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Hollywood producers want industry to keep working

2008-07-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Hollywood producers sent the clearest sign yet on Monday that they won't lock out actors if they are unable to agree on a contract before the current pact expires early Tuesday.

Ads in trade publications argued the entertainment industry had suffered enough from previous work stoppages over contract disputes.

"Let's keep working," the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in full-page ads appearing in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

The ads cited figures from the Milken Institute that showed the 100-day writers strike that ended in February had put more than 37,000 people out of work and resulted in $2.3 billion in lost wages.

"Enough is enough," said the ad, which also showed picketing strikers beneath the words "Harmful and Unnecessary."

The Screen Actors Guild appeared ready to keep negotiating, saying Sunday that it had not called for a strike authorization vote by members.

The exchange came as Hollywood waited nervously to see if the labor dispute would halt TV and film production.

"The producers remain committed to reaching a deal by today's deadline and do not believe there is any good reason for SAG's Hollywood leadership to stall these talks into July," alliance spokesman Jesse Hiestand said.

Last week, SAG accused the studios of offering a contract worth less than an agreement already approved by leaders of the smaller American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

SAG made the claim amid demands in Hollywood that it accept the same deal. SAG did not provide details on the differences between the offers.

SAG represents 120,000 actors in movies, TV and other media. The TV and radio federation represents 70,000 members, including actors, singers, announcers and journalists.

SAG and AFTRA share 44,000 dual members. SAG is urging those members to vote against the AFTRA contract because its approval would handcuff ongoing talks between SAG and the studios.

Results of the AFTRA ratification vote were expected to be announced on July 8.

Studios have said film and TV production has already been disrupted because SAG leaders are dragging out the talks until the AFTRA results are announced.

The dispute has split actors. Jack Nicholson, Josh Brolin, Holly Hunter and others support SAG's tactics. Others including Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey have urged support of the AFTRA deal.

SAG has said it can improve on the AFTRA deal, especially in the areas of residual payments for DVD sales, compensation for Internet content, minimum wages, mileage reimbursement and the issue of product integration into scripted scenes.

Late Sunday, the guild reported on its Web site that thousands of actors have said they voted against the AFTRA contract.

SAG also said more than 3,000 actors have signed a statement of solidarity supporting its negotiators.

"Thousands of you from all around the country are telling us you voted no on the AFTRA contract and support our goal to raise the bar for all actors and their families," the guild said.

The guild did not immediately respond to messages left Monday seeking further details.

AFTRA, meanwhile, continued to urge members to ratify its proposed agreement.

"The new AFTRA contract puts real money in actors' wallets," the federation said in a Sunday e-mail to members.

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Dutch anti-Islam politician won't be charged

2008-07-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

Dutch legislator Geert Wilders will not be prosecuted for inciting hatred of Muslims with his film denouncing the Quran, prosecutor said Monday.

Prosecutor said his film "Fitna," or "Ordeal" in Arabic, and statements Wilders wrote in Dutch newspapers were hurtful and insulting but not criminal.

The film juxtaposed Quranic verses against a background of violent film clips and images of terrorism by Islamic radicals. It aroused protests around the Muslim world after it was released on the Internet in March.

Wilders also was investigated for remarks published in the newspaper De Volkskrant calling the Quran fascist.

"I've had enough of Islam in the Netherlands; let not one more Muslim immigrate," he wrote in the paper. "I've had enough of the Quran in the Netherlands: Forbid that fascist book."

Prosecution spokeswoman Hanneke Festen said Wilders' statements were allowable under Dutch law, which forbids inciting hatred against groups on the basis of their race or creed but also grants leeway to freedom of speech.

"We came to the conclusion that (Wilders' statements) may be hurtful and painful for Muslims but they were made in the context of a debate in society," she said.

"That doesn't mean you can say anything, but you have to really cross a line and be unnecessarily hurtful and insulting and not add anything" to the national debate in order for prosecutors to act, she said.

Wilders told The Associated Press he was not surprised by the decision because he had stayed within the boundaries of Dutch law.

Wilders said that in the months since his film attacking radical Islam was broadcast on the Internet, he had received reactions from all over the world. "Most were very negative, but some were very positive," he said.

Mohamed Rabbae, chairman of the moderate National Moroccan Council, said the Dutch group will go to court to ask a judge to order a prosecution of Wilders anyway.

"My reaction is one of disappointment and divergence with the point of view of the prosecutor," he said.

Rabbae said the prosecutors had decided that Wilders' position did not amount to discrimination against Muslims, but that it criticized Islam.

"Islam is a big part of the identity of Muslims, so if you attack Islam it is for us the same as attacking and discriminating against Muslims," he said.

Wilders said he hopes prosecutors will send a copy of their decision to prosecutors in Jordan, where he faces a lawsuit. Wilders has said he is worried he could be arrested if he leaves the Netherlands because Jordan has informed Interpol he is wanted to face charges there.

Eczema Treatment - Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the upper layers of the skin.

Western extras play bit parts in new Egyptian film

2008-07-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

A motley group of foreigners English teachers, students of Arabic, even a journalist gathered on a recent chilly night in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, brought together by a love of cinema, curiosity and a furtive hope of catching a glimpse of Omar Sharif.

Glamour, however, was in quite short supply for our band of film extras. Waiting around for hours in our 1940s period costumes, we slouched in the elegant wood paneled bar of a luxury hotel eating cold food from McDonald's, waiting to shoot a five-minute dining room scene. The lead actors had yet to even show up.

Still, it was a unique opportunity, one I had searched for off-and-on during the decade I have lived in Egypt especially since this production is being touted as a rebirth of Egyptian cinema.

"The Passenger" has a cast full of Egyptian stars, topped by Sharif in a heralded comeback to Egyptian film after a 15-year absence. The movie has been billed by Culture Minister Farouk Hosni as a "return to the golden age of cinema."

The ministry itself is footing the bill for the film, the first time it has done so in 30 years, in effort to boost the flagging reputation of what was known as the Hollywood of the Middle East.

Egypt has one of the region's oldest movie industries; 50 years ago, it was producing films on par with those of Hollywood. But in the past two decades, it has declined, throwing together slapdash comedies and over-the-top melodramas with poor production values.

"In the West, the film has a great position and it used to be the same here in the 1940s and 1950s and then something happened, it became, I don't know why, a second class economy," said Amr Waked, one of Egypt's up-and-coming actors, who also appears in "The Passenger." He is better known to international audiences as the Egyptian terror leader in George Clooney's 2006 film "Syriana."

Critics have blamed Egyptian cinema's decline on a host of factors. Rising Islamic conservatism made movies disreputable, while at the same time, the funding dried up leaving producers just trying to make a quick buck.

The Culture Ministry is hoping that by returning to its role of financing the cinema the way it's done in many countries it can produce quality features like "The Passenger."

The film is a multigenerational epic set in 1948, 1973 and 2001, and first-time director Ahmed Maher has spent a year and a half filming it.

"There was a need to capture the right stuff, no matter how long it took, no matter how many times you repeat," Waked said. "There was very little compromise on that, unlike other (Egyptian) productions where they sometimes accept certain compromises to finish quickly."

The painstaking process was certainly clear in our scene that night, as the two dozen foreigners from Britain, the U.S., France, Puerto Rico, Germany and Sweden were transformed into diners on a postwar luxury cruise.

Battered trucks parked outside the hotel where the scene was being shot served as makeshift makeup and dressing rooms.

In the harsh glare of lights, hairdressers heated metal tongs on open gas flames to carefully straighten and then curl each woman extra's hair into elaborate coiffures, as everyone was fitted into natty suits and ball gowns.

I was selected to be a waiter. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have the chance to act with Sharif. He was appearing only in the 2001 scenes of the movie and my brief appearance in a crisp white waiter's jacket was set half a century earlier.

The scene was shot in Alexandria at a luxury hotel that once served as a 19th century hunting lodge for Egypt's royal family. The ornate wood-paneled restaurant would stand in for the cruise ship's dining room. Maher whisked away the anachronistic no-smoking signs that had been inadvertently left on the tables.

Ahead of the shoot, Maher who spent years in Italy chatted in Italian with his director of photography, Marco Onorato, whose film "Gomorra" just won the Grand Prix at Cannes.

Then, as filming finally began at 1 a.m., Maher bellowed across the set with the Egyptian version of "lights, camera, action": "Doh! Tasweer! Action!"

The camera circled around the lead couple: Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawy, who appeared in Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven," sat across from Lebanese pop diva Cyrine Abdelnour in a tense dinner scene.

Nabawy plays a lower class postman who intercepted letters between Abdelnour and her childhood sweetheart, whom he is now impersonating in effort to win her heart.

For my part, I the waiter was struggling with my own job: precariously balancing two plates on my arm.

Just minutes before I was to appear on camera, the restaurant's real head waiter took me aside and taught me how to carry plates and properly pour wine.

I tottered across the dining room floor, desperately trying to remember my cue and look appropriately haughty as I served the elite clientele and delivered my sole line "excuse me," in English.

The steak slid ominously across the plate toward the two actors as my overburdened arm faltered, and I had a sudden vision of the entire movie turning into a farce as the bumbling water dumped his food onto their exquisite costumes.

Fortunately, the scene went off more or less without a hitch, despite me stuttering my line and saying it too early at first. But it was just a rehearsal and we had several more takes ahead us. At one point, Abdelnour just buried her head in her hands she'd been working since the morning.

Hours later, it was over. One more scene finished. Only a few weeks of filming left and the year-and-a-half odyssey for the actors would be over.

We had been sitting around for 14 hours and would be paid $50. The true compensation, however, was a little taste of movie glamor, with the hope, perhaps, that it might lead to something bigger.

For me, my sole prospects for a career change came from elsewhere. "You know, you're weren't too bad," the restaurant's head waiter told me. "If you ever need a job here, just let me know."

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Monday Movie Buzz: `WALL-E' revels in robot love

2008-07-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

Though the feeling can't yet be reciprocated, Hollywood has a crush on robots.

"WALL-E," the Pixar blockbuster that opened to ecstatic reviews and $62.5 million at the box office this weekend, is a tale of robot love.

Our hero is a little pile of metal and circuitry in the mold of R2D2, and our heroine is a sleeker but less personable model. (In male-dominated Hollywood, apparently even robots are subject to gender roles.)

Writer-director Andrew Stanton has consistently spoken of his desire to make an emotional sci-fi movie. He clearly made his task difficult by trying to pull heartstrings with two metallic machines who can only bleep and blork.

"WALL-E" is only the latest film that seeks to humanize robots. As an audience, we are meant to sit in dark theaters looking up at the big screen and FEEL for the oppressed digital beings of the future. Audiences are more than happy to be swept away by something as artful as "WALL-E," but there's a notable disconnect between its premise and its emotional force.

They're ROBOTS!

Hollywood has a great fetish for humanizing an artificial intelligence we haven't yet invented. On the big screen, it's a given that as soon as AI is created, we're going to be downright nasty to those poor lil' robots?

It would not be a stretch to say that filmmakers seem more concerned with the emotions and freedoms of thus-far nonexistent machines than most currently oppressed humans. (Don't hold your breath for an animated blockbuster about Zimbabwe.)

But this is not heartlessness by Hollywood; it's a fascinating obsession that says much about the Dream Factory.

We have seen Will Smith release the imprisoned robot masses in "I, Robot." ("I don't want my toaster or my vacuum cleaner appearing emotional," Smith jokes before his character's conversion.)

In "Blade Runner," Harrison Ford hunts "replicants" (humanoid robots) before doubting the cause and whether he, too, might be a replicant.

The "Terminator" movies are based on the fear of a future taken over by robots, but we eventually begin to root for the Terminator, played by our most robotic of actors, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

WALL-E's inspiration, R2D2 (whose sound engineer Ben Burtt also does WALL-E's "voice"), and his sidekick C-3PO were what bound "Star Wars" together. The common thread throughout George Lucas' saga, they outlive everyone.

Visions of the threat of robots is a parallel, darker tradition in Hollywood dating back the "false Maria" of Fritz Lang's 1926 masterpiece "Metropolis." Arguably the greatest film in this vein is Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" a movie obviously referenced in "WALL-E."

But more than anyone, Kubrick also examined the future ethics of artificial intelligence, and more importantly, what it means for an audience to sympathize with a robotic hero. It was Steven Spielberg who followed through on Kubrick's unfinished plans for 2001's "A.I.," in which the tantalizingly cute robot, played by Haley Joel Osment, attempts to become "real."

In "WALL-E," we similarly follow a robot hero who wins us over with his endurance through solitude. The unlikely spark of love energizes WALL-E, whose bincocular-like eyes are slanted in a perpetual droop that we can't help but respond to with a collective "Aw."

In many of these films, robots are a metaphor for what we don't understand and therefore label "inhuman." In 1999's terrific "The Iron Giant" (directed by Brad Bird, who went on to become a Pixar man, helming "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille"), the lovable lug of the title is the victim of Cold War-era paranoia.

But "WALL-E" and other robot-friendly films are chiefly about technology and coming to terms with it. WALL-E collects the debris of human ingenuity an iPod, a Rubik's cube reveling in its achievements.

In the movie, the audacity of technology namely WALL-E might even save a complacent human race. But the film isn't blindly supportive of machines. For the overweight and lazy humans of "WALL-E" to be awakened, one character will also have to defeat a very HAL-like device.

It should come as no surprise that Hollywood has such a penchant for humanizing robots. Movies have always been a medium whose advance is paced by technology. The creation of the moving image was an invention in the 19th century, and cinema progressed with the advent of sound recording in the `20s, color motion pictures later and recently digital filmmaking. Pixar, itself, is built on advances in computer generated animation.

Love movies, love robots.

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SAG president doesn't want to hear strike talk

2008-07-01T00:47:00.000-07:00

The head of the Screen Actors Guild doesn't want to hear the s-word as a deadline for contract expiration looms.

"We have taken no steps to initiate a strike authorization vote by the members of Screen Actors Guild," Union President Alan Rosenberg said in a statement Sunday. "Any talk about a strike or a management lockout at this point is simply a distraction."

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has taken out an advertisement in trade publications calling a strike "harmful and unnecessary." Citing $2.8 billion in lost wages, the ad says "We've completed four equitable and forward-thinking labor agreements. Let's get the fifth done."

The ad is scheduled to run in Monday's editions of Variety and Hollywood Reporter.

"The industry is shutting down because SAG's Hollywood leadership insisted on 11th-hour negotiations and dragging these talks into July so they can continue attacking AFTRA," AMPTP spokesman Jesse Hiestand said in a statement.

The contract runs out at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Anxiety has been growing in Hollywood that actors might walk off the job or studios could lock out performers on the heels of a Writers Guild of America strike that devastated production from November through February.

SAG leaders have been fighting a deal reached between producers and another actors union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Vote results among that union's 70,000 members are due July 8.

AFTRA and the 120,000-member SAG have 44,000 members in common. SAG leaders are urging its members in AFTRA to vote against the deal, saying they can strike a better bargain with producers if the contract is defeated.

SAG has said it is willing to continue talks with producers after its own contract expires.

"The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee is coming to the bargaining table every day in good faith to negotiate a fair contract for actors," Rosenberg said.

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Publicist confirms: Thurman is engaged to Busson

2008-07-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

It's official: Uma Thurman will marry financier Arpad "Arki" Busson.

"I can confirm she is engaged," Thurman's representative, Stephen Huvane, told The Associated Press in an e-mail. Huvane didn't immediately respond Monday when asked for further details.

Thurman filed for divorce from Ethan Hawke in 2004. They have two children. The 38-year-old actress was previously married to Gary Oldman.

Busson has two sons with Elle Macpherson.

Thurman received an Oscar nomination for 1994's "Pulp Fiction." Her screen credits also include the "Kill Bill" thrillers and "My Super Ex-Girlfriend."

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Australian film organization creates Ledger scholarship

2008-06-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) Heath Ledger was known for giving aspiring Australian actors a hand in Hollywood. Now, an Australian film organization has established a scholarship fund in the late actor's name to continue those efforts.

"There's an entire tribe of Australians who have all benefited from his generosity," said Susie Dobson, president of Australians in Film, or AiF. "This (scholarship) captures Heath's spirit and serves our mission to help and celebrate Australian filmmakers."

Ledger who died at 28 of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January had served as an ambassador for the film organization and its board wanted to honor him after his death, Dobson said.

Director Gregor Jordan announced the establishment of the Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund last week at AiF's annual Breakthrough Awards, where he read a statement from Ledger's father, Kim Ledger.

"Although reluctant to lend his name to anything commercial, we know Heath would be proud of his attachment to this scholarship," Kim Ledger's statement said. "This scholarship in part does what Heath has done personally during the last 10 years and supported financially or in kind many friends, Australian actors, singers, directors or writers seeking to ply their talents in the USA."

Jordan also said that Michelle Williams, mother of Ledger's daughter, "would be very proud and happy to be the first benefactor" of the scholarship fund.

The first recipient will be announced next year, Dobson said.

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Carell jokes about on-screen kiss with The Rock

2008-06-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

Steve Carell, who plays Maxwell Smart in the upcoming spy comedy "Get Smart," says he had a scent-sational time kissing co-star Dwayne Johnson, who most might recognize as "The Rock"

"The Rock has softer lips. I guess I could say that," the 44-year-old actor told AP Television. "He smells like strawberry shortcake. For me, that's why they call him The Rock. He rocks people's worlds."

Johnson countered that he doesn't smell or taste like strawberry shortcake "strawberry shortcake with liver I think."

The 36-year-old wrestler-turned-actor said he was gung-ho about planting a kiss on Carell.

"It was just one of those things where I thought well, you know, `What could be the most entertaining and funniest moment that we could think of that would still make sense and still kind of root in reality?'"

"We came up with a great kiss," said Johnson, who plays Agent 23. "I thought if Jake Gyllenhaal can do it, Will Smith can do it, then I can do it, too. I'm going to own it. I was like, `Give me those lips right now. Right now.'"

Said Carell: "He is such a good guy. We just laughed that whole day. That was a total no-brainer in terms of that scene. There was never one moment of hesitation or awkwardness. He's game for anything, let me put it that way."

"Get Smart," also starring Anne Hathaway as Agent 99, is slated for release June 20.

Source: Movie Interviews

Vin Diesel and girlfriend welcome a daughter

2008-06-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Vin Diesel is a dad.

Diesel, star of "The Pacifier" and "The Chronicles of Riddick," and his girlfriend, model Paloma Jimenez, welcomed a baby girl in Los Angeles on April 2, his representative, Meredith O'Sullivan, said in an e-mail Friday.

O'Sullivan said the 40-year-old action star wasn't releasing the baby's name.

Diesel's screen credits also include "The Fast and the Furious" "Boiler Room" and "Saving Private Ryan." He'll next be seen in the sci-fi movie "Babylon A.D.," slated for release Aug. 29.

Source: Movie Reviews

Wong Kar-wai to head Shanghai film festival jury

2008-06-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai will head the jury at the Shanghai International Film Festival, which will be held June 14-22.

Wong, known for his moody visuals and melancholy soundtracks, won best director at the Cannes Film Festival for "Happy Together."

He replaces filmmaker Anthony Minghella, who died of a hemorrhage in March following surgery.

According to the festival's Web site, the jury will also include veteran Chinese actress Joan Chen, German producer Ulrich Felsberg, Danish director Bille August, Israeli writer Gila Almagor, Japanese director Kaori Momoi and Chinese director Huo Jianqi.

The jury will award the festival's top Jin Jue prize.

This year's competition lineup includes movies from China, Europe, Japan, Argentina, South Korea, Lithuania, Russia, the Czech Republic and New Zealand.

A retrospective of Minghella's work is being planned by the festival, a spokeswoman said earlier this week.

Source: Movies Coming Soon

At Harvard, Rowling stresses role of imagination

2008-06-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

J.K. Rowling stressed the crucial importance of imagination during a speech Thursday at Harvard University's spring commencement, saying, "We do not need magic to transform our world."

The "Harry Potter" author also spoke about the benefit of failure, recalling the humiliations of her time in poverty before her career took off with her string of novels about a bespectacled boy wizard.

Before the speech, some members of Harvard's class of 1936 paid tribute to Rowling by carrying brooms during an alumni procession.

President Drew Gilpin Faust also welcomed witches, wizards and Muggles non-magical people in Rowling's books to the commencement. Faust noted that there was a larger number of young children than normally expected for a Harvard graduation and that she knew she was the just "the warm-up act."

Rowling, who was given an honorary doctor of letters degree, urged the Harvard grads to use their influence and status to speak out on behalf of the powerless.

"We do not need magic to transform our world," she said. "We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already; we have the power to imagine better."

Imagination gives one the ability to empathize with others, she said.

"Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation," Rowling said. "In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity; it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared."

Rowling described a low point seven years after graduating from college, when she was a poor single mother.

"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are ever after secure in your ability to survive," Rowling said. "You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity."

She called such knowledge "a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned."

Source: Movies In Theaters

Review: Subtle Scares in `Orphanage'

2008-01-05T03:44:00.003-08:00

The Orphanage

Floors creak and doors slam. Hidden passages lead to secret compartments. Ratty old dolls show up out of nowhere.

Are these playful signs from the children who lived in "The Orphanage" long ago, or a harbinger of something more sinister? That's the mystery in this well-crafted if familiar haunted house story, the first feature from young Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona.

