [5] (limited) Collapse [6] (limited) La Danse: Le Ballet »
- Sean
The Men Who Stare At Goats Review
5 November 2009 11:14 PM, PST
The Men Who Stare At Goats Directed by: Grant Heslov Written by: Peter Straughan (screenplay), Jon Ronson (book) Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges Since the dawn of modern warfare, people have fantasized about the concept of super soldiers, enhanced human beings that could defend their homeland and give them the edge over their enemies. At this point, we're not just talking about fictional characters like Captain America, either; today's soldiers really are trained to push their body beyond its physical and mental limits, and outfitted with bleeding edge technological advancements. Military interests drive scientific research like few other fields, leading to all kinds of wacky pills and biological experiments. But would it surprise you to learn that U.S. military has delved into even stranger realms in the past, and may still be doing so today? In his 2004 book, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Welsh »
- Sean
Etch A Sketch Movie Now a Distinct Possibility
5 November 2009 2:15 PM, PST
Someone stop the madness already! This toy and board game licensing thing is already way beyond out of control. Yesterday we reported on Sony's acquisition of the screen rights [1] to the board game Risk, the latest in a long line of questionable movie deals involving branded playthings. The Wall Street Journal [2] followed up with an article on the phenomenon today, addressing the "herd mentality" in Hollywood and the fact that somehow this is all a direct result of the success of Transformers. Go figure. The article also goes on to reveal a handful of other interesting tidbits including: J.J. Abrams is in talks to produce a Micronauts movie Will Smith and producing partner James Lassiter are developing a Big Wheel TV series There might actually be an Etch A Sketch movie! "The Ohio Art Co., which owns Etch A Sketch, says it has received numerous calls from producers interested in »
- Sean
Danny Boyle to Direct Stranded Mountaineer Story 127 Hours
5 November 2009 2:15 PM, PST
2008 was quite a year for Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, and as he has been winding down from the roller coaster ride that was Slumdog Millionaire, he has also taken some time to carefully choose his next project. He had been attached to possibly direct a handful of projects including Johannesburg (a movie about South Africa based on the novel Ponte City by Norman Ohler), and Solomon Grundy (which has since been shelved due to its similarity to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). There had also been rumours [1] about him possibly returning to direct another sequel to 28 Days Later. This week, Variety [2] has confirmed that his next movie will be none of these. Instead, Boyle will helm a project called 127 Hours, about a mountain climber named Aron Ralston. Ralston had a pretty harrowing experience during a climb in Utah in May, 2003, when his right arm was accidentally pinned under a boulder. »
- Sean
Mandalay Picks Up Max Barry’s Real-Time Novel Machine Man
5 November 2009 10:04 AM, PST
There's a growing trend in Hollywood where studios buy the screen rights for books before they are even released (see the recent acquisition [1] of Daniel H. Wilson's Robopocalypse for just one example). I suppose it makes sense that if you have a big name writer (ie. Dan Brown) or a property that will probably be a big hit, you should get on board before anyone else finds out about it (and before the price goes up). But in some cases, it strikes me as a little odd that a studio might option a book before it has even been fully written yet. This is definitely the case with Mandalay Pictures, who have just picked up the rights to Max Barry's sci-fi thriller Machine Man, a serianlized novel that is being written and posted online daily, page by page. It's a pretty interesting experiment in writing, and the premise »
- Sean
Armond White At It Again: Hates on Multiple Award Winner Precious
5 November 2009 9:44 AM, PST
Everyone's favourite contrarian [1] critic Armond White has once again made his presence felt this week, after delivering a scathing review of the Lee Daniels film Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. The movie, which hits select theatres this weekend, is riding a massive wave of Oscar buzz after picking up awards at Sundance, Tiff and the San Sebastian Film Festival earlier this year. (Last year's People's Choice Award winner in Toronto was Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire.) Precious is currently sitting at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes [2], so of course White doesn't like it. However, the fact that he gives it a negative review isn't all that surprising -- it's what he says about it that will blow your mind. "The hype for Precious indicates a culture-wide willingness to accept particular ethnic stereotypes as a way of maintaining status quo film values. Excellent recent films with black themes—Next Day Air, »
- Sean
J.J. Abrams’ Next Mystery Project: 500 Rads
5 November 2009 9:04 AM, PST
Looks like the rumour mill is starting up again for another under the radar J.J. Abrams movie that is slowly being developed in secrecy -- just like Cloverfield was a couple of years ago. The folks over at Pajiba [1] recently got word from an inside source that Abrams and his Bad Robot production company are working on a new project called 500 Rads, and while they don't know exactly what it's about, they do have a few intriguing ideas. The term "rads" refers to an "absorbed radiation dose", and since the movie is being described as having similarities to both Cloverfield and 28 Days Later, they are speculating that it could be a zombie, viral plague or nuclear post-apocalyptic scenario of some sort. Lost, Alias and Fringe writer Jeff Pinkner has reportedly been the man working on the script thus far. The movie is budgeted at $25 million and will shoot somewhere in »
- Sean
Zach Galifianakis in Talks to Play Humpty Dumpty in Shrek Spin-Off
5 November 2009 7:21 AM, PST
