Do you live in the New York area? Are you interested in film criticism? If you answered "yes" to both, then clear your calendar on the evening of April 4, when Movieline's chief critic Stephanie Zacharek will join an esteemed panel of peers to discuss film criticism today. No, really! The event is even called "Film Criticism Today." And it's free! Read on for the details.
more »
To close out his popular live-reading program at LACMA Thursday night Jason Reitman selected a film that seemed to tie the series and the room together: The Coen brothers’ 1998 noir-comedy opus The Big Lebowski. In the hot seat filling Jeff Bridges’ slippers as The Dude sat Seth Rogen, whose own slacker charm proved oddly suitable, with folks like Hank Azaria (as Donny), Rainn Wilson (as Walter) and Christina Hendricks (as Maude) alongside him re-enacting one of the most quotable films of the past two decades. The cherry on top? Playing the role of The Stranger originated by Sam Elliott and written explicitly for an actor like Sam Elliott, perhaps… was none other than Sam Elliott.
more »
To close out his popular live-reading program at LACMA Thursday night Jason Reitman selected a film that seemed to tie the series and the room together: The Coen brothers’ 1998 noir-comedy opus The Big Lebowski. In the hot seat filling Jeff Bridges’ slippers as The Dude sat Seth Rogen, whose own slacker charm proved oddly suitable, with folks like Hank Azaria (as Donny), Rainn Wilson (as Walter) and Christina Hendricks (as Maude) alongside him re-enacting one of the most quotable films of the past two decades. The cherry on top? Playing the role of The Stranger originated by Sam Elliott and written explicitly for an actor like Sam Elliott, perhaps… was none other than Sam Elliott.
more »
I can picture the lightbulb that went off the day someone in marketing came up with the idea of a viral goof on a medical ad for April 13's The Three Stooges: 'It's like a disease, only moviegoers won't want the cure!' Actually, I'd kill for an anti-"Stoogation" remedy that'd make the Farrelly Bros.' upcoming re-imagining seem remotely palatable. I'm hoping the entire campaign has simply misrepresented what will turn out to be the comic discovery of the year after this painfully nonsensical ad for "Stoogesta."
more »
Breaking news: The third installment of Tom Six's Human Centipede saga -- which the director promised would see 500 human beings stitched together... in America! -- may be in trouble. According to reports cobbled together through press releases and Twitter missives from Six and his Human Centipede star, Dieter Laser, the German actor took issue with certain script elements, causing him to walk. Six says he'll sue. Will the script and contract issues be resolved in time to get the erstwhile Dr. Heiter on set for the shoot, commencing later this year? WILL THE PEOPLE OF EARTH GET THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE THREEQUEL THEY WANT DESERVE DREAD??
more »
It's been about a year since Charlie Sheen made "Winning!" shorthand for "Crazypants!" -- so what better way to wipe the slate clean (and promote his new show) than by subjecting himself to Matt Lauer's laser-focused Today Show interview? Watch as Sheen not-so-deftly tries to laugh off real questions about his addiction and his public meltdown, makes a reference to heroin, and drops an ungodly number of jittery jokes to get through the longest seven-minute interview maybe ever.
more »
Yikes: "[T]he Motion Picture Association’s claims of $58 billion in actual US economic losses and 373,000 lost jobs came from this press release. These numbers originated at a think tank called the 'Institute for Policy Innovation' – an organization that Businessweek once profiled in an article called 'Op-Eds for Sale.' In it, an IPI analyst freely admitted to taking payoffs from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for writing 'op-ed pieces boosting the lobbyist’s clients.' The IPI’s president supported this behavior, saying it was neither wrong nor unethical, and dismissing those who apply 'a naïve purity standard' to the business of writing op-eds. This doesn’t necessarily mean that MPAA lobbyists paid the IPI to conjure up these numbers. But whatever their genesis, they’re not easy figures to support." [TED Blog via The Dish]
Last night Will Ferrell -- excuse me, boys and girls, San Diego newsman, jazz flautist, and scotch enthusiast Ron Burgundy -- dropped by Conan O'Brien's set to jam, give Conan unsolicited grooming tips, and OH YES -- make an announcement: "As of 0900 Mountain Time, Paramount Pictures and myself, Ronald Joseph Aaron Burgundy, have come to terms on a sequel to Anchorman." Caress some mahogany, smoke a little tea, and rejoice the good word with a clip of the historic announcement!