Guillermo del Toro serves as one of the film's producers and Bayona, working from a script by Sergio Sanchez, seems to be aiming for the same mix of the real and the supernatural that del Toro himself achieved last year with his excellent "Pan's Labyrinth." It's a tough balance to strike, and it's even tougher to live up to comparisons to such a cinematic original. ("The Orphanage" is actually more reminiscent of Alejandro Amenabar's super-creepy "The Others," starring Nicole Kidman.)

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: `Persepolis' Is Wildly Inventive

2008-01-05T03:44:00.001-08:00

Persepolis

"Persepolis" is a true original in the eclectic world of animation, one that's full of fascinating contradictions.

It's a colorful autobiography rendered in crisp black-and-white; it's about Iran's Islamic revolution, but it's a comedy. You won't see another film like this anytime soon, if ever, which is precisely why you should seek it out.

Marjane Satrapi adapted her own graphic novels (with the help of best friend and fellow comic book artist Vincent Paronnaud, who co-wrote and co-directed) and she did it with great humor, honesty and heart. Except for a chunk of the midsection where "Persepolis" gets a bit draggy, especially after wowing us with its inventiveness early on, you'd never know you're in the hands of a first-time filmmaker.

The animation style may seem overly simplistic at first, but on the contrary there's so much going on, it's impossible for the eye to take it all in at once. Clearly inspired by German expressionism, Satrapi and Paronnaud make especially stunning use of severe angles, silhouettes and shadows.

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: `Blood' Is Anderson's Epic

2008-01-05T03:43:00.004-08:00

There Will Be Blood

Someday, we're probably going to look back at "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's epic about greed, lies, manipulation and insanity, and call it his masterpiece.

Which is incredible because, except for the inescapable intensity, it's nothing like his previous films; if Anderson's name weren't on it, you'd never know it was his. It's thrilling to see him reinvent himself this way, applying his formidable directing talents in a totally different fashion.

Gone are the film-school tricks he made his name with in "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" (and this critic loved those movies). Anderson has moved out of contemporary L.A. and away from the histrionics of the carefully orchestrated ensembles he set there. He now seems more interested in storytelling and character development.

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: Denzel Steers 'Great Debaters'

2008-01-05T03:43:00.003-08:00

The Great Debaters

It could have been overly sentimental and feel-good, this movie about a pioneering black debate team in the segregated South. But Denzel Washington, as director and star, manages to find the right tone much of the time in "The Great Debaters."

It certainly doesn't hurt that he has an inspiring true story to work from Oprah Winfrey liked it so much, her Harpo Films company produced it.

Washington stars as professor Melvin B. Tolson, a future poet who serves as debate coach at the tiny, all-black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. In 1935, Wiley's debaters did something unprecedented: They competed against several predominantly white schools and won, including Harvard (in real life Wiley beat USC, but you get the idea).

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: `Water Horse' a Touching Story

2008-01-05T03:43:00.001-08:00

The fantasy family film "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" was directed by Jay Russell, who previously directed "My Dog Skip." And the script was based on the book by Dick King-Smith, who also wrote "Babe: The Gallant Pig."

In other words, bring tissues that means you, moms and dads.

This extremely sweet tale of a lonely boy named Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel) who finds an egg on the shore and befriends its contents once it hatches a slimy, mischievous but irresistibly cute creature that can only be described as a baby water horse will tug at anyone. In era when pop-culture onslaughts are more fashionable, family movies of this quality are hard to find.

Sure, it borrows more than a little from "E.T."

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: `Bucket List' Survives Gimmicks

2008-01-05T03:42:00.001-08:00

The Bucket List

Facing terminal illness, we all should get to experience a no-costs-barred world tour to do everything we ever wanted.

Most of us don't have the convenient bottomless wallet that allows Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman to do just that in "The Bucket List," a comic drama that puts director Rob Reiner back in commercial if not artistic form.

Unlike Reiner's string of duds the last 10 years or so, the movie is easily accessible, with Nicholson and Freeman elevating a story overloaded with cliched life lessons and self-help slogans into a tolerable, relatively painless way to go.

Nicholson and Freeman are so lovably companionable, they almost make you forget the glaring contrivances screenwriter Justin Zackham concocts to bring these two mismatched cancer patients together, making steadfast buddies out of men who never would have met and connected in real life.

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: `Treasure' Finds Fool's Gold

2008-01-05T03:41:00.002-08:00

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

The founding fathers of the "National Treasure" franchise wisely know not to tinker with a formula that inexplicably works.

Nicolas Cage, Jon Turteltaub and Jerry Bruckheimer discovered the secret of alchemy with the first movie three years ago, turning mediocre action spiced with American lore into box-office gold, and the same is likely to hold for the second chapter in their history text.

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" is another romp through the past that flits from one disjointed action sequence to another, gussying it all up with crowd-pleasing morsels of fact and rivers of crazy legends that turn out to be true.

Knuckle-headed as the movies are in historical context, they sure know how to reel in great casts. Joining Academy Award winners Cage and Jon Voight and fellow "Treasure" veteran Harvey Keitel is Helen Mirren, fresh off her Oscar win for "The Queen," along with Ed Harris.

Read the entire article at: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: `P.S. I Love You' Is Treacly

2008-01-05T03:41:00.001-08:00

P.S. I Love You

You can sort of see the allure "P.S. I Love You" might have held for Hilary Swank.

It offers her a rare opportunity to play a romantic comedy heroine, though it also has its heavy moments to demonstrate her dramatic range. After making her name (and winning Academy Awards) for tough-girl roles in "Boys Don't Cry" and "Million Dollar Baby," here she gets to show off her lean, toned body in bras, panties and bustiers, and the clotheshorse in Swank gets to revel in a wardrobe of stylish, Jackie-O inspired outfits.

Instead, "P.S. I Love You" is as treacly as the title would suggest.

This totally contrived pile of uberschmaltz, directed by Richard LaGravenese and based on a novel by Irish writer Cecelia Ahern, finds Swank's Holly Kennedy widowed at 29 when her husband dies of a brain tumor. But somehow in his waning state, Gerry (Gerard Butler) was lucid enough to construct for her an elaborate spiritual scavenger hunt, arranging to have letters sent to her for a year after his death, each signed you guessed it "P.S. I Love You."

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Review: `Charlie' Is a Crisp Satire

2008-01-05T03:40:00.002-08:00

Charlie Wilson's War

"Charlie Wilson's War," a crisp, biting satire that confidently mixes sex and politics, glides along so smartly and smoothly, it makes you wonder how it's possible that director Mike Nichols and writer Aaron Sorkin have never teamed up before.

Based on the true story of a congressman (Tom Hanks), a Houston socialite (Julia Roberts) and a CIA operative (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who conspired to arm Afghanistan's mujahedeen against Soviet invaders in the early 1980s, "Charlie Wilson's War" represents comfortable territory for both men, despite the complexity of its subject matter. (Sorkin's script is based on the book by George Crile, who profiled Wilson as a producer on "60 Minutes.")

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Review: `Walk Hard' Hilariously Familiar

2008-01-05T03:40:00.001-08:00

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Judd Apatow can do no wrong, apparently.

Even in taking on a genre parody, an endeavor that would seem painfully hackneyed by now following "Scary Movie," "Epic Movie" and the like, the comic mastermind behind "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" manages to find fresh laughs again and again.

"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," a take-off on the music biopic, hits all the familiar conventions we've seen in overly earnest movies like "Ray," "Walk the Line" and even "La Vie en Rose," with its ballyhooed portrayal of Edith Piaf by Marion Cotillard. (This time, longtime Apatow friend and collaborator Jake Kasdan directs, and the two co-wrote the script.)

The marginally talented country rocker Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) comes from humble, Southern beginnings and experiences tragedy early his brother's death, which haunts him long into adulthood. He marries his childhood sweetheart and eventually fulfills his dreams of music stardom through sheer heart and grit, even though the ones closest to him never quite believed in him.

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Review: `Sweeney,' Burton a Perfect Fit

2008-01-05T03:39:00.004-08:00

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is the quintessential Tim Burton movie, even though it springs from somebody else's celebrated mind.

Everything about Stephen Sondheim's revered musical, which provided the inspiration for the film, seems tailor-made for the director's sensibilities. Truly, what other filmmaker could tell the story of a vengeful barber (Johnny Depp) who slits his customers' throats and the lovesick baker (Helena Bonham Carter) who grinds up the dead bodies for her meat pies?

It's strangely beautiful and beautifully strange, with horrific subject matter that produces plenty of wicked humor and characters who initially seem ghoulish but ultimately reveal themselves as sympathetic and deeply sad.

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Review: `Golden Compass' Is Lackluster

2008-01-05T03:39:00.003-08:00

Dakota Blue Richards

Nicole Kidman's presence in the elaborate fantasy flick "The Golden Compass" is emblematic of the movie itself: aesthetically lush but ultimately cold to the touch.

This adaptation of the first novel in British writer Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy has some fanciful moments but never achieves the sense of awe-inspiring wonder of the "Lord of the Rings" films, to which comparisons will be inevitable. It's also probably too scary for a lot of kids, with its themes of totalitarianism and mind control; adults, meanwhile, may find it hard to take seriously, despite how seriously it takes itself.

Writer-director Chris Weitz ("About a Boy") takes on the biggest project of his life with this CGI-filled spectacle, which he also had to cram with tons of exposition to set up a potential series. The visual highlight is supposed to be the battle between two powerful, armored polar bears, voiced with ire and gravitas by Ian McKellen and Ian McShane; since this is the film's signature sequence and we know it's coming, much of "The Golden Compass" feels like a waiting game until it arrives.

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Review: Cusack Wrings Tears With `Grace'

2008-01-05T03:39:00.001-08:00

Grace is Gone

Previous war-on-terror dramas this year have fallen short by putting their heads before their hearts. Not "Grace Is Gone."

It's stirring, even gut-wrenching, on the strength of John Cusack's terrifically restrained performance as a husband in denial over the death of his wife in Iraq.

This is a film that provoked a full-on case of the weepies among crowds at its Sundance Film Festival premiere last January, so unless you've had your tear ducts removed, bring along some tissue.

The debut film from writer-director James C. Strouse, "Grace Is Gone" might be shamefully manipulative if not for the naturalistic interplay and awkward empathy Cusack creates with the two young actresses playing his daughters.

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Review: `Atonement' a Dazzling Romance

2008-01-05T03:38:00.004-08:00

Keira Knightley, left, and James McAvoy

Those ruby-red lips puffing away at a delicately hand-rolled cigarette, those shoulder blades jutting like weapons from a knockout of a backless, emerald-green gown Keira Knightley would seem to be starring in an elegant period drama, one that's predictably and self-consciously reserved.

"Atonement" is anything but. It changes again and again, lulling us in with its glamorous trappings before turning sexy, suspenseful, richly romantic and achingly sad. And if you haven't read the Ian McEwan best-selling novel that inspired it, you'll be dazzled by its twist of an ending.

Joe Wright, who directed Knightley to an Academy Award nomination for 2005's "Pride & Prejudice," rejoins most of his technical team from that film for this decades-spanning story of jealousy, betrayal, damage and repentance. Where his Jane Austen adaptation reveled in the gritty reality of the time, here he luxuriates in high style everything has a shimmering, dreamlike sheen about it, perhaps as an homage to the sweeping, historical romances of long ago but without lapsing into parody. It's just exceptionally well-crafted.

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Review: Guy Ritchie's `Revolver'

2008-01-05T03:38:00.003-08:00

Jason Statham

If a spoiler alert is needed for a panel of real-life psychiatrists, consider yourself forewarned.

That's how Guy Ritchie's "Revolver" ends: with a series of brief clips of psychiatrists explaining the difference between the id and ego. Not exactly the Death Star exploding, is it?

Our experts have nothing directly to do with the plot, but they're there to help explain the mess of a movie that has preceded them. "Revolver" is a hard-boiled crime flick with its mayhem aimed at the inner workings of the mind.

It's filled with constant inner monologues, Machiavelli quotes and enough chess theory to make Bobby Fischer blush. All of this makes up the subtext to "Revolver," which is otherwise the usual style-over-substance theatrics of Richie, whose films include "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch" but who is best known as Mr. Material Girl.

Jake Green (Jason Statham) is a con man who has been released from prison after seven years of solitary confinement. Somehow during this period, through some kind of prison-wall osmosis, he's been schooled by his jailed neighbors on the art of war, deception and chess.

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Review: `Juno' a Small Comic Charmer

2008-01-05T03:38:00.001-08:00

ennifer Garner, left, Jason Bateman, center, and Ellen Page

Juno MacGuff is the kind of teenager we all wish we could have been: quick-witted, frighteningly intelligent beyond her years and comfortable enough in her own skin to resist those incessant high-school pressures to conform, even as her body expands with an unplanned pregnancy.

And "Juno" is the kind of movie all indie comedies wish they could be: light and lovable, perhaps a bit too pleased with the cleverness of its dialogue, but a small charmer nonetheless.

It's also sure to make a star of the appealing Ellen Page, who had already proven she could be a tiny force of nature in the tense but little-seen "Hard Candy." Page absolutely shines in this second feature from director Jason Reitman, who once again shows a deft touch with tone following his 2006 debut, "Thank You for Smoking." There's a lovely openness to her face, an accessibility to her demeanor, even when she's being smart-alecky and cynical.

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Review: `August Rush'

2008-01-05T03:37:00.003-08:00

August Rush

There are precious movies and then there are movies about 11-year-old orphans following "the music."

In this respect, "August Rush" is on another level. We need to break out a whole new definition of cheesiness for a film like this, augmented by fake tears and vomit gestures.

"August Rush" begins with a boy (Freddie Highmore) standing in an open field where the surrounding sounds the wind, the trees, the grass swirl like a symphony in his head. In a whispering voice-over, he says: "I believe in music the way that some people believe in fairy tales."

"August Rush" thus proceeds in fairy-tale fashion, though it's more unrealistic than surrealistic. Without any tangible evidence, our protagonist senses his parents are still alive and that he just needs to make music loud enough so they can hear him (sort of like the ethos behind a Coldplay album).

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Review: Tension Builds in `The Mist'

2008-01-05T03:37:00.001-08:00

The Mist

The first two times Frank Darabont adapted and directed a story by Stephen King "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile" the results were dramatically compelling and duly acclaimed, but they didn't leave you tensed up and terrified in your seat.

They weren't trying to. "The Mist" is, and it succeeds beautifully.

It's a reflection of both men's horror roots in the late '80s, Darabont wrote the remake of "The Blob," the third "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie and "The Fly II" and King ... well, you know who he is but it's also a welcome return to the kind of subtle, slowly building scares we don't see anymore in this overly graphic age of torture porn.

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Review: Say `I Don't' to `Margot'

2008-01-05T03:36:00.006-08:00

Jennifer Jason Leigh, left, and Jack Black

With 2005's "The Squid and the Whale," writer-director Noah Baumbach created characters who were smart, witty, sad, vulnerable and, above all else, laceratingly verbal.

With "Margot at the Wedding," he's got the laceratingly verbal part down, but he left out all the rest.

In this claustrophobic homage to the French New Wave (the title seems to be an allusion to Eric Rohmer's "Pauline at the Beach"), Baumbach depicts sibling rivalry not as something fragile and evolving but as blood sport.

Nicole Kidman stars as Margot, an accomplished Manhattan short-story writer who travels with her adolescent son, Claude (Zane Pais), to the East Coast island where she grew up for the wedding of her estranged hippie-chick sister, Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

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Review: `Beowulf' Sexes Up Epic Poem

2008-01-05T03:36:00.005-08:00

Beowulf

The name "Beowulf" alone surely will inspire painful memories of high-school English class and pangs of dread.

Never fear. This 3-D animated "Beowulf" is more like "300," only with more violence, if that's possible. And nudity lots and lots of nudity.

Director Robert Zemeckis, using the same performance-capture technology he introduced with 2004's "The Polar Express," takes on the epic Old English poem by sexing it up. It's the cinematic equivalent of slipping pureed spinach into your kids' brownies.

Adapted by Neil Gaiman (the "Sandman" comics) and Roger Avary (who co-wrote "Pulp Fiction"), the film follows the mythic Viking hero who emerges from the sea to rid a Danish kingdom of the bloody, raging, pus-covered monster Grendel (played with pathos and twisted physicality by Crispin Glover). Only then can there be much merrymaking and mead-drinking and wench-bedding.

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Review: `Magorium' Forces the Magic

2008-01-05T03:36:00.003-08:00

Dustin Hoffman, left, and Natalie Portman

You'd have to be a really little kid we're talking young enough to be enthralled by colorful, shiny objects and oblivious to the necessity of character development to want to hang out at "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium."

With wild hair and an annoying accent, Dustin Hoffman looks completely uncomfortable as the titular impresario, a childlike eccentric who doesn't just sell toys but whose store is a living being with feelings.

Now, at age 243, he decides it's time to leave (read: die, inexplicably) and hand the keys over to store manager Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman in full-on pixie mode), a former piano prodigy who's stuck creatively. (Ah, the irony she works at a place that encourages creativity!) Only Mahoney doesn't feel ready for the challenge, and the store throws a temper tantrum to keep Magorium from going.

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Review: Emotion Deficient In Cholera

2008-01-05T03:36:00.001-08:00

Giovanna Mezzogiorno, left, and Benjamin Bratt

A lot of the great delight of reading an writer like Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the truth that you're reading him that you're granting yourself to turn absorbed in his flamboyant phraseology and bright descriptions, that he's taking you to a amply realized lieu, and that you're knuckling under, gladly.

When a author phonation is as distinguishing as the Colombian Nobel Prize winner's, it's hard to duplicate it on-screen, even though director Mike Newell and screenwriter Ronald Harwood remain for the most part loyal to "Love in the Time of Cholera" in their wildly blemished version of Garcia Marquez' brooming 1985 novel about a decades-old loving fixation.

Harwood won an Academy Award for his version of "The Pianist"; here, he conserves much of the master copy dialogue, but the signification and emotion behind it is often oddly deficient. So when the graceful Dr. Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) guarantees his pure bride (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) on their honeymoon, "This is going to be a example in love," a line that might have looked palatable on the page clangs on the ear alternatively.

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Review: Southland Tales Spin Meaningless

2008-01-05T03:35:00.001-08:00

Southland Tales

"Southland Tales" writer-director Richard Kelly set out to say a impressive funny adventure about an apocalypse close at hand. With boundless aspiration far exceeding his power to narrate a logical story, Kelly manages only an artistic apocalypse.

Irksomely self-important, by choice cryptic and littered, "Southland Tales" may strain the patience even of the cult crowd that adopted Kelly's 1st movie, "Donnie Darko," a cinematic riddle that looks positively mainstream side by side to this fiasco.

There are ingenious moments here and there. But taken altogether, you're left enquiring if the eclectic cast which lets in Sarah Michelle Gellar, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson," Seann William Scott, Mandy Moore and Justin Timberlake had any hint what the story was about.

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The Hobbit Movies Are Coming, But Will They Be Any Good?

2008-01-04T12:24:00.003-08:00

Like most sentient beings, I loved the Lord of the Rings films. I didn't convert my parents' basement into the Shire or shave hair off the dog and glue it to my feet or write my diary in an elfin language or anything like that -- but upon leaving the screening for Fellowship of the Ring I did call a friend and say, "I want to drive my car off a bridge so that I can die with Lord of the Rings having been the last movie I saw." Which, OK, might have been overstating it slightly. But still.Remember those three glorious years when we got a new LOTR every Christmas? It was so sad when 2004 rolled around and all we got was Lemony Snicket and National Treasure.

But then we remembered: There's another Lord of the Rings book that Peter Jackson could adapt! It's The Hobbit, and it's a prequel! Ian Holm couldn't play Bilbo (he's young in the book), but Ian McKellen could still play Gandalf! As long as Peter Jackson was directing and someone named Ian was in the cast, it would be just like getting another LOTR movie!

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Michael Bay Promises a Passel of New and Unique 'Bots for Transformers 2

2008-01-04T12:24:00.001-08:00

Transformers

Directing a movie that has rolled up over $706 million in worldwide grosses can leave a guy feeling festive on New Year's Eve -- as Michael Bay's fans found out when they visited his official site in the waning moments of 2007.

In a post titled "Happy New Year," Bay thanked his webmaster, wished "EVERYONE" -- presumably even the critics who sniffed at Transformers, sending it to 57 percent on the Tomatometer -- a happy New Year, and shared the tiniest of tidbits about the forthcoming Transformers 2. To wit:

For the millions of viewers that logged on this year I want to thank you for the support. Transformers 2 will be coming soon. The new robots are really really unique and there are a lot of them this time.

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Michael Stahl-David Talks Cloverfield

2008-01-04T12:23:00.004-08:00

Cloverfield

It's been somewhat lost in all the excitement surrounding January releases such as One Missed Call and Mad Money, but there's a little monster flick called Cloverfield coming out this month -- and one of the movie's stars, Michael Stahl-David, is here with a new interview to help us remember where to spend our ticket money on the 18th!

Stahl-David sat down with ShockTillYouDrop's Ryan Rotten to talk about his experiences behind the scenes of the J.J. Abrams-produced Cloverfield, admitting he "thought it was something I was going to be completely embarrassed of" before discussing the way director Matt Reeves used handheld cameras and improv to bring his vision to life:

"It felt like we were on a search for truth together...[Reeves] wasn't going to make me do something I didn't feel was real. If there was something on the script I didn't feel quite like it would happen in that moment, we wouldn't do it. I would say something else, do something else. It wasn't about trying to be clever and come up with your own stuff. It's not a very talky movie, it was more about questioning what would you do in this situation? What would I do?

