Recently, a few thought provoking articles addressed at-length the generally sad state of affairs at major film studios. To be fair, neither Mark Harris or Drew McWeeny put the blame squarely on the studios -- noting that audience turnout and demand is as much of a factor as anything -- but at the same time, there's one oft-repeated point that still resonates in both pieces: Most major studios simply cannot afford to take risks on original material. All right, then, Hollywood: let's talk about saving money.
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Here at Movieline HQ, the disturbing publicity still is one of our favorite things, if only because each one is like a snowflake -- original, simple-yet-complex, and oddly transfixing. The disturbing celebrity picture however? The exact opposite -- those are just plain scary. A calm stroll through the pages of Getty Images earlier this morning unearthed this frightening gem. Only the strong of will are advised to click ahead. The rest, well, maybe think of saving yourselves.
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Sad news this week from the geek-core rights-acquisition front lines: The grass-roots fund-raising campaign to help revive Joss Whedon's cult-favorite sci-fi series Firefly has died. Evidently you can stop the signal.
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Until an Arrested Development film is released, it will be impossible for the original cast members to promote any project without being barraged with questions about a Bluth family reunion. Such was the case for Jason Bateman while trying to plug his upcoming alien flick Paul, and miraculously, the actor had new insight on Mitch Hurwitz's progress.
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With the release of Jane Eyre on Friday, the world will be reminded yet again that Michael Fassbender is on the cusp of becoming a superstar -- that is if his floating head crotch shot in the X-Men: First Class posters didn't remind you already. If life on the A-list does await him, Fassbender seems well prepared -- especially in the self-deprecation department. Speaking with Salon, Fassbender described his role as a villain in Jonah Hex as "the Lucky Charms leprechaun mixed with Frank Gorshin's Riddler." Not that he actually knows what the final product looked like. "Pretty awful, was it? I haven't seen it myself." [Salon]
"I was shocked and saddened when the MPAA awarded Miral an 'R' or restricted rating. As a filmmaker, I took great pains to tailor Miral to the intended audience and frame this material appropriately within the guidelines of a PG-13 rating. I made very clear aesthetic choices so we feel the impact but never see anything that could be construed as problematic or gratuitous. It was the first time where I was conscious of the MPAA during the filmmaking process, and steered clear of anything that might result in an 'R' rating." Alas. Maybe he needed to include more cigarettes? [Huffington Post]
Also in this Thursday edition of The Broadsheet: It's Thanksgiving: The Movie... Rob Lowe isn't replacing Charlie Sheen... Megan Fox's latest film runs into some trouble... and more ahead.
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During his short life, Bill Hicks managed to establish himself as one of the most groundbreaking, angry and flat-out hilarious comedians of his generation. His unique, confrontational stand-up has been well-documented in films like Sane Man and Relentless, but it's great to finally see a documentary like American: The Bill Hicks Story that delves deeper into his life, his philosophy and his battles with the establishment. That said, what's with all of the goofy animation here?
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Today in totally inevitable things: Steven Hirsch, the founder and co-chairman of adult film company Vivid Entertainment sent Charlie Sheen a letter asking him to direct a porno titled...wait for it...Two and a Half Women. In the letter, Hirsch offers Sheen complete control over the film and naturally invites him to bring along "the goddesses." The shoot ideally starts in the next several days, though it seems like if Hirsch had jumped on this idea sooner, he could already have the film in the can. Thus far, no response from Sheen. [TMZ]
Banksy's L.A. street art rampage seemed to come to a sudden halt after Exit Through the Giftshop lost the Best Documentary Oscar to Inside Job. But now a new piece has surfaced in the U.K. that indeed looks like a possible response to the outcome from Banksy. Keeping in mind that the piece seems to reference this video where that adorable kid broke the Oscar, go ahead and interpret away. Of course, as one Melrose and Fairfax commenter pointed out, it's also possible that the work is a fake by somebody who just added an Oscar statue to this stencil. Ah, the subjective nature of art! Click through and decide for yourself.
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· Yes, I'm late to this, but some things deserve a revisit. Some of us accidentally watched Burlesque on opening night, and the film's best moment stands out like a Diane Warren snub at the Oscars: It's proprietor Cher's call-out of the random song title, "Wagon Wheel Watusi." Care to listen to her repeat those three words for 10 minutes? Hell yes! [YouTube]
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been exhumed in many movies and TV series over the past 20+ years, but Nickelodeon's new cartoon version reinvents the half-shelled humanoids as freaky Goombas. In these new stills, note the triangular fangs and beady eyes. These are the kind of beings that might dwell and thrive in real-life sewers. Eww.
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If your jaw is still on the floor following the news that Julianne Moore will play Sarah Palin in Game Change, do me a favor: Pick that sucker up and help Movieline cast the rest of this guaranteed must-watch HBO telefilm! Click ahead for some ML-approved suggestions, and then cast away in the comments section.
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The great thing about the massive program at the SXSW Film Festival, which starts this week, is that it runs so deep and it takes so many chances, whether on up-and-coming directors, megastars in need of PR miracles (looking at you, Mel), or random collaborations between artists so awesome, the mere idea of them working together blows your mind (four words: Die Antwoord + Harmony Korine). But many of these folks have a lot riding on their SXSW debuts. Movieline names 10 films and filmmakers with something big prove this week in Austin.
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Good and/or dubious news: Anthony Hopkins is rumored to play Daniel Craig's foe in the next James Bond installment. Though Hopkins would no doubt bring the right amount of icy grit, this is pretty obvious casting. Let's pick (and rank!) seven worthier, less expected candidates to release henchmen at 007.
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