I usually avoid trailers for martial arts film altogether because, let's face it, it's not too hard to make even the worse film in this genre look mind-blowing and cool in an two-minute trailer. And while the fight choreography in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zen indeed looks awesome, I was struck more by the chaotic opening war scene and the gorgeous period detail here, both of which set this one way ahead of the pack. At least as far as trailers go. Also, the director of Infernal Affairs, the original Hong Kong version of The Departed, is in charge here, so maybe we can expect a fun, convoluted narrative to compliment the action?
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"Sheen is feeling more and more like OJ driving up the 405," tweeted David Poland earlier today. "I don't even think people realize they are just waiting for the gun to go off." Oy. Well, how about a drive down memory lane instead -- to a happier, more innocent time when Charlie Sheen actually volunteered to leave a TV show after a healthy payday.
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First things first: No one around here condones homophobia or any legislation under its influence, and generally speaking, any statement against said legislation is one worth backing. But that's not why I'm pumped for the short film Porno Melodrama, which purports to be a direct reaction to institutionalized hate in Lithuania. I'm pumped because holy Christ this trailer.
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Say you're Saturday Night Live and you're trying to promote this weekend's episode hosted by Miley Cyrus. How do you maximize interest in the controversy-prone guest? Judging from this new promo, apparently by ignoring any recent Miley headline (about bongs and familial upheaval) and letting the pop star play with a soundboard, say "pretty cool," and get hugged by Keenan Thompson. Proceed at your own risk.
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Good morning to you on this very special day! No, not Gavin McLoed's [sic] 80th birthday, though that deserves recognition, I can't lie. But! Lou Reed was born 69 years ago today in Brooklyn, NY -- a location that would become the partial subject of his fantastic appearance in the 1995 ensemble-improv weird-out Blue in the Face. Let's reminisce and pay some much-deserved respect below.
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Based on this trailer, the Mildred Pierce miniseries from Todd Haynes still looks like a total knockout and guaranteed Emmy-hog. In terms of production-value, the cable-TV trappings don't seem to have compromised one iota of Todd Haynes' visual panache and meticulous attention to detail which made his last revisionist 50's melodrama Far From Heaven such a treat, and while Guy Pearce is still mostly relegated to the background, Kate Winslet looks like she'll have a grand showcase for her considerable talents in the titular role. And yet I have to admit, I'm still pretty baffled as to why the thing exists.
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The final dispatch from Movieline's station at the Independent Spirit Awards features AnnaSophia Robb, whose new film Soul Surfer features the actress as Bethany Hamilton -- the real-life surfing prodigy who, in 2003, lost her arm in a near-fatal shark attack only to return to her board months later. Our own Carly Steel talked to Robb about hitting the water and getting the hang of the sport herself -- sea predators be damned.
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With two Oscars and $90 million-plus at the box office, The Fighter was one of the quiet successes of awards season -- which is nice, since Mark Wahlberg spent nearly ten years shepherding the project from his personal gym to the screen. That Wahlberg wasn't rewarded for is fantastic work as Micky Ward in the film was a disappointment, but not one that the former Oscar nominee seemed to mind -- he was always cheering both his film and his co-stars whenever he was given the opportunity. Which brings us to the red carpet interview that Wahlberg did with Mario Lopez outside the Kodak Theater on Sunday. Douche. Chills.
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And now we find Thomas Ian Nicholas among the many attendees Movieline caught up with at last weekend's Independent Spirit Awards, where the American Pie actor (and touring musician) hesitated to confirm his involvement with the franchise's fourth film -- but admitted seriously considering the prospects, especially if he gets to work some of his songs into the mix. Don't worry, Pie devotees -- it's not what it might sound like. Let him explain in the video after the jump.
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While we've already established that a Robocop statue for Detroit isn't really so bizarre in comparison to movie statues that already exist, Detroit's mayor Dave Bing still hasn't come around. Enter the original Robocop, Peter Weller with this compelling, mostly irrefutable video endorsement of the project. Whoever convinced Weller to walk this line between deadpan perfection and goofy idiocy while donning a homemade Robocop mask has my deepest thanks. I would now like to see Weller in a full length summer comedy.
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Fresh on the heels of his Oscar loss, here's a trailer for another doc about Bansky, this time made by someone other than Banksy. It examines the hypocrisy and commerce involved in art industry and how old rules get complicated when applied to the street art movement by following a guy who is literally trying to sell a piece of Bansky's art that he (sort of) took off a wall. That's a little bit interesting, but it seems like Exit Through the Giftshop already covered the same territory with more wit and style. Also, the characters in this film seem like jerks and I am not interested to spend an entire movie with them.
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Movieline HQ is already buzzing with the sounds of "Loser Like Me" -- it's an early candidate for "Song of the Spring" in my household, at least -- and on Monday, Ryan Seacrest debuted another Glee original. Sorta. Glee star Matthew Morrison will release a solo album this spring, and the first single has finally premiered, courtesy of The 'Crest. So, is it better than "Loser Like Me"? Does Morrison pull a Will Schuester and white-rap this sucker?
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Sure, last night's Oscars left a lot to be desired, but what better way to wash away the hangover and hazy memories of smart-ass tweets than a killer trailer? Thus, I present the preview for Kelly Reichardt's new Western Meek's Cutoff, in which Michelle Williams and a three-family wagon team follow a shady-looking mountain man named Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood) over the Cascade Mountains only to find out he may not actually know where he's going. Also, water is scarce.
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Award-winner for Best Actor last night at the Independent Spirit Awards, host and nominee tonight and somehow James Franco still has time to stoke our fantasies a little bit, shooting a short video of him in bed looking lovingly (crazily?) at us, his one-night stand. We look at him, we glance around the room as if to wonder where we are and how we got here, and then back at James' bedroom eyes to soak it all in. It's like we're all a Japanese body pillow named Kamiko now!
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Reason #1 why we love Lea Thompson, who just landed a new ABC Family pilot, Switched at Birth: She's the girl we all wanted to be in the '80s. Reason #2: She's like the estimable honey badger when it comes to real talk about her old Red Dawn co-star turned Qaddafi of Hollywood, Charlie Sheen.
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