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David Cross Defends Alvin and the Chipmunks Role

2008-01-04T12:23:00.003-08:00

Critics, bloggers, movie website readers -- pretty much anybody who knows their way around a keyboard have voiced their "concern" for Alvin and the Chipmunks. (Though with $150 million in the bank after only three weeks, the rodents are doing well with the average man on the street and his family.) But enough is enough, says David Cross, and he's countering with a lengthy tirade of his own.

Cross, who plays a sleazeball record exec in the movie, writes on the Bob and David site:

"I am not stupid nor unobservant. I knew going into this movie that I would be eating a lot of delicious s--t for it. Usually I wouldn't give a s--t about what everyone's feelings are about it, but I wasn't prepared for the level, or amount I should say, of vitriol that's been flung about like so much monkey poo."

Goaded into action after remarks from fellow comedian Patton Oswalt, Cross presents four-and-a-half reasons why he took the role and why some criticisms are out of place:

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Extradition Sought in DiCaprio Attack

2008-01-04T12:23:00.001-08:00

Leonardo DiCaprio

Police will seek the extradition of a woman accused of fleeing to Canada after slashing Leonardo DiCaprio with a broken beer bottle at a party in 2005, authorities said.

Aretha Wilson, 37, has been in custody for several months in Toronto in connection with an aggravated assault case there and is a suspect in other assault cases, Los Angeles police Detective Steve Ramirez said Thursday.

Prosecutors are awaiting a formal communication from police before they launch an inquiry into whether the charge against Wilson is an extraditable offense, district attorney's office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.

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Lawyer: Lohan Is Back on Sobriety Track

2008-01-04T12:22:00.001-08:00

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan rang in the New Year drinking champagne in Italy, her lawyer says, but is "back on track" in terms of sobriety.

A video obtained by The Associated Press shows Lohan, who spent much of 2007 in and out of rehab, taking a swig from a champagne bottle while in Capri, Italy.

"After being handed a champagne bottle while on a dance floor in Italy on New Year's Eve and drinking from it, the good news is that Lindsay immediately stopped, called her sponsor, and got herself back on track," her attorney, Blair Berk, said Thursday in a statement. "There is no magic cure here."

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Survey: Depp Remains No. 1 at Box Office

2008-01-04T12:21:00.003-08:00

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp pillaged the most money for theaters in 2007, in a survey of movie exhibitors.

Depp star of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" has nabbed the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.

The survey, conducted every year since 1932, asks movie exhibitors to vote for the 10 stars who generated the most box-office revenue for their theaters.

Will Smith, now starring in "I Am Legend," placed second on the list, followed by George Clooney, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Will Ferrell and Tom Hanks.

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`Harry Potter' Star Donates Eyeglasses

2008-01-04T12:21:00.001-08:00

Daniel Radcliffe, who has captivated moviegoers as the bespectacled schoolboy wizard in the Harry Potter films, has donated the first pair of glasses he wore as a child to an exhibition marking the horrors of the Holocaust.

The British actor joins Yoko Ono, talk show host Jerry Springer, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other celebrities and members of the public whose spectacles will be linked together in the shape of a railway track recalling the trains that carried many of the Nazis' victims to concentration camps throughout Europe. An estimated 6 million Jews died.

The exhibition in Liverpool will open Jan. 21. The port city in northwest England will host Britain's Holocaust Day commemorative service on Jan. 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Muslim leaders are to attend the multicultural service, which is the culmination of a series of lectures, exhibitions, stage shows and musical events recalling the Nazi atrocities and more recent genocides. Jason Isaacs, who stars as the sinister Lucius Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" films, will also take part in the service.

The 18-year-old Radcliffe, whose mother is Jewish, sent the oval, gray metal-framed pair of glasses he wore as a 6-year-old.

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`Blood' Is a Breakthrough for Anderson

2008-01-04T12:20:00.003-08:00

Bill Germanakos

In the last conversation Paul Thomas Anderson had with Robert Altman, his friend and mentor told him: "I think this film is something different for you."

"It was so sweet," Anderson recently recalled. "He had no reason to base it on anything except just a feeling."

Altman died in November 2006, a month before Anderson planned to show him a rough cut of "There Will Be Blood."

But Altman's hunch turned out to be accurate.

Anderson's new movie stands apart from his first four films "Sydney" (aka "Hard Eight"), "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia" and "Punch-Drunk Love." And it's been hailed as one of the best films of the year and a remarkable advancement for a maturing auteur.

"Your paranoia becomes `What ... does that mean? Does that mean at the expense of the other films this is something else?'" the 37-year-old writer-director said. "But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself."

The scruffy Anderson speaks passionately about film and can discuss movie history with authority. When he began directing in his early 20s, he was seen as an L.A.-bred cinematic phenom who quickly became a star in the '90s independent film scene, specializing in movies set in his native San Fernando Valley.

With large ensemble casts, ever-moving cameras, memorable music and lengthy running times, Anderson established a bold style. This, combined with realistically flawed, often desperate characters, made Anderson not just a film-geek hero, but a sought-after talent.

Anderson's previous films all had notable autobiographical elements, but for "There Will Be Blood," he sought to expand outside of himself and began the script as a loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel "Oil!"

The director used roughly the first 100 pages of Sinclair's book and drew on other sources, particularly Margaret Leslie Davis' 1998 biography of oil tycoon Edward Doheny, "The Dark Side of Fortune."

"The benefits of the adaptation was that it helped me do things that my natural instincts wouldn't lead me to do," said Anderson, who acknowledged that, if left to his own devices, he's more liable to "spin off the rails a bit more."

"It was like collaborating with somebody," he said.

The result is a film about the fictional Daniel Plainview, an obsessed turn-of-the-century oil man, brought to life by Daniel Day-Lewis in a titanic performance.

"It was a fully imagined, fully understood world that Paul had already created on the page for me, therefore it was that world, in its entirety, that unleashed a curiosity that can take you, you don't know where," said Day-Lewis.

For a film that's winning raves, it had inauspicious beginnings. Production was postponed for two years to raise financing, and only after shooting began was Paul Dano cast in the supporting role.

"Quite honestly, after all that time, Daniel and I were like caged animals in the starting gate," said Anderson. "And the gate opened and we just fell flat on our faces."

Shooting in the desert of Marfa, Texas, they had to recover quickly.

"We built these sets and we were out there in costumes with cameras and everybody was standing around," Anderson said. "It's a little like, `What else are you going to do?'"

The themes in "There Will Be Blood" aren't what fans of Anderson are accustomed to. It largely deals with the heartless, indomitable will of big business in America.

Anderson, who watched John Huston's "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" (1948) repeatedly while writing "There Will Be Blood," acknowledged those ideas came out of negative thoughts about what he called the "boys network" of business today.

"It's fun thinking about that stuff: shadowy organizations, underhanded deals, investment banking I don't know," laughed Anderson. "I like Daniel Plainview a lot, and that makes it personal. He's mad and I know it and I don't want to really be hanging out with him a lot. He's great. I understand what he's going through; I understand where he's coming from."

What Anderson recognizes in Plainview is his single-mindedness in pursuit. Anderson has a reputation for fighting passionately for his films and has previously battled with studios.

His first film "Sydney" (1996) was taken away from him by the production company, Rysher Entertainment. The company changed the title to "Hard Eight" and cut it considerably. It was submitted to the Cannes Film Festival, but Anderson also sent his own cut, titled "Sydney," which the festival selected.

There were also disputes over the length of 1997's "Boogie Nights" (156 minutes) and 1999's "Magnolia" (188 minutes). But Anderson, who received a screenwriting Oscar nomination for both movies, says he now can see the point about their length.

"`Magnolia' needed it, and I certainly wish I could take 15 or 20 minutes out of that film," he said. "I don't miss scenes at all the way that I used to miss them when I was younger making a film. It's actually quite fun to get rid of them now."

"There Will Be Blood" still clocks in at 158 minutes, but Anderson said there was no friction with the studios (Paramount Vantage and Miramax Films) except for what he called "the YouTube Incident of 2007."

While editing the movie last summer, Anderson decided to enliven things by cutting a trailer, which he posted on YouTube. The simplicity of the process not dealing with the studio or the Motion Picture Association of America was "like a filmmaker's fantasy."

"And the studio went nuts," he said, smiling about his mischief. "We put it up on Friday and I remember they called on Saturday morning at 6 a.m.: `Do you know there's this thing on YouTube?' I said, `Yeah, we put it there.' They were like, `What the hell are you doing? Are you mad?'"

The trailer's warm reception pacified the executives, Anderson said, and ever since "There Will Be Blood" has rode a wave of good publicity and honors, including a Golden Globe nomination for best drama.

The whole experience reminds Anderson who has a child with his partner, "Saturday Night Live" cast member Maya Rudolph of the crazed mining of Daniel Plainview.

"You feel like a bottom feeder at the bottom of this dark tunnel, chipping away at something that you're not quite sure is there and even if it is there, you're not quite sure what it's worth," he said. "I can completely relate to that fever and insanity that happens and takes over."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Jessica Alba Engaged to Baby's Father

2008-01-04T12:20:00.001-08:00

Jessica Alba, right, and Cash Warren

Pregnancy has been an engaging experience for Jessica Alba.

The 26-year-old actress, who announced earlier this month that she's expecting, is now engaged to her boyfriend and the baby's father, producer Cash Warren.

"I can confirm that they are engaged," Alba's publicist, Brad Cafarelli, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday.

The couple is expecting their first child in late spring or early summer, Cafarelli said.

Alba stars in the thriller "Awake," and recently appeared in "Good Luck Chuck" and "The Ten." The sex symbol first gained fame as an action star on TV's "Dark Angel," then in films including "Fantastic Four" and "Sin City."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Madonna Directorial Debut at Berlin Fest

2008-01-04T12:19:00.004-08:00

Madonna

Madonna's debut movie as a director will have its world premiere at the annual Berlin film festival in February.

"Filth and Wisdom," starring Eugene Hutz, Richard E. Grant and Stephen Graham, will screen in the Panorama section, outside the main competition, a festival statement said Thursday.

Organizers didn't specify whether the 49-year-old singer will come to Berlin to present the movie.

The event, which runs from Feb. 7-17, is the first of the year's major European film festivals.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Judge to Connery, Neighbors: Stop Suing

2008-01-04T12:19:00.003-08:00

Sean Connery

The legal dispute between Sean Connery and his downstairs neighbors has a fed-up judge telling both sides to cool it.

In court papers, Burton Sultan calls his neighbor Connery, 77, the antithesis of the suave secret agent he played in numerous James Bond films, branding him "a bully who ignores norms of neighborliness and decency" in the town house they share.

Connery and his wife claim the Sultan family's complaints have delayed needed repairs to the roof, imperiling the Connerys and raising the repair costs.

In a decision made public Wednesday, State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman tossed out many of the Sultans' claims but slammed the Connerys for what she called their "blunderbuss" legal salvos.

She barred both sides from filing any more lawsuits without her permission, saying they "have engaged in a 'slash and burn' litigation strategy."

Connery's lawyer and publicist and Sultan's lawyer did not immediately return telephone messages Thursday.

The sides have clashed repeatedly over the Connerys' years-long renovations to their part of the six-story, landmarked 1869 town house. The Sultans claim the renovations have subjected them to noise, fumes, leaks and rats, ruining their collection of antique wicker furniture.

Connery played the British secret agent known as 007 in 1962's "Dr. No." He reprised the role in such Bond classics as "From Russia With Love," "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Despite Buzz, Amy Adams Has Doubts

2008-01-04T12:19:00.001-08:00

Amy Adams

For all the buzz Amy Adams has earned with her performance as a princess in Disney's "Enchanted," she still has doubts about her career path.

"Am I doing it right?" she said. "I don't think all success and failure is judged by a career. I'm not married. I don't have children. Sometimes I wish I read more books than scripts. Did I choose the right road?"

Adams, 33, told Newsweek in its edition that hits newsstands Monday that she's even having trouble sleeping.

"I drew a picture of myself in the third grade of what I would be when I grew up. I had red hair, and oddly enough, I was in a very nice gown. Oh no! I've got red hair and wear nice gowns. I've fulfilled all my childhood dreams. Now what?"

Now what for Adams will be appearances in "Doubt," a story about two nuns wrestling with allegations of sexual abuse in their parish, and "Sunshine Cleaning," a dark comedy about two sisters who open a crime scene cleanup business.

"I love doing stuff that you haven't seen before," she told the magazine. "I'm bound to fail. But as painful as it would be in the moment, I'll be looking forward to it. It'll be a relief to get it over with."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Johnny Depp vs. Tom Hanks: Who Ya Got?

2008-01-04T12:18:00.002-08:00

Johnny Depp

Once again, it’s a weekend battle of head-to-head stars and this week is positively titanic in scope. We've got two monumental talents whose genius and charisma have propelled them both to the very top of the Hollywood food chain. In this corner, we have funnyman-turned-producer, writer, director and, almost I forgot, back-to-back Oscar award winning actor, Mr. Tom Hanks, ladies and gentlemen! And in this corner we've got one of the most successful guys in the world, heartthrob-turned-indie-film- god-turned-heartthrob-A-Lister: Mr. Johnny Depp! You know the rules. Let’s drop the cage. Two men enter! One man leaves!In the box office this weekend: Winner = Hanks Thank god, an easy one to start off with. First of all, Hanks will win this in a walk, but mostly due to the fact that Depp's Sweeney Todd is opening limited before its wide release. Once Sweeney goes wide, however, methinks the musical starring every 17-year-old girls' favorite pirate will rapidly outpace the sharp political comedy of Charlie Wilson's War; though, both of these films will no doubt get their tails handed to them by National Treasure 2. In the critical arena: Winner = Tie This is going to be split evenly. As far as acting goes, much critical love will find its way to Depp, who stretches his chops by playing a lovesick madman bent on revenge… and who also sings. Hanks, on the other hand, does a fine, fine job with Charlie Wilson's War, but has Philip Seymour Hoffman acting circles around him, which is something every critic will be quick to note in their reviews. HOWEVER, Sweeney Todd is finding itself a bit uneven in the reviews, and there are scads of critics out there who love to lie in wait and ambush Tim Burton at every opportunity. But Charlie Wilson's War has been finding a lot of critical love over all. So yeah, a tie. In their careers: Winner = Tie Both of these guys are at the top of their games with only a few real differences between them. Hanks has two Oscars while Depp still gets to be that guy that deserves them but hasn't gotten them. Depp is still a heartthrob with a young, devoted audience while Hanks is that comfortable, safe actor that plays very well to older crowds. Both bring in huge crowds and prick up the ears of pretty much everyone when it is announced that they are in a particular movie. The winner in this category is more of a it-depends-on-who-you-ask sort of basis. So yeah, another tie. In a fight: Winner = Whoever gets to see it I don't foresee this fight as having a clear winner. It could go either way and the only real winner would be the guy whose camera phone caught the whole thing. Winner = Us Let's face it; whenever EITHER of these guys makes a movie, we win. They are the kind of actors who rarely, if ever, make bad films and even when they do, it is worth watching for them. Both of these films rock HARD, and the only real winners are the people who get to see them both. That would be us.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Report: Pitt Pulls Out of Universal Film

2008-01-04T12:18:00.001-08:00

Brad Pitt has backed out of a Universal Pictures movie set to begin filming this year, a newspaper reported.

"State of Play" was to star Pitt as a political consultant-turned-journalist who helps investigate the death of a congressman's mistress.

The actor left the production Wednesday, Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety reported on its Web site.

"Brad Pitt has left the Universal Pictures production of 'State of Play,'" the studio said in a statement. "We remain committed to this project and to the filmmakers, cast members, crew and others who are also involved in making the movie. We reserve all rights in this matter."

A message left early Friday for Pitt's publicist, Cindy Guagenti, was not immediately returned.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Tim Burton Making 3-D Alice in Wonderland for Disney

2007-11-17T10:49:00.001-08:00

He's already taken filmgoers to Sleepy Hollow and into Willy Wonka's factory -- and now, Variety reports, Tim Burton will team up with Disney to give audiences a new take on Alice in Wonderland.

Burton's Wonderland is part of a new two-picture deal with Disney, one which will also find him bringing an expanded version of his 1984 short film, Frankenweenie, to theaters. Oh, and did we mention that both pictures will be shown in 3-D? Read on:

"Alice in Wonderland"...will combine performance-capture imagery, currently seen in "Beowulf," with live-action footage.

After "Alice," Burton will helm and produce "Frankenweenie," based on his 1984 short film about a pet dog brought back to life by his loyal owner. Pic will be shot in stop-motion animation and shown in digital 3-D.

As the article points out, Disney has been looking to increase its 3-D presence for some time now, and new technology has only helped fuel the studio's ardor. Disney's Oren Aviv tells Variety that Burton was the only director the studio wanted for the Alice script, proving that occasionally, the studio heads really do know what they're doing.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Big Batch O' Super Hot Daily Links: Weekend Edition

2007-11-17T10:48:00.002-08:00

We've got a preview of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show which allows me to link to one of the better things I've ever written - a live diary of the 2006 proceedings.MTV was permitted to speak to Natalie Portman for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium because they don't have a restraining order against them like certain website writers.

New poster for Wall-E. Um, okay.

I always enjoy it when major media outlets have to bash a film.

Finally someone has the courage to ask "What does the strike mean for the actors?"

Will the strike affect the Awards Season? Definitive answer: Maybe.

Has McG confirmed for Terminator IV?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has completed casting... so sorry if you were still waiting on a phone call there.

No more Bionic Wednesdays? What will my friends and I do?

ME LIKE NEW HULK PHOTO. Sorry, couldn't resist. We'll continue in non-Hulk speak going forward.

Tom Cruise as Hugh Hefner? It sounds so awful I'm praying it happens.

The name of Cloverfield is Cloverfield. They should have called it Snakes on a Plane 2008 because that's what we're headed for given the hype to substance ratio.

If Outlaw Vern reviews Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer we're morally obligated to link to it.

The nine most racist Disney characters.

Our song of the day is a throwback, "Particle Man" from They Might Be Giants.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Rumor We're Starting: Calvin & Hobbes: The Movie!

2007-11-17T10:48:00.001-08:00

We get tired of reporting nothing but news stories and valid opinions, so we thought we'd branch out with some blatantly false (but oddly believable) rumormongering. Try it! It's fun!In development: Calvin & Hobbes: The Movie.

Bill Watterson is legendary for being reluctant to license his beloved comic strip characters, but Paramount Pictures has finally convinced him that they'll treat the mischievous boy and his pet tiger with the respect they deserve. And what a treat they have in store for us!

The brilliant comedy director Adam Shankman -- who made such masterpieces as The Wedding Planner, Bringing Down the House, The Pacifier, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, before selling out with Hairspray -- will direct Calvin & Hobbes: The Movie, and he promises to make it the kind of family comedy America loves. That's right, folks: plenty of fart jokes!

Paramount is looking for an unknown actor to play Calvin, while the rest of the cast is chock-full of superstars. Calvin's boring parents will be played by Eugene Levy and Amanda Peet, while Hobbes will be CGI and voiced by Jim Carrey.

The story is being kept mostly under wraps, but here's what we know: it focuses on a 6-year-old boy named Calvin who's sassy, precocious, and doesn't take no for an answer! His best friend is his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes to life when no one's around. Together they get into all sorts of trouble!

Calvin's favorite pastime is urinating on the Chevrolet logo. Whenever he sees it, he pees on it! In the film, the Ford Motor Company finds out about this and wants to hire Calvin as their new spokesperson. Before you can say "transmogrifier," Calvin and Hobbes are whisked off to Hollywood, where Calvin quickly becomes a celebrity. (Paris Hilton has promised to make a cameo in the scene where Calvin sneaks into an exclusive L.A. nightclub.) He wreaks havoc on the studio lot where his Ford commercials are being filmed, and he's always making a mess of things!

Meanwhile, Hobbes tries to be a real "cool cat" and keep Calvin out of trouble. Hoo boy, does he ever have his work cut out for him! You can expect lots of hilarious scenes where Calvin accidentally destroys things, or where he says something that adults find offensive. But hey, Calvin's just keepin' it real!

Calvin & Hobbes: The Movie will open May 28, 2009. Three sequels have already been greenlighted.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Heavy Times Call for Happy Movies

2007-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago our man Dre had some harsh words for the people of America about how we are shunning serious movies in lieu of fanciful ones. My retort? So what? Yeah, we're shunning serious movies. And while many of the ones Dre listed failed for reasons other than being serious (i.e., they were total crap), there is a definite upturn of the nose by audiences against solid, entertaining, serious fare. Like last weekend's Lions For Lambs. Why?We're tired. We're sick to death. We just don't want to hear it anymore. Is there anyone left in this country who thinks war is a good thing? Is there anyone who is glad that we're at war? Is there anyone still itching to hear more about it? No. Not at all. There are very few people left still enamored with the President and even fewer satisfied with his opposition in Congress. And if there's a truly worthy person ready to take his job and inspire us all out of our slump on either side of the aisle, I sure haven't seen him or her yet. No matter what side of the fence you sit on, we can all agree on one thing: we're tired of all the yelling. We're sick of all the bickering. And when we go to the movies we don't want someone to give us something else to have to worry about.