more »
In addition to announcing their Tribeca closing night bow, Marvel recently unveiled the full track listing for their upcoming Avengers companion album, comprised of "music from and inspired by" the May 4 superhero flick. Among the hot bands of today yesterday contributing future hits to the soundtrack? Soundgarden! Papa Roach! Bush! And the kicker: Evanescence. Now, I know these major recording artists have been around since their respective heydays in the '90s and '00s, but really, Avengers? I haven't had this kind of knee-jerk reaction to a movie soundtrack since I revisited the abomination that was the soundtrack to 1998's Godzilla.
more »
Browsing through the photo record of Tuesday's Titanic 3D premiere in London, one notices immediately the absence of Leonardo DiCaprio. What gives? I mean, if Billy Zane can make time, then lord knows Leo should be able to drop in for at least a few snapshots with James Cameron and co-star Kate Winslet. At the very least, he'd better have a good excuse — which, according to Cameron, he did.
more »
It has come to this for "unaccompanied" teenagers desperate to see the unrated Bully: "An AMC spokesman said it will indeed allow that, but only if the child presents a signed permission slip from a parent, either via a form letter made available by the theater or an improvised note on a standard piece of paper. The move is an apparent attempt to support the film -- AMC executive Gerry Lopez has two teenagers and has been vocal about its importance -- while still paying deference to the Motion Picture Assn. of America and its ratings system." Related: Is Harvey Weinstein just recycling tricks from his Kids playbook? [LAT]
Looks like indie film financier/Tweeter Megan Ellison's promise came true: According to a Box Office Mojo update, Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master has been added to the fall 2012 release calendar, to open on October 12 -- just in time for an awards run! No official word from distrib The Weinstein Co. on the date or final title for the Philip Seymour Hoffman-starrer, nor mention of if/when the pic will first debut at one of the season's prestigious film festivals. While you await more info, mark your calendars... [Box Office Mojo via The Playlist]
The first trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator had Megan Fox and Kardashian jokes, but those pop culture touchstones have been replaced by Anna Faris and terrorism gags in the new, longer trailer. An upgrade? Eh, sure. Maybe. Or not: Faris's brunette pixie 'do does make her look particularly adorable, but juxtaposed with her natural poise Cohen comes off as a poor man's Adam Sandler. Like, hammy Zohan-lite Sandler.
more »
Wrath of the Titans actor Toby Kebbell (Control, RocknRolla) was once up for the part of Tetsuo in Warner Bros.' live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk manga and anime Akira -- but with the project stalled, he unleashed some real talk on the direction the studio intended on taking the big-budget franchise. Among WB's plans: They wanted to adapt the anime and not the richer source material of the mangas, and planned on taking certain liberties with key character relationships to boot. “I was like, ‘The point is that Tetsuo can’t comprehend how someone who isn’t his brother could love him so much — and that’s where his wrath and his rage come from. Do you not see that? Why have you made them brothers? What the fuck are you doing?’” [IFC via Collider]
So this is what Val Kilmer and his luscious locks were doing hanging with Kyle Gass and Jack Black, AKA Tenacious D. In the newly released video 'To Be the Best,' Black and Gass find their fates have gone in different directions following the failure of their film Tenacious D: In the Pick of Destiny and only Kilmer, Dave Grohl, and Josh Groban can help mental patient Gass and "Hollywood Jack" reunite (for their new album, in stores May 15). Also on hand? Tim Robbins. Why not?
more »