It can be a painful thing to watch an edgy and fresh comedic talent get sucked into the black hole of Hollywood, but I can't be truly disappointed with any choices that Zach Galifianakis makes. I'm still just overjoyed to see the guy's career take off, and it's kind of fun to see him in some of these big family blockbusters like G-Force. I just hope he never stops taking risks and making the quirky little films on the side. That being said, you can't help but wince when you hear that he is currently in talks to voice the character Humpty Dumpty in the upcoming Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots. The Shrek franchise has turned into a behemoth over the years, and Puss in Boots would actually be the fifth major film in the series. There is also a Shrek 4 on the way (now titled Shrek Forever After »
- Sean
Weekly Poll Results: Best Anime Film
5 November 2009 6:29 AM, PST
Last week we asked you what the best anime film of all time was, and the results were pretty interesting. It's not so much that the winners were unexpected per se, but the top 3 choices were more closely matched in votes than probably any other poll we've had previously. Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke ended up on top with 21% of the votes, while another Miyazaki film, Spirited Away, was #2 at just shy of 20%. (Clearly we're going to have to do a showdown between all of Miyazaki's films at some point in the future.) Akira followed immediately after that, with Ghost in the Shell and Ninja Scroll rounding out the top 5. I was a bit surprised to see Rintaro's Metropolis relegated to last place, but I suppose given the competition it's understandable. Do you concur with these results? 1. Princess Mononoke -- 21.4% 2. Spirited Away -- 19.9% 3. Akira -- 19.6% 4. Ghost in the Shell »
- Sean
Third Trailer for Sherlock Holmes Hits The Web
5 November 2009 5:40 AM, PST
The third (and final?) trailer for Guy Ritchie's upcoming retelling of the classic stories about the famous British detective Sherlock Holmes, has hit the web. Without having seen it (I prefer to know as little about a movie as possible before I see it, if it's one I'm interested in) I can tell as much as it does show a good amount of new footage from the film, while also showing a more polished look in general, than the previous two trailers. So with all the SFX having gone through the various post-production touch ups, it now seems like the movie is about ready. Sherlock Holmes hits the streets on December 25th. Watch the trailer after the jump.
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- Kasper
Sony Acquires Rights to a Risk Movie
4 November 2009 1:29 PM, PST
Yep, you read it right... the game of global domination is coming to the big screen. Apparently Universal isn't the only studio getting into the business of making movies based on board games. Sony Pictures announced today via their Twitter account [1] that they had "acquired motion picture rights to classic board game Risk". No other details were made available at this time, but it is a Hasbro property, which means that Sony probably stole it away from Universal, who signed a 6-year strategic partnership deal [2] with Hasbro earlier this year. (They are currently developing movies based on Monopoly, Candy Land, and Battleship, among others.) Perhaps the rights were still owned by the estate of French film director Albert Lamorisse, who invented the game back in 1957? At any rate, I'm wondering if Sony actually ended up scoring the game with the most cinematic potential of the bunch here. I mean, sure »
- Sean
Salt Trailer Starring Angelina Jolie (in English)
4 November 2009 11:53 AM, PST
Earlier this week, a Russian trailer for the upcoming Angelina Jolie action-thriller Salt found its way online, but was quickly pulled down by Sony... and really, who wants to see a low-quality, dubbed version of a trailer anyway? (A lot of people... I know.) Today they have debuted the first domestic trailer for the film over at Yahoo! [1], and although it looks fairly action-packed, I can't say there is anything all that noteworthy about it either. Is Angelina Jolie really the biggest current female action star? It seems weird to say that, but I guess her filmography proves it. Either way, I'm sure they're hoping to attract fans of Wanted with this one. The production history on Salt has kind of a weird twist in that Tom Cruise was originally supposed to star in the lead role (and not in drag). Somewhere along the way they rewrote the story so »
- Sean
Steve Guttenberg Talks Up Three Men Sequel: Three Men and a Bride
4 November 2009 10:32 AM, PST
Oh Steve Guttenberg... how I want to believe you. It seems that every time the man gets in front of a reporter, blogger or media type person, he can't help but regale them with stories about how his career is about to undergo a massive resurgence. In the past he's talked about another Police Academy sequel (that's part 8, for those keeping count), and he's also hinted at another possible sequel to Three Men and a Baby, with Ted Danson, Tom Selleck, and himself reteaming for another blockbuster comedy. But is there any chance this is true, or is it merely a figment of his imagination? According to WENN [1], Guttenberg is now convinced that Three Men and a Bride is actually happening. Little baby Mary is all grown up now, and Danson, Selleck and Guttenberg will be the ones to give her away at the ceremony. No, seriously. "Disney's developing Three Men and a Bride. »
- Sean
Fox Searchlight Reins in Release Plans for Gentlemen Broncos
4 November 2009 10:14 AM, PST
Things aren't looking so good for Jared Hess' latest comedy Gentlemen Broncos. The movie hit theatres last week on just 2 screens, and despite plans to expand further in the coming weeks, it appears that the movie's release is now being scaled back as a result of bad reviews. A number of critics have received a notice this week from Fox Searchlight stating that the movie will no longer be opening in their market. It is unclear if they will still follow through with the previously scheduled roll out [1] for the next two weeks, but it certainly won't be progressing beyond that. DVD will likely be the venue for most of us to see it. Truth be told, there were signs of trouble when the movie premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin back in September; it received a wave of negative reviews and was quickly forgotten. Now it seems that »
- Sean
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