We want fantasy. We want explosions. We want teen sex comedies with a heavy emphasis on the teen, the sex and especially the comedy. We want to watch a giant robot blow up a building and we want to see it from 13 different angles. We want to watch John Cusack fall in love with the girl next door that he hasn't seen in 20 years over and over and over again until he gets it right. We want Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn to break out in an unending string of jokes about their private parts and what they want to do with them. And we want all of that to come with a side of fries and a big old heaping helping of happy ending.

So what in the hell is wrong with that?

I want you to do me a favor. Next time you're wondering aloud why the box office is in a slump and why audiences are staying away from the cinema, ask yourself this: are the endings happy? Are the movies designed to entertain rather than preach? Are the audiences seeing the films walking out with smiles on their faces? These are not happy times. Heavy, thoughtful movies are great for happy times. These are heavy times. Give us something happy and don't begrudge us the need for a pick-me-up when we're laying down a ten spot at the box office. You don't tell a depressed person about Africa. You buy them a puppy. So what's really wrong with the cinematic version of that?

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Interview: Denzel Washington talks American Gangster

2007-11-16T10:19:00.003-08:00

Critically acclaimed and professionally lauded, Denzel Washington has taken home two Oscars and a stack of praise for performances in films like Training Day, Malcolm X and Remember the Titans. In 2004 he worked with Tony Scott on Man on Fire, following up with Deja Vu last year. And with the release of American Gangster he marks his first association with the other Scott brother, Ridley, in a true-to-life tale as drug-dealer Frank Lucas, pursued in 1970's America by Russell Crowe's Detective Richie Roberts. The film, released in the UK on November 16th, is Certified Fresh, and Rotten Tomatoes caught up with Washington to find out more.

This is a really big film and it's an interesting and twisted character that you play, what about him drew you to it?

Denzel Washington: Actually, it was as much about the two characters. That one man appears to be so straight and honest in his police work is so dishonest in his private life. Another man who seems to be so dishonest in his work life is so honest in his private life. And how these two guys came together and actually, to this day, are still friends. I thought it was an excellent opportunity to work with a great actor again and, actually, a great filmmaker. To be in my home town!

Frank Lucas is really a bad guy, but he has this integrity and honesty in his private life, as you say, how did you find that in yourself?

DW: As he said to me over and over, he said, "Denzel, it's a dirty business and if you choose to be in it you've got to be dirty." There are no nice heroin dealers, they don't make it, and they end up on the sidewalk. You're dealing with crooks all the time; it's just a den of thieves. As he said to me many a time, he said, "I would tell you once." I said, "What if they just slipped up?" He said, "I would tell you once." That was his reputation. You just didn't cross Frank Lucas; you didn't get the opportunity to cross him.

What were your scenes with Russell Crowe like?

DW: We had one big scene together and it was just like good music, you know, it's seamless. We started doing this whole business with this coffee cup. Maybe I slid it to him first, and he'd slide it back and start knocking it off the table. It was just a good chess match.

You worked with him years ago, what was it like getting to do that again?

DW: Well he's a bit more famous now! He was very eager then and he still is; still intense. He's a family man now; he has a beautiful wife and children. And just his life experience had grown, you know, he's been through a lot. Professionally, you're so in the work that none of that matters. You just get on with it.

He has a history with Ridley Scott, they've made several films together now and I would imagine they have something of a shorthand. Did you feel a bit left out when you were discussing scenes?

DW: No, not at all; It's a collaboration. All of our names are up there and I didn't feel that at all. But getting the opportunity to work with Ridley was great. Ridley's intense and he's obviously a brilliant director. He knows what he's doing, he's a great shot-maker and he knows what to do.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Interview: Brian De Palma Goes To War With Redacted

2007-11-16T10:19:00.001-08:00

Brian De Palma fans beware: his most recent film will make you think that the veteran director has -- to borrow a line from Full Metal Jacket -- been "born again hard." Redacted is a war drama centered on the rape and murder of a fifteen-year-old Iraqi girl at the hands of American soldiers. Based on true events and told in documentary fashion, the movie uses a collage of digital media to portray the heinous crime up-close and personal, giving audience members every reason to look away but also, by doing so, asking us why it's taken so long to cringe.

De Palma's film presents the conflict through every facet available to us, the civilian viewers. His patchwork story expertly addresses the Iraq conflict on its own terms, using the war's own visual language: a soldier's video diary is interwoven with a French documentary about military check points, which gets mixed in with Arab TV broadcasts, security camera footage from the army base, internet blogs by wives of the enlisted, webcam chats, recordings of judicial inquisitions, clips posted online by terrorists, YouTube rants, and a slew of still images (which ultimately give real-life footnotes to the fictionalized events). The complex style of Redacted feels like a Google search for "Iraq, war crimes." This hyper-abundance of accessible media shows that the horrifying war is not just taking place on the ground in Iraq, but also, literally, in the terrain of cyberspace; a place where everyone with a homepage is a resident, and where the rules of engagement are still being written.

Yet despite this daring strategy, the response to Redacted has been ambivalent. Critics, who currently give the film a 57 percent Tomatometer rating, point to flaws in the dramatic logic and a few misjudged performances. But similar problems plague most movies, and these mistakes do not detract from the emotional impact of Redacted or tarnish the film's craftsmanship in any way. When was the last time you saw a movie with a fifteen-minute shot, handheld, at night, that exposes the true nature of every main character? To disparage Redacted for technical reasons is to miss -- or, perhaps, to willfully avoid -- its rich, textured, and honest depiction of how the Iraq war is being waged for an audience.

Checkpoint tedium in Redacted

In short, De Palma has made a movie that could only exist in the 21st century, about a war that could only be waged in the 21st century. Whatever missteps in direction he has taken do not indicate a flagging talent but instead reveal that, in this warp speed wireless world, the direction has yet to be defined. If we don't fully understand Redacted -- in other words, if it's a difficult film for us to read -- then that's because the narrative language remains incomplete. But by risking a new filmmaking vocabulary, De Palma has begun to create the cinetax.

Rotten Tomatoes recently spoke with Brian De Palma about modern warfare, surfing the web, and how video games might just be the vanguard of storytelling.

People who attend Redacted expecting to see a "Brian De Palma film" are going to be surprised by how different it is from your previous work -- I certainly was. What about this subject matter made you alter your style so significantly?

Brian De Palma: I discovered the form while I was researching the material. I was approached by HDNet to make one of their 5 million dollar movies, on anything I wanted. The only requirement was that it be shot in high definition, and I thought that was great, if I could figure out something that would work best in that medium. When I read about this incident that was so similar to the events in Casualties of War (1989) I did some research on the internet and I came up with all these unique forms where people were expressing themselves in relationship to this incident, and the war in general. That became the shape of the movie. It was a unique way of presenting the material in a format that was interesting to me because it's a whole new way of creating a storyline in this kind of fragmented mock-documentary. My initial idea was to use as much real material as possible, but of course the lawyers told me I couldn't use it because it was too close to the real case, so I was forced to fictionalize everything. I relied very much on the characters in Casualties of War, not knowing much about the actual soldiers except for the prime instigator. There wasn't much information about them. They were all being prosecuted while I was making this movie.

Redacted

Redacted rings very strongly of truth, so even if you had to change the facts, it's one of those stories that's very familiar to people who get up every morning and read the headlines. But it goes much further than that, with all the different points of view that you include, each with its own voice. How did you develop this tapestry?

De Palma: It all emerged from my research. My first task was to get the news stories about the actual case, but since I couldn't use the real news stories I had to fabricate ones using international correspondents who were in Amman, where we shot. So I basically duplicated the original news stories. That was the beginning. Then I read somewhere about this Los Angeles-based Spanish-American filmmaker making a movie from his war diaries to get into NYU Film School -- that was based on something I stumbled upon on the web. I realized that this could provide my principle narrative. And, of course, that idea also comes out of the documentaries I looked at where there were soldiers with cameras recording what's going on, because everyone has a camera over there. I saw all that in the documentaries. Then the attitudes, and the feelings, and frustrations, and the passion about the war, all those were expressed in the soldiers' blogs, and in many independent documentaries that I looked at. So the principal narrative form came from Salazar's personal diary.

Then I had all this information I had to convey about what happens at check points, because this particular unit was on a checkpoint and that's where they saw the girl going in and out every day. There were many, many news stories about accidents at check points and how many people were killed all the time. So I had to present all that information, and I also wanted to slow the movie down. Being deployed in Iraq is incredibly boring most of the time, but then it's punctuated by incredible, crazy violence from out of nowhere. I had to slow the movie down. That's why I created the mock French documentary -- very elegant, Handel music playing from Barry Lyndon -- it slows everything down, and it gets all the statistics across about what happens when people go in and out of check points.

The pacing of the movie was extremely effective, with how you gradually build tension for the frantic violence that happens later on. It sounds like your research process was a micro version of what historians will have to do when they look back on this conflict years from now, in terms of synthesizing a gigantic amount of very specific information.

De Palma: That's what surprises me about the people who are shocked by Redacted, or the portrayal of the soldiers, or the pictures at the end of the film -- all this material is out there! It's like they assume I dreamt this up. It's all there. The problem is, it's not in your mainstream media, so nobody knows about it. But if you get on your Google search engine and put any of these things in, you'll come up with all the same devices that I used, including something like the rant of the protestor. That's one of the few things we were able to buy, actually. That was somebody's rant. We actually bought the rights to that, and I just rewrote it to be played, and the best person to do it was Abigail Savage. But that's an actual rant.

Redacted

It's shocking because it's so familiar, but it's the stuff that you subconsciously try to forget about, you don't want to pay attention to it.

De Palma: I think not many people are doing the kind of research that I was doing. They're watching, you know, what happens to Britney when she takes her daughter to some play group. Those are the kind of things that dominate the web, and YouTube, and whatever. You have to dig a little deeper. But all of this stuff is out there.

There have been other films recently about the Iraq conflict, such as Jarhead and The Kingdom, but you've very intentionally and very effectively adopted a completely different perspective from those: the documentary perspective. Do you feel like a documentary style, for the nature of this war, is the best method for examining it?

De Palma: That's something that I discovered. It's not like I had a plan. In the process of researching I came up with all these unique ways of expression that are completely indigenous to the web. Nobody's ever seen this onscreen before. I have another idea to put in this form, but things have changed in the last six months since I wrote it! There are even newer forms that people have not seen yet. There's all of this new media going on. It's very interesting to tell these types of contemporary stories in this form.

Straight-forward narrative filmmaking essentially would have been Casualties of War, but there's no point in doing that again. I was quite happy with the different forms that I came up with when I researched the material. And who knows; this may be one experimental film that comes and goes, and we move on to whatever. But I feel that there's something here, in Redacted, and I want to experiment with it more, because it's the way that I've noticed my daughters take in information. They're sixteen and eleven, and they sit on their beds with their computers on their stomachs and they browse from thing to thing to thing to thing to thing. They don't go to the theatre and sit down and watch O'Neil for five hours. That's not how they're getting their stories told to them. So, I don't know where it's going, but it's certainly changing.

The uncomfortable reactions to the movie must be coming from not only the disturbing subject matter, but also from the fact that it's a new language. A normal theatergoing audience can't quite comprehend it yet.

De Palma: Exactly correct. To me it's almost atonal. Suddenly you're playing atonal music and people don't know what to make of it. That's what I noticed when I screened it at the beginning, is people had nothing to say afterwards. Basically they were struck dumb. They couldn't process the material. Then the first thing, of course, when you don't understand something, you attack it. "It's not this, it's not this, it's not this." I'll never forget the first time I saw Barry Lyndon, I just wasn't ready to process the way Stanley Kubrick did the movie, and I reacted very strongly against it. The way he told this particular story, with this particular technique. But over the years it's become one of my favorite movies of Kubrick's. Once it gets you into the temporal sense, and the pictorial sense, of the period, of the piece, it all makes perfect sense to you. But when you first see it, you go, "Why all these endless shots, why these zoom-ins -- what's going on here?"

Like Redacted, Barry Lyndon is also a movie where the filmmaker imposed very stringent technical limitations on himself.

De Palma: Exactly correct.

Is there any other reason besides your admiration for Barry Lyndon for why you wanted to use the same music in your movie?

De Palma: I think what was so instructive about Barry Lyndon was how Kubrick slowed down time; using very classical, measured music, he used very elaborate pull-backs. Of course I didn't have the beautiful pictorials that he did. You make the audience study the frame; something that I think people have completely forgotten about.

Redacted

I'd like to dig a little bit deeper, if we can, into what you discovered about the language of digital storytelling. It's such a new phenomenon, and I think Redacted is one of the few films that really prods at the edges of what's possible -- ultra long takes, handheld consumer cameras, relationships developed over the internet, everyone allowed a voice -- it's fascinating. And the other thing about digital media, which is why this war is a perfect topic for it, is the immediacy and the responsiveness of it. You can produce images like a reflex. That's the raw nerve that this film strikes.

De Palma: It's a great new way to deal with narrative forms. It's like things you discover in video games; the way they tell their stories. And of course video games emulate films a lot, and television shows, with their little story sequences within the games. But there was a really big breakthrough when they started to have games where you could approach the world from any place. It didn't go linearly. It was more like a mosaic. You could discover the story from the north, the south, the east, the west, and I said, "Wow."

I remember when I saw my first video game where it was played from a point-of-view shot. It was Colony and this must have been twenty years ago. I was knocked out by it. I said, "Oh my God." The players were perceiving all of this space through a point-of-view shot. And of course that's one of the main building blocks of moviemaking; it's totally cinematic, it doesn't exist in any other art form. I'm always fascinated by what the video games are doing. I truly believe that the creative forces in my generation, instead of being filmmakers, they wanted to be game programmers. They're literally creating spaces and stories. They're constantly discovering new forms. Every six months there's a new game where they push the envelope into something else. And this is also very true of the internet. The other day I discovered BloggerTV, where you have two guys talking about a subject, like an iChat, and it's any topic they want to talk about, like talking heads on television, except it's a discussion about a specific subject instead of people screaming at each. In any event, all this stuff is changing every day. And as I think about doing another film in this form, I'm constantly amazed at the new things that crop up.

Is it a coincidence that you've been influenced by video games, and quite often the "video game mentality" of modern warfare is cited? Is that something you brought into the film, this idea of soldiers being trained by virtual simulation and how that might affect their actions on the battlefield?

De Palma: Yeah, people say that, but the reality of on-the-ground has nothing to do with a videogame. As soon as soldiers get over to Iraq, they get it real fast. You can play every one of the most violent videogames in the world, and it doesn't give you a clue about what it's like to really be deployed in Iraq. A comparison is ridiculous.

Redacted

As far as the actors whom you chose to portray the soldiers, none of them will be recognizable faces to an audience, but I thought all of their performances were convincing. Private Flake was an incredibly frightening character.

De Palma: It's interesting that you say that, because that's one of the main criticisms I get all the time, "Oh, these actors are overacting; they're a bunch of amateurs." Ridiculous! I mean, they're acting in relationship to what situation they're in. When they're in barrage, they behave like warriors at the post, because that's what they're supposed to look like; that's how the director wanted them to look, and the actors take on a personae and an acting style appropriate for that form. When they're being filmed by Salazar, they're mugging and confused and spontaneous, which is exactly what it's like if you're taking a home video. When people react against Redacted so strongly, they don't understand the context of what the actors are doing. People are used to movies where the actors are always the same because the point of view never shifts. But when you change the form, the acting has to adjust.

So instead of a classical "character arc" you were going for a more prismatic study of people.

De Palma: Yes, but there's still very much a sense of character progression. Flake is a little tweaked when he gets over to Iraq, but you can see him sort of changing as the movie goes forth. People just don't understand how the form affects character presentation.

My immediate reaction after seeing the film, and what I did, was to view it a second time. In thinking about why that was, I got the notion that it was almost too much to absorb in one sitting -- to learn how to view the film, and then to appreciate it at the same time -- and so it resists a sense a resolution.

De Palma: The resolution is very much how I feel. I very much identify with McCoy; I feel frustration at not being able to stop the war, of being a participant in it, but being unable to do anything about it, just like McCoy can't do anything about the girl being raped. He carries that guilt with him. The other thing we'll be living with for decades is all of these soldiers coming back from Iraq harboring what they've been through. It's going to be like Vietnam but ten times worse. And it's going to go on for decades. I live near a V.A. hospital in California and I see these guys all the time, wandering around with that aimless stare on their faces, and of course everyone forgets about them. This is going to be going on for decades.

Redacted is in limited release this Friday.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Interview: Richard Kelly Tells Southland Tales of Love and Devotion

2007-11-16T10:18:00.004-08:00

The fan base that rallied around Donnie Darko has for years been anxiously awaiting the release of Richard Kelly's second film, Southland Tales, scouring the film's abstract website and three prequel graphic novels in anticipation of its release. And then came the infamous 2006 Cannes screening, where the film premiered to a near-historic critical harpooning. Since then Kelly has spent a considerable amount of money to augment the special effects and now, more than a year later, he's revealed a shorter, more distributor-friendly picture. Although cameo sequences with Janeane Garofalo are now on the cutting room floor, the film boasts abundant acting talent and a cache of cultural references that rivals Jean-Luc Godard's Histoire(s) du cinema in sheer volume. Kelly calls it "apocalyptic science fiction film noir," but as he explains, the film reaches ever further than that.

Southland Tales opens in the fascist, media-debased near future. Our navigators through this profligate America are an amnesiac named Boxer Santos (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), and Ronald Taverner (Seann William Scott), a cop who has unwittingly been embroiled in a secret agenda by neo-Marxist rebels. Private Abilene (Justin Timberlake) is the narrator and askew conscience of the film, whose off-kilter prophecies describe a distorted America that bears a pointed resemblance to our own. Kelly's film is a pastiche of references from many facets of media and culture funneled as if through a funhouse mirror. CNN screens display images of technology that look like Metropolis by way of Mel Brooks. The futurist nightmares of William Gibson and Thomas Pynchon are explored with the snark of Mike Judge (Idiocracy). Philip K. Dick shares the stage with noir classic Kiss Me Deadly, as well as Repo Man, Mad Max, Satyricon, and Brazil. This wouldn't seem so odd if it didn't also recall so much of The Gospel According to John.

Literary and pop references aside, what Kelly has built is as much a mythology as it is a fever dream about today's America. And though it may divide critics and take time to attract new audiences, Kelly is putting forward a work that few would attempt and none could imitate.

Richard Kelly on the set of Southland Tales

Tell me about the flag on the cover of Book 1: Two Roads Diverge. It's also behind Mandy Moore in one of her last scenes with Dwayne Johnson. It looks like a Jasper Johns cut in half. Is that original art?

Richard Kelly: That is original art by my friend J. Kelly. He did that art as a collage right after 9-11. I was over at his house and he did it over a couple nights. It thought it was pretty powerful. I said, "That's the movie I'm getting ready to make! That's Southland Tales! That's what it's about. That painting." So it became an icon to the film.

One of your prequel graphic novels is called The Mechanicals. This is named for the improv group? Tell me a bit about them.

RK: They're an eight-person comedy troupe that I stumbled upon a few years ago. They used to hang out at Barney's Beanery and we used to go drinking together. Abby McBride who plays one of the porn star girls -- two of the girls are mechanicals, Starla, the girl who stalks Dwayne on the beach with the gun is a Mechanical, the Asian kid who gets shot on the toilet is a Mechanical. They're spread all throughout the movie. I just thought their comedy was brilliant. I used to run around with video cameras and do little sketch comedy stuff with them over the years and they became good friends of mine and they were all struggling so I thought, I'd give them all parts in the movie and name the third chapter after them.

Seann William Scott in Southland Tales

The toy soldier crawling on the LA street, was that a reference to the toy monkey in Rebel Without A Cause?

RK: No, that's funny you would mention that. I stumbled upon that toy soldier when I was doing research in Venice and it was raining the morning we shot that and we stuck the soldier on the pavement and we got this great shot and it was absurd, it was trippy, disturbing funny and brought up all these emotions looking at this toy soldier on the pavement. I thought it was emblematic of the futility of conflict or war. It may be Justin's character a little bit: A mechanical pawn the government is using.

Johnson's character as well.

RK: Yeah, alone on the wet pavement in Venice. It's one of my favorite shots in the movie and it's something we did as a whim that became something significant.

This film is so packed with references. Why did you feel a need to construct your film with such thick references? Do you think that's become a tool for critical division?

RK: Well, you talked about that painting: Resolved, the American flag divided in two. That's a piece of collage art. He [J. Kelly] has taken newspaper headlines and images from American history and he's embedded them into a collage and I wanted this film to be like a big piece of pop art and if you think about the way we use product placement in the movie, the way we use pop culture and music, we sort of put them into this kaleidoscope blender. I think at its base level I see it more as influenced by Philip K. Dick or Thomas Pynchon or Raymond Chandler -- apocalyptic, science fiction, film noir. That's where it's rooted stylistically. If you go to LA, you're surrounded by pop culture faces and products and billboards. LA is a collage. It's like a gigantic messy collage with everything flowing together. And I wanted it to feel like LA. Not only that, the fragmentation you see on CNN and the news screens and quad screens, that's the way life feels and I thought the movie should be reflection of Los Angeles life and it all came together that way.

When you construct a collage you ultimately affect the modern values of the pieces you cut up to build it. I wanted to ask a question about rewriting the last line of T.S. Elliott's The Hollow Men. Initially I thought this was about spin but now I'm seeing it differently.

RK: Flip flopping T.S. Eliot's last line in The Hollow Men was an absurd statement. [The original goes] "Not with a bang but a whimper." Me, [I think] that's T.S. Eliot having a premonition about global warming. The whimper is us slowly drowning ourselves over many hundreds of years. This is the flip-flop of that [notion] where it all ends on the fun party weekend before the election in 2008. It all happens just the day after tomorrow -- just right around the corner. The idea that "with a bang" is Hollywood blockbuster hero Dwayne Johnson is your guide through that final three days. It felt comedic and it felt like an inversion of the poem was the right way to go.

It also seems to be a good tennis fellow for your Road Not Taken reference. It seemed to me as if you were saying "we took the road more commonly taken, and here we are."

RK: The Road Not Taken really is the one where we all vote, take a stand, make a difference and try to solve the energy crisis together. That's the 'road not taken', unfortunately.

The aspect of the film I found most challenging was the acting. You've wrangled some adept talent here but their performances sometimes broach the realm of camp, which I should qualify can be ambiguous if not easy to confuse for poor performance. As deliberate as I understand the performances were, could you explain Timberlake's histrionics and Johnson's Monty Burns impersonations?

RK: (Laughs) It's funny you say "Monty Burns." Dwayne was playing Boxer Santeros but he's also switching into Jericho Kane, renegade cop: The Ralph Meeker character in Kiss Me Deadly. And he studied Ralph Meeker's lowering voice. That became Jericho Kane and he's a schizophrenic [living] between those two identities. It was a deliberate discussion had with each actor to understand the role he was playing and the whole greater mystery was a lack in my mind. With Justin it was all about - he's this doomsday prophet who's a famous guy who's been drafted and disfigured by his best friend in Iraq and now he's been put on this perch in front of this big alternative fuel center to guard it. [He's] a terrorist in the Santa Monica Bay. And he's dealing this underground drug. The elaborate mythology the audience has understood, Justin was able to latch onto that, in a way. Like you said, it was all very deliberate. I was just trying to capture the humanity beneath any of these eccentricities they developed.

Do you feel that could be a future vehicle for camp?

RK: Yeah, but the characters are all sincere, even when they're acting eccentric. What the actors were trying to do was remain sincere in their moments of eccentricity. Dwayne is really terrified when the woman pulls the gun on him at the beach. He had an absurd facial expression but he was terrified and really is schizophrenic and thinks he's the cop trying to talk her down with the gun. I think one of the more important things to understand about Dwayne's character is he is schizophrenic and he is playing this ridiculous cop character. He's researching the role to get into character.

JT bringing apocalypse back.

The film involves a lot of parallel texts: TV, news, the plot of the underground, the plot of the right wing, Boxer's story, the script he's carrying around. And all these texts blur into each other and share details. Tell me why you felt this blurring was important to involve in your apocalypse satire?

RK: I think that there's a metaphysical quality to the way in which the news media is scripted and our lives feel scripted. In a way [when] you think about the way the war in Iraq was sold to us, almost as a screenplay. And I feel like there's "what could have been" and "what we're living with now." It's a very metaphysical thing. It's hard to wrap it all into one easy explanation but sometimes I wonder if there's someone out there who's written a screenplay for our lives. And living in Hollywood, are we all living in a movie? Sometimes I feel like my life is a movie.

Are you talking about destiny?

RK: Yeah. It is about predestination. What is the destiny of our country? Are we going to be able to pull ourselves out of this or are we going to continue [like this]. Are we going to self-destruct?

The critics are really wrestling with this one but I for one hope it's seen by a lot of people.

RK: I'm proud of it. I can finally sleep at night.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Seth Rogen Set to Make a Porno for Kevin Smith

2007-11-16T10:18:00.003-08:00

In any town other than Hollywood, the words "Kevin Smith," "Seth Rogen," and "make a porno" might seem to make for an unusual combination.

Actually, they're unusual in Hollywood, too -- but, as Variety reports, Smith and Rogen are doing just that. Sort of. Rogen has signed on to star with Elizabeth Banks in Smith's upcoming Weinstein Company comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. From the article:

Story revolves around two lifelong platonic friends who are deep in debt and enlist the help of their friends to make a porn pic for some quick cash. But Zack and Miri realize that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.

The production, scheduled to begin filming in Pittsburgh early next year, will reunite Rogen and Banks -- who worked together on The 40-Year-Old Virgin -- and mark the seventh collaboration for Smith and the Weinstein brothers.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Box Office Guru Preview: Beowulf Set To Conquer Multiplexes

2007-11-16T10:18:00.001-08:00

One animated film will bump another from the number one spot at the North American box office. But the new warrior Beowulf is no B movie but an A-list production from an Oscar-winning director offering action audiences something new. Also opening this weekend but likely to see more modest grosses are the family pic Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and the romantic drama Love in the Time of Cholera. Without a compelling selection of great films, the marketplace should once again fall well below year-ago levels.

Paramount looks to capture the box office crown without the help of DreamWorks this time with Beowulf, a computer-animated action adventure based on the ancient epic poem. The PG-13 film comes from Robert Zemeckis who expands upon the motion capture technology he used in 2004's The Polar Express. This time around his film is aimed at somewhat older moviegoers as young children will be too frightened by the violence, gore, and yes, nudity. Beowulf aims to pry 14-year-old boys away from their videogame systems and into the multiplexes with a new type of action film that is presented in 3D in selected theaters. Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, and Angelina Jolie lend their voices and digital likenesses.

The marketing has been terrific on the part of the studio. The core audience of young males is excited and ready to buy tickets and the film might even pull in part of the literary crowd curious to see how this classic tale is adapted to the big screen. The marketplace needs something like this now with hits like American Gangster skewing more adult and kidpics like Bee Movie not offering enough violence. If last December's Eragon could open to $23.2M, then surely Beowulf can target the same crowd and go higher. Launching in over 2,800 theaters, Beowulf could conquer the box office this weekend with about $32M.

The digitally-altered likeness of Ray Winstone in Beowulf
Dustin Hoffman stars as the eccentric owner of a magical toy store in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a new entry for family audiences from Fox. The G-rated film co-stars Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman. With Bee Movie and Fred Claus already out there doing solid business, and likely to collect a combined $30M this weekend, competition for Emporium will be intense. Bad reviews will make parents hesitate, but if kids respond to the TV commercials, then they will find a way to force their parents to take them. Opening wide in around 3,200 locations, Mr. Magorium could bow to about $11M this weekend and try to remain a relevant choice over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday session.

Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
To counter his current role as a brutal killer in No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem stars in the romantic drama Love in the Time of Cholera. The R-rated tale from New Line is getting a moderately wide release and will play to an older adult audience with a female skew. The Oscar buzz Bardem has been receiving for Country could rub off on Cholera helping its case. And Latino audiences are being counted on to show up as are fans of Oprah who has endorsed the book that the film is based on. But overall, the Columbia-set film has not generated enough excitement to deliver a solid debut. Plus poor reviews will turn away much of the target audience. A slot on the lower end of the top ten could await. Opening in about 800 theaters, Love in the Time of Cholera might gross around $3M over the weekend.

Love in the Time of Cholera
Bee Movie should fall from its spot at the top of the box office and slide by about 30% since there is not too much new competition for young kids. A weekend tally of $18M could result giving Paramount $97M to date. Universal's American Gangster should drop by 40% to about $14.5M giving the crime saga a total of $102M. The holiday comedy Fred Claus could dip by 35% in its second weekend. That would leave the Warner Bros. release with a weekend take of $12M and a ten-day cume of $35.5M.

LAST YEAR: In a major pre-holiday showdown, the penguin toon Happy Feet edged out the new James Bond film Casino Royale for the number one spot with a strong opening of $41.5M. The Warner Bros. family hit went on to collect $198M domestically and a stellar $384M worldwide. Sony's relaunched spy series still posted a muscular debut grossing $40.8M over the weekend on its way to $167M domestically and a sensational $595M globally making the Daniel Craig-starrer the top-grossing 007 flick ever. After two weeks on top, Fox's Borat slipped to third with $14.6M. Rounding out the top five were Disney's The Santa Clause 3 with $8.3M and the Sony release Stranger Than Fiction with $6.6M.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

New Ghostbusters Games Coming Next Year

2007-11-16T10:17:00.005-08:00

It won't be in the form of the sequel that Dan Aykroyd has been trying to get off the ground all these years, but Ghostbusters is making a comeback.

Variety reports that Sony Pictures and Vivendi Games are teaming up to produce a series of Ghostbusters videogames, set to debut in the fall of next year -- and that Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis have all agreed to do voicework and provide their likenesses. Even the films' supporting cast is getting in on the fun; the article names William Atherton, Brian Doyle Murray, and Annie Potts as additional participants in the games. From the article:

Deal comes on the heels of several other classic movies that have recently been adapted into successful vidgames, including EA's "The Godfather" and Vivendi's own "Scarface: The World Is Yours."

"We noticed we did well on 'Scarface' and were alert for new opportunities to turn iconic film products into games in a way that is a new manifestation of the franchise," Vivendi Games CEO Bruce Hack said. "'Ghostbusters' is unquestionably among the small number of movies in that class."

Hack noted that, in making both deals, Vivendi did a survey of gamers asking which movie properties they would like to see turned into videogames. "Scarface" and "Ghostbusters" were both in the top five.

According to the report, Aykroyd and Ramis will write a story for the game "that takes place in the early '90s, after Ghostbusters II, during a new ghoul invasion of New York City." Looks like the studios just found a way around the writers' strike!

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Justin Marks Talks New He-Man Movie

2007-11-16T10:17:00.003-08:00

Okay, show of hands: Who's ready to take a trip back to Castle Greyskull?

Screenwriter Justin Marks is hoping that a lot of you have your hands up right now, because he's up to his eyebrows in excitement for the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe script he's working on with Neil Ellice. He's heard all the rumors about the movie, too (He-Man as a soldier in Iraq?), and he recently sat down with Toyfare Magazine to debunk them.

We haven't read the latest issue of Toyfare -- in fact, until a few minutes ago, we weren't even aware of its existence -- but that's okay, because the helpful folks at IESB have excerpted a few bits and pieces from Marks' interview. After establishing his fanboy credentials ("A lot of people think of He-Man and...laugh him off, but those of us who grew up on him, we don't laugh about He-Man at all"), Marks offers fans a few general outlines of his vision for the film.

Telling Toyfare that it'll be "a Skeletor movie," Marks goes on to promise a non-wrestler cast, and talks about the challenge of melding the major elements of the (cough) He-Man mythos into a deliberately enjoyable film:

He-Man is sword-and-sandals meets science fiction. If you avoid it and just try to make it sword and sandals, then it becomes a boring movie. If you just try to make it science fiction, it's going to be really kitschy and weird, and it's not going to be true to He-Man. You have to make it both. So we have to come up with specific ideas, grounded, that would spawn a world that was people carrying around swords, and yet, guys like Tri-Klops running around with his spinning visor and this sort of nano-technological way about him. What is the sorcery that can create stuff like that?

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Two More Tyler Perry Films Coming, Including Another Madea

2007-11-16T10:17:00.001-08:00

Some critics have turned up their noses at his films, but there's no denying Tyler Perry's commercial track record at the box office -- a winning streak that Lionsgate has just rewarded with a new two-picture deal.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate has acquired the rights to Perry's next two films (titled The Family That Preys Together and Madea Goes to Jail) for an undisclosed sum. Keeping with tradition, Perry will write, direct, and star in both movies. From the article:

"Madea Goes to Jail"...is an adaptation of Perry's play about a series of events that occur after Madea spends a night in jail. Both films are scheduled to begin production in the spring.

" 'The Family That Preys Together' and 'Madea Goes to Jail' are going to deliver everything audiences have come to expect from a Tyler Perry production: humor, uplift and unlimited heart and soul," said Michael Paseornek, president of film production at Lionsgate.

Perry's most recent release, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, opened at Number One with a $21.4 million gross last month.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

The Mummy Returns Again, But Without Rachel Weisz

2007-11-16T10:16:00.005-08:00

Hey, there's a new Mummy movie heading our way. Did you know that? I didn't. I really loved 1999's The Mummy -- I loved it cuz it was the fourth Indiana Jones movie we'd been waiting for -- and the 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns, is almost as much fun. So I'm primed for more.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which looks like it's got a planned release date of August 1, 2008, moves the story to post WWII England and China, where the O'Connells' now-grown son, Alex, makes a major discovery of great archaeological and supernatural import. (IESB.net: The Movie Reporter has details on the plot and such: none of it sounds spoilerish.) Action-comedy will ensue, I imagine, as well as some kung fu fighting: Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh are listed as among the new cast members.

There's another new cast member, though, that makes me worry just a bit for Mummy 3: Maria Bello is replacing Rachel Weisz as Evelyn. Now, don't get me wrong: Bello is a fantastic actress, as daring and powerful and gifted as they come. (Have you seen The Cooler? Oh, man, see it.) But part of what made the first two Mummy movies so enjoyable was the potent chemistry between Brendan Fraser -- who will be back, thank the movie gods, as Rick -- and Weisz. Screen chemistry is such a delicate thing, and so impossible to fake: what are the odds that Fraser will be so lucky the second time around with a different actress opposite him as the same character?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, even with the other pinch-hitters among the creative team. Original creator, writer, and director Stephen Sommers is all but gone -- he's acting as producer only on this one -- but Rob Cohen is taking over behind the lens. Yeah, he's made mostly cheese like Stealth, XXX, and The Fast and the Furious, but it's at least competent, engaging cheese. And screenwriters Miles Millar and Alfred Gough have written such highly amusing flicks as Spider-Man 2 and Shanghai Noon. That's gotta be a good sign, right?

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Angelina Jolie vs. Natalie Portman: Who Ya Got?

2007-11-16T10:16:00.003-08:00

Once again, it's a weekend battle of head-to-head stars. This weekend we have another truly titanic matchup and this time it is a battle between two of the most beautiful women in the world. In this corner we have everyone's favorite foster mom, Angelina Jolie. And in this corner we have one of the few actresses to run the child actress gauntlet and make it through unscathed, Natalie Portman. Let's drop the cage. You know the rules. Two women enter! One woman leaves!In the box office this weekend: Winner = Jolie
This one is a real wild card that only the folks with a line on tracking will really be able to predict. But, while I definitely believe in the long term holiday weekend potential of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, I think the sheer star power of not only the cast, but the behind-the-CG brains on Beowulf will lead this unique endeavor right to the top this weekend.

In the critical arena: Winner = Jolie
Despite the fact that Magorium was scripted (not to mention directed) by one of Hollywood's hot new talents, Zach Helm, the guy responsible for last year's wonderful and sadly overlooked Stranger Than Fiction, I've got a feeling that critics are going to be bowled over by all the bells and whistles of Beowulf and particularly the, um, talents of Miss Jolie. Although, I'm getting the feeling that neither is going to be particularly savaged this weekend.

In their careers: Winner = Jolie
This one pains me. I want to give it to Portman. She's more talented. She has a much better sense of what projects to take. And she has yet to achieve her full potential as both an actress and a celebrity. But Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest stars in the world. As bizarre as she might be, as poor as the career choices are that she's made in the years since her Oscar win, as much as she can't keep herself out of the tabloids for so much as five minutes – she's huge. She's reached the peak of success and doesn't appear to be going anywhere. She's not even the main character of Beowulf and I'm writing about her. What can you say? She wins.

In my heart of hearts: Winner = Portman
How can you not love Natalie Portman? She's adorable, sweet and a talented actress. Jolie is just… weird. And frankly it kind of creeps me out that she seems to have to concentrate to completely close her lips. Natalie takes this one in a walk.

Winner = Jolie
Please. The only way Portman could win in this contest is if someone distracted Jolie with some stray orphans.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Five Reasons We Love Natalie Portman

2007-11-16T10:16:00.001-08:00

Having an unhealthy crush on Natalie Portman makes me about as unique as a weed. I'm aware of this, how pitiful my little critic's brethren and I seem huddled together talking about how she's smart and purty too, but I'm still helpless to stop it from happening. So what can I do? I've got to accept, right? I need to accept that the gal from V for Vendetta, the girl who so carefully projects the "girl next door" image (when in truth she is anything but) is never going to meet me and fall head over heels. It's not in the cards. But with that acceptance perhaps a greater and more honest awareness of all things Portman can be ascertained too... which leads nicely into:Five Reasons We (I) Love Natalie Portman:

1.) She's been around forever, even though she's only 26.

I remember her scene in Heat. I remember her from Beautiful Girls, a film destined to make you feel creepy the older you get. My point being we've grown up together, Natalie and I, and I appreciate her sticking around. Like an old friend, she's been there through thick (Closer) and thin (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium??).

2.) She's not afraid to mix things up.

When I first saw the Portman rap (warning: salty language) from Saturday Night Live I was stunned that she even agreed to it. She opened herself up to an incredible amount of backlash... and yet, she got away with it. I never heard a thing about it afterwards. Incredible. Is it possible everyone without a sense of humor in the world suddenly got one once Portman was involved? Whatever the case, I've never loved her more than when she threatened my pet.

3.) She changed her mind on the nude thing.

Don't worry, I'm not going to get pervy with this. My point is when she filmed nude scenes for Closer everyone involved realized they weren't necessary to the story. So they were axed according to her wishes. Later, when filming Hotel Chevalier for Wes Anderson she did a bit of nudity. This shows maturation, and good judgment too. There are times in life where people are sans clothes. I'm not talking exploitative horror-style nudity here, I'm talking something that moves the story forward in an interesting manner. Hotel Chevalier was that scene and she nailed it. Kudos to her for not giving in to fear and for allowing a master filmmaker like Wes Anderson to accomplish his vision.

4.) She's willing to try and fail.

Natalie's work in Star Wars is about as bad as she's ever done. But she committed to it and she saw it through. In between she worked on things that were interesting and successful: Garden State and Closer come to mind. No actor is ever going to bat 100%, but Natalie's wide range of projects guarantee that she'll always have something interesting cooking.

5.) Okay, okay, she is smart.

I recently read an interesting study where it was suggested that men don't want to date/marry someone smarter than them. Phooey on that noise. If Natalie wants to attend Harvard and make me look intellectually small, by all means, be my guest. Since when are we competing with each other for who is smarter in a relationship? I figure a smart gal could save my life some day, Macgyver style. Thus, smart people, in general, are highly preferable to dumb people. That's sort of my mantra for life actually (you may use it too though).

Natalie doesn't fit the current Hollywood version of glamour: she's not out getting drunk and high; she's not having surgery; she's not switching out a boyfriend every week on the cover of People magazine. Instead she's doing interesting movies and becoming a person of substance. Weird, I know.

So, for all these reasons and more, we at cinema-pedia.com salute her. May her reign last 1,000 years.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Zellweger Isn't a Fan of Showbiz Parties

2007-11-16T10:15:00.001-08:00

What makes Renee Zellweger most proud in her celebrated acting career is that she's kept her sanity.

"It's weird to have fame precede you in any situation ... and I'm very proud of myself that I've not been to Betty Ford (Center) yet," Zellweger, 38, tells Harper's Bazaar. "Never say never!"

Among her career achievements? "Learning what my boundaries are. That I've been able to stay out of the psychiatric wards despite the really bizarre exchanges I have on a daily basis," she says in the magazine's December issue, on newsstands Nov. 20.

Zellweger prefers privacy to hanging out with the Hollywood crowd in public at least. "I'm not a big scene girl," she says. "If I see the scene once a year, that's more than plenty."

The "Bridget Jones" star says an ideal night out could be a "really nice Christmas party."

"I love to go to somebody's house when it gets a little bit later and there's dancing and laughter and nobody's pointing at the weird actor-girl in the corner," says Zellweger, an Oscar winner for 2003's "Cold Mountain."

Zellweger, who filed for an annulment four months after her 2005 wedding to Kenny Chesney, says she's "not sad" about being single. "I'm so busy catching up with the people I miss when I'm working that I'm not busy missing someone."

She's been romantically linked with Jim Carrey, George Clooney and Paul McCartney. When asked about McCartney, Zellweger says: "He's as lovely as I expected. We have mutual friends. The crush and I have mutual friends."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Awards Shows Could Suffer in WGA Strike

2007-11-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

Without the quips between celebrity presenters, inside jokes about the entertainment industry and skits that poke fun at stars behaving badly, awards shows would be little more than shiny trophies and long lists of names.

That could be the case for some of the shows in Hollywood's fabled awards season this year if the Writers Guild of America remains on strike for several months.

Things get under way Sunday with the American Music Awards, which will air live on ABC. The script was written before the strike began last week, but without writers to make revisions, it won't include any topical quips from host Jimmy Kimmel.

"We were aware of the impending WGA strike and planned accordingly," said producer Larry Klein in a statement.

They were also lucky to be the first out of the gate.

December is nominations month and therefore writing time for the Grammys, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards, with the Oscars nominations coming Jan. 22.

People behind awards shows say it's too soon to say how the strike will affect their programs, but they're likely to feel the pinch when nominations are announced. That's because writing typically begins once the nominees are known, said Ken Ehrlich, who has produced more than a dozen Grammy and Emmy shows.

"With the Grammys, it comes down to who's performing on the show. Same thing with the Emmys; it depends on who you're going to book to present," he said. "It can't really be canned because it's got to be tailored to the people who are saying it."

During the writers strike of 1988, the Oscars still went on but that situation was different from today. Back then, the show's script had been written before the strike began and remained essentially unchanged throughout the telecast. Writers Guild members who appeared on the show were allowed to ad-lib, but were cautioned against writing any new material.

It would be impossible, though, for an Academy Awards script to have been written before the 2007 WGA strike began, as the year's Oscar-qualifying films are still being released.

Spokeswoman Leslie Unger said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hasn't even reached the planning stage yet. "Our show is a number of months off and we have no way of knowing if or how (the strike) will impact us," she said.

It also may be difficult for the Academy Awards to "find people who will perform on the show who aren't members of the Writers Guild," said veteran writer Bruce Vilanch, who has worked on the Academy Awards for the past 18 years. "Most standup performers write for themselves and when they have shows, they get a writing credit."

Nominees for the Golden Globe Awards will be revealed Dec. 13, and the script begins the following day, said executive producer Barry Adelman.

"We're hopeful the issues pertaining to the ... strike will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction before then," he said in a statement. "We intend to explore all of our available options in the upcoming weeks."

Some shows employ a dozen or more writers, Vilanch said, with starting "a couple months" before showtime and continuing until the final curtain falls.

"You're responding to what happens during the course of the show, so there's writing going on all evening long," he said, adding that nearly every part of the program is the work of the writers "anything basically except an acceptance speech."

"If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage," he said. "The contribution the writers make is the same contribution every other creative element makes. It's important."

The Screen Actors Guild could find itself writer-less, too. Nominees will be announced Dec. 20, and "the majority of writing is done after we have the nominations announcement," said spokeswoman Rosalind Jarret.

Jon Stewart, whose "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" on Comedy Central has been in reruns since the strike began, had no comment on how it might affect his duties as host of the 80th Academy Awards.

Even the Writers Guild is unsure about the strike's impact on the upcoming awards season.

"Many of the awards shows are written under WGA contracts," said spokesman Neal Sacharow, "and how the strike will affect those shows remains to be seen."

However, Vilanch is sure of one thing: Awards shows would be dull without writers.

"There might be a show where people just kind of come out and read the names and give the awards, and in between you have some lovely production numbers," he said. "I bet choreographers are just champing at the bit."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Spielberg Named Cecil B. DeMille Honoree

2007-11-15T14:13:00.001-08:00

Steven Spielberg will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field" at the 2008 Golden Globe Awards.

Josh Brolin made the announcement Wednesday at The Beverly Hilton, calling Spielberg a "one-of-a-kind talent."

The 60-year-old director has won six Golden Globes and three Oscars best director and best picture for "Schindler's List" and best director for "Saving Private Ryan."

He has also received lifetime achievement honors from the Directors Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center.

He is in post-production on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which will be released next year.

Spielberg will be presented with the Cecil B. DeMille trophy at the 65th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 13. The awards will air live on NBC.

Rumer Willis was named Miss Golden Globe, who assists in the awards ceremony. The honor is traditionally granted to the offspring of a well-known celebrity.

Willis, 19, is the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, so she is "doubly qualified," said Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Jorge Camara.

"It's really an amazing opportunity to help recognize people who've done great work in this industry," said Willis, who appears in two films scheduled for release next year.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Bush Tops Film Threat's Frigid 50 List

2007-11-15T14:12:00.003-08:00

He's not exactly a movie star. He doesn't even play one on TV. But President Bush nonetheless has been named the coldest person in Hollywood.

The online magazine Film Threat placed Bush at the top of its "Frigid 50," an annual ranking of the "least-powerful, least-inspiring and least-intriguing people in Hollywood" in contrast to the "hot" lists that celebrity magazines often compile.

Film Threat's editors point out that Bush has been parodied in movies like "Transformers" and "American Dreamz" and scrutinized in documentaries such as "Sicko" and "No End in Sight."

"With all due respect to Hollywood," they wrote, "the mighty W is as much a cinema celebrity as the next despotic tyrant."

Coming in at No. 2 is someone who's a perennial fixture on those lists of the hot, sexy and powerful: Angelina Jolie.

"Traveling the Third World with a small army of stylists and publicists, the one-time Lara Croft feels like an unholy mix of Mother Teresa and Paris Hilton: Look at the poor, but make sure you get me in my best light," the magazine says. "Ironically, more people saw her in Cambodia or Namibia than in `A Mighty Heart.'"

Also making the "Frigid 50" are Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Hilary Swank for their less-than-stellar film choices of late, and Jon Heder who "hasn't made a single good movie" in the three years since "Napoleon Dynamite" made him a cult figure.

The "winners" in previous years include Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Michael Moore and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Thurman, Jones to Host Nobel Peace Concert

2007-11-15T14:12:00.001-08:00

OSLO, Norway (AP) Uma Thurman will join Tommy Lee Jones as co-host of the Nobel Peace Concert honoring former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s climate change panel, organizers announced Wednesday.

The Dec. 11 concert, held the day after the Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, draws top music and film stars, and is broadcast to more than 100 countries, a news release said.

Organizers earlier announced that Jones, who was Gore's roommate at Harvard University, would be one of the concert's hosts.

The lineup of performers includes Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox and Melissa Etheridge, who won an Academy Award this year for the song "I Need to Wake Up," which was featured in Gore's environmental documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

Thurman, 37, starred in such movies as "Pulp Fiction," "Dangerous Liaisons," and the "Kill Bill" films. She is also politically active in supporting gun control and fighting poverty.

Geir Lundestad, the secretary of the Nobel Peace Prize committee, said they were delighted that Thurman had agreed to host.

"She brings iconic style and substance to the event and will help us tremendously in our mission of spreading the global message of peace," Lundestad said.

Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change share the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to help spread awareness about man-made climate change.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Openings a Casualty of Broadway Strike

2007-11-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

No talks. No comment. And no opening nights.

Wednesday was to have been the New York premiere of "The Farnsworth Invention," the eagerly anticipated return to Broadway of playwright Aaron Sorkin, the creator of such television shows as "The West Wing" and "Sports Night."

Instead, the Music Box Theatre, one of Broadway's most elegant playhouses, sits dark along with 26 other theaters as Local 1, the stagehands union, and the League of American Theatres and Producers remain deadlocked in the fifth day of an acrimonious contract dispute.

Neither side is talking to the other. Silent pickets stand in front of locked theater lobbies. Other unions, including Actors' Equity and the musicians' local, have lined up in support of the stagehands. Even Broadway press agents, instructed by their own union to honor Local 1's picket line, are silent.

"The Farnsworth Invention," Sorkin's look at the birth of television starring Hank Azaria, wasn't the only opening scheduled this week. "The Seafarer" by Irish playwright Conor McPherson had been set for Thursday. It, too, is shut, and its opening uncertain.

McPherson, author of "The Weir" and "Shining City," says the challenge now is to psychologically stay ready even though the actors aren't allowed to rehearse at the theater. "We'll be doing our best to sort of get together and talk about it and keep our chin up," he said.

Previews, which began in late October, stopped after last Friday's performance.

"I'm confident that if we get a chance to open, it should be all right," the playwright said. "We'll just keep our fingers crossed and pray pray that the testosterone levels drop on both sides of the strike and see how it goes."

"August: Osage County" imported from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, had an opening planned for next Tuesday. But the play by Tracy Letts also went dark in mid-previews, and its producers have offered to fly the Chicago actors home for the duration of the walkout.

In a gesture of support, Second Stage Theatre has offered a little bit of off-Broadway hospitality to the Steppenwolf actors. Carole Rothman, its artistic director, has set aside 15 tickets for the Wednesday matinee performance of "Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry" for the Chicago performers who remain here.

The contract dispute has focused on how many stagehands are required to open a show and keep it running. That means moving scenery, lights, sound systems and props into the theater; installing the set and making sure it works; and keeping everything functioning well for the life of the production.

The existing contract requires theaters to use at least four stagehands for plays: a carpenter, a property master, an electrician and a fourth, either a sound technician, a fly man or a second stagehand. A musical also requires four stagehands, and a fly man is mandatory. This is the person in charge of scenery, props and other things that move up or down, or from offstage for example, the "bubble" that transports Glinda in the musical "Wicked." The fly man also raises and lowers the curtain.

The league wants to have flexibility in how many stagehands are hired for shows, and does not want to use four if all are not needed.

The union also has cost of living and pension concerns. The annual salary for stagehands ranges from $67,500 to $88,500, according to the union, which would not disclose what increases it seeks.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Winona Ryder Joins Star Trek

2007-11-10T06:28:00.003-08:00

"Star Trek" is beaming up Winona Ryder.Paramount Pictures and director JJ Abrams have set Ryder to play the Vulcan mother of a young Spock (Zachary Quinto).

Scripted by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the film revolves around the Starfleet Academy days of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Chris Pine has been set to play Capt. Kirk, Simon Pegg will play Scotty, Karl Urban is Dr. McCoy and Eric Bana will play the villain, Nero.

Ryder recently wrapped "The Informers," a Gregor Jordan-directed adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel, and the Geoffrey Haley-directed "The Last Word."

She is in pre-production on the Rebecca Miller-directed "Private Lives of Pippa Lee."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Ten Actresses To Keep an Eye On In 2008

2007-11-10T06:28:00.001-08:00

Actress: Cate Blanchett
2007 notables: Hot Fuzz, I'm Not There, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
2008 notables: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Why she made the list: Cate got great reviews for revisiting Queen Elizabeth even if the actual movie didn't. Meanwhile, there's a good chance a Best Supporting nod is on the horizon with her turn as a Dylan in I'm Not There. Cate, or "The New Meryl" as I like to call her, will try to continue her strong streak of performances with the heavily anticipated Indiana Jones movie and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Fincher.

Actress: Tilda Swinton
2007 notables: Michael Clayton
2008 notables: Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll

Why she made the list: It's my firm belief that Swinton doesn't get nearly enough love because she looks like an alien. She's kind of like Christopher Walken in female form. She is good-to-great in almost every movie she's in though and I really liked her turn in Michael Clayton this year. She joins Cate in Benjamin Button, but the movie I'm looking forward to more is the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. Swinton has one more notable project that inspires me to drink: Phantasmagoria, a bizarre project about Alice In Wonderland author Lewis Carroll that will be written by, directed and star Marilyn Manson. I'd like to tell you I was lying. I'm just not.
Actress: Halle Berry
2007 notables: Perfect Stranger, Things We Lost in the Fire
2008 notables: Happily Never After, Tulia, Class Act

Why she made the list: You ever see that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry dates a woman he finds beautiful, but every so often with the right (or wrong, really) lighting, she's turns into a butterface? Berry's career is kind of like that. Sometimes it looks good (like her latest, Things We Lost In The Fire) and sometimes it looks like Perfect Stranger. John Singleton's legal drama Tulia, and the heartwarming true story, Class Act, sound like potential winners.
Actress: Reese Witherspoon
2007 notables: Rendition
2008 notables: Four Christmases

Why she made the list: I know she doesn't have much on the plate but her December 2008 release, Four Christmases sounds like a doctor-prescribed rebound flick. It's about a couple (Reese and Vince Vaughn) whose parents are both divorced. You know what that means... four trips to four homes on Christmas Day. It's Christmas, it's Vince Vaughn so you know all kinds of crazy hijinks will ensue. It doesn't matter whether or not this movie is good or lame because it sounds like a holiday hit.
Actress: Rachel McAdams
2007 notables: Nada
2008 notables: Married Life, The Lucky Ones, The Time Traveler's Wife, State of Play

Why she made the list: With Wedding Crashers and The Notebook, Rachel looked like she was primed to make le leap. As far as I can tell, everyone loves Rachel McAdams. Everyone I talk to is positively smitten. It'd make me nauseous if I didn't have a serious case of puppy love for her as well. So yeah, lots of love to go around. We just all hated Red Eye.

I think she felt scorned by this. She took 2007 off and went out to the lake where she spent her fondest childhood years. She had time to reflect, hook a worm and watch the sun set. All the while, never forgetting and methodically planning her comeback to the very last detail. Twirling her mustache, shaving her mustache... until finally she was ready to unleash herself again upon John Q. Public.

Or maybe the scheduling just worked out the way it did. Anyway, with a full slate of films to be released in 2008 (including State of Play with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton), McAdams looks to be one of next year's most prolific prospects.

Actress: Katherine Heigl
2007 notables: Grey's Anatomy, Knocked Up
2008 notables: Grey's Anatomy, 27 Dresses
Why she made the list: She's on a little TV show that a few people watch and she appeared in one of this past summer's surprise hits. If 27 Dresses connects with the ladies and they drag their boyfriends with promises of late night flirtations, the Grey's Anatomy producers might be in for a world of trouble. You know they'll all be smiling at Heigl's face, wishing her good luck with the new movie all the while praying it suffers a quick, albeit painful box office death. Now you are ours forever!
Actress: Kate Hudson
2007 notables: She was nowhere to be found
2008 notables: Fool's Gold, Bachelor No. 2, Cutlass, Bride Wars

Why she made the list: Kate needed a year off after the whole Raising Helen-Skeleton Key-You, Me and Dupree era and quite frankly, so did we. But I'm feeling a comeback for Penny Lane. She's got a safe bet with Fools Gold in which she co-stars with Matthew McConaughey for a second time. A movie with that guy always helps with the female audience. Women like women who like Matthew McConaughey, I think. She also has a safe-sounding movie in Bride Wars about two women who schedule their wedding on the same day and begin a rivalry. She's even writing and directing a movie called Cutlass, which I'm pretty sure will suck, but hey, at least she's out there living it up. The other bad news is she's doing a movie with Dane Cook. Nobody's perfect.
Actress: Michelle Monaghan
2007 notables: Gone Baby Gone, The Heartbreak Kid
2008 notables: Trucker, Made of Honor, Eagle Eye

Why she made the list: She starred (and was pretty good) in Gone Baby Gone -- one of the year's better films -- and The Heartbreak Kid which isn't. If I could sum up her 2008 outlook with one word (or two) it would be ... Le Shia. You got it. She stars with LeBeouf in a flick called Eagle Eye. The Shia has been pretty platinum of late (late night visits to Walgreens notwithstanding). Plus, in 2008, Le Shia has Spielberg in his entourage with a little Indy movie (and I don't mean "independent") so it's going to be hard to bet against him or, for that matter, her.
Actress: Nicole Kidman
2007 notables: The Invasion, Margot at the Wedding, The Golden Compass
2008 notables: Australia, The Reader,

Why she made the list: Kidman can be tabloid fodder sometimes. As a result I become dangerously close to forgetting what a good actress she is. I have a feeling a rough 2007 is going to end pretty well for Ms. Kidman as The Golden Compass rolls into theaters next month. And I'm very interested in seeing what kind of insanity Baz Luhrmann has cooked up in the form of Australia. Meanwhile, I've read Bernhard Schlink's novel The Reader and it has serious Oscar potential if done right.
Actress: Ellen Page
2007 notables: Juno
2008 notables: Jack and Diane, Smart People

Why she made the list: She made me pay attention with Hard Candy and now she's turning even more heads (and starting some Oscar chatter) with this year's Juno. Her 2008 schedule looks pretty light but she has at least one project that is already raising eyebrows. The movie is called Jack and Diane and it's being described as a "lesbian werewolf movie." I don't know, personally I'm getting a little tired of all of these lesbian werewolf flicks. I mean, enough already. Have you really run out of ideas, Hollywood? If you fix this whole WGA strike, will I be able to tell the difference? Anyway, if Page lands herself an Oscar nom, expect those 2008 prospects to kick into another gear.

That about does it. I know, I know I left off some of your favorite actresses with some exciting projects. And here's your chance to give me a piece of your mind. Leave a comment below and give me a real earful!

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Twelve Features Competing for Animated Feature Film Oscar

2007-11-10T06:27:00.003-08:00

The nominations for the 80th Academy Awards won't be announced until January 22, but the names of the films being submitted for consideration are starting to trickle in.

Variety reports that in the animated feature film category, the Academy will have 12 movies to consider -- and whittle down to three nominees. From the article:

Submitted features are: "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters," "Bee Movie," "Beowulf," "Meet the Robinsons," "Persepolis," "Ratatouille," "Shrek the Third," "The Simpsons Movie," "Surf's Up," "Tekkonkinkreet" and "TMNT."

Yes, you read that right. Alvin and the Chipmunks. Think the voters will have problems narrowing down this list?

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Comic Marilyn Martinez Dies at 52

2007-11-10T06:27:00.001-08:00

Marilyn Martinez, a sassy standup comic who performed with the Original Latin Divas of Comedy and other Latina troupes, has died, her husband said Friday. She was 52.

Martinez died Nov. 3 of complications from colon cancer at a Hollywood hospital after being diagnosed nine months earlier, said her husband, John David Crowder.

"Marilyn was out there to make the fans excited. She wasn't out there for stardom and fame," he said. "And she didn't want to be remembered as a dirty mouth."

"She used to tell me she was a triple minority. She was fat, she was a woman, she was Hispanic," he said.

Raised in Denver, Martinez tap-danced on a local television show as a child before funneling her love of acting, and food, into standup routines, according to her longtime manager, Scott Montoya.

She moved to Los Angeles around 1989, he said. Her routines often included frank talk about sex and men.

"She was getting away with saying a lot of crazy stuff," said comedian Carlos Mencia, who performed alongside Martinez and knew her for more than a decade.

"It wasn't like, 'I'm a woman and let's talk about flowers and shopping.' ... But she could do clean if you wanted her to."

In L.A., Martinez connected with her Mexican roots and in the mid-1990s joined Latina troupe the Hot and Spicy Mamitas, Montoya said.

She also became a member of the Hot Tamales with Eva Longoria and was "the anchor" of the Latin Divas of Comedy, with a Showtime special earlier this year in the same vein as the hit Latin Kings of Comedy, Montoya said.

Martinez also toured solo with comic Paul Rodriguez from 1996 to 2003.

Her screen credits include parts in 2003's "Pauly Shore Is Dead," 2002's "For Da Love of Money," the ABC television series "My Wife and Kids" in 2001, and the 2004 reality TV show "Urban Jungle" on SiTV.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Theme Park Visitors, ESPN Boost Disney

2007-11-09T05:35:00.003-08:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) More visitors at The Walt Disney Co.'s theme parks and growth at its ESPN cable channel helped the company's fourth-quarter profit climb 12 percent.

Attendance at Disney's domestic theme parks grew 5 percent in the quarter, mostly at the Walt Disney World complex in Florida. Guest spending grew 2 percent, said Thomas Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer.

"Thus far, our businesses remain strong, and we have not seen indications of a downturn in the economy," Staggs said after the results were released Thursday.

Profits at Disney's consumer products division increased 10 percent on strong sales of merchandise related to the Pixar movie "Cars" and other items.

The only lagger in the quarter was Disney's film studio, which saw a 21 percent decrease in operating profit and a 24 percent drop in revenue.

The studio suffered from unfavorable comparisons with last year's fourth quarter, which included revenue from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

Disney reported net income of $877 million, or 44 cents per share, for the quarter ended Sept. 29, compared with $782 million, or 36 cents per share, for the year-ago period.

Earnings benefited from a 2 cents per share gain related to prior-year income tax matters. Without the one-time item, earnings for the quarter were 42 cents per share.

Revenue grew to $8.93 billion from $8.65 billion in the same period last year.

Analysts at Thomson Financial had anticipated earnings of 41 cents per share on revenue of $8.98 billion.

Disney shares rose 13 cents to $33.63 Thursday. After the results were released, the shares fell 8 cents in extended trading.

The company, which owns the ABC network, said it has contingency plans in place in the event of a prolonged strike by the Writers Guild of America.

The plans include cutting costs and increasing movies, holiday programming and reality shows, said Robert Iger, Disney's president and chief executive officer.

"We would hope that we'll be able to find a way to settle this difference and settle the strike before there's damage done to the business or, by the way, to the community that we operate in," Iger told analysts in a conference call.

"There is a trickle-down effect that this has on more than just people directly associated with producing these shows. Southern California is going to feel it first and hard, and I think that's just a shame," he said.

The media conglomerate said it would increase its capital spending as it ramps up its video game unit.

Looking ahead to 2008, Staggs said bookings at Disney's domestic theme parks were in the "mid-single digits" ahead of last year.

Advertising pricing at ABC was running double digits ahead of the prices secured before the season launched. The demand for advertising on Disney's cable networks also looked strong, Staggs said.

For the full fiscal year, Disney reported net income of $4.69 billion, or $2.25 per share, compared with $3.37 billion, or $1.64 per share, for fiscal 2006.

Revenue increased to $35.51 billion from $33.75 billion.

Analysts had been looking for annual net income of $1.92 per share on revenue of $35.63 billion.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Bees, Rats Among Animated Oscar Field

2007-11-09T05:35:00.001-08:00

Rats, bees, ogres and penguins are among the stars of the 12 movies competing for the top animation prize at the 80th Academy Awards.

Contenders for the feature-length animation Oscar announced Thursday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences include the rodent story "Ratatouille," the bug tale "Bee Movie," the ogre sequel "Shrek the Third" and the penguin comedy "Surf's Up."

Also in the running are "The Simpsons Movie," "Beowulf," "Alvin and the Chipmunks, "Meet the Robinsons," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters," "TMNT," "Tekkonkinkreet" and "Persepolis."

A committee of academy members will pick three nominees, which will be announced on Jan. 22. The entire academy membership will be eligible to vote on the winner for the Feb. 24 Oscars.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Bourne Earns 3 People Choice Nods

2007-11-09T05:34:00.003-08:00

"The Bourne Ultimatum" was among leading nominees for the 34th annual People's Choice Awards, organizers said Thursday.

The spy thriller was nominated for favorite movie, favorite action movie and favorite "threequel." Leading man Matt Damon was nominated for favorite male action star.

He's up against Johnny Depp, who got nods in the male action star and favorite male movie star categories. Jessica Alba scored nominations for favorite leading lady and favorite female action star.

In music, Justin Timberlake earned nominations for favorite male singer and favorite pop song. "Give It to Me," a Timbaland song on which Timberlake is featured, garnered a nod for favorite hip-hop song.

Other multiple nominees included "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Transformers."

Winners will be announced Jan. 8 during an awards show broadcast on CBS.

The nominees are:

1. Favorite Movie: The Bourne Ultimatum; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End; Transformers

2. Favorite Family Movie: Evan Almighty, Ratatouille, Shrek the Third

3. Favorite Action Movie: 300; The Bourne Ultimatum; Transformers

4. Favorite Movie Comedy: Knocked Up; The Simpsons Movie; Wild Hogs

5. Favorite Movie Drama: Disturbia; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Premonition

6. Favorite Threequel: The Bourne Ultimatum; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End; Spider-Man 3

7. Favorite Independent Movie: Becoming Jane; A Mighty Heart; Sicko

8. Favorite Female Movie Star: Halle Berry; Sandra Bullock; Reese Witherspoon

9. Favorite Leading Lady: Jessica Alba; Drew Barrymore; Queen Latifah

10. Favorite Female Action Star: Jessica Alba; Jodie Foster; Keira Knightley

11. Favorite Male Movie Star: Johnny Depp; Denzel Washington; Bruce Willis

12. Favorite Leading Man: Jamie Foxx; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; Joaquin Phoenix

13. Favorite Male Action Star: Matt Damon; Johnny Depp; Bruce Willis

14. Favorite On Screen Match Up: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3; George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Ocean's Thirteen; Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 3

15. Favorite TV Drama: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation;" "House;" "Law and Order: SVU"

16. Favorite TV Comedy: "The King of Queens;" "My Name is Earl;" "Two and a Half Men"

17. Favorite Animated TV Comedy: "Family Guy;" "King of the Hill;" "The Simpsons"

18. Favorite Sci-Fi Show: "Battlestar Galactica;" "Doctor Who;" "Stargate Atlantis"

19. Favorite Competition/Reality Show: "American Idol;" "Dancing with the Stars;" "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

20. Favorite Game Show: "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?;" "Deal or No Deal;" "Jeopardy"

21. Favorite Female TV Star: Sally Field; Katherine Heigl; Jennifer Love Hewitt

22. Favorite Male TV Star: Patrick Dempsey; Charlie Sheen; Kiefer Sutherland

23. Favorite Scene Stealing Star: Richard Belzer from "Law & Order: SVU;" Neil Patrick Harris from "How I Met Your Mother;" Chandra Wilson from "Grey's Anatomy"

24. Favorite Funny Female Star: Ellen DeGeneres; Whoopi Goldberg; Wanda Sykes

25. Favorite Funny Male Star: Will Ferrell; Adam Sandler; Robin Williams

26. Favorite Talk Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres; Jay Leno; Oprah Winfrey

27. Favorite Female Singer: Beyonce; Fergie; Gwen Stefani

28. Favorite Male Singer: John Mayer; Tim McGraw; Justin Timberlake

29. Favorite Group: Daughtry; Maroon 5; Rascal Flatts

30. Favorite Rock Song: "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's; "Home" by Daughtry; "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5

31. Favorite R&B Song: "Beautiful Liar" by Beyonce with Shakira; "Because of You" by Ne-Yo; "Shut up and Drive" by Rihanna

32. Favorite Country Song: "I Need You" by Tim McGraw with Faith Hill;

"Never Wanted Nothing More" by Kenny Chesney; "Stand" by Rascal Flatts

33. Favorite Hip-Hop Song: "Give It to Me" by Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado; "Party Like a Rock Star" by Shop Boyz; "Stronger" by Kanye West

34. Favorite Pop Song: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie; "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce; "What Goes Around...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake

35. Favorite Song from a Soundtrack: "Read My Mind" by The Killers from "Friday Night Lights;" "What I've Done" by Linkin Park from Transformers; "You Can't Stop the Beat" by the Cast of Hairspray from Hairspray

36. Favorite Reunion Tour: Genesis; The Police; Van Halen

37. Favorite New TV Comedy: Aliens in America; Back to You; The Big Bang Theory; Carpoolers; Cavemen; Chuck; Reaper; Samantha Who?

38. Favorite New TV Drama: Big Shots; Bionic Woman; Cane; Dirty Sexy Money; Gossip Girl; Journeyman; K-Ville; Life; Life Is Wild; Moonlight; Private Practice; Pushing Daisies; Women's Murder Club

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Man Testifies O.J. Burst Into Hotel Room

2007-11-09T05:34:00.001-08:00

LAS VEGAS (AP) A memorabilia dealer accusing O.J. Simpson of robbing him testified Thursday that the former football star burst into a hotel room with a handful of other men, including one wielding a gun, and carried off hundreds of collector's items.

Bruce Fromong, one of two dealers allegedly robbed, said he had expected to meet with an anonymous buyer on Sept. 13, when Simpson arrived with others "in a military invasion fashion" and shouted that the items belonged to him.

"O.J. was screaming, 'This is all my s---. This all belongs to me. You stole this from me. Let's pack up. Let's get out of here,'" Fromong said.

Simpson, 60, and two co-defendants are charged with robbery, kidnapping and other offenses. Thursday's hearing was to determine whether there is enough evidence to take them to trial.

During an aggressive cross-examination, Simpson attorney Gabriel Grasso sought to show that Fromong was less traumatized than excited about the chance at a big payday at the expense of Simpson.

Fromong acknowledged that he has gone to the online auction site eBay in an effort to peddle items he has dubbed as "identical to the items O.J. stole from me!"

He also said that when he suffered a heart attack days after the incident, he called a TV show from his hospital bed but said he just wanted to make sure he wasn't lumped together with "unsavory characters" in the case.

He also confirmed that he has discussed the idea of a book with various people.

Grasso also asked Fromong whether he called the television show "Inside Edition" before contacting police.

"Nine-one-one was already being called," Fromong said.

Grasso also noted that in his statement to police Fromong said Simpson had told the others: "Get my ... . Leave the other stuff alone."

Fromong, who testified he has known Simpson since the early 1990s, said the confrontation lasted no more than five or six minutes and ended with the group stuffing hundreds of items into pillowcases and leaving the Palace Station hotel-casino.

Fromong said some of the items had nothing to do with Simpson but were lithographs of football great Joe Montana and items signed by baseball stars Duke Snider and Pete Rose that he thought he could sell.

At one point, as everything was being packed up, Fromong said he told Simpson: "O.J., those are my Joe Montana lithos.

"I said, 'O.J., that's my stuff. That doesn't have anything to do with anything."

Throughout the confrontation, Fromong said, one man pointed a gun at his face and told him at one point: "I'll shoot your a--."

"I wasn't cowering in a corner, but having a gun pointed at me is an uncomfortable feeling," he said.

Fromong told how he and Simpson met in the early 1990s when Fromong and another memorabilia dealer, Mike Gilbert, formed a company, "Locker 32," using the number on Simpson's football jersey, to sell items on his behalf.

Shortly before the hotel confrontation, Fromong said, memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley told him he had several Simpson-related items to sell to an anonymous buyer, including the suit Simpson wore when he was acquitted of murder. Beardsley arranged the meeting, which Fromong thought would be with an anonymous buyer, he said.

At one point, Fromong said he thought the Simpson material for sale could fetch as much as $100,000 at retail. But he also said, "I have always believed much of this stuff should go back to O.J.'s family."

Thomas Riccio, a memorabilia dealer who captured the events on a digital recorder, testified he set up the meeting that ultimately led to felony charges against Simpson. He later sold a copy of the recording to a tabloid Web site before handing it over to police.

Like Fromong, Riccio said he hoped to make money off Simpson. It was only Simpson, Riccio said, who didn't want any money. He just wanted to retrieve memorabilia from his storied football career that his family could have as keepsakes.

"A lot of people forget the fact that O.J. was one of the greatest football players," Riccio said.

He said Simpson not only wanted his stuff back, but was interested in staging a reality show documenting the recovery. But when he told FBI agents in Los Angeles about their plans, he said, they "put their heads in their hands" and refused to get involved.

FBI documents obtained by The Associated Press last week confirm the agency was told of the plan by Riccio three weeks before it happened.

Fromong and Riccio were among eight witnesses prosecutors expected to call. The hearing was to continue Friday.

Beardsley, who has been in custody in California on a parole violation, has been transferred to a Las Vegas jail and is expected to testify, defense lawyers said.

In Simpson's mind, according to a close friend, the Las Vegas charges are rooted in the former football star being acquitted in the 1994 slayings of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

"He believes he's being tried for that now," said Tom Scotto, 45, a North Miami Beach, Fla., auto body shop owner.

Simpson has maintained that he wanted to retrieve items he knew had been stolen from him, including the suit Fromong mentioned.

Simpson and co-defendants Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich face 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and coercion.

A kidnapping conviction could result in a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. An armed robbery conviction could mean mandatory prison time.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Mickey Rourke Arrested in Fla. on DUI

2007-11-09T05:33:00.002-08:00

A scooter-riding Mickey Rourke was arrested Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Rourke, star of "Sin City," "Diner" and "9 1/2 Weeks," was arrested at 4:20 a.m. and booked at the Miami-Dade County Jail, said Janelle Hall, a jail spokeswoman. He was released on a $1,000 bond, she said.

A telephone message left at the office of Rourke's agent wasn't immediately returned.

A Miami Beach Police report said Rourke made a U-turn with a red light and then swerved several times while on a green scooter. He had a flushed face and bloodshot, watery eyes, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, the report said.

"I'm not drunk, I didn't even drink that much," the report quoted Rourke as saying.

Rourke, 51, allegedly failed field-sobriety tests before being taken to headquarters. He also failed an alcohol breath test, police said.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Wrapup of Entertainment Quotes

2007-11-09T05:33:00.001-08:00

"Marc and I are expecting." Jennifer Lopez, announcing her pregnancy while on tour with her husband, Marc Anthony,

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"I just came from a show where the writers were gods. Coming from theater, I know what it's like to go into a film where the writing is changing all the time. I'm for the writers 100 percent. Good writing is good writing. It's everything, because I've done films with bad writing and I sucked." James Gandolfini, speaking about the Hollywood writers strike.

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"Every neighborhood has the guy who you don't see, so you gossip about him. You see those stories about him, there's the myth that he did this or he did that. People are crazy!" Michael Jackson, on his reputation as a freak.

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"My dream is to be a highly fulfilled and productive stay-at-home mom and wife." Julia Roberts.

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"I blame myself. What mother wouldn't?" Lynne Spears, on her daughter Britney's troubles.

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"It was great. I'm a little tired, but it was worth it." Katie Holmes, actress and wife of Tom Cruise, on running the New York Marathon.

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"My dad is my hero. And I will miss that the most because he was my rock. He was my strength." Marie Osmond, on the death of her father, George Osmond.

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"Dudes have bought $15,000 worth of champagne and brought it over (to me). I just give it to the older people, like, 'Y'all can have that, I don't drink. Give me a cranberry juice or a Sprite!'" Chris Brown, 18-year-old R&B superstar.

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"When I first heard about it I spent about a half-hour going around my house crying." Oprah Winfrey, on learning of allegations that a dorm matron at her South African academy for disadvantaged girls had abused students.

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"I thought that I was cool enough in the black world to be able to use that word as a brother to a brother. I'm not. I didn't know really know until three or four days ago what that meant to black people." Duane "Dog" Chapman, claiming he used the N-word conversationally when talking to black acquaintances. Chapman, star of TV's "Dog the Bounty Hunter," has apologized for repeatedly using the racial slur during a March phone call to his son.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Roman Polanski to Direct The Ghost

2007-11-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

Roman Polanski will direct a film adaptation of "The Ghost," the best-selling political thriller by Robert Harris.

Random House Group, the book's publisher, said Polanski and Harris are collaborating on a screenplay. Filming is due to begin in northern Europe next year.

The book's narrator is a ghostwriter, hired to help a former British leader complete his memoirs, who becomes enmeshed in a web of espionage and political intrigue.

It has caused ripples in Britain for its parallels to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has known Harris for 15 years. Like Blair, fictional premier Adam Lang is a once-popular politician brought down by his close alliance with the United States in its "war on terror."

"There's a lot of psychological intrigue in the story, as well as espionage and politics, and most of the action takes place in an oceanfront house during the middle of winter all of it classic Polanski territory," Harris said.

Polanski, who won an Oscar in 2003 for the Holocaust drama "The Pianist," said he's been interested in directing a political thriller.

"`The Ghost' could not be more perfect," the 74-year-old filmmaker said. "Robert has constructed a novel with such suspense, it is hard to put down."

Poland-born Polanski has been living in self-imposed exile from the United States since fleeing child-sex charges in 1978. He also hasn't visited Britain for fear of extradition.

Last month, Blair signed an agreement with Random House to publish his own memoirs, for an undisclosed advance. He has said he doesn't plan to hire a ghostwriter.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Tom Cruise vs. Vince Vaughn: Who Ya Got?

2007-11-08T12:18:00.001-08:00

Once again, it's a weekend battle of head-to-head stars. This week we have two more heavy hitters doing battle in slightly different films than they’re used to. In this corner we've got Tom Cruise in the Robert Redford helmed Lions For Lambs. Opposite him in the fur trimmed red trunks is Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus. You know the rules. Let's drop the cage. Two men enter! One man leaves!In the box office this weekend: Winner = Vaughn
The box office has been a family wasteland for far too long. Anything branded family is cleaning up whole hog. And with everything going wrong these days everyone is looking for a pick-me-up. I expect families will run to this like they were giving out free iPhones in the lobby. Lions For Lambs, on the other hand, is a political drama and political dramas are tanking. This one isn't even going to be close.

In the critical arena: Winner = Cruise
On his worst day Cruise is still one of the best actors working today. And here he is far from his worst days. In fact, this is his best performance since Magnolia, which garnered him an Oscar nod. Vaughn, on the other hand, has been in a string of lowbrow comedies. And despite the fact that people love him, critics are dreading this. They're waiting for an excuse to open up on Vaughn, even if it isn't deserved. Cruise is gonna come out on top this week.

In their careers: Winner = Cruise
Vince is an awesome guy. He's got several hits under his belt. And he dated Jennifer Aniston. Lets face it, he's one of life's winners. But he's never hit Cruise's level of fame. Fortunately for him he never has to worry about Cruise's level of infamy either. I mean, honestly, can anyone name Vaughn's religion? No. But everyone has something to say about Cruise's. I still give points to Cruise: Kubrick film, Oscar nod, married Nicole back when she was famous, then married Katie Holmes. Oh, and like a billion hit films. Cruise IS a life winner.

In a fight: Winner = Vaughn
This one is actually close. Cruise is in tip-top physical shape and highly trained in the art of combat. But Vaughn is gigantic. He's like the abominable snowman if the abominable snowman had a five o'clock shadow and a good buzz. And I've seen Vince after a few drinks. The man looks like he could get hit by a Buick and shake it off. Given access to at least a minibar, the advantage goes to Vaughn.

Winner = Tie
I'm actually awarding a tie this week. I have a feeling neither film is destined to be a classic, but both men will continue rolling forward in their careers. Two titans will have collided, been evenly matched, and then will wander off back into Hollywood. Kind of like a Godzilla movie.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Five Reasons We Love Meryl Streep

2007-11-08T12:17:00.003-08:00

1.) Meryl Streep is not afraid to take on challenging or strange roles, from a lesbian in Manhattan to the heartbreaking role of a distraught mother in Kramer vs. Kramer to a strongly accented lead in Out of Africa, to the more modern singing role in Prairie Home Companion, as well as her now infamously icy turn in the Devil Wears Prada. Streep takes it all in stride, and comes across very naturally, adding authenticity and refinement to each of her roles. She is one of the most talented and versatile actresses of our time.2.) She is the most nominated actor in all of history, with fourteen well-deserved Academy Award nominations. While the Academy does overlook talented actors now and then, it does grant the most famous and easily recognized award in the film industry. It’s nice to see that Streep has been singled out for her abilities time and again. She is also one of a small group of actors to win the SAG Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award.

3.) Meryl Streep is incredibly intelligent, having graduated from Vassar College and completing a MFA from Yale University. While you don’t have to be smart to be a good actress, it certainly helps, especially in this day and age where starlets are known not for their brains but for their spending habits. Articulate and graceful, Streep is from an entirely different class of actors, the kind that you can count on to be in good movies, knowing that almost every film role they take on has been carefully considered. You are safe with a Streep film.

4.) By all accounts, Streep has kept her private life fairly quiet; she has been married to the same man since 1978 and has four respectable children. As we are so used to seeing the lives of the famous explode in their faces, Streep is a welcome respite from the endless cycle of celebrity marriages and scandals. Sadly, an actress who focuses on her acting has become the exception, not the norm. More actresses could take to heart Streep’s formula for success; education + a stable life = outrageous achievement!

5.) And finally, in addition to being a better actress and person than all of us combined, Streep is probably a molecular biologist in her spare time. She will most likely come out with a cure for AIDS next year, along with writing the great American novel, and in one fell swoop will win both the Nobel Peace Prize and a Pulitzer.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Lopez Tells Miami Crowd She's Expecting

2007-11-08T12:17:00.001-08:00

Jennifer Lopez has confirmed what has become increasingly obvious: She's pregnant.

Lopez, who is touring with her husband, Marc Anthony, made the announcement to South Florida concertgoers Wednesday night.

"Marc and I are expecting," the 39-year-old singer told the crowd in Miami. Lopez didn't say when she is due to give birth.

After her announcement, Anthony kissed his wife's belly.

"I didn't know she was going to talk," he said.

Lopez and Anthony, 38, were married in 2004.

Last month, Roberto Cavalli, who created free-flowing outfits for Lopez, said the singer was pregnant.

Asked what types of clothing he designs for celebrities, Cavalli told People magazine: "Well Jennifer Lopez, at this moment, she requests something very special because she is waiting for the baby."

"It is so complicated because every week she is getting bigger," Cavalli said.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Original Gangster Outshines Film

2007-11-08T12:16:00.004-08:00

Frank Lucas, at 77 years old and in a wheelchair, still has a small gang doting on him. Sons, publicists and friends swirl around Lucas in nearly perpetual commotion, fetching him everything from pills to a cooling fan. A recent visitor is directed kindly though in no uncertain terms in and out of the room.

There's still plenty of power left in Lucas's presence, even though his days as a Harlem drug lord are decades past, his millions long ago seized by the government.

Lucas is again in the spotlight because of "American Gangster," the Ridley Scott-directed film in which Denzel Washington portrays Lucas. A special as part of BET's "American Gangster" series also recently profiled him.

"If you can find one better than Denzel Washington, I want you to tell me," says Lucas, in a halting drawl similar to bluesman John Lee Hooker's. "What's their name? What's their name?"

Lucas's story is unbelievable even by Hollywood standards. After a childhood in North Carolina, he moved to New York, eventually becoming the driver for and pupil of Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, a powerful Harlem gangster.

After Johnson's death, Lucas, who went by the nickname "Superfly," took over his heroin dealing business, but made one audacious change: He established his own drug connection, cutting out the middleman and landing huge amounts of nearly pure heroin. Sold on the street as "Blue Magic," it netted him an incredible profit up to $1 million in revenue a day, Lucas claims.

He managed this by buying his dope in the jungles of Vietnam, tipped off by U.S. soldiers then fighting in the war. To get the drugs back to the States, Lucas established the infamous "cadaver connection," hiding the heroin in the caskets of dead soldiers.

Judge Sterling Johnson Jr. of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn, who prosecuted Lucas and played a major role in bringing him down, once called the operation "one of the most outrageous dope-smuggling gangs ever."

Lucas wasn't the only arrogant gangster in New York then. His rival, Leroy "Nicky" Barnes (played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the film) appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine in an article titled "Mr. Untouchable" which prompted President Jimmy Carter to pressure for a crackdown.

In "American Gangster," Lucas is depicted to a certain degree as an entrepreneur who broke through the racial barriers of traditional organized crime.

"That had nothing to do with it," says Lucas, who also sold his drugs to Italian mob families. "I saw an opening, a soft spot the soft part of the belly and I took advantage of it."

After Lucas was arrested in 1975, his sentences in New York and New Jersey added up to 70 years in prison and he quickly turned into a government informant, most notably against the then-corrupt Special Investigations Unit of the NYPD.

Out of 70 SIU officers, 52 were eventually either jailed or indicted. Lucas claims he only informed on corrupt police officers. He insists: "The only people I every ever informed on were them ... cops who took my money."

But prosecutors involved in the case have contradicted that. Richard "Richie" Roberts, who prosecuted the superseding indictment in New Jersey, says plainly: "Absolutely not. He gets mad every time I tell the truth."

Lucas's sentence was reduced to five years after his informant work. Once released, Lucas was quickly arrested again for drug dealing, but on a much smaller scale. He served seven more years and, when he got out of jail in 1991, Roberts came to his aid ("I couldn't buy a pack of cigarettes," says Lucas).

Today, they are good friends. Roberts is Lucas's defense attorney and the godfather to his 11-year-old son, Ray, whose education Roberts has paid for.

"We've had our ups and downs over the years," says Roberts, speaking from his New Jersey law office. "The charm that Denzel exhibited in the movie was the way Frank was. Frank would probably shoot you and make you feel pretty good as you were dying."

Russell Crowe plays Roberts in the film, though the character is a composite of the many detectives and prosecutors who arrested and tried Lucas. Lucas for a moment hesitates to speak ill of his friend, but the inflated screen persona given to Roberts riles him.

"Richie Roberts and his crack crew couldn't catch a ... bad cold in Alaska in the wintertime," he says with undimmed competitiveness. "They were the bad-news cops."

It was originally Nicholas Pileggi (who wrote "Wiseguys," the book "Goodfellas" was based on) who brought attention to Lucas' story. He introduced Lucas to writer Mark Jacobson, whose 2000 New York Magazine article was the basis for "American Gangster."

Lucas, Roberts, Pileggi and Jacobson flew to L.A. together to meet with producer Brian Grazer, who Pileggi says, snapping his fingers, "bought it right in the room."

The stars of "American Gangster" and its writer, Steve Zaillian, consulted heavily with Lucas and Roberts. Lucas was present almost daily on the Harlem film set, lending Washington frequent advice on details like how he taped his gun.

On the BET special, Washington said about Lucas: "He'll have you working for him by the end of the day."

Of the slow pace of film productions, Lucas, who uses a wheelchair because of complications from a leg he broke in two places some time ago, poetically says: "It was kind of like watching a flower grow in the nighttime." He then adds with phrasing rather alarming coming from a former gangster: "The way they do it is not according to Jim, you know what I mean? I usually am bang, bang, bang I'm gone."

Lucas, who lives with his wife and youngest son in Newark, N.J., says that the experience couldn't help but rekindle his memories.

"You're back in the saaame thing," he says with a laugh. "The girls I knew, some of them came up claiming they got kids by me. Since I started making the movie, I got 10 more sons."

But Lucas says he's repentant. Aside from any murders he himself committed or had carried out, the strength of Lucas's potent heroin killed many young users.

"I regret it very much so," he says. "I did some terrible things. I'm awfully sorry that I did them. I really am."

Many of those who lived through the events depicted in "American Gangster" worry the film could glamorize Lucas' drug-dealing days.

Pileggi, also an executive producer on the film, says he hopes "American Gangster" above all makes clear "that you're going to get caught, even if you're as clever and try to be as laid-back as (Lucas)."

"He can never redeem what he did, he can never bring those kids back or clean up the schoolyards, but there is rebirth or redemption in realizing what you did was bad," says Pileggi.

Lucas now touts a charity founded by his daughter, Francine Lucas-Sinclair, that seeks to raise money for the children of incarcerated parents (http://yellowbrickroads.org).

"I always keep my eye on the prize," says Lucas. "The film, in three or four months, it'll be gone but I'll still be here. And I gotta keep the fire burning."

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Coens Find New Country to Roam

2007-11-08T12:16:00.003-08:00

Joel and Ethan Coen have proved to be masters at mixing the horrific and humorous, the ominous and outrageous nowhere more so than in their latest film, the savage crime saga "No Country for Old Men."

The brothers take familiar Hollywood genres film noir ("The Man Who Wasn't There"), the gangster tale ("Miller's Crossing"), the true-crime thriller ("Fargo"), the screwball comedy ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") and filter them into something uniquely their own.

Like that "Barton Fink feeling" a studio executive blathers on about in "Barton Fink," their tale of a playwright in Hollywood, there's a "Coen brothers feeling" that can defy definition, but you know it when you see it in their films.

"No Country for Old Men" co-star Josh Brolin calls it "Planet Coen."

"They find the absurdity of who we are in every situation. That's what they're fantastic at. Even in a movie as tense as this, they give you the ability to kind of chuckle and inhale and take a breath," said Brolin. "You never know what's going to happen around the next Coen brothers corner, whether it be fate or absurdity or a lack of humor where you're positive they're going to inject a joke."

Adapted by the Coens from Cormac McCarthy's novel, "No Country for Old Men" centers on three characters. There's a wily Texan (Brolin) who stumbles on a drug deal gone bloodily wrong in the desert and makes off with $2 million left behind among the corpses. There's a relentless, inhumanly brutish killer (Javier Bardem) tracking Brolin to recover the cash. And there's a valorous but wayworn sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) pursuing both men. The film opens Friday.

At its core, the story seems a bit conventional for the filmmakers who made yodeling the musical backdrop for baby-snatching in "Raising Arizona" and turned a urine-stained carpet into a key plot catalyst for a crime comedy set among bowlers in "The Big Lebowski"

But the balance of black humor and brutish violence, the sense of an otherworldly America in the vast Texas panorama, and the abrupt turns McCarthy sneaks in late in the story set the novel squarely on Planet Coen.

"It immediately seemed like the kind of thing we could make a movie out of, largely by virtue of what kind of story it is, which for Cormac is a little anomalous compared to his other things," Ethan Coen, 50, told The Associated Press during an interview with his brother. "I don't know what to call it pulpier, more of a chase-action thing."

"On one level," continued Joel Coen, 52, "it's a very straightforward crime story, and on another level, it's not that at all. Without sort of giving away the ending, he does certain things in terms of the structure of the story, the way the story moves, and what happens sort of three-quarters of the way through, which are quite unexpected and unusual and probably unique in terms of what one would expect from this kind of story. There's nothing predictable about this."

There has been nothing predictable about the Coens' work since their 1984 debut with another violent Texas crime tale, "Blood Simple," starring Frances McDormand, Joel Coen's wife.

They seemed like pure fringe players with their early films, including "Raising Arizona," "Miller's Crossing" and "Barton Fink." The latter earned the top honor at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, but it baffled many viewers, as did their next film, "The Hudsucker Proxy" the films helping to solidify the Coens as cult favorites well outside the mainstream.

Then came "Fargo," a surprise commercial success that grabbed seven Academy Award nominations, best picture and director among them, and won the best-actress Oscar for McDormand and the original-screenplay prize for the Coens.

"Fargo" spun the tragic farce of a real-life kidnapping in the Coens' home state of Minnesota, which seems like an alien landscape as the story plays out in a seamless mix of the grotesque and hilarious.

Likewise, "No Country for Old Men" twirls the audience through a whirlwind of bloodshed leavened with wicked laughs.

Strangely, it's Bardem, the film's most menacing figure, around whom much of the humor revolves as he brushes people and obstacles aside with stoic tenacity and a cache of outlandish weapons.

Bardem said he necessarily had to play such a ruthless character straight. The comedy came from the Coens.

"They made it happen by the way they put it together," Bardem said. "Thank God, I didn't know it, because then I didn't pretend to be funny. I had my job to do, which was to be dead serious and frightening. So when they put it together, they put it together with a reaction from another person listening to me. That makes it funny.

"That's why the Coens are the Coens. They know how to put it together to really release the tension and make you laugh out of fear, out of tension."

"They understand that even when the bleakest things happen in life, there's humor there," said Kelly Macdonald, who plays the wife of Brolin's character in "No Country for Old Men." "That's one of the biggest human traits. It's a coping mechanism or something."

The Coens deflect attempts to analyze their work or the combination of light and dark that goes into it.

"It's not like they're separate ingredients," Ethan Coen said. "There are some situations that you might react to by laughing or being horrified. Either way is fine with us, but again, they're not like two different ingredients that you measure and pour in. It's kind of the fact that you can react either way that's appealing."

"We're sometimes surprised when people laugh at certain places, although we're never bothered by it," Joel Coen said. "Every now and then, you get a laugh in really unexpected places."

His brother recalled one such scene that surprised the Coens in advance screenings since the film debuted at last spring's Cannes festival:

"Javier is in this motel room, and he unzips a bag and takes out a gun with this big honkin' silence on the end of it, and people laugh," Ethan Coen said. "You go, `OK, I didn't really expect that, but great.'"

"In that situation, it is quite funny. It's horrifying at the same time it's funny," Joel Coen said.

The Coens' next film leans more toward funny than horrifying, though Ethan Coen guaranteed that both qualities will be well-represented.

"Burn After Reading" is a comic adventure reuniting them with "O Brother" star George Clooney, who co-stars with McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Richard Jenkins.

True to that Coen feeling, the brothers describe it as a yarn set in motion by the collision of two diverse cultures: the CIA and the physical-fitness world.

That juxtaposition reminded them of the time they met former Texas Gov. Ann Richards and described the plot of the film they were then working on, "The Man Who Wasn't There," with Billy Bob Thornton.

"We said, `It's about a barber who wants to be a dry cleaner,'" Joel Coen said. "She looked at Ethan as well as me and said, `I'm trying to get excited about that.'"

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Carell Ducks The Office for Strikers

2007-11-08T12:16:00.001-08:00

Writers were back on the picket lines Wednesday after their strike forced at least eight prime-time shows, including the popular NBC sitcom "The Office," to halt production.

As the strike entered its third day, no new negotiations were scheduled on the main sticking point between writers and producers: payments from DVDs and shows offered on the Internet.

One of the largest rallies yet occurred outside the gates of the Disney studio in Burbank. About 60 people, including a number of powerful producer-writers known in the industry as "showrunners," joined the protest, despite that networks expected many of them to report to work as managers.

Among them was Greg Daniels, executive producer of the "The Office," who said filming stopped on the show after star Steve Carell refused to cross picket lines. Writers and actors from the show used their time on the picket line to make a video and post it on YouTube.

Sally Field, who won the best actress Oscar in 1979 for the pro-union film "Norma Rae," left the set of her ABC show, "Brothers & Sisters," to visit strikers outside the Disney lot.

Writers "are not being allowed to participate in the future of the business," Field said. "This can be a very lucrative field, but also incredibly insecure for all of the artists, writers, actors and directors."

Mark Perry, executive producer of "Brothers & Sisters," said filming on the show will end next week as it runs out of scripts.

Jay Leno drove a vintage sports car to the rally and stopped to chat with strikers. He apologized for not having any funny lines to share, blaming the problem on what else? the strike.

The strike began Monday after last-minute negotiations failed to produce a deal. The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said no new talks had been scheduled. Neither group offered further comment Wednesday.

Production of at least seven sitcoms has been halted because of the strike, and the hit ABC drama "Desperate Housewives" was scheduled to finish filming its latest episode because it had run out of scripts.

Along with "The Office," sitcoms that will stop the cameras include "Back to You," "The New Adventures of Old Christine." "Til Death," "Rules of Engagement," "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory."

Filming on the 13th episode of the freshman ABC comedy "Carpoolers" was also set to finish Wednesday, ABC Studios spokeswoman Charissa Gilmore said. No new episodes have been ordered.

Networks were expected to announce plans for alternative programming in the coming days.

The strike immediately brought repeats of late-night comedy shows, but it was not expected to have an immediate impact on production of movies. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and many TV shows have scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.

Writers have not gone on strike since 1988, when the walkout lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: Can't Gift Wrap `Fred Claus'

2007-11-07T08:32:00.001-08:00

Vince Vaughn plays the same guy he always plays the smart-alecky, fast-talking, seemingly insincere hustler who ultimately turns out to be a lovable lug beneath the bravado in "Fred Claus." Only this time he does it surrounded by elves and toys with jaunty Christmas music blaring in the background.

Clearly, he can do more. He proved it earlier this year in "Into the Wild." But here he's once again coasting on his well-worn persona, surrounded by esteemed, award-winning actors who are vastly overqualified and mostly look bored. (It's staggering when you look at the caliber of the cast. Kathy Bates has an Oscar. So does Rachel Weisz. Heck, Kevin Spacey has two. Paul Giamatti's been nominated; so has Miranda Richardson, twice.)

The comedy from director David Dobkin (who also directed Vaughn in "Wedding Crashers") veers awkwardly from shrill, slapsticky physical humor to diabolical meanness (courtesy of Spacey as an efficiency expert) to reheated, snuggly sentiments about the importance of love and family.

And the thing is, the central nugget of an idea behind the movie isn't bad.

Vaughn stars as the bitter Fred Claus, who's spent a lifetime seething in the shadow of his loving, generous younger brother, Nicholas (Giamatti), better known as Santa. Mom (Bates) always liked Nick better. But in a peculiar plot point from screenwriter Dan Fogelman (with Jessie Nelson getting a story-by credit) everyone related to Nick froze in time when he gained his sainthood. This detail is mentioned in passing at the beginning and never addressed again.

Fred, however, is thoroughly contemporary. He's a repo man who's not above squabbling with little girls over their personal belongings. Early on, he pretends to be a Salvation Army volunteer just to pilfer dollar bills from the kindhearted holiday shoppers wandering Chicago's streets. (He then gets chased down Michigan Avenue by a dozen angry Santas and ends up being arrested, a foreshadowing of further wacky antics to come.)

Desperate for cash to get out of jail and start his own gambling venture a pursuit that you know he'll abandon by the film's end Fred agrees to schlep to the North Pole and earn the money by assisting his brother and his mini-minions as they prepare for Christmas. Fred's girlfriend, Wanda (Weisz, weirdly cast as a meter maid), is tired of his selfishness and flakiness and certainly isn't about to help.

So off he goes, in a sleigh driven by Santa's head elf, Willie (John Michael Higgins) who, like Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as the North Pole's DJ elf, is jarringly rendered as a little person using a process known as "digital head replacement." Basically this entails putting the actor's head on the body of another actor using a blue screen. It looks so obviously fake, though, it's like something out of the Wayans brothers' comedy "Little Man."

Fred arrives at the shiny, shopping mall-style North Pole much to the dismay of Nick's wife, Annette (Richardson), who thinks he's good for nothing and immediately stirs things up just as Spacey's stern, bespectacled character, Clyde Northcutt, shows up to evaluate the operation's productivity with an eye to shutting the place down. Fred's shenanigans include trying to get the DJ to play a song other than the constant loop of "Here Comes Santa Claus": Yes, Elvis really gives the elves an opportunity to get their groove on.

He also subverts the whole naughty-nice delineation by declaring that there are no bad kids. This forces Vaughn to utter the line, "Every kid deserves a present on Christmas." Such blatant earnestness fits him about as well as the red, fuzzy Santa hat stuffed onto his head.

"Fred Claus," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated PG for mild language and some rude humor. Running time: 116 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: Lions for Lambs Lacks Roar

2007-11-07T08:31:00.005-08:00

"Lions for Lambs," the preachy, star-driven first release of United Artists under Tom Cruise and producing partner Paula Wagner's management, seems to ask every question imaginable about the war on terrorism while offering not a hint of answers.

No one will ever look back decades from now and say "Lions for Lambs" was even remotely a definitive film about the war on terror. Yet there's a certain nobility in the willingness of stars such as Cruise, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep to throw themselves on a grenade for what critics might characterize as prattling pedantry or even political egoism.

The movie works here and there and is quite moving in a few places. At other times, it's a dry discourse on who, why and how we're fighting, and what good, if any, may come of it.

At its worst, "Lions for Lambs" is a cheerleading session, not necessarily to take up THE fight, but to take up A fight. Much of the movie plays like a civics lesson, the characters and situations manipulatively constructed to demand of viewers, "Do your duty."

The structure three interlocked stories taking place simultaneously in Washington, California and Afghanistan screams convolution, even contortion, given how relatively short the movie is.

Yet director Redford and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan, who also penned the more conventional terrorism tale "The Kingdom" keep everything so simple and on the surface that "Lions for Lambs" flows easily, if not all that artfully.

In the Capitol, conservative Sen. Jasper Irving (Cruise), a potential presidential aspirant, has summoned fatigued and cynical TV reporter Janine Roth (Streep) to his office to leak news of a bold new strategy in the war in Afghanistan.

At an anonymous California university, history professor Malley (Redford) has summoned a whip-smart but apathetic student (Andrew Garfield) to his office to bully the youth into using his talents for the greater good.

In Afghanistan, two of Malley's favorite former students Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Pena), who deeply disappointed their mentor by enlisting find themselves in enemy crossfire resulting from the battle plan concocted by Irving.

The movie flits, at times clunkily, among the three settings, which could be said to loosely correspond to the heart (Arian and Ernest's story), the head (Malley's tale) and the guts (Irving and Roth's scenario) of the terrorism debate.

Some will find the stagy, talky premise excruciating and pretentious, and the movie shoves an obvious and heavy-handed metaphor troops seizing the high ground in Afghanistan's mountains down viewer's throats.

Still, sporadically crisp and clever dialogue, along with the earnestness of the performances, particularly Streep's, Luke's and Pena's, make "Lions for Lambs" infectiously involving at times, like overhearing a smart and impassioned debate at the next table.

(Wounded on a mountaintop for most of "Lions for Lambs," Pena finds himself in the odd position of playing one-half of a mostly immobile duo for the second time in a terrorism tale, following last year's "World Trade Center").

More lamb than lion, the movie's a lightweight in the pantheon of United Artists films, which include studio co-founder Charles Chaplin's "City Lights" and "Modern Times," Cruise's "Rain Man," and such classics as "12 Angry Men," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Annie Hall" and "Rocky."

But as ideological dramas go, it's a huge step up from, say, Sylvester Stallone draped in an American flag for "Rocky IV."

"Lions for Lambs," released by MGM's United Artists banner, is rated R for some war violence and language. Running time: 90 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com

Review: No Country Is Vintage Coens

2007-11-07T08:31:00.003-08:00

Cormac McCarthy and the Coen brothers. If you stop to think about it, it's a wonder they've never teamed up before.

The revered writer and the acclaimed moviemakers share so much in common: a love of language, a drive to develop rich characters, an appreciation for the importance of a vivid sense of place and an innate ability to tell stories that take you in directions you'd never have expected from the outset.

"No Country for Old Men" marries the three men's strengths in ways that are deceptively simple and profoundly moving, set against a harshly beautiful, seemingly endless expanse of scrub-brushed West Texas. (Thanks to the breathtaking work of a fourth man, the Coens' longtime cinematographer and we say this all the time for a reason the great Roger Deakins.)

It's vintage stuff for the writing-directing brothers, Joel and Ethan, a return to the location of their 1984 debut, "Blood Simple," and the tone of their masterpiece, "Fargo." It's their best work in a while and it's probably going to end up being the year's best movie.

In adapting McCarthy's 2005 novel about crime and carnage along the Rio Grande, the Coens stay mostly faithful to its structure while maintaining much of the author's rhythmically clipped, colorful dialogue.

If you've read the book, you'll be pleased with the choices they've made; if you haven't, wait until after you've seen the film to do so. Allow yourself to be engrossed by its unpredictability. You'll think you know what the movie is about until the absolute last shot in the film's boldly enigmatic conclusion which will change your perception about everything you've seen in the preceding two hours. (Not everyone is as fond of the ending, by the way. Whether or not you respond favorably, it'll definitely leave you thinking.)

Set in 1980, "No Country" follows three vastly different men tied together by a big-money drug deal gone wrong which sounds like a standard-issue genre picture. It's anything but.

Sporting the same shaggy mustache he wore in "American Gangster," Josh Brolin is perfectly cast as Llewelyn Moss, a stoic welder and Vietnam veteran who stumbles upon the botched transaction's bloody aftermath, finds a briefcase stuffed with $2 million and impulsively makes off with it. Brolin presents a sort of rugged everyman trying to get by, blessed with more instincts than brains. He's not a bad guy, just in over his head besides, wouldn't you grab the money, too? (And Kelly Macdonald, as his wife, shows more spark as the film goes along than her sweetness might initially indicate.)

Meanwhile, Javier Bardem is chilling as Anton Chigurh, the mysterious, murderous psychopath stalking Llewelyn to get the cash back. With his oddly wholesome bowl haircut and the coin he flips to give his potential victims a chance to bet on their lives, Bardem has given us one of the great, inspired turns of movie villainy. You have absolutely no idea where he might go from scene to scene with this quietly methodical yet wildly dangerous character, but you can bet something bad will happen once he gets there.

And Tommy Lee Jones is firmly in his element as the pleasingly named Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who's tracking them both and lamenting the loss of a more honorable way of life in an increasingly senseless world. The lines in his face, the deadpan sarcasm in that seasoned twang of a voice, the no-nonsense look in his eyes clearly, Jones could have played this part in his sleep. Thankfully for us, he didn't.

(The supporting cast, led by Woody Harrelson as a mercenary who's also on the hunt for the money, is just as well-chosen, down to the smallest role. Standouts include Beth Grant as Llewelyn's mother-in-law, Gene Jones as a gas station owner and Rodger Boyce as another sheriff.)

The Coens skip seamlessly between all three men, through trailer parks and cheap motels and back and forth across the Mexican border, brilliantly building tension while sprinkling some much needed, very dark humor amid the bloodshed. (Deputy: "It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?" Sheriff: "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here.")

McCarthy knows this place and knows these people (if you don't believe it, take a trip out there yourself to Marfa or Marathon) and his writing simultaneously reflects a world-weariness and a fundamental sense of optimism. The violence in his story, in this film, will make you gasp because of its prevalence, because it's unromanticized and unadorned, but that's only superficially what "No Country for Old Men" is about.

Sitting in his favorite diner, reading in the newspaper about a couple suspected of a gruesome killing spree, Sheriff Bell ruefully remarks to his deputy, "Once you stop hearing sir and ma'am, the rest is sure to follow." That simple tidbit of down-home wisdom is the key to a complex story about a complex world.

"No Country for Old Men," a Miramax Films and Paramount Vantage release, is rated R for strong graphic violence and some language. Running time: 122 minutes. Four stars out of four.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com